51

You sit down at the desk in your room and flip open the diary you found at the camp site. Natural light streams in through the narrow windows allowing you to read the handwritten pages.

May 15, 2012

Today's my birthday. 38 years young. Yeah, right! Definitely feeling my age today. Nick bought me a membership to Pump Up Gym as one of my birthday gifts. Is he trying to tell me something? Ha! He also gave me this diary, since he knows I love to write. Of course, since the kids came along I haven't done much writing. Once Anthony starts pre-school, I'll have time. For now maybe this journal will keep my literary juices flowing.

May 17, 2012

Nick and Tommy are going on a camping trip. I swear Nick just wants his son to follow in his footsteps. I'll be damned if my boy joins the Army. He's only 13 but still, I worry that he's not cut out for the military as his father was. A camping trip is nice. Nick is a total outdoorsman. He trained for that sort of the thing. When we were first married, we'd go camping all the time. Nick got a kick out of teaching me to survive out in the woods. I'd such a city girl, I told him I'll never need it but he just loves to teach me things.

I feel a bit worried about Nick and Tommy leaving. I can handle Abigail and the baby just fine. I just don't like my husband and son gone! Our whole routine is screwed up. Abby has become a big help in the mornings with Anthony but I just love to wake up and find Nick feeding the baby. I'm such a mom! It breaks my heart to think that Nick won't be here for a few days. I can't imagine what it would be like without him in my life.

Tommy's asthma also worries me. We packed his inhaler but being out in the woods where it's dusty and the air is thin may not be good for his breathing. Nick tells me not to mother him, but he's my son! A mother has to protect her kids. Right?