The Saturday Six

One.

 Maybe it's the book nerd in me, I don't know, but I found this post fascinating. Behind the scenes look at the design of a book cover. (And also - I wanna be a book cover model!! And also also - yes, I know I'm not a model.)

Two.

Last year, I did Erica Wiggenhorn's Bible Study, "An Unexplainable Life" twice. Once on my own and once leading the small group with Ryan's work friends. It really changed the way I view my relationship with the Lord and with the local church body. Well, Erica has a sequel study coming out NEXT MONTH, and I cannot wait to dig into it! It's called "The Unexplainable Church," and I hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighly recommend it, based on what I know of the first study!! If your small group is scoping out studies to go over this fall, PICK THESE! 

Three.

 Garage sale season is upon us, and I found this article chronicling some of the best things to hunt for at these sales! Good ideas!

Four.

 Maybe THIS is why my running speeds aren't as fast as some??? I am not using these? (Although I did have a really good mile this week. Second mile was terrible, but mile one was AMAZING!)

Five.

 I have a lot of teacher friends, and I know they are weary at the end of this school year. (And every school year.) I used to want to be a teacher, so I have a tender place in my soul for them and the work they do, especially when feeling so restricted by goals to achieve things that go far outside their intended subject. That's why this post is so perfect. If you're a teacher (or know and love one), read it!
 
Six.

 
Often when I tell you about a book I've read, I am quick to gush about how I flew through it. Couldn't put it down. I guess in my mind, that is one of the great compliments to a book: this one was so good, I just couldn't put it down. And probably for fiction, especially, that is true. But this week I learned the opposite can also be a high compliment to a book. Messy Beautiful Friendship was that book for me this week. It was so good, I had to keep putting it down so I could chew on the words and let them wash over me before I continued.

Christine Hoover is a Texas-loving pasttor's wife who left her beloved Texas roots (and friends) to follow her husband's ministry call to Virginia. This is not her first book, but it was my introduction to her, and my goodness, do I ever appreciate the heart, soul, and deep transparency she put into this book!

It's hard to write about friendship. I think it's harder now than ever, because friendship is so confusing (thanks, social media!) anymore. Facebook has redefined the word "friend" entirely, and we all have to stop and translate in our heads to know for sure where each person in our "friend" life actually fits.

Friendship is hard because we can be catty. Friendship is hard because we compare. Friendship is hard because we're busy. Friendship is hard because we're prideful. But friendship is a gift from the Lord designed (amazingly enough) NOT to fill our social media feed, but to fill our souls and push us closer to Him.

I've heard that about marriage before. I've never thought of it being the same for friendship until I read Christine's book. If we're doing friendship the way the Lord designed, we are friends filled with grace, we aren't afraid of conflict, we dig deep, we walk through the hard stuff just as faithfully as the fun stuff, and in the end, we both know we're nearer to the Lord because this friendship exists.

Christine shares many vulnerable stories from her own life and shows through her own successes and failures how to have honest conversations, move past assumptions (and their lies), walk through valleys, and believe the best from friends.

This book was very convicting to me. I'm not always the friend I want to be, and I read many reminders of why I need to do some things differently, as well as many convicting words about the proper role of friendships in my life.

This book isn't a fast read, and I mean that as a high compliment. If you do blow through it, I think you'll miss so many key points you should pause to digest, savor, and even implement.

If you're frustrated by your friendships, whether the lack or state of them, pick up this book. She has many wise nuggets to share (even a list of them in the back!) and she's safe to learn from, because she's not a perfect friend either. (And what a relief that was to know!)

* Baker Books sent me a copy of this book; all opinions are my own!*

The Shafferland Shuffle

* Happy Sunday to you!!! We are so looking forward to a day of rest today. Much needed after a busy week. Hope you can catch some rest today, too! :)

* Last Sunday was Easter, so we weren't home resting that day! Church, exchanging baskets, lunch with my family, stopping in to catch the end of Ryan's family's celebration...a busy day indeed! But we were thankful for a pretty day, which was more than the forecast promised for Easter!

* Monday I went for a run, and I was pretty nervous about it after the first run of the season (on Saturday) went so ridiculously awful! But even though it was warm and sunny, attempt #2 was much better! Ryan spent the evening working at a friend's house, installing some lights for her, so while he was gone, I started planting the first of our flowers for this year!

