Tales of an All-Nighter

Anyone up for a road trip? Anyone?

Well we just took one, and y'all, we are too old for all-nighters.

My niece {the only one from my side of the family} got married this past weekend, so Ryan and I took a little road trip to southwestern Kansas for the festivities!

Here's the fun part. We told my family we were leaving early Thursday morning to arrive that evening, but we secretly decided to leave when Ryan got off work on Wednesday evening and drive all the night long to arrive early Thursday morning and help with reception hall decorations!

My nerdy binder and atlas...

Fuel for the road!

And in a traffic jam before we even left the state.

But look at what we found!!!!!!

Why, yes! That IS a Sonic!!!

We got back on the road and fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinally saw this:

And then this one. {This says Missouri, but it was as blurry as we were starting to feel.}

So it was time for a fuel stop...for us and for the car.

{Worst. Coffee. Ever. by the way. And I'm not a coffee snob.}

We tried to take turns sleeping during the night driving, but we soon learned the last stretch was the toughest. Neither of us could stay awake. At one point, I was singing and blaring air on myself, eating grapes and pinching my leg trying to stay awake. It was awful. {And the entry to Kansas picture proves this!}

We made it to our "soft" destination about two hours before we wanted to arrive at my sister's house, so we took a nap.

It rained, and we found a BEAUTIFUL rainbow!

And this beautiful sight!

Yeah that's Sonic for breakfast, too!

We drove the last half hour and saw this in the rearview mirror. Not comforting in Kansas!

{It was just rain.}

And then it was Operation: surprise the family!

And they were indeed surprised! YAY! Worth the all-nighter drive!!!

And so began our adventures of a wedding weekend!

The Shafferland Shuffle

What a week!!!!

* Last Sunday, we woke up for our last day at the lake...a half day, really. We did one last walk around town, one last visit to the coffee shop, and then we came home to get unpacked and reorganized before a busy week began! We are always sad to come home from the lake, but we also love being back in our own comfy bed - and our comfy home, which we so dearly love.

* Monday morning, I curled up to edit the podcast, and I think someone was pretty excited to have me back!! I worked hard that day to prep for our next adventure, which was getting ready to head to my niece's wedding! I made a travel binder for us {NERD ALERT!!} and ate salad to make sure I would still fit into my dress when the weekend arrived.

* Tuesday I took our car in to have it serviced and TRIED to read my book, but I kept getting interrupted by the car salesmen! It was our 44th monthiversary, but we were so busy getting ready to be gone that we didn't get to celebrate much. It was good, though, to be together, even if it was a chore-filled day!

* Wednesday, we got all sneaky and headed out for the wedding 12 hours before anyone thought we were leaving home! We left when Ryan got home from work and drove the entire night so we could arrive when the day began on Thursday! We haven't pulled an all-nighter since our own wedding, so apparently it is our wedding travel tradition.

* And my goodness. Were they ever surprised when we showed up Thursday morning! We helped them decorate for the reception, but eventually we had to throw in the towel and come back to the hotel to take a long nap. More wedding guests started arriving as the day went on, and it all started to get real!

* Friday we helped decorate the church, helped fill about 300 bags with puppy chow, and then headed out to the rehearsal dinner, where I was the unofficial evening photographer. My feet were KILLING ME by the end of the day, but it was a fun day!

* Yesterday was the big day! Cassie's beautiful wedding! She made a stunning bride, and once I got past the ugly cry of watching her walk down the aisle, I thoroughly enjoyed the ceremony and the reception was much fun, too! Can't wait to tell you all about it...but first...I must sleep.

The Saturday Six

One.

Source

Some of you have probably already gone back to school, so I'm a day late and a dollar short with this one, but if you haven't sent your kids back yet, here's a GREAT idea for some first day of school photo opps. You know very little makes me happier than photo opps. Even though I don't have kids, maybe someday I can tag along for a family on their first day of school. Would be such fun!

Two.

Source

I won't lie. There were several ideas in this list that made my OCD organizational heart SWOON. They might not all work for you, but check it out!!!

Three.

Source

I just started reading Jessica's blog recently, and she had a post this week about Yasso Bars. I learned about Yasso Bars when I worked at WBCL, because they were one of Lynne's FAVORITE things. She introduced me to a variety of flavors, but sadly, they are hard to find in Marion/Kokomo. So I didn't even know that there were NEW flavors!! I still highly recommend these if you can find them in your area! Delicious and healthy!

Four.

Source

Another recent blog find...which I actually found through Instagram, is Nicole's blog. She's passionate about Jesus and photography, so obviously I love her already, but I am also loving reading this season of her story. She and her husband are adopting a baby and have also recently found out they're expecting a biological child, too! Check out her encouraging words! 

Five.

Source

For my single friends...this article has some great suggestions and points. It is geared more toward college age single girls, so if you're older than that, some points may not apply to you, but there are still great truths found here! And also...much love from me to you today. My niece {who gets married today} and I were talking earlier this week about how both of us were older than we thought we would be when we got married, but I know God has not wasted that time for either of us, and He isn't wasting it for you either. I love you, sister!

