Braver Than I Look {apparently}

This has NOTHING to do with today's topic, but I must start by wishing my parents a very happy 61st wedding anniversary. Sixty-one years is a big deal. Ryan and I are halfway to that many months...we'd have to live a long time to make it to that many years. If we do, and you're our caretaker, party for us, will you? I have no doubt we'll be out of our minds by then.

Meanwhile...a throwback to last week and a story I never told you! I have hesitated to write this post mostly because it has to do with guns, and my goodness is that ever way too hot a topic for this non-controversial blogger girl. So please know that I am not writing this to stir any pots. Please don't stir a pot. Just hear a story.

I'm not really a gun-girl. I think the only time I've ever encountered them in any form was back in 2010 when I went on vacation and my hosts lured me into trying their air-soft guns. I tried them, I probably didn't do very well despite their encouragement that I did, and that was the end of that.

But Ryan thought it would be a good thing for both of us to learn some basic skills, so he arranged for his brother to teach us. He's in law enforcement and quite skilled, and a very good teacher, I might add, after sitting in on his class. When I say he taught us, I don't mean he just mentioned a few things in our direction. I mean we sat a table...watched a power point, had verbal quizzes...it was a real class. And I have to say, it was really helpful. I am not really a big fan of classes and meetings, but he made it interesting and some of his points were things I had no idea about, so I came away feeling very educated and thankful that Ryan thought to set it up - and thankful that Rod was willing to take an evening to share his knowledge.

After class came the hands-on training. Rod had arranged for us to go to an outdoor shooting range, and he loaned me a pair of his fancy pants earplug thingies. {I'm sure there's a more technical term. But I like mine better.} Ryan asked if I planned to take out my earrings, and I said, "Why? Wore these on purpose so I can look cute for the pictures."

Right when we arrived, it started to rain, but we held on in case it let up, which it did. But I had to giggle at my own self, because there I was, out in the middle of a field, in my capris and t-shirt and dangly earrings, with big old ear plugs, my Vera Bradley purse hanging on my back, and the umbrella over my head. This is probably not the normal look for the shooting range, is it?

Ryan went first, and he looked like a pro to me!

And then it was my turn.

I will not lie. Scared. Out. Of. My. Ever. Loving. Mind.

It's kind of a bad mix when you throw the girl who hates to fail in a setting where she needs to hold her own in front of her husband, his cop brother, and the two other guys learning alongside us.

Rod told me to just relax. Seriously? Does ANY of this situation look relaxing to you??

So I gave it my best shot...so to speak.

Pretty sure I screamed when the shot finally fired, and all the guys probably laughed at me. But when I was done with that round, and Rod checked, he said, "Just so you know, you had a better shot than your husband."

Boom.

We each took turns at another round, and Ryan rocked it!!

The second time, I had one really bad shot, and I remembered that in our class, we learned one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to forget to breathe.

I forget to breathe often. Like this week...I've been a writing fool, and I've gotten so engrossed in my writing, I've totally forgotten to breathe. So when it occurred to me that I forgot to breathe, Rod stood there and said BREATHE, BREATHE, BREATHE, BREATHE...while I waited for my shot to fire. And it turns out he was right! That did help!

In the end, I won. I realize this is not a game, and there really aren't winners, but I so rarely win that I am making it a win/lose, and am declaring myself the winner.

Ryan was proud of me, although he did laugh when he found out I had every intention of keeping that paper. Forever.

And his mom told me later, that Rod didn't think I'd actually do it. Hey. I may be a big chicken, but I am NOT going to chicken out in front of all the boys. I'm braver than I look.

{PS - I may have come the closest to center this time, but Ryan ROCKED IT. He did great, and I am so proud of him!!!}

Bekah Goes to the Eye Doctor

Confession.

I'd never been to the eye doctor until this week.

I have read the obligatory charts throughout elementary school and of course, every time I went to the BMV. {Is it BMV or DMV? I never remember. But whatever MV place gives eye tests and licenses...that one.}

I've never had pain, blurry vision, double vision, or anything else that would send me to the doctor. And I saw no reason to pay the money for such things if I didn't feel I needed to be seen.

