The Big Day.......A Week Late!

So, it has taken me a week to get this post together. I took a lot of photos and wanted to post the best (if there are "best" for this event)! It was very hectic, the days leading up to that morning. Crazy. Trying to make sure everything was packed, what wasn't going to fit, etc. And trying to have some quality time; it was difficult.


So the morning came. We kept the kids out of school, just to have a little bit more time with daddy. Our first stop was the company to check in and sign for weapons. Our Big Man was going to help daddy do what he needed to do to get ready!


Here he is holding a real M-16. He wasn't really smiling that day, but when he found out he was holding a real gun...........big smile! He thought that was really cool.


Glenn had to put the strap on the weapon, which came with instructions! (I will not comment on that!) So, Big Man was daddy's helper. He stayed right by his side.

I think that the strap was the most difficult to put on and keep from getting twisted!

....and the instructions weren't really that great. Hmmmmm, maybe we should rethink this deployment! LOL

Finally, we get the strap on and head for the gym, which is the holding area until the soldiers are called into formation and begin to board the buses. We were at the gym for a good 45 minutes then the call came that the flight, originally supposed to leave at 2:30 PM was now going to leave at 9:00 PM! WOW! Now what??? So.....we go back to the company to turn in the weapons, so we can leave the post. Explain to the kids what is going on, but it is a little confusing and weird! So, we go have some lunch, go to Barnes & Noble, then head home and just chill until 3:00 PM when he needed to be back.

Here is Sarah and her daddy.

So now it is 3:00 PM and we are back at the company to pick up the weapons....again. When I pulled up I noticed that the buses were there. I knew that they were really going this time! There were 5 buses in all.

This is our section minus 3 people who were going on another flight. Dawn....do you recognize Mr. Felder next to Glenn? He was in Korea with us! I think they went to Crazy Church with you! HEHEHE.

Sarah was attached to her daddy, despite the weapons! It just didn't matter. Of course, she was very concerned that he would be using the weapons with real bullets!

This is the photographer in me! Even though I was fighting back the tears, I saw an opportunity to capture a moment. There was so much emotion in that gym. I don't know this family, but here is a soldier/daddy, who is just clinging to his little girl. He didn't want to say good-bye.

A quick photo op of our family before we had to say good-bye. You can tell by Ryan's expression that he just wanted to go home....................but with his daddy. He was so tired.

The soldier on the left is in our section and this is her friend who is not going this time. Just one last hug!

I took this one with tears in my eyes. We had just said good-bye. The soldiers were called into formation to get ready to board the buses.

Here are the buses, lined up and ready. Some soldiers are already boarding.

To the right of the "YMCA", you can see Glenn with his arm waving good-bye.

Here is Glenn's bus.....................it was a very dreary day. Matched the mood.

There he goes................

And now we wait. We left the post and went to Wal-Mart to buy some pizzas for dinner. I don't even remember that evening. I was so emotionally drained and numb. I was ready for bed at 7:00 PM, but lasted until 10:00 PM. I slept like a big dog!