A Truth About Our Couch… Happy Anniversary Babe…

This week nineteen years ago we spent ten days holidaying in a wooden chalet on the shores of the Knysna lagoon. Yes it was idyllic and yes we did cook off Le Creuset pots the entire time – that’s all they had!!! And yes I am that minimalist and simply forgot to pack a thing to take on honeymoon. The father person discovered what traveling light really means, when he asked for my bags and I said: “Bags? What bags?”

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So Knysna followed after our wedding night, that we spent in a hotel – a real live hotel with room service, in Gordon’s Bay. We drove through Gordon’s Bay last year and couldn’t find it!!! Talk about feeling a little bit from the historical past. We got there late after a brilliant wedding reception… only to discover the room service that I had been looking forward to all my life – a milkshake and a toasted sandwich was nonexistent… you had to order a rather large sea-food platter. I “suffered” through it and I am not surprised that they closed down – who wants a giant seafood platter at two in the morning!!! And in my lifetime I fully intend to stay in a hotel that serves milkshakes on their room service menu. It is indeed the little things that matter!!!

Our sea-food platter followed our wedding, where I literally dragged my poor father down the aisle so fast that he practically tripped!!! Clearly I had places to go and things to do. Actually I was hideously late because in those days I was just too shy to tell the hairdresser to move the drop-in-client out of my appointment and get on with my hair – I knew there was a reason why I never did hairdressers back then!!!

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And our wedding was just a couple of months after we went on a week long hike and the “potential father person” said you have to marry me and I said “OK”… yup, I am not a complicated gal at all!!! But it was only the week before that I had told my potential father in law that I was never ever getting married. He just smiled and said… “Never say never.” He was right, he was often right!!!

But really I wanted to tell you all about our couch!!! Because our couch has always been the quiet observer of our life together… Think about it: Couches just sit in the corner of the room, you might think, but really they are there for all family events: birthdays, christmas’s, high days and holidays and not to mention sick days and can’t-be-bothered-to-get-up-days!!!

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When we were first married we lived in a rental, with a couch but it wasn’t ours. We treated this ancient couch with care and rather tip-toed around it… Well until my first born, at about eighteen months, sprinkled the entire couch with fish food in an effort to help… after that we were ready to move – because honestly the aroma of fish food is somewhat pervasive, whatever you do!!!

After se7en years, to the day, we moved into a new home – our own home and their was nary a chair in sight, let alone a couch!!! I am of the school that if you don’t love a piece of furniture then don’t buy it, just be patient until the right one comes along. So we were waiting. We had plenty of cushions, they were comfy, we were happy. And then my mum-in-law came to stay. We needed something to sit on right away…

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We dashed out and got one… I loved the color. It was never comfortable… and did not tolerate jumping quite as it should. It seemed enormous for our family of two small boys. But it was always lumpy and bumpy!!! It was one of those couches that when you sat down you could never ever get up!!! And very soon our family totally out grew the couch… Seriously, as a two seater it was large. And a two seater with two small boys it was large… but a two seater with eight kids… it just didn’t hack it…

But the poor uncomfortable couch went the distance and was there to see the arrival of six of our children!!! And then there came day when we could stand it no longer and we moved it out into the garden, where it was such a hit that it made it onto Apartment Therapy!!!

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And once again we were couch-less… and we waited a while and saved and scrimped… and we bought the epic couch. It took almost 18 years to get the couch we loved. Who knew that a piece of furniture could change our whole family dynamic because finally there was a place for everyone to sit. We never even went into our lounge before, but now we all sit around in our lounge – and read and and chat and watch the odd movie, it’s just lovely!!! Eighteen years!!! Here’s great big couch… big enough for all of us. It has been jumped on, napped on, read on … and most important sat upon. It is the comfortable couch that has to survive a lot…

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It was nineteen years ago, this week that the father person and I were married. I know, I still feel like a kid… so how on earth could we have been married for nineteen years… and how on earth did we accumulate all these kidlets… Hopefully our couch will go the distance with us and will eventually have a heap of grandchildren hopping and bopping on it!!!

“Happy Anniversary, Babe… Thanks for everything, doesn’t really say it big enough… but thanks for everything and I am so happy to be the one to grow old with you.”

20 Replies to “A Truth About Our Couch… Happy Anniversary Babe…”

  1. Thanks Christine – Thank you!!! So good to know that you are reading away!!! Hope you are getting a heap of spring? We are definitely getting a heap of Autumn over here!!! Have a fun weekend!!!

  2. Thank-you Ruby… Seriously can’t believe it is nineteen years!!! Seriously just flew past… Hope you have a great weekend!!!

  3. Congratulations! And many more to come.
    God’s richest blessings.Love from all of us.

  4. I so love those photographs – so gorgeous. And you made me laugh – packing a bag for honeymoon was clearly not at the forefront of my thinking either!
    Loved the journey through the couches and that last one filled with a row of beautiful people …
    Happy Anniversary and love to you both from all of us!

  5. Hi there Linda B, Thank you so much!!1 And thank you for your loyal commenting, I really appreciate it!!! Hope you have a great weekend!!!

  6. Hay Corli… Thank you so much!!! Looking back is very funny!!! And the funniest part is how young we looked!!! Who knew time would fly by so quickly!!! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!!

  7. Happy Anniversary! We are almost at 18 happy years and 7 kids. Hard to believe. Are you sure you are in Cape Town today? I saw you, or your long-lost twin today in the grocery store in Alabama, in the southern US! How did that happen? Have a great weekend!

  8. Hi Lillian, Thank you!!! Good to hear from you!!! And it must be my doppelgänger!!! I am definitely at home today!!! Hope you are having a lovely weekend!!!

  9. Ah lovely pics, you guys are awesome. Thanks for sharing your journey. X

  10. Thanks Tammy!!! I must, must must call you sometime!!! Hope you all have a fun weekend together!!!

  11. I don’t know how I missed this post!!!!!!!!!!! I love your stories… I love your pictures!!! I am wishing you a very very very happy ANNIVERSARY (so sorry it is late!) I can’t believe you have been married for 19 years. WHAT are you big plans for 2-0??!

  12. Oh Katherine Marie, you are so fun and thank-you!!! I can’t believe it has been nineteen years!!! Let alone plan for twenty!!! No plans – just shocked that life literally flashes by so fast… it really was only yesterday!!! THanks for stopping by… I love all your comments!!!

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