Post-Wedding + Pre-Deployment

I married him on a warm August afternoon with the sun and big gorgeous clouds overhead and the people we adore all around us. It was beautiful and hot and I didn't even get to talk to everyone that came. I felt so incomparably happy, as if I was living a surreal fairy tale, but it was real and it was my life! So many incredible people made it happen and we are humbled and blessed by the whole event.

He whisked me away to the southern Caribbean for a blissful tropical cruise with horses and dolphins and islands. Then we moved into our first home in Manhattan Kansas. The little apple. And we lived happily by the grace of God for two whole months. We immediately found a great little church that we love and made some wonderful new friends.

But all good things must come to an end. Or as in our case, a hiatus at the very least. My soldier's nine month deployment to Kuwait became real once we received his Orders. We rented a storage unit and started packing up the things I'd just finished completing our home with. I stopped buying groceries and starting making weird composite dishes of whatever food was in the fridge.

And last week was the hardest yet, for a few reasons, but we survived. I decided mascara was futile and went without. There were some hard, dark nights where I questioned a lot of things, including things unrelated to this army life. But I learned grace and forgiveness in my marriage, and I'm continuing to learn how to exhibit both.

I'm living the final few days of semi-normal life with my brand new husband. They bumped up his leave-day, so he leaves earlier than we had planned. And I plan on leaving the day after him, so all the packing/moving/storing will be done. Those wonderful new friends we made are helping to make that all happen.

I am learning a lot about this military life. I'm very proud of my strong and capable Lieutenant. He works very hard and represents the best of what America has to offer. But that doesn't make this whole process much easier. Quite frankly I expect to cry a lot at random times.

Many of you have asked how to pray for us. I cannot express to you how powerful your prayers have been in the recent weeks. Thank you.


Things to pray for:
- Emotional stamina these next 6 days
- Aaron's safe passage to his base in Kuwait. For quick layovers and arrival.
- Kelly's safe journey back to South Carolina
- That all 247 days apart will only enhance their love and unity
- For Aaron to find good, godly community at his base in Kuwait
- For Aaron's purpose at his base to keep him and his soldiers busy
- That this would be a special time of individual growth and spiritual maturity in both Kelly and Aaron's lives
- That Kelly would be productive in her Master's program and various pursuits while staying with her parents in NC
- For Kelly to be able to find them a good home in Kansas next summer to move into before Aaron gets back
- Safety: physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally. 

If any of you would like to send Aaron a care package, or contribute to my regular care packages for him, please let me know! I know every little thing from home means so much to them.
Aaron is missing our first holidays as husband and wife:Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and my birthday. Any chance to make the roughly 7,000 miles between us feel less!

And because I like to drown my sorrows in humor...

Wedding photos by Julia Laible Photography