I’m partial (as Faux Fuchsia would say) to a red letter day. Yesterday was one of those…a wedding anniversary for Bert and myself celebrating nine years of wedded bliss, or something. We had a lovely day – managed to sneak out together for lunch as both girls were at School and then for dinner I cooked a pretty schweet rib eye with roast potatoes and béarnaise sauce washed down with some 2005 vintage champagne. The girls fussed over us (we got home made cards complete with leaf family) and we gave each other gifts. The traditional gift for 9 years is pottery/willow and for modern it’s leather. Rob being the clever clogs that he is managed to get the perfect gift, and I gave him something entirely NOT pottery, willow or leather. I also got a book of wallpaper…just pages of wallpaper. You can imagine how much I loved it.
We sat down with the girls and a glass of champagne and watched our wedding DVD that was cobbled together by Rob (shot beautifully by his then business partner). It’s not fancy, but gosh I love to watch it and cherish watching the moments, hearing the vows and the words said to us, about us. It’s always sad to see people that are no longer with us, or who are no longer well, see those babies that were there who are now 10. 10! Daisy kept saying over and over “We weren’t there! We didn’t even exist then Mum! Did you know you were going to have us? WHERE WAS I?!”
It’s a pretty big thing for someone small to see all the people they know and love so well now, but not being a part of it, because they didn’t exist yet. Before bed we chatted about how there are people that don’t exist now that will be part of her life – future cousins maybe (hopefully) her own partners, children, nieces (Harper indicated that if she ‘borns’ a girl she will call her Neve or Flower) and nephews, and that’s the thing about life…it’s all ahead of us and we don’t know where we are going, what we are doing, who we will meet. Rob and I were talking in bed last night before we fell asleep that we have been together for almost 11 years. 11! We both left home when we were about 20/21 so really, that’s not much time spent at home with your parents is it before you are all grown up and on your way? We will spend much more time together then we would have with our own families. Huh. It’s probably best not to know what’s around the corner, who will join and leave us, where we will live and what we will do. But boy is it good every now and then to stop and remember the good bits. Those special days where the people you love are all together in one spot. Those are the days that make you feel alive, make you feel loved and that count for something. Those red letter days that will be there in your heart right till the end.
I hope you can stop to remember one of those days, or some of those people today or some day soon.
And Rob? Boy am I glad you exist. Here’s to 99 more x
Now, what’s the first thing I am going to make in that tagine?
Chicken, green olives, preserved lemon. I come in to my own with this tagine creation. Happy nine. Gorgeous post. Thanks for luck starting this otherwise wet and miserable Thursday with the warm and fuzzies x
Yum…thanks Sally!
Our girls ask us why they werent at our wedding…… especially because there were other kids there who they know quite well. Love a good wedding dvd. Congrats
Me too…I get teary every time!
Congratulations Beth. We are together for 11 years, married for 5… Not always easy but most definitely worth it. I got the same tagine last year and my most favourite dish to cook is the one mentioned below; chicken, olives, preserved lemon. You’ll find the recipe on the Food Safari website. Enjoy x
I’ll check it out…thanks!
I live by myself and bought that tagine, same colour even. Love it. Chicken is great but I also like lamb with some middle eastern spices. Cooked very slowly on stove top and it’s easy and convenient. Serve with couscous and the meal is done. Preferably Israeli or pearl couscous, but the ordinary stuff works well too.
Love the look of the book too.As a language teacher, I am often a bit too pedantic about spelling, punctuation and grammar and would enjoy the book.
PS. I bought a simmering mat for the tagine. Square metal from Victoria’s Basement, but I guess a snazzy kitchen shop in Bowral, or Barbara’s at Mittagong may have it. It gives good control and just the right amount of heat for a long, slow simmer.
Thanks for the tip re: the simmer mat that fancy shop in Bowral will have one for sure.
Wow Beth, way to make the emo pregnant lady even more emo over her breakfast. So much of that spinning around in my head at the moment – people that aren’t even here yet, a person who happens to be growing inside me right now and the hugeness he/she will play in our life. In their life. Then in others lives. The mind boggles. I’ve been wondering a lot lately what he/she will be LIKE, you know a real little mind and personality all of their own. That I grew.
We’ve been together for a little over ten years, a little over two married, it’s a nice place to be. In another 6 years we will have been together for the same amount of time as we haven’t, if you know what I mean. Another mind blow. Congratulations on your anniversary xxx
Thanks Emma…I know what you mean about going into a mind spiral…I do that all the time! x
Wow how lovely. It’s strange isn’t it when you don’t really feel that old but then you’re like hang on I’ve been with this dude for ages and I’ve grown children. Mr Smags and I have been together for 8 years this year and I found a picture of us on our first anniversary. We look like we’re about 12!
Surely you were 12?! Thanks Smaggs x
Happy happy anni Beth. What a lovely day. It’s out 10th anni in April and we’re heading to Syd for a weekend sans kiddies. To say I’m excited is a slight understatement. But a lovely idea to get the wedding video out and subject the kids to it over some champagne. I’ll definitely be borrowing that. BTW we are in sync. I have been in day three rage allll week. Just starting to lift. I wouldn’t want to live with me. x
It gets better…however I have been an EMO wreck today (day 5) crying at the drop of a hat x
Happy anniversary! You’ve packed A LOT of living and loving into those nine years. x
Thanks so much Bron, we sure have….can’t wait to see what’s down the track x
Congratulations on your anniversary. Special memories created with your lovely girls. Yes we all need to cherish our time with everyone all under the same roof. For me even more so now as I have an 18 year old and a 15 year old. Hope they stay for a long time yet.
