Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

By this time tomorrow, I will be preparing to sit down to a meal with by far the best dinner companion I could ever hope for.  So, who is this man and what does he have to do with design?  Well, only that he is married to a designer.  Me.  This is my husband and he has been in Afghanistan for nearly 2 years.  He has been working for our country, our family, your family, and the mostly kind, often misunderstood people of Afghanistan.  He works there as a Department of Defense civilian.

The above picture is old, but it is one of my favorites as it reminds me of a joyful day.  Below is a very recent photo and the attire is markedly different and what he has often worn these past 2 years.  When he returns home, gone will be all the special accoutrements that are a necessary fact of life in this dangerous environment.  And, I am so very grateful that he is coming home.  We are among the lucky.  And, despite the sacrifice to our family and sometimes painful daily reminders of his absence, I have not for one minute lost sight of how fortunate we are of his return.

My husband said goodbye to a colleague a year ago this month driving back into Kabul on an April day.  He said goodbye to several friends on a fateful winter's day.  We have all heard of the thousands of military casualties on the news.  They were  men and women I never knew.  But, I think about all of these people and their families.  I think about how their families will never welcome home their special someone to dinner again.

So, I tell you this as a way to announce I am taking a little blogging break.  I am taking the next week off from everything.  I want to thank all of you dear sweet thoughtful bloggers who have taken the time to leave me a really lovely comment or... made me laugh!  It's been a wonderful distraction on many days and helped more than any of you could ever guess in making these last few months more tolerable.  I have certainly enjoyed the many email exchanges and feel so lucky to have formed new friendships.

Now, it is finally time for all of us to reconnect.  We can not get back the 616 days missed, 8 birthday celebrations, 2 Thanksgivings, 2 Easters, first day of high school, first place at a track meet, too many football and field hockey games to count.  Or all the other events and special moments missed.  But, we can go forward and celebrate a boy turning into a man, Daddy's little girl blossom into a young lady, and this man's best friend tail wagging like crazy.  And, a really happy wife who is about to get the gift of the first restful night's sleep in quite awhile!   

XOXO
~Rebecca

All photos are provided by me personally and may not be copied or reprodced.