A Date to the Fair!

 

You may or may not know this little tidbit, because I'm not sure I've ever blogged about it, but back before Ryan and I started dating, I told him that the two guys I had dated never officially asked me out on a first date. Obviously we had gone on those dates, but they just sort of happened on the fly, and I was never officially and properly asked out on a date. It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of life, but it was one of those little details that I longed for. 

He didn't forget, and when he asked me out on our first date, he called me up and specifically asked me out on the date. He said he wanted me to know what it was like to be asked out on purpose and with purpose. I loved that so much! Though we often plan our dates together now, he will still, upon occasion, plan a surprise date for me and ask me out - just like the olden days. :) 

Sunday, as we drove home from his nephew's birthday party, he asked me out again. He said he thought it would be fun to take Wednesday off work and travel back to our home county to attend the fair and watch our niece and nephews show their hogs. 

I know for sure we haven't been to the fair in two years, because we didn't go either year we were at WillowBridge. I can't remember if we went the last year we lived in Kokomo, or if that week got away from us and we didn't get there. I'll have to look in the scrapbook. We both love to go, and we didn't think it would happen for us this year, but he made it happen! It meant so much to me that he would use a day off to invest in us. 

So yesterday morning we got up early and headed back to Greentown. The hog show started at 8 a.m. so we missed the first round, but we got there in time to meet the kiddos' pigs and watch them show in the second round. 

(My friend Amber met up with us for a little bit, so she got in on the picture fun. And that is a fried mushroom Ryan has.) 

I went one time a few years ago (without Ryan, because he was working that day) to see our niece show her pig, but I did not grow up doing 4H, and I know NOTHING about pigs, so Ryan had to walk me through what any of the following pictures meant. I still may not understand. 

I am pretty sure I can still smell the animal barn in my hair. :) 

He's too little for 4H right now, but he'll get there!

We also went around to look at all their other projects. I think among the three kids and all the entries, there were about 18 projects to see: cakes, sewing, circuit boards, model trucks, posters, and more. They had done a really nice job! 

My favorite fair date!

We ate together with his family for lunch, and then after all the showing festivities ended, we took a stroll through the midway and some other parts of the fairgrounds.

Benefits of going during the day? It's pretty empty! We were in the midway before the rides opened, and it was just us!

Drawbacks of going during the day? SO HOT!!!! It ended up being hotter than the forecast said. Thank goodness for the occasional air conditioned building to cool down! And we took tons of water with us to stay well hydrated. 

We did get an elephant ear, but we got it to go (and ate it at my parents' house) so we failed to get a picture of it. It really did happen, though!

It was such a fun day. Ryan grew up spending all day (and night) every day at the fair with his family. They were a 4H family through and through, and the fair was their family vacation every summer. I didn't grow up going THAT much, but Mom did take me every year, so it's something I really enjoy as permanent fixture tradition.

Yesterday would have been Allen's (Ryan's step-dad's) birthday, so in memory of him and in honor of Ryan's history with 4H, I will post this picture that his mom always had hanging in their home. It's just a few years old.

Unlikely Ministers

 

I'm borrowing inspiration and a few words today from Kelly Stamps, who hasn't blogged in a while, but she's sharing thoughts over on Instagram. I would guess that most of you who read here have also read her blog at some point in time, so you are generally familiar with her. 

A couple of days ago, she wrote the following on Instagram:

"If you ask me who has ministered to me the most - I'm probably not going to name a pastor or a well known Bible teacher. I'm going to tell you with tears in my eyes that it was nursery workers who never got any glory but who held my babies and loved on them so I could go to church or Bible study. Ms. Gail was one of these. Worked in the nursery for what seemed like 100 years. She was grumpy (and if you knew her you know I mean that endearingly). She liked things her way. She fed babies boxes of graham crackers way too early to so many first time mom's horror. She hated the name Hollis and she let me know it. And my kids loved her. And so did I. She passed away today and I'm pretty sure God told her 'well done'. She had no social media followers. Didn't write a book. Never preached a sermon. But she made an impact on the kingdom for sure just like so many unspoken heroes in rocking chairs in church nurseries everywhere."

I cried when I first read it, though I have no idea who Ms. Gail is, because I LOVED the reminder that the quiet faithful ones are every bit as impactful for eternity as the ones who stand on a platform every week. 

I have had Ms. Gails in my life, and I am richer for every single one of them.

