Multitude Monday, Take 167

Thanking God this week for...

700. the opportunity to use my gifts in a really small way to help the local pregnancy resource center
701. a great memory
702. my classmates' legwork in tracking down other classmates for our high school reunion
703. donuts from the Donut Palace (YUM!) with my little man and a sweet friend
704. the ability to braid hair

705. Wednesday night prayer with families from church
706. hours at an "old" (relatively--in Tennessee-resident time) friend's house catching up
707. the joy of watching Elijah and her three-year-old have a blast playing together
708. phone call from a truly "old" (the length of our friendship, not her age :) friend
709. purple toenail polish

710. the fact that I can still reach my feet to paint my toenails :)
711. farm-fresh sweet corn
712. Jesus the perfect Elder Brother, who came to the far country to seek and save me
713. Lakeside (my high school church camp), and how He drew me to Himself there 13 years ago last week
714. funny memories from six summers there

715. opportunities to practice hospitality
716. the growing farmers' market in town
717. Steve working hard on the staircase; Elijah "helping" Daddy
718. roast beef and potatoes and onions and carrots for dinner
719. three gallon bags of colorful vegetable beef soup in the freezer

720. homemade apple butter--a smashing success, and EASY
721. the fact that Steve only has to work weekends 2-3 times a year
722. our pastor's faithfulness to preach the Word and point to Christ in every text
723. the Son of David, whose sacrifice for sin cost Him EVERYTHING
724. a morning at the park with a new friend and her beautiful girlies

725. the pleasure of watching Elijah have fun--and display newfound bravery--with the girls
726. grace to filter disappointing news through the lens of His faithfulness and wise, sovereign love

You Ask, I'll Answer

Anna at Hope Road did a Q&A post recently, and I thought it looked like a fun idea. So here's your open invitation: What have you been wanting to ask me? I'll try to be transparent, though I'll reserve the right not to answer a question, just in case...because it's my blog :)

I can't reply directly to comments in a nested style--so rather than letting the comments section get all disorganized with my answers, I'll copy and paste questions, along with my answers, in the body of this post as they come in.

Ask away!
************
Whew, you all ask good, hard questions! I'll try to get to them over the next couple of days. (And I'm still open to more/follow-up questions, if you're late getting to this!)

Zoanna asked: What is one character trait you really admire in other people that you don't possess?
I really admire people who have a gift for drawing others out and making them feel at ease. I'm not sure if that exactly qualifies as a "character trait"--but it's one of the first things that comes to mind.

What is one trait that you have seen God develop in you that you once lacked faith for ever seeing?
Submissiveness. If you could have seen the little elementary school kid who bossed all her friends to death, or the middle schooler who was determined to be the first woman president...you would find it quite astounding that I currently hold the views on gender that I do :) Even my husband lacked faith for seeing this in me before we started dating--in fact it was one of the biggest hesitations he had in pursuing me (not realizing how much I had changed while in college). God had graciously brought a lot of change to my heart in the area of submission after high school, and He continues to grow me in joyful submission to my husband's leadership.

Melita asked: If you were given the power to erase just one world problem (excluding sin itself) which would you choose and why? (war, hunger, disease, natural disasters, illiteracy, poverty, etc)
Whew! I feel like it's cheating to pick poverty--but it seems like if you picked that one, you'd end up eradicating (or at least lessening the impact of) a lot of the others (hunger, disease, natural disasters, even illiteracy). I guess it depends on how you define poverty--if according to When Helping Hurts, the great book I read a few months ago, I get a four-in-one power for erasing material poverty plus poverty of self, poverty of relationships and even spiritual poverty :)

Anna asked: What are you most looking forward to about having two children? And what are you most afraid of?
I look forward to seeing the relationship between my children blossom. I have friends whose kids really delight in each other and have a lot of fun together. I hope Elijah and his little sibling will have that kind of relationship even as young kids, and that it will grow into a lifelong friendship. I also look forward to what our family will look like many years from now--lively conversations around the dinner table and that sort of thing. To be honest, what motivates me to have more children is not this season of infancy/toddlerhood, but looking ahead 10 years (or more) and thinking about what I want our family to look like.

