A Blessing

This has been the year of the plot twists. We've just come to accept that. It started with the gallbladder back in January and continued on through my job change in June and has had a hundred much smaller examples tucked everywhere around those two big events.

When Ryan and I sat in our hotel room last December, thinking back over the second season of our marriage and dreaming ahead over our third season of marriage, we had no idea what would come. And we knew we had no idea what would come. We knew we didn't have a clue how to dream, because we didn't know what our lives might look like. But we are dreamers, so we did the best we could and held hands tightly to run forward into the great unknown of season three.

Some things, like gallbladder surgery, were wildly unexpected. Some things, like quitting my job, were inklings in our minds, but we weren't sure how or when they would take place.

And now, with just 2 1/2 months to go until we celebrate anniversary number THREE, we realize there's also just enough room for a few more plot twists to sneak their way in to our year of plot twists.

This week, we've been praying about some things, and a few times, God has sidelined my heart with the urge to devote time to prayer. And when I say time, I mean time. And what a blessing it has been to be able to put aside the to-do list and crawl down on the floor and pray out loud. What a blessing it has been to declare that for this week, when needed, my full time job could be prayer. What a blessing it has been to know that if I prayed all morning and the afternoon demanded more, I could do that.

I've told a few friends that I'm so grateful for this schedule-freedom, because when I worked full time, I didn't have the luxury to just stop producing and start praying - for hours on end, anyway.

These times of prayer have allowed me to experience a new season of connection with the Lord like I've not had for a while, and although I am occasionally exhausted, I'm also grateful for growth.

I'm in a Bible study group right now, and we're going over what it means to thrive. As I did all my word-study homework, I learned that I really hadn't grasped the extent of thriving. It goes so far beyond "good and healthy" and represents the life I truly hope to live, though I know the road to get there could be a long and hard one.

So even though we don't know what plot twists lie ahead {and they could be super scary - eek!} I know that as a couple and as children of God, we want to thrive...we want to blossom and flourish and produce good fruit. We want the Lord to pour over us in ways we couldn't dream.

And for the chance to learn this and pray over it this week...I'm grateful.

Girl Meets Change

One of the great pleasures I've had in my post-station life has been the opportunity to read books. I simply did not have time to read for pleasure while working in radio, and it has been such a joy to get back into this love of mine.

An additional pleasure has been the opportunity to tell YOU about books, and today...oh my goodness. I've got a good one for you. It's been a delight to be part of a book launch team for the first time ever, which means I had the opportunity to read this book before it officially released {OH! That is happening today!!!}. I'm joining the celebration of a beautiful book birth by telling you about it today.

If you have known me for any length of time, you will know that for the better part of my life, I hated change. {Lois, can I get an amen??} I cannot even put into words the ferocity with which I dug in my heels and gripped with both hands while jutting out my chin and saying a stubborn, emphatic NO!!! to change.

Change scared me to death. I hated the vulnerability, the uncertainty, the learning curve...the upending that came with change of any kind. {Other than my underwear. I did change that.} I felt like any measure of change would rock everything in such ways that I couldn't even recognize my own life or hang onto the control I erroneously believed I had over it.

The passing of time and the growth in understanding I control nothing and God controls everything have helped me loosen my grip on change, and some of it I actually {gulp!!} like now. But there are still moments when God calls for change, and that familiar gripping and digging kicks in.

So you can see why I wanted to read Kristen Strong's brand-spanking-new, releasing-today book Girl Meets Change. Here's what I love about Kristen: she's normal. She's a wife. She's a mom. She's a girl. She's a Christian. She's lived a military life for many years. She gets it. She doesn't write this book from some big life-altering, tabloid-attention-grabbing seat that no one else will ever sit in. She's just just like us. Just a girl livin' life.

But as you might imagine, with credentials like wife, mom, military...human being, she's no stranger to change. And she's resisted it from time to time in ways identical to my own stubborn resistance. Through those moments, she's allowed God to teach her to not just survive the change, but to meet it. To embrace it.To allow the best change of all: His change in her heart, regardless of how much she likes or dislikes the physical change in front of her.

