It’s been a while! I feel like I say that every time at the beginning of a new post… it’s just been so busy around here lately that I haven’t had much time to pause and reflect on the end of summer and start of fall. We had been busy at the end of August and early September closing down the family RV parks with Dakota’s parents, and that seemed to lead right into football season, a quick family getaway to northern Minnesota, and Sunday School/being back at church since we aren’t working on weekends anymore.
Dakota and I were able to go on a little family getaway to Duluth, Minnesota with our girls. Vacation looked a lot different this time around with a dog AND a baby, but it was exciting experiencing vacation as a whole family and amazing to just have a few days to sleep in, explore, and not have a set schedule. It’s always nice to give yourself opportunities to get outside of your everyday routine and just do something different, whether you’re traveling or right at home. For us, we love spending our free time hiking and doing anything outdoors, and we sure did a lot of that while we stayed in Duluth! We stayed at a hotel right by the boardwalk in Duluth which was so convenient for taking Scout and Collins on walks. We probably walked close to 20 miles during our few days there! To some that may not sound like vacation, but taking in God’s creation and just enjoying the fresh air is something that Dakota and I find very relaxing. We were also able to spend time with family. My grandma and uncle live in Duluth, so Collins got to see her great grandma again and meet her great uncle for the first time! Those moments are so precious and irreplaceable. Our little getaway ended at Jay Cooke State Park. SO BEAUTIFUL! It is a must see if you’re traveling to Duluth. We stopped there on our way back home, and it was stunning! There were waterfalls, beautiful trees that were juuuust starting to change color (can’t imagine how beautiful it must be there now!), and this amazing hanging bridge you can walk across. Dakota mentioned it was one of the largest, if not the largest one, in the state! Our hike through Jay Cooke was short, but we still loved every bit of it. It’s so fun including Collins in the activities Dakota and I loved doing when it was just the two of us. It’s fun to see how much she already enjoys being outdoors too. She was so content and observant in the carrier the whole time. It will be so fun to go exploring as she continues to grow and become more aware of God’s beautiful creation around her.
Aside from our little getaway I’ve recently taken on a few ambassador roles for a few faith-based small business shops called reagantwentyfive and adornit. I am having fun supporting these small shops! Fall bible studies have begun for both of us, and Dakota and I are tapping into a new ministry by teaching the 2 and 3 year olds for Sunday School this year… 🙂 It is a humbling role teaching this age group. Here I thought teaching 6 and 7 year old 1st graders was tiring, but put yourself in a room of 2 and 3 year olds and it’s a game changer. I need God’s grace continually as I learn how to teach this age group, especially teaching this age group with my spouse. There is still some fine tuning that needs to happen, but for the most part, it’s been going very well! It is SO encouraging to see God working in their little hearts already. I’m humbled I get to see it all play out. Praise Him!
Our baby girl also turned 3 months old in September. That’s 12 weeks and 1/4 of a YEAR. Hooooooow did that happen?! The days go in spurts of fast and slow, but looking back at the past 3 months, they really have flown by. I love that she gets to experience her first Fall. It is such a beautiful time of year. It feels different this year, though. It doesn’t feel as much like “Fall” because I’m not at school teaching little ones. I still miss it from time to time, but every morning that I get to have seeing that smiling, sweet little girl of mine and know that I get to spend my day caring for her and helping her develop and learn about the world around her is such a gift that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Having my husband at home most days working is such a blessing too. I love spending most of my days with them. How many families get to do that? I have to humbly remind myself that it isn’t the quantity of the children I am teaching, but the priority. Our daughter is my priority and with Dakota’s leading, he’s told me to pursue staying home with her. I feel blessed that he wanted me to do this for our family.
That’s all for now. Stay filled with the Word my friends.
-C
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