I'm Officially Never Going to Sleep Again

This week started out wonderfully, and except for the darn Steelers/Jets game the weekend was just about perfect! Not that I was rooting for the Jets, but football is one thing that Andrew and I will never see eye-to-eye on... but that is another story for another day. Moral of the story: GO PACKERS!

Monday was hands-down the BEST day since deployment started.... and it'll be hard to top in the 350+ days we have left. Mom (Dolan) and I spent the day at The Spa at the Hotel Hershey. Ladies: this is something you must do for yourselves every once in a while. Deployment or not, we all have stressors in our lives and I cannot tell you how much a day of pampering can do for you. It was simply wonderful. We spend hours at the hotel. We had lunch in our robes at a special restaurant only open for spa guests and visited all the shops inside the hotel. We even brought home cupcakes so that Dad could enjoy the benefits of our day, too!

I decided that while we were there, we might as well meet with the wedding coordinator since I still don't have the contract I asked for almost 2 weeks ago. She agreed to meet with us and she put my mind at ease. Sometimes I forget I still have over 18 months to plan this wedding! We talked about some details and she recommended a photographer (who I already contacted) and a DJ so I am checking things off my to-do list left and right! I absolutely can not wait to get married at the Hotel. Being there on Monday really made everything sink in and it actually feels real now! Even in the winter, with all the plants dead and the grounds half-covered with snow, it is beautiful. In the summer... it will be simply breathtaking.

Aside from Monday, this week I have gotten back into the swing of things and the fact that deployment is actually happening and will actually be for a full year has really started to sink in. Sunday and Monday night Andrew sent me emails about 10 minutes after I went to bed. I can't express how frustrating it has been to wake up in the morning to emails from someone you love who is so far away and know that you won't be able to communicate with them for another 20 or more hours. I felt so out of the loop with Andrew's whole life, I didn't even know where he was (expect for that he wasn't to his final destination yet) and it was hard to know that if I had just stayed up 15 minutes longer I would have been able to talk to him.

Last night we had our weekly Bowling League. I love it! We are the Bowlin' Dolans (PPF, as Aunt Lori calls it: Aunt Kathy is a Past Dolan; Aunt Lori and Aunt Mary are Present Dolans; and I am the Future Dolan) and even though we (mostly me) don't have the best average, boy do we have fun- and we won 4 out of 4 games this week! It is so nice to have something to look forward to each week, and as always the Dolans are the best family I could possibly marry into! I couldn't ask for a more supportive and loving bunch of people! Everyone was excited to hear any news from Andrew, but unfortunately I didn't have any. It's tough to not have ANY news for people who also care so much about his well-being.

When I got home after bowling and dinner at Hennigans (also a weekly tradition) I thought I would be able to out-smart whatever force decided that Andrew and I shouldn't be communicating these last few days. I went to bed around 11:30 to read, but kept my iPod there so that it would ding if I got an email or Facebook Message. When it "ding-ed" (dung?!?) around midnight I was so excited! I immediately messaged Andrew back and was absolutely heartbroken when he said he only had 2 minutes left on the computer. Memories of our 5 minute calls after each 3 week phase of Ranger School came rushing back to me: each of us hurrying to say everything we felt was important in the little time we had. Not so much communicating, rather talking at each other. We did get our "I love yous" in though so will count that as a plus.

After Andrew signed off I felt defeated again. It was a let down that we didn't get to have a conversation like I have been dreaming about for the past week. Tonight hopefully I will learn my lesson and just stay up all night until I hear from my soldier. This morning I awoke to a long email from Andrew, though which made me feel a lot better about things. I got updated on which FOB (Forward Operating Base) he is at and how long he thinks he will be there (about another 2-3 days).

My favorite line of the email made me giggle. I can totally hear Andrew saying this to me:

".... so all-in-all I'm doing well. The food is good, the sleep is plentiful, the tents are warm, and we [poop] in plastic bags.  What more could a guy want in life?" 

I may have edited the "pooping" word slightly, but you get the picture. He sounds upbeat and happy. He also got word that come April he will most certainly probably get his own platoon, which is exactly what he was aiming for. He will be leading 40 men into battle and I can't think of anyone better suited for that job. It's what he has trained for, what all the blood, sweat and tears (to be clear: his blood, his sweat, my tears) during Ranger School were working towards, and it is what he is destined to do.