As far as what I fear, it has less to do with having two children and more to do with experiencing "having a baby" again--labor and delivery, the sleep deprivation, the inexplicable crying (both mine and the baby's!)...I fear that the arrival of baby #2 will reveal that I haven't changed much in the last three years after all, that I am still selfishly unwilling to love and serve sacrificially.

Laura asked: At what point in your relationship did you and your husband start talking about finances to see if you were on the same page? ...It's such a private topic for most people yet so central to a healthy marriage.
I'm not really sure, to be honest. I know it was definitely a topic of discussion during our engagement, as we read books like Preparing for Marriage and The Most Important Year in a Man's/Woman's Life. But by that time (when you're already engaged) it's probably not going to be a dealbreaker, even if you are vastly different in how you handle money--and you're right, it's a source of struggle for a lot of couples.

Unfortunately I don't think I have much helpful advice here, because Steve and I were (are) blessed to be very much on the same page with money. We don't have that dynamic where one of us is a compulsive shopper and the other is a tightwad. Both of us learned from parents who used money wisely and we came into marriage with responsibility and understanding of how to handle finances. So thankfully, this hasn't been an area of conflict in our marriage.

I think you can probably get a sense of how a prospective mate handles money just by observation, without intentional conversations--is he generous? Does he seem to live above his means? Is he always buying things? Those types of questions.

One thing I do think is really important is to carefully consider any debt you take on as a single woman, and to do everything in your power to pay it off as quickly as possible. I've seen a lot of couples where one or both partners enters the marriage with a lot of debt, and that affects the decisions they make about work and having kids--they end up needing two incomes not to maintain a certain standard of living, but to pay their bills. The more you can get a handle on your own finances now and avoid/pay off debt, the more you will bless your future husband AND yourself down the road!

Not sure if I've really answered that question or just rambled about related things ;) Feel free to ask a follow-up, especially if you want to clarify "on the same page about finances."

Ali asked: What kind of camera would you recommend?
I use a Nikon D50, and I love it. It was discontinued a few years ago, though, and replaced by the D40, which has now (I think) been replaced by the D5000. This is an entry-level SLR. It takes great photos with automatic settings if you have no idea what you're doing, but also allows you the freedom (and danger) of tinkering with settings if you're trying to learn about photography and shoot more manually.

The person using the camera definitely matters...I know people (Melita above, for example) who get way better shots than I do with a basic point and shoot camera, because they have an eye and know what they're doing :) But the camera absolutely helps. One of the main reasons I upgraded to an SLR is because it's SO much faster than a point and shoot. Especially with kids, by the time you push the button and the camera finally takes the picture, they're no longer making the face! Not so with an SLR. I also like that I can shoot without flash in low light. Turning off your flash (or bouncing it off the ceiling) is one of the most important things you can do to get better pictures. (I don't have an external flash, but I use a Lightscoop to bounce my built-in flash and it makes a world of difference!)

Anyway, I'm extremely happy with my Nikon D50 and would buy it again without hesitation, but I can't speak personally about the models that have replaced it. I do know that the 40 and the 5000 don't autofocus with the lens I use 90% of the time, the 50mm f/1.8 - so that would be a problem for me, because it's a great little lens and CHEAP (as far as lenses go). Then again, I have trouble with autofocus on that lens, too...so who knows. One site I like for photography info and reviews/recommendations is KenRockwell.com.

All that said (and I have photographer friends who read my blog and know WAY more about all this than me--so maybe they will weigh in in the comments!)...I would love to get one of those tiny pocket-sized point-and-shoots, like a Canon ELPH. The one major downside to my SLR is that it's big and bulky. It's not very practical to always carry with me--I can't just stick it in my purse or diaper bag--and a good photographer would *always* have a camera with her :)

Easy Zucchini Sticks

My favorite way to use the fresh zucchini that's abundant now, besides baking it into breads or muffins, is a recipe I got from our CSA last summer: Easy Zucchini Sticks. Try this yummy, wholesome appetizer/side dish soon--you won't be disappointed!

