So… it’s 1.1.11, which is fun in and of itself! but we have also enjoyed two days of SNOW and non-work this week, which is awesome! So far: 2011 rocks.

We spent the first snow day sleeping in and playing in the snow with Frank and Cara and two new apartment friends, Drew and Lauren. Then we ate, then we napped–serious nappage… like, college style. It was amazing and much needed. Then watched movies and caught up on good books and quality time. Evan’s friend Ryan got stranded and spent the night with us, which was like a huge slumber party. Very fun. And of course, we watched the national championship with all of the above at Drew and Lauren’s. I will not talk about that here, except to mention that Alabama has 13. Moving on.

Today we slept even later (11am, I love you), walked to North River Tavern–which we were delighted to discover has huge wings and overall amazing food. Totally going back. We left so full of food and fellowship (and interaction with civilization after 24 hours of cabin fever) we felt almost tipsy and braved the elements again for the trek home. We have LOVED netflix all afternoon and after pizza for dinner, will probably watch a movie and go to bed early. My goodness, 2011 is off to an excellent start!

So…!! We’re headed to Ireland, Scotland, and England in May! It’s official. We bought our tickets yesterday: May 18-30. My cousin Alice will be studying abroad in Limerick, Ireland starting… well, any day now! and so her parents, my parents, Stahler, me and Grant will be joining her for a few days before Grant and I strike out on our own. We’ve found a couple day-trips in Scotland and hope to see Glasgow, Loch Ness, Glencoe, Inverness, Stirling, and the Highlands. Grant wants to see St. Andrews Old Course and if we can make it to Edinboro even better! In England we hope to see friends in London and Oxford and take a day trip to Windsor, Bath, and Stonehenge. We’re pretty excited! We got a bunch of travel books for Christmas, so we spend nights pouring over the pictures and maps figuring out what we want to do–pretty crazy nights, huh? We enjoy it. Anyway, I’ll keep you posted as we plan the trip!

Happy New Year!

I don’t know why this year feels any different from any previous year, but it does–somehow new and fresh and with more hope or promise than usual. Perhaps I’m just paying attention, or I’m just hyper-aware of the passing of time… who knows. But 2011 is going to be exceptionally great. I just know it.

A quick recap of 2010

January
Alabama won the National Championship. RTR.

February
We had a very nice Valentine’s Day and enjoyed some snow! Our friends the Taylors welcomed twins on 2/2/2010!! And Mary Catherine and Syman welcomed Laney, as well! All 3 precious and perfect.

March
Stahler turned 20 and we made several trips down to t-town to hangout and play.

April
Easter came early and we celebrated on Mama’s birthday 4/4/10 and we unexpectedly resigned our lease to remain in Atlanta for another year–a hard but good decision. Spend some quality time with Drew and Allison before their move.

May
My quarter-life crisis passed wonderfully at the lake with friends! Perfection. We spent our 2nd anniversary with Zach and Steph in Clarkesville. Awesome. I got a new job and things started looking up. We began to think about buying a house and planning our trip to Italy with the Nalleys. Took a quick family beach trip with the Heaths.

June
Family beach trip with the Duggars to Hilton Head. My parents celebrated 33 years of marriage! Grant’s boss got transferred back to Chicago–we miss them dearly!–and Grant took on much more responsibility at work. We started going to Grace Midtown and love it.

July
We spent the fourth of July at the lake with fam and bemoaned our day-jobs, and wished longingly for college days when we had entire months to spend lounging pool-side, lake-side, or beach-side.

August
We both had crazy-busy months at work and Frank and Cara got married and moved into our apt complex!! What fun!

September
We enjoyed 10 wonderful days in Italy–Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, and Venice. Unforgettably romantic and perfectly memorable. Couldn’t have enjoyed it more. What an experience. We met and welcomed Evan into our home–quite an adventure, too. Maggie got accepted into her study abroad at UGA!! And Kimsey’s welcomed twins Miller and Charlie into the world–too cute. [This is the year of twins. We know 6 friends who’ve had twins this year!]

October
The Bossman at work treated NGM to free tickets to Catalyst. We got to hear 10 of the most influential speakers in the Church in America. Absolutely incredible. I think that Francis Chan’s, Beth Moore’s, and Craig Groschelle’s talks literally changed things forever and will be referenced in the future as a turning point in 2010. Amazing. Alice got accepted to her study abroad in Limerick, Ireland and we began to plan a trip in May 2011!

November
Grant had a birthday around which the entire family rallied and bought him his first shotgun–awesome–and we spent Thanksgiving with Evan in Augusta. Much family time. Much fun.

December
Grant and I are unbelievably thankful as we look back over the past year. What an amazing journey it has been. We spent Christmas with Evan in Huntsville, where we got to see Mary Catherine and Syman before heading off to the lake. We got sick [yuck!], went to the doctor, but it didn’t dampen our spirits as we played games and hungout at the lake with MA and fam. We ended up staying in Hsv for New Years and are still here watching football, eating pizza and wings, and slowly recouping.

What a year it has been and what a promising year we have before us! Looking forward to many new beginnings, new trips, new adventures, and seeing new pieces of the globe. I pray that God’s glory is revealed more and more and more! 2011, here we come!

