What I Learned in May

PODCAST TUESDAY!!!

I know this is the most random conglomeration of stories ever, but I promise it's worth it!!

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 Yes, I know it is not the last day of the month, but two things caused me to post my "What I learned" a day early. First, I don't plan on learning anything today, so I should be safe. (TOTALLY KIDDING!) Secondly, yesterday was a super busy day, and I didn't get a chance to write  a post just for this day. So without further ado, here are the things I learned in May!

1. My body rebels against a detox/cleanse.

And don't we all, I'm sure, in some way? Isn't that kind of the point of a cleanse or detox? To shock your system back to health and life? But seriously, I learned that my body freaks out in unhealthy ways. Not sleeping at all and feeling like I'm hallucinating? Not worth it to me. I think I'll just be more conscious in my eating choices. It works better for me.

2. Ryan and I still hate being apart.

We were told the longer we were married, the more we would "get over" the need to be together all the time. Hasn't. Happened. Yet. Ryan was gone all day for the Saturday and Sunday of one weekend, and the following weekend, we were apart all evening Friday and most of Sunday afternoon. We decided that's too much. We love being together, and we don't apologize for it!

3. In busy seasons, we rely on color-coded itineraries.

We had a couple of stretches this month that were too busy. TOO busy. The kind of busy where you have to schedule in bathroom breaks if you really want them. So I resorted to creating color coded documents that outlined our every waking hour and told us what we needed to accomplish and who was in charge of it. We couldn't live like that every day, but when we have to, we must have organization.  

4. I love, love, love, having our garage finished for entertaining.

Truly one of the best decisions we made (even though it nearly cost us our sanity when it was in process) was to finish off the garage so it could be used as an additional living space. Hosting Mommapalooza 4.0 out there was so freeing!  Everyone felt a lot more comfortable with the extra space!

5. The Ninja has revolutionized our coffee grinding experience.

Ryan gave me a Ninja system for my birthday, which was THE most perfect gift. I haven't had a lot of time to play with it yet (hello, busy May!) but we used it to grind our coffee right after we opened the box, and my GOODNESS. What used to take 15 minutes to complete took about a minute and a half. No. Way.

6. Ryan and I make a great team at events.

I love being in a partnership with Ryan, and I love having him accompany me to events. It makes me so happy! But my visit to IWU was the first time he stood up front and helped me with a presentation. It went seamlessly. We had rehearsed several times, but I was so excited to see how well it went in real time. I am thankful beyond words for a husband who doesn't just support the work I'm called to do, but he crawls into it with me and takes an active role.

7. I love writing curriculum.

Back in the day, I wanted to be a teacher, but I elected not to pursue it once I saw how the education field was changing (even 20 years ago). This month I wrote some curriculum for a workshop I'm leading this summer, and I adored every moment of that work. Ryan would come home to find me in the same spot I'd been in when he left for work, and I was a TERRIBLE wife on those days, but it fed my soul in amazing ways to write for teaching purposes!

And that's been May in a nutshell! Here's to learning even more in June! 

The Shafferland Shuffle

* Last Sunday, we were waking up for our last morning in Michigan. Sigh of sadness for the end of vacations! We enjoyed a beautiful and peaceful hike through a state park and onto the shore of Lake Michigan before driving back home. (In the warm sun, of course, which showed up for the first time in days.) Still had a great vacation and it was good to be home!

* Monday was get-back-to-normal day. Ryan returned to work, I did a bunch of laundry and unpacked, Braeya wavered between being glad to see us and punishing us with much crying, and the best part of all? OUR ROSES BLOOMED!!!! They are so pretty!

* Tuesday morning I met Ryan's brother and his wife and kids out at the park to do a photo shoot for one of the kiddos. It was a really fun morning, and the colors in the pictures really popped because it was just a little bit overcast! Because I'd been busy all day with pictures and writing, Ryan suggested we use a gift card and go out to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. No problem! :) On the way home, we saw more good news: Starbucks is being rebuilt! YESSSSSSSSS!

* Wednesday was blah and yucky, but it cracked me up that I had to wait for ducks to cross the road while I was out running errands. (They were NOT in a hurry.) I picked up a fresh stock of kiddo supplies since I had the fab five for a little while that evening. Coloring books, crayons, games, puzzles - and this one kind of disturbing box that encourages "learning with Pooh." I try to stay poo-free in my learning, thankyouverymuch.

* Ryan had a carry-in at his work on Thursday, so I made cheesy potatoes and this photo is the last I saw of them. That dish was nearly licked CLEAN! I spent the entire day writing, and it was amazing. I was in the same spot when Ryan came home from work that I'd been in when he left for work! AND I got a new toy! Stand to hold my notes while I rehearse my talks. No more using the back of the recliner!

