Recipe call for June

I need some recipes fellow bloggers! June's theme for the recipe blog is Fruity Fare. Check out the delicious recipes I've received so far by clicking the links below. If you have a favorite summer fruit recipe, email it to me pronto at aliciahorn@hotmail.com. With fruits so cheap and fresh this summer, let's enjoy!

Blueberry Coffee Cake
Blueberry French Toast
Rhubarb Streusel Cake
Rhubarb Crisp
Rhubarb Pudding Cake
Red, White, and Blue Berry Cake
Fabulous Four Fruit Crumble
Fruit Sauce for Pancakes and Waffles

We're baaaaaaaack

Chloe and I had an eventful and wonderful visit to Wisconsin last week. My beautiful mom turned 50, and to celebrate my sister and I organized an elegant birthday lunch at a restaurant on Lake Michigan. We invited all sorts of friends and family, put together a memory scrapbook for her, and showered her with love.

Chloe got to re-meet my sister during this trip. Despite Shauna constantly commenting on how huge Chloe is, they bonded. Chloe also ate her first pickle and started cruising around furniture while visiting my familly. Walking is just around the corner!

Below is a photo of me and Chloe all dolled up for my mom's birthday lunch. For more pictures of our trip, click here.

Going on yet another voyage

As of tomorrow afternoon, Chloe and I will be airborn on our way to our favorite state - Wisconsin. My dear mom is turning 50 and our immediate family will be in town to help celebrate. My sister surprised my mom and flew in from New Zealand some days ago and with our arrival, the family will be mostly complete (the hubbies can't join us). Pray for me and the Chlo-meister as we brave the friendly skies alone tomorrow. Thanks to Shannon for the tips on flying with a wee one.

So, once again, there will be a blogging absence on Chloe Chronicles. Stay tuned!

Happy Father's Day to my dear Matt!

In honor of papa's day, this post is dedicated to my dear, sweet, patient, loving, gracious husband. He is graciousness personified. He almost always esteems others as better than himself. To those who he could righteously hold a grudge, he does not. He looks at tribulations as opportunities to cling to God's grace and to see his own weaknesses. Boy is he a contrast to me in that respect! I'm ready to chew someone's head off when things don't go my way. Thank you, Matt for modeling humility and maturity to me.

Matt is also a guy just brimming with love for his family. I LOVE how dedicated he is to us. He is a rare treasure as a husband and father in strong contrast to today's culture and values.

I could go on and on and on with all the things I love about my hubby, but I won't bore you. We have so many lovely memories together in our almost 4 years of marriage.

So, Happy Father's Day Matthew Clive Horn. We love you and we're thankful for you!















Matt and Chloe (she was having a bad day) share some reading time.















Matt studying and playing chess (against himself) in our old Milwaukee apartment.
















Lighting sparklers on our Milwaukee apartment's balcony during Shauna's wedding week.

To mobile, or not to mobile? That is the question.

We have an adorable animal mobile on Chloe's crib (not the one pictured at left). She has enjoyed it to varying extents since she was about 2 months old. Now that she is a champion pulling-herself-upper, she thrives on standing in her crib and making her way over to the colorful mobile. She hasn't yet succeeded in pulling the mobile down, but I'm getting a little worried. She is by far tall enough to reach it when standing and I'm wondering now how safe it is to keep the mobile hanging on her crib. It has a safety warning which recommends taking it down when your baby is older than 5 months.

Which brings me to my questions for you experienced moms out there: Have any of you followed that warning advice with your mobiles? Have you ever had any trouble with your baby pulling the mobile down and hurting herself?

Vacation III: Visiting the Grandmas

Most of our time away from home was spent at my mom's house in Thiensville, Wisconsin. We bunked with my mom in her two bedroom condo. Ususally, my mom would head to work and we'd fritter the day away walking, visiting, and lunching with friends. Sometimes we'd drive in to work with my mom, hijack her car for the day and visit with pals in the Milwaukee area. We were also able to spend some time with my grandma, Chloe's great grandma, who we affectionately call grandma squared (since she's grandma twice over).

One of the coolest things about our visit was that Chloe started crawling! It was just a few jilted moves at first but she improves at her crawling skills every day. She also pulled herself up to standing for the first time at my mom's house (literally on my mom). It was awesome to have my mom there to experience those firsts!

