Anniversary

Today was my (our) 16th Wedding Anniversary... Sweet Sixteen?  Yes, it was.  My parents arrived from the US  to spend two weeks with us, and more importantly! ... to meet 'Petite-Fille'!  We didn't reminisce very much about that day 16 years ago. We were distracted by Mom and Dad finally getting here after a 24 hour hour delay (Merci! Delta/Air France for taking such watchful care of your jets that a majaor engine problem -- "fuel leaking"  !?!?! can be missed until 10 minutes before boarding) ... my parents enjoyed a lovely and relaxing 24-hour stay in Boston's Logan Airport Marriot courtesy of the airlines ... so much better than sleeping in the airport, yes!

But if I sound a tiny bit bitter it might be because one less day of visit time with us and cuddle-time with the new baby ---uh?.....p-r-i-c-e-l-e-s-s.....so that hotel stay and the fifty-buck meal voucher, did not even scratch the surface of compensation in my book!

But they are here!  And 'French-Guy' and I will go out to dinner sometime during their stay (free babysitting!) and have a nice dinner, or take a walk on the beach....or okay, go grocery shopping 'sans enfants'....did I mention we have been married 16 years?! (You know this when ANY outing without children is instantly "a date").

I will be honest, this year leading up to 16 has been "challenging"... sometime right before number 15 we decided to move to France...I think for our 15th anniversary I was in stunned-disbelief.... we did go out to dinner, but all else (trips to Hawaii, diamonds, spa getaways...) was not in the cards because of the pending move and new adventure.  And since then--wow-za! New home (new country!) new life, new baby!!!  We got our money's worth, as they say, out of year 15!

But we got here--HERE.  That is what is most important.  We have been trained and were guided by the best--my parents have been married for 50 years and 'French Guys' for 54... so to those standards, we got plenty more to go!

Tough to find the best thing about today...Mom and Dad here meeting grandchild #10... looking at old pictures, the one above was taken the day after we got married at a wedding-brunch in Malibu, California ...   The excitement of the 'garcons' at the idea that they have Grandma and Grandpa for the next 12 days ... helping Mom unpack the suitcase full of adorable clothes for 'Petite-Fille' (dresses!) ... or the 26 magazines that she smuggled in her 49 pound suitcase ... or the huge bunch of flowers, made into three bouquets that 'French-Guy' brought home from work this evening...not purchased at a fancy florist, but picked road-side....

I loved it all---Sweet.  Sweet-16.

Bon weekend mes amis!