tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62756092420608812762024-03-19T06:42:49.428-04:00From Pearls to DogTagsCatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.comBlogger129125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-81432647232394634402012-03-21T10:46:00.000-04:002012-03-21T10:46:50.623-04:00The essence of UsIt's no secret that I haven't written in awhile. I've missed it. I missed the connection I felt with people who were in my similar situation. I missed sharing my journey with people who truly understood me. But recently, I've fallen out of touch. Just floating around, not sure of my direction. Not sure of where I am. Not sure of where I stand. Then I got two comments from two new followers who put me back on track; put things in a new perspective.<br />
<br />
Sweet Boy and I have been going through a rough spot lately. It's hard to explain it all. We've lost touch of each other. We fight more. And it isn't even about anything important. It's just fussing to fuss. We've been going through the motions of planning the wedding: working on the guest list, registering, finding the right invitations, discussing flowers and dresses. In all of that, it is hard to remember what is truly important; us.<br />
<br />
He's been working a lot. My parents and I went to see him this weekend and he stayed at work until after 10 on Friday night and had to work until 1 on Saturday. We left right after lunch Sunday. The 5 hour drive was hardly worth it for all of us. We were all wanting to spend time with him and no one wanted to compromise. We were practically stepping over one another to get time with him.<br />
<br />
After one long phone call this week, we sat back and examined our lives, both together and separately. We talked about why it was that we were fighting. Why neither one of us felt like a priority anymore. How did we fall into this rut so deep that by the time we noticed it, it was over our heads?<br />
<br />
But we worked it out. And we are still working on it. Every day. Things still aren't perfect, but we are working on it. We <u>both</u> had things to work on. That was the most important thing to realize.<br />
Now he calls me when he gets a break from work. We say 'I love you' each time before we hang up the phone; that's a huge change. We talk on the phone and try to tell each other about our day, and not just say things like 'it was dumb' or 'work sucked' but actually <b>talked</b> about it. We're working on things. They aren't perfect, but at least we are trying to make it better. I just miss him....and who we were.<br />
<br />
I'm going up to see him again this weekend. I need to see him and spend time with just him. I honestly don't remember the last time we spent more than an hour together...just the two of us. Living at home has taken a toll on us. His work schedule has taken a toll on us. Planning this wedding for 14 months has taken a toll on us. We need to get back to the essence of us. We need to remember why we fell in love with each other. I'm ready to get things back on track. I'm ready to have my best friend back.Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-13167920426101026902012-03-19T12:15:00.000-04:002012-03-19T12:15:03.067-04:00ReflectionsWhat a difference a year makes.<br />
<br />
A year ago today, my <u>boyfriend</u> was overseas. I was about to stay at a house three of my friends and I rented on the beach in Charleston, South Carolina and was thrilled to have a break away from the deployment woes. They still followed me around, but they weren't so bad once I had all my friends and family with me. Luckily, the Deployment gods were nice enough to us that Sweet Boy got to call me and instant message my phone for hours that day. And when I got home, there was an iPad and new pearl earrings waiting from me from my love.<br />
<br />
<br />
Today, I babysat and will meet with my friends tonight for dinner. But thankfully, I was woken up by Sweet Boy's phone call and I didn't have to sit around wondering if I would hear from him at all today. I love having him back and knowing that he is safe. And I'm glad there is no potential of me crying myself to sleep tonight.<br />
<br />
Yes, what a difference a year makes.<br />
<br />
Happy birthday to me!Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-82242227855418292482012-02-29T12:02:00.000-05:002012-02-29T12:02:22.025-05:00To let it slipRoughly two years before Sweet Boy and I started dating, he was hurt overseas. He was dating another girl at the time, but we were still friends and kept up with each other. I found out through Facebook that he was hurt. When I first read the news, I sat there stunned on my bed. It felt like a knife went through my chest. I couldn't breathe. I ran downstairs, crying, to look for my mom and I sat there, by my computer and my phone, waiting for more news.<br />
<br />
When Sweet Boy and I were preparing for our first deployment, he sat me down and told me all about what would happen if something was to happen to him overseas. He explained the whole process; there would be a "communication blackout" and then a car would pull up to his parents' house (who were living in a whole different area and timezone as me) and they would be informed about what happened. I would then be notified. We then proceeded to talk about details of his memorial service and what he wanted people to do or say. He told me he wanted to make sure I was taken care of and told me of all the things he was going to leave me. I was 20 years old. Talk about growing up. Here I was, just beginning to fall in love with the boy sitting across the table from me, and we were talking about his possible funeral details.<br />
Thankfully, none of the information from that conversation was ever used. Hopefully it never will be.<br />
<br />
I was always prepared for that knock on my door. I was always prepared for the possibility that some day I would be confronted by two men who would tell me the devastating news. I was not prepared, however, to find out something via text or Facebook, which is what one army wife had to face recently (that article can be found <a href="http://spousebuzz.com/blog/2012/02/army-spouses-to-blame-for-kia-notification-text.html">here</a>). It breaks my heart that she had to find out this life-changing news about her <b>husband</b> through a text message, and then again on Facebook. What happened? What went wrong here? How did this information leak out before the family was notified?<br />
