Here it is: the picture that is going to get us through the year. The family shot. Pretty good of all of us. We each have our smiles, each have a glimmer in our eyes. It captures a moment of happiness. Contentment. Peace before the storm. But-- if you ask me, the most important thing about this photo is that we are all together. . . one last time. This is the image that I am going to hold on to. This is the photo that will be all over the house, in our Christmas cards, and in Daddy's first care package.Why the melodrama? Well, Rich is now on the other side of the world and I feel like his deployment officially started today. His first "real" day away-- or at least out of the country and out of phone's reach. I know we will talk often enough, but it is different knowing I can't just pick up the phone and leave him a voice mail. And to top it off, this first "real" day away is also our third wedding anniversary. Cue the violins.
But before he left, we did have five wonderful days together. We were a family all under one roof. We did yard work. We cooked on the grill. We went to a football game. We went to church. We went running. We went to the grocery store. Rich did the dishes. TJ and daddy read lots and lots of books. Sam played in the back yard with Poly. It was as normal as normal could be. And it was wonderful. I could not have asked for more of a weekend because we even got the perfect picture out of it. No studios No professional photographer. Just life at its best.
Happy anniversary, Rich.
