Update on Dreams and Goals for April 2024

 

We bid farewell to April today, so I’m checking in to update you on how things went with my goals and dreams for this month!

ONE. Celebrate Ryan’s birthday! I wrote about our celebration here, but I will reaffirm it was a very good day. I loved a good excuse to spoil him a little extra. 😊 He’s easy to celebrate, for sure!

            TWO. Finalize my garden/flower planting ideas. I didn’t do a very good job of this one. I was sidetracked by too many other things. I have ordered one planter (for our porch) from a girl in our neighborhood, who sells them every year for a softball fundraiser. And we did purchase some new planter pots to place in front of our garage as one of the existing ones cracked from top to bottom. But beyond that, I pretty much failed at these plans.

            THREE. Work on writing and speaking. I ended up speaking three times in April and was able to get everything planned and written ahead of time. I’ve already been working on May, which holds four opportunities to share.

            FOUR. Work on my little coffee bar idea. Goodness. Failed on this one, too. In my defense, we had some unexpected house projects come up that overshadowed this one, so it’s not like I completely sat and did nothing this month. But I shall try again on this one…maybe in May!

            FIVE. Do some organizing. I did this one! I think my favorite project was redoing all the covers and spines of my three-ring binders so they match. It made my heart very happy. I also did some other catch-up work around the house that made my Type-A heart sing – including catching up transferring sermon notes to my Bible, working on a new recipe binder, making some prayer lists, and working on my new day planner that will start in June!

            And then there were all the other things that took place this month that either weren’t on the radar at the start of the month, or they were secret stories at the time.

            You know…like moving my parents. We started the month with that adventure, and I’m so thankful it is done now! I know they’re glad, too! We’re still tying up loose ends and helping them settle, but the biggest part is done.

            I went to a baby shower at church for one of the young ladies in the Bible study I’ve been teaching. She’s having twins, and I’m so excited for her!

            We hosted our friends who came to stay for the Solar Eclipse party, and that was so much fun! I told you all about that here.  

            We had the aforementioned unexpected house project (more on that another day) that took over our entire lives for several days…and will be ongoing.

            We have run a lot of errands on a lot of different days for a lot of different reasons!

            I took a round of senior pictures for my bonus nephew and then a round of family pictures for our godson’s mama and her boys. (Then there was all the editing of said photos…)

            So yes, it’s been a busy little month. But I’m grateful for it. It’s been a good one.

Fun Finds for April 2024

 

April is winding down…and I just can’t believe it! It’s been a whirlwind month for sure. I’ve stumbled upon some finds this month that I want to share with you today. Some are fun, some are thought-provoking, and some are completely random. Enjoy these on this fine Monday!

            If you live locally, I highly recommend paying a visit to The White Cottage Sweet Shoppe in Berne. I mentioned it on my monthiversary recap at the start of the month, but I wanted to give it a second shout-out. The eclairs are worth EVERY BITE and are super affordable. And it’s just a really cute little shop that is new, and I hope it does so, so well. They’ve decorated it so sweetly, and they have lots of good things to offer.

            Somehow this month I stumbled upon this YouTube channel that has all kinds of home tours and interviews with homeowners. I would turn on an episode and let it play while I worked on other things and had the best time visiting beautiful places and learning some fun decorating tips!

            I find fancy dollhouses to be so adorable. (Like dollhouses for display in homes, not the fun ones for kiddos to play with – though I like those too!) I found this Instagram account this month and have had a blast looking at her creativity. Half the time, if I didn’t know, I’m not sure I’d know I was looking at a dollhouse!

            Heard on TV this month that Jerry Seinfeld is turning 70 and Dumb and Dumber has been out 30 years. The fact that I have not aged a bit since 30 years ago when Jerry was younger than I am now and the film (that I am not a fan of) was new, I’m not sure how any of this has happened. But if you need to feel old today, you’re welcome.

            Yesterday I wrote a few thoughts on the life of Mandisa. If you loved Mandisa and her ministry, it would be worth your time to watch this tribute by Beth Moore and Travis Cottrell. Their sweet stories were a gift.

            A few Fridays ago, I wrote about one of my college professors, who passed away suddenly. I shared some words his daughter-in-law wrote in a Facebook tribute to him. Her husband, Dave, wrote this beautiful piece about his father, and I think it offers much encouragement and worthy challenge to us in the way we live our own lives.

