More Birthdays!!

Before all the scary stormy weather rolled in {again} yesterday, we had a GORGEOUS Sunday evening.

A gorgeous evening to celebrate another milestone. Ryan's step-dad, Allen, turned 60! {Last year was the BIG year of 60th celebrations in both our families: my parents' 60th anniversary, Ryan's grandparents' 60th anniverary, and Ryan's mom and dad both turned 60, too!}And this year...Allen turned 60. We all gathered at their home to celebrate with a cookout!

Pork chops AND pulled pork...cheesy potatoes AND mac n cheese...and cake for dessert. We ate well!

I had the cutest little snuggle-muffin buddy for a while. God bless kids who need naps. They are great little snugglers.

Allen enjoyed his cards and gifts...and his mom even passed along some great copies of his baby pictures! So cool to see.

 And the kids had fun playing with toys while the party went on...

Of course there was cake and ice cream...and we sang to the birthday boy.

{I was in the back of the paparazzi there, so enjoy the view in the other cameras in front of me!}

A few photo opps with the birthday boy. The grandkids and the big kids:

{Photo credit on the big kids' picture to my mother-in-law, Nita. I took one too, but it was especially terrible in comparison to hers, so I'm borrowing.}

We ended the evening watching our niece's beginning {mad!!} skills in softball:

We had a fun night, and it was a joy to celebrate Allen. I appreciate all he has invested in Ryan over the years to help make him the man he is today. Allen's a great second dad to him - and to me as well!

Peterson Golf Outing

This year marked the fourth time I'd been invited to take pictures at the Peterson Scholarship Golf Outing. And for the third time, Ryan came with me as a volunteer and my golf cart driver. We have a blast with it every year, and I think this year may have been the most fun yet.

I was kind of nervous that it might be a lousy weather day because, well, you know, EVERY day has been like that lately. But it was the perfect temperature outside - and sunny and breezy - and just about the most perfect kind of day!

Ryan worked sign-in, and he was in charge of the mulligans.

And I was in charge of selfies. Just kidding. But I had to sneak one in!!

They had a TV on the side with photos from previous years scrolling. That was fun to see!

While Ryan worked with all the sign-in fun, I took pictures of the pre-game fun!

They provided Subway for lunch, which was delicious, and after we ate, and all the participants hopped into their golf carts...they were off!

Ryan's favorite part of this outing every year is...getting to drive the golf cart while I go around the course taking pictures of people in action.

Sometimes the driving is a bit...exuberant. {And apparently distracted.}

One fun part of the day? Getting to see Lynne! {She delivered snacks to the players.}

And Ryan even caught a few pics of me in action.

After we enjoyed a great day on the course, we met up with my good friend, Amy, from WBCL, and had our first ever dinner at Bagger Dave's. Ever eaten there? I had a pretty delicious turkey burger. :)

Such a fun Saturday...and I'm grateful to have spent it with some of my favorite people!!!

The Shafferland Shuffle

* Really enjoyed the take away from our sermon last week. God has been teaching me so much through the words the pastor shared, and I'm grateful. Ryan and I got to have lunch at my parents' house, along with Lori and her mother-in-law, and that was some GOOD food we had! Delicious! That evening, I happily pulled out the planner and began laying out the chores to be accomplished this week!

* Monday I surprised Ryan with a strawberry pie...homemade! It was such fun to treat him, and I won't lie - it was yummy, too! Love having the time to do these little things to bless him. In addition, I started the great cleanout of 2015...making a little path through the house and stopping at one thing each day to work on sorting, cleaning, and weeding out. Monday's task was the little cabinet where we store hats and gloves and such. It looks very nice now - and while I was weeding, I just went right ahead and tagged for rummage!

* Tuesday Ryan had a surprise day off...and he spent the day at my parents' house, doing some work in their bathroom. At one point, he called because he needed a part, so I had to run to the store, look in aisles filled with thingiemadoos I've never seen before and send pictures to make sure I was getting the right thing. I'm such a girl. The day was gloomy and rainy...which meant no lawn mowing, but plenty of time to try to figure out the next steps of podcasting. {Yeah we're going to need someone smarter to help.}

* Wednesday I had a first...I was a guest on a podcast for my friend, Joey Harris. I had a really fun time talking with him - and it was nice to get my feet wet in non-radio broadcasting! Ryan was gone SO LONG that day - because he went to my parents' after work to continue the bathroom overhaul. I missed him...which drove me to more coffee. It was a yucky, rainy day again, and I needed a pick-me-up!!!

