Every couple of weeks I’m hoping to give updates about our home adventures. I have a tendency to want to end my posts with a wrap-up message or conclusion, but not everything comes together that neatly in life, so why should it here? I’m not really doing this to provide you with sermons every few days. Let’s be real.

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Hi friend,

Our two-year anniversary was two days ago! And except for that day, I will not have seen hubs for a week. He’s been globe-trotting. But joy of joys: this coming weekend I’m going to meet him in San Francisco and see my dear friends there! It’s been six months since I’ve seen that crazy place.

As usual, life seems to be so full. Hubs is back to taking full-time classes, and I’m working finally, and we’ve had family visit twice since we returned from Europe a month ago, and now a friend is living with us until he finds a more permanent home. Just the everyday stuff.

And then hubs went to Thailand for a dear friend’s wedding, and now he’s in San Francisco on business. And eventually he’ll sleep.

Good reader, I don’t doubt you understand, I’m tired. Tired but so grateful. For warm days and sun, for flowers unprompted, for growing relationships and reconnecting ones too, for a free headlight installation, for the hospitality of friends, for the softness of the pillow at night. For the laughter. For the 100-year old piano my godparents gave us! For the tenderness of tiny babies and for grapefruit juice and that fresh sweet corn from the farmer’s market. Picnics by the sound. And cappuccino foam.

Oh and the sunsets.

This is a time of dire conscious pause, of sitting for a while when we get home from work, to just be and breathe before we make dinner and start homework. You’ve got to, friend. You’ve got to stop when you see a fascinating leaf on the way to the coffee shop, even if you’re rushing to get there. You need to look your loved one in the face as they recount a story, even if you have the world’s longest list waiting.

I need to. And let’s take a moment between tasks to breathe deeply and let our shoulders go and tilt the head, and give thanks. Maybe smile your mouth a bit.

I’m trying not to resent this season. I really truly wish hubs and I had more time to just have fun, to connect. The last time he had the double load of work and class, the term ended with me a frazzled, bitter person. And I wasn’t angry with him but with the circumstances that made things hard for us. So this time around, knowing all that, I’m hoping to overcome the circumstances.

I’m hoping to grow close to Jesus, who is always available. I’m hoping to be master of my schedule, rather than the other way around. I’m hoping to cherish my people and make sure they know it, because there’s no way anything I need to do is more important than that. I hope we can do something in the wilderness soon.

I’m hoping and other than that I’m just trying to get to work on time.

🙂

xo,

Emily

p.s. And you? What are you hoping, and what are you learning in the chaos? Any advice for one like me?