I remember, whilst putting away wedding gifts destined to become patches in the backdrop of our marriage and family, feeling still too young to own a set of knives. I washed them, soapy and slippery in the sink. One juvenile move and there could be blood. I wanted my mother. To wash them for me. I do not know the sharpness of a knife, I do not care to. I flinched and with white knuckles put the knives away.

These are BIG THINGS.

Our family plan "to build" is scarier than I anticipated.
It could be six years before Jake is done with graduate school.
And me? I almost finished my new year resolution project
to build a photo album, until I realized that they just don't
print pictures like they used to.
It's a big, scary thing. But I like building.

SnoMG.

I'm adoring everyone's snow day tales so much!

Ours began in yellow morning light, husband's work canceled, all of Chicago canceled,
running down the stairs to see the world outside & being amazed at God's abundance.









I did work from home, and in fact had a very productive day.
Which is nice because my anxiety has been through the roof this week.
My evening ended venturing out with darling Ashley.
We landed at the oh so cozy and snazzy Hopleaf bar in Andersonville,
where under a haze of expensive beer, fierce historical banter and gainful employment,
I realized that we indeed are the new breed of yuppie.
There was yellow candle light and pools of yellow street light.

I was physically exhausted, dehydrated, and hadn't eaten a good breakfast.  

On my way to a long day of details that felt like braiding split ends.  

I'm sure you've never experienced this, right?  

Gracefully granted an extra 20 minutes,  

I ran to Trader Joe's to buy trail mix and that 17 cent bottle of water.  

Protein, fiber, plastic, water, the elements of life.

Before fading into the royal blue of my seat on the bus, 

I began to eat and drink.

It was communion, I was eating with the King.

The Lord's Supper on a bus, I'm sure of it.

My cells were saturated.

I saw color.

Moreover, I felt deeply care for. I was fed.

Jesus is not beyond these earthly things, this dust we are;

He came Himself and He sent His Spirit. We are together.

I had the most religious understanding of my life on a bus yesterday.

"If God has come in the flesh, and if God keeps coming to us in our fleshly existence, 

then all of life is shot through with meaning.  

Earth is   crammed   with heaven

And heaven (when we finally get there) will be crammed with earth. 

Nothing wasted. Nothing lost. Nothing secular. Nothing absurd.

...  All are grist for the mill of a down-t0-earth spirituality."

- Paul Stevens 

My winter playlist.
Just one component of my plan to revel in this pure, chilling season of dark and light.

What is your winter song?

On 1.1.11

A simple wrap-up for a complicated year.

2010:

You were good to us. 

A quick review would highlight honeymooning in Mexico; finding our home church; graduating; taking on full-time ministry work; Jake holding six part-time jobs and finally one wonderfully grown up full-time position; summering in New York; Jake starting a new band; making deeper friendships; plenty of camping; many letters written by hand and a whole lotta loving.

We learned much about ourselves about each other and about God.

After such a full year of learning and change, we see a horizon of opportunities to grow in the next 12 months.

2011:

We have big hopes and dreams for you!

We made a marriage resolution on our anniversary to start "building" this year. Building and shaping a beautiful life. As a team. I'm a firm believer that stability makes the best place for adventure.

Priorities for the year include me printing as many real photos as possible; 

Jake applying for graduate school; 

and both of us talking and listening to each other more.

Hello there, January!

PS: I'm feeling overblogged and overuploaded these days.
Have a blessed new year and look for me at the end of the month :)