The Shafferland Shuffle

I'll start out today with a giant Happy Father's Day to my dad, Ryan's Dad and Allen...and to all of you dads out there!! Enjoy your special day!!

* Last Sunday, Ryan and I had the honor of attending my friend Faith's baptism. She asked if I would come and take pictures, and of course I said YES! She also invited us to go to the celebration lunch with her family after church, so we did that. Delicious lunch {although when you're a party of nine, you wait a bit for a table!} and then straight home for a nap!

* I think I briefly mentioned our latest house project, which is finishing off our garage so it can be used as an additional gathering space. Last Monday, the drywall guys came to finish the drywall {it was half done when we bought the house}, and I couldn't believe how different it looked when they finished! And they left their equipment since they were coming back to work the next day and SOMEONE thought he should try out the stilt thingies. Shaking head. As for me? I had a rather rotten day, so I polished off the smallest possible bowl of consolation frozen yogurt.

* Tuesday I developed a new respect for moms EVERYWHERE. I kept all of Ryan's brother's kids for the day, and they were a DELIGHT, but I was a bit pooped when the day was done! Three kids, three ages, three levels of need, and we spent the whole day just having fun and trying to make sure everyone was happy! Movies, books, naps, making our own pizza, playing ball, drawing with sidewalk chalk, visiting Ryan at work...WHEW!

* I think, when Wednesday rolled around, Braeya was glad to have her nice quiet house back. {She is pretty anti-kids or anything else that makes noise.} I had to drive to Marion for a meeting that evening, so Ryan worked on house projects while I was gone, and when I got back, it was so pretty out, we went for a walk!

* Thursday, a couple of my WBCL friends happened to be in Marion for a sticker stop, so I drove over to see them for a while and I ended up just having lunch with them! I miss them! The drywall guys had finished up their work on Tuesday, which included finishing the ceiling so that it matched the interior of the house, so Ryan and I spent that night PAINTING the ceiling. Drippy work!

* Friday I bought my first lemonade from a kid's lemonade stand in our neighborhood. This seems like a rite of passage somehow, and it was fun! I was so excited when my FOUR scrapbooks arrived a day EARLY and I couldn't look through those enough as the day went on! And that night, Ryan and I went to Phoebe's house for dinner! {Her humans invited us. She did not cook.} I think she missed us!

* Yesterday I went to a first birthday party for the daughter of some of our friends. {Ryan had to work so he missed the party. Great sadness.} When we both got home, we got busy painting the garage! That is one large room to paint! And then - a surprise late-night date to see fireworks!!! Ten million points to Ryan for walking away from a half-done paint job to take me to see fireworks!

The Shafferland Shuffle

* Last Sunday, our church had a baptism and baby dedication day, and a couple from our Sunday School class celebrated the baptism of their daughter. I had the opportunity to take pictures for them, and I really enjoyed that. That afternoon, I went to a bridal shower, and then we got to spend the rest of the day at home, resting on Mo and enjoying our jalapeno poppers we made and grilled. We'd had a long, hard-work-filled weekend, and resting was much-needed.

* Monday was a first in Shafferland. Though I have never fired a gun before {and was okay with that!!} and Ryan hadn't had much experience in the department either, we met up with his brother, who works in law enforcement, and took a mini-class in gun safety, and then we had the chance to put into practice what we'd learned. I was scared out of my mind, but I did well, and actually had the shot closest to the target! {That might never happen again, so I figure it deserves documentation.}

* Schools are pretty much fully back in session around here, and on Tuesday, one of my blognonymous friends sent her kiddo to kindergarten for the first time. I figured no mama should be alone after that, so I got Starbucks for me and Mountain Dew for her, and hung out with her for the morning while she processed this huge change in life! The rest of the day was low key, but it included experimenting with homemade dishwasher detergent and running 2 miles!

* Wednesday night, we had house guests! That was fun! My sister and brother-in-law were passing through, and we were so excited they wanted to stay with us. I put clean sheets on the bed for them {or was it for Braeya? Can't tell...} and Ryan and I got to have a midweek slumber party on Mo!! We went for a run that night, too, and my GOODNESS. What a gorgeous, gorgeous sky for that!

