Making and Appreciating the Memories

Today is our last day off in a four day weekend stretch, and it has been lovely. We have soaked up the chance to rest and get a few things accomplished around the house. 

Not surprising for the two of us, these days have been picture-filled. Silliness and randomness, mostly, but still picture-filled. 

We went for a walk, which we do every day that we possibly can. We walked the same trails and streets we always walk. But I still took a picture, because I'm reminded that someday I'll want to look back and remember when we lived in this town...or when my hair was this color...or when that tree still stood. And I want to always remember the joy of working a job where on AND off duty days alike can often include a walk and decompression talk. 

And then I took a picture with our Starbucks drink because (1) we haven't been to get coffee since before my sugar detox in October and (2) it was our first holiday drink of the season and (3) it was a day of the week. And then Ryan decided to make this face, which is totally Ryan and just cracked us both up!

So then we had to have a picture laughing about the last picture.

And so it went all weekend...laughing and memory-making. 

Last night we decorated the Shafferland tree. It's my favorite tree to decorate each year, because it is the only one we decorate together. It holds all the ornaments we've collected throughout our eight years of marriage, and I've taken a picture of each one. We write the story of the ornament on the back of it and read the stories while we decorate the tree.

We now have almost 90 ornaments (and four more yet to get to finish out 2020 memories) - and we read every single story as we decorated. 

I was nearly in tears by the end of our decorating fest, because we had recalled SO many dear-to-us memories as we decorated. 

* The year we read through the Bible chronologically.

* Our afternoon on a private beach in Nassau - a treasure we stumbled upon after surviving the terrifying bus ride from our cruise ship. 

* Our evening touring the Biltmore while it was decorated for Christmas...in the middle of a huge snowstorm. STUNNING to see it in the snow.

* Our visit to Mt. Airy, North Carolina, where Ryan had his "hair cut" by the son of the real barber named Floyd.

* A section of the trunk of every Christmas tree we've ever had - and the name of the place where we got it - and what we named it!

I'll spare you the 80 some more memories, but we had a wonderful time reading through them all and remembering our many adventures near and far. 

The pictures...the ornaments...the pieces of our home remind me of pieces of my heart and soul that I treasure deeply. 

Make the memories...even in this strange, strange time. Make memories even of silly and random things. And then go back and enjoy them. They're made to be remembered, after all. 

The Shafferland Shuffle

 

Well, my friends, I'm told I will be waking up to significant snowfall today. I don't have to leave the building, and therefore that is okay with me! Even so - could we wait JUST a little while before the word "significant" gets looped in with snowfall?? While I contemplate the onset of winter, here are some things that happed in our NON snowy week!

* Last Sunday was just gross in terms of weather. Torrential rain, ridiculous wind...it was a good day to watch online services, and we all did just that here in WillowBridge. (Last Sunday was when Indiana's restrictions tightened up again, so larger churches encouraged online viewing.) It was a work day for us, so after church, I spent the afternoon writing devos and watching the awning of the business next door to us get looser and looser in the wind! And look who cut his thumb slicing a bagel that evening!?!?

* Monday was a much prettier day! Ryan found a little down time around work to do a little painting for Miss Abby. She's starting to look so polished!! We had meetings all afternoon, and most of them were crazy intense. My mind was exhausted by the end of them, so I walked to the post office to get the mail and took the long way home so I could catch this beautiful sunset. And then...I baked! I made blondies and no bakes so we could take them to pass out to friends and family when we saw them Tuesday! 

* Tuesday was our first day off in ten days, and I'm pretty sure it was busier than a work day! LOL! We got up early and drove Abby to Kokomo to pick up all our Christmas decorations from my parents' house. We were also able to see Phoebe and her people - who were part of our small group in Kokomo. It happened to be small group night, so we also stayed to be part of that for the evening! So good to see them again. We didn't get home until after midnight, but it was a great day!

* We were back to work Wednesday, and it was a busy one! Lots of work in the office - and Ryan did a little painting around all of that. Wednesday evening, he did one last driving test class with our tenant before her next permit test attempt - and he said she did really well! I also sneaked a few pictures of him working out late at night after everything was done. 

* Thursday was our last day before a most-welcomed stretch off work. We started the day by going to the BMV with our tenant...and LOOK WHO PASSED HER TEST!!!!! She was so proud of herself, and we were proud of her too!! When we got home from that, it was time for the monthly staff meeting (on Zoom), where we shared devos. And then Justine and I (and Isla) went shopping for Christmas decorations for WillowBridge. We had great success and can't wait to decorate the Community Room!

* Friday was our first day off in a four day stretch, and we both knocked out a LOT of work! Ryan was busy with all kinds of Abby work that day: painting, troubleshooting some electrical stuff, and probably much more. I was busy starting the DECORATING!!!! Oh my goodness. I was so excited to put up the first trees! And in a crazy twist, we were able to take a walk in T-SHIRTS that afternoon. Far cry from "significant snowfall," huh??

