Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

As a few of you know, Luke left today to work abroad for four months. It is the pits. We have known this was coming for months now, and, as Luke said yesterday, it has been a similar sensation to tearing off a band-aid at an excruciatingly slow pace. About two weeks ago, I arrived at my parents house up in Washington with my babies while Luke finished up a few things in San Antonio. We got all settled in and then Luke came a week later. We have been having so much fun, all the while knowing that this will be the last week we'll have together for months.

Something else that Luke said today has been playing in my head - essentially, that if we weren't so happy and everything wasn't so great, this wouldn't be so lame. I really feel that way. It will be extremely hard, but that's mostly because Luke is a wonderful husband and father and losing him changes things in a huge way. There is an undeniable rightness about the four of us and three just isn't the same.

That being said, I am going to try to make this summer great for us three. We have a Nelson reunion all planned for the Oregon coast this summer and a tentative trip to Utah whenever I feel like flying there with two kids.

But anyways. The girls seem to love it out here and I feel like this is the best possible place for us right now. My dad comes home from work every day and scoops June out of my arms and settles down to play with her.

And Ivy loves: the swing, the trampoline, JoJo (the family dog), Peter (who she called Pierre), Marielle, and her grandparents. She's loving life. 

So that is that. Happysad. I love my family and I can't wait until we are united again. In the meantime, I would like to see some of my friends in the area. Most of you probably don't live at home anymore (I hope...) but if you visit, let's hang out.