Chatting Oils

It's been a few months now since I told you I entered the world of essential oils, and in that time, I've had a lot of emailed questions about what it means, if it's worth the cost, and if participating in this makes me a hippie. OH! And if raising chickens and starting beehives will be the next step.

Well, I'm scared of bees and I don't like poo, so chickens and beehives are OUT.

But just for fun, I decided to keep track of some specific things I noticed along the journey, so I wanted to tell you about them today.

For the record, we use products from Young Living Essential Oils. I know there are many places you can buy oils, both in stores and through companies such as this one. I made my choice based on two things. First, it was the company I had the most exposure to, because many, many of my friends - and even some family members - purchased from Young Living, so as I spent months observing their stories from a great distance, I grew familiar and comfortable with this company. Secondly, when I got to the place where I started asking specific questions and doing research of my own, Young Living impressed me as a company of integrity, not only in business practices but in the production and purity of the oils themselves. So that's how we landed on Young Living, and everything you're about to read is based on our journey using their oils.

* Just a couple of days after our oils kit came, Ryan and I came home to discover our house smelled like something died in it. For the record, I do not believe anything did {Ryan, Braeya and I are all accounted for, at any rate}. I think it was a case of cooked broccoli aftermath, which is why I struggle with cooked vegetables. But regardless of the source, the house was FOUL. We lit a candle, but the house just smelled like coffee, smoke, and dead things, so that wasn't any better. I whipped out the home diffuser that came with my kit and added Purification oil, which as you might expect, neutralizes odors, and in just a few moments, the house began to actually smell better. Not better like "hey, the coffee candle is beating the dead animal smell," but better like "hey, the air actually smells clean!" That was impressive.

* Also shortly after the kit arrived, Ryan's hospital was hit {and by hit, I mean slammed with no warning} with a violent stomach flu. They quarantined entire halls of patients. About half the staff went down for the count. And of course this took place one day after I visited...shook hands and traded hugs with his work buddies...all the good germ-passing activities. So we were both a bit panicked the morning he went in and found out the flu had descended, and the outcome, so to speak, wasn't good. We both dug into our Thieves oil, rubbing it diligently on the soles of our feet, which we'd read would help boost our immune system. I guess I can't say for sure what kept us healthy, but I can report that neither of us succumbed to the horror. I choose to believe it helped!

* I have begun, in small steps, adding oils to DIY versions of things we use at home, like our face wash. I make this for both of us now, it's cheaper than buying any store-bought version, and I know my skin feels better than it ever has. {I started making it for myself, but not long after, Ryan asked if I could start making it for him too. OKAY!!!!} Before our vacation, I made our own "outdoor spray" {I hate the smell and stickiness of regular spray...} and we hiked five miles in the Smoky Mountains to a waterfall while wearing it and came out with no bites. And we smelled good! A few weeks later, we went to his parents' cabin in the woods to do some yard work. I did not have on any kind of spray and came home with a half dozen huge welts from bites that itched and I scratched until they bruised and bled. The next day we returned for a party, and this time I had my homemade spray in hand, and I came home without any new bites.

* Ryan and I do NOT have trouble sleeping at all. We can drink an entire pot of coffee and fall over into a ridiculously sound sleep. So although I'd read that there are oils that can strengthen your sleep, I'd never tried any for that purpose because it seemed unnecessary for us. But one night, after a string of heavy-hearted days for us, I put some Lavender and Stress Away oil in the diffuser and put it near our bed. We overslept an hour the next morning. We laughed about it - and thought maybe it worked a little TOO well. Joking aside, though, we both realized we hadn't just slept like rocks, but we actually awakened FEELING rested. There's a difference between sleeping and sleeping restfully, I think. And for the first time in a while, we'd slept restfully. 

* I don't think I have to tell you that my appetite is, in a word, raging. I wake up eager to eat, spend the day eager to eat, and settle in at night, eager to eat. {Funny that I spent the first week of my life in a hospital unable to keep my food down, isn't it? PROBLEM SOLVED!!!!! Apparently those who prayed for me that week overshot their prayers a bit.} So I read that adding drops of peppermint, lemon, and grapefruit oils to empty pill capsules {which you can purchase at the health food store} can promote feelings of fullness. I'll try anything, so I've been taking them just about every day for three months or so, and for me - it's working. I don't pick up food so quickly on the days I take the oils. The days I forget or am gone and don't have them with me...I could eat my shoe!

