The Saturday Six

 

This week we were the recipients of a random act of kindness that was such a blessing to us. I'll tell you more about it next week. But the warmth it brought to our hearts made think about doing an entire Saturday Six devoted to such acts of kindness. Here are some ideas for you!

One.

Ryan and I gave a set of these gifts to his siblings one year for Christmas, and they loved it. I think this is a great idea to give to anyone going through a rough patch. Someone overwhelmed by life? Trying to make it through caregiving for a sick relative? Taking finals? Finding time to meal plan or shop can be kind of rough. Putting together all the ingredients for a meal and leaving it on the front porch could be a perfectly timed blessing! 

Two.

School's going to be out for the summer soon, which means it's a great time to put together a unique gift for a kiddo with energy to spare. (Really...is it a gift for the child or the mom? BOTH!) I loved this one for making stick puppets out of wooden spoons and art supplies. Bonus? They can write and perform a play, too! 

Three.

Last Christmas, we played the Saran wrap game with our tenants, and we had so much fun. The thing is...I only hear of people playing the Saran wrap game at Christmas. It's a perfect year-round game, though! What fun would it be to buy a bunch of treats and summer-fun items from the dollar store, wrap them up, and surprise someone with them? It could be a great game night for a family and give them things to enjoy at home together too! Surprise a busy, tired family with a ready made gift game! 

Four.

Maybe this one stuck out to me because it's Mother's Day weekend, or maybe it's because I love a good soaker tub, but how about this DIY spa night gift basket? Bath salts, candles, the whole works. You probably know someone who needs a little encouragement to take a break and rest!

Five.

It's been a few years since I attended the births of my friends' four children. The labors were impressive in length. Most were a day or longer in length for her and most of that for the rest of us on the birth team. We would take turns taking breaks for food, bathroom visits, and even quick naps while she marathon-labored. With hospital restrictions still in place now teams are mostly reduced to dads only - which means couples have to enter the hospital prepared to stay for the long haul! It's a great idea to put together a gift bag for a dad so he's taken care of while he's supporting his wife! Snacks, hand sanitizer, you name it. There are ideas at the end of this post, as well as a whole bunch of other ideas about what new parents should take to the hospital. You can take your pick on what you'd like to surprise the new parents with for this part of the journey! 

Six.

You've probably seen these "Thanks for helping me grow" plant gift ideas, and they're usually geared toward teachers, when I see them. Of course teachers are deserving, but teachers aren't the only ones who help us grow! Who in your life has helped you grow and learn in some way? Maybe they don't even know they did anything to help you. What a great way to surprise them with a plant AND a note of thanks! 

Grateful

Today I wanted to tell a story I've told in pieces and parts on the blog before, but I don't know that I've ever told the whole thing all together.

I've been reading on social media that it's appreciation week for nurses, and my goodness, do I ever appreciate them! I am so not cut out for health care work, so I have deep appreciation in my heart for those who are not only smart enough for the job, but kind in their approach to those in their care. Who doesn't love finding a truly caring nurse?

It's been six years now since my gallbladder eviction, and that day, the Lord sent a beautiful blessing of a nurse my way. If you were reading along back in those days, you might remember that story, but if you're new, I'll recap it for you here.

Other than oral surgery, my gallbladder was my first encounter with surgery. My first time in a regular operating room. I was absolutely terrified. After fifteen years of debilitating pain, you'd think I would just be ready to zoom in there and have that thing removed, but that very morning I asked Ryan if he thought they'd let me change my mind and cancel it.

He said no.

Not only did they not accept my change of heart, they came to get me early. I wasn't ready. (I know. I never would have been ready. But I really wasn't ready.) I asked Ryan if he thought they'd let him come in the OR and assist.

He said no.

They wheeled me out of my room and down the hall toward the OR. Halfway there, Ryan had to let go of my hand and walk to the waiting room. I started panicking the moment his fingers left mine. They pushed through the doors and into the deep freeze of an operating room.

I didn't know they were so cold. I was already shivering from nerves, and then I had chills on top of nerves. They transferred me to the table and all I could see were eyes peering over masks. (This was before that was the norm.) Bright lights. Masks. Gowns. Gloves. It was all too much. I wasn't ready.

