It was a Great Week

We had such a great spring break week. I can't believe it is ending. Tomorrow will be an early morning. Showers, bagels, backpacks, lunches packed and out the door five minutes later than I wanted. Yes, back to the grind. School, work, violin, dinner, bedtime. Routines are important, but breaking them, for a few days, is too. It is too easy to go on auto-pilot in our routines and miss the bigger picture.

I'm grateful for the break that let us be together as a family and slow down. We picked Robbie up from the airport on Thursday. The kids weren't expecting him until Saturday, and they thought he'd be driving home. So they didn't suspect a thing when I explained I had to check out a tree at the airport. (Having a Arborist for a mom makes "going to look at a tree" normal and boring.) When we pulled up, I asked, "Hey, who's that?". Key, who couldn't wrap his brain around what his eyes were seeing, sputtered and finally exclaimed, "He won't be here til Saturday!!!". Natalie flung her tiny arms around his neck and refused to let go. Tender hearted Andy had silent tears stream down his cheeks. Dad was home, back with us, and all seemed right with the world.

I could turn this into a travel log. We did get out and about during our week, but I think I'll just focus on the things that made it so special.

Watching Robbie cut the grass, with Andy riding on his lap. Hearing the made up verses of "Hush Little Baby" coming from Natalie's room each night. Hearing him criss cross the hall fulfilling back scratching requests. Watching him make pancakes and bacon for dinner. Hearing the gentle encouragement he gave each child as they showed him all the new things they'd learned when he was gone.

That was what our week was really about. The backdrop being the trips downtown for ice cream, our walking tour of the Clemson campus, etc. On his last day he made sure all of bike tires were filled and that the seats were at the right height and he appeared happy and positive to the kids when he explained it wouldn't be long until we finish school and join him for our summer vacation. But I could tell he was missing us already. And that is just one of the reasons he is such a great dad (and husband). We are truly blessed to have him in our lives. And sometimes it takes having someone out of your life to fully grasp how important it is to have them in your life.

And speaking of life, we are still in the midst of deciding where we will be living out the next decade or so. We have lots of possibilities (or, as Natalie would say, possumbilities) and all of them are good things. It is an exciting time to be a Goodson, plus a bit stressful if you really like knowing where you'll soon call home. But I'll take it, because I know where ever we land we'll be together. And THAT is home.

He is still here

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Robbie has been here all week but has to go back to FL tomorrow. I'll post more soon about of wonderful week together.

He is still home