Day 16 of being apart from my husband.

Today was particularly hard for me. I think it's finally starting to sink in that it's going to be months, maybe even years until I get to be with my Kite. Being in this situation makes it so easy to be frustrated. Why did it have to happen this way? What lesson is being learned? How could we possibly benefit from this experience? What's the point? The thoughts that I've buried so deep down inside me, that I didn't even know existed until I started typing this post. But now that it's out, I won't let it bring me down.

I am a child of God,

Rich blessings are in store;

If I but learn to do his will

I'll live with him once more

Who am I to be sad and mopey when others have endured worse? How could I possibly be upset, when I'm married to the most loving man on Earth? I've been too blessed to question His will; nonetheless, I still miss you terribly, Kite.

Love story, part 2.

I don't remember the exact moment I fell in love with my Kite, but I remember the exact moment that I knew I would fall in love with him. It was our very first meeting of the new year. We were in the parking lot of a public library, sitting in my car. He had brought me a Christmas gift, even though I had told him not to - I had toyed with the idea of getting him a gift myself, but I was playing it safe, remember? It turned out to be the best Christmas present I had received that Christmas (late or not), and yes, I would have to say it trumps the bunny phone case.

The first thing you must know about me, is that I'm a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I was baptized almost a year ago on the 20th of May, and I firmly believe that it only happened because two of the best missionaries Heavenly Father had in his care were sent to teach me. Of the two missionaries, one had finished her mission and returned back home to Arizona - guess where my Kite went home for the winter break? I vaguely remember texting him and telling him to look out for her at church on Sunday, so he could say hi to her for me. He had told me that he didn't find her at church and the chances of him running into her were very slim. I was disappointed, but I got over it.

So back in my car, he started off with the, "I know you said not to get you anything, but..." and pulled out his phone, telling me that there was a picture he wanted to show me. I was a bit worried, and confused. What is this guy doing? What kind of present is a picture? Well, the best kind. Turns out he did find my missionary, and he had taken a picture with her. Not only that, but he had brought me a card from her! Remember New Years when I made that phone call? That very same night, he had met up with her and gotten her to write me a card.

Throughout the texting that went on over break, I briefly mentioned that I love hand written letters, because they are so much more heartfelt than an email or message when someone takes the time to write something out. This sneaky boy had officially started to win my heart with the simplest of presents.

From that point on, I knew I was in trouble, but I couldn't stay away. I spent every possible moment with him, making up reasons to spend time together. Studying, breakfast, dinner, FHE, church - we were constantly together, and every day that I spent with him, I could feel myself falling harder and harder.

This is the picture that started us on this road.

Love story, part 1.

*Kite's random comments will appear in bold ;)

Rusty and I had met and known each other since July of 2012, and while I'll admit that there was an initial spark, I had never even considered having him be anything more to me than a friend -- due in part to my "I'll call you!" and never actually calling -- until a Family Home Evening event in December, when we were decorating a gingerbread house and cookies to take to a shelter with our friends. I got a distinct feeling that he may have liked me I definitely did (come on, girls have a natural affinity for this kind of stuff, we just like to pretend that we don't know), but it was too late. I'll be taking my final test and graduating from school that month, I'd never see him again. I love how she seemed to be *hoping* it wouldn't turn into anything. Girls are weird! But it wouldn't hurt to be friendly, right? Right! So when he invited me to make a snowman with him, I accepted. I'm very good at keeping guys in the friend zone. Not good enough...

Little did I know, that that invitation was part of an evil and insidious plan to seduce me. Seduction? She gives me more credit than I deserve! It opened me up to a gateway drug called texting. But I wasn't addicted yet. I knew not to take too many doses, to keep my distance. I still had a chance to escape, my test was right around the corner, and soon after I ace it, I'd be on a plane to Texas, and off I'd go. I was just dabbling for fun. The big test day came, and after the first ten questions, the computer system crashed. But it was too late, my confidence was shattered. I wasn't ready. The first part of the two day test was postponed until the next day. I vaguely remember receiving an invitation from him to buy me hot chocolate to make me feel better, but I really didn't have time for that nonsense. Honestly, I still had another portion of my test to take! Thursday. The day results would be posted at 1PM. I felt awful about how I did. I failed. Of course I did. I wasn't prepared. We crowded around the board at 1PM, but the results weren't posted yet. Darn, guess we'd find out on Friday. We left the school house, and meandered around campus a bit. Before leaving to go home, I figured I'd check the board one last time, just in case. I walked inside, and from one look at my mentor, I knew I failed. "I failed, didn't I? Just tell me I failed so I can leave." "Go look at it for yourself," she said. Sure enough, there was a 1/2+/1+ score listed by my name. I needed a 2/2/1+. I didn't even get close enough to that 2 with a 1+, pathetic. So I sent him a text, "How about that hot chocolate tonight?" See? She wanted to be seduced. ;)

