Flashback Friday: Writing Your Story One Week at a Time

 

Happy Friday, my friends! I hope you’ve had a good week. We had a most beautiful night here last night. Such a gorgeous sunset! It made me want to write, which is helpful since today is writing prompt day here in this little corner of the web.

            In some of the previous weeks, we’ve talked about how quickly life changes and how taking pictures/writing about your life helps preserve the way things looked at any given point in your life. And today we want to take a look at what your first job looked like.

            What was your first job?

            How old were you when you took it?

            How did you find it?

            Did you like it?

            How much did you earn?

            How long did you work there?

            Why did you leave?

            I’m sure most of you probably already know my first job, because I’ve talked about it often. I was a babysitter!

            I always loved kids, and even when I was nine or ten years old, I would help in the church nursery, watching babies and toddlers. I think my first actual paying babysitting job came when I was about twelve. I remember a lot about that first job.

            My niece was just a few months old, and my sister needed to go somewhere for about an hour. She asked if I would babysit until my brother-in-law got home from work. Mom picked me up from school, took me out to The Comet Cone (local hamburger/ice cream restaurant) for a Coke. I was so nervous. She drove me over to my sister’s, and I spent an hour in charge of my niece. My brother-in-law was a pastor and was in his office right next door to the house, so if I needed anything, he could be there in about 30 seconds.

            The hour went very well, and it served as the start of a multi-year babysitting career. I ended up with a handful of “regulars” – mostly from church. Every now and then I would babysit for a random family that asked, but for the most part, I stayed busy with the same three or four families.

            I almost always loved this job. I loved that I had regular work, but if I had something else going on, I could always turn down a job. I loved that it gave me something to do on the weekends. I loved working for great families. One summer I had the opportunity to watch two girls every single day from 8-5. That was the best money I’d ever seen!

            One of the families I babysat for was a single mom whose husband had unexpectedly passed away when their daughter was just six weeks old. Sometimes she would go away overnight and I’d watch the kids for her. She had cable TV, and I thought that was the best bonus pay ever. After the kids went to bed, I could watch Nick at Night for hours!

            What did I earn? Are you ready for it? Two dollars an hour. I thought I was rich!

            I babysat all the way through junior high and high school and did some during college as well. Then I found my job in the Financial Aid Office and didn’t babysit nearly as often. I didn’t really leave sitting as much as I phased out of it and into something more consistent and higher paying.

            It was the perfect first job for me, and as I look back at it now, I see it prepared me well for working independently and in a freelance fashion. There are some similarities to that schedule and my speaking schedule now.

            So how about you? First job?

Celebrating Ryan's Birthday

 

Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes for Ryan over the past couple of days. He said he had such a great day and felt very loved. Since his birthday fell on a work day, we had to do celebrate in the nooks and crannies of the day, and I thought we did a pretty great job!

            I made Ryan some clean eating donuts for breakfast. They weren’t Parlor Doughnuts, but they were pretty tasty!

            At lunch time, I surprised him with a peppermint latte delivery!

            When he came home from work, we headed out for our evening of fun. We went grocery shopping!

            (I told Ryan I was sorry we had to go grocery shopping as part of the birthday trip, and he reminded me that we had the oil changed in his car on our first date, so it’s really just how we roll. Ha! Truth!)

            After the grocery shopping, we went for dinner. It was so good. Ryan wanted to get some mushrooms for appetizers and then he got a burger and I got chicken lettuce wraps. They were absolutely delicious.

            Before we left, Ryan wanted to try to win a rubber duck, and he did! Apparently he has great skill on those claw machines.

            We grabbed some fresh brew on the way home, and then it was time to open cards and presents!

            We had saved all the birthday cards that came in the mail and he opened and read them to me. It was so fun to get to hear all the kind words from everyone. He had a few gifts, so he opened those.

            And then there’s this:

            Did Ryan pick out his own gift and buy it? Yes. Did I wrap it in baby shower paper because it’s all we had? Yes. Was there enough paper to cover the entire box? No. So classy.

            Yard tools!!!

            We wrapped up the evening with Butterfinger pie and an episode of Bull.

            Ryan, it was so fun celebrating you today! I love you with my whole heart!

Happy Birthday, My Love! (Part Two)

 

            Today is one of my favorite national holidays: it’s Ryan’s birthday!!! I started his blogging birthday party yesterday, and he said it was more than enough, but, well, it’s NOT! Today I invite you to celebrate with me the joy he has brought to me personally in the last year!

