August 10, 2013

FINALLY

After 73 days of anticipation, finishing summer school, teaching at camps, being a part of one of my best friend's weddings, and letting myself cry over those "soldiers coming home" videos several times, I FINALLY got to go to Ft. Jackson to see Drew.

My parents and I drove about 15 hours to get there. I was supposed to be studying in the car (my degree oral exam is on Tuesday), but I pretty much just spent the whole time internally freaking out, talking to whoever I could, and going nuts on social media....so thanks for sticking with me through that ;)

SO, we arrived safely AND I even slept that night (kind of). Crazy, right?!

Excited about our hotel's recognition of the local Army base...but "lol" to "Congratulation"...apparently singular.

On the morning of "I GET TO SEE DREW," we met up with his wonderful momma (YAY!) and sat down on some soggy bleachers- with the hugest amount of nervous/anxious/excited butterflies I've ever experienced in my life, btw...



We started to see movement behind the trees and realized "BAH! THEY'RE BACK THERE!"

Lots of yellow smokey things were thrown and lots of booming happened (shown above) and then they CRANKED "Soldier" by Otherwise (never heard of them, but super cool song and incredibly effective) and all our Army boys/girls came charging through the trees and smoke into formation.

It. Was. Awesome.

*Drew later told me that there quite a few casualties in the stampeding process...not real casualties...you know. Kind of funny if you think about it. 
Poor guys were so excited!!


Luckily at this point they didn't have much to say before they let us all loose to mass chaotically find our loved ones. It probably took us 5 minutes to get out of the bleachers, but LET ME TELL YOU, those may have been the longest few minutes of my life!!!

Finally found him. Couldn't get to him. Maybe almost cried...but I didn't (so proud).

So we just stared at each other like this for a little while....


And finally. 


Good grief. 


Wait, what does your face look like again??


I think my face looked like this the whole day.


And then there was this. **Swoon.


Army can't take the goof out of him ;) 

We really had a wonderful day and a half. My parents met Drew's mom for the first time which was GREAT, Drew got coffee (he was very adamant about the coffee), and I got to meet Drew's new trumpet colleague and his wife (although we've actually been in correspondence all summer...whining, angsting, etc)!

But seriously, I really can't put into words how proud I am of Drew! Not only is he an incredible person and a ridiculously talented trumpet player, but now he's a soldier. A soldier that gets to play the trumpet for a living :) 

Now I get to count down the days until I graduate (if I pass my exam Tuesday....say a prayer or five for me) and fly to DC on Saturday!!!

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend. If you're a new follower, please say hello so I can get to know you! And don't forget to enter the MEGA ad space giveaway going on :)

Don't forget to say hello!


1 comment:

  1. So of course I LOVE this entry & the pictures! It was an awesome experience and I feel so blessed to have been able to share it with you and your parents and of course Drew! You will be in my prayers this week :)

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