We had prayed and hoped for this moment together as a family for so many years. How could it be anything other than wonderful to live together? It never entered my mind that my sons would have a huge adjustment to make as their father became a part of their everyday lives. And it was a roller-coaster of an adjustment! (read more about this season on our lives)

The boys were ecstatic that their dad was finally home. My oldest son, Blake, was obviously much more cautious than his younger brother, but I could see that he was also happy to have his family intact again. I remember watching him watch his dad with such intense concentration the first night he was home. I was not sure what it was that he was looking for so closely, or what he was thinking about at that time. It did not take me long to find out.