Welcome Home Party (Weekend Recap)

It was a nice long weekend in the Twin Cities, welcoming my brother-in-law home from Iraq. Technically, he's been home for a couple weeks, but the partay was this weekend! Here's a run-down of the weekend, bullet-style:

• Left Fargo right after work on Friday afternoon, with the 'rents and baby sis.
• The roads were a bit slushy, but we didn't have much trouble getting there.
• Met up with sister and BIL, as well as his brother, parents, and a couple of friends for dinner at the American Legion in Chanhassen.
• Great burgers, good drinks, and wonderful company.
• Saturday I got in a 3.25 mile run on the ancient treadmill in our hotel room.
• Relaxed all afternoon.
• Partied it up Saturday night with 30+ some people - friends and family.
• Played a few games of beer pong, winning 2 out of 3 - one of the wins was against my Dad and a friend.
• It was awesome.
• Slept in Sunday.
• No workout.
• Finished Dear John by Nicholas Sparks.
• Relaxed.
• Watch the Superbowl with family and friends.
• Left the cities at 830 Monday morning.
• It only took us 5.5 hours to get to Fargo, which usually only takes 3.5 hours.
• Saw more cars in the ditch, roll-overs, and accidents than I have ever seen before in my life. It was horrible.

I will leave you with a couple more pics from the party:

Family photo - together again! :)

And here's the painting I did for my BIL's return gift.

You can't see all the details, as this isn't a great picture, but it's a patriotic sunset with a silhouette of a soldier. There are 50 starts in the sky, and on the soldier's sleeve it says 34ID - for the unit he was deployed with this time around, and 957 on the ankle - representing the unit he was deployed with the first time.

We're so happy to have him home, safe and sound! We're very proud of his sacrifices, as well as my sisters, but we know he is very happy to be done with the military! We love ya, B!