Independent Dependent

They call us "dependents." But we are far from dependent. We are probably the most independent, self sufficient, determined and resolved group of married individuals on the planet. Honestly, sometimes, it feels like it'd be more accurate to call the military member the dependent, rather than us spouses, as they seem to be the ones that rely on us to make sure their lives run smoothly, to make sure that the bills are paid, the animals and kids taken care of, the meals on the table, the chores done around the house and all the million other little things that we do.

Who, pray tell, is packing our lunches? Washing our clothes? Pampering us? Attending our functions and supporting us? We are left alone for months on end and in foreign countries sometimes without our spouses there, due to their call to duty. We have learned to be self reliant and to not count or depend on anyone but ourselves. We have to...if we sat around wishing and hoping and whining that our spouses aren't able to be here or to do this, we'd not only go crazy, but we'd probably all become bitter and jaded. Of course it sucks...it'd be nice to have them there with us at our functions, at our ceremonies, in our day to day lives, but that's just not the way of this life we chose and we know that, so we push on and push aside the feels of loneliness, of sadness and of partial abandonment. We know that although we'd never dream of missing one of their big moments or achievements, they unfortunately, won't make it to most of ours or be there for those things. And sometimes they may not even realize how important something is to us, because heaven knows we'd never ask them to drop their lives and be there...why? Two reasons I think...1) because we know they can't always do that; and 2) because it'd be nice for them to consider these things and do them on their own without prompting (if extenuating circumstances don't prohibit them from actually doing that, of course) and we also don't want them to feel obligated to do things. So we keep on and do what we do and never let on that we are sad and hurt and feel a little alone and unrecognized because deep down we know that we are an integral part of their lives and one that they could not function without. So we find out peace and happiness in our self reliance and inner strength and knowing that we are happy and able to make it in life without anyone but ourselves.

I am not complaining at all...this is who I am and regardless of being a military spouse, I have always been this way and nurtured and taken care of my husband. I just find it interesting that they call us dependent, when in reality, we don't need anyone to hold our hands or do anything for us...we've got this life down pat, single handedly and are anything but dependent. We find a strength deep within us to carry on and to go without the physical, emotional or mental support that we might other wise need and want.

So take pride in knowing that YOU are probably the reason your spouse is so successful and know that you are an amazing person and are valued and stronger than you know. You are far from dependent-you are a military spouse and are stronger than even you may realize.

Dreams Do Come True

This morning Greg called me and I could tell by the tone in his voice that he had news...I knew it was regarding the approval we have been waiting on for me to join him at his duty station. I didn't know if it was good or bad, but deep down I felt like it was good news. I suppressed the feeling though because I didn't want to get my hopes up and be disappointed if it was bad news and we weren't approved. He went on to tell me that he had just gotten a call from his 1st SGT and that it was approved and orders were in the process of being cut!!! I couldn't believe it!! After 4 months of anxious waiting, continuous follow up, constant worry and fervent prayer, we finally received our approval!! No longer do we need to live an ocean apart, no longer do we have to talk, text and email over a million different apps, no longer do we have to say good night and blow each other kisses and laugh and share our lives over a webcam! We get to have our lives back and be a normal husband and wife again! I know, I know, having that in the military is something we have to willingly sacrifice, and we have for the last 10 months! But as a military couple, when we get the chance to be together again we are EXCITED beyond belief and are going to enjoy every minute of it and be thankful for such an incredible blessing! Especially since we know that at many other points in time in his military career we will once again be separated for months and months at a time. Now all we have to wait on our my orders to be cut...once we have those, we can start moving and getting everything finalized.

For the first few hours after he told me, I was definitely excited but I think I was also just relived and also maybe a little bit in shock. As I was driving up to the lake to go to a function, it all the sudden hit me...I am going! I am going? Holy crap...I am going! It was thrilling, terrifying, exciting and heartbreaking all at the same time!

Later on in the afternoon he called again to tell me he had orders in his hands!! Wow! That was fast! We really weren't expecting them to actually cut them in any sort of timely manner (as we know full well at this point "hurry up and wait" is the name of the game). Thankfully that was not the case though and now that I have my orders I can start getting everything else lined up! Hopefully everything else goes as just as quickly and smoothly! I am so very excited and feel so blessed that the Lord opened all the doors and has kept us in His hands throughout this! Thankful for all His blessings and for dreams coming true!!

