It's getting better all the time

Yesterday was our 8th wedding anniversary. I sometimes can't believe that it has been 8 years since Michael and I got married, it just doesn't seem like that long. It also bears pointing out that I can never remember the exact date of our anniversary. I remember we got married Memorial Day weekend, and that's about as close as I get. Michael has it engraved on his flask, so that he remembers more readily than I do.





We celebrated by me taking the girls to Arabella's ballet class, then to the playground with her ballet bunch buddies, then we picked up noodles for dinner. Michael used the time by going to the gym and washing dishes.




In the early years of our marriage, we celebrated our anniversaries in very specific and memorable ways -- our first anniversary was our only trip to the San Diego Zoo, and we came home with a plush baby camel. Our second anniversary Michael gave me the "ninny" painting, and for our third I gave him the print that hang in our dining room (and that my father objects to so strongly). After Arabella arrived, our anniversary celebrations became more cursory. At least Arabella was mostly good at restaurant behavior, but Sabine is awful in restaurants (though oddly good the rest of the time, perhaps its just sensory overload), and in the past year of infrequent public dining Arabella has forgotten what few good habits she had. We dine out as a family so rarely as to make it remarkable (McDonald's play place does not count).

Now it's cards and maybe a delayed date night, and small gifts. But I love my Man more now than ever. Happy anniversary.

Pictures:



Arabella at ballet. She looks so much older than 4. Larkin in the background.



Arabella showing off how tall her sunflowers are getting. She is impressed by how fast they are growing. I don't think she believes me when I tell her they will be taller than daddy by the end of summer. If the squirrels don't flatten them.



Blackberry blossoms.



Raspberry blossoms. If all goes well we should have a bumper crop of red raspberries this year. There should even be some yellow raspberries, if Michael doesn't take them out with a weed whacker again.



Arabella took this picture of me carrying Sabine in the backyard. She is getting the hang of the camera, though I think she smudged the lens a little bit. You can see the purple clematis blooming in the far right, blackberries in the center. Is it the shadows that make me look so short? Or is it me being short?

Knitting:

I am doing well on all knitting fronts, just motoring along. Michael is making a yarn swift for me, and says it is nearly done. I am very excited.