TobyMac!

A week ago Sunday, I worked my final event of 2014...a TobyMac concert! Usually the concerts we work are held at a church in Fort Wayne {there are two churches that alternate hosting the concerts} or at the Coliseum, but this was my first time to work an event at the Scottish Rite Auditorium. It's a BEAUTIFUL old theater with tons of charm.

This was actually the last night of his tour, which he shared with Matt Maher and Ryan Stevenson. We got all set up and then a few of us got to actually go backstage and meet TobyMac. {I was sad that we didn't have enough passes for Ryan to go.} We congregated in a ballroom, and it was crazy hot in there. I was a bit fearful my entire face might be sliding right off as I met him, but alas, I looked normal in the picture!

Ron, Larry and I went backstage at the start of the concert and got to meet Ryan Stevenson, who was waiting to open the concert.

My dear, wonderful husband gained approximately a million bonus points by choosing, of his own accord, to take the camera and have a photo shoot while we were emceeing!

And this one...of my fling ring form. I'm improving, y'all!!!

I feel this is the closest I'll ever see to figure skating form. Ha!!!!

Ryan Stevenson was up first...we play his song Holding Nothing Back, and I really enjoyed the chance to hear him live! He was so nice when we met him backstage - a humble, down-to-earth guy!

After Ryan, Matt Maher sang for a while. He's one of Ryan's favorites!

And then...time for TobyMac!!

It was a great night, and the sold-out crowd was THRILLED to participate! I loved the evening and was thankful Ryan could go with me and be part of the evening!

The Shafferland Shuffle

* Last Sunday morning, our church was just so beautifully decorated for Christmas...and I enjoyed the service thoroughly!! It was fun, too, to celebrate with our Sunday School class, who has prayed with/for/over us regarding the sale of that Greentown house! We left in the early part of the afternoon to head to Fort Wayne, because I worked the TobyMac concert! Last event of the year!! Even got to meet him, which was fun! :)

* Monday night, I came home to find our celebratory house-sale Christmas ornament in the mail! Seemed appropriate that it arrived that day since it was also the day of Ryan's final visit to the house; he wanted to explain some stuff about the furnace to the new owner. While mentally and emotionally completing this journey, we also inscribed the stone for our "altar" - to show the sale of the house. And then we pretty much collapsed in the living room to watch TV and enjoy the gorgeous Christmas lights. I do so love this season for all the lights!!!

* Tuesday night, I was a cooking FOOL!! We were prepping for company on Wednesday night and Ryan's work carry-in on Wednesday as well, so I spent some time in the kitchen getting all that ready. While I did that, Ryan put together two go-karts. Someone he knows from work bought them for her grandkids and she didn't know how to assemble them. Assembly is one of Ryan's many happy places, so he brought them home and had an assembly party in our house. And then we may or may not have a had a photo shoot with them. They're COOL!!!!

* Wednesday at work, I had a couple of meetings, so I went in with all my stay-awake go-to items! Water! Coke! Granola bar! Paper for scribbling! I have luggage everywhere I go. That evening, we had dinner with our friend Ronda. So nice to have her over and just sit and enjoy conversation! I curled up to write and Ryan curled up to watch the Sing-Off - and we BOTH fell asleep eventually. I did get to see Pentatonix, though. They were great!

* Thursday, I went to the funeral of a friend's mom, which was very sad...and very cold! It was a graveside service and there were a few snowflakes flying. I was glad to be able to go in support, though. After work, Ryan and I scurried over to a church in town to attend the preschool Christmas program - ALWAYS a comical event. We went in support of one of our blognonymous friends, and we had a great time. Some of those kids were flat out hysterical!

* Friday was a normal day at the office for me - hanging out with the morning guys, hanging out with Lynne; it was a food-filled day for Ryan! His patients sure spoil him with a lot of goodies! We longed for a night at home, so we did a quick shopping date to TJ Maxx and then hung out at home, watching TV and taking it easy. I even squeezed in some writing. It was so lovely!

