How long will I love you

Round 16: June 2026

Tom Patterson is 33, Dixie is 32, Liana is 3 and Janelle is 1.

(Janie is 32.)

Narrated by Dixie.

Tom and I decided it's about time to take a little vacation - just the two of us. On our honeymoon we just drove up to my parents' cabin for a couple of days but this time we decided we needed a change of scenery so we booked flights and a room in a fancy hotel at Shirakawa Village.

I was so happy when we finally got to our hotel. Tom and I don't get a lot of time for ourselves nowadays so it's great to unwind for a few days.

We were quite tired after the flight and the ride to the village so we decided to just stay in our hotel room and get some rest. We'd have enough time to explore the village during our vacation anyway.

We even ordered lobster from room service and ate it in the tiny dining area in our hotel room. I never thought I'd enjoy something like that but I really did.

Tom and I really wanted to soak up as much culture as possible so we ended up walking around the village. It's a tourist destination but it's not too crowded and I think most of the events are quite authentic. We took part in a tea ceremony which was really nice.

We also played mahjong with the locals. I can see us playing this together when we're old and grey. Although Janie always teases me that I already dress and act like a grandmother.

The restaurant in our hotel had gotten some really good reviews so we decided to give it a try. The food was delicious but the service not so much. Our waiter hardly said a word and he definitely didn't smile at us the whole time we were there.

All in all the vacation was everything I dreamed of. We definitely want to come back with the kids when they're older.

As much as I enjoyed being away for a few days I really loved coming back to our girls. It's not always easy being a mom and having a career but it's so worth it. I wouldn't change my life in any way even if I had a chance. Tom and I definitely haven't ruled out a third child although I think it's not going to happen right now.

I don't see my siblings enough even though Janie, Charlie and I all live in the same area. Janie's so busy with her career that she wants to dedicate her free-time to her family which I totally understand. Danny had taken the kids to the park and Janie popped by on her way there. She'd stayed behind to finish some paper work.

We've always been really close but I feel like we've gotten even closer now that I have children too. She and Danny started so young though. All their kids are in school already while Tom and I still have a couple of years before Liana starts pre-school.

Our kids adore their auntie Janie and the feeling is mutual. We made a deal to get together more often because we miss each other and we also want our kids to spend more time together.

I don't think we want to wait too long to have another child. Seeing our girls play together is one of our favourite pastimes and we wouldn't mind seeing a third kid join the gang.

Notes:

• Title reference: How long will I love you by Ellie Goulding.
• Finally an update! It's been too long. It had been a long time since I had played so I thought taking Dixie and Tom on a vacation would be a nice and easy start. And this is such a drama-free household anyway that it's hard to come up with anything to write. Writing felt like a real struggle after such a long time!
• I'm sorry to say that Wellington isn't very high on my list of priorities from now on. I still have a full-time job, I'll start studying Business & Administration at a university of applied sciences in January and I've also been selected the health and safety rep at my workplace. I'm not ditching the hood (at least not yet) but updates will be a very rare treat. However I start my christmas holiday in a few days and hope to play and get some updates done. We'll see about that.