Lexi Grae Update

If you need a midweek puppy picture dump, you've come to the right place!! I don't think I've done an update for a little while, so let's take a look at our girl who is getting SO BIG!!!

Growing is hard work. Sometimes you gotta just take a nap with your toy right on top of you. Sweet baby girl. 

She takes inquisitive to new levels these days. Ryan got her a new toy and could not lower it to her level quickly enough, so she hopped up to see it. 

Lexi is really good (most of the time) about not barking at or chasing Braeya. But she literally cannot EVEN handle her excitement when Braeya wanders through. It's like her best life has just sauntered into the room and she wiggles from head to toe. Braeya is curious and investigates, but her excitement level is not the same as Lexi's. 

"Helping" me work early in the morning. 

I was trying to take a nap and Lexi thought my blanket looked like a good snack. End of nap. 

We are working hard on training on the virtue of patience. She was waiting as hard as she could for a treat. Every time I say "wait," she trembles from head to toe, and it is just everything she can do to sit there. It actually makes me giggle.

This was a few days ago, but she loves keeping up with the boys on post office walks!

Those eyes. I can't. 

When Ryan takes a shower...she just sits and cries. So do I, Lexi. So do I. (Reportedly she does the same when I go get ready.)

Laundry is her FAVORITE. And her favorite part of her favorite? Swiping socks and seeing how far away she can get before we realize she has one. 

Also very fond of all the kisses. 

She tuckered out on a walk home, so Ryan carried her. Is this not the best life?? Not gonna lie: I'm thinking of just sitting down on our next walk to see if he'll carry me!

Helping me blog. Oh wait. No. Sleeping while I blog. 

She's energetic and precious and funny. We love her so!

Be Still, My Soul...

 It's no secret that I have come full circle to be a proper hymn-lover in my adult years. (I'm still a little at odds with Crown Him with Many Crowns after singing it the same week I had to get a crown, but other than that, I'm a hymn girl. Ha!)

Ryan and I love listening to them and will often turn on a YouTube channel of piano hymns as we get ready for church on Sunday mornings. I can't possibly pick favorites, because there are just too many I love. 

Yesterday I ran across the lyrics to Be Still, My Soul while reading a blog post, and it sent me straight to my favorite rendition of that song, which is this one by Selah. (This song was from the original group, and Nicol Sponberg has the solo. Her voice is pure gold.)

The verse of the song that I read on the blog isn't in Selah's rendition, but maybe you need the words today, so I'm going to share them:

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

The ladies of WillowBridge always read YouVersion devo plans together, and not long ago, one of the devos we read talked about the importance of keeping journals of God's work in our lives so we can remember His goodness to us personally. Of course, that thrilled my heart, and I tried to encourage the others to take that seriously! Trusting God to guide the future as He has the past can sometimes go a little more smoothly when you are able to remember how He has been at work in YOUR past, rather than history at large.

And those last two lines are my favorite: Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below. 

I follow a few Instagram accounts of people who live on the Great Lakes, and their photos and videos of winter waves crashing against the shore are so awe-inspiring. And those are just the Great Lakes! How much more impressive is the strength of the ocean! And yet those are the very kinds of waves His voice stilled!

We're definitely in a season where it's easy to have a soul that is agitated rather than stilled. So much is happening in so many areas, and it's hard to be still. But the same God who guided the past is here for our future, too. We may not understand, but we can trust Him. He's proven trustworthy. 

The waves and winds are still blowing, yes. But they also still know His voice and power. I know I am grateful for it. And if you're wrestling in your heart today, I hope those lyrics encourage you too! 

Mixers and More

Back when I was single, I didn't own a stand mixer. I had a bottom-of-the-line hand mixer that served me well...except when it didn't. Somewhere in a vintage scrapbook, I have a photo of the day I tried to make the marshmallow-cream based frosting for a fruit pizza, and I had marshmallow climbing the beaters all the way up to the handheld part. It made for a funny story - post clean-up, of course. 

