"Parting is such [un]sweet sorrow"

For the next 3 days I will be in DC on business, leaving Joshy for the first time in his life. UGH! He'll be in excellent hands (his daddy's) with help from "Big" Josh (Shawn's brother) and our great nanny Maggie (pictured here with Joshy). But it doesn't make it easier for me to leave. I'm glad it's a quick trip -- leaving Monday morning before Joshy is awake and returning Wednesday evening after he's asleep. I won't really see him, though, until after I get back from work on Thursday. That feels like a LOOOOONG time from now.

I'm so thankful, though, for my job, and the flexibility it has given me over the last year. Following my 7-1/2 month maternity leave, this fall I have been working 1/2 time (20 hours/week): 6 am-11 am, Monday-Thursday. Sometimes my work has not fit neatly into that schedule, for example this trip or when we need to have meetings with certain people outside of my limited schedule. For the most part, though, it has been great to come home by mid-day and spend the afternoons and all day Friday with Joshy. Those times make up for the 5 am alarm clock! Starting in January, I need to figure out how to add another 10 work hours/week back into my schedule to be on a 3/4 time schedule long term.

Another change is that next month I will be joining the "adjunct faculty" of my organization's learning center. This will be in addition to my regular project-based work and will allow me to teach periodic training classes for co-workers either in our Denver office, other field offices, and/or back in the DC headquarters. I will be focusing on the leadership curriculum and will receive special training for that after I take the Basic Instructional Course. I will attend both of those trainings in December back in DC, so Joshy and I will be taking advantage of the hospitality of Shawn's dad and stepmom for a couple of weeks. We're working out the schedule so that Shawn can join us for part of the time, too, so we can enjoy some family time there.

So the coming holiday season are going to be busy for us. We're driving down to Albuquerque for Thanksgiving with Shawn's brother, mom, stepdad, and 2 stepsiblings--one of which I haven't met yet. Then I'll have 1 week back in the office here, then off to DC for 2 weeks of training and work. Then it's Christmas week! ACK! Glad I've made a good dent in my shopping already. :-)

Okay, that's enough for now. Many blessings to all of you as we head into this season of Thanks and celebrating the birth of our Saviour.