* Thursday morning, I had the opportunity to take pictures for my sister and brother-in-law for their upcoming 30th anniversary. It was a perfect day outside, and we went down to the IWU campus for our photo shoot. Stunning out there! Ryan attended a class that evening - a continuing education class, where he said he learned all kinds of good and helpful things - and he volunteered to be used in the training, so he came home all taped up!

* Friday morning, I met up with a friend for coffee...a friend I'd never met with before, and we had a spectacular time. Great way to start a day...that was also DATE DAY!!! I was so excited for that. I went to meet Ryan at his work at the end of the day, and we went out to eat and then went shopping. Apparently I took too long in the clearance section, because when I found Ryan, he was at a table coloring! LOL!! We ended the day with coffee, where we watched in the parking lot while mall security and Ghostbusters cleared up an issue. And if you even think I'm kidding about the Ghostbusters part...

* Ryan worked yesterday, and I had some MUCH needed time with my journal and Bible and in prayer. {And sorry, God, for the times I dozed off.} After he worked, Ryan went to my parents' house to put up a blind for them, and THEN when he got home, we went for a 5 mile run in the blazing sun. It was not a pretty situation, and the time was terrible, but I completed the miles! We both smelled pretty yucky by then! Good thing we didn't have plans and could rest!

Linking up!

It's the Weekly Recap!

* Last Sunday was, as you saw, Savannah's baptism. Despite the frigid water (for them), it was a lovely, sunny beautiful day, and the perfect time for such an occasion! I missed being at my own church but was so glad to spend a Sunday hugging friends I don't normally see!

* Monday, I was emotionally wiped out. Lots going on in my heart these days, and while that "lots" doesn't mean bad, it does mean that sometimes I just need a night to sit and regroup. That was just such a night. I did watch the first part of the season premiere of The Voice.

* Tuesday, of course, was September 11, and this scene struck me as I got in my car after work:

That evening I obeyed the Spirit's promptings and went to a friend's house to do a foot-washing in an act of apology and as a symbol that I'm committed to changing the things I saw myself doing wrong. I cried all the way through it, but the sense of relief, forgiveness, and relief I felt at the end was completely worth it.

* Wednesday evening, I made fajitas for the first time ever in my life. They're not really a pretty food, I've decided, especially when you're eating them and the juice is running down your hands and onto your plate, but MAN are they good?

* Thursday was BLT show number two - also known as the day I cried on air because I read one of my journal excerpts and it got the best of me. Still love this show concept with Miss Lynne! And that night...I made a Better Than Sex cake. I don't name them. I just make them.

* Friday night I was invited to dinner at some friends' house, and I have a confession to make. Are you sitting down? No, really. You need to sit down. I had seconds on the vegetables. I know. GASP. I'm not sure what is wrong with me unless I'm coming down with a rare illness. They were just so PRETTY and GOOD. (What am I saying???)

 * Saturday I worked the Apple Festival in Coldwater, Michigan. More on that later but in another rare what-is-happening-to-me turn of events, Miss Hot Flash actually FROZE the entire day. AAAAHHHHH!!!! Had so much fun, though!

Pinterest Inspiration. I didn't actually finish this one this week because I"m missing the stamper I want to use. But I have the cards, and I LOVE this idea. You make a card for every day of the year, and then you write the year on a line and a highlight from that day. After 10 years, you can see at a glance the highlight of that date on each year. Want to start this come January 1!!

Source: designspongeonline.com via Rebekah on Pinterest

Baptism

This past Sunday was a sweet day. I had the chance to attend the baptism of one of my "nieces" - Savannah. Hard to believe this darling young lady is the same tiny baby whose first breath I witnessed (around some tears). She is a special gift...given to parents whose hearts were still healing over the loss of their first baby.

Since she and I don't go to the same church any longer, I don't see her regularly. I sat in the church service Sunday morning, listening as she heard Pastor Brian read the purpose of baptism and without missing one moment of confidence, she answered that she understood and believed what he was saying.

Loved that moment. Loved seeing this girl whose tiny being used to fit in one of my arms...all grown up enough to unabashedly say she loves the Lord. And at the same time, I loved the little girl in her that said to me, "I'm gonna jump!" about two seconds before she leaped into my arms.

