Good morning, America, do you know what today is? Yup, the Friday before Mother's Day, and you know what that means? Today marks the 29th annual Military Spouse Appreciation Day.

Didn't know that existed? You should! It's been an official American holiday since President Ronald Reagan recognized in 1984 that the men and women married to our military are powerful cogs in the military machine. They're sacrificing too -- every day.

On this and every Mother's Day, we all want to be with our moms -- or, if we're moms, with our kids -- but sometimes it doesn't always work out. Especially when you're serving in the military, and your work may take you away from your loved ones for months on end. You've gotta rely on letters or maybe Skype or FaceTime to touch base with loved ones. But occasionally, soldiers get to come home on the happy holiday ... And what better way to get the celebration started than by surprising Mom?

Two soldiers recently knocked their moms' socks off with unexpected homecomings. Check 'em out ...

In what has to be one of the most heartwarming military reunions ever -- a Navy dad met his newborn son for the first time after an eight-month deployment.

Lt. Michael Lemmons was one of 27 dads who were waiting to meet their babies when the USS John C. Stennis pulled into the Naval Station in Bremerton, Washington. Lucky for us, his reunion with his wife, kids, and precious new addition was captured on film.

And while every single military homecoming tugs at our heartstrings, this one goes one step further -- all because of a simple yet incredibly sweet and romantic comment Lt. Lemmons made to his wife after holding his baby boy.

They say there's an exception to every rule, and that's what Kansas high school junior Courtney Widener's special prom date request should have been considered by school officials. But it wasn't -- at least, not at first. Courtney wanted to bring her 22-year-old brother, Senior Airman Casey Widener, to the prom, and I don't blame her: She'd only seen Casey once since he got back from his deployment in Afghanistan. Of course she wanted a night on the town with her big bro! But she was told that bringing her brother was against the school district's rule prohibiting anyone over the age of 21 from participating in prom activities. Courtney was devastated ... until Casey came up with a way to escort his sister without getting her in trouble.

When your baby is born, the first thing you want to do is just hold that baby. Look at her little eyes and lose yourself in the miracle you created. Now imagine if you were a dad-to-be and couldn't be there for the birth.

That's what happened to Navy engineer John Kaniecki, 23, who has been in the Persian Gulf since August. His wife was just about four months pregnant when he was deployed. Baby Jade was born in January. And on Tuesday, three months after her birth, the proud papa finally got to meet his baby. 

When you think of an Army major, what comes to mind? An upstanding citizen? Someone with the utmost respect for rules and regulations? Someone who fights for what's right? Unfortunately none of those match up with the story of foster dad and Army Major John E. Jackson or his wife Carolyn or the charges of child abuse lodged against them in a New Jersey court this week.

U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman called what happened to three kids in the Jackson home "unimaginable cruelty." The Jacksons are accused of everything from breaking the bones of foster kids in their care to force-feeding the children hot sauce.

When we think of creative, extraordinary ways to propose, we probably think flash mob lip-dubs, video games, maybe even something having to do with social media. Technology employed by the military is probably the last thing you'd think of as a romantic way to say, "Will you marry me?" Nonetheless, it's thanks to drones -- yeah, the same kind used to deliver bombs -- that a San Francisco couple recently got engaged! Let me explain ...

When Jason Muscat decided to propose to his soon-to-be baby mama and now-fiancee, Christina Dam, in San Fran's Alamo Square, he had an unmanned hexacopter deliver the ring! And awesomely enough, the moment was captured in an aerial shot video, which was also taken by the drone!

Check it out ...

Staff Sergeant Michael Sweeney's family has been going through a particularly challenging, heart-wrenching time. Sweeney's daughter just gave birth to her first child, but something went wrong and last week the baby had to go back to the hospital. Then, his stepson was in a bad motorcycle accident. Meanwhile, Sgt. Sweeney had been far away for a year serving in Kuwait. In fact, he's been deployed four times since 9/11.

And while the Houston area-based Sweeney family has missed Michael every time he's gone away, this was one week they may have been missing him more than ever. Amazingly, Sgt. Sweeney planned a surprise homecoming that came at exactly the right time.

Check out the local news story on his return home ...