And Just Like That... {Week 10 Update}

Dan is gone.

Dan recently purchased a new iPad Air 2 and is delighted with it. He bought it so our skype sessions would be easier to manage and in better quality than we've previously had. To that end, this happened this week...

 

...a 2 HOUR skype chat. Be still my heart indeed. It may have been the longest conversation we've ever had. EVER.
Good things are happening at the Man Crew House, not the least of which is improved communication between Hercules and myself. I am content. If I remember nothing else from this week, or even this grand 'adventure' we are currently enjoying, I'll remember this picture and the amazing talk we had. Good stuff.

A little less lonely this week, 
        ~K~

#100HappyDays

 I was challenged by a friend today to take the #100HappyDays challenge. Post of pic of something that makes you happy each day for 100 days. And I think it's exactly the distraction I need while Dan is away. Being mindful of little things that make life more pleasant, more enjoyable, more blessed is never a bad thing. Perhaps I'll do it not only on FB, but post it over here for my viewing and enjoyment once the challenge is over.
If you are interested and would like to play along, it can be found over here.
    Always more blessed that I deserve, ~K~ 

And Just Like That... {Week 7 Update}

Dan is gone.

And so is this girl. Guess where I am right now? Go on, guess! I'm sitting in Dan's new apartment in Iowa, spending a whole glorious week with him! I've been here since Wednesday and we are having a ball! We spent the first day just soaking up the sight of each other. Dan has lost about 10 pounds and looks really good. (not that he ever didn't look good, but you know what I mean) He had to work on Thursday so I spend the day reading, enjoying the quiet and having lunch with my Internet Bestie Jen Hansen. She had to bring the boys to (ironically) University of Iowa Children's Hospital that--Lo and Behold--someone's handsome hubby just HAPPENS to be building. *grins* So we had lunch and laughs. Poor Jonah will never be the same after being stuck at the table with the two of us guffawing loud enough to break the sound barrier.
Dan surprised me by announcing that he had Friday off as well as Monday (Labor Day) so we spent the morning scouring through fantastic little thrift stores looking for kitchen supplies for the new apartment, doing some grocery shopping and wandering the local mall. Today we've just hung out at the apartment mostly, although we did take a trip to the phone repair store to fix Dan's speaker. We're enjoying Netflix, Pandora and games, and just being together.
If this is what being empty-nesters is like, I'm ALL ABOUT IT!! Dan and I have never spent more than a few days away from the children and even when we were first married, I was working with children full time, babysitting on the weekends and we always had my nephew Jayson around. This few days is the longest we've ever had together without children, ours or other people's, along with us. I was a little concerned that we'd run out of things to talk about, but so far that hasn't been an issue. Wooty woot woot! I could totally get used to this. NOW I know what Dan is talking about when he says that even though he L-O-V-E-S being a parent, he's not going to be broken hearted when they grow up and move out so we can have some US time. Seriously, I am enjoying myself like I haven't in ages. And that's saying something, because I KNOW what a blessed life I lead.
I'll head home in a few days to get back to mothering our little herd of boys and we will resume our watching and waiting for Dan's return to our beloved NM. But for now, I gotta go. We're watching like our 10th episode of Gilmore Girls. This man certainly does love me.
     Not Lonely and Not in NM,
       ~Kristy~

And Just Like That...{Week 3 Update}

Dan is gone.

I did paint my nails! I did! :) It was fun. I wanted to look cute as I was scampering about in the gym for DT's party on Sunday. So I painted my toes and fingers to match. And then I started thinking about when the last time I did that...and decided the last time I had matching finger and toe polish was probably when Karen got me a mani-pedi the day before DT was born. 10 years?? How have I let 10 years go by without treating myself this well? Craziness. Anywho, enough about my nails. Just an interesting aside. 
In other news, the party was fun. Even Miss TJ showed up with her duck named Booger. Everyone missed Dan, who is of course, way too much fun at the gym. At DT's last party at the gym, they were using the cheese mats to slide around the gym and seeing who could make their mat slide the farthest. Because everything is a contest when you're a boy. Or a man. ;) 
Umm, what else to share? Oh yes, well....well never mind about that. This is what's next. I've been dancing around this, trying not to say it, but it needs to be said and I might as well just say it. The loneliness is driving me crazy. I know I"m strong, I know I can DO this, I know all of that self pep talk stuff. But I miss him. ALL THE TIME. This week, all I want to do is sleep and cry. I know I CAN do this, but I don't know if I WANT to do this. :( He's still calling/texting daily and I'm trying to be brave and supportive and encouraging, but it's all I can do not to scream into the phone, "JUST COME HOME THIS MINUTE!!" I actually got really sad one day when we were talking and I just said, "I can't talk anymore right now. I have to go." And hung up without giving him even a chance to respond. I know, Wife of the Year award is coming my way any minute now. LOL!
In the good news department, Pat and I had a conversation today that didn't end with a door slammed in my face! 18 days, y'all. 18 days to have a decent conversation with my own child. Apparently right behind my Wife of the Year award is my Mother of the Year award. *le sigh* But, it is progress so I'll take it.
In the good, super fun, hilarious news department: Mom, Uncle Jerry and Aunt Marion were in town for 3 and a half days and we laughed like there was no tomorrow. Mom took right back over the kitchen, which was a blessing since I was working extra hours in anticipation of the B-Bunch's upcoming vacation next week. We had basically 3 Game Nights this week as people came over to visit with them each evening. There were many games played, MUCH coffee/soda consumed and MUCH laughter over old stories being told. I was quite sad to see them go, but was glad they took to the time to stop by on their way to Idaho to see their boys. Good stuff!
Thanks for taking this journey with me. I know it's an up and down hill roller coaster right now, but I'm hoping it will even out soon.
 ~K~

