Home Sweet Home

He is home. Home Sweet Home.

I can't even express the amount of relief, sheer relief that was lifted from my shoulders when I saw him and when I finally held him in my embrace. It was literally a perfect moment.

The day began with another homecoming just hours before. Only slightly stressful, but a perfect distraction. I ran around the gym, playing with little ones, calming down stressed out friends, watching the boys file in, snapping pictures for friends, then helping the Chosen boys find their Welcome Bags, posters, and food back at the company head quarters.

Kaitlin and I had 20 minutes- we touched up in the head quarters bathroom...gross...and headed back to the gym for OUR turn. MY turn. I have been to so many homecomings that this one felt just like any other one, except I didn't have a camera in my hand the whole time. It was my turn to be the subject in the camera.

When they started playing that song. The famous song, The Boys Are Back in Town, our heads snapped towards to the door to watch. Impatiently waiting to see his face. Katie to my left, Kaitlin holding my right hand, and Lindsey beside her. Taylor was the first one spotted. Then Mason. Next Alex. And I was still waiting. And waiting. Panic is seriously the best way to describe the following moments. It felt like a hand was squeezing my heart. This was my nightmare coming to life. It was seriously happening! My sweet friends all stopped screaming and yelling and started scanning the crowd for me. "He has to be here, Anna." "We will find him" "They called you to tell you he was here." "This is the last flight, they didn't leave him."

Caleb, one of James' squad leaders, "I see him!"

I have never been so thankful for another set of eyes. I rushed over to where Caleb was, totally disregarding the prayer, and frantically tried to follow his finger through the crowd. Found him!

Literally just in time. I found him, and they were released, and I was gone.

I wish I could describe it. Put into words what it felt like. The emotions my heart felt. But I'm not that good with words. You'll just have to trust me. Definitely won't experience another moment like that one.

The Rain

 When I heard the sirens this afternoon, I immediately put on my rain coat, rain boots (with a hole in them), grabbed my umbrella and camera and hit the road. Something draws me to "emergencies". I am not at all an adrenaline junkie- I will have nothing to do with scary movies, haunted houses, roller coasters, or anything that involves scaring myself. I don't see the point in it. But if I hear an ambulance then I have to refrain from turning around and following it...so these sirens downtown were literally calling my name.

Directly in front of the camera is a bridge- a pretty big bridge...and the polizia wouldn't let me close enough to get pictures of the water...The water can come up to 6meters before it begins to overflow into the streets and today it got up to 5.9meters.

 People were preparing with sandbags

 These next couple pictures are of a once creek...People usually park along the far bank, underneath the trees and then climb down the bank to go fishing. I can't wait to go back and get a picture of how low the water normally is right now. 

 The one thing I was amazed at was how fast the water was moving!!

At this bridge- the same one from the first couple of pictures, they had a crane that was pulling out truck loads of debris. In the hour and half I was wandering around they probably filled up 4 of those white trucks. This was the saving grace of the city....there is no doubt in my mind that the streets would have been flooded if this crane did not pull out the branches and logs from the river

The best part was watching all of the people chip in a help fill sandbags for the river. At first, everyone was getting sandbags for themselves, but by the time I had looped back around everyone was filling sandbags and blocking up the bridge and river bank. I was dying to join in and help...but I couldn't figure out the exact instructions...and there were so many people standing around. It was so confusing... next time I need to be a little more courageous and just jump right in!

Going for a drive

Today I went for a drive- to just get out and do something. I find that I an easily hole up in my house and never leave if I let myself, so driving around is something that I enjoy from time to time. I still get alone time, to think, process, and plan- it helps that we have no radio in the car.

I brought my camera along and just started turning down random roads....got pretty narrow at some points and smelled of cow and horses. Here is where I went:

I decided from now on that I need to carry my camera with me at all times. There are such beautiful sights everywhere I turn.

I am so thankful that James got me this camera! I have really been able to explore photography and I even  love it more and more!