His Arms Around Me

I would give anything to be able to snuggle up with my husband. I miss his arms around me, his hand in mine, his kisses and the way he looks at me. I fall asleep every night concentrating hard, trying to remember what it feels like to have him lying there beside me with his strong arms wrapped around me, holding me, cradling me next to him, keeping me safe...our breathing matched breath for breath as we hold each other and drift off to sleep. I miss being able to roll over and snuggle into his back and let the world fade away. I miss us falling asleep holding hands or playing footsie. Those little moments are precious and so dearly missed. Odd as it may seem, if I shut everything else out and only let my mind and heart think of him, I can almost feel his strong arms around me and I feel as though I am snuggled safely and lovingly beside him. I can't wait of the day where that is no longer something I have to imagine or dream of, but it is a beautiful truth that I once again get to experience. One day soon; and until then, I will keep him in my heart and keep dreaming and remembering the amazing feeling of being in my husband's arms...safe, happy, loved and peaceful.

Sleep Alone

We chose this life and are strong enough to handle it

I am seriously frustrated lately with people outside the military and their lack of understanding or knowledge on how life works as a military wife, couple and family. Everyone seems to have an opinion on how we should live our lives, what decisions we should make, what we should do. But oddly enough those people that are so willing to give their opinions, they sound like complete imbeciles with what they say and suggest, as they have no idea what they are talking about. If you can't stand behind us and be there for us no matter what, then honestly, we don't need you and your meddling ways in our lives. How can you say you are behind us and support us, and then when there are things we have to do, chose to do or want to do, that are best suited for us and our family, you decide that we are wrong and you try to step in and tell us what we should do instead. Uh, excuse me? Do you even know what you are talking about? Do you have any idea why we are doing these things or why we made these decisions? Do you even understand how important it is for us to make these decisions and to fight for our family and fight to be together and to pursue the things that will allow us to be as normal a family as possible? Being in the military is hard. It's a lot of work. It requires so much of each service member, each spouse and each child. And we have to fight for each little thing, that you as a civilian family take for granted. But just because we are in the military, doesn't mean we shouldn't enjoy those things too. We deserve as normal a life as possible and will do whatever we have to do to make that happen and to be together. Yes, being a military family is hard. Being apart is hard. Having separate lives is hard. Having pets and a home and kids to care for alone is hard. Being away from your family for months on end is hard. Being in a war zone and laying your life on the line is hard. But you know what people? We chose this life. We willingly chose to be part of this life and support our spouse as they walk this path. We chose it with them, and understood all it would entail. We are proud of our spouses and the decision they made to serve their country...and we are proud of ourselves for our decision to stand beside and behind them. It's not easy for them, nor is it easy for us...but we don't even look at it that way. We knew what would be required of us before we ventured down this path and with open arms, we have welcomed all the joys, pain, trials and triumphs that we continually encounter along the way. Each day makes us stronger. Each day builds our resolve. Each day we find new joys and new beauty in the little things. I think we see life more clearly than a lot of people in the civilian world. We have stopped taking the small things for granted and no longer focus on the inconsequential things that once frustrated or tore us apart. Instead we focus on the good things, the little blessings, the beautiful moments. We are well aware of all the trials that life throws at us (more often than not there is something we are dealing with), but we are well equipped and ready to face each trial head-on and find a solution to each one. We refuse to let it get us down or to focus on the negatives. We can't. Time is too precious and life is too short to not fight for what we have, to not live every day to the fullest, to not love with all we have and to not cherish each moment we have with our spouse. It doesn't matter if they are right by our side or halfway across the world...the little things become the most beautiful and knowing that you are capable and strong each on your own and even stronger together, that security, happiness and knowledge cannot be replaced by anything else. So if you can't understand that, or if you want to try to pretend you understand what our life entails and tell us how we should do things, you can step off your high horse, walk a mile in our shoes and then see if you are so high and mighty with your opinions and grand ideas. Not to be cruel, but I imagine that those people wouldn't be able to do what we do...it takes a lot of strength, a lot of determination, a lot of perseverance and a strong will to fight for even the littlest thing. Especially if it means being a family and keeping us strong, happy and together, then we will do it, no matter the cost, no matter the fight. In our minds there is not other option...we military families and spouses, like our soldiers, marines and sailors...we understand our mission...we have accepted it with pride and determination, and we will see it through to the end, regardless of what may stand in our way. We are strong. We are proud. We are military spouses and families, damnit! And we won't be defeated or downtrodden by your ignorant and meddling ways.

