Too early this morning

Dusty has been gone for work quite a few nights now, (including last week too), and last night he finally made it home to see us for a few hours. It's always a little anti-climatic for me when he arrives because I look forward to seeing him all day long and when he gets home I am usually in the middle of bathing Tyson or cleaning up dinner. yada yada yada. So, he takes a shower, wraps up any work-related stuff, gets his jammies on. That's not too exciting you know. Not the big bang celebration I suppose I'm planning in my mind. In fact, it's usually pretty late by the time we get around to really talking to each other.
I'm a big quality time girl; it is in fact my "love language", for any of you who knows what that means or even cares, :) Oh all right, I'll tell you.
It means that I need to just be with him, talking, giving and receiving complete attention. It doesn't really matter what we are doing. As long as it's together. So, sometimes it's hard for me to share him with other obligations. Especially if I haven't seen him very much. I am getting better with sharing him though, I think. (not that I am some kind of controlling, freakish person who wants him around every second of my life)...although that would be fun....

Anywho, that's not what this story is about..... I just wanted to express that I appreciate and enjoy the talking and sharing more than anything else.

So, Dusty is up early this morning to head back out of town. He's pretty quiet during the process and usually just kisses me goodbye before he leaves, but since he's been gone so long he started to talk to me. I'm still half-asleep at this point, kind of mumbling my answers into the darkness.

Dusty: "I'm leaving Jess, I love you".

Me: "Love you too"

Dusty: "I think you're a good mom"

Me: "thanks"

Dusty: "and a good wife"

Me "thanks"

Dusty: "and a good housekeeper"

Me: "thanks" (I know, how original, but I couldn't really say "you too". You know? Plus, I wasn't doing my best thinking at this point.)

(side note; housekeeper? That conjures up pictures in my head that doesn't seem to be me exactly, but I was too tired to tease him about it. It's the thought that counts and I knew what he meant.

Dusty: "thanks for everything you do"

Me: "no problem"

Dusty: "bye"

Me: I'm not sure what I said in reply, but I was smiling to myself.

Even though all of these random nice things came early this morning when I was barely coherent enough to understand them, I am grateful that he took the time to tell me. We don't hear things like this enough in our lives and there's never a more perfect time to tell someone than when he told me. I really miss talking to him when he's not around and so even though he's not reading this right now, I just wanted to say that:

"Dusty, I think you're a great dad, and a great husband, and a good housekeeper as well."

Love you Dusty, hope you have a good day at work.
P.S. I'm making you strawberry jam to say thanks.