Easy Zucchini Sticks

zucchini
egg, lightly beaten
breadcrumbs (I save the heels from my homemade whole wheat bread, let them dry out and make breadcrumbs in my blender--works great)
Parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning
garlic powder/salt
olive oil

Slice zucchini into sticks (think french fries)--or even round slices; it doesn't really matter. I go for about 1/2 inch thick.

Mix breadcrumbs, cheese and seasonings to taste. (I don't bother to measure anymore, but if that drives you nuts, the original recipe calls for 3/4 c. Italian breadcrumbs and 2 T cheese...I probably use a lot more cheese.) Dip the zucchini sticks/slices in the egg and then roll in the crumb mixture. Arrange on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Broil for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with marinara sauce.

Thankful Tuesday, Just Because

I just did a thankful list yesterday, but I'm feeling especially grateful over this holiday weekend because of a visit from my in-laws! Steve's parents and little brother arrived late Friday night and stayed until after lunch today. While they were here...

Steve, his dad and his brother kept busy working on house projects. Their main goal was designing and building trim around the stairs, which for the last three years have looked basically like this (with the addition of a temporary railing). The upstairs renovations at our house still have a long way to go--but Steve decided it would be best to finish the dining room/stairs first, since everyone who comes over sees that part (and since its a particular area of expertise for his dad). It's fun to see it take shape--hopefully we'll be able to paint and post some "after" pictures soon.

The guys also worked to repair some plumbing downstairs after our kitchen sink backed up...and filled our washing machine...and they discovered that, once again, previous homeowners had done some really "special" DIY work on pipes downstairs.

And, the Kannel men went and picked up a chest freezer for the basement! I typically have our regular freezer packed crazy-full, and we've long been wanting to get another freezer--all the more so as the arrival of baby #2 approaches. Our church will provide some meals at first, and our moms will be around in the early weeks to help cook for us, but it would be so nice if I could do some extra cooking and baking now, while I have the time and energy.

So, after they got the freezer downstairs and hooked up, I went to work in the kitchen. Thus far I have made and packed away:
~two gallon bags of pasta fagioli
~one gallon bag of chicken tortilla soup
~one gallon bag of taco soup
~two gallon bags of chicken noodle broccoli cheese soup
~four dozen super-healthy pumpkin mini-muffins for Elijah
~three loaves of zucchini bread

I am SO excited to be planning and working ahead like this! I completely overdid it on Saturday and paid for it with back and hip pain...but it was worth it. I am still planning to do a little extra cooking as we go--just making double of things I am making for supper anyway, and freezing half--but we tend to eat a lot of fresher, simpler meals in the summer, not the soups and casseroles that freeze well. The beauty of making all those soups was that I didn't even have to heat up my kitchen--all but one could be mixed up cold and then can be thrown in the crockpot all day when we want to eat it.

I'm feeling really motivated to keep at it now that I can see our freezer filling up. I have a list of several more meals and baked goods (which will make for quick & easy breakfasts/snacks) I hope to put up before October.

My sweet mother-in-law was my kitchen fairy, doing endless mountains of dishes as I made messes. She also got in on the food prep, chopping--are you ready for this?--TWENTY CUPS of rhubarb, which we also froze. Awesome. And when she wasn't helping me, she was entertaining Elijah, playing the piano and singing songs with him.

In between the productivity, we played Settlers of Catan, enjoyed Papa John's pizza, and took in a fireworks display. My in-laws even ran to the store and bought ice cream "for the grandkids" (mainly the one in my belly :) ! We were so glad to have a visit from them and spend some extra time together.

