So, I wanted to back track just a bit. I want to restart my story at the very beginning. I am going to work hard to catch up and get everything as up-to-date as soon as possible. But here is my deployment story from the very beginning.
Predeployment
From the very beginning of our time in Gulfport, we knew that a deployment was coming. September, October, November, December were great. Friends would ask me how I was "preparing" and I was honest...I was almost in a state of denial. I didn't want to think about him leaving. I didn't want to think that I wouldn't see my husband for over half a year....out of sight, out of mind, right?! It might not have been the best way to start preparing, but I wanted to enjoy every moment that I could and I knew constantly thinking about it would hender me from doing so. We went home for Christmas, and got tons of new stuff for our apartment (mostly kitchen stuff) When we got home, we quickly started placing everything into our kitchen and it hit me....we would be packing everything up in less than a month. I planned on coming back to NC to spend J's deployment with my family and friends around. Well, we went through a couple weeks and I tried my best to keep the deployment as far from my mind as possible. The week before the "D" day, things really started to get real. At first, we were under the impression that Josh would be leaving out on a Wednesday, 10 days away. We were moving that Saturday, and we had to start packing. For me, I kept wanting to delay packing as long as possible. When I finally started packing things, I knew it would be "real" and I wasn't ready for that reality yet. Well, the date kept changing. It went from the first, to the seventh, and it was finally announced that they would leave on Sunday. Talk about a whirlwind couple of days that we would have.....
Well, Friday night, our friends in Gulfport hosted a going away party for us. This was the first time we had told anyone the day had gotten moved up. It was the first time I had really said it, too. My husband was going to be leaving in less than 48 hours and I wouldn't get to see him for over half a year....talk about emotions that were going up and down. We had a great time Friday night, hung out with all of our friends for what would be our last time. It really took our minds off of everything. But the next day, our moving day, loomed. In trying to avoid packing, we still had a lot to do before people came to help us move out Saturday morning. We were just going to get up early Saturday morning and get started around 6. But with anxiety and nerves, I couldn't sleep. I remember waking up at 2:00am and just starting to pack. I wanted to do something. I didn't just want to sit around. I didn't just want to think about what was coming. We finally got packed, got everything moved from our apartment into a storage unit, and went to stay with some of our friends Saturday night.
24 hours left together......crazy thoughts. Saturday night, J spent the early evening packings all his bags and getting everything together. I went ahead and got Easton to bed and fell asleep myself. Josh finally came to bed, and I don't remember much, I just remember us fighting. For both of us, the reality was hitting and nerves and emotions were flying all over the place. How do you say goodbye to someone you love so much? We were both dreading the next 24 hours and honestly, being our first deployment, really didn't know what all was to come and what all we would be feeling.
Sunday morning, we decided we wanted our day to be as normal as possible. We got up like normal, got up, and went to church. I was excited to get to go to our church in Gulfport one more time, but I was also dreading it because the fact it was our last time. We knew people would come up and want to say goodbye and as much as I wanted that, if people were constantly doing that, I knew I would lose it....
Our preacher, Andy, made the announcement that Josh would be leaving that night and to keep our family close in prayer...and I lost it. Huge tears....it was finally here. I couldn't hide from it anymore....Our sweet friends and fellow church members continued to come up to us throughout the morning to wish us well and tell us we were loved and would be thought about often. After church, we went back, put Easton down for a nap, and took naps ourselves. J and the group were leaving late at night, and we knew we both needed the rest. Sunday night, we went to dinner with our friends, Chris and Jenny. We ate and hung out with them every Sunday night, and we wanted to keep things normal. Josh said tearful goodbyes to them, and we went on our way. We only had a few short hours left before he would be leaving and I wanted every last second with him that I could. We went back to the house we were staying at and just sat together. We didn't really say much, we just sat in each others arms and cuddled. We watched Easton sleep for a bit and we just wanted to be caught up in the moment. Many words weren't needed, just to be together was the best feeling in the world. Then the dreaded time came....10:40pm.....it was finally time to take J to base and say goodbye.....
Coming up: Saying Goodbye...
Well, Friday night, our friends in Gulfport hosted a going away party for us. This was the first time we had told anyone the day had gotten moved up. It was the first time I had really said it, too. My husband was going to be leaving in less than 48 hours and I wouldn't get to see him for over half a year....talk about emotions that were going up and down. We had a great time Friday night, hung out with all of our friends for what would be our last time. It really took our minds off of everything. But the next day, our moving day, loomed. In trying to avoid packing, we still had a lot to do before people came to help us move out Saturday morning. We were just going to get up early Saturday morning and get started around 6. But with anxiety and nerves, I couldn't sleep. I remember waking up at 2:00am and just starting to pack. I wanted to do something. I didn't just want to sit around. I didn't just want to think about what was coming. We finally got packed, got everything moved from our apartment into a storage unit, and went to stay with some of our friends Saturday night.
24 hours left together......crazy thoughts. Saturday night, J spent the early evening packings all his bags and getting everything together. I went ahead and got Easton to bed and fell asleep myself. Josh finally came to bed, and I don't remember much, I just remember us fighting. For both of us, the reality was hitting and nerves and emotions were flying all over the place. How do you say goodbye to someone you love so much? We were both dreading the next 24 hours and honestly, being our first deployment, really didn't know what all was to come and what all we would be feeling.
Sunday morning, we decided we wanted our day to be as normal as possible. We got up like normal, got up, and went to church. I was excited to get to go to our church in Gulfport one more time, but I was also dreading it because the fact it was our last time. We knew people would come up and want to say goodbye and as much as I wanted that, if people were constantly doing that, I knew I would lose it....
Our preacher, Andy, made the announcement that Josh would be leaving that night and to keep our family close in prayer...and I lost it. Huge tears....it was finally here. I couldn't hide from it anymore....Our sweet friends and fellow church members continued to come up to us throughout the morning to wish us well and tell us we were loved and would be thought about often. After church, we went back, put Easton down for a nap, and took naps ourselves. J and the group were leaving late at night, and we knew we both needed the rest. Sunday night, we went to dinner with our friends, Chris and Jenny. We ate and hung out with them every Sunday night, and we wanted to keep things normal. Josh said tearful goodbyes to them, and we went on our way. We only had a few short hours left before he would be leaving and I wanted every last second with him that I could. We went back to the house we were staying at and just sat together. We didn't really say much, we just sat in each others arms and cuddled. We watched Easton sleep for a bit and we just wanted to be caught up in the moment. Many words weren't needed, just to be together was the best feeling in the world. Then the dreaded time came....10:40pm.....it was finally time to take J to base and say goodbye.....
Coming up: Saying Goodbye...
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