Engagementversary Part 2

Sorry our day was so long that it requires this much time to tell you about it!

One of Ryan's patients told him about an apple orchard up near Peru, Indiana, that had really good apple dumplings. Don't need to tell us twice!!  So we drove to Peru, got lost thanks to Chloe {Ryan's GPS.} She had us lost to the tune of ELEVEN MILES. Good grief, Chloe.

Finally arrived!

By this time in the afternoon it was still crazy cold, and raining as well, so we hoped they would be open. They were definitely open...and PACKED! So many people everywhere!!

Thought we might get new living room furniture: 

 Apples, apples everywhere!

They had a barn with a little petting zoo, so we checked that out before going to look for dumplings.

 {The horse was camera shy. Looked right at us until I took the picture. Every. Single. Time.}

We went into the little restaurant for the dumplings and that was the first time our day hit a snag. When we walked inside, there was a gift shop and a wine tasting counter, so we walked past all that and stood by the "Wait here to be seated" sign at the front of the dining room. There were several empty tables, but when the hostess met us, she asked if we'd put our name in at the front door.

We hadn't, because first of all, we never saw a sign saying we needed to do that, and secondly, the front door had been crowded by people checking out at the gift shop, so we just squeezed past them. She took our name and phone number and told us it would be about 20 minutes.

How is this possible? There were about five empty tables! She said they had to call other people who had put in their names, and they could be anywhere on the property. If any of them failed to respond to the call, our names would move up.

So we sat in the {crazy hot} winery, watching the tasting.

I won't lie; I was pretty sad that we had to wait so long for dumplings and coffee, and while people from the wine tasting counter asked everyone around us if they needed anything, no one ever stopped to ask us! {Apparently it was really evident we weren't buying wine.}

About a half hour into our 20 minute wait, Ryan went to check on the progress and they said it would be about five more minutes. When we finally got called in, the room looked pretty much like it had 40 minutes earlier. We ordered a dumpling to share and some coffee.

Our dumplings and coffee ended up costing more than our lunch. Whoopsie! It was a good dessert date, and we did have fun experiencing the place. But I was really sad that it was such a hot, long wait for reasons that really didn't seem to make sense. :(

On our way home from the orchard, we stopped by the cemetery where my little nephew is buried. I hadn't been there in a couple of years:

Between the early morning, the busy day, and the cold and rain outside, we were pooped, so we came home and took a nap, and then I had one more request.

Oh yes.

Apple. Pie. Chai.

Oh baby.

McConn's fall menu is BACK! We went back to IWU and waded through the college students to get our first fall drinks of the season. Be still, my beating heart!

What a great end to the day! We topped it off with shopping for our Greentown-house-buyers and for our groceries.




Loved spending this day together!!!

Engagementversary Part 1

Saturday was our 2 year engagementversary, and in a rare twist of wonderful, both of us had the entire day off work. So I declared it a day of celebration, and what fun we had! SO much fun, actually, that it might take 2 days to tell you! {Translation: it will.}

We found out a few days before the big day that our realtor wanted to have an open house at the home we live in, so we didn't really get to sleep in. We got up early, finished up the cleaning that needed to be done, and prepared to be kicked out of the house by 10 a.m.

But Ryan was a sweetheart and decided we needed a breakfast treat. One of our favorites is to get breakfast at Subway. It's seriously one of the most filling and simultaneously cost effective breakfasts we've ever found. So while I finished up at home, he went out for breakfast, and we ate together in our dining room!

We got the realtor all set up in our house, and then we headed out for stop #1 of the day: IWU Homecoming.

This wasn't a big number year for me at homecoming, and Ryan didn't go to IWU, so we had to make our own homecoming experience. But fortunately, we're good at that sort of thing. :) Last year they started having a parade. It's not very big {yet} but it's kind of a cool thing. I find parades fun, anyway.

So we made our way toward the parade route and waited for them! A really nice man took our picture with the IWU sign. {Thanks, Random Stranger!!}

PS. Homecoming weekend is almost always ridiculous where weather is concerned. It's always either cold or raining or snowing or all of that together. This particular morning was gorgeous, but our first day of fuh-reeeeeeezing. I had on 2 shirts and 2 jackets. And a hat. And gloves. And I'm hot blooded!

