Grown Up Road Trip Games {Part B}

Yesterday  I told you about the first half of the road trip games Ryan and I played while smashed into a car with a week's worth of luggage for two...and all our wedding supplies.

We saved the other half for our trip home....and here's that round of games!

9. Movie Trivia!

 You might remember that on the way down, we played some TV trivia, so on the way home, we kicked it off with some movie trivia. I picked two movies we'd both seen {a real feat since I haven't seen a lot of movies in my day} and asked Sheryl {again} if she'd print off some trivia from the web. He won - but I helped him. Just sayin'.

10. Wedding Travel Trip I Spy Game. 

 Just a quick game...for twenty minutes - could we find something to cover every letter of the alphabet? We didn't get them all, but we made some pretty good headway on the list. It was fun - and we got to work together - which meant I couldn't lose! Ha!

11. Jesus Calling From Our Most Memorable Days

 I love the devo Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, so I threw it in the activity bag, and when we came to this one...we called out dates that had been memorable in our relationship - the day we went on our first date...got engaged...first kiss...those kinds of things...and we read the devo for that day. Fun to see how God was present in words in each of those milestones in our relationship!

12. Love Puzzles

  This game had to be modified slightly from my original plan. I was looking for a blank puzzle that was also a card, and my plan was to get two, have us write one to each other, and then open them later. But alas, the only blank puzzle Hobby Lobby had was a regular board puzzle. So I got that, divided the pieces into two piles and while we ate lunch at a Popeye's Chicken on the way home, we wrote messages to each other on the pieces. When we got home, we put the puzzle together and read our notes. It was much fun!!!

13. License Plate Palooza

 Went back to this website and found a printable for a list of the US states...so we could check off the license plates we found. We played this one for an hour and really got quite a few considering we weren't in the middle of a heavily populated area! Another one we played together!

14. Car Karaoke

 We LOVE to sing in the car...so it only seemed natural to suggest we do a little car karaoke!!! I picked some of our favorite songs....like 500 Miles and 10,000 reasons, and we cranked it UP!

15. M and M Game

 I saw this idea online and now I wish I could remember where!! I bought a pack of M and M's and we had to guess {without feeling through the package to count} how many M and M's were in the bag to begin with. Then we had to further guess how many of each color were inside. Winner got to keep the bag. And of course - I WON this one, thankyouverymuch. I rarely lose when chocolate is involved. But I shared. Because I'm nice that way.

16. Twenty Questions Game

 I searched around online and found different versions of 20 questions...picked my favorites from the lists - added a few of my own - and compiled a list to spark some conversation. We had a great time answering these!

17. Coffee Break!

 One of our last games - a Starbucks date! We received several gift cards to Starbucks for our trip, so I tucked one inside an envelope and we stopped for a little break. It was such fun!! {Minus the fact that Ryan talked me into using the men's room because whoever was in the women's NEVER CAME OUT the whole time we were there!!}

18. Mad Libs
Last game and I totally forgot to take a picture! I printed out some Mad Libs online since I couldn't find a book to save my life - and our last game involved rewriting the lyrics to some songs - via the Mad Lib method!! A twist on this game, that I learned from my friends Jon and Julie Crandall is to play Mad Libs by calling your friends to ask them to fill in the blanks. Lets you stay in touch with people while having fun!

So there you have it! Our grown up travel activities! If you road trip it this summer - hope you can use some to pass long hours in the car!!!

Grown Up Road Trip Games {Part A}

I've been hanging onto this post idea for such a time as this...for a week when not much is happening. Three days of being sick on the couch with the crud lends to very little blog material. {Though we did learn what happens when one spouse uses the oven as a storage spot and the other spouse is not aware of it and cooks lunch.}

When Ryan and I headed to Florida to get married, we had a 17 hour road trip in the car. One way. I don't care how good of a traveler you are...that'll tax ya! So before we went, I worked to create some games to keep us occupied while we drove. It's hard to find games that aren't just for kids, so I did a little modifying, and here's what I came up with. Thought I'd pass them along in case you have some road trips coming up with the overgrown kids in your life!

Before we left, I wrote up all the game instructions and put them in unmarked envelopes. Whenever we thought we needed a game, I'd pull out the stash and he'd pick one at random from the stack. We played in the order he chose!