I looked all around, frantic to find a person who looked like they might believe in God and prayer. Before I could even open my mouth to ask, a gowned, gloved, and masked woman I hadn't even seen before bent over me. She covered my entire upper body with her own and whispered a prayer in my ear. She prayed for God to be near to me and comfort me. She said amen and vanished back into the rotating whirlwind of gowns.

The anesthesiologist had me count backwards from ten, and somewhere around nine, I fell asleep. I awakened half a second later in recovery, begging them to bring Ryan to me. I don't think too much time passed before I told him about my operating room prayer warrior.

When I wrote my evaluation for surgery, I mentioned her in as much detail as I could and asked if they could possibly find her and thank her for me, because she had been the most pivotal part of my relational experience. (Kudos to the doctor for removing my offending gallbladder, of course, but this nurse was my personal hero.)

Probably about four years later, one of Ryan's co-workers went to a weekend church retreat in our town. She knew the story I just told you and when Ryan and I went to the closing service for that retreat, she pulled me aside and said she was pretty sure my praying nurse was there. They'd met over the weekend and as the nurse told stories of her work, she figured out she was probably the one who had prayed over me that day. 

She found her and brought her over to meet me - and I knew when I saw her that this was the lady. Never did I ever imagine I'd have the chance to thank her personally for being there that day, sensing my need, and praying for me, but that's what happened that day.

I still remember her all these years later. I'm so glad she was scheduled for that operating room on that day. 

For all of you who are nurses, thank you for what you do every day. Thank you for using the wisdom and skills God gave you to help the sick, but more importantly, to comfort the scared. You are a blessing. 

(And if you've had a great nurse in your life, don't forget to thank him or her. Though Ryan wasn't a nurse, I can tell you that his soul was so encouraged by the kind words and evaluations of patients to were willing to take the time to let him know they appreciated him. Health care is exhausting work - especially right now. They need a boost!)

How Do YOU Plan a Vacation?

Vacations.

Remember those?

It's been fun to see vacation pictures starting to pop up again on my social media feeds, as people are beginning to venture forth. 

You know I love planning trips, but as I was working on one today, it occurred to me that everyone plans trips just a little bit differently. It made me curious how you plan yours!

Do you fly or drive? Do you pick a destination and add things to it from there? Do you start with the activities or the lodging? Do your vacations always end up looking like you imagine, or do you end up with a final product that looks nothing like the first vision? Do you plan every detail or wing it? 

***

We almost always drive. We do that partly because I hate flying. I get massive, massive anxiety, and it ruins all of that travel day for me. I think we've only flown twice in our marriage, and both times it was to get to Florida for a cruise. 

So it's a good thing we're road trip people. We love the scenery of this country and the chance to stop along the way at little coffee shops or other attractions. And we love having our car with us when we arrive wherever we're going, rather than renting one. (And now we'll have Miss Abby the RV to enjoy on our trips!) 

***

When we're planning a long trip, we usually pick a destination and then add on things along the way that we'd like to see. (Short, weekend trips are different. I'll come back to that.) Unfortunately, our version of "along the way" is up for interpretation.

Remember the time we drove to Virginia Beach to visit Mark and Lynnette, and "on the way home" we went to Niagara Falls? But oh, what a fun trip that was. We saw Virginia Beach and then "on the way" to our "on the way home" stop of Niagara Falls, we visited a coffee roaster in the Furnace Hills of Maryland and hiked Letchworth State Park in New York. That is still one of our favorite trips. 

Or our Friendtastic Fifth Anniversary...where we drove to Siesta Key, and "on the way home," we stopped in South Carolina to see our friends Gary and Jill, North Carolina to see the Holloway Fam, and then we threw in a stop in Mt. Airy and the Biltmore, too! We saw just about every climate in that eleven day trip. 

We try to come home a different way than we go so we can see more things and make the most of our time!

***

Shorter, weekend trips are usually built around the actual destination. If we stay in Indiana, we try to knock out a county (or two or three) while we're gone. If we go out of state, we try to pick a place with plenty to do in a weekend's time. We have had some great trips over the short term, too!

Chicago...running all over the city (literally) in the dead of winter.

The Creation Museum...with a side trip of ziplining. You remember the ziplining.

Our fall getaway a few years ago where we did all three lake-touching counties in northwest Indiana. Hiked the dunes, played on the beach, went to an orchard and corn maze...so much fun.

