Wednesday at the airport was one of the most exciting days of my life! There was an electricity in the air as our family, along with other missionary families, gathered together to welcome our missionaries home.
Here we are waiting for Elder Bearnson to come down the escalator:
I was lucky enough to get the first hug and as you can tell, it was very emotional for me:
Steve was next:
Then one by one each family member got a hug. When Sage embraced Kade I was close to sobbing:
She clung on to him the entire time at the airport and hasn’t left his side since:
I love this photo of Brecken whispering in Kade’s ear:
Both girls faithfully waited for Kade and made these signs:
Kade and Collin immediately went back to back to see who’s taller (I think Collin won):
Here is the group that met Elder Bearnson at the airport:
What a perfect birthday present for me! I love this kid!
Kade left a boy and is now a man! He’s still fun loving and personality plus but he also has a new confidence and maturity–I’m a proud mama!
Thanks for all your excitement for our family and your support on this journey.
Ohhhh–nine more months until Collin leaves. Okay–I’m not even going to think about that right now!
I love you all!
Lisa
P.S. Thanks to my dear pal, Pam Taylor, for showing up at the airport and capturing this special memory on these photos.
Happy Birthday indeed! What a wonderful day for you! Missionaries are the best!
WOW…wow…Welcome back Kade. You all have me in tears. These pictures are priceless!!! That little Sage really missed her big brother. So sweet….and so nice to hear about the “good” stuff!! With all the stuff going on in our world…this truly is a breath of fresh air. Proud parents…beautiful girls…two wonderful boys. I see how your so SO proud Lisa!!! Enjoy…enjoy…enjoy! Happy Weekend:)
Lisa W.
Seeing your pictures brought me to tears. I have welcomed home two of my own sons from missions, and know the joy and love you feel for your son right now. Enjoy your “new” son. Congratulations to your whole family!
Oh, wow! Just love the pictures of a freshly returned missionary! Congratulations on a job well done of raising a great young man! Love reading about your family’s adventures!
Oh my goodness!! Seeing the emotion in these pictures made me cry. What a joyful moment for you all. I’m so very, very happy that all your family is together again!! It’s such an honor to have you share Kade’s homecoming with us! Thank you. PS…wishing you belated birthday greetings!!
Blessings,
Tamara
I can’t believe the time went so quick!! I am so pleased he is home safe with you all. I ♥ the photos, they captured the happy event perfectly
Lisa I am so happy for you! I have been a reader of your blog for a few years now and feel I have been on this journey with you! I have missed not seeing Kade in your photos, I’m so glad your boy is home safe.
Lisa,
What an incredible family moment! You are so brave to share your life on line and I have loved watching from afar. I actually had tears in my eyes seeing the picture of you and your son. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Dianne P.
Thanks for sharing your wonderful day! Love the photos! And happy birthday!
Congrats on such a happy reunion. You’re heart must be filled with joy right now.
Well, shoot, I can’t even see the pictures now because my eyes are full of tears. Thanks a lot Lisa!!
Really – so happy for you and your family. Enjoy getting all caught up.
Lisa,
So happy for you and your family. Made me cry too when seeing the photos!
Wendy
Oh Lisa! I am so happy for you! This post brought tears to my eyes! There is nothing more special than children back in the arms of their mother after a long separation! Thank you for sharing this special occasion with us! I hope you have a blessed birthday..but I know you will! =)
Blessings to you!
Tammy E
What a wonderful birthday present. You had me teared up with this post. Isn’t family the most important thing in the world. I love how you said, “He has a new maturity.” I can see it. Enjoy!
so happy for kade’s mama!
So sweet, I definitely was teary eyed just looking at your pictures!! Happy for you and your family!! Welcome Home Kade!
Yay!!! Home safe and sound!!! We can all breathe a sigh of relief~~aaaaah~~lol. Those pics brought tears to my eyes and tugged at my heart, Lisa (especially yours). So happy for your family to be together once again. Kade looks so good–and manlier–yes.
