Small Town Livin'

I grew up in the country. {Ryan did too, actually...about two miles from my house. Yeah. We're that couple.} My parents had a couple of acres five miles from the nearest town and twenty miles from the nearest city of significance. We were surrounded by fields that left my mom's clean windows coated in dust come harvest time, but our views of sunrises and sunsets were unobstructed. {And I wasn't at a stage in life where I could fully appreciate that blessing.} We had two neighbors within walking distance, and that was it. Everyone else was a car-drive away, and things like going for a walk or a bike ride were always a bit of a risk, since the road by our house was a heavily used highway.

When I went to college and moved into the dorm at IWU, my entire world was revolutionized by things like city blocks and stores within a mile of my bed. Essentially, I could crave a hamburger and have it in five minutes. Stop. Is this real life??

I became a bit spoiled with such conveniences and staying in the city limits the last fifteen years has merely fed the spoiling. I've been known to start dinner, realize I'm out of a major ingredient and HAVE the ingredient back in my house in under ten minutes. {If you missed it, that means I drove to the store, shopped, paid, and drove home all in ten minutes.}

But city life {even though Marion is just a "city" compared to the cities where some of you live} has its drawbacks. The moments that make me scratch my head and wonder if my parents did something right by picking a country life. And then I remember how much I sometimes need hamburgers in a hurry, and I realize I would make a very poor country girl these days.

But last week.

Last week.

We had that yard sale over in Greentown, the small town NEAR where we grew up. The small town where we went to school. I went over the day before the sale to organize our stuff, and I set up our folding table in the grass outside the garage on the alley. I wandered in and out, listening to cars speed by on the highway, and enjoying the sunny day. Every now and then, a car crept down the alley, driving slowly so as not to spit gravel into grass, and when the drivers approached me, they slowed down even more, stopping to ask if I was having a good day...if I was moving into the house...if I was prepping for a sale.

Complete strangers took time to pause their cars and chat, and not once did I feel scared for my very life. We laughed and joked and I secretly figured most of them would know my parents if I told them who I was, but even though they didn't know they probably knew me, they took time to be nice.

My stomach growled loudly when lunchtime rolled around and I made my way to the gas station for some pizza and coke {and it tasted EXTRA good that day after a morning of pawing through a spider-filled garage}. I wasn't so far from civilization that I couldn't get a good gas station meal in a few minutes' time.

I drove past the little grocery store...I watched all the regulars wander in and out of the diner across the street...and I even chatted with a neighbor who stopped to chat on her walk to the utility office to pay her water bill. {Do I even know where the utility office IS in my town?} I remembered the Friday night a few weeks back, when Ryan and I drove over late to move our rummage stuff into the garage, and the whole town sky lit up from the lights at the football field, and as we pulled out of town, people flooded the sidewalks, making their way home from the game.

We are fully aware that at this time, the Lord does not seem to be releasing us from our little Shafferland house in the "city" - but I will not lie. A weekend of small town life absolutely charmed my socks off, and it's hard to push away the wistful feelings of living in a lovely little place like that.

25 Things I Learned from Our Yard Sale

One sale does not an expert make, and I fully know and admit that. But today I wanted to write this post so I can refer to it next time I want to hold a yard sale, and so anyone who has been previously intimidated by such adventurescan learn from our successes and failures. I feel like this past weekend taught me many things about what worked and what didn't in terms of what leads to a successful sale. Here's the list of 25 things I learned. {It's a bit long, but each one was important to me.}

1. Start prepping early. I started cleaning out our house three months before the sale, and although we continued to add items clear up until the week of the sale, the bulk of the finding-items-to-sell work was done weeks in advance. This kept me from stressing out the week of the sale.

2. Price as you go. As I cleaned out every single drawer, closet, cabinet, and cranny of our home, I immediately put price stickers on the items going in the sale. This also saved me incredible amounts of time the week of the sale, because all that work was already done. {Some things did have to be repriced, because not every surface material was created to house a sticker for weeks on end, and we lost a few along the way. But the bulk of the work was done.}

3. Sell some good stuff. Some sales {as you know...you've probably been to them!} are clearly a dumpster labeled with stickers. It's obvious some people sell their worn out junk that they don't want - and probably nobody else does either. I think one of the things that led to the success of our sale was having a significant amount of good stuff. Much of what we sold {and the same went for my mother-in-law} came from simple excess in our homes.

4. Don't underestimate the "junk" that still sells. We had a cracked crock pot that I wanted throw away, but Ryan convinced me to put it in our sale. He said maybe somebody had that same crock pot, but maybe the heating unit wasn't working, and they could combine our good heating unit with their good crock. Or maybe somebody knew how to repair the crock. Amazingly enough, it sold. {We did put a sticker on it explaining it was cracked.} And there were other piddly things that I threw in on a whim...that sold. It shocked me that people would want some of it, but they did.

5. Make little gift packs. Rather than pricing out every single little trinket, I made some gift packs that sold really well. I used different size storage baggies and grouped like items together and sold them as a pack. It saved me time from laying out individual things.

6. Location is everything. I had learned from other people's previous attempts that sales at our home are not successful. We are not in a prominent enough location to draw in traffic, regardless of where we advertise or how many signs we put up. For this sale, we took our stuff to Ryan's mom's rental house in Greentown. The house was just off the highway and had great visibility. ALSO - the house was near a parking lot that made it easy for our shoppers to get in and out safely and easily.

7. Timing is everything. We held our sale as part of the community sale weekend, so there were people in town looking for sales, and we were able to benefit from the sales going on around the community. The official sale day for the community was Saturday only, but we did our sale Friday and Saturday, and Friday was by far a bigger day for us. It was a strange thing to benefit both from the fact that there WERE other sales happening and the fact that we were AHEAD of some of those sales.

8. Weather is everything. You can't control this one, but it really does affect a sale. Our Friday was stunning. It was warm and sunny and people generally wanted to be outside, probably because they know there aren't many days like that left in this year. It wasn't too hot, too windy, too anything. Saturday, we encountered some sprinkles, and during the hours that the rain was most threatening, the crowds were smallest. People don't want to walk around in rain, and you can't blame them.

9. Organize the thing!! I drove past a sale that started even before ours did, and I got hives just looking at it from my car. Tables were tight together, they were obviously packed form side to side, and I had no idea how shoppers would find ANYTHING in there. I spent the entire day prior to our sale sorting through every box we had, dividing every item into categories, and then I made signs for the categories. I figure stores organize their merchandise in categories for a reason, so why shouldn't garage sales? We had SO MANY COMPLIMENTS throughout the weekend from people who appreciated the organization and got a kick out of the fun signs I made. It helped them calm down, find what they needed, and have a fun shopping experience, and they seemed to really like it.