* Yesterday was another busy decorating day - and we did some shopping, too! Did our grocery shopping and a little Christmas shopping, while we were at it. We are ALMOST done with the decorating, and I love sitting in the evenings and taking in all the pretty sights of the trees! Can't wait to show you! (We may have played with the snowballs whilst we decorated...)

The Saturday Six

 

One.

Last Sunday was all cold and blustery here in the Midwest, so when I happened upon this post with ideas for layering outfits, it caught my attention. It was the kind of day that called for warm shirts...and jackets...and scarves...and big blankets over all of that, actually. I do love a good layering prompt in the winter. My thermostat is so unpredictable! Also, only about 3 years late to the game, I'm starting to like the cheetah/leopard prints. 

Two.

I love happening upon new (to me) little shops, so I adored this post that The Nester shared. She had to cancel her festival this year but she shared links to all the vendors who had planned to be there. Tons of cute shops for you to check out - and maybe do a little shopping of your own!

Three.

Tracy mentioned this in her comments yesterday, so I'm passing it along to you! (It was news to me, so thanks, Tracy!) Zoom is lifting the 40 minute limit for free calls on Thanksgiving, so if you're away from friends and family that day and want a little extra time to talk with them, check it out!

Four.

Here's a super cute printable from Etsy! If you're handing out some thank you gifts over the next week, this one can accompany absolutely anything! 

Five.

Speaking of Etsy...I have another shop to share with you! Katie, who hangs out here on the Shafferland blog, has a very talented husband who also has an Etsy shop. He makes these beautiful wooden ornaments and lanterns, and they are QUALITY!! Beautiful, classy, and timeless. We now have the lantern set for the WillowBridge community room, and I am SO EXCITED about it! (And if I had kids - or a classroom - I'd be getting that fractions set! That's adorable and practical all at once.)

Six.

Why I didn't think to look for something like this sooner, I don't know. But here are some ideas for celebrating Thanksgiving with friends or family from a distance. Contests, recipes, and more - all in a creative way! Maybe you can still add in something from this list, even though time is short? 

How Will Your Thanksgiving Look This Year?

 

We are less than a week away from Thanksgiving, and it is safe today that this is going to be an unrecognizable holiday for most people this year. Is that true for you?

Ours is shaping up to look 100% different from last year, and I'm not mad about it at all, actually. 

Last year we went to FOUR Thanksgivings in one day. Four. That was a lot of traveling, a lot of eating (for Ryan), and just a lotta lotta. And then we had a fifth stop at McDonalds, because I don't like Thanksgiving food, so I was ready for some Bekah-food! It wasn't a bad day, by any means, but it certainly wasn't restful.

I realize I can't confidently declare what this year's Thanksgiving WILL be, because everything can change so quickly these days, but I can tell you how we plan to spend the day and how different it is likely to look, based on our current plans.

Here at WillowBridge, someone always has to be on duty. Holidays are work days just like every other day of the year. We sat down with Tim and Justine to work through the navigation of the holidays, and it so happened that this year we're going to work Thanksgiving. So we will be on duty and not attending any of the Thanksgivings we went to last year. 

We are going to have a Thanksgiving for two here in our apartment while remaining on-call for any needs our tenants may have. (Lest you think we're ignoring them on Thanksgiving, they do have plans of their own, and we will be having a WillowBridge Thanksgiving on a different day. Even so, we will be here to stand by in case anything comes up for any of them that would cause them to need us.)

We had Easter for two earlier in the year and loved it. We loved the rest, the quietness, and the true contemplation of the day, and we are looking forward to that about Thanksgiving, too. I am bummed that the parade has been canceled, as it is one of my very favorite things about Thanksgiving Day. I know they are planning to do some modified event, and I'll probably watch at least some of it, but it's not the same. (Of course this leaves more room for Christmas movies...right?)

Ryan and I planned out our menu a few weeks ago and already purchased everything that wasn't perishable. (We were afraid stuff would be too hard to find if we waited too long.)

Here are our menu items for this year, and they all came from Dashing Dish

For breakfast, I'm making these pumpkin scones - and of course there will be coffee. 

Then we'll probably have our main meal for lunch and just snack on leftovers later in the day.

I don't like turkey, so we got a small ham, and I'll prepare it with this honey baked ham recipe. 

Ryan loves green bean casserole, so we are going to try out Katie's version of it that promises to be a bit healthier, anyway. 

I have a stufffing recipe I love, but it's all about the butter so I decided to try this recipe for cornbread stuffing muffins instead. I've never tried any version of a cornbread stuffing, so this will be new!

I love mac and cheese, but I'm goig to try to to keep it better for me by going with this spaghetti squash baked mac and cheese option. 

And the for one more veggie in the mix, we're adding this roasted brussels sprouts and butternut squash dish. 

Of course there must be dessert, so out of a handful of options I suggested, Ryan chose this no bake pumpkin cheesecake. 

So those are our plans this year! How about you? How do you think yours will look...and are you okay with it or has it brought you a heart struggle?

Abby's First Outing

We did a totally Shaffer thing this week. We took a half-renovated, totally winterized RV out for a day trip! We have no bed. We have no couch. We have no bathroom door. We only have about 1/5 of the cabinet doors reinstalled. Can't use the water. Doesn't that seem like a great time for a trial run?

