Birthday Fun, Part 2

I was kind of dreading turning 37, to be honest with you. Not because I think it's old, by any means. It's not. {It's NOT!!!!!!!} But I was dreading it because I feel like time is just flying by, and I want to hang onto all the fun Ryan and I are having. Plus, 37 is way closer to 40 than 30, and I feel like I'm not ready to be this close to being done with my 30's!!

As I drove to work on my birthday, I was overwhelmed to the point of tears...just so grateful for all God has done for me. This life...this life that seems to be flying by...is filled with more blessings than I ever could have imagined.

Mom texted me on my birthday and told me she was glad I had someone special to share it with...and I am too! Ryan works hard to make birthdays fun, because he knows how important they are to me. And my birthday evening was no different. Even though it was a work night, we went out and had fun!

The official birthday photo shoot:

{He never tells me when he's going goofy, so I missed that one!!}

We stayed in town for our meal...went to a restaurant down on the river called The Mill.

It used to actually BE a working mill...in the olden days.

The funniest thing about this is that clearly, since it was a mill, it's adjacent to the dam, and the view from inside, while it's the closest thing to a beach we have, is filled with guys fishing by the dam. LOL!!

Our dinners were delicious...fish for Ryan and a treat of a breaded tenderloin for me. {Love those, but almost never get them. It made two meals, so even better!!!}

I'd only been to the Mill once before in my life, and Ryan had never been there, so we were both looking forward to it. It was really good food, but I was sad that it was SO SMOKY in there! It has a bar {though we were nowhere near it} - and we thought if a bar was also an open restaurant for all ages, smoking wasn't allowed {at least in Indiana} - but maybe not. It's been so long since we ate in a restaurant that had smoking, we forgot what it was like. That was the only downside for the evening.

Despite the smoke, I did give my compliments to the chef on the way out.

After that...a quick trip for some coffee, and then home for presents!

Because my laptop died a slow, ugly death when we weren't anticipating it, and we had to get a new one for me...I said NO MORE PURCHASES. That would be my present. But he wanted to get me at least one little surprise, and so it's this darling wall hanging for our beach bedroom! {And he wrapped up the box the laptop came in so I could unwrap it. Love that!!}

Thanks, Baby, for spoiling me so much!!! Birthdays are better with you!

Birthday Fun!

Well, I've been 37 for almost five days now, and I haven't even told you about all the fun I had on my birthday!!

Our alarm went off at 3:45 in the morning {which no alarm should ever do, by the way} and while I tried to figure out what might be happening, Ryan told me to keep sleeping. Don't have to tell me twice! The next time I saw him...he was bringing a breakfast pizza and coffee to me in bed!

{Sorry for the hair you're about to see.}

That darling man had gotten up, CALLED A GAS STATION that makes breakfast pizzas, ordered one, and then he drove clear across town to pick it up. AT FOUR IN THE MORNING.

I've never been more in love.

So we had breakfast in bed, while we watched I Love Lucy, and then I opened the presents my family members had sent over to be ready for the big day! Among them...a travel mug from my in-laws:

 A ginormous coffee cup from one sister and a pillow from the other.

And then it was time to go to work! The party continued there with co-workers who spoiled me ROTTEN.

I'm gonna miss these girls when I'm gone. Cindy always brings the most GORGEOUS flowers from her own garden. And also...this really cute clipboard, which I think I'm going to use as a picture frame in our home office. So pretty. 

 My dear Amy...with a beautiful planter that I adore. And please oh please, don't let me kill those pretty purple flowers!!

 Lynne gave us more pillows for our room. And that giant bow there? Yeah that's covered in glitter, as is my work chair now, so any one who comes to visit often {I'm thinking of you, Ken Church} is going to be highly decorated upon standing....

 These girls know the way to my heart...a gift card to Starbucks and one to Picaboo {for scrapbooking}. If you don't know them, the one in the black dress is Jeri, and the one in jeans is Dana. Jeri and I hired in not too far from one another, and Dana answers our phones for Mid-Morning. Love both these girls so much!

 Diane Hooley, our lovely receptionist, gave me a sign that says "No coffee...no workee." TRUEEE!!!

And now I realize this post is so long and I still want to tell you about my fun night out with Ryan!! You'll come back tomorrow, right? To read about that? Please say yes?

