Viva Las Vegas

Mike should be home in a few hours. He has been in Las Vegas this time. These west coast trips are so long. He usually leaves early Thursday and doesn't come home until Monday. Now - I will say first and foremost that I am glad he has a job. However, the weekend travel isn't so great. I don't think I would mind it as much if he was gone during the week. We are so busy with our normal routines. Plus, as I have talked with other women who have husbands that travel, we all seem to agree that when are husbands are gone we are able to get dinner on the table and the kids ready for bed a little earlier. But on the weekends it it a different story. That is when you get caught up on family time, or when you want the extra person around so you can get things done. I also know how much Mike hates missing the kids' weekend games and activities.

The night he got to Vegas he went to see Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio. He hung out with them backstage and attended an amazing concert. I think that was the night I was holding my crying daughter who was blowing kisses out the window to her dead and buried hermit crab. Friday night - I'll call this one a toss-up. He went to In and Out Burger with Marcus (no big deal to me - In & Out Burger, not Marcus) and I took Taylor and some friends to the Charlotte Christian state semi-final basketball game. We had fun. Saturday night he called to tell me he was waiting on some clients to have dinner at the Japanese restaurant in the Bellagio. I think that was the night we had cereal, frozen pizza and mac & cheese. Then last night he was in bed early after a long day at the race. He was in a cozy hotel bed (however not with the Hilton's Serenity collection bedding) with the TV remote all to himself. I was dealing with power that couldn't decide if it wanted to stay on or go off, a satellite dish that definitely wanted to go off, and children fighting over whether to watch Elf or Cheaper By The Dozen - each for the 100th time.

Mike reminded me that Las Vegas is usually where he is when I have had to deal with some pretty weighty issues. This time it was death of a pet, grief and loss. Another time it was talking to Taylor about how babies are made. I tried and tried to get out of that talk and to wait until Mike came home. Aren't dads the ones supposed to talk to sons about those things? God convinced me, however, that I needed to answer Taylor's questions and have the first "talk" with him. After praying, calling Mike, and searching the Focus on the Family website, we hunkered down and made it through. Without Mike, mind you!

So - that is why I am glad he is coming home. We miss him when he is gone and I don't like dealing with life without him. He is leaving again Friday for a short trip to Atlanta. He'll be back on Sunday. Unfortunately for him, he will miss Claire's first soccer game of the season, and a basketball tournament for Taylor. I am so glad, even with all that goes on, that I am not the one that has to miss out on life around here. I'll take crying children and frozen pizza with a few soccer games thrown in over dinner at the Bellagio and a good night's sleep ANY day.