HEADING TO MY HUBBY!

Well - today is FINALLY here! After 6 months of a deployment and 6 inches of snow (ok maybe 4 or 5 ... but literally there is snow in the LowCountry!) ... I am leaving today to head to LeJeune for Daniel's homecoming! My stomach is in knots and I feel so anxious inside. I have been looking forward to this for so long now - and I can't believe that it is REALLY going to happen!

This week has been a rollercoaster! After Daniel was delayed because of the weather in Baltimore ... we had a random snow storm come through the Charleston area. I never DREAMED of looking out my window and seeing snow everywhere ... it's so beautiful! It started snowing last night somewhere around 5-6ish ... and when I woke up around 6 it had finally quit snowing! There is about 4 1/2 inches here ... and the best part of it is that when I woke up, someone had come through the neighborhood and plowed the roads AND our driveways for us! What a blessing! I am hoping and praying that when I get on the road in the next few hours to head to NC ... that there aren't any crazy drivers or closed roads that will keep me from getting there! Just pray for safety for me as I head that way this morning - I don't care if it takes me all day to get there - just as long as I get there safely!

Daniel should be on a plane either heading toward Germany or already heading toward Baltimore. I haven't heard from him to know exactly where they are - but they are definitely in route for the US! I can't believe it - and can't imagine the excitement that he is feeling! It will feel so good to finally step foot on US soil again!

Please continue to pray for Daniel's safety while he travels as we are within HOURS of him finally being here! Pray for the Lord to give us all safe travels as we make our way to NC to welcome our Marines home! I can't wait to post pictures of the homecoming .. and the SNOW! :)

Plans have changed ...

Looks like the snow has gotten the best of us! :( Daniel was supposed to be leaving tonight to finish his trip home! The plane that they were flying home on was stuck in Baltimore because of all of the snow! So ... they pushed his flight back to late Friday night (our time) ... and he will be getting to Baltimore around 7pm or so Saturday night ... then taking a bus to LeJeune! Hopefully by early Sunday morning - I will be in his arms! I really hope that they do not push this date back again - I'm hoping that the weather will hold off and he can make it home by Sunday! What a great Valentine's Day! :)

Please continue to pray for safe travels -- even though I would have LOVED to have him home on Friday -- I am thankful that his trip will be much safer this way! Thanks again for all of your prayers ... he's almost made it HOME! Just a few more days -- I can make it! :)

Made it out of Afghanistan!

Just a quick update on Dano - heard from him this afternoon and he is officially out of Afghanistan! He will be in Kyrgyzstan through Thursday morning (Wednesday night our time) and will start the rest of his journey then! He is very thankful for all of the prayers for safe travels and looking forward to stepping onto US soil for the first time in Baltimore! Please continue to pray this week that they will have a safe trip home - I'll post again when I know more! YAY it's finally here!

Heading home!

Well - Daniel has started his journey home! :) He left about 30 minutes ago from Camp Leatherneck on a bus and will be leaving Afghanistan about 2:30 am (our time). As long as everything stays on schedule - he will be in Kyrgyzstan sometime tomorrow afternoon and then leave from there Wednesday night and fly home! He was in such good spirits today when I talked to him - and very excited to start his trip home to me!

It's hard to believe that he is on his way home - I know that he has to be so excited and anxious! Things around the house are all ready and I could not be more excited for my hero to get here!

He tested out yesterday for his black belt and GOT IT! :) He said that today the officers that he has worked with were making a huge deal about him getting his black belt - because it's SUCH an accomplishment! It's hard to believe that he has accomplished that since he started all of this training - I know that he is super proud of himself! He said that one of the Majors took him around and told everyone that he was the newest black belt and had everyone shake his hand today! I told him that he has a lot to be proud of ... I could not be more proud of him, I know that much! He said he bought his belt and wore it today - and was really proud to be able to wear it and tell people that he earned it from his hard work! Definitely something else for us to celebrate when he gets home! :)

Well - I will be updating y'all this week as he gets closer and closer to the US! If all goes as planned- he will be landing in Baltimore sometime Thursday evening and heading to LeJeune on a bus for an early morning arrival on Friday! :) YAY!