1. Road Trip Bingo

I actually found some printables for Bingo on this website - and we did the roadside version. {We looked for things along the road vs. certain types of cars ON the road.} I printed out two sheets - one for each of us and held one out so Ryan could keep one eye on the road and one eye on the things he needed to look for. Our sheets were identical in what we were looking for...everything was just in a different spot on each sheet. So if one of us spotted something, we could both mark it off...and the lucky lineup person won. {I did his marking for him to make it safer.} Apparently driving did not hinder him. He still {so humbly} won.

2. The Vacation Bucket List

 We've had a regular bucket list for a while, but I'd noticed we often said things like "we should go there someday" or "let's make that a vacation spot." My memory is terrible, and I hated the thought of forgetting the ideal vacation spot, so our second activity was to make a vacation bucket list. I found a little notebook at home that wasn't being used for anything else, and I packed it in my travel bag. When this activity rolled around, we brainstormed all kinds of places we want to visit - anything from a little overnighter at a B&B to a big bad vacation that would take days and days and 12 suitcases {for me}. We'll hang onto this notebook and add to it throughout our marriage - and hopefully cross off many destinations as we make memories together!

3. Would You Rather?

 There's a game called Would You Rather? that we have at work. In fact, a few months back, I interviewed the creator of the game during one of our Mid-Morning shows. I borrowed the game we have in the office and pulled out a few questions {20, I think} and wrote them down. As we zipped down the highway, I posed the questions to Ryan and we each answered them and offered our reasoning behind the answers. Creates some pretty exciting conversation! {Sample question: Would you rather have an itch in the middle of your back all the time or an eyelash in your eye all the time?}

4. TV Trivia

 One thing we learned is that playing games after 11 p.m. when you've been on the road for half a day with no end in sight...is a bad idea. But we played on all in the name of staying awake. I had some help with this game. Ryan loves the TV show Everybody Loves Raymond and I love Friends. So my friend Sheryl chose some trivia questions over each show from the internet and wrote them out for us. I quizzed us both and guess who won? {Hint: He was driving.}

5. A Little Fill in the Blank Fun

 This is one of the first games we played in the wee hours of the morning after our itty bitty nap at the rest stop. A little fill in the blank fun! I hopped around to different blogs that had link ups to short answer something or other on Friday and I took some of the best questions and we spent a good chunk of time talking about them. It really made for some fantastic bonding...which is hard to come by at 5 in the morning!

6. Snack Break!!

 I wanted something that was more of an activity and less of a fill in the blank thing. So one of the envelopes had directions to pull something yummy out of the snack bag and have a little treat to help you stay awake!! When you're driving through the night - this is especially important. Sheryl had packed us the nicest little treat bag - INCLUDING my favorite apples: honeycrisps! So we ate those at some ridiculously early hour as our snack break!

7. Back Rub Break!
I don't think we ever actually finished this one, so there's no photo, but I thought there might be a possibility that we'd be so eager to reach our destination that we wouldn't stop and take care of ourselves. So....we were supposed to pull over at the next convenient location and give each other back rubs. Alas, we never did it. Think I can still collect on this one?

8. Smackaroo break!!!!!!
Another one designed to give us something to do while resting. We decided to skip ahead to this one while we were stuck in the 3 hour traffic jam. Because there really was NOTHING TO DO on that stretch of road other than sleep and cry and wish you had a bathroom!!!

So those were the games we played on the way down....we had more on the way back! Stay tuned!

The Crud

I'm sick.

Technically I'm on the mend from being sick. But I do like to milk things for all they're worth, so I'm sick.

Poor Ryan is so confused...because over the course of the last four days, I've looked pitifully into his eyes and moaned I'm sick...only moments later to jet out my chin and stomp my foot and declare I'm NOT sick. I really was sick but every now and then I felt overcome by a case of the germ refusals and tried to stubborn my way out of it. Too bad that doesn't actually work.

I'm not entirely sure what I've had...so I call it the crud. It didn't feel like the flu...other than the all over body aches and the general feeling of being hit by a truck {multiple times}. It didn't feel like a cold...other than the sore throat and the occasional sneezing fits. I didn't have a fever...I did have chills that fought with hot flashes. I didn't have a cough but I had a sore throat. So I loaded up on aspirin and echinacea {a word I can't believe I actually spelled correctly on the first try} and grounded myself to the couch with my laptop and remote.

This was Ryan's first real opportunity to witness the "sickness" portion of the wedding vows. I'm a terrible patient. Hold me? Rub my back? Rub my feet? I need a Coke. Do we have any more brownies? 

