Looking for Southern Comforts

As you probably surmised... Jack is back!

Maybe a bit later than anticipated, but back safe and sound. And life? It's really really good.

It was good before, but there's no mistaking the difference now that he is back within arm's reach.

The last few days and hours before his return passed at a snail's pace, especially for him and the other ~150 soldiers stranded in Romania. In those few days, it felt like yet another year was ticking by.

His flight arrived at 3:30am last Sunday, and considering the repeated delays they kept the pomp and circumstance to a minimum, which we all appreciated.

Yet, we weren't home until just before sunrise when we popped open a bottle of champagne and tried to coax the kid back down to a nap.

Considering all the timezone tweaking, Quinn went with the flow of being awoken in the middle of the night to bright lights and a blaring band.

She was momentarily out of sorts when I handed her off to Jack for the first time, but since then it's clear his is a familiar face to her. More than that, it's like she's living with a rockstar as she squeals with delight virtually NONSTOP!

Unfortunately, we haven't had as much time with her Jack-Daddy as we'd hoped because of the mandatory seven days of "reintegration."

It's the Army's way of saying in many different ways "don't be a moron" by: beating your spouse, drinking and driving, eating your child's homework, super-gluing your brother-in-law's bum to the toilet seat..." You know, the stuff people do when they return from a year of combat.

I'm all for screening people for PTSD, but I was about to go postal on Uncle Sam when it started to feel harder to have Jack home than in Afghanistan.

At least while he was there, I didn't have any illusions or delusions about seeing him; but now he's right here. That is, until 6:30 in the morning when he leaves for reintegration and then gets sucked into work stuff or other fanfare, and doesn't get home until late in the day or even evening.

It's nice not to have to worry about his well-being or safety, but it's a real buzz-kill to have him come home and not get a day off to truly celebrate since.

That will all change though, as of Wednesday we are headed back to the left coast.

There Quinn will meet her other set of grandparents, the "auntie" she's named after as well as another -- both of whom strategically set up Jack and me, to our great gratitude.

More blogging to come from the air and road, and pictures as well.

Being completely spent before 9pm each night has kept me so quiet. But I am certain now that Jack is fully "reintegrated" and we have a chance to get better reacquainted as a family there will be more time for keeping things current.

Many thanks for all the well-wishes and prayers -- they paid off!

Love,
Mama J, Miss Quinn AND Daddy-Jack