7 + 5

Today is a special day for 2 reasons.

Today, 7 years ago, I married Andrew. We had our future ahead of us and we planned to enjoy it. On that day we were surrounded by family, and friends - all the people who were important to us at the time. Some of those people have changed - some have moved on, others have been added but many are still the same and for that I am grateful.

7 years doesn't feel like a long time. Sometimes if feels like a lifetime especailly when I remember some of the darker days of our journey to get to today.

Tonight I plan to have a nice dinner once the children are in bed (hopefully at Nanny's) and I want to get the photos out and remember the day that we shared and why we are still battling life hand in hand today and, with any luck, for another 7 years and all the 7s after that.

More importantly today is also our oldest's birthday. 5. He starts school in a few days time but he had a day over the weekend that was all about him and included a party with a bouncy castle and his family and friends. We didn't want his birthday to be the day that he wasn't with us - working meant that it wasn't possible thus we celebrated a couple of days early to make it as special as possible without over loading him by having more than 1 day of birthday-ness.

One of the nicest things at the party was seeing the children's foster carers again and hearing them exclaim as to how much the children have grown and devleoped. This is his second birthday with us and we are hoping that this, and then Christmas, will be the last stages before he can accept that he is really staying with us and that means forever.