Gasp.

In fact, she has learned to say {and mean!} "change is an absolute provision of God's grace." Oh, my goodness, how true it is.

Good news? She doesn't take away the truth that change can hurt. That it can bring grief. That it can be a loss. But she also offers the equal truth that it can be a beautiful gift when cradled in the Hands of God.

This book is saturated in brilliant quotes that I would highly recommend scribbling on note cards and scattering around your house if you are in a season of hard change right now. It's saturated with stories of her own run-ins with change, how she coped, and what she learned. She's a girlfriend having coffee with you, smiling and offering hope and hugs when you want to lay your head on the table and sob.

And the additional brilliance of this book is that it really doesn't matter what change you're facing, you'll find something to aid you in these pages. I say that because being on this book launch team meant I had the chance to see notes from other people on the team as they read through the book. I saw notes from women facing health changes, death, birth, kids going to college, kids going to kindergarten, starting jobs, losing jobs, moving, not moving...changes of all kinds for women of all ages. And each one found hope in the pages. That's a God-breathed miracle...that He can bless a human being's words to bring HIS hope to people in all life stages.

So if you're facing a change you didn't ask to face...if you're facing a change you saw coming...if you're facing a change that is good and you know it, but hard at the same time...if you're watching a friend face a change that seems to be her unraveling, I have three words for you: Girl Meets Change.

92 County Tour: Madison County

Ohhhhhhhh you guys.  YOU GUYS!!!! What a beautiful day we had on Saturday. We haven't been on a county tour since June. We actually planned one for a few weeks ago, but we had to cancel it in favor of being responsible adults who had chores to accomplish. So when Ryan offered me one of his few, precious free Saturdays and asked if we could take a tour, my heart felt nothing but delight and love. This day was a gift to me, and I cherished it.

Our destination? Madison County.

It wasn't a long trip for us; Madison county borders ours to the south. It was named after James Madison, the 4th President of the United States. We actually visit this county fairly regularly, because it houses Anderson, which is a town we like to visit for dates.

Getting there on Saturday proved to be a bit of a nightmare, thanks to eternal construction on the interstate.

It would not be a Shaffer road trip to ANYWHERE without traffic delays. We collect them in place of normal things like t-shirts.

First up? A trip to a store I'd read about, called Sell it Again, Sam! They sell furniture, antiques, books, clothing, and all kinds of little treasures, and we had a blast walking around in there. {We didn't make any purchases...it was a little more expensive than our tastes, which border on half price garage sales.}

 This was a really cool vintage camera, though, and I found this life-size tea pot, too. No idea what you would use it for, but we had fun taking pictures with it.

After we finished shopping, we went for lunch at this cute local dive, called The Lemon Drop.

I wanted to go here because from the outside, it reminded me of the Comet Cone, the little dive we grew up with in Greentown. But I think this place was even tinier, and it was so character-laden, we just loved it. There were about four booths {maybe five?} and a counter with seats, and when we arrived, there were only a couple of seats left at the counter, so we sat there. That was fun! Throughout our visit, the place was always completely full and sometimes had visitors standing and waiting for a seat. {And the food is so good, people would stand and wait.}

Ryan had a breaded tenderloin and I had a burger {their signature burger is served on toasted regular bread} and we enjoyed talking to the people next to us, who overheard us say it was our first visit and chatted with us about the charm of the place. THAT was my favorite part, actually. It felt like what mealtime should be like in there - strangers who become friends over food.

And look at this? A basket of lemon drops!!

After lunch, we went to Mounds State Park to do some hiking. Mounds is significant to us, because that was where Ryan asked me to be his girlfriend a little over 3 years ago! Our hike this time was a little cooler, but it was still a GREAT day for a hike, and the park was relatively uninhabited, so we had the trails mostly to ourselves. {Be sure to ask Ryan about the trail where he said, "Hey let's climb up here" and then he climbed calmly, and I...well, hiking up vertical hills is not my first gift.}

Mounds gets its name from the actual mounds of earth found within it, believed to be created hundreds of years ago as a place to hold religious ceremonies and a way to mark directions and events on the calendar, like solstices.

