I saw HIM!!!!!!!!!
Dressed in his Cami's with a pack on his back.
Our eyes met and we literally pushed our way through the crowded field to get to each other.
I jumped into his strong arms and held onto him so tightly. The feeling i felt at that moment is one i will never forget. We held each other so close and kissed each other so gently. To feel his lips against mine made our love feel so real again.
Once i got my moment with him, he grabbed his mom and held her close. She cried such happy tears knowing her son was safe again on American soil. He also gave his brother a "brotherly" hug and then greeted my family as well with hugs and smiles.
We were all so happy to have him back.....
We packed up his things and drove back to my house. He was able to shower and put on "civilian" clothes. If you have never been in the military then you will never understand what a luxury it is to wear something other than a uniform.
Once he was ready we all went to dinner. It was so nice to sit around a table with both of our families for the first time and see how we all just fit perfectly! Our families got along great and we were just so comfortable with each other.
By the end of the night everyone was so exhausted from all the excitement. After his family went to bed we just sat on the couch and cuddled for awhile. To finally talk to him face to face after not being able to for 7 months felt like seeing each other for the first time all over again. The little things you take for granted when you have then everyday are the things that military spouses hold dear to their hearts every second they have with their beloved. Holding hands, a warm hug, and smile from across the room to let you know that your the only one they see, a sweet kiss on the cheek, the soft words spoken....I LOVE YOU, and the list goes on. Those are all the things i was holding dear that night.
*~~*
The next morning we had to take his mom and brother back to the airport. Their plane left out of San Diego so we decided since we would already be down there we would make a trip out of it. So we booked a hotel room and made some plans. We went to Seaport Village for the day, out to dinner and the next morning to a quaint little breakfast spot in Little Italy and lots of shopping too!
We came back home to reality and he had to go back to work.
After they go on a deployment they have to go through some classes and make sure they are "ok".
Once he did all of that it was time for a nice vacation for the two of us.
We bought plane tickets to Ohio and he couldn't wait to show me around where he came from.
He is a total city boy and I'm small town girl with the city stuck inside of me so i couldn't wait either!!!!
We boarded the plane and were both very anxious and excited to get to our destination.
We landed in Cleveland, Ohio with our carry-ons in hand waiting for them to allow us to get off the plane.
Little did we know that his whole family was waiting for us at the gate! Yes, the gate! We didn't even know you could do that anymore. But we found out that at certain airports they allow you to wait at the gate if you are awaiting the arrival of military personnel.
They had signs and American flags and were dressed in red, white, and blue. It was so special. People in the airport stopped just to see what was going on and when they realized there was hero standing there they shook his hand and thanked him for his service. One man came up to him in tears thanking him. It was definitely a humbling experience and just plain awesome!
Our two weeks there were great. I think i got to meet almost all of his family. He took me to all the neat neighborhoods, he took me to downtown Cleveland, we went to Cedar Point which is one of the coolest amusement parks, lots of shopping took place and eating at lots of good restaurants too. We also traded in his car for a car we both wanted so bad.
With that new car came a road trip because why would we want to leave it back in Ohio!lol
That road trip changed our life forever....
Monday, October 18, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Part 12
It was the night before the "event" I was dreading.........
He would be gone for seven months to a war zone. That night we went to dinner at my parents house. My mom made a nice dinner and we had Tom's favorite dessert, angel food cake, strawberries, and ice cream. We visited for a while and had a great time.
We went back to my house and spent the rest of the evening together just the two of us. It was our last night together and we wanted to be selfish and it just be us. I had given him a little gift which was a Bible I had engraved with his name on and I could tell he just loved it.
As I told him good night I laid there and cried. I wanted to be so strong for him and for me but I was breaking inside.
I had just found love again and now I had to let go. I didn't want to....
Part of me wanted to just say goodbye so it would be easier but I loved him too much and knew that would just kill him.
To say having faith in God at that moment was a little hard is a total understatement. It. Was. Really. Hard.