That's a quick summary of SOME of what we've noticed here in Shafferland since we started using oils. I'm still new at all this, relatively speaking, so I'm excited to learn even more as I go!

SO!!!!!!

My friend Erica, who helped me get into this wonderful world of oils, is hosting an online class on Tuesday, September 15th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

* This is a no obligation, no pressure class. I watched a couple of classes before I got into all this, because it helped me hear the specifics of what oils are all about, learn the jobs of specific oils, and learn what diffusers and other oily words mean. Best of all, I didn't have anyone breathing down my neck to force me to make any kind of commitment. Erica offered to do this just for you guys so you can learn the same stuff I did a few months ago!

* YOU CAN WEAR YOUR JAM JAMS!!!! The class is online, so you don't have to hire a sitter or leave the house or anything. Curl up and watch and nobody can see you. Isn't that the best?

* Erica will host the class live, so if you DO have questions, you can ask them and she can answer them in real time, which is the best of ALL worlds. {Jammies and immediate answers.} But if you are already busy at that time, you don't have to worry about it, because the link will also be available after that time, so you can watch when it works best for you - or watch it twice if you missed something and wanted to hear it again.

* If you want to be part of the class, you can sign up for it here, and Erica will email the link so you can watch it when the time rolls around. {And I promise I know and love her in real life so she's completely safe and can be trusted with your email.}

* If you DO watch it live, though, she's planning to do a couple of giveaways, so you might win a free something! YAY FOR FREE SOMETHINGS!

Thanks for hanging in there with this long post. I am excited for the good changes that have come about for us since we started implementing oils into our lives, and I am excited that you have the chance to learn how they might fit into your life through the info Erica shares in her class!

{Shoot me an email if you have ANY questions!}

Labor Day Strike

I've decided it: I'm going on strike from Labor Day for the rest of forever.

When I worked at IWU, we worked Labor Day weekend every year. It was the weekend in which the freshmen descended upon the school and I sat in my office answering loan questions to panicked parents and wide-eyed students. One of my favorite things about going to work at WBCL was that we actually got a holiday on Labor Day. One in which I could stay home and sleep and be in my jam jams all day if I wanted.

The first year that Ryan and I were married, the curse of Labor Day returned. He and I had just come home from a glorious week-long cruise in the Caribbean, and I had survived an entire day living in the Miami airport, being kicked out of a hotel lounge by a less-than-compassionate employee, watching a girl do a face plant in a trash can by security, and having my suitcase unpacked and searched by TSA. Oh, and then we flew home in violent storms that graced the plane with the worst turbulence I've ever experienced. All that to come home to a broken hot water heater.

So on our 9 month anniversary, I sat in our living room with severely matted bed-head, coated in airport filth, surrounded by a week's worth of vacation laundry, while Ryan moved the washer and dryer out of our bathroom, replaced the broken hot water heater, and repaired the floor that had been compromised by a slow leak.

Last year was not quite so rough on us. Ryan did have to work both the Saturday before Labor Day, and Labor Day itself, but we didn't have any major mishaps. I guess that was our break.

Speaking of breaking...

...it seems to have descended upon us once again.

Ryan worked all day Saturday again - and I mean ALL. DAY. And then Monday, while according to Facebook, the rest of the world lounged on pool rafts and gobbled up grilled food, we got up before dawn and he kissed me goodbye to go to work. I sat on the couch, pen in hand, working on some editing, when I realized the whine and grunt sounds of a car refusing to start...came from in front of our house. I dared to peek through the window and found Ryan pushing his truck down the road, hopping in to try to start it.

Whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....silence.

I tiptoed out on the porch, in my socks and asked what was wrong. He wasn't sure. Could be the battery. I walked down the steps and with feet sliding around in my green and white socks, I "helped" him push the truck into the driveway, and he transferred all his stuff to my car for his work day.

His work day was longer than any normal work day. Oh yes. On the holiday, he actually worked more hours than a regular day. {And he had a much better attitude about it than I did. When he's all logical like that, I tend to accept the irritation on his behalf. I call it teamwork, but I'm pretty sure that's not the right label.}

He came home from his uber long day and wolfed down his dinner. While I still munched on the last of my sloppy joe, he was elbow-deep in grease and car parts...and he determined it must be the fuel pump. I know nothing about such things, but he assured me it wasn't something he could fix. We'd have to take the truck to the shop.

Sigh.

