Things I forget.

AV and I just spent a fabulous 10 days in Bellevue. It is so nice to be at my other home where people are jumping at the possibility of spoiling us, spending time with us and making our time will spent. Though, living away from there makes me realize some things that I forget about the Seattle area and its people.

For one, sun = hot. Now that I live in a place where I can pretty much gaurantee that I'm going to see the sun at least 355 days, if not more, I forget how precious a commodity it is to Seattlites. Sun means we're eating outside, even if that means that we need to dry off all the lawn chairs and table and have goosebumps while eating. The sun's out, dangit and we're NOT going to waste a single minute of it.

On that same note, it can be sun = hot one day and you can wake up the very next day to the crappiest, dreariest, ugliest rainy day. It kind of makes you wonder if the day before even really existed. Was that yellow thing in the sky real or was it just Washington's version of an oasis?

Pedestrians are like, totally something you have to consider when operating a motor vehicle. Wait, what? You no longer have to dash out praying that the driver 500 meters, excuse me feet, won't take you stepping into the street as a signal to speed up. You just have to glance at the street and someone's already stopped to let you pass. Crosswalk? What's that? You don't need no stinking crosswalk. Cross wherever you please. EVERYONE will stop, and give you the "hey there, neighbor" wave. Amazing.

I really love my family. This isn't so much something that I forget than it is something I put in the back of my mind. I have a seriously kick-booty fam. My nephews are incredible. They are the perfect combination of silly, friendly, spunky, tricky and trouble-maker. It makes every moment interesting. I love that AV was so interested in her cousins. She loved following Liam around. She patted, and by patted I mean stuck her hands on Connor and Sawyer's faces. She loved all their toys and how they didn't even mind her being just a tad needy. And by a tad needy, I mean that I now need a vacation from my vacation.

Church can be lively, uplifting and fun. Now, I'm not saying that Mass isn't Mass in other places. I'm just saying that there is so much positive energy at St. Louise. Everyone seems so happy to be there and makes it a place where everyone else can feel the same way. Whenever I go, I leave with a happy heart. AV loved it, too. She danced all through Mass, clapped for the baptisms, and is learning how to make the sign of the cross. Just a couple pats on the tummy for now, but she's getting it. Going there reminds me why I drag myself to church Sunday after Sunday.

Going home reminds me most of all, just how blessed I am to have two places to call home.