There was a breakdown somewhere - with another wife. This is a case where people are obviously way too 'involved' that they can't think to keep their mouths shut. This young wife, only a few months older than myself, was not notified the proper and decent way that her husband was killed. What the other wives should have been doing, instead of texting or updating their statuses, is praying for the wife that just lost her husband, the mother who just lost her son. We get so caught up in all the extra stuff in life that we forget what is truly important; other people. I will pray for Megan Born and her family and I ask that you will, too. Don't let this mistake happen again. Don't let tragic news be found out in a more devastating way than the news itself.Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-82153075461142857242012-02-08T22:30:00.000-05:002012-02-08T22:30:40.172-05:00Long distance loveAs humans, we have a tendency to compare ourselves to others. A game of 'who has it better/worse' often comes into play when we hear of other's joys or sorrows. We try to think of how the story applies to us, how we would react in a similar situation.<br />
I've said it many times, this long distance relationship isn't for everyone. It is a struggle. It is a battle within its self. It is hard, it is taxing. <br />
People ask me a lot how I am okay with not seeing or talking to Sweet Boy for extended amounts of time. The answer is simple: I'm not. Im not okay with the fact that there are often times we don't even have a countdown ready for the next time we will see each other. There are many nights, and days upon days, where I sit with my phone in my lap, not knowing if he will call tonight. And if he does call, I wonder how quickly he will start to fall asleep on the phone. But the truth is, I wouldn't care if he worked so much he wasn't able to call me for a month, as long as I knew he was eventually coming back into my arms. <br />
I think it makes it a lot moe difficult when there aren't many people around you in your similar situation. This is why I blog, even though I've been slacking a lot recently. I still yearn for that companionship and understanding I find on here. Some of you have led me through some tough times. You know who you are, and I am forever grateful. <br />
It's always hard to compare yourself to someone else. You never know how they are going to take it. The most sincere words can be taken as degrading. I was talking to a friend of mine tonight, whose husband is deployed, and there she was, asking how <b>my</b> boy was doing. And I did the stupid thing of starting to complain to her how I haven't seen Sweet Boy in a month and I hardly talk to him and so on. What I was complaining about was NOTHING in comparison to what she was dealing with and yet, there she was, willing to listen. And she told me words that ring so true. "It doesnt matter if you are apart for a year, a month, or a night. Being apart still sucks." How brilliant. It does not matter where you are; if you are alone and missing someone, it can knock you down to the floor until you just can't take it anymore. It hurts, and often times (especially in this li style) it can be very scary. We must take every day in stride and know that one day, one bright and glorious day, distance will be a thing of the past. <br />
Just remember, distance is not for the faint of heart. We are all warriors in this life, just not always fighting the same battle. It is how we handle these trials and hardships that really defines our life and our relationship.Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-34350937039797173362012-02-01T10:05:00.000-05:002012-02-01T10:05:08.912-05:00Adjustment PeriodsI've come to realize that the army life is all about making adjustments. Sweet Boy is at yet another school these days. It's not uncommon for him to get home and call me at 9:30 and then he's off to bed at 10:15 to start a new day. It is frustrating to say the least. But I have to keep reminding myself that this is not how it normally is. That a friend of mine had to send her husband off for a month long training. That I can still talk to Sweet Boy every day which is a million times better what we went through a few months ago. I'm just ready for something to feel normal. Between his work and classes and my work and planning for the wedding, Sweet Boy and I hardly have time for each other. But I guess seeing him once a month is better than nothing. We have a deadline of when this will all end and it is getting closer every day. I can't wait to marry the man of my dreams in a few short months. I can't wait to start our lives together....I'm even willing to let the army take him away every now and then, as long as he always comes back home to me.Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-90716781555392091282012-01-12T22:48:00.000-05:002012-01-12T22:48:21.534-05:00I am always blown away by how wonderful Sweet Boy truly is.<br />
<br />
Today was one of "those" days. You know the kind. I hardly slept at all last night because my dog thought it was a good idea for him to sleep in bed with me. Every time I moved, he moved. Then he'd get hot so he'd come out from the covers. Just as I started to fall back asleep, he'd get cold and crawl back under the sheets with me. All night long it was like this.<br />
I was running on what felt like 2.5 hours of sleep and of course work was a madhouse.Who would've thought a kid's clothing store would be so stressful? I didn't sit down all day. I seriously had one lady call and ask me the same thing 4 times. Really? And we had people come in right before we closed and wanted to buy all these outfits for all 5 of her grandkids. We didn't get out until like 45 minutes after we were supposed to.<br />
And then I got home and noticed my dress had been on backwards the. whole. day.<br />
<br />
Yep, it was one of those days.<br />
<br />
But tomorrow I will be back in the arms of my soldier and spending a few days together with him getting stuff done for the wedding! And right now, we are Skyping to decide what we should wear in our engagement session. He always knows how to make my day so much better.Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-53716316645630779662012-01-09T10:10:00.000-05:002012-01-09T10:10:19.965-05:00Adventures on the HorizonIt's a new year and I am getting used to my new challenges and surroundings. The wedding plans are in full swing. I've gotten settled back into living with my parents again (maybe a little too settled...). I'm working all the time. I babysit almost every day I have off. I have a lot going on. I'm stressed, but I am handling it.<br />
On top of all the stress and excitement that makes up my life today, Sweet Boy and I have started thinking about buying a house. Buying a house! When did we get so old? So now we are looking at furniture, paint colors, floor plans...all while planning the wedding. And I guess it makes sense. We can't be married and living together in my parent's house or in his room on post. We have to think about life after the wedding, but sometimes it can be a little overwhelming.<br />
I'm nervous about moving up there. I hardly know any one. I don't know my way around post, much less around town. The only time I ever moved to a new town was when I went off to college. I was always surrounded by people; between my two roommates I shared one room and bathroom with, all my classes, and the constant events they had for freshmen, it was hard to find time when I wasn't completely surrounded by people. How am I supposed to go and make new friends in this new town? And how am I supposed to do it when Sweet Boy isn't there?<br />
