I Love a New Planner!

 

If you've been reading here long, you know one of the things I adore most in life is NEW PLANNER DAY!!!! A few years ago, I started doing academic year calendars, so now my new planner day always falls in the summer, rather than in January like the rest of the world. 

As seems to be the case regularly lately, I went back to the drawing board to search for a good planner that meets the needs I have. One thing that I know works well for a lot of people that does NOT work for me is the presence of an hourly calendar on the daily pages. My days aren't such that I have things that need done at specific times TOO often, so I feel like those parts of the planner pages don't get nearly the use that they should. 

I hunted around, read some blogs with ideas, and landed on one I really liked, and today I want to tell you all about it!

My new planner is called "The Prayerful Planner" - and it offers a day planner/monthly planner/habit tracker/notebook all in one. Here is the link to the shop! Let me tell you about what they have to offer!

* They have undated planners, which was perfect for me, since I needed to start mid-year. It's even more perfect if you want to start a new planner in a very random month - like November - when even the academic year calendars don't align with your needs. (Note: you do have to write in or use stickers to add all the dates throughout the calendar, and yes, that does take more time. I don't mind it. It's a creative outlet for me.)

* They have a variety of covers to choose from, and some of them are especially super cute! They just released a whole set of new covers, and there were a couple in there that I loved, but I opted for an older cover that was marked down. I couldn't justify spending the extra money just for a different cover, when all the functional parts of the planner with the same. That said, I don't hate mine at all. I think it's cute! The name of my cover is Sweet to My Soul. (Note: the new-cover planners were $49, which is still a great price for everything you get, but this older cover version was $25.)

* You can also find, in the shop, case-bound planners (which means they are bound more like a regular book, rather than having spiral binding), journals, notebooks in big and smaller sizes, pens, highlighters, washi tape, sticky notes, and printable (digital) versions of planners, too! There's even a men's version in the printables. 

I loved what I saw online, but let me tell you about the extra-mile things that have won me over even more!

* After I placed my order, I received the obligatory "thanks for your order" email. I have to tell you it was the most creatively well-written email I have ever received from a company! I read it out loud to Ryan because it was THAT good. I even responded to them just to thank them for making my day with a better-than-average auto-response. 

* Then I received an email that gave me a couple of printables to hold me until my planner arrived. The email included a printable version of the daily page in the day planner. I was able to print enough to use for the remainder of May so my planner can start with June. That was a sweet and unexpected perk. There was also a daily Bible reading list included!

* My planner arrived much faster than I expected, and it was a whole sight to behold in and of itself. Fancy sturdy box and everything! This is the gift box inside the shipping box. It seriously was like getting a gift in the mail.

* It came with a sticker page. One set of the monthly stickers fit on the blank tabs and then the other set fit on the month calendar layout. Then there were some other fun stickers included that I can use however I wish! 

* It also came with a card to give ideas for how to effectively use the planner:

* Then I received another email with access to a freebie page that allows me to print my own stickers and Bible reading pages for each month! I figured if I wanted their art/stickers, I'd have to buy them, but they come as freebies. You can either purchase sticker paper to print them on or print on regular paper and use double-sided tape to put it in the planner!

Now! Here's what I love about the planner itself!

* The covers are sturdy and thick, which is important, because it'll be handled frequently. The corners have metal pieces to keep them safe and keep them from fraying. I purchased the spiral bound version, which allows me to open it and fold it back for easier writing. The book itself is 9 inches wide and almost 10 inches tall. It's also very thick, which makes me feel very productive. :) 

* Inside the front cover is a pocket, so I can store papers as needed! 

* Before the planner part actually begins, there are pages for prayer requests, with columns for the date you wrote down the request, the prayer request itself, and then the praise when it's answered. HOW MANY TIMES do we tell people we will pray for them, and then we forget? This gives you a way to keep track of what you've promised to pray for, as well as a way to boost your faith as you see answers come to pass! 

* There is also a page where you can write about your word for the year (if you do one) and your verse for the year (if you have one). 

* There's a place for a vision board if you want to keep track of some of the dreams God has put in your heart.

* And there's a page for lists of goals in multiple areas of life: 

* If you like to keep track of how often you're working toward something, there are multiple habit-trackers throughout the planner. The first one is to keep track of whether or not you've read the Bible each day! 

