One Happy Momma!

Is that the best looking guy in the whole wide world or what? Yes, my boy is back! I thought this moment would never come but it did and I'm the happiest mom in the world. Someone pried my hands off him a few minutes after this shot was taken so he could breathe.

The trip up to NC was great. During all our road trips, my younger son "D" (The Bumpercar Guy) and I always fight for control of the radio or CD player. For the first few hundred miles, we actually listen to entire CD's or a whole list of songs on one station. However, we soon degenerate into music madness and we are like DJ's, changing CD's and stations like crazy. I don't know why, but we always do this. Luckily, we have very similar tastes in music, probably because from the time my boys were babies they have been subliminally programmed by me to like certain types of music (the types I like) and so I will be thinking "This fourth song really sucks, I'm getting tired of this CD..." and before I finish the thought my son will be ejecting the (now) tiresome CD and replacing it with a fresh one. Mind you, no spoken words have been exchanged.

My boyfriend drove almost all the way to NC. He likes to drive. Or maybe, to be more accurate, it doesn't have to do with liking it but with fearing Big "D"'s driving disabilities or my distractive qualities while driving, even though I have managed not to run into any poles or rear bumpers for the last 30 years. That left my son and I free to DJ and I think we drove him nuts with the constant music and singing (did I mention that we also sing along to the music?). But he is a trooper and pretended to be having fun, at least he didn't complain out loud.

My son came in on Monday, six huge buses pulled up to the barracks and all these Marines poured out of them, desperately looking for loved ones. He was the one that found us as we staggered around yelling his name, and as you can see from his beautiful smile, he was very happy to be back in the USA!

We spent a wonderful five days with him. My ex-husband (my baby daddy) was there for the first two days so I went around once again introducing the moms I knew through email to my ex-husband and my boyfriend in the same breath. You would think people would get used to this type of situation what with the skyrocketing divorce rate here in the US, right? I got some raised eyebrows but I've never been very bothered by raised eyebrows so...whatever. It was kind of funny.

I had the pleasure of meeting many of the guys that were deployed with my son. Most of these Marines will be deployed once again in a few months. They range between 18 and 22 years of age, some married, some have babies. I will pray for them and if you have a minute please pray for them too. They are a sweet bunch of young men.

To my loyal readers: Thank you for your prayers, your good thoughts and wishes and your support during these difficult months. It sounds mushy but you don't know how much you all have helped me with your messages and comments. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!