Last week I was in San Diego so that I could be home when my little brother Alex got home from his mission. For those of you who are not LDS, young men from our church can choose to serve a two year mission. While on their missions, you can only write them, and talk to them on Mother's Day and at Christmas time. So it is a huge sacrifice for these young men and their families.
I have officially done this three times now with my three brothers, and am happy I don't have to be away from anyone in my family for that long for awhile :)
So happy we have some pictures and a video that captured the experience of seeing a loved one you havn't seen in years. Of course you can hear me sobbing in the video, a little embarrassing, but I couldn't help it :)
Loved this one of my Dad :)
So happy to have my little brother home.
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Very touching! Love the pictures :) Esp the top pick - you gals are gorgeous!! SS
ReplyDeleteSniff!
ReplyDeleteThe photos with the two of you hugging made me tear up. I can only imagine how much you missed one another!
Methinks I'll have a similar emotional moment with my bro, whom I haven't seen in a year-and-a-half, since my wedding. He moved to London in April 2010 and he was supposed to come recently for what was then an impromptu trip, but it fell through. No matter, though, 'cause my boy and I are going Europe mid-August so we'll see him then.
Needless to say, can't wait!
Glad your bro is back and you can catch up on lost time!
That is such a sweet homecoming. The video is amazing!
ReplyDeleteThis is so sweet. Glad your brother is home!
ReplyDeleteIt is so touching to see how close your family is and what a special day this was!!
ReplyDeleteYou got me all teary and emotional! Such a sweet and perfect post for a homecoming. And what a handsome man he is! Good looks run in your family.
ReplyDeleteUm, SO cute! My brother gets home from his mission in 9 months. This made me really want that day to be here already!
ReplyDeleteGeez, this made me tear up! Hating that I have one more little brother that I have to bawl through this experience with. Yes, I am that selfish ;)
ReplyDeleteAw! How special! :)
ReplyDeleteAwww!! What a sweet post!! Its good to see that he got home safe and sound :)
ReplyDeleteGeez, I cried. I'm blaming birth control, cause it makes me such a sap. That was probably an overshare, but isn't blog world one giant overshare anyways?
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, this is adorable. We made my brother a banner when he came home and he never even saw it because we dropped it the second we saw him and it got all trampled under our feet as we were hugging, and then we forgot it at the terminal (this was pre-September 11, so we saw him right off the plane).
Good times, thanks for bringing back good memories.
That video is so sweet. My one and only brother will be leaving for his mission in a little less than a year. Me thinks I'm going to be an emotional mess.
ReplyDeleteThis is so sweet and heartwarming. Have fun. =)
ReplyDeletehttp://sassychunny.blogspot.com/
awwwwwwwwwwww!! thats such a happy experience! i know what thats like, i had my best friend come home a year ago and it was just amazing!
ReplyDeleteso glad he is home with you all again:)
<3
Kenzie
Such a happy time! I still can't believe he's here :)
ReplyDeleteYou crying in the video is not embarassing! It's incredibly sweet!
ReplyDeleteI don't even know your brother Alycia but I'm tearing up. Your family seems so nice. Miss you!!
ReplyDeleteI have an (almost) twenty year old sister. :-)
ReplyDeleteAW this makes me teary! My best friends have all left on their mission this month and it is so hard! But I'm so grateful to be missing them because I know the difference they are making :)
ReplyDeleteAhhh the video is so adorable!! Even made me a lil emotional! lol
ReplyDeleteVery cool.
ReplyDeleteLoved the video...I am balling!!!!
That is an incredible sacrifice that your brother made. I am sure you are very proud.
This is just too precious! So glad he's home :)
ReplyDeleteYay! That is SO exciting! He is a cutie :) Mine gets home in about a month too!
ReplyDeleteI remember when some of my high school friends went on their missions, but I don't remember it being so long!
ReplyDeleteaw, this is so very special. you can just tell how much you love your brother. perfect!
ReplyDeletexo TJ
This reminds me on when i came home from my mission. So many emotions just came back. I definitely teared up thinking about that while watching the video. How is he doing? Is he adjusting well? Oh my gosh...i was so awkward for far too long. ha So glad your brother has returned. He had that missionary glow on him. Such a wonderful thing
ReplyDeleteI've done it with 2 of my brothers, one left to go. I know exactly how it goes - the waterworks start when you go to hug them and there is nothing you can do to stop them. :)
ReplyDeleteThis reminded me so so much of my little brothers home coming. It truly is a great feeling to have someone so loved come back to you. After four years I still cry looking at the pictures.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful. Missions are starting to get me more and more emotional. My man leaves for Minnesota on September 5th and I couldn't be more happy for him and knowing that I'll get to experience this in about two years time makes it all worth it!