So as you can see...lots of blessings to thank the Lord for this weekend. Not the least of which is that my hubby had both yesterday *and* today off work--so we get to enjoy having him home with us. Since he's hard at work now continuing the stairway trim project, I better get back to my own work: the paper I'm supposed to be writing for my CCEF class. Lots of new blog post ideas in the works...stay tuned.

Multitude Monday, Take 166

Thanking God this week for...

666. (generic) Sarna, a bug bite lotion that works better than cortisone or benadryl
667. Elijah's enthusiasm for wholesome foods like eggs and oatmeal, despite eating them almost every single morning
668. hitting the 2/3 mark in memorizing Ephesians
669. inspiration to press on from recent Revive Our Hearts podcasts
670. knowledge to make informed decisions about childbirth and newborn care

671. Steve's selflessly leaving the leftover pizza for me to enjoy
672. cooler temperatures for more bearable walks
673. opportunities to encourage others
674. opportunities to let friends borrow our stuff
675. crepe myrtles in bloom, bright pink everywhere

676. the cup holder on Elijah's carseat
677. a morning enjoying the sights at Centennial Park with my little man
678. Subway's double chocolate chip cookies
679. carts with cars on the front at Kroger
680. the fact that I often don't have to take Elijah grocery shopping with me

681. insights from God's Word
682. lunch with a friend, and how well our kiddos played together
683. flowers from my hubby
684. a new set of pots and pans
685. the improvised pot rack Steve immediately built for them

686. quick, easy, wholesome dinner (recipe coming soon)
687. grace to acknowledge and confess my sin
688. grace that covers it
689. the sensor in our car that stopped me from backing into our other car
690. visit from my in-laws

691. great sale on grass-fed burgers at the farmers' market
692. a new chest freezer, so I actually have space for them
693. good night's sleep to rest my back and hips
694. another Christ-exalting, powerful, relevant sermon from our pastor
695. a Fourth of July church service where our thankfulness for our freedom was acknowledged, but our thankfulness for our freedom in Christ was emphasized, and where we sang praises to Him, not to America

696. the incredible freedoms and privileges and opportunities we *do* enjoy as Americans
697. the men and women who fought and died to secure and preserve those freedoms and blessings
698. Elijah's enjoyment of his first fireworks display
699. the Savior who lived, died and was raised to purchase my eternal freedom from sin and death

Multitude Monday, Take 165

Thanking God this week for...

641. the ability to type very quickly
642. the fun of watching Elijah enjoy corn on the cob
643. talented photographers' beautiful work
644. honest, vulnerable blog posts
645. feeling rested despite few hours of sleep

646. Elijah's patience through running boring errands
647. last week's pizza and ice cream date with my little man
648. finding a favorite pen I thought I'd lost
649. His relevant, living, active, powerful, effective Word
650. not getting in trouble with my midwife for gaining too much weight this month

651. getting to hear a strong baby heartbeat
652. prayer with our church family
653. five quarts of blackberries picked
654. Elijah's enjoyment of the blackberries
655. the dangerous discovery of a fabulous donut shop just blocks from our house

656. the beauty of Hawaii, as seen in some friends' helicopter video
657. Steve's being recognized and respected at work
658. a friend's outdoor BBQ and the opportunity to catch up with many other friends
659. Elijah's giggles as I squirted him with a squirt gun
660. Steve's making wood blocks for Elijah

661. the way He wove together our two pastors' independently-prepared Sunday school and church messages yesterday
662. pizza and movie night with my guys
663. fighting FOR me
664. succeeding against Satan where Adam and Eve failed
665. forgiving me in Christ

Speak the Truth

"Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another" (Ephesians 4:25).

I'm back in the memorization saddle after quite a bit of time slacking this spring, and a few days ago I worked on Ephesians 4:25. I've always read this verse in a really limited, simplistic sense: "don't lie; tell the truth." But it struck me as I memorized it that it's much more than that.

What is the falsehood that we have put away? The lie of autonomous, self-sufficient existence, the lie that we can be wise apart from God--the lies of Eden. As Paul described just a few verses earlier, the futile, darkened understanding of those who do not know the Lord and are alienated from Him.