10. Presentation. We borrowed long tables from Ryan's mom's church, and we borrowed clothing racks from a friend of her family. Both were HUGE helps. We were able to spread out the sale throughout the entire yard and give people plenty of room to browse. We had the items displayed by category on the tables, so people could skip sections they weren't interested in. AND we learned that we sold things better when they were up in full view of the people {aka hanging clothes sold better than folded clothes and we sold more shoes when we put them ON a table rather than UNDER a table}.

11. Some people will rummage. Even though I was adamant about having every single item out on display, we had some friends drop off items that were unmarked in boxes. I didn't have time to price their stuff or space to display it all, but I learned some people are undaunted by rummaging through boxes, so it was okay to have the boxes there for those who wanted to do that. {MOST did not want to go to that trouble, but some did.}

12. Multi-family helps. We heard multiple people asking if we knew which other sales in town were BIG sales. It did seem to draw folks in that we had a lot of stuff. We ended up having a three family sale, and we had a WIDE variety of items between the three families. We did not have any kid stuff at ours, and we had some people who were looking for that specifically, but overall, it didn't seem to hurt us that we didn't have kids' stuff. {But if you can find someone selling baby/kid clothing, accessories, toys, etc. that can be a huge selling point!}

13. GET HELP. We had three "full time" employees at our sale, and then my mom was there for a big chunk of the time too. Next time I might make sure we have even more people on hand. You need one person to run the cash box and watch it like a hawk when it's not in use. And sometimes in a rush, it's helpful to have a second person there to sort prices between families {we had to divide the spoils, so that was an extra step for us} and bag the stuff. If you have heavy stuff, it's important to have someone to help lift it - and it's nice to have someone to help customers carry big piles to their cars. And then it's good to have "security detail" since yes, there are people who steal from yard sales. {We had a few.} Unless your sale is small, it's not good to try to run it entirely on your own. {Besides, you need to get food and go to the bathroom sometime!!}

14. Refresh and replenish. On the busiest day, I spent most of my time, walking from front to back, straightening things up, bringing out new things to fill in holes left by things that had sold {yes, we had so much stuff it wasn't all out at once}, and sometimes just scoot things from one side of a table to another. It helped people see things they hadn't seen before. I refolded shirts, pulled new things to the front, and took away entire categories as they sold out. Some people came back to our sale for a second time and commented that they saw things they never saw the first time - because I moved it all around and spruced it up.

15. People come early and show up late. Personally, I do not understand it, because I am a rule follower. If a sale starts or ends at a certain time, I would not DREAM of going outside those boundaries. But on Saturday, we had people show up early {who seemed irritated that we were still setting up} and we also had people come as we were boxing up the leftovers {a half hour after the close of the sale} asking us to unbox and cut deals. These things are not wrong, but it's good to have a plan in place to know how you want to handle them.

16. People will be mean. It's another thing I do not understand. It's a YARD SALE. It's not a life or death thing. But as I told you in my story yesterday, I would have cried over some of my first people on Friday if I'd had time. They were rude and pushy. We finally learned by the end of the weekend, Ryan needed to handle the rude people. So know that they will happen - and be prepared to have someone there to handle that.

17. Know ahead of time when to be firm on price. Part of the reason I had a problem with mean people was that they wanted to negotiate the price of items that did not belong to me. I wasn't comfortable accepting less on someone else's behalf. Finally we had to make a list {for everyone involved in the sale} of the firm items. We wrote them all down and put the list in the cash box, so regardless of who ran the box, they would know if the item could be brought down in price or not.

18. Pricing is a gamble. In all the articles I read ahead of time, some said to price things high because people want to negotiate them down. {Truthfully I don't understand that either. I would never do that. I would pay what the tag says or walk on by if I didn't think it was worth it. But that's just me.} Other articles said if you want to move stuff out, price it to sell. So I priced it to sell - and then people still wanted to argue the prices. That was frustrating to me. I'm not sure yet which is the best way to go, but I know we moved TONS of our stuff, so pricing to sell seemed to work.

19. Set expectations ahead of time. If you're doing a multi-family sale, it's a good idea to know ahead of time what the expectations are of all those involved. Is a representative from each family working the sale at all times? If not, is the hosting family keeping a percentage of the sales? Does everyone pitch in together for the price of any advertising taking place in newspapers or other paid venues? What time does everything need to be at the sale location? All good things to know before the day of the sale.

20. Having the sale at another location brings its own set of challenges. Because the house where we held the sale did not belong to us, we had to work around the schedules of others, and we also had to be sure we brought with us EVERYTHING we would need for the day of the sale. {Food, water, change of clothes in case the weather changed, change of shoes if our feet started to hurt, phone chargers, sunscreen, sunglasses...all that stuff.} I also spent the entire night between the two sale days worrying that the house would get robbed and all our stuff would get stolen. We also had to show up at the house an hour and a half before the sale each day to drag everything out and set it up, since we weren't holding the sale from inside a building that could be set up ahead of time. These weren't bad things, necessarily. Just things that have to be considered ahead of time.

21. Seed Money. Ryan went to the bank before the sale to get seed money for change. Even though he told them it was for a sale, they sent him away with mostly 20's, 10's and 1 dollar bills...and not one lick of change. NO quarters No dimes. No nickles. Fortunately, one of our first customers was a professional sale-goer and had a purse load of change and she kindly sold us some quarters. It was actually enough to get us through, but next time I would make sure we are better set with the money.

22. Social Media and other ads. We paid $10 to be included in a town map, and the town dropped off a handful of maps to our sale, which we handed out to others. But as far as we know, the town never advertised it in the local newspaper or the nearby city's paper. So to improve our advertising, I used part of my day-before-the-sale prep taking pictures of some of our bigger ticket items and I made a Facebook album to explain where we would be, our hours, and what we had for sale. And the night after the first day, I updated it with what items remained. We had several people come because they'd seen things on Facebook. So I think using whatever social media you have is a great advertising option.

23. Spring for some bling. I made signs on lime green poster board to put at the end of the road, and I bought some balloons as well - to draw attention. People seemed to respond well to it. I think it shows the sale organizers put time, effort and their own resources into it, so it's likely to be a fun sale.

