We love living on the beautiful Oregon coast. It's a wonderful place to hide during winter rainstorms and yet it also allows for opportunities to discover unique bookstores or inexpensive (yet tasty) restaurants. We also love opportunities to connect with friends from “the valley” who need to get away from the bustle of life for a day or so and choose our home as their destination. When we're not serving and working at Twin Rocks Friends Camp, we enjoy playing board games, reading, cooking, and playing (or watching) tennis.

Early on in our marriage it was fun to discover that we have both been avid journalers since childhood. Not too long ago, we pulled out our journals from the years past and began reading bits and pieces to each other. It was a rich experience to be able to share silly dreams and heartfelt memories through the lens of ourselves way back when. We laughed, guffawed, and even encouraged each other during this meaningful journey through our pasts. It was a glimpse into the power and potential of the written word.

At the heart of marriage is the balance between privacy and community. Marriage, to be sure, is an intimate matter, the making of a partnership that knits two people together in secret and inside ways…But it is a pernicious myth of modernity that marriage is merely private: marriage is also a community endeavor. It is your friends and family who help you stay straight and true when your marriage feels too crooked or curvy. (Lauren Winner, Mudhouse Sabbath)