Welcome to another Saturday Coffee Letter, friends! (Patreon)

September has arrived, and it came in swinging, so let’s get into it.Oliver had his OFFICIAL first day of preschool on thursday!He was only there for an hour, and the hardest part of the whole thing was leaving.Not the drop-off.The goodbye.And then, just to add to the chaos of trying to peel a boy away from a playground he had just decided he lived at now… our car would not start.

Four tries. Nothing.

So I did the thing I am always a little too proud to do, and I asked a stranger for a boost, and of course, the second someone came over to help, my car turned over like magic. Every time! Turns out it was the key fob.

THE KEY FOB!

Twelve-dollar battery and everything have been perfectly fine ever since. It is honestly wild how such a small fix can cause such a big panic. The boys did not notice a single second of it, by the way. Far too busy having a full-scale temper tantrum about having to leave. Which, all things considered, I am choosing to read as proof that Oliver had a really good first day.

Now, some behind-the-scenes news.

We have gotten into an AMAZING groove with reacting lately. This is my second official month of being home from my 9-5, and things are finally settling into the places they are supposed to be.

And I have been taking on more within the business!

My coffee letters used to go to Kyle to post. Now I post them all by myself. I have been popping on for random lives while I am editing or working. Little things, maybe, but they add up to something I have wanted for a long time:

I can officially say I am truly a part of this business.

We also went chasing sunsets again this week — and I think we found THE one. The perfect sunset for Reputation.

We took the boys for a long drive out toward Jordan River and ended up at French Beach, which has a beach, a campsite, and a park all in one place, so the boys were absolutely living their best lives. They had such a blast.

And I got to do my favourite beach activity in the world, which is collecting a bunch of pretty rocks and gems with my boys.

It was perfect.

I cannot wait to show that Reputation sunset off to all of you.

Now. Today.

Saturday, which, as you all know by now, means the kitchen belongs to me.We took the boys to the market and came home with a TON of strawberries and other fruit, and yes, there was a crisp. Obviously there was a crisp. I have accepted this about myself.

I also broke in the new bread maker!

Doughmegeddon may be gone, but his successor produced a THICK loaf of bread, and I am extremely pleased with it. I cannot wait to run it again and see what comes out next.And then to finish it all off, a cottage pie for the family’s dinner.After all that time on my feet, it was nap time, and then the GYM.

What a day.

And now here I am, sitting on a random midnight live on Patreon, writing this out for all of you — and honestly, for me too. These letters have quietly turned into a kind of diary, and I did not expect that when I started them.

I hope you are all still enjoying this little window into our life.

And I hope to see you at my next planned live, where I will be reading a chapter from my book! I have finished the first draft, and I am deep in editing and working through my second draft now.

It is SO much fun. Terrifying, but fun.Thank you all for being here for another Coffee Letters.

So tell me —How was your week? How is September treating you so far?

Peace and Love <3Alanna P.