Chicago to Kentucky

Has it really been since August...

2011-11-16T23:54:00.001-05:00

This is for Sam - who is as I type on his way to Chicago for a week of work with superstar Jimi Allen on he and Kate's beautiful home.

He's been loving the work up there (it's finish work - his favorite!) but struggling with the time away from home, me and the girls. We went up together with the girls the last time and it certainly helped -- but this week we're back to Sam in Chi-land, and I and the girls in KY. So far we're planning: movie night (tomorrow), cupcake and ice cream for dinner night (Friday), and paint your nails night (Sat). The weekend will fly and starting Tuesday we have family coming in for Thanksgiving, so all we really need to do is get through to the end of the week.

In the meantime, I'm going to be all sappy and post the words to our first dance... almost ten years later, I'm still so happy that he's strong when I'm weak, the words when I can't speak...and the anchor of my soul. Love you and missing you tonight.

You are the air I need to breathe
the river of life inside of me
you are the half that made me whole
you are the anchor of my soul

and you are strong when I am weak
you are the words when I can't speak
you never fail to see me through
that's the love I found in you

you are my shelter from the storm
you are the road that leads me home
and baby with you here face to face
Oh I know I've found my place

and you are strong when I am weak
you are the words when I can't speak
you never fail to see me through
that's the love I found in you

and once in every life
you find the one that's right
and when you say forever it's true
That's the love I found in you

sick sleeping beauty.

2011-08-23T10:38:00.000-04:00

Anyone who's been around Millie for more than ten minutes knows that this isn't how she's supposed to look at 10 in the morning. We can barely convince her to miss the happenings around her to take a nap in the afternoon, much less lay down just 2 hours after she woke up.

She was sick some over the weekend, and we thought it had passed, but apparently not. She woke up glassy eyed, ate a few bowls of oatmeal, then proceeded to wander around the house until snuggle time....sleep time. Sam took Lydia to work at the store with him this morning, and I got some quick snuggle time with little Millie that quickly led to her falling asleep in our bed.

While it's admittedly nice to have a snuggly 2 year old, I miss our crazy Millie and hope she's feeling better soon.

PS. I love the elbow dimple.

painting pictures.

2011-08-19T14:03:00.001-04:00

I love this song by Sara Groves. It is the song of my heart the past few weeks and months as we've gone through transitions in several areas of life - occupations, roles in our marriage, our growing family. This is where I'm at:

I don't want to leave here
I don't want to stay
It feels like pinching to me either way
The places I long for the most
Are the places where I've been
They are calling after me like a long lost friend

It's not about losing faith
It's not about trust
It's all about comfortable
The place I was wasn't perfect
But I had found a way to live
It wasn't milk or honey
But then neither is this

I've been painting pictures of Egypt
Leaving out what it lacked
The future seems so hard
And I want to go back
But the places that used to fit me
Cannot hold the things I've learned
And those roads closed off to me
While my back was turned

The past is so tangible
I know it by heart
Familiar things are never easy to discard
I was dying for some freedom
But now I hesitate to go
Caught between the promise
And the things I know

Blue.

2011-08-19T13:54:00.001-04:00

Can you guess what this means?

The sounds of our summer.

2011-08-11T14:17:00.001-04:00

Right now, it's this:
- The girls playing in the pool in the backyard or up in the green room with their little people village...
- Paul Cardall or Norah Jones on pandora at night while I work on corn, tomatoes, peaches, pickles, or whatever else we're putting up at the moment
- Traffic outside the open windows that has returned to our road again now that school is going again (boo! We enjoyed the quiet of the summer)
- Book pages being turned
- Boxes and furniture being shuffled around and sorted through as we move rooms around to prepare for baby
- The single rain noisemaker in the girls room - they're finally sharing a room and it's going great. There's nothing sweeter than hearing them chat each other up while they're falling asleep.
- Cicadas. Loud ones. Good thing I love their noise!
- Dumping cucumbers and tomatoes from the garden on the butcher block counter. Every day.
- The girls talking in our little thankful time prayers at the end of the day. Millie can finally verbalize what she's thankful for - it's usually the see saw at the park and sometimes the pool. So sweet.

It's so funny. We spend half the summer preparing for camp, and then once camp is completed, we feel we can really "begin" the summer. Only the kids here go back to school the first week of August. So to everyone else, fall has already arrived. But we're blissfully ignoring their schedule and enjoying our second half of the summer. We are truly rich - healthy kids, good food to eat, a sweet home we love on the side of a mountain, a faithful and steadfast God, and really good internet access. ;) (That's my thankful time list for tonight!)

dates in Hyden.

2011-04-01T23:37:00.010-04:00

So we live in a small town. In terms of date night, all it means is that we have more limited opportunities when we do take a night for us. Not that we actually have date nights less. Actually, we're spending more time together than ever before, which is pretty swell. It means that we have to get more creative. Especially when Jessica waits until the day before to track down a babysitter. (Yes, I failed!)

So what do you do in a small town when you fail at finding a babysitter? (or anywhere, for that matter)

You make this yummy peppercorn filet from pioneer woman, of course. It looks gross in the photo. It was fabulous though. Yum. Lots of cream is involved in the recipe. Does the fact it was grass fed make it better? Hmm.

Then you rent this from itunes:

Then you dress up. (This is very important. Do not skip this step.)

Then you have an unexpected guest right in the middle of dinner. Who would have guessed?!

Sucess. It was a blast.

Here's to making date night special, wherever you live. It's about the person you're with...not the coolness of the restaurant you're at, right?

taking risks.

2011-03-25T19:01:00.000-04:00

Can I just say how refreshing it is not to design and outfit a house based on resale value? Since we knew we would eventually sell our house in Chicago, we always had it in the back of our mind that we needed to keep things neutral and versatile. Pair that with an early 2000's fascination with Pottery Barn, and you've got a lot of beige. A lot of sepia. A lot of black and white. A whole lotta blah. (A short side note. I'm not dissing monochromatic schemes. My friend Amy can pull off an amazing monochromatic room. But she's an interior designer with some seriously great taste and creativity. Need I say more?)

Neutral no more I say! No, I shout. Can't you tell with the exclamation point? Maybe I did stay up too late doing taxes last night. And maybe I have had too much coffee today. Moving on.

Since having little people in our lives, we've naturally had more color instilled in our day-to-day living. I started realizing that I really enjoyed more color in our lives. So I've embraced my inner child, and started using more color. Colors that make me happy.

That is why our kitchen window frame is turquoise. And yes, I do realize that turquoise is SO 2010. But I really don't care. I usually catch onto things when they're heading out of style anyhow.

birthday bunting.

2011-03-22T10:18:00.005-04:00

Can I just say how much fun it is to be creative when prepping for birthday parties?

We had a party for the girls' 2nd and 4th birthdays on Sunday, and it was a blast. I've been hoping to make some "permanent" birthday decorations that we can use from year to year and on holidays, and I made some progress using this birthday as my "deadline". I'm sure some folks might call this crazy talk, but the reality is that one of the ways I show love to my family is by creating. Whether food, gifts, a home - I love making things for my girls, my husband, my family, my friends. Ask my poor brothers about my homemade birthday gifts for them while we were growing up. The worst one that immediately comes to mind was a woven dickie turtleneck that I *think* was wool. I'm sure it never got worn. At least I hope not. Sorry Josh!

Hopefully these handcrafted goodies are more useful than some of the ones I made growing up. I do know that they were all made with love though. :)

I was chatting with my mom about how much fun it was to celebrate this special day for our girls in the breezy afternoon with friends at the party. And how much fun it was to make some homemade decorations. And how much we've enjoyed getting to know some new friends over the past year. And she reminded me that these are the things I CAN enjoy more now that I've transitioned from full time to part time work. There's no way I would have had the time to invest in this had I just finished a 40+ hour workweek. I'm so thankful for the change. I'm so thankful for our family. And friends. And God's grace. I'm happy to be alive.

snark.

2011-03-17T23:05:00.006-04:00

I found this very amusing. Sam and I were in a bookstore in Lexington a few weeks back, and I happened upon a very very snarky book for new parents. It made me laugh out loud. I need to laugh out loud tonight. Hence, the posting of some snark.

And then this: He started catching on though. Yes, he is weird, wild, and wonderful. And I love him for it.

How does this relate to the fact we're not in Chicago anymore? Well. We had to go to Lexington to go to a bookstore. Not counting Amazon, of course. Yep. But it sure is a great excuse to visit Bella Notte.

it's just around the corner.

2011-03-17T21:49:00.002-04:00

Or maybe it's here.
Our magnolias are blossoming, our grass is planted, and our girls are loving rolling down the driveway in their little cars. They fly down to the white line on the driveway. Then pick up the cars, run back up to the top. Repeat. Occasionally run into the ditch on the side and splash in the water. This is what our morning looked like today.

weight or cups?

2011-03-10T15:19:00.001-05:00

So is there anyone out there who cooks by weight? I am considering making the big jump and getting a kitchen scale.

I eat gluten free, and bake gluten free. I think that I've accepted that baking is one of my more practical hobbies at this point in life, and I really enjoy it.
And it seems that the best way to bake the best gluten free breads, cookies, etc., is by weight. Ratios, to be more exact, and it's much easier to cook by ratio by weight than by cups, since different flours have different weights. I do use pamela's mixes for most of my bread and pancake type of recipes, but for when I want to make something taste exactly like the real deal that might be a little trickier - say, bagels or english muffins...

Have any of you made that jump? Especially anyone who bakes GF?

Love,
Curious

shooting fun.

2011-03-06T21:07:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not a member of the NRA yet.

I needed to get out of the house for a bit today, so during the kiddos naps, I headed out with my camera.

After a multi-week stretch of beautiful days in the 50s and 60s, we've had torrential rain for the past two days. Overnight it turned to snow, and we woke up to this: green in the valleys, and snow on the peaks. Beautiful.

Further exploring took me up to the Frontier Nursing School campus. I love this place! It's so nicely cared for, and the buildings have a ton of character, something you don't find much where we live. In the back of my head, I remembered that there was a chapel at the school that I really wanted to check out.

Lucky for me, it was open, and I felt like I was tucked inside a primitive cathedral in an alley in Florence.

Check out this place. I left feeling so peaceful and contemplative.

Irony.

2011-03-06T15:45:00.001-05:00

So I had this booklet laying around, and apparently Lydia got a hold of it and decorated it.

Considering the subject of the booklet, it seriously cracked us up.

This rated just as high on the irony scale as finding my "top 10 ways to be organized" book in my box of leftover paperwork that I've been toting around since leaving my FT job over a year ago.

