Half way (and the balloon that hangs around)

This week we hit the half way mark (or maybe a little more than halfway depending on how you look at it) in this crazy deployment time!

It’s been hard… incredibly hard in ways that I didn’t anticipate!  Most wives or significant others will tell you that if it’s going to happen… it will happen when the boys are away!  If it’s going to break, it will break and that is sooo true!

But in a lot of ways this time has been a bit of a blessing in disguise (a really tough outer shell, pull yourself up by the boot straps kind of disguise!)

This is what I’m talking about…

• Learning to let go of things that aren’t a priority and just go with the flow!  For example… It’s okay if the laundry piles up in the laundry room!  It’s okay if I sometimes have to run a load 3 to 4 times because I forget it’s in the washing machine and it just sits and gets that weird smell to it!  As long as we have clothes to wear… who cares!  And it’s okay if the house is a bit messy from time to time even if we have company over!  I read a pinterest post yesterday that said It’s either me or the house, we both can’t look good at the same time!
• Learning that one mood one minute doesn’t have to determine the rest of the day!  This is a big one right now for us because Linc is entering the “no no no” phase of his life!  Some days, in fact most days he wakes up chipper and happy go lucky!  SOME DAYS though he’s just full of “piss and vinegar” as the saying goes;  but I’ve learned to just fly through these moments and moods one to the next without letting them affect the day!
• Learning that there isn’t much I can’t handle when I’m forced to handle it!

I’ve come to appreciate this time with Linc!  He is SUCH a daddy’s boy!  Whenever Tuck is home those two are like peas in a pod!  It’s really great and something I’ve always dreamed about… daddy and son bond so tight!  This is my chance though to really spend some quality time with my little guy and I know it’s a time I will cherish forever when I look back!

I’ve also come to see that this has really reminded me of what it is that I want:  for my family, for myself, and for my business!  I am being forced to find some kind of work/life balance and find creative ways to be what I want to be and who I want to be for those around me!

So as we approach this half way point… I feel like I can exhale a bit!  Winter was rough and not just by the weather standards! Now though… as spring feels like it’s finally here and I can see all the new growth and buds appearing around us, I can see the growth in me as well:  as a person and a momma!

This isn’t to say I don’t have “down” days.  I do… I totally do!  But when I have those days I try to focus on being the best mama I can!  Those are the days I also just take a moment and break out my camera.  My camera has always allowed me to see things in a new light and really appreciate the tiny moments!

So here’s to a quick next couple of months with beautiful warm days and lots of snuggles and hugs!  Here’s to a crazy time that we can all use to grow!

This balloon was sent to us for Valentines day!  Linc accidentally set it free in the house and it’s been stuck on our ceiling ever since!  What’s amazing is that it hasn’t deflated hardly at all in almost 3 months!  I joke that this is Tuck’s way of always reminding us he is thinking of us and that he loves us so much!  I don’t think this balloon is going to come down off our ceiling until he steps through our front door!

Here are just a few images from our weekend!  Hope you have a wonderful start to your week friends!