* Tuesday was the day of all the crazy stories I didn't feel I could tell on the blog. Here's my pretending-to-be-nicer-than-I-feel-inside face that stayed plastered on much of the morning. And of course, a view from my book that I read at the doctor's office to try to stay calm while awaiting my appointment. Ryan had more work to do that evening at our friend's house, but he did come home in time to take a sunset walk with me. Beautiful view and enjoyable company!

* Wednesday I officially christened my new "open and closed" signs for my office. I like them!! :) This was also the day my brain had reached its fullness point, so I spent some time on the porch just being still (and perhaps napping for a brief time). At the end of the day, I watched our friends' five kiddos, but before I did, I tried out traction for the first time! Hoping it would help some of my sore neck issues. (Hello, computer for 18 hours a day!) Oh! And Ryan did work at other people's houses that night. You know. Something new and different. :)

* Ryan was so busy all week that he didn't have time to mow our yard, and the forecast called for rain, so Thursday morning, I put aside work for a bit to push-mow the yard. What a job! (Our mower is not self-propelled and the "tiny" hill in our yard becomes a mountain when push-mowing! GOt it done just before the rain POURED! That night, Ryan went to work at our friend's house again, and we'd been apart so much of the week that he missed me! So he called and asked if I'd come keep him company, which I was quite happy to do. (And I helped work, too.) When he got home, he found a razzleberry pie waiting for him. I thought he'd earned it after all his hard work!

* Friday night we had some friends over for dinner. They were new friends we made not long before we moved to Kokomo, and we hated leaving them! Because everyone has such a busy schedule, they hadn't been to our house since we moved, so we were glad to finally find a date that worked to have them over. We had a make-your-own-pizza bar and played Jenga together. (Ryan won.) It was just so nice to have them over and catch up with them!

* Saturday morning, at SEVEN IN THE MORNING, we went to help our friend move. (The one whose house Ryan worked at all week.) It was cold and cloudy, but no rain! We'll take it! (By the way, the seven a.m. time was chosen by Ryan.) It really was a pretty quick move. Last night we went out for the first of Ryan's birthday celebrations! Our annual pilgrimage to Tucano's for the bottomless meat festival, and this time we went with our friends Mike and Angie!

The Saturday Six

One.

Listen to the podcast here

This week, I had the chance to talk with Sarah Beckman, whose very first book, Alongside, comes out on Valentine's Day! My review of that book is actually the next item in the Six, so please check it out. Bottom line? I loved it and think it's a great resource for everyone. Sarah has a lot of wisdom to share, and even though this podcast is a little longer than others I've done, I think you'll learn so much helpful, practical information, so take a listen!

Two.

Source

This week's book is one that I wish no one would ever need, but I can guarantee everyone will. My guess is that probably - even right this very minute - you have someone in your life who is facing some sort of crisis. An illness, the death of a loved one, a divorce, an injury - crises are everywhere, and they're hard.

If by some miracle, you don't have a friend or family member in a crisis time right now, it probably won't be long until you will (unfortunately) and when that time comes, you'll want to be equipped to be the best helper you can, through your actions, words, and prayers.


That is exactly where Sarah Beckman's debut book, Alongside, comes in. Sarah has been, as she puts it, "on both sides of the bed." Having been through bed rest with one of her pregnancies and four subsequent back surgeries while parenting her littles, she knows firsthand what it's like to depend on others for everyday tasks. And having walked with her best friend, her neighbor, and her brother-in-law while they lived their final days with cancer, she knows firsthand what it's like to be the person looking in, wanting to help in ways that are actually helpful.

From those experiences, and drawing from the rich wisdom of others in similar situations, Sarah wrote Alongside. It's a magnificent and practical guide with lists of ideas for how you might help those in a time of crisis. She teaches her readers how to discover what relationship tier they have with the person in need and tailor their help accordingly. She offers wisdom on what to say and what not to say, tangible needs to meet, and how to pray effectively, rather than throwing out the cliche-sounding "I'll pray for you," that's so often followed by forgetting to actually pray.

Though the lists are thorough, this is much more than just a book of lists. The stories are vulnerable, from Sarah's own experiences and those of trusted friends who have bravely shared their experiences. You'll see specific examples of good intentions gone bad along with out-of-the-box ideas that made a great impact!

