A year on...

  

It is hard to believe that we have been in our house for a year now. We keep calling it our new house, and, the reality is, it is not so new anymore.

Who could have guessed, however, that our lives could have changed this much in a year.

A year ago, we were not entirely sure where the future was going to take us. Just weeks before we made an offer on this house, we were still full steam ahead to move to Durban*. Of course, that all changed the morning I stepped off the plane for my final interview, and realised there was not a chance Sinead or I could survive that heat.

I remember the day I found the house online. Just the description seduced us both. When we walked in, we knew this was to be our house. We are not impulsive people at all.

 

So, here we are, a year on, and we still have things in boxes. We have a lot of stuff.
And, we have started packing things back into boxes.  But the things we are packing into boxes now are not to move with us. These are things we are to get rid of.

Against all odds, I have managed to fill a box with unwanted books. No wait, there is no such thing as unwanted books in this household. I hope they didn't hear me say that. No, these are books that are not entirely necessary for our survival. These are books we are willing to part with, under duress. They are by no means unwanted. And we will make sure they find good homes, where they will be loved and cared for.

The garden is starting to feel like ours too, finally. With the old house, there was no garden to speak of when we arrived, so it was easy to make it ours. This garden, on the other hand, was fairly well established when we got here, so it has been a task and a bit to make it ours. Gardens can be so stubborn.

We have actually been incredibly happy in this house. The sound of laughter rings through the house regularly. It also helps a lot that both Quentin and I have changed jobs recently, to companies where we feel appreciated and, well, better about life in general.
Being able to work more normal hours has also helped, giving us a lot more family time. I believe this has also had a lot to do with Sinead flourishing.

On Tuesday, it is our 13th anniversary. Lucky 13.
I get nostalgic when this day comes around, because I like to look back at where we started and where we are now. We have both grown so much as people, and I feel incredibly blessed and grateful for having both Quentin and Sinead in my life.

Ok, it is safe now, soppy moment over.

In April, Quentin and I are finally going away for a little holiday. This will be the first holiday we have taken together, alone, just the two of us. It is rather special for both of us, and has us quite excited. We promise to post pictures when we come back.

 

* What it is about this time of the year that makes me itchy? It almost seems like every year this time, I need to make some sort of major change to our lives. My poor family :)

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