While He was Away

Thankfully, I'm married to a man who is truly gifted in connecting with, and leading, people - especially young people.  That makes him a great dad, a wonderful teacher, an excellent future school administrator, and also a totally awesome youth group sponsor.  This week, he has been using his gift to the fullest at the CIY (Christ In Youth) conference in Roach, Missouri.  And, no, I didn't make up the name of the town, there really is a town called Roach.

Seven full days without my other half was scary, stressful, and sleep-deprived.  It's a lot of work getting all three boys up, dressed, changed, fed, and to daycare before rounds at the hospital; then a full day of work to be followed by daycare pick-up and cooking dinner with boys at my feet, crying, or fighting; then wrestling through our bedtime routine (remember the post "Goodnight"?); and finally ending the day doing dishes, scraping stuck-on Cocoa Puffs off the floor from breakfast, and finishing clinic notes.  Thankfully, we stayed at my mom's when I was on call, but that had its own challenges.  Ask her.  Still, it's completely worth it!  

Jason isn't oblivious to our challenges, but he knows, too, that it's worth it.

This year, to ease some of my pain, Jason had a surprise.  Actually, seven surprises - one for each day.  Before he left, he instructed me to check my email first thing in the morning before the craziness of the day began.  And each morning (or afternoon when Roach's Internet connection was bad) I found an email reminding me I was being thought of, missed, and loved.  Each email also contained a gift.

Saturday - Money to take the boys for a "special lunch."  Owen chose "The Yellow M" and ate nearly two entire Happy Meals.  What a great, healthy doctor-mom I am.

Sunday - Hidden in the kitchen was popcorn, candy and a link to a chick flick on Netflix.

Monday - A gift card to the salon to get the haircut I'd been whining that I needed.  Ooops, now I wish wouldn't have gotten it cut the Friday before, but you should have seen the look on Jason's face when I walked in with the new do Friday night.

Tuesday - Coffee and quiet at Panera which worked out perfect because I ended up with the morning "on call" for my rotation.  I never got a call.

Wednesday - He got my mom in on it, and she bought fried chicken for dinner.  Jason doesn't like fried chicken so I hardly ever get to enjoy it.

Thursday - A slideshow of photos and songs from the past 13 years titled: "Happiness."  Wow, we are getting old and fat.  No more Happy Meals for us either.

Friday - Him!  He's on his way home right now.

It was an awesome week.  An awesome week for Jason at CIY, and for the youth, and ultimately for the kingdom.  And I can't really complain, it was an awesome week for me, too.  Truly, worth it.