24. Interact with your people. We had fun at our sale, because it was in our old hometown, and we got to see people we hadn't seen in a long time. We really enjoyed that! But even with the people we didn't know - we tried to strike up conversation, and several said it was the most fun and most friendly sale they'd been to. If people like you, they'll want to buy from you. It can't hurt!

25. Cleanup is as hard as setup. There's a lot of cleanup work to a sale. Our moms stayed and helped us pack up boxes of leftovers, tear down tables, etc. Ryan returned the borrowed tables and clothing racks, we threw away all our signs {go get the ones you put up around town!!!}, pulled flyaway stickers out of the yard, and prepared our leftovers to be donated. We counted and distributed the money, and tried to make sure all our helpers knew how much we appreciated the gift of their time.

So that's what I learned from our first run! For me, this was not just some random thing I did. As a stay-at-home wife, this was my WORK. This was my employment for the weekend. I put the same time and effort into it that I would into a job, and I was proud of the outcome. While my poor feet are enjoying the post-sale break, I'm glad we did it, and I'm glad it was successful! 

I Promised You Stories...

So...we've officially survived our first ever garage sale as a married couple, and really, for me, my first EVER garage sale on my own. I've been part of others, but this was my first time to spearhead the thing, and I'm excited about all the things I learned:  what to do and what not to do next time. It was great to have an extra day with Ryan last week, and we really appreciated our moms, who took time from their own busy schedules to help us out.

I promised you stories...and I'm here to deliver.

I read up on Pinterest before I did this thing. I read allllllll these blog posts of advice and what to expect and they were really helpful. And ALL of them warned about the grumpy customers. The ones who want to haggle over pennies. The ones who try to get you so frazzled you end up cutting them more of a deal than you intended. The ones who show up early and get mad if they can't shop. So I was as prepared as I possibly could be.

And as you might imagine, that was a big fat fail.

Interestingly enough, on day one, there were no earlybird customers, and we were grateful because we were still scrambling to set up. A little after 8, Ryan and his mom took the truck to run just down the road for more tables, and I was left alone in a PANIC, because the one job I said I did not want was running the cash box. And of course, as soon as they left, four people showed up and one had a question about Ryan's shop vac and I called and called and called...only to find out both their phones were AT the sale with me. Sigh.

So when they came back and I got them ushered off to take care of things, two women came up to me wanting to purchase one item each, and both items belonged to Nita. I was in the first hour of my first sale and wasn't ready to make deals for other people yet, so I asked them to wait while I found her. The first lady said to the second, "Well I don't know about you but I think if someone offered me something, I would just take it."

Ruffled.

I stammered, "It's not mine. I need to find the person who put it in the sale."

So lady number one said to me, "Listen. If you're up here, you're in charge. You make the decision." The two of them closed in...like physically closed in...and I was so mad, I said, "Fine." Looks of actual glee came over their faces when they knew they'd won...they got their price and I was ruffled. I would have cried if I'd had the time, but I didn't. But can I just say? There's no reason to be nasty over a shirt. There's just not.

So we rushed around after that, helping people and sorting prices and this and that, and between it all, I was attempting to eat a peanut butter and honey sammich for my breakfast. It took me over an hour. FINALLY, I grabbed about the next to the last bite, and when I bit down, it tasted funny.

I said to Ryan, "This tastes weird."

He told me it may have gone bad sitting out in the sun {can peanut butter and honey even go bad?} - so I popped the rest back in the baggie and put it aside. And then a sensation settled over me in such a way that I cannot even explain, except I knew the crunch in my mouth wasn't the peanut butter. I reached in - and pulled out... the remains of a bee.

An actual, honest to goodness bee was on my sandwich and I didn't see it and I bit right into him. And he stung the side of my tongue.

I told Ryan later, I stood there, holding my face, thinking I am in a driveway with my mother, my mother-in-law {who is a nurse}, my PTA husband, and I'm holding a phone with Google capabilities, and I have a feeling NONE of those can help me right now.What do you do when parents, spouses and Google come up short???

Actually, kudos to Ryan, who managed to extract the stinger from my tongue. With his bare hands. No tweezers, I was really impressed.

It felt like I'd had a shot of Novocaine, but I'm not allergic, so I was completely fine. Grossed out and mad, but fine. Nothing a cookie couldn't fix.

The second day of the sale, a nice gentleman stopped by on his bike to look around for a bit. He was there for quite a while, and when he came up to make his purchase, Ryan breezed by and said brightly, "Did you find something halfway interesting?"

I looked down at the table to see what the man found.

A Bible.

I said, "Well, I hope so! It's the Word of God!!" Then I hurried to explain that I have many more Bibles at home and I'm not a heathen selling my Bible...always awkward. But we got a good laugh out of that little story.

What we didn't really laugh about was the rain we had for a bit on Saturday. But we soldiered on, covering up the books and pulling out the umbrella til it passed.

And it was a fun weekend! A successful sale. Oh. And yes. That is a burn on me. Whoopsie. We both got burned to a crisp on Friday.

 Linking up

The Shafferland Shuffle

I fear the Shaffers have been shuffled! What a week! Thankfully much less happened in the world of things breaking down, but much more happened in the land of busyness!

* Last Sunday  morning, our church handed out little study books to go along with the sermon series, and I was excited because I got to help write them! I was grateful to be included and it was exciting to see the finished product in print! That afternoon I had a massive cookie baking party: dozens of chocolate chip cookies to keep us fueled throughout the week. And that night? We took a walk through campus and got to see from a distance the candlelight service all 16 athletic teams had together to dedicate their seasons to the Lord.

* Monday, since our office was still all torn up, I worked from the floor of the living room: an unusual, but kind of fun vantage point! That night I spiced up our lives by dropping my keys down our garbage disposal, and then after Ryan saved the day by fishing them out, he continued his work on our ceiling - and I think he looks pretty handsome here. Don't you??

* Tuesday morning, I met my friend Kathy for coffee, and we caught up from many months of not being able to talk more than a "hey!" at church. Loved that! Ryan sent me this picture from work. He and his co-worker, Chanteal, won the work cornhole tournament last spring and now there's an official board for the tournament progression! Pretty cool! That night, as some of you may already know, our beautiful new coffee pot just up and died. It was fine on Monday...dead on Tuesday. So...Starbucks to the rescue!!

* Wednesday morning I found this one sitting on my purchases. I guess she likes to shop too! I took a field trip to Fort Wayne that day...stopped by the station to see all my friends {took me an hour and a half to get through to see everyone} and then I had a dentist appointment. Good and bad news there, but we can talk about that another time. Ryan painted our ceiling that night...so close to being done with that project!!

