We traveled for the Christmas holiday. The Midwest is cold. I knew this. I moved for a reason. It was really fun to be there and have woobe my shearling coat. It goes to my ankles and when I put the hood up I look like a little tiny monk or something. Travel actually went well. We shipped the presents ahead and they arrived all in one piece. We were delayed three hours in Houston (not bad at all compared to other places) and got to sit and watch the perfect family and the not so perfect family with bronchitis boy. The perfect family had three children, two girls and a boy, all young grade schoolers. The parents traded off, each child was rotating through a parent lap, playing on his or her own, and chatting along with the full attention of the parent--amazing. Suddenly Dad gets up and says "I need ice cream, who is going with me?!" Nice. Of course when they returned with ice cream Lt Dan wanted to steal the little boy's ice cream, saying "well, he's not EATING HIS!" Oh my.
The not so perfect family had a maybe six year old and bronchitis boy who was 16-18 months. Six year old is running all over the airport being obnoxious, more especially to this other six year old who had a toy he wanted to play with. Dad is standing waaay over there by the window doing nothing about anything. Mom is trying to contain screaming bronchitis boy in her lap and control the six year old all the while giving Dad dirty looks. It wasn't pretty. Of course not so perfect family is on our plane. Better yet, Dad and obnoxious child are in the seats in front of us, Mom and bronchitis boy are in the seat behind me. Perfect. The flight was three hours, bronchitis boy screamed, kicked my seat, beat his head on my seat nearly the entire time. Poor thing probably couldn't clear his ears and I imagine it hurt. Lt Dan slept through the whole thing while I practiced my compassion and understanding skills HARD.
I was assimilated. Yep. I am now part of the family I guess. Or at least as much as could be. We really had a very good time at my in-laws, I enjoyed it far more than I expected to. Really it was just a wonderful pleasant trip. I did my best to find my "place" and do what I could do to help with all the dinners and work generated by our visit and the holiday. I hope I did well, this was my first experience with the family since we were married. Lt Dan was awesome and full of surprises. The little things mean so much. Bringing me coffee in the morning so I could wake up in a somewhat normal way for me, coming to find me and give me a hug if I disappeared too long, just lots of little things that were unexpected and very special.
We made the trip to our trusted jewelry store the very next morning after we arrived, first thing when they opened. There is a whole wedding ring saga story but I'll skip that for now, suffice it to say the first one didn't work out, it kept trying to lose bits of itself until we finally asked for our money back. Lt Dan promised me it wasn't an omen! We had designed my wedding ring already on line but I was sure we were not going to be able to get it what with the holidays and such. The salesman brought the rings we had chosen and then we needed to pick the diamond for the engagement ring. Lt Dan was not happy with the size of the diamond we initially chose so while I was in the ladies room he told the salesman his budget and a much bigger diamond appeared. Wow. My rings are just so lovely and I am dazzled by them. Lt Dan strikes again when you least expect it. Gotta love him.
We did get to spend a few days before and a few days after here at home in the Sunny Place. That was the most wonderful thing for both of us I think. This is the first extended period of time we have gotten to spend in the Sunny Place house and it just felt so good. We did our New Year's Day walk on the beach, I took him to the Greek place for gyros and mimosas and we walked around a bay side neighborhood looking at houses and dream shopping. I was amazed he could do that walk and worried so much about his leg while we were doing it but we had a wonderful time. Happy New Year.
We travelled back to The Cave (that would be the apartment we have where Lt Dan is currently stationed) on the 2nd and signed in from leave. Spent the weekend together and now here I am, back at the Sunny Place getting ready to go to the dentist. Weeee. Such is our lives and its all as good as it can be. It is what it is.
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