What I Learned in October

Happy Halloween (or happy candy day or happy Thursday or happy whatever you want to call this day)! Among other things, it is the last day of October, to which I say WHAT!?!??! I'm hanging onto my hat, because these last two months of the year are fixin' to be a wild ride! (Maybe for you, too?)

I learned a few things along the October-way. Want to see?

1. I love visiting old friends in the pages of books of Bekah-yore.

As you may (or may not!) have noticed from the lack of reporting, I haven't had much time to read over the last few months. It fell apart sometime this summer, probably right about the time I picked up extra things at church. There are only so many hours in a day, and reading had to go for a bit. But I have missed it. And I have a healthy to-be-read pile of books I've purchased or been gifted, but earlier this month, I found myself drawn to a four-book series from my high school days. Anyone remember Lori Wick? She no longer writes (for publication, anyway) and kind of fell off the fiction map, but I have nearly everything she ever wrote. She was one of my favorites in high school and on into college. I decided to get out the very first book of hers I ever received and reread it. It's kind of Hallmark movie-ish in predictability, and of course I already knew the ending, but I loved hanging out with the Cameron family again. I had forgotten just how much I loved them. Fictionally-speaking, of course!

2. You can make retaining walls from concrete bags.

When Amber and I went on our back roads artist studio tour earlier this month, we happened upon a studio that had a whole retaining wall made from...concrete bags. It was such a sight that I had to sneak a picture of it. We thought it rather strange, but while we were browsing the studio, a much braver person than either of us asked the artist about it. She said her husband had done research and learned that you can put out the bags just like this, soak them, and over time and regular rain/hose showers, the concrete will harden and the bags will disintegrate, and you're left with a retaining wall. I told Ryan about it and he wasn't sure he believed it, but I looked it up and people claim it works!

3. Shooting a two minute video takes hours.

Our church will relaunch its small group ministry in January, and Ryan and I filmed a promotional video to help with the publicity for that. The guy from our church who is making the video filmed it in our home and was there for about six hours, setting up, filming, and tearing down - and that doesn't even count the editing and production! Impressive amounts of work and detail.

4. There's still nothing like a whole day away alone with Ryan.

This falls under the category of things I knew...but enjoyed being reminded about this month. We took a day and hiked McCormick's Creek State Park, and it was just delightful. We've had a pretty busy fall that has required more dividing and conquering than we really prefer, so to have an entire day set aside to be together, without sharing our time was beautiful. I appreciated all our conversations and the chance to be who we are without demands on our time!

5. The best trees in the county were in our neighborhood.

We've had enough rain and wind now this fall that the fullest parts of the trees are gone. We still have some beautiful fall color hanging on for dear life, but they're a little more sparse than they once were. But I hold to my belief that of all the places we saw in our county, the richest color parked right in our neighborhood, and I loved it. I loved seeing those trees every single day without ever leaving home!

6. My little bonus niece really is all grown up.

I took her senior pictures this month, and she made the whole thing such a delight. She loves the camera and had a blast with the entire day - and that's really what it's about! Doing this photo shoot was one of my favorite memories this month. This family was one of my biggest "framilies" before I married Ryan, so to get to share this with them was a joy.

7. I love the Hallmark shirt every bit as much as I thought I would!

I've seen different versions of this shirt the last couple of years and always thought I would love having one...and now I do! I received it as a gift, and I LOVE IT!!!!! I told Ryan I might wear it every single day from now until Christmas (and beyond.) Bonus - it's made from extremely soft material, so it's like wearing a hug.

How about you?? Any October learning moments?

Bearing Burdens

I wanted to tell you a little story today, because it encouraged my heart, and I'm guessing your heart might need a boost too!

Some of you might know that our church has been without a senior pastor for almost a year and a half now. God has been so gracious to us and the minister who has been filling in for all that span of time has thrown himself into the work heart and soul, even though it's just temporary. (Temporary, I realize, is a relative term when it starts to span a year and a half!) 

The church has been praying and looking...and looking and praying...and, well, you get the idea. 

A few groups have formed to meet regularly at the church throughout the week for times of prayer for this future pastor, and this week, I heard the most encouraging story about one of those prayer times.

Remember when I told you that Dino the piano player did a concert at our church a couple of weeks ago? Many of the people who came to that concert were from the community, and some of them saw the signs hanging in the church inviting people to the prayer times.

