out of the Army!!!!!!

He's out!!!! He is not really completely out because he is using leftover leave days until his official contract ends, but for intents and purposes, he is done. He had a nice ceremony, got a plaque, and said goodbye to his buddies...and yes, I cried.

After packing the rest of his stuff in the back of the minivan, we headed north...saying goodbye to Washington D.C...and the base...for probably the last time. As excited as Samuel was, I think it was sad for him too. It was home for almost three years.

We found our hotel in Maryland, checked in, then walked to a Chipotle for some dinner...we also bought a bottle of Australian wine to celebrate. Back to our room...ahh. Sam, Evelyn, Jonathan, and I...we had a relaxing evening...they played Monopoly, which is now a video game.

This morning after a terrible hotel breakfast, we headed home...and made it by 5:00 p.m. Aaaahh...home! I made spaghetti for dinner, including a spaghetti squash for me, instead of pasta.

Then Sam asked for his Easter basket...and ha, we got him a bunny...

It was sort of a joke, because when he was little, he always wanted the BIG BIG BIG chocolate bunny...this one is two pounds of hollow chocolate...and shh, since he came home AFTER Easter, I got it half price. He liked it well enough! He let us open it right up...we shared with Lydia!



So Sam is finally home. Margaret and Adrian came to visit with their puppy, which is always fun and also crazy, as she likes to pee here and there, even though she is mostly housebroken at their place. Plus, she and Sunny like to run and wrestle. Sunny went out and got totally muddy...Sonja K. gave her a bath. The floors were so muddy too, I have mopped twice since being home this afternoon. We got dinner cleaned up, and now Lydia is reading stories with Camille and Evelyn. Kathryn, Suzanne, and Sonja K. went to the Dollar General in town (are they in every town now??!) to get something or other...it is school vacation, and they are planning a fun night of scary movies with Sam...finally. They have Sam here. Jonathan is in heaven. He has already been shooting airsoft rifles with Sam, and has been helping him put all of his boxes away. Kathryn so nicely is moving out of her room, in with Suze, to give Sam a place, it WAS his room three+ years ago.

Anyway, never a dull momoent. Paul got home from work during all the fun and excitement, and just to add to the fun, the alarm on the septic pump was going off. The switch is burned out again, and we are hoping the pump isn't ruined. I have to call the guy tomorrow. Then Paul had to leave for a meeting.

Tomorrow night, Paul is planning on going fishing with Sam and Jonathan and maybe Adrian. So many of us are so glad that Sam is home:)