Letter from TeriLyn – November 2024

Good morning! Charles woke up around 5:30 to nurse like he usually does, and I decided to stay up and get a little work done vs. going back to sleep for 45 minutes (which is when Thomas usually wakes up). I didn’t write a letter for the month of October because honestly, October was pretty awful and so hard, and I just couldn’t think of anything good to say. Not that I want to sugarcoat life or pretend that everything is perfect, but I also think there’s a fine line of maintaining some privacy for those in my life as well as not writing a full missive where I complained.

But the reality is, October was awful. The boys got sick, multiple family members had pretty severe health issues, Tommy was out of town for a week, and I had a crazy, insane autoimmune flare that lasted a week. I could barely move (literally… I couldn’t straighten my joints, turn doorknobs, type or lift Charles without pain). I was in bed by 2pm every day. (We’re still trying to confirm that it’s Lupus.)

Anyway, that’s the short version of October, and thankfully, November was much better and ended on a high note with a great trip to Boone for Thanksgiving.

Letter from TeriLyn – November 2024

WORK

November is another one of my busiest months (probably tied with July/August when the Nordstrom Sale happens)– but I love the holiday season, so it’s a fun kind of busy.

I always put my tree up early in case I need to shoot holiday content for brands, but this year, it was Thomas who insisted we put it up–on November 1. I told him he couldn’t put the tree up until he took Halloween decorations down (which I was VERY ready to say goodbye to). He started pulling all the Halloween stuff down–including the inflatables outside– at 6:30 am. Our tree was up by 9am that day. And that was that.

I didn’t have as many sponsored posts as usual for this time of year, which is a little stressful from a business standpoint, but I was gifted outfits from a number of brands. While I wasn’t required to post anything, since I loved the items, I ended up shooting content for them. It’s fun to have creative flexibility! Some of my favorite shots from the last month included this dress that we shot downtown, this fair isle sweater outfit, and this reel for J.Crew Factory.

I love photography but hadn’t prioritized photos in my content for years since I didn’t have anyone to take my photos consistently. What I love about photography is finding a unique angle or pose or something that makes the photo interesting. But it’s tricky to do that when I’m the one in the photos! Now I work with my assistant, Salem, to find the shot I like, and she always nails it! I typically have her stand where I’m thinking of shooting and then show her what I’m envisioning so I still get some creative input. And she always comes up with good shots, too. It’s a fun team effort.

I started blogging as a food blogger in 2009 because I loved baking, cooking, and taking photos of said food. I actually almost majored in photography in college, but I realized I enjoyed my business classes a lot more, so that’s why I chose finance. (And, I figured making money with a finance degree would be easier.) So it’s kind of cool to see how those two things have now merged in my current career.

FAMILY

After some family stuff, I booked a last-minute trip to Utah, and I fly out this weekend. I’m taking Charles and Salem with me. I was going to roll solo with Charles, but I figured the extra help from Salem wouldn’t hurt, and maybe we could snap some cute photos in the mountains one day. But the primary purpose of my trip is just to see my parents.

The boys are as adorable as ever. Thomas got an even bigger boy haircut, and I honestly hated it for the first few weeks – it just wasn’t his vibe. But now that it’s grown out and is a little more messy, I like it better. He can be beyond sweet and beyond hard, which I think is par for the course with a 4-year-old. I love hearing him play by himself since he’s starting to really use his imagination. It’s adorable– and hilarious.

Charles is crawling everywhere and pulling himself up to stand. He is the happiest baby, and everyone comments on how much he smiles. I thank God every night for such a happy baby when I pray over him before bed. He feels like such a gift, and I can’t wait to see what he does in life with his joyful personality.

Tommy recently hired someone at work (Salem’s husband, actually!), and it’s been cool to see how well they work together. I also love integrating Tommy into MY work with “Tuesdays with Tommy” (examples here, here and here). He’s always been popular when I share him on Instagram (and for good reason – he’s attractive and funny), so it’s fun to show him off a little bit more.

CHURCH

Our church continues to be a big part of our life. We host small group at our house each week (dinner and sermon discussion with 7 other couples), and I still can’t believe how blessed I am by that circle of friends. I love our church, the sermons, the community, and all they do to equip us in our own faith journey and as we raise our boys.

Some of my favorite sermons in November were the one with Dr. Al Mohler (a visiting speaker) and this one about wisdom.

We were also invited to a dinner to learn more about AIM, an organization I’ve been interested in since first hearing about it last year at church. The organization helps rescue teenagers and young girls (like very young… even infants, which makes me SICK) from sex trafficking. As hard as it was to learn more at the dinner, I’m grateful that we now have contacts and resources to help make a difference.

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Alright, I’ll wrap it up there since both boys are now awake and I should go help Tommy wrangle them!

Thank you for being here, for caring enough to read about my life and for supporting my business. Every click, comment, and share helps more than you know.

Enjoy the Christmas season!!