I'm beginning to think Labor Day hates us.

Ryan's good attitude didn't waver. He put his arm around me and hugged me close, reminding me of all the good things about this mess: it didn't happen while he was driving, leaving him stranded somewhere. It didn't happen in the dead of winter when messing with cars would have been much more uncomfortable. He had worked a holiday, giving us the resources to pay for a repair.

I nodded and swallowed hard, trying to muster up the same easy gratitude he found in the madness.

Every day, I'm grateful for Ryan, but on these kinds of days, I'm extra grateful. He finds the good when I struggle to do so, and he pulls me along until I can get there. While I don't love bad days, I am grateful that in this dance of our marriage, one of us always seems to be able to take the lead...to see the good in the hard. This time it was his turn, and I'm thankful he could find what I could not.

But just for the record, next year I'm hibernating on Labor Day.

A Concert Date Night

First of all...a very happy birthday to my Mom!!! Today is her day, so in honor of that, I won't give away her age OR sing to her, but I hope she has a very happy day!

Last Friday night, Ryan and I had a fun date, and I wanted to tell you about it.

It's been about 15 years now {eeek!!} since I first learned about Brent Vernon. He's an indie artist who is, I think, one of the most humble, God-loving guys I've ever met. I've been to see him in concert a few times and even used one of his songs at my baptism a few years ago.

Brent travels full time - all around the country, all year long, singing and doing ventriloquism, and when he's not doing that, he's writing and illustrating children's books - CRAZY talent, that one has.

Ryan and Brent hadn't met yet, and when I found out Brent was actually going to be IN Indiana for once {rare!!} I asked Ryan if we could make his concert our date!

So after a ridiculously long and exhausting week for my husband-of-the-year, we piled in the car and drove to Muncie to hear Brent.

{Because we don't know how to be serious.}

Brent just released a new album, and many of the songs he did that night were from it....so I got to learn some new stuff!

And wherever there's Brent, there's Sam the dummy. Ryan and I are overgrown kids, so we loved the Sam part.

We appreciated a very warm welcome from the pastor of the church and really enjoyed the chance to hear Brent and talk to him before and after the concert.

And then...we were SO HUNGRY!!!! So we took our last Buffalo Wild Wings gift card and chowed down on dinner. I would show you what we got, except we were so hungry, we didn't even bother taking pictures of our food. {STOP. WHAT?????}

We were nearly in a food coma, so we walked in the door and went straight to bed. LOL!! Oh my. We have gotten old, haven't we???

Thanks, Ryan, for such a fun date night. I loved it! And thanks, Brent, for a wonderful concert!!

Seasoned Salt

Hi. We are the Shaffers and we have a seasoned salt addiction. Truth? We put it on EVERYTHING that isn't dessert. Meat? Seasoned salt. Veggies? Seasoned salt. Mac and cheese? Seasoned salt. Eggs? Seasoned salt. Coffee? Okay, we draw the line there.

My friend Amy makes her own seasoned salt and she would give us some of it as a gift for different occasions, but I think we may have cleaned out her entire stash. Multiple times. She said she had never met anyone who went through as much of the stuff as we did.

So finally, she just gave me the recipe and let me make my own. I struggled with it a bit, because I was trying to cut the recipe in thirds, and you ALL know how I feel about math. And some of the ingredients were in ounces and others were in teaspoons and tablespoons - so finally I just sort of made my own version of the thing. We thought it turned out pretty well! {But if you really like one of the ingredients and you want to add even more, you can, because it will be YOUR house recipe!}

Seasoned Salt

* 3 pounds kosher salt
* 2/3 cup black pepper
* 2 Tablespoons ginger
* 3 Tablespoons paprika
* 1 Tablespoon chili powder
* 2 Tablespoons garlic powder
* 1/3 teaspoon turmeric
* 1/3 teaspoon sage

Mix all ingredients together and store in airtight container. Use on all your favorite recipes that call for salt and pepper!

A Few Tips:

* We found the kosher salt in a big box in the spice aisle. The actual grains of salt are a little thicker than table salt but not as thick as sea salt.

* We used restaurant black pepper, which is a little coarser than regular black pepper for a table shaker.

* If you like some kick to your cooking, you can add more chili powder. Increasing that or the paprika will also give the seasoned salt a bit more color.

* We store part of the salt in an old seasoned salt container we had from a time when we bought it at the store. It allows me to sprinkle or use a measuring spoon when I'm cooking.

