Our Anniversary Staycation

Here's my honey with a little bit of "scruff" as I call it.  I liked it, but it didn't last long, he likes a clean cut!  We started our 9th Anniversary off at this local restaurant.  We got all dolled up and enjoyed our fine dining.  We love this place, but save it for special occasions.  Our server was my cousin Bev's daughter, she was so good to us.  At the end of our meal she brought us a dessert with "Happy Anniversary Jake and Janelle" written in chocolate!  It was awesome.....and I didn't have my camera!  We lingered for hours and then went to see "Courageous" on it's opening night.  A MUST SEE. Just wish we would have had tissues.  Lots of crying and so much inspiration.

On Saturday morning I had a 90 minute in-home massage!  It was GLORIOUS and such a treat.  The treat part was rolling off the table and into bed for a mid-morning nap after the massage!  Didn't even have to drive anywhere!  We lounged around here and then spent the day in the charming little towns around us.  

Namely Ephrata and Lititz.

 We ate lunch here. Oh my goodness gracious, that food was OUTSTANDING.  I've always heard that "pub food" is so good, but this place totally outdid itself.

 Half way through our meal this guy comes up behind us, (we were at the bar) and wraps his arms around Jake and I loudly proclaiming, "I knew it was you guys!!!"  We were delighted to see our old friend Josh Hendershott.  We've known him since he was a kid, but it's been years since we've touched base.  He was a bartender there and again, we were treated like royalty.  Food, drinks, desserts, he just kept them coming, all on the house!  Such a surprise and very special to us!  If you ever go there, you MUST have their famous sticky toffee pudding, (Shar~you and Ben would LOVE it here). 

 With our bellies filled we hit the town, (my gracious husband allowing me to get my eye full of all the charming vintage shops that Lititz has to offer).  thanks baby! 

 We ended our day here, eating more desserts, drinking chai and the.best.hot.chocolate.i've.ever had, (the lady literally melted the chocolate before making it)!  And she whipped the fresh cream before my eyes!  Deeeelish!!

 The rain started coming down pretty hard right after we entered.  The back door was wide open so we pulled up a seat as close as we could, to hear the rain and enjoy the company.  We read books and magazines, talked when we wanted to and then I beat him in this marble game like 18 3 times in a row.  I'm totally buying him this for Christmas. 

Sunday morning we slept in. We did nothing.  It was amazing.  We fed ourselves, drank hot coffee,  read and stayed in pj's until noon.  We simply EXISTED.  Our kiddies came home around 1pm on Sunday.

As I mentioned in the last post, once I got my attitude in check and put on my perspective glasses, it was a wonderful time. We are so fortunate to have one another, to be in love with one another and to have the resources for such an extravagant experience together.  It is not the case for many that we know and love.  Truly, I feel like this time together was so good for us, (for me especially because Jake is more content by nature).  To come face to face with my entitlement mentality and to be ashamed of myself.  I didn't really know it was there, at least not so grippingly so.  Thank you to my sister for keeping our children and loving them so much.  We enjoyed EVERY MINUTE of our "staycation" I assure you.    

 "Hold my head inside your hands,
I need someone who understands.
I need someone, someone who hears,
For you, I've waited all these years."
~Coldplay~


P.s. My niece walked down the aisle to this song last Saturday afternoon!  It was BREATHTAKING! 

Anniversary & a case of the bad attitudes.

Last week was a bad attitude week for me.  No one would have known it from the outside looking in.  But it was there and it was threatening to rear it's ugly face to those I love most, namely my husband.  Having to make a choice to stay home instead of flying off to some foreign soil, (or even a local bed and breakfast) wasn't easy.  Why can't we just have enough to spend lavishly and do whatever we want?  I was frustrated that we had to make a decision about it, have a conversation about the wise thing to do this year.  My husband is amazing with the money he brings in, the provision and the allotment, the wisdom and foresight.  I'm the one with the crappy attitude. 

It was keeping me awake at night, my dissatisfied mind. I am married to an amazing man, we have a beautiful life together, three healthy children and a precious home, we have food in our fridge and new clothes on our backs, the list goes on and on. And yet, I had the audacity to allow myself to get worked up about not going AWAY for our anniversary. Give me a break. For real. 

 Don't get me wrong, going places for your anniversary is wonderful, it's a given really, or it should be anyway.  Doing something special to set apart that day from all the others.  It's important, deeply important.  Yet, when the expectations for a good time fall only upon going away to some fancy place, or staying at the nicest hotel, or hopping on a plane out of town, then I think there needs to be a heart check and I had to have just that. 


It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, the way you look at your life and your experiences, (or lack of experiences) completely influences who you are and the life you live.  Do I have thoughts of resentment toward those that get to enjoy the "bigger and better" of life or am I willing, (and ABLE) to be satisfied with the little things?  Truly grateful for what I do have?  Shifting my mindset from something I think I deserve, to gratitude for what's in my hands? WE DESERVED something better then staying home all weekend, right?  Our marriage celebration is worth more then sending the kids off for two days and nights.  We're entitled to something grandiose, after all, we've been married nine years, (that last sentence is dripping with sarcasm). 

