I can't believe I've been home and back in a week. It was such a whirlwind I didn't get anything done, am more tired than when I left.

But how can I be anything but happy? I was with my family - my whole family - for the first time in ages. And I had my Liam with me too. And although it was not a slice of cake (what with the sleepless and slightly akward in places), it was by far and away better than it was worse and got easier and nicer every day. (Besides, it may or may not be his residential guest status that managed to keep all of the grady women out of tears and mom not throwing things for an entire week too....)

But anyway, it was really nice to be home and see everyone. And everything went okay. And Liam likes my family and my family likes him and he has now set his sights on moving to america and becoming an international antiques tycoon. And he wants a Wii. And a bigger house. My parents are perhaps a bad influence.

Me, I just can't wait til we'll be home again in 10 months. This time for something even better.

Thanks be to Jesus

So it's 7pm.

We are leaving for America in 12 hours.

I am not only thankful I have such an amazing guy to come with me on an adventure which guarantees to rival a christmas season family feel good film probably starring diane keaton or susan sarandon who dying of cancer/having a baby/starts a food fight with some other vaguely related minion and then they all cry and hug it out.

But also because he understands (and somewhere deep down condones) my nazified OCD need to have a clean house before leaving . I have never seen a sexier man than one in his robe scrubbing the bathtub and hoovering, just because I asked.

I totally win.

In one week we will be waking up in my parents house. This could be on twin beds in the basement or a proper queen in my room. This could involve dogs jumping on the bed, or drifting to consciousness at the smell of a proper breakfast. This could be magnificent or completely stressful and mad.

The things is, we just can't know. My bets are on both somehow simultaneously, as gradys never do anything by halves.