Matt is HOME for Xmas (1997)...started out this morning when I fed the kids in the dark and they all looked at me like I was nuts...Georgie especially just lay there and tilted his head when I brought the pellets in..like WHAT ARE YOU DOING mom???..well they got over the initial shock..and all settled in to eat.. it's a wonder I got the food in the right places..there are 8 trays in the boys yard and about 13 of them in the girls yard..refrigerator trays I put pellets in..and they're scattered all around the goatyard.. in the meantime I had a pineapple upside down cake going in the oven for Matt so...and of course NO one wanted to cooperate..all got done and I headed out to the Buick at about 6:40...I did NOT want to be late and the car's not running well anyway.. so got it warmed up and....You know I don't drive that car at night since I lost the headlights about 6 mos ago...well..in my pea brain..driving at nite and driving in the morning are 2 TOTALLY different things..it NEVER occurred to me that I had no headlights until I got in to leave... and NO HEADLIGHTS...well..I could not wait till daylight..I mean I already had 57 goats who thought I was nuts as it was...couldn't lose face...so me and the Buick and the parking lights headed off in the dark..good thing I know my road pretty well..I figured at least other people could see me..I had tail lights and parking lights..I just prayed nothing jumped out in front of me...I was in Black Canyon City before I could turn off the lights..half way to Phoenix....I followed a set of tail lights that looked like they knew what they were doing..*S* got to the outskirts of Phoenix at 8:00..I had till 9:10 for his plane..I thought..Ill have a lot of extra time and then I felt guilty about rousing the kids so early..then it hit me...I KNEW why I left the city..gridlock.. WOW this little hick ain't used to that kind of traffic anymore and to think I drove in the Bay Area for a LIVING in a 30' limo no less *ha* then I got to the airport..that is the WORST airport to figure out where to park...arriving flights and parking don't go together there..on the 4th trip around the airport..it's now 8:50..I'm getting a tiny bit concerned as I don't know where the danged terminal is..FINALLY after leaving the airport altogether and coming back and asking the rental car parking lot attendant..that's where I ended up..*S*..I found a place to park..got inside and found out the terminal I needed was at the opposite end of the airport..go figure.. off on a trot I went with camera in hand ..I wanted a picture of him getting off the plane...so I stood in front of 200 people right THERE where the people had to pass right by me...a couple of older people got off..then a family then the airline attendants then........then..no Matthew... (I already was worried since he was having a hard time in Ft Knox with the ticketless travel..sgt said he'd have to go in lock up if he didn't have a ticket..) I stood there with my face hanging out..and ready to have a heart attack..the tears welling up in my eyes and NO ONE else was coming off that plane.. I was horrified, crushed and wanted to die.... I saw an older lady looking at me with a grin on her face and all I could think was "what the hell are you smiling about lady?" big ole grin on her face...this tap on my shoulder and I turn around and look at the pilot..confused CONFUSED and then horror hit.. I was going to get bad news..Matt had fallen off the plane..something..I was shaking and my head was pounding..this voice.."mom..??" It was MY SON! the pilot was MY SON!!! I didn't EVEN recognize him!!!! I snapped..I totally fell apart held onto him like I haven't done since the day he was born..and sobbed..LOUD 200 people who SAW the whole thing and knew before me my mistake.. people were actually clapping...I must have sobbed for 15 minutes holding this kid like there was no tomorrow...I didn't even SEE him when he passed me..he looks SO different....damned army anyway..he looks beautiful but I've NEVER seen his head bald..he wasn't that bald the day he was born...*LOL*...well anyway we're home and I wanted y'all to know... it was another "debbie moment"...what a blond...duh...I love you all and will talk to you soon Debbie and her kids...AND her SON