Year Two!

You know.. it is funny. As David and I were exchanging our "Happy Anniversaries" this morning (as he was driving me in to drop me off for jury duty, how romantic is that?) we were talking about how two just doesn't seem to capture the fullness of the time since we have been married. We have friends who are celebrating their 32nd anniversary today and another couple celebrating their 15th tomorrow. 2, just seems like a small drop. But then again, there is so much to look back on this year. So many places of faithfulness, so many places of learning to trust, so many proud parenting moments, so many moments where we are reminded of our need for God's Grace.  I am happy to write this today, and it turns out that I have time. So, enjoy our walk through the ebenezer's of the last year, and the hope for what this new year will bring.

Thank you for being a part of this journey! 

We started the year off with an epic over 6,000 mile road trip.  David had the joy of showing us all the larger than life goofiness (my interpretation) that is between Portland and Chicago.  From Mount Rushmore to Iowa's largest frying pan, we were able to experience some of David's favorite landmarks firsthand. Sadly, we were not able to tour the spam museum, so we will clearly be going back!

Ahh... the anticipation of the mighty Wall Drug T-Rex!

Clearly a child from the NW.. sun? what is that?

Of course we stopped to see the World's Largest six pack.

Chicago (David's home town) is an amazing city. I only wish that we could have spent more time exploring!  But we will be back.

David "Shoeless Joe" Springer

You thought I was joking about Iowa's largest frying pan!

After our fabulous trip... we were off to the races. Paige started 6th grade, I started my role of Adjunct Professor at Concordia University, and David continued his work as a substitute at Portland Public.

Our biggest trial of the year, was our lovely office. You may remember from last year that we had decided to build a wee little office in order to expand our wee little space.  The day before we left on our epic trip, we received notice from the city that we had misunderstood some of the building requirements. After much ado, we were able to meet the requirements of the city.  It was not easy, but I was blessed to see David's continued faithfulness. There were so many times that we both wanted to throw in the towel, but he remained faithful. We have a few final touches to make before the space can be fully utilized, but it is on the horizon!

David and I were blessed with an evening away for New Years at the Cannery Pier Hotel. Love, love that place. It was so fun to return there 18 months after our honeymoon!

Then it was off to another road trip! We surprised Paige with a trip to Disneyland! We didn't tell her until we were in San Fransisco. Ahh.. the joys of an older child who can ride for hours and hours in a car.

We were also blessed this year, to celebrate Paige's Rite of Passage to 13. It was amazing to have four women spend time with Paige over the course of this year as she moved from 12 to 13. On her birthday in June, we celebrated with friends and family. My favorite part of the evening was a candle ceremony that is often used in Bat Mitzvah celebrations. 12 people share a word of blessing about the young lady being honored and then light a candle honoring each year of her life, and then she gets to light the 13th candle as a picture of her move into young adulthood. The whole evening was perfect and exactly what we had hoped for Paige. We also commissioned a painting from the lovely Anneli Anderson http://www.studioanneli.com/  to capture Paige's Rite of Passage. We wanted a painting that would capture her development, but that would also be a reminder that she is not alone. I should also mention that Paige designed her dress, and we were blessed to have a friend make it for us.

“Because it is the nature of love to create, a marriage itself is something which has to be created, so that, together we become a new creature.

To marry is the biggest risk in human relations that a person can take…If we commit ourselves to one person for life this is not, as many people think, a rejection of freedom; rather it demands the courage to move into all the risks of freedom, and the risk of love which is permanent; into that love which is not possession, but participation…It takes a lifetime to learn another person…When love is not possession, but participation, then it is part of that co-creation which is our human calling, and which implies such risk that it is often rejected.”
― Madeleine L'Engle, The Irrational Season 

I love, love Madeleine L'Engle. Her thoughts on marriage challenge and encourage me. Sometimes I look around other couples, and think "they have it soooooo easy," and then I am reminded that that is not true. Intimate marriage is hard, it is not natural, it is transformative. I am so thankful for David, his reminders to me of God's faithfulness are amazing. His willingness to cling to a loving God is what often grounds our marriage. While two years is just a drop on the road to 32, it is where the foundations are made. It is where the commitments are made. I am thankful for this year, as you can see it has been a full one. I am not sure what this upcoming year will bring. Our girl is moving into Junior High and all that brings. David and I are blessed to be part of a new ministry at Imago Dei focusing on supporting children and families in Foster care, and without a doubt there will be many more adventures!
http://www.imagodeicommunity.com/article/welcome-home-foster-care/

Blessings to you and those you love.

Love,

Krys