Waiting with my sweet deployment buddy Dawn. |
(I heard that the Marines actually stalled a little while at the armory, to give the families a chance to get there. No one wants to get to homecoming late!)
You know they're really and truly almost there when you hear the motorcycles — they had a Patriot Guard Riders escort for their trip from the Air Force base where they landed. There are few things more exciting than the sound of those engines coming down the road and knowing your husband is marching behind them.
Then you just need to search that sea of uniforms until you find your own Marine!
There he is! |
(I should say: my good friend Tracy, her husband, and their two sweet children came to help welcome the Lt home. Tracy took all these great photos for us. She's the best!)
(I've always said I will happily look at an almost unlimited number of almost anyone's wedding photos, regardless of whether or not I know the bride and groom. I feel sort of the same way about homecoming photos. Hopefully you do too, because we're not done yet!)
Pippo was a bit overwhelmed by all the commotion, but recognized his daddy, and was excited to see him. He was shy at first, but as soon as we got away from the crowd, he started beaming huge smiles.
We brought Daddy home, along with all his gear, and spent the weekend spending some good family time together and helping him adjust his internal clock twelve hours. And, of course, plying him with all his favorite foods.
priest's wife says
Congratulations! You all look so happy- thanks for sharing these with us (you Rosie look as beautiful as a bride)
Pippajo says
Praise God, he is home! Oh, these photos: I cried shamelessly over them! I've had your names on a slip of paper over my kitchen sink to remind me to pray for you all and now you are reunited! Thank you for sharing your joy with us. Have you let go of him or stopped gazing at him yet?
_Rosie says
Only because I had to — they went back to work yesterday!
_Rosie says
(he'll get to take some leave in a few weeks)
Jill says
Hooray!! Welcome home, Lt! I can only imagine you must be at peace and relieved and spending some quality time decompressing.
My husband just graduated from TBS and we (myself and the three kids) are at MOS school, currently. We head to our first duty in a month or so. It's daunting and a bit overwhelming to know that he may well be deploying. I am so thankful that he is home, safe! Thank you, God!
Jill says
correction:
*duty station
and
I am so glad your husband is home safe!
Mental note: don't comment on blogs while children are climbing on your lap 🙂
Cary says
Happy Homecoming! What a joy to have him home. I love the pictures and yes, I'd look at an unlimited amount of them, all with tears in my eyes. I love the pictures of Pippo and the sort of quizzical look. Maybe he was wondering how the daddy on the tv screen who read him stories got to be with him right there in person! Enjoy and love each other.
Terra says
I see so much pure joy in these photos and I got goosebumps seeing the photo of motorcycles escorting the Marines.
Lori @ IMK, IML says
Well, I cried, which surprised me, as I looked at these. So glad you have your man back with you and Pippo!
monica says
I'm a little teary-eyed. God bless you and thank you for your sacrifices. Rosie, the first shot of you looking up at your lieutenant – the one with his hand on your elbow? Stunning!
Jeannie says
I don't comment much but,Yay!!! Your joy is palpable. I am very happy to hear that he and his guys are home and safe.
akasleen says
Beautiful photos. I'm so glad you're all together again!
Lacey says
Oh this made me cry. How wonderful!! Much love to you three!
Jodi says
Pippo's Daddy has been in my prayers since the day he left. (That's what I called him when I prayed: Pippo's Daddy) I'm so happy for all of you. God bless and thank your husband for his service.
Melody Faith says
Homecomings are the best! It's so great he is home!
Stephanie says
Yay! So glad he's home! We've done the homecoming thing twice now, and it's always so much fun! The first time, we literally could not find each other after they broke formation. We had to pull out our cell phones to find each other on the drill floor. 🙂 I love how Pippo looks like he's not quite sure what's going on. Our 2 year old was the same way when my husband was on R&R. She wouldn't look at him when he got off the plane, but 5 minutes later she ran to him across the waiting room and wouldn't let go. They just take a bit of time to figure out what's going on. 🙂 Enjoy your time together!
carrien says
These are way better than wedding photos. Seriously. I couldn't stop looking at that first photo you posted the other day. Your faces just say so much here.
I'm so glad he's home.
Alishia says
Deo gratias! Thanks for sharing the photos. I cried! Oh, happy day.