I was indulging myself, trying to hide the deep disappointment I felt at my failure. So I kept texting him, and when he asked to take me out to dinner before our winter vacation started, I accepted. What could it hurt? The date was a success. He really had my attention, now. But I was still on my guard. Even if I still had a little more time in Monterey now that I didn't pass my test, it still wouldn't be enough. I had six more weeks at the least starting in January. Not nearly enough time for anything serious to happen. Right? Right. Throughout the two weeks of winter vacation, we kept in contact. No phone calls, but constant texting was definitely going on. Actually, our very first phone conversation was probably a less than one minute clip, at the very start of the new year of 2013. Being the silly little girl that I am, I wanted his number to be the first one in my outbound call list. I couldn't wait for him to get back into town. Hooked.

Why? And how...

Rusty, you've never had a blog before, why start one now? And can you keep it up? Good question.

I have historically had lots of difficulty keeping something like this going. I'll usually get really excited, start something up, make a "Hello world!" post, and never look back at it again. There's a key difference this time though, and something that makes me believe I'll write in this blog as often as I can: Yain wants me to. And it's important, if you think about it. Our situation is pretty unique. Well, unique for us at least. She and I were married less than a week before the Army took her away from me, and sent her off to Texas, leaving me in Monterey without my Nana. So from now until November, she and I will have next to no opportunities to even see each other in person. It's important that we record our feelings and what happens in our lives so we don't become disconnected from each other. So this is the record of our life together. Apart, but very much together.

So how did it happen? Honesty -- This is for posterity, right? We didn't expect it to go the way it did. At all, actually. We were originally planing on a December wedding. December?? Too far away! In the couple of days we were together over my school's week-long break, we decided to bump it up to July. Cool. But the more we thought about it, the more we felt uneasy about it. Not sure why, but we both woke up on the morning of Monday, April 1st feeling like it was just a bad idea. After talking about it, we weren't able to shake the feeling. We took the best course we could think of: take it to our Father in Heaven. We prayed about it. I had the funniest feeling ever during that prayer. So funny that I suggested we pray about it separately so I could investigate. While praying alone I got a distinct answer in confirmation of what I'd felt earlier. We shouldn't get married in July - We should get married now. I was baffled. It didn't make any sense; would God really be encouraging us to elope? Hesitantly, I took my answer to Yain. I made sure that she felt she'd received an answer before giving her my thoughts because I didn't want to sway her in that direction. The look on her face matched the immense relief in her voice when I told her what I'd felt as she said, "I'm so glad you went first. I feel exactly the same thing, but was embarrassed to say it because I thought you'd think I was crazy." Not as crazy as I felt, knowing that we'd both received an answer that was so absolutely preposterous. But the fact is, we felt good about it, and that's all that mattered.

I called my wonderfully patient and understanding mother to break the news. The only real question she had, after fifteen minutes of conversation was, "Can I come?" Dumbfounded for the second time that day, I assured her she most definitely could. Roughly eight hours later, I found myself crowded into a tiny room in one of the Washoe County administrative buildings in Reno, Nevada together with my favorite girl in the whole world, with her sister and my parents as witnesses. We were married there in that place, in what Yain and I both agree were the most unlikely of circumstances. To quote her, "Never did I ever think I would be eloping in a courthouse in Reno." I didn't either. It was so unexpected that it even took the two of us by surprise.

Of all things our wedding was, normal is not one of them. But in a way, it suits us perfectly. Rusty and Yain, Nana and Kite... So far from normal. We've had quite the adventure so far. Why stop now?

Chance.

Oh, how I've always prayed and asked to find him, my Kite. Little did I know, I had already met him, but I had ruled him out because I felt he didn't meet my standards. I was such a silly little girl.

It's funny how life works, but there is always a constant rule to it: things never go as planned. When I met my Kite, it wasn't love at first sight. We didn't even grow to love each other as friends. All it took was a chance. Not just a "yes", but a "yes" with a follow through. I'm convinced that after all that we've gone through with life, and the time that we could have had to get together, the failing of my test was the last chance my Heavenly Father was going to give me to find my eternal companion.

I've found you, Kite, and no matter how strong the winds get, I'm not letting go.

A beginning

In July of 2012, a young Marine, recently arrived in Monterey, California to begin a new phase in his training, was dragged by some friends to a local diner, where he sat at a table of others his age. Across from him sat a beautiful young woman who chatted easily with him about their mutual desire to study film. The Marine left that evening wondering how he might ask her out. Despite the initial spark, he didn't actually gather the nerve to ask her until December, shortly before they'd each leave to go home for Christmas. She had misgivings... She wasn't sure the Marine was a good match for her. Regardless, she said yes. Somehow it was a success, and after returning from the Christmas break, the two were inseperable. In April he proposed marriage. Amazingly, she said yes a second time. This is the story of their adventures in life together.

Nana, I love you.