After all, that money can be invested in Hobby Lobby, you know. But Ryan doesn't fully appreciate the investments of the Hobby Lobby clearance aisle, so he said I needed to make an appointment at the eye doctor. He said it would be good to get a base line. You know what else would be good? A base line of clearance decor.

So I made an appointment, and I have to start this story by saying that our eye doctor is AMAZING. He's a friend of ours from our old church, and he's filled with kindness and personality and a calming presence about him that sucked the anxiety out of even me. I was not nervous for one minute about seeing HIM. I knew he would be understanding, professional, and nothing short of ideal. My nervousness stemmed from Ryan's enthusiastic storytelling after his own previous appointments. The stories in which he told me all the "really cool stuff" they can read in your eyes. Stuff like diabetes, high cholesterol and even brain tumors.

Yes. Let's find some of THAT on a Monday afternoon, shall we? Because I've not had enough in the past year, what with the periodontal surgery and the gallbladder eviction.

So I went. I drove myself to the eye doctor and took the clipboard of forms and promptly began filling them out. One of the questions asked what prompted this visit, and I wrote {not kidding} "My husband said I had to." Apparently this is not a common answer on a medical form, but it did crack up the office staff.

I sat like a big girl in the waiting room and Instagrammed this picture, in which I declared my eyes looked fine to me...and would anyone notice if I sneaked out???

The nice lady called me back, and I had my first test...in which I donned this SUPER CUTE eye patch and punched a little button every time I saw a dot flash in the machine. It's possible I got distracted and started punching it every time I saw a dot flash OR heard the machine move. I scored OVER 100% on that one. LOL!!

I asked the nice lady if I could take a selfie with the eye patch, because I'm a blogger, and she kindly turned on the light so I could take this picture {which I'm sure will revolutionize your life and be totally worth the delay in her day}...and she said lots of people take pictures. Then she paused and said, "Well, come to think of it, it's actually usually parents taking pictures of kids." Yeah. Well. My mom didn't come with me, so I'm on my own here.

I survived the puff of air, the picture of my eyeball, and NEARLY survived the eye drops she put in to dilate my pupils. Seriously cannot handle stuff in my eyes, so I had to have that done a couple of times, because I may have dodged out of the first attempt. {That would have been a well-deserved second reference to childish behavior, but she refrained.}

And then I waited for the good doctor. Waited while taking more selfies, of course.

He arrived and we talked about how my eyes felt, especially given the hours I spend reading and in front of a computer each day. I recommended he increase his biggest hour option on the form from 10 hours to 24. Because that's what I needed for my form.

He showed me pictures of my eye and told me it was textbook healthy. I followed his hand with my eye and held still while he put the brightest kind of light in my eye. I could read the line below the 20/20 vision line, so he said we're in great shape for a while.

"In great shape" is not a sentence I hear often, so I almost wanted to ask for it in writing. He said the tests stretched out my eye muscles, and I asked if that could count as my workout for the day. And he said yes. So I let it.

At the end of the appointment, he asked if I had any questions and then launched into his obligatory medical speech, which encouraged me to eat healthy, with lots of greens. I asked if green cupcakes counted, and he said that was not the first time he had that question, but typically it came from a four-year-old.

At last I'm consistent.

And then it was over! I survived and took my mildly dilated pupils straight to the ice cream shop where I treated myself to a small chocolate milkshake that was worth every calorie. It was delicious. I can't even remember the last honest-to-goodness small-town-shop milkshake I had.

So that's it! My first visit to the eye doctor. Painless, truly, though not nearly as pretty as a cruise through the clearance aisle at the Hobby Lobby. 

Dreams of the Big and Small Varieties

If you've traveled with me very long at this blog, you know that I do have a fond affinity for houses. If there's a marathon of...well, anything...on HGTV, I'll be watching and coaching from the couch. While normal people spend their free time on Facebook or Pinterest, I spend mine on the realtor app. I've been known to take the long way home from just about anywhere so I can drive by "that one house." If I had my way about it {and I didn't need naps} I would spend every single Sunday afternoon traveling around town attending open houses.