Six.

Source

This week's book is totally unlike books I normally choose! Every now and then I like to switch it up to try something new, and this one was a pleasant surprise. I chose it to challenge myself, and then when it arrived, I wasn't sure I'd chosen the right book. But I did!

The Temple and the Tabernacle by J. Daniel Hays is much more of an academic-style book than I'm used to reading, but I actually loved it! Dr. Hays is a dean and professor at Ouachita Baptist University, and this book reads much more like a textbook than most books I normally choose, but I want to be quick to say that it's pleasantly easy to understand.

First, let me give you the synopsis. Beginning with the Garden of Eden, Dr. Hays takes his readers on a journey of the places God has chosen to dwell. From the Garden to the Tabernacle in the wilderness  to the various temples to the human heart, he explores what it means for God to dwell in a place with His people. He explains how God is far less impressed with the magnificence of the place than He is with the sincerity of the spirit found there.

His words are heavily backed by Scripture {I am so glad I didn't have to do all the documentation he did, but I definitely appreciated all the hard work he put into it!} and the book includes helpful tables and photos/artists' renderings that allow readers to better envision the ancient places of worship.

Although the book is intended to be informative, Dr. Hays also incorporates many helpful pieces of life advice. I came away from my time of reading convicted about the condition of my own spirit when I enter a temple of the Lord. It made me wonder if we {generally speaking} are much too concerned with the magnificence of our church buildings and not nearly concerned enough with the condition of our hearts as we worship.

This is a book that took some concentration for me, because I wanted to absorb it, but it was a much easier read than I expected. It is also a book I want to keep in my library and return to for more in-depth study and inspiration. I appreciated the work Dr. Hays put into the study and the great care with which he documented everything. I appreciated the visual aids and insights he shared that I've never considered, even in pieces of Scripture I thought I knew well.

I was reminded that God puts much thought into everything He does, and the details do matter. I appreciated the interpretation of details that I'd never before noticed, considered, or understood.

If you're interested in learning new and helpful information that might impact the way you worship and relate to the Lord, check out this book!

* Many thanks to Baker Books for publishing this resource and for sending a copy my way in exchange for a review.*

 

To Cassie...On Her Wedding Weekend

Dear Cassie:

You were my best Christmas present ever. What eleven year old doesn't want a baby sister for Christmas? And since my parents made it quite clear that request was n.e.v.e.r. gonna happen, having a niece arrive in time for Christmas was equal perfection, I thought.

Would have been nice if I'd notified my face, wouldn't it?

One week after your birth...one week to the day...Jesus took hold of my heart in a new and passionate way, and sometime right after this picture was taken...

I hid in the bathroom of your parents' house in Amboy and knelt beside the tub to tell Him I was ready for a real relationship. I was already His daughter and saved by His grace, but that was the day my relationship became real. That was the day when, because of your tiny baby-girl hand in mine, I knew I needed my hand in His.

I love you because you're my niece, but I treasure your life even more because you impacted my eternity. That's even better than a baby for Christmas.

We were always pals. The beauty of an eleven-year age gap is that we really were more like sisters. We played and read books and colored and dressed up and made-believe...and you kindly overlooked my sense of fashion.

You copied what I did...journaling and reading from your own Bible when I read from mine and praying prayers that your dad said sounded like mine. He said he could always tell when you'd been hanging out with me because you started praying like I did. {Hope I didn't lead you astray there, Sister!}

I think, given the amount of years {most of them} that we've been separated by too many miles, we've done a good job of keeping our relationship open and great.

We grew up together...bumbling along the way and figuring out this life thing. You watched some pretty rough parts of my own journey and encouraged me and kept loving me even when I fell apart. I love you for that.

I admire your bravery. You are my girl in SO MANY WAYS, but bravery isn't one of them. You found your courage years before I did. In fact, you found yours before I found mine in real time, and you're eleven years behind me chronologically.

You had me at your high school graduation when you gave a speech in front of the President. OF THE UNITED STATES.

While you were doing that, I was hyperventilating my way through security and trying not to make eye contact with the Secret Service.

But you did it...and you did it with incredible grace. I mean really...how many aunts get to read quotes from their nieces' speeches on CNN?

We've found a way to make it work...trekking back and forth for the big moments in life...being part of each other's worlds. Thanks for making a place for me, always.

Aside from the bravery, I love how many things we both love. From books to organization, you're my girl through and through. I love it and I'm sorry.

You've supported me so fully in so much. You walked every step of my wedding day with me, taking pictures, running errands, carrying the bears, whatever I needed. You've read my books and offered your feedback. You encouraged me when I finally found my own sense of bravery lurking beneath the surface. I love you for all of that, too.

You put up with my endless photo taking, and you've actually extended an invitation for me to take pictures throughout the wedding weekend. I thought I was supposed to be the one giving YOU a gift!