Glad your birthday was everything you expected and more.
Welcome home Kade!!
Happy Birthday, Lisa!!
I think we all feel the same after reading this..the pics definitely brought tears to my eyes.You should be very proud!Enjoy your time together!Happy Birthday!
I am so happy for you all!
What a wonderful day. When our missionary came home it was hard to comprehend that he had been gone two years but yes he did come back more mature and wow how handsome he was and still is. Now he is the missionary leader. Welcome home Kade!!!!!!!!
Aw Lisa and family,
I am so happy for you and your son – Elder Bearson.
Enjoy the love and the joy surrounding you all now.
Peace
Julie
Happy Birthday Lisa. I doubt that you have ever had one this special. Kade looks so handsome and all grown up. I just can’t imagine your excitement when he finally got off the plane. Have a wonderful weekend and don’t think about Collin leaving right now. God Bless you all.
What a great day for your family! There’s nothing better than a missionary coming home safely.
Happy Birthday mama! Be so proud – I see what you mean – he is a young man!!!!
Lisa: Thank you for sharing this journey with us! The pictures tell an amazing story of pure happiness. So happy that he is home….your family is complete again. And Happy birthday!
So happy to have seen the joy in all of your faces! It brought tears to my eyes. I felt the emotion as if I were right there with you. Congratulations Elder Bearnson on a great journey and welcome home!
I am so happy for you, Lisa, to finally have your son home.
And Happy Birthday!
The family’s joy is written on everyone’s faces. Thank you for sharing this very precious moment.
WELCOME HOME ELDER BEARNSON!! Such wonderful photos of a highly emotional homecoming!
how absolutely amazing. It is wonderful to watch them become adults!! The pride gets deeper all the time!!
Lisa- Happy Belated Birthday! I am sitting here with my eyes full of tears- I love following your blog and love all your posts but this one has truly touched my heart! I am so happy that Kade is home now. Thank you for sharing this with us. I do not know if you realize how much God uses you and your family to bless other’s lives. You have surely blessed mine. Praying God’s Continued Blessings on Your Beautiful Family!
Welcome home to Kade! Belated Happy Birthday to Konsti who shares my birthday and to you who shares by son Drew’s day (he turned 18). What a wonderful week you all had. Your house is truly overflowing in many ways!
What wonderful pictures. I love how much emotion they capture and express. Are you used to seeing him walk by yet? Glad your family is gathered in and under one roof again. When is his homecoming?
Wow, wow, wow…I have been waiting for this post, I am crying as I look at the fabulous shots captured and read your beautiful words. Happy Birthday and so glad your family is back together again!
Happy Birthday! What a wonderful gift!
Thank you for sharing with us!
Hi Lisa,
I am the one that met your sweet missionary at the Cheesecake Factory…so long ago!!!
What a blessing he was to the people of North Carolina! Thank you for sending your son to this part of the world! I hope NC was good to him. I am sure he ate well, and maybe even had a few “weird” things to eat, but I know he was loved….that is how we roll here… we love our missionaries! Have a wonderful reunion and catch up time with him.
And bless you all for sending him!
PS…. I hope he learned how to say y’all
OMG! Lisa, I have read your blog for a couple of years now, always a lurker, never leaving a comment, but this, THIS grand occasion I thought totally deserved one!!!
I was right there reading when you posted that Kade was leaving, and I still remember that post like it was yesterday, you took a picture of him walking away from the house… I remember I thinking “wow, 2 years is a REALLY long time…!” but now I CAN’T believe how quickly it went by!! Although I’m sure it was super slow to you and your family, obviously…
What a blessing though! What an amazing family and great kids you have, now you have one grown up man returning from having seen many things, and having made a difference in the world… and your whole family is reunited again! Blessings, blessings, and more blessings! I feel an enormous joy for you right now. These pictures are the greatest! Thank you so much for sharing this with us. Like another reader said… it’s as if we lived this journey with you somehow, and I totally missed seeing handsome Kade on your pictures as well, I won’t even bother to deny it
Enjoy your time with your family now as much as you can! Make the most of it and make each day count! (I know you will anyway
)
Much love! <3 xoxo
Hi Lisa!!!