Homecoming King and Queen. {We watched their coronation from a distance last week when we were out for a walk around campus!} 

 This was Ryan's favorite float. It really was cool. {Though I did wonder about the young man in shorts. You know. Since I was in four layers.}

 And this was my favorite float. HA HA HA HA HA!

 The two in the back seat of this car are friends of mine from back in the days when I attended Chapel Pike. Mike and Cindy Helvie are their names...they're missionaries, and I really appreciate their commitment to their marriage. {They renew their vows every five years, I think it is. I got to attend one of those ceremonies and found it extremely moving and encouraging.}

 I want this to drive to work.

After the parade ended, we headed to the brand new science and nursing building that just opened. We've watched {from a distance} as they built it over the last couple of years. What an undertaking! Ryan felt that since he'd been supervisor #1 on the building {??} it seemed only right that he go inside and check out the finished product. You know. To make sure they did it right.

We went through the nursing side first. I didn't take any pictures, but it was really cool. I've always known IWU has a great nursing program, but seeing all their new labs and simulation dummies and state of the art hospital/doctor office equipment was really cool. {The dummies could breathe and bleed and cry and talk and foam at the mouth and one can even deliver a baby. That's not too shabby.}

After that tour, I took Ryan to see a newly renovated classroom. I took Earth Science in that room way back in the day - when it looked way more 70's and not nearly so modern. It's pretty cool now. Of course, all of this was lost to Mr. Hey-Aren't-These-Anatomy-Diagrams-On-The-Board Cool?

We wanted to take a tour of the new science part of the building, but we had to wait for a while for a guide to be ready:

This part of the building is five stories tall, and the tour started out on the very top floor. It was very science-y {go figure. IT'S A SCIENCE BUILDING} so I found myself a bit more captivated by the views out the windows. :)

The top of the Christian Ministries Building...

 Library, dorms, and fountain...

 And my favorite, which will probably end up framed and hanging in our home. The prayer chapel where I prayed so long for Ryan.

After we finished the tour, we headed to Mi Pueblo for lunch, where we met up with our friends Bill and Kristin, who were in town for Homecoming. Problem: Ryan and I had a huge breakfast so we weren't super hungry. We decided to share a lunch, and it cracked me up when they brought me an extra plate. I put it in front of me and said "Welp, guess I'm on a diet!" HA!

Great time catching up with Bill and Kristin. They're foster parents and I think they said that was their first kid-free weekend in 16 months. Much deserved break for them, and I was glad for them! We had fun talking and then we set out on part two of our adventures for the day. I'll save them for tomorrow!

Shafferland Shuffle

* Last Sunday, we were POOPED when the alarm went off! Our long day and late night Saturday caught up with us! We actually overslept an hour and still managed to get lunch in the crock pot and get to church on time. We crashed big time that afternoon. Ryan even slept through the first half of the Colts game, if that tells you anything. Gorgeous evening, so we took a nice long walk and enjoyed the stunning sunset.

* Monday morning was my last interview while Lynne was gone, and I talked with Lisa Velthouse about her book, Craving Grace. She did a wonderful job. So proud of her! After work, Ryan and I went for a run {it was not a bad run for me time-wise, but it was MISERABLE for reasons I do not know} and then we ordered pizza. HA! We wanted to cash in on the 50% off pizza from the Colts' win. We found out our house was being shown Tuesday, so we spent the rest of the evening cleaning - and having a quick celebration of National Coffee Day! {Isn't EVERY day that day?}

* Tuesday was a cold and gloomy day all day - at least at work! Imagine my surprise when I got home to find out that just an hour south of work, it had been sunny with blue skies all day! Crazy! It had been my last day to work without Lynne, and I left a "Welcome Home" sign on her computer to make her return as sweet as returning to work can be. I was still feeling run down from working over the weekend and my last big interview on Monday, so we took it easy that night. {I did, however, dye my hair. And not orange. SCORE!}

* Wednesday I was back in my regular engineering seat for the first time in over two weeks Felt so good! Had a nice lonnnnnnnnnnnnng working lunch with Lynne and got her all caught up on everything she'd missed and handed over the massive list of work notes I had created. That night, Ryan and I went to church and then we went for a LONG walk and talk, which included a stop in the prayer chapel and a pause by the homecoming coronation taking place on campus! Great talk. Thankful he likes the long hash-out-life conversations!

