Smiling

So much has happened since I last blogged. I can't believe it has been almost a month!

Asa come home for R&R. We spent as much time together as we possibly could. He finally got to hold Marley again and he got to meet his new baby for the first time. Vivi grew and changed and turned into a totally different baby. Marley matured, tested her limits, and laughed more than I've ever heard. And then Asa left again.

Here we are, three days later. It's definitely hard. Marley realizes what's going on this time. She knows what it means when I say that he is at work far away. She tells me she misses her "favorite guy." It was difficult to watch him hug Marley goodbye and see her sad little face. It was also difficult to watch him hold Vivi for the last time, trying to soak up her little body as much as he could. It's hard to know that as much as I want to hug him and talk to him and cuddle with him, there are two little girls who also want to and I can't fix it for them.

R&R is an emotional time. I wanted to soak every thing up and enjoy every moment. I told myself before he got here that I would always remember how it felt to miss him and I wouldn't waste our time together. But after a few days, it feels totally normal to be together as a family. And until he said the words "when I'm gone..." it was easy to forget he would be leaving again. I wanted to take as many pictures and videos as I possibly could, but I also didn't want to be watching all our time together through a lens.

Two weeks flies by, and now we are trying to get back to a new normal. I am excited about my favorite season and the cooler weather that will hopefully start soon. We have school, gymnastics, story time at the library, picnics, trips to the playground, exercising, and holidays to keep us busy. Before we know it, he will be home again. We just have to keep looking forward, being hopeful, and staying positive. It helps nothing to dwell and feel sorry for myself all day.

I have to think of the last two weeks as a breath of fresh air, a gift. A reminder of how amazing our love is. And a reminder of what a perfect family we have. I am even more excited than ever to be together again.

Until then, we will keep smiling.