Reflections from a hunter's widow

I survived and thrived for 10 days while the mighty hunter was Elk hunting this last week! Here are some things I took advantage of while the Mr. was away:

• Grocery shopping. I decided to get crazy and buy a different and yummy pasta sauce than we normally buy. Different because it contains Lucas's well known "enemy" the onion. I also decided to buy some junk cereal since we are always so healthy in our cereal selections. Although I couldn't make myself get too crazy as I ended up buying fruity Cheerios. Not much of a risk taker I guess. I bought organic milk and bread since he would normally shake his financially frugal finger at me.
• Staying up late. My natural body clock likes to stay up a bit later than Lucas (9:00pm) so I was able to do it with the lights and TV on this week. Time on the computer wasn't an issue either.
• Making the bed or lack of. I pretty much sleep in one place so making the bed as a solo occupant is sooooo easy and quick to tidy up in the morning.
• Fruity ice cream. Eliza and I took advantage of ordering fruit filled Cold Stone ice cream while Daddy was away. He struggles to share his chocolate candy bar concoction if I go the fruit route. Come on, we should always share and be open minded about our desserts.
• Household tasks. Everyone has things around the house that we avoid and Lucas's thing would be giving the dogs a bath. Eliza helped me tackle washing two stinky labs, spray them with doggy cologne and wash their beds. You could see how ticked they were that Lucas left them so vulnerable in my hands.

I do have to pat myself on the back for accomplishing so many things by myself in a week and in really good spirits! I had the tires rotated on my car, exercised, cooked, shopped, took care of a toddler and two dogs, worked and ran errands. I even had to clean up scrambled egg puke on the carpet one day and I didn't mentally or emotionally loose it. That was how I knew I wasn't pregnant this month.

Maybe it was because I had my eye on the prize. A trip to Portland this weekend to see my friend Jami and indulge in good food, wineries and a trip to the spa. A much needed vacation after all I have experienced this last year is an understatement. The ultimate prize though was having Lucas, Eliza and the dogs pick me up from the airport tonight. Nothing makes you appreciate your family more than when you don't have them in your life at all. It also helps when your daughter keeps telling you "I miss you Mommy!" the entire way home.