We are to speak the truth with our neighbors--and Paul has just told us in verse 21 that "the truth is in Jesus"! This is so much richer than merely, "don't tell your neighbor a lie." It's "preach the gospel to your neighbor--speak of Christ to your neighbor!" And in saying this I don't just mean "evangelize the person who lives next door"; rather, I mean, everyone is your neighbor, and the Christians in your life still need to hear the gospel!

All this dovetails quite nicely with what we've talking about in my class: the idea that everyone is a counselor, whether intentionally or not. People are naturally interpreters, meaning-makers: we are constantly trying to make sense of life, trying to explain what is going on around us. As Dr. Tripp explains in Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands:

“When we say that God designed human beings to be interpreters, we are getting to the heart of why human beings do what they do. Our thinking conditions our emotions, our sense of identity, our view of others, our agenda of the solution of our problems, and our willingness to receive counsel from others. That is why we need a framework for generating valid interpretations that help us respond to life appropriately. Only the words of the Creator can give us that framework.”

We interpret life--and then in the things we say to each other, we counsel each other to adopt our interpretation, to see and understand life the way we do. So as I saw it with fresh eyes, this verse exhorts us not to put forth false, idolatrous interpretations of life. Instead, help your neighbor see her heart, her circumstances, in view of God, from an eternal perspective. Bring the gospel to shed light on the topic--speak the truth of the person and work of Jesus!

And when you do so, you minister also to yourself; you preach the gospel to yourself, reminding yourself of those truths which you so easily forget and need to hear.

May God make us quick to reject subtle patterns of false thinking and instead speak the truth of Christ with those around us today!

Pizza with My Big Boy

I had a date today. It wasn't fancy; in fact, it wasn't even a real restaurant--just a Pizza Hut Express inside Target. I had to pay for both of us. And he drank from a sippy cup.

And I loved it.

I had several errands to run downtown today, so I dragged poor Elijah in and out of his carseat, in and out of the oppressive heat, in and out of boring stores with no appeal to him. He was a good sport, rather delightful on the whole, and because we were finishing up at Target around noon and I was starving (and because I love pizza, and so does he), I decided to grab a lunch treat there.

I sat there eating pizza and just marveling at my little man as he sat in a big chair, dipping breadsticks in sauce (without making a mess!) and commenting on their chewiness, wiping his hands on his polo shirt and swinging his flip-flop-clad feet. When did he get so big?

I'm not--at least for now--one of those moms who wipes away tears as she says those words; for me they are a joyful celebration, not a lament. I wouldn't go back and relive those early months/years for anything; I'm loving the little boy Elijah is becoming. But as we sat in Target eating our pizza, I wanted to freeze-frame the moment.

So often my focus is on the burdens of motherhood, and I fail to find or choose joy. Today, as we shopped and ate pizza and later shared an ice cream cone as a special treat (combination pregnancy craving/wanting to reward E for being so good), God gave me eyes to see the blessing He has entrusted to me. We've come a long way, Elijah and I, and I want to soak up these last weeks of just-the-two-of-us before his little sibling comes along and turns our worlds upside down.

I remember mornings like this way back when, times when I'd independently go shopping at various stores and even grab a pizza (one I didn't have to share) at Target. The errands went a lot faster; I didn't have to bother with carseat buckles or find a place to change a diaper or cut up someone's pizza. It was much easier. But today, I was glad to sit at a lunch table with a handsome little guy--one who was overdue for a bath, who whines for no apparent reason, and who is one of the most precious gifts God has ever given me.

...Just my contribution to Tuesdays Unwrapped at Chatting at the Sky...

Multitude Monday, Take 164

Thanking God this week for...

