what we've been doing...

hi, friends!
oh, how i've missed this place; it has been well over a month! i can hardly believe it.
but honestly, it has been really nice to get away from the "internet world."

may & june were really busy months for luke + me:
+we celebrated the birth of a new baby girl, evelyn, into the home of {this} amazing family. she's so tiny & so beautiful & has the sweetest tint of red in her skin. her momma refers to her as her little salad topper. just like a cherry tomato. so sweet!
& before evie was here, we had a small shower in the park. i wanted to share photos with you because they remind me of how wonderful friends & the summertime can be.











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we also...
+painted & cleaned out & reorganized our home! finally!! it has felt so nice to be back in our place... everything has a place. there are no unwanted stacks of stuff just sitting around. we have a nice little reading nook & our kitchen walls are a soothing river rock gray. i painted a few pieces of furniture & hung some new artwork on the walls.

+you already know this, but just a reminder... we went to brazil! it changed us in every way. really, it was the most difficult & the most eye-opening experience. i honestly never knew that people lived with so little. next sunday, luke + i plan to start sharing little bits of our trip with you on {our blog}. we think it is time to dig out our rolls of film & show you what this beautiful place means to us.

+luke started his internship with phil's farm & i started my full-time job at the montessori school. his experience on the farm is showing him how much of a passion he has for digging his hands into the earth & growing food. my job is so enriching; i am learning so much about myself & about the children where i work. it is amazing to watch kids grow & experience life.

+we also made a huge decision. we decided to get rid of the internet at our house. yes, we no longer have internet connection in our home. it has been a huge challenge & also equally enjoyable. it was getting in the way of our lives. instead of spending time with luke at home, i would update my flickr or check email. he would come home from the farm & feel overwhelmed by the amount of unread emails waiting for him. it was becoming a source of stress & procrastination rather than an outlet for creativity & inspiration. i didn't like it. he was unhappy with how i wanted to spend my time, and i was frustrated with the stressed-out luke. we weren't living the way we wanted. so once our neighbor said that she was moving & disconnecting the internet that we shared with her, we felt like we need to take up the opportunity & live without the distraction in our home.of course, it isn't always easy; it never is. we've had to adjust to going to coffee shops to check email & do work.
still, it is so nice to have the quiet to come home to. summer is here & i finally feel like i am able to enjoy it. i've taken up a few creative projects & i am working on some new surprises for our etsy shop. we've spent time in the garden & are taking walks together to enjoy the summer evenings. we've been asking for a more manageable pace in our lives & it is finally happening.
we truly are happier & it feels so good.

if you have read all of this, thank you. if you haven't, i don't blame you. just know that i am excited to get back into the groove of things around here. i am excited to pick my camera back up & share our lives with you. it will be a little less often, but that makes for more living, right?

love,
natalie


11 comments:

Tara Thayer said...

hi.
i wish i could just talk to you to say how much i admire all of this.
i'm too tired to even really respond, but maybe, soon.

just know that i hear the thoughfulness and intention in all of these changes, and i'm so happy for you two.

and i'll take a little bit of inspiration from this and make it mine.

xo.
so glad you are back. show us pictures, when you can!!
tara

katrina said...

a good decision to be rid of the internet!
you can fully enjoy things more :)
i'm glad you seem to be so happy.
these photos are lovely!
i hope we get to see some pictures of your new home additions!

bright lights, big cities said...

I don't think I could ever get ride of the internet. It is my only connection to my country and my friends. And I don't have a cell phone so what I use to talk to people. So good for you and the challenge of getting rid of something many of us are addicted to! The pictures are wonderful and I can't wait to be picnic-ing with you, possibly, when I return to wonderful columbia. So happy to hear the summer has brought new experiences for the both of you (as the summer has brought new experiences for my husband and I). It truly is a growing garden and sometimes it's easy and sometimes it's hard.

I'm glad you had fun and learned so much in Brazil. "He who returns from a journey is not the same as he who left"

sunny said...

Wow. What a great idea to go with no internet at home! It's a time-sucker for me at home...but I still keep it...kind of as a consolation since I gave up cable and television a few months ago.

I am so inspired to declutter even more in my home since reading that you now have a home for everything in your home..and there are no stacks of things sitting around.

I too echo the request for photos of your home improvements :)

Jen said...

Seems like your summer has been full and sweet. What an inspiration you both are in your marriage and relationship. I look forward to the day when my husband and I can sneak away to Sendafa together to serve...something we never did as a young couple before children. Can't wait to hear about your trip to Brazil.

Julia said...

welcome back natalie! i've been wondering how you've been doing and i'm so glad to hear that you and luke are happy and are making conscious decisions to live the way you want to.

i know how much an experience like (i think) you two had in brazil can change you forever. i'll never forget the first time i experienced a culture so drastically different from mine. i can't wait to see photos and read your reflections on this trip! xo

Kiersten Johnson said...

I too am a preschool teacher. Soak up each and everyday with those children. I have found even on those "difficult" days with the children are still rewarding. Know that you are an important of their life if only for a few hours a day. I am glad you are back and love reading your blog! So thank you for what you do.

Jess said...

I'm inspired by your lack of internet at home!
all those photos were great. I just loved the baby shower - it was so simple and sweet - just perfect.
I keep thinking about how much I love you and am going to miss you, but I have to stop thinking about that and soak you up! : )

Keeper of the Skies Wife said...

What a wonderful summer thus far!!

Luke would be proud of my little humble garden. I apparently have a super green thumb at growing cucumbers. Hillary went out there yesterday and picked 12! 12 that grew in 2 days....crazy! I'm going to post a pic on my facebook.

Oh and I saw photos of that precious baby girl....Luke was holding her. :)

I love how "in love" the two of you are with each other & with the Earth. Beautiful

Andrea said...

the no internet sounds like a great idea to me! I've contemplated this notion for a while. (I say this as I type and procrastinate my own work here at home). I'd love to see pictures of your new little nooks in your house.

jessie said...

definitely makes for more living. :)

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