The Witching Hour

We were incredibly spoiled by Derek's schedule during ur last year in Biloxi when Derek was the Chief Resident. He was off every weekend and was almost always home every evening by 5 or 5:30, sometimes as early as 4:30ish! We had time for afternoon family runs, playground time with friends, and family dinners. It was glorious. Since moving to San Antonio, one of the biggest adjustments for our family was Derek's commute. In Biloxi, when Derek was ready to come home, he had a 5 minute drive around the back bay. Now, the earliest he is able to leave the base is 4:30, but if he does leave at 4:30 he has to sit in 20 minutes of traffic just to get off base..ridiculous. Anyhow, he typically gets home around 6:15ish these days, right in time for our family dinner. I'm so grateful we're able to sit down to dinner as a family every single night, but I hadn't realized how much I'd missed our old Biloxi routine until Derek surprised the girls & me at the playground this afternoon.

The girls usually get up from naps around 4ish every afternoon, and if it's nice out we have a quick snack then walk up to our neighborhood playground. Derek surprised us and left work early today and met us at the playground around 5:15. He was home about an hour earlier than normal for him, but that hour made all the difference! We were able to have quality playtime with Daddy outside, which never usually happens during the week b/c it's dark by the time he gets home. He was able to help me get dinner on the table (!!)...it was just such a nice, laid back evening. (Not to mention it was sunny & 78 today, glorious!!!) It made me long for the good ole days at Keesler. But as much as I miss life at Keesler I have to remind myself that while life looks so different for us here in San Antonio, life is good here too.  So good.

Here are a few pictures from our surprise evening with Daddy-boy!

The girls were SO surprised when Derek walked up to the playground!! (And I was, too!)
They were insistent on wearing his hat & sunglasses ;)

Shelby was on Cloud Nine b/c she got to help Daddy drive home from the playground
while Mommy & Hadley walked back. :)