The {Second} Bathroom Overhaul

Y'all...WE DID IT!! We finished our home renovations prior to our first anniversary! I am so excited, I cannot even stand it. Two nights ago, we put the finishing touches on our second bathroom...and I cannot wait to show you the updates. This was our most drastic renovation since the kitchen.

The second bathroom was not originally part of this house. My uncle added it in the 80's, and he constructed it VERY very well. The structure of the bathroom was great. The decor was...untouched since the 80's. Hence the need for the update.

Don't believe me?

NOW do you believe me? The top half of the wall was covered with a brown and blue floral paneling and the bottom half of the wall had a tile pattern paneling. The counter was really old, and the faucet was...oh! really old. I can't tell you how many times I nearly electrocuted myself whacking into that sconce on the wall, and the medicine cabinet...well...enough said. And it's hard to see in this picture, but that towel rack on the wall was...precarious at best.

A close-up of the counter. White with gold veins...it was...old.

The one nice thing in this picture is the little box on the toilet. Then there is the onion holder covering the handle - because Braeya has a flushing habit...the unsightly towel rack...and the awkward shelf that held a random assortment of...stuff.

 Behind the door was the smashed up robe hook....the strangely placed shelf that held the washcloths...it was just a whole bunch of awkward.

And then there was the carpet....ohhhhhhhhh the carpet. I abhor carpet in a bathroom because between water and hairspray, it is IMPOSSIBLE to keep clean.

So...ready?

You guys...I could just cry. It's like a whole new house!!

We painted the top half of the paneling the same brown we used in Ryan's bathroom {save money!!}, and we used the same paint treatment on the counter that we used in the kitchen. We left the blue tile paneling. It worked out great! Ryan installed a new faucet and towel holder, and we found a mirror for $20 at Hobby Lobby. He installed a new sconce and lighting over the mirror....I LOVE IT!!!!!

He became my own personal rock star when he figured out how to rewire my plug that had been in the medicine cabinet onto the wall...with a switch AND a plug. I'd still be sitting in a heap crying about it. He figured it all out and it works. He's amazing.

I brought in the little lantern left from our wedding...it was the one that sat with the bear representing Angela. Since she used to be my roommate, it seemed appropriate to have part of her memory in this house.

I love how uncluttered the wall looks now!! I brought a collage frame from another room into the bathroom. It holds some of my most favorite pictures from our wedding day. :)

Remember the shelf/towel bar mess over the toilet? Replaced by this!! Ryan put this cabinet together, and I love it. I especially love the Essie collection on the top shelf!!! Glass door forces me to keep things organized!! :)

Ryan replaced a globe light with track lighting so I can see better in the shower!! And I finally found a home for my yet-to-be-finished Voice of Truth wall art. {It's a long-unfinished Pinterest project to help me with my self-esteem issues.}

And best of ALL....check out this new floor. NO MORE CARPET!!

I'm SO thrilled to be done with our renovations...so thrilled to look forward to some REST...and so thrilled to not be doing my hair and makeup in the dining room anymore! Although you wanna know something weird? I already kind of miss sharing a bathroom with Ryan.

I THINK I'M A GROWNUP NOW!!!

Thankfulness, Day 27: I love it when a place of business goes the extra mile to show care or respect for me as a customer. When they do something they don't HAVE to do - but they leave me wanting to come back or recommend them to others because of the little things. If that's happened to you - say thanks {maybe even to a manager??} for the person who did that. I guarantee you they don't hear enough thanks to drown out the complaints!!

Guess What Time It Is?!?!?!?

You got it! It's time for more perfectly useless trivia with the Shaffers!!!

Yes, my friends, today is a day in which I offer you five free bits of information about the two of us that will serve you no EARTHLY purpose except, perhaps, some entertainment.

You're welcome.

1. Do you cut out coupons but never use them?

Bekah: I cut them out with the best of intentions, but do confess that sometimes {aka usually} I end up at the store and can CLEARLY envision them on the counter at home. WHOOPSIE!!!!!

