Welcome Home Tom!

My brother, Tom, has been in Afghanistan since last September. After much thought and prayer for him, we were thrilled to be able to welcome him home last weekend! He had a very quick leave time approved to come home to Texas for the weekend. He told my parents that he wouldn't be able to come back until mid-April and our "surprise" plan was off. My sister got him a plane ticket, I planned to bring in the kids for the weekend, and we got all of the brothers, sisters, and Granny and Papa together. It was the first time that we were all together since before he left for boot camp, over a year ago. A couple of the siblings and Granny and Papa knew that he was coming, but Mom and Dad had no idea.

I brought the kids in Friday night and they had a blast hanging out with Grandpa and seeing the farm. We enjoyed visiting with Granny and Papa, Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Judith before everyone else arrived the next day.
Saturday morning came and they were all about manly business.
Mom and Granny were busy cooking the big lunch in the kitchen. Everyone was coming to eat because I had brought the kids in town.
They boys looked over the garden and the new plants.

My grandparent's headstones, on my Dad's side, are out at the farm and Mom has done some nice landscaping around the stones.
Granny, Gib and I checked out all the pretty flowers.
Grandpa has a back extender in his room, to align his back. My kids thought that it was like a carnival ride and hung upside down like little monkeys for most of the weekend.
The family started to arrive around 11 a.m. Aunt Mia got there and Hayden was showing her his new movie.
Granny and Papa were visiting in the living room.
Hubert and Marlene popped in to say hi to Granny and Papa. (They had no idea that Tom was coming.)
Uncle Noah, Grandpa and the kids were swinging on the porch. It was getting really hot!

Meanwhile, I was taking lots of pictures so that it wouldn't be obvious when Esther and Bekah got to the farm from picking up Tom at the airport, that I was grabbing my camera. Since they were coming in from Denton, they were the best choice to grab him and bring him home. :) Somewhere in the middle of all this, my camera battery got low and I changed them out and put them in upside down! When Tom arrived, I went to take pictures, and ... nothing. As they pulled into the drive, they stopped and Tom got out, so that when they came around the corner, it was just the twins and Bekah's fiancee, Graham. Tom ran in the other door and surprised everyone. It was great! Lots of crying, laughing, and carrying on. Grandma, a.k.a. my mom, cried and cried. She was very grateful that my camera was non-functioning as she didn't want anyone to see her like that.
After the mayhem died down a bit, it was time for lunch! All of us make a very large table.
Tom and Judith were catching up on the porch.
All of us sisters dragged everyone outside for a family picture. Landry refused to come outside and Shane wasn't there, but this is the family!
All of the girls - Esther, Naomi (Dan's fiancee), Judith, Bekah, me, Grace, and Miriam (or Mia.)
Bekah and her fiancee, Graham. They are getting married in June.
Esther and Grace were hanging out.
Gibson was attached to Uncle Tom or Uncle Ben or Uncle Dan for the rest of the afternoon.
We sure are glad that he is home and safe.
Uncle Dan.
Uncle Noah and Hayden.

It was a wonderful weekend and it was so great to see everyone. Our family is large and spread out now. It was special to have everyone in one place again.