Tuesday was our first day off in ten days, and we'd been planning for weeks to head back toward the Kokomo area to accomplish several things!

One of them was to pick up all our Christmas decorations, which have been in storage at my parents' house since we moved. Of all the years for me to be separated from my Christmas decor, I picked the one year it became socially acceptable to decorate for Christmas in OCTOBER! I've been shaking my head about that for weeks now. 

Alas, my Christmas collection has grown so much over the years that we couldn't fit it all in our car - or even our car and truck, if we happened to both drive. So yes. It is true that we took an RV to my parents' house for the express purpose of picking up our Christmas decor all in one trip. That is an embarrassing but true fact. 

So we got up super early on Tuesday, got ready, and climbed into Abby for our first trip in her together! 

I gotta tell you - she really is comfy to ride in - especially considering she's not new. The chairs in the cab are super cozy. I had my blanket with me for extra coziness, and I had the best time eating my yogurt and drinking my coffee while Ryan drove us down the road!

We had a gorgeous day to travel, and we were so thankful.

We did hit a traffic jam about halfway to my parents' house. We finally discovered that there was an oversized load entourage up ahead and the traffic kept jamming behind it. It wouldn't be a Shaffer road trip without a traffic jam! 

We made it to my parents' house, loaded up all the Christmas stuff and then helped them a bit with some stuff on their phones. (Ryan is their IT guy.) They took us to lunch, which was most delicious!!

We saw a couple of Ryan's family members and then look who we saw!!!

SHE REMEMBERED ME!!!!!!!!!! I have so missed this girl. 

By the time we were done in Kokomo and headed home, it was super late, but we had a safe and uneventful trip home.

But I tell you all this to say the following observations about a day in our Shafferland Shuttle - even in its mostly gutted state:

* One thing I have always lamented on road trips is the lack of a personal bathroom. And it cracked me up that I sat right there IN MY OWN RV and still had no bathroom - partially because of the aforementioned winterization and partially because of the also aforementioned missing door. But I can see how absolutely delightful and convenient it will be in just a few months to head out for the day and have my own bathroom!! 

* We did have some waiting time between appointments and decided it will be equally lovely to have a bedroom with a bed in it soon - because it would have been super to catch a nap during that waiting time. I have everything all picked out to make that the coziest bed ever. You know...soon.

* When we travel in her and have things to take with us, especially in cold or bad weather, it's nice to have room to gather up all the things BEFORE exiting the vehicle, rather than standing outside, reaching into the middle to get everything organized. 

* Large vehicles = unending white noise while in motion. I was in the happiest of all the places. 

* Abby makes a great hangout spot - even in a parking lot. I was thinking that I should be sure to just leave a few games in there permanently so we can play while we wait or pass time. You know - if we're not napping. 

So that was our first outing in Abby! Other than railroad tracks (oh my SOUL!) she was a nice, smooth ride, and we are so so so excited to finish our work on her and go have some adventures! 

Sharing the Light

 Yesterday we had a day off - our first in a long while. It was a glorious, yet insanely busy, day off. We went back to the Kokomo area for the first time since Ryan said his final goodbyes to his work, and we were gone from early in the morning until, well, early this morning. We finally rolled back into the very sleepy town of Grabill about 12:30 this morning. (I'm gonna need a nap today!!)

Most of our drive home was on the interstate, but by the time we exited and headed on the final stretch toward home, our legs were restless from sitting so long, our eyes were beginning to droop just a bit, and we were eager for a little bit of sleep before hearing the alarm blast.

We left behind the bright lights of parking lots and businesses and headed into the quieter neighborhood areas, and I leaned forward to look for them.

Christmas lights. 

It was already after midnight, and I figured even people who stayed up late or left their lights on a timer were likely to have turned off the trees by midnight. They were saving a buck or two, and I didn't blame them. 

But then...I saw it. Right there on the left side of the road, in a house with a living room window made for Christmas trees, was a magnificent tree with all the white lights twinkling out into the darkness. It was cozy and lovely and made my heart skip a beat.

Then, a mile or so later, another one on the right. This time only half the tree was visible, but I caught it peeking out from under a half-dropped blind. 

And then I saw the house with not just a tree, but all the trees and bushes outside layered in ropes of colored lights. Even the driveway was lined all the way to the back. 

I sat back in my seat, stretched my legs out as far as they could go in the space I had, and smiled the most contented kind of smile. God bless those people - the ones who left their lights on late for the people inching their way home far too late in the night. Bless them for sharing cozy, twinkling joy after hours.

I'm eager to join them. I'm looking for ways to add light to not just our apartment, but this whole building, to share with those who walk down the sidewalk or drive down the street. On dark nights and dreary evenings, I'm ready to share the cozy light of Christmas. There's just something about it that puts a little spark in the heart in the middle of a pretty hard year. 

While we're all about being frugal here in Shafferland, I would also submit that maybe a few times, it's okay to leave the lights on a little extra long this year - just to share some joy. I know this weary traveler appreciated it yesterday!