Did I mention we did a lot of visiting? :) For a social bug like me, it was great fun to share Chloe with our loved ones. It did get a bit wearing though. Chloe was a trooper; she is the most flexible and adaptable baby I have ever seen. Unfortunately, I didn't get pictures of most of the friends we visited (I was usually too busy handling Chloe and all her gear). For those of you that know these folks, we fellowshipped with the Hindmans, the Schuylers, the Horns (Sam's clan), and the Griffiths.

















My mom gave us a much needed date night and babysat Chloe. She's the only babysitter I trust! She took Chloe to the park for a picnic. Looks like they had a grand ole time.

















Me and my expressionless baby girl. Don't worry Chloe, I've got expressions enough for both of us.
















Chloe really liked baby Jeremiah Lepien. I think she might have a crush on him.

Recipes for June

Due to our lengthy vacation I'm a bit behind with this month's theme for the recipe blog. Since many fruits are ripening and becoming reasonably priced at farmer's markets, let's do a fruity theme for June. Therefore, Fruity Fare is the theme for June (like my alliteration?). Please send all fruity recipes to me at aliciahorn@hotmail.com.

We didn't have too many contributions for last month's theme of Healthy Snacks & Appetizers. Check out the recipes submitted for May:

Basic Fruit Shake (with lots of yummy variations!)
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Apple Berry Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

I look forward to trying out your yummy fruity recipes!

Vacation II: A brief time in Chicago

The second-to-last leg of our vacation was to spend a few days with Matt in his apartment in Chicago. His summer employer, the Institute for Reading Development, had put him up in an apartment along with other trainees for the duration of his 3 week training in Chicago. His apartment complex was the hugest most gigantic I'd ever seen! It looked more like a big hotel than an apartment building. The apt. complex included indoor and outdoor pool, a computer lab, and its own restaurant and convenience store. Sheesh!

Our first day in Chicago, my mom drove Chloe and I down and then we all spent the day together walking around downtown. Chloe took her first subway ride - which she LOVED. She made friends with everyone by staring at them. We did some shopping (more like looking) at the Watertower Place and ate sundaes at Ed Debevic's. Oh, and we got lost more than once. It was quite a relief to finally find Matt's building and then to have a relaxing supper at nearby Maggiano's.

















Chloe and my mom playing in the Marshall Field's bathroom. What lengths my mom will go to to capture a Chloe smile on camera!

















Chloe and Matt reunited. She loves beating his head like a drum and trying to get his teeth!

Vacation I: Time with the family

I'll work backwards chronologically in blogging our recent vacation. The last week of the trip we spent with Matt's brother Ben and family in Michigan. Ben & Diane have three delightful offspring: Zachary, Ahna, and Grace Miranda. Grace is just 6 months older than Chloe and as they grow it's entertaining to see them interact with each other. Especially when Chloe attacks and steals cookies from Grace's fingers.

We had a wonderful time with the Ben Horn clan (as always). We went swimming, shopping, played games, and enjoyed the children. Zach, Ahna, and Paige (Diane's niece - our adopted niece) are homeschooled. During this visit they wowed me with memorized poems and piano songs.

Here are a few photos from our time together. We miss you guys already!

















This was the closest we could get to a picture of the cousins on Sunday before church. Why is it so difficult to get babies to sit still for a photo shoot? They must realize they're being filmed.
















Grace is a little bit of a mama's girl (that's the understatement of the year). She doesn't really look like Chloe at all since she takes after Diane in appearance. She's got brilliant blue eyes and adorable dark brown hair that curls at the ends. Isn't she a cutie pie?






















Diane and Grace. Thank you Diane for letting me take your picture! I think this might only be the second photo I have of you in the almost 4.5 years I've known you!

Long time no blog

Hello long lost blogging friends! We are finally back home in Ohio after a 3.4 week absence. We have had a wonderful time visiting loved ones but now we're happy to be reunited as a family. We still have several bags to unpack and I have more than several weeds to pull.

I've missed keeping up with your blogs! I will post a few tidbits about our many visits but not much. To quote a line from the Princess Bride, "Lemme esplain, no . . . there is too much. Lemme sum up."

Hope you all have been well and happy thanks to the grace of our Lord!