Last week, a group of pastors (current and retired) from our community showed up at the church to pray over us and to pray with those who came to that particular meeting. They said they had been praying for us in our transition, but they wanted to pray WITH us and let us know that they cared about us and the ministry we have in our city. They affirmed that we do have a valuable ministry in our city that is unique to us, and they wanted to support us in that. 

I. Loved. That.

We all have a hundred things on our prayer plates that matter to us, right? Things that are good and big and important and worthy of our focus. But what a huge impact we can make when put our own agendas on pause and look at the needs of the people next to us and let them know we see what matters to them!

I wasn't at that meeting and I don't know who any of those pastors are (by name) but I can tell you that my faith was encouraged to know that they took time to show up and care about our future. They could have taken that time to further their own ministry agendas with their churches, but they recognized it's not about this church or that, but about THE church. And when one part has a need, every part feels it.  

Burden bearing: possibly a little too much of a lost art, but oh my. What a blessing it can be when it happens! 

My Virtual Vacation Became a (Partial) Reality

Podcast Tuesday!!! Fresh stories for you...enjoy!

 Listen here

Thanks for reading along yesterday while I updated the (nonexistent) movie version of my life. Lest you fear that I think of myself more highly than I ought, I will say that the original "just for fun" post of that movie-version-life was an idea I found on another blog, and it seemed a fun thing to think about. I rather hope there never IS a movie version of my life, because that tends to only happen for people who live through a major drama or trauma, and I'm perfectly content with my little life over here in the corner of the world.

ANYWAY!!!

When I was reading through old blog posts for my archiving project and found that original post that served as the inspiration for yesterday's update, I also found this post, in which I found myself dreaming of a future vacation to Chicago. I guess my vacation-plan-loving self dates back to my single days more than I thought!

I bring it up today because I always like to find evidences of the ways God cares about our dreams and desires (even ones that are not of eternal significance...like vacation planning) and allows them to come to pass in His way and time. And I always like to give credit to Ryan for making my dreams come true, which is something he does so well - and so often!

Back when I wrote the post, I was poor, single, and dreaming of the chance to see new-to-me places and enjoy new-to-me experiences. Now I'm married, and while we're not rich by any means, we're not destitute, and we are so grateful for the ways God provides for us to get to see new places and enjoy new experiences - and we always love seeing how many things we can do on a pretty low budget! (I think we've done well!)

When I read my old post, though, I couldn't believe how God and Ryan worked together to make my dreams come true!

(Side note: some things never change. I declared in the original post that I wasn't a city girl and didn't want to live there, but I wouldn't mind visiting, and Ryan and I have learned for sure that is still true. We aren't city people, but we do enjoy a good visit.)

Ryan and I spent a long weekend in the Chicago area for our second wedding anniversary, which means from the time I dreamed up this post in April 2011, some of the wishes I expressed were just a fewyears away from becoming reality.

* I said I wanted to arrive in the city by train, and we did that! we stayed in the suburb of Schaumburg, Illinois, and when we went for our big day in the city, we traveled in and out via train!

* I said I wanted to take a double decker bus tour, but it was December in the Windy City when we traveled there, so a bus tour didn't sound like so much fun anymore. This idea (for Chicago or any other city) remains on the bucket list. I still think the idea sounds fun!

* I wanted to visit the Skydeck of the Willis Tower, and we sure did! I even got brave enough to step (ever so briefly) out on the glass ledge. We didn't have a clear-blue-sky kind of day to look for as many miles as we could see, but we had fun up there!

* I wanted to take a dinner cruise - and again, Chicago in December sort of killed that plan, but do let the record show that Ryan took me on a dinner cruise in Sarasota Bay on our honeymoon, and it was everything I ever dreamed and more!

* I wanted to go to Lincoln Park Zoo to see what great pictures could be found, and we did! The pictures weren't what I expected, since most animals aren't out running around in December. But that zoo has a magnificent Christmas light display, and we got some GORGEOUS pictures. (And that's a free visit, too, so bonus!)

* I had never been to a "real game" for any sport, so I said I wanted to go to Wrigley Field and watch the Cubs play. They weren't really in season for our visit, but again, Ryan has made the "real game" dream come true by taking me to two Colts games! The first was when we were engaged and the second was for our first anniversary!

