4 Months Ago was January

That was the best perspective anyone has given me during these past few days. My friend B told me that last week before Cowboy left. And it sounds a lot better than 120 days and 8 paychecks, my own timely perspective of it.

Its official, he is gone.

I wasn’t as bad as I thought I was going to be, at the airport, saying goodbyes. We had carpooled with another member of his unit and that guy had to say goodbye to his 10 year old daughter. That was more emotional to watch than say goodbye to Cowboy. Probably because the little girl just cried her heart out. And 4 months is forever when you are that age.

Another reason I managed to pull it together was their flight makes a stop at a base, here in the US before departing overseas. Technically, he is still here. I think it’s going to hit me harder when I know he is for sure on desert land. And then there was my gift to him – not a rosary.
That adventure just needed to end. Bev sent me a link to a Church with a bookstore, I called and get this! No rosaries for sale. If the Catholic Church bookstore didn’t have any, I was willing to call it a done deal.

So, I wrote him the longest love letter of my life and included a ring that I pretty much wear at least two to three times a week. Not my signature bling. He said he will wear the ring with his dog tags and was speechless over the letter. I gave it to him right before he boarded so he could read it on the plane or at the hotel, not in front of me. Just keeping my emotions in check to be brave.

We were so lucky that this past weekend felt like a vacation to both of us. The hours were long and great. We spent a lot of time in bed. And then we came up for air to hit a barbecue joint and Target. Have you been to a Target lately? Super, super cute clothes. I was thisclose to buying a maternity dress, it was so cute. I haven’t really been able to browse a Target for awhile, so everything was a great find.

Sunday I cooked him his last home cooked meal of steak and potatoes – which reminds me: I love this lady! This is where I learned to really cook a steak. She’s hilarious and her picture step by step guide to all her recipes are the best. I love her and I’m sure you will too, if you like to cook, that is.

And then it was Monday. Boo. Another great piece of advice came from one of Cowboy’s old room mates – not the future step daddy of That Baby, but the other one, the much, much nicer one. He told us, we have to think of the 3’s. The 3’s? It will be the saddest days for you during the first three days. It will take three weeks for you to get used to your new situation and three months will be here before you know it and that’s when you will be like, “where did the time go?”

Here’s to the 3’s and the feeling of 4 months ago was just January.