* Yesterday was a rare day that both of us had off work. We decided to skip setting alarms and just rest. NEITHER of us woke up until almost 10:00. That is not unusual for me, but it's UNHEARD of for Ryan. We were thrilled to have an entire day at home to both rest and get a LOT of chores done. We were able to finish the last of our Christmas shopping, make some last minute gifts, and even make a quick trip to Starbucks, where Ryan cashed in on his free drink! When we got home, I made cookies for our Phil at work, who is a diabetic. Always a challenge to find recipes that work for him, but this one went well!

The Saturday Six

One.

Click here to see the goodness!!

LOVE this Instagram by Jenny Simmons. Her husband seems to be cut from the same sort of treasure mold as mine - must be in the name. They are both Ryans. Hey guys out there?? THIS is amazing. Do your own version of this! {Click the link up there to see the picture.}

Two.

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I am OBSESSED with cute little buffets. Seriously obsessed. I think our wedding reception was a testimony to that, as we had both a coffee buffet and an ice cream sundae buffet! Anyway...found this one with ideas for a hot chocolate buffet over at Four Generations, One Roof - so many cute ideas!!!! Pretty ready to just have one for kicks. DARLING.

Three.

The night we came home from closing on the Greentown house, I hopped online and ordered this ornament to commemorate the biggest event of our 2014. I ordered it late Thursday night, and it arrived in perfect condition - AND personalized - in Monday's mail. IMPRESSIVE. I didn't figure we would get it in time for this year's tree, but I was WRONG on that - and glad about it!

Four.

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Okay so apparently I'm like a YEAR behind on this news. {I work in RADIO. You don't always SEE people in radio.} Jason Castro got a haircut! Though I really don't like dreads, I admit that I'm kind of glad I got to see him live before he chopped it all off. I can't get used to this!!

Five.

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If you're from Indiana - have you heard that there's a travel advisory map app now? {Maybe other states have something similar...} It's free, and it shows you the up-to-date info on what counties have travel restrictions. {Tapping on a county shows you specific information about that one.} I actually am NOT a big app kind of girl, but commuting makes me REALLY interested in this. I pass through a handful of counties to get to work, and I always like to know if I'm going to risk a ticket getting to and from the old jobaroonie!

Six.

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Annnnnnd speaking of Indiana, I was intrigued by this list of words that are apparently different in our fine state than they are in other portions of the world.   So my question is...what do the rest of you people call Puppy Chow?? {Also, please note that there are a few more references to drinking than I'm really comfortable with, so I apologize for that if you're not a drinker...neither am I.}

Walkin' in a Lighted Wonderland

It's been a tradition of mine for many years now to go through the Walkway of Lights here in our town. I've driven through it for years, including the last two with Ryan. But the one thing I've never done is walk through the Walkway. It's always been too cold or too late at night when I visited. But this year, we had a rare warm weekend, and I asked Ryan if we could go...and walk it. He said yes!

So this past weekend, we took in the lights! We went past Starbucks for a treat to keep us warm, and parked a little way away so we wouldn't get trapped by the traffic waiting to enter the park.

Usually there are are several light displays leading up to the park, but this year they had moved them all inside, so there were lights EVERYWHERE! So pretty!

 If you can't tell...this is a moving display of a cannon firing. Ryan was standing in the "path" of it - of course!

 We thought this truck looked like Ryan's Old Bandy. {That's the name of his truck, if you don't know.}

 His school represented...

 ...and mine!

 Welcome to my invisible, yet well-lit home!

 Attention, Old Man Winter: YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE THIS YEAR.

 MERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRY CHRISTMAS!!!

 Quick photo in front of a tree outside the gift shop.

 I adore their life size nativity scene. I appreciate that they continue to use it!

We had a blast walking through and taking our time looking at the lights - without worrying about delaying people behind us. And I think one of my favorite things was listening to families sing Christmas carols together. It was warm enough that many had their windows down in their cars, so as we walked by them, we could hear them singing. It was so lovely!

Hope we can walk it again another year; it was fun!