* For the ones who bravely taught children's Sunday School every single week. When I was growing up, teachers committed to a year at a time. They didn't rotate every quarter or month. When they said yes, they made a huge commitment, and they showed up. Because of them, I know the books of the Bible in order and how to look up chapters/verses and how to pray out loud in front of a group.

* For the ones who also bravely signed up to teach VBS every summer. And play games with a bunch of energetic kids. And do crafts. And make snacks.

* For the ones who let me take my own turn working the church nursery when I was just a teenager and wanted to serve in a way that fit my skills. (For the ones who were willing to sign up to work WITH me. I'm sure I was a trial.)

* For the ones who encouraged me to join the church choir even though I had no particular musical ability. They stood by me (literally...probably painfully) and also taught me things about music that I hadn't learned in piano lessons.

* For the ones who encouraged me when I started teaching children's classes during midweek services. They made a point to seek me out and tell me the things I did well. 

* For the ones who stood up in church to share their testimony, even though public speaking scared them. They taught me God is faithful in the lives of the normal, everyday people around me.

* For the ones who prayed with me at the altar during prayer services. They took time to care about what mattered to a kid. 

* For the ones who, though separated from me in age by several decades, became my actual friends and taught me gobs of wisdom through everyday conversation. God bless senior citizens who want to befriend teenagers. It is NOT for the faint of heart.

If you are one of these, please know today that you matter so very much, and your ministry is critical to the future of God's children on this earth and then to the eternal Kingdom of God. Even if no one ever sees what you do, even if you never get recognized as the volunteer of the week, and even if you think you have wildly failed at your attempt to serve, YOU MATTER. (And you probably did NOT wildly fail at your attempt. I can nearly guarantee it.)

Earthly accolades are nice, but God's "well done" is the only one that matters.

Thank you, unlikely ministers in my life. Thank you for every sacrifice you made, every step you took outside your comfort zone, and every risk you took. You shaped me. I would not be who I am without you.

And for you? How about thanking an unlikely minister in your life?

Family Day!

Yesterday I told you about my trip to the flower patch on Sunday night, but we had already had a full day before I ever saw any flowers!

During our WillowBridge years, we really weren't able to participate much in family birthday parties (or holidays). Yes, we could choose our own days off, but we did so pretty far in advance, because we learned if we didn't, it became almost impossible to find days to take off. Usually by the time we found out about a party, our schedule was set, and we had picked the wrong days. :) So we're trying to be a bit more present now that we have a more regular schedule again. 

Sunday was our nephew's birthday party, and I realized that it was his party we attended two years ago literally on our way out of town to begin our job at WillowBridge. We had packed our car, driven to Ryan's sister's house for the party, and then rolled into Grabill and moved into our temporary apartment that same day. I'm not sure we made it to anything else until this past Sunday, so it was a full-circle moment!

We asked my parents if they wanted to hang out with Lexi while we went to the party, because it didn't seem like a good idea to take a puppy into a 4 year old's birthday party. Can you even imagine the amount of food that would have been issued under the table (and some of it not dog-appropriate)? I knew there would be tons of kids at the party, too, and it just seemed like a lot of chaos - for them and for Lexi. Dad jumped at the chance to watch her, and we were thankful for it.

Lexi was SO excited to see Dad, and he was SO excited to see her!

We were like true parents, trucking in with a litter box, a bed, a toybox, and a bag full of anything she could possibly need. (And her lunch. And her snack. And her water bowl.)

My biggest fear was that she would get underfoot of one of my parents while they walked around the house, trip them, and someone would break a hip. Yes, I seriously worried about it. 

But alas, I went to the party, and we had fun with Ryan's family! Here are some pictures from our day! 

Ryan's mom passed away in 2019, as you know, but her sister, Aunt Ruthie, asked if she could get a picture with all four kids. It was a really good picture! Blogger was kind enough to throw all these out of order, but it's okay. 

We got to meet our new nephew. He's a sweetie!

The birthday boy blowing out the candles of the cake you'll see in a minute. :) 

Listening to his happy birthday song!

Oh hey! I got to meet the baby, too! :) 

There's that cake!

Ryan and Aunt Ruthie. She's so sweet. 

And then I found this one on Aunt Ruthie's Facebook page. I forgot she took it! 

All the time we were at the party, Mom was kind enough to text us updates from the Lexi-palooza. She was having a great time playing with her toys, eating treats, and walking around the house with Dad.

(By the way - we know she looks like a shaggy old man. She was due for a groom on July 1, but her groomer had surgery! So the next available appointment is still a month out yet. Ryan may experiment with some trimming, but for now, she's a bit bedraggled.)