618. a surprise magazine and encouragement note in the mail from a dear friend
619. playdate at the pool last week
620. simple PB&J sandwiches
621. gas and a car to be able to drive a long way to the playdate
622. Elijah's patience during the long car ride

623. that clean feeling after a needed shower
624. two bathrooms to clean
625. Elijah's "helping" me make cookies
626. piles of clean laundry
627. a shiny sink at bedtime

628. super-comfy skirts to wear as my belly (and hips and thighs and butt) grows
629. deeper understanding of God's Word as I memorize it
630. lunch and conversation with a friend
631. coupon in my inbox right when I needed to go shopping
632. a brief but still delightful visit from the Drees family

633. the sweet teenaged boys who did the dishes after lunch
634. the fact that my neck didn't completely lock up like I feared
635. picnic supper and Shakespeare festival
636. a weekend with very minimal screen time
637. profound insights from Dr. Tripp in this week's lecture

638. the incredible father of my children
639. my loving, wonderful dad
640. adopting me as His daughter and inviting me to call Him "Abba, Father"

Ben Graduates

Our vacation ended with a busy and fun weekend at home in Ohio. After a sweet reunion with our little man, we spent Saturday and Sunday celebrating the high school graduation of Steve's younger brother, Ben. His party was on Saturday afternoon--a beautiful, sunny day--and Elijah had a ton of fun playing with his cousin, Olivia. She's almost exactly a year younger than him, but finally big enough to keep up with him and play together--and he just adores her.

After the guests had gone, Steve filled up one of the drink tubs with water so the kids could splash around and cool off. Olivia thought that was just delightful...

...but Elijah wasn't a huge fan, deciding instead that it was much more fun to sit on the garage step and pour dirt all over himself :)

Then Olivia got in on the action (Elijah was all too glad to help her out by dumping dirt on her). Here I think someone is telling them to "brush it off":

Sunday afternoon was the actual graduation ceremony. We took the opportunity for some family photos beforehand:

Ben was an honor student, so he gave a speech at graduation. He was the comedian of the group who gave speeches (there were eight...oy) and even mentioned his sisters-IN-LAW. Michelle and I showed our thanks by embarrassing the tar out of him afterward. The look on his face was just priceless--we couldn't have staged it better:

Congratulations, Ben! We're proud of you and wishing you all the best as you start college this fall!

Northern Michigan, Day 5: Mackinac Island

After the long bike ride, it was all I could do to get back on our tandem and pedal it a few blocks from our hotel to a restaurant for breakfast. No more--we would walk the rest of the morning!

The one last must-see before we left was Fort Mackinac, a former military outpost and the scene of one of the first battles of the War of 1812.

We toured all the old buildings and got a sense of military life in the 1800s--as well as some lovely views of the island.

Then it was time to wrap up our vacation--check out of the hotel, buy a t-shirt or two, grab a quick lunch and board the ferry. The ride back to Mackinaw City gave us some photo ops for Mackinac Bridge:

...and we paid the toll and drove across the bridge, just to say we did:

The trip home had one last fun surprise: the discovery of Cherry Vanilla Pepsi at a random gas station in Michigan! Steve and I used to love Pepsi Vanilla way back when and were so sad when it was discontinued. We almost never drink pop anymore, but when I do, I enjoy cherry Coke/Pepsi. I was craving a bottle, and was thrilled to discover something even better. It's the little things in life :) Apparently it's a limited-time flavor, so I'm drinking more pop this summer and enjoying it while I can.

A few hours later we had a sweet reunion with our little man. My dad was out in the garage when we arrived, and he made us wait outside so he could go in and be sure not to miss Elijah's reaction to seeing us. I thought he was blowing it out of proportion, that surely it wouldn't be that big a deal. But Elijah's reaction was indeed priceless--I wish we'd captured it on video. He actually squealed and giggled and jumped up and down! SO adorable. He did great while we were gone, no problems at all, but he was definitely thrilled to see Mama and Daddy. And we were glad to see him, too :)

So that was our fifth anniversary trip/pre-baby getaway! It was an absolutely wonderful vacation and we were so grateful to the people who helped make it happen. Having extended time away with my hubby was truly a gift.

