life lately [september]

Well, hello.

It’s been a little while, right? I know. If you visit this space, you should know that my blogging-absence has little to do with a lack of writing. I’m working on some other projects right now, both personal and at work, and I needed a little space from the internet. I’m not sure what blogging will look like for me in this season, but I’m resisting the temptation to give myself a deadline and/or unrealistic goals and instead just let this be what blogging really is: practice.

So, in the meantime, here’s a bit about right now…

We are loving this season with Keegan. The cliché is proving itself–I cannot believe how fast time has gone. He is babbling, crawling, furniture-walking, playing, laughing, and eating everything but peas. I can’t get enough. I mean, look at him.

See?

Friendships look a little different these days. We are now in the land of bedtime–which is glorious in all sorts of ways and not-so-glamorous in others. What it really means is after 7:30pm, we’re free to interact with the human race, except, we are now bound to our house. I’ve heard it’s not socially acceptable to take your baby-monitor with you when you go out… (I’M JOKING. OF COURSE I WOULD NEVER DO THAT.) which means “friendship time” looks a lot like Google Hangouts with friends that live fifteen minutes away. Oh to live in 2013! And, of course, toting around the pack-n-play like it’s going out of style. I’m done nursing (well, actually, exclusively pumping) (yes, some women have to/choose to do that) (because you wanted to know) (#sorrynotsorry), so I have a little more freedom and am no longer pumping in bathroom stalls anymore. (Hey, you came here. I didn’t force you.)

Besides my abuse of parentheses, writing is going really well. We feel completely at home in our new church. We’re in a growing season and feel so grateful to call Traders Point home.

Speaking of growth … I’m going to the Influence Conference downtown this weekend, which is a new venture for me. I am going with no expectations and just want to give myself the space to enjoy every conversation, session, and connection. I have a nasty, terrible habit of being ravenous when it comes to events like this–taking furious notes, stopping at every booth, trying to pack in all the workshops and track down everyone I want to meet/force my friendship on. This time, God has me in a new season … and I am choosing to slow down. I’ll get back to you on whether that’s a real possibility.

And who knew? I’m reading again. After a season of scrolling through Pinterest and endlessly checking my Facebook newsfeed like an addict, I made space to read. Confession: I grew dependent on my iPhone during postpartum. I mean, bad. And can I just say? It’s good to be back. Hello life, you are a lot more colorful than I remember. Hello books, you are (shockingly) better for my heart and brain. So I’ve read a little for work, some for fun, and a few for my own development. At the top of the list: Seven by Jen Hatmaker, Just Lead! by Jenni Catron & Sherry Surratt, Knowing God by J.I. Packer, The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe by Donald H. Wolfe, and lastly … Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan. Judge me, go ahead. Then go buy it and laugh until you cry.

Thanks for letting me practice it all here. You saw it first!