And then we made a little field trip a couple of blocks away from the church, where Savannah and Pastor Brian climbed into a (very cold, I understand) swimming pool. (And this would be why I got baptized in July.)



 And she did not exhibit one ounce of nerves about going under the water at the hand of someone else. (That was my greatest fear. Not kidding.)

 And to see the same man who baptized me....baptize her...

...was such a beautiful moment!

 So thankful she's chosen to follow the Lord. He has great things for her life. I know it.

Proud of my girl!

A Little Photo Gallery

Oh my goodness! I almost forgot to show you my newest little corner of decorating! (I know. I know! You have been sitting there saying "That Bekah. She hasn't been redecorating much lately. Something must be askew in the universe.")

So let me show you what I did (this is the makeshift version) and then I'll 'splain.
I've been wanting to do something to display some of my baptism pictures, but I didn't want to do the standard photo collage on the wall.

Fortunately, my job introduces me to some pretty crafty people who make amazing stuff.

A few weeks ago, I interviewed the talented owner of the Lone Star Accessories Etsy shop. She makes a really cool assortment of wooden photo blocks and aluminum photo blocks. People use them for everything from table numbers at a wedding to home decor...and more!

And now...I have my very own set of aluminum photo blocks. And I could not be happier. Check them out one by one:

I love them because I remember every single one of those moments. I remember what I was thinking and feeling and every time I see those pictures, I relive the moments. I thought she did a great job capturing the heart of the evening.

(If I could digress from the spirit of this post for one minute, I would like to tell you that from a business standpoint, I was incredibly impressed with her work. I sent her my photos...I actually only sent four at first and then she suggested using the word FAITH and adding a fifth photo. I appreciated her insight and willingness to offer that idea. She had the proofs to me in no time and even gave me a website to choose a different font if I didn't like the one she chose. Once I approved it, I had the finished product, well-packed, and extremely impressive in quality!)

Okay - back to what I was saying. I added one of the stones I handed out to everyone who came to the baptism...

And the stones my mentor, Lara, gave to me as a gift...to replace the ones I threw in the pond, symbolizing what I was leaving behind.

For now, I have all these things on a table in the hallway...and if I buy the house I fell in love with last week (big if!) I already know where they're going in that house!

I also had a code for a free canvas from The Canvas People...so I got this. (I actually had this before I even did the interview with the Etsy shop...this was my inspiration piece, you might say.)

And with it...my Willow Tree figure Mom and Dad gave me for my baptism. Mom thought it symbolized newfound freedom, and I totally agree.

So that's my little decorating palooza (such as it is). And if you need a good gift idea...I say RUN to either one of these shops!

Public Service Announcements

I warned you.

This blog is random.

And today is the randomest of them all. Including the use of the word randomest. Feel free to use that.

Today I feel compelled to tell you about things that you might not know you need to know. After all, a great number of them, I learned from other blogs. My blogger duty is to pay that information forward. IF this causes you to spend any money you hadn't planned to spend, please blame the original sources and remember I'm merely a messenger. Merely. (That's a fun word. Merely.)

* Did you know Picnik is going bye-bye? Back up. Do you know what Picnik is? It's a photo editing site that offers (in my opinion) an above average amount of free editing tools. You could also purchase a subscription (or membership or whatever it's called) and get even more fun stuff, but for about the last 2 years I've been an editing fool with just the freebies. And then I received an email that in April, it's going the way of all the earth. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Just the other day, I wondered how in the world I'd find a new site that gave me editing options I could figure out. (That last part is the key.) And as if by magic (or perhaps divine intervention) I stumbled upon this blog post which gives an entire host of options to try. I haven't tried them all yet, but if you're a fellow panicking Picniker, check it out! Maybe your new editing BFF is in there.
* Because walls can never have too much art...I was very excited to see this deal featured on The Mom Creative the other day. (The Mom Creative has saved me a LOT of money in the past couple of years. God bless her.) A free photo canvas. (Well, free if you pay shipping and handling. And face it, that's cheaper than moving into the canvas warehouse so you don't have to pay for shipping.) I have decided I want to do a baptism display - with some of the Jordan River water in the little jar we used to pour some over my head...and one of the rocks I handed out to everyone...maybe a framed copy of some of the song lyrics I used...and I think this canvas will complete the display. * Have you seen J.C. Penney's new philosophy on life and shopping? The other day I received this mini catalog book in the mail, so while I sat in the Fazoli's parking lot last week, waiting for Jenny to arrive for dinner, I read it. (I rarely read catalogs, so good job little Penney's marketers, for capturing my attention on that one!) Anyway, one of the month-long deals they're featuring in Feburary: these scoop neck T-shirts for five bucks each. Five bucks! None of my t-shirts fit anymore, and since these would be something I could even wear to work, guess who visited Penney's with her $25.00 gift card?? And for a mere $1.68 in tax, I came home with a full week's worth of shirts. Thankyouverymuch. And if I knew what the colors of my someday-new-house-bathroom would be, I'd have purchased some $4 towels too.

