Update on October Goals

In honor of the very last day of October...I thought I would let you know how our October goals panned out! October 1 seems like 100 years ago now, so we certainy packed a lot into this month!

 1. Do our fall family photo shoot.

Done - and just in the nick of time! The day of our shoot was insanely windy, which thankfully calmed enough to not give us a full set of awkward family photos. (Though that could have been an adventure too!) We got them in before all the pretty leaves blew off and the insane cold arrived. Our photographer was so kind as we tried to get Lexi (and the two of us!) to look at the camera at the same time, and we were able to get some great contenders. AND we recreated four of our engagement pictures!

2. Do three "fall fun" things.

We did the first of the three right at the beginning of the month! We went to the corn maze here in town as part of our church's family night. Had a GREAT time. The weather was perfect, the corn maze was fun, and we loved it. Then we took a long walk through trails and woods to appreciate the fall beauty. It was a GORGEOUS warm and sunny day, so that was perfect, too! I guess the third one really was just me. I met up with a friend at the coffee shop here in town and tried one of their fall drinks. It was yummy!

3. Complete another round of training for Love INC.

Done! I joined 56 other people from across the country in a Zoom training with the National Love INC office to learn about the way the organization works. It was a really encouraging (and full!) two days. I am so thankful for the blessing of Zoom training options. It would have been a lot more time and cost to travel to be in person for this training, so I'm glad that this one could be done for free! My days in training this month make me eligible to attend some additional training with Ryan next month, and I'm looking forward to that, too! 

4. Figure out a Christmas card and letter theme.

I have designed the card and written the letter, though knowing me, I'll rewrite the letter a couple of more times before I send it. :) I'm excited with how it all turned out! Now I'm just waiting on a sale to order the cards. (No preview on this one - sorry!)

5. Order Ryan's anniversary gift.

I had to have some help with this one so he didn't find out any surprises ahead of time, but with my friend Julie's assistance, the gift is here! I am SO excited to give it to him! (And that's all you get to know about it at this time, because he reads this blog, you know. And that means no preview picture, of course.)

6. Host Ryan's grandma for a week.

This one did not end up happening. We had it on the calendar for several months, but it didn't end up being the best fit for everyone in the end. His grandma is in her mid-90s, and changes in her routine are big for her! We found out at the last minute that she was nervous about being away from the people she was normally with, and she was nervous about being with our dog. (She lives with a dog at Ryan's dad's house, but their dog is older and probably not quite as energetic.) And the amount of supervision she needs has increased since the original plans were made, which meant our schedule probably wasn't the best for her. So she ended up going along with Ryan's dad and stepmom on their trip. She felt more comfortable being with them, which we totally understood, and we are glad the week turned out in the way that made her happiest!

Other goals accomplishments

* I couldn't talk about it when I made the initial goal list, but we did successfully throw my dad's birthday party earlier this month! Like I said when I wrote about it after the fact, my sister did most of the work, but I didn't forget any of my assignments, and I enjoyed being on picture patrol throughout the day!

* I kept caught up on all scrapbooks. I now have THREE ready to order with two more almost done. 

* I got a job! I realize it wasn't a goal I could accomplish alone, but it is most certainly a prayer answered. I still have a little while before I start, but I am excited to have a plan! And with getting a job came the need for completing pre-employment steps, and I was able to accomplish all of those.

* I created and ordered some Christmas ornaments for our family story tree - honoring some of our milestones this year! I can't wait to see how they turned out!

* Ryan and I went to a conference about evangelism this month. It was a three-hour conference at a local church, and we learned SO much. The presenter used to be a teacher and a pastor, so he had a very natural presentation ability about him and did a great job. 

* I prepped for a little mini-class on social media that I am actually teaching today! This is something new for me, and it was fun to prepare. 

Sunday Sentiments

 

A couple of days ago, I met up with Ryan after he got off work, and we ran some errands together. (Also included in "errands" was a fantastic dinner at a BBQ place that was new to us. So good.) And as we began to drive home in our separate vehicles, we headed straight into the most spectacular sunset.

I'd love to show you a picture, but alas, I was driving. But just imagine the most beautiful sunset ever...

