Engage – 30 Simple Joys
- Callahan looking proud – of his artwork, walking, or finishing his meal.
- Waking up with both dogs in our bed (especially on cool nights).
- The next book in a good series.
- Talking about life and politics in bed with Kevin before we fall asleep.
- Pumkin chai lattes.
- Callahan’s smile and excitement when we pick him up from daycare.
- Sunsets.
- Cozy fall sweaters.
- Having all the windows open in the evenings to let in the crisp fall air.
- Days and days in a row of 60-70 degree temperatures.
- Evening walks full of giggling, blathering, and talking with my boy.
- Memes and quotes I relate to.
- The familiarity of regular hangs with friends as well as the conversations and accountability that come with them.
- Rhythms.
- Habit stacking and productivity.
- Packages in the mail.
- The creative “flow” of mini books and other hobby projects.
- Saying “no” to something not meant for me and the feeling that comes afterwards.
- All the people who love and care for our boy. Our village.
- Leaves changing colors.
- Anything jewel-tone.
- Coming together for a cause.
- Drifting off to sleep after a full day.
- Texts from college friends just to check in.
- Hitting snooze and sleeping five more minutes.
- Feeling “in the loop”.
- Pretty and inspiring outdoor spaces.
- A stack of “TBR” books on my nightstand.
- Cold water (to drink), hot water (for showers).
- Fountain sodas, light ice. ALWAYS.
Glimpses of Autumn
Each new season and experience has become my new favorite as Callahan begins to find delight in the world around him. Getting to enjoy all the beauty and color that nature has to behold in this season is even sweeter through his eyes. He was obsessed with the pumpkins (and price stickers), loves pointing out deer on our walks, and carries leaves around like prized possessions. It’s everything.
We’ve been lucky to have such lovely weather so far. I was ahead of the curve this year (normally I’m in denial – I love summer) on buying pumpkins and bringing in bits of autumn around the house. The trees in our yard just started dropping their leaves and we are already rolling our eyes at the naïvety of new homeowners Jacqueline and Kevin who bought this house with well established trees six years ago.
In addition to more work around the house, the fall also holds a lot of fun we are looking forward to: dressing up for Halloween, Mizzou’s homecoming, and Thanksgiving. Not to mention getting to wear the boots and sweaters just waiting in my closet for temps to drop a liiiiittle bit lower. It’s all here and we’re just trying to slow time down so we can savor it even more.
A Flower From Our Walk
2023 Goal: Grow all the flowers.
Growing flowers has been on my radar for a while, and after seeing several beautiful wild-looking cut flower gardens this year, I think I’m going to have to take some space next year to plant some.
A few on my radar? Zinnias, Cosmos, Dahlias, Lisianthus, Eucalyptus, maybe some coneflowers!
The Good List
The good list: the anticipation of fall’s colors, the delight of Callahan’s “wows”, and this ~never-ending laundry, belly laughs, and first steps~ stage of life.
Soaking up these days. ♡
Weekend Wrap Up – Eric and Ellie are Married Edition
We had a blast celebrating Eric and Ellie! We got into St. Louis on Friday to kick off the weekend with the rehearsal dinner. We practiced walking in and then headed over to Stony River for a delicious dinner. The next morning, we got hair and make-up done at one of the houses near The Inn at St. Albans. The entire venue was a dream and there was no exception for the locations where we got ready.
It was the perfect day celebrating with Ellie, preparing, and reconnecting with the other bridesmaids that I had spent time with during the bachelorette party this summer. We started taking photos around 2pm and then the ceremony started at 4pm. The ceremony was lovely and included so many things that made it “them”. Callahan wore a sweet dress shirt, vest, tie, and fancy pants – it had to be his most handsome outfit to date.
Callahan barely made it through dinner – fell asleep on his Papa just as dancing got started. Denise and Scott were MVPs making sure Callahan got fed and took him home to go to bed. I am so grateful. We danced the night away with the band and then they had a sparkler exit!
Such a sweet weekend and we couldn’t be more happy for them both, and our families!