Saying {Goodbye}...The First Time Around

I'm back!! For good, I promise. It's been a crazy and insanely fun past 3 weeks with S being home. I seriously love that guy! I've missed blogging a lot, but I couldn't bring myself to sit down and try to blog creatively while there was a handsome man asking me to do fun things all of the time...hence my leave of absence! 

As always, the goodbye sucked. It never really does get easier. So, I thought that I'd do a little throwback to the first time that Steven and I had to say our first goodbye before he left for BCT. I figured that this sappy post would give a little backing to how much his leave meant to us because it's been the longest we've been together consecutively in over a year! It was flippin' awesome, to say the least. 

So, without further adieu, here's the worst goodbye I've ever experienced: 

(Okay, so it wasn't that bad but I'm currently suffering from the oh-yeah-I'm-in-a-long-distance-relationship-and-I-forgot-about-that-whole-thing-when-he-was-home blues so I'm truly sorry if I'm depressing!) 

A little over a year ago, I said goodbye to my best friend before he left for basic training. I'll never forget the look we gave each other as he got in his car and drove away from my house, both of us with tears in our eyes.

I had known that it was going to be hard, but saying goodbye to the person you love most isn't really something that you can prepare yourself for. I was so happy that he was getting this great opportunity at the Academy and I was so proud of him for all that he'd worked for to get there, but I was devastated that he was leaving. Our relationship up until that point had been close distance and the longest I had gone without seeing him was 10 days. I laugh at that number now but at the time, 10 days felt like an eternity. We would be going 10 weeks without seeing each other and I had no idea what I was going to do without him. 

After dragging out the inevitable and being overly dramatic, we finally managed to say goodbye. And you know what? We lived. Although it seemed like our worlds were tumbling down, they didn't. Yes, we were sad for a while after that goodbye. Yes, somedays I hate the distance between us. But I know that this is what is meant to be. I know that because we chose to be independent of each other and follow our own dreams, our relationship is that much stronger. Somedays I do wish that he was there to give me a hug and cuddle with me on the couch, but there's never a day when I think the distance between us has a negative effect on our relationship. This long distance has brought us closer than I could have imagined. We've learned how to communicate and how to trust. The days that we do get to spend together are the sweetest. I love Steven more now than I ever have before. It's not hard for me to be in love with a man who lives 1,000 miles away. I am so grateful for the relationship that I have with my man. I know that I will fall more in love with him everyday, no matter where we both are. 

The man behind all these girly emotions...
P.S. I'm obsesssssed with the Rhonda Designs App!  

All My Favorite {People}

I had the best weekend because I got to see all of my favorite people. 

{Okay, I know it's the middle of the week and I'm just now posting about it, but it's because my weekend was so good I've been too in shock to write about it and I want to get you all excited for the upcoming weekend!...that's what I'm going with anyway.} 

I headed down to San Diego on Friday afternoon. There was a lot of traffic on the ride down, but I was so excited to hug on my man I didn't mind it one bit. I got there in just enough time to catch the game. He wasn't playing until Sunday, but it was so fun to see the team win (they often don't haha)!

Since the game started so late, we didn't have much time after. So, we got some ice cream really quick and headed to the hotel that Steven's parents were staying at. We hung out for a little while and then I drove my man back to his hotel and said goodnight. I stayed with Katie, one of my best friends, on Friday night. I love catching up with her. She's one of those friends where you can not see them for a really long time, but when you do it's like nothing's changed. Love her :)

Saturday morning, Katie had to take a final, so I went to breakfast with Steven and his family. Then, they all went to the baseball game and I met up with my mom for some shopping. We had so much fun and both got some adorable new shoes for summer. Then we went to lunch at a place called True Foods. We shared a couple things and it was really good! I loved the bright and natural atmosphere in the restaurant!

