He Knows

One of the greatest joys of life with Ryan is the way we pray together. It's absolutely unlike anything I've ever experienced in any relationship I had before him, and it's a true joy.

We've had a lot weighing on our hearts lately. Not really a revolving door of things, but the same few things that continue to press in. We've been seeking direction and trying to wait well, patient before the Lord while we wait for answers.

Last night, we prayed together - literally on our knees, heads pressed together and hands squeezing. And even while words tumbled out of my mouth, I realized what a treasure it is that I have a husband who listens to my prayers and adds his agreement to my words as I pray. And when he led the prayer time, I was so grateful that his requests and his offerings to the Lord were of such a pure heart that I didn't have to hesitate in agreeing with him.

I know some couples struggle to pray together...whether they're embarrassed to pray out loud in front of each other or they can't find a way to agree in prayer...and it was a reminder to me to not take for granted what we have.

Our prayers are laced with requests for our friends, many of whom are wading through deep waters right now: health problems, direction for their future, heart crises that seem to weigh them down. It's a privilege to pray for them, but my goodness, it's hard to carry even a corner of the burden, and we know each of them bear the full weight of it. We hurt for them.

And we're praying over our own future, as we seek God's continued direction in everything we do. Right now we are in a period of waiting, which is one of our favorites...and we want to make sure we don't miss any direction in the waiting!

This song comes back to my mind so often. You might know it...you might not. But if you're soaking your life in prayer right now too, it might speak to you.

And it's true. He knows.

 

Homemade Face Wash

I had a few of you ask about the homemade face wash I referenced last week...so I wanted to hand over that recipe today!

I wanted to also give you a little background on why I'm doing more DIY/homemade stuff...and why I'm doing on a non-fanatical basis.

It's true that I'm possibly one of the most easily-freaked out people I've ever met. It's just better all the way around if I know minimal information about most things, because the more I know, the more I worry, and no one has time for that level of panic. Ignorance really is bliss, sometimes.

So that's the reason I refuse to really read and research all the ins and outs of the chemicals in everything around me, because if I dig in too much, I'll buy a plastic bubble and never leave it. {Except living in plastic is probably a health hazard too!!} It's just a weird thing about my brain and personality. Having said that...I am increasingly aware that I can do something to eliminate at least a portion of the junk in my life. And something is better than nothing.

Very slowly, Ryan and I have been working to find ways to do things on our own so we can be a little more in control of what we're putting in and on our bodies. In addition to that, we're always on the hunt for ways to save money, and if somehow, a little bit of a DIY life can accomplish both of those things at one time, we say yay! But on the flip side of that, we're not choosing to go 100% organic on everything in our entire lives. We're not driven by it in every area.

In the land of health and beauty products, I decided to start my DIY adventure with face wash mostly because my store-bought bottle was almost empty. For many years, I used Mary Kay face wash, but at almost $20.00 a bottle, I came to the place where I didn't feel like I could afford it anymore, so I moved to a store product that was about $5.00 a bottle. Not horrible at all in the grand scheme of life, but if I could do it cheaper myself...and save some mysterious chemicals in the process, I wanted to try.

I found a recipe on Pinterest that took me here, and then I made my own version of it, which is as follows:


Homemade Face Wash

1 cup water
1/2 tablespoon grated glycerin soap
5 drops lavender essential oil

Bring cup of water to a boil in a pan on the stove. Add the grated soap and stir until it's completely melted. Let it cool, and add the essential oil drops. Store in a glass container. 

Tips and Hints:

* The original recipe called for unscented glycerin soap, but at our grocery store, that did not exist. I decided to purchase the 3 pack of Vitamin E glycerin soap, which cost me $3.00.

* The original  recipe also called for peppermint and lemon essential oils, but I chose to use lavender instead. I did find a really helpful article online here that talks about how different oils are helpful for different skin types and issues.
 
* I am so brand new to the world of essential oils that I cannot even claim to be any sort of teacher. But I can tell you that one thing I have learned about them is that they should not be stored in plastic containers. Because of that, I purchased a bottle actually intended for oil and vinegar in the kitchen. I keep it on the bathroom sink and just pour out some of the soap onto my washcloth each morning when I wash my face. One thing you should know is that this does not create a lather, which is weird at first, but it doesn't sacrifice any cleanliness, I can promise you.