You've welcomed Ryan into the family and made him your uncle, no questions asked. I still remember that night when you all came home to surprise us at Christmas, and you spent the night at our house, and the three of us stayed up crazy late talking and you asked our advice, listened to our thoughts, and we made a whole new aunt/uncle/niece family right there in that conversation.

And now it's your turn. Your wedding weekend. You've found the one your heart loves, and you're ready to hold on and not let go. My heart is bursting for you. Bursting with joy and pride and excitement.

I am proud of you for waiting, even when the wait was hard, to marry a man who loves you so well and is such a match for you. {Sorry you had to take after me on the waiting, too!} I have loved watching you blossom IN love and I have loved seeing contentment in you. The contentment of knowing this is good and right.

There's no formula for this marriage thing. You'll walk down an aisle in a stunning dress and exchange some words and have a party and go home with a new last name. All that is scripted and will go somewhat according to plan and the parts that don't go according to plan will just be great stories for later. {And you'll still be married, so it won't even matter.}

But then you'll hit marriage and there will be many good and wonderful things, and you should celebrate those. You know my philosophy. You can't over-celebrate marriage. Celebrate all the versaries and even a Tuesday if you want to. Tuesdays are underrated. Have fun. Make memories. Make traditions. TAKE PICTURES, for the love of Pete! {Or I suppose more appropriately, for the love of Kasey.}

Some days will be hard. Ryan and I hear a lot of people say that marriage is hard, and maybe for some, it is. It hasn't been for us. LIFE has been hard, and DAYS have been hard, but we just have a friend in our boat to do the hard days with. He has grumpy and disappointing days, and I try to cheer and champion him. I have grumpy and disappointing days, and he returns the favor. That's what you do. You balance and work as a team to do this life thing. You choose love every morning and then you walk through the day to figure out what love looks like that day.

Some days love is a versary with cake and a party. Some days love is sitting in the ER and hearing about gallbladder surgery. Some days love is dancing outside in the pitch black. Some days love is cleaning out the refrigerator because the other one hates to do it.

But choose love every day and then do the love thing, however it looks, for that day.

We had this line in our vows, and I go back to it all the time: I will live first unto our God and then unto you. Your job is to put God first and Kasey second, and his job is to do the same back to you. I haven't kept that every day of our marriage. Sometimes I want to put Ryan first and I have to remember that God was my first love. All the way back in that questionable hair photo when you were just a baby. God made me His. So my love is His first and then Ryan's and when I love Ryan the way God teaches me to love, it works. And when Ryan loves me as Christ loved the church, it works.

So do that. Even if it's not spelled right out like that in your vows.

I'm proud of you. This is the start of a beautiful new adventure that you both get to figure out one day and step at a time. Hold hands. Kiss all the time. Say I LOVE YOU out loud, and figure out how to be the Gambles. There's no manual until you write one. Write a good one.

Can't wait to see your beautiful self tomorrow. Much love to you both from both of us. We are excited for you!

Love,

Aunt Bekah

PS: The verse below is no reflection on marriage. HA! It's just the verse that came up for the day. But the last part...now that's a good attitude to take into marriage.

44th Monthiversary

Some monthiversaries are more spectacular than others. Last month, we celebrated 43 months by attending my cousin's graduation open house, dining on homemade breaded tenderloins and watching a private fireworks show.

This month, Ryan mowed the lawn and I traveled to have the car serviced.

I'll go ahead and let you figure out which one was spectacular.

I'm generally adamant about a full-spectrum celebration ON THE ACTUAL DAY, but 44 months will just have to go down as low-key because the day demanded adulting.

We're preparing for my niece's wedding this weekend, so in order to be able to celebrate, real chores had to be done, and Tuesday was the day they had to be done.

We did squeeze in a photo shoot, and of course, Ryan had to be a ham in that. {Shocking to you, I'm sure.}

Then the day went downhill in a hurry...in a story we'll save for the podcast because it's just flat out funny when told out loud, but suffice it to say that my intention to hide in a corner of the car dealership and read my {intriguing} book was thwarted by car salesmen who mistook nose-in-book for an invitation to quiz me about our vehicular life and see if maybe we would be interested in any of the fine specimens on the lot.

And then I got gas and after punching in 29304820834092384 numbers on the quiz that apparently precedes pumping gas, I auto-pilot entered my old zip code and saw the words "TRANSACTION CANCELED! PLEASE SEE CASHIER." And the cashier said "I'll just cancel it and you can start over."

Sigh.

I came home to find Ryan putting away the push mower and dripping with sweat. I asked if he push mowed the whole yard, and he said, "Yeah, I forgot the keys to the other mower were with you in the car."

Happy monthiversary to us.

So we ate a grand dinner of nachos, and in case you're wondering, using broccoli as a chip-bed is no good. I normally use spinach in place of chips, but I discovered as I was plating dinner that ours had gone bad, so leftover steamed broccoli it was. That may go down as the worst monthiversary dinner ever.

But you know what wasn't a failure? Cuddling up on the couch with Ryan to watch DVR'd shows and being SO GRATEFUL for these last 44 months and all their adventure, spectacular and mundane.

This guy. He's my favorite.