Day Three Hundred and Twenty-Six

The Day They Left

In a whirlwind of packing and last minute preparations, Big Boy was caught up in his own little world...completely oblivious to what would be happening just a few hours ahead of him. And that wasn't such a bad thing. We had a lot to do. And we can thank Nickelodeon (and two toothbrushes!) for their brilliant brainwashing capabilities when it comes to preoccupying young children. Bubble Guppies is his current favorite - and only - show he watches. Whenever a meltdown is on the horizon, it's Bubble Guppies to the rescue! I don't know if it's the animation, the songs, or the silly sounds that captivate his little eyes, but whatever it is, sometimes, I am thankful for the distraction it provides. But only sometimes. Otherwise, I just want him all to myself!

But that's just not going to happen anytime soon. With tear-filled eyes and running mascara, I had to say goodbye to two of my dearest friends. It was plain awful. My stomach hurt. My head hurt. But most of all, my heart hurt. And it still does. Writing about their departure brings the emotion back to my eyes, and for the millionth time today, I have to wipe the tears from my puffy face. I hate goodbyes. Hate them. Since they left, I've been in a sort of funk. Adam is on the road, and this apartment feels lonelier than it ever has. No husband. No Sister. No squealing baby. Just me and this dumb DirecTV that won't work.  

It would be an understatement to say that Ellie was reluctant to leave, but I asked her to force a fake smile anyways, just so I could have one last picture of my beautiful loves. The pair had a 11 hour traveling day ahead of them, and I knew they were in for a rough time. They're finally home safe, which is such a relief, but I'm missing them more than I ever could have imagined. Ellie said that Hunter looked for me both in the airport and at home, and it makes me cringe just to think of the confusion he must be feeling. If nothing else, at least there's Skype. Sigh. I love you, Ellie Ann. I miss you. Our time together is always the best, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Until next time...

I drove back home from the airport and didn't leave the house all afternoon. It was raining and nasty out, and I didn't feel like doing much of anything - other than wallowing in self pity. Haha. So I got online and explored Fox News a bit (our cable isn't working!) to catch up on the times. I remembered Adam saying something about Chik-Fil-A being packed at lunch while he was out this afternoon with some of the guys. I coupled that information with what I was reading and realized that Chik-Fil-A Appreciation Day was upon us, and that I needed to go show mine! Not only is their fast food actually good, their business model is one I do admire. They're a Christian-based company with customer service completely contrary to stereotypical fast food reputations. What they've built is pretty amazing, and we've come to thoroughly enjoy the restaurant and their commitment to upholding Biblical principles. They're closed on Sundays. Every Sunday. And this is to ensure their employees time to spend time with their families, relax, and worship if they want to. They also operate debt-free and give a percentage of their earnings back to the communities and various charities. Recently, the founder of Chik-Fil-A made a statement about his belief in what a marriage is to look like: one man and one woman. And nothing else. His comment made an uproar, as many people found his words to be prejudice and hateful. Adam and I feel completely otherwise, and decided that it was appropriate to support the fast food chain, just as we support and fully defend the Biblical principles of marriage. And so, I went out for a sandwich and when I pulled into the parking lot...cars...everywhere!!! I had to wait 30 minutes in the drive thru line just to place my oder...but I didn't even care! Turns out, so many people wanted to show their support of the company, just like Adam and I. And of course, enjoy their brilliant chicken sandwich too!

I have a prayer request:

My dad went in for his routine CT Scan and the results show that sometime in the past month, he's suffered a stroke. Nothing more has been explained to me, but I do know that this is potentially a side effect from the chemotherapy drug, Avastin, he's been taking. We've yet to find out what the status is on the tumor - whether it's grown, shrunk, or stayed the same - but those results will be back to us in the next few days. Please pray for comfort, strength, perseverance, and wisdom as await the results.