My Husband Rock's Friday!

I know this is a day late, but, better late then never:) My husband always rocks, and I am always blessed by him. It's so funny because when I go to write these little praise reports about him...I feel I sometimes get stumped. Not because there is nothing to say, but because there are SO MANY THINGS! What stands out to me right now, is how accommodating he was when my family was in town. They visited a little over a week ago. All except for my dad:( Not only did we have family, but three of them flew in from different places, and had delayed flights. Let me make this story even more interesting. My family came in on a Monday, and we had moved the day before...yes, thats right...Sunday. Into a house. Way across town. On minimal sleep. After many days worked. Coming off of a night schedule. Chaotic doesn't even begin to describe the days leading up to that Monday. In addition, we also had a girl driving from California moving in with us, and arriving Monday evening with her mom, and one of my brothers friends visiting with him from Maine, who would be staying with us:) So, this is our Monday. Sarah: get up after maybe 3 hours of sleep after being up all night unpacking and cleaning our house. Go to work for two hours. Come home get ready, Rob: running around like a crazy person, paying rent to not one, but two places...our apartment and now new home. Both meet back up at house, leave to pick mom up from airport 30 min away. Get to airport where we are supposed to pick up Andrew (coming from Maine), Mom (coming from Cali) and Aimee (coming from Virginia).  In actuality, only Mom's flight was able to come in. Andrews was pushed back 6 hours, and Aimees cancelled til next day. We grab mom, run to dinner, run home, unload car, peruse new house, friendly comments exchanged, much love...gotta go! Run back to the airport, Andrew's flight landed, all passengers unloaded, all passengers grabbing baggage, all passengers leaving, no passengers left. No Andrew. Hmm. Call Andrew, his phone is dead. Rob and Daniel run around airport looking for Andrew. Mom and Sarah also looking, utter confusion...30 min go by, airport is turning lights off at terminals, and things are shutting down. There is a big tall person walking towards us. It's ANDREW! Grab Andrew, run home. GO TO BED. Next morning wake up, run and get Aimee. Come home, Rob and Sarah both off to work. Work, work, work. Come home see family, hang out, share stories, laugh, cry, bicker...old times. Repeat next day, and every day thereafter for one week. We had 5 people total staying with us:) It was crazy. I don't know how we did it. My husband didn't complain once. He was supportive. He worked his schedule out to be with us as much as possible, even though he still had to work a maximum amount of hours. He made sure I was spending enough time with everyone, and constantly offered to do whatever he could. He made everyone feel compfortable, and included. He even made sure I had some spending money:) The week came and went in a whirlwind. It will forever be one of my most precious memories:) I couldn't have done it without my husband, and all of his love and support. 

Rob, thank you for being so accommodating and flexible with my family and I. Thank you for running around doing family stuff, working, running around some more, and in the midst of it all, being such a supportive husband. You bless me and I love you more than words. Xoxo.

The Inevitable...

Change is inevitable...we face change every single day, wheather it's blatantantly recognizable or subconcious. Usually change for me is something I welcome with open arms. I like new experiences, and even though transition can be difficult with change...I accept the challenge. I like to be stretched...I like knowing that my changing or things around me changing are part of a greater plan the Lord has for my life, even though I can't see the big picture.

That having been said, today I am struck with a mournful change. My sister, and youngest sibling left for USCG bootcamp in Cape May, New Jersey. Something I am extremely proud of her for, and know is a calling the Lord has on her life. However, I realize, she is the last of us kids to leave home, and venture out to start her own life. The whole dynamic of our family has shifted on this day. My parents now have an empty house, and going home to visit, where I could once be welcomed by at least one sibling that still remained, is no longer a reality. We all have totally seperate lives, which is amazing, because we are all still so close and following the Lord and being blessed by him...yet at the same time...it's just so wierd to think that our childhood is truly over. And the things that defined that chapter of my life, no longer exist. I guess, the way I see it, is that because Aimee was still at home, when I would be visiting, it still felt like old times...when we all lived there. Like I was hanging on to my younger years through her. It was compforting I supose.

Those days are gone. It's a bitter sweet experience. I can't believe we are all in such different places, and "grown up". No more summer family vacations, no more sitting together every night and eating dinner together, no more getting up early for saturday morning cartoons, no more unavoidable daily chores, or petty bickering or family games or movie nights...or the excitment of holiday preperation...christmas songs all day every day from Thanksgiving til christmas!! Holiday baking and shopping, gift giving and christmas light viewing! These are a thing of the past. For me some of this stuff, like saturday morning cartoons, have been long gone years and years ago. For some reason, none of this was such a reality, as today.

There has been a major shift, and things will never be the same. It will always be wonderful to get together and visit. Those will be cherished times...invaluable as time goes on. Today is a day of goodbyes to the past, and to the compfort and safety of what I recognized as "home" and "family". So, it is with a bittersweet attitude, that I bid my farewell. Thank goodness that memories last a lifetime:)