Adjusting to the Military!

I know it has been awhile since I've posted anything, its been a combination of getting things in order for Andrew's graduation and I don't get that much time to spend with my husband after he comes home from work, so I would rather be spending time with him then on the computer. Well our time is almost up here at Goodfellow! :) We will be coming home in about a month. I am so happy and excited to see my family you would not even believe. I cannot wait to see my little nephews and nieces. My family sends me pictures of them every now and again, and you would not believe how much they all have changed. I have been really homesick lately so a good two weeks in Idaho will do me a lot of good. I desperately need a good dose of my crazy Campbell family lol. :)

Me and Andrew have been busy putting everything in order and going through paperwork so when the time comes to leave, everything should run smoothly. We have been debating these last few weeks on living on or off base in Florida. This is a really tough decision because they have a lot of nice homes for reasonable prices, but living on base we wouldn't have to worry about bills, bills, and bills. So both have its pros and cons, we just haven't came to an agreement yet.

These past few weeks have been really hard on me. Being home by myself ALL the time, has been getting to me. I feel like I rarely see Andrew. It has been 7 months since my husband has lived with me and living double life's, gets really hard. I'm just grateful that I have the support of my family and only 4 weeks left of tech school.

This probably will be my last post for a little while because in these next few weeks during the holidays, life is going to get a little crazy. After Christmas, I have three weeks to get the house in order for the movers to come in. I have lots and lots of paperwork to do.....well Andrew has a lot of paperwork to do lol. We have a lot of decisions to make before we come home to Idaho. Wish I was more prepared to take on all the stress a military wife takes on. But on the bright side, things will get a lot easier once Andrew goes operational. Thank goodness! It was fun and all traveling around Texas and exploring new places but I am ready to leave and put Texas behind me. Wish me luck in these next few weeks because we are going to need it. Have a Happy Holidays everyone, see you all in about a month! :)

I Support the Troops!

Just a moment ago I received a link on my Facebook to watch a Youtube video on Liberty Chick! Now this girl goes into detail on why she does not support the troops. Normally I do not get defensive or upset when people tell me they don't support the troops or the war. I believe people are entitled to their opinions and can support what ever they want but this woman really got to me. She categorized soldiers into three groups. 1.) They were dumb and couldn't pay child support so took the easiest way to get money by joining. 2.) Evil, meaning they enjoy killing and terrorizing people. Finally, the third category, Morally compromised. She goes on saying how soldiers are serial killers and 90% of the casualties in war are innocent unarmed people. She never does bring up the fact that on 9/11 thousands of innocent people fell victim to the Taliban. She never goes into detail on the reasons why we are in Iraq or Afghanistan. She categorizes them as the victims and us as the terrorists. She obviously does not know anything about the military because if she did, she wouldn't be saying those things. I've seen first hand on what it takes to become a solider and what them and their families have to go through. These men and women give up their entire life to protect this country. They are willing to die for us and I think that's what makes a hero. Putting your life on the line for your country.

I don't want to post negative things on my blog but I cannot just sit back and let someone call my husband a killer or morally compromised. She does not know what the troops go through and what they give up. She does not know my husband or what he has gone through. He doesn't do this for the money, he doesn't do it just so he can be called a hero. Personally, Andrew feels uncomfortable when people single him out to thank him. I'm not saying he doesn't appreciate it because he does. But he doesn't think of himself as a hero, he thinks of himself as an Airman doing his job. Like I said in the beginning not everyone has agree with what the military is doing. People have a right to their own opinion but before you blast your opinion all over Youtube, research what your talking about because from that video, she obviously does not know anything about the military. I support the troops and I am grateful for what my husband is doing for me and this country. I am so happy I married a man who understands the meaning of honor, courage, and loyalty and lives his life by the Airman's creed. I want to thank all the men and women who have served and are serving in the military. I hope everyone who are home or deployed have a happy holidays and can spend the holidays with there families even if its over the phone. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd-nnmvr7Dc&sns=fb
(Link to Liberty Chick)

Too close to home!