Ryan, what would I do without you? I don’t ever want to know.

This past year, you championed my wannabe gardener dreams by hauling home dirt and creating a garden bed for me. You helped me with watering duty on the days when I didn’t have time to get everything done, and you celebrated with me when the harvest came, and I was SO EXCITED that I actually did this thing. And you didn’t even get angry when my prolific tomatoes smothered part of the yard.

You were willing to pray and talk about major life changes that surprised us both, and even though God closed the door, you’ll never know how much it meant to me that you were willing to pursue its opening. You might have taught me more through your willingness than anything else!

You always set a good example for me by courageously learning new things – like paddleboarding! I love how you see everything as an adventure, and you call me to do the same, which I need. I’m not naturally courageous. Thanks for inviting me to join you in trying.

You helped me with our garage sale and were willing to do all the math! You helped me sort all the things we sold, took vacation time to sit with me for the sale, and handled all the handful of customers who made me leery. 😉

You drove to Ohio with me on a rainy night so I had company for a work event. In fact, you willingly learned all the facets of my job right alongside me so you could have conversations with me about what I do. You encouraged me when I was down and celebrated with me when things went well. And you held down the fort (and Lexi’s care) at home every single time I had to travel.

You encouraged me during the Amazing Race, when I thought I couldn’t do it anymore. When I didn’t think I could hit the stupid nail one more time in the nail challenge, you stood right beside me and urged me to stop crying and keep going. You cheered for me through a two-minute plank and have told everyone that my shining moments were the Bible quiz and the plant alphabetizing. We all know I was the weakest link of that team, but thanks for finding what I did well and reminding me of it. 

You make every little date - even the ones to Aldi and Dunkin’ – so much fun (7/7, 9/22). I will say yes every time when you ask me out.

           

You make every vacation fun, too! Lighthouses…fish boils…hiking dunes…I pick you every time.  And I love it that our vacations are the most fun because we’re together, even if we’re just watching movies in an Airbnb because the weather is too gross to do anything else. Oh the stories we’ve accumulated from our trips. Gold. Pure gold.

You went with me to the flower patch date night, which I recognize was much more my idea than yours, but you had fun anyway, and I loved that night.

You have taken me on ice cream dates many times this past year, and I love you for every one of those times. 

We kayaked and enjoyed so many quiet days at home in the summer. Let’s not forget to be purposeful about time preserved at home together.

You learned to mill wheat and bake bread with me – and it’s one of my favorite things we do together. I know were a bit skeptical about the adventure when we started, but I think you love it as much as (or maybe more than!) I do. Let’s try more of that this year.

You accompanied me to every speaking event and pitched in every way you could. You ran the book table, my Power Point, and took pictures. And most of all? You prayed over me. I could not do what I do (at least as well as I do it) without you by my side. If you don’t get to be the package deal with me in this ministry, then I don’t want to go! (8/26, 10/15, 1/21, 2/8, 4/13).

You’ve made me treats on hard days, so I have something sweet and special to look forward to. Also – you’re a really good cook.  

I love all the walks we take and the talks we have on those walks. Whether we’re walking around the lake or hiking a new-to-us place, it’s always a fun adventure. Well. Minus the unruly dogs we sometimes encounter. But you handle those well! 

You recreate fun dates with me – like going on trips to the corn maze! 

You go on adventures with me – exploring new-to-us places. 

You are, without a doubt, the most fun road trip partner. You always make sure there is coffee in abundance, a chance for me to nap through cities (though I’m pretty sure that’s more for you than for me…) and some car karaoke. And also - thanks for getting us everywhere so safely!

You sit with me while I try new things that sometimes scare me to death. You encourage me to try and you document the experience. In fact, thanks for everything you do document for our family.

 You make every little dream come true – even s’mores at the zoo. Thanks for standing in line in the cold to buy me a kit and then sharing it with me.

You honor all the traditions we have established together. 

           

You take a bitterly cold outdoor date and make it warm and cozy!

All those years I dreamed about a husband, I hoped for one as amazing as you but kind of didn’t think they were real. Thanks for proving that wrong and being the best. I hope your birthday today is wonderful in every way. I hope you know how dearly loved you are. I will stop now before I cry. 😊

            I love you, Ryan Alan Shaffer. You are the best thing after Jesus that has ever happened to me in this life.