I am very excited about this new adventure, and I am excited to take it head-on with Sweet Boy, but part of me can't help but freak out. I don't know how to find a grocery store. I don't know where the "good part" of town is. I know three street names. I don't even know where the Chick-Fil-A is. It will be quite the adventure, but I cant wait.<br />
<br />
However, if anyone has any tips as to how I should go about meeting new people or getting used to my new post or any suggestions, I'm open to it!Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-43457263204181369432011-12-28T20:59:00.000-05:002011-12-28T20:59:55.796-05:00Happy Birthday<div style="text-align: center;">Sweet Boy.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I hope to celebrate</div><div style="text-align: center;">at least</div><div style="text-align: center;">65 more birthdays </div><div style="text-align: center;">with you.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I love you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-86045518803509748332011-12-24T10:10:00.000-05:002011-12-24T10:10:42.799-05:00Words still hurtI'm still trying to adjust to living back at home, but so far it hasn't been too bad. Thankfully everyone else is home for Christmas break and I am spending a lot of time with people I haven't seen in <b>years</b>...some since graduation. Weird. And I'm also back at work and trucking right along there...trying to figure out how everything works since apparently they changed basically every technology and policy since I've left. That and being on my feet all day every day isn't too fun...but the paycheck is.<br />
<br />
We were hoping Sweet Boy would have a 4-day weekend and would be able to come home, but they needed him to stay up there. Needless to say, I was pretty upset, but I had to keep in mind that he is home <b>safe</b> and that's really all I could ask for.<br />
<br />
This week, I had an encounter with a coworker of mine. I won't go into too much detail about it since I've decided to let it go, but she still says stuff that bothers me. Here's the brief version:<br />
<i>The Wounded Warrior hospital is a little over an hour or so from where I live. A coworker of mine decided we should give away some little toys and outfits to the families who have children and are going to be stuck there for Christmas (I work at a little children's boutique). As she was gathering things to give away, she began telling me all these horrible stories of the families there. Things about how terribly it can rip apart your family. She went on to tell me how younger people get married and they just think about right then and there, not about what the possible outcomes could be and how they aren't really thinking about how their husbands may get hurt and then they have to deal with them when they get back.</i><br />
<i><b>Then she went on to tell me how it doesn't matter anyway since the war is over now that they are out of Iraq. </b></i><br />
<i>I just didn't know what to say, so I walked off. I was heartbroken. I was mad. I was so many emotions all at once. It was all I could do not to break down and cry in the middle of the store.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
When I agreed to marry Sweet Boy, I did it knowing the possible outcomes. When I sent him off to war when we first started dating, I knew it was a possibility he may not make it home the same man, or make it home at all. I know the consequences. I am well aware of the hardships we may face as a young couple, but I am willing to do it because of the love that I have in my heart for Sweet Boy; stronger than any love I could imagine.<br />
But the war is not over. It may be ending, but it isn't over. Sweet Boy is lucky enough to be home, but that's more than I can say for many of his friends. He's here while they are all gone, and he is having a hard time with that. He called me yesterday and told me how they had to practice a mock funeral in case something should happen. It gave me chills just thinking about what this meant; could he be in one of his friend's funerals any time soon? One of <i>our</i> friends? I can't imagine what was going through his head.<br />
<br />
I'm so glad Sweet Boy is home, safe, and will see me for 18 hours starting tonight. I pray for all the families who aren't so lucky and I hope they will all make it back home safely to celebrate many, many more Christmases with their families.Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-6228370794322306892011-12-12T09:33:00.000-05:002011-12-12T09:33:56.407-05:00Back on TrackFinals are done and I am now moved back home. It hasn't really hit me yet. It just feels like a long weekend. People were so busy with finals I didn't even get to tell half of my friends good-bye.<br />
<br />
<br />
But the good news is, I bought my wedding dress this week! My mom and maid of honor went with me and we tried on all these dresses. We thought I was going in there to buy a dress that I had already tried on a few months ago but wasn't ready to buy yet. Well....I decided to try other stuff on "just in case" and then I got all confused about which dress I liked the most. <i>Until</i>, that is, I put on this gorgeous dress that I didn't even give a second look when it was hanging on the rack. But I put it on, walked out, and cried. Guess that solves that problem! Now I just have to wait 8 more months before I can show it to Sweet Boy. It's hard keeping secrets!<br />
<br />
Sweet Boy came home with me this weekend. It was so nice to just relax and spend time together...not worry about other people or a timeline we had to follow. We spent <b>hours</b> putting a Christmas puzzle together with my parents, that's how relaxed we were. I think we both needed that. I think our relationship needed that. It brought us back together; away from the stress of finals and moving and roommates and everything else. Now it feels like we are almost back in the beginning of our relationship, when things were still new and exciting. No more fighting, no more miscommunications, no more distant and hurt feelings. Like I said, it was just what we needed.<br />
<br />
Now I just have to get used to being back at home and under my parent's roof; it's going to be a challenge! But I start my job tomorrow and have a lot of Christmas shopping and decorating to keep me busy for now. Oh yeah, and <u>a lot</u> of unpacking to do!Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-2097690142287830732011-12-01T10:36:00.000-05:002011-12-01T10:36:59.267-05:00Smell of ComfortThis morning, while doing laundry, I came across a T-shirt Sweet Boy let me borrow over Thanksgiving. I couldn't help but stop and smell it. It still smelled just like him.<br />