Here's the real facts of life:  we're not entitled to ANY GOOD THING.  All these extras on top of life, are just that, "extras".  And they are beautiful, they make life taste so sweet, they produce that wonderful "looking forward to something" feeling, they fill us with happiness.  But where is my JOY found?  Is it in the experiences I have with Jake, the places we go and the things we see and do?  Or is it found in him, just him and I and a hot chocolate?  The simplicity of togetherness.  I'm reminded of a quote by D.H. Lawrence that hung by my bedside during our dating years, I type it from memory.  "To be content in bliss, without desire or insistence anywhere. This was heaven, to be together in happy stillness."

My thoughts last week were focused not on our love, but on the way we celebrated our love.  That somehow is was less than because we decided to stay home and save a couple hundred dollars.  Hear me out, we hope there is a day that we can pick any place we choose and go there with ease.  If that's the case for you, that is AWESOME, truly!  Hop on the plane and get the heck out of here and ENJOY!  And if it isn't and you have a tough time with that knowledge, that's the place where I'm writing from tonight.


It's Sunday evening and the children are back  home.  We've missed them, the house was so quiet.  Eerily so at night with three empty beds.  This weekend we had together was perfect for us.  It was cozy and quiet and simple, yet full of wonderful things.  I'll share a bit more of what we did and where we went later on.  For now, I just had to get those thoughts out of my heart. 

It really is not that important WHERE you go, it's truly about WHO you're with.  And like I said earlier, if you get to be with the one you love AND GO amazing places, that is wonderful and such a blessing for you.  Be blessed and content in that!!  I learned some contentment this weekend and I'm so glad I did.  The little things popped out to me, the sweet moments we gathered along the way.
`
The point I'm making, (mostly to myself)  is  about  contentedness and sometimes that is a process to learn and relearn.  We are encouraged in the Bible to "LEARN TO BE CONTENT".  It doesn't come naturally nor is it given freely, it must be learned.  And as with most things we learn, it happens through experience. I came upon a wonderful article this afternoon that really summed it up well.  Below is the opening paragraph.  Hope you enjoy it and I'll see you later this week: 

"Contentment is not a gift to be received but rather a lesson to be learned. Paul makes this clear in Philippians 4:11 where he says, “In whatsoever state I am in I have learned to be content.” Notice, he did not say, “In whatsoever state I am in, God gives me contentment.” Contentment is a spiritual discipline to be learned. It is a product of resolving the struggles between what we want to have and what we know God wants for us."  
~Richard Dobbins~

Summertime Dinner Club

Seriously, this school business is for real.  I.am.tired, (thus the lack of blogging, it's the last on my "list" to say the least). It's the adjustment to routine I guess, it's totally exhausting me. Sounds so stupid when I actually type it out, but it's the truth.  Somehow the days just fly by and before I know it, it's bedtime. Perhaps it's the half day thing, (Tyler's only at school until 11:30 everyday), or is this what I have to prepare myself for?  Is this the way it is, how life flies by?  One school year at a time? 

    This I know, it goes by one season at a time as well.  This past Summer we hosted our monthly dinner Club out in the gazebo.  Come join us and relive it all over again.....
"The Colors of Summer"

"Each day, awakening, are we asked to paint the sky blue?

Need we coax the sun to rise or flowers to bloom? Need we teach birds to sing, or children to laugh, or lovers to kiss? No, though we think the world imperfect, it surrounds us each day with its perfections. We are asked only to appreciate them, and to show appreciation by living in peaceful harmony amidst them. The Creator does not ask that we create a perfect world;

He asks that we celebrate it." 
 
~Robert Brault~

waiting here for You

Came upon this song via another blog this morning and just had to pass it along.
REPEAT AND ENJOY! (you'll have to mute the music first at the bottom of this page).

He is EVERYTHING HE PROMISED!!!! 

A little bit of this and that

Hi There. 

We're still here and all safe and sound. Grateful for so much. Max and Ruby is on in the background, the kids are tucked on the couch, cozy blankets wrapped around them.  I'm considering starting the first fire of the season in our woodstove. There's a definite chill in the air and it feels quite refreshing.  However, I will wear my flip-flops as long as possible into this Autumn weather

Not gonna lie, I'm really not into Fall being here already.  This has been one of the best Summer's in a long time.  We did so much together and all the children were a bit older making outtings and overnight stays that much easier.  Two years ago Paisley was a newborn, last year Jake was working all Summer on the carriage house, this year we just lived and enjoyed life.  It was sweet and treasured!  Sometimes it feels like I'm just flippin' the calender and I don't like that feeling.  Like I'm living life and it's passing me by all in one moment.  The constant of life.    

Made some grape jelly today with grapes from our vine.  That smell takes me right back to my childhood.  Standing under the arbor in our back yard.  Reaching up on my tippy-toes to pull down some of those sweet treasures.  Sucking the skin off and spitting out the rest.  I know that's not really how you're suppose to eat them, but the fear of getting a super sour one kept me from even biting into it.  I still eat them that way!  Not that you really care!  :)

a lovely picture i found online, sorry, i don't remember where.



