Motherhood Is...{21}

This week I am blessed by good friends.

We're bound and determined not to let deployment get us down! Our first weekend is a long weekend that most people spend with family - mine is at Fripp and we're missing it again! It's Memorial Day weekend and people are enjoying time off work and spending quality time with their loved ones. Well, as a mom I don't get time off, and since my husband is gone, my "loved ones" are friends who are family! Their family tradition is to do doughnuts and a beach day on the weekends. Since both families are lacking daddies, we decided to tackle the beach as 2 moms and 4 kids. Sounds scary right? It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Hunter is afraid of the fact that the water moves, so he stays out of it, and the girls are content to play in the sand, so the water wasn't a huge issue for them. There was also plenty of beach before getting to the ocean, so we were able to enjoy some time in the sun.

I'm excited that through this deployment I have another mom {more than one who's husband is gone, actually} around to endure the good times and the bad. It's nice that our kids have someone to play with, and we have an adult to talk to. If I didn't have that I wouldn't be as good a mom! It's what you need sometimes - a break from the kids! I'm glad to be able to enjoy quality time with friends. It makes the absence of Daddy a little less in-your-face.

We are also surrounded by friends who have volunteered to help in whatever way we need while Lane is gone. Our friend had us over for dinner the day Lane left so that I didn't have to worry with cooking, and so that I could just go through whatever emotions I needed to that day and know that my kids were still going to be fed. She's also reminded me that since her husband is home that if I need anything done around the house that he'd be able to help us out. We've been called and texted by friends all week.

When family isn't close by, it's nice to know that our military family has our back! Makes taking care of every day life much easier. They say it takes a village to raise children - I'm here to tell you, it's the truth! I'm glad to have my village. Because of them, I have my sanity!