The park borders the White River, which was so calm and serene. We enjoyed it! I also enjoyed our possible future home...a wigwam!

Our only remaining stop after our hike was {of course!!} a coffee shop. Normally, if we visit a county where I've been to some random coffee shop before, I'll try to pick a new one, just to spread the love. But Madison County houses the cafe at Gaither Family Resources, and I could not bring myself to go anywhere else.

Bill and Gloria Gaither founded this store in their stomping grounds of Alexandria, Indiana, and the property holds their recording studios as well as this store. {You can take a tour of the studios, and I have before, but I decided not to test Ryan's love for me by his non-love of southern gospel music.} We did look around the store, which is a fascinating blend of books, decor, music, clothing, and all kinds of fun stuff.

Ryan got fresh brew and a maple walnut pie that he said was quite tasty, and I went for a latte and a free scoop of coffee/chocolate chip ice cream.

We sat and savored our snacks while watching the video they played in the corner. {They always have one of their Homecoming videos playing.} Ryan cracked up at me, because of course I knew every single word of the video and could lip sync it all while drinking coffee AND eating.

And before we left, I HAD to get pictures with this table set in the yard. According to the Facebook reactions, I'm the only person who thinks this is the COOLEST in the world, but I don't care. I love it!

Thanks, Madison County, for a great date! We had such fun!

Linking up!

The Shafferland Shuffle

In a word, I'm glad this week is OVER. It came with plot twists that were not in any way life altering {thank you, Jesus!!} but were certainly unexpected and at times, maddening.

* Last Sunday was a beautiful day, and the sun peeked through the wet windows {ahhhh fall condensation, right?} before church. It was so pretty! We had a great church service and I got to hold little Livy Anne during Sunday School, so that was a treat! We didn't leave the couch all day. We napped and watched movies and Pinterested {okay that was just me} and drank coffee and ate pumpkin cookies. It was so wonderful. Ryan had worked a long, long day Saturday and had to work again on Monday, so this day was perfection. And then....the week.

* Monday morning's sunrise was stunning and that was the end of stunning. Ryan left early for work {on the holiday, yes} and found his truck was dead. So he had to take my car to work, and I stayed home and edited the daylights out of the writing project I just finished. {I decided if he didn't get a holiday, I shouldn't take one either.} Braeya "helped" by walking across my paper after parading through the shower. Eyeroll. During the day, we found out that Ryan's mom had been taken to the hospital and was admitted, which scared us to death. Ryan went to see her after work, and when he got home, he tried to figure out what was wrong with the truck and decided, after a trip to the auto parts store, that it must be a bad fuel pump. YAY!!

* Tuesday afternoon I attempted to attend a cross country meet for my niece, Savannah. Unfortunately the start/finish line was crowded with NO possible parking options left, so I tried to find a place in the middle of the course to see her, but they didn't run the normal course, so I never found her. Sigh. Went home, enjoyed white chicken chili with Ryan, and as we pushed his dead truck into the street so it could eventually be towed to the shop, I noticed the tire on my car was flat. Because of course.

* Although Ryan had pumped up the tire on Tuesday night, it was flat again by Wednesday morning, so he took our one remaining working vehicle, and told me to take the car to the tire shop. I knew I had a small window of time for the air to stay in the tire, so I tried to find a friend to pick me up and went to hang out at the tire store for a while. {We won't talk about the many tears in the interim.} That night, our friend Randy came over to tow Ryan's dead truck to a DIFFERENT shop, and I made a thank you dinner for him. It was chicken pot pie, but he doesn't like peas, so I picked them all out of the mixed veggies. :)

* Thursday, I worked so hard on some writing tasks, so I was ready for lunch and one of my FAVORITE things about lunch in this season of my life: watching House Hunters while I eat! I treated myself to iced coffee for the afternoon, to give me the energy to finish said writing project, and then that night, we went out for a run. A guy stopped me on campus and asked me if I was on my way to practice. NO, but THANK YOU for thinking I'm that young, Sir!! And I noticed while we were out...the leaves have begun to fall...sigh.