Silent Night

I do some speaking now and then at various events. I've done some ladies' retreats, Mother/Daughter banquets, and other church events...and I always enjoy them. It's fun to meet people and share my heart and just experience something the scared-to-death girl in high school speech class NEVER thought she'd be able to do!

Several months ago, the women's pastor at First Assembly in Fort Wayne contacted me to see if I would speak at a Christmas dinner they have for their ladies each year. It was on a Wednesday night, so I could just stay in town after work and talk to them...and it sounded like much fun, so I said yes!

She told me the theme was "Silent Night" - and I could talk about anything I wanted to. I could eat dinner with the ladies, enjoy the special music, and just spend the evening enjoying the fellowship. Sounded great to me!

I began to realize that this was a bigger event than I could have imagined, when my co-worker Cindy texted me this:

She was working a concert at the church and saw this. GULP!! That's fancy!!! Not long after, I found out the event had sold out at 350 tickets. I'd never spoken to a group that large {other than 30 seconds at the front end of a concert}. Time to depend on Jesus!!

I made my way to the church last Wednesday and stopped in my tracks when I saw the gorgeous setup in their gym - AND the number of SEATS!!

{Couldn't get all the tables in the picture.}

The stage was set up to look like Bethlehem...for another event they had coming up. STUNNING.

{It's possible I DID ask if I could sit in the manger to deliver my talk!}

The tables were beautifully set:

Little favors for everyone:

They had a great group of young adults, dressed up in white shirts and black bow ties, who served our dinner. We were so pampered! They served salads and potato soup in bread bowls {YUM!!!} and then there was this MASSIVE dessert buffet, provided by some of the ladies of the church. So much food!!

Here is a picture I found on the church's Facebook page, courtesy of Curt Hansen, that shows the meal in progress:

Throughout dinner and then right before I spoke, we enjoyed gorgeous music from a harpist. I absolutely adore harps. If I could wish to play any instrument, it would be a harp:

And then it was my turn. I was so grateful for the army of people praying over me that night. I actually got up there, enjoyed myself, and felt completely calm in the Lord. It was nothing short of a miracle, truly. My sweet table-neighbor was kind enough to take photos for me!!

 It was a huge deal that I kept my boots on to talk. I ALWAYS speak barefoot because I get so nervous that I can't handle heels. But I wanted to keep it classy for them, so I told the ladies I would do my best to keep my shoes on...but I wasn't above taking them off if I needed to! :)

I shared about Simeon {from the Bible} and how sometimes a Silent Night feels like a hopeless night, and we feel forgotten in the busyness of life. The ladies were all so kind and listened and laughed {at appropriate times only} - and I was so grateful.

Thanks, First Assembly, for inviting me! I was honored to share the evening with you!

Lies for Surprise

Ryan's mom is about to turn the big 6-0, and last summer, her kiddos got together to plan a surprise birthday party for her. They wanted it to reflect the things and people she loved, and they wanted her to be completely shocked. Those were the two goals. Of course, no one really stopped to think about the four-year-old roaming around the room while we did all this planning...and suddenly the whole surprise element felt a bit shaky.

From July to December, we were a whole crowd of Sneaky McSneakersons. We ferreted addresses from her friends, I scoured her Facebook page and stole pictures to print out, and her other daughter-in-law "helped herself" to random bits of decor every time she went over.

The party was scheduled for a Sunday afternoon and the decor-thief told Nita that she needed her to come to their church at 2:00 p.m. to take some family pictures by the church tree. {Lie.} She also told her there was a last-minute wedding shower taking place at the church that afternoon for someone who had just gotten engaged and was getting married soon. {Lie.}

Ryan and I invited Allen and Nita out for lunch and told them TWO HOURS of prattling stories to try to kill time. We embellished and talked over each other and "Hey did you tell them about THIS?" - all the while keeping one eye on the clock to make sure she got to the church promptly at 2. At 20 til 2, I jumped and pulled my phone out of my pocket.