              

After lunch, we shopped around a little more and when Steven's team finished their game, we met Bubs and his family down in Seaport Village in the San Diego Harbor! There's a whole bunch of shops, and restaurants and the views are gorgeous!  After we browsed around for a little while, we walked over to the USS Midway, an old aircraft carrier for the Navy. To say the ship is huge is quite an understatement. I wish that we had more time so that we could have gone on it and looked around! My dad and brothers came down to meet us too, so when they finally got there, we went to a fun dinner! It was a blast having everyone together. After, I headed back to the hotel with Steven and we went in the jacuzzi. It was a perfect way to end the night!! 

             The statue of the famous kissing picture after WWII!

                Well hey there, handsome

Holding hands and the huge air craft carrier! 

My favorite boys (plus my daddy)

Sunday was Mother's Day (obviously..). My grandparents came down to San Diego to watch Steven play and spend time with us. I love having everyone together! We had a nice brunch and then headed over to Steven's game. It was a beautiful day! After Steven pitched, my family left to do a little Mother's Day shopping and I stayed behind so that I could say goodbye to my man. Because his whole team was watching, it was the least emotional goodbye we've had which made it easier on both of us. I mean, it is pretty much a known fact that you can't show emotion if your a guy in front of your friends, so I guess I should have expected that! And because it's not too long until we get to see each other again made it easier too. I know the time will fly as I'm finishing up my first year of school! 

My Key To {Long Distance}

I probably shouldn't be complaining about the distance because the longest Steven and I have to go without seeing each other is usually less than two months. I also know that some people have to go months and months without seeing the person they love and trust me when I say that the possibility of us having to do the same is always in the back of my mind. So for now, I'm so grateful that I get to see him as much as I do.

Sometimes I get tired of the distance. When there are exciting things happening in our lives, it makes me sad that we can't be together to share the excitement. When I'm having a long day, I wish that I could see and talk to him in person. I don't like that I have to countdown the days until I see him, and I hate that when I'm with him I feel like I have to make every minute count. If we aren't constantly doing something when we are together, I feel like we're wasting the precious time we have.

Those are the times that I'm cursing the 1,000 miles between us but all you long distance lovers shouldn’t be discouraged. I believe that the distance is a blessing in disguise and I know that my relationship with Steven is stronger than it's ever been because of the miles between us. We have to rely solely on communication to be able to connect with each other when we're apart. We have to compromise, we have to be flexible and we have to make each other a priority. We also have to work really hard to make our relationship work. This is why I'm thankful for the distance and these are the things that have strengthened the love we have for each other.

Steven and I talk as much as we can. Somedays are obviously busier than others and on those days it's hard to find a time in our schedules that we can both talk. On days like these, we mainly text and email back and forth with a short phone call at night. The day following a day like this, we make sure to talk a little longer than normal to make up for the time we lost the day before. Steven and I tell each other everything in hopes of making the distance not seem so far.  We tell each other the big and little things. The little details that we mention are what make us feel more connected to each other's lives.

If I have any advice for couples who are in long distance relationships, it's to communicate as much as you can. Just because you can't always physically be together doesn't mean you can't have a romantic relationship. Voice your affection and tell the person you love why you love them.  

Voicing what we are feeling is what has made my relationship with Steven successful thus far. It's taught us both how to talk about our emotions, both good and bad. Not only does my heart completely melt at the sweet things he says, but we’ve learned to communicate our feelings to each other when we're frustrated or upset. After a while, it’s become easy for us to say what we really feel in a constructive way. The way we communicate with each other now is something that I don't think we would've learned had we been in a different situation.

So, as much as I complain and whine about long distance relationships, I'm grateful for the challenge we have been faced with. Even with hundreds of miles between us, I fall more in love with him every day which is crazy to me because I really love that man today. 

Source: statigr.am via Haley on Pinterest

Sunday Fun

I'm hoping that everyone is having a fabulous weekend! I'm here in Colorado with my man soaking up the... snow...It's freezing! California girls aren't used to this kind of weather, but we are having so much fun and I can't wait to share with y'all later this week! Enjoy your Sunday!

xoxo 

The overlook at USAFA 

Recognition...F I N A L L Y

This weekend was a huge weekend for my man! He was finally recognized into the Cadet Wing at the US Air Force Academy! For the past 9 months he has been working towards this weekend and I'm so proud of him for getting to this point.