* I wanted to spend one night in a hotel with a view of the city lights, and that was definitely out of our budget, BUT! When we went, Ryan planned a very special dinner for us at the Signature Room on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building, and it did have a spectacular view of the city and all its lights. So I say that counts!

* I also wanted to ride the Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier, and we still haven't made it to Navy Pier, BUT!! The first year we were married, Ryan did take me on a Ferris Wheel ride at the fair, and that was good enough for me!

I'm grateful I wrote this (silly?) hypothetical vacation post, and I'm grateful for how Ryan has made my dreams come true - even when he didn't know what those dreams were! (Pretty sure he's never seen that original post!) It gives me great hope that God has many more dreams yet to fulfill for us, and I'm excited about that!

Funny How the Dreams Change (And Sometimes They Don't)

I told you a while back that I've been working on a blog-archiving project (off and on) and one of my favorite parts of this project has been finding old posts that I totally forgot I'd written. There have been some real gems, let me tell you!

Last week I happened upon this post from 2011, in which I listed how I'd like my life to look in the event that anyone wanted to make a movie about me. (Pausing for uproarious laughter at that even happening!)

When I wrote this post, I was single, and it just flat out makes me GIGGLE to read it now.

* Back then I said I'd want to be played by Flo the Progressive Girl, because I was often told I looked like her. And when I had dark hair, that was pretty true. But my new pick has very little to do with thinking we look anything alike and more to do with loving the type of character she plays. (I'm sure it will surprise all of you to know she's a Hallmark movie regular.) I love her in all her roles, and would hope my real life demeanor matches what she plays, though if you find me before coffee, that may not be true. So my new pick is Rachel Boston.

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* Back then, I said I wanted the setting to my movie to take place in a darling little cabin in the woods, and I even provided a visual of an actual cabin where I'd vacationed. While I am known to still swoon over such places, and I continue to agree that it would remain the perfect setting for a dramatic comedy (still an appropriate category for my life) I'm going to dream big here and say I want the setting to be my adorable little RV that I've picked out for us to live in one day when we unexpectedly strike it rich and tour the USA for our career. I feel I could be even MORE dramatically comedic on wheels than in a cabin, honestly. 

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* Back then, I picked Melissa Gilbert to play my best friend, and I think I should keep her. After all, she should have prairie skills, right? She can caravan with us on our RV adventures and teach us important skills like building fires and hauling water from the creek!

* Since I was single when I first did this, I declared I wanted two handsome leading men to fight over me - much like every single Hallmark movie. :) And much UNLIKE my own life back then, I might add. I chose two guys who probably made all of you say HUH? back then and you'll probably say HUH? again now, when I tell you their names are Dale Midkiff and Yannick Bisson. They were both significant crushes of mine back then. Dale played in the movie Back to You and Me, and he was also in the Love Comes Softly movies. Yannick played in the Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye series I loved to watch back then. I'd still watch it now if it showed up on any of my channels! Since I'm married now, I asked Ryan who he wanted to play HIM in a movie, and he chose Vin Diesel. So I guess that's who Rachel Boston would be married to in the movie of us!

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* In my original post, I thought I should have a handsome neighbor to visually appreciate, and I picked Taye Diggs, and that makes me laugh, because I think I married a version of him! Now that I'm married, I don't need a handsome neighbor to visually appreciate. Plus, I'll be mobile in this movie, so I'm writing out the character of the neighbor entirely. 

* In the original post, I said I wanted to drive an SUV, since that was like a lifelong dream of mine. An SUV with a sunroof, actually. Well, we're driving the RV now, so I don't need a movie car, but I would like the record to show that we actually drive a crossover with a sunroof, so I feel like my movie dreams have come true in real life in this respect. 

* I also said I wanted a hot tub outside my cabin in the woods, and this is a real life dream I have not given up entirely. I do think it will be difficult to transport a hot tub behind our RV, so I'll also write this out of the updated movie, but maybe now and then, in our travels across the country, we can find a hot tub! (I did read of a campground that had private hot tubs on some of the campsites.) 

* I wanted a hammock, and guess what? I have on in real life now! CHECK!!!!! The one we have is dependent on a frame that is roughly the size of the RV I've picked out, so perhaps if we have a hammock in our movie-version life, we'll go back to the kind you fold up and hang between trees on location? 

