greetings, from newport!

Here I sit in this empty church parking lot, hacking into someone’s wireless. Something about being on a military base makes me think that some Jack Bauer-like character is going to drop from the trees and tell me I’m doing something to violate national security. Let’s hope this doesn’t trigger that.

I’m here! First of all, it is beautiful. The weather is perfect and this town is so charming. I don’t want to forget a single second of this experience. In so many ways, it feels extremely surreal. When I saw Andrew for the first time, it was exactly how I expected it to be. I (of course) was in tears just waiting for him - before I even saw the handsome thing come walking across the grass in his uniform. Before he was even close enough for me to see the familiar lines of his face, I could tell that he was beaming. Which made me melt, duh. It was perfect. I stood there for several seconds, just taking it all in. It didn’t feel real. Or allowed. I kept thinking that at any minute, someone was going to run up and tell him that he did something horrible and he can’t graduate. OCS has a way of inducing stomach ulcers, taking away any bit of optimism I possess and overall, teaching me that hoping for anything will always lead to disappointment. It’s rather depressing.

I was able to spend a couple of hours with Andrew throughout the day, when I first got on base and again after dinner. We just sat on a bench in front of the cutest little church and “visited.” It felt very much like we were courting (leave enough room for the Holy Spirit!). But it was so nice to be able to carry on a conversation, uninterrupted, FACE-TO-FACE. He got to show me around, so I could have a visual for all I’ve been imagining over the last three months. He walked me through the first day, from the Candio dropping them off at the stairs at the main building to the chaos that ensued thereafter (and for the next several weeks). I’m so glad this is done – I can’t believe all that he’s been through. He kept saying, “You shouldn’t be here. This place is horrible, you don’t belong here.” I think his worlds were colliding, and two very different worlds they are.

Later this afternoon is PIR (pass in review) when the regiment is handed down and they are relieved of duty. Hi Moms is tonight (pics of our snazzy outfits coming later!) and graduation is first thing in the morning. Then he is done, sir, done. I think that’s one of about 500 new military phrases that are going to be introduced into my vocabulary.

Oh, what a sweet time it is. God is so faithful, no?