This summer has been full of chilly mornings and sunny afternoons. I feel like so much of this newsletter goes to the magazine or summits, so here are a few personal highlights.
Things I’ve been doing:
We had 4 girls over to my parent’s house for a pool party in June. We stuffed ourselves with oven-pizza and fruit. I had a chance to talk with moms who were a bit ahead of parenting than I am (due to them also having older kids) and I loved hearing all of their stories. I also loved the pure joy and confidence of five year old girls getting together.
I launched the Motherhood Minute printed magazine. It has felt like a natural way to bring all of my previous work together and I’m so thankful for everyone.
My husband found a guitar at a pawn shop and has been relearning how to play. It’s been bringing me joy to hear him and my daughter play together. I love that my daughter will walk by the guitar and touch the strings at random.
After taking some time off from church ministry, I’m starting to feel better about coming back into my role of leading the Evangelism Board. It felt encouraging to have six people meet with me about restarting things and then attending church council with my dad. I also got to help with our church’s first Vacation Bible School in five years. I hope to find a bible study that can help pour into my cup soon.
We’ve been doing a lot of art. I’ve spent the summer making friendship bracelets, painting, and journaling. I found my old cd collection from high school (circa 2005-2010) and have been laughing at the mixes I made back then.
My husband and I really want to do a backpacking camping trip next year. To work up to that idea, we’ve been hiking with my daughter more and building up my strength. I have a long way to go but taking yoga and getting out on small hikes has helped me a lot. Now I just need to find balance with some chronic symptoms I still face.
This was the second year my employer was a featured nonprofit at the Tacoma Rainiers stadium. Seeing my designed advertisements in their program and on the big screen is such a cool experience. I got to watch a baseball game start to finish for the first time in forever. I don’t know much about sports, but nothing beats watching a game in person. My favorite sports movies include Major League and The Sandlot.
Things I’ve been eating:
Parfaits: I found that Fage has a plain lactose free Greek yogurt ♥️ I have been layering frozen blueberries with that, a drizzle of honey, and gluten free granola (Bobs Red Mill is my favorite). Sometimes instead of blueberries and honey I just mix in a tiny bit of cherry preserves.
Instant decaf coffee has helped me drink less caffeine and still enjoy an afternoon coffee. Tumeric tea has helped me keep inflammation down.
Things I’ve been pondering:
How taking care of my mental and physical needs can feel like a part time job
How hard it is to walk the line between not pushing your kids but also showing them the fruits of discipline and bravery
How difficult it can be to feel physically and mentally disabled one day and pretty normal the next
Things I’ve been reading:
I recently setup an affiliate account with Bookshop.org so I do get 10% off your book purchases through these links, however, I’m not being asked by authors to promote anything.
Revolutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence by Joseph J. Ellis. I don’t read history that often and had this one sitting on my nook for years, but once I began reading, it was hard to put down. I’ve stopped myself multiple times from sharing wild facts about the Revolution. Honestly, it’s wild the United States of America even survived it.
The Monstrous Adventures of Mummy Man and Waffles, Written by Steve Behling, Illustrated by Robb Mommaerts. This has been our favorite read this summer, by far. It’s a middle school level book with illustrations on almost every page. It’s spooky-silly, according to my five year old, which means the monsters were sometimes scary but the humor from the noble Mummy Man kept us glued to the page.
Reads on Substack:
Insights from a University of Michigan reproductive psychiatrist by Meg LeDuc focused on maternal mental health
Daniela discusses her relationship with chronic health issues and hooked me from the first sentence: “There is a version of me that still measures time in symptoms.” Through The Looking Glass
I loved Becoming a Gracious Grandparent: How to Support Our Adult Children as They Raise Their Children by Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage
Why Does Rest Feel So Hard in Motherhood? by Bekah Buchterkirchen
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