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last night

last night


Emma was tired and cranky, but too tired to easily fall asleep. John held her and soothed her while I got dinner together (we had fajitas – so I didn’t really cook, just brought all the ingredients together), and when I looked up she was sound asleep. Safe, secure, and cuddled on her daddy’s chest.

I went outside to look at the little plants after the dishes were done, and noticed through the window that John was reading in our room. It was such a peaceful sight: his toes sticking up over the footboard, all in silhouette, with the curtain blowing in the breeze.

It was a peace-filled evening.

mother’s day 2009

mother’s day 2009

family of three, originally uploaded by Lizi Beth.

‘Twas a lovely day. I felt so loved and honored all day long.

John made me breakfast in bed and entertained Emma so that I could sleep another hour (not sure which gift I appreciated more!). They gave me a bouquet of roses, a gift certificate for a pedicure and a frame for a picture of Emma.

Emma had “encouraged” us to start our day a few hours earlier than planned, so we had time to leisurely enjoy our coffee together before heading off to church.
Afterwards we hurried home to make put the furniture back in place (John cleaned the carpet yesterday – thank you Darling!) and make lunch for family who had phoned to let us know that they would be arriving slightly ahead of schedule – by two hours!

Lunch turned out great, and we had a wonderful afternoon visiting with them all – John’s mom Teri, sister Sarah and brother Brian, brother’s fiancee Leah and her sister Esther. They were returning from a road trip for Brian’s graduation from Liberty University with a master’s degree in (international?) business.
John and I finished the evening by reading together as the light was fading … and finishing off the rest of the cheesecake. :)

Here’s a sweet tribute – of sorts – to motherhood that I heard on NPR: At My Place, Every Day Is Mother’s Day

I hope you all had a beautiful day celebrating your own mothers – or being celebrated!

rainy day

rainy day

There is nothing better on a rainy day than a cup of cinnamon-laced coffee and a crowing baby. Other than having the baby’s daddy here, too, of course. But he’ll be back soon, and then we can enjoy the rain, the coffee, and our precious little baby together.

She is a little sunshine today, happy and cooing after a 12-hour night(!).

We are spending our morning nursing, listening to the rain through the open porch door, listening: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=313867933 (to the one on worry – good words, brought by Curtis Jones), nursing, napping (that’s Emma’s part), sewing and tidying up.

Oh, and trying to stay away from the cookies: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/ne-plus-ultra-cookies?lnc=ef2e802fb632c110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&rsc=cookie+of+the+day_recipe_b They do go well with coffee.

cincy is so natty

cincy is so natty

-from Babes In Toyland

I’m not sure if I would say Cincinnati is “the best city in the USA”, especially since some people rate it as the third poorest large city (pop. of 250,000+) in the nation.
There are some truly lovely parks, city squares, old homes and estates that could make you wish for a gardener, a maid and a butler. There are also some areas that send shivers down my spine. This is the city God has placed us in, though, and we are finding friends and making memories here.
John and I celebrated our anniversary (April 12) last weekend. His mom came over from Indianapolis to spend the afternoon with Emma, and John and I drove down to our old neighborhood. We parked and fed the meter, and then walked the old, old streets where I used to go jogging. We window shopped. We thoroughly enjoyed being out together, and I realized that I really missed living there. I even missed our first tiny apartment. I will probably also miss living where we do now when we move. Maybe not the neighborhood as much, but I knowI will look back at this apartment and the memories we made in it, and miss it, too.

a new venture

a new venture

John and I have started a new bookshop online, hosted by Amazon.com. We decided that it might be a good way to supplement our income, and at the same time be a nice little home business for me.

It will work two ways: one, we are offering books that we either used or come across at thrift stores, and two, I am recommending books that I have read and enjoyed or profited from. If someone buys a book that we are selling we will obviously profit from it, but additionally, if someone buys a book that I recommend through the online shop, we will receive a commission.

If you are interested in buying one of the books we are offering, Amazon.com will usually offer to sell you a “new” copy. Ours though, are listed in the “used” category, and our seller name is PATHLESSTRAVELEDBOOKS. Other vendors may be offering the same book for a lower price, and if you would rather choose that one, please don’t feel obligated to buy from us!

I love the fact that I get to put all my years of recreational reading to use, as well as being able to pass on my favorites to others! We’ll still have to see how it turns out, but I am looking forward to it.

p.s. we may be doing a few other little “new ventures”, and we will keep you posted. :)

breakfast yuminess – stuffed french toast

breakfast yuminess – stuffed french toast


spread two slices of bread with softened cream cheese
I put sliced strawberries in as well, but that’s optional
put the pieces of bread together, cheese side in
soak in a milk and egg batter – a good ratio is: 1 egg and 1 tbsp of milk per piece of bread


fry ….


… until golden on both sides


top with a bit of butter and syrup, and enjoy!

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cute clothes make the day better

cute clothes make the day better

Emma and I have been having a …… trying day. We have been bothered by what seems to be some very uncomfortable gas in her tummy. Nothing I have done has been able to calm her for long. So, knowing that a cute baby is harder to be upset with and to reduce the likelihood of frustration on my part, I put her into one of her adorable outfits. I’m not sure if it made her feel better, but it helped me.


She did enjoy putting it on, though.

Emma finally settled down for a long nap …

… and her bow slipped down over her eyes. I was not about to move it because 1) she might wake up, and 2), it was really cute!
quote to ponder today

quote to ponder today

“God began to teach me that there is a huge difference between “entertaining” and offering hospitality. Entertaining puts the emphasis on you and how you can impress others. Offering hospitality puts the emphasis on others and strives to meet their physical and spiritual needs so that they feel refreshed, not impressed, when they leave your home.
“…like so much of life, it all comes down to the motives of your heart. Are you trying to impress others, … [o]r are you trying to refresh them and point them toward the Lord?”

This quote thoroughly resonated with me, and I practically stumbled upon it!

It happened as I was moseying my way through Amazon, clicking on the “if you liked this you might like this” links, found this book (which had a “search this book” option, so I thought I would electronically thumb through it). Wow. It looks really good, well written and scriptural, her writing style is conversational yet concise, and inspiring. But our library doesn’t have it, so I’m putting it on my wish list. Of course, I could also pull out a few of the other books discussing hospitality that I have around someplace…