This weekend has been one of the (if not the) best weekends of my life. I spent several hours on Wednesday evening waiting for a plane that didn't seem to want to come to Orlando...and then several more hours wishing is would just land in Dallas already. When i finally landed, my brother picked me up and we headed to his house. Thursday was spent watching tv and the clock as it ever so slowly made it way to 3pm....Friday didn't want to ever get here. At around 3, my brother, his wife, and I loaded up the car and started our 6 hour journey to San Antonio. We checked into the hotel and we slept...well, they slept; I tossed and turned in anticipation until my body physically couldn't fight sleep anymore. Friday morning came, indeed...by 7:30am we were finally there: Lackland Air Force Base. The place I had longed to see for 6 and 1/2 long weeks. It was HOT...and even more humid than Florida. We hopped on a bus and were taken to the parade grounds where we sat for over an hour in our own sweat. At 9am, several hundred amazing men and women in blue marched onto the field in front of us and officially graduated from Basic Military Training. It was a great ceremony and I surprised myself by not crying the entire time (maybe I was too focused on the humidity, or the fact that Josiah's camera was not being nice, or perhaps just searching the endless sea of blue for a glimpse of my fiancé). At the end of the ceremony the band, my Josiah included, marched off of the field and onto a bus and we were told we could meet him at his squadron. So, while other parents/wives/girlfriends/etc embraced their Airmen, we raced to the buses so get back to our car. After a short trip to a different parking lot we made our way to the 323rd Training Squadron and waiting some more (they were right about all this "hurry up and wait" stuff). Thats when we heard it...an impossible to understand chorus of male voices; I knew the moment I had waited for for so long was fast approaching. As Josiah's flight and their sister flight marched proudly to their squadron, family members and friends stuggled to pick their Airman out of the crowd. But, there mine was...just as perfect as the last time I had seen him. After they had been officially dismissed, i weaved my way through the crowd and gave Josiah the best hug I could muster (though naturally obeying the 5 second rule). We made our way up the stairs to his dorm where we saw exactly where he had been living the past several weeks (though not a place he would ever call home). I was introduced to so many bald guys in blue that I will never remember them all...in fact, there are only two I know both by name AND face. I was happy, though, when one or two asked if I was "the fiancé" before Josiah got a chance to introduce me...and then being told that they had heard a lot about me...yeah, I'm loved :) Josiah and I wondered around a bit while my brother and Meghan got some lunch. Bought an awesome polo that says "I [heart] my airman" and some USAF bummy shorts. Then we all met up and drove to the mini mall a bit away and we watched Josiah eat Burger King :) At 2pm, we headed back to our hotel while Ryan and Meghan ran errands. For the first time in SO long I was able to be alone with my fiancé. It was SO nice to just be able to relax and hang out again. Josiah and I were dropped off at the base later to attend a baseball game (that ended up falling through), so we spent a couple more hours together on base until he had to head back to his dorm. Saturday, Ryan, Meghan, and I headed back to the base and picked up Josiah (after an awful morning of PT) and took him to downtown San Antonio to see The Alamo and The Dark Knight...then we went back to the hotel for a bit, to outback for dinner, and back to the base to drop him off for the night. Today (Sunday), Josiah and I just hung out and ran errands on base while Ryan and Meghan went back downtown. At 3, we met up and had to say goodbye. Then the three of us (sans Josiah) drove back to Dallas (where I currently am). It has been so amazing just spending time with Josiah. You never really know how much you miss someone until you see them again. Of course you *know* you miss someone...but when you actually get to *see* them...and really talk to them...it is indescribable. I am truely the most blessed person in the world. But, of course, the weekend ended...I had to say goodbye knowing that I won't see Josiah again for quite some time (twice as long as this seperation). Its difficult knowing that I can't enjoy the contact with him that I used to take for granted: holding hands, sitting next to each other, hugs, kisses, etc. But the good news is that the worst is behind us. Tech school (for him) should be a LOT less stressful than basic...and we never have to communicate via letters again. He has his laptop, webcam, and cell phone. Instant communication is my best friend. Thankfully, Josiah didn't change nearly as much as people warned me he would. I like him the way he was...the way he is. Outside of a few extra ounds of muscle, he is still my Josiah. Well, besides the fact that he can down much larger quantities of food. I think I will always remember driving to the hotel when he said "stop at Mcdonalds, I want some fries" 2 hours before we were going to go get Outback. When he ordered a complete meal, i reminded him we were eating in 2 hours and he said "oh, I'll be hungry by then!" I think by Saturday night, though, we had finally fed him enough to satisfy him. All in all, I think I will make it :) I may not see my fiancé until I marry him...but I will marry my fiancé the next time I see him. | 
