send him home.

you would think that as time passes by, things would get easier. that the obvious void of his absence would fade, that i would get "use" to doing things on my own, use to being alone. that the sting of him being away wouldn't pain me as much as it did the day we parted. you would think.

but it hasn't gotten easier. day after day, it's harder. the longing grows stronger, the needing gets needier, the missing turns endless, alone feels lonely, and tears fall more often, more frequently. it's heavy here at home. it's that feeling that you're living day in and day out, but you're not alive. you're not whole.

i.am.not.whole.without.him.

he is my heart, my better half, my soul's mate, my best friend, my truest confidant.

he.is.my.home.

and i'm incomplete without him.

we had no idea what this time apart would look like. but the good Lord has blessed us with a love that knows no bounds. a love so deep it aches. a bond that time and distance can't touch (take that, navy!). it's the truest truth we've ever known.

it's hard, it hurts, to be separated. but i've never felt closer, loved deeper, or been more thankful in my days on this earth, than i am now. and that's a fact.

someday soon, we find out where the navy will send him for C school: camp lejeune in north carolina or camp pendleton here by home. we have this gut feeling that he'll be going to camp lejeune. i know God will send him where He needs him. but i pray, and i hope, and i pray some more that God sees how much we need him here at home.

please Lord, send him home. send him home to me & henry.

there are days...

there are days that seem like they'll never end, that things will never go your way, and that just plain make you cry for no good reason. these days are far and few between. but alas, they exist.

BUT! there are also days that fill your heart to the brim. they start at about 3:30ish in the morning (thank you lover-pie for your amazing loving morning emails/text/pics/vids). they fly by in a blur from about 8a to 5p. and slow down and melt your heart with hours of mr. henry conversations, until the sun has long since set. and when night time draws it's curtains? there's pillow talk with my sailor, some 2 thousands miles away. these days are the ones i live for.

and today? today, is a heart-to-the-brim day <3

sometimes, God blows my mind.

today! i met andrew. i was passing by and he asked meekly, "do you read the Bible?" "yes, i mean no, i mean i want to."

and this is amazing for a few reasons:

1. just last night, i was telling j, "i feel convicted to read the Bible more..."

2. this middle aged, vietnamese man prayed moments before that at least one person would stop and give Jesus a wee bit of time.

3. two strangers spent 15 minutes in the middle of campus sharing in His word.

basically, God just focused in on me, and said, "yes! read!" and my eyes were wet and my mind was blown.

Mr. & Mrs.

hello friends and family!!

we just wanted to say thank you soo much for your support and blessings, it truly means the world to us.

a wee lil explanation is in order :)

as you know, Joey has been sworn in and joined the Navy Reserves (an important piece of the puzzle). we knew, in our heart of hearts, that marriage was in our future. we also knew we wanted to give ourselves the opportunity, and maybe even the upper hand, to ensure we would be able to provide for our family (and start expanding our family!) when he returns home. on June 26th, 2009 we dedicated our lives to each other and became husband & wife <3.

Mr. & Mrs.

it was a very private, very special day for us. but don't fret! we sincerely don't want to miss sharing this very dear commitment with our family and friends, to celebrate all the love and bliss that comes with taking vows. there will be a ceremony, there will be a reception, there will be cake!! but more importantly there will be the joining of our very dear loved ones, our friends and family :)

a glimpse of what comes next...

next week: joey and i start our 7 week class, "Becoming One." even though things happened a tad backwards, we are dedicated to making sure we have all the tools to make it to forever <3.

three months: joey ships out to the Great Lakes. we're not entirely sure how long he'll be away, but all sources point to 6 months to a year. and we KNOW it's going to bring about great change, we've been preparing our hearts, preparing our minds, preparing our family, and praying for God to lead us forward.

this year: while my sweet pea is away, i will be finishing up school and finishing up ceremony/reception plans. so far, we're very much enjoying the wedding planning; venues and flowers and food, oh my! we don't have a date set, per say. BUT we're crossing our fingers he'll be home by June, 26th 2011, our two year anniversary, the date we're hoping to set. invitations will be mailed out early next year, so keep those eyes peeled ;)

so there you have it, we're married!! 9 months of bliss and love and growing, 9 months as husband and wife, 9 months as a step-mommy (oh how my heart beats for our little man).

we are so lucky to have so much support and love in our lives, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts <3.


"i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)" ~ ee cummings