I miss Him. It's just a few days, but I miss Him. I wake up in the morning and I feel less rested because He is not there. Before He left, we both felt very close to each other. "Never been closer, have we?" He said. I agreed.

And since He has been away, since He kissed me goodbye, then came back and kissed me again, we have continued to be so close. I get excited when He calls. I get to talk to my best friend. I tell Him the little things, the cute things, the wonderfully normal things the kids have done. I tell Him what the valley looks like in the morning. He tells me about the strange places, the different customs of the people He is dealing with.

I remember once, when He was away from me, before we had the babies, He called me and said He had dinner with a beautiful American girl. He said He was captivated by her, that she had stolen His attention all night and he had been a little sad to say goodnight to her. And just when I thought I could reach through the phone and strangle Him, He added that she had drooled through her dinner and spit up a bit when she was done. She was 6 months old. The man assigned to Mac as a guide had asked Him to dinner and Mac had only agreed if his wife and the baby came too. He was tired of male company I think, but it ended up being the baby whose company He enjoyed the most.

On the weekend, Mac was sitting on the couch watching the rugby, with Sarah Jane snuggled up on one knee and Nicholas on the other both sound asleep. I asked Him if He wanted me to move them, considering this was a rugby match, 'the' rugby match and He looked at me like I was a little mad. I think being there, with the two of them, watching rugby, He was content, really content. He always says it is the simple things. I sat down and snuggled up next to Him to watch the rugby too. The things He loves the most were all within His reach.

He misses us when He is away. I think it is much worse for Him. At least I have the kids to cuddle with and to keep me out of trouble.

We really are just a normal loving family.

He comes home to us tomorrow. He had better be prepared to be kissed!