14

This past week Matt and I had the privilege of celebrating 14 years of marriage.

We took the kids to a secluded beach house and enjoyed four days of whale watching from the top of high sand dunes, tidal pool exploration, and family games.

I didn’t take many pictures because the focus was more on just being together. It was really fun changing up the scenery here on another wave of country-wide COVID lockdowns. I always cherish the time spent at our favorite spot, where time seems to be in abundance and family bonding is a focus.

There were crisp mornings on the tops of the sand dunes where the girls and I enjoyed cups of hot chocolate and waking up to the whale calves jumping. There was nowhere to be. Nothing to do but just snuggle together in blankets and watch the world wake up together. (The girls even enjoyed feeling their baby sister in my belly squirming around and waking up for the day with us too.)

Amazing what 14 years has brought into Matt and my lives. So many good and hard things we have grown together through. And it was lovely just stopping for a few days to breathe in and out as a family and a couple, reflect some, and just slow down from the noise.

It was a set aside time to treasure what the Lord has brought before us, thanking Him for His provision and protection.

And a time to even thank Him for the challenges that have defined our family in ways we did not know we needed refining.

We celebrated growth and the internal quiet changes as He has continued to mature each of us in Christ. We dreamed a bit as a family. And we looked at the stars, blanketing the huge African sky and reminding us of just how Big He is and how small we are.

And we just sat in silence together, watching the horizon. Not finding a need for words, but just enjoying being together.

I wonder what the next 14+ years will hold for us.

And I smile at the future.

Knowing the Lord is already there.