* Thursday, I left home when Ryan did so I could spend the day in Greentown prepping for our sale. I actually had to wait on his step-dad to arrive with a key, so I hung out in my car reading a novel and trying not to creep out the neighbors. :) All day long I sorted and stacked and organized and took pictures and made signs - WHEW! {It was actually almost 10 pm by the time we got home from getting everything ready!!} I also stopped by a friend's house to pick up a catalog...doesn't she have a gorgeous porch view?

* Friday was the first day of our sale, and it was crazy busy. The town sale was technically just Saturday, but we did a Friday and a Saturday, and I'm so glad we did. I have so many tales for you - just wait! Our moms came to help, and they were life-savers. We appreciated them! We had a GREAT first day - sold a BUNCH of stuff and got to see old friends we'd not seen in years. {Benefits of returning to your hometown.} But were we ever pooped and burned to a crisp by the end of the day!

 * We wrapped up our sale on Saturday, and though it was a LONG two days of very hard work, it was also a great result, and we were thankful. Our moms were back for more fun, and we had a few down times when we were able to laugh and tell stories and just enjoy the day. Though the entire weekend had been forecast as great weather, we did have a few sprinkles on Saturday - but nothing a little time under an umbrella couldn't fix!! When the day was done, we cleaned up the leftovers and came home to collapse from our very tired, angry feet!

The Saturday Six

One.

Source

I missed a lot in southern gospel music during my four years working in CCM radio. Namely...the kids of a whole bunch of artists I liked...grew up. They grew up, they got married, and now they're making music of their own. That's kinda cool to me. While it doesn't matter one way or the other in the grand scheme if kids want to follow in their parents' footsteps in ANY occupation, I do think it is cool when kids who grew up doing the travel circuit like it enough that they make it their life, too. My favorite discovery this week was the song Last Mile by Jeff and Shari Easter's son, Madison, and his wife, Shannon. Seriously cannot get this song out of my head.

Two.

You guys remember the debacle of the fan, right? On the cruise? When they confiscated my fan straight out of my luggage, and I couldn't sleep for the first half of the cruise, because I didn't have the white noise I needed to sleep? {Not that I'm bitter or anything.} Well, this week, Ryan bought me some white noise machines, and I love them!!! If you need the noise but don't want or need the additional cooling of a fan or heating of a heater, these little guys are PERFECT! And little is a good point. They are tiny, easily packed in luggage, and for Pete's sake, I would hope THEY would pass cruise ship inspection. You can adjust the volume and tone of the noise, so it can be as loud or quiet as you want. Happiness in a tiny, loud package.

Three.

 {Go see the picture...she has a copyright protection on hers and I can't tease you!!}

You remember my mild obsession with tiny homes, right? I think this blog might be the jackpot on tiny home blogs!! This blogger shows pictures of their tiny home - which includes an expansion after their daughter needed her own sleeping space - and even a detailed list of their budget and how they made this thing happen. You can spend hours on this one. Just warnin' ya!!

Four.

Source

Well. Shut. Right. Up. I am always floored when someone has the creativity to do something that I never would have considered trying, and it looks amazing! This blogger made a desk from stained plywood and sawhorses. No, seriously! And I love it! I think it looks so charming!  

Five.

Hey. If I have to cry all the way through the two minute video, so do you.  

Six.

Source

I've heard of Cheri Fuller and know she is a respected author, especially on the topic of prayer, but I'd never read one of her books until this week. Barbour sent me a copy of her newest work: Dangerous Prayer. It arrived the same day Ryan and I began praying about something big in our own lives, so I figured that could be chalked right up to Divine intervention, and I eagerly dug in.

I mistakenly thought the book was more of a guide...a how-to on prayer, and it's not. That doesn't mean it's a bad book, but if you're looking for a step-by-step guide, that's not what you'll find within these pages. Instead, Cheri tells the stories of people who prayed dangerous prayers: prayers that seemed simple and innocent in the uttering, but the invitation unleashed opportunities for God to move in ways that weren't always easy and comfortable. Yet each time someone prayed a dangerous prayer, God used their bravery to accomplish pivotal, Kingdom-altering things.

 From the dangerous prayers of Hannah and the Samaritan woman in the Bible, to the prayers of historical figures like missionary Gladys Aylward, to the prayers of ordinary people you've never even heard of before, to prayers from Cheri's own life, she shares story after story, painting pictures of how dangerous prayers changed the people who prayed them and the lives of those around them.

This book also doesn't give the false hope that genuine prayer leads to a cozy, rosy life. In some of the stories, she shares how the pray-ers suffered great heartache and sometimes physical consequences. And sometimes the outcome of the prayer wasn't even what they hoped. But in each instance, God faithfully worked, and people left the situations forever changed because of prayer.

Jesus often taught principles using stories, and I think that's a great strength of this book as well: the stories teach the reader, not in a preachy way, but in a mind-picture they're unlikely to forget. The stories are told on a simple enough level that those without a deep Christian background could easily understand them and find a way to apply the same principles to their own prayers. {Another bonus for Cheri's method of not making false promises of easy lives and prosperity: her words offer truth to new believers still learning about their faith.}

If how-to books and step-by-step guides frustrate you, I recommend this as a way to learn more about prayer shrouded inside the twenty-one stories inside. Cheri's story-telling skills are captivating, so if you do like reading stories, you'll find this collection of essays easy to read!

* Thanks, Barbour, for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a review.*

A Rummaging We Will Go

My sister is the queen of yard sales. She is so good at them. So good, in fact, that shortly after I got my job at the station, she came all the way from Kansas to host a yard sale for me. I was cleaning out the house in preparation for the move that STILL has not happened, four years down the road, and she told me to just put everything in the garage and she would take care of it. No worries. She sorted it. She priced it. She negotiated and haggled and did math and sold stuff.

It's inspiring to watch people like her host sales and do them well. But it's also intimidating, because it makes you wonder...what if you put forth all that effort and no one shows up? No one buys anything?

So I've never had a rummage of my own. Too chicken to try.

Until now.

Earlier this summer, I decided I'd had it up to here with the clutter in our house. We had merged these two households and ended up with duplicates and extras and all kinds of great stuff that we just knew we would use - and then we did not. So right after I stopped working, I ruthlessly went through our house. I weeded out every single closet, drawer, and cabinet. Nothing was safe. I weeded out piles and stacks and priced, priced, priced. I went through HUNDREDS of little stickers, scribbling my initials and prices on all of them, boxing up our extra goods, and making them ready to rummage.