* Each month has a planning page, where you can earmark a verse for that month, prayers for your own life for that month, things you're grateful for, what you're praying for, some specific goals, and three habit trackers for whatever you want to track! 

* Each month also offers a two-page at-a-glance calendar, which I love. Here is one I haven't filled out yet. (That way you can't see all the appointments - ha!) But here's also a sneak peek of one I've started filling in with dates.

* Then there is the daily page, where you can keep track of your priorities for the day. (This is where I write in any appointments I do have, the times I need to be there, and the locations.) The long plan-it section is where I make my daily to-do list. There is a box for praises, and let me just tell you, I see God working so much more in my life when I make a point to write down praises. He isn't working any more than He ever was! I just see it more now! I use the physical health box to make note of what I did to be active and how much water I drank, but you could use it however you need. The "post-it" section is sized to fit a post-it note, so I'll make different chicken-scratch notes and place them in there. You can also just write notes/ideas directly in the square! And then the prayer box can either be for writing a prayer or for writing down additional requests. (I have been writing in things on specific days if I know something is coming up. For example: one of my friends had a doctor's appointment yesterday, so I wrote that in on my prayer box with the time of the appointment, so I wouldn't forget to pray! 

So there you have it! The new planner! I do love it and am excited to see what God teaches me as I infuse prayer INTO my planning in more specific ways. 

Well, THAT Was Exciting

 

You know those days when you wake up and think it's just going to be a normal, possibly (hopefully?) boring day and then it's just so NOT anything close to that?

Welcome to my Friday last week. 

It started out as a normal day, and then right before Ryan left for work, a gentleman showed up with a Bobcat (the earthmover, not the animal) and that was how we found out that they were going to start work on our yard that day!

As a side note, in case I haven't mentioned it before, or in case you forgot, when we bought our house, it didn't have a yard AT ALL. They did the majority of the construction on the house over the fall/winter, so there was no way to put in a yard. When we bought the house, the completion of the yard and landscaping was a contingency of our purchase, but so far, it has rained ever since we signed the papers, so they haven't been able to work on the yard.

"Working on the yard" started with moving a LOT of dirt. Basically all the dirt they moved to build the house was thrown behind it, creating what I lovingly named "Mud Mountain." It had actually started to grow grass and weeds on top, because it had been there so long.

So the guy came and started to move all the dirt around, and that made for a fun thing to watch. I won't show you all billion-ish pictures I took, but this should give you an idea:

Neither of the animals were particularly interested, but I did catch Lexi watching once:

I tried not to be a total creeper, but it was fun to watch and document. About mid-morning, I was sitting at the kitchen table, watching the yard take shape and Marco Poloing a friend of mine on my phone. All of the sudden, our carbon monoxide detector went off in our house! Scared me to DEATH!!! (It was also very disconcerting for my friend, who was watching along and then I suddenly freaked out, cut the feed, and was gone.)

And so it was that my morning took a sharp turn to THIS!

I was grateful I hadn't been in the shower when this event took place, but I did wish I'd thought to get ready. I hadn't exactly planned to meet the local fire department with massive bedhead and jammies on. (Jammies are actually clothes, but still.) 

They were super kind, loved on the pets, calmed me down, and determined it was a false alarm. (When they arrived, the driver asked me if I felt lightheaded or sick to my stomach. I told him very much on both, but I had a feeling it was more to do with the fact that he was standing in our driveway talking to me than any kind of carbon monoxide poisoning.) 

I was so grateful the alarm was false, but I was mortified that they had to come. (The next day, a guy on the OTHER SIDE of our subdivision saw us out walking Lexi and ran to the street to ask if we were okay. He was out for a walk and had seen the fire truck.)

After that, I had to take Lexi for her grooming appointment. I wasn't wild about starting the car after the carbon monoxide alarm, regardless of what the firefighters said. I mean, have they not seen that episode of Matlock??

It was an eventful, eventful day. The alarm has been replaced with a new, hopefully NON-faulty version, and my heart is beginning to beat in rhythm again. As for Braeya and Lexi, they thought the firefighters came solely to visit them, and they were delighted beyond words. It was evidently much more exciting than moving dirt. 

