A Facebook friend just commented that she’s on day 292 without her husband with no end in sight.

My single digit days are nothing. I’m pretty pathetic.

Today has been perfect, and tomorrow should be as well. We’re kicking back, making sandcastles, dipping our toes in the surf.

And I’m hitting refresh on my phone, hoping for a message from Mark.

Kids have been great. And we’ve had a lot of fun actually being together. But, as of Day 9, I’m really missing my husband not because I need his help with the kids but because I simply need him.

He and the rest of the team leave the university where they’ve been all week in a few hours. Their “closing ceremony” starts in about 30 minutes. So much pomp and circumstance! The goodbyes will likely be hard for many students who have latched on to the team strongly. Clearly, the need for relationship is so strong.

So much will be happening again while we sleep. (Drew announced today that Daddy is nocturnal)

A few more days for their purposeful trip. And a few more days of ours.

and there lies Day 9.

As Mark is teaching right now, I’m relaxing on a king-sized bed listening to frogs croaking outside and the sound of a water fountain…and the kids in the other room intermittently giggling and arguing about whom is keeping whom up.

We left town.

Though I’m not in China with my better half where I’d love to be right now, I am somewhere really nice.

And in Evan’s words, “I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be great.”

No matter where we were, skipping a day of school always feels sorta great.

Add in sun, sand, and swimming…

Day 8 is ready for a great Day 9.