The Shafferland Shuffle

I feel like this last week has been busy, but not necessarily news-worthy. So it may not be the most interesting shuffle in the history of shuffles, but I shall soldier on and document!

* Last Sunday, Mom told us NOT to come out to visit. (She worries we spend too much time on her.) Her exact quote was, "I don't want to see you today." So naturally, we sent a selfie so she had to see us. Hee hee hee. Ryan was doing a big paperwork sorting project, but he paused for a nap, so Braeya "helped" by sitting on top of all the stacks while they were unoccupied. Me? Well, I just read blogs.

* On Monday, I did a full day road trip over to our old stomping grounds of Marion to deliver books to folks who wanted to use them for a Lenten study. It was like the days of yore, packing up my car for a day of commuting! While I was in town, I felt it only right to go to Poppy's Xtreme Donuts to get Ryan a treat! And after stopping to visit Mom, I discovered I had a treat of my own waiting when I got home...NEW SCRAPBOOKS ARRIVED!!!! Woot woot!

* Tuesday was crazy busy with all kinds of chores and errands, so I took just a quick second to sit and rest in the afternoon before hopping up to cook, because we had friends over for Tuesdays at the Table! This time we had friends from our old church in Marion. They hadn't seen our house yet, and we had a great time hosting them! :)

* Well Indiana proved the old adage true: March came in like a big old mad lion. Woke up at some ridiculous hour with weather radios going off and hail hitting the windows and the power going out. Whew! It finally calmed down, though. My sister came up to be with Mom that day, so I had the WHOLE DAY to work in the office. Braeya was so happy, she snuggled right up with me while I wrote! And it was the first day of the great spring capsule wardrobe project. More on that later!

* Thursday was our 51st monthiversary, and it was nothing but pure chaos and not much time together. Ryan didn't even get to come home for lunch that day, so I took lunch to him and we ate in his cloffice. By the time we got around to taking our official photo that night, we were both exhausted, I'd had a massive meltdown, and it took THIRTY TRIES to get one good photo. (And I don't even really like IT. I was just tired of redoing it!)

* By Friday, we were just pooped. I tried to cram in steps during the day, and Braeya kept high-fiving me whenever I walked by the bathroom. Ryan and I had plans for a double date that night, but we had to reschedule it, so we just stayed home and watched a movie. It was much-needed down time! And at the end of the night, Braeya played hide-and-seek with us. Do you see her?

* Ryan had to work yesterday, so I stayed home and did work there. We'd awakened to snow, but it melted off when the sun came up, and it was just a nice blanket/work/coffee/sunshine kind of day. We had to run some errands, so we went for coffee, and found out it was a BOGO day for macchiatos. SWEET! We went to visit Mom, and check out the amazing sunset we got to see! And with that...our crazy week was complete!

The Shafferland Shuffle

* I think we tried ALL the seasons this week, starting with our first real, beautiful frost last Sunday morning. Ryan took pictures of it all on his own! {A thousand husbandly points!} We got our first red cups of the season, and I replaced all the pictures in our living room wall collage, using the new ones we had taken this fall. Add about 29 pages of scrapping to that and it was a full Sunday!

* Monday was the same busy day Monday always is, but I had the added bonus of a whole new crop of Hallmark Christmas movies to watch, because I remembered there are TWO Hallmark channels! WOO HOO!!!!! In the afternoon, I had a fun treat: my friend Elisa came all the way from Fort Wayne to visit me and see our new house! Loved that! :) And that night, we saw the first of this week's spectacular moon viewing!

* Just as I was about to fix lunch on Tuesday, Ryan texted and asked if I was up for a lunch out at Wendy's. Don't have to twist my arm! I'll take a surprise, impromptu lunch date! :) We had Bible study that night and ran some errands while we were out, which included a trip to Lowe's...should we get this TWELVE HUNDRED DOLLAR lawn ornament?? And that night we contacted Fitbit about replacing mine...because I didn't think the taped together version would hold much longer. They were so great about replacing it!

* You already read about  my "interesting" Wednesday, when Starbucks was out of all the drinks I wanted, I almost put diesel in the car, and all kinds of crazy things happened. BUT! It was also the day all our Christmas cards arrived in the mail! YAY!! I am excited: ready to start addressing! Ryan found the latest update on Sonic when he was out and about, and he even pitched in to help work on the office wreath by being the official spray-painter! What a good work sport he is!