* Thursday, I worked hard at some more cleaning and purging, and Braeya worked hard at licking up every last remnant of milk after I finished my snack. She's a helper, that one. :) Ryan's work at my parents' house continued, so I planned a surprise...and showed up with Starbucks and Subway so we could at least be in the same place for the evening. He had no idea I was coming, and he was really excited for the treats! He wrapped up his work there, and I think it really looks nice - and they love it!

* Friday evening, we had our first  adventure in hosting since the great life change of 2015. Our friends Mike and Angie just had a baby a few weeks ago, and we'd offered to take a meal to them, but they were excited to have a change of scenery for a while, so they came to our house for dinner and meet-the-cute-baby night! I made breakfast pizzas, cinnamon rolls and grilled pineapple - and we had the most fun, relaxing evening kicked back and talking together. Loved it.

* Yesterday, Ryan and I worked the golf outing we work every summer. It's an outing to raise funds for scholarships. He worked the sign-in table and then drove the golf cart while I took pictures during the rest of the day. We had an actual beautiful day with sunshine and breezes and warm temps!! WHAT!?!?! After we finished working that, we met up with my friend Amy for dinner. Haven't seen her since I left the station - and I'd missed her!

The Saturday Six

One.

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It's been five years since the season that drained me of all life and made me wonder if I would ever be okay and normal again. Though I longed to know then what I know now {it really will be okay}, God granted me that season of deep pain to teach me to draw close to Him in a way I otherwise never would have experienced. Even so, in that time, there were so many around me who loved me and just wanted me to be okay. They were saddened and confused by my tears and pain and wanted to snap their fingers and fix it all in one instant. It doesn't work like that, and as this post by Kristen Welch so beautifully says...sometimes it is okay to not be okay. Truth for you or those around you today!!


Two.

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In our Sunday School class, we've been studying Gary Thomas's book/curriculum The Sacred Marriage. This past week, we talked about how struggling makes you stronger as a person, and how God sometimes uses marriage struggles to grow strength in people for other areas of their lives and vice versa. Fascinating discussion over that. This article, ALSO by Kristen Welch speaks to the very same thing...and even if you're not married, I think this is both a good pre-marriage read and just a life read. Struggles hit single people too, and they can achieve the same results even if not shared with a spouse. {And a special shout-out to Kristen, who I think now holds the title of being the first person to ever be double-featured on the Saturday 6!}

 Three.

If you grew up in church like I did, there's always the danger that some of the basic foundations of what you've been taught start to become so familiar that you forget they actually hold great meaning. Loved Scotty Smith's fresh writing on the Fruit of the Spirit. Winced a couple times as I was reminded of areas where I fall short and need the Spirit to work in me. Great devo for today.  

Four.

If you didn't catch this post by Ann Voskamp this week, please do read it. As she lamented her lack of gardening finesse this year, her husband offered her the biggest gift in reminding her these beautiful words: “You gotta remember that you were doing important things this spring. Something that I’m thinking will harvest far more in heaven than sunflowers or zinnias — or zucchinis.” She says many more stunning things we all need to hear as well, but that one line just got me. The things we do here may LOOK lackluster here, but what an eternal paycheck they can offer!

Five.

Had a fun first this week...I sat on the OTHER side of the podcast mic! My friend Joey Harris has a podcast, and he asked if I could join him to share a bit of my story and talk some about this new season God's led me to explore. I had a great time chatting with him - it's about 30 minutes long, and if you'd like to hear it, you can listen here!

Six.

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A few weeks ago, my friend Christy posted on social media about a new novel called Five Brides by Eva Marie Everson. I commented to her that I thought it sounded like a fabulous read, so she sent a copy my way, and I have been eager for today to roll around so I can tell you about it!

The novel, based on a true story, weaves the lives of five wildly different, very independent women in the 1950's. Joan Hunt, an American who grew up in England, after her parents fled the States during the Depression, comes to America for the first time in search of gainful employment so she can send money to her family. Her pen pal since childhood, Evelyn Alexander, catches Joan's courage and leaves her own tiny southern farming community to join Joan in Chicago for a chance to become something she never could in the South. They meet the well-to-do Betty Estes, who balks at her parents' insistence that she live in luxury in favor of full time work and independence. The three ladies share an apartment with two sisters of Swedish descent, Magda and Inga, who are chasing their own very different dreams, away from the watchful eyes of their conservative parents.

The five young ladies have virtually nothing in common, besides an address and a desire to make their dreams come true. One rare afternoon, they find themselves all home at once and an impulsive shopping trip leads them to try on a wedding dress in a store window. Each of them try on the same dress and decide to pool their money to purchase it...and each will wear it on her wedding day.

