***
the military ball was last weekend. i wore a little strapless red dress with black heels and i felt absolutely beautiful. all the real pictures were taken on Ethan's friend's phone, so all i have right now are some sorry attempts self-portraits. :)
unlike last year, i was mentally present for the ball this year. i took in the tradition of the ceremony, really listened to the words of the speakers... this year, i realized how Ethan is truly a part of history and how amazing it is that i get to be a part of it. it was one of those moments where i connected the sacrifice our forefathers made to the place i stand today and it felt big and symbolic.
the ball wasn't nearly my favorite part of the weekend, though. i'm not one for hob-knobbing and making small talk with people i barely know.
my favorite moments of the weekend were:
+getting a gorgeous hotel on the marina--complete with palm trees, a waterfall in the lobby, and a hot tub overlooking the ocean. it was FABULOUS. i never wanted to leave.
+the downpour of rain right as we got to our hotel. this prompted us to throw on our jeans, sweatshirts, and to drive to the nearest drive-thru to get 11pm lattes.
+a cloudy, cold morning in San Diego. more sweatshirts and lattes, followed by a 9am hot tub sesh.
(our morning view.)
+exploring San Diego. we went to Coronado Island, where i quickly fell in LOVE. we grabbed more coffee in a darling little cafe and played Scrabble while listening to country music play over the speakers<3 it was dreamy.
(sunset walk.)
we also walked on the beach, where we saw the most gorgeous sunset i've ever seen in my life.
(these pictures were taken on Ethan's not-very-good phone. i wished so badly we had a way to come close to capturing how incredible it was.)
i actually found myself crying and asking Ethan to pray for me. after pulling me under his arm and praying a quick prayer, he asked me what was going on. i told him my heart hurt and he asked me why. i didn't respond for a long time, but when i finally answered him, i said, "so much longing." it was one of those moments where the beauty made me long for my true home. and that began to hurt.
after the sun had set, Ethan and i headed to downtown San Diego, where i once again fell in love, but for completely different reasons. the city felt charming and alive. we ate tacos and drank margaritas and watched college basketball on the tv and made wagers on who would win. we ended the evening by walking the sidewalks and browsing the shops and people-watching and feeling the sky mist us with sprinkles.
San Diego was magical for me. it made me feel alive. i already can't wait to go back.
+building a bonfire and making s'mores in my backyard.
***
a year ago today, i had just said good-bye to Ethan and said hello to what would be 7 months apart for us. tonight, i am thankful that this year is different. i am thankful that, this year, we'll be able to have our first Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year's together.
***
hooked on these songs lately:
1. this one was a little hard for me to get into, but as soon as the chorus hit, oh, it was on:) this band is pretty fantastic.
2. this one is soft, sweet, romantic. it makes me feel a million beautiful things all at once.
***
looking forward to a quiet night of laundry and worship while i work on the picture collage for my wall:)
goodnight, xoxo.
0 comments:
Post a Comment