Good for the Soul

Last night I baked blondies, which were perhaps a little too generously blessed with a mix of butterscotch and white chocolate chips. 

And then I made some no-bakes - which, by the way, do not set up any faster when watched intently.

I'm not supposed to be eating either one right now, although I did lick the no-bake bowl. (And I made sure I only licked the actual amount. Not the "Hey, I think I'll leave four cookies unscooped in the bottom of the bowl and then lick the bowl..." version. Not that I've done that before.)

I made them because I needed to bake. I needed to watch the blade spin in Miss Mixy. I needed to make zig-zag patterns with batter in the baking dish. I needed to push the lever on the cookie scoop and watch the chocolate and oatmeal emerge in matching sizes. 

I needed it. 

I needed Ryan to walk sideways up to the counter and nonchalantly look away while he pushed an empty ramekin my way as I doled out the cookies. I needed to fill that little dish and push it back to him, so mock surprise could cover his face while he said, "Well look at this! How kind!"

I needed to cut the still-warm blondies and divide them up on plates and platters to share with people who can eat them. 

I needed to sneak a taste, but mostly I just needed to bake.

For me, baking is good for the soul. It's a little spot of creativity after a day of meetings. 

(And some days scrapbooking is good for the soul. And later this week, Christmas decorating will be good for the soul. I love having a rotating list of things to do that bring me so much joy.)

And how about you? What things boost your heart?

What's Up...Monday!

 

I had a whole post planned out for today and it failed to the fullest degree. Not even close to salvageable. 

So our plan B post for today is borrowed from the "What's Up Wednesday" series...but I don't think it's Wednesday. Even in my crazy mixed up world of never knowing what day it is, I don't think it's Wednesday. So here is my What's Up...Monday post.

1. What we're eating this week.

I'm actually pretty excited to answer this one now that I'm back to hard core menu planning. (It was a rough many-months there for a while, but we're back on track.) Today for lunch we're having Deep Dish Spaghetti Squash Pizza - which is a Dashing Dish recipe. We're also having salad to go with it. Tonight we'll have Crispy Air Fried Chicken Tenders (Dashing Dish again) and steamed veggies. Or more salad. Whatever we feel like. Tomorrow is finally a day off for us, so we'll be out and about, and I have no idea what we'll eat then. We'll keep it healthy. Wednesday we'll have leftovers from today. Later in the week we'll add in some 15 Minute BBQ Rubbed Chicken, and White Cheddar and Broccoli Spaghetti Squash Bake (both of those are Dashing Dish recipes too) and some Chicken fajitas - and lots of leftovers. We're also loving yogurt with homemade granola for breakfast, grapes and apples for snacks, and our fruit smoothies that I told you about a few weeks ago. (I also plan to make a few protein packed desserts for Ryan to have this week too.) And to drink? Tons of water and coffee flavored water, too! ;) 

2. What we're reminiscing about.

Vacations of yore. I have been pulling out one scrapbook per night for us to look through - to remember all the fun we've had on vacations we've taken. It's helped take the sting out of a year where a pandemic and a new job with no earned vacation days (yet) have really cut back on the travel fun! Currently we're reliving 2016 and having a blast seeing our pictures.

3. What I'm loving.

Working with Ryan. This is a dream we've had for our whole marriage, and we have sure gotten some strange looks when we've shared our dream with people. We get that most people don't aspire to work with their spouse, and that's okay, but we were positive we wanted to, and we are loving it as much as we thought we would! I'm also loving (especially as we head into winter) living and working in the same building. Serious game changer. 

4. What we've been up to.

Working. Lots and lots of working. We had an extended stretch, and today is day ten. Tomorrow we have a day off, and we're so excited about it! We've also been up to resuming healthier eating and feeling really good about that. I dearly miss desserts, but I dearly love my pants fitting, so I'll sit with fond memories of desserts! We've also been up to working on Abby in our down time. 

5. What I'm dreading.

Going back to the dentist. We went sometime within the last month, and they didn't like what they saw in me. I am not sure if that's because I'm worse or because they don't know what a dental train wreck I can be. I am planning to call my old dentist this week to see if I can get some insight. (I feel like I remember my dear Jyl, who was the dental assistant who carried me through the last 6 years, regularly telling the dentist things like "That's really good...for her." So I feel like I might not be in as bad of shape as the new dentist thinks, because I'm just a mess to begin with.) My last visit was also very painful (physically and mentally) so I'm not super excited to go back for this follow-up. 

6. What I'm working on.

All the Christmas stuff. Our cards came in, so we need to make our final list so we can get those sent out. I need to do the final touches on the anniversary trip prep. I've been waiting and waiting because I feel like our options are subject to change until the last minute - in terms of what will be open and what our options will be. Our governor just set our state back a phase or two, so I don't know what that means for any of the stuff we have planned. And Justine and I are also working hard on Thanksgiving and Christmas prep for WillowBridge!