***

We usually start with the activities and tack on the lodging. The one exception to that was last December when we did a weekend getaway for our anniversary and found that adorable Airbnb above a coffee shop. I never would have picked Richmond, Indiana as a vacation destination, but that Airbnb sold us both. And we ended up having a full and fantastically fun weekend in Richmond, with plenty of time left over to enjoy that gorgeous loft Airbnb. 

But the rest of the time, we choose the lodging later. We've had some GREAT lodging mishaps - like the hotel in Holland, Michigan, that we literally fled from because it was so gross. Or the one in Madison, Indiana, that I cried over, because it smelled so bad. Or the Airbnb in Michigan where Ryan thought the homeowner was a painter hired to do some work - who also answered the door. Oh, I loved that story. 

We've also had some amazing lodging winners, like the loft in Richmond or that gorgeous tiny apartment overlooking the Indianapolis canal. OR the tiny cabin in the Hocking Hills of Ohio. 

I gotta tell you. Airbnb changed the lodging game for us big time. We've had so much more fun with our stays since then.

And now we get to learn the world of campgrounds! We're excited about it. 

***

Our trips usually end up looking like we imagine...once the final itinerary is printed. But they often look quite different from the first vision of it in our heads. (Mostly because we add on so many things along the way.)

We've been told we're basically exhausting when it comes to trips. We aren't the kind of people who just rent a place, drive there, sit for a week, and come home. We do something different every single day. We go someplace different every time we travel. (Nothing wrong with people who love renting the same beach cottage for the same week every year. It's just not our style.)

The only two times I can think of our trips looking different from the original plan were:

...the time we drove home from the Friendtastic Fifth Anniversary and got caught in ice on our very last night out, just a couple of hours from home. The conditions of the road where we were (near Cincinnati) and texts coming in from home indicated we should find a place and stay put for an extra night - so we did. 

...last spring when we went to Hocking Hills to hike, only to find they had closed the entire park. So we hiked other parks instead!

***

We plan every single detail of our trips. I've joked that if I could plan out every single gas station stop along the way, I would. In truth, I think the ONLY trip we've ever taken that wasn't planned in full ahead of time was our honeymoon. It was all we could do to plan the destination wedding. We had rented a room for the week and decided each day when we woke up what we wanted to do that day. I also think that's the only time we've stayed in one place that long!

Vacation planning, for me, includes full color-coded itineraries, reservations made ahead of time, and checklists galore. It makes me SO HAPPY to make my lists!!

***

So that's vacation planning here in Shafferland. Whether or not you have an actual trip in the works, I hope you're at least doing some vacation dreaming! 

We Should Probably Talk About Hair

 First of all, thanks so much for the birthday wishes for Miss Braeya Jo yesterday. She had the best kitty day. She napped. She drank a lot of water (a hobby for her), and she watched the birds. 

Next up, in important topics of conversation, can we talk about hair? 

If you've been reading here for a while, you probably know a few things about my hair. Namely, I have a lot of it and it's very attitudinal. 

I mentioned to Ryan the other day that I am actually not NEARLY as adventuresome with my hair as I used to be. When I was first out of college, I had about a hundred hair cuts and colors. I would try just about anything. You remember the orange mishap, right???

But it's been longish and blondish for a while now. And you know how it goes with me. When it's anything for too long, I start itchin' for a change.

I've been trying to grow out my bangs, which is also an adventure that comes and goes with time. Right now it's smack in the middle of ultra maddening. Bobby pins are my besties right now. 

And I finally learned how to curl my hair with a flat iron, and then one day last week, these four random sections of hair went on strike. They just won't curl. I have no idea why. They're just done, I guess.

I'm presuming humidity is ramping up again because the hair is also starting to grow (not in length, but in volume) and lose its curl by the end of the day. 

So last night I spent a small chunk of time on Pinterest trying to figure out if I wanted to try a new cut or a new color this summer. While I've definitely decided AGAINST the above cut and color, I am not sure what I'm aiming for. 

Do any of you have favorite "hair people?" One of mine is Nicole Huntsman. (Here are some examples of her haircuts and colors.) Though I don't want to explore anything as super short as some of hers, I feel like her general hair thickness and volume is somewhat similar to mine, and I like the ways she has cut and styled it.

So I shall ponder this for the next month or so, but if you have anything to send my way, please do!! (I would consider changing colors to anything that is considered a natural color. Because of my job, I can't go non-natural, so no blues or greens or pinks. Or orange, Bekah.) 

