Back to Real Life

For obvious reasons, last Tuesday, I was unable to post my weekly post.  Now, I am home with my husband trying to get back into the swing of things and getting ready to begin a new school year.

Here is a little recap of the last week:

Last Tuesday morning I woke up early with knots in my stomach ready to get on the plane.  I was so anxious and giddy that I was literally almost sick.  My plane left at 9:15 and after 1 plane change and layover, I finally made it to South Carolina at 4:30.  I wanted to drive around a bit just to make sure I knew where I would be going the next day.  I got on base, saw where graduation and family day would take place and saw the place that Landon had been living for the last 10 weeks.  If I thought I was anxious earlier, it was magnified when I saw some people from his battalion from a distance.  Because I had to wake up so early to get to the airport that morning, I was hoping that I would be able to fall asleep pretty fast when I got back to my hotel.  I watched a little bit of the Olympics, read some of my book, and rolled over to fall asleep.......30 minutes later, I turned the Olympics BACK on hoping that my mind would be taken off of the fact that I was just a few short hours from seeing my husband and I would fall asleep to the TV.  My alarm was set for 6:00 am, but naturally, I woke up at 5:30, and wasn't about to go back to sleep.  The day had finally come.  I got out to the field for Family Day about an hour and a half early.  I took my book so that I would have something to do when I got there instead of just twiddling my thumbs.  When it finally started and the new soldiers began running out onto the field, I was so overwhelmed with pride, excitement, and love for my husband, now a soldier.   Here is a video of when they started running out onto the field.

Landon's company is the second one from the left.  I borrowed some really nice binoculars from a friend, so I was able to spot him pretty quickly once the smoke cleared up.  I was so happy to finally see his face, wrap my arms around him, and kiss him!  We had such a fun day together just being together.  The next day was graduation, and once again, the pride I felt in my heart was so overwhelming.  Knowing what he had been through over the last 10 months, knowing that it was all his choice to serve along with the anticipation of finally going home with my husband made the day an emotionally exciting day.

Thank you so much for all your prayers over the summer.  I truly felt them.  God has been so good to us!

So So So So Happy!!!!!

Just One More

The clock has never moved so slow in my entire life.  It didn't even move this slow leading up to the day I became his wife.

 
           
Last week, in order to stay busy, I completed a few projects in my guest bathroom and laundry room that I had been wanting to get done over the summer, and that helped.  This week, I have been trying to get stuff cleaned out and cleaned up, so that Landon will be coming home to a well organized and spotless house.  I have already  made a trip to Goodwill to get rid of stuff and still have 3 boxes of things to throw away on my kitchen table.  Now, I'm just using some of my Pinterest inspired ideas to get the house spotless.


A few girls from my home group and I are doing Beth Moore's study on Esther over the summer.  It's so neat how God has orchestrated all of our lives to be in community with each other, grow together, and be challenged by each other.  Each of us are going through different struggles in our lives and yet we are all going through this study that seems to be for the exact season that each of us are in. One of the phrases that we have found almost comical that Beth Moore has said was when she used the the verse in Isaiah 40:31 which says, "but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."  He doesn't say "but they who wait for an event".  He says, "they who wait on the Lord."  This has been a constant struggle not only this summer but through out my life.  I have waited to graduate from high school to go to the college of my dreams.  I have waited to find a boyfriend.  I have waited to marry my wonderful husband.  I have waited for a job, and now I am waiting on my husband to come home.  Beth Moore says not to wait on the event of something happening.  Don't even wait on the event hoping that the Lord will make that event take place.  Simply wait on the Lord.  That's it.  Nothing else.    It sounds so simple and yet at times, it's so easy to lose focus of that with my fleshly and selfish heart, but nothing has been more rewarding than when I do find that rest and I truly am waiting on the Lord.  He has renewed my strength when I have felt like I can't go another day without hearing from my husband.  He has mounted me up with wings like eagles, even if that means just getting out of bed, off the couch, and out hanging out with friends.  He has given me strength to just walk, go on with my daily life, and not faint.  He. Is. So. Good.

With all that to say, I leave 1 week from today to go to South Carolina to see my husband and bring him home.  While it has been hard to not spend all my time anxiously awaiting August 7th, waiting on the Lord has made this time of waiting so much sweeter.