Nice.

our kitchen step stool.

2011-01-10T22:42:00.000-05:00

This little item is now indispensable in our house. I just discovered it last week, when I spotted it at the store and decided that I would be the buyer. It's the perfect height for little people to see what's going on at counter-height, yet not be TOO involved when I'm trying to put together a quick snack or meal for them. It satisfies their curiosity!

Unfortunately, while the wood frame is in great shape, the fabric was less than desirable. So I recovered it (with Lydia's help) over the weekend. It turned out to be a quick project, and we are all happy with the results. We love our happy step stool!

January!

2011-01-10T16:43:00.001-05:00

I dug the nest out of my hair and threw it in the compost pile. Maybe it will make something beautiful in the garden this spring!

Christmas is here.

2010-12-01T15:02:00.000-05:00

I think I might be finally getting it, after all these years.

Christmas isn't about recreating the same memories that I had as a kid. Or recreating a magazine cover.

It's remembering some old traditions -- and some new -- while creating new memories for us as a family. I've known this. I've just not lived like it for...pretty much all of our married life. Each year I feel like I've been on a mission to mimic - to mimic the Christmases I remembered as a child. And each year I've packed away the boxes feeling a little empty. Not this year.

I really love what Christmas means. I love that the meaning is steeped in a core belief of our lives - that Christ came as a baby to pay atonement for our sin. And I love the traditions created throughout the world that have expanded the celebration into a meaningful time to spend with family and friends. I love bells, silver, red ribbons, cookies, pine, snow, lights, music, and those little nonpareil mints that only come around once a year. I love that life seems simpler at Christmas. That everything is better after a rousing snowball fight or evening in front of the fire with hot cocoa in hand listening to christmas music. I love sappy Christmas movies.

And so this year, I'm doing things a bit different. The girls helped me start decorating this morning. (I usually decorate at night when I don't have two little elves helping.) I let them decide where to hang a bunch of the items. And now we have ornaments decking out all of our door handles. I don't think I would have thought of it on my own, but Lydia thought it was a great idea, and I heartily agree. It was so much more meaningful to actually engage them in the process of decking out the house, and we made some fun memories too. (Lydia got a bell ornament (the one in the background of this photo) stuck on her finger.)

I love that they're the ornaments that my Grandma Horvath made for us before she passed away. They're made out of tatted lace, an heirloom craft that she passed down to me when I was little. One of these days I'm going to bring out my shuttles and continue the tradition by teaching Lydia and Millie. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy looking at them when I pass through the hallway of our home each day this Christmas season, remembering Grandma Horvath, and the sweet lessons I'm learning from my kids.

of house & home

2010-10-04T17:17:00.000-04:00

So Sam opened his used furniture store this weekend - House & Home in downtown Hyden. We coincided the opening with the big Mary Breckinridge Festival this weekend, and the turnout was great! It was very well-received - sales were great and he even has a waiting list for people looking for specific items. About 1/3 of the pieces in the store had "sold" marked on them by the end of the day. The focus is on unique used antique and older furniture that we can resell at very reasonable prices; very important for our town. I'm excited that Sam has something that he's excited about, and we ALL hope it continues to go well.

a few more.

2010-09-27T14:20:00.000-04:00

fall.

2010-09-27T14:12:00.000-04:00

Lydia's been telling everyone who will listen: "my mommy loves fall. but I love SNOW!" I really think she thinks it's a season. Yesterday was a traditional fall "day in the leaves" spent sliding down the big slide into a pile of leaves. Can you tell who takes after the Baer side and gets hot in cool, breezy 60 degree weather, stripping down to a tank top? ;)

our circus.

2010-09-27T06:37:00.000-04:00

Lydia's big request on Friday was to have a circus - she wanted to be a princess, and we decided that Millie would be a frog or whatever the towel-like outfit we had for Millie was. They had a blast - we marched around the house playing musical instruments; it was priceless. Lydia kept helping with Millie's hood, but Millie was less than thrilled with it!

the grand experiment.

2010-09-04T23:30:00.000-04:00

I really wanted to put up tomato sauce this year. We grew up canning and eating homemade sauce, and I loved it. We also grew our own tomatoes - lots of them.

My garden was pretty much a flop this year; I didn't realize before we moved up to our house that the spot I had plotted didn't get morning sun. And most plants need a healthy amount of sun. So we got all of 3 tomatoes - definitely not enough for much of anything. So last weekend I went to the farmers markets and got some tomatoes to sauce. I started with half a bushel and cooked them down, then pureed with a foley food mill. The results were less than exciting - more watery mess than anything, and when I put the "tomato juice" back on the stove to reduce it to sauce, I only ended up with about 2 and a half quarts by the end of the process. Not to be defeated, I turned to google, like I do with most perplexing questions. I found that quite a few people were having success by roasting tomatoes that had been cored, along with garlic. So I tried it. Another half bushel of tomatoes at the roadside "van" near our house - and I popped them in the oven for an hour and a half at 400, stem side down. I seasoned them well, added garlic, sweet banana peppers, and whatever kind of onion I had chopped up in the fridge. After roasting, i slipped the skins off and threw them in the blender with some of the liquid. I added that back in, cooked it a little more in the oven, then mashed by hand, cooled, and bagged for the freezer. I ended up with 6 quarts of fabulous tasting chunky sauce. So so much easier and much less mess than traditional sauce. We had the first of it on pizza tonight - I added a can of tomato paste to give it a little more form, and it was great.

IMG_5311

Amelia Bedelia

2010-09-04T23:22:00.000-04:00

Our little Millie is growing up and changing so quickly! She definitely deserves her own cameo.

Here's a few photos from the past few weeks.

This little girl of ours has a stubborn streak beyond belief. She's very expressive and will tell you generously if she likes, or dislikes her present circumstance.

She taunts her older sister but later gives her hugs. She throws her food on the floor during mealtime (sometimes dish and all), but after we get her down, she tries to retrieve and eat it. (no, we don't let her). I can't get enough of her curls, and she has the same crystal blue eyes as her sister. And this little girl is a huge snuggler; she is always ready for a shoulder to snuggle on. She's been teething molars the past few weeks, so the pacifier has been a ready friend, as she chews on it for the most part instead of sucks.

IMG_5195

Recalculating.

2010-08-21T02:19:00.001-04:00

II Cor 4:17-18

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

So this post has been a long time coming. I really wanted to begin writing about the mental transition of our move as soon as we arrived here, as a sort of therapy to help me get through the tough days inevitably ahead. Instead, each time I started to think about it, I got overwhelmed with all that we've seen, heard, and experienced since November, and my mind would shut down. I feel like the past year of my life can be summed up like a GPS when you take an abrupt departure from The Path. And the little voice says "recalculating" in a monotone.

So instead, you've read about the girls growing up, random happenings, and elk sightings. Which is all fine and well - in part it's been what's been going on. The other part includes a crisis of faith (which is still yet to be resolved completely), depression, physical overload, and learning about a love that patches all of the holes in our lives to make a family and a home.

We're still trying to wrap our minds around the people we were before and who we are now. There's a big gap between the two. And that might just be the way that it's going to be. I may never be able to explain what's happened this past year. We've had a paradigm shift. What was normal is now not. The way we defined things has completely changed. Our worldview has changed quite a bit.

Those who know me know that I don't do change very well. I do stability and consistency. I like things to stay the same for a Very Long Time. Changing me is a little bit like bending glass. Change too much, and I snap. So we had four different addresses since this time last year, And Snap I Did.

Like one of my favorite movie lines, "Do you ever feel like you're the worst version of yourself?" Why yes I have. I've Snapped At My Mom. I've Snapped At My Husband. At My Children. At My Sister. At My In Laws. And that makes me sad. Because it's wrong. I can't always change what happens in life, but I sure can change my attitude. So snap out of it already.

I've struggled with on and off depression throughout my life, usually at times of big changes, and this spring was sprinkled with quite a few dark weeks. While there are still many mornings I feel like I'm waking up in a dark fog, I'm definitely at the brighter end of the tunnel. Here's some of the bright spots:

• I love that I'm home. Big hooray. I'm spending so much more time with my kids than I ever dreamed, and it's great. I generally work in the afternoons still, but I have quite a few "visits" from the little people in our house doing crafts in my office during that time too.

• We have healthy kids. This is such a big deal, for real.

• Sam is such a kind and caring Dad and husband. Many wives don't get half the help I have.

• We truly love small town living. It's fun!

• Tuesday night pre-school pretty much makes my and the girls weeks.

• I'm making new friends, and slowly having (taking) more time to connect with old friends too.

• Our house is pretty much finished (remodeled from an old house with great bones, but in bad shape). While the remodeling process made me wonder if we should ever ever ever again take on something that large with kids and a certain timeframe, we are happy with the end results. We feel at home, and have more space to host gatherings - not to mention just a short 5 minute trip from town compared to 20 minutes where we were living previously.

I remind myself almost daily that yes, we wanted this. We brought all of this on ourselves, and don't regret it. But transition is part of the deal, like it or not, and I'm glad we're almost through.

I've really struggled with some of the Big Questions in life over the past few months; why some kids are born into such affluence and stability while others are born into a drug addiction they had no choice but to succumb to while they were still being knit together. Tiny precious babes who are born and immediately begin going through a hell of detox and withdrawl. And yet we all are created equal, and we are all equal in the love that God has for us; myself in the same line with the pillhead mom who poisons her unborn baby with her drugs. It's super humbling.

I've also struggled with the fact that we (Sam specifically) are seen as the hometown hero's just for moving back. While I'm Sam's biggest fan, I also see the other side of the story - I mean, here we are, back from Chicago, where we lived large and well. We intentionally moved here. But how about for the kids who didn't get out of their element and learn and experience new things and new perspectives? To them, we're just a spoiled family from up north who are coming back into their town. This is their life. They didn't have much choice in the matter; we did.

Along a similar vein, it took us a while to learn how to separate cultural and social issues from spiritual sin issues. I mean, hello - just because a person isn't the sharpest tool in the shed and uses poor grammar doesn't mean that they're a lesser person. And just because someone is smart and respected and sophisticated doesn't make them jump to the front of the line. I know that this is an inherent truth that our parents tried to instill in us from the beginning, but there are so many blurring of the lines here - for instance - everyone here smokes. For real - you can smoke in virtually all public places (coming from a wonderfully smoke-free city, this was a hard switch). I mean, the mayor smokes in his office here. It's just the way that it is. But honestly - smoking isn't really one of those "sin issues" any more than my getting a second bowl of ice cream is. It's an unhealthy habit that doesn't do a body good, and I think it's gross. But it's also a cultural thing. So I'm trying to learn to look the other way. (and hold my breath while moving my children to fresh air) The same thing for the moms who feed their babies soda from a bottle. Smart? Yes. Sin? If you can't tell, learning not to judge has been a struggle.