Northern Michigan, Day 4: Mackinac Island

Thursday morning we said goodbye to the house at Lake Ann and drove up the shore of Grand Traverse Bay, through beautiful Charlevoix and Petoskey, to Mackinaw City. There we boarded a ferry and crossed the Mackinac Straits between Lakes Michigan and Huron to spend our last night of vacation on Mackinac Island--though *not* at the uber-expensive Grand Hotel:

No cars are allowed on Mackinac Island--the preferred modes of transportation are bicycles (seen parked everywhere--no one even bothers to lock them up during the day)...

...and horse-drawn carriages:

Our first order of business was to rent a bicycle--and Steve decided we needed a tandem. We had actually ridden one before a couple of summers ago, so it didn't take too long to remember how and work pretty well together. But we did discover, after trying it just once, that it absolutely did NOT work for me to be in front and Steve to be in back. We couldn't even go ten feet that way!

We enjoyed a late lunch at the Seabiscuit Cafe and then decided to go ahead and bike around the island--all eight miles. Oh yes. Perhaps now would be the appropriate time to mention that not once did we pass even one other tandem bicycle. Is that because we are crazy, or brave, or...?

Well, the one thing we were was SORE. And I probably can't blame that on the tandem. Y'all, I cannot even explain to you how much pain my poor rear end was in after that bike ride. Words fail me. Sitting down on a bed hurt. Attempting to mount the bicycle the next morning nearly made me cry.

But alas, it was fun while it lasted.

The most noteworthy scenery of the trip around the island was Arch Rock. We admired it from the road:

...then noticed a giant, sometimes-rickety staircase we could climb to the top for a better view. Exhausting, but a welcome respite to use different muscles than the sitting-on-a-bike-and-pedaling ones. I think I counted somewhere around 170 steps?

And the view from the top--with another picture of us together, thanks to the Gorillapod:

After all that biking, I declared that I had *definitely* earned another ice cream cone. With two scoops :)

Tomorrow: Last day on Mackinac, then headed home

Multitude Monday, Take 163

598. a generous friend who sends me home with hand-me-down toys/clothes/books every time
599. the fact that I didn't pee my pants on the way home last Monday
600. the pizza Steve brought home from work after a lunch meeting
601. three loads of laundry dried on the line for free
602. a sharp serrated knife for cutting tomatoes

603. the habit of journaling
604. my brother-in-law and sister-in-law FINALLY closing on their apartment--meaning they get to move back to Ohio!
605. Steve's servanthood in making dinner when I was feeling bad
606. insight and inspiration for how to help Elijah communicate
607. fresh watermelon

608. Elijah's agreeable attitude when I tell him it's the "last time" for something he enjoys
609. Steve's hard work around the house: mowing the lawn, replacing drain lines, rewiring the breaker box
610. the new farmers' market in town this summer
611. dinner with a sweet friend
612. a phone call at bedtime when E missed his mama

613. the discovery of new-to-me music on iTunes, and being able to buy it instantly
614. a new sermon series at church on "fighting Satan's designs"
615. the armor He has provided to protect us against our enemy
616. the certainty that that enemy has already been defeated and victory belongs to Christ!

617. Ann, who doesn't just count blessings but pens beautiful words on gratitude week after week, today's offering especially poignant

Northern Michigan, Day 3: Leelanau Cheese, Traverse City, Old Mission Peninsula

On day 3 of our vacation, we spent a leisurely morning at the house. After Steve fixed steak-and-asparagus omelets for breakfast, we did some more kayaking and relaxed, then enjoyed leftover pizza for lunch before heading out to explore.

Since Steve was willing to humor me for "my thing"--ice cream--I was more than willing to go along with "his thing"--cheese. On Wednesday afternoon we checked out a place we had read about called Leelanau Cheese, where you can watch the cheese-making process and also do a wine tasting. Immediately when we turned into the farm, we were greeted with this lovely view of their terraced vineyard:

And then we got to see the bunker where they age the cheese (and the wine, I think):

I don't really enjoy wine, but Steve liked what he tasted, and we both were fascinated by what we learned about the cheese- and wine-making processes. And even I had to admit that the cheese we sampled--a mild Raclette--was really excellent. Unfortunately it was also about $16/pound, so we didn't take any home with us. Instead we headed into Traverse City. I'd been told that Kilwin's, a chocolate shop downtown, also had fabulous ice cream, and it was true--their toasted coconut flavor (the one both my friend and her mom had recommended) was YUMMY.

