Another Alaska trip down

So, we made it through Scott's trip to Alaska, but not pleasantly. Aaron and Nate both came down with nasty colds and kept me up all night taking care of them. My days were spent cleaning up the messes that the kids excessively make. The weather was cold and rainy all week, so the kids were trapped indoors the whole time. On Saturday I put Nate down for a nap and told the other kids to quietly watch a movie upstairs while I took a much needed nap. After a half hour of listening to them fight, I went upstairs and sobbed and pleaded with them to please just be good for at least an hour so I could get some sleep (I was so tired, I really was on the verge of completely losing it). They gave me an hour--no more. Scott has no cell phone coverage when he's at the mine, and he rarely has access to a phone, so we have to sit around and wait for him to call us. We got only one phone call a day from him (usually around bedtime). The lowest point of the trip was when he called Saturday night, and I had to hurry and hand the phone off to Aaron while I went to the bathroom to throw up.

Sunday I sent Savannah and Sara to church with our neighbors and the boys and I stayed home (Nate and Aaron were too sick to go to nursery and primary, and Josh decided he'd stay home to keep me company). Scott's plane was scheduled to get in at 4:30, but he called from Seattle to say he'd gotten on an earlier flight and would be home two hours earlier. I cried. It was a really good thing. After Scott got here (and we'd all gotten all our hugging out of our systems), we loaded up the boys and drove to the airport. Scott had gotten on an earlier flight, but his luggage was still on the later flight, so we had to drive back down to the airport to get it. Aaron and Josh enjoyed a few rides on the escalator while Scott got his luggage (and Nate and I circled the terminal so we didn't have to pay for parking). We all got home just before the girls got home from church.

It's always an adjustment when Scott gets back from trips. I work myself ragged trying to do everything alone, so when he gets home, I rely on him to take over and give me a break. Home always seems so great when you are missing it, and Scott always looks forward to getting back home to us--till he gets here. Then the chaos hits full force, and I always wonder if he isn't wishing he could just turn around and leave again. There have been so many times when I've wished he could walk away from this job because of all the traveling that is required. But it is such a great job--it provides well for our family and Scott loves it. So, the traveling has to be endured the best we can. But, sometimes it helps to be able to complain a bit.