Zero Week

So they tell you that Basic Training is eight weeks long..but they don't count in Zero Week.

The hardest week ever!
That is the week I take my husband to the airport and watch him fly away from me.

I have stayed strong this whole time ..supporting and being a great cheerleader for my husband..while the moment I get time to myself I break down because I am nervous about running this house by myself..I don't want him to go and I know I am going to miss him terribly!

January 1, 2013
We go to out processing. He tests...I wait. He signs papers..I can feel my stomach inching it's way up into my throat.
Then the man says, "Be at the airport at 04:45.....tomorrow"

What! Tomorrow!
This is happening Tomorrow!

I mean it isn't like they just sprung this on us.. We knew it was coming. He is excited for it. I want to go into the fetal position.

Ok.. I pull it together..put on a smile and tell my husband how proud I am of him.

We grab some last minute things that he needs to pack and we spend the day as a family just relaxing.

That night. I broke. I broke hard.
I broke uncontrollably.
How can you be so proud of your husband for wanting to serve our country and wanting to provide a better life for you but secretly wish that he would just put his dreams aside and stay HOME!

I feel asleep crying that night while he held me. It was like the roles were reversed. I wasn't leaving ..he was..yet he was comforting me.

He woke up the next morning at 3am .. had his bags pack and looked at me and said, " No more tears..let's get this over with"

With tears in my eyes I muster out a whimpy, "ok"

So we grab baby girl, get in the car, and head to the airport.

At the airport Lyla was fully awake. I swear God's hand was on her .. I guess she didn't want to miss the last moments with dad before he left. I was expecting her to be fully asleep..it was actually the opposite.

This picture breaks heart even today.

Once we watched him walk through the gate. We went around the airport to a gravel lot to watch Daddy's plane take off. It was a 32 degree freezing morning. I tried so hard to be strong in front of Lyla but I just couldn't find the strength. I cried so hard I was shaking. She wiped my tears and told me she would be my sunshine while Daddy was gone. Thank you God! God was definitely there with us that morning because I don't think either one of us could have handled this without his touch.

Daddy's plane took off and went out of sight.
Lyla said it sounded like thunder.
We waved goodbye and drove home....alone.

 

Gregg would be on his own journey and there was no way I could help him or make it any easier for him.

Meanwhile Lyla and I were on a journey ourselves of learning to cope without Gregg and keep ourselves busy for the next nine weeks.

Oh Lord..How is this going to turn out?

Can I do it?

I know I can..but what if I just don't want to.

Once we get home..by the grace of God Lyla goes back to sleep and I try to rest with her.

At 7am I get a text from Gregg telling me that flying is awesome..and he has just arrived in Dallas. He hasn't flown since he was a very young child. He has to rush though to catch the next plane to San Antontio.

 

Once in San Antonio he is to find the USO and stay there until a bus picks them up and takes them to the Lackland Air Force Base. I tell him to try to catch a nap before the chaos begins but he says it is so packed there is no where to even stand.

My heart is breaking because there is nothing I can do for him. I want to help. I want to comfort.

He grabbed some lunch.. and found a recliner to relax in. Good. I'm more calm. He's resting. Now I start praying for the next nine weeks to go by faster than I have ever imagined!

 

Here we are:

Zero Week

 

...I got the quick scripted call at 9pm that he was there safely...I had the template of the address ready ..all I had to do was fill in numbers when he called. I told him we already had a letter written and would send it off as soon as possible.