It was a well-documented fact that high on my wedding registry list would be a proper stand mixer, and I did indeed receive one! She's so pretty. She's a red KitchenAid, and her name is Miss Mixy. She and I have made many things together, with cookies heading the list. She's almost ten years old now and showing no signs of slowing down.

But surprisingly - at least to me - in these almost ten years we've shared, I have never purchased a single additional attachment for her. She came with a stainless steel bowl, a wire whisk, a paddle, and a bread dough hook, and those remain the only pieces I have for her. Clearly we've been just fine, but out of curiosity, I looked up what else she can do with attachments. It turns out you can practically rule the world with the assortment of options. There are way more than I could ever use, but I did raise my eyebrows at a few!

* I don't plan on getting this one, but I did see the meat grinder attachment on the list, and it reminded me of when I was a little girl and my mom would make homemade ham salad. She had an old-fashioned meat grinder that clamped on the kitchen table, and I always found it to be a grand adventure to grind up all the ingredients for her. I wonder if she still has that! 

* They also have a variety of pasta presses, and I have to say I think it would be so much fun to learn how to make homemade pasta. I have heard that once you make your own, you are ruined for boxed pasta ever again. (One of the ladies on my women's ministry team back in Kokomo was apparently quite the pasta maker, but I never had the chance to learn from her before we moved.) Have any of you ever made your own pasta?

* And then there's the grain mill! I went through a brief season a few years ago when the idea of milling my own grain to make my own bread was intriguing to me. I still think I'd like to learn to make bread - especially sourdough - but I'm not sure if I've got the time for grain milling. But I had no idea I could use my mixer to do that, so I've tucked away that bit of information!

* There's also a spiralizer, and that one really piqued my interest. I purchased a super cheap handheld spiralizer at TJ Maxx a few years ago, and I've used it to make zoodles. It works great until you have to clean it, and then it's kind of a pain. Plus there always seems to be a big stub at the end that is too small to feed through but feels wasteful to throw away. I wonder if this one would work better!

* After having sliced my thumb pretty deeply a few years ago while trying to slice veggies on a manual slicer, seeing a shredding/slicing attachment also caught my attention. I have had a healthy reverence for those sharp shredders ever since! (Oh what a story that injury made for me. It was when we lived in Kokomo, and I was a stay-at-home wife. I was making lunch and hadn't gotten dressed yet. I sliced my thumb open, and it was bleeding pretty heavily. I couldn't leave it uncovered long enough to even bandage it, and I couldn't get dressed - easily, anyway - while applying pressure. I finally was able to get public-approved clothing on and walked to the hospital where Ryan worked to see if he could help me. I arrived at the same time as his patient, but the patient was so gracious to allow him a moment to bandage up his bleeding wife before starting therapy. I'm pretty sure that also scored us both Wendy's for lunch.) You see why I need this attachment, right?

* To be honest, it's the ice cream maker that tops my list. I love ice cream and think it would be so fun to run an ice cream shop. Since that is unlikely to ever happen, I plan to be content with making my own ice cream concoctions at home! Can you even imagine the fun I could have with this attachment?

So...do any of you have attachments for your mixer? Any faves out there? I definitely don't want to just cram the kitchen with a bunch of unused gadgets, but I have a feeling I would really use a few of those! 

Sunday Sentiments

 

Yesterday marked three years since Ryan's mom passed away. I think most of you have probably been around since then, but for anyone who might be new here, Ryan's mom was diagnosed with a glioblastoma (brain tumor) in October 2018. She had surgery right away and they were able to remove the tumor, but she never fully recovered and ended up dying in March 2019. 

Ryan's entire family came together to care for her in her last weeks of life. She came home from the hospital for the final time in early January, and from then until her death, we all took turns staying with her and caring for her. Ryan was a tremendous caregiver and he counts it one of the great privileges of his life that he was able to do that for her.

One of his very specific prayers was that he would be able to be with her when she passed away, and he was. It was not our scheduled night to be with her, but he felt we should go anyway, so after he got off work, we drove to the cabin, and we got there just a few minutes before she died. I think there were 13 of us gathered around her bed, praying her Home. 

