WIVES OF FAITH 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS BLOG CARNIVAL DAY 10.

I am once again going to take some writer's liberty with this blog post, partially because when the topics were first posted I misunderstood what this post was supposed to be about, wrote my post, and don't want to change it, and partially because this is a blog post that I have been looking forward to writing for a while.

When I read the title of the post, the phrase "First Christmas" in my mind translated into "First Christmas with Russ"...so that's what I'm going to be blogging about today. (Sorry for going off-topic once again Sara!)

The year was 2007. I was a military fiancee...complete with a ring on my finger. I had been "dating" my man for nine months, if it can be called "dating" when I had seen him 10 days in those nine months.

Around the beginning of December, Russ called me and told me he could come up for a visit for Micmiss IF he submitted a pass that day. So I booked him a flight and he submitted the pass. Well.........long story short: bad day in the office = LEAVE DENIED. (For no reason...) I asked him if he could resubmit the pass, but he said "no, it's over, i can't come..."

**This is the story that he told me. I found out a few weeks ago that even that much was a lie...his leave was never denied!**

I kept hoping, although I can't even say that I prayed. I really was pretty sure it was just not possible, although I didn't cancel the flight.

The whole time he's playin it up like he's doing nothing for micmiss. I'm gearing myself up emotionally for being away from him on micmiss - AND next micmiss too because he'll be deployed... (and knowing that he's probably gonna be depressed that day, but I have to be happy for him.) Did everything I could to make his day special and sent him a big box full of goodies, candy, cookies, and presents.

Early during the week before micmiss he told me that PT was getting easier because everyone had left for the holiday. This further reinforced in my mind that he was staying there so on Wednesday I canceled his flight. (Lol when I told him he FREAKED OUT but I didn't catch why...duh!)

I also MISSED the hints he dropped when he started asking me all kinds of questions about my supervisors at work, or when he asked me my schedule for the weekend (which he rarely does - he asks me usually one day in advance if I'm working but never "what are you working this weekend?").

Well behind the scenes, the ONE SEAT on the flight MIRACULOUSLY stayed open for a day so he could re-book it. : ) And my little brother Michael was able to keep the internet down for a day or two so I couldn't check my email. (Russ was afraid I might get an itinerary or confirmation email.) He set it up so my other brother Kurt would pick him up at the airport without me knowing.

The only time I had a clue was on Friday. I hadn't heard from him ALL day and I thought, "Maybe he's flyin up here!" But then he called Friday night and he was obviously still on base and planning for no micmiss so I dismissed the thought and never thought it again.

So on Saturday, four days before micmiss, I was scheduled to work from 9-3. About half-way through it was time for my break. A girl came over to take over my register, but my assistant-store-manager Kevin was standing next to her and asked me to come with him. I asked "do I need to bring my drawer?" and he said "no."

I knew I was in trouble.

So we're walking back to the training room and Kevin says "ya know I hate to have these kinds of conversations, especially with you. But I don't want you to get too upset."

I was so nervous.

So we sit down and he pulls out his notebook and starts hemhawwing about different things I could improve on. And I'm thinking, "ok, get to the point, what did I do?!?!" (The stuff he was talking about wasn't reason enough to have a disciplinary meeting!)

So about two minutes later there's a knock on the door and my head-cashier Niki says, "Kevin, I'm sorry to interrupt but I have an emergency."

And I turn my head and Russ walks in IN UNIFORM and smiles and says "Merry micmiss!!!!"

I screamed!!! And Niki said "I've never seen someone jump from a chair to a person without touching the floor!" It was awesome. So I'm holding him but I'm thinking "of all the times for him to come, here I am getting BUSTED!!!!" So I whisper to him "Russ, I'm in the middle of an important meeting..." LOL he said, "No Kevin set this up!!" DUH!!! Kevin and Niki poof disappeared and Russ and I just hugged. So then we're walking out of the training room and I'm like "what do I do now? Do I have to go back to work?" DUH!!! NO!!!

I left work without even counting down my cash drawer (my head was somewhere else but I DID remember to clock out!) and we got to spend four WONDERFUL days together. Kevin gave me Micmiss Eve off as well and I can honestly saw this was the best micmiss ever!!

It was so great that I saw all the other gifts as almost non-important. I got the only thing I wanted for micmiss. : )

I posted earlier in the blog carnival that one of my favorite Christmas songs is "This Christmas Time" by Lonestar. This is why. I had heard the song for the first time right around the time that my hopes were dashed and I didn't think that Russ was coming to visit. Every time I heard the song it made me cry because I wanted it to be true so badly.

But once he was home the song became the only way I could truly express how I felt that whole four days! "The one thing that I wished for came true when you came in...to hear you laugh again, to see you smile again." I never hear this song that I don't well up in remembering how good it felt to be in his arms that Christmas season...our first Christmas together. This is "what the first Christmas means to me."

Here is the song posted once again: