NORTH OGDEN -- The thought that Jennie Taylor might get to see her husband for Christmas wasn't even in her mind. Brent was deployed in October for 12 months in Afghanistan as part of a team of security force advisers.
He has been deployed during Christmas before and Jennie has always held out hope he might get to come home, but this year she didn't even get her hopes up. So as he stood in the family's kitchen with his four children draped around him, she was still in a happy shock. Brent has been training in Mississippi for two months and will leave for Afghanistan right after the start of the new year.
Since the training is complete, he was allowed to take 10 days of leave to come home for Christmas. "It's a little magical coming home for Christmas," Brent said Thursday afternoon. He arrived very early Thursday morning. He told his family only last Friday that he was getting leave, even though he knew it might be coming.
"Things can be unpredictable in the Army, so I didn't want to say anything until it was for sure," Brent said.
Jennie had been asking Brent where to send the care packages and he never could give her an address, but still she didn't suspect anything.
"I was just trying to make the best of it and be happy that we would see him on Skype, but this doesn't even compare," she said as he wrestled with their 4-year-old son, Lincoln.
Jennie has had a lot of help from friends, family and neighbors through the Christmas season with the couple's four children, ages 6, 4, 2 and 10 months. She said she almost feels a little guilty that Brent is home because of all the kindnesses she has received to help her get through the holidays.
Accepting help from others has been a struggle for her, but she is grateful beyond words.
"It's a lot easier to take something to someone than to accept the help," she said, although she admits the last two months have been crazy and harder than she remembers. Last time Brent was deployed was two years ago, when they had only two very young children.
"It was like I had two babies. Now I have places to go and things to do," Jennie said.
She took pause when she was driving with Lincoln last week and the song, "I'll Be Home For Christmas" came on and he asked when his dad would be home.
She had to think again when her 6-year-old daughter reminded her that the end of the year was coming, so that meant daddy was coming home because he would be home at the end of a year.
"I realized she didn't understand it was in one year, not the end of this year," she said. "But now, he is home."
Brent took temporary leave as a North Ogden city councilman at the time of his deployment and will return to the council, a move made possible by recent state legislation. Although he is thrilled to be home for Christmas, he knows his latest deployment is important and is proud to be serving his country.
Brent is working as a security force adviser. He and 48 other officers will lead about 1,600 men to train the Afghan army and police forces. He will be working specifically with the border patrol, searching in the mountain and cave areas to find smugglers.
"People don't realize there is still activity going on over there," he said. While he doesn't feel nervous about the mission, he knows it will be hard, strenuous work.
Besides, Jennie feels the stress for both of them.
"That's my job," she said.
The two are particularly glad he got this Christmas leave because he won't get any more leave in the next eight or nine months. "This will give me time to recharge and get into a pattern," she said. "Things have been crazy the last two months."
The kids are just thrilled to have daddy home.
"It is so happy!" Lincoln said excitedly. Six-year-old Megan talked about plans they have and was thrilled she already got the chance to get candy from the bins at Winco with her dad, a weekly tradition she has missed.
Smiles were all around as the family talked about their plans for the week. Brent kept referring to his leave as "a kind of Christmas magic" that the Taylor family will remember for a long time.
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