Well yesterday there was talk about thunderstorms and possibility a tornado would form. I looked out the window and the sky was blue and it was really hot and sunny. As the night dragged on, the sky was still clear so me and Andrew didn't think there was any possibility a storm would hit that night. (Today I learned that Texas is not like Idaho. I cannot predict the weather as easily as I can in Idaho.) After looking at the clear sky, Andrew decided to take the car to the base to save us gas, so I was left alone with no transportation. Surprisingly, I went to bed quite early so when 3 a.m. rolled around, I was dead asleep. I wake up around 3:10 to loud thunder and my dog barking like crazy. (Cooper has been in thunderstorms and rain before and it never has bothered him like it did last night.) He runs in and hides under my bed, I have never seen him so scared before. All I see in my room was a huge bright flash happening every 30 seconds. I run outside to see how bad the storm was. Me and most of my neighbours were outside watching this huge cloud that was hanging really low come towards us. It was the most spectacular thing I have ever seen. Huge streaks of lightening kept flashing across the sky, followed by a huge roaring sound. Out of no where, big balls of hail and rain started to hit us.

I then got a gut feeling telling me to turn on the radio, so I did. All I here is the weather man telling people of San Angelo to get under ground or in a sturdy shelter. This is when I started to freak out because I don't have a basement or a car so I could get out of there and to somewhere safe. I was freaking out and I grabbed my phone and called Andrew. I called Andrew about 30 times and there was no answer, this is when I just got down on my knees and started to pray. I then called my mom to tell her what was going on and she told me to get in the tub and lay flat. I did what she said and also called the police to see where the tornado hit and where it was going. The policeman told me I had nothing to worry about because it was not coming towards me. He told me it hit near by Goodfellow and was heading south. Right when he said Goodfellow, I ended the call and called Andrew over and over again. I just did not know why he would not pick up unless he got hurt. I was thinking the worse and I could not get control of myself. I called my mom again and thankfully she helped me calm down. I had worked myself up so much, I made myself sick and I was going through shock. I still cant wrap my head around what happened last night. I have never gone through something like that and I felt so helpless. Thankfully, Andrew texted me two hours later telling me he was ok. My body was calm and I realized how tired I was and got some sleep.

Last night was the worst nights I have ever had. I'm still in shock and I can't quite wrap my head around what happened. You always think to yourself that if this tragedy happened, I would go here and do this. I watch Storm Chasers on the Discovery channel and I have gone through a plan in my head over and over again on what I would do if a tornado hit home. But when it really happened, all of that went out the window. I have never been so scared and I hope I will never feel the way I did last night. I have not heard about any damage that was made except a few trees and a few power lines were taken down. Thankfully no one was hurt and the storm didn't do as much damage as we all thought it would. I am so thankful for my family and my husband. I love them so much and I don't know what I would do without them in my life. I cannot wait to be home and to see everyone. The picture above, is a picture of the storm last night in San Angelo, taken by a photographer. The storm was crazy and scary, but one of the coolest things I have ever watched.

Half way there!

Yesterday was mine and Andrews halfway mark of being married. I was so busy all weekend that it slipped my mind until today. We have been married for 6 months, and looking back on it those 6 months were so crazy. From basic and moving to Texas. Soon we are going to be moving again to Florida. We have gone through so many things that a lot of couples will never go through. I am so lucky to have Andrew in my life. He's my best friend and I know I can always rely on him.

Happy 6 month anniversary Andrew! I cant wait to see what the other 6 months bring. I love you! <3

Missing Home!

Lately Andrew and I have been getting homesick...ALOT! From what everyone has told us, your first duty station is the worst. Technically this isn't our first duty station but since I was able to move here, it feels like it is. We are so jealous because everyone at home is either going to the corn maze and pumpkin walk. There is nothing around here like that. As much as I wanted to get out of the small town, I miss it. I miss the mountains, our families, and just being able to take a drive through the mountains and be able to have a camp fire and gaze up at the stars. We cant do that anymore. Its those little things we take for granted that I miss the most.