And after she died, Ryan sat with her until the funeral home arrived. He said he wanted to spend every minute there by her side because he knew there wouldn't be any more minutes after that. And so he stayed.

That night there was a beautiful sunset, and Ryan stopped the car just down the road from the cabin so I could take a picture of it. 

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Indiana, and I told God I really hoped there would be a beautiful sunset again. 

We had a community outing at WillowBridge yesterday, and we ended with a picnic at the park. We were able to find a picnic table by the river, and while everyone else talked together, I just stared out over the water, taking in the magnificent sunset. 

Having time to stop and savor, pray, or reminisce is a luxury for us, and it probably wasn't the most ideal time for me to do it. But I was grateful I could sneak away in my mind to remember my mother-in-law. I could remember that night so vividly and think of the good moments we shared in the years we did have together.

What a sweet gift it was that God gave us this sunset yesterday. What a sweet gift it was that God gave Ryan the chance to be there for Nita's Homegoing. What a sweet gift she was for all the years of her life. And what a sweet gift it is that I get to continue sharing my life with her Ryan. I am grateful for how she shaped his life for him to become the man I love so much.

The Saturday Six

 

I don't know about you - but I enjoy glimpses of life behind the scenes - and today's Six is all about that! :) 

One.

Ryan and I really enjoy watching the show Unwrapped and learning about how different foods are made. It's really fascinating to see! Whether you have kids or you just like learning, check out this link with videos of how a whole bunch of things are made - from crayons to maple syrup! (Toilet paper, Legos, balloons, and paper money are also included.) Why do I enjoy learning so much more now than I did in school??

Two.

You know I love the Little House books and TV series. So of course I loved this series of behind-the-scenes photos from the making of the show! I think my favorite was seeing the blizzard being created. (I do love "TV magic" but I also have an appreciation for seeing how they make it happen!)

Three.

Ryan and I have been on two cruises together, and one of my favorite things is...no cooking for a week! And I can eat whenever I want! Though we haven't sailed Royal Caribbean before (and this video was made pre-pandemic), I found this video tour FASCINATING! How they store and prepare and feed all those people on a boat is really interesting! 

Four.

Several years ago, one of my friends (who was a photographer at the time) did an annual retro photo shoot with a couple from our town. It was always for their Christmas card picture, and I loved looking at those galleries! They always dressed up and did 50s-style activities. So fun. When I ran across this quick video of a lady who lives like it's still the 50s...I found that very intriguing! I don't think it would be for me, but I think it's really fun to peek into! (And check out that car!) 

Five.

Once upon a time, many years ago, I wanted to be a teacher. And now I have the greatest respect for teachers. And if you read this day in the life of a teacher, you might just have an increased appreciation yourself. THANK YOU, TEACHERS!!!

Six.

And rounding out today's behind-the-scenes...how about a beautiful time-lapse of a sunflower from seed to flower??

Decisions, Decisions

 Tis the season again, you know. 

Easter dresses. 

Remember when I used to take you with me to Cato and have you virtually vote on a dress? Man, I miss Cato. (To be fair, there is one in Fort Wayne, but we never get to that part of town.) 

When I was prepping for the WillowBridge Fundraiser, I ended up taking a risk and buying my dress online at Shein - and it fit so well! So now I'm thinking that may be the way to go for Easter, too. Anyone wanna dress shop with me today? 

Option 1.

I don't have any pink dresses, and normally patterns scare me, but I do like this one! I don't think I could pull off the hat, though.

Option 2.

I do love blue dresses. Maybe that's why I liked this one?

Option 3.

More blue! But this one isn't a maxi dress...and I wouldn't be able to pull off that hat either. Or cram all my stuff into that purse!

Option 4. 

I don't think I have a green dress either, but this one feels super springy and delightful to me. 

Option 5. 

And the last one (at least for today) is blue again! (And yes. I know I'm not that tall. Or thin!) 

Any votes? Tell me your thoughts! 

We Did It!

Crown complete! 

Thank you SO MUCH for sending encouraging notes yesterday; I definitely felt very covered in prayer throughout my dental adventures. 