7. What I'm excited about.

DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Does that adequately convey my deep joy? If not, I can't help you. We are about to be reunited with all our Christmas decor, and I am going to take every single moment of our next stretch off work to deck the daylights out of our halls. I'm going to wear the Christmas clothes, listen to the music, watch the Hallmark movies, plug in the lights, diffuse the oils, and turn this place into Christmasville. BRING IT ON!!!!!!

8. What I'm watching/reading.

I don't really have time to read - other than my devos. I just started a new study from The Daily Grace Company on The Fruit of the Spirit, so I'm excited to continue that. Watching? All the food shows and all the Christmas movies. Oh! And a lot of Natalie Raynes piano hymns on YouTube. 

9. What I'm listening to.

Hmmm - football, right now. Ryan is knee deep in watching a game. Also listening to a train go by. We have tons of trains here, so we hear that whistle blow a million times a day. 

10. What I'm wearing.

My jammies at the moment. That is the ONE downside of living at work. When I'm on duty, I need to stay in real-people clothes until I'm really really really done for the day - or at least done seeing people - which isn't until about 9:30 at night. As a girl who likes to climb into comfies by dinner time, that's been a change. 

11. What I'm doing this weekend.

I'm not counting tomorrow as a weekend (even though it is one of our weekend days) since we only get the one day this time and it's full of errands. But we do have four days off coming up, and that's when I'm having the decorating palooza!

12. What I'm looking forward to next month.

How about we go with "within" the next month - since today is not the end of a month? I actually have lots of things I'm really looking forward to! Have I mentioned being excited about decorating for Christmas? I'm also SUPER excited to live in a small town for Christmas, because they have some Hallmark-y sorts of Christmas things planned. Tree lighting, something about a reindeer (?), Santa, etc. I'm excited to see the town all decked out for Christmas. I'm also really excited to celebrate Thanksgiving with our tenants, decorate the Community Room with them for Christmas, and plan for the WillowBridge Christmas. I'm SUPER excited for our eighth wedding anniversary, too! 

13. What else is new?

Hmmm....I can't think of anything, really! I think you're pretty caught up!

The Shafferland Shuffle

 

It has been a long, long week here in the land of Shaffer. Not a bad week, but definitely a long one. We've been on an extended work stretch, and our minds are starting to get a little muddled. Maybe I'll learn a thing or two about what happened this week as I tell you! (Edit: I learned I didn't document much of the actual work we did this week, but rest assured, it did happen!)

* Last Sunday was sunshine and smoothies all the way to church! We had just a few days of warm weather left before the cold set in, so that afternoon, Ryan added some paint to Abby's fridge and freezer. It made a HUGE difference. No more wooden fridge! Since it was so pretty and warm, we made sure to take time for a long walk on our favorite path. 

* Monday was the next-to-the-last last warm day, and OH how pretty it was. I took some leaf pictures, because I feared they would soon be gone (and I wasn't wrong). Ryan finished all the touch up paint in Abby JUST in the nick of time before the cold. Ryan did a driver's ed study session with one of our tenants that night, and I rocked the baby while they worked. (Tough gig, right?) And right about the time we were finally sitting down for the night, the power went out in the building - and across town. Our first power outage since we've been here. Fortunately it came back pretty quickly, and we have great emergency lights here!

* We started out our Tuesday taking one of the girls to the BMV for her permit test. I hung out in the car with the baby while she and Ryan went in to test. When we got home, Ryan scurried to do the last lawn mowing of the season - and he treated the yard, too. And then? One more walk. Found the horses up close this time! They are so beautiful!

* We moved to indoor projects on Wednesday, because the cold arrived right on schedule. We knocked out a bunch of WillowBridge work, and then Ryan cleaned hinges from Abby so he could spray paint them. So he spent some time with steel wool and COKE, of all things! Worked pretty well! And check out our fancy new stainless steel straws we got for our smoothie cups! (We had been using some straws I got back when I worked at the station, but that box of 500 finally ran out, so we purchased reusable ones!) The last picture is our glazed-over late-night look!

* We woke up to a hard frost on Thursday morning, but it was SO PRETTY! I took some pictures while I waited to do a transportation run. Ryan worked on spray painting the freshly painted hinges that day - and he said the attempt went pretty well! (Cheaper than all new hinges!) And since it was so cold outside, it was a soup and salad day for us! Yummy!! 

* Friday morning I enjoyed my coffee in a new coffee cup (gift from one of our tenants) - and it changes colors! How fun is that?!?!? Also exciting in Friday's news...our Christmas cards arrived! We loved how they looked! We were able to get out for a few hours that evening to get groceries, and while we were out, my Good Samaritan husband volunteered us to push a car that was stranded on a busy road. I was not in the right shoes for that, but I helped as much as my limited upper body strength would allow. We also learned that pushing a car in cold temps is rough on the lungs! We finished our work day close to midnight...picking up leftover Panera, sorting it, and taking it over to the Gateway campus! 

* Yesterday was a work day for us, but it was blissfully low-key, which was a blessing. We started out the day with more driving testing/training with one of the tenants, and then I caught up on some computer work. It was kind of a blah day outside, so I was glad to be able to work from the couch - while watching Braeya nap. When we got to the end of the day, I was so hungry and realized I had missed eating one of my protein servings - no wonder! Ryan was a sweetie and made me some scrambled eggs! 

