I'm Back!

Back in Seattle and from vacation. Well, technically I am still on vacation until tomorrow because I am very smart and requested myself an extra day off of work.

This trip was simply wonderful. This was the first vacation I've taken since I've been promoted to full-time at work, and have exciting things like paid vacation, and not having to worry about being broke when I get home is fantastic and amazing.

The rest of the trip was pretty good also. I'm generally not ever super excited to visit Ohio or to hang out with my in-laws, but maybe I'm getting older or things are mellowing out or maybe it's that I'm finally had enough visits to really get to know them all enough to actually enjoy spending time with them. I don't know, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Chicago was fun. We were only there for the last two days, but I haven't seen my middle brother in law since right after we go married, and this was the first time I met his boyfriend. It was nice, especially since last year we got in a big stupid fight over email, so just having fun together was relieving.

It was even better being in Cleveland again. And I can't believe I'm saying, er, typing that. But seriously. First of all, family. Husband's extended family is well, completely overwhelming, but so welcoming and exuberant.  And he has two adorable eight year old girls for cousins (and like 30 others, age 5 to about 30), and they love me and are so excited to see me and want me to braid their hair (poorly) and offered to pay the fifty cents for me to play arcade games with them. And did I mention they are adorable? And Irish and freckled and adorable.  My youngest cousin is something like 20 years old and I know so few people with kids, and oh. my. god.  I'm pretty sure that this particular variety of adoration that has been bestowed upon me is reserved for "special occasion people". You know, the cool not-really-your-aunt that you only see twice a year and buys you your first eyeshadow palate when you are eleven. But still, I just can't get enough. And watching Husband interact with his little cousins killed me. Want. Want want want want.

The second amazing thing about Ohio was Husband's friends. First of all, Husband's best friend C... how do I even explain this. No one in the entire world, not even myself, can make Husband as happy as C does. Even just anticipating spending time with C, Husband's eyes get all twinkly and glittery, and I'm not even jealous because I love seeing him and C together. His wife L says that C is the same way. Amazing. And the rest of his friends are so much fun, too. They all have wives and girlfriends, and a group of couples is something we're so missing here in Seattle. And even though I've only met some of them a few times, and a for a few it was our first meeting, they never have made me felt like the new girl and I just jump right into the festivities.

I started feeling so guilty that Husband moved here for me away from all these people that he loves, even though he wanted to move anyway and how he always tells me he's glad he's here and so I offered to move back to Ohio if he ever wanted, even though I kind of hate Ohio because watching him be so happy with his friends back home just melts my heart. He of course thinks I am crazy so home we are, for good.

I am feeling extremely happy and relaxed and in love right now.

P.S. We had sex four times and only one fight on vacation. I'm pretty sure that is a record. Definitely a better ratio than our honeymoon.