We've been angry at a lot of things since we moved. And that's been tough to work through; by nature we're not generally angry people. Angry at the welfare system that allows soda to be bought with food stamps that can then promptly be sold for drug money. Angry at the owners of the house that burned down this weekend (who burned their own house for insurance money). Angry at the banks for failing to prosecute them and continuing to set a bad example. Angry at the smoking policy in public places. Angry at guys who beat their wives. Angry at people who drive when they're high. Angry that people don't come to church. Angry at evangelical Christianity for cannibalizing each other over things like bible versions.

But anger doesn't provide benefit unless there's positive action that follows it.

But you know what? We can't take on every mountain. We're only one family, one couple who love Jesus, with a desire for change in our communities - like so many others throughout our nation. But what does that look like? THIS question has been the biggest struggle in our minds throughout this transition. The needs are so so very many. The workers so very few. We've questioned our original intent to move (for youth work) - should we opt instead for a marriage ministry? For neighborhood ministry? More community involvement? Educational focus since education is of such poor quality here? And about this whole "God's Will" bit. Does He even care exactly WHAT we do, so long as we're doing something, no matter where we are? In any case, we've established that the path isn't going to be lit with glow sticks.

Our good friend Bob told us before we moved "This whole 'move to Kentucky because we want to work with youth' thing kind of sounds like two kids that want to get married because they're in love". Yep. You were right. We're completely unequipped to deal with the things we're being confronted with.

And so we're getting some training in counseling, building on what Sam already took when we were up in Chicago. And we're learning a new dependency on each other, God, and our close family and friends who support us in this nutty endeavor. (Which yes, it truly is)

So there's my brain dump. It's been on my mind -and on my heart, for a while. It just took a while to get out. I will end with this - even in my darkest moments and hours that I become the cynic and skeptic, I know that there is a God. I can never deny that. And I'm praying that He'll give me a true and unblemished love for the people that we are here to serve.

" One can give without loving, but one cannot love without giving"

— Amy Carmichael

Elk sighting

2010-07-19T06:37:00.001-04:00

On our way back from NY a few weeks back, I drove the last hour while Sam slept. No sooner had he fallen asleep when I start poking him in the passenger side and telling him that there's an elk standing on the side of the road. Huge antlers and all, just sticking his big ole head out over the guard rail, out, about 6 feet up. Sam was pretty groggy, and we were going about 65, and still, by the time he sat up and got his bearings, you could still clearly see the elk along the side of the road. It was that big. Hitting one of these would be like hitting a cow. It wouldn't go flying and just leave a dent in the car. I think the car would stop. Crazy. Anyone want to see an elk? Come visit us. Apparently they can be seen a little over a mile from us up in an old strip mine at dust. We'll take you.

Getting closer.

2010-06-16T09:25:00.001-04:00

The bathroom is 100% done, and the kitchen is almost usable. The
upper cabinets are in as of Monday, and the sink goes in today.
Highlights of the kitchen:

- we are able to use a "rescued" 1950's sink that we found in the
basement - it has a 10 inch bowl on one side, an 8 inch on the other,
with a sliding top on it. Super fun!
- we were going to put in tile in the kitchen, since the flooring in
the kitchen didn't match the rest of the house, and appeared to be in
bad shape (completely unfinished heart pine flooring with a thick
layer of asbestos underneath linoleum tiles). We decided to go
natural and finish the existing wood, in effort to retain the
original feel of the home, and we're so happy we did. It finished
beautifully, and the spots that Sam patched in from elsewhere in the
house have a beautiful dark patina (near the sink).
- we found some 8 foot doors in the basement that we're going to use
between the kitchen and the "someday" office. They're beautiful. But
for now, we'll have plywood over the opening.
- skylights! They're all framed and drywalled, just need to place the
actual windows. I think that this will add a ton of light, and can't
wait for the day we cut them open and let the light shine through.

Now that I look at these photos and compare to what it looks like
now, I'm almost wishing we left the upper cabinets off of the wall
with the sink - it looks a lot more closed in with the cabinets. Oh
well - In another lifetime! We've learned things with every house.
Overall we're super stoked, and SO HAPPY TO BE MOVING IN. Can I just
say that we've been stretched to our limits with finishing the house,
getting ready to move, Sam pulling 12-16 hour days working on the
house, me working, and traveling? Something's gotta give. Thanking
God that the end is in sight and we're blessed with a beautiful,
homey home that we can make completely ours!

From the Kentucky Cam

2010-06-02T12:31:00.000-04:00

We seriously need to start a blog specifically with photos of what we
see on a daily basis. I can't even begin to number the times I've
gone "drat! If only I had a camera in my back pocket!" I need to
start carrying one everywhere.

From the KY cam this weekend if we had photos to share. We'll just
pretend.
- A pickup with two kids in the back on highway 421, one of them
playing his guitar en-route. Awesome. (hick or country chic? Chic.
They looked like they were having a blast.)
- A bare-backed dirtbike rider also on highway 421 (hick or country
chic? Hick. Just ewe, really.)

- From the phone lines - while calling around to get family based
resources here in Leslie County - I was rushed off the phone by one
organization because she was "trying to win $1,000 on a local radio
station and - oh! They're at number 98!". Dial tone while someone on
the other line was trying to call in... Really? Really?! Someone
wants to write up your organization in a resource guide, and all you
can think about is the missed opportunity to win $1000. wow.

And that's the news here from Southeast Kentucky. Oh - and we're
almost ready to move into our house! The floors look great, and the
appliances come in the next week or two (Thanks Josh!).

Miss Millie

2010-05-18T22:48:00.001-04:00

Here's a few pictures of our little honey in a quick shoot I did a
few weeks ago after a bath. She's changed so much even from then,
it's unbelievable.

The flood

2010-05-18T22:40:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that I only posted once in April. Yes, we were busy,
but it's just shameful.
Here's some pics of an early morning jaunt on a four wheeler when it
was flooded.
The river's gone down now, and to give you some perspective, the
bridge that's flooded here, now has a 15-20 foot drop to the river
below.

Kids Club

2010-05-18T22:29:00.001-04:00

Tuesday nights are the highlight of my week. We go to a kids club at
the local presbyterian church in town, where a group of moms bring
their kiddos for storytime/crafts/dinner, and pretty much pre-school
with the beloved, very patient, Miss Dana. Dana goes over the sounds
that letters make, counting, and always reads a fun story too. Today
everyone was having melt-downs, us included, and I almost asked Miss
Dana to just skip crafts, sing a song and let us all go home for
baths and bed. But one song turned into three, and before you know
it, an hour and a half had passed and we were happy we stayed for the
whole thing.

I've met a few really great moms to connect with through kids club,
and I'm very thankful that it's now part of our weekly routine.
Millie has fun tooting around while the other kids sit quietly. She's
a little young for it, but a great distraction for the rest of the
kids...

Photos of our new house

2010-05-18T21:51:00.001-04:00

Yes, we've been promising and not delivering. Here's some photos of
our new house. The kitchen is going to be coming together in big ways
over the next two days. They finished the electric today, drywall and
taping are happening tonight, and cabinets are going in later this
week. The rest of it is in great shape. They finished the replacement
windows in the livingroom and bathroom today, and the livingroom will
be trimmed/painted by tomorrow. The goal is to get out of that room
so the hardwood can be finished along with the rest of the house. The
upstairs is final sanded, the downstairs is rough sanded, and they're
going to be tinting/poly-ing it next week while I'm in chi-land, and
Sam's on a "Staycation" with the girls.

Here's a quick recap of the house for you, room by room.

Upstairs - pink room is Lydia/Amelia's room. There's a linen closet
and a bathroom in the hallway; we're ignoring the bathroom for now
and will deal with it another day once we're moved in!
The green room is our playroom/craft room/multi-purpose room
(including guest room) until the office is finished downstairs (off
of the kitchen), and the current office can be turned into a guest room.

Downstairs - (don't you love the staircase? I think it's beautiful.
Livingroom is right off of the staircase, with an opening into the
kitchen/diningroom, and to the hallway where the bedrooms live.
The blue room is our bedroom
The very light green room is the current office until the one off the
kitchen is completed.
The bathroom is in really rough shape right now, but will all start
coming together when we put the beadboard up and get the tile
grouted. The vanity is a stand-alone, currently in our upstairs
"storage bathroom", so we just need to pull it out and hook it up.

The windows throughout the house are metal and in pretty bad shape,
but we're replacing them as we can - we started with the worst ones,
and any walls that we'd be re-drywalling before we moved in. The rest
will be a few a season until they're done. At least they open and
have screens!

The future office you can slightly see off of the kitchen. It's an
old porch that was converted into an inside room, which we then
proceeded to tear apart since it was done incorrectly and had a bunch
of water damage. The good news is that there's beautiful rafters
(think 2/3 inch wide planks) and a cathedral ceiling in it. We're
going to paint it all white, and finish it up to be a loft-like
little oasis, in a perfect location right off the kitchen so I can
take breaks in the afternoon and throw dinner together.

Enjoy the pics!

Easter and drama.

2010-04-06T21:58:00.001-04:00

A big long truck with a flatbed trailer carrying a backhoe got stuck
at the bridge at the bottom of our driveway/road today. Everyone was
out on their porches and on 4-wheelers checking out the action. It
felt like community. Hah.

So you cross the bridge and the road immediately t's left and right.
Well, the truck was too long, and the radius of the curve, too tight.
So the took the backhoe off of the trailer, and attempted to lift the
trailer up with the backhoe hook, then pulling the truck around the
corner. I don't think they succeeded, but instead just found a way to
back it onto the bridge. It was a lot of ado about not very much, but
it was pretty exciting nonetheless. (smile!)

We had a great Easter with family in from Chicago- Mike and Lisa and
Sonya got in on Wednesday evening and stayed until this morning! A
great long visit that included late nights playing 3 person Mario on
the Wii, starting the process of painting the interior of our house,
getting all the plumbing completed, lots of meals together, a movie
night in the church with UP on the big-screen with bose sound, an
easter egg hunt, celebrating Christ's resurrection together in
church, and lots of cousin time. Lizzie actually came back with Sam
last Sunday and stayed with us until her parents came on Wed. So for
a few nights we had a glimpse of what our life COULD look like in a
few years, should things go that way. Lizzie is 5, so we could very
realistically at some point have a 5 year old, 3 year old, and one
year old... It's busy! But we loved it.