Sunday Sentiments

 

We made it through our first week of Ryan's new job. That makes it sound a whole lot worse than it really was, actually. It wasn't a bad transition, but it still was a transition.

For Braeya, Lexi and me, it meant finding a whole new daily routine for just the three of us. For Ryan, it meant learning a whole new job in a new town with new people. For all of us, it changed when we get up, when we go to bed, and the layout of how we plan each day. 

Ryan loves the work he's doing, and while I know he doesn't want to leave us each day, he does go with excitement and joy for the tasks before him. I'm finding a new list of things to accomplish each day before he returns home - a color-coded list, no less. We all know how much joy a color-coded list brings me. :) 

Yesterday was our first Saturday into this new schedule, and we enjoyed a beautiful day completely at home. We slept in, took walks, took naps, cooked dinner, drank coffee, did a few chores, watched movies, and never once got properly ready. 

It felt like a grand gift. 

The Lord has been teaching me so much this week about His call on our lives. He's been urging me to trust Him with the unknown and to embrace what I do know. That, too, feels like a grand gift. 

We are coming up on two months since we left WillowBridge, and despite the multitude of unknowns, this time has been full of beauty. I continue to marvel at how the Lord has brought joy and healing to our hearts, piece by piece.

I know I've posted often about rest in the last few weeks, but we are not a restful people by nature, I don't think. Yes, there is something beautiful, necessary, and fulfilling in working hard and pursuing what God calls us to do. We are experiencing that in this new season. But there is something equally beautiful about rest and all that it offers. We need it. We crave it. 

Today is a day of rest. A day built in by the Lord to give us what we need so we can be prepared to do the work He has called us to do for the week to come. 

Enjoy the rest. Don't feel guilty about it. When tomorrow comes, work hard for the Lord with all your might. But for today, rest with all your might. It's a grand gift. 

The Saturday Six

 

Some of you may not know that I am actually a huge fan of The Andy Griffith Show. For those of you who may not have ever watched it, it aired from 1960-1968, and you can still catch reruns somewhere almost every day, I'm sure. It's an American classic, and I love it. My sister can still win trivia against me, but I can hold my own pretty well. My love for the show has inspired this week's post! You'll see why in #1!

One.

I read this week that Maggie Peterson, who played Charlene Darling on the show, passed away. The Darlings were recurring-role family on the show. They lived back in the woods but would venture out to town now and then. They were an awkward family: a dad and a bunch of grown sons who didn't like to talk, and then there was pretty Charlene. The article about her death said that her health had declined after her husband passed away in December. What sweet love! 

Two.

In recent years, I have become fascinated by watching extras in movies and TV shows. It's fun to see what's happening behind the main scene. This post is about a recurring extra in The Andy Griffith Show, and it intrigued me, because I've noticed that a number of the townspeople are the same from episode to episode, even if you never know their names or stories. But this extra (a woman, no less) was also the stand-in for Barney Fife when they planned their scenes! An interesting resume item, right?

Three.

The show has a very recognizable theme song - even if you aren't a regular viewer. It's all whistling! But did you know there are actual lyrics to the whistled song? There are! And you can hear Andy Griffith himself sing them right here! 

Four.

Andy Griffith's character, Andy Taylor, had several love interests throughout the show, and the very first one was my favorite. Eleanor Donahue played Ellie Walker, and I thought this was the BEST pairing for Andy ever. But I had never heard this story of how Andy helped her conquer her nerves to sing a duet with him on the show! (I remember this episode and that duet! And now I will hear it in a whole new way!)

Five.

If you don't "speak southern" - here's a handy guide to understanding some of the phrases from the show. (I could hear some of these in their voices as I read them!)

Six.

Andy Griffith based this show on his real hometown of Mt. Airy, North Carolina, and that very town honors him and the legacy of the show so very well. Ryan and I stopped there on our way home from our 5th anniversary trip, and it was one of the few times in our traveling history when we most certainly had not allowed ENOUGH time to explore a place. We did get to see some of the highlights - and we were there in a gorgeous snowfall, which made it so much prettier! But this is one of the few places we intend to return to at some point, because we want to spend more time exploring! 

Six Whole Months

We have another milestone in our house this weekend! Lexi Grae turns six months old tomorrow!! Can you believe it?