* It does call for THREE POUNDS OF SALT, you know, so not all of it fit in our seasoned salt container. I stored the backup portion of our recipe in an airtight container in the cabinet, and I'll use that to refill the regular container when it runs low. The rest of it, because YES, there is a rest of it, I put in a gallon storage bag and stuck it in the freezer.

* This is also a great gift idea if you're looking for something to share with co-workers, friends, or neighbors. I seriously loved it when Amy gifted this to us, and the cost isn't bad at all, so making a gift in bulk like this is easy to do.

* As I mentioned earlier, this works well on absolutely anything that isn't a sweet dish. Ryan sprinkles it on everything he grills, from meat to veggies to our quesadilla shells. We put it in with crock pot meals, in our veggies, in our scrambled eggs, literally everything.

* I like to make it myself, not only because we use it so much, but because I know exactly what is in it - no preservatives - and we can customize it to our own tastes!

The Shafferland Shuffle

* Our busy week kicked off with our date last Sunday! We drove to Indianapolis to witness the wedding of our friend Megan, to her Daniel. It was a fun wedding and I know I've already told you about it, but we really enjoyed the opportunity to witness their vows, see old friends, and serve by helping to clean up after the reception ended. Even though we got home late at night and forfeited our beloved Sunday nap, the day was wonderful!

* Monday was the day of the unexpected. Ryan had a long morning at work, so at the last minute, I decided to drive over and surprise him at lunch, so I got him a sweet tea and some dessert, and we spent his lunch time together outside, just talking and enjoying our impromptu date. That afternoon, I worked on printing out the book I just finished writing {because I edit better on paper}, and I was surprised with a visit from Ryan's mom and aunt! They brought Starbucks and we had the best time talking! Ryan and I went out for a run that night, where Ryan became a human windshield against the plague of bugs that settled over our running path, and we had one more surprise that night when my friend Amber ended up coming over for dinner! It was a simple little dinner, but we loved having her.

* Tuesday I spent a big chunk of the day editing with my marker and highlighter - happiness!!!! I baked snickerdoodle bread for Ryan and worked to clean up the house and make a better dinner than I'd made the night before. {Sometimes being a writer means I'm not a very good homemaker.} And after dinner, we enjoyed our cake pop treat his aunt gave us the day before. We decided we're big fans!!

* Wednesday was our 33rd monthiversary, and we celebrated, as you know, by going out for ice cream after dinner. We also had the worst run of our 7 weeks of training, and we decided not to hate ourselves for it. And earlier in the day, I had the chance to go to a meeting for a Bible study starting up for the fall. I haven't been part of a Bible study group since I've been married, and I'm so excited about it. Ryan encouraged me to go to the meeting, and I'm so glad he did. I think it will be a very good thing.

* Thursday, one of my friends came over for lunch, and while I failed to take ANY pictures, we had a wonderful time chatting together, and I loved that! I spent the afternoon reading and drinking iced coffee, and when Ryan got off work, we FINALLY got to meet our new little nephew! I'd been waiting almost 2 weeks for this! He's a cutie and we loved holding him, even though it was pretty busy at their house, and we didn't get to stay very long. But at least we can now say we've met him!

* Friday, I had a special treat when my friend Julie and her boys came to town and we got to have lunch together! {I have seen a lot of friends this week, haven't I??} Ryan worked all day, but when he came home, we went out on a date! Our friend Brent was singing in Muncie, so we drove over there to hear his concert and then went to dinner after. {We were so hungry, we didn't even take food pictures. THAT is hungry.} It was a fun night, and I am so glad Brent was actually IN Indiana so we could see him!

* Ryan worked yesterday, and Braeya and I had an off day together. And by "off," I mean we didn't leave the couch. I scrapbooked and she slept and we were in a funk together. Ryan and I went for a run when he got home, and we FINALLY had a good run - even though we smelled VILE after we were done. Ryan was a good husband and recognized I needed Culver's so we had a mini-date night!!

Linking up!

The Saturday Six

One.

I confess to you I feel a little like I'm tooting my own horn here, and please know that is NOT my intent. But I've been writing as a guest blogger for my friend Angela's ministry blog called Broken, Beautiful, BOLD - and since she's been kind enough to give me some writing space on her site, I wanted to give her space on mine to tell you to check it out! Here's the link to the set of posts I've written, but while you're over there, check out the posts by other bloggers {great ladies!} and some of the featured ministries!