I absolutely recommend this book for every home library, but also every church library and office bookshelf. It is a timeless resource, and I'm grateful Sarah worked so hard to offer a thorough guidebook!

* The Blythe Daniel Agency provided a copy of this book to me at no charge. All opinions are my own. *

Three.

If you're struggling through a part of life right now where nothing seems to be going right and you're wondering if maybe God is just taking a break from intervening, read this by Dr. Michelle Bengston. I just learned of her in recent days; we both write for the same organization, and I've been learning bits of her story since I learned of her. I thought this was well written, and while this is not my current place, I have been here for sure, wondering when or if God would ever come through!

Four.

When I first got out on my own, I was in major accumulating mode. I was eager to put together a home and make the very most of adulthood. Unfortunately I mistook MAKE THE MOST of it with HAVE THE MOST OF IT. I accumulated so much clutter! Since Ryan and I got married and combined our households, it's been very freeing to get rid of stuff and keep what we truly use and love! If this is tough for you (which I totally understand! Was for me at first, too!) check out this post with ideas on what to ask yourself to help determine what can go.

Five.

Last week, Ryan and I finished up the round of Hammer and Chisel exercises we'd been doing for a few weeks. Until we decide what we want to do next, we're back to the original 21 Day Fix workouts. I can tell I'm in better shape than I was when I started them the last time we did them between exercises, but they're still a shock to the old muscle system! Using muscles in new ways can get you! My friend Sarah Forgrave offered these ideas this week for crunchless ab exercises. Who can't use a good ab workout? If you need one and hate crunches, check out her post!


Six.

 Source

{What? Two books in one week? It's true. But this one was only 30 pages long. So I thought I could squeeze it in alongside my grownup book!}

I'm branching out into new territory this week: taking a gander at a children's book! {WHAT?!} I've never reviewed a children's book before, because obviously I have no children, but the last time our niece and nephews were over, I was urged (by the oldest)  to perhaps look into beginning a collection of children's books. It's not a bad idea, really. I want our home to welcome ALL our friends, and many of them have kids! So here are my thoughts on a brand new release from Tyndale House.


Clearly, since I'm not well-versed in children's books, I'm also not well-versed in their authors. Gary Bower lives in Michigan with his wife, Jan, and they have 12 children and 22 grandchildren. I'd say that makes him an expert on writing books that will appeal to kids!! You should check out their website and read about the creative endeavors of the whole family!

The book I read is called The Beautiful Garden of Eden and is part of "A Faith That God Built" series. It's written in the rhyme scheme of "The House that Jack Built," with each new part of the story building on the previous part and repeating all the way back to the beginning.

Here's what I love about the book:

* Illustrations, done by Barbara Chotiner, are whimsical and fun.  It's the first time I've ever seen the forbidden fruit depicted as a pomegranate rather than an apple, and the Adam and Eve illustrations are tastefully done. Illustrations are as important as words in children's books, I think, so I was impressed.

* While I worried that the repetitive rhyme would get annoying, it didn't feel that way to me as I read it out loud. In fact, I felt the repetition was great for solidifying the Scriptural truths into little hearing hearts.

* Speaking of Scriptural truths, I found the book to be sound in doctrine. I think that's another thing you have to be careful with in children's books; there's a difference between changing the meaning and making it kid-appropriate. I felt like this one made it kid-appropriate without compromising truth.

* I heard Gloria Gaither say once that kids love big words, because it makes them feel smart to say fun, big words. This book incorporates that. While it's not written over the heads of kids in general, it throws in a few fun big words like upheaval, comely, calamitous, and woefully.

* The final page of the book directs readers to the full account in Scripture, which I think is  important.

I'm glad to put this book on my shelf, alongside the handful of treasures I've picked up at the Goodwill. Next time the kids come over, I hope they'll have fun reading it!

* Tyndale sent me a copy of this book at no charge. All opinions are my own.  *

The Shafferland Shuffle

We absolutely wore ourselves out this week. By Friday night, we were asleep on the couch while a movie played on TV. Here's to an easier week - we hope!

* Last Sunday, as I already told you, we went to Hemlock Friends Church so I could speak in their morning worship service. Ryan got to ring the bell, and after church, one of the families invited us to join them for lunch, so that was a fun surprise! We were pretty much bums for the rest of the day once we got home. Three hour naps, I believe!

