•7 min read
Our Christmas 2019
This year, Christmas was simple and lovely. It can feel natural to rush past it, once December 25th has come and gone. But I want to linger a little, take note of some of my favorite tiny moments. 2020 will have it's own center stage for a full...
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An early family Christmas, in person
Since our move back to the Midwest this past spring, we are seeing a little more of my family. But it never feels like enough, so it's so special to spend in-person time with them, and even more sweet this time of year.
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Slow snowflakes
Cooper woke up a little earlier than his usual, as of late. He gave me big, sloppy kisses when I got him from his crib today. I ate my breakfast while he sat next to me in his high chair, fascinated. He smiled and laughed as he dropped toys on the...
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Lately, I love (December 2019 edition)
Some of the smaller moments in this season are the ones I adore the most. Beside the Christmas shopping, gift wrapping, etc., there are so many sweet moments, tucked in, nearly missed unless I make a point to see them. Here are a few highlights from...
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Littlest joys + bedtime reading
In the past several weeks, we started implementing a bit more of a schedule for Cooper. And as such, we've seen him go from napping a maximum of forty minutes at a time to now napping for two hours (sometimes I have to wake him up after two hours),...
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Eyes to see
Frantic might be the word of the season, if we let it. I can't say how many emails I've been receiving with taglines of Don't miss out! or Get your early black Friday access now! Even as I've made an effort the last few years to approach the...
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Navy cardigan for Cooper, finished
It's been awhile since I wrote a knitting-focused post, but I have been knitting away over the past few months. Many of my projects are secret (or nearly secret) until after Christmas, but I did finish a sweater for Cooper that I wanted to share...
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Make bars instead
I love baking. I truly do. The difference between a bad afternoon and a good one can be as simple as a baked good. I love the slow process, the premonition of preheating the oven, sometimes playing around with different flavors. My favorites are...
Read more•3 min read
Happy little November things
November is a funny month. Not quite fall, but not quite winter (in my mind, anyway), and in that way, it feels like an ending and a beginning. The days are getting shorter, especially where we live. And maybe that's a little bit of an excuse to...
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Reclaiming lunch
The midday meal has always been tricky for me. When I was working 12-hour shifts, but even now when I run errands, oftentimes, the lunch hour comes and goes and I find myself famished and desperate. Enter: emergency food choice. I hesitate to use...
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Baby's first snow
On Halloween, we had cold weather, and then a mixture of rain, then sleet, then snow fell. I love snow more than most, so I was thrilled. And it was so fun to show Cooper! We didn't venture far because the wind was a bit brutal, but we had the...
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A fall visit to Minnesota
Last weekend, we drove north to Minnesota to visit my family for a long weekend. It was our first long car ride with Cooper, which had its ups and downs, so to speak, but I'm so glad we were able to visit.
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All the earth
The other day, my sister-in-law and I went for a walk on one of the prettiest paths I've ever been on. And all I can think is that the whole earth shouts His praise. The leaves, the seasons, the rolling-green-turned-rolling-gold hills of Wisconsin...
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Life lately and October favorites
I don't know how to write about fall and all the emotions it stirs up without sounding trite. This is our first fall since we moved back to the midwest, and it's been refreshing, on a surface level yes, but also for my soul. The leaves turning gold...
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Creativity check and finished projects, mid-fall 2019
It's been awhile since my last creativity check-in. I like to keep a log of what I'm working on, what I've finished, and what I'd like to make next, knitting- and sometimes sewing-wise. This time around, I haven't done any sewing, but there's...
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Dune hikes and apple orchards
A few weeks ago, my dear friend, Jessica, who lives in Texas, came to visit with her little boy. Having lived in southern states for her life, and knowing she loves fall, she booked a ticket to come visit us up north and get a taste of Midwestern...
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Twenty-nine (a birthday post)
On Monday, I turned twenty-nine. On every birthday, I enjoy writing about how we celebrated, and also about life right now.
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Tecumseh sweater, finished
Just as the weather is changing and fall is beginning, I've finished knitting a colorwork sweater! This one has been a bit of a labor of love. And like any other big creative project, it has a bit of a backstory.
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Ushering in fall + life lately
The last couple of weeks have been a flurry of activity, with visitors and 3-month appointments for Cooper and Costco trips and fun activities nestled in between. I've been itching to write here, but haven't had a moment until now. I'm writing with...
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Little baby in a big city
Last weekend, a friend of ours from Texas was visiting Chicago, and we drove to the city on Sunday to spend time with him. Trips out and about are feeling less daunting, the older Cooper gets. And this past Sunday was no different. We had a...
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Vertices unite shawl, finished
Some projects come along at just the right moment, and this shawl is one of them. After several rather hectic months, I wanted to get back into the rhythm of knitting, but wanted a fun, low-pressure, but still creatively inspiring project. I love...
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Abundant skies
Lately, I've been listening to a lot of music circa 2000, like Switchfoot's older albums. I'm definitely prone to nostalgia (for better or worse), but in this case, it's enjoyable and harmless. And it's a bit of a challenge with myself to see just...
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Early September bits & pieces
I've noticed a distinct change in the air: mornings are cooler, breezes are more refreshing, and I'm consistently seeing temps in the 60's at some point in any given 24-hr period. There is so much chatter about PSL and "fall bucket lists" and...
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Morning sing-a-longs
My mornings look radically different than they did just three months ago. And personally, I love them so much more. I usually nurse Cooper around the time Nicholas leaves for work, and then since it's still early, he will usually sleep for another...
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Six years of us
This past Saturday, August 17, marked six years of marriage for us. This anniversary was wildly different for us for lots of reasons (hello, baby boy!) When I look back on the last year of our marriage, there was so much that was hard and good, and...
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