This past weekend was a bit rare for us: Jonas and I WENT somewhere! Without kids!
My friend Danika from college was getting married way up north, in Biwabik MN. Biwabik is 1.5 hours north of Duluth, on a good day (i.e. no crazy MN snow storms, etc.). Renee and Jon kindly volunteered to come to our house and spend the night with our kids so we could attend this wedding, so obviously we said YES. Jonas had a church meeting from 9-10:30 on Saturday morning, and then we headed out on our road trip around 11:00 a.m.
It's truly amazing to me how fast and how light I can pack when there are no kids involved. Mind-blowing.
We were just driving 3+ hours north in our same state, but it's amazing what a difference that makes in the scenery and fall leaf colors. I feel like we passed through at LEAST three separate climate zones. ;)
I didn't bring my camera because:
1. Jonas and I are rarely alone for that amount of time, and I wanted to just "be" rather than "document" the whole time.
2. The bride had asked people to focus on enjoying the wedding rather than taking lots of their own pictures...and possibly getting in the way of her professional photographer doing their job correctly. ;) I fully agreed with this sentiment, and I do love to follow the rules!
3. Now that we have kids it feels silly to take pictures of just the two of us. Or scenery!
We arrived early, of course, per my eternal goal to never be late for anything. We drove around the town for 4 or 5 passes, then made our way to the church and marveled at the difference between small town and "big city" living. ;)
The wedding itself was lovely, and it was so fun to see a few friends from college there as well! Danika has been a missionary for the last 10 years of life since college and has spend the majority of that time in Afghanistan and Taiwan. For this, I SO admire her. I'm sure she has wanted to be married in that time, and I'm sure trusting to the timing God might have had in her life was a struggle at times, but my friends...she didn't let the fact that she wasn't married in ANY way stop her from living a life of complete purpose and meaning in the Kingdom of God. She went to scary lands, alone, knowing that God's direction in her life was far more important than a guy next to her.
I. Love. That.
I don't know her entire thought process related to this, if any, but I just love that. Were she to have never gotten married, were she to never have any kids...her life would still be JUST as meaningful and purpose-filled as anyone married with kids. Her situation, or those relationships in/not in her life, did NOT define her to God. Or to me. I just love her. :)
Anyway, I'm very glad she HAS gotten married, because it was something she wanted. So we wanted it for her. :) She married a great guy from India, and I can't wait to see the future unfold for two people who lived such great individual lives for God...what will their future look like TOGETHER? Exciting stuff!! :)
The most fun part of the wedding for me was actually our dinner companions. We sat at a table of 8 with two other couples from college, and it was great to catch up with them for sure, but our conversation was very...expected. Not BAD in any way, it's just that we're all sort of at the same stages of life together, and while it's great to rejoice at houses bought and children we have, it also feels like a somewhat "small" conversations at time, if that's all that is discussed. However, we had two dark horses join us: two guys, who looked to be in their early to mid 40's, asked to sit at our table with us. At first they were very quiet, just listening a lot, but as time went on it became very clear to us that these were maybe the coolest people you or I have pretty much ever met (well, okay, maybe not Scooter...but we all know we can't be at his level of schmoozing big-name people every day!). Maybe I should say the coolest "ordinary" people you or I have ever met. :)
Both men worked with an organization out of Colorado Springs, CO, that focuses on Afghanistan and Afghan refugees. So, they knew the groom well because he had started a church in India to minister to Afghan refugees.
Guy #1: (We have forgotten their names at this point because we were sort of in shock at their life stories!). Successful Doctor. Leaves regular medical practice because he is tired of treating people who don't take care of themselves and don't treasure the gift of health. He regularly travels to Afghanistan to train Afghan doctors on how to treat their own people, mostly in preventative medicine. On one of these missions in 2012 he was CAPTURED by the TALIBAN and had to be rescued by Navy Seals!! I remember this! He was in the news! If you don't remember, here's a link to one news clipping from the event: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/colo-doctor-rescued-taliban-capture-article-1.1216514 Keep in mind he's the most quiet, humble guy you will ever meet...and the only reason we found this out is because he left the table for a moment and his companion gave his story away! *jaws dropped all around* Of course, he has 6 kids too, a very successful 20-year marriage, etc. AND he has continued to go back to Afghanistan and do his training, no matter what.
Guy #2: Married his wife at age 18. Been married for 20+ years already. Has TWELVE children: 4 biological, 6 adopted. Each child they adopted they also fostered, AND they have fostered many, many more children on top of the ones they already have. The stories he told were heartbreaking and heartwarming to to highest extent possible. The whole family moved to Sierra Leone for a few years to be missionaries...they didn't leave when the U.S Embassy told them to (NOT cool, in my book...), or when the Sierra Leone government told them to, but they finally left when they felt like the lives of their many children were in serious danger. His work over there was to start many small businesses to help the people be self sustaining and thrive on their own. Each and every business he started is fully operational, years later now, and creating amazing opportunities for people there. And he has absolutely nothing to do with them currently--he just brought a few ideas, got the ball rolling, and then left it in the hands of highly trained native peoples. LOVE that! His family has moved 20 times in their 20+ years of marriage due to his previous job, so his wife home-schools his twelve children. No biggie. On top of the work they now do with Afghan refugees, he and his wife are looking to buy an 80 acre piece of land in Missouri where they can create a home for children who age-out of the foster system there. Heart of GOLD, guys. Again, totally humble and completely winning in personality. If my checkbook had been on me I'm pretty sure I would have written him a check.
These guys were so INSPIRING to talk to. As we drove away Jonas asked me if talking to people like that made me feel guilty, or feel like our lives should look exactly like their lives, etc. Nope. Not at all. What they did inspire in me was the desire to live a large life...to not get sucked into living a small, me/us-only-centered life and to totally protect and insulate my family. They made me want to live big IN my current life, not change my current life, you know? I think that's a big difference. We aren't all called to travel to Afghanistan to train medical doctors, obviously. But we are all called to something in our current lives, right NOW, and I don't want to miss out on that for sure!! :)
Great times. Best dinner conversation in ages!
After the wedding we drove back to stay at the lake home of a dear friend's parents...the same place I took the kids to this past summer when our power was out for days and Jonas had to leave, same day, for Amsterdam. :) Guys, I was asleep by 9:30 and got TEN hours of sleep. TEN! It has literally--LITERALLY, Renee--been years. It was heaven on earth to me.
We slowly got ready for the day and then headed into Duluth, right on the canal, to have breakfast at Amazing Grace Cafe. Delicious stuff.
A slow drive home in the beautiful, sunny weather...and then we were home again. Jonas did a lot of work in the yard/outside, getting ready for winter, and I just SAT inside, pretty much. ;)
At 4:30 on Sunday we headed over to my parent's house to celebrate the Birthday of my Dad and brother Dan. Jonas grilled the best steaks we have had at our house in a loooong time (bravo, honey!), and we had a great dinner together with Greg and Andrea in town from Rochester, and we even got to meet Dan's new girlfriend!
Fun, delightful times.
The End.
p.s. The kids both got to bed at least an hour late last night. Finn still got up at 5:45 a.m. this morning, but Layla at least slept until 7:45. Good girl. :) Finn is just WAY too perky at such early hours of the day.