            Enjoy your day (and your week), friends!

Sunday Sentiments: A Life Well Lived

 

For the past week, I’ve been seeing tributes to Mandisa pop up online – from musical artists and fans alike. I told Ryan that I have yet to read one unkind remark about the person she was.

            I remember Mandisa from her season on American Idol, and I just loved her on there. I was so happy when she settled into Christian music, and I’ve loved many of her songs over the years. I’d seen her in concert a couple of times at women’s events, and I remember what a fun and energetic person she had been on the platform.

            But the stories shared by those who knew her in real life were inspiring. The artists who shared stages with her all said – without fail – that she was the biggest cheerleader in the industry. She would call and pray for them, she would buy their shirts and wear them to her own events, and she would always encourage them in their work.

            When you think about the competition of that industry, those words hold a little more value.

            While it’s more than safe to say I’ll never be on American Idol or headlining concerts, my life is similar to Mandisa’s in that I’m a loved child of God, and I have the opportunity to encourage those who surround me. My friends may not have merch shirts, but I hope they feel loved and supported by the ways I can encourage them in their daily lives. I hope I pray for them out loud and champion them in their work.

            My heart is sad at Mandisa’s passing, because not only did she have a gift as a musician, but she had a gift as a person and friend. I hope that the lessons I’ve been learning from her life this past week stick with me forever and inspire me to live boldly as an encourager.

            Join me!

Saturday Suggestions: Inspirations for Your Weekend

 

Good morning, friends! It’s a rainy weekend here, but it’s been a good little week. Today’s plans are a bit up in the air because of the weather, but I’m sure we will have fun, no matter what we do. And here are some fun finds for you to enjoy while I figure out what I’m going to do!

ONE. 

I try to share some food prep ideas with you when I run across them. This post is the end of a series called “4 Weeks to Fill Your Freezer,” but if you scroll to the bottom, you’ll see links to the first three weeks and to specific recipes as well. If you have a busy summer coming up and you want to spend a day prepping ahead so you can grab and go later, maybe you’ll find some keeper ideas in here!

TWO. 

I’m filing this under things I would do if I had kids. If I’ve seen this idea before, I sure don’t remember it. A dropcloth “tablecloth” modified to create a little playhouse. What a perfect and cost-effective idea! (And easy to store when you need your space for entertaining.) LOVE THIS!

THREE. 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed/overworked, I think you’ll find a lot of good advice in this post. Most of it is simple. I’d venture to say you know it by heart. But implementing these things…that’s the key. If your life is too busy, I urge you to take a look. (Also, I’m taking a look.)

FOUR. 

Ever thought about buying a houseboat? Here are some fun facts about what it’s like to live in a floating home. I confess I wouldn’t have thought about some of them. The calm, though. That one didn’t surprise me. I can only imagine!

FIVE. 

Thisblog was such a fun little rabbit hole! Thrifting…RV travel…a Bernese Mountain Dog…you can see why I like it, right? It’s fun to read through her posts and see some of her adventures! (Fun fact: found my hand-me-down mixing bowls in one of her posts. Glad I didn’t have to buy them!)

SIX. 

When we moved into our home, we painted the inside of our front door, but we didn’t paint the exterior side. To be honest, it’s hard to see our front door properly anyway, because it’s covered by a storm door. But sometimes I think about painting it a different color and getting a glass storm door so you can see all the pretty color. (And the wreaths!) Thispost is written by a blogger whose front door has been several colors over the years. I confess my favorite is not the featured one in this post…any guesses on which one IS my fave? (And which one is yours?)

And…here are this week’s capsule wardrobe outfits!

Saturday, April 20, 2024:

Sunday, April 21, 2024:

Monday, April 22, 2024:

Tuesday, April 23, 2024:

Wednesday, April 24, 2024:

Thursday, April 25, 2024:

Friday, April 26, 2024:

Flashback Friday: Writing Your Story One Week at a Time

 

Happy Friday, my friends! I hope you’ve had a good week. We had a most beautiful night here last night. Such a gorgeous sunset! It made me want to write, which is helpful since today is writing prompt day here in this little corner of the web.

