Good day and completely happy Monday! I hope you had a refreshing weekend. Ours was a very good one — easy, cozy, and stuffed with little reminders of how a lot life can change in a 12 months.
Fall is in full swing now, and I’m making an attempt to decelerate sufficient to actually soak all of it in. This time final 12 months was particularly memorable for me. We had been dwelling with my mother — one thing I by no means anticipated to do once more as an grownup — and it was surprisingly particular. We made nightly dinners collectively, sipped morning espresso aspect by aspect, and shared the every day rhythms of life with my children below her roof. It was a present I’ll all the time cherish.
However alongside the sweetness, there was a robust feeling of being unsettled. I truly wrote about it in this submit — and rereading it now, nearly precisely a 12 months later, I’m struck by how a lot development has taken place since then. This weekend particularly opened my eyes to all of the adjustments.
On Friday, Hailey went to a party with some new buddies. Once we picked her up, she was effervescent over with pleasure — telling us all concerning the video games they performed, the snacks, and all of the foolish moments. Pure girlhood pleasure. And actually, an answered prayer.
With no soccer on Saturday, we had time to bake (you have to strive this pumpkin bread), embellish a bit extra for fall, make Jello within the cutest pumpkin-shaped molds (Ok was so proud), watch soccer, and even swap out the sunshine change covers within the powder room — small issues that made the day really feel full and satisfying. Hailey and I went to a candy 16 party within the night, and we had buddies drop by for an impromptu soccer hangout. It felt like a type of basic, cozy autumn days. One other answered prayer.
(Apart from the Georgia sport… however hey, you possibly can’t win all of them. Freaking Alabama. Sigh.)














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I additionally made a aware effort to spend much less time scrolling and extra time doing — embroidery, prepping the backyard, sipping tea whereas listening to cozy fall jazz as an alternative of the standard information and podcasts. Final evening, I sat exterior watching the chickens peck on the floor, and let myself pause and actually really feel the gratitude.
Shifting to a brand new state was a giant leap for us. We weren’t operating from something unhealthy, however we had been saying sure to one thing unknown — and that may be equally scary. It hasn’t all the time been straightforward, particularly in parenting, however this 12 months has proven me how a lot can change if you say sure to the tug in your coronary heart.
If there’s one thing calling to you — a change, a purpose, even a small shift — I hope you’ll take a step towards it. It doesn’t should be a large leap. Only a small step. As a result of the time goes to go both means. And a 12 months from now, you may simply end up reflecting again, amazed by how far you’ve come.
What season of life are you in proper now? I’d love to listen to the way you’re soaking within the fall or what targets you’re quietly working towards — be at liberty to share within the feedback.