* After 2 days of working on website creation, I needed movies and naps! My brain was so tired by the end of Thursday, I couldn't think at all. Ryan came home from work and did what we hope is the final mowing for this year, and I went for a run/walk to clear my head. Gorgeous sunset and PERFECT running weather!

* Friday night, we had a first here in Shafferland: craft night hosted in the garage! It was sort of a random last-minute idea, but I invited a handful of girls over (most were Ryan's co-workers) to just have fun. Bring a snack, bring a craft, and come hang out for the evening! LITERALLY in the hour they arrived, the weather switched to winter, and we had a sudden temperature drop and horrible thunderstorms with tons of wind and rain, but we were cozy and warm little crafters in the garage!

* And yesterday, Ryan and I spent the entire day together - Christmas shopping! Yes, it's true! He had a day off work, so we headed to Indianapolis to shop and enjoy a whole day of fun {in the wind, rain and snow} together! We also had dinner at his cousins' house, which was a fun way to end the day! The only one unhappy was Braeya, who did not approve of our absence!

The Shafferland Shuffle

HAPPY DAYLIGHT SAVINGS DAY!!! IF YOU'RE UP EARLY, GO BACK TO BED FOR ANOTHER HOUR!!! :)

* Last Sunday, Ryan and I started our Halloween happenings. I made his Charlie Brown costume while he watched football, and we decorated our pumpkin cookies together. It was so much fun! We even had little taco stuffed pepper jack-o-lanterns for dinner to complete our celebration!

* Monday was Halloween, and "Charlie" went to work! :) I didn't dress up, but I did find a little trick-or-treating shirt to wear. Our only trick-or treaters were our niece and nephews, but they were little cuties!! We went to my parents' house that night to work on projects for them, so I guess technically, we went trick-or-treating.

* Tuesday was November 1, and it was THE most beautiful day! Sunny, blue skies, and warm enough to wear a sleeveless dress. WHAT?!?!? We hosted Tuesdays at the Table that night with our friends Wayne and Shari, and we had the best time. Pulled pork and veggies, Shari's homemade apple pie for dessert, and even Braeya made an appearance for a while. It was great!

* Wednesday was our 47th monthiversary, and Ryan had to go to Indianapolis for a meeting that day. I took brunch to his co-workers, and that night, we went on a little date! Voting, coffee, Lowe's, and a Christmas tree tour at the mall. It was a great monthiversary!

* Thursday was a writing day for me. I accomplished a lot, but I got behind on steps, so after work, I went for a walk and found myself rewarded with the most beautiful sunset! Ryan and I enjoyed an evening at home, which made Braeya SO HAPPY.

* Friday, I got a fun surprise of FUN MAIL! There is not nearly enough fun mail going around in this world, is there? After work, Ryan and I went back to my parents' to do some more work, and that resulted in yours truly taking a trip to Lowe's for more supplies that WILL have to be a podcast story, because oh. my. word. It was classic Bekah, through and through.

* Yesterday morning, I went to a Christmas bazaar at a church and an open house at a bakery with my friend, Kari. I have decided I love bakery open houses. Samples are a pretty wonderful thing! That afternoon, Ryan worked to winterize the house...cutting back the bushes and all those chores. And last night, we went to our nephew's birthday party. He's such a cutie and the party was so well themed {as it always is...my sister-in-law rocks the party themes}!

The Shafferland Shuffle

* Last Sunday was such a lazy Sunday. After church, we enjoyed a leisurely day of naps, football, and snacks. It was so good that I don't even have any more to report on it! :)

* Monday was as busy as Sunday was lazy. {Of course. Isn't that how it always works!} Many house chores, much writing work, two yards to mow {for Ryan} and a quick trip out for a little pampering for yours truly! On the way home, I was treated to a gorgeous sunset, and that made suffering through a workout a little easier. :)

* Tuesday was kinda cold and rainy, so it seemed like a good day to make a pot of soup! I worked at home all day, and we had our Bible study that night. Our group was full of great discussion, and I enjoyed learning from them! And check out these amazing leaves one of the ladies preserved. So cool!

* Wednesday, Ryan's grandpa had another surgery on his brain, but we didn't get to go this time. We prayed for him from home, and I was so thankful it all went well! Ryan had an extra busy week at work, so he was swamped there, and I was rushing to meet a writing deadline, so we were pretty exhausted by the end of the day. We had plans for the evening, but they fell through, so we we conked out on the couch watching TV. Braeya took over the remote. LOL!!!