* Monday was gorgeous, and it was so welcome after the collection of gray days we'd had recently. Sunshine on the trees, Braeya napping in the sun...just beautiful. After work, we ran a few errands, which included going through the car wash. That warmed up the car in a hurry!

* Tuesday was supposed to be Tuesdays at the Table night, but our guests were sick, so we just had the night at home instead. I still made some of the food we planned to have, including a quick bread made with rosemary and onion. I do love the flavor of rosemary. Ryan got back to working out this week, which has made him feel much better, and Braeya was high-fiving him for his effots.

* Wednesday brought the start of a new computer system for Ryan's work, which has single-handedly made me a work widow. LOL. I remember starting new systems back in Financial Aid, they are 100% brain drain. I know it! He stayed through a lot of lunches and worked very late many days this week getting used to this thing! But that morning, one of his co-workers brought donuts to encourage everyone! So sweet! Another of his co-workers asked if I could help her by making some desserts for her, since she didn't have time or energy this week and she needed them for things she was going to. So I baked cookies!

* Thursday was our super busy day. Work for Ryan, dentist for me, followed by a visit to the station to see my friends, TWO viewings that night, and then the celebration of our 50th monthiversary with the "B" themed date from our alphabetical dates. This day may have been why we were asleep on the couch Friday night.

* Friday, I went to a Chocolate Celebration fundraiser here in town and served as a volunteer photographer {more on this tomorrow}, so between prepping, attending, and editing, that took up most of my day! Our friend Shawn and his boys and their cute little puppy stopped by to see us that evening, and other than that, it was pizza and snoozeville for the Shaffers.

 * Yesterday was a long work day for Ryan, so I worked at home and did our grocery shopping. What on earth possessed me to brave the store alone the day before the Super Bowl is beyond me and mine. Whew! I tried to cheer Ryan up by taking him a latte at work, and when he came home, we enjoyed a lovely evening at home together. I finished my VERY LAST WORKOUT in the Hammer and Chisel lineup. WOO HOO!!! :)

The Shafferland Shuffle

How in THE WORLD is it the last Sunday in January already?!!?!? On the flip side, after last weekend's unseasonably warm weather, I'll take it being the last Sunday in January, because it means we are that much closer to SPRING! Yes, please! :)

* Though we dearly love our Sunday naps, we had abbreviated versions of them last week, because we met up with Ryan's family for dinner and the celebration of his sister's 30th birthday! Dinner was at Half Moon, which is a local restaurant, and Ryan LOVES their food but hadn't eaten there in a very long time. It was his first really big meal post-surgery, and he ate every single bite and loved it! AND he didn't get sick. BONUS!

* Ryan had to return to work on Monday, and it was so busy, he didn't even get to come home for lunch. Sadness!! But I baked snickerdoodle brownies to take to his work friends, along with a thank you note for how they filled in for him while he was off work on gallcation. (Ryan fed a piece to Brutus. Ha!) We didn't schedule anything for that evening, because I feared he might be tired from his first day back, so we just hung out and I started reading my novel for the week, which I loved.

* Tuesday was a very busy day, including a podcast interview and some other work I had to get done quickly, and I had to do my workout early in the day. I know some people enjoy working out early in the day, but I'm not one of them. I MUCH prefer to do it later at night. So it was kind of a struggle, but I got through it. We had Bible study that night, and Miss Pheebs was there and snuggled up between Ryan and me for the whole thing. No arguments from me!

* Wednesday morning, I saw the most BEAUTIFUL sight! A tree full of fat robins! I know it's not spring and we have more winter to come, but I called it my tree full of hope! That night, Ryan and I enjoyed another night in and we actually cooked dinner together. We love to do that, but normally I have it ready when he gets home from work, so we don't have the chance. It was fun to work side by side! And then - the workout. Back in its regularly scheduled slot. And not as much fun as eating. LOL!

* Thursday, Braeya and I hung out together for a reading party, and then while Ryan worked overtime, I headed out to get my hairs done. (Not a fair gig for him, is it? But he got pizza for dinner, so I think that made it worth it for him.) It had been MONTHS since I had a highlight, and the hair was, well, white. Sigh. After marinating for a while under some foil and saran wrap, I came home a new woman!