The Saturday Six

 

One.

I love traditions so very much, and if you've been reading here any length of time, you probably know this. I loved these words Barbara Rainey wrote about Thanksgiving and how to keep tradition alive, even if your gatherings this year are likely to look different than they always have. 

Two.

I will tell you right now that Shafferland will NOT be having a Charcuterie board for Thanksgiving. (Although if I had thought about this earlier, this honestly could have been our dinner. But I have a whole menu planned out and I don't want to change it now!) BUT! I'm showing you this post because I found it fascinating to see the step-by-step process of putting it together. And if you do want to make one, it will show you exactly what you need, how much, and how to cut and assemble the whole thing. 

Three.

We're working on adding more protein into our eating plan, because we usually run low on it by the end of our long days. I found this list of easy protein snacking ideas, so I'm sharing it with you - and with us! What's your favorite protein snack? (Mine is Greek yogurt.)

Four.

I'm not sure why these bark recipes fascinate me so much, but they do! The salted caramel cookie butter one is especially drool-worthy, I feel. Which one would you pick? And why am I thinking about food so much this week? :) 

Five.

Found these Thanksgiving Mad Libs...just in case you need a little extra fun for your Thanksgiving day coming up!

Six.

Source

I finished another Daily Grace Company Bible study this week...and this one was on The Lord's Prayer! Like many of you, I'm sure, I learned this prayer when I was a child, and I can probably sing the song in my sleep. (Used to be able to sign it, too, but I'm not sure I still know all how to do it all.) When Ryan's mom was sick, she found it difficult to concentrate in prayer, so she would often recite this instead, and toward the end of her life, the whole family would recite it together with her. In fact, after her funeral, it was the last thing we all did before leaving for the cemetery. We stood at the front of the church and said the Lord's Prayer together.

It's a great thing to be so familiar with a section of Scripture, and it's equally wonderful to have so many specific memories associated with words from the Bible. But the danger lies in just spouting off the words without actually stopping to think about what they mean. I had reached that point with this passage, so I was eager to dive into the study and learn.

And...that's exactly what I did. This three week study begins with explaining the importance of prayer and why it matters how we pray. The last two weeks focus on one phrase at a time from the prayer. 

After studying the whole book, I realized how much richer and deeper this prayer is than I ever fully comprehended. It helped me see ways in which every prayer I offer should be focused on the glory and holiness of God above all. It's not a poem to recite as much as a model for the attitude of our hearts as we come to the Lord in prayer.

I also hadn't realized how many other verses in the Bible connect to the phrases in the Lord's prayer. I really enjoyed reading and exploring them as I studied.

Whether you're a brand new believer or a lifelong Christian, I'm pretty sure this study will help you see a familiar passage in a rich and full way. I absolutely recommend! (There is also a men's version of this study if you want to do this study together with your husband - or have gift-giving options!)

Your Link in the Chain Matters

I give you glimpses quite often into life at WillowBridge, and as you know, we do a little bit of everything around here. One thing I don't talk about too often (mostly because it's not something we can really document in pictures or go into detail about) is the amount of advice we give.

Yes, we do things with and for our tenants. We drive them places, help them figure out things they don't know how to do, plan community events, and take care of office and building tasks, but in between all those things, we have a lot of conversations. 

We listen to conundrums and give advice. We listen to frustrations and give advice. We listen to confusions and give advice. We listen to dreams and give advice. It's simultaneously one of the greatest and hardest parts of the job. It's the greatest because it's the connection part that both of us love so much. It's the chance to try to make a lasting difference. It's a chance to plant seeds. It's a chance to do something that feels truly meaningful in a Kingdom-impacting way. It's the hardest, because all we can do is share our hearts. We can't make the tenants listen, agree, or try anything we suggest.

And just like with any relationship, it's hard to have a deep heart-to-heart and walk away feeling like our words melted right into the floor. 

The other day, I was having a conversation (not a heart-to-heart or even a personal session - just a conversation) with one of the counselors from Gateway Woods, and she gave me this analogy that immediately stuck and has been so helpful for me as I think about life. ALL of life. Not just life with our tenants, but life in every single relationship I have.

Below is my paraphrase of what she said...she said it way more eloquently. 

She said our interactions in life are links in a chain. When we join up with another person's story, we become a link in their chain.

But we don't know what number we are in that chain.

The chain for this part of their story might be 500 links long. We might be link #30. 

Everyone wants to be link #500. The important link. The one that finally anchors to the answer. The link everyone remembers.

But we don't all get to be that link. 

Nevertheless, our link still matters. It's necessary to the completion of the chain. Without our contribution, the whole chain breaks. Link #500 can't happen, because link #30 didn't show up and do its part.

I don't know if that grabs you the way it did me, but that was so helpful. 

I have no idea what link number we are in our tenants' chains. I have no idea what link number we are in any relationship we have in our lives. But I am freshly reminded that we matter. We are serving a purpose. Our time of listening and sharing is most certainly not wasted, even if it appears our words are forgotten or even flat-out disregarded.