LJ says
WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Rosie you all look so happy and wonderful! Congratulations!
Amy says
How exciting a homecoming can be. Great family and wonderful pictures.
Courtney B says
So beautiful! I totally teared up and I don't even know you personally. Thank you so much for sharing! By the way you look fabulous and I love the classic dress you wore!
coleen says
So glad he is home safe and sound! Had tears in my eyes looking at your pictures, what a happy family.
hope says
Sniffles here too! So happy for you guys and all of the pictures were great!
Betsy M says
I am so happy for your family. The pictures of your family are just beautiful and yes, I would look at any number of homecoming pictures as long as there are tissues handy. God Bless.
Carrie says
I'm choked up too! Hooray! You look as though you'll never let go of each other. :o)
Lisa G. says
Oh, I'm so teary-eyed! Praise God!
Maria says
This is the best post I have seen in a long time! I agree totally – homecomings rank right up there with wedding photos. I am so happy for all of you. They particularly touched me. My son is a 2nd LT. in the USMC (Camp Lejeune) yet to be deployed. Also, my brother-in-law had his homecoming last month, welcomed by my youngest sister and nephew. God bless our troops and their families!
Mrs. B. says
YAY!!!! So so happy for all of you!
Mrs. B. says
I also forgot to say that I wholeheartedly thank the Lt. for his service, and all of you for your sacrifices…
Mrs. B.
Anastasia says
This made me cry, and I never cry at posts. I'm so glad you have him safely home and your little family all back together. My brother is still over there… we're not sure when he's coming back but hopefully in the fall. Anyway, it's beautiful to see the homecoming.
Becky says
Wonderful! I was a crier as well. 🙂
Ngofamilyfarm says
Teary-eyed here, too! Happy homecoming!
-Jaime
Theresa says
I'm so pleased for you all – yipee!
You look very, very happy.
CMerie says
Oh Yay! Yay, yay, yay! I'm SO happy for you and so glad he is home in your arms (or you in his as the case may be) safe and sound. Shameless tears and soggy cheeks over here. Yay!
Deanna says
So happy for you! And thankful for their safe return!
My dad was Navy and went on a ten month cruise when I was 3 months old! I didn't know him at 13 months, but we didn't have the internet or video etc, then either! I loved how your husband was able to read stories to your son and be a part of his bedtime routine every night!
Blessings!
Woman of the House says
Hurray! Hurray! You look radiant! I loved seeing all these pictures. They made me cry! So wonderful!
Mary says
I absolutely LOVE these!! I saw them on FB and cried then and when I popped over this morning and here I am crying once more. This reminds me of my husband's first homecoming 23 years ago after a six month deployment. It was before the internet, skype and email. We had three phone calls and lots of letters. He left when our sone was six months old and came home when he was one. Jonathan walked to his Dad on the tarmac. Oh the JOY of that moment. It was the first of many over the course of twelve years of service as a Naval Flight Officer that I will never forget.
Congratulations Rosie!! You did it. You survived your first deployment!! Welcome to the club!! May God bless you and your LT. May he keep you both close to Him always.
Blessings and Grace…
Dixie says
I cried, too! How beautiful! And it made me miss my husband, even though he is only a few miles away, at work. Thank you for lending your husband so totalling to the service of all of us these past few months!
Charlotte says
Happy to look at all of these and any more pictures you have! What a wonderfully joyful occasion. Rosie, you look beautiful… absolutely beaming and your Lt. is beaming right back at you! I'm sure Pippo warmed up in his own way. God bless your husband for the job he does and you for your sacrifice while he does it.
Mary Ellen says
Oh how wonderful! Thank God your handsome marine is home safe and sound. Bless you both.
Ellie says
This made me tear up! I am so happy for you all that he is home and safe 🙂 thank you sharing the wonderful photos.
Suzette says
Congrats!!!! We are so grateful for your sacrifice!!!!
Emily says
Love love love! Of course there can't be too many homecoming photos. 🙂 I'm so happy that your family is all together again!
Pam says
Our Guardsman just left for his first deployment, so this brought some tears today. Happy, happy homecoming to you!! God is good!
Melissa AtLee says
So beautiful, words cannot describe. God bless your beautiful family!