Ryan: I cut out coupons and give them to Bekah. {Please refer to answer above.} Then at the store, I say, "Don't we have a coupon for this? You're the keeper of the coupons." And she smiles and says, "I may or may not have left that coupon at home." {The answer, of course, is may.}

2. Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of bees?

Bekah: SERIOUSLY!?!?!? What kind of question is this? I suppose the bees. But if there's any way that NEITHER can be an option in this scenario, I'll take THAT. I was stung once in the armpit by a yellow jacket. I've really never cared for bees since. But I'm certain I'd care for a big bear even less.

Ryan: I'm gonna go with the bear on this one. I feel my chances would be much better one on one than with a swarm. I'm quite wiry. 

3. Do you have freckles?

Bekah: I get some on my cheeks in the summer - and on the top of my shoulders. But nothing like Anne of Green Gables.

Ryan: Yes, I do have freckles. They seem to show up more when I am tan. But they are still nothing like ...you know...someone who has a lot of freckles.

4. Do you always smile for pictures?

Bekah: Yes, unless it's one of those fake out things where I don't know that my picture is being taken. OR unless I'm stuck in traffic. Ryan and I have a LOT of unamused-stuck-in-traffic photos.

Ryan: I smile as long as I can, depending on how long the photographer takes to snap the picture. My face gradually drops and freezes. On the good pictures, I usually blink. 

5. What is your biggest pet peeve?

Bekah: I kind of have a lot of these. Anything to do with gum is a pet peeve. I can't stand seeing it, smelling it, or hearing it snap and pop. People who drive under the speed limit. People who pull into traffic right in front of me and then go slow. Ushers who make you move to the center of the row. Meetings that last longer than they're supposed to. Any sort of text/email abbreviation or misuse of the English language out of pure laziness. Hashtags. People who do not follow the assigned rules of the road in the parking lot and/or grocery store aisle. Just to name a few.

Ryan: Well, nothing comes to mind.


{That was a total lie. He just wanted to make me look like a real whiny girl.}

Ryan, Take 2: Tardiness.Getting behind slow people in the store or on the road. Any job done in a sub-par way. Limp handshakes. Men who sit with their legs crossed {like women}.

Braeya: Food dishes that have even a smidgen of the bottom showing. 

So there you have it!!

Tell me your answers. Especially #5! I need to make sure I don't violate it!


Thankfulness, Days 25 and 26: I FORGOT TO PUT UP A THANKFULNESS PROMPT YESTERDAY!!! So here are two for today: 
* Say thanks to a former co-worker for encouraging you/teaching you/mentoring you/bailing you out {whatever fits}. Even though you don't work together anymore, be thankful for the time you shared then!

* Say thanks to someone you observed feeding life into someone else. You may not even know them - but you have seen them making a difference to someone else. Say thanks. 

The Date that Took Two Days

Ryan and I are pretty insistent upon our date night. We try so hard to protect that night with all our might - because we believe dates are crucial to healthy marriages. It seems like lately, because we're so exhausted from working so hard on our house, our date nights have happened at home. We love at-home date nights, but there's something extra special about getting to GO OUT.

So this past Friday night, we had the perfect date night planned: dinner, a play, and a Starbucks stop on the way home. The whole night was going to be free, thanks to the magic of gift cards and the play itself being free. EVEN BETTER!

The play started at 7, and the day before, I found out the night was sold out, so if we wanted to get a good seat, we should arrive early. Like 45 minutes early.

So there went dinner. We had a snack and headed out to watch a local church's production of A Christmas Carol.

My friend Greg Spangler took these pictures - and I'm borrowing them to share with you.

Scrooge was AMAZING. He was so stinkin' funny!!! And my friend Angi {on the left} and her mom {on the right} totally nailed this scene. One of the best in the whole show.

 I asked Ryan if he could please get jammies just like that.