Instantly, I was transported to a time where he was deployed and I went to smell his shirt, and his smell was no longer there. I could remember how heartbroken I felt. How I crumbled to the floor of my closet, wondering if I would ever know his smell again.<br />
To me, that smell is a form of comfort, a piece of home. I can't imagine never being able to breathe him in again. To never have his arms wrapped around me so tightly that his smell is the only thing near me would be heartbreaking. I can't imagine living without him in my life.<br />
As I stood there, in the laundry room, thousands of memories flooded my brain. He has been such a constant in my life. I am so lucky to have him home right now. I am so glad he is here for the holidays. We are beginning to create our own traditions along with making more memories.<br />
I know one day I may gripe about all the laundry I have to do once we are married, especially after a long day of him being out in the field, but for now, I don't mind. I don't mind having a reason to be reminded why I love him so much and how wonderful it feels when he hugs me so tight.Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-30379346926473763522011-11-29T10:10:00.000-05:002011-11-29T10:10:29.039-05:00Dedicated<div style="text-align: center;">I'm dedicated to my soldier.</div><div style="text-align: left;">When he is gone, there is not a day where he isn't on my mind. I keep my phone by me constantly, even if I know it won't be three weeks before I hear from him. I write him letters so he can have something tangible that was once in my hand. I write him emails to keep him informed of my day-to-day actions. I send him packages to brighten up his day and to give him the strength to keep going.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm dedicated to my soldier.</div><div style="text-align: left;">I pray for his safety when he is gone and his knowledge while he is training. I read devotional books and blogs to help me to prepare for everything that will be thrown at us. I ask for strength for the two of us as we continue in our journey. I put on my armor at home and fight my battles while he is off fighting his.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I am dedicated to my soldier.</div><div style="text-align: left;">I dream of a day when he will be there next to me when I wake up. I picture us sitting on the couch, drinking coffee and holding hands each morning. I imagine the perfect life for us, but I know there is a chance that this could all change in an instant. I know there is a chance he won't come home the same man, he won't come home whole, or he may not come home. But these are risks I am willing to take due to my enormous amount of love for him.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I am dedicated to my soldier.</div><div style="text-align: left;">I sleep with my soldier teddy bear each night. I have camo print in almost every room of my house. I have signs, plaques, and pictures boasting my pride for my soldier. I dream of one day having a house where I can proudly fly the flag my soldier fights for.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I am dedicated to my soldier.</div><div style="text-align: left;">There is never a day where I second guess my commitment to him. There is never a time where I wonder if I am making the right decision by staying with him. I will not be tempted by the other men I meet in my daily life. My love for my soldier is deep in my soul; it is in the very essence of my being. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I am dedicated to my soldier.</div><div style="text-align: left;">And no one can ever take that away from me.</div>Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-15994730505968289722011-11-27T20:22:00.000-05:002011-11-27T20:22:30.174-05:00Why am I stuck on this couch?Well I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I was lucky enough to spend the holiday split between Sweet Boy's family and my family. It was wonderful meeting some new faces that will some day be part of my family as well! Unfortunately, I fell down the stairs right when we were trying to leave and we thought I broke my ankle. One tearful trip to the ER later, and they think I just sprained it. But it sure did swell up pretty huge and turned black and blue almost immediately. We weren't convinced that it wasn't broken until yesterday. And the pain medicine they gave me was no where near strong enough to reduce the pain, but since I went to the ER and was out of town, we didn't have a way to call in a stronger prescription. So I guess <i>technically </i>this week wasn't what I had planned. But things rarely go according to plan. Thankfully my hunk swept me off and dashed me away to the ER right after I fell and didn't leave my side for 4 days. He seriously helped me with everything (besides going to the bathroom and taking a shower of course) and now that he is gone, I have no clue what to do with myself. Every day he shows me thousands of more reasons why he is going to be the best husband in the world. I could not have picked a better match for me if I had tried.Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-17191675524924339862011-11-21T21:44:00.000-05:002011-11-21T21:44:28.419-05:00Adjustment TimeThere are many parts of this life that we are warned about and try our hardest to prepare ourselves for. We know there are times where we will be separated from our loved ones, no matter how much we hate it. We know that we can beg and plead and cry, but they still have to leave. We still have to stay behind. Whether it is a deployment or a trip out to the field, they still have to go.<br />
<br />
What you aren't warned about, or at least I wasn't, is what happens when they get back. The adjustment period.<br />
<br />
There you are, crying your eyes out because you miss them so much your heart feels like it may literally rip in half. You can't sleep without hearing their voice. You are terrified because you can't remember what they smell like or what their skin feels like under your fingertips. It seems as though your world is falling apart and you cannot take it anymore. You are ready to give up. And then...they come home.<br />
To say you are thrilled is an understatement. Your heart feels complete. Your world is whole again. You remember how to go to sleep without worrying about getting the dreaded phone call or knock on your door in the middle of the night.<br />
<br />
But what happens after that? What happens when all the glamour rubs off? When the magic of reaching out at touching them becomes second nature? When you have him home and know he isn't leaving again soon?<br />
What happens is a <i>struggle. </i>What happens is <i>hard</i>. What happens takes <i>time</i>.<br />
<br />
Sweet Boy and I are in that time period. We are learning one another again. We are learning what it is to be a couple again; what it is like to merge two lives together. It is hard. It is a struggle. And it is going to take some time.<br />