"Sorry...I have to take this," I said about the fake phone call I was actually not receiving at that moment. I bolted into the lobby of the restaurant, paced around, made some faces, and rushed back in. Ryan asked if everything was okay. "It's mom," I lied. "She got that new coffee pot yesterday for that party where everyone from church is coming over. They're all about to arrive and something isn't working right on the coffee pot. It's too fancy and she can't figure it out - and heaven forbid she read the instructions." {New coffee pot = true. Church party = happened the day before. Everything else = lie.}

I fished my coat out from behind Ryan and said, "I have to go right now. She's freaking out." {Lie.} He joined right in. "It's okay. I'll just ride to the church with Mom and Allen and you can come back and pick me up when you're done." {Married to a liar.}

With that, I shot out of the restaurant and hid my car among the "wedding shower" cars at the church, and perched in position to get Nita's expression when she arrived at the church.

 BAZINGA, BABY!!!!! I think we got her!! {She said she really had no clue. Of course, given that she's birthed a bunch of liars who married a bunch of liars, who knows if that's really true!!! Just kidding!!!}

It was an open house, so people came and went the entire time, but it was a JOY to see her so full of happiness at the crowd that happened to be gathered right when she got there.

Nita IS the family photographer - and you know she's good. She has taken all our pictures, from engagement to a good portion of our wedding day, to all our Christmas card photos. I was so nervous to fill her shoes for the day, but here are just a FEW of the pictures I got of her party. {And she said she liked them...whew!}

My sister-in-law, Megan, made all the cakes for the day. They were SO GOOD. 

 The table of items stolen from her home. Funniest part? She didn't know any of them were gone! HA!!

 The "guest book" - a set of cards for people to write wishes and memories...and then a little tree to hang them on.

 The wall of pictures - a representation of people and things she loves!

Ryan is not the only ham in his family. This is his cousin, Danny, who is HILARIOUS. And also - eager to be in my photo. HA!

 More decorations...this one cracked me up! The picture is of Nita with her brother, John, who is so funny. Always makes me laugh! Come to think of it - is there ANYONE in this family who isn't a ham?

 Ryan has SO MANY RELATIVES. Took me forever to learn all their names. Uncle Jay on the left and Uncle David on the right. Two sweet guys who have adopted me right in as a niece. I appreciate them both!

 Ryan's grandpa. Love this man. I've known him since I was a kid, and he and my dad have been really good friends for years. He's spunky, he's kind, he's funny, he's a prayer warrior, and in this season of life in which I no longer have living grandparents on my side of the family, I love having him for a grandpa! And Ryan loves him so much. They're a hoot together.

 Nita and Ryan's cousin, Kevin, looking at the wall of photos. {I think she liked them. Not a lie.}

 This lovely photo of Nita and her sister, Aunt Ruthie Woo Hoo...and then...who might that be??? {Side note...her real name is just Aunt Ruthie. Ryan and I added the Woo Hoo. If you've not heard that story...back when Ryan and I were dating, Nita posted a picture of Ryan on Facebook. He was at the lake and shirtless - and HOT - and Aunt Ruthie commented "WOO HOO, Ryan!!" I didn't know who she was yet, so I sent him this text that said, "WHO is this Ruthie person, and why is she woo hooing your picture??" He CRACKED up and I eventually confessed that story to Aunt Ruthie, who loved it to death. And she has forever become our Aunt Ruthie Woo Hoo.}

 I love this picture of Nita and her dad. He told me he was going to charge me ten bucks to take that picture and I couldn't post it "on that Facebook thing." Well, he never mentioned the blog. HA!!! And I told him no deal on the ten bucks OR the absent from Facebook thing.

 Sneaking out from behind the camera for one picture.

 My parents came, too!!

 Nita and Ryan's sister, Bre. She spearheaded this event and did a great job!

Nita and Allen at the end of a very successful party.

So I'm pretty sure most of us are STILL repenting from the lies we told {and the things we stole} but my GOODNESS was the surprise ever a success!

Happy birthday, Nita! We love you! {Enough to lie to you. On Sunday. In a church.}