As I drove, I thanked God for taking time to create such beauty for us to see. The reds, oranges, and yellows were blended to perfection, and though I feared it would so quickly fade and slide away entirely, it held on for our whole drive home. I savored every single second.

We drove by farm equipment, harvesting the last of the crops from the fields. I thanked God for hardworking farmers who sacrifice so much of their personal time to provide - not just for their own families, but for all of us!

We drove by beautiful ponds that reflected the sunset, and I thanked God for serene places, like ponds. I thanked Him for all the natural beauty He places all around us.

And that was really the heart of my gratitude. I'm usually so busy that I miss the details of the beauty. Being alone in that car, watching the sunset, watching the harvest, watching the shimmering reflections in the ponds...pushed me to really see what was before me. 

Have you paused to appreciate the beauty before you? Not just look over it, but truly see it?

I hope you do it today, friends. Look around you. Slow down for a minute. Spend a moment or two alone. See the beauty before you and soak it all in.

May it refresh your heart as it did mine!

The Saturday Six

 

I've waited as long as I can. Truly. I have to throw some Christmas in the Six this weekend. I just do! :) 

One.

I found this suggestion for a Christmas playlist. In full disclosure, it does have All I Want for Christmas is You on it, which I would absolutely have to nix (sorry if you love that one) and a couple of other songs I don't know, so I can't vouch for them. But it does have some great classics sung by some classic artists. I actually feel like I should put together my own Christmas playlist (which would have a fair amount of David Phelps, yes, but it wouldn't be ALL David, I promise) this year. What's your must-have song this time of year? 

Two.

I have made no secret of the fact that I don't make a great city girl. I don't love the traffic, the noise, or the crime that often accompanies city life. I could not live well in the heart of a city (unless God calls me to do that someday, and then I will trust Him to give me grace to match). But I do love visiting cities, because they do have beautiful things to offer in their own way. New York City is a someday bucket list destination for me, and I found this list of places to NOT miss at Christmas. I'm starting to think I should make our someday New York City trip an anniversary trip so we can do both: see the sights and see the lights! Any of you ever been to NYC at Christmas? (Will NOT be taking as many clothes as the writer of the post, but she has some pretty dresses!)

Three.

You often see lists of Christmas movies to watch, but this list has some well-known Christmas-themed episodes from classic TV shows. (I forgot some of these shows even existed!) Any of your classic favorites make the list?? I would have had to add a couple of Little House episodes to that!

Four.

I stumbled upon this idea and thought it was a great one! A list of things to pray for throughout the Christmas season that help keep your focus on Jesus! There are some printables you can download so you can keep the idea in front of your face if you want. Great idea! (I think the refrigerator makes a great landing page for something like this, actually.)

Five.

Even if you've already done official family photos (for Christmas cards, for example), here are some great coordinating outfit ideas to wear for pictures AT the holidays. Ryan and I try to make sure we don't clash when we go to Christmas gatherings, because we know we'll be in pictures together, but we should probably step up our actual festivity game when it comes to Christmas clothing!

Six.

I won't lie: putting this one here for myself (and Ryan). Ideas for stocking stuffers for dogs!  First order of business? Get a stocking! 

Sweet Memories...Round 9

 Today marks my next-to-the-last post of sweet memories from my decade together with Ryan. We had some really beautiful, fun, and memory-laden moments in this year. We also had some really hard moments in this year. (We had a lot of difficulty with some tenants who came in and out of WillowBridge really quickly. That isn't reflected below, but the joy of the year you WILL see below helped bring heart-respite from the hard we faced at work.) All in all, even with the hard of work, we did a great job making time for our relationship in this year. That part was very, very good, and looking back at it in this way helps me see that we were being more purposeful than I was able to see in the moment.

Month 97: Fun Anniversary Getaway

We were at WillowBridge during our 8th anniversary celebration, and it was difficult to take much time away for a trip. (That was partly because of the time of year and partly because of staffing at work.) We ended up taking a long weekend getaway to Richmond, Indiana, which you would NEVER think of as a destination, but it ended up being so fun! We did the chocolate trail and a county-wide scavenger hunt, both of which were way more fun than imagined. And we stayed in one of the coolest Airbnbs ever - a loft above a coffee shop. Our stay came with breakfast at the coffee shop each morning. LOVED. IT. (And then we came home and literally walked through the back door of our apartment and right through the front door, into a three hour meeting to handle a massive issue that had come up while we were driving home.) 

