(last year)
we first discovered korakia pensione last year for our ninth anniversary. though we'd secured childcare for an anniversary getaway, we hadn't made any real plans. our anniversary is november 19th; on wednesday november 18th, 2014, i miscarried the baby who would've been our fourth child. it is hard to describe the grace that God displays during those times of sorrow. but if you've been through it, you know. hours before the miscarriage i'd had the sweetest time of prayer, alone in the early morning by the fire, the house still quiet, and though i was already sensing something was going wrong with the pregnancy, i told God i loved Him and trusted Him and cried tears of joy because i knew He was and would continue to be with me. He filled me with such peace. a difficult day followed that time of prayer, but all along He carried me.
the following day we were making last-minute plans for our getaway (we haven't tended to take trips for our anniversary; it is usually just a dinner out, so we'd been planning to stay local), and i couldn't bear to be at the stormy oregon coast. i told josh i needed the sun. we found last-minute tickets to palm springs, & a quick online search directed me to korakia pensione. the cost of airfare & lodging hadn't been planned for in our budget, but we felt the Lord's peace, so we booked them in faith. within hours we received word of a song placement for josh, & the entire cost of our trip was covered.
we stayed in a suite (behind josh in the second picture) with a fireplace and a stone tub opening up to a private patio, with a view of the san jacinto mountains. the Lord is so good, and His kindness truly overflows. since i was still bleeding i couldn't be in the pool, or in a bathing suit in public; the suite He provided for us had a private patio so i could still be in the sun! when we arrived, miles davis' "kind of blue" was on the turntable--the album soundtrack to our first kiss in peru fifteen years ago. it was such an incredible and meaningful time, and such a peaceful place, we knew we needed to head back to korakia for our tenth anniversary, too.
(this year)
this year we stayed in the orchard house, a lovely secluded place with a private little orange grove with sofas & lit lanterns hanging from the trees at night, and an outdoor patio with fireplace, spa, & seating area. korakia is a bed an breakfast, so we enjoyed daily breakfasts in the main courtyard with the other guests, and most of our lunches & dinners in, too. with such a spectacular space, why would we leave? and also, even when josh & i are away from home, we're homebodies ;)
what a blessing it was this year to enjoy the fullness of celebration, with no sorrow mingled in. ten years of beautiful marriage, pregnant with another child, what joy!