And yet I fear that if left to my own devices, I would be a realtor's worst nightmare, because I truly have no common love when it comes to a house. {This is where Ryan will have to step in and be our voice of reason if and when it ever becomes our turn to create or move to a new Shafferland.} I have fallen madly and deeply in love with lofts in the middle of a city, trailers {not cottages, but actual TRAILERS} by the lake, tiny bungalows that would make furniture placement a game of serious strategy, and sprawling mansions that would make the most perfect B and B.

Obviously I have no idea what God has planned for our future. {If He's mentioned anything to you, can you give me a jingle and clue me in, please? Thanks!} But dreaming can't hurt, right? So today I've pulled my two most opposite dreams together into one blog post.

The Tiny.

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Oh yes. I watch the Tiny House Hunters show on HGTV. And most of the time, truthfully, they're too tiny for me. I love Ryan and pretty much anytime we are home together, we're in the same room, but there's something slightly claustrophobic to me about not having another room to CHOOSE to go into, should I need just a moment.


But now and then, there's something really appealing about a small house. I mean, after all, it's just the two of us. Three, if you count Braeya, but she usually sits ON one of us, so even she doesn't require extra square footage. When I think about the small house, I think about all the time we could have to do {insert idea of the moment here} because we don't have to spend that time cleaning or maintaining the space. I think of cozy. I think of writing. I think of freedom when I think of tiny. Less stuff, more time.

And because around here, anyway, there aren't a ton of tiny houses in locations I would deem very safe, there's always the additional dream of creating this home for ourselves. Of building it and being able to blog about all the fun things we found here and there for next to nothing, and together they made our home. Of being able to walk a visitor through every square inch of the space {which wouldn't take long since there wouldn't be many of them} and tell them the stories of how each detail came to be.

The Huge.

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I do not want a big house just for us. I used to think it would be grand to have a home that was virtually a city within itself. A workout room and an office, a home theater and a pool. Then I realized it had to be cleaned. {And yes, I know, if you can afford a home like that, you can afford to hire someone to clean it. But still.}


But there is a little part of me that has always loved the dream of a B and B. Yes, I know there are horror stories {I've read the blog posts} of havoc created by guests, but I still think the idea is charming. The first time I ever stayed in one, five years ago, I arrived while the innkeeper was still getting my room ready, and I sat on the couch and talked her ear off about how she got into the industry, and when I got ready to check out the next day, I talked her husband's ear off about his own story. And I loved it. I felt like I had new friends...and I still remember their names.

I think Ryan and I would make good innkeepers...and there's still that seed of a dream that one day, we'll encounter the money to buy such a place and make it ours. Make it a Shafferland to share. A place to offer rest to the weary and love on their hearts while they stay.

And on the flip-side of that, when I worked at the station, I interviewed an author whose book told of a season in her life when she lived in community. When she was a roommate with a couple of families who pooled their resources of finances and giftings and lived together. They shared the meals and the work - and the fellowship - and supported one another in the journey. And while I fear I might miss my privacy, there's also a part of me that thinks having a big house to be able to share it with others, not as income, but just as life...would be a beautiful thing.

And in both these versions of the big dream, it's the stories that captivate me. It's being able to share and knowing that in the sharing, there are stories and lessons to be learned.

Hmmm...come to think of it, it was all about the story in the small dream too. So maybe I do have more of a common thread in the house dream than I knew. It's in the story. After all, for me, it always comes back to the story.

In Which We Date

I feel like it's been a while since I shared with you one of our random, totally-Shaffer date nights.

And so...I bring you this past Friday.

I had some errands to run in Kokomo, so I did those, and then I went to Ryan's work to meet him. I always love going to his work, because his co-workers are fun and I like talking to them!!

We started out with dinner at this little burger joint that I always thought was only a drive-thru place. True, there's not really much room inside - but they had picnic tables down by a "river." {I say "river" because it's not overly picturesque, but we don't care. We like water.}

 Ryan had a gyro and I got a burger - of course. Because when given a choice, I will ALWAYS choose a burger or pizza.

It was a perfect night for eating outside - and I was nervous, because I didn't know we were eating outside and hadn't brought my bug spray, but I didn't get a single bite. YAY!

Next up? Price-checking at the food service store. LOL! I know, don't we have the funnest dates?? Kokomo has a GFS, and we there were a few things I wanted to price check, so we we went in with our list and a basket.

And NO. These did NOT make it into the cart.

