Today is our 8th wedding anniversary. Quite a big year.
Eight is my favorite number and if you turn it on its side you get infinity.
Thankfully, my sister is stepping in to give us some much
needed time to lean in and reflect on our eight years over dinner tonight.
We’ve been back in the States for two weeks now and it feels
so good, but also like we haven’t been able to catch our breath. Back to work
for me in a few days and we are still in the process of getting unpacked and organized. We are also working quickly to fill our home with
furniture and food.
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| Molly & Alex's Wedding, 2013 |
On one hand, this is really fun. A fresh start is exciting,
rare, and provides an opportunity for us to be purposeful and thoughtful about
how we begin again in Minnesota.
On the other hand, it’s tricky. I don’t want to say
difficult and I don’t want to say stressful because I’m talking about the
stress and difficulty that come with simply spending too much money in a month.
Shopping is fun, but spending all the money that comes with it is not. And so
we can often come to times of disagreement or the simple inability to make a
decision.
In just a few weeks, we’re shelling out money for cars, food (all the basics and then some), furniture, school supplies for three of us, and whatever else pops up. And can I tell you that furniture is expensive? I think the fact that we are buying everything at once is really the killer. I spend my days dragging the boys between World Market, Goodwill, IKEA, consignment stores, and West Elm to name a few. Oh, and Target. Everyday is Target. Again, it’s fun. But really, I’d just like to sit on a couch instead of a mattress on the floor or sleep in a bed instead of the Aero bed we’ve been on since August 4th.
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| Honolulu, 2006 |
In just a few weeks, we’re shelling out money for cars, food (all the basics and then some), furniture, school supplies for three of us, and whatever else pops up. And can I tell you that furniture is expensive? I think the fact that we are buying everything at once is really the killer. I spend my days dragging the boys between World Market, Goodwill, IKEA, consignment stores, and West Elm to name a few. Oh, and Target. Everyday is Target. Again, it’s fun. But really, I’d just like to sit on a couch instead of a mattress on the floor or sleep in a bed instead of the Aero bed we’ve been on since August 4th.
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| Paris, 2010 |
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| Mazatlan, 2008 |
my husband of eight years waltzes in and reminds me that we’re okay. We can and should take our time. I push back a bit because there’s a big part of me that thinks our routines can’t start until the kids get a dresser or we have a dining room table. And yet, last night we ate dinner together, read the kids stories before bed, and Skyped with grandparents.
It seems the most important routines are still intact and will be no matter if we’re in a hotel in Iceland, dog-sitting in England, or living in an unfurnished home in Minnesota. An old friend reminded me in his response to my last post, “Home is where you feel loved, safe, supported and comfortable,” and that we do. Well, our Aero bed could be a tiny bit comfier, but you know what I mean.
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| Turialba, Costa Rica, 2005 (waterfall rappelling) |
So the next time someone you love has an idea that might sound a little nuts, try leaning in. You never know where it will lead.
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| August 18, 2007 |
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| Las Vegas, 2014 |
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Windsor, England, 2014 |
