Okay... I know, I know. It's only been forever since I've updated my blog. I'm ashamed to say it's been five months since I've posted anything. It's been nagging at me, and I've been meaning to post something, and then finally a friend called me out on it (MV!) so now I'm faced with the daunting task of trying to get the blog up to date... so here goes.... (My last update was in August 2008, so I'll try to go month-by-month.)
Joe is in the very center of the photo, in the front row. This was snapped as the soldiers were marching into the gymnasium, welcomed by lots of cheers and applause by lots of friends and family. The bleachers were packed! It still gives me goosebumps to think about it. Words still don't adequately describe what it's like to actually lay eyes on your soldier after such a long time! 
Joe enjoyed several weeks of time at home, and he wasted no time jumping back into some projects around the house. The first major one was to tear up the walkway to the house that had buckled due to what we suspected was a tree root. Our suspicions were confirmed:
Fun with a jackhammer...
That's one big root!
September 2008: The kids were off school for a couple of weeks, so we traveled back to Missouri to visit family. Had lots of fun, catching up with family and friends. One of the highlights was a trip to Busch Stadium to take in a Cards game with all the cousins; this was Nathan & Hannah's first time in the new stadium.
October 2008: At long last, Joe returned from Iraq on October 5!! It was a day we had been waiting for for SOOO long (15 months, to be exact). We were anticipating a 2:30 pm return, and of course, we got there early, and ended up waiting for hours... the guys didn't arrive until almost 5 pm. But, after 15 months, a couple of hours was worth the wait. I took my camera, but in all the excitement, I only managed to snap a few pics:
Joe is in the very center of the photo, in the front row. This was snapped as the soldiers were marching into the gymnasium, welcomed by lots of cheers and applause by lots of friends and family. The bleachers were packed! It still gives me goosebumps to think about it. Words still don't adequately describe what it's like to actually lay eyes on your soldier after such a long time! 
Joe enjoyed several weeks of time at home, and he wasted no time jumping back into some projects around the house. The first major one was to tear up the walkway to the house that had buckled due to what we suspected was a tree root. Our suspicions were confirmed:
Fun with a jackhammer...That's one big root!
In October, we also had the opportunity to attend a McCain rally here in Fayetteville. The kids had taken an interest in the upcoming election and all the political goings-on (it was hard to escape any of it unless you lived in a bubble) so we decided to take the kids to the rally -- something none of us had ever done before. It was very exciting.
Here is a video of the Straight Talk Express driving directly into the coliseum:
Here's Hank Williams, Jr., warming up the crowd: 
Cindy McCain introducing her husband:
The McCains waving to the crowd as they left:
Overall, it was a very interesting experience. The attendees at the rally ranged from the more reserved to the more boisterous. The kids still talk about the woman sitting next to us who kept screaming "NOBAMA!!" at the top of her lungs, which got very annoying.
November 2008: Joe was invited by VFW Post 10630 to speak at the annual Veteran's Day Wreath-Laying Ceremony in Hope Mills. It was a beautiful day, and Joe did a great job!
November 2008: Joe was invited by VFW Post 10630 to speak at the annual Veteran's Day Wreath-Laying Ceremony in Hope Mills. It was a beautiful day, and Joe did a great job!
Here's a link to some more pictures and coverage of the ceremony:
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