This or That...Summer Edition!

Oh goodness, friends. I have so many things to tell you! It's been a most eventful week around here, but until I can get to those stories, I thought we could have a little fun!

I love all the fun "this or that" questions I see on Instagram, so I thought we could do a summer edition of it here on the blog today!

1. Ice Cream Truck or Slushie Truck?

Ice cream truck all the way! Although...I'm actually not sure I've ever gotten ice cream from an ice cream truck, so suddenly I feel like I need to make a bucket list adjustment. But oh my. How I love ice cream. I would pick it over a slushie any and every day of the week!

2. Sunscreen or tanning oil?

Sunscreen! I've never been a tanning oil kind of girl. (I actually usually pick air conditioning over both of those, so that saves some time. Ha!) I do remember when I was a kid, though, that our neighbor girls, who were in their late teens/early twenties, were all about the tanning oil. They lathered up and hung out in the backyard all summer long!

3. Fly to the beach or road trip?

I don't think I'm ready to fly anywhere yet, so road trip! But can I still go to the beach? Because I think that would be a splendid vacation! (And by beach, of course, I mean a private one where I can just take naps under umbrellas!)

4. Water park or pool?

Pool! But Ryan loves water parks, so we go to them now and then. I'm really good at documenting from the observation deck. I do love a pool, though.

5. Watch sunrise or watch sunset?

I have seen a lot of sunrises lately, but I am such a fan of sunsets. When we were on our honeymoon, we watched sunsets at the beach every single night. Never gets old.

6. Picnic at sunset or cookout with friends?

Can I have both? I really don't know how to choose between those! I guess I would default to cookout with friends, because sunset here is about 10 p.m. and there's no way I could wait that long for dinner!

7. Zoo or fair?

AHHHH! Another tough one! I love them both! I'm such an overgrown kid, so I love a proper day at the zoo - especially the aquarium! But I do love the fair - and the fried mushrooms!

8. Lemonade or iced tea?
Iced tea!! I enjoy lemonade, but if I have to choose between the two, I'm going iced tea all the way. Also, I'm glad to be able to drink lemonade again! During those 15 years of undiagnosed gallbladder issues, I couldn't handle any citric acid, so lemonade was out of the question for me!

9. Sunflower field or strawberry picking?

I love a beautiful sunflower field, so I'll pick that one. (I enjoy eating strawberries more than picking them!) I still remember the summer Ryan and I took the tour of the sunflower oil farm operation, and we got to take a wagon ride through the fields of flowers. They were GORGEOUS!!!

10. Watermelon or pineapple?
Watermelon! I love pineapple too, but I adore watermelon more. It's one of the few foods Ryan doesn't like, so we don't get them too often. (Only because I could probably eat the entire thing at one meal, so I choose not to create a situation for myself.)

How about you? Any favorites from this list?

Life Playlist

I think I was scrolling through Pinterest the other day when I saw an interesting writing prompt: What playlist best describes your life?

Fascinating.

I've always said that choosing a favorite song is much like choosing a favorite book, which is much like what I'd imagine choosing a favorite child would be like. Impossible. Besides, in my life, different songs take on different meanings for different seasons. How could I possibly choose a playlist to encompass all of life? I couldn't do it.

But I think if I had to choose a playlist for this summer and this season of my life, this group would encompass my top ten. (And they're in no particular order, by the way.) (And yes, it's heavily Gaither.) I'll link to my favorite renditions, too, in case you need a private mini-concert.


1. Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven
I love a good song of praise, and I love an anthem. LOVE THEM. This one is both. I love listening to this one when my heart is so full of joy that I don't have my own words. The second verse is probably my favorite part: "Praise Him for His grace and favor / To our fathers in distress / Praise Him now, the same as ever / Slow to chide and swift to bless / Alleluia, Alleluia / Glorious in His faithfulness."

2. I Then Shall Live
Some of you may know or remember that this song was one we chose to incorporate in our wedding. Truly, if I had to declare a life song, this would be it, because every word speaks of what I hope others would see in my life. It's what Ryan and I hope people see in us as a couple. I can't possibly pick one favorite lyric from the whole thing, but the last verse is particularly powerful: "Your Kingdom come around and through and in me / Your power and glory, let them shine through me / Your Hallowed Name, O may I bear with honor / And may Your living Kingdom come in me / The Bread of Life, O may I share with honor / And may You feed a hungry world through me."

