linkshomeblogaboutshopsponsor

Friday, January 16, 2015

We Are Groot.


Seasons come, spinning around us with dizzying rapidity and then they're gone.  There are seasons that we all look forward to, that Someday that seems to be always on the far distant horizon for your entire life.  Then one day you realize that Someday has come.  That Someday has been right here all along, each day slipping into the next with the moments between appearing to be small, insignificant things, yet each one momentous.  


Twenty Fourteen was the first year of my life where I think I truly began to realize how near we all are to Someday.  How inseparable it is to Now.  How making the choice to invest patience and trust into someday will directly affect now in incredible ways that only become clear in hindsight.

I learned, experienced, felt, thought, saw, did so many things this last year that I never have before that just thinking about it all, I can feel a little smile creeping into the corner of my mouth that just won't go away.  A smile of absolute joy, tempered with memories of pain endured and conquered.  Hindsight gives us the grace to smile, wryly, post pain.  That wryness goes along with joy, because perspective is everything to understanding and I want to constantly seek the balance.
That smile's been a long time in the making.

In exchange for it, I lost my voice for awhile - my voice to write, even for a time to know who I was.

But when we loose sight of ourselves, when everything else becomes a blur, that's when we can truly see God for all that He is to us.  When the only clarity is looking at Him - that's when we can truly see were we should go next.

And let me tell you, His plans for us are so indescribably better than anything we might dream of for ourselves.  Letting go and following His lead is the most incredible adventure you will ever have.

When you delight in the Lord, He will give you the desires of your heart.

That was Twenty Fourteen.



My best friend was courted, engaged, and married, and I was a Maid of Honor.  I made her wedding dress, too.  It was all wild and wonderful and bewildering and beautiful.  I climbed a bunch of mountains and did some canoeing and some shooting and went to so many dances.  I studied French for a bit and loved it, and this year my taste in music exploded and I fell in love with Daughtry and Burlap to Cashmere and Explosions in the Sky and Chris Thile and Journey and The Fray.  I started karate and earned my yellow belt.  Orange next.  Committed.
I sewed a bunch of fun clothes that I never blogged about because reasons!  Like living too hard.  No excuse, I know.  Because dream dresses designed for summer swing dances should be blogged!  
I still plan to.

Camping and double rainbows and huckleberrying and moonlight swims and RV road trips to Montana and so many adventures with friends happened in Twenty Fourteen.

My studio has been blessed like crazy, and since releasing my first tulle skirt design in 2013 I've sewed through approximately 2500 yards of tulle.

In November I moved in to town and bought clothes hangers and thrifted twinkle lights and sacks of groceries and endless bolts of tulle and satin to set up house and shop in the second floor of my brother's new place. One of those gracious old houses you see from the street and just ache to decorate and wonder who has lived and loved and laughed inside in time past.

And now it's me, doing all those things under this roof and finding my world exploding with adventures ahead.

I packed up the wall tent snug for next year and left the bus studio to be turned into a giant dollhouse by my sisters, which is perfect.  That bus is the stuff that imagination and creativity were made to live in.  




But one thing I received this year eclipses all the others, is intertwined in every memory I made this year and inextricably bound to every experience I had.
Slowly, gently at first but picking up momentum as the months went by, and I knew.

Someday, that someday, had come.

Christopher had long been a treasured friendship in my life, but God didn't let it stop there.
This amazing, passionate, insanely talented human came after my heart and he won it.


The most incredible thing about this human is that rather than storing my heart in his keeping, he's led me on a journey toward Christ, walking together, pursuing Him. This heart is filled with joy overflowing.


He's asked me to ride giant roller coasters, wear a gi, punch him, listen to Daughtry, eat SPAM, drive his Jeep, Yori ashi, climb mountains, show him how to do things I love like fashion and photography and brussels sprout sautéing, sweat, shoot, ski, dance like crazy, talk shop and life and dreams, concoct spoonerisms, pray with him.