* Between the glycerin soap and the oil, it's pretty invigorating and wakes me right up, which I love. My old face wash had caffeine beads in it, and I was worried I would miss those, but this has done a great job of being the perfect wake up call.

* I believe my skin is even less oily than it was with my face wash, and it feels really soft, even before I put on moisturizer. I may, in the future, play around with different oils, as I learn more about them and what I need for my skin, but for now, I'm really pleased with this.

* This used next to NONE of the three bars of soap I purchased, and obviously water is already covered under our household bills, so even when adding essential oil drops, this is still much cheaper than purchasing face wash at the store, and with the results being positive as far as how my skin looks and feels, I'm sold on continuing to make this myself. {Bonus: it takes almost no time to make!}

* I'm guessing the recipe above will last about a month or more, so I won't have to make it very often!

The Shafferland Shuffle

* Last Sunday, Ryan and I came home after church to spend some time in prayer about things we're wrestling through right now. I think even Braeya was feeling it...because she parked herself on the Bible to watch us! We rested all afternoon and ventured forth that night for a few things we needed, among them {for me, anyway} a stop at Starbucks! :) And then I started the aforementioned hippie practice of making my own face wash!

* Monday, on the fourth day of spring, Indiana got snow. Not the most we've ever gotten in a day, but apparently people had already forgotten how to drive, because I passed half a dozen wrecks on the way home, and I had to drive about 30 for a good chunk of that trip. BOO. By the time we got home, we were just worn out, so we skipped the gym and stayed home. And while Ryan took a nap, I did some journaling in my new journal. Ahhhhh how I love a new journal.

* Tuesday's commute home was SO much nicer than Monday's. Thank you, Lord, for blue skies again! Ryan and I hit the gym and then came home to enjoy some skinny Mexican pizza, which was absolutely DELICIOUS. And I was so excited because my oils kit arrived! Yeah yeah - I entered the oils world!! {More proof for Mom that I'm a hippie, I fear.}

* Wednesday night, Ryan and I kicked our original dinner plans out the window and made the pizza kit we bought from the youth group at church. It was actually really fun to construct our own pizza! We curled up and watched TV and even did some reading - yes, even RYAN did some reading! It was a fun night!

* You already read about our Thursday - when I forgot my breakfast and had to go in search of it in the rain...and when Ryan forgot the coffee grounds in our coffee pot. It was a gloomy day, but we made our way to the gym that night anyway. It was not a great workout for either of us. But I suppose going is better than sitting at home, right? {Things I tell myself...}

* Friday, Lynne and I had a Mid-Morning planning day! It apparently required four iced teas, two coffees and a water. :) We had a fun day and got a lot of work done - and took advantage of the fact that the place where we met had white board markers provided for writing on the windows. OKAY!!!! After work, Ryan and I grilled out for dinner and then headed to Starbucks for a leisurely little date.

 

*Ryan worked yesterday, so I enjoyed a long day of writing at home. One of those kinds of days where I get so engrossed that I forget important things like hydrating and bathroom breaks. The not so fun part of the day was the GIANT splinter I got in my foot and had to yank out. It HURT! {This is why I'm a carpet girl. Hardwoods are hazardous!} Ryan and I tried to FaceTime on our lunch hour, but our phones rebelled against us, leaving us to stare at ourselves. :( 

The Saturday Six

One.
Last week I challenged you to clean out a drawer, but I submit to you that where there's one messy drawer, there's bound to be a second. {Hint: maybe in another room?} Pretty sure our drawers are crazy because we tend to hoard in them. This week's challenge: Head to the hoarding drawer and CLEAN THAT THING OUT.

Two.

I'm pretty sure my mom is convinced I'm turning into a hippie. It's not true. But I have been {for a mix of financial and health reasons, neither of which I'm fanatical about} starting to make some of my own things at home, rather than buying them. This week's adventure? Face wash. I ran out of the face wash I was using, and I decided that even though I didn't even buy close to top of the line cleanser, there had to be a cheaper way. So I made my own! {More to come on this.}


Three.

Source

Looking for something fun to do this spring? Check out this list of ideas. Have a feeling a few of these will be taking place in Shafferland!!!

Four.

Source

Probably most of you who read here, especially after I've talked about this so many times, have already read this news, but the courageous Kara Tippetts passed away last Sunday. My heart has been so heavy for her family this week, but I'm so thankful Kara's legacy touched my life through her blog. What a beautiful inspiration!

