There will be Thanksgiving at home after all!

Doin' the Happy-dance over here because... 

The Ranger has a pass to come home for Thanksgiving!

We knew the night he returned from his deployment that he would deploy again very soon. The news came shortly after the first hug and it sucked the air right out of me... And with it, a bit of the joy I felt over having our boy back from the horrors of war too. Then it got a touch worse... There will be Christmas at home, but no Thanksgiving this year, he said. Disappointing, but not surprising. This is your life when someone you cannot live without joins the military. 

Last year we had Thanksgiving together but no Christmas. That's why the tree went up early... Brandon's topped the tree every year of his life and that will never change... Army Ranger contract or no Army Ranger contract!

So I put aside all thoughts of decorating our Thanksgiving table with the new monogrammed hurricanes I'd just ordered from Williams-Sonoma and began preparing for a Thanksgiving weekend living out of a Ft. Benning hotel. Because spending Thanksgiving minus one, is simply not an option. When he enlisted I knew we'd miss him on birthdays, Mother's Day and every Wednesday for the next five years and 17 weeks... But I told him that as long as he was not deployed, we would have Thanksgiving and Christmas together. Those are my own, Mom-markers that help get me through the year...

Last week I made our hotel reservation, and started investigating the best places between Columbus and Atlanta that might offer a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Then I checked the movie listings to see what might entertain us, while the rest of America watches my Cowboys probably lose another game. Sigh.

So reluctant plans were made... And, the only bright spot was knowing that we'd soon be together again. And, that the weeks between Thanksgiving and our Christmas together in Monterey might pass quickly... Then Brandon called last night with news that went like this:

B: I got a pass to come home for Thanksgiving but I turned it down

Mom: Home? Thanksgiving? A pass? Really!?

B: Yup

Mom: And... you turned it down?

B: Yeah

Mom: Why did you turn it down?

B: Because you and dad are coming to see me!

Mom: Brandon, we're only coming to see you because you couldn't get a pass. If you have a pass, come home. Bing wants you home. We want you home! Just come home!

B: But that's a lot of miles on the GTI...

Mom: Calculating cost of new GTI... Hey! For what we pay for one night in a hotel I can buy you a rental car. I'll even throw in cash for gas and stops at Jack in the Box along the way... Just COME HOME!

B: That sounds good. Let me see if my Team Leader will give me the pass back

I tossed and turned all night. And, today I held my breath waiting for news... I even sent Brandon a text telling him to bring buddies home if he wants... But to just come home!

On my way home from spin class tonight came the news I'd been waiting for... The pass was granted! Brandon's coming home for Thanksgiving! 

Now I've begun the menu planning process. I'm scouting magazines and blogs for interesting recipes to attempt, and I'm just so incredibly excited about having Both my boys home for Thanksgiving! 

Speaking of interesting recipes... I ordered a turkey fryer tonight! I've never fried a turkey so I'm really hoping that burning my kitchen down isn't the only thing that makes this holiday memorable!

The new year brings our family another terrifying deployment... But in the meantime, it's going to be a fantastic Holiday season!

By the way... I've done my research so if you're in the market for a safe, counter-top turkey fryer you can use all year long because it doubles as a chicken/fish fryer and a seafood steamer, then check out this one at CSN Stores. Always FREE shipping. And, if you use Coupon Code TG15 you'll enjoy cash-back savings too!