We've had the time of our lives experiencing all of it together.  Somehow things I never thought I'd ever want to do (like pushups, or training Shotokan karate) have become part of the thrilling adventure called life.  Training and sweating and learning new katas is an exciting challenge to constantly learn more as Christopher builds the Christian Karate dojos of Post Falls and Athol.

Besides, I've always liked to kick things.


On the evening of the 4th, Christopher asked me to go strolling in a young blizzard and watch the snow falling over the old fashioned street lamps in a sleeping town.  We talked and talked about all the things and slowly froze without noticing a bit. I could see our reflections in the occasional shop window and I looked like the abominable snowman with white snow-covered hair streaming off my head like dreads.  Our footprints made tracks all over the town and the quiet neighborhood streets in fresh, deep snow.
It was perfect and delicious and magical, but I certainly suspected nothing that night.

Then when the love of my life suddenly dropped to one knee under one of said lamp posts and asked me to marry him, I stood still for a moment and froze that piece of time in my memory forever.
The joy, the laughter, the pain, the adventures we've shared and those that lie ahead in unimaginable beauty. 

And I said yes.


We're getting married in May.  Life is unbelievably glorious and whoever came up with the idea that planning a wedding and keeping on living life and mapping out a whole brand new life together forever with your favorite person all while being engulfed with sappiness is actually a viable option should definitely either be commended or fired for their outrageous optimism.

And God is good, all the time.


We are Groot.

40 comments:

  1. Stories are the kernels of life and what a beautiful story you have to tell! What an exciting future lies ahead in a new journal now begging to have it's pages filled. I am so happy for all of your adventures in 2014 that fueled the new relationship with Christopher to grow into something you both treasure and find the platform to build a new life together. Congratulations my sweet Friend and many blessing to you both!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Congratulations, Kellie (and Christopher)! :) So happy for you!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. So, I'm just sitting here crying - I'm so happy. I can't even find words to say how happy I am, how excited when I see what the Lord has done in your lives. You and Christopher are perfect together. Love that first photo of the two of you!

    "Life is unbelievably glorious and whoever came up with the idea that planning a wedding and keeping on living life and mapping out a whole brand new life together forever with your favorite person all while being engulfed with sappiness is actually a viable option should definitely either be commended or fired for their outrageous optimism." I told you so! ;D

    Love you so much my dearest friend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love you so much back, dearest friend! Yep, you called it... You know zactly what I'm talking about :D

      Delete
  4. So happy for you Kellie!!!! Your ring is beautiful!:)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow! That is so exciting to hear!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Congratulations, Kellie!! I'm so happy for you and Christopher. I'll be praying for you both as you prepare for this new, wonderful adventure together. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. So exciting Kellie. I've been following your blog for almost...4 years....has it really been that long already? I am so happy for you to have found that special someone.... you are a special and talented lady.

    Iris♥
    Feminine Modesty

    ReplyDelete
  8. Congratulations lovely lady! Sometimes life just needs to be lived and the memories held close to your chest because the sharing would make them feel less precious. Many, many days of love and happiness for you.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Okay I'm crying oh my gosh.

    CONGRATS Kellie and Christopher!

    The fact that you ended the post with those words jusy about killed me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hannah Mary - you, my dear, made my day. Thank you so much for that. ;D

      Delete
  10. Congratulations!!! I'm so happy for you both right now!! :) God always has the right plan!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am so happy for you Kellie! God IS good!

    Blessings with all my heart!

    Brigid
    the Middle Sister and Singer

    ReplyDelete
  12. Congratulations, so very happy for you. ~ Abby

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm SO happy for you right now! I've been following your blog four at least 2 years and am hoping you'll post about your own dress and wedding details now! :) May God bless you two!