And he did all those things...brought me chocolate and caffeine...and most importantly to me, did not chase me out of the room in a cloud of Lysol. In fact, when I offered to sleep in the other room, his ding-ding-ding-RIGHT-ANSWER was I want you here with me. Oh I love that man. So I scooted my germ infested self right up next to him and snuggled in for the night.


I stayed home from work for 2 days {mostly trying to NOT spread the germs to the rest of the station since it appeared way too many of us were already out with some version of the crud} - and I counted down the hours until Ryan's return while I did my best to rest.

I'm a horrible rester. I feel so guilty just sitting, so I did all my best sitting activities. I emailed and scrapbooked and Pinterested and dreamed up reception details and caught up on my DVR'd shows....and felt that at the end of the sickness, I at least had something to show for all the trouble.

And now I'm ready to be well. I'm ready to go to work and weed through the mass of emails and work that piled up in the last seven days I've been away from my desk. I'm ready to come home at night and work out again. I'm ready to run errands and take a shower and wear real clothes.

So with that, I say - goodbye, Crud. And STAY OUT.

Two Months Deserves a DATE!!

Saturday was our TWO MONTH ANNIVERSARY, BABY!!!! Because I'd had such a long week at work, I'd asked Ryan if he minded not working that day so we could spend the whole day together. I knew when I went to sleep Friday night that I was feeling "off" - and when I woke up Saturday, he said, "Are you okay?" I told him I felt like I'd been hit by a truck and asked why....and he said, "Well, you've been swallowing funny in your sleep." Never a good sign.

I was DETERMINED to not ruin our day, though, so I powered through!!! In the spirit of recreating our first date, we started the day by going to the bank and then heading out for an oil change. I seriously don't make this stuff up, people. This is how we romance each other.

Then we headed out to register for gifts! We actually went back and forth for a long time about registering at all, because we both had full households coming into this marriage...but we had so many people urge us to register before our reception, so we decided to go for it. We started out at Target...Super Target, no less. {We had to go out of town for this one, as Marion doesn't even have a non-super-Target.}

Oh. Forgot to tell you - we continued our tradition of car Karaoke while we were out. Rockin' it here to the song 500 Miles. We're such goobers. But we have one jolly good time every time we get in that car!

Back to Target. Ryan was in charge of the gun....which he took very seriously.

I failed to tell him that the whole reason I wanted to go to the stores and not just register online was because I'd waited my whole life to use that little gun to register...and we completely finished up before I had even held the thing. He felt so bad! So on our way back to the customer service desk {via the chili sample table} I held it for a photo. And wowsa do I look sick in this picture!

While out of town...we decided to go to lunch! {Late lunch...hoping to avoid crowds. We're so 80 that way.} We had a gift card for Olive Garden/Red Lobster/Seasons 52/Bahama Breeze...and we don't have either of the last two in our area. So we looked online and found a Seasons 52 in Indianapolis. It was WAY more fancy pants than we were expecting. Like they don't serve sweet tea there. {Though he offered us any of 100 wines or a lightly flavored tea.} We opted for water and then hit the McDonald's drive-thru on our way home for a styrofoam cup fix. You can take the newlyweds out of Marion, but you can't take the Marion out of the newlyweds.

Anyway. It really was a tasty lunch, even if it was a good-posture sort of meal. I admit to being nervous that we were under-dressed when we showed up in jeans...until I saw the lady in plaid jammie pants. Then I felt much better.

After that, we went over to Kohl's - a very fancy Kohl's with arched windows, but I forgot to take a picture. I got to run the gun this time. :) Apparently that was a mistake. I registered for 7 welcome mats. This is what happens when the rookie gets the gun.

Even though I didn't feel well, it was such a lovely anniversary - including a beautiful card from Ryan. I love how thoughtful he is with stuff like this. Makes my day.

Before coming home, we stopped at the Cheesecake Factory {more gift cards!!} and treated ourselves to some dessert-to-go. {Took me three days to eat my piece.} We hunkered down in front of the TV and ate cheesecake, drank coffee, and watched our wedding again. It was the perfect end to our anniversary!

And the perfect gift arrived that day, too. Canvas People had a special and we got this 16x20 canvas for $14 plus shipping. We put it right up in the living room, and I love walking in every day and seeing it there!

SHARE 2013

Y'all..last week wore me OUT! Does this mean I'm starting to show my age? {Don't answer that.}

Once a year, we do a week long fundraiser to raise our support for the coming year. We don't play commercials on our station, so this is how we function! This year, we had "Cyber Monday" to raise money on the web for a day - and then four days of online giving combined with phone calls.

