Pennsylvania Visit .... April

While Erin was competing at the National Fine Arts competition, I went to Pennsylvania to visit Becca, Dave, and Noelle. Originally Al and I had thought of going to South Carolina to see Erin give her speech, but because of the price of gas, we decided to go to Pennsylvania instead. Anytime I can visit with my family it is a blessing! We had hoped to spend the week together but Janet needed my car to get to class and work. Al came down with me and spent the night, then returned to Connecticut the next day. I stayed a few more days and took the bus home. I loved spending time with Al, and I also loved having Noelle to myself (except for Dave and Becca) for a few days! We both had been in desperate need of a vacation since his heart attack, and the prospect of a vacation in April got me through many a day of work! I actually got to babysit Noelle a couple of times. We blew bubbles, ran around outside, read books, sang songs, and snuggled! Another thing we did was play with play dough. I made several of the Sesame Street characters for her, and a little snake. Becca had written about how Noelle had asked her to make those characters. When I had made them, I made a face that was supposed to look like Noelle. Becca said, "Oh, look, Grandma made Noelle!" The next day when we played with the play dough she asked me to "make Noelle." We had some precious bonding time, and she followed me all over the house. She sometimes asked me to hold her or do things for her instead of Dave or Becca, and if I was not in the same room with her she would call "Grandma!" It was so cute to hear her talk and see her running around doing so many "little-girl" things. The day before I left, Becca and I took her to a park. She loved the play scape, especially the tunnel that led to the slide. Part of the tunnel had peepholes in it. Becca followed Noelle through the tunnel while I waited to catch her when she came down the slide. I stuck my hands through the peepholes. Noelle thought that was funny. Later when she was eating dinner, she said, "I go to the park." At first I didn't realize what she was saying, but then she said, "I go down the slide." Then she said, "Grandma's hands." She actually remembered that I had stuck my hands in the peepholes! It was hard to leave the next day, but I felt better knowing that I would see them in a week just before Easter!

Book Review: Lilly"s Wedding Quilt by Kelly Long

Lilly Lapp, in love with a man who loves someone else. Jacob Wyse, a jilted suitor turned horse thief. Lilly's mother, who suffers from depression. Jacob and Lilly's impulsive engagement and subsequent marriage. In Lilly's Wedding quilt, Kelly Long brings characters and circumstances together to create a personable and interesting story.
Lilly encounters Jacob and attempts to provide first aid for a gunshot wound he has suffered. When they arrive late to a wedding together, the people of their Amish community raise their eyebrows. When police interrupt the reception to question Jacob about a stolen horse, Lilly says that he had been with her the previous night. To protect her reputation, Jacob says that they had been discussing their engagement. Lilly quickly agrees, though she knows that Jacob still loves someone else. To further complicate matters, Lilly's mother disapproves of their engagement. Lilly likens the unusual circumstances of her and Jacob's marriage to the pieces of a quilt, which when they are stitched together, make something beautiful. Lilly and Jacob learn to trust God to put the pieces of their lives together to create a loving marriage. They also learn how to let God work in the life of Lilly's mother. Kelly Long's portrayal of their journey is tender and her characters are tender and varied. The reader eagerly turns pages to find out how each situation is resolved.
Lilly's Wedding Quilt is written by Kelly Long and published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville: 2011. This book was provided free for review by Thomas Nelson, Inc., and I have received no other compensation for writing this review.