Little Letters — An Update

It can't be possible that I haven't done a "little letters" post since LAST May. OK, it totally can because I'm me and I'm lazy, but that just seems crazy. I thought maybe I would do a quick recap post, a "mini little letters" if you will.

Dear June 2018,

You were sweet to me, June. We celebrated our niece turning one, my cousin's bridal shower, another cousin's baby shower, started updating our home, relished in the simpleness that became our daily routine like bike rides to the train station and seeing bunnies in the early morning and making roasted potatoes for dinner and reading on the couch and tending our garden. Took family photos and had family and friends stop by to see our home. Bought a watering can. Celebrated our friends getting engaged at Disney World. Laughed a lot at my cousin's bachelorette party. And best of all, closed the month celebrating my friends, the sweetest people, get married. You were a hard month to top.

Dear July 2018,

July, you had many a family party (although, every month seems to include many family parties for us, but especially you, July!): several graduations, another first birthday, my mom's birthday, Sammy's grandpa's, fourth of July parties, one rehearsal dinner, followed by my cousins's lovely wedding. We had more friends stop by for breakfast outings and thrifting in town. More boxes made their way to our home along with furniture finds, like my beloved bookshelves, and paint cans which gave our bedroom a breath of fresh air. My dad and I worked our last county fair (for the foreseeable future). And best of all, our boy Henry was born this month. And we quickly became obsessed and couldn't wait to pick him up. June may have been sweeter, but July gave us our boy SO, you win, July.

Dear August 2018,

Our house started coming together more quickly during your days, August. My library started to fill in with books and a gold lamp and Sinatra photos. Sammy hung Fitzgerald quotes above our bed (per my request) and I could have married him right then. We celebrated my grandma's 84th birthday with Chinese food and had (almost) all our favorite friends over for our official housewarming party which filled my heart with more joy than I can say. We visited with Sammy's grandpa any chance we got. Had many a driving lesson with my dad. Our cousins had their baby and we still can't get over his cuteness. Did many the "summer" thing in the form of Parisian night at Catigny Park with my mom, county fair research at Boone County's fair with my dad (dorkiest sentence I've written to date), Italian fest in Franklin Park, a night at Ravinia with my dad. Got to meet a fellow blogger and CL native for drinks. Prepped for Henry by purchasing a personalized bandana and dino toy. And, best of all, went and picked him out and lost our shit. You were filled with a lot and the most summery of all the months.

Dear September 2018,

You started off with a big loss as we said goodbye to Sammy's grandpa, but it was an honor to know him and get to celebrate his life. And it was made a little easier when we got to bring Henry home a few days later. Needless to say, this is all we cared and talked about all month long. We learned tricks and took walks and learned how to climb stairs and not pee in the house and watched him grow like a weed right before our eyes. We celebrated our friends getting married and had such fun doing it. We went apple picking and decorated for fall which I had been waiting to do since the day we moved in. Henry's puppy ways and energy drove us nuts (he still does) but it got easier every day. I entered my first apple pie contest and got reamed. Henry had his first trips around town and we got stopped every five feet by someone gushing over him which I loved more than anything. Best of all (albeit overwhelming), September brought the most changes: We got Henry, I got my license, and got a new job. 

Dear October 2018,

The first of your month, October, brought my first day at my new job which has continued to be the best decision I could have made for myself. It is the greatest place to work with the nicest people. I am very, very lucky. Then we went to Paris. Have I mentioned that before? It was pretty fun. I haven't thought about those four days every day since then or anything. We decorated for Halloween and made crock-pot recipes and carved pumpkins and had more family over and got a popcorn machine and asked one of my favorite people to be a bridesmaid in my very own wedding and got to see my best friend's new house. We saw Elton John in concert and went to a "pumpkin party" and celebrated Halloween downtown with friends and passed out candy to neighborhood kids in our very own house while eating chili and cornbread. Henry dressed up as a dinosaur. And best of all, we got engaged. October, you were a total whirlwind of trying to balance regular life and holiday festivity with the biggest change of all. It was surreal and overwhelming and emotional and sometimes isolating and disappointing and hard to handle which resulted in guilt. But therapy helped and it's taken until now to get "back to normal." So you were hard but you were also the best. Life is funny like that.

