So... yeah. Christmas is way over.... But we just got home Monday. So there.
I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season. I certainly did. We went home for two weeks. We haven't been home in a year so we were definitely a little excited. We had to leave our Pheobe behind, but she was well taken care of.
We decided to fly home this year instead of taking the grueling 32+ hour drive there. While I was glad we weren't doing that again, I was nervous about flying considering it was my first time. But when the day actually came to fly, I wasn't as nervous as I thought. I was more worried about everything else that was going on. Getting to the airport on time, getting checked in, finding our gate, checking our luggage, going through security, continually checking that I had everything in my purse and didn't leave anything anywhere... My focus was therefore elsewhere. Until we actually got on the plane that is. Take off was the worst. I did not know what to expect. Luckily I had my husband with my to hold my hand through it. Once the initial, "Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap" stopped in my head, I was actually fine. I won't say I love flying, but after this trip, I'm a pro. It was actually kind of amazing to see the world from so high. We really are so small aren't we?
Once we landed back in the Midwest finally, we had no time to rest. It was go-time from the start. We were staying with my sister in-law for the night and she wanted to go out with us. So we did. And I was ready for bed at like 10. The next day the mom's came. It was so good to see them. Kind of surreal though. I knew I hadn't seen them in forever, but it felt like no time at all. Until I got to see my babies that is. Once I finally saw my niece and nephews I melted. They were so big and I hadn't even met my newest nephew. I miss home sometimes, but every time I think about them my heartbreaks to be away. It was so good to be with them and hold them again.
That first week was a whirlwind. We were nonstop. From driving back and forth between the parents' houses, to visiting his grandma 4 hours away, to going to Chicago... We didn't stop. I can't imagine how we managed to fit so much in a week but we did. Then Christmas came. I love having little ones around for Christmas. It gets boring with adults. No surprise or magic, ya know? So Christmas was very nice. I love having two families now to share it with. It makes it even more special. Definitely a marriage perk.
The next week was a lot mellower. We actually basically did absolutely nothing but sit on the couch and play words with friends... I know. We're lame. It was nice, though, to stop traveling and just be at peace.
Before we new it, it was our last day there. Goodbyes suck. And I have so many coming my way the next few years. I didn't get to say a real goodbye to the babies, which I'm actually kind of grateful for. I broke down enough over them without them there. I would have died. It's easier to know that it's not going to be as long between visits this time.
We spent New Year's Eve back with his sister and decided to go out despite our flight being at 7 a.m. the next day. Bad decision. But it was an awesome night. I have never gone out for New Year's and I am finally 21 so I was excited. We went to this restaurant first for cocktails and then headed to this bar where a bunch of bands were playing. The fact that there was no cover was the draw. The bands were amazing. There were lots of drinks and dancing and just overall a good time. When the clock struck twelve, I got to kiss the love of my life. That will always be my favorite part. Unfortunately about 15 minutes later I fell off of a barstool when my heels got stuck trying to get up. That pretty much ended the night for me. 3 hours of sleep later, we were up and on the plane back west.
It's nice to be home but I definitely enjoyed vacation. Having no responsibilities, seeing my family, having fun... It will be missed. But now it's back to real life. Work, cleaning, and bills... blah.
Here's some random shots from my time back home. Enjoy. :)