I knew this situation was completely out of my control and I couldn't protect him or keep him safe and that made me that much more vulnerable. I didn't have control of the last man that was ripped away from me, and what if it happened again? Difference this time was that I was choosing to take the chance.
Most people thought I was crazy but something deep down told me everything would be ok. I held onto that like I had never held onto anything.
4:00AM came way to quick that next morning. I watched him pack the last few items in his seabag and I put some sweat pants on and one of his shirts and a USMC sweatshirt. We drove all the way to the Marine base hand in hand not wanting to ever let go. My sister and brother went with us so I wouldn't be alone and so he had some support.
He was supposed to board the bus at like 6:30 that morning but if you know the Marine Corps than you know that didn't happen!!!!!
He would leave me here and there once to get his rifle and a few times for formations. Everytime I prepared myself for that to be it.
Finally at about 8:30AM it was time to really say goodbye. The moment we both were procrastinating. He held me so tight and I sunk into his chest. I didn't want to let go of him. We stared into each others eyes trying to make a lasting memory of each others faces. We kissed and hugged some more.
Then I let go........Not knowing if I would ever be held again by that wonderful man's arms.
He boarded the bus and I watched as he sat in his seat. He waved at me til I couldn't see him anymore. The tears just streamed down my face. My heart was breaking I didn't know if he would be back to put it back together.
He called me from someone's phone on our drive home. You would have thought I hadn't talked to him in days!!!!lol
When I got home I got ready, it literally took me like an hour just to shower. I would be fine and then I would think of him or see something of his and I would fall apart all over again.
Once I finally finished getting ready my sister and I headed to school.
A month prior we started cosmetology school together. I wanted to go so bad and figured this would be a perfect time to go since he was going to be gone. I needed something to keep me busy and preoccupied.
He called me again later that day. I think he was Hungary. His plane had caught on fire so they were stuck there for a day or so. The next day I received a dozen beautiful red roses. I think someone loved me or something.
Once he made it to Iraq I got a phone call. In the beginning the phone calls were spuratic. when he finally got settled I received a phone call almost everyday.
He and I are quite old-fashioned and wanted to do the whole snail mail thing. I wrote him a letter everyday and he wrote as often as he could. I didn't just write a letter I actually put stickers all over it and did special ones for every holiday, I sprayed it with my perfume that was his favorite, I put a kiss at the end and just tried to make it as special as possible.
It's kind of funny.....Everyone always knew when the mail arrived cause they could all smell it. Even their letters smelled good because of his.
That seven months were long yet short. He called almost everyday unless he was on a mission, then I wouldn't hear from anywhere from 3 to 7 days. Yes I know I was very lucky!!!!!
I talked to his mom once a week to stay in touch and keep each other updated on him. I actually met his family for the first time while he was deployed. I flew out there all alone for a few days. We hit it off right away and we all got along wonderfully. They were all so sweet and accepting.
I never got used to him being gone but life did form a new routine. It didn't make it any easier but I was living.
He missed thanksgiving, the one year anniversary of Matt's death, christmas, new year's, my birthday, valentine's day, and easter. All of those days were exceptionally hard but my family and the Lord got me through them.
The last month before he came home felt like a turtle moving across the street. I thought the day would never come.
The few weeks before his homecoming date changed a zillion and one times....His poor mom had to change planes tickets so many times and had to PAY for it!!!!!
The house was in tip top shape everything in its place and sparkly clean. I picked up his family from the airport and they stayed with me for a few days before he came home.
On that Sunday, his homecoming, we went to church and had a great lunch at my parents. That afternoon just dragged along. I finally got the phone call i had been anticipating for forever. He called and said they had just landed at March Airforce Base and would be boarding the buses soon and be making there way to 29 Palms Marine Base. That was at about 4PM. So we packed ourselves up in the cars and headed out for our 30 min. drive to the base.
We pulled up to victory field and there were already lots of families there awaiting the arrival of their loved ones. I had the biggest not in my stomach because I was so excited/nervous to see my prince charming in combat boots.