We left the store {withOUT the beans} and made our way through the mall, where we didn't find much to buy, but we did find some interesting spelling interpretations on signs.

I wanted to go to Old Navy to look through their clearance section for some items for my capsule wardrobe. I think there's a possibility I took too long picking through the clothing:

But he was so proud!

For the record, someone else started the picture, so he really didn't color outside the lines.




Not sure if you can tell, but Ryan was RIDICULOUSLY tired. He had a really long week, and he was facing a full day of work on Saturday. It's always mentally tiring to go into a weekend knowing you don't really get one, and I felt really sad for him!!

We decided to caffeinate, so we went to Starbucks, and when we arrived, we saw mall security in the parking lot, with a group of people gathered around. We never did find out what happened, but interestingly enough, there was ALSO a Ghostbusters car on the scene when we arrived. Seriously. I wish I would have taken a picture.

I did get a picture of this:

We so wanted to go home and sleep, but alas, we had to go to the grocery store first. It all went well until checkout.

 And this is why we shop together. He cheers me up in checkout. :)

Granted, it might not have been our most romantic or energetic date, but it was good to be together. I know Ryan would have probably MUCH rather rested up in anticipation of working on Saturday, so I appreciated a date night!

The Shafferland Shuffle

* Last Sunday, our church had a baptism and baby dedication day, and a couple from our Sunday School class celebrated the baptism of their daughter. I had the opportunity to take pictures for them, and I really enjoyed that. That afternoon, I went to a bridal shower, and then we got to spend the rest of the day at home, resting on Mo and enjoying our jalapeno poppers we made and grilled. We'd had a long, hard-work-filled weekend, and resting was much-needed.

* Monday was a first in Shafferland. Though I have never fired a gun before {and was okay with that!!} and Ryan hadn't had much experience in the department either, we met up with his brother, who works in law enforcement, and took a mini-class in gun safety, and then we had the chance to put into practice what we'd learned. I was scared out of my mind, but I did well, and actually had the shot closest to the target! {That might never happen again, so I figure it deserves documentation.}

* Schools are pretty much fully back in session around here, and on Tuesday, one of my blognonymous friends sent her kiddo to kindergarten for the first time. I figured no mama should be alone after that, so I got Starbucks for me and Mountain Dew for her, and hung out with her for the morning while she processed this huge change in life! The rest of the day was low key, but it included experimenting with homemade dishwasher detergent and running 2 miles!

* Wednesday night, we had house guests! That was fun! My sister and brother-in-law were passing through, and we were so excited they wanted to stay with us. I put clean sheets on the bed for them {or was it for Braeya? Can't tell...} and Ryan and I got to have a midweek slumber party on Mo!! We went for a run that night, too, and my GOODNESS. What a gorgeous, gorgeous sky for that!

* Thursday morning, I had the opportunity to take pictures for my sister and brother-in-law for their upcoming 30th anniversary. It was a perfect day outside, and we went down to the IWU campus for our photo shoot. Stunning out there! Ryan attended a class that evening - a continuing education class, where he said he learned all kinds of good and helpful things - and he volunteered to be used in the training, so he came home all taped up!

* Friday morning, I met up with a friend for coffee...a friend I'd never met with before, and we had a spectacular time. Great way to start a day...that was also DATE DAY!!! I was so excited for that. I went to meet Ryan at his work at the end of the day, and we went out to eat and then went shopping. Apparently I took too long in the clearance section, because when I found Ryan, he was at a table coloring! LOL!! We ended the day with coffee, where we watched in the parking lot while mall security and Ghostbusters cleared up an issue. And if you even think I'm kidding about the Ghostbusters part...

* Ryan worked yesterday, and I had some MUCH needed time with my journal and Bible and in prayer. {And sorry, God, for the times I dozed off.} After he worked, Ryan went to my parents' house to put up a blind for them, and THEN when he got home, we went for a 5 mile run in the blazing sun. It was not a pretty situation, and the time was terrible, but I completed the miles! We both smelled pretty yucky by then! Good thing we didn't have plans and could rest!

Linking up!

The Saturday Six

One.

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This bridal party story = adorable. You must look at the photos. {And MJ - thanks for sharing this one on Facebook so I could read it!! Credit goes to you!!!}

Two.

