Family is Forever.

You know how time passes you by and you have an amazing experience and moment and you know you should write it down so you don't forget all the best bits, but then you never get around to writing it down. and a month passes by…and you finally take the time to put it into words and the best bits have slipped away from you. and you are left with brief moments and brief memories…and brief sentences. i wish i would have written about this sooner. i wish I never would have forgotten some of the best bits.

But I will do the best I can to relive this moment and the memories. Let's just say that I get chills when I think about this evening …this evening that Peter and I spent with family in the presence of the Lord.

So let the story begin - Peter and I were so abundantly blessed by a beautiful meal that we shared with my Uncle Bruce and Aunt Paulette. It all started when I invited myself and Peter over to their house in Tacoma for dinner. A rather bold request some may think, but nothing is too bold in this family! Plus, I figured my Uncle Bruce would find it rather amusing and thus wouldn't be able to refuse the request (and I was right - he didn't!!)

I should first mention just WHO these people are exactly - my Uncle Bruce is my dads brother and such a character, while my aunt is such a beautiful compliment to him. She is so warm, patient, compassionate, and so kind. Now please keep in mind that I am not saying my Uncle is NOT these things because he is…but you get the point! And then to top off all these already great characteristics - they are true prayer warriors and they love Jesus.

So Peter and i ventured south to Tacoma one Sunday evening and we were blessed so abundantly. Have I said that yet? I will continue to say it throughout this post…so I suppose there are some things I didn't forget. i was overwhelmed by the grace of these people and the grace of the Lord. They truly spoke to our hearts about so many things and it was so beautiful to see the way the Lord spoke through them. We talked about marriage and family. We shared stories, advice, wisdom and tears.

Over the past few months I had been telling Peter that I just feel as though we have been created for so much more than the life we are currently living! I just feel as though He desires more from us and our marriage, and my aunt and uncle spoke directly into that. Words cannot describe the joy, the sense of healing, and the abundant blessing of this time- thus I will stop trying!

But I left Tacoma feeling so alive, refreshed and renewed. I left Tacoma with a deep thirst for the Lord, a yearning to draw closer to Him, and a deep sense of gratitude for family, faith, and love. And I am so thankful that this family, this faith and this love last forever!