Five.

Source

Oh. My. YES. Order in bulk???

Six.

For those of you who like to read, I'm wrapping up today's Saturday Six with a book review. I just finished reading Marie Monville's book called One Light Still Shines. It's not a new book...it was actually published in 2013, but I just learned of it a few weeks ago when Lynne interviewed Marie. Chances are, you're familiar with a piece of Marie's story already. Her first husband, Charlie, was the man who ambushed an Amish schoolhouse in Pennsylvania back in 2006, shooting ten girls, killing five of them before killing himself. You've seen the story from the media's side...read about it in the tabloids...but there is so much more to it than what they told. Marie's book isn't the documentary of the crime. It's an intricately woven love story...between Charlie and Marie...between the Lord and Marie...and between God's kinsman-redeemer, Dan Monville, and Marie.

In this beautifully written book, Marie cracks open the window to her heart and faith and shares unashamedly the wrestling of horror, heartbreak, confusion, ache, hope, and worship that permeated her life after she received the news of what Charlie did. She tells of their love, their life, their losses, and why she was as baffled as the rest of the nation when she learned of the shooting. And she hides nothing of her faith, which is in no way a flippant faith, but a deep, raw relationship with the Lord.

A good book not only tells a story, but calls the reader to action, and Marie did this masterfully. I was compelled to deepen my own intimacy with the Lord as I read. The end of the book tells her love story with her now-husband, Dan Monville, and in it, I was reminded of my own love story with Ryan and affirmed in the uniquely beautiful ways God writes and weaves such tales.

I highly recommend this book. I'm often skeptical of books spawned by high profile news stories, but Marie's book is, as the cover promises, about her life beyond the shadow of being the shooter's wife. It's about her heart, her faith, her God and HIS redemption and restoration. {And I cried. It's a good book if it drives me to legitimate tears.}

Surgery Brain

I've always had a ridiculously good memory about some things and a flat our ridiculous memory about others. I can recall the date on the calendar when my first boyfriend asked me to be his girlfriend, and I remember what shirt I wore when we went on our first date. I remember what word I misspelled in the elementary school spelling bee, and I remember my robe number from choir.

But if I stand up from my desk and walk to the front of the building to pick up books I've just been emailed about, you can KNOW that I will forget those books by the time I get to the front, if I so much as say hi to anyone between my desk and the front of my building. I write post it notes for just about everything - planting them on my lunch box to remind myself to grab food out of the fridge before leaving work and even leaving them in my bathroom to remind myself of a pre-coffee, pre-work chore for the next day.

All this sort of forgetfulness is normal and has happened for years.

But I promise you, since the ole gallbladder eviction, it's gotten worse. I forget things I never forget, and since the number of those things is small to begin with, this is very disconcerting.

Yesterday, you guys, I forgot my breakfast.

You need to know this about me, if you don't already. I don't forget food. Ever. I hear of these people who say things like "Oh I got so busy, I forgot to eat lunch." I don't even understand what that means. If my stomach growls, I can pretty much bet it's 12:02 p.m. and my body is about to hit rebellion. I meticulously plan my lunchbox contents every day...making certain there's a breakfast, a lunch, and two snacks. My eating schedule puts most babies to shame.

Bekah. Doesn't. Forget. Food.

And that's why I was entirely baffled, yesterday, when I maneuvered my way into work, purse and heavy work bag slung over my right shoulder, and lunch box precariously hanging on the umbrella clutched in my left hand...

...and I realized that lunch box was awfully light.

And then it hit me. I didn't pack my breakfast.

WHAT!!?!?!!?!?

This has never happened. In the history of ever!!

I had been so busy packing our lunches and getting dinner in the crock pot, that I completely spaced my breakfast.

I texted Ryan to tell him, and later that morning, he wrote back to see how I was surviving without food. I responded, "Did you actually think I would skip a meal?"

I packed myself in my car and drove to McDonald's to get a breakfast meal and two Diet Cokes...one for Amy and one for Lynne.

It was raining, so I hustled to the car and scurried down the road. I should back up and add that I REFUSE to go inside at this McDonald's, because a few months back, as Amy and I were enjoying a lunch there one day, we were accosted by a man I can only assume was either on drugs or off meds...or both...who ended up lashing out at us, unloading an accusation that I was a "pregnant white liar bleep" - before Amy and I vacated the premises in a hurry.