The military is going to move us all around the world, but there is no place like home. As excited as we are being able to see the world, we can not wait to get back home to see the family and everything else we miss. I'm glad we have a place like Idaho to escape to.

(The picture is of Oneida, my moms favorite place to visit.)

Pumpkin Carving!

Last night me and Andrew carved our pumpkins...finally! I haven't carved pumpkins since I was little so I was really excited about this. There was so much seeds and what my parents call pumpkins guts and the kid Andrew really is decided to through all of it on me. Was I just going to let him get away with it? No, I started throwing it back and it created a huge slimy mess in our living room. It was a good kick off to start the holidays. :) We were pretty creative and I think we did a really good job on our pumpkins.

The one in the middle spells out Stiffler. I made the letters a little bit too big so you cant see the whole name in the picture.

1, 2, 3, Smile! :)

A little bit ago I decided to get professional pictures done of me and Andrew, mostly because I had no photos of us in his uniform. So I did some research and found Brittney (our photographer). She owns her own company called Great Expectations and she was voted best photographer and best photos in the state of Texas for three years. I called her up and since Andrew was in the military she gave us a really good deal, 75% off our session. Just recently, we finally got our slide show that has all of our photos so I took a few of my favorites with my phone a loaded them on my profile. She did an amazing job and we had so much fun. She really brought both of our personalities out in the pictures.

There will be more pictures soon when I receive the copyright CD with all of our pictures that are a lot clearer. So here's a little sneak peek, enjoy! :)

Living in Paradise!

One thing I love about Andrew joining the Air Force is that we both get to travel and see the world. Today Andrew got his orders and found out that our first duty station will be in Hurlburt Fields, Flordia. Its about a 30 minute drive from Pensacola. The base is literally on the beach. I will be able to walk out of my home and feel the sand beneath my feet. Goodbye to cold winters and hello to palm trees and flip flops all year round. I am so excited!

I cant wait to get out of Texas and explore Florida. :) Life is so great right now. On top of finding out where our first duty station will be, tomorrow is Andrews birthday and we are going to Dallas for the weekend. I am such a lucky girl! Happy early Birthday baby! I know it will be a good one! I love you! <3

Snowing in Idaho!

I got a call from my mom telling me it was snowing back at home. It feels so weird to be here in the summer weather while everyone at home is catching snowflakes on their tongues. It makes me want to grab a blanket and a cup of hot chocolate. Sadly this year I wont be able to do that. I've heard its got down to the 40's in Weston, but here we are still in the high 80's and 90's. Im still wearing shorts and flip flops. Local people have told me that it doesnt snow in San Angelo. Some years they get lucky enough to have an inch of snow on the ground for a night but by the time you get up its gone. As much as I hate the cold, its going to be a depressing Christmas without the snow and our family. Christmas isnt christmas without snow or family. But me and Andrew will make the best of it and have a little Christmas together. All I have to say to people back home is that I am really jealous. I need a break from all this heat.

This is my life.

Its crazy how turned around my Sundays have gone these past few months. It went from being one of my favorite days to my worst. Before and during bmt, Sundays were relaxing and a day to escape from the real world. I would also recieve a phone call from Andrew. Now its a day where we have to get things ready for the week and Andrew has meetings he has to go to and also curfew. I hate how fast the weekends go now. The weeks seem to be dragging because everyday it seems like every other day. We have a routine going on but theres no we in most of the routine. It seems like every day is just about the same. Andrew has class and then has meetings after duty hours. After all of that I get two to three hours with him until curfew. Gotta love the military. The Air Force is Andrews mistress and she gets most of the attention. I understand that I got myself into this by marrying an airman. As much as I complain about how horrible it can be sometimes, I would'nt change it for anything. During bmt I would write Andrew everyday. I learned to take all of frustrations and worries out on paper instead of someone else. It helped me cope with the military life. Throughout my blogs you will hear some frustations I have with the military because this is this how I deal with it. Given by my title "Story of an Airmans girl", most of my blogs will be about my military life. If you ask a recruiter, a military wife, or even a soldier how you deal with this lifestyle, they will tell you to write A LOT. So I took there advice and now Im hooked.

