Seven

It's seven years today since my Beloved and I became a couple, an 'us', a 'we'.
Neither of us are entirely sure of our wedding date (20th? 21st? Um, yeah, around then) but we don't have any doubts about the day we first started going out. Everything else seemed a given from then.
No, I lie. We do have a few doubts. My beloved believes we began going out on the night of the twelfth, whereas obviously we began going out in the early hours of the thirteenth. You can see our dilemma. It's true, we've been bickering negotiating since day one. Through sickness (a lot of it) and health, good times (heaps) and bad, we've squabbled and discussed and debated and made up and began all over again.
It's seven years since I informed my beloved that as just about everyone else in Honiara (and my mum and friend back in Australia) knew we were going out, he probably should too.
We're an old, established couple now, and yet new stories, new skills, new ways constantly surprise us. Our time together seems so much more full, more weighty, than all the years before. Memories like jewels, or vividly coloured, richly fragranced flowers, assail me. So many, many precious moments.
Thanks for the good times, hon, and here's to many more to come!

This time Last Year. All the photos are presently still on a different computer, so I can't play with them (although we watched a slide show last night and oohed and aahed and promised the kids next time we go to the islands they will most definitely be coming. I miss living in the islands. So much.)

Looking Forward, Looking Back

My Beloved and I celebrated an anniversary recently. It wasn't a big one, but it was good to take the time to say hey, aren't we glad we met, and aren't we glad we realised (in time!) that we should be together.
After having the kids, telling My Beloved we were going out was the best decision I ever made, and it makes me happy that I can say that without doubt or hesitation.
My family swapping and sharing gastro and flu over the last few weeks started getting me down. So I wrote a list of all the things I'm looking forward to in the next few years. And there was so much! In the remainder of this year we have two trips up to Queensland (yay!) a couple of exciting birthdays AND we're going to be done with my Beloved's Master of IT (touch wood) and half way through Med School (touch wood and yay again.)
Celebrating our anniversary (sans kids, sprawled over the hotel bed and sipping champagne, another yay) my Beloved and I talked about all the things we've crammed into the years since we met and started going out. And we wondered if the next six years will be as full.
I'm not sure if I'm scared or excited. A bit of both.
The past six years involved 2 kids, a wedding, living in 3 countries and two states, travelling through 10 countries, three degrees (one finished) and moving house 7 times. Finishing two manuscripts. And um, putting on a few extra kilos.
I'm hoping the next six years involves living in at least one other country (hello, I've been in the same house for 18 months now, this hasn't happened to me since Uni. I keep getting this craving to pack a suitcase. Or backpack. Basically, anything containing a passport.) Another baby would be good... but not till we can afford a cleaner. The degrees finished. My Beloved's specialty chosen. The Poppet and Sprocket happy at school and even more themselves. A lot more books written and hopefully published. We already have our next Big Trip to the UK planned, this time with my Beloved's wonderful family. (UK folk, expect us winter 2014!) And um, those extra kilos lost.
But... here are some photos from the very beginning.
When we were both volunteers in the Solomon Islands...

                             Diving in the Solomon Islands - off Guadalcanal

                         Hibiscus at Maravagi - Central Province, Solomon Islands

     Our Leaf Hut... A Leaf Hut is essential to Happiness. One day I am sure we will have one again.

 Scraping the coconut to make Coconut Cream (There's a sharp bit at the end of the wood I'm sitting on) Just after we moved in to the House of Green Dragons at White River.

                Our Evening Walk at White River, Honiara

                 A Beach Close to Home at White River, Honiara

                   Maravagi, Central Province, Guadalcanal

Five Years...

Not so many days ago my beloved and I celebrated our five year anniversary. 

Not our wedding anniversary but the time when we were swimming at Ten Dola beach in the Solomon Islands at some pre-dawn hour and I announced that since I'd already told everyone that we were going to start going out, we'd better make it official.

My more subtle attempts to inform my Beloved that I had changed my mind about his earlier declaration of affection (I believe my words then were cut, edit, paste, rewind, or something similar) had failed.

We had glow sticks, an appreciative audience on the beach among the palms (the kustom owners who took the money for letting us use their beach) and balmy water. 

It seems like so long ago, and it seems like yesterday. Sigh.