For LoverBoy

Seventeen years is a long time. Enough time to move overseas, buy a house, have a few babies, turn thirty, gain weight, make friends, get a degree, sell a house and move home again.

Enough time to have a couple more babies,  sell another  house, feel rich, buy a minivan, move to the country (I know!), lose weight, have another baby, feel poor, turn forty, buy a caravilla and get a dog.

Enough time to sometimes ponder why, in all that time, I never thought to glance down other paths, which might have meant a career with coffee breaks and benefits, better holidays and handbags, and a car of my own with no crisps on the floor and baby wipes in the glove compartment, just in case.

Enough time to realise that nothing is perfect, and everyone makes compromises, and mummies with careers sometimes feel guilty and frazzled, and mummies without them sometimes feel frustrated and frazzled, and that everyone is in the same boat anyway, just doing the best they can.

Enough time to learn that every season passes, sleep deprivation won't kill us and babies grow into toddlers and children and teens.

Enough time to understand that every choice we've made together over the last seventeen years, has led to this busy, crazy, wonderful life we share today.....and I wouldn't change a single thing.

Enough time to learn that love changes and grows, and if you're lucky, and you hang on really tight, it just gets better and better.

Enough time to feel grateful and blessed that today, seventeen years ago, we said 'I do'.... and to hope
 and to pray that we're really only getting started.

 Happy Anniversary Babe xx