My life is very compliated and I am not allowed to know alot about my husbands job. He comes home from work and all I ask him is how work was. He would answer with a good or frustrating and thats the end of the conversation. Andrew is not aloud to tell me a lot of things and I am ok with that. I understand why. It gets hard and frustrating at times but we have both learned to write down everything we are stressed about and leave it on paper. The military doesnt really effect our relationship in a negative way. If anything it has brought us closer together. Theres is no other love then a military love. We leave work at work and focus on spending time with each other when we can. Not having him with me at night during the weekdays are hard but the weekends make up for that. But I dont think we've could've done it without our family. We are so lucky we have family who stand behind us. I dont know where I would be without my family. They have helped me out so much while Andrew was gone and they still do today. I love them so much and I couldnt have asked for a better family.

Many people who are not in the military dont realize that the hardest job in the military is being a soldiers wife. We are the reasons why our men keep doing what they do. We are the only thing in there life that is solid and doesnt change. We accept them for who they are and for what they have to do. We stand behind them no matter what even if we dont agree.

 I Am an Air Force Wife

I've noticed in my present job there is this tiny quirk
There is no respect at all, and it's not considered work.
Well I am here to show you another point of view
Just to give you an idea, of what WE really do.
Here is my job description, and to better understand
I've written it in the lingo of my Military Man.

I am the IG complaints come to me
I am the MEDIC, I bandage skinned knees
I am the JAG and COURT MARITAL too...
I decide the punishments, how much and on who!
I am SAFETY, inspecting all the junk
I am the FIRST SHIRT checking the bunk

I am SUPPLY in charge of food and clothes
households goods and heaven only knows...
I am the SP who secures the door
I am FINANCE, but giving out more
I am SERVICES who cooks all the meals
I am TRANS in charge of the wheels

I am MWR planning all the fun
I am the BUGLER announcing the 'Day is Done'
I am the CQ and Fire Dept too,
there isn't much that I don't do...
I am the Instructor, also you see
Because everything that is learned is taught by me

I am the Flight Leader who knows his troops well
Sometimes the T.I. who really can yell
I am the 0-10 and the E-9 you see
cause everything must come through me
I'll never go to combat, but certain battles I will face
But rest assure when you deploy, count on me to guard the base

I am always on duty, I never take leave,
No Holidays off, It's hard to believe
I can never ETS, I signed on for life
My Primary AFSC is Mother, my secondary is AF Wife
For all my devotion to duty, my LES says NO PAY DUE
Because I am not paid in money, but in the words "I Love You"

Happy early Birthday Andrew!

In one week its my husbands birthday. Im blogging about his birthday so early because of two reasons. 1. Next week we will be in Dallas celebrating his birthday and I wont be near a computer, and 2. I gave Andrew his birthday presents today so he could enjoy them this weekend since we will be gone.

This year I spoiled my husband because he deserved it after all the hard work he has done and is still doing. Before Andrew left for bmt, I made him get rid of his PS3 because I wasnt going to play it. If he sold it, I  made a deal with him that I would get him one for his birthday. Time went on and things came up and I told Andrew that he wasnt going to be getting a PS3. Little did he know I already bought one and to go with it, I was a good wife and even pre ordered the ultimate package of Modern Warfare 3. He has been ranting about this game for weeks and how he has to have it so I gave in and ordered one. I wanted to do something different and new this year and since Dallas is about a 4 hour drive, there was no way I was going to pick up a cake and hide it in the trunk praying he wouldnt find it. So I spiced things up a little and went to this really cute cookie shop on the corner called Cookie desings and ordered a Cookie bouquet (These bakers can do anything with a cookie lol). If you know Andrew, you know he LOVES cookies. So they designed a cute Happy Birthday cookie basket. Andrew was shocked when he walked in the door and saw the ps3, the cookies, and the new tranformers movie. I say I did pretty good. After a long week of work and paying the bills, we can kick back together and watch blu-ray and play video games. Sounds like the perfect weekend. These days are the days I live for! <3

Ten things about my Soldier!

