My Last Full Day with Family

Wifey and me on a date night in 2011

No matter how I try to write this post, it keeps coming out depressing. You see, I've only left my children once. When Wifey and I went on a weekend vacation and had her mother watch our three little ones (back when we one HAD three little ones.) We did one of those weekend Carnival cruises and it was tough to leave them. So tough, in fact, that we never did it again. We have been married 15 years.

I don't believe in letting our government, public schools, daycare or anyone else raise our children. While it is true we lack, for the moment, the fortitude to homeschool our children, we still refuse to sign the permission slips for countless immunization shots, liberal sexual education indoctrinations and otherwise anti-family, anti-religious agendas. Our children are OUR responsibility.

The only time I have left Wifey has been in the last year to attend school. I have been driving up to Weber State University in Ogden, Utah to complete their RPA program. It requires two trips per semester, each for only two days of classes. So, I would leave on Wednesday morning and arrive twelve hours later to check into a nice ski resort. I established a terrific relationship with the management and scored a nice two or three bedroom condo for $40 per night. I've even taken my family up there twice but that is another story. My point is, only in 2012 did I leave Wifey's side and it was for a mere four day stretch on four occasions. One of those I took Sis with me. The drive is beautiful.

Fast forward to today and I am struggling with leaving my entire family for a minimum of one month...perhaps two. I'll miss July 4th with them which we have always celebrated together. I'll be 1,000 miles away. Of course, I'll be calling daily and probably Skyping for face time too. But it still doesn't change the fact that I'll miss them dearly.

If I had to sum up my feelings for Wifey, it would be with a picture I saw hanging on the wall in a local bookstore. It read:

"If you live to be 100 years old, I hope to live to be 100 minus one day...so I never have to live a day without you."

Before I could buy it for her, the bookstore stopped carrying it. I'll have to make my own for her...one of these days.

I've asked neighbors and church friends to check on them regularly. We'll go through some self-defense (read: gun practice) and emergency protocols later today. Smith & Wesson will keep her company by the bedside. The rest of the armory is going with me. Our nearly two-year-old German Shepherd is showing fierce loyalty already. I was told Alpha female Shepherds are naturally protective of their human family and she stays IN the house at night. The house was fortified years ago. We'll make a grocery run today so that I know they'll have fresh food for the next two weeks. I even offered to have groceries delivered from Amazon so she didn't have to run the errand. All that would be left to fetch is milk since our clan guzzles about a gallon each day. She just chuckled and grinned at my meek Amazon offer as if to say "Silly boy, do you think I'm helpless?"

While assessing the new job, my primary concern will be finding a temporary home. The sooner I do, the sooner we can be back together. Aside from that, I'll be scoping out the local church and schools as well as assessing the local living expenses. I'm being told the food costs are more expensive in Oklahoma in comparison to Arizona. I find that odd since Oklahoma is such a large farming state...or at least it used to be when I lived there 20 years ago.

Floated this idea by a friend's wife who does signage...

The only good thing about not having a job these past four weeks is that I've been able to spend so much time with my family. It has been a blessing in it's own way, I suppose. Now if only I could figure out a way to make all the income we need to enjoy life while living at home...

Any ideas?

~OJD