He's Home!

I'm catching up on kisses, I'm staying up til' 4:30am clinging to every detail about his journey, & I'm not letting more than a millimeter come between us when we're sleeping. It's pretty safe to say I'm over the moon that my husband is finally home from his recent trip to Guatemala.

I'll be the first to admit, I'm lost without my hubs. I know many of you have husbands who travel frequently & for long periods of time for their jobs, some who juggle work & school in an attempt to provide a life for your families, & your time together as a couple is so very limited. Let me just say, I admire you. You are strong, you have superpowers, & I wish I were as tough as you. Seriously. I'm a big wimp when my husband isn't with me. Don't get me wrong, I desire for him to go on his own little adventures, & me on my own, but I have to admit that when we're apart for very long, I honestly feel like part of me is missing. I cry, my heart longs for him, & I literally count down the minutes until we're together again.

I know, I know, it's mushy, it's sappy, it's cheesy & may even have you gagging. Eh, sorry about that. The fact of the matter is that I love my husband. I adore him. I treasure our relationship & one day when we're old & gray & looking back, I want to be able to feel that bond between us, not just read some watered down version of the love we share. This is the real deal, the depths of my heart, & if it all happens to be a tad too sappy for ya, well my friends, you may want to go find yourself a barf bag. Because this love? I'm celebrating it, not toning it down.

In all actuality, Jett & I managed quite well while Jared was away. I was pleasantly surprised at how smooth the entire week went. This was Jared's very first missions trip, & mine & Jett's very first time having him away from us for such a long period of time {nine days, eight nights...but who was counting?}. God was so good. He provided to me such a strong support system of girlfriends & family that took me in, checked in on me each & every day, filled my days with activity & laughter, & last but not least, prayed for me morning, noon, & night. I realized this week more than I think I ever have, just how much I sometimes take my simple blessings, like my marriage, family, & friends, for granted. Some people don't have a lifeboat of support to keep them afloat when they need a little assistance, & when I laid my head down each night, thanking the Lord for my blessings, I realized that the list just goes on & on & on--the blessings don't ever end. God is so very good, indeed.

And even though the week went smoother than anticipated & Jett & I actually survived without our third muskateer, my heart couldn't have cared less about all of that. Because I'm tellin' ya, it nearly leapt out of my chest when I finally laid eyes on my husband coming through the tunnel of GATE 68, scanning the crowd for his wife & baby boy. It was all tears, hugs, & kisses after that. Such a sweet, sweet reunion.

We stayed up well into the morning swapping stories & I couldn't go to sleep until I'd heard every last detail of his trip to Guatemala. It's an exciting one & here soon I'm hoping to put a post together that goes into more detail about all that this trip held for our family. Maybe, if we're lucky, Jared will even guest post about some of his experiences.

But for now, I just want to be still. I just want to be in this moment. Where my heart sails as I climb into the warm arms of my husband rather than a cold, empty bed at the end of the day. Where a secure & comforting feeling floods over me when I think of the support system I have in my life. Where I am completely consumed with thanksgiving, gratitude, & deep appreciation for the abundance of blessings the Lord has so graciously poured into my life. I don't deserve any of it, but I am thankful, nonetheless.

I sure am glad my hubby is finally home & that I can throw my arms around him or smooch his lips at any given moment. There is no better feeling than having my little family all under the same roof. But I must say, that nine days that he was away really did my heart good. It took the thankfulness I already carry within me & it stretched it, it deepened it, & it opened my eyes to blessings I have been overlooking for some time.

I get it. I grasp it. And this Thanksgiving, I won't simply utter a "Thank you, Lord." No, I will celebrate, I will sing, I will praise the Lord & give him the true reverence He deserves. This Thanksgiving will be different than any other Thanksgiving of my past. My heart won't ever forget this one.

Now I'm off to bake pies & prepare casseroles. Thanksgiving festivities start tomorrow for us!

Happy Thanksgiving week, friends.