How Many Weeks Left?

This is the most common question I get these days. Whenever I run into someone that knows my husband is away I get asked the question above OR I get this statement....

"Wow, you must be busy?"

And how do I reply...
the same as always .....

"Yes, I am but we are busy even when he is home."

The reality is I have four children ages 6, 3, 3, and 4 months...ANYONE would be busy single Mom or not. I do appreciate their concerns but I guess since we hit the midway point in his absence my nerves are starting to fray a bit.

The weather has been crappy and that does not help a person's mood. Today the sun is shining but it's cold, -28C with the windchill factor. It's March 17th...St. Patrick's Day...hello...warm weather would be nice for the first day of spring on Friday.

The kids have all been sick. Yes, fellow Mom's Morning Outters......I know I mentioned bragged about how my family get's less than the average colds per year. Guess what? We paid for that comment over and over again in the last two weeks.

My patience is running thin....

I CRAVE some "me" time and more than an hour....

But...

I get up everyday and most days

I find a sense of renewal...

a feeling that I can do this one more day....

and I do.

Somedays are met with frustration and something happens every time I turn around but most days it's not so bad.

I am discovering it's all a frame of mind. If your mind is set that it will be a good day no matter what then ususally that can happen.

But people...

I am a female and there is a little thing called PMS that can turn anyone's world upside down. Luckily I am really too busy to notice my PMS lately and it goes unnoticed until I NEED chocolate and a slush in the worst way. Right at this very moment the chocolate craving is winning and I am sooo making haystacks as soon as I hit "publish".

Getting back to the post title....

This morning while feeding Gage I started to think about what it's like for the wives of soldiers. I have a few friends in the states that lived on army bases and have had their husbands gone for long periods of time. It never really dawned on me until now, at this stage I am at in my life how hard that must have been, especially when children are involved.

My husband has been gone for 2 1/2 months but comes home on weekends...a day and a half. I think we lucked out, I can't imagine how army/navy families do it...How do you do it?

I also have family close by to help out. And when you have that soft cushion to fall on, that sense of security it makes you feel a little more comfortable in what your doing.

Yes, this is hard, I have no idea how single parents do this.

Yes, I feel like my children are not getting everything they need from me right now but they are getting the necessities and 99.1% that I can give everyday.

Yes, somedays I feel like I can't breathe.

But...something happens, I complain to my husband and it all feels better. Just kidding...I do complain to him but that is not what makes me feel better.

What makes me feel better is that I know how hard this is for everyone...me, my husband and the kids and because I am a generous person by nature...their feelings and sense of well being will always come first and that helps me "forget" how I am feeling.

Knowing that this opportunity for my husband's career change is something we both feel God gave us is a HUGE part of my strength. Some days it gets confusing why it can't be any easier but honestly...if this was easy would I see any blessings through it?

To answer the title of this post..........I dont' count weeks anymore...it's down to days. The number of days that he will be absent from this house is 34 and trust me the big black marker came out and I am now crossing off each day as it goes by!