(This also means it's been six months since I received the nasty dog bite on my hand. That happened 2 days before she was born! Though I still can't use that part of my hand to clap or do anything else that requires pressure, the bite is healed up, and I have a beautiful scar to show for it!) 

Lexi has grown so much since the first day we held her in our little hands. Here's a reminder of how it started, the day we met her!

And then the day we brought her home!

And now she is SO BIG!!

Here are some updates on our girl!

* We have a lot of people ask us how big she'll get. When she had her vet appointment, he said a healthy weight for her frame will be about 35 pounds, full grown. She's currently at 18, so she's about halfway there.

* Her breed still mystifies almost everyone who meets her. People ALWAYS guess that she has Australian Shepherd in her, mostly because of her coloring. When we tell them she's a mini Bernedoodle, most of them don't even know what that is. Many haven't even heard of a Bernese Mountain Dog. So we explain that one a lot. But here was the interesting part to us. We worked with a trainer, and she asked us about her breed and seemed dumbfounded that she didn't have any Australian Shepherd in her - not because of her coloring, but because of her temperament. I'm still not sure she believed there really isn't any shepherd in her. 

* Everyone's favorite part of her is her one blue eye. We miss seeing it. She is SO SHAGGY that we can't see her eye! She's actually going to the groomer today! (They had a long wait list.) We have hopes of being able to do some grooming on her at home, but she's still too wiggly right now, and we don't want her to have a bad first grade haircut, so we're getting some professional help. :) I'm excited to see how she looks with her cute haircut!

* The trainer told us that Lexi is a super, super, super smart dog. While that is wonderful news, because what parent doesn't want a smart child, right?...it's also exhausting. She is so smart that she knows, understands, and uses manipulation. The trainer assured us that if we put in the hard work and long hours now, her smarts and stubbornness will actually become a wonderful asset that will make her a fabulous and loyal dog. (You know - the same thing you tell parents of toddlers during the "NO!" years?) So we are slogging through the hard work of being consistent in our expectations. It's not easy. Ryan is much better at it than I am. The trainer told us our current lives would be much easier if we had a dumb dog. LOL!!! 

* Lexi lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvves people. She adores walking the neighborhood and personally greeting everyone she sees. She gets straight up offended if people don't want to stop and talk to her. (Which, of course, some don't because not everyone likes dogs and some people are actually on a mission - like running - when we see them.) But when they do stop, ohhhhh, the joy in her heart. So many hugs and kisses and whines of delight. There is one couple that has gotten to know her and they always bring out treats for her. Besties for life, I'm pretty sure. 

* Speaking of walking, since going to training, her leash game has improved significantly. We still battle distractions at times, but overall, she's fantastic about walking like she should. (You know the helicopter seeds in trees? Those are on the ground now, and that has been our biggest distraction so far. She wants to eat them all. We don't let her, but she wants to.) 

* Also since going to training, her interaction with other dogs of all sizes has gotten SO fabulous. She's always liked other dogs, but big ones really scared her. She would try so hard to be brave, but she was terrified. Now she meets them all (big and small) with equal calm. There's a 92 pound German Shepherd one street over from us. He's in agility training and is so majestic to watch. They've met and she did a great job even though he massively towered over her.

* Outside is her favorite place to be, and we look forward to one day having a yard (with grass) for her to play in. She actually got to play in a grassy yard for the first time recently and she thought it was pretty much the best. 

* Much like her mama, she loves eating, and she knows every single sound in our house that could possibly signal a snack. We're working with her to wait in front of her meal until we say GO! (It would be as hard for me as it is for her. The struggle is real. I get it.) She's getting better at it!

* Speaking of waiting, Lexi waits with all her might. Watching her wait is so funny. It's a full-body experience for her. She trembles from head to toe and stares unceasingly at whatever she's waiting to enjoy. 

* She has the worst case ever of FOMO. If there is a possibility that we could be doing ANYTHING without her, including going to the bathroom, she is beside herself with dismay. The other night, Ryan tried to sneak out to the back porch to sit with his coffee, but she knows the lock sound and shot straight out from the living room to catch him. She slid sideways on the floor, legs akimbo, but she got there before it was too late! (She also has her own chair on the porch. Don't you dare try to sit in it.) 