* Friday was the last day of school! I'm not sure who was more excited: my kiddo that I take or me! I decided it was a good stop-for-a-latte-reward day, so I did! (Took one to Ryan too since he filled in for me once when I was sick.) Speaking of Ryan: I LOVE IT when I see him reading a book. Makes me so happy! He started reading my brother-in-law's book this week, and I just had to get a picture. :) And Friday night we actually got a whole night at home together, just the two of us, with nothing to do.

* Ryan had to work a long day yesterday, so I did more writing and Pinteresting while he was gone. I had to record a promo video for a workshop this summer, so that was a fun little adventure. He took me out to eat AGAIN (thank you, gift cards!!) which was a real treat. Although I have to say, the restaurant and I have different takes on medium well. Yikes! And after that? A quick stop at Lowe's for Ryan's favorite thing: holiday price checks for appliances!

The Shafferland Shuffle

WHEW! Hope you are not floating away in all this rain we've had! What a lotta water!! Here's a peek into the dry parts of our week.

* Last Sunday was the second and final day of Ryan's continuing education course, and it was also the second (and turned out to be final) day of my 3 Day Refresh detox. I felt like I had the flu, so I pretty much stayed on Mo the entire day, with big hair and no makeup. Ryan got home from class that evening, and I was so happy to see him and so sad to be unable to drink coffee that I just cried.

* Because I called it quits on the detox at 4:03 Monday morning (after a long/short night of hallucinations and no sleep), I enjoyed the most amazing cup of coffee when the alarm went off. I've never loved it more. And I mean that. Ryan had a chance to try out a genuine Mayberry sheriff's car that day. Doesn't he look so cute in it? And I was excited to see a preview of Erica Wiggenhorn's forthcoming study on the book of Acts! It's gonna be great!

* Tuesday was our monthiverary. 53 months! We both spent the day working hard on our respective jobs, but that evening, we enjoyed dinner, a Dashing Dish dessert, and a lovely evening at home together. Even got in a nice, hard workout!

* Wednesday was a big office day for me. Lots of writing and practicing for upcoming talks. When I finally flipped my sign to closed at the end of the day, I was pleased with how much I had accomplished! Know what I was not pleased about? The manicure I got at the double-date mani/pedi last Friday completely fell apart. Had to do my own less than a week later. I think it turned out well, though!

* Thursday the rain began to fall...and it was just one wet, nasty day. What a birthday gift for Braeya, huh? She mostly napped all day and I didn't blame her. Wanted to do the same, myself! :) We didn't have nearly the flooding that some areas had, but it still was a soppy wet mess.

* Friday began our crazy busy weekend! I headed up to Fort Wayne to be a volunteer at WBCL's Daddy Daughter Date Night - photography night for me! It was so good to see all my former work buddies! I also got the chance to meet one of my friends' new little baby! :) Ryan spent the evening helping out my parents and enjoying a dinner out with them. Definitely odd to be apart, but we both had great nights!

* I'd gotten home after 11 on Friday night and we were back on the road by 8:15 Saturday morning so I could speak at the Huntington Baptist Church brunch. Ryan went with me, and we had a great morning with the ladies there! We got home just in time to drive the opposite direction, down to Indianapolis, to attend the wedding of one of my high school/game night friends. A full and fun day!

The Shafferland Shuffle

You guys, last Sunday seems like 20 million years ago! Seriously! (Ryan said Tuesday seems like 20 million years ago.) Guess it was a long week! Here's a peek at it:

* Last Sunday was our monthiversary! 52 months, baby! We celebrated with a little shopping, lunch out at McAlister's (pause to appreciate their amazing iced tea...), a nice walk in the sunshine, and some lounging on the patio. It was a gorgeous day, and we appreciated it!

* I mentioned this earlier this week, but Ryan's sister just got engaged not long ago, and Monday was a big girls-of-the-family planning meeting during lunch. His whole family is full of fantastic event planners, so I am confident they did not need me at all, but I went with my nerdy color-coded pens and listened to the beginning of the planning-palooza! We had gotten a gift card to Texas Roadhouse, so Ryan suggested we go there for dinner. I think he just wanted to fill up on peanuts. :)

* Tuesday was super busy, including a podcast interview for me and Tuesdays at the Table for both of us! We had Ryan's mom and Aunt Ruthie over for dinner, and after the meal was done, some of the wedding planning palooza continued at our house.

* I was so happy to see our oils order arrive on Wednesday, because Ryan was mid-cold and I needed to have him start feeling better! That night we went to hear our friend Brent Vernon, who was in concert right here in town! We hardly ever get to see him, so anytime he's within driving distance, we go! He did a great job, and it was fun to see him (and Sam the dummy)!