 The guy on the left is the son of my former boss. I think the last time I saw him, he was about 13. He is now much taller, has a much deeper voice, and is a really good singer. Nicely done!!

 Great performance!!

 

And here's a selfie I took of us. I don't fare well in phone selfies because I always forget where I'm supposed to be looking. 

By the time the play was over, Ryan wasn't feeling well, so we decided to skip dinner AND coffee and go straight home.

So.....

...even though he worked a FULL work day on Saturday, he came home and took me out to dinner to make up for the night before!!! THANK YOU, BABY!!!!!!

We went to B-dubs for dinner...

 The food was SO GOOD!!! And you'll have to ask Ryan about what happened to his water....

We had the most lovely dinner and on the way home, of course, we did what we always do on a good date:

GROCERY SHOPPING!!!

Ryan needed an oil filter for his truck, so I just couldn't resist snapping one more picture of him:

And that is how we took one date and made it stretch over two whole days. Because, you know, we can!

The Shafferland Shuffle

* As you already read about, last Sunday was a crazy day, with tornadoes hitting Indiana - hard. We were fortunate to not have any damage at our home, but we did spend some time cooped up in the bottom of a closet watching {Ryan} and screaming{Bekah} during the worst of the storm. Thank you, Lord, for sparing us on this day! After we emerged, we took a tour of town to look at the damage. Here is a precariously perched traffic signal:

* Monday night, we took dinner to Ryan's brother and his wife, who had a baby not too long ago. It was our first time to meet the new baby {who is blognonymous - so I'm sorry you don't get to enjoy the cuteness!} and it was wonderful to just get to spend time together with his family. And I really loved the excuse to cook up a meal to take over! {Pork loin, macaroni and cheese and pumpkin spice bread.}

* Tuesday night I came home to find some real mail in my box! {Isn't THAT a treat in a world of ads and bills?} Got this most darling garden flag in the mail from my sister! HOW FUN!!! I love it. And what a great pick-me-up for a Tuesday! Ryan and I went to the gym and spent the rest of the evening enjoying some TV and relaxation!

* Wednesday I had the chance to interview Gina Harris from Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep - which inspired my blog post on Thursday. I also had the chance to interview Erin Ussery from Whimsy and Co (super cute canvas art). Those two guests were among my most favorites ever that I've interviewed. I appreciate days like that on the air!

* Thursday night, after we finished our workout, Ryan's mom came to town and took us out for dinner. Mmmmmm...arroz con pollo at Mi Pueblo! {And that is the extent of my foreign language expertise.} It was yummy food - and a fun conversation too!

* Friday night, we had date night, part 1. We went to see a production of A Christmas Carol, put on by a church here in town! This was the 11th annual production and I hadn't been to see it since about the first year. It was good then - and REALLY good now! We were impressed! {Borrowed this picture from my friend, Greg. He had better shots than I did! Because I had none!}

* Yesterday Ryan had to work {the whole day again - sadness!!!} so I spent the day meeting up with my friend Sarah, for coffee, doing some shopping, and working on craft projects at home. Even though he was tired from a six day work week, Ryan came home and took me out to B-Dubs for dinner!! I'll tell you more about the date weekend later - but in the meantime - the little detail I loved. When I met Sarah for coffee at Starbucks, the barista asked how to spell my name so it would be correct on the cup! Sweet!

Thankfulness, Day 24: One of the people who impacted me most was a counselor I saw for a couple of years during college. He changed so many things about my view on life and I'm forever grateful for the hours he spent with me. Today - if you had a counselor or adviser or coach that spent time directing you in life - say thanks!! I'm sure in some ways, they wonder if their words are ever making a difference!

The Saturday Six

One.

Last Sunday was the first time I can remember that IWU ever put the campus on lockdown because of a tornado warning. {It may have happened before, but this was the first I could remember.} After they lifted the ban and students could go outside again, a girl named Katie Bankert took this photo with her iPhone. A double rainbow over the chapel building = looks God saturated to me!

