BLOOMINGTON - Coming home from more than a year in Baghdad, U.S. Army Sgt. Jyles Evans had quite a reception committee, including a nephew and cousin he had never met, waiting for him Friday afternoon at Central Illinois Regional Airport.

"I just want to hold him, that's all," said his mother, Mary Beth Richard of Bloomington, as she waited with about two dozen relatives and friends at the airport's security checkpoint for his flight from Detroit.

She got her wish. The first thing Evans did upon reaching the checkpoint was hug his mother, who was holding his 2-month-old nephew, Parker.

The sergeant then embraced his brother, Joe Evans of Bloomington, who introduced him to Parker.

"This is my boy," the younger Evans brother said.

Meeting Parker was just one bit of catching up Sgt. Evans has to do on his three-week leave. While on his third tour of duty in Iraq, which lasted roughly 15 months, he missed two Christmases, Joe Evans' wedding to Allison, the birth of Parker and a cousin's daughter - and the delivery of a sports car he bought on eBay.

"In 15 months, you miss everything," Evans said while waiting for his luggage. "I missed my first nephew being born."

The Evans brothers plan to celebrate their birthdays together during the three-week leave. Jyles Evans will be 25 years old Jan. 12. His brother will celebrate his 24th birthday Jan. 17.

Joe Evans said he expects they will have dinner at Alexander's Steak House, have cocktails and then go to Digger's, a downtown Bloomington tavern where Jyles Evans will hear him perform as disc jockey.

A sixth tattoo also might be in order before the sergeant leaves Jan. 18 for his new assignment in Virginia Beach, Va. He usually gets tattooed, sometimes with his brother, while on leave.

Sgt. Evans said he also looks forward to relaxing and driving his new car, a Nissan 350Z, which he had delivered to Richard's house in Bloomington.

"He'll get spoiled by the whole family," Richard said of his time home.

Sgt. Evans has spent the past five years in Germany, Afghanistan and Iraq. As an operating engineer, he worked on building roads, bridges and helicopter landing pads.

At the airport, Evans also got to meet Miley Beutow, the 8-month-old daughter of his cousin, Jeremy Beutow, and reacquainted himself with another cousin's 15-month-old daughter, Lily Steinhoff. He was surprised by how much Lily had grown.

"The last time I saw her she was a newborn," he told Lily's mother, Sarah Smith.

Before the group left the reception area to collect Evans' luggage, Richard gave her son a second, prolonged hug, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm glad he's back safely," said Jyles Evans' friend Jay Hickey of Bloomington. "We miss him a lot. He'll do anything for you. He has a big, big heart."