LORD,

Thank You so much for letting the world wait for You–letting us long for Emmanuel God with us. Thanks for choosing Mary who said yes even when the fear of the world pressed in on her. Thanks for coming in the dark of night, that we may know that there is no darkness You wont enter or muck too far beneath You–there are no lengths or bounds that will keep You from us in Your relentless pursuit of our hearts and souls. Thanks God that You sent word ahead to the shepherds and wise men; thanks that they were there watching and waiting and were ready to receive Your word when it was time. May we always be listening, waiting, and watching for You O God. And thanks for Jesus–the Word become flesh, the Prince of Peace, the Christ and Messiah–our Savior and Lord. It is overwhelming, the depths of Your love that You would humble Yourself on our behalf. But You did. And when God set His feet on this earth it.changed.everything. and nothing has ever been the same.

I pray that you reveal Youself that we might magnify who You are. God, birth something new in me, in our marriage, in Grant. Do a new thing in this city, this state, this region, this nation. We are waiting on You, looking to You. You are God and there is no other. Teach us the true meaning of Christmas–the birth of Christ–and in the words of Marty Barrett, “Let us be filled with the Holy Spirit and give birth to Christ everywhere we go.” Amen!

Have you ever thought of the mystery of marriage? Exchanging vows before God and those witnesses is like buying a house without ever setting foot inside. You know what other people have said about the house (marriage). You know what God has said about the house (marriage). If you’re smart enough, you’ve read about it and most importantly listened and prayed—a lot! But you’re standing there at the altar, based on however much time together and some emotions that you feel (or once felt or hope to feel) and you make your stamp on forever, buying the house for eternity. For those of us who are married, we now know what an act of faith it was to say ‘I do,’ and yet it can’t be done any other way—no previews, no open-house, and certainly no brochure. We had no idea what we were getting into—which is not to minimize our beloved spouse, but meant to maximize our amorous God.

We have no idea what’s behind those walls, what dirt we drag in when we move in all our crap, what flaws will make the house (marriage) more charming, unique, and endearing… and which will be a painful reminder. We don’t know how many bedrooms (children) it has. We don’t know if it’s a fixer-upper to be coaxed into true beauty through much dent of elbow grease—the hard work that births character and confidence and hope—or if it’s move-in ready. If termites (lies) will threaten to slowly crumble the flooring out from under us. We don’t know if there will ever be any leaks in the plumbing (lines of communication) that will cause sudden bursts when things turn icy. We don’t know if the furnace (passion) will burn for years, or soon die out. We have no idea if the electricity—the Word of God that is a lamp unto our feet—will be turned off or neglected. Or if the gas—the spark that ignites creativity and inspiration—is low. Who knows what will be maintained and what will not be. Which ones we update on the surface, repainting every few years as our moods change. Which areas of the house (marriage) we need to take down to the studs… and which are better left standing. Which are crucial and which are place-holders; which are load-bearing or superficial.

And think of the foundation. What if we come to a place in our house (marriage), where we just need to dig deeper, and so we jack-hammer through layer after layer of hard stuff to get back down to the nourishing raw earth? Will we embrace the work as a time of learning together? Or will we resent it, never to return to the half-finished basement? Will we expect a maid to clean things up for us? What will we expect?

There are whole levels and wings to the house (marriage) that only time will uncover. There are entire seasons of life who’s doors can only be opened by walking through another; there are designs and textures and subtleties that point to the Architect that will miss our attention, while other details not meant to be dwelt upon seem to consume our efforts.

We will paint and change and live in and enjoy and clean up and clear out and start over and repurpose. We may take the whole dang thing to the ground level several times, reinventing ourselves and the house (marriage) in the process. We will mess up, but God will complete the good work He began and He will most definitely be glorified.

We buy the house and say yes to forever—not because of a feeling or a plan or an expectation or a ring or even a guy—but because there is One who’s seen all the things we can’t see, every design every intent every space—and He is trustworthy. Not to say that the feelings or plans or expectation or ring or boy is not important. Each of those is important. It’s just that we can’t possibly rely on our own less-than-8%-utilized brain and fickle and fleeting emotion to even guess at what that house (marriage) has for us. We must trust some One who knew it before the dawn of time and that One is Jesus—not our brain, or our heart, or our betrothed, but our Beloved.

Simply put: when our eyes are on Jesus, marriage seems easier; when our eyes are on anything else, marriage seems more difficult. Christ is trustworthy even when we are not.

Looking back, God’s hand in every single detail of our lives and marriage thus far has been undeniably evident. I’m glad that Grant found me and we found each other. I’m glad that he chose me and on bended-knee offered me a ring and the promise of forever as the sun set behind the purple mountains at dusk on December 27, 2007. I’m glad that we stood on the altar before God and made a solemn vow to Him and to each other. But most importantly, perhaps, I am thankful beyond words that (whether we knew it or not) we were trusting (and continue to trust) in the One who knew all about what we knew nothing about. And focusing on Him makes the “house” seem brighter and our marriage more joyful. I have never been happier or more full of faith in things unseen.