Two.

Source

I happened upon this article a few days ago, and I think it holds much truth. Even if you've never had a baby {me either!!} I think you can appreciate the lessons this lessons learned in assisting in a childbirth. My favorite lines are the ones at the very end...powerful truths.

Three.

Source

Calling my fellow book nerds! :) I found this post from the Bethany House blog so intriguing! If you've ever wondered about the process of designing and choosing a book cover, this post gives you some insights on how they do it at their publishing house...and they even show you some of the alternate book covers created for this particular book! Fun read.

Four.

Source

Anyone else chomping at the bit for Fixer Upper, Season 3?  

Five. 

Source

I bumped into this article and couldn't help but share it with you. I don't know Nathan and Jade personally, but I worked with his parents at IWU, so I know them by association. I think it is so beautiful to read about this project they've started and how people are jumping on board. {If I could sew, I would too but since I can't, I'm jumping on board by spreading the word in case any of you feel led to help! I think it is incredible to restore the dignity of these ladies!}
 
Six.

I just finished reading Judith Miller's new novel, The Potter's Lady, and wanted to wrap up today by telling you about it! Though this was my introduction to her writing, the front of the book tells me she has a couple dozen titles to her credit, so if you read this book and like it, you have plenty more to choose from!

I dove right in without checking to see if this book was part of a series, and if so, what number in the series it might be. It is actually the second book in the "Refined by Love" series, and if her pattern of books holds as was listed in the front of this one, there should be one more coming down the pike eventually to complete this as a trilogy. Having said all that, I did not feel the least bit lost as I read, so she did a good job of helping me meet the characters even though I missed out on the first book in the series.

Set in the early 1870's, this book follows the life of an unconventional Irish household living in West Virginia. Rose McKay has just returned home after graduating from design school, and home, for her, is shared with her older brother, his wife, and their adopted daughter, her younger sisters, who happen to be twins, and also her brother's mother-in-law, who has declared herself an honorary and generous grandmother to Rose and the twins, though they do not hold such a blood relation to her.

 The story centers around the effort of Rose and her brother to resurrect a floundering pottery in West Virginia. They purchase it, thanks to the generous investment of "Grandmother," and work feverishly to make changes that will improve the lives of the pottery employees and their families {who heavily resist change} and hopefully cause the pottery to flourish, not just financially, but in reputation as well. No matter what they do, things seem to go inexplicably wrong,, and they end up focusing their efforts on winning a design contest to save the business.

I admit I was about a third of the way into the book before I got swept up in the story line, but once I fell in, I couldn't put it down. Prior to that, my main frustration with the book was the way Rose's brother, sister-in-law, and "Grandmother" all spoke to her. I found myself offended on behalf of the sweet girl for the way they talked to her. Now knowing I didn't read the first book in the series, I wonder if I might have understood that dynamic better if I knew their background, but I didn't. Perhaps, too, part of the demeanor toward her as a young, single woman was just part of the way life worked in the 1800's...I'm not sure.

That aside, I enjoyed the romance, the mystery, the suspense, and the opportunity to learn about an industry I'd never studied or researched. Other than the slow start and the irritation toward the characters {that dissipated when I got pulled into the story}, I found it to be a charming book with sweet love stories and a good faith-based message woven into it.

* Bethany House sent a copy of The Potter's Lady for me to review, and the thoughts above...all mine! *

Learning in Training #6

I'm currently completing my seventh week of training for the Haiti Half {now Haiti 5K}, and this week we're in right now is my worst one to date. It's terrible in EVERY POSSIBLE WAY, and I'll tell you more about that next week.

But today I wanted to tell you about LAST week...week six. I'm proud of myself for pushing through six straight weeks of physical training, because this is SO not my thing. Six straight weeks of eating or writing or sleeping would be very much my thing. Six straight weeks of running? Not so much. I've been at it long enough now to confirm it's probably never going to be a true love of mine, and I am okay with that. I don't have to be in love with every trendy thing that comes along.

Having said that, I'm excited that I'm completing this discipline, I'm excited that I don't hate my body quite as much as I did before I started, and I'm excited that this new season of life has given me time to even consider training for something like this.

When the week began, I had gotten mixed up in my memory of the training calendar, and I thought this was a week when I had to run five, three, five miles, so when we actually set out on the first run of the week and I knew I "only" had four miles in front of me, I thought it was going to be the best run EVER. After all, it was suddenly a mile shorter!

