Where's Waldo

When my older daughter set off for the Naval Academy 3 summers ago - the time apart was almost unbearable.  I thought about her every second of every day and missed her with all my heart and soul. I spent a good deal of time that summer playing "Where's Waldo" except "Waldo" was my daughter.  In a sea of 1200+ midshipman all dressed in white, the "Where's Waldo" game can be tough. I searched every photo that was posted online in the hopes of getting just one glimpse of my daughter. Every now and then I would get lucky and find her and that just meant the world to me. I would jump up and down with glee and then look at the photo many times throughout the week.  I just wanted to see her. To know she was okay.  To be near her - even if it were only through a picture.  It was something to do to pass the time - and it made the time apart more bearable.  At the end of the summer when I was finally able to see my daughter, I showed her all the pictures I had saved to my computer. It was only then that I found out - half of the photos I so treasured - were not pictures of her. I know. I know. HOW could a mom not recognize her own daughter? Well - it my defense - they all get the exact same haircut, wear the exact same clothes, have the exact same expression of despair and have a dixie cup hat on their head obscuring a good portion of the photo. We all got a good laugh at my "treasured" photos from the summer.  Well here it is 3 whole years later - and nothing much has changed.  I find myself searching through thousands of pictures that are posted with the hope that I might be able to get one glimpse of my daughter hard at work.  This summer she trained at Quantico with the Marine Corps and now is hard at work training the new incoming plebe class.  Lucky for me - she is MUCH easier to spot this year.  She isn't in the whiteworks plebe uniform and finding the detailers is a much easier job.
See how hard my job was 3 years ago?

My daughter is in the last row, closest to the detailer

I know that seems like an easy one - but I looked through hundreds of photos just like this picture. It is a very good "Where's Waldo" game!

Here she is again as a plebe. Every time I found her - it felt like Christmas!

My "Where's Waldo" skills are much improved this summer.  I looked through over 3000 pictures of I-Day and I was rewarded with......

HER PONYTAIL!!!

I was so excited to find her.  Ahhhh a mom's love. Who else would pour through thousands of pictures for a ponytail picture?

Eventually I was rewarded with this picture:

YEA!

And then my good midmom friend sent me this one

And finally

One last picture to hold me through the week. My Where's Waldo fix has been quenched......well at least until new pictures are posted!