The nerves were hitting fast and furious yesterday morning when I woke up. I sat on the couch with Ryan for a little bit and he was so kind and encouraging to me. (I shared this really awful-quality photo on Instagram last night, so I'll share it here, too.)

It's a terrible picture in every way, but I love what it represents. This is what 111 months of marriage is all about: being able to wake up with the one you love - and who loves you, even if you're terrified and melting down over a crown.

I decided not to do sedation, because I really wanted to try to power through without it. But he wanted me to have the option for panic-assistance if I needed it, so he packed his laptop and came with me to the dentist. 

(We did parking lot selfies before we went inside.)

I started crying the MOMENT I got inside, so by the time the nice dental lady came to get me, I was a disaster. She said she was going to ask how I was doing, but she had a feeling she already knew. ;) She was SO kind and talked with me for a long time before they started. She wanted to know all my fears and how they could help make it a better experience for me. (ummmmm not do it??)

She offered to tell me everything ahead of time if I wanted, but I decided that might be TOO much. So they landed on just telling me what I would feel next as we went through the procedure, and that was just right. They also heard my fears about the gag reflex and my jaw locking open. (I don't know if I mentioned that one yesterday, but that did actually happen to me once, and it was awful.)

I took this to send to Ryan right before they started.

The dentist was so kind to me. (He's had to work on me before. Bless him.) He told me if I needed him to get out, I should just hold up my hand and he'd stop so I could have a break. And several times throughout, he patted my shoulder and told me I was doing great. I told him he was a liar, but I also told him I appreciated the lies and to keep them coming. 

I was super nervous at the start because I wasn't sure my mouth was numb ENOUGH. It was numb, but I could feel an awful lot of my cheek and that didn't seem right. But he said I should be good. I told him I'd let him know if it wasn't true. Ha! It ended up being fine, thankfully.

Oh! And there was one game-changing detail that I was thrilled about. It was not the very back tooth. It was the one next to the back. I don't know if I heard the assistant say "a" back tooth and heard "the" back tooth or what, but I really didn't care. What mattered was that being one tooth up meant I didn't have to crack my jaw open quite as wide, nor was it as tough on my gag reflex, and both of those things were HUGE. So I was really grateful.

About a minute in, I held up my hand to kick them out, and they did get right out. I breathed through it and then sternly lectured myself that if I could just be brave and hold on, they could get done faster. And that ended up being the only time I had to make them leave. I was gripping the chair for dear life and shaking violently the entire time, but I got through it. (I was also full-on crying the entire time. I had tears in my ears.) 

I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't take as long as I thought it would - or even as they estimated. And the drilling/deep work part really reminded me a lot of a filling. I don't know if maybe I have had some intense fillings or what, but it didn't seem that much more drastic for me than fillings I've had. 

So they got it done, though I will have to go back in a couple of weeks to replace the temporary one from today with a permanent one.

After I finished up, Ryan took me out to eat. (It was 2:30 by then and we hadn't eaten yet. Nerves took over for me.) We had BBQ and he may or may not have laughed at my wonky smile and straw skills. 

SO good. 

We came back and resumed working, and I really felt pretty good the rest of the day. My jaw is sore, but no tooth pain! 

Ryan, thank you for loving me so well yesterday. Thanks for not telling me to just get over it when I was scared. Thanks for going with me and sitting in the waiting room. It made all the difference to me just to know you were there if I couldn't do it anymore and needed you to sit beside me. Thanks for taking me out for our monthiversary lunch and loving me - lopsided smile and all. Thank you for going back out last night to get me some soup.

I have loved these 111 months with you!

Now. Let's go sing Crown Him with Many Crowns!  ;) 

Well, That Was Unexpected

I thought I had mentioned this on the blog a couple of weeks ago, but now I can't find it, so maybe I didn't! If I did, I apologize for the repeat.

I had a dental checkup a couple of weeks ago and found out while there that I would need a crown.

And they did not mean a tiara.

I've never had a crown before (except for a tiara) and while I've talked to many people who have had them who have promised they're no big deal, let's keep in mind that we're talking about me here. I complicate everything. And I have major dental anxiety. 