Happy Birthday, Braeya Jo!

We have a birthday in the house!!! (We have one outside the house too, today. Happy birthday to my sister, Lori!) 

Miss Braeya Jo is fifteen years old today. Can you even believe it? How? How is this girl fifteen?

I so, so, so remember the day she came to live with me. There's no way it almost fifteen years ago:

She was so tiny. So very, very tiny. 

She's still not super big, but she's all grown up and living a grand life. Here are some peeks from her 15th year...

She loved that sun porch at our Kokomo house. We all did, and we sure miss it. Every time the sliding glass door was open, she'd make her way out there to hang out on the porch furniture! 

And then sometimes she'd just stop to nap wherever she found a spot. Middle of the living room floor looks good!

I took this when we still lived in Kokomo - but she still sits like this. One paw out, one tucked under. 

She helped with the packing, once we knew we were moving. ;) 

And she took more naps. So did her mama.

Watched some TV...

And took more naps.

She helped write blogs...

She took naps on our suitcases during our move. (She adores our suitcases. If they ever come out of the closet, she claims one and sleeps on it the entire time it's out.)

We moved, and she took to her new home like a champ. She oversaw all the unpacking, naturally. 

She may not have a sun porch now, but she has a perch by the window, and she LOVES IT. We have a tree just outside the window, so she has birds galore to watch, and they make her entire day. She spends hours up here supervising birds. 

She found out she can hang out with Ryan even MORE now that we have a new job. Day made. 

Devos still make her sleepy, though. 

Sometimes the couch needs a hug. She's there for it. 

Her new favorite spot to nap is on our bed. She loves it. She always used to destroy our bed in Kokomo - so she could sleep under the covers. Since we moved, she prefers to sleep on top of the blankets and right by the pillows. 

She knows she's not allowed to have people food. It doesn't stop her from trying. I think the face says it all. ;) 

Hide and seek is a fun game. :) 

She's an ever present laundry assistant...

Christmas tree assembly assistant...

...and Thanksgiving dinner thief (unsuccessful). 

She's still Ryan's girl through and through, but she does still snuggle with me now and then.

And she's such a helper with the presents!

She joins us in at-home dates.

She's always dreaming up new ideas.

She's fond of playing games, too. 

So it's been a big and full year for our girl, but she's thriving, having fun, and well-rested. ;) Happy birthday, Braeya Jo! We love you, sweet girl! 

101 Months

Yesterday marked 101 months of marriage for us! 

A month ago, we were out exploring parks in Fort Wayne and celebrating the move to triple digits. Yesterday was a little less glamorous, but we still ended up having a bunch of fun.

We started out by going to church, and of course I have to stop right here to tell a story. We had gotten up early to spend some time in prayer and Bible study, and I'd been sitting on the couch in my black dress. As we walked out the door with one of our tenants, I looked down to see cat hair ALL OVER my dress. I scurried back in to get the lint roller but of course, the papers were stuck together, and I was in too big a hurry to mess with it. So after having been dressed for TWO HOURS, I hurried to change clothes.

I put on the same dress in pink, but of course I had to change my shoes, because the the black shoes didn't work anymore. Somewhere in the chaos, I lost my sunglasses, so I had to get my spares. I went running back outside and hurried to catch up with the crowd. When our tenant turned around she said, "How many colors do you own that dress in?" LOL!!! Just two.

My hair was such a mess. Lots of walks in windy weather over the past couple of days took it to its breaking point. But for better or worse, here we are at 101 months!

Church was great. (Convicting, educational, and so, so good.) 

After church, we had some leftovers for lunch and then we had a meeting with one of our tenants. And after that...it was time for our date!

Last summer, after we moved here, we visited The Frozen Spoon, which is a local ice cream shop. It's in Leo, which is the next town over from where we live. We've been saying ever since that we need to go back...but walk there, this time. 

Yesterday was our day. We strapped on our walking shoes and set out to get some ice cream! There is this amazing wide sidewalk that runs between Grabill and Leo. It's wide enough for a small buggy...which we know because we've seen it! Lots of people use it every day. People take their dogs on walks, people run and walk for exercise out there...it's a well loved sidewalk. And it was our first time to use it!

