Two days ago was my eighth wedding anniversary. This is always a time of year when I reflect especially deeply upon my marriage and what it means to me. I suspect nobody, except the most naive, would believe me if I claimed that my relationship with Dragon Dada is the same as it was when we first started dating, twelve and a half years ago. Too much time has gone by. After twelve and a half years, eight of which married; with two small Dragonets under five; with a mortgage to pay, a PhD to research, and a job to work at, life is a lot more complicated than when we were just two undergraduate students. We have a lot of responsibilities and I sometimes worry that with all these pressures we lose sight of the romance in our lives.

However, what I inevitably realise is that romance changes, love changes. We no longer have that rush of excitement about seeing each other, the adrenaline rush that is inextricably linked with the insecurity of not knowing where we're going. We know where we're going. At least, we know where we hope we're going, which is about all anyone can say.

Something has replaced this excitement and, although I won't pretend that I miss the excitement sometimes, I'd have to say without a shadow of a doubt that what we have now is even better. The deep comfort and security of knowing oneself loved and of knowing that the one you love returns that feeling is beyond measuring. There is absolutely no-one else in the world, no member of my family, no close friend, with whom I am as completely relaxed and myself as with my husband. Nobody knows me as well - failings as well as successes. I know it doesn't matter when I fail because he still loves me. I also know that if I need help, he's always there.

I can't not mention our children at this point, because to me they are an integral part of our marriage. They were born because we loved each other so deeply we wanted children together. They are a part of us both, while also being incredibly original and independent beings. They challenge us in ways I would never have imagined, and delight us in so many more ways. They have formed a further unbreakable bond between Dragon Dada and I.

And after all this time, I still look forward to him coming home... and not just so that I can get him to quieten the children down while I finish cooking supper. I really enjoy his company and I miss him when he's at work. After all this time I still like to make him smile, make him laugh, see him happy or amused. After all this time I still look forward to the rare occasions when we go out as a couple. After all this time I still can't imagine ever loving anybody else in this way... and, frankly, I don't want to imagine it.

Nobody knows what the future is going to throw at us. I am certain that there will be many trials and difficulties to overcome. I believe there will be many joys and delights, if we look in the right places for them! Finally, I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that my dearest wish is for Dragon Dada to remain by my side sharing that future with me.

It's been quite a while since I posted anything here (again). We've been very busy over the last few months finding a new dragon cave to live in. Our old one had got a little cramped and the location wasn't very safe any more. Frankly, we also got a bit sick of people bitching about our location. So we decided to pack up and leave. This year seemed the best time as my eldest Dragonet starts primary school in September so moving now means least disruption for her. Dragon Dada no longer worked in the same area so he was free to live anywhere with a good commuter route (yes, even dragons have to file flight plans these days). We wanted somewhere with good schools and easier access to both our families. Circling London, we cast our eye westwards and, with some encouragement from my cousins who used to live here, we finally settled on Woking.

The town seemed to have everything we were looking for: a good shopping centre (with cinema/theatre etc); very good Catholic schools; low crime-rate; less pollution; easier to reach my dam and sire (a one-hour journey, instead of one and three-quarters) without adding more than ten minutes onto the trip to see my dam and sire-in-law. Oh, and a fast commuter route into London - 23 minutes on the fast train for you bipeds.

So we begged the school to let us apply late, got a place for my eldest Dragonet, packed up our videos, books and DVDs and put them into storage, redecorated our cave, repaired those bits we'd been meaning to repair for the last five years, and put our cave on the market. We screamed at estate agents, hassled solicitors, travelled backwards and forwards from Woking and finally found a cave we liked and a buyer for our cave. No move goes smoothly and we had plenty of last minute hiccups but finally moved in on the day we had planned (although we didn't actually complete until the following morning!) and, within a month (!) had broadband up and running again. Phew!

So here we are now, in a lovely new cave, larger than the old one with a huge garden at the back full of fruit (apple tree, pear tree, redcurrants, rhubarb, gooseberries, strawberries, raspberries, to which we've added blackberries and grapes, hopefully). We've drained the pond (too much of a liability for the Dragonets, however lovely it was), reordered the garden (partially), planted a herb garden (finally! essential for cooking!), bought a barbecue, unpacked (mostly), and found our feet. My Dragonet has visited her school several times and is looking forward to starting in September. I have just about got an idea of where the shops are, and we're starting to explore the surrounding areas as well. Dragon Dada is actually enjoying the commute (as much as one can) and finding the journey time reduced slightly. And we're loving the new house. If you've not had a housewarming invite it could just be that we don't love you but on the off-chance that it got lost in the post, you can drop me an e-mail (or leave a comment) and I'll send you the details.

Oh and for those who know their H. G. Wells, I've only seen one Martian so far, although we haven't visited Horsell Common yet... I believe the sandpit is still there.