Two.

 Source

My friend Kristin sent me this article of 11 life lessons you can learn from Anne of Green Gables. Oh how I love Anne. If I had six hours to kill right now, I'd watch those two movies straight through. Anyway...I think this is well written and has good stuff in it. And if you don't know Anne...you're missing out. :)

Three.


I've told you before - I was raised on hymns, and there's a part of me that still loves them so much {even though I also love contemporary music}. I'm a hymn purist. I don't like remade versions. I want big, anthem-y versions like you would have heard in church in days gone by. My friend Amy reminded me this week of the hymn To God Be the Glory - which I've not heard in YEARS. So I had to hunt down a big version of it. I liked this one.

Four.

Source

I LOVE THIS POST! I wish I'd written it! :) Ryan and I have such a deep desire for not only our marriage to be healthy and thriving, but for marriages around us to be the same way, so I love reading posts like this. I'm so excited to read that we do these things already - makes me feel affirmed that we're doing something right!

Five.

I surprised Ryan this week with a new picture for our house! We both love this photo we took on our cruise - you might recognize it from the top of the blog! I had it printed on canvas, and now it hangs in our bedroom {which is slowly morphing into a beach theme).

Six.

Source

For those of you out there who are my fellow OCD friends...enjoy this one.

Thankfulness, Day 23: It's so hard when you want to say thanks to someone who has passed away...and they can't hear those words you wish you could say. Today, write a letter to someone who had an impact on your before they passed away. Maybe you'll want to send it to one of their kids or grandchildren so they know the impact. Or maybe you just want to commit the words to paper and save the letter to remind you of their investment. Either way - be grateful today for what they did to be part of your life!

Craving Hope

Last night after our workout, Ryan's mom came into town and took us out for dinner. While we ate, we talked about all sorts of things...and among the stories, Ryan told her about the time he's spent reading through the letters I wrote him all those many years before I even knew who he was. He told her how many times he'd find a sentence in a letter that said, "Please hurry to me," and a glance at the date the letter was written told us both...I still had a good decade to wait.

Around a mouthful of chips and salsa, I piped up, "I would have died if I'd known." She smiled and said, "And that's why God doesn't tell us those things He knows we can't handle.

There were times I was convinced that knowing an exact ending date of my single status would make it easier to bear...because I would at least know it had an end. But the truth is - if you'd told me when I was 21 that I'd have to wait until I was 34 - I don't know that it would have seemed the least bit easier to bear.

I wanted hope in the form of an answer. God gave me hope in the form of sustaining grace for each day.

We all want hope. We want to know that this season...whatever hard season it is...will pass. And more than that...we want to know that we will pass the test of whatever God is asking of us in this moment.

We need hope.

You craving hope today?

 

Thankfulness, Day 22: God gives us great gifts when he sends people to fill voids in our lives. I love it when someone can step in and carry on a legacy someone else began. I am so grateful God has sent people into my life to fill the role my grandparents began, even though they've passed away. Maybe He's sent some honorary people into your life...thank one of them for taking on that investment in you!

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

One of the things I really enjoy about my job is the chance to interview people now and then. Once a month, Lynne and I do a show called "Spots and Spotlights," which usually features five different interviews, and yesterday, one of the interviews I did moved me so much that I wanted to tell you about it today.

I've told you before about my nephew, Kirk, who was stillborn when I was ten. His death was completely unexpected. My sister had a perfect pregnancy and was experiencing a normal labor when suddenly...he was gone. Twenty-five years ago, people didn't really talk about infant loss, and we'd never known anyone who had lost a baby. When the doctor came to tell the family the heart-wrenching news, no one knew what to do. No one expected that announcement.

The hospital staff stepped in and encouraged all of us to hold him, to take pictures of him, to take a few moments with him, because those few moments would be all we had. They brought my sister a lock of his hair and tried to do everything they could to cover things we wouldn't know to do.