Beautiful Truths

I love this! I am going to make a canvas in Heritage Makers and put our names and wedding date at the bottom! I love every single word and think it fits Greg and me perfectly! :)

Proud of Who I Am

I have been thinking a lot the last few days about who I am, what defines me, what has made me the person I am today and what I really hold dear. I am very proud of the person that I am. I am proud of my morals and my high standards. My ethics and how I live my life.

I am grateful that my parents instilled in me such a strong sense of family and of faith. They taught me how to be strong and proud of who I am and of the values that I consider important. They gave me the self confidence to be comfortable being different from everyone else and to take pride in standing up for my ideals. They taught me to never compromise and to never feel bad for standing firm in what I feel and know and hold true. I am not easily swayed and I never have been. If someone doesn't like me or what I believe in, then I am ok with that...I don't need their approval and I certainly don't need them in my life if they are going to judge me or try to ostracize me for what I believe. Really, go ahead...because when it comes down to it, I really don't care what you think. I know who I am. I know what I believe. I know what I hold dear. Very rarely will you find me compromising those things; it's just not me...who I am and what I believe is a part of me to my very core. I have the morals and values I need instilled deep inside me to take comfort in knowing that no matter what, I have the decency and self control to stay true to who I am and what I believe. I know what I want in life and what I expect of myself and of others. I am proud of who I am and those that really love me, love me for being exactly who I am and they know that my pride, my love and and my strength are what make me who I am.

I am a strong willed and strong minded person. If I don't want to do something, I don't do it. If it is outside my comfort level and it isn't something I want to try or be a part of, I have the clarity of mind and the inner strength to stand up and say no, and rather than feeling ashamed of being different, I feel a sense of pride knowing that regardless of the circumstances, I have held my ground and not compromised who I am or what I believe or want. On that same token, if I do want to do something and I have set my mind to it, there is no stopping me...I have seen my goal and I will achieve it, come hell or high water.

Thanks to my parents, my upbringing, and my faith, I feel that I am a very kind, genuine and hard working person. I am dedicated and live and love wholeheartedly. I learned to put others interests ahead of my own and find myself most happy and fulfilled when I am helping and serving others. I take care of those I love and protect them with a vengeance. I take pride in who I am and what I offer to myself, to my husband, to our families, friends and even strangers I come in contact with. I am not perfect by any means, but I do feel that I am a good person and that I am dedicated, faithful, loyal and true. Not only to those I love and hold dear, but to myself, my ideals, my beliefs and most importantly...my faith. I am glad that I am so strong willed and that I have such a strong sense of family, country and faith. I will never compromise or change who I am and I am grateful for those in my life who helped influence and shape me into the person I am today.

Hold On To Me

Our song. From the first time he held me and whispered these works in my ear and I cried on his chest...8 years later they still mean just as much...this song says it all about us, what we have been through, what we have and how strong our love is. Through the most beautiful times, the darkest moments and greatest distances, nothing can change what we have, it only makes us stronger. So blessed to call you mine! Thank you for loving me the way you do and for our wonderful life together! I couldn't ask for anything more or be any happier! Even if we are a whole world apart, what we have is enough and always will be. 


"I wanna wake up each morning
With you for the rest of my life
I wanna feel your heart beating
And just get lost in your eyes
You can tell me your secrets
You can let me feel your pain
You can show me your weakness
And never be ashamed

Hold on to me when your world's turnin' cold
When it feels like your life's spinnin' out of control
You're hopin', prayin', tryin' so hard to believe
Hold on to me when there's no middle ground
And every emotion is comin' unwound
And you don't know if you can hold on to your dreams
Baby you can hold on to me

I wanna lay down each evenin'
With you right here by my side
I wanna get drunk on your laughter
And wipe all the tears when you cry
You can scare me with your darkness
You can blind me with your light
Throw your worries out the window baby
On your wildest night

Hold on to me when your world's turnin' cold
When it feels like your life's spinnin' out of control
You're hopin', prayin', tryin' so hard to believe
Hold on to me when there's no middle ground
And every emotion is comin' unwound
And you don't know if you can hold on to your dreams
Baby you can hold on to me

Hold on to me when there's no middle ground
And every emotion is comin' unwound
And you don't know if you can hold on to your dreams
Baby you can hold on I said
Baby you can hold on I said
Baby you can hold on to me"