The weather couldn't have cooperated more. We had multiple days in
the high 80s with cool evenings. Beautiful! Although I must admit
that I'm a little nervous about how hot this summer could look!

Over and out for tonight, but wanted to give you a tiny glimpse of
our holiday together.

our happy rooms.

2010-03-31T22:18:00.001-04:00

So, I chose something so like me, and so unlike me, all at the same
time. In our last home, we chose what we liked for colors, but also
with the lurking thought of resale in the back of our heads. This
time around, it's what we want and how we want our home to function.

We have three rooms upstairs - a big big bedroom, a medium bedroom,
and a bathroom. The large bedroom is going to be a guest room slash
project room slash music room. I want it to be fun and creative. I
want it to be green. Lydia's, I want to be sweet like sorbet. So
here's what we're doing.

The hallway leading downstairs will be a neutral that transitions the
colors into the more muted naturals of our main living areas.

What do you think?

thanks for our new house.

2010-03-30T15:31:00.001-04:00

Here's a page from another great book from my Mom. It's called Thanks
for Thanksgiving, and this page and the feel of the illustrations
reminds me of the feel of our new house we're working on. In fact,
there's actually a window to the left of the fireplace exactly like
the "cuddling" page. And a staircase just like this one.

Today we spent the morning at Lowes, finalizing our kitchen pieces.
We're doing a combination of custom built-ins thanks to Sam, and pre-
constructed cabinets from Lowes. They have bead board fronts, and
look very charming. We're doing white cabinets with wood butcher
block counters. And lots and lots of open shelving. Lots. It's going
to be great. I'm so thankful. After a few months of living in a
kitchen with about 36 inches of counter space and no dishwasher,
we're going to feel like kings to even just have a dishwasher, let
alone four bedrooms and a new kitchen. Wowsers.

Real pictures of the house to come soon. I promise it's not just in
my imagination.
Actually, here's two to tickle your brains.

decorating for Easter.

2010-03-29T21:58:00.001-04:00

I'm helping get the church decked out for Easter, and I turned to Nettleton Hollow to get some fresh ideas. I ended up with some twisted willow, myrtle, and craspedia. My inspiration is the photo here that shows the myrtle mixed in with the willow. The yellow is to give a little pop. I'm tired of silk flowers and fake things, so here's some of the real deal to make spring come alive in our church - and since I believe that everything is somehow connected - in our lives and hearts as well. Beauty affects so much.

I was reminded of that while reading the book that I posted about last. Beauty can speak volumes as it touches a tender chord in our hearts. Especially as women. We are put together in such a way to want to be beautiful and create beauty out of our lives and the things that we touch. Whatever your style of beautiful - modern or folksy, whatever it be, each of us has something that moves us and makes us feel like we've created loveliness. And hopefully that's what we're going to create here in the church this Easter when we're celebrating the resurrection of our Jesus. He deserves lovely. And a whole lot more.

The dude behind Nettleton is very nice to work with. I'll update this post after I get the actual product, but Justin was super helpful, responded immediately to my email (which lamented the fact that they were out of myrtle, asking if they had any sad seconds in stock), and immediately replied that he did think they had a sad leftover that they would pop in the order as a freebie. Sure, I might need to hot glue a few pieces on here and there, but I'm confident that it will work, one way or the other, even if it's just the willow and the craspedia. Their blog is fabulous with so many decorating ideas for weddings and events! You can visit it through their website.

How are you decorating for spring?

sorry my images didn't post first time around! Here they are!

a day.

2010-03-27T22:50:00.001-04:00

My Samuel is out of town this weekend, up in Chicago helping our
friends the Bozzay's put their house back together after some
construction projects uncovered more problems that extended their
projects unexpectedly. These things happen. And I'm stoked that he
can be around another good man pal who helps build him up. But today
was just a bit of a day. Millie was up for an hour in the middle of
the night last night teething, Lydia woke up whiny and proceeded to
make it her theme for the day; I don't have a car so was feeling a
bit fenced in; and Millie also continued to be fussy throughout the
day. A big box came in the mail from my mom today, since they
cancelled their trip to visit (which also made me sulk today). It
contained the girls' birthday gifts (oh my, mugs and bowls with their
pictures on them! They were thrilled.), and two fabulous books for
them. I read the one and just sat and cried. There was wrapping all
over the livingroom, Millie was tearing it to bits, Lydia was trying
to comfort me, and I was literally sitting in the middle of it,
crying, realizing that these are the moments that life is made up of,
and I don't want to wish any of them away, even the rough ones. The
book is titled "someday", and I'll completely spoil it for you by
putting all of it right here. The illustrations are charming, and
completely "make" the book. If you are the mother of a girl, you must
get this book.

One day, I counted your fingers and kissed each one.
One day, the first snowflakes fell, and I help you up and watched
them melt on your baby skin.
One day, we crossed the street, and you help my hand tight.
Then, you were my baby, and now you are my child.

Sometimes, when you sleep, I watch you dream, and I dream too...
That someday you will dive into the cool, clear water of a lake.
Someday you will walk into a deep wood.
Someday your eyes will be filled with a joy so deep that they shine.
Someday you will run so fast and so far your heart will feel like fire.
Someday you will swing high - so high, higher than you ever dared to
swing.
Someday you will hear something so sad that you will fold up with
sorrow. (amazing illustration of a teenager with her legs pulled up
to her in an armchair, with a letter on the floor)
Someday you will call a song to the wind, and the wind will carry
your song away.
Someday I will stand on this porch and watch your arms waving to me
until I no longer see you.
Someday you will look at this house and wonder how something that
feels so large can look so small.

Someday you will feel a weight against your strong back. (shows a
young mother giving a piggyback ride)
Someday I will watch you brushing your child's hair.
Someday, a long time from now, your own hair will glow silver in the
sun. (lovely illustration of the back view of an older woman sitting
in an adirondack chair on a porch, watching the sunset)
And when that day comes, love, you will remember me. (And it shows a
framed photo sitting on an end-table - the photo that was the
illustration from the first page where the mom was counting her
fingers).

Completely full circle. It made today seem very tiny in the big
picture of things.

And made me in a strange way, much more cognizant of the future of
the memories we are creating. I'm getting ready to order some large
prints of photos, and now I'm thinking - what would my children want
to look at someday when they're grown and want to post cherished
photos on their walls? Will they want just a cute photo of them? Or
would they want a photo of them flashing a big smile to sam or I, us
in the picture, smiling back at them. It just made me think.

sewing for ruthie.

2010-03-17T13:12:00.000-04:00

Lydia's birthday is coming up on Friday, and part of her gift is the "naked no more" gift of love for her babydoll, Ruthie. Naked babydolls really bug me. I'm not sure why - they just look so sad and undone. Ruthie's current outfits are oh-so-fun for Lydia to take off, and oh-so-difficult for her to get back on. So most of the times, Ruthie is a sad babydoll with no clothes. I got out the tupperware of fabric last night and burrowed through until I found something just right. Then I went back to my days as a twelve year old, sewing for my American Doll, Kirsten, and I made a pattern for little Ruthie. I vaguely remembered how to do the bodice, and then the rest came along pretty easily. Here's the result. All you sewing geniuses, do you have any ideas for making the bodice a little neater on the inside? I did a full-lined front, and two fully-lined back pieces, but left the sides open since I'd be sewing the front to the back, and so those seams are really messy on the inside, since I don't have a serger. Any ideas? I'm thinking I should have closed up the sides when I sewed the rest of it, then when I reversed it, just hand slip-stitched the front and back of the bodice together.

I can't wait to see her face when she opens it!

update - well, I wrote this about two weeks ago, and then didn't download the photos from the camera until yesterday. She loved the dress!

birthday number one.

2010-03-15T23:24:00.001-04:00

I can't believe Millie is one tomorrow.
What a year it's been for all of us, her included.

Here's a quick picture of her birthday party - she ate almost her
whole cupcake - double-fisted, going at it with a big grin the whole
time. What a different experience from Lydia, who gingerly poked at
it like it would bite her!

getting to know our community.

2010-03-15T20:30:00.001-04:00

We've delved full-force into community events and our mission for coming to Kentucky! Many paths are converging all at once, started by a friend sending me a grant application that we can create a qualifying program for. Tonight we went to the drug awareness council meeting, a monthly meeting to discuss activities that will prevent and stop drug use in our county. UNITE is a program that contributes financially toward many of our council's activities, and we briefly met the community coordinator, who encouraged us to develop activities and then present them to UNITE for approval and funding. The contingency is that we provide some type of drug prevention into it - which can be as simple as having a trained anti-drug counselor conduct a presentation for a few minutes at the start of a community game night.

We have lots of ideas, and now, timelines for implementation. Time to name our organization, apply for a few grants, and work with our city drug council to partner in projects that can help our youth here in Leslie county build a strong foundation in Christ on which they can base their big life decisions.

Lydia's 3 year pictures - a peek.

2010-03-04T11:45:00.001-05:00

This morning when the temperature jumped over ten degrees in an hour,
I decided it was a good day to get outside and take some pictures for
the girls' yearly shoots. Here's a sneak peek of Lydia's group of
pictures. I was so sold on having her wear this jacket, and I'm glad
I did as I really like the contrast it creates with her blond hair
against it. But, I had to cut about 3 inches off the end of the arms
to make it work. It's the most adorable denim jacket ever, but It's
never fit her correctly - she couldn't even get her hands through the
ends of the sleeves this morning - they cinch really tightly at the
ends. But seeing as it was a hand me down and we wouldn't get any
wear out of it anyhow, out came the scissors. I think it was worth it.

I can't believe our baby is three. What great joy she's brought to us!

an inspiring read.

2010-03-04T08:07:00.001-05:00

This article here kind of describes the work/life partnership that Sam and I are attempting to achieve. Ironically, Gabrielle is a designer, so there are some definite parallels. I am inspired daily by her blog, which discusses the intersection of design and motherhood - everything from fabulous birthday party ideas to new design trends.

Zumba-ing.

2010-02-25T16:49:00.001-05:00

It's time for me to venture out of my comfort zone here. I've been
tucked in a warm house all winter, and not been as active as I'd have
liked. So tonight, I'm going to zumba class in Hazard. Hopefully I'll
have a buddy in the future, but tonight I'm on my own - a little bit
daunting in a new town, but I'll be fine. Zumba looks fun and catchy
- like I might actually stick with it. ;) It's a latin dance/fitness
class that's supposed to be fun as well as calorie-burning.

Our traditions.