* Thursday was our 22 month anniversary, and it wasn't NEARLY so lovely a day as the previous Thursday had been when we went on our county date! That evening, we went to the gym {though I immediately came home because all I had in me to do was walk on the track and the zumba crew was about to enter and zumba, and I couldn't handle them}. When Ryan came home, we had our modified cookout {cook-in}, ate cupcakes and watched TV. 

 * Friday sure felt like fall! It was cold and rainy all day, and when I got home, I found the first signs of truly fallen leaves littering the yard. Not enough to rake yet, but enough to tell us raking is on its way. BOO. Ryan had some chores to do around the house, so I took a quick trip over to my friend Lynn's house to celebrate her birthday! AMAZING cupcakes and fun girl time! And then I came home and conked out as soon as we started a movie, because I'm 90 that way. {Eyeroll.}

* Yesterday was our 2 year engagementversary, and to celebrate, we had one of the busiest {yet most fun} days ever! We went to the IWU Homecoming parade and toured their new science building, we met up with friends of mine for lunch, we went to an apple orchard for fun and for apple dumplings and coffee, and then we went to IWU again for the return of the fall coffee menu!! Topped off the night with a little shopping and called it a great day!

The Saturday Six

One.

Source

Last Monday, when I told you about our Wells County tour, I mentioned the books I found in the coffee shop - and about Zach Bertsch and his passion to spread the love of Christ, even while he was battling cancer. I was surprised and thankful to find a comment on that post from Zach's wife, and she told me she'd just posted an update to their blog about the work that continues in Zach's name - in Haiti. They are trying to place orphans in loving homes. You can read about the project here, and then check out the blog to see the updates of the work done there. Thanks, Jenny, for helping me find the update and for continuing work in Zach's name!

Two.

As you know, I completed my five interviews while Lynne was on vacation! THANK YOU to all of you who prayed, emailed, left kind remarks here and on Facebook and Instagram. I felt very supported and loved! Some of you have asked how to hear them if you missed them. So please do not think I'm doing this with any kind of boasting or self-promotion in mind, but I had great guests, and I'd love you to hear them! Click on any title to hear the show:  Annie Downs/Let's All Be Brave - - - BLT with Jim Barron - - - Josh and Shelly Buck - - - BLT with Ryan and Jim - - - Lisa Velthouse/Craving Grace. Thanks to ALL my guests and co-hosts and to Jim for engineering all five programs for me!

Three.

Angie Smith's new children's book came out this week. Not gonna lie. Wish I would have thought to write this one. I think this is a good one for gift ideas. I do love her style.

Four.

Whilst browsing through the grocery store with Ryan this week {waiting for him to nail down his final peanut butter selection}, I saw these new Jif Whips. I was curious, of course, because who can't adore the marriage of chocolate and peanut butter? Imagine my joy WHEN, the very next day, my co-worker Amy had one of these at lunch? She was kind enough to allow me to sample {aka have what would no doubt be considered eight servings} and I LOVED IT. All I had to dip in it were Wheat Thins, but I'm not gonna lie: it was a GREAT combo. Little salty, little sweet, lotta yum!

Five.

Nester's 31 Days of blogging has begun. I love finding new blogs to read through these posts! Check it out!

Six.

And finally. Your laugh for today. Mailed a birthday card to a friend of mine this week. I had a whole assembly line of cards going . I wrote nice little messages in them and then handed them to Ryan to sign and then I added my name, sealed and addressed them. Except I forgot to sign hers. So yeah. She got a birthday card with a whole message about how thankful she was part of my life and how much I appreciated her....Love, Ryan. Proud moment. Proud moment, INDEED.

22 Month-iversary

We have versaries everywhere this week. Monthiversary.  Engagementversary. Any excuse for a celebration-versary. :)

Yesterday marked 22 months since we said I do. Man. How CRAZY is that!?!?! We are looking our second anniversary right in the face, and we are just so grateful.

Our 22 monthiversary didn't go as we planned. Lat month, you might remember, we spent this auspicious occasion at our Greentown house, where Ryan fixed plumbing with his friend Randy, and I went on a walk with my friend Amber. We ate pizza on the back deck while I got eaten by mosquitoes and I bought overpriced coffee at Subway to constitute our anniversary coffee.

So this month was at least a little bit less work oriented. :)

Every month we take a picture together {with our coffee cups of course...} just to chronicle our journey. Usually we take these pictures in the evening, but we had plans to work out that night, so I suggested we might want to take the picture in the morning before work.

