4 Great Days

4 is my new favorite number. OK, it's not, but it sounded like a good beginning. 8 is my favorite number and 2,4's make 8 so....never mind. Jake was home for 4 days and it was fantastic. We didn't do anything or go anywhere extra exciting. We just acted like a normal family for 4 wonderful days. We watched movies, went to church, and all the things we would have done if he had never left. Just to make sure he didn't feel like a guest, I let him change diapers and get up with Lacey. I really have the best husband in the world. Lacey took a little while to warm back up to him but by Monday she wouldn't let him put her down and Lacey is NOT a clingy baby. She's a dictionary definition of Independence. Hails was so happy to see him as well. She keeps asking me why Jake has to go where he will be in danger. I never said anything like that to her and I'm wondering (although I have a pretty good guess) where she would have picked up something like that. We also went to see Nate, Mel, Griffin and Marlee. It was Jake's first time seeing Marlee. She even let him hold her without screaming for a little while. This time when we had to say goodbye, it was definitely sad but not as hard or tearful as the first time. I think we were all just so grateful for the chance that we had to be together that it took away some of the sadness. Hopefully the next 6 months or so will fly right by and we'll be able to see each other again. A few months after that and he'll be home for good.