October was full (actually, really full as I look back at my calendar), but its pace felt just right. We had time for movie night each Friday, for playdates and playing outside, for an impromptu hot dog and fire pit dinner with friends, for crafting Halloween costumes and walking to soccer and celebrating birthdays and TTT and volunteering at school each week. I try not to take any of it for granted, because it is all precious to me – and though it doesn’t feel like I’m fighting for it in the moment, I know we stacked many decisions on top of one another to get to this place. In this month of gratitude, I am grateful. On my calendar:— Voting, always.— Thanksgiving in Virginia with John’s side of the family!— Beginning my 2025 PowerSheets. I chose Aloe! What I’m loving right now:— Clothing swaps! Every few months the ladies of my church community group do a clothing/home items/toy swap and it is the best! I left the last one with two new-to-me pairs of jeans, a real boon to my wallet.— Speaking of jeans: In addition to the CG jeans, I bought this pair after trying them on in store. I feel like they’re a very wearable pair of wide-leg jeans if you, like me, have been hesitant to branch out from skinnies!— I’m surprised I’ve never mentioned this before, but this carpet spray is a dream for getting stains out of rugs and all kinds of upholstery. I just ordered another bottle. As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here! Last month on The Connected Family:— Why we still read aloud to our third grader | It may be as much as for her as it is for

A sucker for the fresh start of fall just like everyone else, I’ve been over here enjoying the rhythm of a new season as September has gotten underway. That’s the beautiful thing about seasons, isn’t it? They’re a chance to pause, reflect, collect ourselves, and move into something new – and they always seem to come at just the right time. For me, this year, that’s meant reacquainting myself with quiet workdays, incorporating Serious Working Out back into my weeks (aiming for two 30-minute strength training sessions, three rucks, and one intense Peloton ride per week), digging out the meals that work for practice nights, and cleaning out a few closets that have gotten overgrown. And a few more things, as you’ll see below… Psst — want to come hang with me in person? I’m speaking at a Thrive Motherhood event on parenting in the digital age at the end of this month. I am already terrified, but would love to have the chance to meet you! On my calendar:— Our anniversary trip to Asheville! Happy 12 years to us :)— Our annual camping trip with the Rays! We are headed to a lakeside campsite in Virginia and they are bringing their boat!— The first day of fall! We’ll bake apple cider scones for our family and the kids’ teachers, a tradition we started eight years ago. What I’m loving right now:— Please go watch this short video from the beloved Tim Mackie about generosity, scarcity, and abundance. I’m a person who thinks quite a lot about generosity, but in less than three minutes Tim opened up a whole new way of thinking about God’s purposes for it – and how it affects our relationships with others – that I had never considered.— One of you sent me this piece

Our kids don’t go back to school until the end of the month (September, actually, for Shep), so even as I’m looking ahead to back-to-school rhythms and routines, we’re still very much in the thick of summer over here. Doctor’s appointments and after-dinner pool visits, reseting chore charts and staying up late to watch the Olympics, shopping for school supplies and all-you-can-eat popsicles from the freezer — two seasons live side-by-side in August, and I’m savoring them both.  If you, too, are straddling seasons, I pulled up a few posts that might be of help for us both: Our favorite family read aloudsMy takeaways from Habits of the HouseholdSimplifying kids’ artworkOur kids after-school jobsAnd my series on Christians in public school (start here) And now onto the goals… On my calendar:— An ice cream and game night with the ladies at our church— An afternoon shadowing our vet for June. Our vet invited her to tag along for a few hours at our cat’s last appointment, and she’s very excited to take her up on the offer!— Shep’s first day of kindergarten!! What I’m loving right now:— This feels like it needs to be an annual summertime reminder: if you’re smaller-chested, I CANNOT recommend these enough. I had seen them recommended for years but never took the plunge because they seemed vaguely complicated, but nothing could be farther from the truth. They’ve made wearing sleeveless and skinny-strap dresses an absolute breeze and are FAR better than a strapless bra, IMHO! Go for it!!— This folding chair was one of John’s birthday gifts. It is FAR smaller than the folding camping chairs we’re used to taking to soccer games — the carry bag is only about a foot long — and it’s a little more inclined than them, too. But a great, lightweight

We’re back from a week in Michigan with our extended family (35 people in total!), and what a delight it was. Further thoughts coming in a recap post soon! Until then, here’s what we have on tap for July. I’m also prepping a midpoint-of-the-year goals post, so stay tuned for that next! On my calendar:— Celebrating Annie, John, and Shep’s birthdays! July is a celebratory month for our family!— Sending June to sleepaway camp for two weeks! (Eep!) — Hosting the second annual Cousin Camp for my niece and nephew! What I’m loving right now:— This interview with married summer camp directors from the Raising Boys & Girls podcast was the encouragement I needed as we gear up to send our oldest to sleepaway camp for the first time. Both the practical tips and the big-picture reminders about why we’re doing this in the first place were welcome.— The “Fresh Additions Fully Cooked Chicken Bites” from Costco have been a staple in John’s lunches since we discovered them a few months ago. The 2 oz packs come in a set of 8. I throw them in the freezer and he pulls them out one-by-one to add to his salads!— This essay! In addition to being a tender look into the heart of a mom of a grown-up daughter, allowing me to imagine the day I’ll be in those shoes, it also changed my approach to communication with my own mom right now. Grateful! As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here! What you’re loving right now: This is where I highlight a few items here that have been popular in the last month with fellow readers, based on my analytics. Here’s hoping this will help you find something you’ll