Thank you so much for your prayers and support - Please pray for safe travels for the Marines as they start their journey home ... and pray that there are no weather/mechanical delays -- I'm ready to have my hubby home! :)

ONE WEEK TO GO!

I can not believe that after all of this time and all of the craziness over the last 6 months -- we are finally down to ONE MORE WEEK! This deployment has truly been a blessing and opened our eyes to everything that we take for granted! We are so blessed and so thankful for everything that we have and everyone that is in our lives ... Thank you for your prayers and support -- we know that the prayers have gotten us through! Without prayer and our strength from the Lord -- we would not have made it through this deployment as easily as we have!

This time next week -- I am going to be going NUTS! I can't even believe that ONE WEEK from tonight I will be in LeJeune ... within HOURS of seeing my hubby! I am getting last minute things ready and touched up for Dano's homecoming -- and could not be more excited for him to come home and be where he belongs again! Even though he has to stay in LeJeune through the beginning of April, having him home on the weekends will be amazing! Just having him in the same country will feel so much better!

We are both so anxious to see each other -- it's been about 4 weeks since we have seen each other on Skype -- we decided to wait it out until homecoming for the last stretch of time! We are about to burst with excitement! I know that we are both going to look so different to each other -- especially him! I know he's lost weight and toned up from MCMAP and I can't wait to see the difference in him!

Can't wait to post pictures of homecoming and share our excitement with each of you! It seems like everytime I talk to someone -- they tell me someone else that has been keeping up with this blog throughout the deployment. If you have been keeping up and praying for Daniel ... THANK YOU! We will never be able to thank you all enough for that support! Look forward to sharing our joy and excitement from homecoming with you SOON! :)

Another belt for Dano!

Just a little update on Dano! He called late Friday night and said that he passed his next belt! He is now a brown belt ... and is working on black belt now! I am so proud of him and his accomplishments since he's been gone! He's worked so hard at MCMAP -- and it's really paying off. He was really proud of himself when he called -- and I was, too! :)

Seems like the date is still set ... not in stone of course ... but nothing has changed yet! Please pray for safety as they travel home and for the trip to be as smooth as possible (no delays for weather or anything else!) I can't believe that two weeks from today - I will have my hubby here with me and we'll be getting ready to head to church :) SO exciting!

We will never be able to thank you enough for your prayers for Daniel over the past several months ... We know that the Lord brought through this deployment for a reason - and we are so much stronger as a couple and in the Lord because of it!

**Update on my grandfather: Pap seems to be doing better than he was last week - anything is possible with prayer! They took him off of the morphine so he has been more alert and more himself. We are looking forward to heading up there to visit him in 3 weeks ... please just pray for peace and strength for all of us during this time! Thank you so much!

2 weeks to go!

Two week countdown officially started today! Two weeks from now - I will be sitting in LeJeune ... trying to fall asleep so that I can wake up to get my HUBBY! :) I can't believe that it's finally here! We are both so excited and so ready for these two weeks to fly by so we can be together again! It's been so fun getting everything ready for homecoming ... signs, the house, the dogs ... and trying to find an outfit! That's been the tough part .. :)

Although we are VERY excited about Daniel's homecoming -- we are having a very hard time right now ... my grandfather in MD was diagnosed with stage four cancer and is really having a hard time with pain ... we know that the Lord has a reason for everything -- and that if He brings us TO it ... He will bring us THROUGH it! I have been trying to stay strong until Daniel is home to comfort me. It's been a tough couple of weeks trying to balance the excitement and emotions that go with Daniel coming home along with the emotions and heartbreak for my grandparents. Please keep us in your prayers as we all face these next few weeks - it will be an exciting time for us as we welcome home our hero -- but also a very hard time as we prepare for what is next. I love my Pap more than anything in this world -- and I'm praying for peace, comfort, and strength for him and my family over these next few months ...

Thank you for your prayers for Daniel ... and for prayers for my family ... The Lord has His hand on us and is walking with us every step of the way.

"One day at a time ... "