Okay, stream of consciousness over, I promise. Just had to include that little sidebar. Focus Kristina! I guess I'm just caught up in all the positiveness (possibly not a real word) going on this week! I work best with lists, so here we go:
- No more cuddling with the Muzzleloader! Last Friday, Mom and Dad Dolan got home from their two week trip to Florida. While they were soaking up the rays and living it up in the warm sunshine, their son was worried about his one and only back home (alone) with a non-functioning garage door (E-town Dolans know what I'm talking about here) and workers always in and out of the house. I felt safe at all times, but Andrew was sure to tell me exactly where the muzzleloader (aka big huge gun) was and that I should be sleeping with it in bed while they were away. At first I thought it was silly, but I did it anyways (obviously not loaded) and by the end of the two weeks, kind of actually felt comfort in having it by my side at all times.
- 50 Days came and went. Last Monday officially marked the passing of 50 days and nights since I have hug, kissed, laughed with and held my soldier. I keep reminding myself that each of these small milestones add up to one big huge gigantic party called homecoming!
- Two Months is also fast approaching! Next Wednesday to be exact! Just another benchmark to check off!
- Surprises have a tendency to drive me absolutely bonkers, but Andrew's parents came to dinner after bowling on Tuesday and told me there was a surprise waiting for me at home! My initial thought was "Andrew's Home!!!", but I knew they could never keep a secret that big, or leave him home when most of his extended family was out to eat! It was driving me nuts all night, but when I came home, I was so excited to see a tv hooked up in my bedroom! I hadn't even asked for it! I was so excited, and to make it even more perfect, the show that just happened to be on when we turned it on for the first time: FRIENDS!
- My First Care Package came! Yep, folks! You heard me right! It came, meaning Andrew sent it from Afghanistan to me! I knew it was coming, and I knew what would be inside (lots of DVDs he can get for a pretty cheap price over there) but seeing this box, beautifully wrapped in more Priority Mail tape than I ever knew existed, waiting for me on the dining room table when I came home yesterday absolutely made my day! Plus there was a little extra something in there that I didn't know about: aNOTHER Valentines' Day present! I am such a lucky girl! He sent me a blue stone native to Afghanistan, called the Lapis Lazuli in a heart shaped pendant! It is beautiful and I love that he picked it out just for me! That boy sure does know how to make me smile!
- Once again: Dolans are amazing! Not just Andrew's immediate family, but his extended family as well. I am so excited to take the Dolan name and finally officially become a part of this incredible family. On Sunday, Andrew's Aunt Lori and Uncle Dave were having a dinner for their son, Ryan and his new fiancee, Brittany, who had just gotten engaged a week before. They are still in college, so it was nice to have them home for their spring break and talk with another bride-to-be about plans, thoughts and ideas (oh my!)! Aunt Lori cooked a whole turkey dinner that was to die for and when it was time for cake, they all started singing (to the tune of the happy birthday song) and every single Dolan sang "Happy Engagement to AJ, Kristina, Ryan and Brittany" during the third line. They brought the cake over and they had included our names on the cake as well. I was just excited for Ryan and Brittany to be celebrating this joyous time in their lives, I certainly did NOT expect anything like that, but it was a really nice surprise! Sometimes it is a little tough to be spending this engagement thousands of miles apart from each other and not get to celebrate the way most normal, civilian couples do, so it really meant a lot to me that our names were included on that cake. (I am fully aware that this is the timing I practically begged for and we as a couple decided would be best for us- and I wouldn't change the timing of this engagement for anything in the world- I just want to make it clear how thankful I am to be marrying into a family to recognizes our situation and embraces and welcomes me into their lives each and every single day) It was also hilarious that when I walked in on Sunday I noticed Ryan and I had matching shirts on (white and blue stripes), then I walked into the kitchen, and Brittany was wearing a matching shirt too! I felt bad at first, thinking I crashed their matching shirt party, but apparently they hadn't planned it either! Of course we had to take lots of pictures (and Mom even ran home to get mini-AJ) so that he could be there enjoying the cake too!
We all spent the rest of the night going over potential wedding venues for Ryan and Brittany, dates, colors, flowers, guest list, everything under the sun! It was a great night full of more laughter than imaginable and lots of happy celebrations!
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