    ReplyDelete
  14. The sacrament of marriage and the family life and souls that springs forth from it is truly one of the most beautiful blessings God has given us! :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Congratulations!!! You two are so cute, and what a pretty ring.
    Kimberly

    ReplyDelete
  16. I could not be happier, just to see you and Tasha so happy with all these wonderful events in your lives makes me want to tear up. Happiness is such a glorious feeling!! Can't wait to see all the fun things you come up with planning this wedding. Much love to you my sweet Kellie!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Dinah Raye! I've missed you so much and your comment was so special :) Much love to you back, dear friend!!

      Delete
  17. You dropped off the planet for like ,a long time and then you hit me with a ton of bricks!
    Congratulations! Will we see a lot of wedding planning? Love, Stevie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw… I guess I naturally lean toward the dramatic announcement ;) I've missed blogging so much, and can't wait to get back into it!
      I guarantee you will. :)

      Delete
    2. Woohoo...yeah for ins on wedding planning! :) <3

      Delete
  18. Squee!! I am SO excited for you Kellie! I know that God will bless you in this new journey of your life :D

    xoxo,
    -Charlotte
    boyerfamilysingersblog.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Kellie, I'm SO happy for you and Christopher and I wish you all the best!!!! This whole post gave me warm fuzzies. :D

    ReplyDelete
  20. Congratulations!! So happy for you both!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Ahhh! Congratulations to you and Christopher! I've certainly missed your posts, but obviously you were quite busy living life to the fullest. Between you and Tasha, I think that there must be something pretty potent in the Idaho air lately... ;) Best wishes and thank you so much for sharing your joy with us, Kellie!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Congratulations, Kellie! That is a sweet, sweet story, and I hope the years that follow just get deeper and wider and richer for both of you!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Kellie, I've been following your blog for a few years now. I am so incredibly happy and inspired by your life. You are a beautiful woman, and I know God will bless you because of your faith. <3 I wish you two the best.

    love,
    sami

    ReplyDelete
  24. This post is beautiful! It's perfect in every way--the words, the photos--your skills in both never fail to blow me away with their beauty and then....THE ENGAGEMENT! You and your blog have always been a great inspiration to me and when you disappeared, I suspected ;)....and now....Kellie, I am just SO happy for you!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Adding my congratulations to the overflowing pot here. :-) God bless you both in this new chapter of your lives....

    ...and keep you sane while you plan your dream wedding, m'dear!!! ;-)
    God bless,
    ~"Tom Wild Rose"~

    ReplyDelete
  26. Congratulations!!!!! I loved this post, and it got even better when I read your proposal story. Your ring is perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Oh, my goodness!!!!!! That is sooooo exciting!! I'm so happy for you ( and Christopher.)

    Ann

    ReplyDelete
  28. This is so brilliant and wonderful! Congratulations and may God bless you both on your journey together. XD

    ReplyDelete
  29. Congratulation Kellie!! I am so happy for you!! May the LORD bless you in this special season, and the year ahead.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Congratulations on your engagement! You are a beautiful couple! Lovely selection of photos from throughout the year.

    ReplyDelete
  31. I have been reading your blog for a while now, but I've always been to shy to leave a comment! But after reading this post, I simply must send you my congratulations and best wishes!
    - from a reader in Australia:)

    ReplyDelete
  32. This post makes me happy! You wrote about it so beautifully. :-) May you both continue to be so blessed.

    ReplyDelete
  33. AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!! I'm so happy for you, dear! you two are adorbs, and your ring is absolutely gorgeous. you definitely are "groot" together. ;) may the Lord bless you both! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  34. Soooooooo excited and happy for you, Kellie! When I saw the announcement on Instagram, I was kinda shocked at first, as I totally wasn't expecting that, but it didn't take long for me to be giddy with excitement for you. I hope you're planning on telling your guys story, as I wanna know! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  35. Thank you so much, everyone!! Your excitement and encouragement mean so much to us. I'm thankful for every one of you. <3

    ReplyDelete

You're about to make my day! Thanks so much for leaving a comment - I absolutely love to hear from you!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...