Well hello, 2014

Family

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Ohhh it feels so good to be back in this space, chatting with you all. Don’t you just love having a new year? I think it’s my absolute favorite – thinking about things that have been, and looking forward to all that is to come. Some of my favorite dates with Simon have happened on New Year’s Eve, when we can sit down together alone and talk about the things we want to accomplish. I love having a fresh slate and a clean house. (That being said, all my Christmas decor is STILL UP (OMG) because our house is being shot this week for a certain magazine for next year’s Christmas issue. Which is great, but I am definitely ready to bring it all down, as lovely as it has been.)

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Admittedly I wasn’t sad to see 2013 go. It was a hard year personally as we grappled with infertility and miscarriage. I entered January of 2013 exhausted from a stressful December, which proved to be a great learning experience for how I wanted December 2013 to go. I struggled a lot with anxiety this year, and went back to counseling to get a grip on how I felt about miscarriage and pregnancy. It was a tough year, plain and simple. So I enter 2014 with fresh eyes and a hopeful heart. There’s so much to look forward to – new work opportunities, new ideas, new places to go and things to see. And my favorite design conference of the new year – Alt Summit – is in just a few short days. This new year already feels a million miles away from where I was at this same time last January.

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But. Despite the hardships of 2013, I have a million and one good memories. Last summer I finally met up with Instagram friend Shannon Ho in real life. Shannon’s a ridiculously amazing photographer and she wanted to do a day-in-the-life session, just for fun, of our family. Personally I was thrilled – I almost never get to be in front of the camera, save for a few selfies on the iPhone with Jude. And the older I get the more I realize that family photos are beyond precious. They are priceless to me. So we did 2 different sessions – one where we were all hanging out together, and then another one with me and Jude (and newly-adopted Nickels!) followed up with our typical bedtime routine.  Click through to see some of my favorites —

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I cried when I saw the proofs she sent me – she captured us so beautifully and lovingly. She has a huge heart and a huge talent.

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Nickels looks so tiny in these pictures – I mean, he’s still tiny, but relatively speaking.

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My favorite time of day is bedtime, when we’re comfy in jammies all curled up in Jude’s bed with a stack of books. We read 3 or 4, then turn off the lights and sing the same set of songs: Twinkle Twinkle, Away in a Manger, Silent Night, Do Lord, and Holy Holy Holy. Then it’s snuggles and lights out. I already dread the day when he no longer wants me to read books to him or sing songs.

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I can’t say enough good things about Shannon – definitely get on her schedule ASAP as she’s coming out of her sabbatical and taking on new clients!

 

with love,
Rachel

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