October & November Haps + December Goals
Hello friends! I’m so excited for this particular recap of the last two months! I love the practice of looking back and taking stock of all the things I’ve done and memories I’ve made, the victories and the setbacks. It’s such a great way to gather up thankfulness, and this season, I have a lot to be thankful for!
October & November Haps
October seemed to breeze by, and was pretty relaxed until I left for tour. November has felt a bit busier, but I’m so happy! Here’s why:
I officially started shifting the majority of my workload to be writing-focused, with no hair and makeup clients.
To go along with that, I decided to rent a dedicated work desk at House of Work, a small co-working space in Durham founded by Hannah of Otherlove.
I have had my first official writing clients, and have gotten into a good rhythm of going into the office! It has made such a difference to have a dedicated workspace outside of the house. I feel much more productive, and I love the girls I share a working space with!
We decorated our home for autumn, including mums and pumpkins on our cute front porch, much to my delight! I also made some pumpkin chocolate chip bread loaves, and several soups to celebrate the chilly weather (chicken noodle soup, turkey chili, lentil soup, and a really good potato soup).
We lost our dear, sweet kitty Goldie Faith. We rescued her a little over two years ago, and she brought so much joy and laughter to our home. She was my best buddy during a difficult time, and I will miss her dearly. Animal companions are such a gift from God!
I went on lots of walks outside to enjoy the beautiful changing weather. I use my walks as a time to check in with myself and God, and to take a moment out from the buzz of normal life. I usually listen to music or an inspirational podcast, like those from Jonathan David and Melissa Helser.
The last week of October, I left to go on tour with my dear friends Jess Ray and Taylor Leonhardt of Mission House. They are both incredible solo musicians, and their band together is a beautiful collaboration of new worship songs for local churches. It was an honor to be a part, and gave me a chance to face some fears and stand in something I know I’m made to do! Although the road miles were intense (we drove to Dallas, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Nashville, Florida, then back home), our group felt like family and I am so glad I did it! I got to sing Center of It during the opening set - my first times singing my single live!
John and I went to the Whitfield Family Reunion in Dudley, NC. The Whitfields are my paternal grandmother’s side of the family, and it’s the family line that is most traceable back through the generations. My middle name is Whitfield, so I always feel a special place in my heart for these gatherings! In true NC form (the Whitfields have been in NC since before the Revolutionary War), a pig was smoked low and slow, and all the best southern fixin’s were involved!
Our garden is officially out of commission, but we got a few late-blooming tomatoes and lots of last peppers before the cold weather set in!
Celebrated a sweet Friendsgiving with some dear lady friends of mine.
Visited Christmas Town at Busch Gardens with John’s family. It was cold but so fun! They rebranded the whole park to be like a Christmas Village, and all of the shows were holiday-themed. Plus it was beautifully decorated with oodles of lights!
One thing that has made these past two months even more exciting and deeply special to me is that I’ve been carrying a little promise with me along the way! In August, John and I found out that we are pregnant! Of course, the last five years of trying have been a very long road, and we have experienced some losses along the way, so we have taken each day as a total gift. I can’t wait to share more, but I knew it was time to share with you the good news that has delighted my heart over the past few months!
We are due this spring and are so so thankful.
Thank you Nancy for this beautiful image! More to come!
December goals
We don’t have many plans for Thanksgiving - mostly just to stay in town and celebrate simply with John’s family and my family. Because Thanksgiving is so late this year, we’ve gone ahead and started decorating for Christmas and hope to get a tree up tomorrow to decorate through the week!
Continue a consistent schedule with work, going into the office regularly.
Drink lots and lots of water, keep going on walks, and continue prenatal yoga to stay happy and healthy
Find out if our little love is a boy or girl : )
Have a palette Christmas movie night with John while wrapping presents!
Stick to our basic Christmas present budget so we can kick off 2020 with porch construction
Make a delicious pie for our Christmas feasts
Make banana bread to gift to our neighbors
Go on a Christmas Date with John! We usually go to The Angus Barn to see all the amazing decorations and eat the delicious steak (and cheese and crackers, to be honest)!
Enjoy some margin time, lots of time at home, reading books, and drinking hot cocoa
What are you looking forward to this December? I can’t wait to hear!
Wishing you and yours the sweetest moments through this holiday season!
Sam