* And about the yogurt. I have always hated yogurt. Not frozen yogurt. Bring THAT on. But I mean the good-for-you stuff. I mentioned to Lynne at the end of last year that one of my goals was to learn to like yogurt because I know it's good for me and I should. (Ick.) So during one of my stays at her house, she made me a yogurt parfait, and I LOVED it. So guess who eats yogurt every day for breakfast now? When I purchased my last tub of yogurt, the checkout guy (who was about 12) held it up after scanning it and said, "You like this?" Sensing the need to win over a young generation of yogurt lovers, I gave him a full sales pitch on how I used to hate it...and now I love it. So in case you're a skeptic, try it Lynne's way. Here you go:

Greek Yogurt (I use plain Chobani Greek Yogurt)

Honey (Since the yogurt is so tart, she adds 1/2 Tablespoon or so of honey and stirs it up)Granola (I use Back to Nature's Vanilla Almond Agave Granola)

Blackberries (Meijer sells some that are huge - I add some sweet n low on top so they're not so tart)

No specific measurements...as much as you'd like of each thing. YUMMY.

And this completes my randomest public service announcements for today.

A Year's Worth of Thanks

This week I've been doing a mental review of my year, and I have to say...God has been so good. He was good last year when my life was falling apart and I thought there was absolutely no hope for a future for me. And He has been good this year when He began to restore and redeem what Satan meant to destroy.

On this day of thanks...I'd like to show you some of the blessings of my year.

...Starting the new year with friends who have long loved and accepted me for who I am...
...My buddies the Crandalls, who have walked the darkest roads with me and now celebrate the good roads with me too. (There's a Mr. Crandall for this picture but he wasn't there that night. I'm thankful for him too, though.)...

...Beyond thankful for the opportunity to spend an entire week in Florida for the first time in my life. Loved my beach!!...

...Thankful for and dearly missing my little guy. Ten years of life with Mr. Kaegan...

...The chance to once again see and hear the Marion Easter Pageant...though I still miss getting to be part of it!...

...The chance to spend my birthday with my good friend Cara...touring downtown Indianapolis on a GORGEOUS day...and eating cupcakes!!...

...Road tripping to Jenna's house for her golden birthday...and spending time with her husband and cutie pie daughter, Miss Adelaide...

...a GLORIOUS week of a writing retreat at the cabin in Brown County with Rachel...and while I'm at it...thankful for Rachel and her friendship...

...Eleven years of work in Financial aid...and co-workers who love me enough to give me a wonderful send-off when God opened a new door for me. Miss these people!...

...The chance to be baptized on a GORGEOUS night surrounded by so many of my friends and family...and Brian Holland's heart for my vision for the night and for doing such a great job with it...

...A true dream job as the Mid-Morning producer at WBCL and the treasure of EIGHTEEN DAYS to be trained by Jamie, who made this entire journey wonderful for me...

...The opportunity to stand up with Tom and Olivia at their wedding...a true gift to me...

...my sister Lori making a trip to my house all the way from Kansas...to organize and run a yard sale for me because I had no time to do it myself...

...God's protection over my house when a storm took down the neighbor's tree into my yard. Could have been MUCH worse...

...The LAKE! Even though I didn't get there more than once this year...loved the chance to be on the water again... ...A day at the Cherished Moments Craft Hideaway. Always a treat...

...The chance to work with the lovely Lynne Ford EVERY DAY. She is a rare treasure of a friend and I love her...

Like I said...MUCH to be thankful for. Praise the Lord!!