They told me I could have sedation if I wanted, and I've been wrestling with that ever since. My biggest issue with it is that the tooth is a very back tooth, and those are the WORST for me. With my TMJ, being open wide and long enough for back tooth work is a whole issue in and of itself. And I have a super bad gag reflex, so back tooth work is also not great for that. The last filling I had was in a back tooth (different one) and I had to keep kicking the dentist out every two seconds so I could panic about throwing up.

Yesterday I called to make the appointment and mentioned my anxiety. (They're familiar with me there. I'm legendary - even among the schedulers.) She said, "Well then let's just do it tomorrow at 1 p.m. and you won't have time to worry."

Wanna bet?

And that is how it came to be that I am going to get a crown today ON OUR MONTHIVERSARY. Poor Ryan. What a gift, right? Sickness and health?

So if you think of it today at 1 p.m. Eastern, pray for that whole dental office, because Bekah will be in the HOUSE.

And pray for Ryan because Bekah will come home from the house.

And pray for me, because I am terrified.

But I leave you today with the best part.

This weekend there is an event at work and all the staff members have to sing for it. (Or lip sync. I'm lip syncing.) 

You'll never guess what the song is.

Crown Him with Many Crowns.

Its too soon, you guys. Too soon. 

Thankful

Yesterday was a very long day for us in the brain-draining sort of way. There are a number of things at WillowBridge we've been trying to reframe and restructure over the past few months, and it was time to come together as a team and evaluate what is working and what isn't so we can know how to go forward.

Normally a brainstorming session is absolutely my jam, and I run headlong into it with much excitement. There were exciting things about this one, to be sure, but it required so much brain power that by the end of the day, I'm not really sure I had much of a brain left at all. 

But in the middle of the heavy, there were some real blessings in our day, and I want to start this (hopefully spring-laden) month with some gratitude.

* Our Lexi girl was a champ and a half yesterday. She had to entertain herself for much of the day, and while we popped into the apartment to see her every chance we had, we didn't get to spend much quality time with her until later in the day. But she didn't freak out and bark or cry the whole time and other than one unfortunate lamp-breaking incident (which we will just call an accident) both Lexi and the apartment were unscathed at the end of the day. We were so proud of her for being such a big girl!

* I get to go lamp shopping. :) And the one that bit the dust was about 20 years old, so I mean...is that even a total loss?

* One of our coworkers sent us an ultra-encouraging email that arrived right in the middle of the big meeting. It was a great boost to get us through the second half of the day!

* Because of illness back in December, the WillowBridge team had never gotten to go out for a proper Christmas celebration with Rob. We scheduled it for today and therefore we were able to take a brain-break in the middle of the day and go out to eat! (No cooking!)

* In a turn of events that hasn't happened in a really long time, one of our tenants wanted to make dinner for our team as a thank you gift for all we've done. That meant I also didn't have to cook dinner - AND we were served steak!

* Even though I didn't get to go for a walk or anything, the day wasn't so bitterly cold and the sun was there until a proper sundown, which was REALLY a mood-booster!

* Third day hair that is still cooperating. Can I get an amen?

What are you thankful for at the start of this new month? 

Monday Randoms

 Happy Monday, friends! We just came back on duty last night and are headed into a twelve-day work stretch. It may not bode well for me if I'm starting this stretch with blogger's block, right? 

Nevertheless, here are some randoms for your Monday!

* We had a weekend on the weekend, and that was just weird. I'm so used to having my weekends on anything but the weekend that it just felt strange!

* Now that my dog bite has healed on my hand, I've traded it in for a dog-induced foot injury! (Not our dog.) We went to visit friends on Saturday, and their very solid pit bull tried to walk under my legs while I had them crossed and my foot wedged in between some table spindles. He didn't fit and my foot did not bend the direction it had to go for that adventure. I'm grateful it didn't require medical intervention, but I will report that it did not tickle and is both bruised and swollen.