SOMEone in our marriage has a tendency to blink in pictures, so I told him we were going to take ten pictures. In that, I hoped to get one good one.

I should have known.

Just look.

Well.

At least he didn't blink.

And I never noticed it the entire time.

The day was long, and the evening was hot, humid and rainy. There went our fire pit date I'd planned. So instead, I whipped up some mac and cheese and Ryan grilled hot dogs, and we ate in the comfort of the living room while we watched a rerun of Mad About You.

Ryan even brought home a treat; one of his patients brought cupcakes from a delicious cupcake place in Kokomo. These were banana split cupcakes. SO GOOD!

So it wasn't quite the day we planned, but any time spent together is still my favorite!

Two Years

Two years ago today {by day of the week}, this happened:

The surprise of my life.

The surprise of a lot of people's lives. I had some 'splainin' to do with about 100% of my friends. Many had just learned I was dating...and some hadn't even learned that yet. And the thing about a live on-air proposal is...word tends to get around before you have a chance to prep folks for it!

But you know what I loved about that proposal? {Besides, you know, the fact that I got the perfect-for-me ring and the chance to plan a wedding and end up with a husband?}

Even the method of proposal was part of the redemption.

It was the first time ever in my 34 year old life that a man I dated was willing to stand up and claim me in public. The first time that someone ever said I love this girl and I don't care who knows it or what they think of it. The first time anyone ever took a monumental risk for me.

To be publicly claimed and publicly chosen, for me, wasn't about being seen and heard. It was about being unreservedly picked.

It was something that I don't even think I fully understood was still an open wound in my heart until his words poured out and healed it.

I treasure that about our engagement. I treasure that his love and his anticipation for our future overrode his fear of what people would think about the time frame or the choice at all. I treasure that he was able to discern something about my pain that I hadn't even recognized and he set out to allow God to use him to redeem that.

In the two years that have passed since this day, I've talked to a lot of you - by email, in blog comments, in person. And I have loved hearing how our love story has encouraged you. As I sat to write this, I didn't want to just haphazardly throwback to a Thursday two years ago for fun. I wanted to try to encourage you who are waiting and praying like I did for so many years.

My prayer that I am offering up today over each of you is that when your day comes, it will be entirely redemptive.

Your day will look different from mine. Your love will probably not crawl through a radio station and surprise you with an on-air proposal. And that's okay. The details of yours will fit your story.

But God doesn't leave His hurting children unredeemed. If you look closely {probably later, since in the moment, you will probably be trying not to cry/freak out/pass out}, you'll see the unmistakable fingerprint of God healing a heart wound.

I can't wait for that for you!!

Help My Brain!

Ryan and I have been wringing our hands {figuratively speaking} as we wait...and wait...and wait some more for our Greentown home to close. We have been given a time frame in which it might close, and we are very excited about that! Praying fervently that everything goes through smoothly, more for the sake of our longsuffering buyers than anything else.

WHICH brings me to my question of the day.

Ryan and I have such a heart for this family. We've been praying for them and praying for the house to be a wonderful thing in their lives. We wanted to put together a little housewarming gift for them, and I've been scouring Pinterest for good ideas of things to offer, but I figured all of you are as good as Pinterest, so I'll ask you!

I'm particularly trying to think of things that you might need when you first move into a home and you need that one thing you didn't think of! Greentown {if you've never been there} is not really a metropolis, and while they do have a Family Dollar store, it doesn't stay open 24 hours, and it doesn't have everything you'd find in a big box store, so I'm trying to think of things they might discover they need late at night when the store is closed and they don't want to drive all the way into town for it.

I did find a really cute idea on Pinterest for a "TP Tower" for the bathroom, and I liked that. Nothing worse than moving into the house, guzzling down a fountain pop and then realizing you gotta go and there's no toilet paper!

I also thought of buying a case of water bottles and leaving them in the fridge, because moving is hard work and sometimes you just want cold water.

Another thought that popped into my mind was an assortment of light bulbs. You know - you're assembling your lamps and turning on lights at night for the first time and then one burns out, or you need four and you only have three in your stash...who can't use more light bulbs?

So this is the start of my brainstorming.

So tell me, my friends! If you were moving into a new home, what would you want to find there to save you time, trips to the store, headaches? Or if you've moved recently and you can remember something you did or did NOT find that really stuck with you, tell me!

I haven't moved since 2000, so it's been a while since I went through this!