2. MORE. WEEKS.

I kind of thought I would never get here.  Two weeks from today, I will be leaving to go to South Carolina.  That means tomorrow I can start saying "1 week" (and a few days), and oh does that feel good!

This past weekend I was so anxious to get a phone call from Landon that I felt like the weekend just drug on and on.  I can honestly say that while the last 8 weeks haven't really been enjoyable, it has gone by fairly quickly until the last couple days.  I knew I had to do something to keep myself from going crazy with excitement, anticipation, and emotions or else the next 2 weeks were going to drag,  so I decided this week is going to be full of projects.  I had lots of things I wanted to get done around the house while Landon was gone, and while I had begun on several of them, I decided they all needed to be finished when he walks in the door on August 9th.  I have already gotten several things done as well as made a trip to IKEA.  Hopefully by the end of the week I'll be done with my projects and ready to move on to the week of deep cleaning.  I have found several lists on Pinterest to help you "deep clean your house in a week", so I'm going to try to stick with one of those lists.  I'll do a few things every day just to keep busy, but also allow myself time to hit the pool if necessary.

I think he looks so good in his uniform:)

I'm getting so excited to see Landon.  I wasn't really sure what to expect for Family Day, when I first see him, so I looked up a few videos on youtube and just sobbed on my couch.  I'm going to be a basket case when I finally get to wrap my arms around him.  I hope he doesn't mind:)

7 Weeks Gone

I'm a day late on my weekly post, but 3 weeks from today, I will have already laid eyes on my man and hugged and kissed him until he can't stand it anymore!  Three weeks sounds doable.  It sounds like a legitimate time table, like how you normally count down to things that are really going to happen.  For a while, it seemed so far away, almost like we would never get there.  At one point, I compared it to being sick.  Sometimes, being dramatic as I am when I am sick, I feel like I "forget" what it really feels like to be well again, I don't know if I will ever feel that way again (ok maybe not quite that bad).  But I have hit that point a few times this summer.  I have almost "forgotten" what it was like to have my husband wake up to me every day, what's it's like to hear his voice, to go on dates, lay out by the pool, etc.  I know, that really does sound dramatic, but this is the longest time we have ever been away from each other and our communication has been very limited.  I finally talked with him on the phone this weekend for the first time in 3 weeks.  While it was great to hear from him, it made me long for him even more.

I have truly felt so blessed this summer while Landon has been away.  I have been so busy with hanging out with friends for lunch or dinner, weekends with family and trips to the lake and the pool with friends that this summer really has moved along pretty quickly.  God has been so good.

Yesterday I booked a weekend getaway for when Landon gets home as well as my flight out to South Carolina.  It is so close.  I. CAN'T. WAIT.

Kind of cheesy, but I don't care:)

Week 6

Only 4 weeks to go.  28 days from tomorrow.  While the last 5 weeks have gone by pretty fast, I will have to say that this last week inched by.  I'm not really sure what the reason for that was because I stayed busy.  My family came in to town, but for whatever reason, it was slow.

This weekend was hard in particular.  Last Wednesday (the 4th) I was out on the lake with some friends and Landon called, not once, but twice.  And I missed the call, not once, but twice.  I was absolutely sick,  so I was really looking forward to the weekend with my family.  My family was here to go to a Rangers game and Hurricane Harbor, and while I thought that would keep me busy and my mind off of completely missing Landon, it only made me long for my husband more.  My WHOLE family was together, but my very best friend was missing.

I received 4 letters in the mail yesterday from Landon.  2:30 is usually my favorite part of the day (around the time the mail comes), when I get to sit down and "talk" with my husband.  I think he said it best in one of his letters.  He said "I really miss your physical presence, but I think what I miss most is just being able to talk to you."  I have said from the very beginning that yes, 10 weeks is a long time to be apart, but 10 weeks is even longer when almost all communication is cut off.

I don't mean this post to be a drag, it's just my place to share my thoughts and feelings, and these are my thoughts and feelings.  I spent some time doing my Bible Study this morning over Esther, and God really spoke to me.  This life may be hard, it may not be ideal or what I had in mind, but Landon and I are right where God wants to be "for such a time as this."


