17MAY09

We did it. We have, officially, made it through our 3rd (and hopefully last, at least for a while) deployment. There are so many things you go through during the deployment. I love Travis being in the Army and I am so proud of him and what he does but there is no way around it, deployments SUCK. The worst part, honestly, is the last couple weeks. Especially when the military has a very unorganized way of getting them home. I thought Trav would be home "any day" for about a week. Then the day came and I was a bundle of nerves. We're suppossed to get an 8-12 hour call and then about a 3 hour call before the ceremony. Well I got a call that said, "your soldier will be in Ramstein (air force base) in 8-12 hours. Then 5 hours later I got a call that said, "Okay the ceremony is in an hour." I should have been jumping for joy but no I was stressing that I was going to have now wear my hair straight instead of curled b/c I just didn't have time. You have no idea the DETAILS that go into planning he welcoming home of your husband after a 13 month deployment.

So we go to the ceremony and they make you wait for about another 45 minutes. Then they bring them in. They have short ceremony and then I got to hug my husband for the first time in 9 months. Alexis RAN to Travis first and she was so excited. Although, soon after she got all shy and nervous and didn't really talk for the next half an hour (you all know Alexis she can't even go 5 minutes w/o talking! :) ) Ryan was Ryan. She was happy and had no real idea about what was going on. Although the next morning I think she was a little surprised to see daddy when she first woke up. We've been enjoying our time for sure.

Travis is doing reintergration and is working half days till we go on leave around June 5th. During leave we are going to hang out and do a little traveling. Trav and I are going to leave the girls with our friends, Spencer and Ester, and head to Majorca for a few days. We are so incredibly happy to be together again.

My "entourage." Thank you Ester for taking pictures and Cristine for taking video. Both were very excited to see Travis and I am SOOO looking forward to welcoming Nate back SOON!Getting all pretty for daddy. Really she was just bored waiting!
Seriously the were BORED waiting around! :)

Here they come!

Okay enough music and enough talking just let us hug our husbands! :) (Travis is in the back row all the way to the left.)

Showing Lexie where daddy was. It was so cute when she saw him she waved to him and I had to explain that he was in formation and couldn't wave back yet. She undestood and just kept giving him BIG smiles!

First hugs!

Our family!

Playing around that night. Trav picked up the outfit as a gift in Kuwait and she LOVED it!

Happy.