SO! Here's a story for you. Remember my worst fear come true about Lexi staying at my parents' house? We stayed at the birthday party for a couple of hours and then came to pick her up so we could get back home for the flower patch fun. 

When I walked in the door of my parents' home, I found my Dad ON THE FLOOR, not moving. And Lexi was beside him. I was like WHAT HAPPENED HERE!?!?!?!!?!? Mom said, "Well I sent you a text. Didn't you get it?" Um no!!!

Yeah. They were napping. NAPPING!!! Dad got down on the floor to nap with the dog, and that's how I found them. He is going to be NINETY in three months! I was beyond relieved to find out he had gotten down there voluntarily, and I was incredibly impressed with how well he got back up in the chair. No help! 

After everyone was awake and my heart had somewhat resumed a normal rhythm, we gave Dad his Father's Day gift. (I think I mentioned it on the blog, but Mom and Dad had pretty bad colds on Father's Day, so we canceled our get-together. This was the first we had seen him since to give him his gift.) We had gotten him a framed picture of the first time he met Lexi, and he LOVED it. 

It was a good day with both sides of the family! And Lexi slept all the way home, so she must have had a lot of fun! 

A Night at the Flower Patch!

 

Finding a new church in a new town is tough. Ryan and I have done it a few times, and it is definitely not an easy task. When we came to the town where we live now, the church was actually the draw. We had some friends there, but oh my goodness - how fully and beautifully the church as a whole has welcomed us. It has been such a blessing.

One of the families in our church - a farming family - has a pumpkin patch and corn maze in the fall. Ryan and I actually went back when we were engaged! But they now also have a flower patch and in the summer, you can go pick fresh cut flowers and make bouquets! I've never done a flower patch adventure before, but the ladies of our Sunday School class had a party there last night, and you guys! It was so much fun!!! Want to see?

If you went back to the link of our visit here when we were engaged, you might recognize that little gate! 

Her gardens are beautiful!

There will be sunflowers, but they're not blooming yet. But oh goodness. All the other little flowers were just so very darling!

Marah taught us how to cut them and then helped us know a bit about arranging. Please note, when you see them at the end of the post, that I have no idea what I'm doing, but they were fun to work with!

She also has a darling little shed where you can purchase vases if you need one (or you can bring your own!) and pick up the supplies to cut them out in the patch! 

AND they have this super darling truck for photo opps!

We got a group picture with the bouquets. (Borrowed it from their Facebook page.) 

And here are the bouquets I made!

It was so much fun. I'm so glad I went! It's easier to get to know people in casual settings like this. (You know - since you're really not supposed to talk in church.) 

If you're local, go check out the flower patch! Here is all the information about pricing! 

Sunday Sentiments

 

Sometimes I don't understand what I study...

...and it's okay.

I've been doing this slow crawl through the book of Genesis for several months now. It has been rich and full in so many beautiful ways. Day after day, I uncover insights I don't remember ever noticing before. I've picked up nuggets about Creation, the Fall, the Flood, Noah, Abraham, Lot, and now I'm beginning the life of Isaac. 

But sometimes I run into something that hovers just over my realm of comprehension.

This week has been like that. I'm not sure if it's truly challenging information, or if I've just been distracted by trying to fit in so many things while adding in the extra hours I worked at Ryan's office. Maybe it's a little of both.

Yesterday afternoon I sat on the floor with my Bible, my books, my notes, and more all spread out around me, and I was determined to make sense of the questions. My crawl through the study felt like it had stalled even more, and still, I wasn't fully comprehending what I needed to learn.

I wondered if I should keep coming back to those same questions day after day after day until it made its way into my comprehension.

But this is Bible study. It's not cramming for a college final. I don't have to know it all. I don't have to understand it all. I want to learn everything I can, of course, but if there is something that isn't connecting today, it's okay. It doesn't mean the study is a total loss. It also doesn't mean that I might not eventually comprehend what I'm missing now. After all, I plan to keep studying for the rest of my days.

Why am I telling you all this?

Maybe you struggle with it too, and maybe you didn't even realize it.

If you're studying and struggling to understand, don't give up. Don't stop entirely, thinking you can't learn anything. You have much you can learn, and each piece of knowledge and wisdom is worth it.

But also...don't feel like you have to learn everything there is to learn about every single passage on every single study. Learn what you can and maybe on the next round, you'll be able to absorb what you're missing now!

Keep studying, friends. Keep learning. And if you don't understand, it's okay. Just keep going! God will give you the wisdom you need for this day!