On Saturday I came home from an afternoon of running errands to find two beautiful, thoughtfully compiled magazines in my mailbox – Southern Weddings V7 and Cottage Hill‘s Homecoming issue. Both publications are so much more than wedding magazines as they choose to focus on what a wedding signifies – the start of a new story where two lives become one for forever. Those who know me are all too familiar with my undying love for weddings and how my heart beats for strong, purpose-filled marriages. It was such a rejuvenating experience to be able to curl up with these intentional compilations of love stories, sage advice and encouragement to focus on what truly matters in life – those you love.

Armon and I are college sweethearts, actually! We met our freshman year at Baylor but it wasn’t until the second half of our sophomore year that we realized our relationship went deeper than friendship. It feels as though waiting was the constant theme of our relationship for the first three years thanks to years of long distance, Armon joining the Air Force, a semester I spent abroad, and so much more. After the first few months of dating, it became clear that we were waiting on forever. And while that waiting was filled with some lonely Friday nights, hundreds of frequent flier miles, and countless Skype dates, it was teaching us how to really appreciate what we now have. Our years of long distance dating gave us dozens upon dozens of love letters, a deep appreciation and respect for open and upfront communication, and the knowledge that together, we can weather any storm. The years of waiting to be together, to simply live in the same zip code, to exchange our “I do’s” prepared us to be overwhelmingly grateful for the simple things like going to the grocery store together or sharing Chinese take out on the floor of our living room. The waiting prepared us for the military life, for the seasons of long distance marriage and for the assignments that take us far from those we love. With so much practice under our belts, we know what it looks like to live in the midst of waiting, to be present in the moment and to celebrate what we have rather than fixate on what we don’t.

This Thanksgiving will be the first of our married life together that we aren’t sharing with our family back in Texas. Although it’s a little heart wrenching to know we are miles apart from our loved ones, I can’t help but be humbly grateful to be spending this holiday of giving thanks with the one I am most thankful for, just the two of us. I am grateful for intentional publications that encourage me to slow down and marvel at our unique story. I am grateful for the seasons of waiting and longing because they have made every day of our marriage sweeter than the last. And I am so grateful to run a business that benefits my marriage, my life and the lives of those I have the opportunity to connect with. I am grateful for each and every one of you, sweet friends.

Although I will be out of the studio November 26th – 28th for the Thanksgiving holiday, the shop will remain open and there just may be a big Small Business Saturday + Cyber Monday sale for any early shoppers out there. Wherever you are this week and whoever you’re celebrating with, sweet friends, I hope you make the time to reflect and take note of what abundant blessings fill your lives. xo