We had family photos taken recently, and our photographer said “Everyone’s smiling, but you all look a little…clenched.”

I knew what she meant. We WERE “clenched”. We had come from a whirlwind day of church and Sunday School and soccer practices and were headed to a birthday party after the shoot. I had done my best to get the kids looking photo-ready and told them (probably through clenched teeth) to be on their best behavior. That schedule and my anxious energy translated to a smiling-yet-slightly-constipated-looking-family portrait.

I was thinking about the photographer’s comment and how our energy so directly impacts our families and our work…how it’s so very important to let GO sometimes – to not hold the thing we want so tightly that we squeeze the life out of it. We need to work hard, but we must also allow room for God to move through our dreams and problems and to smooth over the rough parts we can’t possibly fix ourselves. That’s grace, right?

We’ve been pretty busy around here with wholesale orders and preparations for holiday shows. For some time, Jeremy and I planned to travel to Vermont for a long weekend to see his family. When the weekend finally came I was torn. I was looking forward to seeing everyone but…there was just So. Much. To. Do. How would we get it all done before the trip and how would we catch up after?

Thank goodness we went! It was just what we needed to pause, reconnect, and remember how truly lucky we are.

The fall colors of New England weren’t bad either. There’s nothing like seeing huge mountains and breathtaking landscapes to help me take myself less seriously.

And then there are these four amazing little people that I get to live with…they are good for that too.

Wishing you a grace-filled day,