A year ago, Lauriel and I were probably sitting on my couch - getting ready to watch the RWC 2011 DVD that we had both purchased copies off that day (along with buying a RWC 2011 related book each)... There is no doubt in my mind we'd have been laughing, giggling like idiots, making rude jokes, and feeling that the two of us being on the same couch, in the same room, in the same house, in the same suburb, in the same city, was quite simply meant to be. Little did we know that 5 days later the 'meant to be' aspect of US would evolve into something a lot more intense and forever-ish (that's a word... or it is now).
Pav... we ate a LOT of Pav...
A year ago neither of us would have imagined we'd be HERE right now. Me sitting at the table blogging, Lauriel on the chair with Aidan on her leg, and Eloise.... well, lets pretend she's not in the toilet right now! We didn't know we'd be in love, we didn't know we'd be 3 1/2 months away from our wedding, or 8 days away from the girls and I moving up to Wanganui to live with Lauriel, Eloise & Aidan! We knew we'd be best friends, but I guess we both assumed our friendship would be played out via text and Skype...
It's verrrrrrry funny the way things work out!
Three of our fantabulous kiddos
Lauriel and the kiddos have been here for over a week now - and I have to say that other than a few little spats, the kids are getting on really well... I am enjoying life as a parent to 4 kids, even if it is more stressful than 2, though I think that's more related to the adjustment we're all going through. I wouldn't change anything - I really wouldn't. Like I've said before, I believe everything happens for a reason, and although I know that in Lauriel's mind the perfect situation would be us living here, in Christchurch - but Christchurch just can't be part of the equation for now. From the start we have wanted to be together, and have said we'd do what we had to do to live together - and Wanganui is that for us right now.
Don't get me wrong - I'd love if we COULD stay in Christchurch - but when it comes down to it, for me it's not about WHERE we are living... just that we are there TOGETHER. We could live in Ethiopia and I wouldn't give a rats ass, as long as we were there TOGETHER. We've had our 12 months of living apart, and if those 12 months taught me one thing, they taught me that I NEED to be with Lauriel, I NEED to be living with the love of my life and our four beautiful, sweet, funny, amazing, kooky, cheeky kids.
Look! It's us!!! TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!!! do the amount of exclamation marks, suggest how excited I am?
On Wednesday at 4.50pm, Lauriel and the kids arrived! We are no longer in a long distance relationship, we no longer have to say "I love you" over the phone or via text (though we still text it to each other - old habits die hard), we no longer have a count down to when we can be together again, we are no longer saying 'when we live together'.... We ARE living together.
The four kiddos waving Poppa off, on Friday morning.
The children are all getting along well - and most surprisingly, Eloise and Gaby appear to be getting on extremely well. I'm not sure why they are getting along well, but we sure as hell aren't questioning it! Gaby seems to understand that Eloise doesn't like being crowded by her, and enjoys having time to herself - while Eloise seems to have more of an understanding of what this time is like for Gaby, moving houses, leaving her Grandparents (& her father, though that's not as devastating for her). This morning they enjoyed drawing Big Fat Gypsy-esque dresses & girls, and awhile later they were colouring in together. Perhaps creativity is their little niche, as far as having things in common goes.
Eloise & Gaby sitting in a tree...
Yesterday we had our first family photo taken - which also counted as our first Christmas photo, and first Santa photo. Yes, we ALL got our photo taken with Santa. They had a hard time fitting us all in the frame. It's rather weird when your family suddenly doubles in size - who would have thought the impact would reach as far as the bloody frame on a camera???? We pick up our photo today, and yes - of course we will post the photo! Last night we took the 3 oldest kids to have a look at various Christmas lights around the eastern suburbs, and I think they all had a good time - perhaps if they are good we will go hunting for lights, another night... Especially if they go straight to sleep afterward, like they did last night. Sleep has probably been the one area where we've had some little issues - that said, they aren't rowdy or whiny while trying to go to sleep... I think the three older ones are just enjoying the novelty of having someone else in the bedroom with them, to talk to and laugh with... I do hate to think how many rolls of toilet paper have been gone through though, because all of the older kids seem to need to go to the toilet about 50 times before they do finally go to sleep!!!
The kids have had a lot of time with Nan and Poppa - and I think it's quite the novelty for them, to have a little boy in the house!!! Eloise and Gaby enjoyed a supermarket trip with Nan, and I think Aidan is chomping at the bit to have a little ride on Poppa's motorbike! Nan and Poppa seem to be enjoying having all the kids in the house, but we might see if they still feel that way in another few days!
Tonight is officially THE last night that Lauriel and I will be spending apart. Tomorrow afternoon her and the kids arrive - and we are stuck together for the rest of our lives... Forever and ever and ever and EVER.
It's been a LONG year, but at the same time - looking back, it has really gone pretty fast... and although we are going to be settling in Wanganui, as opposed to Christchurch like we really wanted, things seem to have fallen into place relatively effortlessly, which is part of why we both know this is meant to be. Meeting was effortless. Becoming best friends was effortless. Falling in love was completely effortless... The only real effort has been mental - reminding ourselves day in and day out, that one day all the distance between us, would be worth it.
