Jen Russum

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Hopes, Dreams, Fears

Lately, Micah and I have been going on walks. After-dinner walks to be exact.
I guess that’s what the second year of marriage brings…
A nice, healthy pastime that you can continue into your old age.
Our neighborhood at dusk.

It all started on Valentine’s Day this year. We’ve never been big on Valentine’s Day, so I made Micah a steak dinner, he brought home Tiramisu for dessert, and after we finished this mini-feast, he asked if I wanted to go on a walk. We put on jackets, left the front door unlocked and held hands as we did three laps around the neighborhood.
Us on Valentine’s Day
And we talked and talked and talked.
About our hopes, dreams, and fears.
I can’t even recall the exact conversation now, but I remember at the end we looked at each other and said, “Why don’t we do this more often?”
And now we do. Not all the time. But once every few weeks… we walk out the door after dinner, sometimes leaving the dishes sitting on the table, often wearing ridiculous outfits of sweats and over-sized t-shirts and flip-flops {okay, generally it’s just me in a ridiculous outfit} and we go outside and talk about life. About what’s on our minds and hearts. It’s a deeper conversation than the usual “How was your day?” It’s about the trials of days past and goals for the future and being thankful for everything God has given us today.
Sometimes we do just one lap {our neighborhood is a perfect 1/3 of a mile loop}, sometimes we do two, and sometimes we do three.
It just depends on how many hopes, dreams, and fears come flowing out on that particular night.
Our feet on the very first day of our journey together.
And we come home thankful and refreshed and close to one another.
And I’m thankful for these walks. For the legs that carry me. The husband who holds my hand. The mismatched pajamas that I usually wear. My stomach still full from dinner. The pretty neighborhood we live in. And mostly for the Lord who provides every good gift.
My cup overflows.

Comments

  1. My husband and I take walks together after dinner too. It started when we were in an apartment – that was the only exercise our pups got. Now we do it to have time together. 🙂 It's hard to want to do that though – it's so stinkin' hot now!

  2. This is such a precious post, Jen. I love it! Thanks for being so open about the way the Lord works in your marriage and the things you feel inspired to do.

    Josh and I enjoy going on walks together, too, or sometimes just a drive. I love when we have those out-of-the-ordinary conversations where the subject matter goes deeper than everyday conversation. It really refreshes me, and I think him as well.

  3. I just barely got back from a walk with my husband tonight 🙂 They're so great, and seriously, we need to do it more often. And bonus: you can wave to neighbors out on their front porch.

    Love this post.

  6. So sweet! I really enjoy those kinds of walks, too. A friend was just telling me that she and her husband have the best, most deep conversations when they get out of the house and do something simple together– like go for some ice cream or go for a walk. The simple things are the best things!

  7. We used to do this all the time too. Until we had kids…and then we had to buy a hot tub to get the same effect. Because apparently it's irresponsible to leave the house to go on walks, no matter how good it is for you marriage, when your kids are in bed sleeping. 🙂 Soak it up!