* Friday was September 11th, marking the one day a year I cancel life to watch documentaries. I get lost in the stories of the people. Can't help it. It was a good day for curling up for documentaries, since it rained the entire day and was cold, to boot. When Ryan came home, we ordered pizza and curled up on the couch to watch TV and end this long, long week.

* Yesterday was some sweet redemption from the week. Ryan had the day off, and we went on a county date! It was our first one in a few months, and it was just delightful. We visited Madison County and did some shopping, hiked in Mounds State Park, and drank some delicious coffee. I adored having the whole day with him and not having to share him! So thankful. Can't wait to tell you more about my day!

The Saturday Six

One.

Source

I promise I do more in life than read up on Chip and Joanna Gaines. {Kind of.} But for you Fixer Upper fans who haven't read this article - check it out! It is a long one, but if you love Chip and JoJo, you won't care because it's exciting stuff! The story behind the story. :)

Two.

Ryan has an item for you on this week's Six, so I'm turning over the keyboard to him for a moment:  Sooooo, Bekah being the humble, non boastful woman that she is, refused to share some GREAT news with all of you.  So I said that I would, because it is something you would love to hear.  A few weeks ago she was named Blogger of the Month for September on The Blog Spot Network for her review on The Dating  Manifesto.  You can read all about it here.  I'm so proud of her! I love the way she is so detailed and honest with her reviews, and really all her writing in general. (I also may be a little biased, just a little.) She has such a way with words and it's great to see her be acknowledged for that.  Good job sweetheart!!  You Rock!!        

Three.

Source

Years ago, when I attended Chapel Pike Wesleyan, I had the privilege of meeting these two people: Wayne and Virginia Wright. While they didn't  really know me, their lives, and even more profoundly, the lives of their children and grandchildren, impacted mine in ways even I might never fully know. Wayne and Virginia died within days of each other quite recently and their son, who is also the IWU President, wrote this article that I wanted to share. Wise words in here.  

Four.

Source

We don't have all these things around here {and it's also nowhere near our birthdays....} but who doesn't love freebies for your birthday?? {Truth? Trying to figure out how to get to ALL the burger places on my birthday. A progressive dinner of sorts.}

Five.

Does anyone else watch America's Got Talent? Have a thought on the Professional Regurgitator? He freaks me out. I cannot even look. Cannot. Ryan, though? Well the photos above tell the story.  

Six.

I feel a bit like I get to brag on a friend today, even though Jenny Simmons has no idea who I am. I met her about three years ago, when she was the featured artist at the WBCL Daddy Daughter Date Night. And in my years at the station {and since!} I have followed her on social media and found her to be this beautiful blend of funny and hauntingly real. The kind of hauntingly that makes me wonder if I have a heart-double out there: living different life details, but dealing with the same stuff.

Several months ago, I followed her online as she went through a KickStarter campaign to raise funds to publish a book. It was one of those moments similar to when you see your elementary school teacher out buying groceries at the store: until that happened, you didn't stop to think that your teacher had a life outside the classroom. Until I saw Jenny's campaign, I hadn't considered she might have passions offstage.

Her campaign went so well, she blew past her goal, AND her book was picked up by Baker publishing, and that's why we're here today. When I saw her book was available to review, I signed up for it and was just past giddy when it arrived in my mailbox. And oh. my. word. This book. This book.

The Road to Becoming is Jenny's memoir, and its details are unique and at times, jaw-dropping. As a member of the Christian band Addison Road, she lived experiences {probably} you and I will never live in real life. And as she recounts the worst year ever, the year the band lost their vehicle, equipment and merchandise three times {once to thieves, once to an accident, and once to a fire} you'll probably join me in hoping you never live it in real life. But although those details are uniquely hers, I continued to believe we are sisters of heart, because I could do nothing but grip the book more tightly and nod like crazy as I read about her hurts, her fears, her hopes, her dreams. Yes. Yes. Yes. Those I understood, because those I've lived.