3. Because He Lives
I had to choose this one, not because it's a Gaither song, but because it's the song my parents chose to use when they dedicated me to the Lord when I was just two weeks old. I've always kind of felt like this was my song. (I didn't really have a favorite rendition of this song until I found this one just now, and of course it's the best. David took care of that.) My favorite part of this song is the chorus: "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow / Because He lives, all fear is gone / Because I know He holds the future / And life is worth the living, just because He lives.

4. The Longer I Serve Him
This one may officially push me over into the old category, but that's okay. Another Gaither goodie, but after having walked with the Lord for just over 35 years, I have to say the words are completely true, so it had to make the playlist. This rendition is MY FAVORITE, not because it's the best in technical or musical ways, but because it shows the truth of the lyrics. My favorite verse is the second one: "Every need He is supplying / Plenteous grace He bestows / Every day my way gets brighter / The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows."

5. Sitting at the Feet of Jesus
Yes, this the third time you've seen a song from the same concert. What can I say? They picked good music at that one! This one isn't a grand anthem, but I love the words and the reminder to slow down and spend time with the Lord. These are my favorite words: "Give me more the mind of Jesus / Make me holy as He is / May I prove I've been with Jesus / Who is all my righteousness."

6. Find Us Faithful
Here's another one from our wedding song lineup! I've loved this song since I was little (and had a major Steve Green phase) and I still love the lyrics. Fun fact! Guess who used to be a member of the Gaither Vocal Band? Steve Green. :) Works out nicely, doesn't it? This rendition comes from their reunion concert. All the lyrics are amazing, but here are some of my particular favorites: "After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone / And our children sift through all we've left behind / May the clues that they discover, and the memories they uncover / Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find." (Yes, I know we don't have children. But we still have people who will come behind!)

7. My Desire
When Ryan and I first started dating, he would always say goodbye by dancing one song with me before he would leave my house. Our first dance was to this song - and it was also the song for our wedding dance (alone on the beach after all the guests had left). This is a Jeremy Camp song that I actually didn't know prior to Ryan introducing me to it. My favorite words are these: "All my life I have seen where You've taken me / Beyond all I have hoped and there's more left unseen / There's not much I can do to repay all You've done / So I give my hands to use." (By the way, this is vintage Jeremy. I forgot the longer hair phase!)

8. 10,000 Reasons
This song was the background to our wedding trailer video (which is no longer on the web...I think our videographer closed his business). Ryan and I love it, and it's another one I love to listen to when I'm praising. My favorite words? "You're rich in love and You're slow to anger / Your name is great and Your heart is kind / For all Your goodness I will keep on singing / Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find."

9. Be Still, My Soul
Fun fact: Same tune as I Then Shall Live. Maybe I just love the tune! But then again, I wrote a book about being still, so that whole theme is dear to me as well. Hands down, my favorite arrangement is this one by Selah, and I am am still a Nicol Sponberg fan (the original female singer in Selah) so her version is my pick. This version pairs the song with What a Friend We Have in Jesus, but it's her delivery of Be Still My Soul that I love so much. My favorite words are: "Leave to thy God to order and provide / In every change, He faithful will remain / Be still my soul: thy best, thy Heavenly Friend / Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end."

10. Fully Yours 

I played this song at my baptism (almost ten years ago now) and still love the lyrics. It's written and sung by my friend Brent Vernon. I couldn't find a video of it, but if you go to this link and scroll down to the title, you can listen to it. The lyrics I especially love (and had on display at the baptism) are these: "So won't You use my life for greater things than I could ever dream of / Grant a passion, Lord - a never dying flame / And may my days be spent in serving You, in sharing You - giving glory to Your Name."



Those are my top ten! (Subject to change at any time, of course.)

Phoebe's Return!

We missed a lot of people during quarantine, but we also missed our Phoebe-girl! Quarantine kept her people home, so that kept her home with them! We hadn't had her over to play since late February, I'm pretty sure, and man, we sure missed her!

The story of picking her up to come over for the first time was actually kind of funny! Her people asked us if we could watch her the same day I went to Savannah's graduation open house. You remember that story, right? Bird poop on my head?

They left home as I was headed back to town, so they asked if I could just stop by their house and pick her up. I hoped she would remember me!!! Ryan was at work, so I went over and found her peeking out the front window, wiggling for all she was worth!

I went in to get her and she was so filled with joy, she about knocked me right over! I put on her harness and leash, picked up her diaper bag (as I call it) and headed out to the car. As I walked out the door, the neighbor and a bunch of his friends just stared at me. I knew that neighbor knows Ryan, but I had no idea if he remembered me, and I could only imagine what he might be thinking as I strolled nonchalantly out of his neighbors' house and drove off...with their dog!