But my entire body felt like lead, and I wondered if my truly horrid diet in preceding days was coming back to haunt me. The weather was pleasant...there was a nice breeze...and I survived the run, even though I was disappointed it wasn't as amazing as I planned. And of course, the next day, I knocked out the best run of the training so far. That is one good thing about bad running days: they're usually followed by really good running days! The third day started well, and about two miles into the thing, my stomach cramped up and I felt SO SICK. I am, as previously stated, NOT a real runner, so running sick is not my gig. I pushed through - but whooooeeeeeeee!!!! And the last day was a great run, but it was deceivingly hot and humid and by the end, I had overheated to the point where my KNEES were sweating. It scared me to be so hot and not be sure if I would get cooled down.

In all the running, I held on to a familiar verse...one you probably know by heart:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13

I really concentrated on that underlined phrase. Usually when I say that verse or when I hear others talking about it, the emphasis is on the first part: "I can do all things." But the power is hidden in the second part: through Christ. When my body feels like lead, I can still run through Christ's strength. When my stomach cramps up with half a journey in front of me, I can push forward through Christ's strength. When I worry about making it back home because my body pours sweat and my mind is foggy from heat, I can get there through Christ's strength.

I prayed it for the people of Haiti, too. That when they tried to make their way from home to whatever medical facility they sought, they would be able to get there through Christ's strength, no matter how sick or worried they felt. That the money raised in this race would bring hope to those who benefit from it...who feel depleted by illness and suddenly learn that a solution lies ahead. That through Christ, some runners and non-runners from Indiana supplied some money and prayed some prayers that change their forever.

Through Christ. 

Other posts on this topic:
The Haiti Half
Learning in Training #1
Learning in Training #2
Learning in Training #3
Learning in Training #4
Learning in Training #5

The Ice Cream and Espresso Monthiversary

You know how you can find those handy dandy lists that tell you the traditional gift for each anniversary? Gold, silver, paper, cotton, leather, etc?

Can't find a list for the monthiversaries, so I made my own. 33 months? Ice cream and espresso. :)

Since I wrote the nice blog post for Ryan yesterday, he surprised me with a note on our message board. It's his blog. {hee hee!}

After work, we went for a run, because nothing says I love you like a 3 mile run in 90 degree heat. So before we smelled vile and dripped with sweat, we did our official monthiversary photo:

We ended up having the worst run of our entire 6 week training. The heat got us, and then part of our running route was closed for a race, and we ended up walking the last mile. BOO. But at least we got to be together in our failure.

What cheers up a bad run? ICE CREAM!!!

We had a gift card {from my fabulous WBCL co-workers} to Payne's Frozen Custard, so we hopped in the car and headed that way.

If you're not from around here {or haven't been there}, Payne's is a little custard shop/cafe sort of hidden away, but it's a treasure. It's quirky and organic, but also delicious. We got a table outside and ordered from the menus housed in books:

 {My face is not a reflection of my thoughts on the cute menu. It's just a weird face.}

We each got a James Dean...which was vanilla custard floating in espresso and topped with raspberries. {SERVING OF FRUIT!!!}

Despite a few pesky mosquitoes, we enjoyed our evening on the patio, hidden away in a little garden area, talking about our favorite moments of the past 33 months. We scraped up every last drop of our dessert {which doubled as coffee} and declared the night a winner.

Well. Almost a winner.  Take 2.

And then we came home and dropped the potato scrubber in the garbage disposal, because it's not a Shaffer holiday {or really just DAY} without some sort of ridiculousness.

Never fear. Ryan fished it out. Hero!!!!! {Knight with shining potato-scrubber-rescuer.}

33 Months

Thirty-three months of marriage tends to be dreadfully overlooked on Pinterest. How do you celebrate a milestone that truly is a big deal...but tends to be skipped in favor of things like...thirty-six months, which create a nice, even three years?

Well today marks 33 months of marriage for the Shaffers, and I am celebrating today by sharing 33 of my favorite things about my husband. {Bet you can't wait for our 493rd monthiversary!} These are, of course, in no particular order and in no way reflect a COMPLETE list of everything I love about him.

1. You make me laugh. Sometimes while I'm actually mid-cry. That's talent, my Love.

2. You willingly participate in my need for photo documentation of every day we live. You may not understand it, but you support it, and for that, so much love to you.

