So This is What This Feels Like

After Kevin's graduation from boot camp, he had 10 days of leave before time to report to MCT, or Marine Combat Training. It was definitely a full, fun and exhausting ten days. We took advantage of every available minute. Here are some "family photos" we took in front of the Christmas tree. Yes, we left it up for Kevin since he missed Christmas and all. (Don't worry, dad took it down this weekend)

Here are some of the things we were able to accomplish in our time together:
* Ate TONS of food...we both probably gained 7 pounds. Yes, I'll be outweighing him very soon.
* Saw several movies - Blindside, Book of Eli, The Lovely Bones
* Spent a day with Kevin's parents enjoying some family time
* Had a 4-D ultrasound
* Doctor's visit for baby Chase
* Registered at Babies R Us and Target
* Spent 2 nights in a lovely hotel suite courtesy of Kevin's parents (Thank You!!!)
* Bowled
* Enough shopping/errands/odds and ends for at least a month

I'm sure I've forgotten or left out plenty of stuff, but we definitely had a great time together.
On Monday the 25th we packed all his gear back up and headed to Jacksonville, NC for MCT. He was originally scheduled to take a greyhound bus, but we chose to cash in his ticket so that we could drive up there and spend a few extra hours together. The following day, I'll admit we really dragged our feet getting out of bed and back in the car. I can't imagine saying goodbye ever gets any easier. But it had to be done. So we drove on to base and I left my husband in the capable hands of the United States Marine Corps...again.

It's weird. I realize that I have only been a part of the military lifestyle for a few months now, but there are so many things that I don't understand. Personally, I'm excited. If you had asked me 4, or even 2 years ago if I ever imagined myself as a military wife, I would have laughed at you...as I laughed at my husband a thousand times. But now that I'm actually in it, I'm completely overwhelmed with emotion. Probably the most overwhelming emotion I'm experiencing is pride. My husband has worked extremely hard to accomplish something that he's dreamed of for a long time. And I am just ecstatic to be standing by his side as our new journey begins. Along with that pride comes a crazy amount of appreciation and respect. Going three months without my husband has done nothing but made me love and appreciate him even more than I already did. I look up to him for the husband he was and is, and the amazing father I know he's going to be in just a few short months. So as hard as it was to say goodbye again, I know that it's ultimately going to be nothing but good for our little family.

That brings me to the things that I don't understand. So often, when you hear of young families in the military, you hear only about negative things. Infidelity, divoce, depression, etc. Kevin said to me at one point during boot camp, that he was the only person he knew that wasn't worried about his relationship status once the three months was over. That was including married couples as well. How disturbing is that? People can't work things out for three months? Personally, this journey has done nothing but make our relationship stronger. I appreciate my husband more now than I did before he left, and I cannot wait for the next 4 months to be over so that we can continue our life together and start a family!