Good Girl...No Tears Today

Leo and I spent the morning enjoying each other's company, then we took the drive in from Port Lavaca to Houston and I dropped him off at the airport. I was a good girl today. There were no tears.

We had a long heart-to-heart this morning before we left home. I had begun to think about the fact that we prayed so hard for this job to be available for Leo, and now that it is a reality, I can't believe I would actually want to wish it away. The honest truth is that even though we miss each other terribly when he's gone, this job is EXACTLY what we need at this point in our lives. We both have a lot of work to do when Leo is on his rotation, and when he gets off, we enjoy our time together so very much. I've decided that I can miss him and be anxious for his return without going so far as wishing there was no job in Nigeria. Today's discussion was a good one for us, and I think it put us back on track. We've got lots of good days ahead together and I can't wait to see him again. But I am so very thankful that he has this wonderful job right now as well.

Can't Believe I Cried

I don't know what's come over me...must be getting old or something. Today I cried. I'm like an unbelievably tough old lady and I NEVER cry. But today I got to thinking about how much I miss Leo when he's gone, about how it is not so much fun without him here, about how I can't just pick up the phone and call him, and about how much I hate him being gone. And, I cried.

He took it pretty well. At first he called me silly, but then I saw tears in his eyes as well. He PROMISED me that he will do his next three, as we planned all along, then call an end to the whole madness. I am counting on that. I know that I will survive the next 6 months without any problems but the trouble is, I really won't enjoy them.

Now lest you think I'm a crazy, clingy lady, I have to admit that Leo and I have spent much of our married life apart. As a matter of fact, we've spent more time apart than almost any of our friends and family. Part of it was due to the rigors of shiftwork, part was due to the fact that we have worked miles apart for years now, and part of it because I have always been quite independent and have never been much of a "homebody". But, what we're doing now is different. You see, even though we spent a lot of time apart, it was always in little doses. Occasionally we would be apart a whole week. But now, a month? That is so hard! When I have no idea how long it will be before I hear his voice again (sometimes it is WEEKS!) I struggle. When I can't count on an email every day because of the inefficiency of the system where he is, I struggle. When I know that if something happens and I need Leo to be with me to handle it he won't be there, I struggle.

Tomorrow I'll be okay, I think. I have so much stuff waiting on me to do, I'll be busy for the next four weeks with no problem at all. That game plan of keeping busy will help me make it until the end of the long run ahead and in no time at all I will be back at the airport eagerly waiting his arrival. Tonight, however, as midnight approaches and I realize I have little more than 12 hours to spend with him, I dread what's coming. Wish me luck...I'll be okay. But honestly, I can't believe I cried!

Lagging and Tail Dragging

I can't believe it has been so long since my last posting. Yikes! So much has happened (you know, little things, fun things) that I don't know where to start. I guess I'll start with the fun time we had last weekend when for the first time in YEARS two of our girls and their families came to our place for a visit. What a BLAST!

Weekend Family Visit:

Left to right: Lee, Rachael, Madison, Shannon, Mason, Rebecca, Papaw Leo, and Zoe. Grandma (me) is behind the camera.

Shannon, Rebecca, and Madison came down from Jarrell (north of Austin). Madison is Rachael's oldest daughter but is finishing out the school year at her Aunt Becca's house. There is a LOT going on at home with her, a new house, a new sibling on the way, etc. and she was having a bit of a struggle at school. Sending her to Aunt Becca's house for a bit has been good for everyone; Shannon and Becca are enjoying her tremendously, Madison is thriving in a new and different environment, and Mom and Dad are able to get settled in to the new house and prepare for the coming of the new baby without worrying about Madison's schoolwork.

Lee, Rachael, Mason, and Zoe came in from Hardin (east of Liberty). Lee had never been to the house before, so that was a treat for us all. It was so good to see Mason again and he liked having the room to run around. I expect that he will not need to be "talked into" coming for a visit again. But the little star of the show, of course, was Zoe. At 10 months old, she is quite the little character. She has a bright and beautiful smile, and loves her extended family dearly. She and Papaw Leo have a particular bond, it seems. When everyone else is busy (like when we go shopping or when we went bowling), Papaw is the one we count on to keep little Zoe entertained. (Hmm...technically I think they keep each other entertained!) We had a WONDERFUL weekend together and I'm looking forward to more as the house gets further along in its completion.

Leo's Preparations for Work:

Now comes the bad news, the depressing news, the thing that weighs me down...Leo leaves again tomorrow. I find myself apologizing to him on a regular basis now. I only have to say one word for him to know what I mean, "clingy". Even when we are both busy in the house, I make regular trips to stand near him and talk with him a bit. When we are out and about, the poor thing isn't allowed to get very far away from me as I am holding his hand or linked through his arm at all times. And we BOTH have to be careful when talking about his departure as we both have a tendency to "tear up". Although this job of his is exactly what we needed as it is providing the funds for finishing the house, we also both hate being apart so much. We cannot WAIT until this is over!!!

My Work

Things are as busy for me right now as ever. Although I've reached the end of a long and drawn our project (whew!) I have a new stack on my plate that will keep me busy for a while. I am also negotiating the details on a position (Chief Marketing Officer) in a new company venture, Herries Engineering & Technical Services. As a start-up, we are at the point where I am putting in a lot of work and getting absolutely no pay for it. You might think that sounds crazy, but it is the way things like that work and believe it or not, I am THRILLED to be participating! My nights and weekends are filled with logos, resumes, business plans, brochures, business cards, website design, and more. My to-do list is growing, my checked-off items are lagging and my tail is dragging. However, I am having an incredible amount of FUN now and can't wait to see what the next adventure will be.

Sitting Around Together

I had to spend the weekend in Houston taking care of some business, so by the time I got home yesterday morning, I just could not bring myself to get back to work. I know it's silly, considering all we have to do, but Leo and I have basically been sitting around and enjoying each others company for the past two days. We've made a couple of trips to town, we've engaged in some light-hearted planning and scheming, he's caught me up on the Nigerian news and I've caught him up on the goings on here at home.

The weather has been unbelievably gorgeous with the water a brilliant blue and the pelicans, gulls, and other water fowl shining brightly in the sun. I have gotten some bill paying done, a bit of computer clean-up accomplished, and a little bit of paperwork finished up, but basically, Leo and I have had two days of pretending like we are retired. Two days is just enough to let us know that when the time comes for real, we are REALLY GOING TO LIKE THIS!