When we got married, I was twenty five and he was twenty seven.  We had been dating for five years, three of which from different states and we’d been through a lot.  Looking back, we didn’t know much, but we had at least two things right: 1) We knew we wanted each other for life.  2) We knew that keeping what we had would require humility and unconditional grace.  Two of my favorite photos from our wedding ceremony are the ones of us washing each others’ feet–a symbolic act declaring our intentions to build our marriage on that humility and grace.

It was my turn to double down on the promises I made on our wedding day when Carl received a job offer in Massachusetts.  I had a job and life I loved in Idaho that I gave up to be home with our daughter across the country so he could have that opportunity.  But today, he finished the process of doubling down on the promises he made to me.  Today we completed the final step to becoming homeowners and not the owners of a home in the suburbs, with a white picket fence, within walking distance of a thriving downtown the way Carl imagined he would be living before we got married.  We are poised to become the owners of MY dream home, which I have lovingly dubbed “Mac n’ Cheese Manor,” an ancient wreck of a farmhouse on nearly nine acres in the middle of absolutely nowhere.

It has taken him months to find and then negotiate a price we could afford for this beautiful mess and he did it for me, because without a place like this, I wouldn’t be able to bring my horses home, making my family whole again.  And, of course, we need a place like this so I can have the chickens, cat, and pig I’ve always wanted as well.  And the goats.  And . . . well, you get the idea.  ; )

This is love.  Give, take, lead, follow, dream up some dreams, smush those dreams together, then work side by side to make them reality.  And take a lot of pictures along the way!  ; )

Happy Valentine’s Day!  <3