Month 98: Just the Normal

This month was full of just a bunch of normal. Lots of work, some snow in Indiana, trying to establish relationships with our tenants...nothing extraordinary. But I was glad to be doing nothing extraordinary alongside Ryan who makes the mundane even better. We did have an outing with our tenants to paint pottery, and that was a fun adventure! Neither of us had ever done anything like that before, and we had a good time. (Ryan and I made a Christmas ornament, which we still hang on our family tree!)

Month 99: Loss Revisits Us

This was the month we received the middle-of-the-night phone call that Ryan's stepdad had died of a sudden heart attack. We were unaware he had heart problems, so the news was shocking. We continued to work throughout the month, trying to juggle trips back to our home area for planning/the funeral. It was a hard and unexpected season of life, but once again, we worked hard to get through it together. I'm so proud of Ryan for how he handled this difficulty!

Month 100: A Completing Month

This was the month we officially finished working on Abby the RV and declared her done and ready to travel! It had been quite the winter of working on her in all our spare time, and we were so excited to see her ready to go! I'm so glad we did this project together. We have done a LOT of projects in this decade, and each of them are dear to me in their own way, but this was something new and different and extremely meaningful!

Month 101: New Adventures

And we didn't finish Abby a moment too soon because this is the month we needed her! I spoke at a women's retreat in southern Ohio, and we took Abby on the road and stayed in her while we were away at the speaking engagement. It was pretty wonderful to have my own home-retreat-on-wheels in between speaking sessions. We had fairly terrible weather the entire time we were gone, but it was okay. We fell in love with the camping life! (We even incorporated it into Ryan's birthday celebration this month by visiting an RV Museum in Elkhart!)

Month 102: Birthday Fun!

This month held my birthday, and Ryan planned a fun surprise for me! We went exploring on some trails in Fort Wayne! I saw DEER!!! We had such a pretty day to be outside, and it was a complete gift to be able to get out and do something after the previous year of quarantined birthdays! I always appreciate how Ryan makes birthdays meaningful and special. He's so good! 

Month 103: The Big Road Trip

This was the month I knew for sure I want to do cross-country road tripping someday. We set out in Abby the RV and spent 11 days driving 2000 miles out west and back. We went through new states, we got to meet our friends in Colorado and see their oxen, we met our new great-nephew and spent time with my family, we saw gorgeous rock formations in Kansas, and we went to Little House sites on the way home. AND we saw the little town of big things in Illinois! This was an amazingly fun trip and one of the true highlights of our year. (Hence all the photos.)

Month 104: Hello, Emergency Room

We had some fun things happen this month, like a little more camping and Ryan's big year-delayed birthday gift to me: seeing The Sound of Music at Beef and Boards in Indianapolis. But the big moment this month came at the very end. The WillowBridge team and tenants did a routine in the Gateway Woods variety show and Ryan ended up coming down wrong on his foot and badly, badly spraining his ankle. We had to go to the emergency room to see if it was broken, and it wasn't, but wow. That was one long, slow recovery. (And in some ways, I don't think it will ever fully heal.)

Month 105: Deepening Relationships

One of my favorite memories from this month was getting to have our godson stay with us for a few days. (This was a lot easier to do when we lived at WillowBridge and had more flexibility in our work days than we do at standard-work-hour jobs.) He stayed with us four days this month, and we had the best time with him. The memories we've been able to make with him in the time we have known him matter deeply to us, and I'm thankful this month was rich in those. This journey of investing in a life in this way was something we never imagined when we got married, but we wouldn't trade it!

Month 106: Camping on a Lake with Phoebe

We had Phoebe for six weeks this particular fall, and during that time, we took her on a camping trip to see what it was like to camp with a dog. (We already knew we would become dog parents soon.) We ended up finding a spot RIGHT on a lakefront. It's the best of all the worlds! Dogs! Camping! Lakes! Campfires! We loved this weekend so much.