Deirdre says
I'm glad so many other commenters mentioned crying, so I know I'm not the only one! I can barely keep it together when I look at these photos. So much happiness and also relief in so many different ways.
Great work, Tracy!
Sheila Laurence says
So glad he is home. Probably the best post on this site ever. 🙂 Thank you, thank you for helping keep our country safe.
mary elizabeth says
Thanks be to God!
Aimee says
Oh this is possibly my most favorite post ever! Welcome home and thank you for your dedication to our country…. Now go enjoy your reunion!! 🙂
Jennifer says
Hip hip hooray!!! Welcome home and thanks to your brave guy for his service!!
Teresa says
Well I joined everyone else on here – crying at these happy photos.
Welcome home Lt!!
Rosie, you looked so beautiful!
Praise God for the safe return of all these brave men.
Angela says
Crying out here in CA:) So happy for you, and I hope he's home for a good long while:)
Emily G says
Congratulations! The photos were beautiful, thanks for sharing so many of them. I felt like I was really there experiencing the excitement and happiness with you. Rosie, you looked beautiful. Some of the rather confused Pippo expressions made me smile. Enjoy being together again!
briana/justamouse says
Ohh ack, I'm crying! I'm so glad he's home safe.
Kristin H. says
Wonderful post. Brought tears of joy and relief to my eyes. And you looked so pretty for him! What a lucky hubby.
Patty says
Tears for you both, and for Pippo! Must be joyous to be reunited after so long! Praise God!
Libby says
YAY! Congratulations to all three of you!
kathi bailey says
hooray and thank you!
Josie says
Hurray!!! I'm joining the tearey eyed crew thank you so much for sharing these pics. Praise God!
Joy in Alabama says
Happy Homecoming!! What great pictures!!
Anna says
Hurray! Thanks be to God that he is home safe with you. Thanks to you for the sacrifice.
Abby says
Yes, I cried too. So happy that you are all together again!
Clara says
Congratulations! So glad he is home safely. The photos are lovely! Same here, I can look at homecoming photos and wedding photos all day…doesn't matter who it is.
Shannon says
I, myself, am a soon to be marine corps bride in september…. I've had 2 homecomings so far… there is just NOTHING better, is there?? Your dress is fantastic!! So happy for you… I read your blog frequently and bookmark posts all the time!
mamabearjd says
What a happy sight! I am so thankful that your family was reunited! I kept ya'll in my prayers. I am also glad that you have pictures. It is a beautiful love story. Your dress is also FABULOUS!
Suzanne says
Oh wow, this made me cry…………..those photos….enjoy your time together now as a family again…
Jessica says
Oh my goodness, this made me cry!
Rosie, you are a beautiful and brave woman. I always knew I couldn't marry a military man because I couldn't handle deployments! My admiration and prayers for those of you who watch their men go off – and for your courageous husbands!
Amanda says
So happy for you guys, love all the homecoming photos! I agree they are just as fun to look at as wedding photos 🙂
Stephanie says
Yay! You inspire us and give us hope! We see your love and are affirmed in who we are and in Whose image we are made. Love conquers all!!!!!! Wwwwwwooooo hoooo!!!! Welcome home God Bless!!!!
Dyan says
Wonderful! My thanks to both of you!
RubberChickenGirl says
OORAH! SEMPER FI and all of that!! Love the look on your face when you get him in site. Great relief and joy….welcome home and THANK-YOU for your service!!
RCG
Kimberlee says
Deo Gratias! Deo Gratias! Deo Gratias! Hooray! So, so thankful and happy for you! The pictures are just wonderful (what a beautiful wife to come home to!)! Enjoy this special time together.
michele says
I am soooo happy that you are all reunited!!!
kathy says
These photos made me cry. What wonderful news!
PNG says
Oh, thank God he is home and God bless you and all the military wives for your sacrifice and perseverance. What an amazing feat you all undertake to be away from your husbands for such long intervals. Enjoy these special moments together getting reacquainted, catching up, and readjusting. So happy for you all!!
Bethany says
How wonderful! Great pictures!
Kathryn says
Wonderful! I've been wondering how much longer he was to be gone – I know these things have a way of stretching out. Hope everyone has an easy re-adjustment.