* I also wanted a dog - and I cited specifically that I wanted a Great Pyrenees. I still love those dogs, but I have learned the value in a SMALLER dog (especially if we're living in a small RV) and something that doesn't shed as much. So maybe like a Phoebe Jr? I don't think the dog has to be eliminated in the updated movie version. Lots of full time RV people have a dog!

* And I wanted a Kitchen Aid Mixer. And I have one! And I am pretty sure I'd have to take it on the road with me - maybe the mini version. I've seen them. They're cute! 

So there you have it! I had to giggle at the dreams that changed and smile with gratitude at the dreams that came true in my real life. It was just a silly post back in the day - and it's a silly post now! But it's still fun to see how life changes and how some "silly" dreams actually end up being real.

And how about you? Who would play you in a movie? 

The Shafferland Shuffle

This past week wasn't nearly as busy as the one before - at least in activities. I finally had a chance to get caught up on things at home! That was a blessing!

* I was 100% wiped out last Sunday after the crazy week we'd had and the huge women's event the day before, but we started the day with church, and it was a wonderful morning. (I had to take this picture of one of the songs, because it's a joke between my college roommate and me from over 20 years ago. The lyrics to this song got a LITTLE messed up during one of our chapel services, and we still giggle about it.) I was able to rest all afternoon, and when I dared to get up from my perch, someone took it over! The only productive thing I think I did all day was bake a cake for Ryan to take to work on Monday for a birthday party!

* Ryan got a new mug on Monday - It says "PTA: Don't mess with me; I get paid to hurt people." HA!! While he was busy fulfilling that mission, I was editing our two hundredth podcast episode!! And I put together thank you gifts for all my women's ministry team ladies. We had a meeting that night and I wanted them to know they were loved and appreciated!

* Tuesday was a brisk little day here in the Midwest, but I suited up and headed out to take senior pictures of my bonus niece, Savannah. We traipsed through woods and crawled over all kinds of things to get great shots, and I think we succeeded in that! She picked out some beautiful locations and LOVES the camera, so my job was pretty easy!

* Wednesday was pretty low key, and I needed it. I worked all day to start editing the almost 500 pictures I took. (I think 317 ended up being the magic keeper number.) Braeya was offended when I stopped editing and dared to bother her. Our friend Amber came over to hang out with me while Ryan went to a Bible study - and we went on a walk through the neighborhood. The trees were GORGEOUS!

* Thursday was our picture day! Ryan and I have had this on the calendar for months, so we put o our coordinating-but-not-matching outfits and headed out for photos! We haven't seen any of them yet, but we sure did have fun with our photographer! We love her! As for the donuts? Well...let's just say it wasn't our typical photo shoot.

* Ryan and I had carefully guarded our Friday so we could spend it together! He had work, of course, and while he did that, I worked on my jobs and watched Hallmark Christmas movies! :) Braeya slept. And when Ryan got home, we ordered pizza and had a much needed date together.

* We were supposed to have yesterday off together and go hiking, but Ryan ended up needing to work and the weather was...not really hiking worthy...so we had a plan B Saturday instead! I worked all day trying to get caught up on office work and finally started to see the light at the end of the tunnel! It was such a cold and nasty night that we thought it might be a good breakfast-for-dinner kind of evening!

The Saturday Six

One.

I wanted to share this post this week, because whether or not you know the people in the story, the life lessons are worth remembering across the board. Some of you know Josh and Shelly Buck and others of you may have read about them here or there on posts I've shared. (I interviewed them a couple of times when I was at WBCL.) I first knew of Josh because he went to high school with my best friend, but then we were in college together and his dad was one of my professors. Josh and Shelly have been through a lot in their marriage, including an accident that left him paralyzed - and now he's an amputee as well. His mom wrote this post for Josh and Shelly's blog, and it gives you a peek behind the scenes of their daily lives. It's sometimes easy to forget that the people we think of in times of major crisis still have major needs even after the moment of specific crisis goes by. I encourage you to read her thoughts!

Two.

Have you seen this? I just learned about it. IHOP and the Tiny House Nation builders collaborated to build a tiny IHOP! There are only a couple of pictures online right now...so I sure hope they post more later. I am totally intrigued by this! It's a tiny house version of a real IHOP...how adorable is that!?!??!?!