            In some of the previous weeks, we’ve talked about how quickly life changes and how taking pictures/writing about your life helps preserve the way things looked at any given point in your life. And today we want to take a look at what your first job looked like.

            What was your first job?

            How old were you when you took it?

            How did you find it?

            Did you like it?

            How much did you earn?

            How long did you work there?

            Why did you leave?

            I’m sure most of you probably already know my first job, because I’ve talked about it often. I was a babysitter!

            I always loved kids, and even when I was nine or ten years old, I would help in the church nursery, watching babies and toddlers. I think my first actual paying babysitting job came when I was about twelve. I remember a lot about that first job.

            My niece was just a few months old, and my sister needed to go somewhere for about an hour. She asked if I would babysit until my brother-in-law got home from work. Mom picked me up from school, took me out to The Comet Cone (local hamburger/ice cream restaurant) for a Coke. I was so nervous. She drove me over to my sister’s, and I spent an hour in charge of my niece. My brother-in-law was a pastor and was in his office right next door to the house, so if I needed anything, he could be there in about 30 seconds.

            The hour went very well, and it served as the start of a multi-year babysitting career. I ended up with a handful of “regulars” – mostly from church. Every now and then I would babysit for a random family that asked, but for the most part, I stayed busy with the same three or four families.

            I almost always loved this job. I loved that I had regular work, but if I had something else going on, I could always turn down a job. I loved that it gave me something to do on the weekends. I loved working for great families. One summer I had the opportunity to watch two girls every single day from 8-5. That was the best money I’d ever seen!

            One of the families I babysat for was a single mom whose husband had unexpectedly passed away when their daughter was just six weeks old. Sometimes she would go away overnight and I’d watch the kids for her. She had cable TV, and I thought that was the best bonus pay ever. After the kids went to bed, I could watch Nick at Night for hours!

            What did I earn? Are you ready for it? Two dollars an hour. I thought I was rich!

            I babysat all the way through junior high and high school and did some during college as well. Then I found my job in the Financial Aid Office and didn’t babysit nearly as often. I didn’t really leave sitting as much as I phased out of it and into something more consistent and higher paying.

            It was the perfect first job for me, and as I look back at it now, I see it prepared me well for working independently and in a freelance fashion. There are some similarities to that schedule and my speaking schedule now.

            So how about you? First job?

Celebrating Ryan's Birthday

 

Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes for Ryan over the past couple of days. He said he had such a great day and felt very loved. Since his birthday fell on a work day, we had to do celebrate in the nooks and crannies of the day, and I thought we did a pretty great job!

            I made Ryan some clean eating donuts for breakfast. They weren’t Parlor Doughnuts, but they were pretty tasty!

            At lunch time, I surprised him with a peppermint latte delivery!

            When he came home from work, we headed out for our evening of fun. We went grocery shopping!

            (I told Ryan I was sorry we had to go grocery shopping as part of the birthday trip, and he reminded me that we had the oil changed in his car on our first date, so it’s really just how we roll. Ha! Truth!)

            After the grocery shopping, we went for dinner. It was so good. Ryan wanted to get some mushrooms for appetizers and then he got a burger and I got chicken lettuce wraps. They were absolutely delicious.

            Before we left, Ryan wanted to try to win a rubber duck, and he did! Apparently he has great skill on those claw machines.

            We grabbed some fresh brew on the way home, and then it was time to open cards and presents!

            We had saved all the birthday cards that came in the mail and he opened and read them to me. It was so fun to get to hear all the kind words from everyone. He had a few gifts, so he opened those.

            And then there’s this:

            Did Ryan pick out his own gift and buy it? Yes. Did I wrap it in baby shower paper because it’s all we had? Yes. Was there enough paper to cover the entire box? No. So classy.

            Yard tools!!!

            We wrapped up the evening with Butterfinger pie and an episode of Bull.

            Ryan, it was so fun celebrating you today! I love you with my whole heart!

Happy Birthday, My Love! (Part Two)

 

            Today is one of my favorite national holidays: it’s Ryan’s birthday!!! I started his blogging birthday party yesterday, and he said it was more than enough, but, well, it’s NOT! Today I invite you to celebrate with me the joy he has brought to me personally in the last year!

Ryan, what would I do without you? I don’t ever want to know.