Turns out The Frozen Spoon was a little farther than I thought. I had it in my head that it was just under 2 miles one way, but it was actually 2.5 miles one way. So we got FIVE MILES out of this trip! Steps for the day = DONE!

It was the perfect day to walk, though. We said hi to all the horses (from mini ponies to Clydesdales) in their pastures. We talked all the way there and back, which was much needed as we go through this season of transition. 

We do love The Frozen Spoon. And yesterday, we tried something new! I was having trouble picking a flavor, so they suggested I try a flight of ice cream. We decided to split a seven flavor flight!

The Frozen Spoon doesn't have indoor seating, but they have a great outdoor seating area with tons of picnic tables. We found ourselves a table and took our sweet time. (See what I did there?)

This man, right here, you guys. I love him so much. I love how hard he works at this ministry that has been entrusted to us. I love how he makes time for me in the middle of the busiest day. I love how he does his best to understand me, even when I know I'm probably impossible to understand. I love conversations with him. I love laughing with him. I love 101 months with him.

It was the best date. It really was. I'm so grateful it fell on a Sunday so things were a bit quieter around WillowBridge and we were able to take some time with and for each other. We needed it!

Happy 101, Ryan!

Sunday Sentiments

Day one.

We made it through our first day of working on our own. In some ways, it's not a strange feeling. After all, when Tim and Justine worked with us, they had days off just like we do, so there have been many days in the last ten months when we've worked by ourselves. It's not uncharted territory.

What is uncharted for us is the unknown of how long this will last. There's a whole different feel to the building when you know the decisions rest solely on your shoulders, and your teammates won't be back in a few days to work through it with you.

Lest I misrepresent, we are not alone. We have Rob, and we have two other co-workers who are so unselfishly stepping in to help us so we can have some days off this month and talk through things that we need to process beyond ourselves. We are so grateful for them and their help. I honestly don't know how we could face solo advocate life without them. 

But it's still different. 

It's still new. 

Today marks 101 months of marriage for us. One month ago (which feels like 101 years ago, in some ways) we were out enjoying a gorgeous day and celebrating triple digits. Today we're on duty and though we plan to take a break to do something special for a bit, it isn't quite the day of freedom we enjoyed last month. 

And yet I'm even more thankful for Ryan today than I was a month ago. This season is strengthening and growing us in ways we've never experienced before. We're learning to talk even more openly about what's hard, what's confusing, what's exciting. We're learning to yoke together in new-to-us way.

So yesterday was Day 01 and today is Month 101. 

The new and the familiar. The unknown and the deeply-known. 

Naturally, we don't want this to last forever, but we do want to learn the things God has for us to learn while we're living in this time. We're clinging to our Bibles, spending extra time in prayer, and trusting that He won't let us miss a lesson.

Thanks for traveling along with us as we enter this next chapter of life. We really are excited to see what story God is busily writing behind the scenes. We await His revealing of the details in His time!

The Saturday Six

 

One.

Ryan and I haven't figured out our flower planting strategy yet for this year. For the last several years, we had a rhythm down of certain flowers in certain spots around our house. Now that we're in a new space, we have to figure out what works here! But if you're looking for some new hints and ideas for good flowers to choose and how to arrange them and keep them alive, check out this post. (I normally won't share sponsored posts, but this one had a lot of good non-sponsored information in it, so I'm sharing it anyway.)

Two.

Okay, if I've ever shared something like this on the Saturday Six before, I don't remember it. Forgive me if I did. But this DIY brown paper flooring idea is FASCINATING to me. If we ever are homeowners again...

Three.

Mother's Day is in just a couple of weeks...are you feelin' crafty? Here are some paper flower ideas that are pretty cute! If you start now, you even still have time to mess up and try again! :) 

Four.

Looking for a new hobby? This list has some pretty creative ideas: from composting (which I didn't realize was an actual hobby) to calligraphy and more! I am not sure I have time for new hobbies, but a few of them on here did pique my interest! (Not the composting. Not yet, anyway.)

Five.

I love strawberries and am so happy the season is nearly upon us. I also love the strawberry pretzel dessert. I found this post about making it in cute little jars for parfait servings. I am of the belief that all food is cuter when served parfait style, so this absolutely caught my eye. And now I want some...

Six.

Check out this funfetti inspired dessert board! (I love funfetti, so I kind of want to do this...except then I'd eat it all myself!)