ReplyDeleteThis is the most precious video. Has to be the best feeling ever!!!
ReplyDeleteThat is so nice that he is home again!
ReplyDeleteyay! I went to go see my baby cousin at the airport when he came back from his mission, but my extended fam hadn't seen me in 3 or 4 years so I accidentally kind of stole his thunder. I think he's still holding it against me. oops!
ReplyDeleteHI Alycia, first time commenter here, haha. That was such a sweet, sweet video, I loved it!! I even teared up a little bit and I don't even know him. Also, your sister with the dark short hair totally looks like Katy Perry.
ReplyDeleteThis was so sweet! I had to watch with the sound down otherwise I'd be a complete wreck! Thanks for sharing that with us.
ReplyDeleteThis is so sweet! I totally cried. You can definitely feel the love! Congratulations to your brother for 2 years of wonderful service!
ReplyDelete-Erin
That didn't make me cry or anything. My little brother(in-law) left for his mission in April and seeing this just made me realize how much I actually do miss him. What an amazing experience to be able to hug your brother and see his smiling face after two years. I can't wait.
ReplyDeletexoxo
so happy! my little brother is on a mission right now so i may or may not have cried a little while watching this :)
ReplyDeleteThat is so exciting! I just love missionaries homecomings! :) He's cute too! He wouldn't happen to be going to BYU in the fall would he? haha ;)
ReplyDeleteWow! I won't lie - I cried!!
ReplyDeleteI was ecstatic when my little brother came home after 6weeks, so 2 years? I can't even imagine!
Absolutely adorable! Yay for your family being together again!!!
ReplyDeleteSuch a wonderful moments!! I'm wiping my tears too now..Glad that your families finally reunited.
ReplyDeleteAwe .... Beautiful! Love the video :) your brother is so handsome.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing thing to do! And you have a beautiful family!!
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures! I loved the video! Nice touch :)
ReplyDeletegood GRIEF i am totally crying!
ReplyDeleteand your brother has nice teeth. that's not weird to notice.
ReplyDeleteThis video is perfect. I'm sending it to some friends who have missionaries. :)
ReplyDeleteThis was one of the sweetest videos I've ever seen! I'm so happy your family is back together stateside!
ReplyDeleteI can't watch the video because I know I'll just cry at work! I'm getting ready to see my family in three weeks after being separated for a year so this hits pretty close to home!
ReplyDeleteUhmm..I balled.
ReplyDeleteGlad you've got your brother home!
-XO Abbigayle Rashae
-trueblueabbi.blogspot.com
I know I'm a little late posting this (I'm just now catching up on blog posts), but I loved this! The video was amazing! And while I don't know your brother, I bet he's glad to be back with your family!
ReplyDeleteOh geez... I should not have watched that video! My brother just left on his mission last week, so it's still all super surreal for me... And now I'm a crying mess at work!! Love it :)
ReplyDeleteWow, that video is so special! Got me in tears. There's nothing more amazing than seeing a worthy guy go on mission and then return home with honour. My brother in law left for his mission to England two months ago. So happy for you and your fam!
ReplyDeleteOh hello! I am SOBBING. Didn't expect that one. What a precious moment! So happy for you guys! xoxo
ReplyDeleteCue the tears! I'm such a sucker for good homecoming stories. You have a beautiful family! So happy y'all are all back together!
ReplyDeleteThese pictures are absolutely precious! You can totally see the emotion and family love in all of them, and I love that! How special that you all get to be together as a family again! I have 6 siblings myself so I feel ya, nothing is better than being all together.
ReplyDeleteperfectly priya
So happy!! How great to have that video!
ReplyDeleteCatherine
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goodness gracious, i was in tears over how insanely happy you guys were to be reunited! congrats to him! love missionaries.
ReplyDeleteIs he single? ;) What an adorable family!
ReplyDeletesuch a sweet video. tears are rollin'
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ReplyDeletewow, this video is amazing! so touching.. couldn't stop crying. must be so good to have him home! my brother just left on his mission so i can't wait for this day :)
ReplyDeletetear jerker much!! wow, what a special moment for you and your family. it brought me to tears to see all those happy faces and love in those hugs. congrats to your brother!
ReplyDeleteHow sweet! I definitely had to hold back tears!
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