Warning: I do not recommend clicking over to Emily’s blog, Today’s Letters, unless there’s nothing urgent on your to do list this morning. She started blogging daily letters in 2010, and ever since, she has written about both the big and small adventures she and her husband, Timothy, share. Recently, this includes the addition of their adorable daughter, Brave, into their family! Thanks to her signature letters and plenty of sweet, candid photos, to say Today’s Letters is addicting is an understatement. Knowing how intentional Emily and Timothy are about their life, their home, and their relationship, we were so thrilled when they agreed to share with us on Southern Newlywed!
Thank you so much to our Blue Ribbon Vendor Whitney Neal for these beautiful photos!
The couple: Emily (35) and Timothy (34) Loerke
Years married: 10
Children’s names and ages: Brave Loerke, 18 Months
Where you live: Louisville, KY
Tell us a little bit about yourselves. Before moving to Louisville, we lived in Dallas for twelve years and believed it would have been the perfect city if it were only in the mountains, right by the ocean with a downtown ballpark, had four real seasons, and had a trout stream as big as Cowboy Stadium. Two years ago, our love for the outdoors and search for a slower pace of life led us to the Bluegrass State. We love it here! Tim is Physician Assistant who teaches me fun medical things (most of which I do not pronounce correctly), and I get to be a stay-at-home mama who survives mostly on ice cream and rocket fuel (AKA coffee).
Do you rent or own? What are your hopes and plans for the future in this area? Tell us a little bit about where you live. We own a restored 1907 home in the Highlands, one of Louisville’s oldest and most artistic neighborhoods. Recently, Louisville was voted the #2 place to live in the US by Money Magazine. It’s easy for us to understand why after only having lived here for two years! Aside from having four real seasons, the downtown is vibrant and growing, the housing is affordable, local businesses are supported, the food and coffee scenes are insane, and the bourbon…don’t even get us started on the bourbon! Did we even mention the Derby?
Which items from your wedding registry do you use the most often? Our mini spatula, cast iron skillet, and ice cream scoop.
What different decisions, if any, would you make for your registry if you knew then what you knew now? Don’t register for a colored KitchenAid Mixer. Your taste will change over the years (as will your kitchens), and white is timeless. Also, when you’re broke newlyweds, luxury towels can make your tiny apartment bathroom feel like the Hilton.
What is your go-to weeknight meal? Weekend meal? Weeknight is smoked chicken, pan-fried bacon and brussels sprouts, roasted broccoli, and a side of ice cream. On the weekends, we try and allow ourselves to eat out.
What’s your favorite place to find recipes? One word: ReeDrummond. The Pioneer Woman knows her stuff!
Which room in your home is your favorite, and why? We recently added a wood burning stove to our living room. It has forced us to gather more as a family and S-L-O-W down. “The greatest danger is letting the urgent things crowd out the important.” – Charles Hummel
What most makes your house feel like home? The creaky pine wood floors, hearing our rooster crow at 5 A.M., and the doorframe with Brave’s height marked on it with a Sharpie.
What is your favorite memory from your wedding? Riding away on a tandem bicycle. The chain fell off halfway down the street and we ended up pushing the bike back to our car.
What is your favorite part of being married? Growth! It has been said that “if you’re not growing, you’re dying.” Marriage has helped mature us more than any other relationship we’ve ever had!
Before getting married, I wish someone had told me… that I’ll always be the biggest problem in my marriage. When both people have this belief, you are able to attack problems together instead of attacking each other about your problems.
What is one small way you love or serve your spouse? I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve cleaned our bathroom. Tim has owned that since the beginning of our marriage and it has made me feel so loved! One small way I serve Tim is by turning down the bed for him when he comes home from working the night shift in the ER. He consistently says there’s just something about having a bedside light on and the sheets folded down that makes him feel welcomed home.
Where do you splurge and where do you save when decorating? What are some of your favorite sources for home things? We typically try and find everything at flea markets, on Craigslist, or at thrift stores. Splurging in our home looks more like high thread count sheets and locally roasted coffee.
What’s your best tip for balancing your relationship and other life priorities (work, personal time, extended family, etc.)? We are convinced there are two books every human should read (and re-read often): Charles Hummel’s, “The Tyranny of the Urgent” and Cloud & Townsend’s, “Boundaries.” Both will change your life when it comes to balancing your relationships and priorities.
Do you have a favorite date night idea to share? One of our favorite traditions is to write down the dates and places of our date nights with a Sharpie on the wall leading down to our basement steps. Every time we go downstairs to do laundry, it reminds us the importance of dating your spouse and the gift of intentionally pursuing one other. We look forward to the day when we get to explain the writing on the wall to our daughter!
Is there anything else about your home or family life that you think our readers would be interested in? We love to garden and had our first successful year growing our own pumpkins. We have four chickens, a rooster, and a beehive, and we filter our own honey every summer. We love to fly fish. We also we rent out the third floor of our home on Airbnb. It’s booked 25+ days a month and has allowed us to meet some of the most amazing people!
Thanks so much for sharing your hearts and home with us, Emily and Timothy! Follow along with them on Emily’s blog, Twitter, and Instagram.
I’ve been reading Emily’s blog for almost five years now and have gained so much inspiration from the wisdom Em and Tim share on Today’s Letters! Thank you SW for sharing their home here, they really are the perfect couple to share marriage and life wisdom!
This feature was so refreshing to read! I love that they aren’t afraid to truly “live” in their home (i.e. writing on the walls with sharpie) and don’t have it styled with expensive designer items. You can tell that their house feels relaxed, homey, and full of love. Very inspirational!
[…] this sweet article about Today’s […]
I love that the focus is on the life they live in the four walls of their home, and not just the house itself. It’s the people inside that matter, and the love you invest into them.