The South at the End of Summer...

... is just delicious

The scorcher days are nearly gone, the humidity has dropped significantly,and there's a warm breeze that blows almost every morning and evening. These days are delicious.

I'm so happy to be back to work part time, and have enjoyed letting my body take the rest it needs (no alarm clock!). Bedtime is usually between nine and ten for me, and morning sunshine wakes me up with a sigh and a smile around eight. Once I start feeling better I might force myself to get up earlier, but right now, I am just treasuring this rest. Most nights as I pray myself to sleep, the last words across my lips are, "and so He giveth his beloved rest." (Ps 127:2) Rest is so sweet when one's body is so exhausted.

When morning comes the days seem bright and fresh. Zoe and I have our little routine. I wake up, brush my teeth, splash my face, down a glass of water, and then we go for a little stroll through the backyard. We eat our breakfast together, and I do my quiet time while she devours sticks or crunchy leaves on the patio. Then we go for a nice long walk - usually about two or three miles. O, there is so much to smell and see in the world when you are a five-month old puppy! Zoe loves these walks.

Then the day really begins. I'm full of ideas for fall and winter projects, and as soon as I get myself organized I'm excited to begin them all.

Morning sickness is starting to lessen, and I've been able to cook dinner several nights in the last week! So excited to see the end of the first trimester in sight! We are so very thankful for a healthy pregnancy so far.

Baby girl names are a frequent topic around our dinner table these days. We just can't find any that we a) agree on or b)love. Of course Daniel's opinion is that we still have six to seven months to really think about it. He's right, of course, but I find it despairing to think that none of the names I have heard (and I've heard a lot) have that special ring. Are we just going to come up with a whole new name sometime in the next six months? Really? I guess I could always consider fruit names as a last resort. ;)

Daniel is doing well, too. He might not be romanticizing summer's end as much as his wife, but he's happy and busy these days. We're gearing up to begin a children's Sunday School class at our church, and he's in charge of advertising and canvassing for it. My pastor's wife and I are putting together the curriculum, which is very simple, basic Bible stories with a few main points. The children we are going to meet don't need chatecized. They just need to know God and His Word, and most importantly, His Son. That's our aim. Daniel's also looking for a part time job somewhere to bring a little extra money into the bank, and perhaps even meet some more people in our area.

O, and one more thing. Have I mentioned that Zoe knows how to "high five"? Yeah. It's pretty sweet. Come by and check it out sometime.

P.S "Bump" pictures coming soon! (There isn't anything to see... don't get too excited.)

P.P.S Remember when we went to Florida and Zoe learned to swim? Well, I'll post that soon, too.