A Night Away

This past weekend I was able to enjoy a rare night away from my family.  Our church held a ladies retreat to kick off our new Beth Moore study, Esther:  It's Tough Being a Woman.  We usually participate in district retreats with lots of women we really don't know well, so this gathering was so much more intimate (and better in my opinion!). 

I wasn't even gone 24 hours, but it sure does a Mommy well to get time away.  I enjoyed the time with my friends without the interruptions a child brings and without thinking of what Mommy task I was neglecting by having a little fun!  Now, that's not to say I didn't have some guilt----because in true form for our family, a crisis was going on at home while I was gone.  Jackson didn't feel well all last week and by Thursday was just downright sick.  On Friday morning, the doctor swabbed his throat for strep and of course it was positive.  (It's always something with us!).  So while I was "living it up" at the church retreat (read: driving to Sonic in the middle of the night for a midnight snack), Brian and my parents were nursing Jackson's 104 temperature and praying to avoid the emergency room.  Thankfully, Jackson is finally on the mend.  Brian survived taking care of him, and my parents survived Brian's version of mothering (read:  making lots of messes and obsessing over Jackson's every move). 

Here's to time with good friends, to a husband who managed without me, and to parents who are always willing to lend a hand whenever we need them!