Three.

DO NOT TELL RYAN about this one, okay? DO NOT TELL HIM that the house in that Hallmark movie we watched last week is really a BandB that you can actually stay at. The movie was Christmas at Honeysuckle Lane, and I think it was one of last year's new releases, but this was the first time I remember seeing it. It's also the first time I remember being quite so enamored with the house in the movie. I mean I always love them (hello!!) but this time I kept saying all throughout the movie, "LOOK AT THAT HOUSE!!!!!!!" And then this week I discovered that it was filmed at a BandB. Be. Still. My. Heart. And don't tell Ryan. Because of course now I want to go.

Four.

Speaking of houses...I learned about this Hallmark movie house from a site called Hooked on Houses, and I don't think I need to tell you that I could spend ALL DAY reading these posts and looking at adorable houses. You should look at it. For an hour.

Five.

You know I love my Dashing Dish recipes, and this week I made Everything Baked Chicken...and Ryan declared it a 100% for-sure keeper. And our friend Amber had dinner with us that day and asked for the recipe. So it really must be great. (Bonus: SUPER SUPER EASY!!!!) I discovered it is not a members-only recipe, so I wanted to share it here with you!! Make it! It's delish!

Six.

Guess what?! I finished studying the book of Luke and am now in the fourth and final stretch of my yearlong study through the four Gospels! Today I wanted to tell you about the supplemental commentary I used while studying Luke, in case you're working through a similar study yourself!

To recap...when I studied Matthew, I used Charles Spurgeon's commentary on Matthew, and I really loved it. It was thought-provoking and kind of academic, but I learned SO much. But sadly, that was the only full-book-of-the-Bible commentary Spurgeon ever wrote, so I had to find a new source for Mark. That's when I discovered that Charles Swindoll has a whole series of commentaries on the New Testament books, so I used his volume on Mark, and I loved IT so much that I've decided I'd like to own the rest of them eventually. But by the time I found out this information about Swindoll's series, I'd already purchased my commentary on Luke, because I found it at a great price at a secondhand store.

So...

My commentary for Luke was simply titled Luke: A Commentary for Bible Students, and it was written by Ken Heer. It's a book in a series of commentaries published by Wesleyan Publishing House, but many authors have contributed to the series. Though I know/know of many of those authors (several have been professors at IWU, where I attended), Ken Heer was a new name to me.

I hadn't used any books from this series ever before, so I wasn't quite sure of the layout when I started, and the book proved to be a very different sort of commentary.

This one seemed to flow more like a regular book you would read and less like a verse-by-verse commentary. I learned many things from studying it, but the format wasn't my favorite of all the books I've used. For this kind of study, I like a verse-by-verse breakdown, not a flowing story sort of feel. There were some verses that seemed to be glossed over entirely in favor of getting the overall flow and feel of the book.

Having said that, it was easy to follow, and I did learn some word study information, some historical context background, and some good thoughts that seemed easily quotable, like they'd been in a sermon. (And maybe they were at some point!)

I was actually surprised (given the publisher and what I know of some of the other authors who have written for this series) that it wasn't more academic than it was. I expected something pretty tough to break down, and this was very easy to understand. That's not a complaint - just an observation.

I don't think I fell in love with this one as much as I did the first two, but it was a good guide through Luke, and I did learn. Took many notes. At this point, if I had to give an overall recommendation of a commentary series, the one Charles Swindoll wrote still has my top vote!

The Christmas Movie Checklist

Christmas is two months from today, you know. (Cue the panic for the busiest two months of the year!)

I know that yesterday I just did a checkup on my fall bucket list, but then last night I found a list of must-watch Christmas movies, and I was curious to see how many of them I'd seen. (I also wanted to see how many of them are on my watch-every-year list.) It's true that anymore, I watch Hallmark movies almost all the time. Sure, they're predictable, but they're also clean, and I like that.

The list I found had different categories, and the first one was Christmas Movies for the Family.

* Elf. This is one of Ryan's all-time favorite movies and is probably his favorite Christmas movie, so we do watch it every year. While I admit being a bit grossed out by the scene where maple syrup goes on everything including spaghetti, I have to say that I feel like Buddy and I are on the same wavelength with Christmas cheer!

