Hello and happy Monday! I hope you had a refreshing weekend. Ours was a good one — simple, cozy, and full of little reminders of how much life can change in a year.
Fall is in full swing now, and I’m trying to slow down enough to really soak it all in. This time last year was especially memorable for me. We were living with my mom — something I never expected to do again as an adult — and it was surprisingly special. We made nightly dinners together, sipped morning coffee side by side, and shared the daily rhythms of life with my kids under her roof. It was a gift I’ll always cherish.
But alongside the sweetness, there was a strong feeling of being unsettled. I actually wrote about it in this post — and rereading it now, almost exactly a year later, I’m struck by how much growth has taken place since then. This weekend especially opened my eyes to all the changes.
On Friday, Hailey went to a birthday party with some new friends. When we picked her up, she was bubbling over with excitement — telling us all about the games they played, the snacks, and all the silly moments. Pure girlhood joy. And honestly, an answered prayer.
With no soccer on Saturday, we had time to bake (you have to try this pumpkin bread), decorate a bit more for fall, make Jello in the cutest pumpkin-shaped molds (K was so proud), watch football, and even swap out the light switch covers in the powder room — small things that made the day feel full and satisfying. Hailey and I went to a sweet 16 birthday party in the evening, and we had friends drop by for an impromptu football hangout. It felt like one of those classic, cozy autumn days. Another answered prayer.
(Except for the Georgia game… but hey, you can’t win them all. Freaking Alabama. Sigh.)
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I also made a conscious effort to spend less time scrolling and more time doing — embroidery, prepping the garden, sipping tea while listening to cozy fall jazz instead of the usual news and podcasts. Last night, I sat outside watching the chickens peck at the ground, and let myself pause and really feel the gratitude.
Moving to a new state was a big leap for us. We weren’t running from anything bad, but we were saying yes to something unknown — and that can be equally scary. It hasn’t always been easy, especially in parenting, but this year has shown me how much can change when you say yes to the tug on your heart.
If there’s something calling to you — a change, a goal, even a small shift — I hope you’ll take a step toward it. It doesn’t have to be a giant leap. Just a small step. Because the time is going to pass either way. And a year from now, you might just find yourself reflecting back, amazed by how far you’ve come.
What season of life are you in right now? I’d love to hear how you’re soaking in the fall or what goals you’re quietly working toward — feel free to share in the comments.
Grateful Kae says
What a lovely post! It’s interesting to think about up and moving like you did. I tend to be someone who is not super adventurous in that way…. my mind immediately goes to all the complications, logistics, etc.
I currently live about 1 hour from where I grew up, have lived in Wisconsin my entire life, went to school with the same friends from K-12 and lived in the same house for my whole childhood. My husband, however, was born and raised in Mexico, moved around (in Mexico) a fair amount growing up/ went to a bunch of different schools, and then moved here in his mid-20s when we got married. So he clearly was okay with up and moving to a different COUNTRY, learning a new language, culture, etc.
Now he sometimes daydreams about us moving somewhere else, too, even though we both love WI, but just for a new adventure or lifestyle (or somewhere warmer!! ha). He sometimes likes to brainstorm ways that we could sort of get out of the “rat race” of working working working all the time, too….like he’ll think about if there’s a way we could work differently or start a business or live alternatively somehow. Or even go back to Mexico eventually (some low key cute little town perhaps? – our dollars would go a lot farther there! While we’re daydreaming, let’s make it a beach town. 😅). Any time he even suggests anything though I start with, Well, but what about the boys? I wouldn’t want to be far away from them… And what about my parents? They’ll need me as they get older… And what about this, or that, or the other thing? I have a hard time even letting my brain consider things like that! ha.
I know this post isn’t ONLY talking about moving, but I think about this a lot. I mean, logistics are obviously a real thing to sort out, but sometimes I see other people making huge life changes (be it a job, a major move, a housing situation, whatever) and I’ll think, huh! That is kinda cool that they had the guts to just go for it!
Brittany Dixon says
Have you ever shared the story of how you and your husband met? I’d love to hear it!
Family was the hardest hurdle for me, too. We had planned in 2020 to sell the house and move onto a sailboat for a year, buuuuut that year didn’t go as planned for anybody, did it? So we always kind of had it in our heads we weren’t in our forever home, but my worry was the kids getting too old. I wanted to be somewhere to “put down roots” by the time Hailey was 13 because I wanted them be able to develop deeper friendships during their teen years. We moved in right after she turned 13 so I kind of hit that goal.
We are now closer to David’s parents and a little closer to my mom so that was in the positive for us. There has to be something super cool about living so close to where you grew up, though, knowing so many people and places, so comforting.
Brittany says
Love reading this from you!
I am currently in a season with my oldest of trying to help her find her footing with starting high school. Coming from a small junior high to a high school with so many new people, she has had a harder time than she thought she would at finding her place and footing there. With reminding her she is only a couple of months in and will indeed find her place, her confidence is lower than normal and it’s hard to watch. Just being her cheerleader has been the priority but gosh, being a kid in a new phase is hard!
Brittany Dixon says
Love how you said that- being her cheerleader! That’s our best and sometimes hardest job, to have confidence that they will be able to handle anything before they feel that themselves. Keep up the good work <3