And Just Like That... {Week 2 Update}

Dan is gone.

No huge changes this week. Dan is settled in at the house he's staying at while he's gone. Found some old friends that he's worked with before, and made some new ones. The work is good he says, and he's enjoying the hustle and bustle of a BIG job again. I am still loving the fact that we are communicating so much! This is way more talking than we do even when we are together. Strange!
David is still working Eleventy Billion hours a week and I rarely see him. Pat and I have still not had a successful conversation. Derek is Derek and enjoying the extra Mama time. I am still not sleeping and becoming quite ungracious due to not enough sleep. I've got to find a way to sleep at the right time.
I have finished ALL the small 'back burner" projects from my to do list and may actually have time to do something like PAINT MY NAILS for the first time in 6 months. That would be fun!

In other news, Derek turned 10 today and has joined the double digit club. :) It was sad that Daddy missed it, but the party is tomorrow and they are going to Skype.

And Just Like That... {Week 1 Update}

Dan is gone.

He's been gone a full week, and several things have already happened.
1. I am a big helpless baby after being married to Mr. Fix It for nearly 19 years. I can't do anything for myself anymore. This is both a blessing (hooray for a handy hubby) and maddening (I need help with EVERYTHING, and I don't know anyone else handy, because Dan does everything)
2. Patrick and I are incom-PAT-ible (no pun intended) We have not had one conversation yet that didn't end with him screaming and slamming the door in my face. Boo.
3. I miss him like crazy, which is interesting since we've been *enjoying* a small rough patch this past month or 6 weeks. Too much stress, too much work, too many people, too many responsibilities, plus not enough boundaries will do that to you. *sigh* At any rate, it's been great to actually miss him so much, as I sorta thought I'd just heave a sigh of relief that he was out of my hair for a few minutes. (not trying to be ugly, just honest. If you don't personally know Dan, let me just say he's simply amazing...my poor attitude about things is more about me than him.) So missing him, while painful, is actually a good sign. We're doing better than I thought.
4. Sleeping alone after sleeping next to someone for nearly 19 years is the PITS! I can NOT sleep until I am completely exhausted. So I'm falling into bed at like 3 am, which is not good for anyone when Mama doesn't get enough sleep. 
5. Dan has been calling or texting me every single day, which is outstanding growth on his part. I am tickled pink!
6. With all the *extra* time I have in the evenings, I've completed nearly everything that's been on the back burner of my to do list for the last 6 months. Not any huge projects, but the little things that linger and never seem to get done due to a lack of time...those things. Clean out the fridge, vacuum the air vents, mending my skirt, file your office paperwork, trim the roses, etc. So, I'll count that as a victory. :)
Overall, things are going as well as can be expected. P never does well with change, so I'm hopeful that this anger won't last forever. I will live and in theory learn to sleep by myself. I'll try to check in next week again.
~K~

It's the Little Things

I've discovered as I make this journey through life that it's not the huge things that make or break your day, week, month or life. It's the little things. So in honor of the little things, list a few with me that made your day, week, month or life brighter or sweeter.

• It's an hour to blog after DT goes to bed. AND an hour to read if I want.
• It's watching movies with the BIGS that we can all enjoy.
• It's having time for the first time in 6 months to paint my nails
• It's a dishwasher full of CLEAN dishes
• It's a tween that willingly cleans the bathroom.
• It's a teenager that reads his little brother bedtime stories is a silly French accent until they are both giggling like crazy.
• It's pulling a loaf of home made bread out of the freezer and having the people that eat it all the time still ooh and aah over it and beg for grilled cheese sandwiches.
• It's friends that offer to come to your house and make you dinner so you can relax a little bit. (Yes, I do know how ridiculously blessed I am)
• It's new recipes from friends.
• It's remembering that I was a person in my own right before I was married and before I became a mother, and nurturing that person isn't selfish or bad. (OK, so that's a bigger thing, but still) 
• It's a pair of great fitting jeans.

I like the idea of this style of post. If you like it too, add your little things! I'm making it a goal to focus on the positive this year...Join me!