* The Santa Clause. I haven't watched this one for years, but it's a cute movie. I don't think I ever saw either of the sequels, but I did think this one was cute.

* The Polar Express. Would you believe me if I told you I've never seen this? I've never read the book either. Clearly I'm not a mom.

* A Charlie Brown Christmas. I do have fond childhood memories of watching the animated Christmas specials on TV. The basement (where our TV lived) was always toasty warm from the stove, and I'd take a bath early and put on my footie pajamas before watching that little tree with its security blanket. Adorable classic.

* Home Alone. I've seen it many times! I have also seen the second one, but never the third one. I guarantee you I would not have survived home alone while my entire family went to Paris. I would have called 911 immediately.

* National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Another of Ryan's all-time favorites, so we watch it every year. I aspire to one day have as many Christmas lights as Clark Griswold. I feel I'm on my way.

* The Grinch. I've never seen this one either (the Jim Carrey version). I can't bring myself to watch it, because in my mind, the Grinch should always be a cartoon.

* A Christmas Story. I should NOT admit this in print, but I will: I don't like this movie. I've seen it (more than once) and just don't see what all the fuss is about. I know it's like THE Christmas movie, but I would rather use that two hours to watch more Hallmark. Please still be my friend.

The next category was Christmas Movie Classics.

* It's a Wonderful Life. I have seen this one (several times) and like it, but it's not one I have to see every single year. (I have also seen families recreate the movie poster for a Christmas card, and THAT is pretty cool.)

* How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Another fond childhood memory! I've never seen the Jim Carrey version of this, but I do love the animated version very much!

* Frosty the Snowman. Same as above! Fond childhood memory!

* White Christmas. I don't know that I see this one every year, but I surely could. It is probably my favorite Christmas classic. Love the music, love the storyline. Just love it.

* Miracle on 34th Street. Would you believe me if I told you I've never seen this one? I have no idea why, but I haven't!

* Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Another great memory from childhood! I loved all those televised specials equally!

Then there was the category of Newer Christmas Movies.

* While You Were Sleeping. This is actually probably one of my top ten favorite movies period, Christmas aside. I think I used to see a lot of myself in Lucy. Alone at Christmas, mama to a cat, misunderstood in a major moment...

* The Holiday. I've seen it (a handful of times) and I think my favorite thing about it is that adorable little cottage. I just love looking at THAT!

* Four Christmases. Sometimes we feel like this IS our Christmas each year! Not so much because of the storyline, but because of trying to run around making it to all the family celebrations!

There were more movies on the list, but I didn't think all of them were worth talking about here. Did it miss a major winner, though? Do you have a favorite from this list?

Bucket List Checkup

Back at the beginning of September, I shared my fall bucket list, and it occurred to me this week that I should look at it to see how I'm doing in checking items off the list! (I needed to see what things we still need to squeeze in before it's too late!)

So...

1. Decorate the house for fall...CHECK! Okay so that one was already done before I made the bucket list, but still! It's good to start with a CHECK!!!! And since I hadn't gotten to show you the mum and pumpkin display...here's a peek at that!

2. Get a cup of my beloved apple pie chai at McConn Coffee...womp, womp. This is the coffee shop over at Indiana Wesleyan, and when we lived in Marion, we went there every fall for at least one apple pie chai fix. Alas, we haven't been to Marion this fall, so we haven't been able to check off this item, BUT!!!!! We did go to the Hydration Station in Greentown and got a frosted apple cider (or whatever they call it). SO GOOD. And that will suffice as a fall drink treat for me!

3. Drive through the back roads of our county to look at pretty leaves...womp, womp. This one is not our fault. The majority of the leaves didn't pop their colors around here until Tuesday, and then yesterday most of them fell from the trees. There is a possibility, I suppose, that we could take a quick jaunt out this weekend and see if there are any remnants worth seeing, but we may have missed our one day window. HOWEVER!!!! The trees on our road are some of the best in the whole county, and they DID change color early, and we've been loving them.

4. Make lots of soup...CHECK! I've been keeping the slow cooker really busy with all kinds of soups this fall! Delicious! And apparently not at all photo worthy!

