Monday, August 15, 2011

He Has Returned

“Daddy! When is my Daddy coming home?” Natalie kept asking.

“Soon. He’s driving nineteen hours,” I answered for what seemed like the millionth time.

Natalie was quiet for a few minutes. “When is my Daddy coming home?”

I knew she was eager to see him. After all, he had been in Korea for a year. Yes, he came home in June to move us from Wyoming to Oklahoma but then he had to go back. When he came back from Korea the second time he flew into Ohio to pick up his truck from his Mom. I don’t drive trucks, you see. I don’t feel comfortable driving such a big vehicle and plus, suppose I crashed it? Tom loves his truck. He’ll spend hours polishing it. Sometimes I think he loves his truck more than ME.

Really, it had been a long year.

I learned that Murphy’s Law does exist.

It seemed everything broke when Tom left.

The couch.

The chair.

The mower

My car.

The sink.

My sanity.


And then we had to move and I discovered I was a pack rat.

That’s a lie; I already knew I was a pack rat.

Still, it was not easy moving to a new place and having Tom leave a week later. I’m not good at talking to people. I’m shy. He’d ask if I spoke to the neighbors and I’d be like, “I said hello and that was it.” Tom can strike up a conversation with anyone. Me? Not so much. I end up saying ridiculous things. Like once I was talking to a girl and she said my perfume smelled nice. I said thanks, I got it from a magazine and she seemed taken aback. I think I scared her.

(But really, aren’t those perfume magazine samples to wear? Or are you meant to only sniff them and leave it at that?)

Anyway, Tom made it home safely and yes, he even fixed the mower that I thought was broken. (Remember I blogged about it here.) All he did was tilt it upward, pull the string thingy and it roared to life.

It must not like girls. Because I swear, I tried to get that thing working for over an hour. And then people were like, “Uh, you weren’t supposed to add the entire thing of oil,” and I was like, “Holy crap, I PUT the entire thing of oil in it,” and I was told, “You might have flooded it,” and I was like, “Is that bad? That sounds bad..”

But the mower is fine.

My sanity is getting back to normal.

And Natalie has her Daddy back.




So all is well.

42 comments:

  1. Yay!!! Love the look on Natalie's face. :o)

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  2. the picture is worth the entire blog!!!

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  3. Ahhh....welcome home. what a great moment!

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  4. That's exciting!

    I know what you mean about everything breaking as soon as they leave. I just handled an infestation of something called ground hornets in my back yard and a broken AC. One of my good friends has managed to replace nearly all the major appliances in her house because something breaks everytime her husband deploys.

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  5. Awwww... That's a sweet shot. Is he back to stay, now?

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  6. LOVE that picture! she's not excited at all is she? :)

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  7. All is well indeed.

    Tell your husband I said Thank you for his service to this great country!

    I am so happy for you and your family. XO

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  8. I am so glad he made it home safe and sound!!! Natalie and you husband look so happy and content!! Enjoy!!! (And yes, I think certain machineary is sexist!!! It was just waiting for you husband!! Lol!!)

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  9. That's awesome. i hope this next year is much much better.

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  10. I'm so happy for you that the whole family is back together! Now you get to get used to married life all over again! Good? Bad? Not sure but I'm sure it will be funny to read about!

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  11. HOORAY!!! So glad he's home. You are an amazing woman to have made it through an entire year without him.

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  12. Congrats!! That picture is so sweet!

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  13. Congrats on surviving without Tom for a year! I'm sure that it is such a relief to have him home safe and sound. :-)

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  14. I'm so happy for you guys. Adults understand time but little ones think a day is an eternity. How adorable. I was a Daddy's Girl when I was little so I know how excited and happy she must be! Great post.

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  15. You totally have to try the magazine perfumes. The smell changes once you put it on and I don't want to spend $100 on perfume and it turns and smells like funk. No good can come from that.

    And yay for Natalie!

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  16. That is a beautiful picture! I hope you and your kids are soaking him up right now.

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  17. Glad he's home and I'm still laughing about the lawn mower. How disappointed was he that he couldn't buy a new one?

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  18. Awesome! Beautiful picture worth well over 1000 words.

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  19. So glad he's home and thinks can stop breaking/be fixed now. ;)

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  20. Hooray! He's home!!!
    I LOVE that photo!! :)
    **I can barely make it 2 weeks without Jerk Face! (okay.. 24 hours..) You are one strong mama! :)

    *Oh! And I would use the magazine perfume! Totally!
    (and I'm the same way.. Super shy, and awkward when talking to strangers!)

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  21. THis is absolutely precious. I can't imagine a year without Jonathan. Thinking about it has me tearing up.
    I hope Tom is home for a long while.

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  22. So glad Tom made it home safe and sound! For all of your sanity! LOL :)

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  23. So, so happy that he is back safe and sound!!

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  24. What a wonderful picture! I'm sure you are so relieved he's back. I don't know how you military wives do it, but you deserve a special award. You really do.

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  25. Yay! That's so great. I haven't blogged since February. I'm going to have to go read some of your older posts and see what all I missed around here. :)

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  26. Welcome home Tom!! I'm glad your partner in crime is back in the fold. :)

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  27. YAY! I'm so glad he is home safe and sound!!

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  28. I've been traveling a lot this year and missing my family. But that doesn't nearly compare to this. I'm glad he's home and your family is once again complete.

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  29. Yeah I am glad he is home (glad your sanity is getting back to normal also :-)

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  30. How exciting! :)

    I'm a new follower! Can't wait to see more. I'm enjoying your blog.

    See you around!!

    Marlana
    http://storywritermama.blogspot.com

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  31. Well that deserves a big ol' "awwwwwwwwwwww"!

    I cant believe its been a year. I know it probably went slow for you, but damn it kinda went fast over here!

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  32. Yay! Welcome home!

    I don't blame you about the neighbors, I didn't talk to anyone in Chicago at all, I just don't know what to say!

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  33. I'm so glad that Tom is home safe and sound. You should be commended, also, for running a household alone, moving, and just being an all around great person!

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  34. Hooray! I'm so glad he's back! And that the mower is fixed. I have a black thumb when it comes to all things mechanical...they look at me and die.

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  35. That picture is priceless! I'm so happy you have your hubby home! And please, tell him thank you from us for his service.

    P.S. I'm glad the lawnmower is fixed, but I HATE when things won't work for me no matter what I try, but then cooperate right away for Josh. It's obnoxious.

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  36. That's a smashing story and picture. Aahh!

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  37. So glad he is home safe. I seriously don't know how you did that. Shaun was gone all year and home on weekends and I almost went crazy. Kudos to you girl!

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