The Shafferland Shuffle

* Last Sunday was a busy day in Shafferland! I started out by speaking at my old church, Chapel Pike Wesleyan, for their Mother's Day breakfast, and then Ryan and I hosted Mommapalooza 2.0, for both of our families! We had a great time, our families had a great time, and we enjoyed the day so very much. And when everyone went home, we finally SAT DOWN.

* Monday was a busy day at work, including a confusing phone call with insurance. I know NOTHING about insurance, and we had some sort of mixup in billing with a bill from the great gallbladder eviction. I had to call, since the bill was in my name, and Ryan wasn't there to coach my questions. At the end of the call, I had no idea if I'd actually fixed the problem or ordered a large pizza, but at least the people on the phone were nice! :) Then we came home and crashed, exhausted from our long weekend. We took a long nap, Braeya cleaned up our dessert, and Ryan worked on my birthday blog post. {Swoon.}

* Tuesday is proof that Ryan and I really are just dorks at heart. It was some sort of appreciation week in the health care world, and Ryan got a new water bottle as a gift...and he sent me a ton of goofy pictures with it, so then I started taking goofy pictures to send back. One of my co-workers walked in my office RIGHT after I took this picture. How would I even have explained this???? That evening, I worked hard to FINALLY get out our summer clothes. You know. Since it's MID-MAY!?!?

* Wednesday I worked my tail off at work...so much so that sometimes I actually forgot to breathe! And what was Ryan doing? Advancing to the final four of a tournament at his work! LOL!! That evening, though, heaven in a living room: I got a massage! She came to our home and gave me the massage {and Braeya joined me on the table for her turn}...and she even brought me chocolates for my birthday! Ryan came home with pre-birthday flowers, and it was just the perfect way to start the celebration!!

* Thursday was...MY BIRTHDAY!!! {More on this coming soon.} Ryan spoiled me ROTTEN with breakfast in bed at 4:30 in the morning, and then all my work friends spoiled me with hugs and gifts. I felt very loved. That evening, Ryan took me out to dinner, which was, of course, followed by coffee. {Not a birthday without coffee!} Loved my day! 37 is shaping up to be a good one!

* Friday, I had a day off work {trying to use random vacation days before I lose them,}, so I was busy catching up on housework, with the help of Miss Braeya. AND - I tried another new homemade recipe: DIY bug repellent with essential oils. I'll let you know how it works when I get to try it! Ryan went to work, but they had a fun day there, because he and his co-workers threw a baby shower for his their fellow therapist, Amanda. It looked like fun! I should have gone! :)

* Yesterday, we both had the day off, so we slept in and went out for a delicious breakfast. We took it easy all day...did a little shopping...did a little napping...ate a little ice cream...{absolutely meant to take that picture BEFORE I gobbled it up}. We needed a day like that so much. Thankful for it! And of course - thankful for Starbucks to cap it off!

The Saturday Six

One.

Source

Did you read about this ADORABLE drink? A mini frappe! If it were up to me, all frappes would be venti {that's code for HUGE if you don't frequent Starbucks} but I admit my go-to size is the grande. I don't get a frappe very often, so I figure if I'm getting a treat, I'm getting a grande. {That's a medium.} But now Starbucks is introducing, at least for a while, a mini version. So cute!!

Two.

 Source

You know I'm a big fan of 19 Kids and Counting. {Ryan's not as much, so I binge watch when he's gone. I'm actually currently watching the birth of Baby Dillard while I write this to you...} I had heard through the social media grapevine that Josh was over at Purdue University fairly recently, but I had no idea I actually KNEW someone who went to hear him! {Knowing someone through Twitter counts, right???} Charity sent me this blog post she wrote about going to hear him and actually meeting him. Sounds like he's as down to earth and kind in real life as he appears on TV. That's always good to hear. Impressed, Charity!! 

Three.

Need a giggle? My sister Julie posted this on my birthday. I think we've come a long way, Baby!! {Was I constipated?? I don't want to know.} {Also....it seems several people in my life posted Bekah Throwbacks for my birthday. Some were soooooooooooooooooooo oh. my. word.}

Four.

Source

My friend Judy texted me this week and asked if the countdown was on yet for my last day of work. She was shocked when I said no. In truth - I've been SO BUSY trying to get everything ready for whoever the new me will be that I haven't even had time to think about being excited for my new chapter. But she's right. A countdown - complete WITH CHAIN - is necessary. She even offered to make the chain for me! Or...I could use this one! It's really for vacations, which I also love to count down to, but seriously HOW CUTE is this??? Free printable!

