"Sometimes Mother Army gets it right," was the cheerful text that I received last Sunday on my trek home from Fort Campbell, Ky., and my sweet friend was right!

We have known for some time that my sweet soldier would take R&R during the month of December. What we didn't know was that we would get an extra surprise in the process.

He was assigned to assist the 101st Screaming Eagles with their pre-deployment exercise. When he e-mailed the good news, I believe his words were, "If you can get here the weekend of November 30, that would be great."

I think my exact words were, "I will make that happen."

For those of you keeping up, I have not seen my husband in nine months. The week I was scheduled to fly, I realized that I was nervous. You know, first date nervous.

My workout partner asked me if I had picked out my outfit and packed, and a small "no" crept across my lips. I had trouble getting focused. I was overwhelmed. I have dropped two pant sizes since I saw my sweet soldier, and let's face it, life has changed for me in the last nine months.

Will I pick the right outfit? Will I remember "what to do"? Will he want me? Will I want him? Will we have stuff to talk about? I hope I am not the only one with these questions the week of R&R, but these are the questions in my head.

But all of the tension melted away when my sweet soldier opened the hotel room door. I will not bore you with the details, but it was an amazing visit.

I was able to sit and drink beer and have pizza with my sweet soldier. I was able to share with him the fun things that are happening in my life and I listened to him talk about what is happening in his. I was able to look into his eyes and see his hard work and his love for me and his country.

We said, "See you soon," early Sunday morning, and I was glad to get home to my babies.

The question that I have been asked the most about that weekend was if my kids knew where I was going and what I was doing. My answer is yes, they did. They understood that this was a special visit for Mommy and Daddy and that Daddy has to work a little bit longer. I am so glad that my kids were gracious enough to understand that we needed that time.

The great news is that as you read these words, my sweet soldier is resting next to me in our home. Thank you, Mother Army, for the opportunities that you occasionally offer us.

This time, you really did get it right for our family.

Strength and Courage ... sby