* Friday night, our church had a chili supper and bake sale to raise money, and I wanted to take a dessert for the bake sale. I made buckeye brownies, and they're not hard to make at all, but they do have multiple layers and require cooling time, so I was up at 6:30 in the morning baking the brownie layer! We went to the chili supper when Ryan got off work, and it was delicious! We rounded out the night with some grocery shopping and coffee and (of course) DATELINE! lol! We're so old.

* Yesterday we started a new thing, which I can't wait to tell you more about! Alphabetical dates! Throughout the year, we'll go on a date themed by each letter of the alphabet. {I found the idea on Pinterest. Don't think I'm more creative than I actually am.} We were supposed to go on the "A" date a couple of weeks ago but had to postpone it until Ryan could eat real food again. So yesterday was our day! I'll tell you all about it next week, but we had a great time and I think this is going to be a fun adventure.

A Shafferland Day in the Life, January 2017

Julia from My Life in Transition does "Day in the Life" posts every quarter, where she records what life is like for one day from start to finish. I love the posts, but always felt our life was probably too boring for such a post. (Although I sorely wish now I would have done one when I worked at the station!)

But record-loving me knows that in ten years, I'll wish I'd done a "boring" post on our 2017 life, so today is my first day to post such an event! None of our days ever look the same (EVER!) but here was what last Saturday looked like in Shafferland. (Sorry in advance for the length.)

Saturday, January 14, 2017
Bekah is 38 years old
Ryan is 37 years old
Braeya (the cat) is 10 years old
Married 4 years (49 months)


6:00 a.m. || The alarm goes off for the first time and is appropriately labeled for how I feel about all alarms. I decide to ignore it. For the next 52 minutes, actually.

6:52 a.m. || Ryan is up and getting ready, and alarm #2 crawls on the bed and begins her version of beeping. There is no snooze button on this one.

6:55 a.m. || I'm up, because alarm #2 wants a drink from the sink. Yes. She has a water bowl that is always full, but she insists her drinks come from the sink. And she can put away some serious H20.

7:01 a.m. || He normally already has it going, but he must have ignored his alarm too, because I find Ryan brewing coffee. My day can't officially begin until that is ready and consumed.

7:02 a.m. || I'm in my purple bathrobe and relegated to the couch to read blogs, check all the social media, and see the latest conflicting set of opinions on the ice storm we may or may not get today or tomorrow or never.

7:22 a.m. || Ryan delivers my cup of coffee to me and proceeds to check the weather which has, in fact, changed significantly in the twenty minute span since I checked it. Eyeroll, Indiana.

7:30 a.m. || Ryan and I cuddle up on the couch for our devotion and prayer time together before he goes to work for a while. We have just started reading LuAnn Fulton's book Image Seeker.

7:45 a.m. || We are two days away from Ryan's gallbladder surgery, and yesterday we learned that in the next little town over, 172 students were absent from the elementary school and 29 more were sent home with stomach crud. So our life from now until post-op consists of vitamins, oils, diffusing, and anything that will keep the crud at bay. I begin the oil regimen for the day.

8:10 a.m. || I am curled up on the couch eating my go-to breakfast these days: plain Greek yogurt sweetened with honey, homemade granola, and blackberries on top. Since it's Saturday, I'm allowing myself all the extra time in the world to read blogs and Facebook links, and currently I'm wandering through a post about a cookie for every state in the USA. No wonder I want breakfast.

8:36 a.m. || I pause the fun to do some work. I recorded a podcast this week with the author of a prayer book, and I need to promote the podcast on social media and email links of my work to her publicist - keeping up my end of the promises for having her as a guest. And of course, I'm OCD, so I have a checklist for all the promotion chores to make sure I don't miss any.

8:58 a.m. || I'm sitting at 300 steps for the day, which is not stellar for being up for two hours. But it's not out of the ordinary for a writer on a Saturday. So I get up and begin the first of many laps around the house. In the summer, I get my steps in outside, but winter knocks out that possibility, so throughout the day, it's lap time!

9:23 a.m. || I now have a more respectable 2000 steps under my bathrobe belt, and would have had them done sooner, had Braeya not needed another long drink and a potty break. {If you missed that post, we are in the throes of toilet training - like actually TOILET training - our cat, so potty breaks actually require monitoring and documentation of their own.} Before moving on to the next activity, I've decided to pause and begin a kitty training post, since so many have asked for updates on this adventure so they can go and do likewise.

