road trip, again?

Husband is currently working in Nebraska, which is about 16 hours from home (in Alabama) by car. He's only been gone about a week..... We're getting along just fine. The kids are having fun; Em has slept through the night the last 3 nights in a row! This is a first in the 9 months of his precious life. But still something is missing. QL is having her birthday in about a week and a half, and I have been truely struggling with the decision of whether or not to make the trip so we can be together as a family on her birthday. (The cheapest flight he could find was near $700, which goes against our principles, to say the least) Well, the decision has been made, and we're going. I tell my children on a regular basis (usually when they're fighting) that we are a family, and that although they don't realize it right now, that is a really amazing thing. Family comes first. Period. Now I have to put those words into action. My kids won't realize it right now, but someday we will tell the story of QL's 3rd birthday, and hopefully they will see that we really do value our family above all else. I could lie to her and tell her that her birthday is two weeks later (when her daddy is supposed to come home); she would probably never know. But the truth is, I can't lie to her anymore than I could lie to anyone else....not to mention that these kids are no dummies. She's been looking forward to her birthday ever since Christmas (it's Jesus' birthday, and then my birthday's next, right Mamma?). She knows the date of her birthday, and IW can read a calendar.
We held her birthday party a week and a half early last year so Husband could be there; I really don't want to do that again.
So we will go. I pray that Em is in good spirits, that I can stay awake while driving at night, and that this really is the best choice. I also pray for a decent RV within our price range to pop up soon.
In the end, it will be a good chance to go home and visit with real live grown up people (home is 4 1/2 hours from where Husband is working, and on the way!). And Husband, too. Isn't it strange how you can miss someone so much in such a short amount of time?