Ding Dong Merrily

It has finally come to pass. I'm going to be a mother-in-law. Nathan proposed to Sunni and Sunni said yes. We've all been in a mild state of giddiness for a couple of weeks. You'd think the whole Swain Gang was getting married the way we all carry on!

They are "Two so in love, Two so in love," as the song goes. Blake and I are having fun watching Nathan and Sunni because they remind us of US when we were dating and engaged. We've noticed quite a number of parallels.

Reality hit Blake yesterday--he started realizing that Nathan has a new "center of the universe." We're no longer his main focus--Sunni is. Sad but true. They stopped by for a brief visit on Sunday (10 minutes). After they left, Blake and I had an epiphany--this must be what our parents feel like when we come for an hour or two and then leave! Bereft and lonely! We can better appreciate the "Come when you can stay awhile" comments we often hear as we're leaving.

Our life is taking on a whole new perspective--full of excitement but also touched with tender emotions.

Our House Is a Very, Very Fine House....

We recently had a home makeover--you wouldn't recognize the main floor, except for a few older pieces of furniture. We painted every single wall a new color, replaced linoleum and carpet with wood and tile, brought in new furniture and a new refrigerator, replaced the countertops in the kitchen, added a pantry, and added/replaced light fixtures and fans. It's amazing. My mother-in-law said looking at the pictures on Facebook reminded her of looking at pictures in a magazine....

We also started a new tradition--keeping things picked up and clean. Don't want to end up on the Messiest House show. Of course, from what I've seen, we weren't even in the running. I actually enjoy sweeping and dust mopping and vacuuming now (four medium to small rugs compared to 900 square feet of carpeting).

My husband says he loves coming home now. I will take that in a positive way and try not to think of what it implies about "then." I enjoy being home all day. (I did before, but it's more soothing to be at home without clutter and peeling linoleum and worn-out carpet.)