This guy. He’s so easy to love. This year marks our sixth Valentine’s Day together—and they just keep getting sweeter.
Traveling life’s roads with him is one of my greatest joys. What a gift to be his girl.
xo
Living Slow: My Hopes & Dreams for 2016
I spent the last morning of 2015 at a pour over/espresso bar in downtown Cleveland. The combination of fantastic coffee, dreamy aesthetics, and having absolutely no agenda made for a few pretty-close-to-perfect hours. The mood was light, the pace was slow, and my mind was full of hopes and dreams for the new year.
I love the idea of living a well-intentioned life, and, like many others, I see the start of a new year as a perfect opportunity to set goals, redefine boundaries, and dream about the potential of the upcoming months. I suppose this qualifies as resolution-making, but more than just a list of what I hope to accomplish, I see it as defining the way I want to live in the new space of the year ahead.
The way I began December 31, 2015, is the way I would love to see 2016 unfold: slow and calm, yet deliberate and productive. I admit to the realization that life cannot really be lived in a constant state of calm or at a perpetual pace of slow. Weeks get frenzied and the edges of our days fray, mostly because of circumstances outside of our control. But when it comes to what I can control (namely, my own emotions, actions, and reactions) this is what I’m striving for: slow and calm, deliberate and productive.
Slow—because time moves fast enough on its own without my hurrying and panting to keep up. Because life is flying by at a scary fast pace, and I’m bound to miss it if I don’t open my eyes and take it all in.
Calm—because the opposite creates chaos, stealing the joy right out from underneath us. Because we see clearer, love deeper, and live bigger, better lives when we’re not driven by the disarray that all too often invades our days.
Deliberate—because doing things on purpose is the essence of intentional living. Because taking the time to consider our lives results in a sweet richness that is otherwise forfeited.
Productive—because we all have within us the desire to work toward something worthwhile. Because bettering our own lives helps us better the people and places that surround us.
…
So here’s a cheer for 2016! This year, may we all journey a little further down the road to becoming the people we want to be.
Life in the Middle
You know that old Loverboy song “Working for the Weekend”? I feel like that pretty much sums up my life as of late. For the past three weekends, we have either had people in town or have been out of town ourselves. Treasured time with family, birthday celebrations, and just a whole lot of fun. By the time Monday morning rolls around, I’m already fast-forwarding to Friday, thinking about what’s beyond the no-man’s land that is Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday.
But to be honest, I don’t like living this way. Having something to look forward to? Yes. I’m all about that. But wishing away the bulk of my week and living as though the only days that matter are the ones that book-end it? No way.
I want to be better about enjoying the everyday. I need to get better at living life in the middle.
The Monday morning dentist appointment. The Tuesday night grocery run. That evening trip to the gym. Or the Friday meeting with consultants. These are the things that make up the middle. The ordinary, somewhat mundane affairs that constitute our weeks. The humdrum that happens day-in and day-out. The normal; the familiar.
There’s an Annie Dillard quote that, although extremely popular, I just love. She says, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” Brilliant.
I don’t want to rush through the days because I don’t want to rush through life.
We miss so much when we wish away what feels insignificant. I want to be someone who savors Tuesday as much as Saturday. Who wakes up with as much excitement about Wednesday as I do Friday.
Because life happens every day. Not just on the ones we look forward to most.
Meet Me in Chicago
You can find us there on Wednesday nights, watching fireworks over the water. Or on Sunday mornings, enjoying a savory brunch in Wicker Park. You might catch us at a Cubs game on a weekend afternoon—or see us strolling hand in hand through our old Lakeview hangouts.
These days, you can pretty much spot us in the city whenever there’s a second to spare. Because making the most of these last few weeks of summer has meant spending them in one of our all-time favorite places.
| Navy Pier puts on a pretty great show! |
Earl Grey Vanilla Creme | From our favorite Argo in the city
| Nothing like a little late-night Portillo’s run… |
Our first time at the “Carriage House” | They had the BEST chicken + biscuit
Our first Cubs game in a while | We picked a great one to go to!
Life Lately
I had such good intentions with this blog this year. I was going to write at least twice a month, even if it just meant creating a short post out of the somewhat random and sometimes jumbled thoughts inside my head. Sadly, this has not been the case. At least not in this space anyway. But whether I’m documenting it or not, life is happening. And boy, is it happening fast.
MAY
Ty wrapped up another year of grad school, but jumped right back into an intense Hebrew course just a week after the close of Spring semester. (We are currently in week nine of nine and are looking forward to having a little more time together once the class is complete!) My siblings & I also schemed earlier in the month to surprise Mom for Mother’s Day. While the planning was a bit chaotic, it resulted in a fun-filled weekend.
JUNE
Ty & I celebrated three years (three years!) on June 2, while also welcoming our first nephew into the world that very same day. We are thrilled that we now share our anniversary with his birthday and that this already special day has taken on even more significance. We absolutely love being Auntie & Uncle!
JULY
July has seen a lot of family time, both for sweet reasons and for sad. We were able to spend a long holiday weekend at home with my family, but made a second unexpected trip home a few weeks later when my grandfather passed away. As we’ve been celebrating his life & legacy these past few days, I’ve felt especially thankful for the hope we have in Heaven & the precious memories we have to hold onto. He is a man dearly loved and now, dearly missed.
Life has certainly been busy this summer, but when is it not? We’re looking forward to a more relaxed pace come August and are kicking off the start of the month with a week away from the daily grind. Friday can’t come soon enough!