Five.

Source

Lynne talked about this pallet flag craft project on our We Like It Wednesday discussion, last week, I think. I love this and have aspirations of making one this summer. {PRETTY sure we have a pallet in the garage.} Meanwhile, there are SO many cute porch ideas in this post!!!

 Six.

I adore this new song from Colton Dixon. Have you heard it??
 

If You Have Hosting Phobias...

The first year I lived in this house, I hosted Thanksgiving. Nothing like being a brand new adult and taking on one of the biggest hosting holidays of the year! I did it because this house was Grandma and Grandpa's, and it had been too long since we had gathered in these walls as a family. I made the macaroni and cheese, using Grandma's recipe and the dish she always put it in, since I inherited it...and Mom did the rest of it. The thought of making more than one dish petrified me.

The following year, I hosted again. Not quite as many people came that time, and another year of adulthood made me calmer. Mom still did most of the cooking, but I've never forgotten the moment when my Uncle Jerry paused beside me and said, "You seem a little more relaxed this year. Are you enjoying this more?"

It was true! And I was so glad he noticed...and even more glad he said something. It boosted my confidence that maybe, just maybe, I had it in me to be a hostess after all.

I wouldn't have guessed back then, that one day in my future, I'd host a meal for thirteen people just a couple of hours after speaking in public. {Truth be told, back then I'd have passed out hearing about the public speaking part. Our little Bekah IS growing up!!} But this last Sunday, I did just that.

I know some of you who read this blog are new to adulthood and/or hosting and might not know you have this in you either! So I thought I'd show you some of the things I did to make the actual hosting day as stress free as possible. Then you can take and tweak to your heart's desire!

* Don't be afraid to ask for help. This would be the tip I have not actually learned yet. LOL!! Because this was Mother's Day, and our desire was to gift this day to the moms in our lives, we told everyone to just bring an appetite. We did all the cooking for this meal. But it is true that one of the best things you can do to relieve stress when hosting a group is to allow your guests to bring a dish. It will save you time and money, and it really is fun to build a little community of pitching in around the table!

* Choose dishes you can prepare as much as possible the day before. Our menu for this day was created largely around what would be easy to prepare in advance. {Some of these recipes are yet to come to the old blogaroo - so watch for them!!} Enchilada dip appetizer, grilled chicken and pork chops, cheesy potato casserole, grilled pineapple, broccoli salad, dinner rolls, strawberry trifle, and chocolate cake mix cookies.

The day before we hosted, I combined all the recipes for the enchilada dip appetizer in my tiny crock pot and refrigerated the crock until the next morning, when I plugged it in and let it slowly cook.

We put all the pork chops and chicken breasts in the refrigerator to begin thawing, and I put together the cheesy potato casseroles. {I made two JUST to make sure we'd have enough.} This particular recipe calls for potato chips on top, but you don't add them until right before you bake the potatoes. So I went ahead and crushed the chips and put them in baggies with the dishes, and wrote right on the baggies the baking time and temp, so I didn't have to hunt through my recipes while I was busy the next day.

For the grilled pineapple, Ryan cut up the pineapple and put it on skewers, and I mixed up the cinnamon/sugar marinade and put it in a separate bag. I wrote the instructions about when to combine them and how long to grill...and stuck them in the fridge.

Ryan {HERO OF MY LIFE} also chopped up all the broccoli for the salad, and he grilled the bacon. That was a HUGE lifesaver, because I hate chopping broccoli and it takes forever to cook the bacon 4 strips at a time in a pan on the stove. Plus it smells - and occasionally smokes - up the house. So it was great to have all that done outside while I did other things inside. We combined the broccoli and onion in one dish and portioned out the bacon and sunflower seeds to be added right before serving.

And then the desserts...I made those in full the day before.

* Make a list for the day of the dinner. Before I went to bed Saturday night, I made a timeline for Sunday. I wrote the exact times we needed to plug in the crock pot, put the chips in a dish, get out the drinks and fill the ice bucket, turn on the grill, start grilling the meat, make the dressing for the salad, bake the rolls, start the coffee pot and everything else. I went over each recipe {twice} to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything!

