AnitaLoves2Read has been MIA

Hello to my faithful readers...do I have faithful readers?  I'm not even sure.  Either way, hello to anyone who just happened to meander on by!

I just wanted to take a quick moment to talk where I've been the last couple weeks.  I know I sort of was going pretty steady on here with my KidzKorner, Friday Favorites, Workout updates and Insecurities series in addition to my normal book reviews; all posts that I have been really enjoying, but then I dropped off the last couple of weeks.  There is a reason for my disappearance.  There is a very good reason for it.

I have mentioned on here how my husband was going to compete in Austin, TX with the PlantBuilt team.  Well the competition happened two weeks ago today - but he was gone for 5 full days. (He won 3rd in his weight class, for those of you who might want to know.)  While he was gone I missed him.  A lot.  Being married for 14 years, this was the longest time we'd ever been apart.  I know this is nothing compared to some, there are soldiers who are deployed regularly and for much, much longer periods of time.  I respect those families, especially those wives and mothers, because it was not easy.  

So for those 5 days I stayed home with our three kids, and spend a lot of quality time with them doing things like going to the local amusement park, hiking and tie dying shirts.  Just having fun in general, and watching lots and lots of movies on NetFlix (there is only so much SpyKids I can take though..yiee).  I was focused on my kids - so making sure I had a post ready to go (I did do a Friday Favorites post) just wasn't my top priority.  Then we had a long saga of trying to get my husband home, as his flights got cancelled and his phone dying, and the big storms coming, and then just trying to find a flight and communicate with each other.  I was so, so ready for him to just get home.

Then when he got home I just wanted to make sure I spent time with him, and us as a family.  I think the biggest realization I came to while he was gone is that while we always make sure to spend time together, we sometimes forget to focus on "us" even in the little moments.  So instead of coming home from work and sitting down to read or write a blog or some other sort of social media meandering, we sat down and talked, and laughed, and enjoyed each other's company.  Justin and I, we have a great relationship.  We always have, even during the difficult times we've come together as friends and husband and wife and just loved each other.  But as the saying goes, 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' and taking time out of normal life to just be and love each other has been great and refreshing.  

To sum up my thoughts; realize that all this focus we put into our online presence, and what we do with our lives - it means nothing, absolutely nothing, compared to the relationships we have with those we love the most.  Cut out some of your time on Facebook, Twitter, or whatever your vice is - and just go love them.