Almost There!

It is finally April!  April probably means lots of different things to everyone.  Birthdays, anniversaries, tax day.  But for us, it means we get Zach back!  It's hard to believe that we are almost there.  It feels like the longest, shortest six months ever.  We managed to stay fairly busy to keep the time going by, but at the same time, it's been almost half a year!  Half a year!!  It's just crazy to think about.

It's been hard.  It's been challenging.  It's been rewarding.

It certainly gives you some perspective.  I can't imagine being a single parent.  Doing it all.  All day, every day, by yourself.  Thankfully, my time was on a temporary basis.

I tried to make the most of all my one on one time with the girls and plan lots of fun/special things.  I might have even spoiled them a little to try to make up for the fact that Daddy has been gone.

There might have been few more trips to get ice cream.

Maybe a second ride on the carousel.

Possibly a few extra lunch dates.

There might have even been a few more movie nights than usual.  Lots of wonderful memories have been made.

And boy, have I learned a lot.

I can't do it all, and that's ok.
I can still do all those things that I used to do when I was single, like pay bills, change an air filter, and lock myself out of the house.
I can even learn new things.  Like learning to use a skill saw or jump start a car.
It's ok to ask for help, because people want to help.
It's ok to let people do something nice for you without expecting anything in return.
I'm not invincible.  I can get sick too, even when my babies get sick.
It is possible to do 12 loads of laundry within 24 hours.
I am stronger than I thought.

I have to say, I am pretty proud of myself and even more proud of the girls.  Going in to it, I wasn't sure what to expect.  Were there going to be extra meltdowns?  Lots of "I miss Daddy!" moments?  But looking back, I think we've done pretty well for ourselves.  Sure there were the normal break down moments and we definitely missed Daddy, but it was nothing a hug and a kiss couldn't cure. 

As for now, we are counting the weeks and days until Zach comes home.  I get emotional just thinking about it.  But we are ready!  So very ready.