Twenty-five years later, I can flip through a tiny scrapbook with copies of the pictures we took that day. Candid snapshots snapped on film cameras in poor lighting...and it's all we have. Sometimes I look at them just to remember his little face. His features. And I'm thankful that even though the pictures are typical 80's quality, we still have them. We have that piece of our family's first baby in that generation, whose life was loved, prayed over, and still matters so much.

It was because of that story that I wanted to interview someone from Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. Have you heard of them? They're an organization that connects families like ours with photographers who can do photo shoots in those few, fleeting moments. Photographers who can come to a hospital and sit with a grieving family and hurt with them and yet take beautiful, professional-quality pictures so that twenty-five years later, that family still has something tangible to represent a little life they never got to fully know.

I think this is a remarkable ministry. I told Ryan in my prep for the interview that if I had professional-grade photography skills, I'd sign up to volunteer for them in a heartbeat because I so believe in what they do and I know the importance of photos in that moment.

Speaking here from a not-the-mom perspective, I will say that those moments are so hard. It's hard to be in that room and so full of conflicting emotions and not know how you're supposed to act or what you're supposed to say or how to process everything flooding through you. {And I was only ten on that day. I can't imagine how much harder it is for adults who really get it.}

So anyway. Here's why I'm writing this post. At the end of the interview yesterday, Gina {from Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep} told a story of a woman who was waiting in the doctor's office for a routine appointment, when she picked up a magazine that had an article in it about the organization. She read it and continued on her way. A few weeks later, she found herself in the same place as my sister: unexpectedly saying goodbye to her baby. If she'd not read the article, she never would have known that she could have pictures of that baby.

I would never want someone to kiss a baby goodbye without knowing about this ministry and what they offer. Those pictures are too precious and can go so far in helping in the grief journey. So I wanted to write about this today so you know...so if you ever know of anyone who needs them, you can tell them.

And how I hope you never need them. How I hope you never know anyone who needs them. But the truth is, this organization is less than 10 years old and has already helped tens of thousands of families, Gina said. And I want to make sure they can help someone you love if that day ever comes.

One of only two photos I have of me holding Kirk. I was ten.

Thankfulness: Day 21 - Most people choose to use their gifts because someone encouraged them to do so. And sometimes, it's those same encouragers who even see the gift for the first time. I remember the first time someone encouraged me as a writer: I had no idea I even had a skill until she mentioned it to me. And how grateful I am now that she did!! So who saw a gift in you? Say thanks!!!

The Final Farewell to Fall

I think that second to Christmas, fall is my favorite season. It is beautiful. After hot summers, I'm always strangely ready for that crispness that comes with cooler days - and of course, the blazing colors that accompany the season. This fall was especially gorgeous. My commute was stunning for many weeks - fiery red trees and bright, bright yellow leaves lined the interstate.

And I've loved fall at our house. Our massive backyard tree made the most lovely golden carpet...

But there is that space...that sad space...between fall's beauty and the onset of Christmas. That space where the leaves stop being colorful carpeting and start being brown, rotting, soggy...work.

And how is it that one tree's leaves can multiply SO MUCH on the ground? Seriously - HOW????

And so it was that this past Saturday, Ryan and I got up early and made our way to the backyard to work on the mess of leaves...and winterize our lovely outdoor living hideaway.

Ryan did the mowing...

And I was the blowing/raking helper:

And we did it! One mulched yard, a couple of bags of leaves...and then...it was time to winterize our backyard home. It went from this:

To this:

And that sight is what did it for me...the empty hammock frame, the naked metal of the pirogi...the bare tree...

...pretty fall is over. And it's so sad!!

I'm excited to decorate for Christmas - to bring back warmth and lights and coziness...

How about you? You ready for some pretty again too?

Thanksgiving, Day 20: Who in your life has made a difference...and has no idea? That "silent witness" who has done something to mold you into who you are, and you've never said a word? Say a word today...say THANKS!

