10 Year Anniversary

10 years sounds like a long time, for a marriage it sometimes feels like an eternity, however, ten years has gone by quickly. Life is funny like that.  When I think about where I thought I would be in our marriage I smile, that knowing smile of how life throws so many things at you and screws up all your plans. I was going to be a working mother - I was going to have it all, a high powered career (director/manager role at the very least, I went to university for nothing less), I would have two children with a possibility of a third, fast cars, big home and all the trappings.

Most of you know how things have changed - I'm a stay at home mom of four - one girl and three boys (I'm still trying to get domestic goddess to stick as an appropriate job description), our house is becoming small with all these kids running around, I drive a minivan (and I refuse to give it up for anything), I decorate my home in the current style of "Boys are crazy and break everything" and I spend the majority of my shopping life in Costco. Life is never a straight line and sometimes what we thought we wanted changes. There are so many variables and so many possible outcomes...Costco never seemed like one of them to me.

What I can say with conviction is that I am happy and loved. I found a partner and a supporter, someone to carry me when I can't go on and vice versa, because with marriage there are times you can't do it all or any of it. It's never 50/50 and that's okay. Marriage is about compromise, getting your way, love, anger, fear, awe, sex, quiet, laughter, disagreement, noise, children or not, exhaustion, achievement, and change...there are so many other descriptors but the only constant in marriage is "us". So today I celebrate us, our union and our love. It is imperfect, but it is ours. To my wonderful husband I say thank you and I love you, and I pray we get at least another 10 years.

Enough of the mushy stuff, last Saturday we went to Niagara-on-the-Lake to celebrate our 10th anniversary and here are our pictures...not my typical fashion post...

Below is a picture of the historic town.

Ivan and I enjoyed massages then headed to Queen's Landing for some lunch...

I love to read and it's a running joke that I will read my books anywhere, no matter the occasion. There was a lull in our conversation...so I read...Ivan was not happy...

We visited two wineries, the first Inniskillin, is internationally renowned for its ice wine.

We did an ice wine tasting and both of us enjoyed the Riesling, we bought a bottle to commemorate the occasion.

The second winery, Jackson-Triggs, is the biggest in Niagara-on-the-Lake, we also did a tour of the estate.