* When her energy finally calms down, she really is the best snuggler. She's learning to just sit with us, and that's been sweet. She also gives fabulous hugs. And those eyes! I can't even. 

Happy six months, Lexi Grae! We love you so! 

Ryan's New Job!

We have some exciting news to share! Ryan has a new job!

As most of you know, when we left WillowBridge, neither of us had a new job lined up to go to, and to be transparent, that's very out of character for us. We are planners, through and through, so to leave without a forward plan was brand new territory for both of us. It was time for us to leave WillowBridge, and we knew that, but we didn't know what God had ahead.

Before we left WillowBridge - in fact, before we even turned in our resignation - we were having conversations with an organization about the possibility of working there, and we explored other possibilities as they came along, too. The Lord has closed every door for me so far, and most closed for Ryan as well. We always planned to take a little time off, simply because our bodies, minds, and hearts needed that time to recover from the fast pace and intense atmosphere of our work at WillowBridge, but we didn't plan to stay "retired" for too long. (Quick side note: we loved our taste of retirement and think we will quite enjoy it when it arrives for real in many years.)

Our biggest prayer as we have made this transition has been that we would be able to continue in ministry of some sort. We also hoped we could work together again, because that was our favorite, but we knew that was probably unlikely. Continuing in ministry, though, was a huge prayer for us.

About a month ago, we had a meeting with an organization called Love INC. (INC stands for In the Name of Christ). It's a national organization, but there is a local chapter near us. The executive director of the local chapter is retiring and they were searching for a new director to move forward with the ministry. Our meeting with her was encouraging, eye opening, and energizing. We both left with a bit of a spring in our step that day. Ryan particularly felt called to apply, and they interviewed him a short time later. They offered him the position, and his first day was this past Monday. 

I haven't blogged about it before now, because I wanted to wait until he actually spent a few days at work and knew more about what he would be doing! 

The core function of Love INC is to connect individuals in need in the community with churches, volunteers, and organizations that could help meet those needs. You can read more about that here, if you'd like. As time goes by, there are additional modes of relationship and ministry that the local chapters could add if they have the resources to provide them! 

Because we are new to the community and only know a handful of people, part of Ryan's work in the first few weeks will center around meeting the pastors and other community leaders who might partner with Love INC. Lots of networking! (Fortunately, he is very good at that.) He also has much to learn about what they've done over the past few years - fundraising, meeting needs, and more. He'll also have to learn everything needed to be a director through training from the local and national office and, of course, other duties as assigned. :) 

I am so incredibly proud of him for the enthusiasm and drive he has for this work. He has some great ideas and a deep desire to make a positive impact on our new community. I know he will do a GREAT job! And the work we have done for the past two years at WillowBridge has greatly prepared him for what he will do in this next season. 

(Quick side note: at this time, I still do not have a job, and I'm not worried or upset. I know God has the right thing in the right time, and I'm excited to see what it is. But I'm also excited that even though I'm not an official part of the Love INC staff, Ryan wants me to help him with parts of his job. He's not really into social media, and even though he is a good writer, he doesn't enjoy it, so I'll be helping him with those things. I'll pitch in with other creative efforts, too. I'm as excited as he is!)

Want to see some pictures from his very first day? 

Because...of course:

Goodbyes that morning were HARD. This is the first time ever in Lexi's life that the word going to work was introduced. She was right beside us for all of our work days at WillowBridge, and now she's gotten used to our "retirement." She knew something was up, but she didn't know what. And I'm pretty sure it was as tough on Ryan to say goodbye as it was for the two of us! (This is the first time since 2016 that Ryan and I have been truly APART during the day.) 

He put on his shoes, and she was SURE they were headed out for a walk. Explaining that one was super fun.

I tried to cheer her up by taking her for a long walk and spending extra time with her, but she was super sad for much of the day. Can't blame her there. ALL of us cried, except Braeya. She napped it off. ;)

Ryan sent some pictures throughout the day. He spent time in his new office and got some coffee over his lunch break. 

He said he had a great day. He was super excited about the future and the possibilities and talked about his ideas for a long time when he got home! I was so happy to hear every single one!

And she was just happy to see HIM!

And to wrap up our day, we attended a soccer event to support some friends, and Ryan was able to meet some of the community pastors that he'll network with in this new job!

A good first day indeed!