Hilltops and valleys

Today marks seven years for me and my honey. It’s hard to believe we made such a monumental commitment to one another. We now realize how good it was that we did this when young and naïve. Marriage is healing, exhausting, and constant. We celebrate this commitment to each other today. We also celebrate the end of the most trying year so far in our young marriage. Much lost and even more learned. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Twenty-five days of unbridled writing and photo creativity-- the DPP was a great experience. I can’t believe how much I learned about my camera and myself. I am sort of “worded” out. I find myself having trouble getting started back up. I don’t like feeling wordless.

The definition of retreat is “to withdraw, retire, or draw back, especially for shelter or seclusion”. I like that definition. My family did just that last week as we escaped to our vacation spot of choice on a tight budget: Chattanooga. We had an unspeakably good time. Good friends, savory food, hours of lounging, and even a bonfire thrown in for good measure. Oh yes…and laughter, laughter, laughter. It was so needed. Restoration came in those 5 days of "withdrawing".

While in Tennessee, we visited the college where we studied books (and each other). I had not been back there in years. So many memories came back as we drove up the mountain and strolled around the dormitories and lecture buildings. It made me miss those years and ever so thankful that I was past them. A funny mix of emotions.

One thing is for certain, it was an enchanting day. Gray and gloomy, a fog blanketing the mountaintop. We walked around for hours with Karis, showing her the places where we fell in love. Truth be told, we climbed around that campus. Many flights of stairs, up and down the hills. I relished the dim lighting and moodiness of the day and took around 600 photos. Matt spent time encouraging Karis to maneuver her way up and down all those hills and stairs, mostly without hand holding. It was so good for her. There was such a look of pride on her toddler face as she roamed around on her own, ascending the many stairs and rising to each challenge.

I couldn’t help but think as I watched her just how much our year has been like climbing those flights of stairs. One challenge after the next. Always feeling like we were climbing but getting no where. Exhausted and uncertain of what our future held. But like Karis, I too felt pride and gratitude for reaching the year’s end. Pride that we made it relatively in tact (some bruises to our pride, confidence, and marriage aside). And gratitude to the One who certainly has carried us through.

We will not be the same after this year, this much I know is true. But I like who we are now.

Always growing.

Grateful.

Beautifully unfinished.