Best Week Ever!

In case you're wondering who had the best week ever last week- we did. It was us. This morning as Mike was getting ready to go to work and we were both lamenting that we weren't ready for "normal" again yet I thought about what an AMAZING week we had! Since one of the reasons I write here is for my kids to read later in life....I want them to know the week their Dad came home from his European tour we had about 2 months worth of fun in 5 days. Truly.

For those of you who look at my pictures on Facebook there aren't any new ones here....but this is what I've got for the last week. Truthfully once Mike gets home I go into picture burn out mode since I take SO many while he's gone. Plus, I really do try and live IN my moments instead of just taking pictures of them.

Last Tuesday July 9th was one of the longest days of the year. Mike was scheduled to get in at 4:55 p.m. and it could not come fast enough. The kids and I ran some errands in the morning and went to Goodwill to drop off some old and pick up some new. Goodwill is my favorite place for games and puzzles. We got Whac a mole for $2.50! That's a good deal! Neither of the kids took a nap because they knew after rest time we would go to the airport to get Daddy! I felt like a 19 year old getting ready for a date when I got ready for the airport- I wanted to look nice but not like I was trying too hard....separation brings about all kinds of fabulous scenarios you never have to face otherwise.

But, the time finally came and we went to the airport- luckily we only waited about 15 minutes and Daddy appeared! We don't have any pictures to share of said event but it was fabulous! The airport isn't a place that gives proper credence to such events as seeing each other after 3 months apart- there are all kinds of reunions happening and even though our Universe stops for a moment it is quickly clear nobody else's does. Everyone is hugging and moving on. Both Emma and Andrew SO happy to see their Dad- poor Andrew tripped running to him but quickly recovered and the talking at 200 miles per hour begun. Emma couldn't tell him enough. Andrew couldn't hug him enough. We waited for his luggage but it didn't arrive on his flight so we left. We went for a super fancy dinner at Sonic drive in. The kids chose the place and Mike was happy to oblige for an American hamburger. I was happy for a cherry lime aid freeze. Heaven in a cup, people. Even though Mike's clock was 6 hours ahead of us we were up very late playing Wii and Mike was taking in every inch of the house- apparently it's much nicer than a tiny box room on a ship. Mike did a great job of not laughing at me while I drove terribly in my first ever round of Mario Kart- hopefully I get better.

When the kids woke up the next morning at 6:02 Mike was HAPPY to bound out bed with them and they were busy playing together when I woke up at 7:30. Mike ran upstairs for a minute and Andrew ran up to me and gave me a hug and said "I knew it, Mom. I just knew Daddy would come home." So sweet! We went to the free summer movie of Charllotte's Web and it was a good time. Mike bought the kids WAY too much sprite and popcorn and candy and when I looked at him puzzled he shrugged and said "I just got here." I guess it's nice to spoil and be spoiled every once in a while....

After the free movie we went to lunch at Friendly's where kids eat for $1.99 on Wednesdays! For $1.99 you get a drink, entre AND an ice cream dessert. It's a pretty nice deal. I had a rediculously unhealthy sandwhich and heath bar dessert- and felt like a kid until my stomach hurt for the rest of the day for filling it with all manner of fried and sugary foods....ick. I had to go to Young Women's Wednesday night but I was SO happy for Mike to be home and put the kids to bed while I was gone. YW Presidency isn't the easiest calling to have when your husband is gone for months at a time but we do our best. I'm happy to have some time I can devote to the Young Women without dragging my kids along to all their activities and meetings.

Thursday we took a trip to the botanical garden. We got a membership last time we visited and I'm so happy we did. It's SUCH a beautiful place. They have an exhibit through the summer called the Enchanted Storybook Forest which has 9 houses from different ryhmes and stories. It's SO cute and the kids LOVED it. We'll definitely go back to explore the forest again. Of course, a trip to the botanical garden isn't complete without a pounce through the fountains in the children's garden.

Friday we ran some errands all together which is SO much better than running them without being all together. We went to the community pool and what a difference a year makes! The kids are like fish now! They were jumping in and going under water- it was awesome!

Saturday we stayed home in the morning and tried to get some organizing done- which is harder than it sounds after you've played for a couple of days. Mike's Dad has given him a BUNCH of tools and Mike had them all laid out in the garage to organize them. Andrew went in the garage with Mike to "do Daddy's tools" which he loved. He kept asking Mike to show him how every tool worked. We went out to Home Depot and got caught in a crazy cloud burst rain storm. Once again I was so happy to have Mike home because there aren't many things I hate more than driving in the rain. We lost our power for a couple of hours which was a bummer because it was cloudy outside....I cannot imagine living in a world were AC didn't exist. I truly cannot.

Saturday afternoon my sister and her boyfriend came by on their cross country trip. They're moving to Boston and we're happy they've made Virginia Beach one of their stops. Even better they offered to let Mike and I go on a date- like a REAL date where the kids are AWAKE when you leave. We jumped at the chance! We left the house at 7 p.m. leaving the kids happily sniggled up with Aunt Hillary watching Cars. We've been on dates since having kids but not out to dinner and movie on the same night since before we had Emma. In fact, we realized last time we did both was the day before I went to the hospital with Emma in November 2005 we went to dinner with our friends Jennifer and Geoff and then saw Harry Potter. It was a good date....just WAY too long ago. We decided on Cheesecake Factory which is our favorite date resturant and then we went to see Eclipse. I'm not a Twilight girl by any stretch of the imagination but we've rented the other two movies and we were interested in seeing the third....so we did. Dinner was fabulous. We had both basically starved all day in preparation for our big dinner out so we took our Chicken Maderia and Chicken Costolletta down with no problems. We ordered our desserts to go. We held hands as we walked down the streets and didn't get interruted in conversation. It was calm, easy romantic and everything a date should be. We wandered around Bed Bath and Beyond while waiting for our movie to start. We coveted memory foam bath rugs, criticized art work and once again ran our fingers across the VERY coveted LeCrusset cast iron cooker I've been wishing for. Mike always just asks me to remind him what it is, and he picks it up and notes how heavy it is and then says "why is it $200?" every time. I always get lost in imagining it on my stove making chicken soup or taco soup and then sitting in my cupboard as Queen of all kitchen things.....it's just that pretty.
We went to our movie and Mike got his obligitory coke and popcorn- he absolutely cannot watch a movie without coke and popcorn. I was just too stuffed and so I got only a $4 bottle of water. I tried not to think about the fact that I had seen a 24 pack of water at the commissary for $3.99 earlier in the week. We saw Eclipse and it was just okay. Sorry Twilight fans. We're fans of the Vampire fighting and storyline but there was a little too much teenage love triangle for me. I kind of wished we had seen Toy Story 3 instead....but it didn't have any effect on how much I loved the night overall.

Sunday was great- and I love going to church so much more with Mike! My sister and her boyfriend were here for some good food, GREAT caramel apple cake and fun game. We even went for a walk and caught a lightening bug. Andrew squished him the whole way home and was then surprised when he didn't fly away- go figure.

So, here we are back at Monday morning. Mike went back to work, kids are playing in the pool and I'm trying to recount the memories of our fabulous week. This is as normal as it gets for us. Needlesss to say- we love our normal.

Pictures from the best week ever: