You can count on me....
I'll be home for Christmas....
He called me today...and you know, your son in the Army calls and says all seriously, "Mom." And THIS mom thinks, "Oh no, what's wrong!" But he was just trying to contain his excitement that his leave packet was accepted, and YES, barring anything unforseen, he is coming home for Christmas!!! It's been two years since he's been home for Christmas. My Sammy, coming home. I can't even contain my excitement. You know that story that Jesus told about the man who had 100 sheep? One was lost so he left the other 99 to go find the one...well, I know what that's like. Who knew a mom could LOVE so many children, so deeply, so much, each one...? We can have a house full, and I can still be knowing who is missing. Sam is so well loved here, when he's here, it MAKES it.
Now don't get me started on missing Abigail and Benjamin, Ashley, and Anya, and Margaret. Don't even get me started. But. I am still very thankful that Samuel gets to come home.
Not that it's been forever since we have been all together...last June every last one of my kids was able to make it up to the cabin in the woods...
And that was pretty heavenly.
Anyhow, it made my day...then Aaron stopped in for a visit. The day after tomorrow is his birthday, so I gave him his present, a package of Starbuck's coffee and a travel mug. I also made cookies....
Do you have any idea how hard it is to make these and not eat them? Especially when Kathryn brought me a steaming mug of pumpkin spice coffee while I was frosting them? Such is my lot in life....
And now I have meatballs in the oven, probably done. Someone needs to make the pasta, and the sauce, and set the table. Lest you ask where my helpers are, I'll tell you...Joseph is very busy working on stuff...art stuff...Kathryn and Evelyn are working at the basketball game, Suzanne is doing homework, and Sonja fell asleep...I keep texting her...I don't appreciate when they come home from school and fall asleep, but she got upset with one of her sisters, and went and got into bed. I wish I could do that, ha. Jonathan already helped me clean up the cookie mess, took out the garbage, and helped Char clean the bathroom this afternoon, now he's allowed to play video games since we are done with school for the day...the little girls are all done with school too, and are playing in their room. It's all quiet and lonely here in the living room, Paul's not home from work yet. Me with my huge family! Ah well, there will still be eight of us for dinner....
4 comments:
I am so happy to hear Samuel will be home for Christmas! I know what a treat this is for you and I can tell just by reading your posts how much you miss him! I always have someone missing nowdays and I find myself always looking out the window or listening for the phone to ring - expecting whomever was missing to just show up or call. With a couple of my kids, that's just not going to happen anytime soon so I need to learn to be present with the ones who are here and just enjoy them. I never want them to think they weren't enough for me, especially when some of them make such an effort to be here (like driving 15 hrs straight to get here, only to leave 48 hrs later and drive 15 hrs home).
Yay for Samuel coming home for Christmas! I know how happy it makes a mom when their grown up kids come home. My oldest son is in the Navy and was not home last year for the holidays. But we did have him home for Thanksgiving this year which was so nice. He probably won't be home for Christmas, but you really learn to appreciate what time you get with them. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas:)
Lisa, off topic I know, but does a mom ever get over the apprehension of her kids being grown up, and....driving!? I have nurses who work night shifts, one in a city north of here that is like the snow capital of the Western world, then a few who commute to the big city, and I hate that I still worry about them driving in bad weather. My Army son is driving home for Christmas from Washington D.C., all by himself, and ugh. His driving experience is limited to the rural roads around here, and trips to the small city. Abigail went to Norway for a year and gave Samuel her car for the year, but he doesn't drive it much because of the traffic in D.C.
Having kids in the military is rough, but these days communication via facebook, skype, texting, snapchat, ect., is something to be thankful. When I was a kid and my brother was in the Navy, we didn't know what continent he was on or what he was up to until he got home from his tour...
Nope, never seems to get easier, especially with my 28 yo daughter who has had a few accidents in the past - never anything really serious, but once it happens (especially more than once) you're always questioning if they're really taking the precautions we would. My daughter doesn't worry at all about driving the winter roads thru the mountains in VA and W. VA on her way to MI to see us and from NC where she just moved last summer, but I make up for it. We seem to get alot of black ice around here in the winter and it still makes me apprehensive. I usually question whether I REALLY have to leave the house on mornings like that and if it's not a resounding yes, then I avoid it.
I have a son who moved to Mexico City, MX last year and he refuses to drive there. After visiting him there a few months ago, I can totally understand why....it is absolutely crazy driving in the city - I often had to just close my eyes to keep myself from being too rattled - thank goodness we had good drivers to escort us places. We joke that the signs and lines on the road and curbs were just casual "suggestions" to the drivers.
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