WHAT a WEEK!!

We have had quite the past week!  On Monday, I was asked to sing the National Anthem for the Rita Moreno concert that was taking place on Saturday.  I accepted, and was pretty excited to meet her.  


On Wednesday, Jeff was offered a Flight Instructing job in Reading, Pennsylvania at New Horizons Aviation. After much deliberation, we decided to take the job.  The catch???  He had to be there on MONDAY!!!  WHOA!!!  So, we had less than a week to book a ticket, pack up his stuff, and get him on his way.  We decided to send him out there by himself to "test the waters" and see if this was a good enough job to support the family should we all decide to move out there.  2 1/2 months later, he would return and either 1) come to take us with him, 2) come home to stay because the job was terrible, or 3) come back and visit for a few days, and we would remain here until we felt that the time was right to move out there.


On Saturday, I sang the National Anthem.  I did a good job and feel that it was a good performance.  I received a lot of compliments from people in the audience.  It made me feel really good.  Rita Moreno gave me this advice before I went out to sing: "When you go out there, stand up tall, and don't do anything with your hands.  This song doesn't need it!"  After about 45 minutes of watching her and her band banter playfully, her manager try to feel important, and Ms. Moreno herself warm up vocally and do her make up (which included painting on a beauty mark,) I felt more than ready to go on stage.  I was graciously received and could only look at the flag! It was a fun moment in my life.


Sunday, we went to church where Jeff taught a lesson on having clean thoughts to the 12 year old boys, and I taught Relief Society.  After that, we were off to my sister Julie's house for a turkey dinner, and some good byes,  a stop in at Jeff's brother Jake's house, and then home to pack.  At 2:00 a.m, after family prayers, a blessing from Jeff for each member of our family, packing two suitcases, a flight bag, and a laptop bag, we were ready for bed.  I think it was at that time that it finally hit me that we were going to be apart for 2 months. We have been apart for days at a time, but never months.  On the BRIGHT side, we figure that if we can do this, we shouldn't have a problem being apart when he is an airline pilot or corporate pilot.  Nevertheless, we both silently cried ourselves to sleep hoping that the time would pass slowly.


4 1/2 hours later........BUZZ!!!!!!!  Time to get up!  We packed up the car with luggage and children and made our way to the airport.  The ride went by too fast.  There was NO TRAFFIC at all, and we breezed on in.  After some quick good bye's, the boys and I pulled away, leaving Jeff walking away from the curb.  I held back my tears long enough to get out of Jeff's sight and tried to hide them from my sweet boys to avoid a domino effect. I lost the upper hand when my 5 year old Ethan said while choking on his own tears "Mom, I don't think we can have ANY fun without daddy! I guess we will just have to save up all of our family dates until he gets home......but I just know that I am going TO MISS HIM SO MUCH!!!"  He burst into tears, I burst into tears, and Isaac sat in his car seat telling us both that it was going to be o.k, and to "look at the airplanes!" I knew I had to stop this, so I suggested to the boys that we "drown our sorrows" in some doughnuts from Tasty's....this promptly stopped all crying and we were drove the rest of the way home in silence, anxiously awaiting our "spoonful of sugar" that would heal our empty hearts.


In all of the madness that we have encountered this week, I have realized that the Lord does watch over us.  We have had MULTIPLE witnesses that this is the right choice for our family.  Everything from articles in the Ensign, to the topic of our lessons that we were to teach, to the unforgettable burning in our soul and peace in our hearts has added to our testimony that we have made the right choice. 


 I keep telling myself that other couples go through situations that are worse than ours.  They are separated by military service, or even employment that brings in much needed income.  But I can't help but think that THOSE couples aren't like US!  And although I am SURE beyond any doubt that Jeff and I could do this longer if needed, I am also SURE that we won't if we don't HAVE to.....WHO WOULD????  I know that we will do everything that we can to keep Jeff on a forward path in his career and get our family back together as soon as possible.  


Finally, the Lord has not stopped watching over me, and never will.  As I was "drowning my sorrows" in doughnuts, the phrase from an old church musical that I was once in popped into my head- "Keep your eye upon the doughnut, and NOT upon the hole!"  WELL SAID- and so I shall!