Notes from the past year, from a gloriously cool and cloudy New Years’ Day. It has been a surprising year in many ways, full to the brim with change and growth and activity, only a little of which made it into words here. Still, looking back before looking ahead has been my practice, a moment of gratitude for the many blessings that made this year grand.

Yard: This year saw us moving one mile to rent a home from dear friends, which placed us soundly in the neighborhood where I grew up. We have loved spending this year getting to know the little bit of nature around us, watching the camellias, lilacs, lavender and magnolias bloom in their seasons. The little girls and little dogs (of which we acquired another in January!) run circles around the house, and having a space for outdoor meals, campfires and a pretty great bounce-house birthday party.

Sewing: Early in the year, I inherited a large selection of fabric from a neighbor and friend, and have spent a surprising number of hours remembering how to sew. I describe this as “like Legos where you make the pieces before you put them together,” and it’s been a joy to rediscover this outlet for creativity. Favorite Project: Hinterland Dress (X3) Most Time-Consuming Project: Bluey Family Halloween costumes

Preschool: This year, my youngest has gone to not one but two preschools. Both are wonderful in their own ways, and I’ve been impressed by the depths of community and connection built in these spaces we share when our kids are small. I am nearly to the end of this part of my life, the part where I’m a mom to preschoolers, and I never cease to be amazed at the energy, inspiration and love invested by the teachers of our smallest kids.

Astroturf: With increasing regularity a group of moms have spent a good bit of every dry afternoon hanging out at my eldest’s school while the kids burn off (amazingly still abundant) energy after the end of the school day. What started as acquaintances I met back in the masked days of late 2021 have turned into real friendships, as we sit on the sun-warmed astroturf by the side of the playground and celebrate the delights and process the challenges of this season of our lives as mothers.

Text Messages: June through October saw Timmy on another continent from us as he served as a chaplain with the Air Force. Though we connected over Facetime every morning at (our) breakfast, it was the connection over text that linked us throughout the day. It wasn’t an easy (or short) time apart, but I was so deeply thankful for the technology that makes distance seem smaller and keeps communication alive.

The Creek: This summer, we discovered a creek in a park. It wasn’t in our immediate neighborhood—not even in our town, to be perfectly clear—but it came to us when we needed it, like magic. I’ve been seeing, lately, how quickly childhood passes, and to find a place that seems to capture everything best about this season really did lend a hint of enchantment to the summer. We haven’t been back in a while, but we will be.

House Plants: I’ve never been the main caretaker of our house plants, but this summer I added them to my long list of living entities (two children, two dogs, and five fish) in my care. I was proud to see them flourish, and became rather attached to these various pothos, monstera and peace lilies that seem to require so little to provide so much.

Neighbors: From cooperative preschool to playground moms to MOPS to the houses we can see from ours, this was a year of neighbors, making and deepening connections with the people around us. These were the ones who helped us move, who brought meals when Timmy was away, who shared flowers over shared fences and whose dogs and kids I got to know well. In the midst of a culture that increasingly prizes privacy and the individual, I’ve been so thankful for the proximity to others that this season of city living affords.

Reading: As I’ve gotten older, my reading has become less and less calculated and more driven by recommendations from friends and other trusted sources, with a healthy pinch of spontaneity tossed in. I joined a book club this year, also, which led me in some refreshing directions. I hope to make more space for reading and writing in the coming year, and am already compiling a healthy stack of recommendations for the months to come! Best “Serious” Fiction: Longbourn, by Jo Baker Best Not-Super-Serious Fiction: Play for Me, by Libby Hubscher Best Overall: Middlemarch, by George Eliot

E-Bike: Sometimes I describe my main “job” as “driving people to and from places.” Since I don’t love driving, this hasn’t been ideal, so getting an e-bike at the end of the summer—a giant one that can haul my two kids along with me—has been truly transformative. What used to be a chore, piling kids into the car and wrangling with car seats, traffic and parking, has become something I look forward to, a time that connects me and my daughters to our surroundings in a tactile way. The fact that it’s still decent exercise and saves us a bunch of money in gas is just a bonus!