•5 min read
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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Late July life
It's full-blown summer here, evidenced by the forecast. We've had some very hot days, along with more mild days (my personal favorite), like today. Each week seems to bring a bit more routine and familiarity. And by that, I mean Cooper is constantly...
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New joy & embracing the pauses
A week from now, Cooper will be a month old! It's difficult to process how fast the time has gone. Everyone tells you it moves at lightning speed, and so far, that's holding true.
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A family of three
Cooper is seventeen days old today! It's hard to believe that we've had more than two weeks to get to know our little guy.
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The sweetness of now
I get a lot of questions about baby boy's arrival. The basics, of course, like when, followed up by comments along the lines of You're so close! And usually there are comments about Aren't you just ready to be done being pregnant by now?
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Memorial day & life lately
This past weekend, my parents and brother came to visit for Memorial Day. Before they left, it was a little surreal to say, "Next time I see you, I won't be pregnant!" The reality that we're (at the most) a month(ish) away from meeting Baby DeVries...
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Moving into a new home
Well, hello!
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Life lately, late April 2019
It feels like spring in our new home in Northwest Indiana. It is the beginning of a lot of things for us.
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Goodbye, Austin (life lately, pre-move and the move itself)
Well, hello there!
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2018: A year in review
Every January, when many are looking forward to the next year, I like to take a few moments to look back. I dig into what the previous year meant for me personally and what it meant for me and Nicholas in the context our our family and community....
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Our Christmas 2018
I'm writing about things a little out of chronological order, but it seemed to make more sense sharing our news first and then writing about Christmas and my annual year-in-review. With that aforementioned news, lots of things changed this year.
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Slow advent-ing
We're in the midst of some preparation for a trip up north to visit Nicholas' family, but I wanted to stop by and talk about life lately. I've settled fully into pre-Christmas rest. This past week was filled with the last-minute busyness of mailing...
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Advent & a prepared heart
I welcomed the beginning of December with open arms. Yes, I love the anticipation of Christmas and unrestrained Christmas cheer. But also, I love that for me, December has meant a slower pace than November. The Christmas shopping is done, Christmas...
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Thanksgiving weekend & Christmas preparations
Hello! It's been awhile!
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Life looks like (late October edition)
The weather in Austin is still very much flirting the line of summer/fall, but it's most definitely an improvement to just summry weather! Some leaves are golden-hued, and the wind today blustered around so many brown and red leaves, as well.
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Breathe in, breathe out
I'm just breathing in, breathing out, over here. I don't write that in a melancholy way. In all the moments and things that occupy our time, there is so much that we forget to notice our breathing. There is a lot of beauty in all those in-between...
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Hello, fall
We're a long ways off from sweater weather, but I'm determined that in the middle of a season change, good things happen. There's hope that so easily couples with anticipation, even if the thing anticipated is inevitable.
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The season ahead & a Summer of Basics recap
We woke up to pouring rain this Sunday morning and temps in the low seventies, with a high in the upper seventies. Perfect for wearing my sweater, and I did just that. I can't tell you how much more comfortable I feel in my skin in layered clothes,...
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Porch season, again
I'm hopelessly endeared to the autumns and winters of the year, the cooler months. And now that it is officially September (my birthday month!) we're one step closer to that. It won't be "sweater season" here for a long while yet, but unlike our...
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A placeholder life
These are quiet days in my life. Whenever people ask me, "What's new?" I'm not quite sure how to answer. The reality is that nothing is very new, but nothing is wrong, per say. People around us are having babies and moving and buying houses and...
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Life lately, July 2018 edition
It's hard for me to believe that it's already the end of the July. Even though it's still very much summer, with strawberries and watermelons and high temps, today was a mere ninety-two degrees, which was nice, and it just barely hinted at cooler...
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Late June's bread & butter
I'm not entirely sure why, but writing hasn't felt particularly easy for me since my last blog post. That, coupled with a joyful and full schedule, and I've been prioritizing other things over writing. There is no danger of me not blogging, in case...
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Life lately, early summer 2018
My last several blog posts have been about our recent trip, so it has been about a month since I've written about our day-to-day life. I want to write about trips and big heart lessons, anniversaries and birthdays and life changes, but I also I want...
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Long weekend love
I've had the last three days (and today) off from work. I didn't have any specific plans, but each day became a "fun" day, rather organically. It's been delightful to have a bit of a staycation.
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Little loving rituals
Years ago, back in the days of being Nicholas' girlfriend, I bought a book called What Happy Couples Do: The Loving Little Rituals of Romance. I think this was before we had said "I love you" to each other and I remember thinking some of the rituals...
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