And so it is that this weekend, Ryan and I are joining up with some of his work friends and his mom, and we're having the great rummage of 2015. It has blown out-of-control huge. There's so much stuff!!

And you guys? We are so OCD about this rummage. We made signs and created categories and bagged like-items together. I was working my way through a garage at 8:30 yesterday morning, Clorox wipe in hand, attacking spider webs that had dared to attach themselves to our carefully priced items. Actually, I don't even want to talk about how many spiders I saw yesterday. No.

Wanna see what I mean? {About the signs, not the spiders.}

{That's just a sampling. There are more.}

We hauled tables and mowed grass, took pictures of the funnest stuff, posed with our sale sign, and had a grand time getting ready.

So here goes, y'all. Our first Shafferland yard sale. I can only imagine the adventures that await for me to tell you about next week.

Because you know...you know...there will be stories.

Encouragement

THANK YOU for your kind words this week as I have laid my raw heart out here for you to see. I wasn't in any way fishing for kindness, but your words went a long way in soothing my occasionally ruffled heart.

The last couple of weeks here have not been life altering, really, but they've been tiring. Squeezing in our training, muddling through car repairs {One of our vehicles is on its third repair shop in two weeks. We are thrilled.}, tip-toeing around the mess made by the work we had done last week, repairing the further issues created by that work, and now more dental fun for me. Seems like we can't even wrap one thing up before the next thing crashes in. {And thankfully one of the things that crashed in was NOT our ceiling - ha!}

We're so particular, aren't we? Wanting one little problem {or big one} at a time, and longing for that one to be neatly wrapped up before the next one presents itself. Pretty much never happens that way. 

In truth, life presses in sometimes, and I know some of you are going through it right now. You've got crazy schedules that take your breath away, you've got grief of the deepest kind that just won't go away, no matter how far from the event on the calendar you crawl, and you've got illness and treatments that are sometimes rougher on you than the illness ever felt. My heart hurts for you and the stuff you're facing, and I know some of you are facing it largely on your own.

So today I hoped we could just all curl up around the blog and encourage each other. You have been kind to lift me up  with your words, and I'd love to lift you up right back. {And maybe some of you want to lift each other up - that's okay too!}

Give me a little holler {in the comments or an email or whatever you like} and tell me if there's something I can pray over for you...I'd love to do it.

Meanwhile, please know, my dear friends, how much you're loved here in Shafferland. We continue to shake our heads that so many of you pop in every single day to read our adventures and read the musings of our souls. We are grateful for you and the ways you've lifted us up on hard days, and today we want to return the favor.

And if life is just so hard today, I want to be careful that my encouragement to you is not trite, because when your soul is suffocating, you don't want to hear glib lines like "This won't last forever" or "It could be worse" or anything at all regarding a bright side. So rather than those eye-roll-inducing things, I just offer to you that you are loved, and Jesus knows this hurt you have. He does. Even if it's the kind of hurt you haven't dared to breathe aloud to anyone else, He sees it. On the days when my own hurts press in, I just curl up in the corner of the fat chair and just imagine His arms around me. That fat chair has offered me a lot of visits to the lap of the Lord. Find yourself a fat chair and curl up and know you're loved and He sees.

And if you feel like sharing, we will pray and encourage.

When Your Heart Goes Deeper Than They See

It's no secret that I've been struggling with my running training these last few weeks. I had done so very well for the first half of the Haiti Half training, and the minute I deviated from the schedule, everything fell apart. I got sick, the weather was bad, we were busy, everything seemed to derail me. And I've been working so hard to get my mind BACK where it needs to be so I can train well in these last few weeks leading up to it.

It's hard when something isn't your gift, and you so desperately want to do it, but you can't quite get there. One of my good friends ran at 10K this past weekend, and I texted to congratulate her after the race. She told me she ran the whole thing without stopping. And those words were the pin in the balloon of my running mentality. I've done a 10K before. It's no joke. And I think I ran the first half without stopping, but NO WAY could I run the entire thing without stopping. And now? I can't even run the first half of that distance without stopping.

I told Ryan I so wanted to be ridiculously happy for her, and in some corner of my heart, I am just sure I was, but most of my heart just deflated, and I told myself I needed to give up running entirely. I'm not a runner. I run because I need to move. I run because it's the thing people do these days when they need to move. I'm not good at it. I don't love it. And when those who naturally take to it share their victories, I struggle with not letting it become my own defeat.

Aren't you glad to know that whole part I just typed isn't even the POINT of this post?

So Monday, Ryan and I went out for a run, and in my post-feeling-defeated mind, I was determined to run as much of that day's distance as I could without stopping. I set out, felt good, had a perfect day, and in truth made it almost two whole miles without stopping. That was huge for me.

And then.

Right when I ran toward a corner, a gentleman in a truck stopped me and asked if I'd seen a little brown chihuahua on my run. He kept talking - for several seconds - about his little dog and how he/she had never been out before but someone left the gate open...and my run fell apart.

I remembered my own chihuahua that got out when I was a kid and how we never found her and how devastated I'd been and how I would have wanted a runner to quit running and go look for my dog. I stumbled forward again, praying for that man and his missing dog - and aware that even though I'd only stopped a few seconds, those seconds were precious to my goal that day. I got to the end of my second mile, 20 seconds over where I wanted to be. And I fought against the thoughts of if only that man hadn't stopped me, I would have been RIGHT ON TARGET. And it was a big mental target for me.

I killed the stopwatch and walked slowly, arguing with myself about how I'd really done a better job than the clock showed. About how a missing dog mattered more than a stupid running time for a girl who doesn't even like to run anyway.

And then I determined I was going to get that one last mile in if it killed me. {And I was well aware it might.} So I started the clock again and took off, ahead of pace, into the heart of campus where kids were getting out of practice for the night. They hopped into their cars and drove something like 40 miles an hour FASTER than they should have down through the road where I ran, driving into sun and focused on dinner. I leapt into the grass, more for my life than anything else, and slowed down to watch the terrain in front of me, aware that the ground might not be even. And at the end of that mile, I had missed my goal by one second.

One. Stinking. Second.

I tried to console myself that overall, my three miles had a GREAT time attached, especially for me. I tried to console myself that none of it mattered. That a dog was missing and I had not been killed by a distracted, speeding student. That those things really mattered.

But all I saw was the lackluster mashup of times on my clock. The twenty-one seconds that shouldn't have been there.