We did a little window shopping, then walked along the lake a while. One of the things I just couldn't get over every time we saw the water was the dramatic color changes. You'd see green water, and then this clear line where it changed suddenly to a brilliant blue. I tried to capture it in photos, mostly unsuccessfully:

Here we used my Gorillapod (hence the odd angle) to get a better shot of the two of us together than simply holding the camera out in front of us:

Then we went to Pirate's Cove for a friendly putt-putt challenge. To protect my sweet hubby's ego, I won't tell you about how I schooled him. (I will admit that it was about 95% luck!)

After our game, we drove up Old Mission Peninsula. The lighthouse at the end was a bit anticlimactic--not the big tower-type lighthouse we were expecting--and it was closed to tours for the day.

But the drive was totally worth the trip: vineyards and orchards everywhere, overlooking views of Grand Traverse Bay. On the way up, I gaped at this spot and told Steve we had to stop for pictures on the way back. Unfortunately my photography skills didn't do it justice:

Back in Traverse City, we grabbed a simple fish-and-chips dinner, then picked up the fixings for s'mores and returned to the house. To my complete consternation, Steve didn't eat a single s'more--but he built an awfully nice fire for me to roast marshmallows over. And thanks to the citronella candles we bought, we didn't get eaten up this time.

Day 4: North to Mackinac...

Northern Michigan, Day 2 (continued): Glen Arbor, Fishtown, and More Great Food

After several hours of hiking, this pregnant girl was STARVING! We drove into Glen Arbor and grabbed a late lunch at the Cherry Republic: "World Headquarters of All Things Cherry." They weren't kidding. Lunch at the cafe was just "eh," but the retail store and the winery were quite interesting. Free samples abounded at both places--first the store, with everything from cherry salsa to cherry peanut butter to cherry coffee--and then the winery, where Steve enjoyed sampling cherry wines. The Traverse City area is apparently the cherry capital of America--unfortunately they aren't ripe until later in the summer, but we saw orchards everywhere.

Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of the Cherry Republic other than a few in the garden courtyard. These purple flowers--I found out this week they are called allium (related to onions, of all things!)--reminded me of fireworks:

And then we saw what I think were pink lilacs--just beautiful:

Before heading home, we stopped in Fishtown, a historic fishing village:

...and then we headed back to the lake house for MUCH needed showers and naps.

The evening concluded with more excellent food. We found this local pizza place in Traverse City called Paesano's, where we ordered a deep-dish Chicago-style pizza. It wasn't what I expected, based on experiences in Chicago, but it was ah.mazing. Seriously on the top ten list of best pizzas I've ever eaten. And I am a pizza LOVER--so that is really saying something.

Then it was ice cream time. For me, ice cream is an integral part of vacation. It's not really vacation without several visits to a local ice cream shop for big waffle cones (you have to go several times, and get double scoops each time, to try all the different flavors that sound good).

As it turned out, the perfect place was right on the road between Traverse City and our lake house: Moomer's, which was voted best ice cream in America in a contest on Good Morning America. I wasn't a huge fan of their signature flavor, Cherries Moobilee (which our hosts so thoughtfully and generously had waiting in the freezer for us to try!), but I loved what I got in my cone. The Raspberry Chocolate Chip was excellent, and the Carrot Cake (cinnamon ice cream with actual chunks of carrot cake and cream cheese frosting swirl) was to DIE for.

Best part of Moomer's? It's right on the farm, so after you get your ice cream, you can go stand out on the deck and watch the cows. Steve and I found this endlessly amusing.

And that was our long, full day 2! On to day 3...