Things have been a little crazy around these parts but I wanted to drop in and wish you all a happy fall! It's my favorite time of year. We're doing our best to soak it all in.
We took the girls to the pumpkin patch a couple of weeks ago and lots of adorableness ensued. Wishing you a beautiful weekend full of all things fall.
Recently, Jake and I went on an incredible road trip. We started in North Carolina, made our way up to Wisconsin for a family wedding and our niece's second birthday, continued on to Colorado for a work event and then made our way back home. There were lots of stops a long the way and I hope to share some photos here soon.
One of the highlights of our trip was seeing our niece, Madelynn. We don't get to see her very often so we were excited to spend some time with her. She's getting so big and is talking quite a bit now. She loves all things Dora and is pretty fearless when it comes to playing and jumping around. Also, she's beyond beautiful -- we really hit the jackpot in the gorgeous niece department!
There's nothing quite like a visit from out of town family to make you fall in love all over again with the place that you live.
My sister-in-law, Sarah and her fiance, JJ visited this past week from Wisconsin. They are newly engaged, so there was lots to celebrate!
Sarah and JJ's visit lined up with a visit from my sister, Brittany's in-laws from NYC (Addie & Ellie's grandparents) and a visit from Sarah's friend, Tiffany from Charleston, S.C.
We had a total blast and were able to squeeze in lots of what North Carolina has to offer, including: authentic Carolina BBQ, a night out on the town, French macaroons from our favorite bakery, a family dinner at my sister's house, a visit to an apple orchard complete with hard cider and apple cider donuts, a trip to some nearby wineries, whiskey fueled pajama dance parties and an engagement photoshoot!
Prepare for major photo overload in 3... 2... 1...
Last but not least, a sneak peek of the engagment photos that I snapped for Sarah and JJ (more coming soon)...
This past week, my maternal grandmother passed away. There's been a lot of confusion and sadness surrounding her death.
Through this mix of emotions, I've been thinking a lot about mother-daughter relationships.
So much of who I am is a result of my mother's love. Selfless, pure and unwavering love. My mom's joy for life is infectious. She's the type of person that leaves each place that she visits a little better off than when she arrived.
Something that I admire most about my mother is her appreciation for the beauty of nature. She seems to notice every budding tree and blossoming flower in sight. On several occasions, I've seen her nearly drive off of the road just to point out hanging wisteria.
While my mom is struggling with the loss of her mother, I wanted to share some of the beauty that I've captured with my camera this summer. I always think, "Mom would love this!" when I see things so beautiful that they stop me in my tracks.
I hope that these images can serve as a reminder that even in the most difficult of times, there is still beauty all around us.
It's been a little while since I've shared a recipe here, so I figured I would give you something to drool over. Fresh in-season cherries might just be my favorite fruit of all time -- reduce them on the stove top with sugar and bourbon and you have the thing that dreams are made of.
I can't take credit for this recipe. I found the recipe here and substituted dried cherries for fresh chopped and wine for bourbon.
Proof that time stands still for no one. In what felt like a small amount of time away from blogging, so much has happened.
My hiatus solidified my decision to share myself here.
This blog is a place for me to document major family milestones and to share the beauty in our every day. It’s a space for creative release -- a blank page to write on. It’s been a safe place for me to share the thoughts inside of my head for nearly two years now.
What I think I love most about coming here is that it pushes me to live my life with intention. I notice more of my surroundings when I stop to think about how I would describe them to someone who isn't there.
The physical act of writing blog posts gives me quiet time to reflect on what’s transpiring in my life.
Sure, I could document these events in a private journal or scrapbook, but one of my biggest takeaways from keeping a blog are the connections that I’ve made. I’ve formed friendships with bloggers that have similar interests. What might mean the most to me, though, is finding common ground with friends or family members that I may not have otherwise shared so much of myself with.
I think a large part of what drives many of us to blog can best be summed up by a lesson that Oprah Winfrey shared in her final episode,
"I've talked to nearly 30,000 people on this show, and all 30,000 had one thing in common: They all wanted validation. If I could reach through this television and sit on your sofa or sit on a stool in your kitchen right now, I would tell you that every single person you will ever meet shares that common desire. They want to know: 'Do you see me? Do you hear me? Does what I say mean something to you?’”
What I'm really trying to say is that I missed this place and all that it brings into my life.
A list of sorts and some images to document my time away:
An engagement (my sister-in-law, Sarah, to her now fiance, JJ)
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A new baby on the way this fall (my brother-in-law, Zach, and his wife, Jenna)
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Our littlest niece Ellie turned 6 months old. Where does the time go?
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A new furry family member (my parents rescued Cooper a shih tzu maltese mix with an adorable underbite)
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My sister, Brittany, and brother-in-law, Mike, broke ground on their new home
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We celebrated mother’s day, father’s day, my Mom’s birthday and the 4th of July
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My mother-in-law, Joyce, and brother-in-law, Adam visited and we vacationed in Wilmington