<br />
He stopped answering my phone calls not long after he got back. He graduated on a Thursday and I was lucky enough to be there with him and to see him graduate and spend the rest of the weekend with him. Things were perfect. He was back and nothing was different. We picked up right where we left off; or so I thought. When I got back home after the weekend, I was able to talk to him and tell him I was home.<br />
I didn't talk to him after that until Tuesday night...very late Tuesday night. To most people, this may not mean very much. He needed time to sleep, they told me. He probably wanted some alone time. Maybe he just isn't used to having to answer to anyone. But that just isn't him.<br />
Sweet Boy, before he left, was the kind of boy who would call me and talk for hours. We would talk many times a day, mostly about nothing. He was simple. He was carefree.<br />
He wrote me letters from training. They were pages and pages and pages long. They were sweet. They were kind. They were loving.<br />
He would sneak away and call me when they were given the opportunity. He would stand in line for half an hour to talk to me for five minutes. The one time I was sleep when he called me, he called and called and called and called (yes, he would call, get my voicemail, hang up and get in the back of the line at least four times) until I did wake up so I could hear him tell me he loved me.<br />
But now things are different.<br />
<br />
Now we are struggling to have a conversation that doesn't lead to fighting or hurt feelings. We don't talk very often. I'm feeling a little pushed to the side. It is hard to go from <i>months</i> with no communication, wishing they were there every second, to being surrounded by them at every moment and not knowing what to talk about or how to act towards one another. This isn't how I thought things would be when he got back. This isn't how I played it out in my head.<br />
It is hard right now, and I know it will get better, but it is a daily struggle right now. I miss the man I fell in love with. I miss my better half.Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-194512352828585872011-11-19T10:47:00.000-05:002011-11-19T10:47:40.309-05:00Where I've beenI'm sorry I've been missing in action lately. The sweet boy of mine has graduated and I am just so proud of him. And much to our surprise, he was given two weeks off of work. I'm soaking up every minute of it! I'm loving his texts, phone calls, kisses and snuggles. It was rough getting used to each other at first, and I will write about that later, but right now we are loving being a couple again. Currently, we are at my parent's house planning the wedding! Is there anything more stressful than planning a wedding? A wedding for almost 400 people? I don't think so. But we are making it through the stress and the little tiffs planning causes and still want to be around each other. That's love. I knew I picked a good one, but he continues to prove that more and more each day.Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-22806329209668736202011-11-07T18:55:00.000-05:002011-11-07T18:55:33.645-05:00FinallyI finally heard from him. I finally got the news I've been waiting months to hear: he is almost done with training and I will see him by this weekend!<br />
These last few months have been very hard and very tiring. We talked more when he was deployed than we did when he was at school. That's a weird thought. I cherished those phone calls back then, now I <b>definitely </b>appreciate each time he calls.<br />
I've been able to talk to him for the last two nights, about 15 minutes each. It feels so good. I can't wait to slip back into our relationship...and feel like an "us" again. I'm ready to be in his arms again.<br />
This time spent apart, much like other times apart, has helped me realize how wonderful he is. All of his letters were so sweet and so precious. I loved reading each one on those long nights when I missed him deeply. It helped me pass the time and to remember that he really is the one for me. Not that there was ever any doubt! I'm so glad I kept all the letters. I can't wait to figure out what I want to do with them. I'm thinking of putting them in a scrapbook and giving it to him for the wedding. I have letters from back in 2007 and I know he still has some from me so I want to have a place where we can keep them and read them whenever we want and pass it along to our children one day. I guess I am a romantic like that.<br />
Basically, I am just so excited to see him this week that I can hardly stand it! But I am also nervous about all of it. I'm seeing his parents for the first time since we have gotten engaged. He is seeing his parents for the first time in over a year. Our two parents are getting together for the first time in six or seven years. That is a lot to take in. I'm hoping this will all go well. At the end of the day, I'm keeping my fingers crossed and dreaming of looking into my Sweet Boy's eyes.Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-28044855465675877512011-11-03T14:54:00.000-04:002011-11-03T14:54:15.742-04:00What's your song?I haven't linked up in a few weeks, but I was determined to do it this week! Link up and join the fun with <a href="http://www.goodnight-moon.org/p/whats-your-song-link-up.html">Goodnight Moon</a>!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/DluELMLYdlA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My very favorite line is </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"I'm counting the days til I'm finally done.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm counting them down,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">yeah,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">one by one."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This song gets me through the lonely days away from my Sweet Boy. I remember listening to this song together and he just held me in his arms and I cried, knowing he was about to leave me again. Bittersweet memories.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But, hopefully I can finally say I am counting down the days until I can see him again. I'm so nervous and excited at the same time. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope everyone has had a great week so far! It's almost the weekend...yippee! </div>Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-29447862071703476172011-11-01T22:07:00.000-04:002011-11-01T22:07:32.642-04:00I've really lost my motivation to blog recently. I would go to write stuff out, but ended up deleting it. Nothing ever sounded right. Nothing was what I actually wanted to talk about.<br />
<br />
I could write about the girl who complained to me last week about her failed relationship with a traveling musician. The one who made the comment, "you're lucky...at least you know where he is and he isn't sleeping in another girl's bed". I sat there floored and blankly replied, "but at least he wasn't getting shot at every day".<br />