I laid out all my clothes for the week {station gear} and wore the tightest shirts at the beginning of the week and the loosest shirts at the end of the week because they feed us SO MUCH throughout the week that I sort of look like Blimpy McBlimperson by Friday.

This was Tuesday - in the phone room, surrounded by volunteers helping to take phone calls. That's Scott Tsuleff behind me...he filled in for Lynne during the Mid-Morning hour that day because she was still out after her mother passed away. I'd never shared a show with him before - we really had a great time!

My new friend, Penny, who was one of the phone volunteers. Penny loves coffee, scrapbooking, and Jesus {not in that order} so she and I enjoyed getting to know each other. And if you're wondering about the look on my face...it's a hard core case of "I miss Ryan." {We weren't allowed to have our cell phones on us all week. Yeah. I know!}

The whole I-miss-Ryan-itis continued with a fury on Wednesday. So much so that I actually asked to borrow his hoodie before I left for work, and he doused it in his cologne. I carried that thing around like Linus with his security blanket...and I'm pretty sure there were eyerolls and snickers all around me. But frankly, I didn't care. I was an overgrown 12 year old who smelled like a man and did not care.

{Never fear...I took the hoodie off, but as you can see...it's right behind me.} This is my new friend Sherry...another phone volunteer. Between calls, we played this evil game called "Find It." It's a tube full of tiny beads...and toys are hidden in it. You shake it and try to find all the toys on the list. Key word: TRY. Result? IMPOSSIBLE. Hence our faces. We folded.

During SHARE, we have a camera between the phone room and the studio so we can communicate with the on-air folks if we need to. Apparently Jim Barron needed to. Intently.

Thursday, I didn't have to wear the hoodie, because...my husband came to work with me! He took two days off work and drove up with me {read: drove me} and was a volunteer for us! He is so good on those phones - he has such a heart for people and I loved hearing him talk to them!!

I was SO glad to have Lynne Ford back at work...we were like 2 junior high girls who hadn't talked in a month. We hunkered down over our Chick-Fil-A lunch and talked 2000 miles a minute....ahhhh how I missed her!! I also missed Jughead...her SIXTY-FOUR OUNCE mug she hauls around the station. As you can see...they're almost the same size.

When the Mid-Morning hour came on Thursday, she said Ryan could join us on-air for a few minutes, since, you know, after all, BLT is sort of his show as much as it ours, thanks to his proposal and subsequent visits!! I so loved having him at my side for the first few minutes of the show!

We had to be at work at 5:45 on Friday morning, and we didn't finish up Thursday evening until after 7 p.m., so we just stayed at Lynne's house. I woke up with the mother of all headaches on Friday morning, so Lynne made me a spinach/yogurt/strawberry/banana/honey/good-for-me smoothie - and she made extra for Ryan. After drinking that AND a non-fat latte from McDonald's AND downing 3 aspirin AND receiving a neck-rub from Ryan, I felt a bit better.

Quick photo opp between phone calls. I'm not quite recovered from the headache yet. And I'm not sure why I thought that hair was a good idea. I'm not sure what is happening at ALL with my hair right now to be perfectly honest with you.

GOOD MORNING!!!! WBCL!!! Mr. Perky himself at work.

One of our volunteers has this super cute dog named Silas and he returned this year to visit us. Sheds like crazy but oh my goodness - he's SO CUTE!!

Fake smile. Still feeling off my game.

The back rub train made up of Jill and Jeri. Jeri and I discovered we look almost exactly alike from the back. Our hair is {currently} the same length and color!

My good buddy Sheryl Glancy!!!!!

And that afternoon, Ryan and I made a Starbucks run for the office. Ten drinks and four mad customers behind us later, we returned to the station, where we resumed our phone duty until 8 p.m. It was such a long day - but God was so amazing in helping us raise over 80% of our goal in a week!!

And after all that, I think I inherited the crud being passed among the staff members. I feel ROTTEN!!! But I'm so glad I made it through the week before THAT showed up!

