Good luck Matt! Your beard is outstanding already so adding almost another 3 months to it is gonna look unbelievable. I think the fantastic job trimming it thus far has established a good foundation to just let everything grow wild. Will you be allowing your moustache to grow out as well? If so, I suggest finding a good moustache wax or hair gel (I recommend Got2b Glued Ultra Glued Invincible Styling Gel as a good product, which can be found at local drug stores) to keep it trained to the sides and out of your mouth.

Happy Bearding!