Month 107: Helping Out Some Friends

This month, our friends (and former WillowBridge coworkers) had their second baby, so we hung out with kiddo #1 while she became a big sister! It was so much fun to have her for a few days! Our bonus nieces and nephews are such a blessing. We are thankful for them! (And their parents, too.)

Month 108: Dogs and Hallmarky Living

They have nothing to do with each other, but they were the big moments of the month! :) This was the month I was bitten on the hand by a little rat terrier who decided I was too close to him on the sidewalk. I spent nine weeks in a bandage and still can't clap properly. (But the wound healed. Nasty scar, but the wound healed.) Two days after my bite extravaganza, Lexi Grae was born! We wouldn't get to meet her until the next month, but she was born in this month. But one of my favorite memories from this month was when we attended Grabill's tree-lighting ceremony. It felt like life had just stepped onto a Hallmark set. It was pretty remarkable!

Next week...the final round of memories in this little mini-series! Thanks for reading along!

What I Learned in October 2022

These months that end around a weekend force me to do all my learning early in the month! I know it's not QUITE the end of October, but here are some things I've learned so far!

1. There are some unique methods for salvaging wet photos!

A little-known fact about me is that a few years ago, I took some classes online to become a photo organizer. I still think that is something I would enjoy doing, but right after I completed the classes, Ryan's mom was diagnosed with her brain tumor, and our lives took some unexpected turns. I follow several organizers online, though, and this month one of them shared ideas for preserving wet photos. (She lives in Florida and was, I believe, in Ian's path.) One thing I learned from her is that if your printed photos are wet from flooding, you should place them in plastic bags and freeze them to prevent mold growth! WHO KNEW? 

2. Driveway replacement is a whole process. 

When we purchased our home, it was a brand-new build - with a crumbling driveway. The story we were told was that when they poured the driveway originally, a surprise rain popped up before it had cured, and the top layer began to crumble. We actually didn't know that when we put in the offer, because our initial showing of the house took place when snow covered the driveway, and we didn't even see it. Once we discovered the issue, we pushed back on that, and the builders agreed to write in a redo of the driveway as part of our purchase agreement. Because it was still below freezing out when we closed on the house, the replacement would have to wait. Well...it waited a LONG TIME! But they finally replaced it this month. It was kind of fascinating to watch, actually. They tore it out and repoured it all in the same day, and then I spent a couple of days praying against visits from the local deer. Can you even imagine if they'd wandered through that wet cement? We had a lot of noise and dust, but the driveway looks SO MUCH BETTER!!!!

3. I love seeing Ryan on the worship team.

It has been almost ten years since Ryan served on a worship team at church. He was active at the church we attended when we first got married, but the churches we attended in the years that followed were all bigger churches with audition processes and multiple rehearsal commitments. Between the commuting years, the long work week years, and the WillowBridge years, the timing never worked out for him to be able to be on a team. But now we are at a church that has a place for him and the time commitment is completely manageable. So this month marked his first time to be part of a worship team in almost a decade. He has loved being part of that team, and I have loved watching him enjoy it. 

4. Pictures with a puppy = slight pandemonium.

We had our family pictures taken this month, and we took Lexi for part of them. She was SO EXCITED. It was her first non-parental photo shoot. We took a couple of friends with us to help us get her to look at the photographer and to hang onto her while we figured out our positions. They did a great job, but whew! We may have to work more at smiling on command. (The end result looks significantly better than how it felt when we were trying to get situated with her! 

5. A wattle is a flap of skin under the necks of some animals - like pigs.

I enjoy following some homesteaders on Instagram, and one of them wrote this week about her new piglets. She said they were all double wattle pigs. I asked Ryan (who grew up on a hog farm) what that meant, but he didn't know. So I looked it up and found out it had to do with the little thing our family has always called a gobbler. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to call it a wattle on myself or not, but it runs in the family, so one of these days, I'm bound to have one or two! 

6. Our refrigerator has a light in the water dispenser!

How have I not known this for the past six months? Ryan was wiping out the little insert where the water dispenser is in the door of our fridge, and he hit a little button - and poof! A light! WHAT?! There's a LIGHT in there? STOP IT!!! I really should learn the functions of the things I own, you know?

