what's saving my life

one of my favorite podcasters [kendra adachi - aka the lazy genius] has a regular practice of noticing and naming what is making life good in any given season. she calls it 'what's saving my life' and her recent list inspired me to make my own. so here are the things bringing me little bursts of joy in the fall of 2025: 

• laughing with archie [he is easy to engage with and loves to have fun and laugh.] 

• giving myself permission to spend money on things that bring me joy [i recently realized i was often putting experiences off for 'someday' when there was no real reason not to enjoy them right now.] 

• ted group [some friends from church are getting together to eat dinner and watch ted lasso while the kids enjoy their own movie upstairs. sinking into that couch and hearing the theme music begin is a highlight every week.] 

• marta the food fairy [my friend has been clearing out some pantry and freezer food and we have been the beneficiaries. we are always excited to see what will show up next and it has made cooking feel like less of a chore.] 

• my yellow new balance tennis shoes [these were such a delightful find and they make me smile every time i put them on.] 

• the life of a showgirl [admittedly my interest in taylor has increased since she and travis became an item, but i genuinely can't quit this album. it has been the soundtrack of our fall.] 

• a weekly rhythm with lots of white space [i'm so thankful for a flexible calendar that has room for both adventure and slow days at home depending on what we need.] 

• word searches [i wanted an analog activity i could do outside while jack and archie play that wouldn't get derailed by multiple interruptions, and word search books have been the perfect thing.] 

• a very warm coat [we had a sudden early cold snap and i was so happy i had finally gotten myself a long cozy coat last winter to make it more bearable.] 

• simply doing what is mine to do [this has been a heavy season for many and it's easy to feel helpless. i can't fix it all, but i can do what is mine to do. i am starting small and helping the people right in front of me.] 

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archie is three

these are ten of the things we love about you: 

1. the way you casually rest your chin on your hand while eating 

2. when you randomly lean in close and whisper "i love you so much" 

3. listening to your nightly dinnertime prayers 

4. you love playing picture charades and really good at acting things out 

5. almost every question you ask begins with "may you" or "may i" 

6. how you're always pulling a chair into the kitchen to help make food 

7. you give amazing super hugs, which involve going to the opposite side of the room for a running start 

8. seeing how much you and jack love each other 

9. the way you waddle like a penguin 

10. you get the biggest smile on your face when you get our undivided attention 

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my first chiefs game

as someone who particularly enjoys the pomp and circumstance of sports, i have always wanted to experience a game at arrowhead. the chiefs have been on a pretty good run lately and knowing we are likely nearing the end of the mahomes kelce era it seemed now was the time, so we snagged some tickets in the last row of the stadium for a monday night game.

determined to maximize the adventure we showed up as the parking lot gates opened with a slab of jack stack ribs in hand. the kc tailgating scene is legendary, so we wandered around a bit to soak in the ambiance and my "first game" sign drew a good bit of attention. i ended up getting a photo with the kc wolf and we later found ourselves in very close proximity to mama kelce, which felt particularly magical since that basically put us one degree away from taylor.

when the stadium gates opened we headed in with plans to visit the hall of fame and just generally explore, but were instead surprised that we were allowed to go right down next to the field. the monday night football crew, including jason kelce, was set up for the pregame broadcast so we watched that up close for a bit before moving over to the chiefs sideline to see the team warm up and the players greet their families. 

the game itself was a delight. we had a great view from our upper deck seats and the atmosphere in our section was good. we enjoyed the pregame performances and the excitement of the team introductions. the chiefs played well which resulted in lots of fireworks and opportunities to dance to "fight for your right" and we witnessed the mahomes kelce touchdown that earned travis the tie for the most in chiefs history.

then with about six minutes left in the game donald leaned over and said he had some good news. his cousin dane was at the game with friends from their church, one of whom happens to be a strength and conditioning coach for the chiefs, and they were in possession of two extra field passes for after the game. we met up with them in the friends and family room, profusely thanking them for inviting us along. i had no idea what to expect and it all happened so fast i could hardly process what we were seeing. we were led through a series of hallways and suddenly found ourselves walking through the locker room club and the players tunnel out onto the chiefs sideline. 

it was wild experience to go from upper deck seats to standing in the middle of the stadium on the 50 yard line. we hung out on the field for awhile, enjoying the victory vibes in the vicinity of butker and leo, cheering as travis jogged past after his post game interview, and snagging a pic with juju behind me. when it was time to head home we walked out the entrance tunnel and ended up in the private parking lot, passing spots assigned to coaches and players.

needless to say, it was a wonderful night. i fully expected to love the game day experience, but i was surprised by just how captivating it was. there really is no place like arrowhead. 

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