Your Tornado Safety PSA

Yes, I know it's just a little over a month until Christmas, and the word tornado shouldn't even be on our lips right now. But this past Sunday, we had severe weather here in our neck of the woods, reminding me that at least in good ole Indiana, there is never a moment exempt from the possibility of storms.

If you've been lurking around the old blogaroo for a few years, you might know that my sister and her family went through a nasty, life-altering tornado back in 2007. {If you missed it and want to read my posts about that - they're in the May/June archives of 2007.} Anyway, this experience has made me a bit more sensitive to the whole idea of severe storms, and I wanted to take a minute to offer some ideas of things you might not think to do when bad weather comes your way. Here are some of the things I learned from that day in 2007 - and put into practice myself this past Sunday.

* As hard as it is, take the warnings seriously even when it feels like reports are crying wolf. This is a HARD one for me - even given all watched my sister go through. A few years ago, here in our fine city, they started running the tornado alarms for ALL storms. Even thunderstorms. As a result, I usually utterly ignore warnings, because I'm immune to them. But it's a good idea to have a cautious spirit even when warnings seem to pop up far too often.

* Pack a bag. With shoes. When warnings roll around, it's a good idea to pack a bag to get you through a few days. Shirts, underwear, pants, jackets, socks - and don't forget the shoes. My niece didn't pack shoes and was barefoot when she went to the basement for the tornado warning. When they had to evacuate after the storm, she was fortunate to encounter all her shoes outside in what had been the garage...but if they had blown away, she would have been in trouble!

* Don't forget the other essentials. Do you take medication? Have glasses and contacts? Don't forget to include those in your bag. They're the things you might not think of in the moment...but if you're displaced, you'll need them! Sure, you can get some of them replaced, but it's a good idea to have your supply on hand if you can.

* Chargers and flash drives. Stuff can be replaced, but sometimes stuff WITHIN the stuff cannot. Do you have flash drives, camera memory cards or external hard drives that hold important memories and information? While it would be great to save scrapbooks and hard copies of documents, if you have the contents saved digitally, that at least gives you the bare bones!

* Don't just gather your important stuff - put it in the safe place. It's great to have a safe or bag that holds all your important papers...Social Security cards, passports, vehicle titles, birth certificates, marriage licenses, etc. - but it only helps if you take it with you.

* Inventories!! This one is a little impossible once the warning has been issued, but if you have time to prep, it's a GREAT idea to inventory your house. {If you have a move in your future, that's a good time to do it!!} Some insurance policies require a detailed list of what you own, and that's hard to do when it all blows away. My sister said she couldn't believe how much she forgot she owned once it wasn't sitting in front of her anymore. From clothing to appliances to books - make lists of what you own, so you can turn that in.

* Heirlooms - The one thing you can't replace is an heirloom. So if there's something you just can't live without - make sure you take it to a safe place!!

So that's what I've got. Be safe out there, y'all. Seems like stuff like this crops up with no warning these days.

 (Photo from the tornado my sister lived through.)

Thankfulness, Day 19: Thank someone you've caught in the act of making an impact in someone ELSE'S life. You weren't the recipient. Just the observer. Thank that person for investing - might be just the encouragement they need!

November Storms

I planned an entirely different post for today. But after yesterday's storms...I'm posting about the adventures in Shafferland.

Indiana, as you probably all know by now {even if you don't live here} was smacked with a lot of damaging storms yesterday. We had tornadoes, yes, but we had all other sorts of wind damage, too, and our little house was in the line of the storm.

We live in the midwest. We've had a lot of tornado warnings in our lives. But this was the first time in my adult life that I have been THIS frightened of a storm.

I grew up in a home with a basement, and I have sorely missed that during my adult life - mostly when it storms. It's admittedly nice to not have to worry about flooding and things like that - but when it storms, I miss my basement.

We kept an eye on the weather yesterday afternoon and determined this might actually be a storm to pay attention to...especially when we saw pictures of the town near Peoria, Illinois, that had been ransacked.