7. Cauliflower mashed potatoes aren't terrible.

We tried them just this week. I didn't get the mashing completely smooth, but the flavor wasn't bad. Ryan was even brave enough to try them with me. (He is not a fan of the cauliflower substitution game.) But I think we'll make them again!

Date Night and Fancy Dinners!

Ryan and I are unapologetically low-budget date night people. I am not even kidding when I say that I am super happy if we pick up 4 for 4s from Wendys or grab a Little Caesar's pizza and a pop from the gas station. I tell Ryan often that he should be glad he married the easiest-to-please dinner consumer EVER! To be honest, I'd rather spend money on scrapbooks rather than food. 

But every now and then we do something extra special and fancy, and I admit that those date nights are sweet and fun.

I'm thinking back to some of my favorites over the years:

* The Marina Jack cruise meals we enjoyed during our honeymoon (dinner) and 5th anniversary (lunch).

* Dinner at the Signature Room on the 95th in Chicago for our second anniversary. We had a window seat overlooking the lights of the city - and the lakeshore. It was stunning.

* Dinner at the Eagle's Nest rotating restaurant on our 5th engagementversary. We had beautiful sunset views of Indianapolis and rotated one full time during our dinner.

* Brunch at the Rivue in Louisville on our 6th anniversary - another rotating restaurant, this time overlooking the Ohio River and city of Louisville.

Well, this past week, we went out on another fancy date. The best part of this date was we didn't have to dress up! The food was fancy and the dress was casual. We had a gift card to Cork and Cleaver in Fort Wayne. You know what's better than a fancy dinner? A FREE fancy dinner! 

We had to go to Fort Wayne that night to finish up some of my pre-employment screenings, and we made a QUICK stop by Hobby Lobby on our way. 

Then it was time for dinner!

We had checked out the menu before we went so we could pick out what we wanted to eat!

Waiting for food...

They are known for their fabulous salad bar, so Ryan chose that to go with his meal. I had broccoli soup, and it was amazing.

They also brought out warm bread with butter, and I did my best to share. (No, I really did share!)

Then our meals came...a pork chop for Ryan and chicken for me!

And we shared some mushrooms.

It was all so good. I couldn't finish mine, so Ryan enjoyed it the next day for leftovers! This night was much-needed for our souls, I think. Just a fun, fancy dinner out - you know, with multiple forks. :) 

Eleven Months Old!

 Howwwwwwwwww is it possible that Lexi Grae is eleven whole months old? Our sweet little girl is so energetic, with moments of calm now and then. :) 

Here are some pictures from the last month!

We've had some cold, rainy days, so we aren't able to go for as many walks as we did over the summer. Never fear though! She is perfecting her fetch game - right down the hallway!

Ryan's window washing helper: 

She's learning the value of curling up on the couch to watch a Hallmark movie:

She still LOVES going to work with Ryan every now and then. And Pam, his office manager, loves her right back. Our picture collection increases dramatically when Lexi visits work!

At the end of the day, when she's all out of energy, cuddling with Ryan is life!

And while Ryan is significantly more fun, I get a few cuddles too!

Walking on the River Greenway never gets old:

Neither do field trips to Lowe's!

Waiting for Ryan to get home from work is a whole exercise in patience:

But the reward is SO worth it:

Another day at the office with Ryan:

She loves to tag along on our dates:

But sometimes it's all just so much.

Anytime she hears anything that could potentially be the peanut butter jar, she has to pop up over the couch to see what's going on. And then she turns on "the look" in hopes of a treat.

Being obedient and NOT rewashing all the dishes is SO HARD.

She got to wish her Grandpa a happy 90th birthday. She was pretty big stuff!

Playing fetch wore her out, so she put the ball behind her ear.

Now and then, she helps me do Bible study.

On her way to her first round of family pictures. Our neighbors went along to help her smile for the camera.

My sweet girl.

One more month, and we have a one-year-old puppy. She has been an absolute joy to our lives this year. I still remember getting the email that she had been born and crying with joy, wondering what she would be like. I realize she is "just" a dog, but I had prayed for her at length before she was born, asking God to make her little personality the perfect fit for our home and family. She is energetic beyond words, but she is also so loving. She loves adventure, being with us, and makes us laugh over and over again. 

We love you so, Lexi Grae. You are a joy to our hearts!