norcal vacation-ing: day 2

tuesday of our little getaway was the 27th, which just so happens to be our monthiversary. i can't believe it's already been 10 months, and how quickly a year is coming up on us. i remember everything like it was yesterday, and i'm truly only falling in love with T more and more every day - a deeper, truer, unending kind of love. we started the morning at caffe santoro, a little coffeeshop just 10 minutes away from my house, owned by my high school friend's dad. the owner is part of the church just up the street, and there is such a sense of community and small-town-ness in the caffe. i absolutely love that about home. we spent some time in the Word together, took pictures, and just absolutely relaxed. i love love LOVE coffeeshop mornings!

one of my favorite things about up north is how much space there is. space for giant oak trees, big back yards, and vast skies. i love that we have to work outside to maintain what's ours - whether that's chopping down trees, splitting wood, shoveling manure, cleaning the barn, trimming the hedges, or mowing the lawn, the space forces us to be outside. and it's beautiful. at home we have a little (powerful) woodstove, so every winter we need to be prepared with plenty of wood. from moving it, to splitting logs twice my size, stacking it, and then chopping it for kindling, i know wood. and i love it. at the same time though, i am super thankful that there's another guy around now to help out with things like that. what a blessing. and i love T's willing and helpful heart, especially to help my mom with whatever she needs. i am so thankful for their relationship. he's simply an extension of our family, and he is so loved by all of them.

beautiful mama

yes please.

on tuesday night, we had dinner with my best friend's family. her fiance is currently visiting as well, and it was such a joy having all of us around the dinner table, laughing, talking, and catching up. so much change is happening this year (they're getting married next month!), but i am looking forward to every bit of it. her family is my second family, and i'm so grateful for their friendship over the years. les' fiance wes and T bonded over immature guy things, but seeing them get along brought joy to both les and i...so much joy that we left the table and their gross conversation to have some grown-up girl speak in the living room ;] i wish i had photos of that night, but the time just got away from me! and i was enjoying every bit of it too much to whip out my camera...

but truly, by tuesday, i felt like i was home again. and you know what's funny? i could see us living a life like that. away from the city, in a smaller town, close to those we love, spending time with others. wouldn't it be magical...