He's finally back!

After 4 plane delays he finally made it in :)  I spotted him right off the plane and couldn't stop the happy tears then.  I've been all smiles ever since the ceremony.  His family and I got to have dinner with him and then he and I had few hours to ourselves last night before leaving early this morning.  Unfortunately it was a very brief visit, but block leave will be here soon enough.
Now I just need these next few weeks of classes and work to fly by so that I can go with him and his family for an extended Labor Day weekend for a welcome home party out in Nebraska.  Oh boy, things are getting serious, finally meeting the whole family after 6.5 years ;)

Photos from the day:

Finally spotted him coming off the plane.  Look at that big smile :)

Welcome home hug and kiss.

I was shaking at this point.

Lost in conversation.

The family plus me.

His momma and I.

And this is the face you make when your 15 minutes are up.

Look at all those bags!

This is exactly what I needed

I had a really awesome Friday, and it was the much-needed boost to my mood that finally got some pep into me.  I got more news on Thursday about how the Army keeps shuffling around “boots on the ground” day, and it’s really starting to get to me.  I shouldn’t be surprised though after all the shuffling with R&R.  I guess I’m still trying to learn the ropes.

I had so much fun at placement, and even got to have lunch with my kid sister and her boyfriend who lives in the same town as my placement.  I felt so bad, I was supposed to be done with a baby’s hearing test at 1 but the child did not cooperate and would not stop crying, so the appointment ran over by 45 minutes.  My sister and her boyfriend waited for me for that whole 45 minutes in the parking lot for lunch.  Thankfully, I managed to call them and my supervisor let me take my hour-long lunch break with them, just starting later than usual.  So it was good to catch up with my sister and her boo. 

Then, when I got out of placement, I had some free time before dinner with my cousin and found a cute little bridal/pageant gown store that was having a $25 dress sale.  Yes, $25!! Needless to say, I just had to go and check it out.  Well….. I ended up finding something.  I got a $250 gown for $25, and it fits like a dream!!  AND to top it all off, it's even long enough I can wear heels with it!  Boyfriend and I will be going to his brother’s senior military ball at some point in the spring, and who knows if there may be a ball or two once boyfriend gets home.  Eh, can’t ever go wrong with a pretty red dress right?

I also got some FANTASTIC news on the school front- I GOT MY RESEARCH ASSISTANT POSITION AGAIN!!! EEEEEE! That means, stipend and tuition and fee waiver for another 3 semesters… woot!! I also got a raise, so no complaints from this girl!  I sent boyfriend an email, so hopefully he gets the news soon.  Thanks to the greater financial stability, that means I can totally go visit my BFFs who will be teaching abroad in china for a year!  Now on to get that pesky passport applied for.  

Homecoming Expectations

Well, the nervous jitters have begun to set in.  While boyfriend's return is still a bit away, the donut keeps shrinking further and further.  I have already talked to professors and have my possible leaving already secured should it happen to fall during a class and during external placement.  The one hold out is the need for someone to cover my on campus clinical shift.  There is only 1 person in the entire program that can possibly cover my shift.... one.  Needless to say I am going to do some MAJOR ass kissing and I am not above bribery.

Boyfriend's mother has started to plan away for homecoming things.  She has the hotels we are staying at booked (oy, rookie mistake... always pencil not pen right?), dinner reservations, excursions planned and signs/posters made.  While I am very appreciative of all of this, I feel stuck in the middle.  I have been with boyfriend for 6 years now, it's not like I'm a recent development.  Yet, when I asked to have some private time just the two of us amongst all the hustle and bustle of the arrival ceremony, you would have thought I was asking for it to be all about me that whole weekend.  Yes, I am only able to stay during the weekend due to class and clinical commitments so I would like some extended time.  And yes, I also understand he is her oldest, and this is his first deployment so emotions are running rather high.

After being the last to arrive to meet him at the airport for his R&R, and then have to see each other for the first time in front of his entire family, I am craving that moment for just the two of us.  I didn't get a welcome home kiss until he walked me to my car, but at least he made it a good one ;)  I may be romanticizing the ceremony, but is it really too much to ask to have a few moments to just the two of us? I guess I'm just feeling lost with expectations and trying to please everyone else.  I wish I could talk to boyfriend and see what he wants, and to let him make the decisions for what he wants to do.  Oy, all this planning is really starting to give me panic attacks, seeing the donut hitting single digits is really tweaking me out.

So, any advice? Am I being unreasonable and very selfish? I just don't know what to think anymore...

Holy crap- single digits!

Sooner than expected?

Got to talk to dearest boyfriend the other day for the first time since he left for the 'stan after R&R.  He had some good news, and may be coming home MUCH sooner than expected! *YAY*! Lessons learned from R&R however, just take it one week at a time, don't get too ahead of myself just yet :)

I did make the mistake of moving my donut date up a few weeks to the earlier time he said he may be returning, and that my friends is called the bad idea bears.  Whoops! I promptly changed it back to a slightly more realistic date.  Now I just have to fight the battle with my clinical supervisors to get times switched if need be for the big ceremony.  They said they will be trying their best to work with me but not to get my hopes up *sigh*.  It's always something.  They even said, "well, didn't you just see him?" Oy!

Any helpful tips/tricks for navigating all this stuff?  Any homecoming faux pax I need to avoid? This will be my first ceremony and I don't know what to expect other than lots of tears of joy.

Classes are going well, and I've been doing WAY too much retail therapy lately.  I got a new swimsuit that was super cute, now I just need to hit the gym a little more and cut back on the snacks to feel amazing haha.  Well, I'm off to cram in some more baking to send off one more care package before it is too late.