* We're watching Hometown while I write this, and I must say that Laurel, Mississippi is on my list of places I'd love to visit. It is just the cutest little town!! Any of you ever been there? (Also, Ryan thinks working with Ben Napier would be fun!)

* My friend Liz reminded me this week of when we went on our cruise in 2019 and were gone on Easter Sunday. I had forgotten all about the sunrise service we went to on the boat where they sang You Raise Me Up and talked about Jesus before Puh-lott-tee. Those were some good memories and I'm so glad she reminded me!

* I'm speaking at a women's retreat next month and finished my Power Point for it this weekend. (I use Power Point as screen sized scrapbook, basically. It's not like pages of notes.) I cranked out 96 slides in 3 hours and was pretty proud of that accomplishment!

* We were greeters at church yesterday. I am convinced that we always land the coldest days for greeting! I never even took off my coat during church because I hadn't thawed from holding the door. (And you know me! Always warm!)

* SPEAKING OF COATS! I was yesterday years old when I learned you can buy heated coats. Did you know this?? One of the ladies in our small group has a heated coat! Though I heavily despise spending money on coats, I have to admit it could come in awfully handy on all our trips to the post office! 

* Today is the end of February, which means I need to take down my snow/snowman/Valentine's Day decor. The snow/snowman pieces go up after Christmas as winter decor, and since I don't have a ton of just Valentine's day stuff, I let them stay through February. But I feel personally responsible for any snow that falls in March if I leave up the snow stuff, so it has to come down this week. But since Easter is in April this year...this leaves me with the conundrum of what to do for March! What do you do for spring decor?

* And for any of you who might be leap day babies - happy birthday a day early! The same small group friend who has the heated coat also has a February 29th birthday. Her husband said he wasn't sure if he should celebrate her today or tomorrow. I suggested both. And many more as well. Happy birthday and Happy March...tomorrow!

Sunday Sentiments

 

It's probably safe to say we are all wrestling through a wide spectrum of emotions this week. So many things unfolding and unraveling - on a global level clear down to the things that weigh individually on each of our hearts.

I feel it too, and it makes me feel dreadfully inadequate to even write to you today. I have no wisdom greater than what you have. I have no advice that feels remotely helpful. I have what you have - in equal measure. 

This week, as my heart has broken over what I've seen in the news, I've brought every single one of those emotions to the Lord in prayer. I've admitted the things that flat out scare me. I've eagerly offered up the things I do not understand. I've confessed my confusion and worry and even the truth of being unsure of how to pray. I trust that the Lord, who sees, knows, and understands things so much more than I do, knows how to take my bumbling prayers and use them more mightily than I could imagine.

I've done the same over the "little things" that are still big things in my life. The things that press in on WillowBridge right now. The things that are significant in our lives and homes - even if they don't matter to anyone else outside our four walls. 

Scripture talks about the peace that passes understanding guarding our hearts and minds, and I've counted on that this week. I've counted on God's great mercy and holy peace to cover my weaknesses, hurts, questions, and deficiencies.

The greatest reminder in my heart is that I don't have to do any of this on my own. None of us do. And He doesn't want or expect us to!

Whether you're merely poked or entirely peppered with worry and anxiety today, I want to encourage you to take extra time to just sit before the Lord in prayer. You don't have to say eloquent things. You don't even have to say coherent things. Just be in His presence and trust Him to intercede where Your words fail! Say what you can and then be still before Him. Be still...and know that HE is God. 

The Saturday Six

 

I saw an idea this week to write a post about how to have a date night in your own hometown. I thought that would make a fantastic Saturday Six post, so if you're from this area, check out some things to do in our itty bitty town of Grabill! If you're not from around here, I hope this will inspire you to find some fun things to do wherever you're from! 

One.

Of course, coffee has to head my list! :) Shouldn't that be everyone's first stop on a tour of town? Our little town has a locally owned coffee shop, Common Grounds, that is in the CUTEST log cabin. The baristas are so friendly, the coffee is delicious, and the carrot cake is TO DIE FOR. (They brew and sell Gobena coffee, which you can also order for yourself if you'd like. We are partial to the southern pecan.) Also - a huge shout out to the owners of Common Grounds for coming over to plow out our parking lot one day. That was such a blessing! 

