starting again

Okay, so don't fall out that I'm posting. It's become one of those things that is kind of like getting on a scale...I don't post...then it's gotten embarrassingly longer since...then it's like, what's the point? I've been a little busy. Even now, I'm swatting little fingers away from the keyboard as I type in game like fashion. Oh Ellery, you are definitely the best and often most frustrating part of my day. Like NOW, she has decided that my cup on water was more useful as a hat. Good thing it was only half full. That's probably good though, no bath later.

So I don't want to try to catch you up on a year's worth of stuff, but let the evidence of zero posts point to the fact that overwhelmed doesn't even do it justice.  I'm glad to know I'm not alone in being a mama, a business-owner, etc. Balance continually eludes me but I hope, going forward, to find the time to have more fun with our little blog and catch up with you all. I'm working off the theme of bittersweetness in all things in my life in the last few years. Sometimes the flavor is more intense than at other times, but it seems to be an undercurrent to all things. More on that later, I'm sure. And more pictures. I promise.

For a bit of something sunny on such a cold autumn morning, here are a few things I love about my life right now.

Ellery wakes up in the morning SO happy and chatty. "we deedle dah! bah zeezle dah. baaaaaah zha da dadada" She is such a happy, sweet kid in more ways that I can express on FB without feeling too overindulgent. LOVE that kid. She gets more and more fun by the day with her little antics, personality and words. Currently, all we have are dada (all the time), mama (only sometimes), wow (on command), uhoh (also on command, and appropriately when something falls, although I feel like she is also starting to use it ironically, which is awesome). UH OOOOOOOHHH!

Adult people: This girl has described me in her blog as a cool drink of water, but I find it to be even more true of her in mine. Refreshing and true and an amazing refreshment...especially having learning more of her story. Have you ever met someone and as you get to know them, you just become continually amazed at their story and how lucky you are to just be a part of their life? Yeah, that's her. And she's hilarious. HIlarious.

I love our new church. I love the people (like the friend above)  I've gotten to know there and how genuine they are. I love that I'm being called back to just love Jesus and not get bogged down in the drama that can be church. And has been church for us in the not recent past. I still miss the music from our old church...how so often listening to it is more of a meeting of my soul to Jesus than many hours of sitting in church or trying to read the Bible. 

I love fall itself here in New England: beautiful. So colorful. I only wish it didn't mean we were approaching my least favorite season and the longest season up here. It's like going to play with your favorite friend, but being tricked into a closet by her older brother and being locked away for 6 months.

We actually have a family vacation coming up soon that we are almost too giddy about. A McClure Three vacation for the first time ever. We won't be going to see family, which is what our time off has meant since we've been up here. We are taking it for ourselves and going on a road trip to Philly, then to Brooklyn, then to a cabin in the Catskills. Some good friends, some adventure, and some rest in the woods. Another bit of news is that Ashley is now a registered architect. Something way too long in the making. And his firm did, in fact, hire him back last November (for those of you who were still unclear on the details of it all).

So thanks for reading...and for not taking us out of your reader. I hope I don't get neglectful of this blog again...my goal is 1-2 a week for now. Okay, so many just one a week. Now for some play time with my baby girl!