The book follows their dreams and stories, their highs and lows, their successes and defeats. And it brings in fascinating details of life in the fifties - in America and abroad - that provides a beautiful history lesson encased in captivating story form.

I was worried I would not be able to keep up with five story lines, but Eva did a masterful job of weaving them together in such a way that moving from one to the next felt natural, not confusing. My heart rooted for each of the ladies, and I saw a bit of myself in each of them, in different ways. Eva showed how the details of life may have been different in that season, but the heart of each girl remained completely relatable.

The book is long - 480 pages - and I'll admit it's been a while since I read a book of that length. I hoped I wouldn't get bored or overwhelmed - and I most certainly did not. It was a captivating read about a time that though fraught with issues of its own, was beautiful in a way I've never known.

I'm thankful Christy recommended the book and sent a copy my way so I could read it. I'd eagerly read anything else by Eva Marie Everson after this introduction to her!

The Two Week Notice

And by that, of course, I mean...what I've noticed in the last two weeks. Not that I'm quitting quitting.

Today is the end of my first two weeks off work, and I wanted to pause and look back over this start of a transition to see what I've loved. Some of the things I expected, and others have been surprises. But if you'll indulge me...

* NO COMMUTE!!!!! Not for one moment have I missed that drive {which my car can pretty much do on auto-pilot} or the two hours sitting in one spot, trying to stay awake and alert. I also haven't missed Ryan's early morning dashes to the gas station to fill up the car {three trips every week in the commuter days}.

* Slower mornings. We actually get to sleep in a little later than we did before, because there's not nearly as much that HAS to be done before we walk out the door, and I'm able to pitch in to help Ryan get everything together for his day. We've even had time to pray and do devotions together in the mornings, which has pretty much never happened in the history of our marriage. This has caused both of us to have better days and clearer minds, I think.

* Cleaner house. Please still be my friend when I tell you that the only real reason our house has gotten any attention since we've been married...has been company. If we invited people over, we cleaned. But alas, we never had time to invite people over...so our house wasn't the cleanest. {Embarrassing but true facts.} It's actually been cleaned once each week now, and Ryan especially loves that. And I love the smile on his face when he comes home to a clean house. {I'm more of a slob than he is, so it really makes his day more than mine.}

* Working ahead. Last week I put together a baby gift for friends who are coming over for dinner TONIGHT. I don't remember the last time I had something done a WEEK AHEAD OF TIME. This is monumental. And it makes my list-making self so happy.

* Moving around. I told Ryan the other day that I have no idea if I've lost any of my BCL 25 yet, but I definitely feel better because I get to move around all day long. Whether I'm doing chores, cleaning, running errands, cooking...whatever...I'm moving SO much more than I was. And I can feel the difference. {Plus I'm not sitting in one spot with no ability to move at all for that solid two hours every day.}

* Exercise. I had hoped this would improve, and so far it seems to be. I'm able to work out while Ryan's working - if it's not a day when we're able to make it to the gym. I need to be consistent like that, and this gives me the flexibility to do so. Don't get me wrong. I still don't like exercising at all, but I like having the time to actually do it.

* Weeding out. Besides cleaning the DIRT out of our home, I have also been working on purging and organizing the place, which frankly has gotten out of control since our wedding. I'm throwing things away, tagging things for rummage as I pull them out of their hiding places and put them in a rummage box...and I feel SO GOOD about getting control of our house again! {For example: learned that we don't need to buy light bulbs for a while! We had quite a collection buried under junk!!}

* Treating Ryan. The first week I was off, I had the chance to take cookies to him at work. This week I surprised him with that strawberry pie I told you about yesterday. Little things like that make me so happy.

* Time to write. God's already put a project on my heart and I actually have time to marinate on it and pursue it properly, not just slap things down haphazardly. I'm excited about it, and I'm eager to see where it goes!

* Flexible schedule. As you might remember, my sister was here visiting last week, and I didn't have to miss out on any of the fun - because I had the freedom in my schedule to join up with whatever they planned...whenever they planned it. And there have also been a couple of days when Ryan's work schedule was different than normal, so I had the freedom to adjust to spend more time with him!

* I have friends!! I had a coffee date earlier this week - in the middle of the day. No rushing between work and dinner. Just a leisurely and needed conversation with one of my friends. Looking forward to finding more of my friends again - not all at once, of course - but over time.

All of this, plus the giant peace in my heart from knowing I'm being obedient and following what the Lord is asking of me in this season...is a blessing. I've been writing down each day's blessings in my journal so I don't lose track!

