project 365 photo: 09.17.2011 {true love}

Since our wedding, I've become a total sap at other people's weddings. The sermon gets me every time, the ring bearers & little flower girls crack me up, the poems & inspirational readings make me tear up and just watching the bride & groom watch each other in the excitement of those amazing moments remind me of how wonderful my husband is. Every.single.time.

happy anniversary.

Five years after saying "I do!" we celebrated with dinner out, bowling & a night at the Sundial Lodge in Park City. The Sundial is special to us because we stayed at a Sundial in Whistler, BC for our honeymoon!

the happy couple



part of what made us so happy?



view from our room. the first snow of the season!



breakfast & lots of coffee. just like in Vancouver!

Happy Anniversary to my love.
- Posted from my iPhone

his part of the marriage.

I've been known to reply to certain questions people ask me with the phrase, "Ask Michael, that's his part of the marriage." There are certain things that, when we made a lifelong commitment to each other, I breathed a sigh of relief because I no longer had to hold complete responsibility for understanding. For example, insurance. Why on earth would I sift through that complicated mess when I married a man who majored business & focused on risk management & insurance (btw - who does that? really?!?). Or the square footage of our house...something I probably knew at one point, but have let it escape my brain to make room for other important things like baby spit, potty training & playdates, so I don't have a clue now. So when things like that come up, he takes the lead. And of course, he leaves some things up to me to take the lead on too. Like education, coupons & blogging. It works well. 

It is quite a balancing act to be married & to be parents. Our babies are just beginning life &a already we're beginning to feeling the rush of scheduling, schooling & shuttling place to place. I'm lucky to have a partner who willingly participates & work schedules that allow that to happen. I'm no expert, but it seems like parenting (& marriage) has to have a give & take, a leader & follower who swap roles depending on the circumstance. The sheer fact that my child asks each morning, "Where we going, mama?" leads me to believe that we're in for a busy next 18 or so years. And I just can't imagine doing it with anyone else.

In any case, one of "his parts of the marriage" involves gardening. In all honesty, I think I'm better at killing flowers, vegetable & most other plants than making them grow. So, I'm lucky to have married a man who knows what to do in the garden. Flowers are in full bloom right now, smelling & looking great. Hopefully, in a few weeks the vegetables & herbs will follow suite...not that I'll take any credit for them! But I will cook them up & blog about the recipes we try out of our own backyard. Here's just a few of the gorgeous flowers in bloom right now.

I can't imagine we don't have room to grow & learn from you. So, tell me, how do you divide up the marriage or parenting responsibilities?

babyhood

"People often ask me, "What's the difference between couplehood and babyhood?" In a word? Moisture. Everything in my life is now more moist. Between your spittle, your diapers, your spit-up and drool, you got your baby food, your wipes, your formula, your leaky bottles, sweaty baby backs, and numerous other untraceable sources--all creating an ever-present moistness in my life, which heretofore was mainly dry."

--Paul Reiser, Babyhood

Back long, long ago when I took my first trip across the big pond to visit France, BFF Sara made me a care package for the long flight. Included, among yummy treats, cute little notes, photos & assorted items, there was a book by Paul Reiser called Couplehood.  I finished it before the flight was over & nearly peed my pants about three times. The sequel, Babyhood, wittily tells just how having a baby changes everything.

Monday's blog dare topic says, "Tell us what just drives you crazy about parenthood...what didn't you expect?"  

I don't know that I've hit the "things that drive me crazy" stage yet, unless you count sheer lack of sleep. OK - I may be fibbing a little. The constant toddler repeating, repeating, repeating, repeating, repeating until you acknowledge what she's said does get to me on occasion.

I did not expect the transition from zero to one to be easier than from one to two. Before Kalea, I guess I figured that we did it so recently with Cassidy that it would come easily to add another one to the mix. I don't know if it's getting less sleep or chasing toddler while balancing infant or what, but it has been a longer adjustment period this time around. Although it isn't a surprise to anyone, including me, the hours of the day seem to have shortened & there seems to always be something that needs done. I also did not expect, or have even the slightest notion of how much you could love these little people. It's totally cliché, I know.  But they are amazing.

I also didn't expect the transition from couplehood to babyhood to change how Michael & I relate to each other. Truthfully, I don't think I even thought about it. I always knew that Michael would be a wonderful dad & he lives up to that expectation every day. Cassidy adores her Daddy; according to her he can fix anything in the world. Kalea coos when he walks in the door. I couldn't ask for anything more. But I do think we have to keep remembering that we are more than just Mommy & Daddy. Believe it or not, we're married.  And, once upon a time we had more to talk about than poo, potties, diapers & Dora. Paul Reiser is right, having a baby does change everything. We must continue to adapt & grow our selves & marriage just as we nurture & parent our girls.