The Long Goodbye

Tuesday morning started out pretty great on all accounts (except for Brian scheduled to deploy that afternoon.) We cooked a "restaurant" breakfast (as we like to call it) of Texas French Toast, bacon, sausage and scrambled eggs, topped off with champagne and Anderson's coffee and Brian's folks joined us as we gathered to begin Brian's send off. After dining together we all hopped in our car -Wilder with his new best friend, Buddy Rabbit (named by Brian)- and headed for Ft. Hood.
Soldiers sauntered, families gathered, wives and mothers cried (us included,) little kids raced around and at least one threw up as a result. Three hours of waiting for what was supposed to be the painful beginning of a 15 month separation.
Brian has rarely posed so much in his life, but I am very thankful he indulged our shutterfly mania.

On Brian's To Do list the night before I wrote down "Kiss Kelly A Lot." I'm made sure it was sufficiently crossed off.
Sorry, you can't take the little guy with you. I need at least ONE of you here for now, and the other one better come back ASAP...
Brian and the family. This was the first of Brian's 3 deployment-send-offs Betty and Barry were able to be at.

Grabbing more of those kisses while I still can.

Well, we ALL got sent back home because the flight was delayed and were told to come back in the evening (at a set time, of course.) Wilder had a good nap on the way back to Georgetown. We stopped for dinner at Dukes and enjoyed the beautiful day by eating outside. We had a few more hours together, then all piled in the car and headed back to Ft. Hood.

After 20 minutes, we were ALL sent back home again. This time, come back at 1am. Betty and Barry said their goodbyes at our house and went back home. Brian and I had a few more hours to cuddle and played a few rounds of cards (I won, or course. Sorry, Dear -I bet you'll beat me at mid-tour leave!) Near 11pm Brian got a call telling him to come by himself since they were just going to get sent back home and then reassemble at 8am. Just in case, Brian took the car seat out, then drove up alone. Thankfully the intel was right this time and he showed up at the house a few hours later. Ah, one more night together, however short it may be.

We got up early and hit the road -so fast Brian got a warning ticket from a (not too friendly) traffic cop, but we made it back at Ft. Hood by 8am.

They formed, reformed and formed again. This is the second of all the forming.

A few hours later, they are unforming and... you guessed it....

Reforming. They are the most reformed group of men I have ever seen.

This was the third or fourth "last goodbye" we had.

I cry a little each time I see this precious picture. Oh, my two darlings.

Finally it truly was the end, or rather the beginning.

I have full confidence that Brian will come home safe and I will take good care of Wilder and myself while he's gone, so no need to worry. Since Brian left on Wednesday we have been having a long slumber party at his folks' house. After I came home from Ft. Hood and felt the palatable absence I knew I needed to be around loved ones who could help me with Wilder and Savannah when I needed a minute to breath. It has been a tremendous blessing to have them and their endless love for each of us. Brian and I are so very thankful.

Brian called today from Kuwait and he sounds great. It will be a few weeks until they get to Iraq and settled into their base. I will keep you posted on how he's doing and we certainly appreciate your prayers and support!