* Thursday night, we had the privilege of helping one of our friends move. She helped us when we moved, and it was a gift to us to be able to pay her back! It was a cold night, so we started out with coffee/hot chocolate, and then got busy moving! {Side note: I had injured my hamstring in that workout Monday, so it was fun to watch me hobble with boxes.}

* Friday was another busy day for Ryan at work, and he couldn't make it home for lunch, so I wen to visit him while he ate. It was SO BEAUTIFUL outside that we went for a walk after work, and then we went grocery shopping. GUESS WHAT WE FOUND WHILE WE WERE OUT???? They broke ground for our new Sonic!!! {Insert every happy emoji in the whole galaxy right here.}

* Yesterday we had our annual pictures taken, and while we were at it, we did a county date! Delaware County! The day was way prettier than I ever imagined it wold be, so it was a fun day to be outside, eat lunch outside, have coffee outside...you get the picture.

The Shafferland Shuffle

A very happy 46th monthiversary to my handsome husband. 46 months is a whisper away from an official FOUR YEARS!!! Yay!!!

* Last Sunday morning, we stopped by my parents' house on the way to church...got there right when the sun came up, and it was so pretty! Last Sunday was also our last day at the church we have attended for most of our marriage. Bittersweet to say goodbye to this church that has come to mean so much to us in the last 3.5 years!

* Monday, Ryan played in the cornhole tournament at work. We won't really talk about the outcome of that round, and INSTEAD, we will move on to this very cute pumpkin art I found {FOR FREE} on Pinterest! It livened up our guest room! And while Sunday may have had a a gorgeous sunrise, Monday won the prize for gorgeous sunset.

* Tuesday was pretty much the perfect fall day. Sunshine, great weather for taking a walk, not too hot, and not too cold. It was even perfect for curling up in the light of the sun to read. And it's possible that by "reading," I also mean "taking a nap."

 * Wednesday, the weather started getting yucky on us, just in time for our date-night game. You remember the charity game heard round the world when our team lost and I had to Lamaze my way through it? Oh yes. That game. Despite the cold and rain {and the fact that I am now FIGHTING a cold from said night out}, it was fun to have a night out on the town with Ryan!

 * Thursday was national coffee day, so I partook all day long at home! Ryan mowed his aunt and uncle's yard that night, so I went along and had him drop me off at Hobby Lobby so I could do some shopping for things I needed, and on the way home, we stopped at Starbucks for our OFFICIAL observance of National Coffee Day. I was brave and tried the Chile Mocha they just brought out. Yeah that was a bad idea. Burned my throat with every drink and I hated the flavor. And that is how National Coffee Day crashed and burned on me.

* Friday night, we went to my parents' house, so Ryan could do some projects for them, and they took us out for dinner in exchange. It was delicious! On our way home, we stopped at this new little place called the Hydration Station for drinks. We had frosted apple ciders, and they were delicious. Unfortunately they also make frosted caramel apple, frosted apple pie, and a bunch of other frosted apple drinks, so we are going to have to figure out how to go OFTEN!!!

 * Yesterday, Ryan worked, and I had Phoebe all day! It was a rainy day, so we mostly hung out at home and took naps! And then last night, I went to a birthday party for my friend, Amber. It was a craft party, and I made a coffee cup Advent calendar! I loved the way it turned out!

The Shafferland Shuffle

Quick note at the start of today's post to say the winner of the $25.00 gift card to the Simply Bliss Boutique is...........{imaginary drumroll}.........TAMAR!!!!!!!!! I'll email you, Tamar, to get the info transferred to the good folks at Simply Bliss!

And now...for our week!

* Last Sunday was a perfectly lazy day in Shafferland, and we loved it. Napping, scrapbooking, football, sunset walks...that's a good day.

* I spent most of Monday writing and editing, so it was a day of laptops and coffee! Ryan and I had to run some errands that evening, so we stopped to buy some pumpkins so I could decorate the outside of the house. {NOTE: I did not buy all these pumpkins. LOL!!!} And at the last minute, I found out I needed to make a breakfast food for Ryan to take to a carry-in on Tuesday, so I made maple bacon sweet rolls. Pretty tasty!