1. He LOVES to fish. If he could fish all day everyday, he would.
2. He hates skinny jeans and v-neck shirts.
3. Serves for the United States Air Force.
4. Obsessed with Modern Warfare (soon to be the third).
5. Can move his hips like Shakira (Dont take this dirty).
6. Loves everything Ford. Mostly trucks.
7. Family man. Cant wait to start a family.
8. Hes a really good cook and he loves to grill.
9. He's terrified of deep water.
10. Wants to become a pilot and fly the fighter jets.

Trading time for Dog Tags and Combat Boots!

I was on the phone with one of my friends today who's husband just left for basic today. I sure do not miss those days. She called me up for advice about what I did when Andrew was gone to basic, so this post is for her.

For people who know me while growing up in my high school days, I was never really alone. I was one of those girls who was wrapped up in boyfriends and I loved the attention. I wish back then I realized there were more to being a teenager then stupid boys. I didnt allow myself to grow up and find out who I really was. But I wouldnt change it because all the mistakes I made and the boys I dated, made me who I am now and through all that mess, I found Andrew. The point I'm trying to make is that I have never been alone so when Andrew left, I never felt more alone in my life. I lost my best friend. Maybe not having that attention all of the time might've made bmt a little easier.

May 30 was the last day I got to spend with Andrew before he took off. That night was probably the worst yet best night I've ever had. Andrew really opened up to me and we both cried ourselves to sleep because it was my last night being in his arms for a couple months. Unfortunately morning came and I had to drive Andrew to Idaho Falls where a bus would pick him up to take him to Butte for processing. Saying goodbye and watching him walk away was really hard for me. I remember watching him walk away and I looked back at his mom and told her "I will never see that Andrew again." Which was true. Andrew came back a totally different person from when he left. I had one hour drive back to Pocatello and that was the longest drive. Thankfully I was able to text and talk to him for one more night.

June 1st came and Andrew arrived at Lackland. It was 3 a.m. when I got the worst phone call. It was Andrew reading me a post card with his address that I would be recieving in about a week. The worst part of that phone call was all the yelling I could hear in the background. This is when I lost it because he read what he was suppose to and then hung up and I knew from that time on I wouldnt hear from Andrew for awhile. I didnt hear from him for about 2 weeks. The fisrt two week during this process is the hardest. I would not leave my room and never got myself cleaned up. It felt more like I was grieving for Andrew like he was dead. It was hard just thinking he was at boot camp. As much as people would like to argue with me, while your loved one is going through bmt, you are also going through training as well. It wasnt as hard as what Andrew went through but bmt is a physical, mental, and an emotional training. It took a toll on me in all categories. I stopped eating, I was crying all the time (no exaggeration), and my heart was literally brocken. I did not feel like myself. I was alone and not sure what to do with myself. It doesnt take a toll on just the spouse. It takes a toll on everyone who is close to the trainee but it effects mostly the spouse and the mother. I was lucky enough to have Andrews sister Brittany and Tylan stay with me and I always had Cooper. Without them I probably would've gone into depression and lost myself. People who are reading this are probably thinking Im being over dramatic but I kid you not, being a military wife is hard. There are only a handful of women who can do this. Only women who have gone through this and are going through it right now can only relate to how it really feels. But I owe a lot to Brittany and Tylan. They always made me feel secure and they listened to me rant about some of the things I hated about bmt and they would always let me cry on there shoulder. I realized that I needed to start picking myself up and to be strong for Andrew because I knew thats what he would want me to do. I began writing. I wrote Andrew a letter and sometimes 3 letters a day. At the end of bmt and gave me 113 letters. Bmt is only 65 days. Come to find out I love to write and it made me feel close to Andrew. I would tell him about my days and how I was feeling. I also sent him lots of pictures to put a smile on his face. I began researching, keeping myself busy and then I met some three amazing women on afwingmoms (Facebook Air Force BMT website) who's husbands and boyfriend were in Andrews flight meaning they were interaccting with Andew.

