Away

I am about to say something shocking.

(Well, shocking to those of you who knew me in college, anyway. And maybe a few more. I hope.)

Until this weekend, I hadn't been away from my children and husband in... wait for it... five years.

!!!

Since becoming a mommy, I have had time away with Mark, and time away with the kids, and time away with each kid, but no time away from all of them. I have been racking my brain (racking!) and I can't think of a single time. Not one night. In five years.

I KNOW.

Who am I?? Believe me, I didn't wait this long on purpose. It would have happened sooner if I had realized the enormity of the thing. But actually I didn't even realize it was happening when it was, until I was already flopped on the guest bed of some people I had met only moments before, my dear husband and children left behind on the other side of North Carolina. 

The whole away thing was a bit unintentional actually. Another Nathan has been asked to lead music for youth conferences at Montreat next summer (you have no idea how proud we are of him, or how richly blessed those kids will be to have him there. Seriously with the talent, that one) and in preparation, he wanted to get up there for a few worship services and talks this summer and refresh his memory on the lay of the (youth conference) land. And because I hear about this place all the time but had never been, and have been dying to meet his Asheville people and see where he used to live and work before he came our way, he was sweet enough to do his reconnaissance mission on a weekend when I could go too.

Which is I how I ended up as a stranger in that guest room across the state.

yay Montreat

So anyway, his Asheville people are wonderful people, his original North Carolina family (before there was a mess of Goettsch in his life). And Montreat is truly beautiful. I can see why so many people hold it so dear. The worship services were engaging and energetic, and the keynote talk we heard was pretty much stunning. I almost cried like four times. (You know almost means did right?) We got to indulge in Asheville's foodie culture -- I probably didn't eat some kind of pimento cheese every day, and definitely not at every meal. *ahem* And we also saw my college roomie Emily!

An easy weekend away, close enough yet far enough, alone enough without being lonely. Basically it was the perfect way to mark a milestone I didn't even know I was waiting on.

yay friends

Oh and here's a milestone I was anticipating: it was also the first time I left Charlotte overnight. They say this gets easier with each child, but for me it's gotten harder. With Nathan I did it at about seven months (when Daddy stayed in the hospital with him one night), with Anneliese I did it at about nine months (for Sarah's wedding), and now with Charlotte she's almost one. Weird? Anyway.

The long and the short of it is we all did just fine, and it was a lovely weekend. So, yeah. That's that.