He must have remembered me, or else Phoebe's obvious love for me put him at ease, because he didn't text her people to report the dog had left the premises. Ha!

Ryan and I sorely missed Phoebe during quarantine, but Braeya? Not so much. So when Pheebs and I arrived back home, this was the standoff for about the first five minutes.

It was actually quite comical. Normally the minute Phoebe sees Braeya, she starts barking, and Braeya runs away. But Braeya stood perfectly still just like you see above for the entire standoff, and I'm not sure Phoebe realized she was alive. Phoebe mostly looked annoyed that I wouldn't let her off the leash. Finally when Phoebe looked to the side, Braeya retreated to our bedroom and stayed there most of the rest of Phoebe's visit.

When Ryan came home from work, Phoebe busted out the screen door into the garage to greet him. I guess she really missed him!

We had a fun afternoon together, ate dinner, and then headed out for a walk. It was a beautiful evening. We had walked to the end of the block and just turned the corner, when we happened upon a house where the kids were in the backyard setting off firecrackers. (Not fireworks. Just the noisemakers.)

Phoebe is TERRIFIED of all fireworks/gunshots/cars backfiring, and all such noises. Whenever she hears one - even faintly - she is just done. The moment that round of noise started, she jumped into the air, wheeled around on the sidewalk, and booked it back to our house, dragging Ryan behind her, in a very Marmaduke-style scene.

She was such a disaster by the time we got back to our house that it took us a full hour to calm her down. I was even researching online how to calm a terrified dog, because her heart was racing so hard.

She finally recovered and stayed pretty close to us the rest of the night.

Despite the accidental frightening, we had a great day with Miss Pheebs! So happy she didn't forget us!

The Shafferland Shuffle

This has been a crazy week. Not crazy in terms of busy so much as just crazy. I'll tell you more about it in time, but for now, here's a peek at a few of the happenings of our week.

* Our church has seen a steady increase in people returning to in-person worship, but I could not find people who were able to greet prior to the service! It was like the week no one wanted! So Ryan and I got up early, divided between two doors, and greeted people before the early service. I was so thankful for a breeze, since we were masked up. (I found that many people didn't recognize me with a mask on. Made me laugh!) Oh and guess who has poison ivy?? I guess hiking got the best of him, so Sunday afternoon we made our annual trip to the pharmacy for poison ivy meds.

* Monday brought about my first actual Monday to be in the office since we returned to work! (Memorial Day and our vacation weekend made me miss the last two Mondays.) My office overlooks this really pretty little courtyard and some volunteers came to work on it that day, so it looked like an entirely different place after that! After work, I made some Dashing Dish enchiladas, and we enjoyed our evening at home.

* As you know, we've been doing a lot of home improvement stuff during quarantine, and one of my Pinterest inspired dreams was to do a feature wall in our living room that had bookcases and a shiplap background behind our fireplace. When we painted our living room, we didn't paint the majority of that wall, because we were going to cover it up. Well, guess what? IKEA emailed Ryan this week to say the bookcases he'd tried to buy were not yet in stock and maybe never would be. Well isn't that delightful!!?! So while we figure out a plan B, he just went ahead and painted the rest of the wall. At least the place looks finished now. And Braeya "snooze-pervised."

* We were so excited on Wednesday to find that our rose bushes have bloomed! All of them! They are so pretty. (These are bushes that existed before we moved here, so we just enjoy them each year on the previous owners' dime!) And lookie what I sneaked into my afternoon! A caramel frappe! It was a HOT day, and coffee sounded better on ice that day.

* Because of some scheduling changes, Thursday was the last day for Ryan's WHOLE proning team to be together. This weekend was his last shift on that temporary assignment, but Thursday was the last time this specific crew worked together. They had lunch together and got some ice cream to celebrate. These ladies have become dear friends to him even in the short time he's known them. He's really going to miss them! When I got home from work, I discovered the tiniest presence of TOMATOES ON OUR PLANTS!!! I was so excited, so of course I had to take a picture! And it was a perfect night for a walk - and a perfect sunset to go with it!

* Friday evening, we got to have dinner with Ryan's boss and his wife. They've been wanting to have us over forever, but you know - virus. So we made plans early in the week to hang out with them that night at their house, and they made the most amazing and delicious meal for us. Her dessert was picture perfect! And it seems that someone was kind of happy to see us!!! Oh, our sweet girl.