* No shame in paper plates!! Because we only have enough dishes for eight people, and because the original party plan was to have this event outside, we decided to get disposable tableware. We also purchased tablecloths at the dollar store. When the meal was over, the only things we had to wash were the serving dishes and coffee cups. It made cleanup go SO MUCH FASTER, which was so wonderful. I told Ryan that I thought this was the way to go for all future hosting endeavors!!

* Don't feel like you have to make everything from scratch. My mom is the queen of homemade yeast rolls. They're soft, fluffy, and divine. And I know what she's saying right now as she reads this: I WOULD HAVE BROUGHT SOME!!! But it was her vacation day, and I've not mastered the art of homemade rolls. So I did not even feel badly at all about buying a bag of frozen dinner rolls to serve.

* Don't stress over mistakes. Of course, not everything goes smoothly, and for us, the rolls were the hiccup. I followed the instructions PRECISELY, and yet they turned out doughy and dense and...well...I didn't even eat one. I decided if that was the worst thing that happened to the food that day, it wasn't so bad of a day after all.

So there are my tips for hosting well and having fun in the process. We had a great time with our family, and I was so glad that I could spend the morning focusing on the speaking engagement and not on worrying about food.

ON THIS DAY....

OYEZ OYEZ OYEZ  

Today on the 14^th of May in the year 2015, we observe Bekah’s 37^th birthday.  And in honor of her, I deem it necessary to CELEBRATE by sharing with you my 10 favorite things about her (seems only fair since she did for me, right?) 

These are in no particular order by the way:

10.  She’s a FANTASTIC writer.  Of course this isn’t news to you.  I’m always blown away by the things she writes.  She has this gift where words flow out of her at an incredible rate (I guess that includes talking as well :) and she types as fast as a court stenographer.  When she gets in her writing zone, we could fall into a sink hole and she would be unlikely to notice.  It reminds me much of how I sleep...you know the sleeping stories. Must I remind you? Just a complete coma.  I hope that one day you get to read some of her other writings.  They are unbelievable.  I may be slightly biased, but I think you would agree.     

09.  This GIRL can cook!  Seriously, I should be huge; you see many of the things she cooks.  I’m fortunate that many are low fat and that I have the body type I do, or its possible I could be well on my way to a power chair in a few years.  I’m learning the art of self-control (slowly) with each meal.  I’ll be back...she’s ringing the dinner bell.    

08.  She is HILARIOUS!  If you think she is funny on here, just spend a little time with her in real life.  Not a day goes by that I don’t laugh when I’m around her.  She always knows how to bring a smile to someone’s face.  Whether it’s her quirky dance moves or something crazy that would only happen to her, she will keep you laughing.

07.  She has a HUGE heart for others.  Whether you need a meal, a pick-me-up, or a listening ear Bekah is always willing to be there.  She is completely transparent when it comes to her faith and her own life.  She is great at using her own life lessons to encourage others with whatever they may be facing.  This includes myself, too, as I have been to many of Bekah’s counseling sessions.  Give her coffee and she will talk for hours!

06.  She is SOOOO creative.  I don’t know about you, but I’m just blown away by some of the things she comes up with.  Now I know that many are Pinterest inspired, but even with that, they always come out great.  I’m so thankful for the way she decorates our home and makes it so inviting.  Honestly, I never want to leave.

05.  She LOVES the Lord.  She has such a childlike love for the Lord and I love it.  When she prays, she speaks straight from her heart and is brutally honest.  She can remember  just about every single Bible story there is and relate to a life lesson.  She exemplifies His love with her writing and actions.  It’s truly amazing.

04.  She has GREAT hair.  She will disagree with this, but her hair looks good all the time.  It looks great from the time we get up until we go to bed each night.  She has different styles that she uses depending on her outfit and they are all so cute.  Of course this hits very close to home with me especially, as my do is extremely limited.  Hashbrown Jealous! 

03.  She loves ME more than I deserve.   I’m sure part of this is due to the fact that she desired to get married for so long.  And you know what?  She hasn’t forgotten that.   She shows me love in so many ways every single day; from writing me encouraging notes each day, sending random pictures and lovey dovey texts throughout the day, to cuddling up next to me on Mo.  The list goes on and on.  Some men may not like it, but fortunately she’s married to me and I love it.  She desires to be the best wife possible and strives for that daily.  She puts up with all my OCD quirks, embraces our differences, and loves me though it all.