<br />
I could write about the daily comments I get about how people don't know how I go on day after day without Sweet Boy. How one of my friends made the comment of "your long distance relationship shouldn't be called a long distance relationship...they should have a whole different category for it." You would think these comments would build me up, make me feel stronger in my relationship; but they don't.<br />
<br />
I could write on and on about all of that, but I won't. I have bigger things to worry about these days.<br />
<br />
My parents and I have made the decision that I will be taking off next semester to come home, save money, and plan my wedding. In 6 weeks, I will be leaving the college town I have grown to know over the past 3 or 4 years. I'll be leaving my school, my comfort zone, and my friends. It is so fast and completely bittersweet that I cannot wrap my head around it.<br />
I am ready to go home, ready for a break, ready to be around people where I can complain and talk about Sweet Boy as much as I want and they won't judge me or get annoyed. I'm ready to be Daddy's little girl for just a little while longer. I'm ready to be at the beach and in my own room and with everything that I grew up loving.<br />
But I wish I could stay. I wanted to be in this town so badly for so long. I was ready for my independence. I was ready to go out and make new friends and make a life for myself. I'm not ready to leave that all behind. In a year, yes; but not in six weeks.<br />
<br />
I'm worried about how I will tell my friends I am leaving. I am worried about being judged. I'm worried that they think that I am leaving only because I am engaged and never to be heard from again. I'm scared of losing my friends who don't understand that I am making this hard decision based on what is right for me, and for my future husband.<br />
<br />
This has been a hard decision. I've thought about it. I've cried about it. I've prayed about it. And honestly, I feel relieved that I finally have an answer. I finally know where I am going, what I am doing. I don't feel like I am floating around and not sure of where my life is going anymore. I could always see the big picture, but now I see how I am getting there.<br />
<br />
The hardest part of all of this was deciding it for my own. I couldn't bounce ideas off anyone. I couldn't vent about it and then change my mind the next day. And, most of all,<b> <i>I couldn't tell Sweet Boy</i>.</b><br />
<br />
That's right. He doesn't know. This will be a big change for us, but we can do it. Plus, now I will actually have time to plan <strike>my</strike> our wedding. What can be better than that? Well, nothing, besides having him home next to me. Thinking about all of this makes me miss him even more than normal. "We're on the final stretch," he told me a week ago. Now I just have to keep busy until he comes home...and figure out how I'm gonna drop this bombshell on him. Wish me luck.Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-90856722505873494162011-10-27T09:35:00.000-04:002011-10-27T09:35:39.548-04:00High and LowI have not written in a long time (well....a week). I just don't have much motivation left in me. It has been a tough week filled with emotional highs and lows. But the good thing is...<br />
I talked to Sweet Boy <b>twice</b> this week! I don't remember the last time we did that. Back in early August maybe? And here we are, almost at the end of October. Time flies.<br />
It was so wonderful to hear Sweet Boy's voice. I talked to him Friday and we tried to catch up as quickly as we could in the 13 minutes we had to talk. He told me how much he missed me and I talked to him about me moving up near him this summer before we get married and we move in together. He got very excited.<br />
And then he called again last night! My phone was on the table and I heard it as I was coming downstairs but didn't get to it in time. It was from a weird area code and didn't think anything of it...until they called again. When I answered, I heard the sweet words "hey finance" and I felt like I was floating on air. He sounded so wonderful. We fell right back to how we would talk normally after he got off work. For the first time in 4 months, we felt normal. Even if it was only for 7 minutes. We talked and joked and caught up on things. Right before he got off the phone he said, "this is the final stretch babe. I'm coming home". We should talk in about a week or so and then hopefully see each other not long after that! I'm so ready for training to be over so I can kiss that handsome face of his.<br />
<br />
As for the lows of my week...well, I don't think I am ready to talk about those quite yet. Things aren't sorted out in my head yet and I need to get through this weekend first. I have some big decisions to make soon, though. It is all so stressful. Even more so when I don't have my love to talk it out with. I'm counting down the days until we are a couple again.Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-86136738970054531142011-10-20T11:22:00.000-04:002011-10-20T11:22:26.571-04:00I'm TiredI'm tired of everything right now. I'm ready for a change in my life. I feel like I do the same thing, day after day, and it gets me no where.<br />
<br />
I'm tired of listening to people's "drama". The things people complain about these days are so trivial. There are real people suffering from real problems out there (and no, I am not referring to my self as having real problems). To have to sit and listen to people say the same thing over and over again is driving me insane. I'm trying to give you the best advice I can. If you don't want to listen to me or put my advice into action, don't come and ask for advice. You obviously don't want my help.<br />
<br />
I'm tired of playing the guessing game. I don't even bother trying to figure out what Sweet Boy is doing or when he will come home. I've stopped planning every possible outcome I could think of so I could be prepared, just to have another outcome be thrown at me that I had no clue was possible.<br />
<br />
I'm tired of being stuck in this small town that has nothing for me. Most of my friends have graduated or moved off by now. I don't feel that strong connection or bond here I once felt. I feel like my life has moved on beyond this town, but somehow I am still stuck here. Like my feet are in puddles of tar while I watch my life pass before me.<br />
<br />
I'm tired of planning this wedding without my fiance. What part of "it's his wedding, too" do people not understand? Sure, he may not care about the colors of the flowers or where the cake is placed, but he does actually care about some things and wants to have an input on the day that will join us forever. In his last letter, he wrote about how ready he is to get home to help me plan because he feels like he is missing out on so much. Does that sound like an "uninvolved groom" to you?<br />
<br />
