It’s been a while. A long while actually.

A busier than usual summer and fall took me completely out of my writing rhythm, and while I have missed filling this space and thought about it so much, the leap between thinking and doing hasn’t felt doable until now.

So with a deep breath and the determination to begin again, (Always, always begin again, dear ones), I find myself collecting a few thoughts with which I can re-enter this place and (humbly) share my stories and reflections on all things heart and home. 

A favorite author of mine, Karina Yan Glaser, sends out a very enjoyable newsletter which she always ends with “Five Exciting Things” that have been happening in her life. Her quips and short anecdotes are always fun, charming, and an amusing peek into her life.

It seems as gentle a way as any to engage my blog brain after months of journal writing only. 

Thank you for stopping by after such a long span between visits. I hope you are well and look forward to sharing my online window seat with you more frequently in the weeks, months, and seasons to come.

Five Exciting Things:

#1 In October, and on a bit of a whim, we got Gator! Gator is not an actual gator but a very short, round, and as lazy as one dog could possibly be English Bulldog that is loved ridiculously by everyone in our family and lavished with pats and snuggles to everyone’s content. He is the epitome of a big, fury, baby and is truly the dog of our (my) dreams. 

#2 I got shelves! Lots and lots of shelves. After years of longing for more space to house my collection of books and knick-knacks, and pictures of my babies, Mr. Wonderful recently hired a good friend of ours to do all kinds of home improvement projects while his greenhouse is closed for the season. I cannot begin to describe the level of joy this makeover has given me, but I can show you pictures. Look how pretty! 

#3 In December Mr. Wonderful, Blessing, Hope, Red and I ventured two hours north to Luther, MI for a Hillsdale College Fireside Lecture Series retreat. After a stressful fall, I needed this pre-Christmas reset to get my mind and heart ready for the comfort and joy of the season. Attending this series has also spurred both my girls and me to take a deep dive into the online classes Hillsdale College offers (for free!!!) And during a Black Friday sale, I also enrolled in the new Jordan Peterson Academy which feels a little like going back to school but in a fun-not high pressure- sort of way. I’m finally tackling a bit of Shakespeare! How cool is that? 

#4 In October Mr. Wonderful and I agreed it would be worthwhile for me to make time and space in my Friday mornings for a Women’s Bible Study our church was starting. This meant Hope would get low stakes practice babysitting the littles while I got to enjoy deepening friendships with our church community. At least that was the plan. Sadly it turned out to be not the group for me and required a very necessary ending (almost as soon as it began which, by the way, is sometimes the way of things, and there is no shame in saying “Nope, not for me!” and hightailing it out of the rec room as fast as your Uggs can take you.) Yeah, there’s a story there, and maybe I’ll circle back to it in a different post, but for now all of this is meandering its way back to me spending Friday mornings in our ATS office instead. This has been so fun and fascinating for me to get to play a more hands on roll in our business even if it’s just for a few hours a week. Slowly but surely I’m learning several of our daily and weekly processes like payroll and quotes, and I’m getting to help Mr. Wonderful with the creative side of our marketing campaigns. I am also very proud to receive most of my training from 16 year old Blessing who works part time with her dad and gets way too much enjoyment out of watching her mom struggle with calculating the cost of freight. Update: I am sad to report that I have been fired and, yeah, there’s a story there too. Sigh…

#5 I have discovered two new-to-me online sites/businesses that save me time, money, and stress, support small businesses, and are just downright fun to shop on: Poshmark (clothes) and Thrive Market (healthy living/food). If you’ve never tried them, I highly recommend.

Honorable Mention: Our brand new Snuggle Chair which is both what we call it and what it is used for, was delivered just this week in the middle of a winter so cold we are barely leaving the house. It has taken the phrase “Let’s stay home and snuggle,” (basically my life motto) to a whole new level and we couldn’t be enjoying it more.