So we spent some time making a little nest in the bottom of a closet in one of the bedrooms And when I say little, I mean little. This is an old house, people. We don't have big closets.

 Ryan made a little nest of pillows, blankets, and a sleeping bag, and I hauled down all the bags I determined we'd need. Important papers, wallets, extra clothes, my camera bag {duh!!} and everything I wanted to be sure we DID NOT LOSE for our first anniversary. If I lost my house, I wanted to make sure I could at least thumb through a scrapbook and watch a video to remember happier days when that anniversary rolls around in 2 weeks!

You should also know that tornadoes unglue me faster than ANYTHING. I am really, hyperventilatingly, irrationally afraid of them. It was a side of me Ryan had never seen {and I hadn't either for about 15 years!} and I'm not sure he knew what to do!!

When it began to get bad, and the TV started saying Greentown {where my parents live} was under fire, I crawled in, nerves and all.

Ryan went in search of Braeya, and for a while, he didn't find her and I was screaming {yes, screaming} for him to forget her and get to safety. I love my baby girl, but if I have to choose who is surviving this thing between my husband and my cat, I want my husband!!!! Plus, Braeya is far from a lap cat and would NEVER consent to being confined in a closet.

Or would she?

He finally found her, brought her in with us, and there she stayed. Ryan stayed beside the door, monitoring the radar on his phone {yes, our computers were in the closet with us} and I was trying to document, but it was hard to see in there. You know, SINCE IT'S A CLOSET.

I had a total freak out. I mean I was shaking and screaming and begging God not to let us die and hyperventilating, and the whole time, I was on the phone with my sister - the one who has been through this before. She kept telling me to breathe, that it would be okay, and if anything happened, she would get to me as soon as she could and help me just like I helped her. That was strangely comforting. She prayed for and with me, while I screamed in her ear and Ryan kept saying "CALM DOWN!!" {He's always rational. Like ALWAYS.}

Here I am on the phone.

Ryan kept an eye on the sky....

And Braeya tried to find a spot. She doesn't even particularly like sharing a king size bed with us. As you can imagine, sharing a closet was beyond and beneath her.

{That's me in the fetal position there.}

Ryan finally got up and went to look around for a while, to see if we had damage and if the sky looked any better. Braeya DID NOT LEAVE. That scared me even more. She never uttered one peep through this whole thing. And that is NOT like her.

Ryan came back and said he thought we needed to stay in there a bit longer, so we did. He tried to cheer me up with his handsome smile:

And little Braeya was so precious - she put her little paws on his foot and sat quietly:

And he scratched her chin. I wonder if it would have helped if he would have scratched my chin?

In the end, we were safe, and the worst damage we've found on our property is that our recycling bin blew around a bit, decorating our backyard. We took a tour of town when we emerged, and while we found damage, it was NOTHING like it was over in Kokomo, where Ryan works. His workplace was on the opposite end of town from the worst of it, but there were a lot of businesses destroyed. Prayers appreciated for those folks as they clean up and start over.

It's okay with me if we don't have a Sunday this eventful for...the rest of time.

Thankfulness, Day 18: Since I'm feeling sentimental today...thank someone who isn't your family...but who made you family. You know who I mean. The person that feels closer to you than some of those who are related by blood. The person who sees you at your very worst and claims you and loves you - and doesn't even have to.

The Shafferland Shuffle

* Last Sunday, Ryan and I went to a 60th anniversary open house for some of his relatives. Sixty years! That's amazing! We got to spend some time with his Dad and Lynn over lunch, which was much fun, and then we headed over to his Mom's for our Christmas card photo shoot. We were blessed with a beautiful {though chilly!} day for photos. Wanna see a sneak peek? Okay. You twisted my arm. Here's one of our pics:

* Monday night, Ryan worked so hard to install all the new light fixtures in the bathroom. Y'all, it looks SO GOOD. There was still so much to be done, but just the change of the lights made all the difference. I appreciate his hard work so much. He's a renovating rock star!! As for me...well, I ran around like a crazy girl doing chores that are not exciting reading material, so I won't bore you with them. Perhaps the biggest blogworthy news: it was the day of our first snow.