These three women helped me out the most. Going through this expierence, you need people who are going through it with you because you can relate and talk about stuff that is bothering you. It was a good support system we had going on. We would stay up all night talking on facebook or over skype. We would talk about our husbands or ourselfs. We all became really close and we were there for each other through the bad and good days. We would always jump on skype when one of us got a letter and we would show each other how long it was. I knew everyday I could call or text one of these girls and they would be there for me and just let me talk.

At this point, I started recieving phone calls and letters from Andrew. The first call I got after that dreadful postcard call, was one of the best and most emotional. It was so great to hear his voice and to hear that he was ok. After that I recieved a phone call every week. Sadly they were all 10-15 minute calls but trust me it was better then nothing. His calls and letters were what kept me going through the week and as time went by, I got stronger and things got a lot easier. This was the first time and longest time I have ever been away from Andrew since we first got together, 3 years ago so this was really hard and I learned a lot about myself when he was away. Gloom June finally past and it was July. Halfway mark. This is when time really started flying by and I started planning my trip down to San Antonio, Tx for Andrews graduation. I tried to make planning this trip take up most of my day. I researched everything, I even made a cute shirt for the airman's run.

During July I kept writing and kept telling myself it was going to be over soon and the wait was worth it. On afwingmoms, I kept seeing posts of women at graduation telling all of us all the crying and waiting was worth it. Were they right? Yes they were. Graduation came and I was moments away from seeing my airman. Me and the ladies were sitting by each other pointing out our husands and waiting anxiously for the guy over the speaker to tell us we can "tap out" our Airman. Me and the girls got really good seats so we were one of the first to hug our men. When I hugged Andrew for the first time, all the crying and sleepless nights were worth it. Bmt made us grow as a person and as a couple. We reconnected instantly. I never thought I could love someone as much as I loved him but still today my love for him is still growing. I am so lucky to have such a honorable man in my life. He has sacrificed so much to be where he is today and I am so proud of him and his accomplishments.
Would I ever want to go through bmt again?! No, but I wish every girl could expierence what me and the other military wifes go through because military is tough and sometimes unfair but in the end its worthwhile and those are the days I live for! <3

Everything is bigger in Texas.

It has been 2 months since bmt graduation and a lot has happened since then. Andrew went on to tech school in San Angelo. Unfortunately I had to say goodbye to him again after graduation and go back to our home in Pocatello, Idaho. I thought saying goodbye the first time was hard. Nothing can compare to how upset I was watching him walk away for the second time.

It was 3 a.m. Texas time and I was heading to the airport later that morning. (Note this is 6 hours after I said goodbye to Andrew) My phone goes off and the first thing Im thinking is "who is texting me this late at night?" I looked at the screen and for the first time in 2 months, it was a text from Andrew telling me he loved me and he was off for San Angelo. We text most of the morning during his 4 hour bus ride from San Antonio. I thought to myself I can get used to this.  But people like my family who have listened to me complain because once I got one thing, I wanted more. It went from wanting a phone call or a letter from him to just wanting to hug him and see his face. Then during graduation I just wanted him to stay with me all the time and then to hurry and move me down to Texas. I felt very selfish for wanting more after I got my way. Anyways, tech school is like college. The nice thing is Andrew is getting paid for learning. Andrew is in tech school for 6 months and he has 5 months left to go. By the time he is done he will have an associate degree. Andrew got to San Angelo August 1. They put the students in dorms with roomates. He was here for about 3 weeks until I was finally able to move to Texas to be with him.

Me, my dad, and Colby drove my car from Idaho to Texas. That is a 24 hour drive. On top of a long drive, I had Cooper with me. For people who dont know who Cooper is, he is mine and Andrews dog. Hes an Alaskan Malamute (like a husky but bigger) but dont let his size fool you because he is the sweetest dog you'll ever meet.. Hes a huge snow dog and him and hot weather do not go good together. Texas is a great place for a dog like him right? Wrong he was panting the whole drive down. San Angelo has hit over 100 degrees for over 60 days so Cooper was not excited for the hot weather. When I arrived I had to stay in base lodging until I found a house. About a week after being here, I was lucky enough to find us a decent home for a very good price. I have lived here for almost a month now and I love it. I say I live here because Andrew doesnt exactky live with me yet. All I can say is the military is very complicated and they take there time. Im lucky enough to see him everyday and have weekends with him here.