Pushing Through the Pain

I hate how somedays I just feel deflated and defeated. I wake up and just ache from missing my husband. Most nights I dream about him at least once and when I wake to find that he isn't there, a pain sets in that can't be filled with anything but his actual presence. The little things are hardest to get through...taking the dog out, making breakfast, doing chores...the little things we alway did together seem to mock me and my heartache. I just feel empty and unmotivated and have no energy. I hate it. I don't want to feel that way, and I try so hard to push through the pain and to feel happy. Somedays I can...those are usually the days I am busy and have a lot to do...the days that are harder are the quiet days at home where I have a long list of things to do, but being there without my husband has turned into a torture chamber. Then all the doubts and worry about if and when I will be joining him and the unknowns about my job and our finances and everything just start creeping up and drain the little bit of life I have left for that day. I do what I can to push through the pain and to keep my head up...there's not much else I can do. Thankfully the littlest things help...a phone call, a Skype session, a text...just being in contact with him and he making the time to communicate with me helps immensely. Each day is one day closer and in the end knowing our love is strong and we are there for each other helps to ease the pain. I will be ok. I will stay strong and I will make it through this.

Non-Issused, But So Needed!

Really makes you think about what they are going through and how much they give up for our freedom. Also helps you realize that you, as a spouse, significant other or even a parent, play a huge role in offering them stability and strength to know that you are not issued to them, but are there supporting them and loving them because you have chosen to do so and would not have it any other way and because they mean the whole world to you. You can't imagine not being there for them, but at the same time, you might not realize just how much it means to them that you are. Very proud of my husband and all the other military members and what they give up and do for us! And also very proud to be a military wife and a member of the silent ranks!

How Many Times?

Saying goodbye never gets any easier. I hate it. I push through and stay upbeat and positive, if for no other reason than to stay strong for him, since I know it is just as hard for him to be leaving all he knows and loves.

But the pain...the immense heartache of him walking away and getting on that plane once again...it is indescriblable unless you have experienced it first hand. It literally feels as though your heart has been ripped apart into two pieces and may never mend.

Both of us were trying so hard to be brave and stay strong for the other one. So many times there were tears in our eyes and just seeing the sadness and pain in the other one's face was horrible. We would make small talk and say sweet things and talk about what we would be doing and things to look forward to, and then at other times we would just hold each other and try to push away all the pain and the terrified feelings that are building up inside each of us.

This time hurt more than the last few...maybe because he just got home and was only here for 3 days, but really I think it was because all the other times we have said goodbye we had a date somewhere in the future where we knew we would inevitably see each other, and that hope was enough to lessen the pain of another goodbye. But this time, this time we don't have a set date, at least not yet. It could be a few weeks, it could be a few months, it could be a year. And that unknown, that is what tore us both apart. 

We said our final goodbye and hugged and kissed and hugged and kissed again and did our best to smile and be strong. Finally his plane took off and the last bit of him disappeared into the sky. I didn't want to, but I started crying before I even reached the car and try as I might I couldn't stop. The whole day I felt like an emotional wreck and like I might go crazy from all the pain and sadness. It hurt so bad. I just kept thinking to myself, "how many times can a person go through this without their heart just shutting off and shriveling up?" I just wanted to make it all go away and not feel anymore sadness.

Thankfully we got to talk throughout the day and his whole trip, which helped immensely. Being able to see his face and hear his voice and know that no matter how far apart we are, nothing is going to change, that helped ease the pain and helped give me hope for what lies ahead.

In the end, and with each goodbye, I am allowing myself to hurt and to feel sad as those feelings are legitimate; but I also work though it all and let it make me stronger and know that in the end we will be together again.

Each day is one day closer to finding out if I can join him, and if not, it is still one day closer to him coming home and us going to our next duty station together. We stay strong and we stay in touch and we fall in love everyday all over again by focusing on the little things and by loving each other every moment of every day, regardless of how far away we are!

So with each day, I carry on, I stay strong and I focus on each moment as it comes. Never losing sight of the mission that lies ahead of us both and the love that binds our hearts together...even if we are an ocean apart...that is nothing compared to what we have holding us together.

Very true

Hope he knows I know this!

Wow...