I trudged my way back to Ryan, who shook his head at all my stories {because there are always stories when it comes to my running} - and I told him I'd been reminded of a good lesson in all that mess. I'd been reminded that sometimes what shows in reality isn't an accurate representation of the heart. That sometimes what you can see are mess-ups and failures and falling-just-short moments, and what really happened was so much different. So much more.

Gulp.

How very much I want the grace applied to me....and how very much I need to offer the grace to those around me. How very much I have to learn.

Bekah and the Plain Tees

A few weeks ago, you were so gracious to read about my adventures in creating/updating my attempt at a capsule wardrobe...and while I don't plan to make you sit through a lecture on every single piece I own - maybe - I wanted to talk through this next part out loud with you, maybe just so I can understand it better myself! So today: the plain t-shirts.

Several years ago, after I lost a bunch of weight, I went to the store and found a plain t-shirt I liked, and I bought it in five bold colors. All those tees went out the door in the making of the capsule, because in the happiness that is life with Ryan, I found a few of those pounds back on my body, and the tees didn't fit with quite the...ahem...ease they once did. The rule of the clean-out was that if it didn't fit and I didn't feel good about myself in it - OUT!! Out, I say!!!

But one thing I really liked about those tees?? The versatility to wear them under jackets and sweaters and such. So for now, I have a three-plain-tee compartment in my capsule, but I admit I do love color quite a bit, so I don't know if I will end up adding a color part to this?? We'll see how it goes.


One.

The plain white tee. I think a plain white tee is really important to have in a capsule, because you can wear it with just about anything. One thing I've learned in my research is that it's more versatile to work with neutral clothing and trade out color in jewelry and accessories. So with this, I can add jackets or scarves or whatever else I learn about! - and in so doing, I can dress this up or down.

This particular shirt was a pre-owned shirt for me, so its entry fee into the capsule was ZERO DOLLARS. I bought it who-knows-when from Cato, which is where I buy just about everything I own. Cato rotates their merchandise with incredible speed, so I'm not even going to bother hunting for a link to this shirt because I'm confident it no longer exists.

Is this my favorite white shirt in the world? No. I kept it mostly because I already owned it, and it fits...okay. I really like the unusual neckline, which allows me to dress it up or down and gives it some character that your average plain white shirt wouldn't have. {It's almost like a t-shirt plus, because it has some construction character.} It hangs straight down with really no shape to it, which sometimes is okay for me and sometimes makes me feel frumpy. The shirt has held up pretty well, but it's getting a little pilly under the arms, so I am not sure it has years of life left in it. {And, by the way, it's a medium, so it's right on target with my general size for shirts.}

While I am not going to go on a hunt for a white shirt, if I'm out and about and find a white t-shirt that fits well and has a good price tag, I will buy it and replace this one.

{Disclaimer: I actually have a second white shirt that I kept in the capsule, because Ryan bought it for me right after we got married. I love it too, but it's tighter, and I can't wear it on fat days. So I didn't make it the main attraction for this post. But I love it and I love HIM for buying it for me, so it stays as white t-shirt capsule staple, part B.}

Two.

I told you before that brown is a good neutral for me and I love the way it looks. Enter the keeping of this t-shirt I already owned {making it my favorite entry fee of ZERO DOLLARS! This was another Cato shirt bought in days of yore and therefore minus its link {and any reference to what I originally paid for it}.


I particularly love this shirt because the construction keeps it in the realm of a t-shirt, but the really fun dimensional design makes it unique from other t-shirts I own. I like the way the dimensional fabric is the same color as the shirt itself, so I don't have to be picky about what I pair this with. I love the neckline which is the perfect blend of scoop and v. I love the way it's form-fitting. I love it that this can be dressy or casual. It's one of my favorite shirts, and that's why I kept it!

I'm sad that it's showing some wear under the arms as well {seems to be a Cato-construction weakness}...not in the form of pilling on this one, but more in the form of deodorant residue that just won't give up. The sleeves on this one are almost like cap sleeves, so the bottom of the sleeve holds really close to my armpit. {Shirt is also a medium, thought a tighter-fitting medium than the white one.}

I want to hang onto this one for as long as I can, just because it is so unique and I love the fit, but I know I need to keep an eye out for another fun brown shirt because this one may not make it forever, quality speaking.

Three.

Rounding out my plain-tee collection in my capsule is another new one I bought since doing the great weed-out. Interestingly enough, I did not own a black t-shirt. WHAT!? Truth! I did not. So when Ryan and I went shopping at Old Navy a couple of weeks ago, I found this gem on the clearance rack. I couldn't find the exact tee online, but this one is pretty close. Want to know what my final bill was on this shirt? Are you ready? Entry fee of TWO DOLLARS AND NINETY-NINE CENTS, thankyouverymuch.


I guess if you want to get picky, the shirt is really more of a dark charcoal, like my one graphic tee, but it's close enough to black. And it has some white highlights to it, giving it some character, which I really like. The medium fit really well, and it's a relaxed tee, so I don't have to mess with sucking in or anything.

I really like this shirt, because it's comfy, I can dress it up or down pretty easily, and hello?!?! Did you see the price? Who can't love a shirt for less than three bucks, brand spankin' new!? I feel good that this portion of my capsule wardrobe is now complete, with three good neutral shirts to build a base for anything from staying home to going to church to dates with Ryan.

So. The recap:

Three plain, neutral tees for the capsule wardrobe: check{ish}.
Total cost for said tees, at this point in time: $2.99.
Size breakdown: medium, medium, and medium.
Color base for capsule: white, brown, dark charcoal.
Bekah: pretty happy, with one eye out for improvements on white and brown. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Deliciousness

Thirty years ago today, I had my hair French braided at a salon, and when the stylist got to the end of my thick braided hair, she realized she didn't have a ponytail holder. So she gripped my hair with one hand and dug through her purse with the other to find a tiny rubber band meant to hook into her braces.

Genius.

The French braid and salon visit came about because it was a big day for your Bekah girl. My debut as a flower girl. I put on my red dress and white shoes {don't tell...it was after Labor Day} and stood at the end of a line of girls wearing red satin, while my sister and brother-in-law said their vows at the front of a church.

A whole lotta livin' has gone into the thirty years that have followed, and I'm so grateful for those two. Grateful for their love, their commitment to one another, and how every adversity they've faced {and there have been some doozies!} left them clinging tightly to the Lord and to one another.

So today I celebrate them. I celebrate the good example they have offered me as I walked...you know...twenty-seven years behind them in matrimony. Thankful that they have invested in my life, in our life. And in honor of this auspicious occasion, I invite you to a peanut butter chocolate deliciousness party.

