I was napping on a Sunday after church (I'm a chronic napper).
Caleb walks in and gets on the bed and starts to wake me up.
My first reaction was that he wanted to have some hanky panky and I was tired, but he had something else in mind.
I was still half asleep when I heard, "how would you feel if I went away for a little while?"
Um, okay, you have my attention and why in the world would you want to leave me, we are newly weds?!
He proceeded to tell me that he had been thinking and praying about joining the military to fly helicopters.
At this point I'm sitting straight up and listening intently while my husband tells me his plan.
He would have to attend basic training which lasts ten weeks, then we would move to Alabama so he could go through flight school and then we would be where ever the army sent us.
Apparently he had been thinking this for a long time.
A family friend of ours, who is now a Captain in his unit talked to Caleb about go to flight school and flying apaches for the SC National Guard a few years prior. Since Caleb needed a masters degree to get a job dealing with his major (psychology) and I was still in school, things were tight and we were relying on prayer and pb&j, the military seemed like a good option.
This was a big pill to swallow.
I told him we needed to pray about it together.
We decided a month later to start the flight school admission process.
It took ten months and a lot of trusting God's timing, but in October 2008 I became and army wife.
Those ten weeks Caleb was in basic training were the best thing that could have happened to me and our relationship. I lost a good bit of weight (when you live by yourself, cereal seems great for dinner), I learned how to be more independent, and I have a box full of amazing letters from my husband. During basic training we talked on the phone about a total of an hour and a half (over ten weeks) and wrote each other almost everyday. I will cherish those letters as long as I live.
I counted down the days until I got to see him again and even moved us from one place to another by myself (with the help of both of our dads to do the heavy lifting : ).
The day I saw Caleb for the first time in two and a half months I could not stop smiling. I felt like I was 16 all over again about to go on our first date. I didn't want to let him go!
After more training in our home state, we moved to Alabama six months later. This was the first time both of us had lived farther than fifteen miles from our parents.
I was scared and excited all at the same time. What would it be like? Will we make friend easily? How will I live without my mom being so close?
But Alabama turned out to be a big chapter in our life...
Our life at this point in photos:
My best friend got engaged while Caleb was in BCT. Her bachelorette party was so fun...We even got limousine transportation!
This is Sarah and me eating dinner
Also, while Caleb was in training I hosted a Christmas party with my favorite nurses!
I worked a lot while Caleb was gone as well. I just loved going in to the NICU and seeing those sweet innocent babies that needed someone to help take care of them. If this job doesn't give you baby fever then I don't know what will.
I was also able to spend a lot of time with family while sans husband. We even went to a USC football game and had a blast!
Finally, the day had come that I got to see Caleb for the first time in two and a half months.
This is my favorite picture from the day Caleb graduated from BCT and became a soldier.
After graduation and spending the holidays with family, the two of us took a trip to the Asheville, NC for a quick vacation before he had to go back for more training.
We visited the Biltmore Estate, drank wine, sat in a hot tub while it was below freezing outside, and ate great food!
After our short lived time together, Caleb left for another six months of training. Once he was done he was a warrant officer! I'm so proud to be an army wife, and a pilot's wife, but I'm also an officer's wife!
After graduating from WOCS, we moved to Alabama and the fun started!
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