I'll Trade Ya!

So as you know, we live in Virginia now where the cost of living is quite high. That, coupled with a bit of debt has put us in somewhat of a predicament. That being said, April has graciously ventured outside the home after eight years of safety and acquired a job at the local grocery store as the "wine & cheese girl"(how ironic). I get home from work each day with about 15 minutes to spend with her before she heads off to work for an eight hour shift. Well, this has given me the opportunity to be a single dad four nights a week.

I could have never imagined how hard it was to deal with three children alone, with no adult interaction for half the day. On top of that, there is the whole "providing a stable environment" thing which I think is overrated. They can fend for themselves..I mean, I gotta have my video game time (ha ha). All sarcasm aside, The children have truly helped me realize what being a parent is really about. Furthermore, as April works, I learn how valuable she is to me. The warmth present in our home is reduced to a whats feels like a small glimmer when she isn't there. I find myself not watching TV because she isn't there to laugh with. I spend quite a bit of time listen to music in the hopes that a song reproduces the feelings I have when she is around. I spend as much time outside with the kids as I can in an attempt to keep my mind off the haunting idea that I am not providing as I should. As if that's not a bad enough thought, there's always the ever popular, "Why don't you get a second job so April can stay home?". The only problem with that would be the lack of time with the children. For me there would be none. I'd see them two days a week. So we go on walks and bike rides. We sit in the front yard and yell at baby Ryan for eating grass and slapping Emmy. We take the baseball gear down to the field and practice our "skillz". And my favorite, we see who can make Ryan stop crying first....great fun. Yeah, well, I'll trade ya! Trade ya for my wife back. Trade ya for going to bed together. Trade ya for some friggin' intimacy. Trade ya for a good old, healthy evening argument about something absolutely trivial. Trade ya for dinner that doesn't involve the thought process, "what can I heat up, that I can reheat for dinner the following few nights". Trad ya for nightly prayers that include April....next to me.

So, as you can imagine, weekends have become so valuable these days. We no longer sit around wishing there was something to do. now, we have so many things to catch up on together that idle time is something of the pas t. Between the kids sporting events and family home evenings of Saturday night, time has become a valuable commodity.

Although, I am extremely grateful for my family and the time we spend together as a whole. Relatively speaking, I am very lucky. I have the truth that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Knowing that all of this is for a reason is what drives me to do things...the right way. And that......I WOULDN'T TRADE FOR ANYTHING.