* Thursday was a writing day for this girl. I hunkered down and worked for hours!! That was also the day my brother-in-law's book showed up in the mail, and I was so happy to finally own my very own copy! :) Ryan was pooped when he came home from work (thankyouverymuch, cold) so he and Braeya rested on the couch for most of the evening. They're so cute!

* Friday was still a little chilly here in Central Indiana, but the sun came out and it made me SO EAGER for warm spring. I put my laptop right by the little patch of sun and sat in the warmth while I worked! And I noticed the pretty pink tree in the yard is starting to come to life! We stayed home all evening just to rest after a busy week. Tried to watch Dateline (don't be jealous of how cool we are) but we fell asleep in the middle of it. That might explain our poor, tired faces in this picture. HA!

* Yesterday I wore two hats at once. (Not literally, of course.) I was the speaker and photographer at a bridal shower, and it was just a blast! Good food, fun fellowship, and I enjoyed the day immensely! (More on this later.) While I was busy working, Ryan was busy working too - on the yard! He rolled and mowed it for the first time this season. Bring on the warmth!

The Saturday Six

One.

Listen to Ann's interview here 

We're covering new territory on the Conversation Cafe this week! I had a chance to talk with Ann Gabhart, who has written many books, but the series of hers that I fell in love with was the Hidden Springs Mystery series. (I reviewed the most recent book in that series a couple of weeks ago on the Saturday 6.) Ann was fun to talk to and shared some insights into her writing craft and the world of fiction in general. Hope you enjoy!

Two.

My friend Sarah Forgrave is doing a new series on her blog to help you know how to eat fast food as responsibly as possible. I loved this first post with practical suggestions of what to eat at a number of popular fast food restaurants if you're wanting to try to be good!

Three.

Have you ever had someone apologize to you (for something big or small) and rather than saying you forgive them, you just dismiss the offense as no big deal? Sure, that might make us more comfortable in an awkward situation, but this powerful little post explains why pushing for grace and forgiveness is so important. Well-written words from Andrea Summers.

Four.

 And not to belabor the topic of forgiveness, but I also wrote on that subject for the Annesley site this week and thought I'd share my words as well.

Five.

Easter is a week from tomorrow, FYI. If you're needing a quick decoration (that's geared more toward Jesus than bunnies), I love this free printable! 

 Six.

Source

I was absolutely giddy when I saw book 3 in Irene Hannon's Hope Harbor series had been released. The first book, called Hope Harbor released a couple of years ago and was one of the first fiction books I read after I quit my full time job. It rekindled in me a love for fiction, and as you can tell, I haven't quit since! Last year, I happily revisited the charming Pacific Northwest town in book two, titled Sea Rose Lane, and when I saw that Sandpiper Cove was releasing this spring, I had to read it. Immediately.

If you read my fiction reviews very often, you know I have a soft spot in my soul for books set in small towns, and Hope Harbor is just such a town. Charming and little, where the people know each other and actually cheer each other on in the most beautiful way. I was happy to see some of my favorites from earlier books, like Charley with his taco truck and, Luis, the grateful citizen getting a new chance in a new country.

This time, I got to know police chief Lexie Graham, a single mom grieving a past that remains mysterious to most of the townspeople, and working hard to make Hope Harbor a safe and pleasant place to live.  I'd met her in an earlier book, but this time I learned her story. She's investigating a string of vandalism incidents around town and more than one seem to be targeting Adam Stone (or Stone, as most people call him), an ex-con trying to build a new life among the people of Hope Harbor.

As you might expect from an officer of the law, Lexie has keen intuition, and she expects to find herself overly wary of Stone and his prison-riddled past. But for some reason, the change she's making seems to be more genuine than facade. As she reaches out to help professionally, she finds herself intrigued by this man she knows better than to associate with.

And indeed, Stone wants a new life. He wants friends and a place to belong. But a lifetime of hurt and betrayal makes him a bit skittish of trusting a town full of people who know he has a shady past.

As the two begin to work together to find answers to the vandalism, they begin to wonder if they'll also find a way to fill these massive, secret voids deep inside both of them.

This third installment in the Hope Harbor series was a sweet, insightful, easy read that kept me up late so I could see how it ended! Thoroughly enjoyable!

* I received a copy of this book from Revell but was not required to provide a positive review. * 

The Shafferland Shuffle

First of all, it's stinkin' DST day. If you forgot, HURRY!!!!! You're late!!!!! Or just go back to bed and reclaim the hour you lost.

Not that I'm bitter about it. :)

Meanwhile, a peek into our week!

