Dave and Susan..... "PRESENT!"

Hey Everyone!

If anyone is even still reading this =) It's been a long, long time! I checked our last post and the last time we updated this was MARCH.....

I guess it is time to update you on what is going on. So much has happened and so much has changed.

On September 13 of 2009, Dave left for Iraq. This rocked our boat quite a bit. I was a new mom and Dave was a new dad and we were being separated. Our biggest concern at the time was that Dave would miss all of those precious moments of Jack's life: Jack's first time using a spoon, his first time crawling, his first time walking. But we inched along.

In May of 2010, Dave came home for his two week break. I jumped out of the car at the airport and he caught me in a huge hug - his hug that I had been missing so very much - and then he actually dipped me, right there on the curb, and kissed me! Then I asked him if he was ready to see his son. He couldn't suppress a smile and we opened Jack's car door. Dave said, "Hey Buddy! I love you!" It was one of the most tender moments of my life. We had an awesome two weeks and then Dave had to leave again.

Dave finally came home, after about 12 months out, on August 31 2010. Jack and I waited at Ft. Lewis for about 5 hours before his unit marched in and I could see him. Before that, I had the lucky moment to talk to Dave on the phone and see him on the video they were streaming from the airport. He waved and I remember feeling this relieving excitement that it was finally over. However, it would take weeks before that finally sunk in to its full depth. As soon as we saw Dave, I handed Jack over to him and Jack was quite unsure. He didn't really understand or know who the "strange" man was. But later that day, I got the best video of Jack and him laughing hysterically at each other while they played with a straw. It was as if they never skipped a beat, friends, father and son, finally reunited. It was one of the best moments of my life.

Now that Dave is home, and has been for 2 1/2 months, it has been an adjustment. I think for everyone on the outside of this experience it went by quickly. Even for me there are moments when it seems like it never happened. That he's been here all along. But then there are other moments when I'm reminded of how hard it was. How unhappy I was while he was away. But, like after all hard experiences are over, there is something to be said, and I'm always sure of this fact: we survived. We made it. It IS over!

So, as we acclimate to becoming a family again and try and focus once again on those who are important to us, we may be more consistent with our blog...

Maybe.

We love you all and are so grateful for everything you did for us and helped us with during this hard time in our lives. We could not have done it without you.

Dave, Susan, Jack, and Sam