Musings of the Lonesome: Week 1

Day 1: Husband left today. He's off to Philmont. In other words, he's off to live in the wilderness for 10 days. Ten days plus traveling to and from New Mexico equals one lonesome wifey at home. I couldn't even go half the day without missing him terribly. Today was made bearable because he did call once this evening and because Little Sister #4 and Little Brother #2 came for a sleepover. We ate junk food, swam, and watched movies. Husband will find it entertaining to learn that I woke up in the night upside down [as in my feet where my head goes and my head where my feet go, not as in I woke up vertically oriented]. This has happened only once since we've been married although it was a common occurrence beforehand, when I had my own bed...

Day 2: I got two more phone calls today--one this morning and one this evening. I might even get one last call tomorrow morning before they officially start their hike tomorrow. I still had the kiddos this morning and then I went to work this afternoon and finished up my assignment for my microbiology class this evening. Not very eventful. Not too lonely either since I kept busy and had a couple of chances to talk to Husband...

Day 3: So much for my phone call this morning...Hey! Do you have so-n-so's number? Thanks! Love you! Bye!...Coping strategy #1 for today was memories--the good kind. I was thinkin about when I lived in the dorms and got zero cell phone service in my room so I would go out to the courtyard with a pillow and blanket at the break of dawn to talk to Husband (before he was Husband) on the phone. We had to do it at the break of dawn when we could use free minutes so that Dad #1 didn't get after me. I thought about how whenever we were in the back seat of Dad #2's truck I would stick my head on his chest and my face in the crook of his neck. Husband wondered how the heck it didn't make me claustrophobic and Mom #2 always got after us for snogging even though were weren't snogging...at least not most of the time...Coping strategy #2 was to stay the night at Mom and Dad #1's house. THEN! That night I was saying family prayer and straight from the heart I said, "...and please don't let Husband get eaten by a bear..." and then Mom #1 snickered and Dad #1 guffawed (right in the middle of my prayer!) and then kids #s 4, 5, 6, and 7 started to giggle. They all just laughed through the rest of my prayer! Yet, even with the coping strategies I laid down that night and felt very...

...alone...

Day 4: I worked all day today and had no one to text me or email me or keep me sane. Seriously. I went nuts. This afternoon I was eating animal crackers and I thought...Poor little penguin. You just got your head bit off. Cute little camel. I bit your head off too...and then I pulled out a bear and said...Take that, you nasty old bear! That's what you get for messing with Husband!...Wow. He needs to come home....

Day 5: I cried today...

Day 6: I missed having a husband to sit next to during church today. I was able to listen to two of my best friends speak in church. They're both leaving on missions in a couple of weeks, one to Argentina and one to Bolivia. They both did a spectacular job with their talks. I know that they will be great missionaries. I'm still praying Husband won't get eaten by a bear, although I suppose I'm more worried about him worrying about getting eaten by a bear than I am him actually getting eaten by a bear...

Day 7: I cleaned the house today. Wish I had Husband here to help me or at least to tell me I looked beautiful with my PJs on and my hair going everywhere once I was all done. Is it weird that I texted him to tell him how much I miss him even though I know he can't respond? I miss those days when seeing his truck in the parking lot meant Husband was home...