It has now been one year since Derek has been home from Iraq. There really aren't words to express how thankful I am. It's amazing how fast this year has flown by versus how slooooowly the year he was gone crept by. I'll never again take for granted a goodnight kiss or my hand being held while watching a movie or belly laughing about something silly with my best friend or sharing a holiday together as a family. It is so easy to take those things for granted until you are in a situation like deployment. At that point, I realized how silly arguments can be and how you really are never promised that next moment. So, go give that husband of yours a big hug, kiss and tell him you love him. It's so nice to have the opportunity to do that! :)
While Derek was in Iraq, he did get to see some fascinating sights, and some from Biblical times. I thought I would share them with you in honor of our one year anniversary.
I love that they painted a Razorback on the top of the hanger in honor of our favorite team, the Arkansas Razorbacks!
Oldest arch in the world
Tower of Babil (see the guy on the top?)
Flying in Iraq
Derek's unit from Arkansas
And, I thought this summer in Arkansas was hot. It was this hot most days in Iraq. Can you see it says 130 degrees?
Derek at the House of Abraham. This was one of the sights he was most excited to see.
Ziggurat
Ishtar gate
Lion sculpture in Babylon
A street in Babylon
Amphitheater in Babylon
Baghdad from the air
Handsomeness by his aircraft
I love that they painted a Razorback on the top of the hanger in honor of our favorite team, the Arkansas Razorbacks!
Oldest arch in the world
Tower of Babil (see the guy on the top?)
Flying in Iraq
Derek's unit from Arkansas
And, I thought this summer in Arkansas was hot. It was this hot most days in Iraq. Can you see it says 130 degrees?
Derek at the House of Abraham. This was one of the sights he was most excited to see.
Ziggurat
Ishtar gate
Lion sculpture in Babylon
A street in Babylon
Amphitheater in Babylon
Baghdad from the air
Handsomeness by his aircraft
19 comments:
So proud of you, Derek! I'm glad you are back home with your sweeties!
Thanks for the great reminder! :) These pictures are awesome!
Derek saw some awesome things - but I'd much rather have him home in AR!!!
Love to see the pics!
Thank you, Derek, and so many others who defend our freedom!! I love those pictures. That would be amazing to see all that ancient history.
Wow! Those are amazing pictures!! I am so grateful for our troops and for families like yours that sacrifice so much for our country in order to keep us safe! Thank you!!!
And I'm so glad that you can be together now, I can't even imagine how hard it would be. My best friend and her husband are in the Air Force and have to be separated for months at a time, it's so hard for them, and they don't have children!
Goodness, you always have such interesting and thoughtful posts! These pictures are amazing. A heartfelt thank-you to Derek and the many others who serve our country.
i remember how slow that year was, but you were such a trooper - you were (and are) always such an inspiration to me! So glad he is home now!
What great pictures!
Thank you, Derek, for protecting your country as well as those other less fortunate countries and for defending our freedom!
Wow, those are great pictures but I'm glad he is not there. 130 degrees? I can't even imagine.
I decided I needed to share one more thing.
I will never forget while Derek was gone - he may have been home on a visit, but I think he was in Iraq at the time - he called me at HH. He said he just wanted to thank me (and everyone else at HH)for taking care of E (and you & EG too). I was in tears when we got off the phone. Here he was so many miles from home protecting our freedom & he was thinking of others at the same time.
Thank you so much Derek! You have no idea how much that phone call meant to me & how much I love your family.
WOW!! This post made me so very thankful. Our service men and their families sacrifice so much for this great country!! Thank you!!
GREAT Pics!!!!!!!
Have a terrific week!! Dawn
I am so proud of both of you! Derek for serving our country and you for being so strong!
Those pics are amazing! I especially like the one of the razorback ;).
This is SO COOL, Leigh Ann! I love the pics and I can't even imagine 130 degrees!!!!
I am so thankful for men like Derek who protect our freedom. And I admire you so much (for many reasons) for living without him for a year. That would be so hard.
You encourage me, friend!
Thank you Derek for serving our country and defending our freedom! These pictures are incredible. So glad that he is home safe and sound with you and the kiddos!
Okay, got a little teary at the first of this post! How precious! I think you two are wonderful!! I am so glad he is home with you where he belongs... and I am so glad he is there to protect us all when he is needed! You are a special woman LAH... and he is a specail man! I just can't wait to meet you both in person!!!!
Wow! The Tower of Babil! That is amazing!!
I can't imagine having my husband go to Iraq. I seriously don't see how your heart could take it. I know God must have given you the strength to get through it.
The pictures he took are amazing. I think it would be so interesting to go to the place where time began!
I'm glad you have him back in your arms now!! :)
Thank you Derek for your service to keep families like us safe. So glad you are home with your family. The pictures were awesome, I really enjoyed sharing them with my daughter who just studied the tower of Babil in Sunday School. I appreciate you Leigh Ann and all the other wives who have to be without their husbands for a while to protect our country!
What a wonderful post Leigh Ann!
A word of thankfulness for all the things we, as Americans, take for granted!
We owe nothing but all our thanks to the brave men like Derek who sacrifice their everyday lives with their family to go over and protect us so we can be with our own families. Job well done, Derek!
And you,Leigh Ann, are a blessed woman and a blessing to your family!
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