Together Again

 Paul got back late Saturday night. He was gone for nine days...in France. I'm usually pretty even keel about his business trips, but this one was admittedly a bit harder. First of all, being a single parent when your kids all have the flu is not fun. Nights were rough. Secondly, he was in FRANCE. I've never been to Europe, but it's going to happen someday...Preferably while my sister still lives there!

Before he left, Paul prayed for our family, asking the angels to bless our home. I guess it was from that prayer that Nora started asking me about them. I thought it was really sweet, and wanted to record it here:
 "Did you call the angels? I don't have a real phone to call them. I need to call the angels because I'm sick. And Peter and Lydi. They will come on the back porch. You need to call the angels."

After a good three days of all five of us staying home, we were all suffering from a bout of cabin fever. We decided to go out and see the light show at a nearby park, stopping at Chick-fil-A on the way. We totally lucked out and made it on the big Santa night. The kids were SO excited that the "real" Santa had come by horse drawn sleigh all the way from the North Pole. Peter pointed out his real white beard and hair, which is how you can tell. They each wrote their letters to him there and tucked them in his box. The light show was a fabulous end to a perfect night with my four littles. It was magical.

The rest of the week was mainly about survival, and lots of online Christmas shopping. We did start reading "The Christmas Carol" together, which I've never read before, and I'm really enjoying it. I'm surprised at how well the boys comprehend it too.
On Saturday, the day of Paul's impending return, we were greeted with a wonderland of snow outside our window. Before I had a chance to really open my eyes, the kids were bundling up and headed out. They built a great snowman all on their own too!

The winter storms delayed Paul several hours, which made for some disappointed kids (and an exhausted husband, who had been traveling for roughly 36 hours), but he's home now and all is well. I feel like now the Christmas Season can really begin. It's just not the same when you're alone.
Another bit of relief came the next day when Paul was called in by the Stake Presidency to be released from his calling as Elders Quorum President (which he's had for the past 3 1/2 years). He has done a wonderful job, but I have personally seen the tremendous emotional weight that he's carried. So yeah, he's happy. And so are we. :)