I’m sure they will…thanks Vicki!
Beth you are going to love that Tagine!!! I don’t think I ever told you my ex-husband is Turkish and his mother taught me some smashing tagine dishes with preserved lemons, dates, lots of bullhorn peppers and olives. You will just love how your meat turns out in that. I’d recommend lamb as a first and try shanks for the whole “fall off the bone” experience.
Congrats on 10 years. Rowan and I are up for our 5th year in July. Time flies when your with someone you love and its great to stop every year and remember why and how you ended up with them in the first place. Here’s to 50+ more years of wedded bliss for you both x
Thanks so much Miriam…can’t wait to get stuck into that tagine. I’ll be hitting you up for tips x
Happy Anniversary! I remember our 9th Anniversary and thinking gosh that’s gone fast and yet here we are celebrating our 14th Wedding Anniversary this year [and 15 years together!] and that feels like it’s gone even faster.
Before you know it, you’ll be popping the champers on your 15th & 20th!
With any luck….thank you!
Beth, this post is so beautiful – it’s heartening to read about the life you and Bert have created, and your sweet girls – picks up melted self from floor – just so lovely.
You’re so right about the people in our lives and the ebb and flow of relationships… I will stay (by choice) on the happy side of these thoughts today. I have known and loved some incredible souls.
Thank you so much for sharing your ups and downs with us – good to remember, Day Three always ends!
Sigh. You brightened my day. Thank you.
And you made mine, thanks Annette!
Happy anniversary!
There is something about a wedding…when we got married my husband’s thought on the guest list was to invite people we want to be in our future lives…was a winning way to look at it.
My little guy refuses to believe that his dad and I existed before he was born…blows his mind I think. Whenever we drive by our old apartment in the city and I say that we used to live there, he asks where he slept!
Love it! It is a hard concept to grasp…x
Happy anniversary to you two. We too celebrate red letter days xx
Any excuse to pop a bottle of champagne I say x
Beautiful post, happy anniversary to you and Rob!
Thanks Reen 🙂
Happy ninth anniversary Beth and Rob may you have many many more I love this post and that how well Rob knows what you love we have been married for 29 years in April!!
Thanks Lisa – happy anniversary to you coming up too x
Happy anniversary! It’s our ninth next week and Bert has given me the perfect idea to steal to give to Clint!! Brilliant! I was thinking leather as I couldn’t imagine anything pottery, but I’m beside myself now. (Thanks, Rob!)
Clint and I have been together 16 years (almost 17) how ridiculous is that! We got together aged 20/21. Almost half our lives spent together.
Sounds like a perfect day. xxx
He will be thrilled…as will Clint! Good pressie hey? Happy anni to you lovebirds too x
Wow – I just found your blog and already was a little swooned, until I read this. We share a wedding anniversary – so now I feel kindred with your blog. Well. Sort of. My husband and I get a two day anniversary because we were meant to get married on the 26th of March in 2011, but then my mother-in-law was very unwell and wasn’t able to make it, so we decided to get married on the 25th at the hospital, by her bed. See left this earth exactly a month later. And so, we renewed our vows on the 26th at the big party which was going to be our wedding, and well, the rest is history! Anyway! I got side tracked. I just really wanted to say that the 26th of March is an awesome day to have as an anniversary – congratulations! And I’ll be a firm follower now x 🙂
LOVE it! Welcome, you’re in good company x
congratulations!!! I do love a red letter day x
You do them well x
Beautiful post Beth. And Happy Anniversary. We too celebrated an anniversary this week. Our 7th! Yay! I know what you mean re those who are no longer with us and how seeing them in your video brings them back in a way, along with all those feelings of being a newlywed and thoughts of what your future may hold. My hubby’s grandad turned 100 about 3 weeks before our wedding and passed away a few months after. He used to tell us he was staying around to see us get married and get his letter from the Queen 🙂
wedding anniversaries really are so special… amongst the sleepless nights, toilet training, stress of work and general happy chaos of life it gives you one special day a year to be taken back to where it all began and share it all with your little ones. Here’s to many many more! P.s. Would love to see a post on traditional/modern wedding anniversary present ideas by year! I rack my brain every year!
Happy anniversary to you too!
EEEK! You found a flame tagine? Those are the holy grail of tagines. Every other colour is everywhere. Have a beautiful anniversary.
They are? EXCELLENT!
Happy Anniversary!!! Wishing you many more. We share this anniversary date…although I only made six years, oops. I’ve now been divorced about 16 years, yikes. Thankfully still good friends with the ex and his lovely wife, and it’s not uncommon for him to wish me a happy would-be anniversary every now and again, ha.
That’s great!
What a beautiful, gorgeous, heartfelt, lovely way to celebrate your anniversary. I’m so glad it was such a wonderful day for you guys! We celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary on 1 March and it was so special to go out to dinner and then come home and watch our wedding video. I think that most definitely must become a tradition.
This December, Chris and I will have been together for 10 years. I moved out of home for the very first time at the age of 20 and in with him – “sink or swim” were my exact words when I was explaining it to my parents. Looks like we’re still swimming! x