Thinking it wasn't going to be that long before he got there we didn't bring chairs or anything so we either had to stand the whole time or sit in dirt that was supposed to be a grassy field!!!!
I got another phone call when they were just entering the base so we all started to get really excited. Then we found out they had to drop of their rifles so it would be yet another hour! We actually saw there bus go right past us and it was like a child seeing disneyland but not being able to go.
Finally they DJ that was keeping everyone informed said they were on their way over to the field.
It was time.....Time to see the man of my dreams........
The buses pulled up, all three of them. Hundreds of people waiting. The doors opened to the buses and they started to poor out.
Lots of men wearing camis with their covers on and backpacks on their backs.......How was I ever going to find him????!!!!!!
Then........I.........Saw............stayed tuned...........
He would be gone for seven months to a war zone. That night we went to dinner at my parents house. My mom made a nice dinner and we had Tom's favorite dessert, angel food cake, strawberries, and ice cream. We visited for a while and had a great time.
We went back to my house and spent the rest of the evening together just the two of us. It was our last night together and we wanted to be selfish and it just be us. I had given him a little gift which was a Bible I had engraved with his name on and I could tell he just loved it.
As I told him good night I laid there and cried. I wanted to be so strong for him and for me but I was breaking inside.
I had just found love again and now I had to let go. I didn't want to....
Part of me wanted to just say goodbye so it would be easier but I loved him too much and knew that would just kill him.
To say having faith in God at that moment was a little hard is a total understatement. It. Was. Really. Hard.
I knew this situation was completely out of my control and I couldn't protect him or keep him safe and that made me that much more vulnerable. I didn't have control of the last man that was ripped away from me, and what if it happened again? Difference this time was that I was choosing to take the chance.
Most people thought I was crazy but something deep down told me everything would be ok. I held onto that like I had never held onto anything.
4:00AM came way to quick that next morning. I watched him pack the last few items in his seabag and I put some sweat pants on and one of his shirts and a USMC sweatshirt. We drove all the way to the Marine base hand in hand not wanting to ever let go. My sister and brother went with us so I wouldn't be alone and so he had some support.
He was supposed to board the bus at like 6:30 that morning but if you know the Marine Corps than you know that didn't happen!!!!!
He would leave me here and there once to get his rifle and a few times for formations. Everytime I prepared myself for that to be it.
Finally at about 8:30AM it was time to really say goodbye. The moment we both were procrastinating. He held me so tight and I sunk into his chest. I didn't want to let go of him. We stared into each others eyes trying to make a lasting memory of each others faces. We kissed and hugged some more.
Then I let go........Not knowing if I would ever be held again by that wonderful man's arms.
He boarded the bus and I watched as he sat in his seat. He waved at me til I couldn't see him anymore. The tears just streamed down my face. My heart was breaking I didn't know if he would be back to put it back together.
He called me from someone's phone on our drive home. You would have thought I hadn't talked to him in days!!!!lol
When I got home I got ready, it literally took me like an hour just to shower. I would be fine and then I would think of him or see something of his and I would fall apart all over again.
Once I finally finished getting ready my sister and I headed to school.
A month prior we started cosmetology school together. I wanted to go so bad and figured this would be a perfect time to go since he was going to be gone. I needed something to keep me busy and preoccupied.
He called me again later that day. I think he was Hungary. His plane had caught on fire so they were stuck there for a day or so. The next day I received a dozen beautiful red roses. I think someone loved me or something.
Once he made it to Iraq I got a phone call. In the beginning the phone calls were spuratic. when he finally got settled I received a phone call almost everyday.
He and I are quite old-fashioned and wanted to do the whole snail mail thing. I wrote him a letter everyday and he wrote as often as he could. I didn't just write a letter I actually put stickers all over it and did special ones for every holiday, I sprayed it with my perfume that was his favorite, I put a kiss at the end and just tried to make it as special as possible.
It's kind of funny.....Everyone always knew when the mail arrived cause they could all smell it. Even their letters smelled good because of his.
That seven months were long yet short. He called almost everyday unless he was on a mission, then I wouldn't hear from anywhere from 3 to 7 days. Yes I know I was very lucky!!!!!
