Happy St. Patrick's Day

 Today was my true love's birthday. 

And he was deployed, on his birthday, yet again. We have been married for seven years, and in those seven years, I have only seen him on his birthday 2 times. TWO times in seven years. Personally, I think that is a little ridiculous. 

 I know, I know - we signed up. We knew what we were doing. We make our own choices, while trying to follow the will of God in our life, and in all honesty, I can say I don't think we are on the wrong path for our lives. 

 But today was rough for me. I have a cold, and I am losing my voice, and coughing up a storm - when I talk it sounds like a garbage disposal - Skype kept acting up and dropping our call when Andy got to call this afternoon - Plus, I stayed up until 1:30 this morning reading a mystery novel... partly to find out "who done it", but partly just because I couldn't stand my empty bed. 

 But

 When I think back on my day, here is where God steps in and gives me a gift. The ability to find the happy moments - At 7am this morning, my little red head came and crawled in bed with me. His feet had gotten cold so he woke up, but he wasn't ready to get up yet - he just wanted to snuggle. What a perfect way to start the day, especially when that bed had been feeling so empty and lonely. 

 Around 9, while at water aerobics with Mom and her wonderful crew of exercising women (and one lone man - brave soul!), I could breathe! Something about that salt water pool and the exercise cleared my lungs for an entire hour. It was fabulous. 

 On the way home from Aerobics, Mom and I stopped by the costume closet, and I happened to find this hat, which use to belong to my love. 

I do believe his wonderful mother made it for him when he was a crazy teenager who wore things like this - just because - I wore it today because I missed him, and it was St. Patty's Day, after all! 

          

 In the middle of my fight with Skype, and the frustration it was causing, Canaan, completely on his own, without prompting from anyone burst into the "Happy Birthday" song for his daddy. And the internet chose to work for those few minutes. My five year old got to sing Happy Birthday to his Daddy, who is thousands of miles away - and I cried. 

 But they were happy tears, so it's okay. 

 And, at 7:30 pm, when my kids were nicely fed and bathed my Dad said, "Bethany, if you want to go on to the grocery, I can put the kids to bed for you." And I fled the house at full throttle. 

 I got to go to the grocery, ALONE~ I know that every mother loves that, but for me, that is absolutely heaven. People always joke about "retail therapy". Usually that means buying things like new shoes, or clothes, or jewelry. 

 Not for me. 

 

 The grocery is totally retail therapy for me. I love the thrill of the hunt - The hope to find a good deal. What is on sale? Do they have anything healthy? Can I use a manufacturers coupon and a store one? And to do it right, you really can't have kids with you. I am use to the Commissary, which is it's own little world. So tonight was my readjustment period - back into the "real world". I went to Kroger, spent nearly two hours there, came out with organic milk and yogurt, and saved...

mfg coupons - 22.10

bonus coupons - 2.09  

str cpns and KRO plus - 47.62

Total savings - 71.81

Total spent - 106.99

I feel so very very good. Amazing what buying some food can do for a girl! Of course, that food did include Breyers Icecream... which I have since consumed. Perhaps that helped too?