With and For

Today we celebrate two fun things – my birthday and our friend Rita’s wedding. Woke up this morning to breakfast in bed and a treasure hunt! It was a lot more challenging than I thought but it led to a great surprise gift of concert tickets. One of the best parts of the day however was a surprise gift my wife spent lots of time on – a hardback, bound book with advice from men I love and admire closely and from a distant who are also dad’s – including our own.

Here’s an excerpt of some of my favorites:

“… as the salmon instinctually makes waves up stream to find it’s place of conception so shall you find your inner parent which will spring forth like a tiger when called upon.” – Alex Dow

“Oh yes my son and daughter you will be willing to sacrifice for this new slice of your lives together…” - Ron Parks

excerpt of pic from the book. Parents to be with their dads

“If you want to travel with the baby, 4 months is much easier than 11 months!” – Seth Clarkson

“Know you don’t know what you are doing and that knowledge will free you from having to know what you’re doing.” – Eric Iverson

“Always take time to listen to your child” – Al Cecka

“Being a great father is like shaving. No matter how good you shaved today, you have to do it again tomorrow.” – Reed Markham

So those are a few of the quotes. Thanks to those great guys for their wisdom and willingness to share. Speaking of one of those dad’s we looked outside this morning to see Eric (the same Eric quoted above) who lives upstairs mowing the lawn. He wasn’t alone however… he’s an awesome dad. Here’s a fun picture of Isaiah jamming with dad and helping mow the lawn.

Working the corn roast once again, Theresa is scheduling those who roast, shuck, dip in butter and hand out thousands of cobs of sweet corn each day. One of Tom’s best friends since kindergarten, James moved to Minneapolis about a month ago and this seemed like as good of an idea as any to “be Minnesotan.” While Theresa grew up working and going to the Minnesota State Fair, Tom and James are outsiders. From my (Tom’s) take on it… it’s food on a stick (from pizza and yes beer on a stick) to deep fried everything. There are some other more conventional items but mostly it’s a great way to spend lots of money and leave questioning why. It is a lot of great people getting together though to enjoy the outdoors and maybe pet a baby animal or two. Here are some picks from Tom eating a deep fried Snickers bar and Theresa and James enjoying a State Fair tradition – Sweet Martha’s Cookies.

deep fried AND on a stick… double whammy
in anticipation…unsure of the first bite, Theresa showed James what to do…

This past weekend we went with our friends Sam, Alicia, Eric & Jaime to Interstate Park in St. Croix, WI to camp and enjoy the quiet of the outdoors. It was incredibly relaxing and fun to catch up and hang out with some friends. Luckily Sam had a box of camp gear so we weren’t completely out of luck when it came to cooking food. Our endeavors with the brats before everyone arrived was not so successful.

brats anyone?

well-done… very well done

the site, making dinner

Sam and his heaven-sent coleman gas grill

We’re moving somewhere in the world… into the realm of station wagons. We’re justifying it by the fact that it seems kind of sporty but let’s be honest – we got it for the safety features for our incubating child. So for those of you who know Theresa you know this is a switch from no car for 3 years to the new mobility of being a vehicle owner. And for those of you that know me you know I’ve had the same ’93 Eclipse for almost 8 years. We bought this one and sold the other one in the same day. Here’s a photo of new ride. On a more serious note, we’re considering starting a new modeling agency for pregnant women to get the sex appeal of family friendly vehicles. We’ll keep you posted

To say it has been a while is true. The last several months of our lives have provided lots of stories that cannot be categorized and retold here but here’s our effort to give a summary of our beautiful and life changing summer in San Francisco.

We were again doing a summer in a new community as part of our job at YouthWorks – a youth missions organization. Essentially we facilitated week long service projects for high schoolers in the city of San Francisco. We ran children’s programs, volunteered at various places such as St. Anthony’s, San Francisco Food Bank, Glide Memorial Church and Page Street Baptist Center to name a few. We were part of a team of 4 which eventually turned into 5. We were joined by three midwest woman – Maria, Martha and Emma. They were lots of fun, challenged us to see things differently and a huge of support to our marriage. 

In this new season of learning about the city we had to learn how to DO ministry and BE ministering to new faces around us. It was difficult at first to see what this was going to look like. We had a lot growing moments; living on the floor of a church building that was used almost constantly,  leading a team of people who were experiencing a brand new chapter in their lives, and well, just learning how to be husband and wife in the midst of it all.

It was a big learning curve for us, but one that we are both thankful for. 