I'm grateful, each day, for this new season and all its adventures. I'm grateful for rest. I'm grateful for a husband willing to support us as we venture forth into this new path. I'm grateful for all of you who visit here and encourage both of us so much with your words!

Ugly, Lovely Pies

My mother makes amazing pies. Her mother ran a bakery, both of them worked in it, and both of them learned the art of baking...very well.

People have learned that if they get an invitation to a meal at my parents' house, dessert will probably include a pie option, and it will be good. {And pretty.}

Ryan and I had lunch there Sunday, along with my sister, and when the table was cleared and the stack of dessert plates appeared...not only was there pie...there was strawberry pie. One of my all time favorites. My mouth waters just typing about it.

Mom served up slices of pie...bright red berries held together by that delicious glaze, and topped with whipped cream. And I joked to Ryan that in my new life...I can make pies for him!

I say I joked about it...because you remember my all-day pie making attempt from gallternity leave, right?

But all day Sunday, I thought about that pie we had at Mom and Dad's, and I knew I had to give it a shot. So Monday morning, I hopped on Pinterest and found a pie crust recipe that called for ingredients I already had in the house. I stirred and patted and rolled and poked and baked the empty shell...and well...it wasn't much to look at.

I'd been lucky to get it to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. No room for pretty edges or pretty anything, really. The broken, jagged sides offered no promise of awards or a future of carrying on the family tradition of a bakery career.

It was ugly.

I crossed my fingers and hoped that deliciousness buried itself in the ugliness.

I went to the store and bought strawberries to make the filling...and that afternoon, I stood over the stove, stirring the glaze and folding in the sliced berries.

I slid it into the fridge and grabbed my phone to text Ryan and tell him a surprise awaited him. I wondered if I should really build it up like that because...well, you see the pie.

But I did anyway.

After we drove home from dinner with my sister and parents, I made him stand in the kitchen with his eyes closed, and I brought the pie out of hiding.

He looked right over that ugly crust and met my eyes...and said I hoped that's what the surprise was going to be!

I confess that the pie is now ENTIRELY gone. {It was a small pan.} And it was far more tasty than it was pretty.

But I learned a little something in that pie-making. There was a Bekah of old who would have made an ugly pie and hidden it or thrown it away because it wasn't good enough. Wasn't perfect enough. Wasn't up to the caliber of what someone else could have done. Wasn't a gift worth giving

I'm so glad the Lord has worked on my heart to bring me out of being that Bekah. No, that pie would not have won a single 4-H award. No, it would not have secured any job for me in a bakery. It was an ugly pie. But it was a pie made with much love for the man I love. And I gave that gift to him in love, and he received it the same way.

I'm thankful for that. Thankful for the freedom to give imperfect gifts and to know they'll be received with joy because he sees the love and heart I put into making them.

I'm sure I'll work on my pie-making and it'll get better. And there's also a good chance I'm just not my mom when it comes to pie making. Either way - it's okay. Either way, it's a joy to give a labor of love to my love. And I appreciate the joy he offers in receiving it!

Fourth of July, Baby!

Yes, I know. It was HALF A WEEK ago now. Such old news. But we had a fun day, and I wanted to tell you about it.

By fun day, of course, I mean that Ryan worked for the first part of it, but I scrapbooked, so I had fun!

Last year, when we watched fireworks over the lake, Ryan noticed a little BBQ restaurant that he wanted to try. So a year later {we're quick!!!!}, we headed back for dinner! Destination: Big Dog's Smokehouse BBQ.

It was a cute little building with all kinds of character, and we had some fun with the BBQ sauces while we waited:

Food was good - and we ate up, since we knew we were going to be outside forever with only overpriced fair-esque foods nearby!

And then...we walked over to the lake to scope out our spot.

It was pretty empty when we arrived, so we had plenty of choices to set up our little folding loveseat and kick back to read. Yes, read. We're such nerds.

The cannon was back again this year, and again, we had about a dozen heart restarts every time they set it off with no warning.

Loved watching the sunset - shoot, I love it that we even had a visible sun TO set that day. I've missed those!!

So many boats congregated in the water to watch the show....

When book-reading ceased because we were done {Ryan} and it got too dark {me}, we just curled up and talked - and dodged the footballs the kids in the game behind us failed to catch.

And at long last...the show began!

{Doesn't that look like a smiley face in the middle of that one??}

 We had the most lovely night, capped off by coffee and cookies...and we were grateful this fell on a weekend this year, so we didn't have a full day of work the next day!