They're leaving. My in-laws have their own house, and will be moving out in less than a week. I am sooooo happy. They're finally getting all their stuff together, packing it in boxes, and clearing out the corners of our house so we can finally expand past our bedroom. I will no longer be doing dishes twice a day, and finding a collection of dirty ones on the counter instead of in the sink. I won't find my brother-in-law's midnight snack of mac and cheese left to rot on the stove. I won't find my sister-in-law's half-drunk cups of juice on her craft table or the counters. Maybe, for the first time since I've lived here, the floor in the kitchen will be cleared of garbage. I won't feel bitter because a family of three is taking up our entire house, while my husband and I are crammed into one little room. I won't be annoyed that my makeup and other toiletries are residing on a rickety little stand because the entire bathroom closet, all the drawers, and every cabinet is full of their stuff. I won't feel like I'm taking my life in my hands every time I walk down the stairs, because there's a pile of stuff on them. I won't have to trip over four or five pairs of shoes every time I want to do laundry, because no one puts them back on the shoe rack. I won't have to fight the laundry room door because of the shoe rack. I can finally, at long last, sweep the kitchen floor. The living room won't be totally repelling and off-putting, because the mountains of useless clutter and garbage will be gone. I won't have to wait three days for my mother-in-law to finish her laundry to start my one little load, because they have a month's worth and only do it once a month. I won't have to go to the bathroom, and realize the door is locked from the other side because they forgot to unlock it when they were done.
 
I am really looking forward to getting them out of here. So. Much.
 
I've spent the last few months quietly being annoyed by the way they live, and the fact that three of them take up more than twice as much space as two of us. Irritated that all of our things are stuffed into little nooks and crannies too small for them, because all of their junk is too busy taking up every available space. Junk that, for the most part, hasn't been touched by them since I got here five months ago.
 
I'm looking forward to being able to wipe the smear of their hands off the faucets. Wipe down the windows. Scrub the bathtub and toilet. Sweep the hardwood floors, and vacuum the carpets. Wipe smears off the walls. Finally see the walls. Decorate with my things, which have all been boxed in the garage because there's no space. Spread out our groceries from the one little shelf we have in the fridge. Move my desk into another room. Put the cat's litter box somewhere besides the bedroom. Move the dresser and air conditioner so I can see out the bedroom window. Getting rid of their boxes and boxes of sugary cereal, just as many boxes of poptarts, additive-laden cheese, chemical-ridden desserts and "snacks" and nasty insta-meals so I can cook real food for us. Healthy food, made from scratch with real ingredients, like butter, milk, meat, eggs, fruits, and vegetables.
 
I'm ready to finally have some control over our house and the family we're trying to build.
 
I can't wait for this move.
 
And things are better even than that, if you can believe it. One of the problems that has been been plaguing my husband and I since we were dating has finally been resolved. It took months, several fights, and bouts of getting nowhere, but it's finally done with. I'm so relieved and happy that we finally reached a resolution to it. It's been preying on my mind for months, and it's finally over.
 
The fall weather has arrived, my favorite time of year. The plants I got in the spring have done pretty well. I got a ripe blackberry a few days ago, and another handful are ripening.The air is cooling off, and I feel a crispness to the air that wasn't there a few weeks ago. The leaves are starting to change colors, and Halloween decorations are everywhere.
 
I'm finally learning to cook with pumpkin; there's a pumpkin "lasagna" in the fridge right now, with layers of pumpkin mousse, graham crackers, and homemade whipped cream. I have a recipe saved for pumpkin donuts with maple glaze, and I've also made pumpkin scones, which were delicious.
 
I learned how to make homemade hot chocolate for my husband last night, which was surprisingly easy, and will save us having to buy the mix. I cooked chicken yesterday, and it came out tender and delicious, with potatoes that are yummy fried, and should make a good soup tomorrow.
 
I've had an idea for my website and Facebook page that's going to be a lot of fun and I can't wait to start on.
 
A lot of things are going really well right now, and that makes me happy. The only downside is that my husband is fighting an infection, and he's been ill the last week or so. But even though that upsets me, I love that I can take care of him and baby him like he does for me when I don't feel well. I feel like right now, I'm in my element. I'm feeling really positive. About a lot of things. Once we've gotten our house to ourselves, I hope that I can get over how irritated I've been by my in-laws, and have a better relationship with them. One that's not strained by how upset I am that they left their dishes all over the place again. I look forward to this new stage of my life, and being able to handle my sensitivity in the best way for me so it's not getting in the way of my relationships.
 
I feel really good about my life right now.