Well Im not even sure where to start with this hub.  In all honesty I should be writing a book and not a hub about living with a husband in the oilpatch.

I will try and keep this some what brief and then throught the weeks and months to come I will try and do some more detailed hubs about what its like living apart.

Well myself and hubby have been married around 21 years now and in June he will have spent 20 years in the oil patch.  So many of you are asking so what does this mean.  Well it may mean nothing to you but I feel a need to write today so thats what Im doing.

Anyway a typical month in the oil patch keeps my husband away from home on an average of 21 to 24 days.  So at the end of the year we really are lucky if he was home 12 weeks out of the year.  Dont get me wrong, Im not complaining.  This is the career path he chose and in all honesty it has given us quite a nice life.

I guess at times as a wife it can be very frustrating having to deal with all the day to day activities like paying bills, doing the yard wook, getting the vehicle maintained and bringing up 3 boys.  Yep I have 3 boys aged 22, 19, and 18 so as you can see I was almost like a single mother for most of their lives.  Let me tell you, bringing up 3 hell raisers wasnt easy but somehow we got through it.

I dont say these things to be mean or callous because I know it hurt for hubby to miss everything he did like birthdays, concerts, hockey games and many more activities.  I know he would have rather been with us than working outside at 3 in the morning in 40 below weather with wind and blowing snow.

I should also clear things up with my feelings about my husband.  I know I have said things like single mother and such but honestly there isnt another man I would rather be with.  He is the most loving and caring guy a gal could ask for.  When he is home he is 100% devoted to family.  Every single thing he does involves us in one way or another.

I believe though that the time has come.  I know Im ready for him to come out of the patch and I know he is ready,  Its just a matter of figuring out what to do when thats all you know.  I know he has some things in mind and I will continue to stand by him on any decisions he makes.

At the end of the day I guess I am trying to say that no matter what you can make a relationship work.  Lord knows we had tons of reasons to walk away from one another but we also know what love meant to each of us as well.