Even if you're not a professional photographer, if you like taking pictures, there's always room to grow. This article, though aimed at professionals, has great ideas at the end for photo projects. I've read bloggers who do a photo a day or Project 365, but I think there are some creative other ideas in here too! If you're in a picture taking slump, this might help you!!

Three.

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I haven't done this challenge before, and I'm not sure yet if I will do it {at least publicly} this year just because I already have a set pattern for the old blogaroonie, but I do love reading some of the series for 31 days of blogging in October. If you're interested in DOING it, it's never too early to start thinking of a topic! Here's the info...about the series and the new host this year!

Four.

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The first year of our marriage, we were CRAZY busy. Too, too busy. And one of the goals we made at our first anniversary was to begin protecting our time a bit more. To carve out days and times for rest. We've held to it well, in my opinion, and this article by The Nester is a great reminder of why we need rest and how to do it - because some people truly do not know HOW to rest! We all need it. God taught us that in the lineup of creation! If you've struggled with rest, don't miss this read.

Five.

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Ryan's cousin posted this link on Facebook this week, and I thought it was well-written, vulnerable, and filled with good reminders. If you have a dream in your heart that God seems to be saying NO to...that can be all kinds of hard. I appreciated this reminder that He knows the dreams...He's the Giver of dreams, and He has tenderness toward us. 

Six.

I had a little first in the reading world this week: I read my first movie novelization. {If you're not familiar...it just means that normally people write books and then if they make it to the big screen, it's because others adapt the books to make them work as movies. In this case, the movie was made first, and an author adapted it into novel form.} The book is The War Room, and Chris Fabry wrote the novelization from Alex and Stephen Kendrick's film.


The War Room {the movie} hits theaters August 28th, and if you go here, you can enter your zip code to see if it's coming to any in your area. This movie is a faith-based film, created by the same folks who did Courageous, Fireproof and Facing the Giants. If you enjoyed any of those, chances are good you'll like this one as well, because it holds similar strong convictions and tackles real life family and faith issues.

You'll meet Tony Jordan, a pharmaceuticals salesman climbing the corporate ladder, and determined to reach the top, no matter the cost. His wife, Elizabeth is a real estate agent who seems to become more and more of a "married single mom" to their ten-year-old daughter, Danielle. Their marriage is unraveling, not because of any one big offense, but because years of tiny compromises and poor decisions have added up and begun to take a toll.

As Tony finds himself lured further into the world and farther from his home, Elizabeth finds herself in a Divine appointment when she's hired to sell Miss Clara's house. Miss Clara has spent most of her life a widow, mourning her war veteran husband who died so very young. But Miss Clara has a war room of her own - a prayer closet where she does battle every day for those around her. She might be aging, but when she gets on her knees, she's strong and full of a blend of sass and saint. God pairs up Elizabeth with Miss Clara...and the two women battle together on their knees for those they love.

The story itself is characteristic of the previous movies listed above, and there is a measure of predictability and almost too-good-to-be-true timing {it is, after all, a movie}, but I will say that the MESSAGE of this book and movie is so needed at this time. Scripture is clear that we are fighting battles against a spiritual realm, and way too many of us are untrained and under-equipped to get out there and truly fight a battle on our knees through the sweat and the tears. If you're accustomed to just praying some nice, fluffy, well-crafted prayers here and there, you're not going to war. And this world needs warriors.

I think I loved the message even more than the story itself; I'm convicted to not just pray, but to pray for those around me. To do battle on their behalf. To do battle on my OWN behalf. And for that reason, if you can possibly read the book or catch the movie, I think it would be time very well spent. And if you are the kind of person who learns well from the example of a story, rather than reading books of application, then this story will teach you well.

* Thanks to Tyndale for sending a copy of The War Room my way to read and review. *

Creative Dollar Dates

Last Sunday, I went to a bridal shower for a sweet young lady Ryan and I went to church with at our first church together. She was in the youth group then and was always one of my favorite people to talk to each week. It's been fun to watch the progression of the relationship, which has been largely spent long distance. {How hard!!!}

As you know from reading about life here, dates are a pretty big deal to me, as is time spent together. I think successful marriages are born out of {first of all} a foundation built on the Lord, and right after that, a commitment to investment in each other. And I love it that said investments don't have to be pricey. They just have to be done.