I'm tired of feeling like I can't make a decision before I ask six people first. I'm ready to take my life in my own hands. I don't care what people think. I know what is best for me. It's time I took it in my own hands and do what I want to do. I'm also tired of feeling like I need to meet some sort of approval or else I'll be judged by people.<br />
<br />
I'm tired missing my Sweet Boy. I want to be closer to him. I want to be able to see him on a regular basis. I don't want to plan out everything in advance and make sure it fits in with everyone else's schedule. I should be able to see him when I want, not when it is a more convenient time for someone else.<br />
<br />
I'm tired of feeling lost and not knowing where I am going with my life. I can see the big picture and it looks wonderful. I can see me and Sweet Boy living in our own house, away from everyone else, raising a family, and loving one another forever. What I can't see is the little picture; the month to month picture. I can't see how this is all going to work out in the end.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Basically, I need to put on my big girl pants and make some real decisions. And <u>fast</u>.</div>Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-6472424183484037542011-10-18T15:23:00.000-04:002011-10-18T15:23:15.375-04:00Fair PlayGrowing up, South Carolina was a huge part of my family life. My mom grew up there and basically all of her family still lived there after she moved away. We had season tickets to watch the University of South Carolina football team. When we were younger, we went to every home game and a good amount of the away games. I could practically do that drive with my eyes closed by the time I was 12. I'd say we went to Columbia, South Carolina at least 10-15 times a year. That's a lot.<br />
There was also a part of South Carolina we looked forward to every year. We would count down to it. We would talk about it for weeks and the entire 3.5 hour long drive up there. There's just something about it. Some sort of magic behind it.<br />
The state fair.<br />
If it wasn't the rides, it was the food, or the exhibits, or the people watching. We <b>loved</b> going to the fair when we were younger. My brothers and I would ride as many rides as we could, the ones we were tall enough for anyway. We would eat all the food our stomachs could hold. My personal favorite were the vinegar fries and the elephant ears. My mouth is still watering.<br />
Slowly, we all got busier and we stopped going to the fair as much. I missed it a lot, especially after my grandfather passed away. We all had some special memories from the fair.<br />
Well, this weekend, we went back! My parents met me, my middle brother, and his wife in South Carolina again. We all went to the fair to relive old times. The food was the same. The rides were the same. The smells were the same.<br />
But this year, something was different. There was a new exhibit. The "Traveling World Trade Memorial" made its way to the state fair. I was taken aback when I saw it. Right there between the funnel cakes and the cotton candy what this glimmer of the past that took my breath away. We walked right by the tent and made our way to get some pronto pups (a glorified version of corn dogs) and no one seemed to pay it any attention. Except for me and my dad.<br />
As we sat and ate our "dinner", we talked about what we wanted to do next. I wanted to go see the memorial. Everyone else blew it off. Except for my daddy. "You know," he told everyone, "that is the reason her future husband does what he does. If she wants to go see it, we should." My brother and his wife decided to do something else, but Daddy was adamant about going with me.<br />
In the memorial, there were pictures of those we lost. Even posters of the missing the families put up right after the attacks. There were videos streaming from that day. Videos of the planes hitting, the towers falling, the people running for their lives. I think the most interesting part of the memorial was the things they found in the debris: a keyboard, a destroyed pay phone, smashed police car doors, parts of the plane. The actual plane that hit the towers. I think that was most shocking of it all.<br />
It was a very odd feeling being in there, seeing all this stuff ten years later. Ten years and you could still feel the emotion; still feel the pain. There was a father behind me with two kids, probably in late elementary school. He was explaining everything to them. "This started the fighting," he told them. It gave me chills. This is why we are fighting. Right here in front of me. This started it all, and I'm looking at it. This realization sat heavy in my chest.<br />
I'm glad we went. I'm glad I got to see all of this with my own eyes. I'm glad my parents were with me. They knew how important it was to me to go there. It was good to have support with me as I experienced that.<br />
And my daddy? He held my hand the whole time.<br />
I love that man.Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-46725580407116991592011-10-13T16:25:00.000-04:002011-10-13T16:25:19.504-04:00SupportPeople have been checking up on me and making sure everything is going okay since right after Sweet Boy left. I've been getting Facebook comments, text messages, and the occasional phone call from Sweet Boy's friends and family. It is so good to know that they are looking after me. Sweet Boy has wonderful friends. They take care of me. They tell me how much they miss him too. That makes me feel a lot better. I don't feel so alone.<br />
<br />
I have been overwhelmed by the support I have been given. The comments I have gotten mean so much to me, I can't even explain it. This military community has a unique way of embracing one another and I am so thankful for that. I wish I could call each one of you up and personally thank you. Especially Megan at <a href="http://toloveasoldier.blogspot.com/">To Love a Soldier</a> who brought almost all of you to me when I needed it.<br />
<br />
Megan had a giveaway a few weeks back and I was the lucky winner. The book came in the mail today, right when I needed it. I am so excited to read this book and grow in my faith and in my journey as I become an Army Wife. It is people like Megan and another blogger <a href="http://janeysfavoritethings.blogspot.com/">Jane</a> (who I had a conversation with at 3 this morning) that make things so much easier. They make me feel welcome in this life and like I'm not alone.<br />
<br />
<b>I got a letter from Sweet Boy today. </b>A few weeks without hearing from him, and I couldn't stop shaking the whole way from the mailbox to my living room. I would have sat down and read it right by the mailbox if I didn't think I would looked crazy. Tears streamed down my face as I read his sweet words. Words of reassurance I really needed to hear. He told me how much he missed me. How things aren't right without me. How excited he is about this upcoming wedding and how he is ready for a baby (don't worry, that's a long way down the line).<br />