3. You are my biggest writing champion. I thought no one could surpass my mother in championing my work. I was blissfully wrong. :)

4. You make up your own words and own them. Pirogi, betrothing, Casa Blanca...the list goes on, and I love the whole thing.

5. You pray for me on hard days. And you pray for me on easy ones too, but knowing I can come to you on the hard days and ask for prayer is a gift.

6. You're mind-blowingly handsome. I wanted to put that first, but at the risk of appearing shallow, I held off until item six.

7. You can cook! I grew up in a home with a Dad whose culinary masterpiece was toast {no judgment, Dad!} so it's sort of a miracle to me to have a husband who can {and will} take over in the kitchen if I'm sick or overwhelmed with something.

8. You encourage me to run even when you are a million times better at it than I am. Thanks for hanging on the path with me even when you've long finished your own workout.

9. You tell me you appreciate me. As I'm still finding my groove as a full-time wife, you make every day feel like an accomplishment by noticing what I do in our home and thanking me for it, even though you don't have to.

10. Your commitment to your job is incredible. Even when days are hard, you're tired, and you're discouraged, you give those patients way more than 100% of your time, attention and effort. I'm sure most of them don't know how fortunate they are to be part of your schedule.

11. You care about all the people. From your co-workers to your family to your friends to people you barely know, you have a tender and compassionate heart, and I love that about you. {I love it more when the random people you stop to help don't turn out to be criminals in disguise like the ones we see on TV.}

12. You've made Shafferland beautiful and more efficient, and I love how you've taken on ownership of this home, even though it wasn't a place we found together.

13. You hold me when I cry, and you don't judge me for it, even though you'd be warranted to do so...often.

14. Your laugh. Oh, how I love your laugh! It shows me your love for life, and that's a beautiful thing.

15. You take everything in stride so well. {Case in point: the day your blue car died vs. the day my car died. I screamed and called the car shop in tears. You calmly got out and pushed. And this is why we're a team.}

16. You call me beautiful and tell me not to roll my eyes when you say it.

17. You gave me the wedding of my dreams even though I didn't think we were "allowed" to do crazy things like drive to Florida and get married on a beach. Every time I see a photo {which is a million times a day, since they're everywhere}, I'm grateful.

18. You love our Braeya girl. Sure, I'm jealous she likes you better, but I can't say as I blame her.

19. You are so organized. I don't think I've ever known another human being as organized as you are, and while I sometimes tease you about it, I also love you for it.

20. You celebrate with me. All the little things. All the monthiversaries and datingversaries and engagementversaries, and anniversaries and new-restaurant-just-opened-let's-go-try-it-versaries...you are up for all of it.

21. You treat me with tenderness and respect, which should be a given, but we both know it isn't that way for too many marriages. I don't take it for granted.

22. You're frugal but not crazy. I appreciate that I can trust you with our resources and that you'll do your very best. I also appreciate that there's not a lockdown on the funds and sometimes a Coffee First shirt gets to be mine.

23. You miss me when you're at work - and you make sure to tell me so. Okay sometimes it's because I text you and say "DO YOU MISS ME YET??" but even if I didn't do that, you'd tell me you miss me and can't wait to come home to me. This girl loves those texts.

24. You care about our future and desperately want God to guide it - just as much as I do. Can't tell you how much comfort that brings me.

25. You encourage me to try hard things - like horseback riding or trying a segway or getting up before 10 a.m.

26. You make me {and us} a priority even in times when I'm sure you have other things clamoring for your attention. You want me to know I'm loved and this marriage matters more than anything.

27. You lead us well, spiritually, across the board. I appreciate all you do to make sure we're in tune with the Lord as a couple.

28. Your stories are the best. I love anything that begins with "LISTEN TO THIS!"

29. You make it easy to trust you - which was something I wasn't sure I could ever do again in my life. That is God at work and you being the uncompromising vessel. Thank you.

30. You aren't afraid of the hard times, and while I, on the other hand, am completely terrified of them, you encourage me to know it will be okay.

31. You make every single day an adventure. I never know what's coming, but I hang onto my hat, because it's going to be entertaining!

32. You make a safe place for my heart to dwell, which is another gift I don't take for granted and one I hope I give back to you every day.

33. You're the best friend and teammate I ever could have dreamed of marrying. Making a list of 33 things was easy. The last 33 months have not always been easy {hello! Life is hard sometimes} but the greatest joy has been living them out with you. Let's do 33 {thousand} more.