The Shafferland Shuffle

* Last Sunday I was ordered to get extra rest to be ready to go for our big SHARE fundraising week at work. {I don't do well at resting on command, but I did my best.} Does a 2 hour hard-core-to-the-point-of-snoring-in-front-of-my-new-husband nap count? 'Cause I did that. That night we planned to grill chicken, but I'd sort of had chicken for the last four meals so I wanted something else. Ryan went to Culvers and brought back...ICE CREAM!! {Don't worry - NOT the main dish.}

* Monday was our first official day of SHARE...and we had a chili cookoff at work. And by we...I mean I just ate and voted. I didn't make anything. I have no special chili recipe. But I didn't let that chili far out of my sight.

* Tuesday was our first day of SHARE that included phone pledges, so I spent most of the day in the phone room.We had a lot of great volunteers come in to help and I spent time in between calls talking to them!And people...OHHHHHH people. The food we saw that day. It was massive. Here: take a look for yourself. This was just dinner.

* Wednesday was another exciting day at work...and I had a great time...but I'm not gonna lie. Five minutes before I left to drive home {arriving home at 8:30 after an extra long day} I found out our wedding video...the full version...had arrived!!!! It was the longest commute ever...but I got home and Ryan surprised me with special dessert and coffee - and we hunkered down to watch our truly amazingly crafted video.

* Thursday I had a special treat...Ryan came to work with me to be a volunteer for the day! He kept everyone in the phone room entertained, and he also found his way into the studio to be on air with us!! It wasn't quite a BLT day but we loved having him there!!

* Friday was the last day of SHARE and it was a long, LONG day. I checked in at work at 5:45 a.m. and left about 8:30 that night. A lot of intense fun!!! So many things to report...but among our tasks that day: a Starbucks run for the office. Aren't you glad you weren't the girl behind me? {I saw her face...and she gave me the very look I would have given her if we'd been switched.}

* Yesterday I woke up sick - which was SUPER...since we'd planned a full day to celebrate two months of marriage!! I pushed through...we headed to Indianapolis to register for gifts for our reception, we ate lunch down there, and we came home for a fun dessert date!

I Am An Embarrassment to My Own Self

This week {as you'll hear more about in the next couple of days} has been our annual SHARE fundraiser at work. Many long hours spent at the station...and you know, at some point, it's bound to happen. The "only Bekah" moment.

So Thursday morning I woke up bright and early and had the privilege of getting in the passenger seat in my car while Ryan drove to work. Because...he came with me for the last two days to work as a volunteer.

I donned my comfy brown WBCL fleece zip-up shirt with a cute little cami underneath so I wouldn't absolutely sweat to death.

I chatted with volunteers in the phone room.

I spent the Mid-Morning hour on air with Lynne, Ken, and even...my handsome husband.

I was recruited to be in this station video, which is kind of funny in a laugh-at-Bekah's-inability-to-scoot-in-a-chair-down-the-hall kind of way.


I chatted with even more volunteers that came to the station.

I participated in a 19 second video with Ryan - to recap the day

And then, since we had to be at the station at 5:45 in the morning on Friday, Ryan and I spent the night at Lynne's house. I pulled my jammies out of my overnight bag...took off the lovely station fleece....

....and found a pair of underwear stuck to the inside of that thing.

All. Day. Long. I'd run around the station that way. HOW it never fell out, I'll never know.

But you can better believe one thing: My laundry is getting a much more thorough checking on the static cling items from now on!

Good grief.

SSMT Verse 3

One thing I learned the last time I did the SSMT project was that the verses {for me anyway} tended to build on each other, and by the end of the year, I had this beautiful Scripture-laced picture of my year. 

My last verse had to do with renewing my mind and transforming my heart...and as you might imagine...that lesson didn't come without some significant "opportunities for learning."

Maybe this one area where I struggle is one you might understand. Maybe you have the same struggle. The longing to belong. 

You know what I mean? When you walk into a room where you know you should feel like you fit in...but for some reason, you feel like a glaring misfit.

And so it was, one morning, I wrote in my journal...Struggling this morning with feeling like I don't belong. Staring at my SSMT verse...be transformed by the renewal of your mind. I do not know how. I truly don't know. Hate this lifelong struggle with feeling like a misfit. Not sure what cures it. It's suffocating and crushing.

And with that, I glanced down at my Bible and saw this sticky note I'd hastily scribbled one day after reading one of Beth Moore's blog posts.

So I looked it up. And this verse became mine:

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

~ 1 Peter 5:10 ~

He's doing it. Even now, He's working. He's working to make a place for me. To restore my heart to a place of wholeness where it once again understands that it belongs. He'll strengthen me and show me where I belong...in all those places where I feel like a giant misfit. 

I love that hope.