Welcome Home!

My sister and LCpl Lehman

So, I know it has been awhile but I've been trying to find something good for my next post and when I do have something I am not near my computer. Then, later when I am using my computer I am not inspired enough to sit down and do it. However, I think this past week deserves to be documented and told to the world. Let's start with Sunday, March 20...

1/8 Weapons Homecoming

Does this date look familiar? Yes, folks, it is once again the 20th. Although, this month happens to be more significant. This past Sunday was 6 months since Josh has been gone. I honestly cannot believe that it has been that long. It seriously feels like yesterday he was home, hanging out with the crew, being his goofy self. 6 months. That is half of a year. If time is going by this fast, the 1 year mark is right around the corner and I will admit that I am not ready to face that yet, at all! Not a single day goes by that he is not on my mind, but on the 20th of every month is when it affects me more physically. I don't want to get up and do anything. I wouldn't say that I am wallowing or trying to make people feel sorry for me. On those days, I typically look at all my pictures of us, watch youtube videos and news footage from that week, and read articles about him. I don't know exactly why I do all of this, but I like remembering the good times. Yes, it makes me sad when I start to think that we will never have times like that again, but I just have to keep reminding myself that I was SO lucky to have a friend like him and have the memories that I have. Some people didn't know Josh, and it breaks my heart that they didn't. He was the one person that could make my day better. He could read me better than anyone. When I was upset, he could immediately tell so there was no point in trying to tell him otherwise. And I miss that. A lot. He was almost always the first person I would tell things to. Now that some good things are finally starting to happen to me, I don't know who to tell. I don't have him to call and talk to about it. I know this might sound a little strange, but sometimes I just talk to him like he is here. I like to think that he is constantly watching over me and still by my side. Of course I don't do this when others are around so that I don't look like a lunatic and it is only like a sentence or two but it makes me feel like he is still here.

SSgt Yeaton, his wife Rebekah, and kids Nate & Michael

Game Night at the hotel with LCpl Thoele, his mother Beth, and the rest of the gang

Alrightie...on to Wednesday-today. Wednesday we left for Camp Lejeune because Josh's company was finally coming home! I was pretty excited because I had never been there before, and I wanted to know more about Josh's life in the Marines. Of course he called me and told me stories, but being there and seeing it all and meeting everyone helped to fill in the blanks on some things. However, I was still pretty nervous. Josh wasn't stepping off of that bus. Everyone else there was waiting for a loved one, but we were leaving empty handed. I have to admit, after the guys got off the bus, said hi to us, and found their families, I really began to hurt. I was just standing there surrounded by families hugging and kissing their sons. It made things real all over again, but I am glad that I was there. I am glad that I got to meet his friends and see where he lived. And all the love and support everyone showed us was astounding! I am so thankful to be a part of the Marine Corps family because everyone is so loving and supportive. It warms my heart and helps to ease the pain. When we were leaving this morning, I really didn't want to go. I wanted to stay and spend more time with the guys and hear more stories about Josh. One of these days I am going to start writing all these stories down and make it into a book because they would amuse the majority of the population. Anyway, I am so glad that we are going back in a few weeks because it will give all of us a chance to spend time with his friends and help them deal with this. They have been fighting a war for 7 months and trying to deal with this. That takes a very strong person to do that because I am having enough trouble as it is and I'm definitely not in Afghanistan fighting. I hope that by being with them we can help them in some way. They have done so much for us and were great friends to Josh, so it is the least we could do. Hopefully these next few weeks will fly by and I'll find myself on my way back. Although, halfway through that 12 or 13 hour car ride I will probably want to retract that statement. But at the moment I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. So, WELCOME HOME 1/8 WEAPONS CO!!! :) Peace. Love. Semper Fi.