Girls' Seattle Trip!

After a week of Keith being gone, I decided to hit the road with my mom and get out with the girls. (Actually, we had planned for months to go overnight to visit my cousin Mary, in celebration of a couple big birthdays, and it just happened to fall right after Keith got home from his training week.)
My mom and I headed out in the a.m. and got to Seattle before noon on Saturday. Our bed & breakfast was really cute and charming, and it was even decorated for Christmas! We got all settled in our room, and it seemed as if we were all along in the house! (That was proven wrong later, but not in a bad way.)
We met up with Mary and found a fun sandwich place for lunch. It was called Homegrown, and it was a great organic soup/salad/sandwich place with delicious food. We all thoroughly enjoyed it. After browsing around in some shops (we were in the Capitol Hill area, which was super fun & felt very much like a "locals" neighborhood), we went to check out Mary's cute little studio apartment. She has it decorated very cute for Christmas, with lots of antique decorations and twinkling lights. She made some delicious french press coffee, and we enjoyed some Christmas treats while we were discussing the hot topic of a dinner place. After only an hour of hemming & hawing, we finally landed on an Italian restaurant that served homemade pasta. It was a great choice, and we loved the atmosphere at "La Spiga." That evening we went back to the bed & breakfast for a game of Bananagrams, we laughed our way through some stories from years gone by, and we just generally had a wonderful evening!
The next day mom & I went to the other house (part of the same bed & breakfast property) for our breakfast, where we met some of the other people staying at the place. We had found out the night before that "our" house was actually full (meaning that all three rooms were occupied), and then at breakfast we met the few people that were at the other house. We had a really nice visit with another mom & daughter (also celebrating a 30th birthday), and a couple other single women. Mom even got some contact info from a gal who lives in Singapore, as she & my dad are hoping to visit there next fall. Networking at a Bed & Breakfast--who knew?! The breakfast was delicious, and we were fully satisfied with our stay.
After a wonderful sunny walk and one last coffee excursion, we figured it was time to head back home. Mom and I still managed one trip to Starbucks on the way out of town--you just can't have enough coffee on a girl's weekend with Barb, Mary & Heather!--and then we had a good drive home with lots of sum-up visiting and talking. Keith wonders what I can find to talk about with my mom as often as I talk with her on the phone and in person, but there's always more to say--and inevitably we forget something! I'm glad we have a good relationship where we can (and want to) spend a few days in a row together during the week and then still head out of town together overnight. So fun!
Anyway, we had a wonderful trip and it was a fun celebration of my 30th birthday (in January) and mom's 60th birthday (this last October). :)

A Week of Single Parenting=Not the Most Fun Ever.

A couple weeks ago, Keith had to go to a work training in California. We knew it was going to happen, but originally it was supposed to be in January. In mid-November, his boss asked him if he could swing it to go in the first week of December. While I wasn't looking forward to him going at all, I knew I would be delaying the inevitable if we waited until January. The days leading up to the departure passed with the knowledge that he'd be gone for almost an entire week--from a Sunday evening to a Friday evening. Eek!
After dropping him off at the airport (I was proud of myself that I didn't cry!), we headed home and started our week. Monday was extremely tiring and I remember feeling like "How am I going to get through this?!" "How do military wives do it?!" With some good perspective switches and lots of prayer/grace from the Lord, we got through that day and continued through the week.
The rest of the week is honestly sort of a blur, but I know that the days were long & it was hard not to have any sort of relief from my sweet husband each evening. Even if Keith is helping with youth group after work or something, I still know he'll eventually be home to be a listening ear, to offer a hug, and to generally keep me company! When he's gone overnight, there is new meaning to the phrase that being a parent is a 24-7 job!

I did have help, though, and I was so thankful for that! I know what I need when it comes to Keith being gone overnight, and that involves sleepovers and reinforcements. Monday & Tuesday night, our friend Hannah stayed overnight, and Wed-Fri the girls and I bunked at my mom & dad's. My mom and I always enjoy this type of opportunity, and we've agreed that we could totally get on board with a multi-generational household. (Keith may have something to say about that, but my mom & I are all ready!) ;)

By the time Keith got home on Friday night, I was definitely counting down the hours & minutes. Hannah was so excited that she threw up...(well, she was car sick, but I like to think it was excitement. Fortunately, I managed to get at least her head out of the car, so there wasn't a huge nasty mess waiting for Keith.) :)

Anyway, I was reminded again what a supportive, involved, loving, and patient father & husband Keith is, and what an impact he makes on our daily lives. I love my husband! :)