As I hinted back in August, things are changing around here!
My ever-evolving blog is evolving even more into a space that I really love and think will last me a good long while. You can continue to follow me at www.dearlindsayblog.com.
Hope to see you there!
Lindsay
The Twelfth Month
*This was written yesterday*
Today, my little Gabriel James, you start your last month of babyhood. With you being our last baby (at least in our plans, ha!), I knew full well how fleeting this first year would be. The past eleven months I've taken the sleep deprivation in stride, treated myself to Biggby coffee more times than I'd like to admit, and really savored each and every moment with your sweet little cuddly self.
Today, my little Gabriel James, you start your last month of babyhood. With you being our last baby (at least in our plans, ha!), I knew full well how fleeting this first year would be. The past eleven months I've taken the sleep deprivation in stride, treated myself to Biggby coffee more times than I'd like to admit, and really savored each and every moment with your sweet little cuddly self.
In January, you were born and we brought you home to meet your brothers and get settled in. That first week you had a tongue tie clipped, mommy had a wisdom tooth pulled, and both your brothers got sick. It was eventful to say the least!
In February, we spent an entire Sunday afternoon cozied up in bed together- you napping and I watched my favorite show (in between watching you sleep, of course).
In March, we spent our first day apart when I had an expo booth for my photography business. You did so good, and looking back I still can't believe we pulled it off! Your big brother Julian also got a bad case of hand-foot-mouth and I was worried you would get it, but you didn't thankfully!
In April as I helped my sister, your Aunt Bri, plan her wedding and threw her a shower, I realized you and I were really getting into the groove of doing life together. You became my cutest little sidekick. You also met your Uncle Nic for the first time and you got your first cold and had to get a steroid (so sad!).
In May you stole hearts as I dressed you up in a suit and tie for your Aunt Bri's wedding. We danced together, you looking in amazement at the lights, and me savoring how little and light you felt in my arms and trying to imagine how big and tall you'll be when we dance together at your wedding someday.
In June you went through a major sleep regression, and by doing so taught me something very important- that even though the high calling of motherhood comes with high sacrifice at times, I have the strength to proceed with grace. June stretched me and grew me in ways that never would have happened if not for you, sweetheart.
In July you started crawling full force and many evenings found me starting at your sweet face as I nursed you to sleep, realizing how fast you were growing and thanking God for the blessing of being your mother.
In August we spent a couple days on the lake, snuggling under a light blanket as we watched your two big brothers splash in the water. I knew it would only be a short little while before I would be snuggling alone under that blanket while all three of you played, and I squeezed you extra tight, breathing in in the smell of your sweet, soft curly hair.
In September our lives got busier with our church life group and mid-week bible study, and I realized you were a much calmer and relaxed baby than your brother Julian was. You make it easy for me to take care of my own needs, and even though you're just a sweet innocent little baby I am grateful to you for that.
In October you really started showcasing your sweet personality with your curiosity, smiles, new teeth and sense of humor. You especially started loving the lion and monkey on the walls by your crib, and would stare at them and smile as if you all had some kind of inside joke.
November brought the beginnings of walking, and with it the realization that my last baby is slowly phasing out of babyhood and heading into toddlerhood. Though I must say, this age is the absolute cutest ever!
December, thus far, has had a few hiccups with you not wanting to nurse because of your new teeth coming in, as well as a nasty cold and eye virus. You've pulled out of it just fine and are in great spirits every day, even with that lingering cough.
I'm so grateful for the ability to be home with you every day, to love on you, kiss those little cheeks raw and see all your firsts. Because even though they are firsts for you, it's bittersweet as they are lasts for me. Your first smile was my last first smile. Your first step was my last first step. The third time around, I'm truly feeling like a seasoned mother. I'm ever so aware of each fleeting moment and have made it a daily practice to take it all in slowly and with gratitude.
You are such a sweet blessing, Gabriel James. Let's enjoy this last little bit of babyhood, together.
Mama loves you, shhh.
Mama loves you, shhh.
Glorious Winter
This morning we all woke up to beautiful, sparkling snow blanketing our yard and trees.
I'm really feeling winter today. It's not always wonderful, sometimes the gray days are too many and the sunny days too few, but I will always be glad I live it a state where there's winter. There's something refreshing and rejuvenating about it. It reminds me of the holidays, and it makes me want to snuggle in with my boys and watch movies and drink hot drinks and be cozy.
