All good things must come to an end:(

We have smiled, giggled, hugged and just spent time in the Princess Airman's presence. Seems like she has barely gotten back from Afghanistan and drove home to my arms just last night...


She made all the necessary stops. Here in Ohio with us, WV with childhood friends and family and then a quick drive to South Carolina and back in 3 days to visit her Aunt Rissa and meet her cousin Lillian. The camera was charged and I was shooting the pics a quick as I could, as did her Aunt Dee Dee.




















After our trip to South Carolina, we wandered around the zoo snapping pictures and hanging out. As we walked along I realized that my baby girl is truly all grown up, responsible and she turned out pretty dang on good!! I was proud of her for enlisting, I was proud of her for graduating from BMT, then tech school and after all she accomplished while deployed I was boasting like a proud peacock. But now, after spending more one on one time with her I am most proud that she held onto the beliefs and values I taught her, becoming quite the wonderful little package and a beautiful, loving, kind, smart, generous, young woman!
















We ending our last Sunday together with a stop by to introduce her to my fantastic Ohio BFF, Colleen and her family. The boys missed her, but Colleen and Jeff got to spend a few minutes in the glow of her smile.





(Thank you Colleen for these pictures...they are two if my favs!!)

Today...the last day, we Zumba'd with my corporate account at Casham and then I made her special request dinner, Lemon Pepper Chicken with mashed potato's and crescent rolls. SHE made us a wonderful Apple Crumble Cheesecake.

We have washed up her laundry, David handed her a brand new Garmin, so she doesn't go 4 hours out of way getting home, and now we are held up on the couch...5:00am is gonna suck!!! I am overjoyed she came home for a visit, I just wish we had a little longer. Who am kidding? I would be melancholy if it was 6-8 weeks of a visit!!!

I love you Chelsea Anne...Thank you for taking time to come home!! Be careful on your way home, SLOW down, and come back real soon, ya hear?!!

The wait had ended and now I wait again??

See that beautiful girl there, the one primping in front of the mirror? That is my Princess Airman! Love her heart...she drove for 2 days, alone from South Dakota just to get home to her family. We were texting and talking as she crossed the country. The last verbal conversation we had at 7:15pm on Thursday evening was filled with re-routing instructions...she had veered a little out of the way and was convinced that she was going to keep on driving until she made it safe in her Momma's arms! Then, at 8:50 she called and said, "How would you like to hear me say you were right and I was wrong?" What I asked...thinking she had taken another wrong turn. "I am too tired to keep driving. I'm stopping and getting a room and restarting in the morning."

A little sad and proud at the same time I told her to call once she was settled and after our good nights, I slid into bed myself. Anxiously, ALL day Friday I waited and we texted. When she told me she was near Kokomo,Indiana, I knew it was gonna be several more hours, so I sulked off to Zumba and told her to keep in touch.

After a four hour detour, she made it. Emma and I were standing outside when she got here and I clung to her with happy tears in my eyes and I prayed silently, thanking God she was home, and grateful that he kept her safe, protected her and safely brought her home to my arms!!



A messy bed, lots of snuggles and she was off again the next afternoon. The logical, good southern woman in me told me I HAD to share her. Everybody else missed her too and deserved to see, touch, hug and linger in her presence. But, the stingy, mad Momma in me wanted to stomp my feet, and scream no! She herself must have sensed my discord, because she lingered here...snuggled up on the couch with me and Emma. I introduced her to Pinterest and she has quickly become an avid pinner! I'm not sure if she was dreading the continued 3 1/2 hour drive to WV or if like me she just wanted to be here, just us, talking, giggling, and staring at each other. We both knew everybody in WV couldn't wait to see and hug her as well....so, she showered, put her face on and


packed, loaded up and left. I was proud of myself. I didn't cry, didn't pout and kissed her on the forehead and sent her away.

Everybody in WV is loving every moment they get with her...here's some of the pics!





Hang on to her my WV family!! Cause come Thursday morning, Emma Grace and I are coming to wisk her away! Then it is on to South Carolina for a visit to see Rissa, Walt, Nate and Lillian...we are planning on taking lots of pictures, staring at each other and we are even planning on a visit to Rissa's school to thank her students for their package and cards of encouragement during her deployment. It will be a short visit, but, one we will all cherish! Every single moment!

My Princess Airman is back in the east coast and she making all the stops, getting all the hugs, catching up in all the gossip and making more memories of this wonderful time in her life. So, my wait to get my arms around her had ended, but now, I have to wait a few more days to sit and stare at her, to hear her giggles, to snuggle down and just be together. I am sure our car ride to South Carolina will be fun...filled with stories of her trip to WV, really loud singing to good music and the magical road trip bag full of goodies! I can wait and while I do I will keep thanking God for keeping her safe while she was deployed to Afghanistan and pray she doesn't get sent back for a while......Amen!

Waiting in spring

This past week has been a doozy! We have seen a lot of rain, wind, some snow flurries and I sat glued to the tv watching the big red box that indicated tornadoes,move swiftly towards us.

Phone in hand I began to text my sister, Dory. "This is scary." to which she replied, "Put on your Ruby slippers!" she thinks she is funny. And at the moment it was!

Graciously, mother nature spared us. But as of this morning the death till is in the high teens. Within 40 miles of us total wind destruction. Trees whittled down to mere toothpicks and homes as well as their inhabitants scattered across the terrain.

Later that evening as we waited on the second weather system with yet more tornado potential, the picture below shows what the sky looked like. My memory told me, this was not what we wanted...sunshiny clear skies aren't good! But, mother nature was just letting us know gray skies do clear up. No more rain, some wind but only 10-15 mph, not 70-100mph.

Living in Ohio I am learning quickly what being in the Midwest means, and that they pay attention to warnings, especially tornado warnings. Not really my favorite part of living here. When is tornado season over?