Here are a few pictures from the weekend with my family!  While it was a little crazy having 8 adults, 3 kids under the age of 6, and 2 dogs all under one roof, we had a lot of fun!!!

 

Half Way Point

Landon left 5 weeks from today (Tues), and I get to see him 5 weeks from tomorrow (Wed).  I'm officially at the half way point.

I like to compare it to running 2 miles.  If When I run 2 miles, I will run 1 mile out and 1 mile back.  That first mile out feels good, goes by fairly quickly, but then when you realize you still have that whole mile left to go, its kind of frustrating.  My FIL did say that usually that last mile does seem to go by faster, so that's what I'm hoping for with these next 5 weeks.

5 weeks ago today

This past weekend I had a family reunion, this weekend my WHOLE family is coming to see me and go to a Rangers game, and then I'm going to my parents the following weekend.   By that time, I will have less than a month left to go.  I. Can't. Wait.

Week Numero Quatro

"How are you doing?" seems to be the question of the summer.  My answer is pretty much always the same, it's just that sometimes its a lie and sometimes its not.  Sometimes I really am great, but sometimes I'm afraid somebody is going to notice the massive amounts of make up I am wearing to cover up my red blotchy face from crying.  But those kind of days aren't every day, or even every other day.  Once a week is about normal.  On the bright side, if I keep that up, only 6 more days of wearing WAY too much make up:).

I have been so blessed by friends and family while Landon is away.  People have offered their help in so many ways.  I have practically had to turn people down who are begging to mow my yard!  Nights seem to be the hardest, but I have been invited for dinner several times from friends in my Home Group, dinner and a movie with a 2 sweet ladies I know from work, girls night, Home Group fellowships, and more.  God has been so good.

Only 6 more weeks to go!

Week 3

Only 7 weeks from tomorrow until I get to see Landon.  7 more of these weekly blogs.  7 more times of going to church without him.  7 more times to take out the trash.  7 more episodes of Extreme Makeover Weight loss Edition.  I can do this.

Maddie and I

The majority of the week was spent at my parents house hanging out with my youngest sister, Maddie. We had a lot of fun playing doodle jump, watching Army Wives, and just talking.  I loved getting to hang out with all of my family, but it was really good to hang out with her.  It's really never just the 2 of us around, so it was kind of a first for us and very fun!

I only had one mini-meltdown this week.  I got home from visiting my family on Friday, and while I had been gone, it rained almost 2 inches.  Naturally, my yard was extremely overgrown.  While I don't mind mowing, I have never used the weed eater before.  That was always Landon's job to do the edging and weed eating.  I told him before he left that he needed to show me how to use it, and the day I was taking him to the airport, I said, "You never showed me how to use the weed eater."  So Sunday morning, I woke up and decided to get the yard work done early before it got too hot.  I mowed first, only because I knew for sure how to do that.  I then ventured over to the weed eater and tried several times to start it, but it just wouldn't budge.  I came inside, and tried to find youtube videos on my specific weed eater (kind of lame, yes), but couldn't find anything.  I decided to go out and try one more time, couldn't get it to start, and started walking into the house and kicked the car with my ankle.  Usually when I hurt myself, it just magnifies my frustration, so of course, I started crying, ha.  I finally decided that was just something I would let Landon's dad do for me.  He told me he would come by sometime later this week to help with it.

Monday morning I woke up, and was determined to figure out this stupid machine.  I still might want Landon's dad to come do it for me, but I just wanted to know that I could do it myself.  Naturally, the first time I pulled the cord, it started.  Now I have a funky looking yard and 2 VERY sore arms/shoulders to prove that I can use a weed eater.

My friend Natalie

Today I was very blessed to hang out with a few very sweet friends, one laying out by the pool, and another couple for dinner.  Things do get lonely here by myself all day, but I know that I really am not alone, and I'm so thankful for the friendships that God has placed in my life for such a time as this.






Oh and I got to talk to my AWESOME friend Kinzie on the phone tonight, so I felt like I needed to make a shout out to her too:)  (Are you happy now??)

Week 2 Down

Keeping myself busy seems to help me from going insane.  Since my mom came to town, we stayed busy the whole time she was here.  We painted my laundry room an awesome minty green, watched lots of Army Wives, ran errands, and just spent some quality mom/daughter time.