2010-02-24T13:15:00.001-05:00

Have you seen the old tasha tudor book "A time to keep"?
I love this book.

I remember seeing old Tasha Tudor books in the past-as my mom is a
big fan and we had several growing up-but I read this book to Lydia
this weekend at the retreat, and fell in love with Tasha Tudor all
over again. Beautiful illustrations and simple stories of times past.

This book especially, as it focuses on a holiday for each month of
the year. And I'm a sucker for holidays!

I bought an old copy on Amazon for $10, and I plan on getting a
matted frame that will fit the pages, and rotate a page each month,
depending on what holiday is it. To remind me to celebrate even those
"minor" holidays with our girls. (It kind of feels weird buying a
book to take it apart, but I was inspired by Dayna's wall art in her
nursery, consisting of pages taken out of a beautiful children's
book!) There are so many things in life to celebrate, and I want to
get in the habit of celebrating on each and every occasion possible.
My mom was great at that. There was always something on the fridge or
the back door that acknowledged a holiday. Our holiday traditions
were often food-related too (imagine that, food being important to
the Horvath's!), and we celebrated with a special cake, meal, or
dessert that recognized the holiday. Even on voting day! Mom would
wrap a nickel and a quarter (I think) in tin foil, and bake into a
cake. As the story goes, whoever got the quarter would be guaranteed
victory for whomever they voted for.

I read a few pages out of another book this morning that happens to
be along the same line - treasuring God in our traditions, by Noel
Piper. I especially like the forward by her husband John, where he
talks about how their family sees God in everyday happenings. "Woven
into our family life is the conviction that God is most glorified in
us when we are most satisfied in him. His glory and our joy are not
at odds. He gets the glory. We get the joy." What a great outlook.
For so long I believed that by sacrificing things that I enjoyed, by
"giving up", that in my lack of happiness, He would at least be
glorified. And that's just so opposite of what it really is. Those
moments in life when we feel that all is well, that everything is
"right with the world", that we want to bottle up and keep forever -
that is what our hearts respond to.

Wow, what a rabbit trail.

We got some more of the house cleaned out last night - almost to the
point where we can take some pictures to share! (yes, let this be an
indication of how much stuff the previous owners left!) And in the
midst of the junk are treasures - I'm very excited about the old
wringer washer in the basement - I think it's going to be fabulous
for keeping bottled soda cold for outdoor parties in the summertime!

Truth is stranger than fiction.

2010-02-23T13:47:00.001-05:00

At a recent wal-mart shopping trip recently, we bought an insulated
bag since we live far enough away from the grocery store that we want
to make sure our frozen food is still cold by the time we get home.
The cashier pointed to it and started a conversation, "so, would you
believe a guy brought one of these back the other day and said it was
defective since his ice cream melted in it? I asked him what he had
in it, and he said 'ice cream and fried chicken. It says it's
supposed to keep things both hot and cold'." OH DEAR! I was sure he
was joking, but he assured us he wasn't, and that he sees the
strangest things working there. I have no doubt!

Today.

2010-02-22T14:35:00.001-05:00

Was a banner day, and it's only a little after noon.

We heard that the camp retreat this past weekend was a success and blessing to the kids who attended, we closed on our new house (hooray), and I have a hot date with my lovely Sammy tonight.

And, it was 62 here yesterday, and word on the streets is that winter is coming to an end and we can look for many more 60 and 70 degree days in the next few weeks.

The speaker this weekend talked a lot about Thanksgiving, and how being thankful in tough circumstances is actually a sacrifice that we're commanded to make. Ps. 50:14 - "Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving And pay your vows to the Most High." And with that, I'll share that it's tough right now to be thankful for my silly "eye injury". I burned the top layer of cells off of my right eye this weekend at the retreat by accidentally using the wrong contact lens solution (it was a contact cleaner with peroxide, not solution). Let's just say it was right up there with childbirth, and I'm glad that it's better than it was at first. But it was a very "in-my-face" opportunity to be thankful for something that's...well...not pleasant. Not "compare myself with someone less fortunate" to make myself feel better, but truly be thankful.

And so - I am filled with thanks today. For all the good things in our lives. And those not-so-pleasant things as well.

Pictures on the house to come. The previous homeowner was still packing her stuff up this morning, so we're going to give her a few days before we barge in. The pictures from before we bought it still have all her stuff in it, and it will be easier for ya'll to "see" the house without all the "stuff" in the pictures!

word clouds.

2010-02-05T14:23:00.000-05:00

I made this word cloud of this blog at the end of last year. I love
that home is the center. It's very fitting, since that's where my
heart is too.

What a will.

2010-01-31T21:36:00.000-05:00

One of the (many) off limits places in this house, and the first
place Millie makes a beeline for whenever she can sneak away. The
bathroom. The door closes by itself, so she'll crawl up to it, and
bat at the door to see if she can open it. If she can't, she whines
and hits the door. But isn't she so darn cute?

Feel free to note the luxurious linoleum flooring and electric wall
heaters. Two of the things that have been an adjustment. However - if
that's as worse as it gets, we're doing great. We're very thankful
for a place to call home that came out of the woodwork right before
we moved.

Our feathered friends.

2010-01-28T15:21:00.000-05:00

There's cardinals all over down here.
You see them while driving even - they flight and flit about in the
shrubbery on the sides of the road.

We picked up some bird seed, and Lydia's new favorite thing to do is
to spread it along the rails of the porch and then watch from inside
as the "mommy cardinal" and "daddy cardinal" come and eat.

Here's a shot of the mommy cardinal. The daddy's sure brighter.
Apparently, faster too.

Of house and home.

2010-01-27T08:28:00.001-05:00

My new obsession: I'm fascinated with keeping house.

For the first time since we were newly married, I'm at home and loving it. Though I have less time to spend on "the house" than I did back in 2002, I am enjoying it much more thoroughly this time around. I feel like I've missed out on so much these past five years.

There's a certain cadence and security that I find in the daily inner workings of a home that's being "kept". I love routines, and now that I'm home, I'm finally able to instill daily routines to enrich our lives as a family and keep our home up and running. Well, I'm instilling the "idea" of some of these more than the actual "happenings", but we're taking them one at a time. I feel that these routines are something that bind women together across generations, social stratus, and location. Everyone has a dirty kitchen to clean up after the morning rush. Every woman at some point does laundry, dusts, changes sheets, goes grocery shopping (or marketing, as home comforts calls it, which I get a kick out of), cooks, sweeps, and wonders whether it's ok to hand wash the sweater with the "Dry clean" tag. I feel very connected and grounded when I'm intentionally adhering to routines for our home.

These books have been a source of information and inspiration. House to a home is a British book I believe, and may be out of print. It's so lovely - It makes me want to designate an art room in our new house, and have leisurely morning brunches outdoors with Sam while the girls run barefoot through a flower garden. Thanks Rachael for this book you gave us back in 2003! Though I perused it in the past, it's finally getting its due love.

And Home Comforts has a fabulous chapter on tidying, and the "broken window theory". So true in our house!

Any suggestions or tips you've found to work really well at your house?

Mayonnaise.

2010-01-26T14:47:00.001-05:00

What to do when the dinner recipe calls for a few tablespoons of
mayo, and there's none in the fridge, with the nearest grocery a 45
minute round trip away?
You make your own.

I was shocked at how simple it was. A little ewey about the raw egg
yolk, but we're not dead yet - I just made sure to keep it off the
baby's food.
A blender, oil, lemon, an egg yolk, salt, and ten minutes is all it
took. And it's delicious with cayenne, garlic, and onion. I may be
hooked.

A very large house with a lot of work.

2010-01-26T13:36:00.001-05:00

This is the beautiful old house we looked at last week. It's
currently split up into an apartment downstairs and one upstairs. The
amount of potential this house has is unbelievable. The amount of
work needed, overwhelming.

If we were at a different point in our lives, this would be an
absolute yes. But with two little ones and the desire for a
*somewhat* finished house within the next five years, we marked this
off the list.

It was originally built as an orphanage. It sports transom windows,
leaded glass, a fireplace in the livingroom, and five feet of water
in the basement.

Mail stop.

2010-01-26T13:23:00.001-05:00

This is what getting our mail looks like.
It's the little country store (not sure what they sell other than
milk and eggs) a half mile down the road.

We pass a little park, which makes for a fabulous outing when we walk
for our mail.

Country living, this is.

Shoes!

2010-01-21T22:00:00.000-05:00

I love small town shoe sales. Like when the store is going out of
business, and I randomly stop by to see if they have shoes for lydia,
and instead, score shoes for me AND Lydia! Clark, Born, and
Eastlands, for $1/pair. I'm not kidding. I thought I must be
misunderstanding it. But no - for real - Cole Haan, Merrell - and
more! I bought way more than I should have....and spent a whopping
$14. Some for me, some to give away, and some to sell on ebay! I
love little unexpected treats like these. Little gifts from God.
Here's a sampling...

Lots of sleep, a new nephew, and a win.

2010-01-21T12:47:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was when it all caught up to me.

Sam (need I say that he's such a dear?) got both of the girls up for
me, and I slept solid until 9, then again until 10:30. This is after
going to bed at a reasonable time too. I have a cold that just won't
go away (we're talking 4 weeks!), and I'm afraid to even say it, but
I'm feeling much like I did in 2001 when I had a bout with Epstein
Barre. So plenty of rest is in order to make sure I can kick these
colds and whatever else is ailing.

Anyhow, between that, some last-second work on promo pieces for Scott
Brown's campaign, and a new nephew, it's been a very busy, news-
filled week around here!

Sam also made contact with a young pastor a few towns over who also
shares the same desire to run a county-wide youth ministry. It was so
encouraging to think that we might have someone to help share the
ride with! He and his wife have 4 children, the youngest, 2. Lydia
met Anna last night, and had fun eating cheerios and playing together
during a women's Bible study. God is good to give us these
connections. We are encouraged.

Hoping to post a few pictures of a house we took a look at later on
this evening. I'm going to keep a running record of the houses we
look at, and you all can let us know what you think of them!

Sound good?

Jessica

What I'm working on.

2010-01-14T20:53:00.000-05:00

Today's events:

Our washer was fixed today with a big thanks to Martin Sizemore, the area "appliance fixer". He is so helpful, and knowledgeable. He is our Gordon of KY, though there will never be any replacing Gordon in our hearts. The first time he visited us, he fixed our refrigerator. This time, it was our washer. We must find something nice to do for him since he refuses payment. Any ideas? I'm thinking a dinner brought to his doorstep might be called for.

It was also a full afternoon of work after spending the morning with the girls.