* Yesterday we did a little work at my parents' house, installing blinds and such. And then we started pulling stuff out of our attic for a garage sale! For the past year we've been stashing away stuff for a sale, but with all the virus stuff, we weren't sure if they were going to be allowed in our area. They are! So we decided to start organizing and pricing stuff. Turns out we've stashed away more than we thought. Whoopsie!! We squeezed in a quick lawn mowing, too, since we had time!

The Saturday Six

One.

FYI, we have just one week left until Father's Day! If you're not aching to add another tie to a collection, check out the list of gift ideas over at Thistlewood Farms! I won't lie: the phone sanitizer has my attention, and I'm not even a dad!

Two.

This little dress is pretty cute, and I like the way she styles it in this post. Her dress is from Old Navy, and we don't have one anymore, so I would have to order this one to try it. That's always a gamble for me, but it's cute enough with the right price. Maybe...

Three.

Pool noodles are basically the most versatile thing on the planet. I don't have any tall boots right now, but when I did, I used trimmed down pool noodles to stuff them to keep them from falling over in the closet. And somewhere out there is probably a book of 1001 uses for pool noodles. This one was new for me, though, and pretty cute! A cupcake stand/centerpiece for a party! Summer's coming!

Four.

Do you decorate for the 4th of July? I don't think I have for the past few years, though I have some Americana decor in the attic, I'm pretty sure! I do love driving by a house that has the porch all decked out for the 4th, though. Looks so regal and beautiful! Here are some ideas for outdoor decor - some simple ideas and some more in-depth options, too!

Five.

We have two essential oil diffusers in our house. I really like one of them, and the other one doesn't work quite as well. (It was a freebie that a friend gave me because she had it as an extra one.) The one I don't like quite as well shoots out so much water that it actually makes the surface around it wet. Since I had it in our office (land of paper!) that didn't start out so well. I found this list of affordable diffusers, so I think I may peruse ideas from this!

Six.

I have heard several of my friends say that since travel is a bit more challenging this summer, they plan to do a lot of camping. Anyone here in that crowd? If so, here is a big list of camping ideas and hacks for you!

And Just Like That...She Graduated

Eighteen years ago tomorrow, I was pacing all over a hospital, waiting on my friend Trudy to give birth to sweet baby Savannah. Oh, what a prayed-for baby she was! Some of you who have read here for a long time know that Chris and Trudy's first baby, Carol, died when she was six months old, and we all missed her so very much. (And we still do!)

We were so excited for Savannah to arrive, and it was a joy and privilege to get to spend all those hours with Trudy as she labored. I took pictures and video as Savannah made her entrance into the world, strong and healthy, and she has had a firm hold of a piece of my heart ever since.

And one week ago today, she graduated from high school, after the strangest senior year on record. She missed out on so many things she'd looked forward to - as did all the seniors this year, I know! Her family threw her a little prom, and her school did hold a graduation ceremony, even though it was very different from what they planned or expected. (We didn't get to attend the graduation.)

Last Saturday was her open house, and Ryan couldn't go, because he was at work, but I attended, and oh what a story I have for you from that morning! But I'll tell that story at the end.

It was a sweet privilege for me to get to take Savannah's senior pictures last fall. I spent a whole day bundled up and traipsing through fields, woods, yards and more to capture the memories she wanted. I loved every minute of it, and so did she! (She made that job so very easy.)

Savannah's open house was held in a really cool old barn, and when I pulled up, I saw this amazing banner that a friend of theirs had made using her senior pictures!

They had decorated the barn so beautifully, and even with the limitations of serving food, they had great prewrapped food, and I enjoyed it!

They had photo boards set up, and I almost had a little meltdown when I saw she'd made one whole side with pictures of us!

I was able to see friends from the church we all attended together, and of course, the guest of honor!

She's grown up into such a lovely young woman, and I'm so proud of her! So thankful for the chance to be part of her life, and even though I don't see her now to the extent that I did when she was little, I know God had His timing and purpose for putting us together as bonus aunt and bonus niece!

(And just so you know - all those pictures on the board seem like about five minutes ago.)

And now...for the story.

When I arrived at her open house (after a chaotic morning that I won't bore you with and an hour of driving to the open house) I pulled up in the yard and parked my little car. I grabbed my gift, smoothed my hair, and got out to walk up to the party.

And that is when I felt the distinct plop of bird poop falling on the back of my hair.

This has never happened to me in my entire life. Ever.

And just in case you missed the above paragraph, I was an hour from home, without Ryan, and the open house was in an old barn. Old barns don't have bathrooms.

