Sunday Snapshots: Memorable Moments from the Weekend

 

How do I even condense this week into one tiny post? It has been a roller coaster of a week. I think I’ve had all the emotions…some multiple times. Whew. Here are a few – just a few – of the memorable moments!

One of my main goals for the early part of the week was to spend as much time as possible with Ryan and Lexi, because I knew I’d have to be gone for a few days and missing them is always so hard for me. I soaked up every hug, every walk, every mundane moment we had together!

You wouldn’t believe my Monday if I told you. It involved Lexi’s grooming appointment going way long, a hospital visit gone awry, more literal detours than I could count, and a really rough grade on an assignment for school. Ryan was a GEM and cleaned up a lotta tears.

 I spent all of Tuesday at a hospital for work. I spent most of the day alone in the waiting room, so I knocked out a lot of work. There was also possibly an incident in which I did not realize my earbuds were not connected to my computer, and I blasted my ambient jazz music to the entire waiting room. #classicbekah

Saying goodbye to Ryan and then Lexi when I left for the staff retreat was NOT easy. (Lexi literally jumped into my arms for another hug as I was trying to walk out the door, and I did not survive that without tears.) But oh my goodness, what a beautiful retreat center we enjoyed while we were gone! And this team is so good. I really love being part of them.

While I was retreating, Ryan had the chance to host an open house at Swiss Village! It’s the closest to being a real estate agent he will probably ever experience, and he had a lot of fun doing it! I was excited for him to get to enjoy something new and different. (I was also very sad to miss visiting in person!)

My last morning at the retreat center, I sat out by the pond and watched the sunrise. (This is much easier to do since it happens after 7 a.m.) That was a sweet moment, but so was my reunion with Lexi and then Ryan when he came home from work! I missed them so much!!!

Yesterday Ryan tore out our garden and put fresh mulch over it for the winter. He brought in a basket full of the last of the produce, which is honestly the biggest harvest we’ve had all year. Not our most stellar garden year, but there’s always a new chance next year, right?

Saturday Suggestions: Inspirations for Your Weekend

 

I am home from my time away at our church staff retreat, and my mind is still slowly working through all the great conversations and brainstorms. Despite the busy week, I found some fun things to share with you…so enjoy!

Right after Ryan and I were married, I started binge-watching the first season of Downton Abbey. I ended up watching a couple of the seasons and then wandered away, more because of busyness than lack of interest. I know just enough about the storylines and characters to be dangerous and not enough to carry on an informed conversation. But knowing enough made me appreciate this post of a tour of Highclere Castle, where Downton was filmed. Even if you haven’t watched any of Downton Abbey, I think you’ll enjoy this post. (She wasn’t allowed to take pictures inside, but I thought she did a great job describing what she saw, despite the photo rule.) BONUS: If you’re a Downton Abbey fan, you might also like this tour of Michelle Dockery’s home in London! Even if you have no idea who she is, if you love a good accent, watch the tour!

I love a good before/after, and this cottage redo is just that. I don’t have the same decorating taste in every room, but there were many things in here that I thought were just so adorable – like the couch, the kitchen backsplash, and the windowboxes. Cute little place! BONUS: Speaking of a cute, adorable place, look at this one!! WHOA!

I’m not a huge tablescape person…at least yet. We do eat at the table every day, and we use real dishes (and cloth napkins, usually)…but I don’t leave our table set on the regular, because we also use that space for other things. But this is just as cute as it can be. I love the blue!!!

I think this is one of the best posts I’ve ever read about creating a cozy home. I especially love that Heidi doesn’t push her advice toward any certain decorating style. She points out that what looks and feels cozy to one person may not to another. The post guides you through using the five senses to achieve the coziness at home that makes you happy. (Tons of links in there, too!)

We have family photos coming up in just over a month, and I’m so excited that Candace has released her annual family outfit roundup. I actually do get good ideas from her from these, even though we don’t have kids. And it’s just fun to look at clothes! 😊 BONUS: Megan’s series of capsule wardrobes for fall 2025 feature different stores, so you can pick where you like to shop and build from there!

I’m not a pumpkin spice hater, but I’m also not a diehard. I am not one who counts down the days until all the pumpkin spice everything invades all the stuff from coffee to pasta sauce. 😊 BUT! I would be willing to try making this homemade sauce for coffee to see how it tastes.

Prayer Walks

 

For the last two days, I’ve been gone on our church’s annual staff retreat. I’ve heard about this retreat, but this is my first time to attend as part of the church staff. I’ll be honest…being apart from Ryan is one of my least favorite things in life, and while he was invited to attend (all spouses can), it did not work out for him to do so this year. (He had work commitments, plus we were just gone on vacation, so we had to be responsible adults and divide and conquer this time.)