This winter I'm grateful. I'm grateful for my family and my chance everyday to respond to the high calling of motherhood. I'm grateful for my bible study class that is helping me grow daily in my faith. I'm grateful for my family's health, especially after having a health scare last month (weird migraine and other symptoms, MRI came back normal and physical therapy is helping, so praise!). I'm grateful for my friends who love me so well, for my sweet husband who also loves me so well and provides for our family so well. I'm grateful for our cozy home. I'm grateful for my Jesus, who makes my life so colorful.
This winter I'm focusing on growing, in my faith, marriage and motherhood. And I'm learning what it really means to trust God, and the biggest part of that for me is taking and enjoying life as it comes. When I trust God, it's so much easier for me to find the beauty in everything, including the gray days. Today I feel like I'm carrying my own weather, that no matter how gloomy it may be outside, in my head and heart it's warm and sunny.
I'm ready for this season, and not just ready but anticipating and expecting great things.
Beautiful Autumn
Mid-October seems to be a special time of year for me. Of course, it is my favorite time of year so I'm sure that's why! I have two other posts from different years that were on the same day and it was all about fall nostalgia. I just love love love it!
The reason I'm writing today is the same- I had a great moment outside with my sons and I want to remember it forever. We're currently in the process of looking for another home, so I'm acutely aware that this may be my last fall in the house I've called home for the past four years and I'm trying to enjoy each day as it comes and not take anything for granted. So yesterday Zach was at school, and I took Julian and Gabriel outside in the backyard to get some fresh air. It was about 70 degrees and sunny off to the left, yet there were dark clouds looming behind the trees. It was a breathtaking scene! All the leaves in our backyard have changed color and started to fall, sprinkling our yard with yellow, orange and red.
As we were sitting in the grass, the wind really picked up and as it did it blew a TON of leaves off our tall trees right in our direction. It was literally raining leaves! The sun was shining brightly on one side, contrasted against the dark clouds on the other while a warm breeze blew leaves all through the air. It was a scene that I would imagine stirring the heart of a poet. Simply amazing.
Julian and Gabe sat there with me and we all watched silently and even though they are little I could tell they were captivated by it as well. Nature is truly beautiful, and I'm finding myself very thankful that I live in such a beautiful state.
Some people say they don't like fall in Michigan because they know what comes after- winter. Here's how I see it: You know that quote from the movie Bright Star, "I almost wish'd we were butterflies and lived three summer days. Three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain."? This is how I feel about fall. I will gladly take six months of winter weather in exchange for one beautiful, glorious month of fall. It's worth it.
The reason I'm writing today is the same- I had a great moment outside with my sons and I want to remember it forever. We're currently in the process of looking for another home, so I'm acutely aware that this may be my last fall in the house I've called home for the past four years and I'm trying to enjoy each day as it comes and not take anything for granted. So yesterday Zach was at school, and I took Julian and Gabriel outside in the backyard to get some fresh air. It was about 70 degrees and sunny off to the left, yet there were dark clouds looming behind the trees. It was a breathtaking scene! All the leaves in our backyard have changed color and started to fall, sprinkling our yard with yellow, orange and red.
As we were sitting in the grass, the wind really picked up and as it did it blew a TON of leaves off our tall trees right in our direction. It was literally raining leaves! The sun was shining brightly on one side, contrasted against the dark clouds on the other while a warm breeze blew leaves all through the air. It was a scene that I would imagine stirring the heart of a poet. Simply amazing.
Julian and Gabe sat there with me and we all watched silently and even though they are little I could tell they were captivated by it as well. Nature is truly beautiful, and I'm finding myself very thankful that I live in such a beautiful state.
Some people say they don't like fall in Michigan because they know what comes after- winter. Here's how I see it: You know that quote from the movie Bright Star, "I almost wish'd we were butterflies and lived three summer days. Three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain."? This is how I feel about fall. I will gladly take six months of winter weather in exchange for one beautiful, glorious month of fall. It's worth it.
Days To Remember.
This fall has been interesting.
To be honest, the end of summer was kind of a blur. Dave has been traveling a lot for work, and was literally gone half of September. Which means, of course, I was left to wrangle the circus that is our home with three boys by myself. I love it so much, I really do, but after the fourth or fifth day of the constant whining/fighting/drama when my tank is on empty, I kind of start to go cray.
Finally things have been starting to settle- just in time for us to list our house for sale! We like excitement over here, apparently. Looking back, I realize it probably wasn't the wisest thing to buy a house, get pregnant and change jobs our first year of marriage but WE MADE IT. I'm starting to realize that's kind of how we do things, Dave and I. We have pretty high capacities, although now having three high-energy boys in the house makes things just a liiiiiitttle more crazy than normal. But that's neither here nor there.
