Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving. It's a pretty close tie between this holiday and Christmas in my heart. Maybe it's just the time of year that I love so much. Or that they both insist on a pause in the hustle and bustle of life to really think about the blessings the Lord has poured out. But either way, I'm really happy tomorrow is Thanksgiving.

And I get to spend it with this guy:

How can you have anything to complain about when that face is around?

It kind of snuck up on me this year. Maybe it's because I've been so busy trying to figure out this whole being married thing, but I turned around and it was Thanksgiving week. And as I pack for us to travel down South to spend the day in the desert hills with Mr. Ford's parents, I realize how very much I have to be thankful for.

I am thankful for a dog who loves nothing more than to snuggle up and just be close to you. He just wants to love me and be loved by me. He doesn't ask for much else.

I am thankful for friends who are so far away and yet we are still able to lean on each other when things get tough. I've been reminded yet again this week that my journey in life and in this world has brought some really incredible and faithful people into my story and I could not be more grateful for the role they play in my life and that I am allowed to play in theirs.

I am thankful for a husband whose priorities are in line and who works so hard to provide for me in every area of life...spiritual, mental, material, and physical...I am beyond blessed to have such a good provider. And it doesn't hurt that he's easy to look at. :)

I am thankful for a family that understands the reality of marriage and holidays...that they have to be shared...and that is okay with sharing us. And I'm grateful that we are able to spend as much time as we are, on a regular basis, since we live so close to them.

I am especially thankful for having married into a family that I am excited to spend the holidays with...that I don't have to feel like I'm missing out on too much not being with my side. I am so blessed with in-laws who are wonderful and celebrate holidays much like I'm used to...quietly, relaxed, and with lots of good food....grateful just to be together. I love nestling into Mom and Dad Ford's peaceful house in the hills, wrapped in a blanket and sweatpants with a good book and the love of a really beautiful family. It doesn't get much better than that.

I am grateful too, to be a part of a church that is never satisfied with what they have done to connect and show the love of Christ to it's community...a church that is always looking for something more to do and how to better reach a greater number of people. I am grateful that the Lord has blessed us in such a way that we are able to be a part of that and bless others through our church. Bayside Church is doing some really exciting things in the year to come and we are so thrilled to be a part of it.

But most of all, I'm grateful for a Father whose faithfulness and grace has seen fit to bless me with all of these other things. Life is so good.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"There is never any ending to Paris..."

This is why I shouldn't work. It causes month-long absences, my house doesn't get cleaned, and my husband has to beg for clean underwear. Oh well. We press on.

So. We received all of our wedding pictures! Yay! And they are every bit as breathtaking as I had hoped and believed they would be. Seriously. That Jill DeVries is an artist of the highest caliber. Here are just a few of the beauties...and I do mean few, because there are over 1,000 photos in all.

 Offering our vows to one another.

 One of my favorite shots...just as the sun began to set.

 It just feels like a real-life fairytale.

 Some of our decor...my mom's genius come to life.

One of Mr. Ford's favorite shots. I have to agree.

It was truly the best day of my life thus far and I am so grateful for pictures that captured it so perfectly and will allow me to relive it over and over and over for many years to come.  If you are interested and you have approximately 85 hours to spare, here is the online gallery. The password is 091711. Just be sure to come up for air every once in awhile. :)

Our honeymoon in Paris and Nice was equally as wonderful. The thing I love most about Paris is that no matter how many times you've been, there is always something new and wonderful to discover. Paris is the perfect blend of nostalgia and new adventure. I've been a couple of times before...each trip different from any other. But this one was the best yet by far. Paris takes on a whole new shade of rose when you are alone with the one you love getting lost in it's streets. Paris truly is a city for lovers. Something as simple as a picnic on the Seine becomes the most romantic thing you've ever done. Oh my...my heart thumps a little harder just remembering it. I could share anecdotes with you, but I think I'd rather keep the mystery and romance of my Parisian honeymoon between me and my husband. But if you really need a little more, check out the album on facebook for a few more anecdotes and pictures.

After two months (long time, I know), I think I can safely say that married life agrees with the Fords. We are of course still learning how to move in and out and around and meld our lives together, but we are enjoying that process immensely and I think for the most part it has been pretty painless for us. I am learning a lot about what it means to truly respect your husband and to defer to his leadership. I try to be very conscious of ways to do that, which is good since that's what I vowed to do before God and all of our friends and family. :) In all seriousness though, it is just one of those things that you have to be constantly aware of and conscious of. The words you say or don't say and in what setting and in front of whom can make all the difference in your marriage. Of course, I don't pretend to have all of the answers...I've only been doing it for two months! But I do know that much to be true. Marriage is a complex thing...the most beautiful and complex and wonderful and difficult task I've ever undertaken. And I am loving every minute of it.