Ten years!

Mark in the mountains near Berchtesgaden on our honeymoon in 2003

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Today is a special day. Today, Mark and I have been together for ten years...one whole decade! We met in 1999 when we were both doctoral students at the University of Surrey. We were in the same research group and Mark and I faced each other across the bench in our laboratory. I knew straight away that Mark was the one for me, but I had to be patient and wait for him to realise it to! We became very good friends and got together in March 2000. We've been together ever since and I can honestly say that the last ten years have been the happiest of my life (and I have had a very happy life!).

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I left Surrey with more than just a PhD. By my graduation ceremony, I was happily married and 7 weeks pregnant with Tom.

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Mark surprised me on Valentine's day with the news that he was whisking me away for a long weekend to celebrate our ten years together. Unbeknownst to me, he had arranged with his parents to look after all three Podlings and booked a four day trip to our favourite destination. We will be travelling to Berchtesgaden in Germany early on Thursday morning and coming home on Sunday afternoon. We first visited Berchtesgaden on honeymoon and have been there a couple of times since. We love it there and it is a very special place for us. We will be staying in our favourite hotel of all time, a charming chalet called Hotel Alpenhof. It is so warm and inviting and serves the most wonderful food. We wouldn't think of staying anywhere else in the area.

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I took this picture of Konigsee during a trip there in January 2004. I have it framed on our landing, along with another couple of pictures I took of the area.

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I know I am going to miss the children dreadfully while I am away, but it will be lovely to have a little break and spend some quality time with my wonderful husband. After all, I was a wife before I was a mother and I think it is important to remember the two people that made the five of us. I can't say I'm not looking forward to a few nights of uninterrupted sleep either! I am very excited about our little getaway and I am thrilled that Mark was able to arrange it all and surprise me with it. So romantic! I am also incredibly grateful to Mum and Dad P. for making it possible for us to go. I know the Podlings will have a great time with them while we are away and I'm sure I will miss them more than they will miss me!

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Hotel Alpenhof...quite probably the best hotel in the world! This photo was taken on our honeymoon in 2003, the first time we stayed there.
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Thank you, Mark, for the last ten years. You make me so happy! Life with you just gets better and better. I wonder what the next ten years will bring us...

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