It's official, I think my dAd loves me and so does my MoM. They picked me up at that Walla Walla airport yesterday at 9pm. My MoM wore her Bulgarian alphabet t-shirt so that I'd know when one she was. My dAd brought his camera.

I got home yesterday at 9pm after traveling for nearly 24 hours. My parents fed me some dinner and then I was off to bed. I woke up at 4:30 am convinced it was time to wake up but somehow I forced myself back to sleep. When I finally got up a 7am, I had a cup of coffee and went for a walk.

[caption id="attachment_5175" align="alignleft" width="614" caption="In the backyard"]<a rel="attachment wp-att-5175" href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/07/08/i-think-my-dad-loves-me/img_8496/"><img class="size-large wp-image-5175 " title="In the backyard" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/IMG_8496-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="614" height="409" /></a>[/caption]

Then MoM and I went to the grocery store--Albertson's. I was overwhelmed, once again, by the size and the amount of <em>stuff</em> for sale.  At Kmart I bought some clear storage boxes determined to clean up/contain/corral the stuff in my room but I was too tired to deal with that after I came home from lunch at my brother N. and his fiancee K.'s new house. For the record, my brother makes a killer ham and cheese sandwich. Thanks N.

After lunch it was nap time. I told my MoM: just an hour. <!--more-->But at the hour mark I couldn't move from my bed--so she let me sleep for another hour. At the two hour and fifteen minute mark, I wrenched myself out of bed and climbed into my swimsuit. I hopped into the pool and then about 15 minutes later my MoM brought me a beer.

<em>A beer in the pool</em>.

Mind you this breaks the no glass by the pool rule. Apparently when you turn 30 Mom trusts  you to drink a beer in the pool without breaking it. Turns out being 30 has a few perks.

[caption id="attachment_5178" align="alignleft" width="614" caption="Beer and wine by the pool"]<a rel="attachment wp-att-5178" href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/07/08/i-think-my-dad-loves-me/img_8492/"><img class="size-large wp-image-5178 " title="Beer and wine by the pool" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/IMG_8492-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="614" height="409" /></a>[/caption]

The best part of the day?

When my dAd fired up the grill to make grilled pizzas and my MoM steamed asparagus and snow peas. It's like <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/06/27/home-again-home-again/" target="_blank">they read my blog</a>. Only last night I forgot to eat my strawberry short cake birthday cake.

[caption id="attachment_5179" align="alignleft" width="614" caption="My dAd making pizza"]<a rel="attachment wp-att-5179" href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/07/08/i-think-my-dad-loves-me/img_8488/"><img class="size-large wp-image-5179 " title="My dAd making pizza" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/IMG_8488-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="614" height="409" /></a>[/caption]

What's on the menu for today? A walk with my dAd, some cleaning, a little exploring and then we're going to head over to N. and K.'s new house for dinner. I'm looking forward to the grilled hamburgers, tortilla chips and salsa, home made potato salad, spinach salad and local wine.

[caption id="attachment_5180" align="alignleft" width="614" caption="Grilled Pizzas!"]<a rel="attachment wp-att-5180" href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/07/08/i-think-my-dad-loves-me/img_8493/"><img class="size-large wp-image-5180 " title="Grilled Pizzas " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/IMG_8493-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="614" height="409" /></a>[/caption]

Yep, the first two days home are going to revolve around jet-lag and food. Not bad, not bad.

My life is <em>clearly</em> so hard.

[caption id="attachment_5181" align="alignleft" width="614" caption="Dinner: grilled and steamed!"]<a rel="attachment wp-att-5181" href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/07/08/i-think-my-dad-loves-me/img_8495/"><img class="size-large wp-image-5181 " title="Dinner: grilled and steamed!" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/IMG_8495-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="614" height="409" /></a>[/caption]