Joe is Home

Ugghh...what a morning.  Benjamin had an 1130 doctor's appointment, which meant NO nap.  Very bad for everyone indeed.  He did manage to doze off for 20 minutes on the way there, but that was like putting a band-aid on a gaping chest wound.  He was manageable during the exam visit, but by the time we went for x-rays, he was very unhappy.  Head x-rays + tired + taking away his bottle several times to do head x-rays = SCREAMING baby.  I honestly can't remember the last time I saw his scream like that.  Maybe never.  I kept trying to explain to the technician that he was just tired, but I could tell he felt really bad.  Apparently, he has a 22-month-old.  She only weighs 3 more pounds than Ben.  My baby's a porker.

Well, Joe is home for good now.  (At least until he deploys.)  He got home Friday night, which was a nice little surprise.  I was doing my best not to get excited on Friday.  After all, it is a long drive and I totally would have understood if he had stopped somewhere.  So when Bastian started barking on Friday, I thought, "There's no way."  The sun was still up for Pete's sake.  But it was him.  Yay!

It has been great having him home.  We had a brilliant weekend.  Saturday, we drove to Bury St Edmunds and hung out with our friend Angelina.  We knew both her and her husband Travis at Seymour.  Since he was TDY, we thought we would keep her company.  We all walked around the market and the cathedral gardens.  Their cathedral was sacked a long time ago, but they have managed to turn the ruins into a lovely outdoor space.  It is a really lovely place to eat ice cream, which we did.

Sunday, my boys (Bastian included) and I went down by the river and had lunch at the Cutter, which is one of our favorite pubs.  We found a great table outside and soaked in the good weather.  

Yesterday will always be a fond memory.  When Joe got home from work, we put the baby in his stroller, grabbed the dog, and headed for the park.  We laid down a blanket and had some great family time.  It seems like such an ordinary thing, but the entire time I kept thinking, "This is why we came here."  We would have never be doing anything like that if we had stayed at Seymour.  I will always have that memory.  Joe and I taking turns chasing the dog around.  Ben laughing at Joe.  The horses with their new foals in front of a 900-year-old cathedral.  That is good stuff.  I have a very good life.