So I scooted up to the drive-thru and ordered my meal and my two Diet Cokes. I watched them display on the screen, pulled around, and the nice lady at the money window said, "You had the burrito meal?"

I nodded and said, "And the Diet Cokes." I paid and pulled up to the food window.

The guy working said, "Burrito meal?"

"And two Diet Cokes," I said.

"No." He said.

Um, okay. We can argue about it if you want.  And we did - back and forth, until finally he said, "It's not on your ticket. You didn't pay for them. If you want them, you'll have to come inside."

You can imagine my joy as I pulled into a parking place, hauled my purse into the restaurant with me, and prayed that yelling guy wasn't in the gaggle of people eating in the middle of the place.

I went to the front and said to the manager, "I was in the drive thru and I ordered two Diet Cokes, but he said I didn't pay for them. So I need two Diet Cokes."

She must have sensed the rain-soaked, breakfast-deprived desperation in my eyes, because she handed me two cups and said, "It's on me."

First of all, THANK YOU, DEAR LADY. I so appreciated the grace.

Secondly. Can you work the drive-thru on rainy days so this kind of grace can avoid raindrops?

Got their drinks, ran through the rain back to my car, and went to work. Again.

While I ate, I Googled "Memory loss after surgery."

Know what? It's a real thing. They {and THEY refers to a medical article, not Yahoo Answers} say it can last three months or more in some people. Side effect of anesthesia.

I was both relieved and defeated.

So for the next two months (or more), I plan to blame all forgetfulness on the surgery.

That's me.

Now...my husband, on the other hand. I'm not sure what he's blaming.

He made our coffee last night:

He forgot to add the grounds.

Small World, Big Impact: The Husband

Not MY husband, although keep reading...this one comes full circle!

I love revisiting these little snippets I wrote back in 2002, because I like to see how the Bekah of then was impacted by people just living their every day. People who had no idea the girl in front of them was taking mental notes.

And to this guy...this nameless guy in my mind, I owe HUGE thanks.

It happened while I was at Burger King having lunch with my mom. {Proof positive that such things really can be life changing in a good way.} I was in a hurry, because I only had an hour before I had to be back to work, and she and I had a lot to discuss in that hour! We sat down in the non-smoking section {Whoa!!! Those still existed as recently as 2002??} and right as I was about to plunge into my account of the morning's drama, Mom spoke to a man sitting at a table behind us.

I didn't know who he was, but he exchanged pleasantries with Mom, and before she moved back to our conversation, she asked him how his wife was doing. I could see his face out of the corner of my eye, and he broke into a huge smile as he answered, "Beautiful as always!"

I stopped, Whopper Junior halfway to my mouth. {And FYI, it takes quite a bit to get me to actually STOP eating.} I turned and looked at the man fully. It was obvious from the look on his face that he was as absolutely in love with that woman as he could be. Mom made a comment about what a sweet woman this mysterious wife was, and he rushed to agree with her.

I don't remember one more thing about lunch that day. Not one thing. But I remember thinking that when I'm old, I hope my husband tells someone that I'm beautiful. And I hope he says it even when I'm not with him to prompt the maritally correct response. I also wish I could have met this man's wife to see firsthand what kind of an amazing woman she was.

I was a good decade or more away from even HAVING a husband when this event took place, which was probably a fact I was better off not knowing. But in those days, I spent a lot of time observing marriages all around me. Some of my friends had been married for years but still acted like newlyweds. They preferred being with their spouses and talking lovingly of them when they were apart. Other people seemed to need a reminder that they even had a spounse.

Even in my singleness, in my observations, in my dreaming, I knew people thought I had unrealistic expectations for my someday-husband. But I wrote these words back in 2002: "I don't think it's too much to hope for a man who is hopelessly in love with me forever. A marriage like that takes work. And I know it will have its difficulties and trials. But if we can work to make it last, I hope that I can someday hear through the grapevine that my husband was telling everyone how crazy about me he still is, even though I'm old and falling apart."

Today I'd like to thank the gentleman in Burger King, nameless to me though he is, for becoming "the man whose wife is still beautiful." I want to thank him for saying that about her out loud, in a burger joint, to an acquaintance and her daughter. I want to thank him for loving and respecting his wife. And I want to thank him a thousand times over for instilling some hope in a girl like me that there could still be men like him out there in this world.