In the beginning of this season we were also extremely surprised by something that neither of us expected (in the least bit-for sure), well, not at least for a few years. About 2 weeks into the summer, I (Theresa) started feeling a bit strange in my eatings habits. The biggest one being  that I started to be someone I never wanted to be-I started hating coffee. Which, we thought was just weird. Really, Tom nor I really understood why. Until we finally gave into our suspicions and bought a home pregnancy test. And sure enough, it was +! In the small staff bathroom of this church in San Fran, we were standing there shocked. Laughing a little and crying a little bit too, we couldn’t really believe it at first. 

Thankfully, the shock has since warn off and throughout our summer, we had a lot of support from each other and others. Which was a huge blessing. 

We finished off the summer well and had a lot of fun yet challenging moments. Both of us missing home quite a bit, it has been so great to come home to Minneapolis and be among friends, family, community, our neighborhood, etc. 

In this new, undetermined season of becoming parents, we are quite aware of the fact that we don’t know much about what is ahead. So, we take it day by day and live in the belief that most days are filled with small things, small beginnings, small moments of joy and a lived-out hope that rests in love that is freely given.

Here are a few pics of what we have been doin’:

 Road Trip to PA for a good friends’ wedding. It was in a barn, how could we miss out?

BEFORE

AFTER

A friend of ours recently returned from 7 months in the U.K. and spent the last several weeks of his time there asking this question. I don’t necessarily have an answer but I can tell you this is a question I have been asking myself quite a bit lately.

As many of you know Theresa and I work for an organization called YouthWorks. For 9 months out of the year we recruit, interview and hire 300 college and post-college aged staff to live and work in 66 different communities in North America to lead and facilitate summer youth mission trips. The other 3 months of the year our job takes us to one or more of these 66 communities. This summer we will be living and working together in San Francisco.  We will lead with two others in a team of four, live in a church (see the ”Where We Live” section to find our address and send us mail!), and learn from the people of San Francisco we have yet to meet.

The summer seems to be a season of change for many. There are several people who have been a large part of our lives here in Minneapolis who will not be here when we return - they are also asking what it means to leave this place.

So leaving this place to me means leaving bike rides on the greenway, Saturdays on the front stoop drinking coffee, knocks on the back door from Hope (the little girls upstairs), friends at Solomon’s Porch and mourning those who won’t be here when we get back in August. We are excited for what’s to come and in anticipation of those we have yet to meet and places we have yet to see. Stay tuned for more regular updates and pictures on what’s happening during our summer. We leave for Denver this Wednesday to visit friends and get ready to leave for the summer.

In the middle of so many lives. Speaking so many words. Seeing so many loved ones in our midst. Feeling somewhat overwhelmed that it was actually happening. All of me and all of him. In the many moments where I saw only Tom, it was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. Not perfection or eternal happiness, but instead real living that happens in the midst of God’s will. Barefoot. Crying. Smiling. Soaking up the thickness of the love I felt around me. Like I said, it was more beautiful than I ever could have imagined.

..and more beautiful than I can remember.

It was one day. The best day. But one day. All the days since have been filled. Quickly filled. Restfulness seems to be an important part of our lives. Walking alongside each other, our life is more deeply lived with the other.

With just a week left we are so joyful for the wonderful celebration this weekend! This time has gone by fast but has also been a gracious time of learning, loving, and laughing. We have partnered in a lot of the planning which has been great, but it couldn’t have happened without the help of so many people who have been such a huge help!

We are heavily anticipating your presence this weekend!

Moons of Honey cabins

“The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them” Thomas Merton

Of the many lessons I learn from Tom (author, yes. But, meaning, my fiance) this is one the most defining ones that I can reflect on again and again as this daily journey of being loved and in love continues.  We seem to be always reminding each other of this truth. In once sense this seems easy to figure out. Kind of like opposites attract. Or like those moments when you let the other one get their way or make the decision. I believe that it goes deeper than that. It has to do with self-denial. Not the kind that brings you to the pits of yourself, but the kind that leads you to live and love others before yourself. It has to do with submission. The kind that leads you to live humbly before your family, friends, neighbors and strangers. Tom, has led me in this in countless ways.

I heard from a wise friend once, that teachability is sourced from how we respond to our mistakes. Our own, not anothers. These words stay close to me and to Tom as well, a daily liquid life lesson.

The Wedding is going to be a blast! Tom and I have some surprises up our sleeves. The planning is thick right now. Hours spent talking, working through, calling. Tom and I both are very thankful for all the helping hands and ideas/thoughts from family and friends in this time. Now, the goal is to not let it take over our daily lives/thoughts/conversations. I can see how it is so hard. I think about it so much!

We would love to hear you listening along to some new tunes that we have been mentally dancing to these last few weeks. To check out the website go to http://joshgarrels.com. Within minutes, you will want to hear more. Promise.

We are so looking forward to the upcoming ceremony of vows, commitment, devotion. Your presence will be a blessing. Peace to you all.