The Train Wreck...

I've had a really relaxing day.. No kiddos for a few hours so I went shopping for a little bit. Then read a book at the book store (of course then I had to buy it since I didn't want to put it down lol) But now that I'm home in a quiet place I decided to write.. Not sure what about but hey I did start this to ramble!

Patrick was telling me a story of how one of his buddies told his wife about their deployment to Afghanistan. His wife thought something completely different was up and the whole thing turned out pretty funny to me. (Probably not so funny to her at the time, I'm sure she laughs now though) And it made me think back to our phone call or what I ended up calling that phone call.. "The Train Wreck"

Patrick and I had been in college and we were making plans to get married late in the summer (even though I had really wanted to get married April 24th) He was busy filling out applications to a job in Virgina. We figured might as well move while were young and enjoy it. We spent our money like crazy simply because we could. He had no clue how much money I made.. I had no clue how much money he made but we always shared in the spending for whoever had it! lol

One Monday we stayed home from school. He had a job interview. A summer job till hopefully he got the one in Virgina. After that guy offered him a job we went and looked at an apartment. One the guy said he'd hold for us for the last five weeks of school (Sweet!) Then we picked out wedding bands on the way back down to school. We got about half way there when his phone rang. It was a friend of his from his unit so I didn't think much of it till he pulled over in tears. Now we had joked several times while planning the wedding that we'd get it all worked out and he'd get deployed. I never imagined it'd really happen. So here we are on the side of a road and I'm dying to hear what his friend is telling him. I'm crying because I knew what was going on. Before he told me he made it to a gas station and that's where we made our phone calls. We first told them the good news. We'd be getting married in 12days so start planning a wedding. Then we had to explain why. For hours we set in our car either crying holding each other or crying on the phone to a family member or friend. Each one upset but ready to help us plan our wedding. After that car ride nothing has been the same for Patrick and I.

We got back down to school. Not willing to spend the night without each other we got a hotel room. Shortly before we fell asleep Patrick begged me not to cry anymore because it was killing him. That's when my first lesson as a future army wife was learned. I can't fall apart. Its to much of a distraction to him. I'm allowed moments but I should hold it together as much as I can for him. That's what I've done and will continue to do. The next day we set out on getting Patrick graduated from college.. three weeks early. The reason why things had to happen so quickly. They had to report to their armory 14 days after the phone call. That's right, just two weeks. Some notice!

Thankfully our college was great and Patrick was able to make up all the work he needed to to finish his degree. It took him three years to get a two year degree thanks to an earlier deployment so he wasn't about to give up. I helped him all I could. My grades slipped because I couldn't focus. I worked all the hours I could to get some money saved.

Back home our moms were busy getting a wedding around to happen on Saturday April 24th (The very original date we had picked out but had changed three times lol) When ever we got a chance we'd go buy the little details we wanted to pick out ourselves. The Saturday before I dragged my poor best friend home with me. She along with my cousins and our moms all went shopping with me to get what was needed. I say my poor friend because Angie had to put up with a lot from me for those two weeks. Looking back I wouldn't have wanted to live with me either. I'm high strung and stressed out on a normal day but give me two weeks to plan a wedding and say goodbye to my new husband.. I was probably a real bitch. But she was great and were still best friends!

Our wedding day came and went. It was all over so quickly. But it was beautiful. I couldn't have planned a better wedding if I was given more time. We all celebrated the wedding without a care in the world. I added a few touches to the wedding to let Patrick know we all supported him in his career but the wedding was truly just about us.

Sunday night I was drove back down to school by my mom and brother. I was lost and hardly went without a fight. Patrick stayed with his parents and reported for duty the next morning. Talk about a short honeymoon!

After that we spent one more weekend together and he was gone for six weeks. I wasn't aloud to see him. On his first 24 hour pass we got the greatest gift.. or should I say we created the greatest gift. Our first little girl was a result of the army finally letting my husband go for a night! hehe..

We never planned to have children so early on in our marriage. We always said we'd wait at least two or three years. But I can honestly say I wouldn't know what I would have done that year if it hadn't been for my little girl. While pregnant I told myself I had to stay strong. Stress on a baby is not good. So I kept myself as healthy and strong as I possibly could. After she was born I told myself that a newborn needs a strong parent. No falling apart because she needed me. Makennah saved me from myself. I'm forever thankful that I had her as my distraction for the year.