02.  She is CONFIDENT.  She is much more confident that she gives herself credit for.  Even since we have been married I have seen this part of her grow.  When I was watching and listening to her speak last Sunday, the whole time I was thinking, who is this girl?  She is not the one I once knew.  But she is able to speak in a way that is so engaging and confident, she just draws you in.  When she talks, she relates to the audience with real life stories and talks like there is only one person in the room.  I love to listen to her over and over again.  Just amazing. 

01.  Smokin' HOT!!  Actually the rest of these were in no particular order, but this really is number one!  She is unbelievably beautiful in every way.  I’m attracted to her more and more every day, because of the reasons on this list and so many more.  Her love is not something I take for granted and I’m so grateful for the life and love we share.   

Happy Birthday my Love!  I love you and am so excited to celebrate the year of your birth today.  You are an amazing woman (as I have done my best to describe here today...please still love me) and I’m so incredibly thankful for you.  Enjoy your day!  Let's get YOUR party started!!          

                                                                                                                      Love You, Ryan

Mommapalooza 2.0

Since Ryan and I got married in our thirties, family traditions were pretty much set on both sides of the family. Holidays were spoken for, and we just sort of merged our way in to all the parties. But last year, we tried something new: inviting both our families to our house for the one unclaimed holiday: Mother's Day. We called it Mommapalooza, and I thoroughly enjoyed having both our families here under one pirogi...and watching them interact with each other.

So this year...we did Mommapalooza 2.0. And....this year the weather wasn't quite as cooperative, so we had to move the extravaganza inside. Right after I finished speaking at the church, we rushed home and began madly moving furniture in our house to open up a space big enough to put up a table and some chairs so we could squeeze 13 people inside our little home!

 We opted for paper plates and such...and OH MY GOODNESS. What a breeze cleanup became!! I think I have officially gotten over the need for good dishes for company.

Little area for drinks and appetizers:

We gathered around and enjoyed lunch together...Ryan's family blended with mine...and I cared far less about eating and far more about watching everyone talking together. This blending of families is lovely.

We especially enjoyed celebrating these two ladies. I'm thankful for all my mom invested in me for these last 36 years. I'm thankful she continues to invest in me...in us...and for the example she is through her integrity and commitment. And I'm thankful for Ryan's mom, who raised a FINE son. {And I mean that FINE both in looks and in character.} He is a one in a million find and so much of that is because of her investment in him.

Speaking of Mr. One in a Million...he was manning the grill:

...with some help from Allen, who saved the day with the stinkin' rolls that gave me FITS. {This is why I don't make rolls. Even from the freezer section, apparently.} Thanks for bailing me out, Allen!

One thing I did do right was this dessert, thankyouverymuch:

Why yes, it IS as delicious as it looks.

We took some photos after lunch...

I loved it that people sat around and just rested for a couple of hours after lunch. I loved it that Ryan was the perfect hosting teammate. I loved it that the day was perfect, even though we had some imperfections {I'm looking at you, weather and stinkin' rolls!!}.

Mommapalooza 2.0 in the books!!

Speaking and Such

My friend Jen called a few weeks ago and asked if I'd be the speaker for the Mother's Day breakfast at her church...which used to also be my church! I spent eleven years of my life worshiping in the walls of this church, and they were formative for me, full of healing and discovery of who I am as a daughter of the Lord.

I left the church when I felt God urging me to move...and I didn't want to go at all, but I did want to be obedient, so I left. But it was good to be back Sunday morning, seeing all the ladies and their kids - who are now half grown up!

The decorations were beautiful...borrowed from a wedding on Saturday!

We arrived early and got to meet up with some of my friends from days gone by:

The men from the church served breakfast to all the ladies:

My friend Cheri introduced me, and she told a story I'd forgotten about entirely. She said when I was their kids' Financial Aid Counselor, I noticed they'd forgotten to submit their paperwork, and the deadline was fast approaching. So I called them...and they were on a cruise!! So funny!!

I was excited about the talk God put on my heart to share...hope they learned as much from it as I did when I was writing it!

Also. I cannot talk without my hands.

At the end of the breakfast, Lauren {whose mom was my mentor for a time a few years ago...and I love both these ladies very much!!} sang a solo, accompanied by her grandfather. Beautiful tribute to mothers!

So it was a lovely  morning...and I am grateful for their invitation to join them. Thanks, ladies of Chapel Pike! Love you much!