Welcome Home, Ethan!


IMG00591-20091001-1147 (2)IMG00593-20091004-0828 (2)

 

Today’s blog is of a personal sort.  Son-in-law Ethan has been away since May, training with the Armed Forces at Fort Jackson and Fort Lee.  Everyone missed him terribly, of course, but no one more than Lillian.  She adored him right up to the day he shipped out, and there was no way to explain to her where he was and why he was absent.  She can’t talk yet, but Victoria kept Ethan’s picture near at hand and told her he was coming back home some day.

 Friday night, Katrina and I put Lily in her crib about 8:30, and she fussed a little and went to sleep.  A half-hour later, Victoria drove in from Fort Lee with Ethan in tow.  We hugged and sat and talked a few minutes, then Victoria went to the crib, gently lifted Lily out, and sat on the sofa beside Ethan with Lily on her shoulder.

 The little girl, still mostly asleep, opened her eyes and saw her dad.  For a couple of minutes she just looked at him, and you could see the wheels turning in her mind.  Then she grinned at little.  She looked away, but her eyes darted right back and the two of them smiled and played eye games.  Then Lily reached out and touched Ethan a little, then started slapping at him and playing little hand games with him.   Next she leaned over and squirmed against him.  And then all at once she was in his arms, kissing him with her open-mouthed wet kisses and hugging him — and she hasn’t let him go since.

 Welcome home, Ethan!

PS – I can’t help wondering if that’s a little pictue of how we’ll feel when we see Jesus?