Family matters.

I suppose that when your significant other is a kind and sweet and honest and smart and interesting and liberal and open-minded and grounded and funny person, it should come as no suprise that his parents and sister also possess all of those good and important qualities. And it should be no great shocker when your own (equally-good-quality-possessing) parents hit it off famously with his clan, and manage to carry a delightful dinner conversation with no assistance from your background-noise-challenged self. Nor should it be cause for astonishment when his family turns out to be as rabid and competitive a bunch of card-players as your own, or that they are equally fond of food, wine, and witty repartee.

Sure feels good, though.