Day 21

I seriously have not been counting down the days until I see him next, because quite frankly I didn't think I was going to see him for at least three months. As it turns out, my parents are going to let me visit Buddy on A day to see him! I can't decide yet if I want it to be a surprise or not, but I will have to decide soon because I will get a phone call from him soon so I might have to tell him. I decided to count how many days I had until I see him, and I thought time was flying by fairly fast, but I thought wrong! I have approximately 27 days until I see him (only for a day, but I'll take what I can get), and I have only gone 21 without him! Wow, how crazy is this! I'm not even half way through, and I still feel like it's been months since I've seen him. Thankfully, I have been able to strengthen my relationship with Christ and with my friends. I have also had too much time alone to think, since my best friend has been gone for about a week, staying at my Cape Cod house! It usually makes me happy to think about Buddy, but today I have been very sad thinking about him and all the awesome times we have had together as best friends! I mean seriously, he is my best friend in the entire world. But I could not be more proud of him and his accomplishments at the Academy! For physical fitness, he is 13th out of 1,250 people in his class! How crazy is that?! Although, I did not doubt for a second that he would be any lower than that! I knew he would be up there. This time apart has made me a stronger and better person already, and like I said, it has only been 21 days! Only a little over 24 hours until a get a phone call! I can't wait to hear his voice! He called once before, but we only talked for about 6 or 7 minutes. Still, it was amazing to hear his voice again! He already sounds more mature, and his strength and trust in the Lord has also grown! He has been going to church on Sundays, chapel on Wednesdays, and doing a Bible study! He is so passionate, and just that is worth being apart. That is the part that I am most proud. He is so passionate about God, and it makes me so proud and so excited for him. Even though we are apart, I feel like we are closer than ever! We both know we will be okay without the other, and now we are more independent. We both realize we are a child of God first, before I'm his girlfriend or he's my boyfriend. These things make me feel closer to Buddy because I feel stronger, and I KNOW he is stronger too! Being apart does not make our experiences much different, because we both share the pain that involves being apart. We are both experiencing the same separation, and the energy it takes to trust in God. God is our rock right now, whether he wants us to be together or not. I know that for now and prayerfully in the future we are supposed to be together, and I trust God with what he has in store for us. But as for now, I could not be more proud of him and more excited about what God is doing in our lives during the next 27 days, and the rest of our college careers!

letters

So for a while I was thinking that Buddy wasn't going to write me, but it turns it that he had been writing me every day! I got the first letter about 4 days ago, and three letters came all at once! I am so pumped, but a little worried about him. He says he doesn't like it too much, but my parents and everyone else say that is extremely normal. As my dad says, "It's not called little poodle, it's not called butterfly, it's not called BEAST!" He goes, "you know what a beast does? It kicks your ass!" Lol, it made me really laugh. :) Although I miss him a lot, every day gets so much easier. Not only that, but he says he gets to call today or tomorrow! How awesome will that be to hear his voice?! Gosh I am so excited! Because I don't feel so sad anymore, I finally feel like I am ready to go to college. I am so in love with Buddy, and I am so confident that we will make it through anything, especially if we can make it through this. I am so excited for the future! Just one step at a time

Excited

I've been at the lake with my family since Friday for the Fourth of July weekend, and it has been fun, but I am ready to go home! The lake this week has been pretty hard because everyone is a couple except me and gramps. Rollin and Jennifer, Mom and Dad, Uncle Don and Aunt Virginia, and Timmy and Kristen. It's just weird because I always have Buddy here with me! Oh well. I am actually starting to get used to all of this. And now I am so excited because my best friend told me today that I have a letter in the mail from Buddy (I couldn't check it because I'm still at the lake)! I really can't wait to get home now! Recently I talked to my family about seeing Buddy on A day and Labor day weekend, and they agreed as long as I can get the money for the first trip up there, because it's only for a day. I'm so lucky that my parents are so supportive of me! God has really pulled me through this, and I can't thank Him enough for what he is doing in my life! Before I was hesitant about Buddy leaving, hoping that he would be thinking of me, and wondering if he still cares about me and is thinking about me and whatever WEIRD and STUPID thoughts crossed my mind. But I finally realized Buddy loves me no matter what, he's my best friend, and OF COURSE he's thinking of me! We've been together for four years and have been through a lot, and if he's not thinking of me and doesn't love me anymore than we never even had anything in the first place. I am just silly to even think these things. I am trying to surprise Buddy by going up on A day and I'm really excited! Another thing that has really helped me is the Facebook page that is updated with pictures and captions about what they have been doing every single day. The first thing I do in the morning and before I go to bed is see what my man has been up to! I've only seen 2 pictures of him so far, but we still have 5 1/2 weeks to go, so I'm sure there will be plenty more of him to see. There's nothing better than finding your Waldo in the bunch of cadets! I have all of these people praying for me, and I know it's helping because I have been stronger than I could have ever imagined. It's amazing what God can do when you need him the most. Don't get me wrong, even when we feel like we don't need him, we need him; but when we cry out for help God seems to always be there. Happy Independence Day America, Go Army, Hooah, and thank you soldiers for defending our freedoms! GO USA