Thank You!

I want to take this blog post to say Thank You. Thank you to all my family and friends who have been showing me unconditional love and support through the holidays. It's been very much appreciated, and it definitely made them bearable. I've been home from school for nearly a month and it made the first month of this deployment a little less stressful. I've spent a lot of time with family and visiting with friends. What I love most is that every single one of them has told me that they are here for me, if I need them. The truth is, I need all of you. I need you all to do exactly what you've been doing, just let me talk to you and vent when I need to. It's more helpful than you'll ever know. 

I've learned that deployment is super tricky to explain and talk about. It's a feeling that's indescribable. It's something that I wouldn't want anyone to understand unless they've been through it. I don't ask my friends or family to understand, because they won't, and that's ok. I don't want them to. I don't want them to know what it feels like to say goodbye to their loved one, their best friend, knowing it'll be months before you see them again. I don't want them to experience the lonely nights, the 5 minutes phone calls, or the blurry Skype sessions. It's completely exhausting and overwhelming yet humbling all at the same time. There is not time to take things for granted, the little things seem much more important, because they are. Those 5 minutes phone calls mean everything. The Skype session that's so blurry you can hardly make out the outline of their head, it more exciting that I can describe. People keep telling me, "oh it'll get easier" and "you'll get used to him being gone." Truth is, I don't want that. I don't want to get used to being alone! That's crazy. I want to survive this, come out stronger than we were before, and marry my best friend!

Alright, so enough of how crappy deployment is. I hate it! Ok. Now I'm finished. 

This weekend I have to head back to school, where I am likely to find myself buried in stress, school books, and care packages. I'm looking forward to getting back into a set schedule and even my 12 hour clinical days! I'm hoping school keeps me slightly busier than work has been but still sane enough not to lose it. I'm about to find out how much I can handle. Lord, lets hope it's a lot.  

Andrew is still doing well. He absolutely loves getting mail! Letters and boxes. You name it, he loves it. Haha. That being said, if you would like to send him anything, please contact me and I will gladly give you his address. 

Wedding planning is well underway. A dress has been ordered! No pictures! So don't even ask! It will be revealed to everyone on the big day! :) Still looking for caterers and things. If you have any wonderful people in mind or just ideas, please feel free to throw them my way! We are going to the Kansas City Bridal Spectacular this weekend and I am so excited. My mom and sisters are coming with me. It's going to be fun. I'm crossing my fingers that we get lucky and win that honeymoon giveaway! How cool would that be?

Please continue to keep the 603rd MP Company in your prayers as we still have a ways to go. Although...

We have another day down! <3