This past year, you championed my wannabe gardener dreams by hauling home dirt and creating a garden bed for me. You helped me with watering duty on the days when I didn’t have time to get everything done, and you celebrated with me when the harvest came, and I was SO EXCITED that I actually did this thing. And you didn’t even get angry when my prolific tomatoes smothered part of the yard.

You were willing to pray and talk about major life changes that surprised us both, and even though God closed the door, you’ll never know how much it meant to me that you were willing to pursue its opening. You might have taught me more through your willingness than anything else!

You always set a good example for me by courageously learning new things – like paddleboarding! I love how you see everything as an adventure, and you call me to do the same, which I need. I’m not naturally courageous. Thanks for inviting me to join you in trying.

You helped me with our garage sale and were willing to do all the math! You helped me sort all the things we sold, took vacation time to sit with me for the sale, and handled all the handful of customers who made me leery. 😉

You drove to Ohio with me on a rainy night so I had company for a work event. In fact, you willingly learned all the facets of my job right alongside me so you could have conversations with me about what I do. You encouraged me when I was down and celebrated with me when things went well. And you held down the fort (and Lexi’s care) at home every single time I had to travel.

You encouraged me during the Amazing Race, when I thought I couldn’t do it anymore. When I didn’t think I could hit the stupid nail one more time in the nail challenge, you stood right beside me and urged me to stop crying and keep going. You cheered for me through a two-minute plank and have told everyone that my shining moments were the Bible quiz and the plant alphabetizing. We all know I was the weakest link of that team, but thanks for finding what I did well and reminding me of it. 

You make every little date - even the ones to Aldi and Dunkin’ – so much fun (7/7, 9/22). I will say yes every time when you ask me out.

           

You make every vacation fun, too! Lighthouses…fish boils…hiking dunes…I pick you every time.  And I love it that our vacations are the most fun because we’re together, even if we’re just watching movies in an Airbnb because the weather is too gross to do anything else. Oh the stories we’ve accumulated from our trips. Gold. Pure gold.

You went with me to the flower patch date night, which I recognize was much more my idea than yours, but you had fun anyway, and I loved that night.

You have taken me on ice cream dates many times this past year, and I love you for every one of those times. 

We kayaked and enjoyed so many quiet days at home in the summer. Let’s not forget to be purposeful about time preserved at home together.

You learned to mill wheat and bake bread with me – and it’s one of my favorite things we do together. I know were a bit skeptical about the adventure when we started, but I think you love it as much as (or maybe more than!) I do. Let’s try more of that this year.

You accompanied me to every speaking event and pitched in every way you could. You ran the book table, my Power Point, and took pictures. And most of all? You prayed over me. I could not do what I do (at least as well as I do it) without you by my side. If you don’t get to be the package deal with me in this ministry, then I don’t want to go! (8/26, 10/15, 1/21, 2/8, 4/13).

You’ve made me treats on hard days, so I have something sweet and special to look forward to. Also – you’re a really good cook.  

I love all the walks we take and the talks we have on those walks. Whether we’re walking around the lake or hiking a new-to-us place, it’s always a fun adventure. Well. Minus the unruly dogs we sometimes encounter. But you handle those well! 

You recreate fun dates with me – like going on trips to the corn maze! 

You go on adventures with me – exploring new-to-us places. 

You are, without a doubt, the most fun road trip partner. You always make sure there is coffee in abundance, a chance for me to nap through cities (though I’m pretty sure that’s more for you than for me…) and some car karaoke. And also - thanks for getting us everywhere so safely!

You sit with me while I try new things that sometimes scare me to death. You encourage me to try and you document the experience. In fact, thanks for everything you do document for our family.

 You make every little dream come true – even s’mores at the zoo. Thanks for standing in line in the cold to buy me a kit and then sharing it with me.

You honor all the traditions we have established together. 

           

You take a bitterly cold outdoor date and make it warm and cozy!

All those years I dreamed about a husband, I hoped for one as amazing as you but kind of didn’t think they were real. Thanks for proving that wrong and being the best. I hope your birthday today is wonderful in every way. I hope you know how dearly loved you are. I will stop now before I cry. 😊

            I love you, Ryan Alan Shaffer. You are the best thing after Jesus that has ever happened to me in this life.