10:06 a.m. || I'm getting dangerously sleepy on the couch, so it's time to get up, get showered, and get ready for the day. Since I have no intentions of leaving the house today {although so far = no ice} I decide to just do the skincare regimen and not mess with makeup, but I WILL go to the trouble of drying and straightening my hair so I don't have to do that all over again tomorrow and can instead sleep longer! {My hair is so thick that it takes FOREVER to dry and straighten, so I always make sure I can get two days out of it.} Athletic workout shirt and yoga capris since I'm in for the day. How I do love a Saturday!

11:02 a.m. || Finally conquered the hair, so I'm officially ready for the day. Realized that Rosie {our iLife vacuum} never ran this morning because we keep forgetting to reset her auto-start feature, so I start her and resume the step-gathering for the day. Walking in the house is beyond boring, so I pass the time by texting Ryan to see what time he's coming home for lunch, texting my sister in Kansas to see if their predicted ice storm actually showed up, and surfing Facebook, where I find the most ADORABLE picture of Ryan and his siblings then and now. Man, he was the cutest kid in the universe! Those dimples!!

11:37 a.m. || 5000 steps conquered, which puts me right where I want to be by lunch time. Ryan just texted that he's heading home {carefully, as freezing rain has arrived, according to the Scanner Facebook page}. I've got green beans cooking on the stove, I'm working on my next round of water {since I'm behind - whoopsie!!} and I'll warm up our leftover meat from yesterday so we can throw down a quick lunch before he has to go back to work to treat more patients.

11:47 a.m. || Lunchtime! Leftovers for the win with warmed up coffee from the bottom of this morning's pot to cap it off. While we eat, we talk about his morning, how long he'll have to work in the afternoon, and how horrible of a commute all his co-workers who live far away are about to have when it's time to go home.

12:18 p.m. || The mail arrived while we were eating, so before he goes back to work, he runs out to get it so I don't have to. It's my favorite kind of mail day: I got a package! A new book, which I'll read next week and hopefully be able to arrange an interview with the author soon!

12:23 p.m. || Ryan slides back to work, and I make a date with the couch for some more reading before I get up to do some chores. Coffee and Pinterest sound like a good start to the afternoon.

12:48 p.m. || Phone rings and it's my friend from college/editor of my last book, Amy, who had asked if she could interview me for a project she needs for her degree. Of course! It's perfect timing since Ryan's at work. She settles in with her questions and I realize I could knock out some steps while I answer, so I pace around the house and have the nicest talk with her.

1:54 p.m. || Interview concludes and so does my step goal! SWEET!

2:00 p.m. || Pull out my Bible and brand new journal {one of life's true pleasures - if you're a writer} to have my devotions and pray for a while.

2:27 p.m. || Expecting Ryan home from work anytime now, so I hustle into the kitchen to empty the dishwasher, which ran after breakfast this morning, clean up the general mess I hadn't bothered with after lunch, make a pitcher of iced tea, and refill the diffuser. While I am up, I make my 2:30 snack, which Ryan always teases me about. If the clock turns 2:31 and I've not had my snack, my body starts hollering. It ALWAYS knows 2:30.

2:43 p.m. || Finally sitting down with the 2:30 snack. Today's snack of choice is the Dashing Dish Chocolate Chunk protein shake. My favorite. And the cup makes me smile too. Favor from my niece's wedding last summer. Always drink my shakes from this cup!

3:06 p.m. || Ryan's still not home, proving that "anytime now" is a very broad range. I decide to do the next project on the list, which is to take down all the old Christmas cards hanging inside the kitchen cabinets and replace them with the photo cards we received for Christmas 2016. I like to keep them hanging up all year, out of sight, but where I see them daily, so I can pray for our friends!

3:26 p.m. || Ryan texts that he's headed home and we have our standard code conversation for "Do you want a Coke?" followed by "yes please," without actually having to admit I want a Coke. His timing is perfect. The photo hanging project is done just as he writes.

3:48 p.m. || Ryan is home from work, changed into comfy clothes, and we've hit the couch with the remote, which is when I realize I have never turned on the TV all day! He's not feeling great, but we power through because the gallbladder eviction date is IN SIGHT. Sounds like rest is in order.

