Extra Extra Read All About It: 22 Months

I don't know about you, but I'm totally feeling 22!

Twenty Two months down, and only 2 to go!

Actually less than that :)

I can hardly believe it!

I'm so excited/nervous/happy I can hardly contain it.

I can't seem to stop talking and thinking about him.

 I'm apologize to those of you that have to put up with it haha.

But, I am just SO excited!

I promise that it really doesn't feel like twenty two whole months have passed by since I have last seen him or touched him.

I have definitely hit those rocky patches where it seems like he is never coming home, but looking back on it it really does feel like he just left.

It's a weird thing being apart for so long and only growing deeper in love.

I really don't know how it is possible, but I promise it's real. 

We have tried our hardest not to talk too much about the future and to stay away from distracting topics but the closer he is to coming home, the more personal our letters and emails seem to be.

He is the one that I want, forever.

I have no doubt in my mind. 

For those of you that are thinking... "You're too young to know what love is" "How are you supposed to know what is going to happen when he gets home?" "Really after being apart for 2 years you think everything is just going to work out?"

Here is my response: 

"You don't look at (insert name here) the way I look at Hunter. You don't touch or laugh. You don't play. You don't know anything about love." 

-Allie from the notebook

Haha I'm kidding, but really...

I love him, and he has assured me that he loves me.

I have never felt something so strong, and the excitement I have to be reunited in less than 2 months cannot be measured.

"You have been so strong and faithful these past 22 months. I trust you and I owe you all my love. You are the one for me"

-Elder Hunter Miles Moore

I'm really trying to figure out how to finish up the story of us in only one more post after this.

Did I just say that? Only one more countdown post!

Did you miss the last post?

No worries!

I left off right here!

Here goes nothing :)

It was now my junior year, and his senior year. I was thrilled. He was the starting quarterback again and a captain. I was also a Varsity cheer captain. It's kinda one of those typical high school stories.. ya know the whole quarterback of the football team and the cheerleader are dating and blah blah blah except wait, it wasn't typical even in the slightest bit. We still "technically" weren't dating. We could care less about those titles, it was more about leading our teams and doing the best we could to make the year memorable. Oh and we didn't go to any parties and we remained pure. How's that for a "typical" high school story for ya? ;) So anyhow, we went about our lives and became more and Moore comfortable around each other. It felt so perfect having him by my side walking through the halls. I loved knowing that I would see his smiling face every day that we went to school. He truly became my best friend, my other half. The days that either of us were absent were miserable. I imagine it being comparable to being a lost puppy. Although I knew the real reason I was at school, he became my motivation to go. It felt like we both lived at that school. I was in cheer and ASB and football took over his life. It gave us a lot of time to spend together, which was exactly what I had hoped when I realized this would be our last year attending high school together. Hunter had the most amazing football season. I cheered him on every single game and could not have been more proud of him. I noticed that year that I became incredibly protective over him. Something would just snap inside myself when I saw coaches yell at him or if he got tackled. It hurt and I had to look away. Both of us also discovered what jealousy really felt like. No matter who it was, if one of us was talking to someone of the other sex the sinking jealous feeling would just take over. We had to learn a lot about trust this year and how to control those feelings. I was so excited for homecoming to come. It was Vegas themed and I began planning our outfits the second I found out. Of course, I was also waiting to be asked ;) Hunter is sweet, but he also grew up with five brothers and didn't really understand "cute." Thank goodness for his sister in law Michelle who helped him figure out how to ask me. Although, he almost spilled the beans a thousand times and one day literally asked me if I wanted to know how he was going to ask... ohhh Hunt :) Every Friday the cheerleaders would decorate the locker room but it is a ton of work so one away game we decided not to do it. When I told Hunter he freaked out. He told me that I absolutely HAD to decorate his locker. I didn't realize that it meant that much to him... but I agreed to decorating his locker even though nobody else's would be ha. I walked into the boy's locker room and opened his. Inside was the sweetest poster asking me to homecoming! (Nice work Shell) I was on top of the world! The other girls that were with me screamed with me and we were just so excited :) He had team lunch so I didn't get to see him until the bell rang but that was the best 6 minutes ever as I told him my answer was absolutely yes! For homecoming spirit week we had matching Superman shirts and loved dressing up together. The day of the dance came and I was so excited as I listened to Taylor Swift while getting ready. I put my sequin dress on and went on over to take pictures at his parents house. He had a matching sequin vest that he thought was made out of tin foil because he really didn't know what a sequin was... The entire night people were asking to take our picture because they loved how well we matched. It was the perfect start to the year. The remainder of the semester only got better as there were newspaper articles about him every Saturday morning after a game, we made it to the CIF playoffs, and we fell head over heels for each other. I loved having Hunter around to snuggle and hold my hand when it was cold. I loved how deeply in love we fell and how every conversation somehow ended up in talking about marriage. The first semester came and went and before we knew it we only had one more semester until he was off to college. It was now basketball season and I cherished every game as this sinking feeling began to take over when I realized I would be all alone the next year. I couldn't imagine high school without my best friend, and I really didn't want to. I just wanted it all to slow down. I would wait by his car after games until he came out. We would sit there laughing and talking for as long as we could. He told me stories from his childhood, we talked about the gospel, and it always resulted in talking about the future. I would sit there trying to be strong as we talked about spending 2 years apart but looked away every time a tear made it's way down my cheek. I remember one night him telling me a story that made my heart melt all over the car. He had told me that he knew his athletic abilities are all from God and that he owes all glory to him. He spoke so humbly and expressed so much gratitude for all he had been given. I remember hugging him and telling him how I was desperately in love with him. Basketball season seemed to fly by and I couldn't believe it was already time to start thinking about prom. Hunter was deciding on a third sport to play and chose track. I swear that man can do anything. I was stubborn and told him that I didn't like him doing track because I knew he would take his shirt off at practice and I didn't want other girls checking him out. I also hated the tight spandex he wore at meets. But, he was really good and I got over the stubbornness. One day in April I was running really late to school. I always parked next to him and I was shocked to see him still in his car. I went up to the window and said something like "come on crazy, let's go run to class!" And he responded by saying "wait I have something for you!" I went to the passengers side and found the most darling Easter basket waiting for me. I oohed and I awed and told him I would stick it in my car. He hesitantly said okay and we walked away. As we were halfway through the parking lot he says "Soo I guess you can just tell me your answer later..." I looked at him confused and said "Wait what, did you just ask me to prom?" He responded by saying "well you were supposed to open the eggs..." Hahaha I died laughing because it was a realllyy good idea but the execution was a total fail. I sure love him. That weekend we opened the eggs up together and put all the pieces of paper together that in fact said "will you go to prom with me?" I hugged him, said absolutely yes, and was equally as excited as I would have been if it all worked out the first time. Prom that year was at Sea World and I had so much fun with him. I also got my braces off literally 2 days before. He wouldn't stop telling me that I looked beautiful the entire night. I was on top of the world. Somehow that last months of school flew by and the next thing I knew I found myself sitting there at his graduation. When I saw him walk by the tears couldn't be controlled. I put my sunglasses on and cried the entire time. Afterwards, he told me he saw me and knew I was crying and couldn't help but get choked up. As exciting as it was, I was crushed. I really really really didn't want him to leave for college. That Summer was full of making memories and spending every moment we possibly could together. Every day was one day closer to saying goodbye and I tried to savor every second together. Yet somehow, that summer just sped right by and our love was only intensified. 

And that is where I'll stop.

See I told you that year was much better haha.

I can't believe the next post will be the last of these countdown posts! 

I'm dying to see my love again :)

All my love,

Aleigh Joy