I'm so glad to hear that he is doing better than the last time we talked. He sounds so good. He makes me feel so lucky. And he says he's the proud one. If he only knew.<br />
<br />
<i>"The fact that you've put up with me and this army stuff still amazes me...I miss you so much it hurts...I need to get this done and get back where I belong, with you." </i>How can you not love that?Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-50204159050050551482011-10-09T23:41:00.000-04:002011-10-09T23:41:53.350-04:00Thanks to my school's fall break, I am now home and have been for a few days. It's been nice to recharge my batteries and spend time with my parents and some friends. I even finally got to ask all of my bridesmaids to be in the wedding! Everything has been fine, but I'm just....lonely.<br />
It's now been a week since I have heard from Sweet Boy and over a month since I got to see him for those magical four hours. It feels so much longer. It feels like a year.<br />
Everyone tells me they don't know how I do it. They don't know how I make it through every day and week and sometimes more without talking to him. They say that I am strong; that I am brave. I don't feel very strong or brave tonight.<br />
I feel beaten down.<br />
I can't explain why it has hit me so terribly tonight. I had a wonderful day shopping and doing crafts with my mom. We got some quality girl time in. But now all I can focus on is how miserable I feel. I feel helpless. So alone. I feel like this is never going to end. I feel like things won't be normal again.<br />
I hear about how hard military marriages are. I hear it from my friends, I see it in military groups I am in, I read it online. It makes me very nervous. I feel like the odds are stacked against us before we even start our lives together.<br />
Sometimes I wonder what it will be like when we are finally together again. And I don't mean for a weekend, but <b>really</b> together. Will I remember what it is like to be around him? Will I remember what to do? How to act? Will we be the people we fell in love with?<br />
I've been having trouble sleeping. It's almost like I can't bring myself to actually fall asleep for fear I might miss his phone call. That's pretty much impossible. I know he can only call once every few weeks. It's only been a week. I can't get my hopes up.<br />
This whole weekend, I've been thinking about what we would be doing if he was here with me. It is too hard to come home without him sometimes. I have way too many memories with him here...dating back 6 or 7 years. I read the letters he wrote me from boot camp. That just makes it worse.<br />
I'm so tired of the military taking him away from me. I've tried to stretch my arms to make them long enough to meet him, but they just aren't long enough.<br />
I want things to feel normal again...and not the kind of "normal" we've been dealing with for the past few months of only getting 3 or 4 letters from him in a month. Sometimes no letters for a month. I'm ready for the day when I can finally roll over and see him. The day where I can reach out and touch him. The day when the military is just a faint memory.Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-57981162869535404142011-10-06T09:21:00.000-04:002011-10-06T09:21:47.346-04:00What's your song?<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thursday? Already? </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Time to link up with <a href="http://www.goodnight-moon.org/p/whats-your-song-link-up.html">Goodnight Moon</a> again!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My song this week is a <i>little</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">out of character</span></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and possibly <i>mildly</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">inappropriate</span></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But that's why I love it!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm going home this weekend</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">to see my BFF's</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and ask them </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">to be in the </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">wedding!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This song is dedicated</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">to my BFF Kalee</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">because we used to </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ride around on the weekends</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">jamming</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">out</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">to this song.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Oh, highschool.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275609242060881276.post-3537816869342332162011-10-04T07:07:00.000-04:002011-10-04T07:07:39.252-04:00You'll be in my dreamsA few weeks ago, I wrote about how I lost two friends a few years back. You can read that post <a href="http://frompearlstodogtags.blogspot.com/2011/09/no-address-in-stars.html">here</a>. A.J., a good friend of mine, died of cancer when he was just 18 years old. Well guess what; he came to me in my dreams last night.<br />
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I was going over to my friend's house here at school and I walked in and A.J. was sitting there, like it was completely normal. He gave me a huge hug and I just couldn't let him go. We all hung out and played around at my friend's house, but I just kept looking at A.J.; I wanted to take him in as much as I could. We talked about the cupcakes I brought over and he asked what I was selling them for. "For breast cancer research for my aunt who was diagnosed a few months back," I told him. I can't describe the look on his face. It was a mixture between pride and pain. We had never talked about his cancer before, even though it was ever-present. The dream was over shortly after.<br />
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It was so good to see him again. To touch him again. To hear his voice again. I hope that him coming to me was a sign. A sign that he's okay now. A sign that I'm doing something good. We can all do our part to help cancer research so amazingly brave and wonderful people like A.J. don't have to leave this world before their time.<br />
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<i>After my dream I laid in bed wide awake trying to hold onto it. Trying to remember every detail. Everything he said to me. I knew I had to write it out so I could remember. Thanks for reading along.</i><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>You are welcome in my dreams anytime, A.J.</i></div>Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15760111205674203450noreply@blogger.com1