I asked Dh if he wanted others there at the airport when he leaves. Besides me and ds. He said he didn't care. So I am debating should I invite his friends and family to be there? He didn't seem to care about it, and I was a little surprised.
I also thought about having a little lunch thing at our house the day before he leaves and just invite people then to come and say goodbye.
Also I am sure I am going to be a basket case, should i have a friend of mine be there to drive me home??
I just wondered what others did, it's all new to me.

DH and I are very private... so when he leaves and comes home it's always just DH, DD and I. We tell all our friends and family to let us be a family/couple for a few days after he comes home, and then we'll eventually come out of hiding.. That's how it's always been and will be this time when he comes back.

When my dh left for the first time I lost it at the airport and it was only for a month.So when I had to take him for the big one he asked his best friend to drive with us so that he could take me home and spend the day with me.It helped that he also lived with us.

I totally agree with EN1MacsWifey. We always have our private time first. I feel like it is important for all of us.

DH and I are very private... so when he leaves and comes home it's always just DH, DD and I. We tell all our friends and family to let us be a family/couple for a few days after he comes home, and then we'll eventually come out of hiding.. That's how it's always been and will be this time when he comes back.

That's how we are. Deployment leavings and homecomings are just the 4 of us, and usually we hide out for a couple of days. When left for Iraq, it was the 4 of us, when he came home, it was just the 2 of us. I didn't tell the kids he was coming home, because it changed on a regular basis over 2 weeks or so. I was actually in the car once, heading toward the airport, when he called me and told me he wasn't going to be home that day. So, I just kept it to myself until the day he actually came home, I left work, drove to the airport, and brought him home, boy were the kids surprised. Anyway, after he came home that time he kinda holed up for a couple of weeks, and didn't want to be around people, and our friends respected that. He came home the beginning of March, and his family didn't come out till June, which surprised me because they had told me they wanted to be at the airport, but when I nixed that idea, they waited till June.

I agree you and your children thats it... In fact if sherman goes... its going to be just us. b/c I can't drive and cry with her in the car

We're very private too.. It's too much of a personal time to share with everybody, but that's just us..

Usually I collect myself in the airport after he leaves with a cup of coffee..