5. Diffuse all the fall smells...sort of. I have been diffusing, but it seems that germs are swirling around us sooner than normal, because I have been running the immunity blends more than the fall blends. Fortunately they're heavy on the cinnamon scents, so it still smells fall-ish, but I haven't done all the blends I originally planned. Yet. :)

6. Hike in the fall...CHECK! Owen County and McCormick's Creek State Park provided a beautiful place for us to enjoy a ten mile brisk hike and a WONDERFUL date day. Thoroughly enjoyed it! (Even though we look either sleepy or exhausted in this picture.)

7. Sunday night football dinners...CHECK! Ryan has been switching this one up a little and has added grilled chicken wings to the menu, too! He still has his beloved football serving tray plate and has been enjoying his salsa/queso duo!

8. Candy corn and peanuts...CHECK! Ryan made sure we got this delicacy this fall, and he must have really liked it, because when he did our grocery shopping last week, he bought another bag of candy corn and another jar of peanuts!

9. Corn maze...CHECK! We did this as our engagementversary date and had a blast! We didn't get lost, and we didn't have to go in the dark, so it was a win/win for me!

10. Go to a college football game...CHECK! It was already on the schedule when I did the bucket list, but we did accomplish it! It wasn't fall-like weather, but that was okay with me. Ryan and I went to a Purdue game with our friend Pat!

11. Curl up in the hammock under a blanket and read...womp, womp. It hasn't happened yet, BUT!! We did do one thing that I totally failed to even put ON the bucket list, and that was enjoy a proper fire pit evening with hot dogs, s'mores, and friends!

We haven't gotten to them all, and I'm sure some will never happen this year, but it's still been a great fall - and it's not over yet!

Senior Picture Fun

We had some rain and wind on Monday and NOW it looks like fall around here! The leaves that were hanging onto green seem to have suddenly found their fall color, and some of the leaves hanging onto the tree are on the ground, making this most lovely bed of fall.

That was perfect timing, because I took some senior pictures yesterday!

Several months ago, my friend Trudy messaged to say that her daughter (my bonus niece, Savannah) asked if I could take her senior pictures.

Okay first of all, just stop.

She was born last week, right? HOW ARE WE DOING SENIOR PICTURES ALREADY???

Okay now I see from my hair that perhaps this was longer ago than last week. But still. Seriously.

I was quite honored that she asked and made sure about three dozen times that she remembered I'm NOT a professional. (Senior pictures hold decent significance to teenagers, so I did NOT want to mess this up for her!)

Yesterday was our day, and even though it was brisk (okay, bordering on flat-out-cold) here in Indiana, we did have a pretty day for pictures!

I drove to her house, which is about an hour from ours, and she loaded up her car with a dozen or so outfit changes, a portable mirror, and her makeup case. She is a girl after my own heart.

Headed out! (No need to worry. I was parked.)

I tried to document most of our stops - just for the scrapbook funsies.

Our first stop was at the home of some of their friends. I don't know these people at all, but they have a PERFECT PROPERTY for photo shoots. A swing, a wagon, big red barns, old brick outbuildings, a white fence, woods, fields...WOW.

And these two cows were just staring at me while I worked.

We didn't end up using them in the photos. ;)

And the fence!!

After leaving the picture perfect property, we went to a woods for pictures. Now when I say, "we went to a woods," I mean we hiked THROUGH the woods, not on any trail, over fallen debris, and I did all this whilst carrying two cameras and a mini stepladder. I feel I deserve a couple of points for that.

And that's just what I carried. Trudy carried the mirror and Savannah carried the luggage. Because you still have to make sure you look picture-perfect, even when you're in the middle of a woods.

Then we made a stop by her school, which turned out to have this whole little picturesque area behind it! Woods and fields, and two of the most fiery red trees I've seen all season.

We did pause to take a lunch break, because you can't truly smile on an empty stomach.

We have grown up, don't you think?

(One gentleman made a comment about me being her mom. I'll take that.)

A quick stop on a trail with railroad tracks in the background:

And we ended up at the happiest place: a coffee shop!

We really did have the best day. We were out from about 10 in the morning until about 4 in the afternoon taking pictures. I think we made seven location changes and ended up with nearly 500 pictures to pilfer through. (They won't all be keepers.)

But it was a fun honor to spend the day with Savannah. I've been photographing her from the very moment she was born, so this was indeed a privilege. I loved it.