It's the same for you, my friend. You words and investment matter in the relationships you're in. Even when you think no one is listening or retaining anything you offer, you still matter. Don't abandon the chain. You may be early in the links, but without you, there will be a detrimental break in the story.

Your link matters.

Some of our Favorites!

 Ryan and I have been watching a lot of foodie shows lately. I claim it satisfies my need for carbs. Can't overload on them in reality, but not a single calorie crawls through that screen! :) 

The other day we watched several episodes of The Best Thing I Ever Ate, so of course it got me thinking about some of our favorites from our 8 years of marriage. Then I almost chickened out of making a list, because I didn't want anyone who ever took us somewhere to think we hated it if we didn't list it here. Rest assured, every food-related page of our scrapbook says something like "AND IT WAS SOOOOO GOOD!" 

These are not THE top ten, but they are A top ten of some of our favorites through the years.

1. Old Salty Dog - Sarasota, Florida

We will start with this one because it was one of the first places we ate after we got married. I think my friend Christi had recommended it to us in her list of ideas for our honeymoon. (She lived locally and sent me a list of places to go and eat that she thought we might enjoy, and we actually tried several of her suggestions!) Ryan wanted to try this one because it had been featured on Man vs. Food. He also wanted to eat what the guy on the show tried: the foot long beer battered hot dog loaded with multiple kinds of cheese, mushrooms, onions, and other things. I went for a smaller choice: beer battered hot dog bites. It felt like an appetizer compared to his! We both loved the food that is absolutely not healthy for you in ANY way at all. And though it was dark when we went, there was something extra delightful about sitting out on the porch, overlooking the water and the city lights in the distance - in December. We would go again for the food AND the atmosphere!  (Side note: it appears on their site that there is now a location in Siesta Key where we were married, but if it was there then, we didn't know about it. We went to the one I linked above.) 

2. Silver Beach Pizza - St. Joseph, Michigan

I'm drooling writing this one, just so you know. When we went on our second annual birthday trip to Holland, Michigan, many things turned out to be a disaster about that trip. It was winter in May, so we had to wear hats, gloves, and coats whilst romping on the beach. Our hotel was so awful that we actually left - something neither of us have ever done before or since. And OH! There were no tulips at the Tulip Time Festival that year. But one thing that went so, so right was our discovery of Silver Beach Pizza. It's actually in St. Joseph, Michigan, which we passed through on our way to Holland. Some of my WBCL buddies who love going to St. Joseph for the weekend told me about it, and we tried it out. GREAT choice. Even in the frigidness, we enjoyed eating by the window and seeing Lake Michigan just beyond the beach. We loved it so much that when we took a weekend trip there a couple of summers ago, we went back, just to give it a try in the summer! That day the windows (which are actually glass garage doors) were open and we could look right outside. This building is also a train depot, so the tracks run RIGHT by it! Atmosphere aside, the food is scrumptious. Those breadsticks are so soft and perfect - and the pizza is all good. I think last time we got the Whirlpool Wonder. YUM.

3. Scoops Ice Cream - Chilton, Wisconsin

I love me some ice cream. And to be honest with you, I don't think there's ever been an ice cream I didn't like. But when you still remember a very specific ice cream four years after you ate it, it should be on the list, right? Back in 2016, Ryan and I took our birthday trip in conjunction with a speaking engagement I had. It was in Chilton, Wisconsin, which is a small town not too terribly far from Green Bay. Our friends Tom and Olivia lived there at the time and we stayed with them. They took us to several of their favorite restaurants and coffee shops while we were with them, and one of those stops was to Scoops Ice Cream. I ordered Sea Salt Caramel (because of course) and it was so good that Ryan took me back again the next night, while we were on a date on our own. Furthermore, Olivia bought a pint of it one time and shipped it home to me with her mom! It is seriously the best salted caramel ice cream I've ever had - and there was just something about the way they made the ice cream itself - flavor aside - that was absolute perfection. Wisconsin is, after all, the land of dairy. I'd expect their ice cream to be the best. 

4. Shaka Shack Coffee Shop - Monroe, IN

In all our county tour travels, we find a local coffee shop before we come home. And we go to lots and lots of local coffee shops on our vacations. Each one is unique in its atmosphere, and we love coffee, so we love whatever we find wherever we go! It feels almost like trying to pick a favorite child to choose a favorite coffee shop. But the Shaka Shack in the tiny burg of Monroe, Indiana was the second county tour coffee shop we ever visited, and it is still our favorite. We have been back many, many times. (Helps to have friends living in the area!) The coffee is top notch, the atmosphere is fun, and we love the mission! The first time we went, the owner even treated us to a bunch of samples of hot and frozen coffees beyond what we purchased, so we've tried lots of flavors. Never have found a bad one! (Bonus: we also got to sign our name on the wall!)