And of course, by that, I mean that I'll give you the recipe and you can make our own. And if you're local, give me a jingle and I'll come join you. :)  This recipe is so easy to make, and it is ridiculously tasty. This is perfect for work treats, church carry-in dinners, and rough weeks. {Or days.} It comes together really quickly, and because it's a bar recipe, you can cut the pieces big or small as needed!

{I originally found this recipe here, if you want to see her thoughts and twist on it.}

Chocolate Peanut Butter Deliciousness

* 1 yellow cake mix
* 1/2 cup butter, melted
* 1 cup creamy peanut butter
* 2 eggs
* 1 12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips
* 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
* 2 Tablespoons butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, melted butter, peanut butter and 2 eggs. {This comes together more easily if you use a mixer, but you can mix it with a spoon.} Spread half of it in a 9x13 baking dish. On the stove in a small pot, combine chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, butter and vanilla. Melt on medium heat until all melted and combine, stirring regularly to keep it from burning. Pour over the half mixture in the bottom of the pan, evenly spreading over the top. Take the remaining cake mix batter and press it in small, hand-pressed pieces over the top. Bake 25 minutes at 325. Cool, cut, and serve.

A Few Tips:

* I have actually used crunchy peanut butter in this several times {mostly because it's what I have on hand more often than not} and I like the extra crunch, myself. So if you're a crunchy fan, give that a shot!

* The cake batter part is very thick, so when I spread it in the pan, I put my hand inside a sandwich bag and press it in firmly and as evenly as possible.

* I haven't tried this with milk chocolate chips, but I can imagine it would be quite good - though very rich.

* I've found its easier to use the baggies-over-hands method to press out pieces of batter for the top as well. It's kind of like playing with play-doh! I just put them down on top of the chocolate - and there are always sections where the chocolate shows through. It's not a full piece like it is on the bottom.

The Shafferland Shuffle

If I was glad to see last week go because of vehicle drama, I confess I'm glad to see this week go because of house upheaval! Here's to next week??? Maybe????

* Last Sunday, we started a new series at church, and it focuses on the lessons learned from the Remnant in the Old Testament. They had an incredible new set built at the front of the church to accompany it, and the first sermon was really thought-provoking! After church, we went to a get-together with our Sunday School class. Tacos and fellowship: never a bad way to spend a Sunday lunch!

* Monday, I worked on some writing while Braeya slept, and then I whipped up a batch of chocolate peanut butter cookies for Ryan and me. {This is one of my favorite parts about the new season: being able to make cookies for Ryan to have all ready when he gets home!} We went for a run that night, and the weather was beautiful. That sky!!! Thankful for some not-so-blistering-hot days to run!

* Tuesday, I hunkered down to finish my Bible study homework, and I learned so much. This is what I love about having homework for a Bible study...it helps me focus and learn more than I would on my own. We went for a run that night too, and for the first time in two weeks, I had a really good run. It surprised me, since I felt like I was coming down with something. Annnnnnd that run was the end of the good things, because by the time I went to bed that night, I was aching and feverish and chilling and feeling miserable. I put oil in the diffuser and prayed to feel better!!

* And I did NOT feel better by Wednesday morning. Ryan left for work after tucking me under a blanket on the couch, feeling even more miserable than the night before. Braeya was no help - she just started sunbathing while I moaned and whined. I didn't get to be miserable for long, though, because the crew coming to install the new heating and air system in our house started working that day. {It's kind of embarrassing to show up at the front door looking like death, let them in, and say "I'll be conked out on the couch if you need me."}

* By Thursday I felt MUCH better, and I was grateful. We finally got word that Ryan's truck was done - after a week in the shop - so I went to pay for that, and when I got in the car, I found this crazy little finger puppet on the dash. I gave it to Ryan as a joke when we first started dating {I don't even remember where I got it} and he STILL carries it around. That made my heart smile! When I got home, the work crew told me they  had uncovered some wiring they thought I needed to have checked out, which completely freaked me out. WIRING is no joke. So I did the only logical thing I could: stress eating Cheerios! By the time Ryan got home that night, Braeya was in a snit from having her home turned upside down for two days, and I was freaking out over all the drama. I bet he's glad he came home.

* Friday would have been my little nephew's 27th birthday, if he had lived, and I spent the day reflecting on his life, looking through my scrapbook of the day he was born, and just missing him. The work crew finished up their project, the electrician that paid a visit gave us some info about the wiring, and I felt human enough to go to lunch with my friend Jenny. It was a busy day! Ryan surprised me that night with a new white noise machine for when I sleep. I love that man! He spoils me!

 * Ryan had to work yesterday, and while he was gone, I got busy cleaning up the dirt left behind from this project. I expected dust, but I was unprepared for the actual layer of black FILTH covering several rooms in our home. I dusted and swept and scrubbed on my hands and knees and threw away entire towels not worth saving and did scads of laundry loads - and when Ryan came home, he got busy working to reinforce the ceiling in one of our rooms that had been weakened by the work done this week. Thankful that the Lord planted this idea in his heart and that he had the ability to carry it out. What a mess!! While he did that, I did my own {much more minor} project of distressing an old door!

Linking up!

The Saturday Six

One.

Source

Tis the season to being hunting for the perfect Christmas card photo shoot poses...no, seriously! It's less than 100 days until Christmas, people!! I was hunting around online for some ideas and happened upon this article with some samples of pictures taken of a couple over the course of their marriage. While I in NO WAY want to speed along our life, I do look forward to someday looking back and seeing our history of photos over the years!

Two.

Source

Earlier this week, I had curled up on the living room floor to pray and seek the Lord over some areas where my heart wrestled. I happened upon this prayer by Rachel Wojo, and it was so perfectly timed for what was happening in my jumbled mind. I am sure I'm not the only one with a jumbled mind, so if you have it too - these words might comfort you as well.

Three.

 Source

 I made many friends in my time at the station...and one of them was Don Otis, a publicist who took time to get to know me as a person, not just a producer. He just completed a HUGE accomplishment: he hiked all 66 mountains in the lower 48 states that have peaks of 14,000 feet or greater. I cannot even imagine the effort put into that kind of goal, and I'm so proud of him for hiking to the last summit just recently. Check out this article he wrote about his journey...and CONGRATULATIONS, Don!

Four. 

Just in case you are behind on the happenings of David Phelps, this is his rendition of We Shall Behold Him. I dare you to not get goose bumps.  

Five.

