Turns out it's kind of hard to talk on the phone or FaceTime with the 3 hour time difference between the East and West coasts. We have a routine of FaceTimeing (like that verb?) every evening around 7:30pm, but by the time each of the kids talks to Kyle and we do scriptures and prayer, it's time for Kyle to go to bed and me to put the little girls to bed. So Kyle and I have to talk during the middle of the day while he's at work, but on the days he teaches he's so busy. I've found that daily communication is pretty crucial to maintaining our relationship, so we need to make it a priority. I'm so grateful for all the technology that allows us to stay in touch. One evening we called Kyle early and put the iPad on the table so he could sit and talk to us while we ate dinner. It was pretty humorous to see his head floating there.
Life as a single parent has its rough moments, but so many people are being very helpful. I had a few breakdowns in the first couple of weeks, with all the stress of getting 4 kids back to school, but now we are in a groove. I spend a lot of time in the car driving kids to and from school and activities. I feel like my mom (even listening to NPR) and I'm counting down until Jillian's 16th birthday. Not really, because it's over 2 years away. In some ways things are easier because I know that I'm in charge and I'm the only adult who can do things. I know I'm lucky that my husband is only far away and not deployed somewhere. I think of my divorced and widowed friends and admire them even more.
Kyle's living in a house with a Chinese family. The dad is a professor at MIT and the mom has a Ph.D. but is taking time off to be home with their 2 kids. He spends a lot of time at work, but has been to the beach, found people to play volleyball and basketball with, and got a paper accepted! Now he only needs one more for tenure. Yeah!! I got to go to Boston to help him move in. It was so fun to be back after a decade. We saw a few old friends and lots of sites. I can't wait to take Jillian and Hayden back next spring.
And life goes on. I am so blessed and happy.
5 comments:
Great update. I am sorry you guys are separated but sounds like an awesome opportunity for your husband! It always takes a little while to find a groove when you have a big transition but it sounds like you found one! Glad you get to see him in Provo. I am sure that will be a much needed getaway. I look forward to more updates. I need to do the same.
Hooray for seeing hubby/daddy! The visit must have flown by. Good luck with month #2.
I love the description of face-timing during dinner. :)
Glad you're surviving. If you have a free hour for lunch or a walk around campuswhen you're in Provo, let me know. Or a free evening for a double date...we'd love to see you guys!
Well, way to be a supportive spouse. That should give you lots of brownie points for years to come! I think that would be really hard to have your husband gone that long. You should just come visit your sisters a lot to fill the void. :)
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