We just returned from our 9-day-long visit to Fort Worth for the holidays. This was the longest trip back to Texas since we moved to Seattle almost three years ago, so we had more time to see our families than we have since before we moved away.

This trip has seemed different from others. The first few trips back we were very excited to be back and see people and we noticed the many differences between Seattle and Texas. However, this trip, things have felt more like what I remember when we used to live here. This trip was maybe a little too long, but we did many different things to make the most of our time there.

We spent a lot of quality time with our parents, other relatives, and our friends in the area. We went to several of our old favorite restaurants and enjoyed good Tex-Mex and barbeque. We ate at pretty much every place that we wanted to eat at, though it did get expensive eating out so much. There were a few fun family activities, such as the normal Christmas gatherings and going to church with Lesley's grandmother for the first time. I got to see an uncle and a cousin that I don't normally see and spent some time with my brother and saw the apartment he'd moved into. We also had a good time with my parents playing their Wii and other games, going to the mall, and walking at the park with my dad. We also played games and walked in the neighborhood with Lesley's mom and went to a Dallas Stars hockey game and the zoo with Lesley's parents.

I was happy to be able to tour Cowboys Stadium to see the giant high-def screen and walk on the field - it's an awesome stadium. We also celebrated the new year with some of my friends in the area and had a lot of fun playing games and hanging out with some of our best friends that we hardly ever get to see. We saw several movies when we were there, including True Grit and Despicable Me, as well as seeing Tangled while eating lunch at a Movie Tavern.

I also got to explore a lot of the interesting parts of the Metroplex. My parents drove us around new development in Fort Worth along West 7th, and we spent time in the Fort Worth Stockyards with my mom. Lesley and I had a mini-vacation in Dallas, staying in a hotel downtown and spending time in the city on our own. Taking Dallas' trolley to go out to dinner and a movie in Uptown was a highlight of the trip. We also went to breakfast the next day on Oak Lawn and went to NorthPark Center. The day we spent in Dallas also provided us with some welcome privacy and a break from being driven around all the time.

Taking trips back to Texas can be stressful, as we often can't spend as much time with people as they would like, and dealing with people's moods can be challenging. The stress of dealing with expectations may be why Lesley didn't feel very good on the trip.

Overall, this was one of the better trips I've had back to visit family. I really enjoyed the time we spent with people and the varied things we did. We're not yet sure when our next trip will be, but we will be going back this year for Thanksgiving or Christmas again.