 Source

YOU GUYS!! Did you see this one? A couple had their engagement pictures taken by recreating some scenes from 101 Dalmations. Stinking adorable. Check out the link at the end of the article for more pictures. I can't handle the cuteness!!! 

Six.

Source

Earlier this week, I told you about Kristen Strong's new book called Girl Meets Change...which is a fabulous read for any of you facing a season of change {of ANY kind} right now. I wanted to also let you know that she has a companion small group study guide available that you can get free if you purchase her book before the end of the month and submit the proof of purchase {directions in this blog post}. Tis the season for searching out good books to study together, so this is a good and affordable idea!
 

He Shows Up

I will tell you right this minute that it should NEVER surprise me when God does something lovely, because He has been doing lovely things since creation, and I should consider them the norm, not a surprise. But I'm human and have {along with many of you} the world's shortest memory, so such moments DO take me by surprise. And today I want to tell you about a moment of loveliness from yesterday.

First, I should tell you that a couple of days ago, I came down with some sort of weird 24 hour blah-bug that left me feeling pretty miserable...aches, chills, fever, and no appetite. {That last part always scares me. When the appetite leaves, that's real.} So yesterday morning, I was finally on the mend from that, but still a bit draggy. {That may also have been because it was five thirty in the morning.} And that same day, Ryan was grumpy, which is about a thousand percent unusual. He had a KILLER run the night before - so proud of him for one of his best times ever - but he paid for it by being super sore and grumpy.

So there we were, grumping around the house in the pre-dawn hours, Braeya following us in between our feet, and crying loudly because {the TRAVESTY!!!} we would not stop to watch her eat, which is one of her daily demands. It wasn't our finest moment. We weren't mad at each other at all, but our personalities were far from shiny.

For me, it wasn't just the leftover sickies. It was feelings of inadequacy that bubbled over the surface. We had some work done in our house this week, and my job was to attend the crew with anything they needed, including answers to questions. I probably don't have to explain to you why being the answer-giver to a construction crew was daunting at best. It brought up in me the truth that I don't know much about houses, and Ryan would have been better suited for that task. But he was at work, and I was the designated house-sitter, so I had to make the best of it.

In full disclosure, I didn't even pray about it. I just moved to the couch with my grumpies in tow and began to scrapbook while I waited on the crew to show up for work.

And while I scrapped, an email came in. A friend of mine had a bad day, and she needed a place to unload her thoughts. So she did, and I answered, praying as I typed for God to give me the right words. I guess in fairness, she didn't say she felt it was a God-ordained answer, but she DID answer and she said she loved me, so I interpreted it that I'd done something good and maybe a little right in that moment.

Not an hour later....another email came in. Another friend wrote and said she'd shared this little blogaroonie with a friend, because she thought her friend might find some encouragement here. And that was the moment when God tapped my shoulder and said, See? You might not know much about houses and construction, but while you sit IN the house observing the construction, I can use you.

Why do I forget this stuff? Why do I forget that life is not made up entirely of moments that are easy and fully tilted toward our giftings? Why do I forget that hidden in the moments that aren't easy, are other moments when He IS fully at work, using what I have. {In my case, my words.}

So today, I'm grateful that He showed up for a blah-riddled girl sitting on her couch observing a construction crew. I'm grateful that He can use my words and carry me as I limp along with the stuff I'm not that great at doing.

Home Sweet Home

Yesterday, I read Anne's post over at In Residence, and she talked about her recent move to a new/old city, and how it was important to her to find some places that felt like home so she could feel at home after her transition.

It's true, you know. If you haven't moved for a while {or ever}, you might not realize how easily you take for granted the places that are yours. I had lunch a couple of weeks ago with my friend {and former neighbor!}, Julie. She told me how strange it felt to come back to this city after a handful of years away, and while it felt familiar, it wasn't quite home anymore. She has a new stash of places that are hers. 

And if you have moved recently, you probably know the urgency to find YOUR grocery store, YOUR church, YOUR favorite restaurant, YOUR park. Home goes beyond the walls of your house. It's your community, too.

Ryan and I are both transplants to Marion. I've been here {technically} nineteen years {WHAT!?!?!} if you count my college years, which I do. Ryan's been here almost three years now, after marrying me, and this place has become home.

Our Coffee Shop

 We have four coffee shops in town: one on campus, two independently owned, and one Starbucks. And Starbucks is home - not because it's the trendy place to go, but it's where we have gift cards! {They speak loudly!} But it's more than that. It's the place where we've actually made friends with the staff. The place where they know our drinks sometimes better than we know them. It's the place we can find open early in the morning or late at night, and someone will smile and hand us coffee.

Our Church

We never meant for this church to become our home. We walked through the doors about 2 1/2 years ago, fully intending to be there for a brief time and move on to whatever home God ordained for us, as far as churches go. We're still there, we dared to make friends, we got involved, and we have learned so much from the pastors who teach us. I think finding a church home can be one of the hardest things about moving to a new community, so for those of you still searching - keep pushing forward! The right one will be there!


Our Pizza

We love pizza. Truth? We could eat it every single meal for every single day for the rest of our natural lives, which would likely be much shorter than planned because we'd experience death-by-pizza. There are something like 32 million pizza joints in this town and we've visited just about all of them. And because we love pizza, we have no complaints. But we default to Papa John's, because we can get the best deals there. {Shout out to half price pizzas when the Colts and Pacers win!!} We do find it really interesting that the ONLY Papa John's in town is on the opposite side of the city from campus. You'd think the college could support its own Papa's, wouldn't you?


Our Campus

Speaking of campus, we love the grounds of IWU. Stunning, stunning property, thanks to the hard work of the individuals who care for it. We love taking walks there, praying in the chapel, running there, and seeing the life that springs up when school is in session. {Even if we do have to watch more carefully to make sure we don't get run over by zealous drivers!}


Our Shopping Strip

I am one of those rare blessed girls who has a husband who doesn't hate shopping. And every now and then, we'll hit the shopping strip that houses TJ Maxx, Kohl's, Hobby Lobby, and Meijer. It's pretty sweet to just make our way down the row, looking through each store. It counts as a date, and it's one of our favorites.
 

Our Park

I'm pretty sure when I moved to this city the aforementioned 19 years ago, the city park was largely a joke. But my goodness...they have certainly put a lot of effort into improving it in that time, and we love our park. The walking trails, the pretty gardens, the lights at Christmas: it's a beautiful, beautiful place now, and if we move, I think I may have to insist it move with us.



So those are our home-sweet-home places around this fine city. What about you? What makes your town feel more like home?