Dear November 2018,

November, you're one of my favorite months, you know that? And not just because your first day is my birthday. We saw two downtown venues on my birthday and quickly realized our dream of getting married downtown may not happen. We ate at Freddy's and made it home in time to vote and have family over for pasta and Dr. Pepper. My coworkers brought in treats and gave a champagne toast in honor of my birthday and engagement. There was a girl's trip to Florida and a sister trip to NYC, both SO good I still think about them weekly. I hosted Friendsgiving and asked my best girls to be bridesmaids, something I've waited a long, long time to do. Tried on wedding dresses for the first time and shocked the hell out of myself when I loved it so much I didn't want to stop (I thought I was going to have a Carrie Bradshaw rip-this-dress-off-me-moment). Celebrated Thanksgiving and bought our first Christmas tree the very next day. Decorated for Christmas which was the highlight of my decorating adventures in our house. Went to our town's tree lighting and I teared up. Celebrated my SIL's birthday and, best of all, toured a venue in Lake Geneva that has now become the place where we'll get married. November, you were family and friends and warmth and glowing lights and plans for the future and I loved you more than all the rest.

Dear December 2018,

December, I had high expectations for you. You came with some unexpected kidney stone issues that manifested into a month-long ordeal. It was nothing severe, more annoying than anything else, but it put a slight damper on what I hoped would be a super festive and fun month since I was almost always uncomfortable or in pain. But we prevailed in the form of sending our first Christmas card, watching Home Alone any chance I got, making Henry wear festive clothes, making Christmas cookies with Chels, having cousins over for a Christmas brunch and later in the month for Cugini Christmas, making our gingerbread house, doing Polar Express with our niece downtown, our trip to Dinkels and celebrated my brother's birthday, and Christmas Eve and Christmas, and new traditions and old ones. More bridal party members were added. I worked from home several days. We rang in the New Year, just us three. And best of all, our house felt like a home the most during your month. So grateful for that.

Dear January 2019,

I'm a person who tends to not mind winter, after all, we live in Chicago. It's supposed to be cold. But you really got to me this month, Jan. You really, really did. But there was light in a lot of hunkering down and making cozy food and watching movies. Our move got postponed at work and we worked from home or other locations while our new floor was being finished. I got to see one of my favorite people's new homes in the next town over. Being neighbors is my favorite thing. It snowed 87,000 times and we had 700 cold days. I had another kidney stone procedure. Nothing stands out as a "best of all" which kind of sums you up, no offense.

Dear February 2019,

YOU. You may have been my most stressful month to date. For no particular reason other than winter started to get to me even more, I was financially drained and worried sick about it, I wasn't having a ton of fun with the "bride" label, lost my engagement ring which resulted in one of the worst fights Sammy and I have had (but ended well when we found it the very next day, even though the after effects of our fight were still present). But we celebrated his 27th birthday and had friends over for Superbowl and gained a few more groomsmen. Went to our annual Bulls game, and tried on more wedding dresses. Celebrated Valentine's Day and went to Wine About Winter and my cousin's baby shower. Edited my first book for Smithsonian. Went to a vendor show at our venue which was the turning point when I started having fun with the "bride" label. We got the best package from our photographer, I decided to take Sammy's name legally (keeping my maiden for work purposes), ordered a "bride" shirt, etc, etc, etc. There were fun things in there February, but you stressed me out, man. I was happy to see you go. But best of all, so grateful to you for making me a bride I can enjoy being.

I guess it wasn't so "mini" after all ;) I really loved doing this kind of post when I did it regularly, so hopefully I can get on my shit and remember to do them at the end of each month starting back up with March. Thanks for reading, if you have. xo

Linking up with Jessi!