More to Ask

As if everyone hasn't been praying for us enough... I have another request.

Today while I was in clinicals I had to have a flu shot. No big deal, but 45 minutes after I had a reaction to the shot. Blacked out, chills, shaking uncontrollably, and I hyperventillated on top of it all. Lost all my color and was tingling all over. Thankfully I was doing clinicals in the hospital I work at and they took me to the ER. I lost complete control of my body to the point that I couldn't lift my own head. It was a terrible experience. After a couple episodes of that, they finally got my breathing under control and my color started to return. I had to change clothes as mine were completely drenched in sweat from whatever was happening in my body... but they gave me some med's and sent me home. I still feel weak and very exhausted, but i'll recover. But just some prayers for energy. I need to stay strong for school, and for Jon. He has so many other things to worry about right now... he doesnt need this on top of it. As far as school goes, i'm feeling very overwhelmed right now. I'm trying to take it a day at a time... but it just keeps piling up it seems!!! I know we'll be ok, there are just a few things trying to set us back that we are having to fight right now. So thank you all for your prayers and support. I can't thank you enough. Thankfully tomorrow is Friday and I have the weekend to recover and to get caught up on homework!!! (haha, we'll see about that!!!) Love you all!!!!

Arrived

Just to let everyone know, Jon has arrived to his base in Iraq. It was a long long couple days of traveling for him, but he's finally there!! I've already started to countdown the days till he comes home!! Things at home right now are still kinda hard, but getting better day by day. It's hard to come home to an empty house, but I guess that's something i'll adjust to eventually. I'm so thankful that i'm in school right now.. as hard as it is, it's keeping me busy and helping the time go by. I continue to ask for prayers... for Jon's safety, and for God to comfort us both and bring peace to our hearts. I thank all our friends and family for the encouraging emails, phone calls, and text messages. They help me so much.. it's nice to know I have people I can cry to and look to for encouragement during this time. I'm trying so hard to be strong, and I couldn't do it without ya'lls help! So again, thank you so much. Anyway, I better start studying a bit... Americas Next Top Model comes on tonight!!! haha... Love you all!!

On A Lighter Note

Before Jon left, he was presented with his Staff Sergeant Certificate. I am SO SO proud of him!

close up!

My Prayer

Give me greatness of heart to see,
the difference between duty and his love for me.

Give me understanding so that I may know,
when duty calls him, he must go.

Give me a task to do each day,
to fill the time when he's away.

When he's in a foreign land,
keep him safe in Your loving hand.

And when duty is in the field,
please protect him and be his shield.

And Lord, when his deployment seems so long,
please stay with me and keep me strong.

Gone...

Welp... it's official... my hunny is gone. It was one of the hardest things i've had to do to say good-bye, but he's in God's hands. I just pray these next 4 months go by quickly. Our day started off at 2am since he had to be on base at 330am. It started off with of course, an awful nights sleep and tears in the morning... to my blow dryer going out while I was getting ready followed by more tears. Thankfully, the airlines let the spouse go through security and wait with them till they leave. It was so hard... but after our final good-bye, I did my best to pull myself together and make our long drive home. When I got home, I went upstairs to crawl back in bed and my doorbell rang! It was two of our amazing friends (whom I work with at the hospital...see pic below) that had just got off work from the night before... they came to get me out of the house and to take me to breakfast. While I didn't have much of an appetite, i tagged along. It was probably a good thing because otherwise I probably would have crawled in bed and cried till I fell asleep.

(This is Dennis and Stephanie... our amazing friends whom I am so blessed to have!...)

I know these next 4 months will be very very hard, and i'm sure there will be many many more tears, but we will make it. God is in control! And thankfully, I have amazing people to get me through this! Thank you for your prayers... we desperately need them right now! I'm hoping the tears will start to cease once we both get into our new routines.... But thank you all for being there! We couldnt thank you enough. Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated!!!

Request...

Just wanted to request some extra prayers these next few days... it's getting down to the wire and it's all starting to become so real. I think i've sorta been in denial about him going... it's all starting to sink in for real now that he has orders in hand. Thank you all for your prayers and support... it's a tough time for us (me) right now so prayers and understanding would be greatly appreciated. We love you all and know that you all are here for us... and we could never thank you all enough for that... right now, we are just trying to soak up our last few days with each other---we hope you all understand.

I know I haven't been making many phone calls and sending emails much lately, it's just the business of both our schedules, and the fact that we just wanna spend time with each other since we won't be able to over the next 4 months.

Some insight to our mindset/thinking....

We haven't been away from each other for more than a week since i've moved out here in January of 07'. So that will take some getting used to....

and I say this in the most loving way possible.... We are all each other has out here. We know we have everyone to turn to for prayers, phone calls, and such... but in reality, we will both be alone over the next four months. I will be returning to our pet fish everyday. You all have people to literally/physically turn to when you have a bad day and need a hug. So please, please... understand, we are not pushing you all away, we are just trying to enjoy these last few days of being together as a husband and wife should. We love our families dearly and couldn't get through this without ya'll, please know that... but right now, we need each other...

We love all of you, and like i've said, there is no way we will survive through this without the support of our friends and family... but we need that support not just on an individual basis... we need it as a couple as well. Again, thank you all for everything! May God bless you for all you're doing for us!

Surviving!

Just a little update-- things are getting a lot better for both Jon and myself. Since we've (I've) got over the initial shock of the deployment, things have settled down. We are trying to look at all the positives this deployment will bring about... for instance--

• this is the last group of people deploying that go for 4 months.. every other group that deploys after him will have to go a minimum of 6 months.
• By the time Jon gets back, i'll be done with school!

We know that there is a reason this has happened and we're trusting that God will show us why...

We also found out today that Jon was denied volunteer orders to Cannon. :( Again, we are having to trust God on this because we are both very devestated about it. We just know that God has plans that are far better than anything we could ever imagine or plan ourself; and if it's not supposed to happen, it's because God has something better in store for us. There are still a couple options we have as far as getting orders to Cannon. We have it listed as our #1 base of preference and we can keep an eye out on the military data-base for people that currently are going to cannon that don't want to be there. We could possibly trade orders with them if they want to come out here to Florida. We aren't getting our hopes up on anything, but secretly, we still desperately want it to happen!

Anyway, as far as official dates for Jon being gone, we aren't too sure yet. We're thinking he'll leave somewhere around the 14th-15th--but it hasn't been confirmed. As far as a return date, we have no idea. We think it'll be right around the time of my graduation, which is January 15th.

But i'll do my best to keep everyone up to date.. and i'll post pics that Jon sends me while he's over in Iraq. Thank you all for your prayers and support through this! It was just so unexpected and knowing that we (I) have people that will help us (me) through this is such a comfort! If anyone is wanting to take a vacation to Florida anytime soon, let me know! I would love the company!!! :)