It's "Fair" season around here.  My belly is growling just thinking about all the yummy junk I will partake of!  It's going to be cold tonight so maybe I'll pack some hot chocolate to go along with us.  That might be a nice surprise when we get back to the truck to head home. Worn out kids and warmed up bellies go well together.

We're adjusting to Tyler's new Kindergarten schedule.  I'm coming to enjoy it and not feel so bound to it.  It's only half day which means my day is really broken up, so it feels.  The mornings are going well and our routine is working.  Get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, sneakers on, watch some TV until it's time to go.  TV is the "reward" to getting everything else completed in good time.  Needless to say, Tyler is loving school.  He bounds in there each morning, calling out his friends names and waving to them from afar, catching up and chatting away, (and that's all I see until he reaches the front door).  He loves people and it's a joy to watch.  Knowing that he is making friends is wonderful and scary at the same time.  Kids can be mean.  Each morning as we approach school I say to him what was said to me my entire childhood, "have a fun, fun day and be kind to everyone."    

Chopped my hair off last week. It was just growing and growing and I called it my mane. Each evening I faithfully braided it before bed like a prairie woman so as not to be caught up in the web that was my hair. It was getting old. I should have done this a long time ago.  It feels so light and free. Locks of love on our 9th Anniversary.  That was special.  And my one sister had her hair appointment BEFORE me and my other sister had her appointment AFTER me.  We didn't even try it!  Loves it!  I missed my hair for the first few days and wondered what I had done.  Now I'm really liking it and making it my own. 

Hope you each have a lovely weekend.  I am sure some of you won't, given the circumstances you are surrounded with.  And yet, even in the midst of that, I hope you can see one thing beautiful. 

another great online find.  again, don't remember where. dear copyright people, please don't sue me

"A whiff of woodsmoke on the wind, the first chill in the air, the woods just edged in gold.  Light the first fire, time to put the 'home' in 'home sweet home'."~Susan Branch~    

9 years with Mr. Stoltzfus

My stomach is a little nervous, excited-nervous, not scared-nervous.  I get like this when I think of the journey that my husband I share.  It is so deep and takes up so much of who I am.  And most of the time I feel completely undeserving of this amazing man that I call husband.  He brings me joy unmatched here on earth, (don't be fooled, we can tick each other off too)!  He takes me just as I am.  He encourages me to be more then I am today.  He believes in me. He loves me.

He is one of the most gracious humans I know.  He works like a lion and loves like a lamb.  I don't know how he does it all.  How can he keep loving me so?  And it's only been 9 years today, just a drop in the bucket of life I pray!    

I am so in love with my husband.
I'm not afraid to shout it out from the rooftops, (or computer monitors)!!  And Lord, my desire is to whisper it in the daily actions of life.  I've got a lot of growing up to do.  A lot of self left in me, so much at times it feels impossible to be the true me.  I want to bring him JOY all the days of his life.  I want to bless him.  Encourage him. Love him good.  But I'm just a woman and I can't do it alone.  I am not a good lover when I'm out of touch with my Lover.  There are attitudes and reactions and just yuk! that needs some attention.   Thank you Jake for not giving up on me, on us.  For loving me just the way I am.  You deserve all the good that life has to offer and I hope to be apart of that goodness......may the Lord watch over us, protect us from the arrows of life and sing songs of deliverance over us!!!!     

These pictures were taken last Sunday by my friend Michelle.  She had a homework assignment, (she's in photography school) in which she needed to interpret a poem.  She needed a couple and she called on us.  Jake is such a good sport and went right along with it.  I didn't "make" him do anything.  He's a man, not my child! (Just wanted to clarify that to any scoffers out there)! :) It was a special hour together to say the least.  She took some "real" pictures too, in addition to the more posed ones for her assignment, thank you for that Michelle.  I dressed in the same outfit I wore 10 years ago during our engagement shoot. You can click here if you'd like, to see the rest of the pictures and to meet Michelle.

"My greatest fortune

in a life of brilliant experiences

has been to find you,

and to lead my life with you...."

~Winston Churchill~

13 Balloons for Tyler

Suddenly this idea popped into my head.  I couldn't wait to make it happen.  13 balloons for Tyler, one representing each year of his current and future schooling. 

Every year he'll release one less balloon.

And then on the first day of his senior year, (seems like forever from now) there he will be with one last balloon.  Makes me tear up just

 thinking about it!

 I love his facial expression here, my little Superman! 

 OH, that face!!!!  Such delight!!

And so we're off...let the journey begin.

xoxo.

"You are you.  Now, isn't that pleasant?" ~Dr. Seuss~

Martin's Bread Truck

 Several weeks ago I spotted this beauty.  Of course I had to turn around and snap a few pics of her.  I'm tellin' ya, if I had to drive a truck, I would want it to be THIS ONE! 

 She's even cute looking with her doors hanging open!
Love the robins-egg blue color and the big old pictures of bread in a bag.

 I can see it now, me cruisin' down the highway in this baby, windows open wide and music blarring! 

You know, that's just how I'd roll! 



"Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly."~Author Unknown~