Getting Back To Myself a Bit...

Throughout this whirlwind spring and half of summer, I've felt very spread thin... working full-time throughout March, April and May, talking a huge trip in June then coming straight back to teach summer school. The house has gotten quite messy and disordered, my "chi" has all but disappeared, no creative mojo to speak of, and I was burdened by an overall sense of grinding, alleviated stress.

And I'd begun missing ME.

The month of July has seen a slow but steady progression back. Back to who I feel I am, back to a place where I can really work on who I want to be, just BACK to ME.

And I cannot tell you how healing this is.

Just this weekend, I did the following:

* Last night I began cutting out fabric for a cute apron I'd bought the pattern for a few months ago. I am bound and DETERMINED to figure out how to sew this non-pillow project. No more simple straight lines, folks. I'm attempting CLOTHING(ish).


* This morning I decorated the cupcakes I baked last night for our church potluck. Coconut white cake with cream cheese frosting. Yum!



* And this afternoon, I took Noah outside for a little fresh (scalding, hot, humid, sticky, oppressive, horrible) air and remembered to bring the camera along to capture a few posed shots.


{dang, he's CUTE. And the overall thing? Not planned. Seriously. I just knew how hot it would be outside, so I took his onsie off to keep him cool. And only THEN did it occur to me that this might make a cute photo. Which it did. }


...and a few candids. (Here, we're sitting on the front steps of our neighbor church, watching cars go by. Noah is sucking his mesh teether with ice cubes in it. Nice way to stay cool in the horrible 99-degree heat...)


{random observation--I think Noah has my eyebrows. I'm the highlighted one in the old photo. Can you see it? Or is it just me?}


{another random observation-- here, I think Noah looks like a grumpy old man, angry at you for getting on his lawn. See him shaking his fist??}


Anyway, I suppose to many of you, this all just seems like "a day in the life of emily".... But honestly-- for the last four months or so, this was all so far away. Emotionally, mentally... creatively... I just didn't have anything left to be able to fulfill this side of me.

So to look back on my weekend with peace and satisfaction is a big deal to me. I feel like everything's going to be okay again. I feel like some kind of "life balance" is within my reach. And I am deeply grateful.

Happy new week to you all!