Hello, friends! It feels wonderful to be back after twelve weeks away. I’m grateful to have taken the time I needed following the arrival of our baby girl. One of the things I treasure most about this work is the flexibility it provides, and being able to pause when my family needed me was a true blessing. I’ve missed connecting with you and have been eager to return, but we’ve had a very busy month of travel and visiting family. I waited until that settled so I could reengage with the blog with more focus—aside from the three adorable distractions who keep life lively around here.
Now for the big news: baby Harper! Her full name is Harper Rae Chesson, and she arrived on July 14th. The day was a whirlwind: I went to the hospital thinking I was in labor but was actually experiencing a gallstone episode. After being very sick and consulting with the team, we decided to induce at 39 weeks because I’d been having recurring gallbladder problems that seemed linked to the pregnancy. What began as a rough day turned into a very special and memorable birth. Honestly, it might be my favorite of the three births we’ve experienced.
Since Harper arrived, we’ve been settling into life as a family of five. She is such a sweet, easy baby—by far the most relaxed of our children so far—which has made the transition smoother overall. Of course, there have been ups and downs, but the experience has been joyful in many ways. A huge part of that is Seth’s paternity leave: his company generously offers sixteen weeks of leave, which has been incredible. That kind of time together is so different from what we had with our older boys and has made the adjustment far more manageable. I’m already dreading when it ends because the extra support and family time have been invaluable.
A question I get often is how the boys feel about their new sister. They are absolutely obsessed. The pictures below really capture their excitement and affection.
They truly adore her—especially Colt, our little redhead. Still, I want to be honest: this period hasn’t been all rainbows. Parenthood is a mixture of extremely hard moments, incredibly beautiful ones, and ordinary, everyday tasks. Life feels full and sometimes complicated, but it’s filled with love and purpose. We’re doing our best to embrace each day as it comes.
The last several months have been intense for many people, with health concerns, shutdowns, and political uncertainty. We try to stay grounded, prioritize what matters, and focus on raising our kids in a loving, stable environment despite the craziness outside. Taking things day by day—one week and one month at a time—helps keep perspective. Amid the uncertainty, we’re enjoying our family more than ever.
As for the blog, my plan is to return to a regular rhythm: ideally two new recipe posts per week, plus more activity on Instagram featuring new photos and reshares of favorites from the archive. That’s the goal, but I’ll be flexible and take it one week at a time so our family can adjust as needed. I’m giving myself grace if the schedule doesn’t always unfold perfectly—parenting and life don’t stick to neat timelines, and that’s okay.