So...one of my gifts to her was this date jar, inspired by Pinterest, of course, through this post by the really creative ladies at the Dating Divas. {GREAT date site if you don't frequent it.}

I thought I would share with you my version of it in case you want to try it for a gift sometime. {The original post contains a free printable with all their date ideas on it, but I modified some of them, so I'll give you  my own list.}

It starts with a glass jar - any old glass jar. I used a Ball jar with a canning style lid. I found scrapbook paper at the store, and printed out a label that said 2 Lovebirds, 2 Dollars, 1 Creative Date.

I used extra scrapbook paper to decorate the lid. I just traced the lid onto the paper, cut the paper a little smaller, and taped it down. The ring fit over it nicely. If you prefer, you could always use fabric or burlap or something on this part - this was just my version.

And now for the part that counts! :) The insides! My gift was a $20 gift, but you could easily make it more if you wanted. I got $20.00 in ones and paired them up, so I had ten sets of $2.00. I rolled each pair of dollar bills and secured them with a slip of paper bearing a date idea for that $2.00. Like I said, if you wanted more, you could either roll more sets of $2.00 and just add more date ideas, or you could roll $5.00 instead or throw in a few $5.00 dates. Get as creativea s you like!

Here were my date ideas:

* Visit a bakery and get two cookies. Head somewhere fun to enjoy.

* Rent 2 dollar movies and have a movie night.

* Go to the dollar store and surprise each other with a creative gift!

* Go to a drive-thru and get a milkshake...and two straws.

* Eat a box of ice cream sandwiches while watching the sunset.

* Lay on a blanket and stargaze while listening to 2 new songs you've downloaded.

* Get crayons and paper and have an art date.

* Buy books at a yard sale or secondhand bookstore and read them together (or to each other).

* Go to a flea market and find the most creative thing you can get for $2.00.

* Trade the dollars for pennies and make wishes in fountains as often as you can.

I had fun making it, and hopefully they will have fun making memories on dates! {And I'm not gonna lie...kind of want to make a jar for us too!}

Learning in Training #3

When I ran the 10K in 2012, I accomplished something I truly never thought I could do. I was not a runner. I was not athletic. I was not everything that a race of 6.2 miles seemed to require. I hung up my medal, smiled at my accomplishment and moved on to wedding planning. I did not figure running toward a goal, toward a finish line, would ever be something I did again.

And certainly not a goal of 13.1 miles. Thirteen miles were made to be driven in an air conditioned car, not pounded out on pavement one footstep at a time.

I never meant to run a half. And Ryan told me the other day one thing he said he would NEVER do was run a half marathon.

And so of course, we've both registered for the Haiti Half, because this is how our life works. {I know I haven't said much about Ryan doing this with me, mostly because the focus of these posts has been about what God has done in my heart. But yes, Ryan is running too, at his own pace this time, but taking on the challenge with me, and doing a magnificent job, I might add.}

So week 3 of my training is done now.

I ran a total of 14 miles that week, which means if I could only have a week to complete the race, I could do it. Oh wait. I don't get a week, do I?

Summer marched on, with the first day of running bringing hot {stifling, I wrote} temperatures, and my legs and lungs and head felt like lead. I pushed through, miserable with a time to match, but I did it. And then I went out the next day and did it again. And the day after that...the run that felt the best of any I'd done so far. Things were looking up. And then came the day I started out in a crowded frame of mind. We had much to do that day, and it was hard to keep focused. The weather shifted from pleasant to just HOT while we ran, and I struggled to finish well.

But on each day, I did it. I got through to the assigned finish line for that day.

And ironically, finish lines were the lesson for me that week. God kept my mind focused on the same verse as last week: Hebrews 12:1 - "let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

But this time, the emphasis was on the last phrase: the race marked out for us.

We've established that I am not a runner. I'm still not a runner. Making a crazy good time on the clock is not my gig and won't be. It's not how I'm crafted. My body doesn't glide with good form, and my face doesn't relax into a smile like that viral picture of the happy runner at whatever marathon a couple of years ago. I probably look like I'm about to give birth, and I know I feel like it. Ryan can run almost twice as fast as I can. His times always surpass mine by embarrassing levels.