* Lately we've been enjoying brunch on Sundays, and this past week, Ryan made the whole thing. Food tastes better when someone else does all the work! :) Speaking of "all the work," have I mentioned how much work Braeya creates each day by unmaking the bed we meticulously make each morning? That child. One super fun thing from Sunday? New patio furniture!! I had been busy on Pinterest figuring out how to make patio furniture out of pallets, and here Ryan was planning to surprise me with furniture the whole time! Excited to have it; now if it could WARM UP so we can use it!!

* Monday began my week of hard core writing, where I was determined to knock out a BUNCH of projects and not be sidetracked with a bunch of errands. So I hunkered down at the computer for most of the day. I did watch my friend's 5 kiddos for a little bit in the evening, and they decided to have an Easter egg hunt using my home decor. One of them used ME for a hiding place. No, I don't lay eggs! LOL! Ryan got busy diagramming the kitchen cabinets so he could begin the refinishing project this week!

* Tuesday, I went to a Bible study that uses the inductive study method. I've not done that before, but was so excited to get to use colored pencils in my study! It was a GORGEOUS day out that day. Blue skies, clouds, and the hope that spring will one day come! (Since it showed up for January and February and now we're waiting for it to return.) That night, we had our final Bible study with our small group, and when we got home, Ryan started the cleaning process for the cabinet adventure!

* On Wednesday, Ryan's boss made lunch for everyone, and I even got invited to enjoy some of it. He's a GOOD cook. I came home to resume my writing projects, and had an assistant sleeping in my lap for the majority of the time. And here's a peek at all our kitchen drawers in their new, temporary location on top of the table. Sigh.

* Thursday was a "must drink lots of coffee" kind of day. I was so tired! I love weeks that require much creativity, but they do make me tired! Got some baby snuggles in that evening, and then we had one more Bible study. (How many studies can I participate in at one time???)

* Friday night, I went to a celebration party to catch up with the ladies from one of the retreats I spoke at last fall. So good to see them and hear the stories of God at work in them! Ryan stayed home and started painting the cabinets! Can't wait to tell you more about all those things.

* Yesterday was our "E" date - and if you're keeping track, you are correct in remembering that we have not yet had the "D" date. WHOA. The Shaffers go out of order? It's true! But it was a fun date, and then we came home so Ryan could dive back into cabinet painting - and I helped! This is a lot of hard work, but it's going to be so worth it! :)

The Shafferland Shuffle

Last Sunday feels like 100 years ago. This week has been full of not just busy activity, but endless mind activity. Friday night, I just tossed and turned because my brain was spinning and would not quit! So I'll be interested to see what all we actually did this week as I tell you all about it!

* Well, I guess last Sunday wasn't busy. A perfect, low-key Sunday, and now that football is over, it was a perfect, low-key Sunday of HALLMARK MOVIES! {Ryan's thoughts on that below.} We all just hung out, resting, and I made a clean version of Chinese food which wasn't too bad, except I messed up my rice to chicken ratio and had wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too much rice.

* Monday was pretty typical. Podcast editing, carpool duty, that kind of thing. But Monday night, Ryan came home with my Valentine roses a little early, which was delightful! And we delivered a new chair to my parents' house, which meant we probably should get Starbucks, since we drove right by it. I accidentally grabbed a drink that wasn't mine and although the rightful owner was gracious, the barista was not. I was dutifully put in my place and sent on my way.

* Tuesday was Valentine's Day, and even though I already told you all about it, the quick recap is that Ryan worked, I delivered brownies to the single girls at his work, we went to dinner at Ruby Tuesdays, had a hot date at Lowe's {hee hee hee} and finished up with frozen yogurt. Our first time to go out to eat on Valentine's Day was a success!

* My Valentine gift was a day late, which was totally fine, but when it arrived, I loved it! A sign that says "surrender" that goes above my new cross! I loved it. I also loved trying to take a picture of the two together and accidentally getting Ryan's noggin! Spent a lot of time in Bible study and prayer on this day. It was the day all the mind-spinning began!

* I had a couple of days this week when I didn't have carpool duty, and Thursday as one of them. So Braeya and I hung out at home and did lots of writing work. At the end of the day, I went to visit Ryan, and he was behind on notes, so I did selfies with Brutus in his office while I waited. And I got free chocolate from one of his co-workers.

* Friday, Ryan took this crazy picture of me when I was asleep. Apparently I slept ON MY FACE and had bangs sticking straight up. Good grief. Busy little day, though, including prepping for a new speaking date and much grocery shopping. {Friday night date included dinner at Sam's Club. We are the coolest people I know.}

* Yesterday, we had Phoebe all the live-long day!!!!!! Ryan actually had to work for most of the day, but I enjoyed having Pheebs home with me. I did some baking, and she just hung out in the kitchen with me. It was gorgeous here, so we went for a long walk after Ryan got home, and then Ryan continued working on taxes. We just elected not to make that a memory. LOL.