5. Kings Island - Cincinnati, OH

I will not make Ryan claim this as part of his top ten, but I still talk about this meal with great regularity, so it HAS to make this list. Last December we went to WinterFest at Kings Island as part of our anniversary trip. (It was so much fun, by the way. Highly recommend.) The ticket we bought came with a meal voucher. We could choose any of the little food kiosks in the whole park and get a meal, drink, and hot chocolate or coffee with our voucher. We picked one at random - and OH my goodness. I don't remember the exact name of the little place, but I can tell you about the food. The concept was similar to Chipotle - building a bowl of food with all kinds of toppings. But instead of a rice base, you could choose between macaroni and cheese or tater tots. I chose the mac and Ryan took the tots. Then we built it up with meat, cheese, pico, you name it. I ate every. single. bite. I never eat every single bite of any meal out. Ever. Ryan was kind of in awe, I think. That meal was so calorie laden, but SO good. (By the way - Ryan laughed out loud that this made my top ten.)

6. Duck Donuts (Raleigh, NC)  AND Rise n Roll (Shipshewana, IN)

The only tie on my entire list. Donuts took me down. :) I love donuts but confess that cake donuts are not my favorite. I'm a yeast donut girl all the way. But when we were on our Friendtastic Fifth Anniversary trip, our friends Nate and Jenna took us to Duck Donuts in Raleigh, and they forever have my cake donut heart. Duck Donuts is actually a franchise that began in Duck, North Carolina, and now they have locations across the US. It is possible that we have been known to drive up to a half hour out of our way to find a location - and we have visited ones in North Carolina, Ohio, and Kansas. These little donuts are served warm and dipped in the frosting combo of your choice right in front of you before being handed over in the box. Ryan and I can polish off a half dozen in record time and I'm not ashamed to say it. The photo above was from our inaugural visit. I'll spare you the dozens of Duck Donut pictures we've taken since!

Now for Rise n Roll. These amazing donuts got their start in the Amish country of Shipshewana, Indiana, and around here they are known as Amish Crack. They really are addictive. I'll give them that! The original Rise n Roll is a plain yeast donut with this amazing, mysterious caramelly, powdered sugary, cinnamony goodness all over it. They also have several other versions of donuts and they're all good in my opinion. They're also opening new locations, and one of them is just ten minutes down the road from us. Send help now! These are so, so, SO good. (The picture of the building is the original Rise n Roll.) 

7. Jack Stack BBQ - Kansas City, MO

We have eaten a LOT of BBQ in our marriage. It's one of Ryan's favorite things, and I sure don't mind! And again - we've loved nearly every one we've tried. So good. But the one I picked was an extra special stop on our Midwest Meandering trip a couple of years ago. We were passing through Kansas City (which we learned is famous for its BBQ) and Ryan's boss recommended Jack Stack BBQ. We got so full at that dinner that we had no room left to try out the dessert place I'd picked out! (Next trip!) They have a few locations, but we ate at the one right by the canal. (Where we promptly attempted to walk off all we'd just eaten.) We split a platter so we could try a variety of what they had to offer, and Ryan quite literally licked that platter clean. OH, so good. 

8. Guy Fieri's Smokehouse - Louisville, KY

We've been on two Carnival cruises in our marriage, and both times we made multiple trips to the little Guy's Burgers kiosk on the ship. (You know...Guy Fieri from the Food Network?) Those burgers are so so good. So when we went to Louisville a couple of years ago for our anniversary, I discovered a Guy Fieri Smokehouse in their downtown area. I told Ryan we had to go. Had to! Took a lot of convincing, but he finally got on board with the idea. ;) We had a pretty mild night for December and got to eat in an area that is normally outdoor seating, but they had enclosed it for the winter. We got to look out at the Christmas lights, and it was so fun! And so good. Ryan got some huge burger on a pretzel bun, and I got the mac and cheese burger. And I could only eat half. The rest made a separate meal. 

9. Who Cut the Cheese Food Truck - Fort Wayne, IN 

We have never really lived in an area that had a bunch of food trucks, so we haven't visited too many. HOWEVER...this one made a lasting impression. You might remember that back in 2017, we did a year of alphabetically inspired dates, and our date for the letter T was a TINY house tour and food TRUCK lunch. We visited Fort Wayne and went to Foodstock 2017. I mean doesn't that name alone just make you so happy? We tried things from three different trucks (splitting all of them) but this sandwich was my favorite. The truck itself was called "Who Cut the Cheese" - and the sandwich was called The Three Little Pigs. It had bacon, black forest ham, and pulled pork with BBQ sauce and cheese - on grilled bread with a side of pickle.. (Mouth still watering. This post is killing me.) I checked and this truck appears to still be in business. I might need to find it again. 

10. Prodigy Burger Bar - Kokomo, IN

We'll wrap up this list with one of our favorite places in Kokomo. It was relatively new before we left, but Ryan had declared he wanted to go and try every single one of their burgers. The burgers are delicious and the fries come in the cutest little basket on the planet. We went a handful of times when we lived in Kokomo, but we will have to go back many more times to hit all the burgers. This is, hands-down, my favorite place to take pictures of Ryan eating burgers. They are HUGE!!

So now I pretty much just want one of each of the things I wrote about. And a few more things on the side just for fun!! Any of you been to any of these places?