Quick Before I Get Sidetrack'd

Today Matt celebrates one of the big ones – the big 3-0.  Happy birthday to the man who has blessed my life in so many ways, to the man who is such a loving father to our children, to the man who loves me even when I don’t feel very loveable.  I hope we celebrate many, many more big birthdays together.  I am so proud to be your wife.

As I was writing the posts last week about our trip to Granny and Papa’s house, memories kept surfacing of the times we’ve spent there.

The memories for Matt go back to the beginning.  He remembers when the land was just that, land, filled with trees and potential.  He remembers the steps along the way to completing the house and Granny and Papa making the move out there.  He has fond childhood memories of summer visits, playing in the creek, fishing in the pond, and walking in the woods.  He always said he wished he could spend the whole summer at Granny and Papa’s instead of only a week.

There are also lots of memories that we’ve made there together.  My first visit was just over 10 years ago.  Matt and I had only been dating a few months, and he took me to meet his grandparents while we were in town for Spring Break from college.  I fell in love with his grandparents and their place immediately and am very thankful that I’m still visiting a decade later and have so many good times to reflect on.

This was the place we were married.  In the kitchen we ate chicken salad sandwiches as we waited for time for the ceremony.  In Granny’s huge garden we were photographed with our families.  Under a rose arbor we pledged our love for each other as we said our vows.

This was the place we made our first home.  The first two months of our married life we lived in the little house on Granny and Papa’s property (originally built for Matt’s great-grandmother).  We would come home in the evenings to find fresh picked tomatoes sitting on our back porch railing; we would go into the garden to pick corn from the stalk and blueberries straight from the bush.  We would go down the driveway every Thursday evening to sit on the screened porch and chat.  It was a special season in our life for many reasons, not the least of which was Matt finally getting to spend the whole summer at Granny and Papa’s house.

And now we have memories there with our children.  Little standing beside the Christmas tree.  A trip to play in the creek with her Daddy.  Boo in Papa’s lap.  Granny and Papa loving our children like they’ve always loved Matt.

I am thankful for all the memories we’ve created on the farm and especially with Granny and Papa.  It is sad to see it go, but it will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Yesterday, marked the seventh anniversary of Matt’s and my marriage.  A lot has changed since we got married at the ripe old age of 22, but we’ve come through those changes together and our marriage is only stronger for it.  We’ve had our share of ups and downs, but the good times far outweigh the bad.  We’ve stuck together and entrusted our marriage to God, and we are blessed beyond measure.

God has given me a loving, tender, God-seeking man and my life is so much better for having you in it.  You are a wonderful husband, a wonderful father, and a wonderful friend.  I can’t imagine how my life might be if our paths hadn’t crossed all those years ago.

Seven years, six moves, three cities, two kids later; and I’m more in love with you than ever.  Happy anniversary, Matt!

Today, like everyday, I give thanks for my husband.

Matt and I met just over 10 years ago in our first class (Monday, 8 am, American History) Freshman year of college. If you ask him the first thing he remembers about me he will tell you that I laughed at him one day in class. Although I don’t recall the incident that he does, I do know that he made an impression on me immediately. Through 6.5 years of marriage we have shared wonderful times, wonderful dreams, and wonderful adventures. We’ve also shared difficult times like all couples, but I prefer to dwell on the good.

I am thankful that Matt is a loving man and loves me even when I’m hard to love. I am thankful that we have enjoyed 10 years together and are looking forward to many more. I am thankful that he is a hardworking man who longs to care for his family to the best of his ability. I am thankful that Matt is an honest man and a man of integrity. I am thankful for his quiet strength. I am thankful for his deep thoughtfulness and intellect. I am thankful that he is a man of principles and values and will stand for what he believes in. And most of all, I am thankful that he seeks the face of God for in all things.

To Matt (I know you’re reading) – I love you and am so very thankful for you, our marriage, and our family.

Matt has worked in the University of Tennessee system since he completed his Master’s degree four years ago. A few months ago he decided that he liked the idea of leaving academia for the private sector, and we embarked on a season of prayer and conversation about his job.

The first weekend in June, Matt spent a copious amount of time preparing his resume and Pushcart Labs, his web portfolio. His hard work paid off when he submitted a resume the following Tuesday and received an e-mail reply within hours. On Wednesday morning he spoke with the CEO of the company, on Wednesday afternoon he spoke with the person he will be working alongside, and by Wednesday evening he had an interview scheduled for Wednesday the 20th.

This job opportunity was one reason our trip last week was a bit hectic. We headed to Nashville on Tuesday afternoon, Matt interviewed for the position on Wednesday afternoon, and Thursday afternoon he was offered and accepted the job over the phone as we drove to his parents’ house in Georgia.

We spent time Friday, Saturday, and Sunday – around wedding preparations, family time, rehearsal dinner, wedding, etc – doing online research on places to live; Nashville is my hometown, so it made things a bit easier in that we knew the areas where we wanted to focus our search. We are planning to rent for a couple of years; I’m sure finding an apartment is much easier than trying to find and buy a house long distance and on short notice. Early Monday morning we left Georgia headed back to Nashville hoping to find a place we liked that would be available in the time frame we needed.

Through God’s provision, the second complex on our list had three bedroom apartments available when we need to move. Our unit has close to the same square footage as our current house, an open floor plan in the kitchen/living room/family room/dining room, a large balcony, and a big master bath (something we’ve not had before). The complex has multiple pools, including an indoor pool that is open year round, and other nice amenities. We feel very blessed to have found a place so quickly, and that, so far anyway, things have gone smoothly.

The next task, when we returned home, was finding a realtor and getting our house on the market. Matt was able to get in touch with someone Tuesday afternoon, we met with her last night, and our listing should go up today. We are hopeful that we will sell quickly as we are in a great school district and our house lists for under $150,000, both of which are a bit difficult to come by in our area. The realtor seemed confidant that we should sell with no problem (but she’s paid to say that, isn’t she?); she said that though the market as a whole is pretty bad right now the market for “first-time” homes is still moving well.

Whatever happens, we know that God is sovereign over all and trust that He knows how everything will turn out in the end. We have been, and continue to be, prayerful through the process and are trying to be intentional toward making this about God’s righteousness and glory, not about our wants. It will be nice to move close to family, it will be nice for Matt to be in a job doing something for which he has a passion, it will be nice to see what happens in our lives as a result of this change; but if God is not glorified through us and through this, what have we really accomplished?