The reason I feel the urge to write today is because the past two days have felt like true fall here in West Michigan, and I want to remember them. This will most likely be our last fall in this house, and I'm paying attention to the little changes in the weather and really enjoying them. I'm a lover of fall through and through. The dark and gloomy days, and even the sunny ones, with the crisp smell of leaves in the air, the beautiful changing colors and the smell of donuts and cider when I walk into my local farmstand- these things make me so so happy.
And as far as the circus goes, things are slightly tamer around here during the day with Zachary at school since there is nobody for Julian to fight with. That boy is SUCH a firecracker! The past two days I've realized something- even though he doesn't nap most days, he can still do quiet time in his bedroom. Oh sweet, sweet quiet time. The chances of the baby taking a nap at some point during quiet time are pretty good too, which leaves me with a tiny window of time to myself in the afternoons which I love. And you know what I've been doing with that time?
Cooking!
There's something about fall that makes me want to cook. Sometimes the gloomy days get to me, even though I love them. But taking myself into the kitchen to cook really lifts my mood and excites me, and breaking out old recipes is like greeting a good friend you haven't seen in ages but it feels like you were never apart. I've also been cooking more healthfully than normal and avoiding gluten, store bought dairy and refined sugar. Yesterday I made vegetable soup and ham & raw cheese quinoa cups. Today I made Kielbasa with peppers and onions and steamed some butternut squash. I also got some raw milk today from a local farmer! It is very tasty, but I'm finding I need to get past the *thought* of it if you know what I mean!
Tonight Dave worked downtown, so the boys and I had a fun filled night of eating good food, watching movies and doing homework to worship music. I love my (not so little) family and find myself feeling grateful tonight.
As we head further into fall with a few unknowns, I'm looking forward to many things. A move to a better home for us, more frequent date nights with my love, a healthier outlook for me with some diet changes, growing, happy and healthy boys, photography planning, being part of a rich women's bible study (BSF) group and a MOPS group, and creating new traditions as I learn the art of celebrating everything. Yes, everything. More on that in another post.
I'll leave this here for tonight- happy, excited, and thankful.
To be honest, the end of summer was kind of a blur. Dave has been traveling a lot for work, and was literally gone half of September. Which means, of course, I was left to wrangle the circus that is our home with three boys by myself. I love it so much, I really do, but after the fourth or fifth day of the constant whining/fighting/drama when my tank is on empty, I kind of start to go cray.
Finally things have been starting to settle- just in time for us to list our house for sale! We like excitement over here, apparently. Looking back, I realize it probably wasn't the wisest thing to buy a house, get pregnant and change jobs our first year of marriage but WE MADE IT. I'm starting to realize that's kind of how we do things, Dave and I. We have pretty high capacities, although now having three high-energy boys in the house makes things just a liiiiiitttle more crazy than normal. But that's neither here nor there.
The reason I feel the urge to write today is because the past two days have felt like true fall here in West Michigan, and I want to remember them. This will most likely be our last fall in this house, and I'm paying attention to the little changes in the weather and really enjoying them. I'm a lover of fall through and through. The dark and gloomy days, and even the sunny ones, with the crisp smell of leaves in the air, the beautiful changing colors and the smell of donuts and cider when I walk into my local farmstand- these things make me so so happy.
And as far as the circus goes, things are slightly tamer around here during the day with Zachary at school since there is nobody for Julian to fight with. That boy is SUCH a firecracker! The past two days I've realized something- even though he doesn't nap most days, he can still do quiet time in his bedroom. Oh sweet, sweet quiet time. The chances of the baby taking a nap at some point during quiet time are pretty good too, which leaves me with a tiny window of time to myself in the afternoons which I love. And you know what I've been doing with that time?
Cooking!
There's something about fall that makes me want to cook. Sometimes the gloomy days get to me, even though I love them. But taking myself into the kitchen to cook really lifts my mood and excites me, and breaking out old recipes is like greeting a good friend you haven't seen in ages but it feels like you were never apart. I've also been cooking more healthfully than normal and avoiding gluten, store bought dairy and refined sugar. Yesterday I made vegetable soup and ham & raw cheese quinoa cups. Today I made Kielbasa with peppers and onions and steamed some butternut squash. I also got some raw milk today from a local farmer! It is very tasty, but I'm finding I need to get past the *thought* of it if you know what I mean!
