Dh has friends from university (graduated 10 years ago). We all get on well, I like them all, but we are not best friends - we never chat on the phone but try to see each other a few times a year.
Everyone is spread out all over the country so visiting can be tricky. Generally if someone has come to visit by themselves then they have stayed over - they always turn up at about 5pm so not much other option tbh but we have always been happy to do this.
But how long does it go on for? A couple of friends (engaged) are looking to visit, DH has asked them if they would like to come and stay over. They live an hour and a half away. I say - why don't we do something in the day, go out, have dinner, chat, then they can go home. OR - we can go to them, and then come home and just sleep in our own houses, not all over the shop in fucking sleeping bags like students. DH says that they live too far to expect them to go home again. I say if we meet at a decent time then there will be no need to stay over - if I wanted to spend days at a time with another family I would go on holiday with them or something.
DH's family always had people to stay growing up, it was normal for friends of the family to come and stay for a week at a time. His SIL and family still regularly go back to the parental home to stay for a fortnight. In my family, we were more of a little and often family, see each other in the day and go home again.
Do you visit people regularly? DO you stay over? DO you relish moving the children from room to room, getting spare duvets out and washing endless sheets just so people can disappear after breakfast?
It is nice to see people but AIBU to think we could just do it in the day?