Sisters Chat (Womanly Sisterhood)

Lizzi: Okay. Today I wanted to talk about sisterhood. Not only sisterhood by blood, but sisterhood through the blood of Christ, and also the sense of sisterhood with other women though the womanly bond

Maude: deep...

Lizzi: haha

Do you all get a sense of this sisterhood? It could be through good friends or even a bond with someone not known well

Maude: yes

Lizzi: Is there someone who has been there for you, like a sister? Can you think of a time when that has happened?

Esther: I remember a women I used to work with at Geyers. She was an older women (I was 16 at the time) but we had instant connection (or bond) I remember her looking at me and saying "you're christian, aren't you?"

Lizzi: That's so awesome!

Esther:  We just knew without talking to each other (or barely) that we were both Christians- it was such a neat experience! I have had moments like that with other people but never so strong immediately

Lizzi: That is so neat. It is so cool when the light shows through so obviously

Maude: I worked for the conservative Christian women's organization, Concerned Women for America, several years ago and the woman who was my boss there was one of those people. I am not a sensitive woman. I cry only on extremely rare occasions but this sister-in-Christ saw me at my most sensitive and was such a sweet support and friend. Like a sister.

Lizzi: That is really wonderful

Esther: I have been SO blessed by different women in my life. Obviously my sisters and Mother are huge! But, I have also had an older women really come along side me and journey with me on a particularly difficult year in my life. I was and continue to be so blessed by that relationship!

Lizzi: That she stood with you in your moment of need and was such a support

Esther: Maude, isn't it amazing how God brings the right people at the right time?

Lizzi: That's so true

Reformation Day! (Wartburg Castle - Part 1)

On my recent trip to Germany I was able to visit Wartburg Castle and thought Reformation Day would be a great time to share some pictures from the trip!  This week I will only share pictures of a Luther/Christian nature and next week I will share other pictures of the castle.

Wartburg Castle

Two dogs come home from Iraq

My husband, while in Iraq had two dogs on his base that were pets to him and the other Soldiers with him.  Since all the American Soldiers are being pulled out of Iraq the dogs would just be left to fend for themselves and would probably starve to death or be subject to the other wild dogs that roam free throughout the desert.  Andrew decided to look into bringing the dogs home.  The money had to be raised, the flights scheduled, and the dogs had to then be picked up from D.C. once they landed in the states.

Looking at grass for the first time

Need a Chef? Don't Look at Me!

I am not a champion chef by any stretch of the imagination. While I feel that I have improved and gotten more comfortable in the kitchen, I am certainly not a natural like my Mom or my sister, Esther. It has taken a long time to grow in confidence and ability to just throw something together. I can easily follow a recipe, but the challenge comes when I need to fix a dish with the ingredients in my cupboard out of my sheer imagination and creativity. That takes skill, and a degree of art, which I do not have.

Thankfully, I am beginning to learn the art of cooking. I can now make a random selection out of the freezer and decide by myself what to do with it. (No calls to my husband, no searches on the internet.) I am even getting flexible with my ingredients and learning that there is no harm in experimenting with an original dish sometimes. I have begun buying unfamiliar items (lentils, wheat-germ) to see where they take me. I am even perfecting my cheese sauce (a Mom staple) and making homemade bread.

Foundational Bonding

Children of the same family, the same blood, with the same first associations and habits, have some means of enjoyment in their power, which no subsequent connections can supply... ~Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814


Sometimes I feel bad for the potential spouses as they get to know our family when they are dating one of the siblings. I mean, it is important and wonderful for them to get to know the family and grow comfortable within the relationships, but doing so means that at times they will need behaviors and stories explained to them. I know it is like this within every family because every family has their own history and memories together that no one else was privy to at the time. It is why the sibling relationship is foundational to who you become as an adult. The experiences that brothers and sisters take part in together remain with them for a lifetime. It is because of this that the introductory process can be so grueling for a boyfriend or girlfriend as they familiarize themselves with the family's quirks and inside jokes. And while a husband or wife always take precedence (as they should!) and have a closer-knit bond than blood can supply, the unique role that siblings play in a person's life is unable to be replicated.

Sisters chat about dream vacations

 Esther:  Well, tonight I thought we would play a little game

 Maude:  fun
Esther:  a "we have all the money in the world" game

or some such thing

 Lizzi    : That's a fun idea

The Passage of Time

As we left the house to go to church on Sunday morning my husband said, "Doesn't it sometimes feel like we are just playing house?  It doesn't seem like we should be old enough to have a house and kids yet, does it?"

This is us when we were dating in college (about 11 years ago).

Momentary blessings

I have recently been pondering how blessed I am.  It is much too easy to take things for granted.  I have really been making an effort to see all the blessings surrounding me.  This season of being separated from my husband has been hard and there have been times I did not think I could keep going and continue being a "single mom". Somehow whenever those hard times came someone or something would remind me that 1.) I am not alone and 2.) I have so much too be thankful for despite the hardship.   The support, love, and encouragement we have had through this time is truly incredible. Whether it be a listening ear, a special gift, a note, visitors; you name it and I have been showered with many such little (yet big!) blessings.

The Wonders of Walking

Are there many experiences more simply enjoyable than a walk on a gorgeous fall day? I guess I would probably ask a similar question during the spring, as it begins to warm and blossom after the long winter. At any rate, taking a walk on a day in autumn is almost delicious. There is a scent in the air that clears the head and refreshes the senses. I find walking therapeutic, especially when I am craving the sunshine after a lengthy dose of overcast days. Those sunny walks tend to be very beneficial, especially in the autumn when I know they will begin to occur much more infrequently.

Today, I had one such walk. It was the type of walk that makes a person very glad to have made the effort to get outside and take it. (Are there any other types of walks?) I know that there are avid runners who would defend the merits of running to us "slowpokes" who merely walk for exercise, but I would argue that the good that walking does for the mind, senses, and emotional state are second to none. I admit that I don't typically walk as fast as I should to maximize its exercise benefits, but I also know that if I chose to run instead I would not be paying attention to the glorious golds in the trees, or the lingering fire scent in the air. I wouldn't stop to pick up a leaf, or listen to the marching band. If I was running, I would only be thinking about my next breath, my next step, not collapsing, nothing more!

Sisters, Sisters

Growing up, one yearly Christmas tradition in our household was to watch the movie 'White Christmas'. (In fact, it seemed such a necessity of the season to me that one year when I was traveling with a singing group during the holidays, I insisted we watch it on the tour bus because it is simply a "must-do" for Christmas!) I'm sure that sisters everywhere have appreciated the lyrics to this Irving Berlin song included in the movie (and we were no exception!):