My husband is home. After the better part of ten months, he is finally home. And he’s home to stay this time. He arrived last night as the boys and I were waiting to greet him outside in front of a large banner adorned with Ryan and Noah’s artwork and scribbles and screaming the words “welcome home!” Ryan began running to his car even before it was fully stopped and I was overcome with emotion as Jay leaped out of the car and whisked Ryan into the air and embraced him heavily. The smiles on Ryan’s face were priceless. Jay came over to me and Noah, who was in my arms. Noah seemed not to remember him, but we were expecting this, of course. As he greeted me with a hug, I drunk in the smell of him… his cologne, the laundry detergent…I can’t fully explain it. It’s just him. And I can’t mistaken it. My husband was home.
We walked indoors and I didn’t let him even use the bathroom before I told him to head into the livingroom. That’s when I put Noah on the floor and gave him quite the homecoming surprise. Noah began to crawl. “He’s crawling?” Yep…he sure is! :) Jay was in awe. And I’m sure, although very excited, he was also quite upset that he missed yet another of Noah’s milestones. And a big one this time around.
We had dinner as a family last night. How good that felt! Then Jay headed upstairs and gave the boys a bath while I cleaned up the kitchen. Gosh, is it good to have help! Normally I do this all by myself - dinner, clean, bathe. And I’ve normally got one or both of the boys demanding my attention in some way or another. Last night I cranked up the radio and shook those hips of mine as I bopped to the music and cleaned the dishes. By myself. YES!
I feel so grateful today. I’m grateful that I have my husband home. I’m grateful that, although we both would have rather had him home instead of in Portugal for this amount of time, he has a steady job that pays well enough for us to continue living nicely in an economy that is so unsteady. I’m grateful that I’m home with the boys and I haven’t missed even one of Noah’s milestones. I wake to smiling faces and I fall asleep to steady breathing and beauty. I’m grateful also for the amazing friends I’ve made in my mom’s group.
I began a mom’s group last August as I knew Jay was leaving for Portugal and I was wanting to meet more mother’s in my immediate area. Since that time, it has soared and is doing really well. It keeps me busy, that’s for sure, but I don’t mind all the extra work of organizing. I actually quite enjoy it. I’ve met such wonderful women and my children have made some great friends and have had many opportunities to play not only at their friends homes, but at local venues as well. One such venue is Chuck E. Cheese, and we went there this morning. My friend, Lindsey, was suppose to have a Beginning of Summer Party at her house, but of course, living in New England, you never know what the weather is going to bring you, and today it brought the clouds. Fearing rain, we scheduled this party for Chuck E. Cheese instead. Jay came along and was such a help with the boys. It was wonderful to actually have the opportunity to sit there with other moms and chat without having to chase after Ryan. Such a happy sigh I make as I sit here thinking of my day. The moms arrived and come to find out, this was not a Beginning of Summer Party at all. They had coordinated with one another and this was a party for me. For ME! They wanted to thank me for starting this group in the first place and for taking the time to organize it all this time. Of course, the tears fell. And they fell even more as I was given a beautiful bouquet of flowers, a gift card for a local spa (can I get a hoot, hoot??!) and the most amazing booklet of pictures compiled throughout the year along with words of thanks from group members. I sit here even now, hours later, and I’m filled with such gratitude. I’m still in awe. I feel so appreciated. I feel so thankful. I feel such utter content.
My husband is home, I have the most amazing children, and I’ve got some pretty wonderful friends. Life is good 