* Tuesday was dental appointment day, so I had to make a quick run to Fort Wayne and back. I got my usual Starbucks post-dentist reward, and they accidentally made it cold instead of hot. Kinda pretty though, don't you think? That night was our first "Tuesdays at the Table" event, and we had Ryan's dad and step-mom over. It was a great night!

* Wednesday, I had our nephews and niece all day. We stayed so busy!! {AKA I had all my steps in early in the day!} They even got to go hang out with Ryan at the hospital while I did my carpool run. They thought that was pretty cool! And when the day was over, I took a nap. Whew!

* Thursday morning, I walked into the living room to find Braeya licking the daylights out of the carpet. Turns out one of the kids' snack puffs had gotten ground into the carpet and she was having a snack! HA!!! I spent the day writing and reading, and saying HELLO to our mums, which finally bloomed!

* Friday was another long day of writing, and I pulled out the old-school note-taking skills! Ryan and I took advantage of the gorgeous evening for a walk and then squeezed in a date night, complete with a trip to Starbucks for our reward drinks. That was the good news. The bad news was that the barista didn't hear me tell her {twice} that I had a reward, so I bought my drink!

* Yesterday was a massive baking day in Shafferland. I made a whole sampler platter of fall deliciousness {to share...no giving up the eating changes!} and the house smelled so good! AND I put up a new Lindsay Letters piece of art. I think it completes the house for fall!

The Shafferland Shuffle

Before I recap our week, I want to pause to acknowledge the significance of this day in our nation. This year I had the opportunity to meet Jennifer Sands, whose husband died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. After hearing her speak and reading her books, I have a fresh empathy for the hurt and devastation suffered by the families who lost loved ones on that day. My heart is tender toward them, especially on this day.

* Last Sunday was our very last Sunday to serve coffee at our church. We will {sometime in the next few months} be transitioning to a new church closer to home, so we resigned from all our activities at church. We got to watch a beautiful sunrise on the way to church, we served our coffee, and we rested all day. That evening, some friends invited us over for dinner, and I gotta tell you: that was one delicious meal!

* Monday was Labor Day, but Ryan worked, so I scrapbooked! Pretty rough holiday. We watered our flowers that afternoon, and I noticed there are still HUNDREDS of blooms on our big purple whatever-it-is bush. It's fall! Still blooming! When Ryan came home form work, he sat down and read in my book. How happy did that make my heart??

* I spent all my "work time" this week preparing for the retreat I have spoken at this weekend. Tuesday's activity was to style my book table, so I would know exactly how I wanted it when I arrived at the retreat. Took me back to my WBCL days! I also baked a loaf of healthy zucchini bread, which was absolutely delicious, and I worked out alongside my trusty helper. Hey. I was at least glad she did something besides roll over and take a bath while I gasped for air!

* Wednesday I worked more on my retreat prep, and Braeya was so over it...she just waited by the front door for Ryan to come home from work. I was so caught up in working that I forgot to take a shower until about 4 p.m. Needless to say, it was not my finest hair day. Ryan still loved me though, and even treated me to a giant cupcake {we shared} from cupcake week at the cake shop. Sigh. Of. Love.

* Thursday, we had an unexpected treat when Ryan got almost the whole day off work! Since we weren't going to get to spend our weekend together, he took advantage of that opportunity and we ran errands, visited his favorite Chinese restaurant, and worked to get me all packed for the retreat. We went on a walk at sunset...which, by the way, was STUNNING.

-Enter Ryan finishing the blog since Bekah is gone.  Deep breath.  How much can I screw up in two days.....or make even better!!!-

*Friday was a bittersweet day.  It was the day Bekah left me alone for the weekend to see if I could survive without her.  So she went on a weekend getaway with the ladies where there was much serenity, spas and all you can eat pizza OR possibly it was the retreat she has been working on for months where she would be speaking about Being Still.  I guess you'll have to check in next week to see the details about what really happened!

*Saturday was a big day on Bekah's "Retreat Weekend".  We will all look forward to hearing all about it.  Meanwhile, when I was trying to appropriately deal with my bachelor weekend I spent the majority of the day working and consoling a crying cat who is basically inconsolable.  In my spare time I prepared my self for the Colts opening day on Sunday and a new football season!

This is Ryan Shaffer signing off from Shafferland.  Tomorrow you will be back to your regular scheduled writer. I promise.

Linking up!