Here's my disclaimer for quite a bit of work shown on my blog: This is not my client - I worked as a creative director for 5 years for Chempetitive Group. This is a portion of the work I'm doing for them - and one of their clients, as a freelancer. All copy, themes, and images are FPO and not final.

That said, it was fun to create 4 different themes for the same product. Here's two of my favorites.

And finally, a funny Lydia ism today - we were singing "the wise man built his house upon a rock", and she pronounces "floods" like "pups". So the rain came down, and the pups came up.

What I'm working on.

2010-01-13T09:35:00.001-05:00

Homeweavers! Sam has his first job to go estimate today, so a brand was in quick order.

Thankfully we did some work a few weeks ago on the name and the start of a brand.

If you're in Leslie or surrounding counties, and need work done in these areas, give him a call.

Custom built-ins: shelving, window seats

Trim: crown molding, wainscoting, chair rail

Porches and decks

Hardwood Flooring

Ceramic tile

Windows and Doors

Siding

Bathroom and kitchen remodeling

Cold feet in Kentucky!

2010-01-09T21:44:00.001-05:00

Slippers have almost become a verb in our house. The floors are very very cold, since they're not carpeted, and the basement isn't heated.

They're the first thing I think about in the morning when my feet hit the cold floor, and one of the last before I go to bed, when I kick them out from under the covers.

We have the girls put them on early in the day too, or else we hear "mama, I'm told". (yes, her c's are still t's, and it's adorable - part of me hopes she never outgrows it!)

Right now, here's what we're sporting - a combination of wal-mart $5.99 specials, Robeez, hand-me-downs, and kohls "whatever was on sale". They were assembled in very short order right after we moved in. The labels don't matter- they're warm, and that's what matters!

I'm actually looking forward to the day mine wear out so I can put a little more thought into the purchase of new ones - like these here - for a mere $2 more than what I spent. Or these.

Here's hoping that your feet are cozy and warm tonight!

What I'm working on.

2010-01-08T21:17:00.000-05:00

I got the call Tuesday morning:
Collateral and identity needed to go to press by Friday.
We did it!

11X25.5 roll fold brochure, sellsheet and a finalized logo.

Apple pie and big trucks.

2010-01-08T21:08:00.000-05:00

Ok folks - here it is. Our first "this is Kentucky, and we love it"
post. Lots of you have asked for stories, and here's one of our first.

Right after we moved in, we were milling about the house, doing our
thing, and we heard this great rumbling. Kind of like a logging truck
was going to plow through the house. Lydia comes running "mamma! What
is it?". So I asked Sam, "Sam, what is it?". Well. While we are very
thankful for the house we're in, the one of few downsides is that the
driveway to the house above us runs parallel with our house.
LIterally, when I'm doing dishes and they go by, I duck so I'm not
looking directly in their faces, 4 feet away. It's kind of crazy.
Since we live on a mountain, it's a very steep driveway too. With 12
inch ruts. (Not ours, thankfully, but theirs). They have massive 4
wheel drive vehicles that plow up and down their driveway, and we
always can tell when they're coming or going. That was the sound we
heard.

We had lots of snow and cold this week, like the rest of the US.
Which made the driveway next to our kitchen window treacherous and
entertaining. We've seen our neighbors park at the bottom of their
driveway and trek up the mountain to their house with groceries and
kids in tow several times in much less inclemental weather (think
mud), so when we heard the rumble yesterday amidst the falling snow,
Sam and I both looked at each other, shocked. Seriously, they were
going to try and make it up the mountain with 2 inches of snow and
ice? This would be interesting. Trust me, most of the common everyday
vehicles we all drive wouldn't make it up this driveway if it was FLAT.

So there they go, with a big running go at it. We were all in the
kitchen, and once they passed, Sam and I craned our necks to watch
what would happen next. It slows...it slides...it goes up over a 2
foot embankment in the ditch to the right...and again....big river
rocks go flying and he guns it, spinning. We held our breaths and
almost run to take cover with the girls in another room. See, because
if he did start sliding backwards, with the ruts and bumps, good
chances are that we'd meet unhappily in our kitchen, since we're at
the lull before the steepest part of their driveway. Bumper, meet
sink. When it was all done, Sam says "That - was not a very smart
thing that he just did." Hmm. you think so, eh? I agreed.

Well, we are very happy to report that they did indeed make it up
their hill. And not into our refrigerator. But it was entertaining.

I am a little sheepish of running out to our porch and taking a
picture of our neighbors passing by, but I had to go do a quick
search and find a photo to show you kind of what it looks like. This,
but bigger, and not a jeep, with bigger tires and fog lights on top
and a roll bar. And no, I'm not kidding. And then this is the view
out my kitchen window, which will very shortly have curtains. And
blinds.

We're off to go enjoy dessert and a movie. Blessings to all of you.
Do something fun tonight!

Love,
Jessica and Sam

A few photos

2010-01-08T21:06:00.001-05:00

Here's a few fun pictures of January so far:

- A quick trip to Cincinatti - we had a friend's wedding in Lexington
to go to on Saturday last weekend, so met up with Annie, Lucy, and
Jude at her Mom's house in Cincinatti so the girls could play
together and we could all catch up on Wheaton happenings. It was so
much fun!

- Lydia having fun with hair clips - she came running out of the
bathroom with the clips on her fingers; she looked like a bionic girl.

- Lydia with her animals in a "family hug". She came and told us what
they were doing and was so proud of her little arrangement. It was
adorable.

I am so very thankful to be home more to catch these special moments
with my girls!

Test Post - from my email!

2010-01-08T10:35:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting here in my kitchen, watching it snow out on the
mountains, very excited about the tip I just got from a friend - mail
to blogger settings! It lets me post directly to my blog by sending
an email. Here's hoping that it works. And big thanks to Amy, even if
it doesn't!

I'm off to make an apple pie before Millie wakes up from her nap.

More to come later on - a funny story with (hopefully) pictures if we
can catch it in action.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-20T16:11:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to all of you!

Quick update since we haven't posted for over a month (gasp).
- We moved to Hyden, Kentucky over Thanksgiving, and with the help of family (thank you Baers for all your help!), we got moved in quickly and easily.
- We are no longer pursuing the cabin purchase, since upon closer look once we moved down, it ended up being a little larger project that we wanted to pursue.
- Millie is crawling and waving!

I hope that your holidays are relaxed and spent enjoying the season with those you love. We're here in upstate New York, enjoying very crisp weather (think single digits!), beautiful snow-covered landscapes, lots of fun with cousins, siblings, and in-laws, and the hopes of reconnecting with a few friends as well. The plan is to rest up from the busyness of the past few months before we head back to KY and begin life there in full force.

I was browsing through a magazine today, and saw the words to one of my recent favorite Christmas songs - In a Bleak Midwinter. Love that song! So simple and pure. So today, the Baers leave you with this:

What can I give Him; poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; If I were a wise man, I would do my part; Yes what I can I give Him? Give my heart.

Merry Christmas!

Our list

2009-11-14T01:41:00.000-05:00

We are almost done with "the list" of items to repurchase for our new home - it's been a lot of looking on craigslist, at ikea, at target, and napervilleyardsales.com - and we're getting there!
- couch - check.
- washer/dryer - almost check.
- glider - almost check.

It's kind of fun to "reinvent" ourselves in a way! We like to think of our time with our house at 316 as the test drive for our home and life in KY. And all the things we didn't get quite right, or weren't happy with? No problem - now we know what not to do, and what we want to change for the next time around.

This is a very random post, and I think it's due to the late hour. Our girls have been faithfully (and I mean faithfully) waking up just as we go to bed...making for some very long nights.

I will leave you with this - whoever you are - designmom posted a link to a beautiful site today - http://tinysprouts.com

Now I want to play with fun chunky embroidery style on children's clothing! How sweet is this stuff... love it!

Day more than 4.

2009-11-11T22:55:00.000-05:00

The past few weeks have flown. Between the everyday events of life, we've been planning like crazy.

Sam went on a scouting trip down to Kentucky a few weeks ago to follow up on a few leads, and he landed this find of the year! Someone had alerted his Dad to the property when they had heard that we were looking for a remote piece of property with some flat land. It's a log cabin frame that's been sitting unfinished now for a little over a year. For those of you who are wondering (and yes, we would be too if we were in your shoes!), it doesn't have any water damage from being uncovered - just needs a roof, and then a good pressure washing and drying out before we start finishing it up. A gentleman started building it for his long-time girlfriend who proceeded to break up with him. So he's dumping the house in it's unfinished state. Enter, us. Just what we were looking for! A beautiful piece of property with a pond and a bunch of flat land. We verbally agreed yesterday, and will finish the paperwork when we get to KY. Finally, we know a tiny bit of what our future will look like. And. We. Are. So. Excited.

Day 3

2009-10-01T01:06:00.000-04:00

Big news today - we are now the owners of a new address:
PO Box 617514
Chicago, IL 60661

A CHICAGO address, folks. The first and possibly last time this will ever happen.

We closed up the house tonight in preparation for the key hand-off tomorrow; what a bittersweet moment. Today is all about remembering the fabulous times at 316 North Prospect Street - our first home together - a place we could actually claim as our own. And after 6 years of hard work - living in dust for half of it, with the anticipation of it being finished - we are done.

Rocking Lydia to sleep in her little black and white room with the lyrical verse on the wall. Bringing Millie home and snuggling with both girls together on the couch. Smores in our fireplace inside. Campfires outside on the patio! Christmas and the white pine boughs over the window trim throughout the house. Sitting on our porch on hot summer nights, feet dangling on the porch swing. Gathering with neighbors in our front and back yards. Watching Lydia and the little ladies in the neighborhood roll down the driveway in their little orange cars. Lots of meals and card games around the table. Walks around the "loop"- up prospect, shortcut to summit, up to Illinois, back over to Prospect. Many great memories that we will remember forever.

And with that, we close the door to 316 North Prospect, and shut a chapter in our lives. Welcome home Michelle; we left the porch light on for you.

(and now I'll cry my way back to Naperville!)

Day 2

2009-09-29T23:35:00.000-04:00

So, when you miss the 6:25 in Naperville, and instead take the 6:35, you might as well ride you bike into the city. I sat and watched trains continually pass ours on the inside tracks, and watched the masses at each stop actually pass our train by, waiting instead for the next express. In hindsight, I should have gotten off at one of the first stops and waited for an express. Or paid better attention to the schedule. Actually, scratch all that - if I had just hurried a bit in my morning routine, we wouldn't be having this typersation. Anyhow, it was a nice HOUR AND FIFTEEN minutes worth of working on the train. As opposed to the short 35 minutes of the express on the way back home.

