and just like that: a new tradition!

Every now and again us Hillratts come up with an idea which we reckon is pretty frikkin brilliant.* This time we came up with a superb anniversary tradition.

Henceforth, instead of giving each other anniversary gifts (especially instead of giving each other year-specific gifts: it takes 50 years to get something golden???) we have decided to purchase a piece of art together each year in order to commemorate our marriage and partnership. Yay!

Advantages:

• beauty and
• (maybe) investment and
• a kindof “map” of our taste and aesthetic.

I’d post a shot of our first painting, but I now have to wait to purchase a new camera (sigh).

*Like selling our house, buying a boat in Mexico and travelling around the Pacific. 

2010: “Wedded bliss” for the Hill-ratts*

Stof and I have greeted 2010 with more than our fair share of adventure: after a magnificent new years at Breede (lamb spit braai, balmy full-mooned evening, awesome tunes, crazy light sticks and many belly laughs) already we have “escaped” for sneaky weekend jaunts to McGregor, Langebaan and Barrydale (for an AWESOME 30th birthday celebration for me)! And so life continues…

We’re still not sure how to respond to the oft-asked “How’s married life?”. It may have something to do with how marvellous our lives are ANYWAY. Perhaps, it can be summed up by noting that the thrill of referring to each other as “husband” and “wife” feels far from fading (ah: an unintended alliteration)!

While 2009 was a year of planning, parties and all kinds of frenzy in the name of wedding, 2010 is a year of conciliation. Mostly, we’re just conciling our lives: Working hard, taking Cowboy for many walks, and trying to spend as much time with our fabtastic friendsnfamily. We’re both trying to get fitter (I’ve signed us up for the Knysna Half Marathon in July – yikes!) and live healthier (especially in February when we have been detoxing). And living frugally as we plan and dream about future adventures…

There are some adventures in store: no doubt you will all hear about them as we make the plans and solidify them. For the moment, we’re enjoying living quietly (well.. quietly for us!) and dreaming.

You’ll note that we’ve added a link to our wedding photos on the right-hand-side of the page. Use it!  The photos are beautiful on their own as art pieces, but they also perfectly capture the electric elation of our wedding weekend. Thank you to all of you who were a part of making our wedding outstanding: you added immeasurably to a memory that will be hard to match for either of us!

*Yes! I know I said I’d change my surname to, but I haven’t done so officially yet… Stof even still has me in his phone under my “maiden name”! Until we make some legal changes, I’ll stick with Hillratt for a joint description 🙂