4:09 p.m. || He's already asleep on the couch, and that nap I kind of wanted this morning is beckoning again, so I curl up beside him. Clearly there will be no photos of us sleeping unless Braeya has miraculously figured out photography. Come to think of it, I haven't seen her lately. Probably taking an all-afternoon nap of her own.

4:57 p.m. || Found her! Wake up when Braeya walks across my hip while I am sleeping and curls up on Ryan's lap, which is her favorite place to be. Discover I've missed about 8 texts from various people in the last half hour, so I stay up to respond. Figure I should probably get up and start working on dinner, but it's just so cozy all curled up under a blanket with Ryan. Decide to catch up on Facebook and emails before moving.

5:20 p.m. || Crawl off the couch and head to the kitchen to start on dinner. We're still on the all-chicken diet, since it's about all Ryan can eat without feeling sick. I assemble salads {spinach, celery, almonds, cranberries and cheese} and defrost chicken breasts to grill on the stove for the top. Ryan's watching football, and gets up long enough to brew the evening pot of coffee before heading back to the game.

5:48 p.m. || Sit down in the living room to eat our salads and watch football. {In 2016 we made a goal to try to eat more meals at the table and we do, almost all the time. But if we want to watch TV while eating, we'll make an exception and move to the living room.} Someone shows up hoping for scraps.

6:03 p.m. || Ryan is feeling better and decides Marie Callender's Razzleberry pie sounds good. Surprisingly this is one thing he can eat without getting sick, and he can have so few pleasures in the food world right now, that who am I to say no? He bundles up and heads to the store for a pie to get him through the weekend. I wait at home to preheat the oven.

6:30 p.m. || The pie is in the oven, the coffee has brewed, and we decide if we don't work out RIGHT NOW, it's never going to happen. We're working our way through the BeachBody Hammer and Chisel workouts, and tonight is Chisel Balance. I'm terrible at balance, but I want pie, so I'll do my workout! We change into workout clothes, fill up our water bottles, and get busy balancing.

7:13 p.m. || Workout done, and we crash. Ryan goes back to football and I check in with my workout accountability group and begin to edit pictures from a family gathering a week ago. I've been so caught up in all the gallbladder stuff that I forgot I had pictures sitting in the camera!

8:00 p.m. || Ryan brings coffee and pie to me on the couch, and we eat while he flips back and forth between football and Dateline and I write Sunday's blog post. Braeya begs for dessert just like she begs for dinner. No shame for that one.

8:51 p.m. || I pour second cups of coffee for each of us and pull out my new coloring book I got for Christmas. All my to-do list items are officially crossed off for the day, so I am happy to have time to sit down and decompress while I color.

9:21 p.m. || Remember that I never shared Christmas pictures with Ryan's family. Stop to upload copies for each of them so they can use as they wish. Sometimes I feel like Amelia Bedelia. I get so easily sidetracked and have to stop RIGHT THEN to do whatever I think of!

10:02 p.m. || I have my standard end-of-night snack: a small mug of healthy cereal. The night is winding down, and Ryan and I are curled up on the couch with our laptops. Pinterest for me, Amazon reviews for him. We are the coolest. We stop now and then to tell stories from our day and exchange useless trivia. These common, low-key nights are my favorite.

10:16 p.m. || I check the weather to see if there will be any impact on our drive to church tomorrow and then peek ahead to Monday to see what the weather looks like around the time of Ryan's surgery. If they're right, looks like we should be okay all the way around. It's Indiana, though, so this forecast could change 100 times between now and Monday.

10:30 p.m. || I load all our dinner/snack dishes into the dishwasher, reapply oils, refill the diffuser to run while we sleep, and check to make sure Ryan turned on the heated mattress pad. He has, of course. He's good with the details.

10:48 p.m. || My calves are tight and sore, which is not unusual, so Ryan is kind enough to give me a leg massage. He claims I could sit for a 24 hour massage and he's probably right. He's yawning, so my guess is this won't be a 24 hour massage, but I'm loving it anyway!

11:15 p.m. {ish} || We both fall asleep watching football, which is a sign it's about time to call it a night.

11:36 p.m. || We drag ourselves to bed and turn on Friends, which is typically what we fall asleep watching. We talk for a few minutes and Braeya crawls up beside Ryan. Not sure how long we stay awake before we finally conk out!

All in all, it was a very good and productive Saturday. Maybe we're not as boring as I thought! :) And that's a day in the life of Shafferland, January 2017!