I talked to his mom once a week to stay in touch and keep each other updated on him. I actually met his family for the first time while he was deployed. I flew out there all alone for a few days. We hit it off right away and we all got along wonderfully. They were all so sweet and accepting.
I never got used to him being gone but life did form a new routine. It didn't make it any easier but I was living.
He missed thanksgiving, the one year anniversary of Matt's death, christmas, new year's, my birthday, valentine's day, and easter. All of those days were exceptionally hard but my family and the Lord got me through them.
The last month before he came home felt like a turtle moving across the street. I thought the day would never come.
The few weeks before his homecoming date changed a zillion and one times....His poor mom had to change planes tickets so many times and had to PAY for it!!!!!
The house was in tip top shape everything in its place and sparkly clean. I picked up his family from the airport and they stayed with me for a few days before he came home.
On that Sunday, his homecoming, we went to church and had a great lunch at my parents. That afternoon just dragged along. I finally got the phone call i had been anticipating for forever. He called and said they had just landed at March Airforce Base and would be boarding the buses soon and be making there way to 29 Palms Marine Base. That was at about 4PM. So we packed ourselves up in the cars and headed out for our 30 min. drive to the base.
We pulled up to victory field and there were already lots of families there awaiting the arrival of their loved ones. I had the biggest not in my stomach because I was so excited/nervous to see my prince charming in combat boots.
Thinking it wasn't going to be that long before he got there we didn't bring chairs or anything so we either had to stand the whole time or sit in dirt that was supposed to be a grassy field!!!!
I got another phone call when they were just entering the base so we all started to get really excited. Then we found out they had to drop of their rifles so it would be yet another hour! We actually saw there bus go right past us and it was like a child seeing disneyland but not being able to go.
Finally they DJ that was keeping everyone informed said they were on their way over to the field.
It was time.....Time to see the man of my dreams........
The buses pulled up, all three of them. Hundreds of people waiting. The doors opened to the buses and they started to poor out.
Lots of men wearing camis with their covers on and backpacks on their backs.......How was I ever going to find him????!!!!!!
Then........I.........Saw............stayed tuned...........
Friday, October 1, 2010
Part 11
Sorry I've been gone for soooo long!!! Life has been happening right in front of my eyes lately!
So.....Where were we????
That's right!
I was about to get into the special part of my story........
He left that evening with the guys to get ready for the start of a new week. The next day I couldn't stop thinking about him. I still had my concerns but I something kept drawing me towards him. I decided to text him to see how his day was going and to see if he was bored. He was a marine stuck in the barracks.....of course he was bored!lol
So I left it open for him to ask me out if he wanted to. He did and Aug. 25, 2006 was our very first date. He took me to a little Italian restaurant in town and it was great! We talked about everything. All of the things I was unsure of we figured out expect one! He decided to confuse me with feelings he might have still had for his ex-girlfriend. He told me that he would have to figure them out when he went home on leave. So now he wanted to play hard to get!! Game on! I know all about that game so it was on.
The week went on and we talked almost everyday and hung out a couple more times. That Friday he left for pre-deployment leave and I had no clue where that left us. I figured we would go back to being friends and I find someone else.
I promised I would call him every hour to keep him from falling asleep and every conversation he would bring up the "ex". It really started to bother me and by that night I was in tears with our best friend Matt over it. He finally told me I needed to just tell him how I felt and be completely honest with him.
So the next hour came around and I called him. He could tell something was bothering me and I told him that I was worried he was going to get back together with his ex-girlfriend. He reassured me that wasn't going to happen because he liked me sooo much and wanted to be with me and only me! I was so thrilled I couldn't bare it. I had the biggest smile on my face and I could hear it in his voice that he had one too.
He was going to be home for about two weeks......He told his mom all about me.....We talked every day and were just in our own little world..........I think we totally forgot that we was going to be leaving to go the sand box.