Today I'd also like to thank a Mr. Ryan Shaffer for being just like that man. I might not be old, but I think the Great Dental Event of 2014 and the Great Gallbladder Eviction of 2015 are proof that the falling apart is well underway. Ryan, thank you for making this dream of mine from a decade before our marriage...come true. I do hear through the grapevine that you brag on me when I'm not around. You tell me I'm beautiful when I'm standing in front of you, and you tell others when I'm not around.

You're proof that my dreams weren't unrealistic. Let's be the next generation of that man and his wife for all those crazy dreamers coming behind us. Let's make a big impact on our small world!

92 County Tour: Howard

Yesterday I showed you the personal side of our Howard County tour...and today I'm bringing you the rest of our fun day!

First, the official county tour chalkboard photo:

We were standing on the porch of a really old log cabin at the Howard County Fairgrounds. The fair is held in Greentown each year, and it's one of our favorite things. Over the years, a number of small historic log cabins have been relocated to the fairgrounds - and together, they're called Pioneer Village.

Here's another one!

 There's also a little church out there - and a few years ago, my friend Ronda's nephew got married right there outside that church!

The most recent addition is the relocation and restoration of this historic round barn. There have been several wedding receptions here, and actually, Ryan and I contemplated using this as our reception site, but since our reception was in March, we figured the lack of heating might cause some issues. We still think this is such a gorgeous building, though.

After we left Greentown, we headed to Kokomo, which is where Ryan works.

We went to Highland Park, which is a lovely place in the city. I actually had some of my senior pictures taken next to this very bridge!

This bridge {the Vermont Covered Bridge} was originally constructed in 1875 in the town of Vermont, about 5 miles east of Kokomo. After surviving floods, arson, and other issues, it needed to be replaced in its original location with a higher, wider bridge. In 1957, it was moved into the park!

I do love a covered bridge.

Also in the park are a couple of other cool things. We stopped by to visit them, but my pictures aren't that great, because they're completely enclosed and I was getting a HORRIBLE glare off the glass.

First up: The Sycamore Stump:

This tree was in the west end of the county and stood over 100 feet tall before a storm knocked it down and the stump was hollowed out. In 1916, it was moved to the park, and was measured at 57 feet in circumference. They also counted the tree to be over 800 years old at that time. That is one huge tree!

Also in the park is Old Ben:

He was a steer who, when he died at the age of 8 in 1910, weighed 4720 pounds. {I wanted my picture next to him. He made me feel better!!}

After our park visit, we headed to the Treasure Mart...this really cool place Ryan wanted to take me:

He found a tandem bike right away:

Me? I was just shopping:

Another of Ryan's finds in the Treasure Mart: a mattress he sewed when he worked at Holder Mattress. He recognized his own work:

We made a couple more stops by some of Kokomo's main attractions. We went by the Sieberling Mansion, which you can also tour for a small fee, but we didn't do the tour. Still...isn't this a COOL house?

And it's not a trip to Kokomo unless you make your way past the giant praying mantis. Don't ask. We don't know. But it does have its own Facebook page.

We caught a quick lunch at Louie's Coney Island. We first went there in our very first month of marriage - on our way to pick up our first Christmas tree. It was one of Ryan's favorite places, and he wanted to introduce me. Not quite a year after that, a tornado ripped through Kokomo and destroyed Louie's. They rebuilt, though, and this was our first time back:

And our last stop for the day? The coffee shop, of course!!

We chose Big Ben Coffee, which was in a little strip mall.

It was just darling inside - all set up with tiny little living rooms - so cozy.

We were kind of warm, so we opted for frappes - and they were gone in no time!

So that was our day! Thanks, Howard County, for being great hosts....for our whole lives!

92 County Tour: Howard {The Personal Side}

This past Saturday, Ryan and I knocked another county off our see-every-county-in-Indiana tour. I'd initially planned a different county for this month, but we had an errand we needed to run in Kokomo, where Ryan works, and we hadn't yet done the county where Kokomo lies, so we decided to just make it our official Howard County day!!

I have two posts for this one, because this county tour took a bit of a different spin for us. We were both born in Howard County and we grew up there...and until he married me, Ryan lived there. So today I'm going to tell you the personal side of it, and then tomorrow I'll hit the normal side of it!

