Gone fishin'.

Daddy went away for four days last week. He does this once a year for his company's fishing trip. I always get a little nervous before he leaves and question whether on not we are going to fall apart when he's gone. But, alas, fall apart we did not.  Even though Daddy is the rock of our family, once a year I prove to myself that I am strong. I am a capable mama who can take care of her babies, the house, the appointments, the animals, and keep things running. Despite many lovely offers to stay the night with friends and family, I declined. This year, I really wanted to focus on what we needed to do, and instead of seeing Daddy's time away as a vacation for us too, I kept calm and carried on. We proceeded as usual, and it felt amazing. Even though Daddy was gone fishin', we decided to make the most of our days. I'd like to say we did quite well, the three of us. A mama and her babies.

First day of "Daddy Gone Fishin': Lunch and the Children's Museum with one of my sisters and RyGuy, my adorable nephew.

We devoured a few million calories at Jimmy John's.

We learned and played at the museum.

My little dino cuties.

Texted this group shot to Daddy to prove we weren't dead yet.

We laughed at this image uncontrollably.

And then we laughed at this. How does this happen, you ask? I wish I had an answer. After a day of museum play, and then an hour of tumbling right after, I guess this is what happens. Regan learned a new skill this night at tumbling that she has been working on! Her coach high-fived her, and I cheered in the viewing room with my friend Stacy. So proud!

Yes, we ate out again for dinner. Stop judging me. Noodle Company and playground time were up next for us! And a million more calories.

We hit up a few stores after the playground. I love our outdoor mall. Too much.

I think I was starting to lose them at this point.

On a date.

Each night Daddy is gone, they get a treat before bed to remind them that he misses them. This was Mike's idea, he does it every year, and yes... he is the bomb for doing this.

Paints!

Of course, I let them do a little moonlight painting.

They pained pictures of Daddy fishing, naturally.

Second Day of Daddy Gone Fishin':

Not as cool. We started out the day with an asthma diagnosis. I just wanted to cry seeing my itty bitty baby with that giant mask on coughing her head off. But, she proved once again, that she can handle way more than I can. She is doing okay now, and thank you so much to everyone who called and checked in on my girl.

Waiting room.

Came home from the doctor and rested with a movie.

Went over for GG and Papa's for sushi.

Got used to our new routine of breathing treatments that night. She decorated her nebulizer, as you can see! 

Finished the night at home with new dive sticks and goggles from Daddy.

Third Day of Daddy Gone Fishin':

Woke up to this face.

Outdid my self and took the kids to the YMCA. I got a jog in and took the kids swimming!

And then, well, it was Cinco De Mayo. It all made sense in my mind.

It was party time!

LOVE these babies.

LOVE these friends. I can't begin to explain how grateful I am to these girls. They are my rocks, and are some the most wonderful, genuine, thoughtful friends a girl could ever have. And, we laugh together uncontrollably. I mean, LAUGH, and love, and send about thirty group texts a day. I am so thankful to be a part of "the circle."

LOVE this girl.

And this girl. Oh, sweet Sophia.

Movie time.

Last night of Daddy gifts. A Barbie spinning toothbrush and an Incredible Hulk action hero.

Last Day of Daddy Gone Fishin':

Church with my babies.

Pizza lunch because apparently we were trying to gain 300 ponds to surprise Mike with.

Daddy got home late afternoon!

Houlihan's on the patio to celebrate.

And Menchie's and playground time to finish it all up.

The moral of the story is that even though I get to prove to myself once a year that I can do it alone, I much prefer not to. We are blessed beyond measure to have Daddy. We love him and can not imagine our life without him. I love the way he loves us. I LOVE the way that he gives our babies more than I ever though a Daddy could give. He proves everyday that Daddies make a difference, they are constant, and they can ALWAYS be there for the ones that love him.

And, since it was a question from a reader, I suppose now is the time to answer "What does your husband do?" from the questions some readers sent to me. First off, let me tell you that Mike is MUCH more private than myself. So, out of respect, I will dance around this just a bit. Mike is a project manager and estimator for a commercial construction company. He works in a very cool office downtown and works with people who are building and restoring construction projects. They build new buildings and restore old buildings. He is wonderful friends with his co-workers, and we have shared tons of fun times with them. He loves what he does, he is awesome at it, and he is VERY smart. He also LOVES to fish. But he's not allowed to go for a while.