Introductions and the Dreaded "D"

Introductions are in order. Especially since you're going to be hearing a lot about this young man for the next, say, eight months. Or nine months. Or ten months...
-considering he's going to be on deployment for about that length of time or longer.
-considering he's a very, very big part of my life.
-considering he's the God-given-love of my very short, but blessed life.

Yes. His name is Austin. Aust. Austi-boo.
-actually, to you all, he's just Austin. He's MY Austi-boo. 

Please, try not to let the awesome-ness blind you. I know it can be overwhelming.

 You can actually read all about him and us and our relationship here.
It's my old blog called "Winging It". I switched over to this one because I feel like I was putting our relationship in priority over my relationship with Jesus Christ. Which is just a no-no. 

Austin and I met in high school; my junior year and his senior year. My best friend introduced us and we just immediately clicked and pretty soon we were inseparable. We talked all the time, and I found an amazing friend in Austin...and an amazing boyfriend a couple of weeks later when he asked me on a date to a football game. 
We dated all up until it was time for Austin to go to college, which was about a year later. We went on a date that turned into, well, Austin telling me it was better and easier if we just didn't date anymore. That between him being in college, only seeing me on the weekends, and me being a senior in high school, that it just wouldn't work. So, we ended things. I had, however, began going to their church and found myself still going on most Sundays. I never saw Austin however...
...I still loved him though, and I often asked about him when talking to his parents on Sundays. He'd joined the ROTC program over at EKU and was doing well; coming home on some weekends. It had been months at this point and still no sign of Austin...
...Until one day my senior year, when I got a text in art class. It was Austin. He asked if it was okay if he picked me up from school and if we could hang out. I told him "yes". He picked me up and we drove around town and finally back to his house where he told me he still loved me and had missed me. Austin had dumped me though, and I was hurt. He had hurt me. I still loved him though and suddenly he became part of my life again. We saw each other on and off on weekends for the next couple of weeks...
...Then I learned that Austin wasn't doing so well in college. When his mom told me he had signed into the Marines, my world crashed down. I didn't know how to react. Austin and I had finally started mending our relationship, though neither of us was sure what that was yet. Neither of us had used the "girlfriend/boyfriend" term for the other...it was complicated....
...then Austin left for Basic Training. Like a dedicated not-exactly-girlfriend, I wrote him a letter everyday. On days that I missed a letter, I would bundle it with the next day's one. It was so easy...I found I could convey the words I couldn't say to him through writing. That I loved him so much. That I missed him. That all I wanted was him home. That I couldn't wait to see him. During this time, I graduated high school...and then Austin, graduated from Basic and earned the title: Marine. Then Austin's family and I were on our way to Parris Island for the ceremony...
...And it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. Never had I been so proud of anyone else in my entire life. I cried when I saw him run by for the first time. It was so emotional. Titles like "dating" didn't matter. We loved each other, and that's what mattered. However, what we found after graduation was a timid, awkward, love. We weren't sure how to take the other...

Parris Island, Graduation.

  ...then he was gone to SOI. I didn't see him for another couple of months with little communication over texting and phone calls. Then he came in for Easter. He left. We went to see him. We came home. And then....
...My first semester of college, I packed up my bags and I flew over to North Carolina myself and went to see my boyfriend. It was the best decision I ever made. It changed something.
Somewhere throughout the calls, the texts, and the not-long-enough-visits, we had evolved into something deeper then just...I don't know. It was God-given. He had and has a plan for us. 
Ever since, it hasn't been smooth-sailing, but it's been something...amazing. I've come to realize that there isn't any other man I want to spend my life with. He's become my rock. My soul-mate. I was made to love him, if only for right now. God-willing, I get to stay with this man forever. 

Now, four and a half years later, Austin and I face our first deployment together. The dreaded "D" word. The thing no military girlfriend/spouse/whatever wants to mention, much less experience. Though there's really no way to do so, I haven't ever really truly prepared myself for it. It seems like just yesterday he was graduating from Parris Island...and now he's on a ship in the middle of the ocean, and will be for eight months or longer. 
Hence, the funk I've been in this week. And last week. 
I know God has His hands on him. Austin will be fine and come home safe and sound just like he's supposed to...It's just the thought of him being halfway across the world...I know this and still. It's killing me. I want him home so bad. But I've been trying my best not to dwell on it. 

"Don't count the days, make the days count." 

 And so, please bare through with me on this. Be praying with me. I'm working on a bucketlist of things to do while he's gone to help. I'm really concentrating on other things, or well, I'm trying to...I just keep finding myself wondering how he's doing and if he's okay...I don't know. I just miss him I guess.

Make it a blessing, I'm going to bed,

Sarah