Sarah says
What brilliant news. Your photos have quite made my day. And what a blessing for them to be home a couple of hours early. When my husband came home from Iraq filling the hours before his flight arrived early evening was torment – I cleaned windows, and baked my first loaf of bread. Much better for you and Pippo to have two more hours with him and leave the cake uniced!
Pippi says
There are tears in my eyes — I'm so happy that you're all together again. My husband was away for a month last year to help with the recovery after the earthquake in New Zealand. Just a month and not in any danger at all — and it was so, so hard. After that I have an even greater respect for military families. Thank you for all you do 🙂
Amber says
Hooray!!! Thanks for sharing the pictures, they are wonderful!!
scienceteacher says
I've been reading the blog for a while now, but haven't commented until today. This post brought tears to my eyes. I'm so happy to see the Lt. made it home safe and sound. Blessings to all of you!
Kirsten says
I'm a friend of Natasha and Nicks from HK. Have been keepIng you in my thoughts and prayers and so deliriously happy for you on this very special day. How lovely you are all together again. What a blessing!
Leanne says
Your hands clasped together in that first picture tells a million words. Thank you to your husband for being brave enough to fight for us and thank you to you and your little guy for being brave enough to let him go.
Amy says
So happy for Rosie, the Lt, and little Pippo! I got tears in my eyes looking at the photos (and Rosie, feel free to include as many pictures as you want in happy posts like these! 🙂 and can only imagine how it must feel to have your husband home. Blessings to all of you!
Anne Marie says
Oh for goodness' sake, you have me crying! Thank you, God!
Heidi says
All weepy here too – thank you so much for posting over the past few months, and for sharing your joy of having him home. I needed the perspective shift this morning! 🙂 And now for the reentry period…now I'll really be praying for you!
Mary Ann says
I'm so happy for you! My husband deploys next month and it's been encouraging to see your photos throughout your own husband's deployment.
Maureen says
Love! Many thanks to your family. Can't wait for my baby brother to come back….
Christy says
Omigoodness, I couldn't help but cry tears of joy at your beautiful photos! What a beautiful family you are, and I'm sure you'll be blessed by your sacrifice. So, so happy for you!
Christina says
Rosie, I cried when I saw these! What an answer to prayer. You look so beautiful, and so truly happy. I hope you have a glorious end of summer with the Lt. and sweet little Pippo. Thanks be to God!
Mrs. C. says
Congratulations! The beautiful homecoming pictures brought tears to my eyes! God bless!!
annkroeker says
Even if there were no text, these photos would tell the story. So glad you were willing to share these emotional, precious moments.
Jodi R says
I cried reading this post. Tears of joy, love and gratitude. So often those of us not from military families forget the enormous sacrifice Military families make. It isn't just the risk of life and personal harm but the time apart from the people you love, the missed milestones and lost time with children. I am so glad that your hubby & all his Marine's came home safe and sound. I pray the horror's they have seen will not haunt them and that they will settle into life at home well.
Please thank him for me – I know it isn't much but even hear in Australia I am thankful for his sacrifice.
Jennifer S says
Oh Rosie! I'm blubbering like an idiot while reading this post and seeing all these pictures!!! God Bless your husband for his sacrifice!!! God bless YOU, for YOUR sacrifice!!! I can only begin to imagine what it's like to have a deployed husband… gone for seven months… in harm's way. These pictures are so wonderful to see the happiness in you two. Thank you for sharing with the rest of us; thank you for reminding us that we need to be thankful for the families who sacrifice for our safety. So so happy he's home safe and sound back in your arms.
God Bless,
JENNIFER
White Oak, PA
Mrs. Pickles says
Yayyyy! So happy for you all! Now I can breath a happy sigh of relief for you. 🙂 I've never seen returning-home pictures before, but you're right — you don't get tired of looking at faces beaming with unbridled joy!
God bless your family!
monica says
I came back to this post today to catch up on some of the PHFR posts I didn't have time to view earlier. Happily, I got another chance to see your Homecoming photos and I have found another favorite! I love how adorable Pippo is as he gazes at his dad in the first photo. God bless you all.
Anne says
These photos brought tears to my eyes, they're so beautiful and your family looks so happy. Thanks for sharing and for all you do for our country!
Meghan says
I have tears in my eyes. Lovely pictures. I'm so happy for you all.