I love the play-by-play of such an emotional family reunion!
I am so happy for you!!! What an amazing birthday gift!
Happy Birthday!!!
xo
Gladys
Happy Birthday Lisa! I know it was a great one for you and I am thrilled for you that Kade is home now. I remember when he left and it seemed the time has flown. I know it was a long time for YOU though. You are my inspiration for being a “rock”, my daughter is away at college and when I miss her, I always think of you. Kade looks great, can’t wait to hear about his adventures!
Wow! That pic of you and Kade made me teary! I have 2 boys that (hopefully) will go on missions back to back like that, luckily the oldest is only 6 right now. Happy Birthday! Enjoy your time with your family.
Happy Birthday!! I can see it was an awesome one! So glad Kade is home safe and sound! Now you can spoil him. Thanks for sharing your pictures with us. They made me cry. So happy for all of you.
Sister Bearnson:
I’m SO happy for you! My eyes are stinging with tears-those photos are very special. What a special time in your family’s life to welcome Kade home again.
As you said before, what an honor it is to raise a steadfast, worthy young man who wants to be in the Lord’s Army! It’s a thought that is keeping me going through these early days as a Missionary Mom. I can hardly wait until it’s my son’s triumphant homecoming.
Enjoy the moments, because they are precious!
Happy birthday – welcome home to Kade – what a wonderful day for you and your family , i love the pictures – they show everything — enjoy -
Oh how fun! Your post about Kade’s Homecoming made me tear up because I have been in that exact same position twice, and it’s very overwhelming and wonderful at the same time! How great to sve him home. You all look wonderful! All your kids have grown up in the last two years. You couldn’t have planned a better birthday present-so happy or you.
Debbie
Happy Birthday, Lisa! I know that you must have had a wonderful birhthday having your family all together again. Thanks for sharing those great photos!
Happy Birthday, Lisa! Wow…this post has me all teary-eyed! Glad your boy is home safe.
Happy Belated Birthday Lisa! AND Welcome Home Kade!
Thanks for sharing the pics with everyone. Just curious…seems a lot of readers know about missions, etc. Just wondering if you would ever explain this to those of us not familiar.. i.e. what’s the purpose? Do all boys do this in your religion? Do girls do it? Do they go to college when they come home? Just would like to know more about it. Thanks.
Lisa I’m sooooo happy for you and your family. This brought tears in my eyes so I had to go back and look at it again. That sweet Sage is happy BIG TIME!! How lucky all of you are to be in this amazing and loving family.
Congrats on having your boy home with you and to celebrate your birthday. Enjoy this special time together catching up and sharing lots of hugs.
He has grown up so handsome, it’s amazing from the young mans face we saw two years ago.
HUGS
DAWN
Lisa, so very happy for you and your family. I have been a fan, follower, student of yours for so many years, all the many years on QVC, etc. and have watched your children as they have grown up. Your Sage and my granddaughter are within weeks of each other and I have always felt like extended family, or at least you have allowed each of us to feel that way. Thank you so much for always sharing your wonderful, loving family and your highs and your lows. I keep your Dad in my prayers. What a joy to have Elder Bearnson home with you and all the family together again. What joy, excitement and loving glow that must be surrounding your home!!!! Blessings to you and your family.
Oh what a Blessing to have Kade back home with you all..and in time for your birthday!
The photos are amazing! It is great that she was able to capture the many emotions of those moments! 
Wow, what a happy homecoming, and a Happy Birthday for you. Thanks for sharing with the world all the joy your family had at receiving your handsome, young man back into your home after serving on his mission.