Goodbye E/1-30 IN

Wednesday was the Battalion Change of Command Ceremony for 2-3 BTB and also the casing of the colors for E/1-30 IN. Jack took command of E Co last March while they were deployed to Iraq. Due to the Army changing the structure of the engineers in the brigade combat teams and narrowing them down to one company within the brigade, E Co merged with another engineering company and made an entirely new company.

So on Wednesday we officially said "goodbye" to E Co.

Jack's been working lots of hours to get all the property handed over to the new company. Although his E Co command time has ended, his company command time is not yet over. In March, he will be taking over as commander for HHC/2-3 BTB. This also means I'll be changing FRGs as well. It was bittersweet saying good bye to all the great families we worked with but I'm hopeful that HHC will be full of more wonderful military families.

E/1-64 AR (on left) and E/1-30 IN (on right)
Merging to become C/2-3 BTB

Jack in front of his guidon

Brigade Commander and Battalion Commander approaching to do the casing of colors

Casing the colors

"Job well done"
Jack shaking the Brigade Commander's hand

Off go the colors

Battalion Change of Command

New Battalion Commander ready to take on the job!

Welcome Home Jack!!!

After a long year, Jack's 3rd tour in Iraq is finally done.
He arrived home with the rest of E Co in the wee hours of Saturday morning.
We thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and support over this past year.
It is so wonderful to have our family complete again!!


Getting ready to leave the house for the ceremony (It's midnight now!)



Still waking up and trying to figure out why she is at
ANOTHER one of these crazy ceremonies and at this god awful time of night!


Pops keeping Katelyn occupied while waiting


Our pretty girl!!


A video on the jumbotron showing the soldiers getting off the airplane!!


Eating cheetos provided by the USO - she was so messy!
But there was no taking them away - they kept her quiet and occupied for a long time!


Here they come!!!!
AHHHHHH!!!
We were wishing they would march just a little faster!!!


We FINALLY found him!!
There were 353 soldiers on his flight!!!!
(Katelyn was a little puzzled how "the guy" in the computer was standing in front of her!!)


"I guess you are ok and we can take you home with us."


It feels like a dream still!
I love my soldier with all my heart!




We made it home!!
It's now 3:30 AM!!


Daddy helping put Katelyn back to bed - almost 4 AM at this point!
She was such a trooper and crashed the minute she got back in bed
and slept in til almost 9 AM too!!
Thank you so much Katelyn!!!


Playing with Daddy the next morning!
"He's a keeper Mommy!"

Please continue to keep those that are still serving overseas in your thoughts and prayers and pray for continued strength for those family members left behind and that each soldier come home safely!

Hippity Hoppity Easter's on its way!

Our Battalion had an Easter Egg hunt today. I was very excited to let Katelyn crawl around in the grass and get her eggs; however, mother nature had other things planned - Rain! The bigger kids enjoyed playing in the rain and still found the 500+ eggs that were scattered around. So I guess Katelyn will have to wait until next year to do the hunt. She'll have more fun when she can walk anyways. But a special visitor made an appearance! The Easter Bunny!



And then she realized who was holding her and that was just not acceptable!