Easiest Thing... :)

Hitting rock bottom

Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you can look up and see the way out, that unfortunately has been there all along, but you haven't been willing to really see it until now. I have been in a dark place lately. A deep, dark, crushing place. Mentally and emotionally I have been exhausted, terrified and depressed. I have tried so hard to not be. I hate it. It's the last place I want to be. Sometimes I am able to be happy, to not let things bother me and to find joy in things and truly be content. But those moments are so fleeting...it seems like I'd be ok for a few days and then the dark, crushing wave would crash down on me again and despite my efforts to swim out of it and to reach the shore, it would drag me down to it's deepest and darkest depths and crush the life out of me. Ever since we found out about our OCONUS duty station and the possibility of me not begin able to go, I have been a complete and utter disaster. I have been angry, bitter, hurt, lonely, sad, jealous, depressed. I feel so alone and so completely at a loss of where my life is going and how I am going to survive. I have been to the darkest parts of myself and it is terrifying to know that that exists in me. I cry all the time. And sometimes when I do, I literally sob. My whole body shakes and I cannot breathe. What is truly frightening, is I know I am shaking partially because I have this incredible desire to hurt something, someone, anything really. And it's all I can do to contain myself and just cry without any danger ensuing on myself, the things around me or others near by. I am so angry. So incredibly angry. I have never felt this kind of anger before. I'm not even sure what I am angry at really. It's a multitude of things...the fact that my husband is away, that we built this life and I'm living it alone, that our choice to join the military is leaving me behind for awhile, that I am in limbo with my job, with our move, with what I want to do and where I want to go, that I am alone, that I am so in love with a man that I might lose one day. So many things scare me. No, they terrify me. They terrify me so much that the pain and heartache are overwhelming...my whole body hurts, my very core, my soul. Have you ever emotionally ached so bad that your soul and your body felt the pain all over, and you just think to yourself, "there has to be someway to stop this pain, something to make it hurt less"? But there isn't anything really, well nothing tangible that is. I know there is Something that will help...but I have been running from it...why? I couldn't tell you...because I feel like a failure, maybe. Or maybe it's because for the last 8 years I have ultimately run to Greg and let him comfort me and be my all, when really it should have never, ever been him solely in that role. And last night and tonight, I think I literally hit rock bottom. Do I dare say that I lost my will to live and I just wanted to run far, far away until everything faded away and I no longer felt anything. And in the midst of that and my terrified, painful, tear filled fog, I opened up my Bible. I started reading the daily Psalm and Proverbs. They were good, but nothing profound jumped out at me. I turned Pandora to the "Casting Crowns" station I had created, and slowly and surely, with each song that played, I found myself breaking down, letting go of all the pain and the anger and the heartache and I was running into His arms and His beautiful promises for my life. I started realizing things that have been getting in my way for years. And the biggest one...well, it has been my husband. I have put my whole life into our relationship and into him and his love and his presence in my life. And now that he isn't here, my life is falling apart. How sad is that? I have had my husband as my idol, my lord, my everything. I wanted nothing more than to be his everything and he be my everything, and that has been my biggest downfall. Yes, I need to devote myself to my husband and our life, I need to love him with my whole heart, and leave all others behind and cleave to him. I need to serve him and love him as Christ commands. But having it where my whole world revolved around him and our life, it only hurt me in the long run and should have only come after my relationship with the Lord and what I need to do personally in my life to be whole and fulfilled. With Greg gone, I found myself lost, incomplete, half alive. No wonder I have been struggling! I should be putting the Lord in those places...He needs to be my All. The place where I find my joy, my strength, my passion for life and my purpose in where I am and who I am. And maybe this is one of the main reasons that the Lord is taking me on this journey as an Army wife and where I am right now in limbo and alone. He is stripping me bare. He is taking away my comforts, the things I run to, the things I get lost in. He is pulling them away from me and leaving me empty and bare, until I realize that I need Him and I can't ever expect to be ok without His presence in my life and letting Him be number one. I then downloaded "Faith Deployed" onto my Nook. It is a book of devotionals for military spouses. And let me tell you, reading it is continuing to heal me. Helped me to see where I need to place my focus and to draw my strength from. I can't do it on my own. God is my strength. And I can really "do all things through Christ who strengthens me." He won't leave me or forsake me. He understands my heart, knows my needs and can heal me at each point and pain that I encounter. He will guide me in all I do, and I know that by placing myself in His hands and His will, I will grow more than I could ever imagine, I will be whole, I will experience joy, I will find solace, I will find love and peace. I also know that by doing all this and surrendering to Him, He will allow all this to strengthen my marriage and draw my husband and myself closer and closer, despite the distance and miles that may separate us. His will is perfect and if I just stop stressing out and fighting things, I will be perfectly ok, and my life and my husband and I will be just where we need to be...happy, content and perfectly at peace by trusting in the Lord and His plan for our lives. Hitting rock bottom, and the process of getting there might have been painful and horrific...but without it, I am not sure I would have been able to once again peacefully rest in the Lord and to place my focus in the right direction. I am ready for whatever may come my way, and I know that with the Lord and my amazing husband in my life, that in the end, no matter what may come, all will be well. And that, well, that is all I need. That is enough. In my weakness He is strong, with His strength I will carry on and in all things I will trust in Him.