We started out the day by having breakfast at the Home Town Family Restaurant, with our friend, Randy.

Randy used to rent an apartment from Ryan, when he lived in his old house, and they've been friends forever. It had been a really long time since we got to hang out with Randy, so it was a fun couple of hours of catching up and talking about life and the future!

After breakfast, we did a quick return to our roots...starting with the elementary school we both attended:

The school has undergone a number of additions and updates since we went there, but this sign was right there when we walked these very halls! {And for those of you who didn't know, my mom was a teacher's aide in first grade from the time I went into second grade until after I graduated from college, and she actually had Ryan in her class!}

We also stopped by our old high school...we both graduated from here:

Ryan, if you didn't know, was a wrestler in high school. He won sectionals his junior year, so his picture is still on a wall outside the gym. We were able to get inside the school to see it {thank you, Saturday sports practices!!}...so here you go! The Ryan I knew in high school!

I insisted on a new picture of Ryan now with Ryan then:

Also in the school, we found the plaque for an award started by the local ministerial alliance back in 1993 in my Dad's name. It's given to a senior who exhibits Christian character in a high school setting:

After we left Greentown, we headed to Kokomo, and there we found a really important spot in our lives: the hospital where we were both born!

So there it is!! The Shaffer side of our Howard County tour! Tomorrow I'll be back with the rest of the fun we had on Saturday!

Winter Jam 2015

I worked Winter Jam again this year; my third year in a row to work this event. The first year I worked, it was on a Sunday in January, and the crowd was so crazy big that they ended up turning hundreds of people away. People had waited in the freezing cold for hours and then couldn't get in. It was a heartbreaker! Beginning last year, they moved the event to a Thursday night in March, and the crowds were a lot more manageable, it seemed.

The bad part about a weeknight event is that Ryan can't come to those. By the time he gets off work and makes it to Fort Wayne {almost a 2 hour drive}, it's so late, and then we have two cars up there...and it's just a lot of time and gas wasted on a work night. But THIS year, we had a special blessing in that our friends Mike and Angie drove up from our area after Ryan got off work, so he caught a ride up with them and then was able to drive home with me. HUGE blessing!! I'd worked all day and we didn't get home until close to midnight, so I was just so glad to have him with me!

Not surprisingly, I took over 300 photos that night, so I hope you have a lot of time! JUST KIDDING! I'm just picking a few of my faves to show you:

For some reason, I didn't get a picture of Ken, who also worked with us that night, but here are my work buds: Dana and Ron. Apparently it was my first time with a camera and I didn't know where to look. LOL!!!

I had never heard of the group Veridia before, but I did get this pretty great picture of the drummer and his hair!

Two years ago at Winter Jam, I saw Blanca for the first time, when she was part of Group 1 Crew. This year she was there as a solo artist. I really like her voice and enjoyed hearing her on her own!

Newsong hosts Winter Jam, and every year, they do Arise, My Love. And every year, I cry. I love that song so very much. And I think now that Winter Jam falls right before Easter for us...it is even more significant.

It was my first time to hear Building 429 in person:

Family Force 5 - brought their trampolines! Work out AND sing: it's how you get it all done while on the road!

I love this one: the fan was feeling the love!

Blanca came out to sing with Building 429 as well!

Jeremy Camp was my favorite of the night. I really, really appreciate him and I love his music. 

I've seen her in concert several times before, but Francesca Battistelli was part of Winter Jam this year. And she brought bubbles!!!

The final act of the night was Skillet. So funny...my friend Faith came and brought her kids specifically to SEE Skillet. I only made it through one song before I had to leave, because the crazy strobe lights were making me sick. I think I may be a little too southern gospel to fully appreciate the pyro/strobe light world. But Skillet definitely has talent - and I know the crowd was crazy happy to see them!

 It was a full house - and so encouraging to see so many people from so many generations worshiping together!

My very handsome date...so happy to see him:

And here we are with our friends Mike and Angie - who brought him up to Fort Wayne:

And one of my favorite parts of intermission...seeing my friends! I got to meet new friends and see old friends, like Elisa {we forgot a picture!!!} and Faith and her kids!

All in all, a very fun night - and a very LATE night! :) Winter Jam 2015 in the books!