Just wanted to let my readers know that Chris is HOME!!!! He pulled up to the house on Saturday morning about 4 a.m.!!!! I could not sleep until I knew he was home and safe. He left San Diego on Monday driving a U-Haul truck and towed his car behind it. I tried to talk him into taking his time and stopping along the way but he wanted to get HOME! He drove 72 hours straight after stopping in Arizona and New Mexico, eating power bars and drinking caffeine to stay awake. We expected him earlier on Friday night but there was a bad accident on I-40 in Memphis, Tennessee. He ended up taking a detour on a different route. Then he got lost in Chattanooga and could not found the route that he was looking for. The truck he was driving was not comfortable for his 6-foot frame, did not have cruise control, and was difficult to drive. I couldn't sleep at all and kept dreaming about him driving and waking up to look out the window to see if he was here. Even though I can't hear anyone come in when I have my "ears" off at night, I still "know" that my kids are not home and cannot rest until they walk in the door and give me a goodnight hug and kiss. Anyway, when I saw his vehicles out in front, I immediately went looking for him and found him in the kitchen eating sloppy joes and potato casserole that I had fixed for dinner. It's funny how kids always seem to find the refrigerator. He had only been home for about five minutes. He was HUNGRY! He went straight to bed and slept for 14 hours on Saturday and woke up long enough to eat dinner with us, ride his bike, and visit a little. He slept late on Sunday and today, too. His cat, Chester, is happy to see her master and lays next to him and is content to watch him sleep. He has no plans for the next few months except to unload and rest and regroup.
All four of our kids were home this past weekend. Brad came home from college to see Chris and brought his friend, Matteo, with him. (Brad was also sick with a bad cold and needed some TLC.) That meant "Mom" was busy cooking and cleaning and falling into bed exhausted. But, it was great having all of our children home under one roof. That doesn't happen very often. The whole time Chris was in the Marine Corps, we only got together as a family a few times. Chris says it feels weird being home and it hasn't sunk in yet. He served four years in the Marines and spent eight months in Iraq in 2004. My sister, Kathy, thinks he damaged his vocal cords while he was in the military. She says his voice has changed because of all the yelling and screaming he had to do. He certainly is not the same person that left home four years ago. He has seen and experienced more than most people have in a lifetime. We are extremely proud of him.
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