Anniversary? Already?!?

Anniversary Slideshow Anniversary Thumbnails

Well, yes, I can hardly believe it either, but last weekend was our 6-month wedding anniversary. January 15, 2005 feels magically to exist in a time that is both yesterday, and a lifetime ago... In many respects, I guess it kinda is.

Nonetheless, in order to milk this auspicious occasion for all it was worth, we actually celebrated it twice - Our 6-month anniversary was celebrated on Friday night, and we toasted our 26-week anniversary all day on Saturday.

So this, my first post in what seems like forever, will hopefully be a brief reflection on six wondrous, unforgettable months. Turn off now if you don't want to deal with my vaguely sentimental ramblings. Perhaps I can blame this rare lapse on belated vernalagnia (go look it up Shane [Ok, I'll make it easier for you] ;-) as it has been truly magnificent weather here lately. July is definitely the time to come visit Belgium everyone!

First, though, a brief explanation of the pics for those who were wondering... They were taken Friday evening with my new mobile phone at the local Chateau de La Hulpe. In a lame attempt to make up for forgetting about our anniversary until lunchtime, I bought some champagne, flowers and yummy picnic food and took Jeannie and the kids for a sundowner picnic after work at this magnificent local mansion that has opened its grounds to the public.

The pictures evidence that we tried in vain to capture the beauty of the moment... (At least we eventually managed to get all of us in the frame!)

Note to the ladies - In my defence for forgetting such an important date, I would like to say that I didn't! Honestly! In fact, we had talked about it several times during the weeks leading up, but it temporarily slipped my mind on that critical morning, because the night previously, and that morning, Jeannie kept talking about how much she was looking forward to spending Friday in intensive cleaning mode, and had in fact been holding herself back from many cleaning tasks that week, so she could really get her teeth into an "all-day home-making frenzy" on Friday. I guess that "home-making frenzy" just didn't really equate with anniversary in my sleep-deprived TGIF morning mind... Foul-play I say, right guys? (Ok hon - I messed up - sorry again)

So, anyway, enough about the actual anniversary per-se... I promised you a rambling sentimental reflection, or was that a reflective, sentimental rambling? Well, whatever, you're going to get it! And yes, I will try keep it brief... Anyway, I just don't have the time I used to have since I gave up honeymooning... Working really eats into one's leisure time, I really don't know why anyone would do it :-(

SIX MONTHS

Just in case you haven't been following our blog, here's the executive summary - six months, by the numbers:

• 8 Countries - 9 if you count the stopover in Singapore on the way home from Aus - 10 if you consider that Glastonbury is practically Wales (and in fact, Glastonbury probably counts as a different world, not just a different country)
• 4.5 months honeymoon (of sorts) - 1.5 months normal, workaday life.
• 3 months childless (thanks Nanna!) 3 months as parents of three wonderful children - one of whom is keeping my feet warm under the computer, one is sharpening his claws on our new sofabed behind me, and poor Max is lying on the ground at my side, with an even sadder face than usual, as he slowly comes to terms with the fact that eating so many of those lovely, juicy, sweet plums from the tree in the back yard, might not have been such a good idea... :-(
• Three homes, one sharing with a housemate, Gregor in Dublin, one temporary in Watermael/Boitsfort and now, finally, our own home here in La Hulpe.
• Three fridges (in the last three weeks! Hmm, that sounds like the subject of a blog that hasn't been written yet...)
• About 55 different Belgian beers (so far)

Quite an impressive set of numbers, but even more impressive is that, out of all that madness, we have begun, at last, to form some kind of a routine. Routine, allegedly the bane of many, has become something we aspire towards, a holy grail that we've barely even allowed ourselves to dream of, until now, when it seems almost within our grasp...

Routine, sweet routine :-) Last week, for example, we achieved the following:

• We went to the gym twice together (and Jeannie impressively snuck in a third visit while I was at work!)
• I was not more than 10 minutes late for work any day!
• Jeannie, Lucy and Max walked me to work nearly every day. There may be a relationship between this and the last point...
• We planned, (but admittedly have not yet begun) our intensive French lessons - 2 nights per week, 3 hours personal tutoring per night.
• We've even agreed at last on a favourite, quaffing blonde - Grimbergen. Very nice thirst quencher on a hot Belgian summer's day. Now, if we could just agree on our favourite Amber, Brown, Pale, Lambic, Kriek, Gueuze, Dubbel, Trippel, Blanche, ..., then we'd be able to stock the fridge properly.

In addition to these specific achievements last week, we are beginning to reap the fruits of our ongoing labours in more general areas. Jeannie (with a little help from me, and a LOT of help from Mr Dyson) is seriously whipping this old house into a beautiful, comfortable, welcoming home. Bring on the visitors! The herb garden is going gangbusters, and the rest of the garden, including the compost heap, is beginning to take form (at least conceptually, anyway.) After a cautious start, Jeannie is now a demon on the right-hand side of the road (I'm still winning the competition to see who can put the biggest scrape on the new company car - Despite my almost 5 years extra driving practice on the right-hand side of the road :-)

More importantly, perhaps, is that we are beginning to see some sort of form materialing around our future dreams... At times wild and crazy, and often somewhat alarmingly full of goats, our dreams of a wonderful future together continue to become more tangible (if perhaps a little more hircine [ok Shane, here ]) by the day. We continue daily to discover new convergences in our previously separate dreams, ideals and passions (regrettably not all these shared passions are necessarily good for us - European cheeses, breads, Belgian beer and chocolates, French champagne, being notable counter-examples off the top of my head - although, thankfully, most are not so transient and material as those examples)

Anyway, while I'm being a bit sentimental I should let it be known how important it is to know that we have so many friends and family who will always be there to share these dreams with, and to support us. A special mention while I'm at it to Shane who has been brilliant these last 6 months, as a constant confidant, companion and friend to us both. Even in our craziest moments, we couldn't dream of a better friend Shane, thanks.

Jeannie, we've proven to ourselves that together we can do anything... I can almost feel the day that we'll have the space to actually stop and think about what we really want to do with our lives - Think about what we'll be able to achieve when we know what it is that we really want - We are going to be absolutely amazing Princess!) Here's to a long, happy life filled with loving anniversary celebrations together.

Ahh well, back to the real world I guess - it is getting late, and I have another scarily busy day at work tomorrow trying to understand a course that I'll be presenting in Madrid on Thursday & Friday. Thankfully, Jeannie is coming with me to stop me jumping out of the hotel window, and if I survive my first big trial by fire at SWIFT, we'll stay to explore Madrid over the weekend. Maybe we can start preparing for our next big international adventure at Lowlands on the plane back...

Hmm, what was that I was saying about routine.