                But that hard part aside, I really enjoyed the time with my friends and the time at the beautiful retreat center where we stayed. My goodness. We had absolutely perfect weather, and the property had wonderful trails where I could take prayer walks and enjoy the stunning beauty that comes with a proper Midwestern fall.

                My mind has been full and heavy with prayer concerns, and it was just sweet to walk the paths over and over, sharing my heart honestly with the Lord – and sometimes not saying anything of note at all. Sometimes I just walked. I trusted Him to know my heart even though I didn’t know what to say.

                Today I thought I’d share with you some of the pictures from those walks. Enjoy!

Fall in Shafferland

 

The “ber” months have arrived, so even though the weather clings to warmth, it was time to decorate the house for fall. I’ve simplified our fall décor over the years, and it feels (finally) representative of our style! Plus, so many of these pieces hold stories of significance, and that matters to me.

                When we pulled the fading summer flowers out of the planters to make room for mums, I saved a few of the funky green sprigs for these bottles on the dining room table. Free decorations!

                Our new fireplace received a fall makeover. (Found that pumpkin at a garage sale a few years ago.)

                This pumpkin was a gift from a women’s retreat group. It was their craft project, and they gifted me the sample. I think of them every year when I decorate. I loved their retreat. Ryan and I had a little cottage all to ourselves, the retreat center was on a lake, and I ate the best cinnamon roll of my life at one of their breakfasts.

                This sign in our main bathroom is one of my best thrift store impulse buys. I love it.

                Some flowers in Lexi’s room. Over time I’d love to tone down the color of my fall flowers. But a little brightness never hurt, right?

                Some flowers in our room, paired with our photos from last fall. We’re about a month out from fall photos rolling around again, and I’m excited to see what they look like this year!

                This little vignette is new this year. I thrifted this stand this summer, and I found these little pumpkins at the flower stand last weekend. The jars were Dollar General finds, and I filled them with tiny snacks: pumpkin seeds and peanuts. I should add some ribbon around the jars for some color!

                 A little fall on the shelf above the stairway:

                A couple of pieces downstairs:

                This is new this year! My sister gifted it to me this summer. Her sister-in-law made it for her Etsy shop and Lori gave it to us as a thank you for hosting them when they stayed here. I love it!

                I’ve had this little sign for years and put it in my bathroom to remind me how to begin my days!

                I just added a couple little pieces to our living room, and now it feels complete!

                The leaves have already started falling and blowing into our yard, we planted mums in the planters in front of the garage, and we put this cute little pillow on our glider.

                Welcome, fall!

Choosing Simple

 

Last week I read a post from Erin at Simply Purposeful Living, and it has rooted deeply in my mind. I want to share it with you today.

                She said, “More and more influencers are moving to the country for a slower pace of life, and between me and you – it made me realize something. We all crave nostalgia. Quiet. Simplicity. Some people even sell everything and move in search of it. But here’s what I’ve learned: busy will find you anywhere.

“I live in a small ‘quiet’ town and my own fire pit was more idea than experience. Our front porch went unused. We had the ‘stuff’ of leisure but not the practice of it. Slowing down takes work, right? No one ever tells you that. It’s not passive – it’s a choice that you make over and over again.

“But here’s why it matters: Those intentional moments are the ones that always make it into my gratitude journal. I never write ‘scroll social media.’ Not once. But when I choose to go on a bike ride, or sit by the fire, or go to dinner with friends – I write it down every time. And maybe that’s the secret.

“My gratitude journal doesn’t just record what fills me with joy – it shows me the map. It reminds me where my joy actually lives so I can choose it again on purpose.”

                I have thought about that quote every single day since I read it. (And it’s a long quote to consider!)

                To have “the stuff of leisure but not the practice of it…” presses on my heart. How many of us spend hours upon hours creating a haven for ourselves, but then we never practice enjoying that haven?

                Ryan and I worked intentionally this summer to make time to enjoy our little corner of the lake. We made time for boat rides and sunset strolls and bike rides and picnics and pretty flowers. It’s been one of my favorite summers for that very reason, and I hope that practice continues into fall. After all, it should be more palatable to sit outside in the cooler weather!

                I want to choose…again and again…simplicity. Books instead of scrolling. Sitting instead of stressing. Talks instead of TV. Busy really will find me anywhere. It’ll find me everywhere. The choice for my time is mine.