When we were down at Matt's union school in December I was chatting with the wife of another mariner while we did laundry. I asked her what it was like for her while he was gone and she gave a sort of "meh" and said she doesn't mind because she has her own thing going on. Granted they didn't have any children and got married later in life, but I don't think that I will ever just shrug my shoulders and relent that it just is what it is. I will tolerate it and I'll get through it but I don't think I can ever fully accept that it is the ideal situation for our family (or any family). That being said, I'm trying my best to make the most of our time together and apart and getting better at looking at the bright side. Marek and I went to the fish fry at church last Friday, the evening that I was to pick Matt up at the airport. A woman who sat with us was almost as excited as I was and kept telling me she was jealous that I got to go pick up my boyfriend at the airport that night. She said there was a time when she was young and picked up her lover from overseas. Something about that scene at the airport is quite enchanting. It's something that other merchant mariners often say in defense of leaving their wives for long periods of time; that each time they come home it's like a honeymoon all over again. There is a lot of buildup the week Matt gets home and I do get anxious and excited to see him, as close to those pre-married butterflies as you can get :) But things quickly slip back in to a routine which is what we love so much about our lives together. We wake up to a chatty baby, make eggs, drink coffee, decide what we are going to get done that day, eat a "big ass salad" for lunch, take a walk, make delicious dinners, play with our baby, and go to bed. Ahh, what a life!
I must admit that although I was so happy to have my hubby home, this time I was really more excited for Marek to have his Daddy. He missed him so much and understood that he was away, unlike the last trip when he was too young. Marek asked for Daddy all the time. He pointed to pictures all around the house and said "Dada" until I finally gave him his own picture of him and Daddy to carry around. We weren't sure what Marek's reaction would be. I told Matt that he would either run to him and give him a giant snuggle or start pointing to things and showing him things. It was a mixture of these with a little apprehension. Matt flew in around midnight and I left Marek at home with Papa to sleep so he didn't see him until the morning. I went to get him from his crib and told him that Daddy was home. Then he heard commotion in our bedroom and was a little freaked out. When Daddy came in the room he just stared for a bit, then pointed to some things to show him, then gave him his blankie, then paused, smiled, and gave him a giant snuggle and a big kiss. A few hours later, it was business as usual :)
Matt is really getting a kick out of all of Marek's little tricks and expressions. They are best buddies and boy what a difference it makes having my teammate around! It is good for all of us to have two parents in the house with two different styles. Marek is starting to get testy with me and it is good to have Daddy's help now that we have to discipline. I am looking forward to getting a massage and my haircut next week by myself as well :)
We have been go-go-go since Matt got home. Monday we started a landscaping project that we worked on almost non-stop until Thursday. We worked hard and fast while Marek took naps and then tag-teamed while he was awake and we had to chase him around the yard. He is a pretty good listener outside but there is a park just across the street from our house that he can see all the time. The rocks and dirt and shovels would keep him occupied (and dirty) for a while before he would try to dart to the street. It would be so nice to have a fence at this age!
We are both sore and tired from the hard work we put in this week but we are very happy with the result! Once everything starts to come up and we get the lawn growing greener, I think it will look really nice. I have a couple holes to fill within the mulch and I am going to put annuals in the little dirt bed that we set aside. Our house also needs a paint job and we are going to be staining the deck and all the woodwork this summer.
Before/during
After
Other side of house before
After
These were existing beds that were full of pretty perennials but also full of weeds and the flowers were getting quite unruly. Both Matt and I had attempted to clean it up in past years but it really needed a total makeover the right way this time. There was an ugly black plastic border that we tore out and replaced with this border made of tumbled pavers. We wanted to able to mow right up to the edge of the beds. We transplanted many of the existing plants and shifted them around. The beds are pretty full though you can't see most of the plants yet. We also did the same thing to a small bed in our back yard and have a couple more corners that we are going to fill in with mulch and section off by the garden.
We work really well together on projects like these and though it can be hard work, we both find it very rewarding. The bummer is that we likely won't be here much longer to enjoy all of the hard work we are putting into the house because we plan to move to Minnesota around this time next year. Hopefully all of these projects help us to sell our house though and I do enjoy learning new things about home ownership! Thankfully I have a handy husband to teach me!
Between this project and taking care of other business like taxes and finances, we have not had any time to relax and just enjoy being together. We have a long list of to-dos which made me start to dread our trip to Florida in a week. With all of the hustle and bustle of things at home and a holiday upon us, I think that Florida is really coming at the perfect time. It will force us to be together away from home and just relax and make up for lost time. This time, we will be there over a weekend which means Matt will have a couple of days without classes for us to go on some adventures together. I am also looking forward to getting some more crochet projects done and being able to work out in a gym and in the pool. I'm sure we will also spend a lot of time at the beach. It will be much different this time now that Marek is walking!
We wish you all a blessed Easter! We promise to come out of hiding this weekend and are looking forward to spending time with family!