Recognition at the Academy is like a rite of passage, which is marked with the infamous prop and wings. The cadets go through rigorous mental and physical training in order to be recognized. It's a huge accomplishment!

This is what the prop and wings looks like for y'all who might have no idea what I'm talking about! 

Once recognized, the cadets get privileges that they haven't had since they've been there. Steven is most excited about being able to change out of his uniform after classes instead of 11 at night and not having to wear his uniform off base (if it was acceptable, that guy would never wear a shirt...anywhere). He's also happy that he doesn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn to call out the minutes until breakfast! He can now wear his backpack on his back instead of carrying it in his left hand, walk instead of running in only straight lines and sharp turns, eat in any fashion he wants, close the door to his room at anytime, and greet upperclassmen by their first name instead of their full title. Sweet, sweet freedom right?!

The first year at the Academy is undoubtably the hardest. Bubs never ceases to amaze me with how hardworking and determined he is. I hope he's as proud of himself as I am of him. Love this man with all my heart!! 

Bubs got recognized with his baseball team

With the team after it was over! How cute are they?!

I love me some baseball...

Happy Best Day of the Week! Friday is my favorite day because of the anticipation leading up to the weekend. You wake up in the morning and tell yourself that there are only a few torturous hours left until sweet freedom...or am I the only one who does that?

Sorry about the rest of this post but I have to brag for just a second...

Steven is a starting pitcher for the Air Force Academy. He's in Florida this weekend, but last weekend, Bubs played Navy in North Carolina. And he killed it to put it simply. He pitched 7 innings with 3 hits, 7 strike outs, and no runs. For those of ya who don't know baseball, that's pretty awesome. I'm so proud of him! I really wish that I could have been there, but I'm excited to watch him play when I go to Colorado later this month!! (You read that right, this month...I can say that now because it's officially March!) I could brag about this stud for hours.

I like baseball because I can actually understand the strategy of the game, not just the rules. But I love the sport because of those uniforms. I mean, how hunky is a man in a baseball uniform? Baseball hats with tight pants and the legs rolled up...holy hotness, I die.

Saluting in uniform ain't bad either. 

Oh, here's a fun little side note! Steven's team gets to take the Air Force's huge cargo planes to all of their games. This concept was crazy to me at first but it's pretty sweet, huh?! This week the plane they took refueled a bomber...in the air. It made me a little nervous not gonna lie!

A Weekend in Colorado: Snowboarding in Vail

For Christmas, Steven bought me a ticket to see him the weekend of my birthday!

I flew out of Santa Barbara on Friday and landed in Denver around 6pm. I had a 3 hour layover for a 17 minute flight to Colorado Springs...pathetic right? So, I decided to skip the connecting flight and make the one hour drive to the Academy for a few extra hours with my man (I was with him before my flight would have taken off!).

A little homework before the flight...

We had a cozy dinner and spent the rest of the night talking, laughing and just enjoying each others company.

On Saturday, at zero dark thirty, we headed to vail for a day on the slopes. The drive was beautiful and scenic and I got to hold bubba's hand the whole time. It's funny how I used to take for granted simple things like that.

Steven's always ecstatic to be able to use his military discount and that day I was too considering our lift tickets were only $70 apiece (a whole lot cheaper than the regular $130)! The snowboard he rented for me at the academy was only $20 for the weekend. Perks of being the property of the US Government, I guess.

By 9 am, we were on the slopes having so much fun. The weather was beautiful and the snow was perfect. The only break we took was to grab a fun lunch at the top of the mountain. We stayed on the slopes until the lifts closed at 4. 

   

On our way to the hotel, we stopped to get some hot chocolate. Getting hot chocolate from the gas station is one of our weird little traditions. Hot chocolate out of the machine is seriously one of the best things on this planet.

That night, we stayed with 3 of Steven's friends from the Academy. We all went out to a fun dinner, hung out and relaxed! 

I must say, it was an extremely fun birthday eve!