On Thursday we drove to Amarillo so that I could go with one of my best friends to some friends' wedding in Colorado.  It was great to see friends from college and catch up.  Hard to believe I have been out of college for 3 years now.  

Friday was a hard day though.  Landon's battalion has a Facebook page and there are volunteers who post pictures of each company.  A lot of people on the page had posted that Thursday they had received their first letter from their warrior.  Because I left Denton Thursday morning, I wasn't able to get the mail that day, and I wouldn't be back until the following Friday.  I was just sick about it.  Then, on Friday, pictures were really starting to be posted on the FB page, but none were of his company.  Again, I was so anxious to hear from him or see that he is doing ok that I felt sick to my stomach, and finally broke down.  It was a hard day, but I think I just needed to get out my frustration.  On Saturday during the wedding, my mom texted me and said that Landon had sent a letter to their house knowing that I would be there the following week.  It absolutely made my day knowing that even with all that Landon is going through, he was thoughtful enough to send the letter to my parents. 

Landon seems to be enjoying his time there.  Some people were posting on Facebook that they had heard from their son/daughter and were exhausted, discouraged, and ready to quit.  I guess that was one of the reasons I was so anxious to hear from Landon.  I just wanted to know that he was ok.  In his letter though, he said, "I can't believe I'm getting paid to shoot rifles, throw grenades, eat 3 meals a day, and workout for 2 hours a day with 2 personal trainers."  He sounds like he is in his element, and that could not make me more happy.  I can't imagine the misery I would feel if I knew he was miserable too.

It's nice that he was already bald so it's not hard to spot it.  

This morning I woke up, and pictures from Landon's company had finally been posted.  I was ELATED! I do have to say that he looks dang good in uniform.  I'm a proud Army Wife:)

I'm so thankful for the time that I am getting to spend with my family this week.  It really does make time go by faster!  Only 57 more days until I get to see my honey!

1 Week Down

Landon left a week ago today.  Only 64 days until I get to see him.  A lot of people have said to me, "It's going to go by so fast!"  While I know that they are trying to be comforting, that is one of the least comforting things I want to hear because right now, it doesn't feel that way and I miss him more than ever.  It's been kind of a crazy week with him leaving and finishing up my second year of teaching.  I'm going to try to keep up with my blog every week, more for me in hopes that the next 9 weeks will go by fast.  64 days sounds like a long time, but only 9 blogs doesn't sound too bad.

Tuesday was a hard day.  We woke up early so he could eat at Old West one last time and then headed to the office he was supposed to be at.  Someone from the National Guard had to drive him to the airport, but I followed and was even given a pass to hang out with him in the airport until his flight left at 2:00.  As time drew closer to 2:00, both of our stomachs began to turn.  Right before Landon boarded, he told me "You know that feeling you get when you are about to go down a roller coaster?  That's what I feel right now."
For the first couple of days that he was gone, he still had his cell phone because he was just doing paperwork and getting his uniform.  His actual training did not start until Friday.  On Friday afternoon, he called me and gave me his address, told me he loved me, and hung up.  It was literally a 30 second call, and I haven't heard from him since then.
Since then, I have written him every day and his battalion also has a Facebook site, so between those two things, I somewhat still feel connected to his world right now.
My sweet mom decided to come down on Sunday after church and spend the week with me as well.  I have a couple home improvement projects that I want to get done this summer, and she came to help.
I'm also thankful for my sweet friend Amie who has checked on me often, gone to dinner, and invited me to do Painting With a Twist just in the few days that Landon has been gone!

I know the Lord is going to work in both mine and Landon's hearts this summer.  Over the last few months, I have been asking God to rekindle my desire for Him.  I want to truly understand that I am desperate for Him.  Landon used to always jokingly say, "Don't ever pray for patience if you don't want to be tested, because God will allow opportunities to arise to help you work on being patient."  I feel that's what this summer is going to be for me, a test of my trust in Him.  I have been praying that I would have that deep understanding and desperation for my Father, and this summer, the one person that I cling to is gone, and Christ is the only one who is going to be able to comfort me and sustain me like I need.