After a few frantic days in Springfield, I finally got all of the paperwork ready and the suitcases packed. I woke up at 3:30 yesterday morning, hoping to leave Springfield by 5 so that we could pick up Joel at the Amarillo airport at 1 p.m.

We didn’t hit the highway until 8:40. I was so disapointed. Mom and Dad had to pick Joel up for me. The kids and I wanted to be there, to see him in his uniform. Jeremiah and Sarah had practiced running to him.

I know it’s not a big deal. But at 1:30 we all cried because that was five hours with Joel that we had lost. I had to point out to Jeremiah that it is not nice to tell someone that is already sad and has already appologized that something is their fault… he said, “Oh… I didn’t know.” Yeh well now you do little man.

Ah but we finally made it to Mom and Dad’s and Joel was waiting for us. So were my parents and Jami and her kids.

Dad had his new video camera on. That’s just what I need. A video of me after waking up at 3:30 in the morning and driving cross country for 9 hours.

Joel and I got a few minutes alone while we drove into town to buy the kids a Christmas present. I hadn’t gotten a chance to shop without them. We went to the Wal-Mart in Dumas, TX. Everyone warned that it would be busy. Busy? Could a Wal-Mart in Dumas be half as busy two days before Christmas as the one on Campbell in Springfield is every single day of the year?

Nope.

I did notice a few things at Wal-Mart that are worth mentioning:
1. I had forgotten about pointy toed cowboy boots…
2. I think people are shorter here… is that possible?
3. I saw a teenager dressed like a New Kids on the Block fan…. is it 1989 Day and no one told me?

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It’s good to be home. Good to hold my man for a few more days before shipping him off to Afghanistan and heading to Ft. Jackson for CHOBC.

And of course, it’s wonderful to see my family. Jami has a new haircut that looks great. She’s going to hook me up with her hair sylist so I can get mine cut like it. Yes, yes, I will post a twin pic.