Two.

And while you're right there at the coffee shop, you might as well check out the antique shops and the General store. They surround (I like to think of it as protect!) the coffee shop. The antique shops are in a building that just keeps on going forever with all kinds of little vendor booths inside. (And one of our former tenants works in the popcorn shop right in the middle of all the booths!) I've found some awfully cute treasures in there. The General Store is like a genuine, old-fashioned place you'd find in Little House with candy in barrels and the whole thing. My mom is super partial to their cappuccino mixes, too, if you're looking for something yummy! The General Store is one of my favorite places to photograph in town, because it even has the whole look of days gone by!

Three.

This is a new place in town we haven't been to yet, but I think it looks SO FUN!!! It's called Outpost No. 07, and it's a sign painting place. One of our tenants went here last December with the small group from church and ended up making a gift for us. It turned out SO CUTE!! I've never done a sign-making class before and think it looks like a lot of fun. (They also serve coffee from the coffee shop there, so...)

Four.

I'm pretty sure we've taken every single one of our visitors to Grabill Country Sales. You can find a little bit of everything there. Need candy in bulk? Check. Genuine Amish ice cream? Check. A dozen donuts? Check. Honey on tap? Check. Fried chicken carry-out? Check. A preserved polar bear? Check. I've never seen anyplace like it and am fairly certain it's because it doesn't exist anywhere else.

Five.

If all the shopping and painting has made you hungry, you should probably get dinner at the Woodhouse Restaurant. (Disclaimer: we've actually never been there for dinner, but we have been there for breakfast and LOVED IT.) When we first moved here, the Woodhouse was only open for dinner, but it's started opening for breakfast on the weekends. It's super clean inside and the food is so yummy! 

Six.

And because I'm a sucker for ice cream, I'd have to end the night at the Dairy Sweet with any one of their sweet treats. This is a little local burger and ice cream place that has a really fun oversized chair out front for photo opps. Ice cream and photos: doesn't get any better than that! :) 

We Will Survive the Teething

 I am writing this post more for posterity than anything else. (Sometimes it's fun to look back over the posts of years gone by and remember what was happening!)

Our Lexi girl is three months old now, and we LOVE HER SO! She has such a fun personality, and I really do think she is going to grow up to be the perfect fit for our family. Though some may laugh at this, I will readily admit that I prayed over this baby girl so hard before we got her. I prayed over her little personality and her skills and that she would just be the right fit for us. And I believe she will be.

If we survive the teething stage. 

Ha! (Kiddingnotkidding.)

Her teething game is stronnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng. We've looked it up and have learned that it can last until she's seven months old, so if you can be a gem and NOT remind me that we aren't even halfway there yet, that would be super. 

So far, we haven't had a ton of chomping on furniture, so we are grateful for that. (She has expressed interest in furniture, but we've sprayed Bitter Apple spray on it, and it does help.) And other than Ryan's Crocs, she hasn't chewed any shoes. (The Crocs are okay to chew in my book!)

We've only lost one cord so far. We are really careful about not leaving her unattended in areas where things are plugged in, but one day she got to Ryan's phone charging cord before he realized it. 

The biggest beating has come to us personally. She chews my hair, all of our extremities, our clothing, and our blankets. She hasn't destroyed anything or anyone yet, but it doesn't tickle!!

We have gotten all the chew toys. Rubber balls, soft toys, tug of war toys, hard, toys, and she loves them all! But she still loves us. 

We try to give her as much exercise as we can (which is challenging at the moment, because it's been bitterly cold here, making it hard to go outside for very long stretches at all) both inside and outside. We try to give her mental stimulation (training, games of fetch, etc.) at our trainer's suggestion. 

But if any of you have ANY recommendations for handling the crazy biting/teething season, we will welcome those! One dog bite per year is enough for us, and I sustained that two days before she was born, so we're good!

I try to remind myself that what makes her energetic and teething is what will make her grow up into a fun camping buddy, but we're not there yet!

Here's to surviving teething!