Home for a night

It feels so good to snuggle in with the cats in a soft and I mean soft feather mattress. The cats were all over me at first but then they went off to do what cats do in the night. The alarm went off at 6:15 for Trevor and after he was up I snuck back to bed. That extra hour is wonderful. Tom calls to ask me to bring him his gum. I tell him I'll be out in the afternoon. A friend is able to come help me organize Riley's toys and move them out of his room this morning.

I am told do not turn down any offers of help. I am so grateful to everyone. I get teary thinking about those friends that have cleaned, or dropped off meals, or said they would watch the house, make sure Trevor gets to school if he misses the bus. Just about anything to back me up so we can get through this in one piece. Those who know me well are finding it a little funny because I am a terrible cook and house keeper. What I am good at is loving my family and keeping them all happy (within reason).

Marriage is a juggling act. It takes a lot of work and compromise. But I tell my boys and my husband "You only go through life once. Do you want to be sad or do you want to be happy?"
Do those special things that come your way, because you may not have another opportunity.

One wish I have, that was a missed opportunity, is when my college room mates and I all turned 40, I was invited to go on a Mediterranean sale boat cruise of the Greek Islands. My two friends were going. It sounded lovely. One was not married, but had a boyfriend she would call at every island stop. She did eventually marry him. The other left her husband and their small son with his family in North Dakota for a fun week where the cousins and relatives could entertain them both. Both friends worked so they could afford the trip. It was only a 6 couple cruise. They were the only ones not a couple. They had such fun. It was a once in a life time experience. I did not go. I had a family and a budget. Some day I hope to find 6 couples that I know and do that trip with them, the one I missed.

We have friends we get together with, and do the family trips, Bend or the beach. They are rarer now. We did them before we all popped babies. But it has gotten harder with children and their activities for us all to get together. Washington and Oregon do not have the same spring breaks. Their children or ours are in sports. I do miss those somewhat drunken gatherings. We park our cars and no one drives. There is a hot tub for conversations until 2 in the morning. We solve all our problems and the world's.

I commented to my friend that dropped off the cookies the other day how most of my friends are still married, after 15 or 20 years. they have all survived the statistics. It makes me happy
to know. When you think about it, it means that they are trust worthy and solid human beings that still love each other and are willing to stay the course.

I dated a guy once, my college room mate did not like him, so we didn't go out again. He ended up killing someone, premeditatively, a couple years later. He is in the state pen. Thank goodness I trusted my room mate's judgement. My friends have always looked out for me. Now when I have truly needed them they are still here, waiting to help me in any way they can. I am truly blessed and spoiled. I am looking forward to many more good times of fun and frivolity with my family and my friends. We are going to have one hell of a party when we are through. It just may be a year away.