* Tuesday night after a good workout at the gym, we came home and rested for just a bit before Ryan headed back into the bathroom to continue the overhaul. He finished wiring the last of the lights and hung up a new storage cabinet on the wall. While he did that, I did the great hair color attempt of 2013. It was supposed to marinate for 25-45 minutes. Mine lasted 10 before I rinsed it out in a panic. I'd started to see orange again and I COULD NOT HANDLE IT.

* Wednesday night I just needed to curl up with my journal and blog and Pinterest and all things creative and comforting. Sometimes this writer girl just needs that. I curled up on the bed with all that and worked away while Ryan installed my new faucet in my bathroom. I swoon. 

*  Thursday...my car broke down {again}, I spilled chili in my lunchbox...and that felt like the tip of the iceberg! It was a long, mentally exhausting day, but when I arrived home, Ryan met me at the door and said, Guess what!?!? You got packages!! Yes indeed...my two scrapbooks and our Christmas cards had ARRIVED!!!!! That was a fun treat!

* Friday, we received the bad news that the car damage was going to be an extremely costly repair. Given that my car is 12 years old and has 153,000 miles on it, we spent the day mulling over in our minds whether sinking {more} money into repairs would be the best decision - or if we need to retire the Bekah-mobile and purchase a different car that is more reliable. This decision is complicated by the fact that I drive over 100 miles every day, so we need to make sure I'm safe and not stranded out in the middle of nowhere with a dead car! The day {following the week we had} proved exhausting, so for our date, we opted for Papa Johns, Polar Pops and Redbox. 

* Yesterday we got up early and headed outside to try to squeeze in clearing leaves out of the yard and taking down the pirogi {boo!!!} before the forecasted rain arrived. {But it never did.} Ryan worked so hard later in the day to get all the floor tile down in the bathroom - and y'all, we ran out!! So we have to try find more before we can officially finish the bathroom. But that was one packed day!

Thankfulness, Day 17: I was blessed with some pretty amazing teachers along the way in my educational career. If there was a teacher that really impacted you in a great way - say thanks to that person. If he or she has passed away, maybe you could write a letter to a family member - or even to the school itself - reminding them what a great legacy was left by that teacher!

The Saturday Six

One.

Source

Let me make one thing very clear from the start. I am not ready for snow or ice. It is NOVEMBER. Not the dead of winter. But I cannot handle the cuteness of this ice wrath I encountered online this week. I MUST DO THIS. You know. In February. When it's allowed to be cold. Until then, tuck away this little idea. Because it's worth remembering later.

Two.

I will not lie - I nodded all the way through this post on the newly revived Stuff Christians Like blog by Jon Acuff. Signs that the sermon is about to end...and at our church, it's sign number one that always signals me. The comments on this one are as funny as the post!

Three.

My heart has been convicted lately {more on this at a later date} about SLOWING DOWN and not trying to keep up with everything everyone expects and demands. That's why I loved this post so much - 18 Things Everyone Should Start Making Time For Again. I wonder what the world would look like if we chose to live this way.

Four.

You know I love a good proposal. This one reminded me of mine - only a TV version!

Five.

This has been {at best} a challenging week. I stumbled upon this blog post from someone I don't even know - but she's had a rough week too, and every part of this post spoke to me. So if you're struggling today, READ THIS.

Six.

Source

My friend Amy sent this post to me and I CRACKED UP. Oh my word. Ree Drummond and I are two peas in a pod. THIS WOULD SO HAPPEN TO ME. ALL OF IT.

Thankfulness, Day 16: Say thanks today to someone who wrote a book that impacted you. I know I encouraged you a few days ago to thank your favorite authors, but this one sticks in my mind. Lots of people have written books - what if you picked one that impacted you and said thanks to the one who wrote its words?