And if I set all those things in the front of my mind and thought about them while I ran, I would be so discouraged. SO discouraged. I'd be trying to run the race of the real athletes that sprint by while I huff and puff and grasp my water bottle. I'd be trying to match Ryan's pace, which is not even Bekah-ly possible. My job, on each day of training and on the day of the race, is to run the race marked out FOR ME. The route might match that of all the other runners, but the pace and the journey will be mine. And my job is to run THAT race.

The first week I trained, Ryan and I ran one day at the lake, and there was a 5K happening in that town that morning. As we came home from a rather lackluster and frustrating run, I snapped a selfie with the finish line of the 5K behind me. I joked that I should take that picture because I might never make it to the finish line of the half. A funny joke, but the truth is, that wasn't my finish line. That picture is meaningless {even if funny} because that wasn't my race. It holds no value because it wasn't mine. My job is to run the race set out for me. 

 I have to run my race in honor of all those in Haiti who have to run their races...which also don't look like mine. Mine might not be the prettiest or the fastest, but it's mine, and I'm called to it.

{** For those of you who have registered, and I know there have been some, and others of you pondering it, I read on the event Facebook page yesterday that due to low registration numbers, they're postponing the half portion of this event until next year, but the 5K will go on as scheduled. Ryan and I still plan to run the 5K and would love for any of you to join us. If running a half is daunting but a 5K seems feasible, think about it!!**}

{Previous posts on this topic.}
The Haiti Half
Learning in Training #1
Learning in Training #2

Jalapeno Poppers

When I lived at home with Mom and Dad, we had pepper in the house. It sat in a shaker next to the salt. That was the extent of pepper usage, I think. In my grown up years, I've graduated to the bold use of green peppers...and sometimes {gasp!!} even yellow and red!

But jalapenos? Oh no. Wayyyyyy too much heat in those.

But a few weeks ago, Ryan came home with a handful of jalapeno peppers given to him by someone at work. He asked if I could find a recipe to make jalapeno poppers at home...so of course, I Pinterested. Found this recipe and made a pretty close version of it. We declared it a winner and keeper...and a few days ago, he came home with a few more jalapenos.

It's a tradition on Shafferland Sunday nights to have appetizer style foods - especially during football season - so I'm excited to have a new recipe in our repertoire. It's not the healthiest item in our recipe box...but it is certainly all kinds of delicious!!

Hope you love them! And if you have never tried cooking with jalapenos before...don't let them scare you! It might just be one of your new favorite things!

Jalapeno Poppers

* 12 jalapeno peppers
* 1 brick of low fat cream cheese, softened
* 1 cup shredded cheese
* 1 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/2 teaspoon paprika
* 12 slices of bacon

Wash the outside of the jalapenos and CAREFULLY cut them open and remove the seeds. {See below for warnings on the heat and its effects!!!} Combine cream cheese, shredded cheese, garlic powder, and paprika in mixing bowl and beat until well combined. Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the pepper halves and wrap 1/2 slice of bacon around each one. Secure with a toothpick and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or grill until bacon is cooked well.

* The original blog post said you can assemble these the day before and cook the next day, if that should ever be helpful to you in party prep. She also said you can assemble and freeze them for up to two months, thaw them overnight and then bake or grill. I love anything that lets you work ahead!

* Since this was Ryan's treat, we used real bacon, but I think these would be just as good with turkey bacon...and if you used low fat cream cheese and low fat shredded cheese, they would be just about as healthy as a jalapeno popper could get. {You could also cut down on the amount of filling you put inside each pepper to help with the calorie count.}

* If you really don't like jalapenos, you could use this filling inside the similarly sized sweet peppers that are red, yellow, and green. They would be small, fun, and a good appetizer without the heat.

* We noticed ours got spicier with time. So the ones we did not eat immediately and reheated the next day had more of a kick to them.

* We dipped them in ranch too...not because we really wanted to make them even more calorie laden, but because the ranch added some cooling for our poor little tongues!!

