I’ve been documenting a Week in the Life with Ali Edwards for as long as I can remember. It’s a practice she started that combines photos and words to capture the everyday details of life for one week. Her project is often accompanied by a scrapbook, but I’ve always kept mine in my journal or shared it here on the blog.
Since I’ve been mostly offline, I haven’t kept up with when Ali does Week in the Life each year. So I thought it might be fun to start my own little tradition and document the week of my birthday every year.
The last Week in the Life I shared here was in 2022, and so much has changed since then. That’s one of the things I love most about this project. At the time, the days can feel so ordinary and repetitive, but looking back lets me see all of the gradual changes that are otherwise so easy to miss.
7:45 AM | Today we slept in, which feels like part of our Monday rhythm these days. Weekends often mean no naps for our bigger boy, so we let him sleep in whenever we can. When he wakes up, he comes in to snuggle until the very last minute before we have to get moving. Breakfast and vitamins for him and for me. After the dogs get their breakfast, they hang around the kitchen while I make lunch, waiting to see if there are any extras for them.
8:30 AM| Wrapping up our morning routine. These days, feeding the baby adds about 30 minutes to getting everyone ready. It’s a little pocket of calm among the chaos because there’s really nothing productive I can do at the same time. Currently loving the chair in the room where my rocker is. Some mornings I end up being joined by everyone in the house.
12:43 PM | Daytime contains cycles of sleeping, eating, and playing. During the first one, I drop big brother off at school and try to get any errands done. I love being able to do things like returns and shopping during the week instead of spending our weekends doing them when the stores are more crowded. Today was a quick trip to the store for storage bins, and then I packed up a few of Callahan’s outgrown toys to make room for the new ones from his recent birthday.
4:47 PM | In the afternoons, one of us does school pickup while the other starts dinner. Today I went to pickup while Wesley finished his nap at home. We had beef tacos and fruit for dinner—keeping things simple these days. I loved our matching stripes and big man’s ever-growing Pokémon collection.
6:56 PM | After dinner, we watched baseball (Cardinals vs Reds tonight) and went for a walk outside. It’s been miserably hot lately, with heat indices over 100 and insane humidity so when we get a cooler day (in the 80’s) we take full advantage. Callahan knows how much I love flowers and asks if he can take a picture for me. Just one of those small moments I want to remember.
See you here tomorrow for more ordinary moments. I’m trying to hold onto them as they are right now—messy, repetitive, and quietly beautiful in the way only everyday life can be.
Another month, another round up of photos documenting where I was over the last month. It honestly felt as dreary as it looks. I kind of love the muted tones of these photos because that is exactly how the month felt. Looking forward to a more springy selection in March.
• Callahan’s Tiny Things – I never want to forget Callahan’s little treasures, carefully collected and handled with love. A panda, a heart, a tiny dog—among many other things tucked safely in his drawer.
• Sick at Home – Too many days in February spent in pajamas, snuggled up in bed next to two cuddly pups. This month has been full of tissues, electrolytes, and naps.
• Golf – A winter escape to the indoor putting green (even if it’s just at Dick’s Sporting Goods), boots on artificial grass, trying to shake off the cold-weather blues. Our boy loves the sport and let’s be honest, I do too.
• Playing Outside – Sneakers on concrete, basketball in hand, soaking up every tolerable moment of fresh air before the next cold front rolls in.
• Ice Skating – Standing on the ice, watching tiny skates glide forward, slow and unsteady. Holding my toddler’s hand, feeling the wobbles and the determination.
• Family Exercise – A workout for three squeezed into the living room, weights on the rug, trying to get our pump on.
• Toys in the Living Room – A floor covered in stuffed animals and basketballs, proof of a day well played. My feet among the chaos, embracing the mess of childhood.
• Soda and Shopping Vibes – A weekend with my folks always includes a fountain soda grabbed by dad and a trip to target with mom always makes my day. Sidewalk slush, white sneakers, a small but familiar joy.
• Soaking up the Sun – Face tilted upward, spring finally in the air, melting the last bits of snow. Always thankful for glimpses that remind us that winter won’t last forever.
The Good List: Two snow days for a boy who is really excited about snow. Sprinkled moments in the work (from home) day to play. Opening “presents” at my desk and helping put the final lego on top of the tower – too good. The way that golf and lawnmowing become winter activities. How he wants to be just like his daddy. Cozy blankets to snuggle with when we come inside. An incredible start to my 2025 reading goal. Snow gear from last year that still fits IYKYK. And together being exactly where we want to be.
What a weekend. We got about two inches of snow on Friday and the cold front (after several days of 50-60 degree weather) made us want to stay inside all weekend. We did venture out to hang up our new bird feeder and I snuck in a little me time at a bookshop downtown. I did come away with the first book in the Crescent City series by Sarah J Maas that I’ve had on my TBR for years at this point.
I’m currently in the middle of the audiobook “Remarkably Bright Creatures” which is book number 12 for the year. I managed 65 in 2023 and am on track to surpass that if I keep up this pace. Depends on how many 800+ page Sarah J Maas/Brandon Sanderson books make it onto my list. I’ve really been trying to habit switch to spend less of my time on my phone, and more with a book after Cal goes to bed. Amazing book stores and a nightstand full of books I’m excited about definitely help make that happen.
The best thing I did all year was create a bucket list of experiences that I wanted our family to prioritize throughout the fall. We definitely didn’t hit all of them, but the ones we did check off were so much fun! For each thing that we ticked off, I made a little collage of 3-4 photos.