What we learned today:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depersonalization_disorder
Wikipedia says that periods of continued stress can cause this defense mechanism to kick in - I think we qualify. Textbook! I do feel like I'm walking around outside of my body, watching someone else leave a fabulous neighborhood and a beautiful, handmade house. Who would do such a thing?! Apparently, us. I need to remind myself that home is not the structure containing everything...it's what's inside; the people, the everyday familiar items, the love. God is good, and we are so thankful to be 2 days closer to settling in our new life, chasing after a dream - an idea - we've had now for over 7 years.

Day 1

2009-09-28T23:29:00.000-04:00

Today was the first day of the rest of our life. Or so I feel. We've officially moved out of our house and have spent our first day as Napervilleites. We are living with some good (and very gracious) friends of ours who have welcomed us into their home for the next 8 weeks, after which point we'll move to Kentucky.

Today we learned: that our children are very flexible, and will have a much easier time with this move than we will. Even though bedtime was akin to WWIII tonight (seriously, 8:45 and Millie has just finally calmed and fallen asleep?) Lydia keeps randomly saying that she's "cited to move to tucky". I also learned that the 6:25 train out of the Naperville station gets in to Union with the same speediness as my 6:25 over at college ave. Tomorrow: update on if I actually MADE it to the 6:25...

Millie's first cereal!

2009-08-19T22:37:00.000-04:00

Millie had her first cereal today by spoon. Sweet thing kept sucking it up off the spoon like it was milk. So cute. Here's a recent picture of the girls!

Home for sale!

2009-07-20T22:06:00.001-04:00

Samuel Baer | 630-768-8542

316 North Prospect St, Wheaton, IL

Beautiful charming remodeled house with short walk to train and downtown Wheaton and Glen Ellyn.

2BR/1.5BA Single Family House

offered at $280,000

Year Built	1930
Sq Footage	1,000
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1 full, 1 partial
Floors	1
Parking	2 Car garage
Lot Size	.25 acres
HOA/Maint	$0 per month

DESCRIPTION

www.316NorthProspect.com

Cottage living in the west suburbs!

This beautiful Wheaton home was completely remodeled in 2004. Upgrades include new bathrooms, jacuzzi tub, vaulted ceilings, beadboard, decorative crown molding, solid wood doors, granite countertops, hardwood flooring, and custom built-ins that give this vintage 1930’s style home a charm all its own. Beautiful front porch and back patio area extends the living area of the home during the warmer months. A friendly neighborhood and a park at the end of the block makes this a great location for families and singles alike.

The Metra West Line College Ave stop is a 5 minute walk away; an ideal situation for commuters. Wheaton College is also within walking distance.

This home was remodeled by a builder and designer duo, with storage solutions and style in mind. Square footage was considered horizontally and vertically, with every inch wisely used.

Come see this charming house!

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

• Central heat	• Fireplace	• High/Vaulted ceiling
• Hardwood floor	• Tile floor	• Bonus/Rec room
• Dishwasher	• Refrigerator	• Stove/Oven
• Microwave	• Granite countertop	• Stainless steel appliances
• Attic	• Basement	• Washer
• Dryer	• Laundry area - inside	• Balcony, Deck, or Patio
• Yard	• Jacuzzi/Whirlpool

OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES

• Porch

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Schedule a showing today!	Great Room
Kitchen	Bathroom
Master Bedroom	Finished Basement Room

Contact info:

Samuel Baer

630-768-8542

For sale by individual owner

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Jul 20, 2009, 5:54pm PDT

Welcome Amelia!

2009-05-12T22:24:00.000-04:00

She's here, and we're coming out of the "dark tunnel" of the first 6 weeks...
Amelia joined us on March 16th, 2009. Here's a glimpse of the first few weeks with her!
Love to you all, Sam, Jessica, and Lydia

Christmas movie

2009-01-15T21:52:00.000-05:00

Holidays 2008

2009-01-15T21:27:00.000-05:00

Hi friends and family!

We had a very very quiet, uneventful holiday here in Chicago, which was just what we needed. We took some time to make some memories with just the three of us before the baby comes, and we really enjoyed spending long days together just hanging out around the house and around town.

Here's a video of a bunch of photos from Christmas day, and our vacation time together over the next week or so.
In a nutshell and hopefully somewhat in order:
- Christmas morning - it was beautiful - sunny, cold, crisp and clear. The light was beautiful outside!
- We had special "christmas hot chocolate" and crescent rolls, and Lydia had her first candy cane. I think that she was wondering where they've been her whole life!
- The "rocket" from Seth and Mary in its garage in the closet. (one of her favorite gifts!)
- Lydia playing in her new kitchen set! She likes making coffee. (hmm....maybe it IS time to cut back!)
- Lydia in her sweet chef's hat. Silly grin! (She was eating chocolate chips)
- Opening gifts - you can't see it, but she had great fun opening a very soft pillowcase from grandma Ruth (nana), and she loved it!
- Lydia hugging "kitty" backpack - she says "thank you josh. thank you allison" when she carries it around the house. So sweet!
- Christmas dinner at Bill and Dayna's. They are gifted with hospitality, a beautiful home, and great cooking! Also a sweet 3 year old who plays so sweetly with Lydia.
- The light show at Cosley Zoo, our little local petting zoo. It was a little chilly, but we had a great time. Lydia loved the lights, and the hot chocolate too.
- Christmas projects - Jess finished her rag rug that she's been working on for Lydia's room. Lydia got a kick out of playing with the rag balls before they became "rug"!
- Gluten-free sugar cookie making! We decided that Lydia needed to learn how to frost and sprinkle cookies. She did great. And Sam was so kind to show Lydia that if you lick your hand, you can pick up more sprinkles with your fingers. :) we also found out that we only have heart cookie cutters. Like 10 of them.
- Lydia in the snow! She loved shoveling with our little collapsible shovel. It's just the right size for her.
- Sledding! It was still snowing when she was sledding, and she kept pulling the blanket up around her face. I felt kind of bad. :(

We missed seeing all of you over Christmas. But looking forward to trips out, down, and around after the baby comes!
Love you all, Jessica, Sam, Lydia + baby 2!

2008-09-20T21:15:00.000-04:00

2008-09-20T21:14:00.000-04:00

2008-09-20T20:55:00.000-04:00

Fall at the arboretum

2008-09-20T20:31:00.000-04:00

Today Sam had an all-day class, so Lydia and I took the advantage of a beautiful day to head out and go to the arboretum for the afternoon. We had a great time looking at the flowers, walking trails, collecting pine cones, and taking a few photos. We're calling this batch her official "year and a half" photos, and we put an order in today for prints to send to family. So many of you will be getting a few in the mail. I know it's been almost a year since we did this last!

And we have some fun family news: we're 15 weeks along with baby number 2! The morning sickness has subsided quite a bit, and I'm feeling much better than the past few months.

Lydia is growing up a storm. A bunch of her pants are getting too short to wear; finally our little peanut is growing! I'm excited about this fall, putting her in little jumpers with striped leggings and other fun things. The whole "fun" bit of dressing a girl is finally hitting me. She's talking like crazy and will repeat any phrase, though she probably doesn't know exactly what she's saying. Butterfly, book (pronounced "boo - cckkkkaahh"), and "i love you" are a few of the ones she adds her own sweet little twist on. It cracks us up. She loves reading books, playing outside on the porch or out on the back deck, and just learned how to play "ring around the rosy". (a new favorite).

More pictures!

2008-06-24T21:21:00.000-04:00

More pictures I couldn't upload the first time.

Family time in NY

2008-06-24T20:53:00.000-04:00

This weekend was our big family summertime get-together in upstate NY. Everyone was able to make it but Aunt Karen and Uncle Larry. They were missed! Here's a few of my favorite photos from the weekend.

We caught up with everyone and the cousins had a blast playing together while Aunt Allison hung out on the couch, overtaken with morning sickness. I'm sorry Allison! Keep taking the unisom! Seth and Mary and their 3 beautiful little girls were in from IN. The girls never cease to amaze me with the funny things they conjure up to say. "Aunt Jessica, her beautiful... (looking at lydia). her has a butt." And Mr. Owen - Allison told a story about how he coined the phrase "beep it up" after hearing big trucks beep as they backed up. It was great to see Josh and Allison too and share in the happiness of their baby-to-be. Aunt Sarah helped to entertain the kids and took lots of her infamous "self-portraits + 1" with her nieces and nephew. Mom and dad kept busy keeping us laden with lots of amazingly homemade food, dripping with calories and cholesterol, and worth every bite. Late night and early morning chats catching up out on the screened in porch were lovely.

We had a large family photo -- complete with all the drama that goes with those pressure-filled moments in between Lydia crying, Ellie cheesing it up for the promise of more candy, and Mom and Dad looking down at the grandkids instead of up at the camera...it all paid off for a halfway decent photo to remember 2008.

Dad's big party was on Saturday and a big success! Lots of friends came up for BBQ pork, fun, and fellowship to help celebrate 60 years. Mary made a fabulous dvd of photos from Dad as a child all the way up to recent photos with all the grandkids. Yes, we cried.

The trip out and back were pretty rough this time, due to a new upright-sitting carseat, and a big old molar coming in for Lydia. The trip back home this way was better, thanks to infant motrin, but the trip out was really rough. Probably because we didn't know that the tooth was on its way! I checked a day or two before we left, and didn't feel anything poking through. Leave it to a long car drive to bring out the best. Hooray for Aunt Mary for noticing it and saving the day. Maybe the next baby around we'll learn to look for things more intuitively. At least we can hope.

And now we're back home. Home at last where Lydia reached for her crib tonight when we put her down, and sweetly snuggled in, happy to be home sleeping flat instead of in her carseat. Another summer family-time in NY is done. We'll look forward to Christmas!

Summer

2008-05-31T16:19:00.001-04:00

We finally got some warm weather. Our flowers are planted, mulch is down, and we're having fun blowing bubbles with lydia in the back yard on breezy days. And....we got a kitten! Still unsure whether it's a tomcat or girliecat, it doesn't have a name, but it's very cute, very small, and is very annoying to bottle feed. That part will be done this coming week hopefully, so I can't complain too loud. It was abandoned by it's mom in our neighbor's garage. They kept it for 3 weeks or so, but were looking to pass it on. So...we now have a kitten! Photos to come...

Happy Birthday Uncle Josh

2008-05-07T01:28:00.000-04:00

Fun in the sun!