This says it all! :)

Frustrated and Angry...just gotta vent, I guess...

I get so angry sometimes. I hate living apart. I just want to be with my husband. Is that too much to ask? It isn't fair. And then in the midst of that anger, I feel weak and that I can't do it anymore. How much heartache can one heart withstand? How am I supposed to just live my life and try to be a whole person when the one person who makes me whole is so far away? I'm not strong enough to do this. And the prospect of another year and whole world apart frightens me to the point of no return.

And I am so tired of being stuck in this stupid town with no husband, few friends and nothing to do. I want to be out of here already! I want to be doing fun things and enjoying my life and my hubby. I want my husband back and want so badly to be living the life we built together. I hope it is one day soon...I pray it is.

Somedays

I will admit...somedays are harder than others. Somedays I feel so alone, so sad, so far away. I would give anything to be with my husband and just living life day in, day out as a normal couple. The little moments are what I miss the most. Coming home and getting a hug and a kiss, sitting on the couch snuggled watching a movie, making dinner together, being able to look in his eyes when he tells me he loves me, being able to laugh together and share our lives.  Being able to go do things together and to have a best friend to share each moment with.

We have always had a really good relationship and are the very best of friends and loved doing all these things together. But now that those things, and that one person is so absent from your physical day to day life, it feels like half of you is missing. Half your heart is so far away and trying to live life without that person is a pain that never seems to subside.

People that are with their spouse every day have no idea what it is like to live apart. I can tell you that it has helped me realize what really matters, to enjoy the little things, to not take anything for granted and to love my husband with every fiber of my being. To know that no matter the time, the space, the distance or the miles, nothing will ever change our love and our commitment to one another. If anything it makes it stronger. It makes you grateful for the love you have and the time you actually get to spend together. The little, insignificant things no longer matter and you find yourself letting go of things you would have normally let bother you. Nothing else matters, except being with that person and truly loving them and enjoying every second that you have.

So, the times apart and the heartache that never leaves your soul when you are apart, you let that make you stronger and you carry on through it all. You look forward to the next beautiful hello and try not to think about the next painful goodbye. You reach for the moment you will see them next and hold on to the beauty and the love that will fill each hour spent together. You remember how much they love you and you let that calm your heart as best it can when you are thousands of miles apart. You hold on best you can and look forward to the next few hours, days or months you have together and know that no matter what, in the end our love will carry us through.

Strong & True

Even though my soldier enlisted a year ago, he was in the delayed entry program and he finally went to OSUT training 6 months ago. Sometimes it seems like it has been years, and then again it seems like it was only yesterday. We still have 4.5 years to go and I know that those years are going to be the best, the hardest, the most beautiful and the most memorable years of our lives. We knew when we signed up for this that it wouldn't be easy, but we are ready for that; and I can tell you that the last 6 months, despite the fact that we had little to no contact and despite the fact that we were thousands of miles apart, we are already stronger and deeper in love. Being apart and still being so in love, we realized that what we have is rare, it's beautiful and it is strong. Not everyone has it, but everyone we come across is in awe of it. We are blessed and fortunate. It is once in a lifetime. We are once in a lifetime. Best friends. Greg and I have been together for 8 years...we were 18 and we feel madly and deeply in love. It's never been another way for us. We have had our rough times...times that were deep and dark and we weren't sure what would happen, but those just made us stronger and helped us realize that we never want to lose one another. So these next 5 years we are ready. We are ready for what lies ahead-the adventures, the separations, the reunions, the beautiful small moments that last forever, the sad times, the hard times and most of all the times were we just melt into each other's arms and let the world fade away. We will make it. We will be stronger in the end. And we will never ever compromise what we have.