The Next Chapter

For many years, Bringing Up Burns was a space where I shared the beautiful bedlam of raising our kids - the milestones, the messes, the magic, and everything in between. Back then, life was loud and busy and wonderfully full in ways only parents of young children truly understand. There were school drop-offs, sports schedules, packed lunches, late-night homework sessions, and days that felt long but somehow flew by all at once.

This little corner of the internet grew right alongside our family and I loved chronicling the chaos! Until Instagram came on the scene and my growing family consisted of preteens who weren't as thrilled about sharing their daily ins and outs as their Mother once was. Microblogging in an app became my new way to document the "daily doses" of all that Bringing Up entailed. So for the past several years, pages here have remained relatively un-updated...

Recently however, (and much to my delight!!) my MollyB has fallen in love with reading "The Blog." When the girls were home over Christmas break, the five of us shared several nights around the dinner table scrolling and laughing and passing phones around to watch the grainy You-Tube videos and PicMonkey filtered photos of posts past. The old words that documented all their giggles and dance parties and spaghetti tacos and over-the-top birthday parties and crafting commotion and holiday happenings, made the memories feel tangible and brand new again! Even the musings of their mother in the THICK of it, were received with grace and compassion and possibly a little maturing resonance. While I sat in the nostalgia those nights brought on, I came to realize three things: 

1) I miss writing. 

2) Documenting my personal trials, learning, growth and triumphs is valuable to my children as they mature.

and 

3) Recording memories and photos provides endless opportunities for laughter, reconnection, and shared family love.

So here I am...BLOGGING AGAIN! 

Life looks and feels a lot different now. In this "Next Chapter" the house is definitely quieter, the back seat of my car is almost never occupied, and while I still menu plan, it's taken me a bit to adjust grocery lists and recipe sizes accordingly! Motherhood hasn’t ended. But it has definitely transformed. It often looks like cheering from afar instead of from the sidelines. Long phone calls instead of quick carpool conversations. College visits, milestone birthdays, and realizing how quickly sticky-fingered children become high-functioning adults right before your eyes! It looks like rediscovering who I AM, not just as a mom, but as a woman in a new season of life. Hello, Midlife and Menopause!

I’ve found myself craving (and having the energy and time for) slowing down in intentional ways. I'm learning to savor the little rituals and meaningful moments this next chapter allows. This space will always be rooted in family and love, but I want it to grow and reflect the life we are living now.

Still Bringing Up. 

Less rushing.

More gathering.
Less clutter.
More meaning.

Whether it’s around the dinner table, in the garden, baking sourdough, celebrating milestones, curled up with a book (and a cat!) on a quiet afternoon, or sipping good wine with neighbors while our dogs wrestle and the sun sets on a Thursday night...I want BUB to continue to record our moments that matter and reflect the beauty found in every season of life.

To those of you who have been here reading along since the early days, thank you from the bottom of my heart. So many of you have grown alongside our family, and what started as "readers" has blossomed into real friendships that I treasure deeply. I hope you’re as excited about this "Next Chapter" as I am, and that this space continues to be one of connection, encouragement, and community for many years to come. 

Love and ever ALWAYS a Diet Coke in hand,
Erin