The Week Long Visit

These pics say it all, "Whew, it's been a long week! But not only did we survive our daughter's visit we also got to meet
the (dramatic music here), "BoyFriend". We liked him . . . he was very softspoken (weird in a young guy (?)),
well mannered and best of all, makes my daughter happy.
This is the first boy she has ever brought home, ever! And might I say he was well worth the wait and all the cleanning!
My daughter will be 22 y/o this fall and has lived on here own in Oregon for over 2 years, her life is her own . . . but (!) being a wise woman and knowing my own limitations, my husband and I rented a hotel room for them at a really nice place in town. Yup . . .
Our house is the size of a shoe-box (no, really!) and we plan on remodeling and putting in an addition (initial plans have been drawn up!), but until the house is a bit bigger, well . . . I'd rather not have her and her boyfriend in the bedroom next door. And with one tiny bathroom and me working nights . . . . you do the math.
But it all worked out well. She had a place to retreat to and I didn't have to be hostess 24/7.
One thing that took us by surprise, was how h-a-p-p-y she was, 90% no 95% of the time. When she lived at home she was almost manic in her moods. And even for a while up in Oregon she would have her days where all was black. Now I know better than to assume that everything is hunky dory all the time, but it was a real treat to she her as she could be. That and the "boyfriend" seemed to help balance her out and help her maintain an even keel. It made my "egg-shell walking" nearly un-necessary. Now don't get me wrong, I love my daughter dearly but she is higher maintaince than some and I don't mean in a material way, more emotionally. Almost always has. In fact it took us (as parents) a long time to find the right combination of parenting to do to make it through her teenage years etc.
Ayhow . . . they left early this morning to head back to Oregon, they both go back to work on Monday. So things can kinda go back to normal and handsome husband and I can relax. I miss her, I always will, but that is apart of life.