Great surprise!

I came home from work Tuesday and had barely put my stuff down and changed when the doorbell rang. "Who could that be?" I wondered as I left Sgt. Major in his kennel and went to answer it, I rarely have anyone come to the house and I hadn't ordered anything through the mail lately.
When I opened the door it took me a second to believe my eyes. There was my friend Jen with her daughter Leila.
George and I first met Jen through her husband Brian in college. Both he and George were cadets, George a year ahead. When he and Jen started dating, she would join him at some of the parties that ROTC cadets were always having.
I didn't get to spend much time with her as it was my senior year and I was in a panic trying to get all my senior photography projects completed.
After George and I arrived at Fort Polk we learned that Brian and Jen would also be stationed here. Brian arrived here ahead of Jen, Leila and their soon-to-be-born son Ben and stayed with us until he was assigned a house ... just one street over from us.
Shortly after moving into their home, Brian's unit prepared for deployment (he is assigned to Warrior brigade, THE most deployed unit in the Army.) Luck was on his side as he was assigned to rear-detachment and was able to be here when Jen gave birth. Shortly after however, he left to join his unit and Jen took Leila (who is not yet two) and Ben to her parents so she could have a little help.
But there she was on my front porch with her daughter.
We had the chance to talk a while, she stayed for about a half hour before having to go home and finish checking on the house and such (she hadn't been here since we lost power in the hurricane -- STINKY! I imagine is how she found her house although there was little in the fridge since they have been at her family's.) She said she and the kids will return to Fort Polk in the next few weeks -- she's really looking forward to it -- and although not set in stone, Brian is due to return in December, hopefully before Christmas.
So we'll have a few weeks before George deploys (he was worried about missing Brian's return) so hopefully once things get settled we'll have a chance to spend a little time together. I know Jen will probably be looking for some adult conversation and I could always use a break from work.