Norfolk Port Call..............

I picked Chad up Monday night at 6pm. My kids didn't know he was coming home that day. I told them I was going to the store (which I did after getting him) and had Myshel watch the others at home. After I picked him up I had him call the kids on my cell phone and tell them we were going to the store now. They were so surprised and a little confused, I think. They called my cell phone back to see if he was really with me.
It's soooooo great to have him home, but with good news comes bad. He's only here for two days. The ship pulls out again on Thursday and Chad along with it. They'll only be gone for about a week this time, but it's still really hard to get him back and have to say good-bye so soon. We (half) joked around about how Norfolk is just his port call. (I think most navy wives could tell you that at times it does feel like their home port is just a place to stop over for awhile.) They were kind, though, and gave him Tuesday off. That was great, too. We spent the day just doing every day stuff, taking McKaylie to the dentist, going to the store, things like that, but it was a good day. I love having Chad with me no matter what I'm doing.

I had a little surprise for him too. I had heard that there was a Red Robin restaurant in the area. So, I looked it up and found the directions to it and took Chad to lunch yesterday. When Chad and I were first married he worked at a Red Robin restaurant bussing tables. It was actually his second job. We used to go there and eat every so often and it was a big splurge for us at the time. It was fun to go back and reminisce about when we were first married. We had to laugh, too, because it was one of our cheaper lunches. It's interesting to think about how times/things change. I remember sitting across the table from Chad at the Red Robin when we were first married and just loving to be with him and watching him smile at me, just being happy with life in general. Yesterday, I sat across from him and watched him smile at me and thought, after 15+ years of marriage, and 4 kids and the navy, the only thing that's changed is that I love and enjoy being with him even more............more than I ever thought I could 15 years ago.


(Just a little note, the plague goes on......Myshel woke up Monday in the middle of the night with the stomach flu. I give up!)