So Close

[Alas, I have had to remove my cute husband from the above photo because he was wearing his fancy "work clothes" for our wedding.]

I have been thinking about my husband a lot lately. That probably sounds like a no-brainer to most of you, but it's not. I think it's normal to go through phases during a Ridiculously Long Business Trip (RLBT) when you don't think of your spouse as often as you should. And then there are phases when you think of him all the time. Every song on the radio seems to be about him. Every little chore you undertake around the house reminds you of him. And then an anniversary comes, and you think of that wonderful day and all the reasons you got married, and, well, you can't stop thinking about that wonderful man.

My husband puts at least 1/4 cup of sugar in his morning tea. He drives with A/C on in the car even in the dead of winter and he is addicted to his GPS collection. He is a pro at washing dishes, but he can't hold a tune to save his life. I love each of these things about him.

My husband is much quieter than I am, and more shy, but he is also more kind and more caring. He is intensely patient. He is gentle and thoughtful and he always--I mean ALWAYS--does the right thing. He is devoted to his wife, his daughter, and his dogs. He does not make friends quickly, but once he does, you have a friend for life. He is the epitome of loyal.

I am deeply grateful that he puts up with me.

All of a sudden, although we still have a ways to go, the excitement of reunion seems to be in the air. Perhaps it's because we've finally passed that critical One Year Down benchmark (a moment I have failed to properly acknowledge or celebrate on the blog). My husband's emails are filled with a sense of "see you soon!" I feel happily motivated to get my act together and get through some of the things that were on my RLBT To Do List.

We are close, babe. We are so close. We just need to hold on.