I get a lot of people who ask me how I like it here and if I miss Idaho. Texas is very different from Idaho. There are no mountains, it is very flat. Its pure desert out here and the heat is very difficult to handle at times. There are some things I miss about Idaho like the mountains. I miss my family of course and I cant wait to see everyone once again. I miss the weather and the quietness of the country. San Angelo is not very big. It has an Ogden, Utah feel to it but everyday and night sirens are going off or people have there music up so loud it shakes the house when they drive by. Im not saying this area is horrible to live in because its not and I love to travel and see new places so Im excited to see where the Air Force takes us. One thing I dont miss is the spiders and boxelder bugs climbing on the outside fo the house. I dont even think box elder bugs exist in Texas and I have not seen a spider since I moved here. Instead of bugs climbiing on the house, we have geckos. :) Some of you are probably thinking what the heck am I talking about?  I have found two geckos climbing on the outside of our house. I thought it was very random having lizards climb on your house but out here its very common.

This is where me and Andrew are today, I will probably type alot of blogs mostly because I love to write and to keep family updated on whats going on in our lifes.

Where it all began!

I will do a quick recap on how me and Andrew first got together. We went to school together and we started dating our Junior year, so three years ago. I guess that makes us high school sweethearts <3. We've been together since. Andrew is my best friend and I know he will always have my back. 

We got married April 29th of this year. We have been married for almost 5 months. I have only spent just a little over 2 months with husband since we have been married. Andrew left for BMT (Basic Military Training) June 1 for the Air Force. A month after we got married. He was gone for 8.5 weeks and during those 8 weeks I learned a lot about myself and our relationship. We grew together as a couple and as a person. I'm not saying bmt was not hard because it was the hardest thing we have both gone through. It tested our relationship. I only recieved a 10 minute phone call from Andrew once a week and maybe a letter every other week if I was lucky. But I realized what was really important in life. The short phone calls and one paragraphed letters kept me going through the long weeks that never seemed to end. Along the journey I was lucky enough to meet some amazing women who's husband and boyfriend were in Andrews flight. They knew what I was going through and we had long facebook chats and skypes every night talkking about our husbands and us as a person. It was hard for me to open up to my family and friends because no one could relate with me and how I was feeling. You can tell someone you know how they are feeling but in this situation you could not even imagine what military wifes go through. The only way you could relate is go through it yourself. I'm making this sound like it was a horrible expiernce because it wasnt. It was very humbling. It taught me what was really important and to appreciate the little things. Well the 8.5 weels past and graduation day finally came. I woke up early July 26 and took off to San Antonio to see my soon to be Airman.

I remember the day perfectly. How I felt the first time I made eye contact with Andrew for the first time in 2 months. Before they do a little ceremony to make the trainees officially Airman, they do what they call an "Airmans Run". This is where all the trainees who are graduationg run together in their flight while loved ones watch from the side. This is where I saw Andrew for the first time. It was the hardest thing for me to not just jump out and grab him and never let go. Of course I did not do that because I would have gotten Andrew in big trouble so I patiently had to wait for the coin ceremony to tap him out. (Tap out is putting Airman at ease with a hug) The time came to where I can finally hug him. I was one of the first women to reach there airman in his flight. I ran up to him and gave him a quick hug and he pulled me back and gave me the sweetest kiss. At that moment all the crying  and lonlieness I felt for the past 8 weeks were worth it. We spent the weekend at the zoo and sea world and just spending time together. Reconnecting. It was one of the best weekends in my life. The Air Force made Andrew into a man. He left as a boy and came back as an airman. I am so proud of him and what he has accomplished. I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have married my husband, my airman, and my hero.