This past Wednesday we celebrated 15 years of marriage! For some reason, that sounds substantial to me. We’re not newlyweds anymore, that’s for sure! So to celebrate, I had this fancy idea that we should take the kids camping to Lake Superior. Honestly the whole story of how we ended up getting there was like a little mini metaphor for our whole marriage. A lot of conversations and discussions with me dreaming of all the fun details while Rory figured out all the logistics to make it happen.
The trip was a serious gift to me. Getting a trailer hitch on our minivan was a gift to me. Rory figuring out all of the grey water/electric/leveling/towing/tail lights/trailer maneuvering details was a gift to me. He was going all out, and it was all for me because it was all my idea!
The trip was amazing and the family memories we made were positively magical. Rory said a few times, “who invited the one-year-old?!!” And it was funny every time because camping with a non-walking, fast-crawling, mouth-stuffer was really a lot going on at all times. Elias will never remember this trip, but we will remember him in all of our memories!
Our running joke was coming up with ways that 15 years of marriage is like camping with 5 children. It usually boiled down to “it’s just a lot of work with magical moments sprinkled into all that work.”
It was a glorious four days on the North Shore. I love that lake so much. We got two days of summer followed by two days of crashing waves. I could not have been happier.
I was talking to a friend at church today about how we just celebrated our 15 year anniversary and how amazing it is to think of who we have been throughout those 15 years. We had one season where we ate a whole lot of fast food, watched quite a bit of reality television and had never planted a seed. I said, “who on earth were those two? I wouldn’t hardly know them now!” It is a wonder isn’t it?
So here’s to a whole lifetime ahead of adventuring, growing, cultivating, planting, harvesting and loving!
2 comments
I’m really enjoying your writing and the pictures are such a bonus. I’ve been married 40 years. I am still at home, and was a stay-at-home mom for my 3 home schooled children for all 22 years. I always tell parents, these years with your children together as a family you will look back on as the best time of your life. I thought I’d pull my hair out while home schooling. Still, home school was the best choice. Our children were brought up in the “admonition of the Lord” and are turning out so incredibly wonderful now at ages 40, 38, and 31, have tremendous Godly spouses and our wonderful grandchildren. I love being the mom and grandmom able to continue to stay at home, now, and support them with prayer. It’s the high life for me, and you really are now living the high life. Praise God!
Hi Becca – congratulations on your anniversary! I have so enjoyed reading of your adventures shared with your wonderful sense of humor. I loved these pictures of your family on the north shore and your adventures with the camper. We went camping up to Itasca, Voyageurs National Park and the north shore with Brian and family in August. They bought a beautiful new camper as they are intent on visiting most of the national parks before the kids are out of the house and we rented a cute little retro camper – had adjoining campsites along the way- and it was wonderful. Could so relate to backing up campers into sites in the parks! You are giving your kids such a gift to plan these outdoor adventures and they will continue with their own families in the future. Love, Paula