.... and that day is very very VERY nearly here!
OF COURSE there is only one thing left to do - and that is sign off using the most obvious song for this occasion...
Gaby and Emersyn having their first cuddle in Cowlishaw Street
20th June, 2010.
Yesterday was the end of the era for myself & the girls - we moved out of the Cowlishaw Street house which has been home to us since August 21, 2008. We are now living with my parents - I guess you could refer to it as a pseudo-halfway house for us, as we are living here before we leave for Wanganui on January 6th.
MANY milestone type events have happened while I have lived in the Cowlishaw Street house...
my heart was broken for the first time
Emersyn was conceived
there was a huge earthquake
I brought baby Emersyn home from the hospital
there was an enormous earthquake
my gorgeous niece was born
Emersyn turned 1
Emersyn and Gaby both experienced their first big snow
Gaby turned 5 & became a big school girl
I fell in love
Surveying a little
earthquake damage
When I look at the list that way, it seems very apt that when I moved into Cowlishaw Street I was soon experiencing heartbreak for the first time - but upon leaving, I am right in the midst of experiencing the most amazing, intense, wonderful, mindblowing love... It's amazing how things change and develop... but when I look back on it, my time in Cowlishaw was full of development... my own personal development as a person & mother, the development of my own little familiy unit, and the development of my children. I also firmly believe that everything that happened in Cowlishaw Street (as with most of my adult life) led to me meeting the love of my life - and yes, that could more be me trying to look on the positive side of the few shitty things that did happen while I lived in Cowlishaw Street, but I know it's not...
One of the many happy family moments
Who would have thought a year ago when Lauriel and I were excited about her little trip down after Christmas, that in a years time we would be even more excited about the fact she was coming down again - and that I would be going back up with her, to live. To merge our families. To get married. To start our forever. Come think of it, a year ago we were bemoaning the fact we felt as if we were going to be single forever, destined (I won't say doomed, because that isn't accurate) to life as a single parent, with some Grandkids running around eventually. Neither of us ever imagined that our lives could infact be the total opposite, that we'd meet someone amazing who wanted to spend the rest of their lives with us & our kids. We never for one second entertained the thought that for each other we would be THAT person.
Mummy & Emmy hijinx
Mummy & Gaby lovin'
If houses had the capacity to think, or to be aware of what goes on between its floor and roof, I would like to think that my house would think it was quite awesome that a big out of the blue love story had played out inside it. The last year of my life in Cowlishaw Street was the most amazing year of my life, and I think that it's a very happy, positive way to end a variety of eras - the end of MY era in Cowlishaw, the end of mine & Lauriel's single parenting era, but also the end of the 15B Cowlishaw Street era. I have NO idea when 'my' house will be getting demolished, but feel quite honoured that MY great love story is the last of any story to be experienced and lived, in that house.
I guess it's something most couples have - various songs that mean something to them, that symbolise a point in their relationship, that symbolise how they feel about each other, etc etc etc. I'm not sure if it's the long distance aspect, or just the way WE are, but Lauriel and I are both very passionate about OUR songs. If you're friends with either of us on Facebook, you'll know we often post songs for each other - I think it's yet another way that we can feel close, even with all those pesky kilometers (or miles for those of you in the US, etc) between us. From very early on, it has been a song that we have known will play a large part in our wedding.
So here is the first of OUR songs, that I am going to share with you - Forever, by (amazing, awesome, brilliant) New Zealand band, Six60. This song is my ringtone and my alarm on my cellphone, because when the phone rings, or my (stupid, evil) alarm goes off, my first thought is of Lauriel!
I think more than anything, it is the chorus which stands out to us - 'this is forever', it kind of sums up US...
If you want a closer look, here are the lyrics.
[Ad-Lib]
Yeah
Ooh, whoa
[Verse #1]
Look into my eyes
It's the start of my demise
Everything I know and trust
But we shall rise
And much to their surprise
Cos we are not the ones
Whose time has begun, yeah
[Instrumental]
[Chorus]
This is forever, yeah
Baby, they come, they go
But you know I know
This is forever, yeah, yeah
They come, they go
But you know I know, yeah
[Verse #2]
People are our lives
Till they die and send their knives
The stoning of their words
And the malice in their minds
But we shall rise
And much to their surprise
Cos we are not the ones
Whose time has begun, yeah
[Instrumental]
[Chorus]
This is forever, yeah
Baby, they come, they go
But you know I know
This is forever, yeah, yeah
They come, they go
But you know I know
This is forever
This is forever
This is forever
This is forever
This is forever
This is forever
This is forever
This is forever
This is forever
This is forever
This is forever
This is forever
[Chorus]
This is forever, yeah
Baby, they come, they go
But you know I know
This is forever, yeah, yeah
Baby, they come, they go
But you know I know
OH MY GOD! IN ONE MONTHS TIME WE'LL BE ON OUR WAY UP TO WANGANUI - TO LIVE!
Me? Excited? Well, just a lot!
For those of you who are wondering just how far apart we live, the following is a map of New Zealand, with red dots indicating where Lauriel & I both live... I can't wait until we only need one red dot to indicate where we both live!
