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Good morning!
I haven’t sat down just write for a while now and I was looking through some of my older blog posts and remembering how much I love to just let my thoughts flow. So, today I want to do just that. Hopefully, it’s a chance for you all to reconnect with me a bit and also for me to connect with you through comments here and on my social media pages.
So, what’s new? Well, the kids are in their 3rd week of school and are really thriving. The routine has been very good for us and they have adjusted well to classroom learning again. (Read about our homeschool journey here.) And I think it has had the biggest effect on me. I almost feel like a fog has been lifted. I remember this feeling very well from 3 years ago when Abby was in 2nd grade and Jake headed off to Kindergarten. I had some time in my day to pursue things that filled my bucket.
I think about what was going on 3 years ago. My photography business was thriving in Glen Carbon, Illinois and little did we know that in a couple of short months we would be moving to California. I was finally exhaling after 7 years raising the kids at home, creating art and settling in. And then we moved. Our two years in California seemed almost surreal. While we were doing all of the fun things we never really had a sense of community. We missed having a neighborhood and with the exception of a few great friends we made we were actually pretty isolated. In a way, I think it pushed me much more into my introverted side.
When we moved to Dothan, Alabama last Fall we found exactly what we were missing. We have a safe neighborhood full of kids who love to play and Matt & I have been able to meet so many like-minded adults and are finally able to find a tribe again. Can I get an amen at how important that it?
And now that the kids are back in school I find myself facing some decisions. Some part of me wonders if I should pick a whole new career and learning something new. It’s funny what we can come up with when we have a quiet house and some extra time on our hands. But, I think what I want to do is build up my photography business again. It made me really happy to create and capture such beautiful moments for people. And even better it gives me a lot of flexibility to help at the kid’s schools and get them off the bus at 2:40pm. (So early right!)
The funny thing is that now I have created a big block for myself around finding good locations to shoot at. The ironic thing is that I feel confident anywhere but I have a big hangup on that and hope to work through it this month! Matt is such a good sport. Sunday night he offered so go with me and test shoot at a place I was thinking about. He knows how tough it is to wrangle the kids away from their friends in the evenings to scout and test shoot locations. Anyway, wish me luck as I try to reopen this chapter!
Guess where I am going every day? Orange Theory! I wrote a blog post back in May about why I love it and just completed my 53rd workout. I feel stronger and am finally starting to see some changes in my body. I know that I am not alone when I share that being insecure about body issues really holds me back. But I am actually feeling super motivated lately and feel like I can finally reach my goals. I have been struggling with this for a few years now and realize that I have to really work hard if I want to break out of the cycle. We have even talked about signing up for some races! Does anyone remember when I ran that half-marathon? I want to feel that kind of pride and accomplishment again!
And there is something else heavy that I have been carrying for years now. And I wouldn’t be surprised if some of you guys feel it too. It’s tubs of clothes that I still need to sell. Those of you who have been following me for the 9 years I have been blogging (even back to the old deals blog) know that I used to shop a lot. And while I haven’t done much in the last few years I still have so much stuff to go through and sell. I am working on posting things a few times a week to my Instagram shop and then things that don’t sell after a couple of weeks will go to my Ebay (ebay handle is sblevins14) so please come and shop! Like… pretty please! I have lots of great stuff and prices are good too!
So, I guess this Fall you will find me working out, selling stuff and taking photos. And blogging! I like this outlet and I am grateful for the opportunities that come my way so I want to nurture this blog. And I do want to thank all of you who have been reading for so many years. Every comment, share, heart, and thumbs up are noticed and very much appreciated!
Enough rambling. If you made it this far I want to share a few things that I am loving lately with you all too!
Things That Make Me Happy
Royal Bingo. My kids ask to play this all of the time and I think everyone needs it in their home!
Creative Live. To help me rekindle my photography mojo I have been watching their daily ON AIR classes during the day. These are free and covere a variety of creative niches – not just photography. You can click here to see what is playing today and what is coming up.
Southern Charm on Bravo. I caught the tail end of Season 6 this year and kind of love it. I am watching it from the beginning and almost through season 2. And now I want to go to Charleston! Does anyone else watch?
The Five Love Languages. Matt and I are both reading this and if you have never read it, you should! Our languages are very different and it’s helping us a lot. I also love the kid’s version and am reading that as well. Seriously, over 12,500 reviews and 5 stars!
Dreaming About Buying a Beach House. Well, more like a condo down on 30A. This is my big goal that I am working toward. We want to find the perfect one and I want to manage it on AirBNB when we aren’t using it. And we would use it a lot! Have I mentioned how much I love being near the beach? But, we are still almost an hour and a half away and I would love to be able to stay down there!
Ok, that’s it. Feel free to drop me a comment here or on social media and let’s chat!
And isn’t Jake getting so big? He is just the best little boy there is!
