Missing My Boys

I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but I am home by my lonesome this week.  Travis is in Canada, on a much deserved vacation.  He is there with my Dad, a great family friend of ours, and get this...RYLEY!!  Isn't that so funny?  Ryley is just one of the guys this week!  While we were gone at the high school retreat last weekend, my Dad came to our house and picked up Ryley, and they went a little early to the resort in Ontario.  Travis left Monday morning to meet them.  

They are all doing well, catching lots of fish and having a great time.  Travis told me last night that Ryley has been really good in the boat (oh yes, he's in the boat with them for 7 or 8 hours a day), totally intrigued by the fish and trying to lick them (GROSS!!), until yesterday, when he got a little too excited and too close to the edge of the boat and HE FELL IN!!! Oh what I would have given to see that!  Ryley is a golden retriever, so the dog knows how to swim and was made for the water, but he is such a chicken that I'm sure he panicked a little and surprised himself!  Travis said the guys were all laughing like crazy and calling Ryley to swim back to the boat, then they had to lift all 80 lbs of a soaking wet dog, over the edge of the boat.  How funny!  I am trying not to think of how he must smell now, knowing that Ryley is totally having the time of his life.  It's good I'm not there, I probably would have freaked out when he fell in!!  Travis is totally calm about stuff like that, I'm sure he laughed like crazy first and then thought about what he should do.  I, on the other hand, would have immediately panicked then laughed later.  

When I talked to Travis this morning, I told him to put the phone up to Ryley's ear so I could say hi to him.  My sweet husband flatly refused and said, "Steph, he's a dog.  Don't be ridiculous.  You can say hi to him on Saturday when we come home."  I was a little irritated by that, but I guess he may have a point and I may occasionally forget that little detail!  In more ways than one, that dog has been our firstborn for 4 years now!  He has no idea how his life is going to change...

Anyway, I'm kind of enjoying this week to myself.  I wasn't crazy about Travis going, especially after two weekends of retreats, but I knew it would be fun for him and I knew Ryley was going to get some good attention and fun.  But what about me?  Why am I stuck at home??  Well actually, I have nothing to complain about.  My social calendar is full this week and before Travis left he told me, "If I'm going to be on vacation this week, then you should feel like you're on vacation too.  Don't do anything you don't want to and just relax this week.  Sleep in, go out with friends, go shopping, watch tv, just enjoy yourself."  So, I thought that was pretty sweet thing to say and therefore a license to do all those things!  I've had quite the time just putting my feet up and resting.  Tonight I'll go to our junior high youth group, because that will make Travis happy, and the rest of the week I have fun stuff planned.  But today, I'm still in my jammies and loving every minute of it!  This home alone thing isn't all that bad!!