Tonight Dave worked downtown, so the boys and I had a fun filled night of eating good food, watching movies and doing homework to worship music. I love my (not so little) family and find myself feeling grateful tonight.
As we head further into fall with a few unknowns, I'm looking forward to many things. A move to a better home for us, more frequent date nights with my love, a healthier outlook for me with some diet changes, growing, happy and healthy boys, photography planning, being part of a rich women's bible study (BSF) group and a MOPS group, and creating new traditions as I learn the art of celebrating everything. Yes, everything. More on that in another post.
I'll leave this here for tonight- happy, excited, and thankful.
The Turn of the Tide.
I love this blog.
Looking back over the past five years I have some really sweet memories written here. When I read some of my older posts I'm thrown back into the world I lived then and the nostalgia washes over me.
Such immense sweetness.
I hope to always come back and write here in the years to come. In the past I've struggled with what exactly to do with this blog. I didn't know it at the time but inside me I was growing this desire to venture down a different writing path, one that was more focused on creativity and business as a blog subject in and of itself, but I wrestled with wanting to blog about my personal life as well. Suffice it to say I had blogger ADD and was just plain confused. ;)
I'm happy to say I've finally started another project! I'm really, really excited about it even though it's a little free wordpress blog. I have dreams of what it will look like as it grows, but right now it's in it's infant stages and I'm treating it as such. It is not going to focus on me directly or be very personal in the way this blog has been, which is why I feel so incredibly free to write uninhibited in this space now.
And I want to write on here more so that in another five years I can let the nostalgia from these present days wash over my future self. Yay yay yay!
So, for right now I am planning on sticking with this design because I love it and worked hard on it, but I will be changing the blog name and certain aspects of my navigation menu and tagline, and possibly a few other things. Stay tuned for that, and thanks for being on this journey with me!
Looking back over the past five years I have some really sweet memories written here. When I read some of my older posts I'm thrown back into the world I lived then and the nostalgia washes over me.
Such immense sweetness.
I hope to always come back and write here in the years to come. In the past I've struggled with what exactly to do with this blog. I didn't know it at the time but inside me I was growing this desire to venture down a different writing path, one that was more focused on creativity and business as a blog subject in and of itself, but I wrestled with wanting to blog about my personal life as well. Suffice it to say I had blogger ADD and was just plain confused. ;)
I'm happy to say I've finally started another project! I'm really, really excited about it even though it's a little free wordpress blog. I have dreams of what it will look like as it grows, but right now it's in it's infant stages and I'm treating it as such. It is not going to focus on me directly or be very personal in the way this blog has been, which is why I feel so incredibly free to write uninhibited in this space now.
And I want to write on here more so that in another five years I can let the nostalgia from these present days wash over my future self. Yay yay yay!
So, for right now I am planning on sticking with this design because I love it and worked hard on it, but I will be changing the blog name and certain aspects of my navigation menu and tagline, and possibly a few other things. Stay tuned for that, and thanks for being on this journey with me!
Surviving The Soil.
When you plant a seed, there is a time before it starts to sprout when the seed seems like it's doing nothing. It's just kind of chillin' in the soil, waiting to sprout. Waiting. To. Sprout.
I'm at the point between sowing and reaping with my business. I've done the research (and still do). I've honed my skills (and still am). I'm confident with my abilities. I've determined my target market. I know my "why". I'm talking to people and networking. Yet, like all business owners experience at the start, it takes time for your business to grow. It takes time. It takes time. Again, it takes time.
I have faith that God is working not just on my business, but in my life as I continue to trust him. I might not know His ways or His timing, but I know He is right on schedule with HIS plans for my life.
So while the seed is chillin' in the soil waiting to sprout, it has a hard outer shell to keep it safe from any outside intruders. It also has enough nourishment on the inside to remain healthy until it sprouts and get nutrients from the soil. Protection. Provision. Potential.
Patience.
I'm at the point between sowing and reaping with my business. I've done the research (and still do). I've honed my skills (and still am). I'm confident with my abilities. I've determined my target market. I know my "why". I'm talking to people and networking. Yet, like all business owners experience at the start, it takes time for your business to grow. It takes time. It takes time. Again, it takes time.
I have faith that God is working not just on my business, but in my life as I continue to trust him. I might not know His ways or His timing, but I know He is right on schedule with HIS plans for my life.
So while the seed is chillin' in the soil waiting to sprout, it has a hard outer shell to keep it safe from any outside intruders. It also has enough nourishment on the inside to remain healthy until it sprouts and get nutrients from the soil. Protection. Provision. Potential.
Patience.
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