2008-04-29T21:45:00.000-04:00

For the two days of Spring that we had, we spend a lot of time outside. Here's a few of my favorites of Lydia. One of her from the back as she peeks out from the porch...and then one from the other side! Little tongue hanging out...love it! She's walking around really well now - and her list of animal sounds includes: dog, giraffe, dragon, bird, sheep, and cow (if boo boo counts!). We'll have to post them sometime; she's hysterical.

Lydia's dedication!

2008-04-29T21:34:00.000-04:00

Lydia was dedicated in the service this past Sunday. Sarah came out for it, and Mike and Lisa and Caleb and Jill came as well. They all came over the house for dinner afterwards along with our small group leaders, Bob and Patty Locascio. Lyddie did great, especially considering that there was a long line of babies and children being dedicated, and we were next to last. Now that she's up and about walking around, that's all she wants to do, and she squirmed almost the whole time. But when it was her turn and our pastor held her, she got all quiet and still...a little mesmerized by being in the spotlight. It was super cute. They zoomed in on her face on the screens above and everyone "awed". Yes, we are still new parents. ;)

Anyhow, the verse that we chose for Lydia was Isaiah 26:3: "You will keep "her" in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because she trusts in You". We pray that she will trust Jesus and rest in the peace He provides as a result.

She wore a little cream gown from her great grandma Townsend that was passed down, and a little pink bonnet of lace tatted by her great grandma Horvath. A legacy of love from both sides.

Birthday Fun!

2008-03-26T22:37:00.001-04:00

Can't believe our little Lydia is a year old already. We had a fun party with lots of family and friends. The smashing cake was a little anticlimactic, but she had a lot of fun nonetheless!

Happy March!

2008-03-26T22:29:00.000-04:00

Lydia's doing lots of new things! Today she gave us our first kisses from her. She's been kissing her giraffe for a while now, but would just smile and shake her head no when we tried to give and get kisses from her in the past. Like a game, she would try and run away from us when we said "kiss"! Not tonight...she leaned forward, and gave us sweet messy baby kisses.

She also is walking around quite a bit now - tottering from place to place. Too bad she can't get the hang of crawling! She still does the army crawl.

Here's a cute picture of her in the park right before Easter. Sweetie pie! My mom said that she looks like a little Dutch girl with the red jumper and cute hat.

Can't wait for Spring when we can get out and enjoy some more time in the park!

Finally! 2007 in review (mostly Lydia!)

2008-02-14T10:09:00.000-05:00

In the kitchen corner

2007-12-09T22:31:00.000-05:00

This is Lydia's new place to hang out. It works out nicely since we're in the kitchen a lot these days doing endless dishes and making sweets for the holidays. It's all fine and well until she learns how to crawl...for now, she's content to sit and chew on spatulas in the corner.

Sledding!

2007-12-09T22:14:00.000-05:00

Today we went sledding for the first time with Lydia. There's a little hill outside the publishing company near the alley behind our garage. (Sounds really ghetto, but isn't in reality...the alley is just a little piece of land called an alley since the city owns it). She liked it from what we can gather. She didn't laugh, but smiled a lot and didn't cry. There was a thin sheet of ice on everything, so Sam pulled Lydia and I on the sled around the parking lot when we were finished, and she got a kick out of that too.

Half-Marathon

2007-11-10T15:25:00.000-05:00

September 7th, 2007 - Right before we got pregnant last year, I had decided to run in the half marathon 06. Since it's not ideal to run that distance several months pregnant, I put it on hold until this year. This spring after Lydia was born, I decided to coerce my body into distance running...3 months of training later, my sister Sarah and I ran across the finish line! Training was actually pretty fun; joining a running club gave me the accountability and assistance for the long runs (and gatorade every 2 miles set out by the running club doesn't hurt either!) It was great now with a little one to get outside a few days a week and clear my head. Sam was awesome about being flexible - mostly I ran in the evenings after Lydia went to bed, but there were definitely other times where it wasn't quite as convenient. Thanks babe, for helping to make this goal possible for me! Here's a few pictures from raceday - Sarah and I crossing the finish line, tons of cups, and mommy and Lydia!

Porch done!

2007-08-31T20:18:00.000-04:00

This has been done for a few months, but I kept forgetting to take a picture. Sam finished the porch and about 95% of the siding. There's a small piece in the back of the house that needs to be finished, but it's almost there, and it looks great! We went with a knock-off of hardiplank - concrete siding. It will last without maintenance for up to 25 years. Too bad we'll be long gone by then.

Cutie pie

2007-08-31T20:09:00.000-04:00

Sam is having so much fun playing with Lydia these days. She loves it!

Lots going on!

2007-08-27T21:27:00.000-04:00

Wow it's been a while since we've updated! Lydia has:
• Started eating rice cereal. Yum. When she doesn't want it she razzes it all over. Fun. Hmm.
• Learned to razz, see above.
• Discovered her toes. She looks like she's doing a funny yoga pose when she grabs just her big toe and hangs on with one finger. Super cute!
• Developed stranger anxiety. This is really tough when we have someone new babysit!
• Entertained us endlessly with her smiles and giggles. The funniest things make her smile and laugh!
• Had her first sickness. :( 2 weeks ago she had a fever for about 5 days followed by strange rashes. Dr's said it was just a virus so nothing we could do but treat the fever. It's so tough when you know they're not feeling well but they can't tell you what's going on. We're glad that's past and she's all better.

These photos are of: Lydia with Grandpa Horvath at our family reunion in NY in August, and me and Lydia spending some time together out in the field behind my parent's place - one of my favorite places on earth.

Overall, things are going well. Work is pretty busy right now as we have a client open house this Wednesday that we're busy preparing for. Of course, internal projects that have waited for a long time are now immediate action items! On top of that, we're doing a good cleaning-out of accumulated "stuff" in our basement, beginning to plan for the fall camp retreat, and I'm (Jess) finishing training for the half-marathon with my sister. Life is very full. However, we are trying to reclaim some of the sweet quiet family times together on the weekends especially. There's nothing like a walk together at the end of the day to knit our hearts as we talk over the day and goo gah over our sweet girl.

It's times like these that we want to remember to be just as thankful and close to God. I feel like there's always the tendency to run to Him during times of distress and discomfort, but we often fail to remember Him during the good times. We are truly so thankful for all He's done in our lives.

We hope this finds you all well, and ejoying the last bit of the summer! Soak it all in while you can...

Lydia playing with Daddy!

2007-07-26T20:52:00.001-04:00

2007-06-13T20:59:00.000-04:00

With Daddy

2007-06-05T21:58:00.000-04:00

Growing Pains

2007-05-19T22:32:00.000-04:00

Lydia will never be an "infant" again! She's outgrowing her newborn clothes, and well out of newborn diapers. Steve and Regan Thompson visited with their sweet 4 week old, and she seemed so tiny and floppy compared to Lydia! It hit us that the teeny tiny baby days are gone. While there's good parts (no longer have to worry that her head will fall off when it flops around, much easier to handle, and sleeping longer at night), I'm a wee bit sad that she's growing up so quickly...and this is just the beginning! We're loving the sweet smiles, coos, and giggles though! Couldn't get those a few weeks ago, and it makes our days bright and our hearts warm. Oh, and for those who were going to come out, her baby dedication has been postponed since the church ran out of room in the dedication on the 17th and Lydia got bumped to the next one, for which no date has been set yet. Bummer! We'll let you know when we get a new date!

Giggles

2007-05-14T21:23:00.000-04:00

We got our first giggle ever last Wednesday! What a sweet mom's day gift she gave.

Thankful Hearts

2007-04-26T10:02:00.000-04:00

As we look back over the past 2 years or so since we first thought about becoming parents, we're filled with gratitude that God has given us a baby and child to raise. It's such a gift and great responsibility, and our lives will never be the same.

Our small group leader gave me a little book of meditations for new moms, and the reading for today was beautiful:

" How can I repay the Lord
for all his goodness to me?
I wil lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord.
I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people."

Psalm 116:12-14

Lydia's baby dedication will be on June 17th, for all who are interested in attending! It will be at our church, just a few minutes away, with a lunch back here at our house.

Smiles

2007-04-25T13:49:00.000-04:00

New this week: responsive smiling! Lydia has started to give us little grins when we play with her! The best times are when she's naked on the changing table - she loves it and will dole out smiles most when she's free as a bird in her birthday suit...

She also decided this week to go on a nursing strike - she'd take a bottle fine, but refused to nurse. So...after a night of bottlefeeding, pumping, and trying to calm a hungry crying baby, she determined it was too hard on us and started nursing again, which was fantastic. Still trying to figure out what it was, but it might have something to do with the curried rice and chicken we had for dinner - great, we have a picky eater! ;)

Overall, things are going well here at the Baer house. We're learning lots each day and the more we learn, the more we realize we know nothing at all! I guess that's the way with parenting - we're thankful for grace each day.

With the Horvath cousins

2007-04-18T16:20:00.000-04:00

All the Horvath grandgirlies in one shot!
Poor Ellie had her tonsils out a few days earlier and wasn't feeling well for this shot, so she gets a special separate shot uploaded from when she WAS feeling good the day before! Funny story: When we got to Seth and Mary's, the girls oohed and aahed over their new cousin, then Ellie looked at me and politely asked "where's the other baby?". We explained that we only had one baby, and she was disappointed - Mary explained that since her cousin recently had twins, the girls now think that they come in twos.

Proud grandparents

2007-04-18T16:13:00.000-04:00

Here's Lydia with Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Steve when they came out to visit, and with Grandma and Grandpa Baer when we were down in Kentucky over Easter.

Heavyweight

2007-04-18T16:03:00.000-04:00

Lydia has officially passed the 10lb mark - at her doctor's appointment over the weekend she weighed in at a whopping 10 lbs 4 oz. She now comes complete with rolls on her little legs and arms. It's funny how her fingers and toes seem a lot stubbier and shorter now that they have some meat on them! They looked so long and skinny when she was first born. She continues to be a great little baby, though she doesn't like napping on a schedule during the day. We tried the babywise every three hour schedule, and for feeding and sleeping through the night it works like a charm - she's sleeping from 10:30 through to 4:30AM, so we're happy...but for napping, it doesn't work as well for her. She likes to be up for a continuous 3 hours and then konk out after her next meal. We're trying to be flexible, yet have some sort of structure so things will transition smoothly once I head back to work.

Lydia survived her first babysitting experience! We had purchased tickets for a concert last fall, and had a babysitter lined up for about as long - I felt like a piece of me was missing, but it was good for us to get out for a bit without her. Babysitter reported that she was fine, though she tooted quite a bit for a princess. ;) I think she takes after her dad.