I'm Getting Married!

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Yes, it is true. Next year, Miss Pumpkinjam will become Mrs.Pumpkinjam. Lots of good things have happened this year. I started a new job in January (that's going well although I am finding the lack of work-life balance a little difficult). In May, I took D to Weston-Super-Mare. We stayed in the same place we stayed last year. We are going to try and do it every year. We had a whole weekend as Mini was at Scout camp and my big sister kindly offered to take him there. In June, my youngest son, Mini, turned 13. His birthday was the day after Father's Day so we took him, my partner (D), my other son (Mini, who turned 18 in January), and Mini's best friend to a retro computer museum. Dads got in free as it was Father's Day that we went. In the last week of June, D's granddaughters and youngest daughter came to visit. Daughter's mum and her partner brought them. Well, the partner actually did the driving and the mum was, to put it as nicely as possible, surplus to requirements. Well, anyway, they'd supposedly brought the little ones because of making sure they saw grandparents and to give parents a break, etc. Sounds like a good and kind-hearted thing to do. Truth is that it was a cheap holiday and for daughter's mum to rub it in the faces of other family. But I digress. There had been an issue about what the little ones called D. He is their Granddad and I have made sure that's what he is but there had been people saying he would be uncle. So, anyway, I was glad to hear that he was called Granddad. I showed Baby1 a picture of D and she said Granddad. Daughter1 (mum of the granddaughters) was worried that Baby2 would have trouble with all the new faces. She had met everyone once but it was almost a year ago and she was barely 9 months old then. However, Baby1 (she's 3 years old) was quite shy and reluctant with everyone while Baby2 was happy to go to anyone but she certainly recognised her Granddad and her uncle Midi. Daughter's mum did try to make things difficult but I made sure she didn't stop us seeing our girls. Of course, we had no chance of spending time with them without her around. Not even the 21 year old daughter. Well, I could spend a very long time picking fault there but I won't. We were happy that we got to see daughter and granddaughters. We hope to see them again soon as it would be nice to actually be able to bond with them rather than seeing them once a year and them forgetting us each time. What else has happened? I've spent quality time with my boys. Midi is now off on a cruise (again) with his dad and grandparents. Midi has just finished his A-level exams so a couple of weeks getting spoilt and exploring the world is well-deserved and good for him (I'm just jealous because I can't do it!) Mini has been rehearsing for a show which will be happening this coming Saturday. I think he is looking forward to it. I also think he is looking forward to the week after because I will be taking him to Stratford to see some outdoor theatre. So, to the point of the post. I have been with D for about 4 years. We have been engaged for about 2 of those years. We decided that next year would be the year. I think it may have been me saying I wanted to get married before I was 40 that made him pick a date that happened to be my 39th birthday. He did think it would be my 40th (cheeky thing, I have told him off for that). He said he picked the date because he'd remember it (I don't know how true that is but I do believe it). I can't really say anything, though, because I was going to suggest his birthday for the same reason! We have booked a venue. I told him I didn't want to get married at a registry office, and neither of us are religious so didn't want to marry in a church. I showed him a lovely place. I knew he would like it. We were going to have both the ceremony and the reception there but we found it would be cheaper, more practical, and easier to get what we wanted if we just had the ceremony there and the reception elsewhere. I had said that D could make the decision on the ceremony if I could have the reception I wanted. It seems that has turned the other way! Anyway, our wedding venue is booked and paid, the registrar's date has been saved with a deposit, and I even have my wedding dress. I knew exactly what I wanted. Couldn't find the exact one. Saw something very similar in a charity shop. My wedding dress cost me all of £10. I am having to get someone else to fix the zip on it but I think that is a small sacrifice! Usually, D would do sewing (I can sew but not very well. He's better at it). Of course, I can't ask my fiance to sew my wedding dress so his sister has said that she will do it. I keep getting a little excited when I do something weddingy. I know there are a lot of things to do but there still seems to be so much that I can't do until nearer the time. I don't want to get too excited! I am getting tired now so I had better get myself to bed. Work tomorrow plus some writing to do (oh yes, I have some freelance writing work. It's tricky fitting it all in but I am managing. I only wish I could have enough writing work that I didn't have to do another job!). Good night. I hope that you have all had a good half of this year. The weather is a bit strange here at the moment. There's this big gaseous ball in the sky, and the outside is not wet. This is, of course, tantamount to an apocalypse in these parts. Anyway, I really need to go now. Tell me how the first 6 months of this lovely year has been for you. For those who may be asking the question (which is probably nobody), I will be taking D's surname. What do you think of that? Did you take your husband's name when you got married? Are you a husband who took your wife's name? What about double-barrelling? Tell me, tell me, tell me what you think :)