Happiness.

Happiness for Willow is time with friends. Lots of time with friends. Especially sleep overs and swimming and playing in the bath tub and long bus rides with a friend. 
Happiness in adulthood is a little more complicated. But I think we are happy, very happy. Do I dare to say it? That this is as good as it gets? Oh yes. 2013 was hard work. But enjoyable hard work. We made friends, we settled in, our garden grew. We learnt to be a family, for each of us to deal with the others, and we are all learning, and happy to learn. At the end of the month, m and I will have marked two years together. That's not a lot of time, unless you are willow. It would be arrogant to make any sweeping statements about our relationship, wouldn't it? They have been a happy time, the happiest of times, especially recently. Willow is such a joy to parent, and m makes my heart sing. Both of them put a smile on my face.

We have wonderful friends. We have our tiny wonderful family. We have laughter and joy, and our two well loved guinea pigs, and our (less adored, since they are not cuddly) budgies. We have our house, which is very comfortable and cosy, despite being barely bigger than a shoe box, but we are getting better and better at making that work for us. We have our health. Maybe this year we will buy a house. (fingers crossed).

I don't want to say this is happily ever after, because this isn't the end. There is so much future in front of us to look forward to.

Happy 2014!