Sandy's reaction

Monday morning Chad took Cole and Cody to school. He played basketball with them and some friends of Cole's before school started. The friends thought he was the coolest...which made Cole very happy.

After that Chad and I went to town to surprise Sandy at school. We had the office call her classroom and she wasn't there! The secretary said she's probably running late and at Taco Bell because her and her friend Sloan go there everyday before school. So I call her cell phone and tell her I'm at the school and brought her graduation announcements. She was excited and said she was at taco bell and would be right there. The office was full of people, students, staff, mailman, etc. Chad was sitting in one of the secretary chairs behind the desk. I thought she'd see me and talk to me for a minute and then spot Chad sitting over there, but noooo! She glanced over at me and then saw him. She was behind that desk so fast hugging him tight. She was so surprised and crying happy tears. I barely had time to get my camera out...let alone trying to get pictures with so many people in the office. I missed some great shots, but at least I got some. The principal gave her permission to leave for the rest of the day as long as she makes up her time. There was no way she could have concentrated on school work. We left and met Mark, Kyle, and Mark's brother, Spencer for lunch, then took Chad to get a much needed haircut, then to rent a car for him to drive while he's here. I'm all out of loaner vehicles since he was in an accident with my truck on his last time home in December. I had to put the rental car in my name because he's too young to rent a car. I think it's crazy that he's old enough to fight for our country, but not to rent a car.

You know what makes me crazy is that on the news all the talk is about Iraq with little to nothing mentioned about Afghanistan. In the few short months he's been there, he has been in danger so many times. He is in infantry and is the driver for the lead hummer in their convoys. They have had numerous gun encounters with the Taliban. It's just so scary for me as a mom to have MY son being shot at, yet Iraq is the "scary place" It's all scary...war is scary! No matter where our soldiers are serving, they are in danger. If I had any control over his life, he wouldn't be fighting. I don't want him to be just another number in the list of causalities. That may sound selfish, but a mothers instinct is to protect her children. How on earth am I going to be able to let him go back there in a few short days? I just don't know.

To be honest, I really haven't got to spend very much time with Chad, but he promises that today is be with mom time, so I'm going to go get dressed because he will be here soon. I'm going to enjoy my time with him. I'll take more pictures now that he's all cleaned up. Thank you all for your overwhelming support. Love to you all!