Hmmm... What could be up?

SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE ! ! ! ! !

(I'll post the pics later tonight, but for now... this might explain the lack of updates!)

Josh was granted leave from Afghanistan and was HOME in the USA from July 6 - 22!!!!! It's was a long adventure. It took 7 days for him to get from Camp Phoenix to Cortland, but seven fewer days of being out and about or in the field.

Why did we keep it so quiet? With the many changes that we have experienced in the Army, we did not want to get people's hopes up and then have the Army "change plans." It obviously was not a quick trip home and the itinerary changed several times in the days and weeks prior to his arrival. It honestly gave Josh and I something to talk about each of the few times that he called. We would share our newest ideas for "surprise tactics" amongst family. And actually, now that I remember, I, myself only found out a few weeks before hand. It's was a hard secret to keep, but certainly worth the excitement and joy that everyone experienced during his visit!


And What to My Wondering Eyes Did Appear?!?! . . . coming through the security gates at Ithaca's airport! (July 6, approximately 10:40 p.m.)

We know that the 13th was a difficult day for our US forces in Afghanistan and we are sure that some of you were a bit concerned by the death of the 9 US soldiers. As you know now, Josh was a safe and sound on US soil.

Boilermaker 2008 - July 13 - Utica, NY

I ran the Boilermaker 15K on Sunday, July 13. It was a wonderful run, and even better having Josh there to cheer for me. He even made a sign - "I travelled from Afghanistan to cheer for Darci - 5815!" It certainly was a conversation piece, but to Josh's surprise it actually reconnected him with his old first seargeant from the company. He (first seargent) changed units prior to the deployment. While running, he saw Josh's sign and actually ran back to him after he realized who Josh was. Hopefully, it didn't throw off his time too much. Again, it was a great run and I finished it in approximately 1:29:06, though due to a timing snafu at the starting line, I may never know my official net time.

The Boilermaker is a very well-known 15K run. In fact, the top 10 males were all from Kenya or Ethopia. Even more well-known is the Post-Race Party, held outside of one of Utica's breweries. We skipped the party to head back to Cortland for our next adventure of Josh's leave.

Visiting Virginia - July 13 - 17

Immediately after the Boilermaker, we travelled back to Cortland for a quick shower and then off to Virginia to visit with Josh's family.

Meeting Takoda . . .

We stayed in luxury for this visit - The Ritz-Carlton! We can thank the military/government discount for that one! It was wonderful - such wonderful treatment - and great soap!!!

Eventhough the Washington, D.C. area is home, we certainly played the tourist part rather well. On the 14th, we visited the Newseum... We highly recommend this site to anyone visiting the area. It's right along Pennsylvania Avenue and provides a great photo op of the Capitol Building. Here are some photos of the Newseum.

Thanks to Jen's connections, we landed a great tour of the Pentagon on the 15th. This was no ordinary Pentagon Tour. Unfortunately, due to obvious reasons, photography was not allowed on Pentagon grounds. We did see the interior 9/11 Pentagon Memorial which is located at the exact location of the impact. Looking out the windows, we could see the finishing work on the exterior Memorial that will be dedicated this September 11.

Our friend Wendy also came to visit on the 15th. Her birthday was the 18th, so it was a wonderful early present for her.

On the 16th, we headed off to the Baltimore Aquarium. What a sight! It was my first visit to both Baltimore and an aquarium... quite exciting and such a great day. We'll be planning a return trip to Baltimore for a long weekend once Josh returns.

We met with Josh's new principal on the 18th. It was a great opportunity for the two of them to chat and for Rosero to reassure Josh of his position, grade, and what might come upon his return.

Some pictures are worth a thousand words . . . and then some . . . Here are the reactions of friends and family who saw Josh for the first time since January and/or March . . . Excuse the "quality" of some. They might appear to be blurred, but some reactions were a bit quick to capture!


We know that many of you did not know about this or have a chance to see Josh while he was home. The two weeks were really important for us to see each other and you can only imagine what another round of "farewells" could be like in this situation. We continue to appreciate everyone's support and encouragement through this time.


As Josh said before he left, this goodbye is necessary in order to say hello again.


Six months down as of Saturday, July 19. Stay safe, Josh. We all love you!