Last month, Paul and I celebrated seven years of marriage. I went back and looked at blog posts from that time and this one in particular is my favorite. It feels like a blink and it feels like ages. How does it work that way?
Paul and I started dating when I was 21. It was the summer of 2006 and he was just about to head to the east coast for med school. We sat on the curb in front of my parents' house and considered the next decade. He was committed already to both to the Navy and to the medicine career track. As an almost senior in college without the hint of a job, I was the opposite of committed. I knew that a future with Paul would make his path part of mine...but a decade? Who, at twenty, can look forward a decade with any clarity?
I am glad that I couldn't. I am glad that when I looked forward it was an abstract idea that was worth exploring. And I am glad that we have spent the last 11 years turning that idea into something that works for us, one day at a time.
Ellerie will turn four next month. Piper is 18 months old. Paul will finish his residency in June. I've changed my career plan 23 times. Perhaps most unbelievable, this is our fifth spring in our San Diego house.
It feels like we're at the place we pictured 11 years ago while we sat in the dark on the curb.
Ah, this place. Yes, of course. It's a joy to be here.
There have been a lot of mistakes. There have been some crap days. But damn I'd do every deployment, every working weekend, every negative pregnancy test, every finger prick, every c-section, every late night, every panicked moment, every upset stomach, every move, every fight over nothing and every fight over something again to get right here.
I love that today is a new starting line. I love that tomorrow will be one too.
To celebrate right now, we had Tara Whitney at our house a few weeks ago to take some photos. I am so grateful to have captured this season of our lives. Thank you, Tara.
LINKS: our big box store indoor and outdoor stuff can mostly be found here. the art and photos on our walls is mostly DIY but there are also many gems from some of my favorite artists, Max Wanger (beach print), Elizabeth Chapman (abstract paintings), A House in the Hills (smoke bomb print), Electric Sun Creatives (brass wall hanging), Christopher David Ryan (abstract family), Kaylan Buteyn (abstract over our bed), Christi Ahee (ceramic bells), Crystal Moody (small Maya Angelou painting), Secret Holiday Co (It's Okay banner), Kal Barteski (text print in the girls' room), Dallas Clayton (now what? print), 3 fish studios (bear print). my dress is last fall from Ace&Jig. my jeans are high-rise skinny from Madewell. Piper's dresses are both Hanna Andersson and Ellerie's dress is Old Navy. our room tours (all a few years old at this point) can be found here. I don't blog much anymore but share a lot on instagram @elisejoy