From meltdowns in the spaghetti aisle {and more importantly, what they represent!}, to hearing the Voice of God, to wandering in the hot, dry wilderness, to waiting for new life to emerge from barrenness, I felt for the first time like someone had walked the same road I had and expressed it even better than I ever could. Jenny gave a voice to my heart from that hard road five years ago.

The road to becoming has different scenery for each of us, but The Road to Becoming is a great guidebook for the journey. Jenny writes in a way that made me laugh and cry, but she left me with hope that my own becoming {though sometimes unbecoming to behold} is a journey with great promise, and she made me eager to keep saying yes, even on the hard days.

Jenny, if we were real life friends like our hearts seem to be life-journey-friends, I would hug you and congratulate you on becoming a magnificent author. Thanks for your story-telling, your wisdom, your insights, and your hope. Thanks for being willing to dare a life beyond the stage. Thank you for writing, and most importantly, thank you for writing this. And thank you, Baker, for sending a copy my way for review. Thank you for seeing worth in Jenny's words and giving them an even bigger platform than KickStarter could have offered.

*Opinions all my own.* 

The Haiti Half: Worst Week Ever

For the past six or so weeks, I've been telling you all the good things I've been learning in the training, and I'm so grateful for each of those weeks. Each of those prayers. Each of those verses God impressed on my heart. This whole thing has been a journey I could not have imagined, and the discipline and personal accomplishments I've experienced have been needed and welcomed.

And then there was last week. It was a turning point of sorts for me, and I want to tell you about it, because I think it's important to recognize and embrace things that are unexpected, and maybe even in some ways, unwelcome.

As you know, when I started this journey, Ryan and I committed to running the half marathon taking place next month. Probably about a month or so into our training, we learned that due to low registrations, the half marathon had been canceled. The 5K happening the same day would still go on as scheduled, and we decided we would run that in place of the now-canceled half.

By that point, I had begun to notice that the discipline of training was really good for me, even though I still despised running, so I told Ryan I planned to continue training for a half marathon, even though the race distance had been cut back. And we did. We got out there four times a week, on some pretty hot days, and we ran. {I would say we ran like the wind, but that's a lie. At least for me.}

And then...last week.

My problem actually began the Saturday before that, when we set out to run in the afternoon, and it was hot. Like crazy, humid, take-your-breath-away hot. That particular day, we ran around the IWU campus, which is not always our route, but that day it was. And that happened to be the day the freshman class moved in. That campus was saturated with teenagers, parents, and cars. Our quiet little campus {which is, obviously, in no way OURS, but you know what I mean} was suddenly loud and busy. My focus was distracted as I dodged cars and tried to suck in while running past skinny students and dazed parents.

And at the end of that run, I had legitimately overheated to the point where my knees were sweating and I felt dizzy and struggled to breathe. As we made our way out of campus, I prayed fervently that I would not collapse to my death in front of the class of 2019 and all their loved ones.

{And I didn't, in case you weren't sure.}

But it messed with my mind, that run. And all week last week, I was a wreck. My times were awful, my mind was fearful, and I felt a thousand kinds of self-conscious in front of all the students who were just enjoying a leisurely week of fun on campus before school began this week. And for the first time, I changed my training schedule. I cut the miles down from what the schedule called for. I walked more than I ran. I didn't care if I was fast. I didn't care if I finished. Something broke in me that week, and not in a good way.

It hasn't gotten any better this week. In fact, last night was the first night we even ran all week. We're a month from the race, and my diligence has been shattered.

I'm not giving up. The end of this journey is proving to look very different from its beginning. I would be lying if I said I wasn't discouraged. I am. But I also believe God can teach me things through this shift in my mind. That the time I spent running all summer hasn't been wasted. That the weeks ahead, though perhaps shorter in distance for me, are no less pivotal.

So that's my messy mind for you today. And despite the worst week{s} ever, I am pushing forward. And I hope to learn new things along this well-worn path that I can share with you soon.

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!!