* Let's talk about the heat. It is NO JOKE. I think Ryan and I might be both overly sensitive to the heat, so when Ryan cut the peppers, he wore a mask and glasses. Unfortunately, even though he washed his hands twice after working with the peppers, he must not have gotten all of it off his hands, and he ended up with a face on fire after he touched his face! So next time we're adding gloves. Maybe you could get away without all the gear, but if you are sensitive like we are, you do NOT want to mess with it. Too painful!!

* Having said that - the deliciousness is worth it!! We love this one!

Memory Lane, Trip 2

Hope you enjoyed yesterday's little trip down memory lane. Hope you got some giggles. Today I have the second half of the fun. I'm just sorry in advance. Please love me.

We'll start with this one:

I lived in the country - and I was a nerd. So the majority of my activities centered around creativity. SOMETIMES I dragged my friends in with me. Such was the case with this stapled, hand created newsletter, written AND illustrated by yours truly and my dear friend Amber. {Who is still my dear friend.} {Or she was before today. Now it's questionable.}

I should pause to say that Amber is a talented artist. Like seriously talented. At the age of ten, when we made this treasure, she could probably draw something in an hour that would bring in hundreds of dollars. She's that good. CLEARLY when I said it was written and illustrated by the two of us, I did not let her illustrate ONE THING. And that was a grave error on my part.

From the top:

* This is issue one. NEITHER of us recall an issue two ever rolling off the presses.

* BEET??? We named our newsletter BEET and hoped it would be cool? WHO LIKES BEETS???

* The illustrations, not to be blamed on Amber, include a pool, a tent {at a campsite with a tree smaller than the tent}, an unintelligible ball or planet, I'm not sure which, beer and drugs {DISCLAIMER: we were both taking DARE classes at this time, so drugs and alcohol were near the surface of our minds and we were passionate against them DESPITE the failure to draw a circle around them and a big line through it}, and a canoe. WHY a canoe? I have no idea.

* Y'all have a safe, safe summer??? Did we accidentally move south? I have no idea.

* We also co-wrote a poem called JUST SAY NO, which went as follows: Picky, picky, don't drink whisky! Poke, poke, don't smoke! Ill, Ill, don't take a pill! Deer, deer, don't drink beer! Wacko, wacko, don't chew tobacco! Mane, mane, don't shoot cocaine! Pack, pack don't take crack! Ruff, ruff, don't chew snuf! Pine, pine, don't drink too much wine!, Mandy, Mandy don't drink Brandy! Lie, Lie, don't drink rye! Nope, nope, don't drink dope! Bed, Bed, you'll go out of your head!

* We did not know how to spell whiskey or snuff, apparently. We thought you drank dope, and apparently wine was okay as long as you didn't drink TOO MUCH. {????}

* THIS is why my college professor said poetry was not my first gift. Clearly it's not ANY kind of gift. Rift, Rift, not a gift.

* We are an embarrassment to our own selves.

Moving on. With a red face, I might add. Another school project here. From the top:

* Reflector on the front: safety first!

* Of COURSE there is a snack bag between the seat and the handlebars. Of COURSE!!

* Shout out to the Cabbage Patch.

* I have never packed a suitcase that small IN MY LIFE.

* "Goodi" sack. {Code for more food.}

* That's a dog? Is it part fish? Is it a reptile? WHAT IS THAT??

* Meal. Of course. From Burger King. Of course.

* And yes, even as a child, I felt it important to strap a window air conditioner to the back of a bike.

* I have actual tears in my eyes from this sad representation that still pretty accurately describes my life. {Swap the Cabbage Patch out for Ryan, but do NOT touch the food.}

In 1990, I went to church camp, and my brother-in-law was the camp director. {And a very good one, at that!} The theme that year was "Celebration" and each day of camp represented a major holiday. We celebrated them all just as you would on the actual day.

In typical Bekah fashion, I was on the journalism committee for camp, and I wrote the headliner for that day's paper. I recapped our celebration of Easter, and lookie there who won a contest?

Yep. We were at church camp together in 1990. He was going into 6th grade and I was going into 7th. And he won the candy hunt. OBVIOUSLY that was noteworthy to me. Today it would be noteworthy because HE won. That day it was noteworthy because it involved candy. I was probably mad I didn't win.

Since we started this adventure with my Dad as a pirate, it seems only fitting to end it with the day I met Abraham Lincoln.