At just about our two week point we were on the phone saying sweet nothings to each when he kind of paused.....I could tell he wanted to say something but he was holding back. He said he really didn't want to do this over the phone but he couldn't hold back any longer.
I swallowed really hard and my heart started to race.....
"I love you"......Were the words I heard on the other end of phone!!!!!
"I love you too".....I was so thrilled he finally said them because I was dying to say the same thing but I promised myself I would never say it first.
He came back a few days later and I picked him up at the airport where he greeted me with our first kiss. It was so sweet. Very gentle.
Now the timer was started. We had about three weeks together before he left me for 7 months.
Those weeks were so special and we took advantage of every moment we had together. We spent our evenings watching movies and talking for hours and our weekends were spent going to the mall or at the beach. I couldn't believe I was actually "in love" again! It was so amazing.
I tried not to think about the upcoming event because my heart literally would stop. I couldn't imagine losing another man.
His date had changed two or three times in the last week before he left. On one hand it was relieving because I knew that meant I had more time but on the other hand it just meant I had to completely prepare myself all over again.
You would think only being together for one month it would be no biggie but for us we had already talked about "our" wedding and a life together after this "event". We had already committed ourselves to each other for life.
It was the night before and I just didn't know if I could do it.............
So.....Where were we????
That's right!
I was about to get into the special part of my story........
He left that evening with the guys to get ready for the start of a new week. The next day I couldn't stop thinking about him. I still had my concerns but I something kept drawing me towards him. I decided to text him to see how his day was going and to see if he was bored. He was a marine stuck in the barracks.....of course he was bored!lol
So I left it open for him to ask me out if he wanted to. He did and Aug. 25, 2006 was our very first date. He took me to a little Italian restaurant in town and it was great! We talked about everything. All of the things I was unsure of we figured out expect one! He decided to confuse me with feelings he might have still had for his ex-girlfriend. He told me that he would have to figure them out when he went home on leave. So now he wanted to play hard to get!! Game on! I know all about that game so it was on.
The week went on and we talked almost everyday and hung out a couple more times. That Friday he left for pre-deployment leave and I had no clue where that left us. I figured we would go back to being friends and I find someone else.
I promised I would call him every hour to keep him from falling asleep and every conversation he would bring up the "ex". It really started to bother me and by that night I was in tears with our best friend Matt over it. He finally told me I needed to just tell him how I felt and be completely honest with him.
So the next hour came around and I called him. He could tell something was bothering me and I told him that I was worried he was going to get back together with his ex-girlfriend. He reassured me that wasn't going to happen because he liked me sooo much and wanted to be with me and only me! I was so thrilled I couldn't bare it. I had the biggest smile on my face and I could hear it in his voice that he had one too.
He was going to be home for about two weeks......He told his mom all about me.....We talked every day and were just in our own little world..........I think we totally forgot that we was going to be leaving to go the sand box.
At just about our two week point we were on the phone saying sweet nothings to each when he kind of paused.....I could tell he wanted to say something but he was holding back. He said he really didn't want to do this over the phone but he couldn't hold back any longer.
I swallowed really hard and my heart started to race.....
"I love you"......Were the words I heard on the other end of phone!!!!!
"I love you too".....I was so thrilled he finally said them because I was dying to say the same thing but I promised myself I would never say it first.
He came back a few days later and I picked him up at the airport where he greeted me with our first kiss. It was so sweet. Very gentle.
Now the timer was started. We had about three weeks together before he left me for 7 months.
Those weeks were so special and we took advantage of every moment we had together. We spent our evenings watching movies and talking for hours and our weekends were spent going to the mall or at the beach. I couldn't believe I was actually "in love" again! It was so amazing.
I tried not to think about the upcoming event because my heart literally would stop. I couldn't imagine losing another man.
His date had changed two or three times in the last week before he left. On one hand it was relieving because I knew that meant I had more time but on the other hand it just meant I had to completely prepare myself all over again.
You would think only being together for one month it would be no biggie but for us we had already talked about "our" wedding and a life together after this "event". We had already committed ourselves to each other for life.
It was the night before and I just didn't know if I could do it.............
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