Lifestyle

I’ve always wanted to start a blog of some sort. You can gather my surprise when I saw this platform to start writing. I am currently in Nova Scotia and my husband in is Alberta. Yes as most families my husband is away from his family for work and to earn a half decent income to also provide for us. This will be my first of many stories that I’ve lived and learned from.

My life is made up of countless three hour trips to the city. Airport drop offs and long drives home alone. The next day is unbearable almost depressing that I have to go on without the help and support of my husband. Full responsibility of the children, cats, house, groceries, cars and all the rest. Yes I signed up for this, and am I complaining NO but sometimes I want to shake people when they say how do you do it ?! What the countless nights alone in my bed or the bad days that I just wish would end sometime soon? Working long hours at the hospital. My only salvation being the few days off to get caught up on housework to go back to the grind again. Again not complaining! We decided to have the kids even after i knew what he did for work. Pipefitter trade in the oil and gas industry is not only exhausting but makes my husband happy. I am totally up for the happy couple happy life motto. My two boys deserve every opportunity in this lifetime. <3

My days off consist of taxying around the two kids who are in every sport and activity imaginable to man. School days are my only breaks but oh no wait I have to run my errands and my husbands too. My husband is completely oblivious to the fact that he’s thousands of miles away and can’t micromanage every little thing in this household. Of course he’d be upset if I were to forget to bring his truck for an oil change but going to the grocery store and mananing everything else gives me opious amounts of free time. LOL! But somehow I’ll always manage to feel guilty about not fulfilling my husbands high expectations of me.

I’m not at all jealous that he sits in his camp room after a 10-12 hour shift and complains about his day then blaintenly asks me how the kids are? How he didn’t have to commute and make himself meals or do a copious amount of laundry. How he says he’s tired and needs to go to bed as I look at the sink that needs emptying and the laundry that needs to be folded and put away. I will be up most of the night finishing the stuff that needs to be done or thinking about the stuff I need to finish in the morning so the babysitter doesn’t have to. I get 5 hours sleep most nights I run on coffee and wine I love food and it shows! I’m like any normal mom but I’m also a dad too !

Would I give up the trips, the experiences and the free work conventions? No absolutely not I love this life as much as I loathe it sometimes. Our family can afford to spend the money on wonderful vacations spent together to make up for the lost time. I think of it like this at times a fisherman is gone 6 months of the year to fish. My husband is no different he could be in the military and have a dangerous job. He’s safe in the oilfields of alberts for a few weeks or months at a time. We appreciate him much more when he is home. I laugh at women who can’t function when the husband is away for one night of a week while on a business trip. I have no pity I’m just that accustomed to the lifestyle it’s not that I lack compassion or empathy.

Do my kids miss him yes probably but my oldest who’s is going to be 8 was raised in the lifestyle. My youngest takes it a little harder because his daddy is his hero right now and everything is harder when your 4. The pitiful FaceTime calls just break my heart but there is not much you can say when it’s almost time for bed. The same three questions asked and answered reside in my mind. Routine as it is the kids and him only have that to look forward to until he is home next.

After 12 years of this life I don’t question his loyalty and our relationship will always be strong. We have seen many families grow apart and couples divorce. We just keep on keeping on and pray we don’t end up in those same footsteps. Love is definitely not missing in this family and hopefully we set a good example for our children. Sometimes he does work in our hometown but we will never know anything different but this life.

Oil sands