Homecoming

Two years.

Two years looms like an eternity -- when you're at the beginning of it. Halfway through, it seems like it's not nearly so long. When you get to the last weeks and then final days, it seems like it has rushed by at Mach speed.

Back at the ranch (or The Haven, in our case!), as a parent, you wonder how your son has changed during that time. After two years on a tropical island, and in 3rd World living conditions, ... what has he learned? How has he matured? What will he look like? What will he BE like?

We made sure to be at the airport early, since we'd heard from several people that his flight is notorious for arriving ahead of time. It turned out that it was right ON time. So we had some time on our hands while we waited:

And then, the plane arrives at the gate. You watch the doorway like a hawk for the once-familiar face. Please don't be the LAST one off the plane!! Then you see him, watch him, as he walks down the stairs. A few seconds later, he walks through the door:

It was a good thing we also saw him put the dreadlock-hat on, otherwise you'd wonder what happened to his strawberry-blonde hair! (And, you forgive your second son for the camera angle. How was he to know that Mom's arm would fling right in front of him?)

As the mom, you have the right to the first hug. So you really make it count!

(We skip the next 6 pictures on the camera, ...... since everyone got a little teary, and the hug was so long, they all look the same as this one!)

This blurry shot is the only one we have of his first reunion with his baby sister:

I think she was pretty unsure about those dreadlocks. Then it was more hugs all around for the rest of the family. We missed the actual shot of the Dad hug, (which wasn't nearly as long as the Mom hug, but still full of all the same sentiment) and we step back to get a good look at him:

Then the siblings. Alyssa stepped in first:

Next came Darcie. I'm pretty sure she gained a couple of inches during the two year's time period, making her taller than he remembered:

Cameron waited to be the last of the immediate family. Partly because he was taking pictures, but partly because he wanted to do this:

Yes, he picked Brandon right up off the floor! Not too surprising when you consider Brandon's weight loss during his mission dropped his weight below Cameron's.

Then came the hugs and greetings from all the great extended family and friends that came to the airport to be there for him. We sure appreciated the committment from these wonderful people to drag themselves away from home at 10:30 pm on a weeknight. And then, I admit, I couldn't help myself. Had to steal another awesome hug from this wonderful son!

And after two long years, we actually got a photograph of the family. ALL of us.

I have plans for a family portrait, although details are not finalized.

It is so wonderful to have our Brandon home again! We feel a twinge of sadness that these two years are over for him, but what a wonderful two years it has been! This coming Sunday will be his return talk in church ... I'm so looking forward to hearing what he has to say then!! Please check his mission blog at www.huffakermission.blogspot.com for his comments from Jamaica.

And in the next couple of weeks, we will watch the mail for another missionary packet. This one will be addressed to Elder Cameron Lee Huffaker, and will hold within it the destination for Cameron's mission. Cameron has worked hard in the last year since he's been out of high school, and has earned almost all of his mission money. There will still be purchases to make for him, but we feel his mission will mean more to him than if Mommy and Daddy had foot the bill for it.

In the mean time, Mother Hen has all her chicks back home once again.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

LinkWithin