Leaving On A Jet Plane

**I'm writing this post at the risk of sounding like a pathetic love sick teenager.

The kids and I drove Jeff to the airport this morning for a business trip. He'll be gone through Friday. He usually just drives himself but since his car is in the shop we dropped him off in the Suburban. I'm especially heart sick and I'm well aware it's the very beginning of day one, but it's different. We don't usually drive him there. It's not usually this big hoopla with him walking around the car giving hugs and kisses to everyone and us watching him walk away pulling his suitcase with his laptop bag slung over his shoulder. We don't usually see planes taking off as we drive away.

It's usually him leaving before we're even awake. If we are awake, it's more like he's just going to work and coming home 5 days later. It's usually not so obvious that he's going so far away. The morning felt super long (and not just because we got up at 5 in order to drop him off on time). The kids were slower at getting ready and eating breakfast because they were asking a million questions about his trip. They weren't super sad or anything (they can't remember when he didn't travel for work) but them asking made me a little sad. Yesterday we played outside with the kids and then sat on the deck as we watched them run laps around the backyard while we timed them to see how fast they could touch all the trees and make it back to us. Jeff looked at me and just said, "I miss you guys." This did not make him leaving any easier.

I am so very thankful that he has such a great job. I am thankful that because he has this great job, I get to stay home with the kids. I am thankful that he loves what he does and who he works with. I can still be sad though, when he leaves. Even if it's "only" for 5 days. I know that a lot of people have loved ones gone for much longer than that, but I still have the right to be a little sad (because he is pretty awesome) and I do miss him. Already.