What would YOU do in that scenario? Is there a handbook for this sort of thing that I've just missed reading?

The only thing I could think to do was use the window of my car for a mirror to try to see the back of my head, spray my hair with Thieves hand sanitizer, and use leftover napkins from the glove box to try to drag the poop out of my hair.

I think I sanitized my hands about 1500 times (not an exaggeration) all morning. I didn't touch anything (used utensils for all my food, and apologized to everyone closest to me for any potential bird poop smell.

And took a shower the MINUTE I got home.

And that completed my Saturday.

90 Months Strong

Indiana hit 90 degrees this month, and we hit 90 months of marriage. I'll say that both are a welcome delight!

I thought, in honor of this 90th monthiversary, I would make a list of my top 90 favorite things about Ryan, but let's be honest: none of you would read a post that long. So how about I abbreviate to nine in print, but please know there really are 90 and counting things that I love about my life with him!

These, by the way, are in no particular order

1. I love Ryan's perseverance. 

He is the kind of guy who doesn't quit on a job until it's done - and done correctly. Our quarantine time gave us many opportunities to work on projects around the house, and he worked tirelessly. He did extra coats of paint on walls so they didn't have jagged roll marks. He painstakingly brushed corners. He ran wiring for the TV so it was hidden in the wall rather than showing on the outside. He hauled mulch and put down a perfectly spaced border. We all know that jobs like that hit the place where they're exhausting, but he never quit and never got sloppy. Home improvement jobs are merely an example of his perseverance across the board.

2. I love his big heart for people.

Not only did he work on projects at our house, but he helped my parents on projects at their house. While we both did some painting for them, he installed lights and did other things that are beyond my scope of expertise. He helped out some older people in the community who needed manual labor jobs done at their house. He went to bat for a friend when she got stuck in a situation that was unfair. He checked on friends and neighbors throughout quarantine to see if they needed anything. 

3. I love how he encourages everyone.

I was talking to a friend on the phone just a couple of nights ago, and when he heard me start to wrap up the conversation, he asked if he could have the phone for a minute. He paused his work to congratulate her on an accomplishment and to thank her for the hard work she had done. And that's not out of character for him. He notices people and takes time to congratulate and appreciate them out loud.

4. I love his giant laugh. 

Ryan truly has the best laugh of ANYONE on the planet. He just does. And it feels like in these last few weeks of being together, we've had the chance to laugh over and over again. It doesn't hurt that he finds me funny, but even if he didn't, I love to hear him laugh! (His laugh always makes me laugh, and you know how what they say about the best medicine...)

5. I love his steadfast confidence.

When I think about how easily I used to come unglued, I realize how much God has grown me in the past few years. I have mellowed so very much in the last decade, and I am grateful for it. But even so, times of pandemic and worldwide unrest do bring a bit of anxiety to my soul if I think about them too long. When those rare moments hit, Ryan is unwavering in his confidence. He's so kind to remind me of God's faithfulness and that easy calmness he has goes a long way in calming me, too! 

6. I love his generosity.

Ryan holds everything loosely and has taught me to do the same. If he has anything at all that he knows someone else needs, he is eager to share, and it gives him so much joy to do it. I appreciate that he looks for needs and how he can meet them. It's a rare trait, I think, and I love it that he has it.

7. I love watching him grow in the Lord.

I've always loved Ryan's heart for the Lord, and I've always enjoyed studying and praying with him. But in recent months, he's had an even deeper hunger for God, and I've loved watching him study, learn, and grow. I love learning from him when he shares what God has been teaching him!

8. I love spending time with him!

I've already said that quarantine has been one of our favorite seasons, because we've been able to spend so much time together. He makes every single day an adventure, even if we don't go anywhere! I love talking to him, watching TV with him, drinking coffee with him, working on the house with him, dreaming with him, cooking with him - you name it! He's just always fun!

9. I love his courageous boldness.

He isn't afraid to do the right thing - even if it's not easy. I've watched him be bold and brave, even when he has stood completely alone in doing so. It's a tremendous example to me! 

So last week, as we celebrated a new decade of monthiversaries, I celebrated Ryan and the gift he is to me and to those around us. 

I had to work on our monthiversary, but we were able to spend the evening together, and it was a joy to reach that milestone over some good grilled chicken and his homemade strawberry shortcake! 

Ryan, thank you for these 90 wonderful months! Thank you for loving me so very well and being a daily example with the way you choose to live!

I LOVE YOU!!