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I didn’t get breakfast in bed

May 8, 2011 By 25 Comments

My day didn’t begin with breakfast in bed (because Tim & I see it like this – Who wants to eat IN bed? With crumbs going everywhere? Holding a tray tipsy on your legs with no back support? No, thank you.).

mothers day fun I didnt get breakfast in bed

I awoke when my 4-year-old climbed out of bed and tumbled out into the main RV living area, whispering to Tim that it was time for the Mother’s Day surprise. I smiled as I heard the dishes rattling and smelled the warm cinnamon bread floating through our small living space.

mothers day breakfast I didnt get breakfast in bed

About an hour later, my 2-year-old and I stretched awake. My 4-year-old tugged at my hand and led me to the dining room table. “Surprise!” she yelled, her eyes sparkling. The table was set. Honeydew melon in circles, homemade bread (still hot!), and real butter.

mothers day card from child I didnt get breakfast in bedAt 10, we walked down to the chapel here at the campground for a service. After the opening hymns, the pastor’s wife called the children forward for a special treat. “The Children” she was referring to were our two girls. There were no other children in the building! She asked the girls to sing “Jesus Loves Me” and our 4-year-old totally did – with the microphone and all!

In the afternoon, we went hiking with another on-the-road family and then had Italian Ice in the North Carolina sunshine.

Afterward, Tim took the girls out by the lake to let me catch up with e-mails and I made excellent progress (only 200 e-mails left in there tonight!).

Do you like breakfast in bed? Yay or nay?

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things my parents did (and didn’t do)

April 25, 2011 By 31 Comments

stephanie childhood picture things my parents did (and didnt do)I had a happy childhood.

When I look back, I remember hearing my mom’s golden voice as she strummed her guitar. I remember setting up lemonade stands, bike riding in the alley, and making forts on bunkbeds. I remember climbing up on the roof of our house to watch the stars and spending summers with sand in between my toes.

I’m glad my parents…

  • gave birth to me at home.
  • breastfed me for the first year(s) of life.
  • homeschooled me through 8th grade.
  • chose not to own a television for most of my childhood.
  • took me to the library once a week for as long as I can remember.
  • nurtured my love of writing.
  • drove me around to volunteer projects every summer of middle school.
  • didn’t buy me everything I ever wanted.
  • sent me to a private high school.
  • allowed me to go to Bangladesh when I was 15.
  • said NO when that one foreign exchange student asked me out at McDonalds.
  • said YES when I announced I was dating a certain green-eyed soccer player with a charming smile.
  • encouraged me to work part-time from an early age…and to go to college.
  • are still married…41 years this June.

I wish my parents had…

  • not spanked.
  • kept the television off more in my teen years.
  • talked about sex more openly and with less embarrassment.
  • given me a pager or cell phone as early as technology would have allowed (and had one of their own to communicate with me).
  • taken more photographs – of me, of my friends, of my favorite things.
  • taken more photographs – of themselves.

I am so very grateful for my parents. So much of who I am today is because of their influence and their sacrifice.

Love you, Dad & Mom.

* I wonder what my kids will say about me. I hope that they will remember a happy childhood too.

What are you glad that your parents did? What do you wish that your parents did differently?

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today in Bristol, TN

April 22, 2011 By 27 Comments

lakeview rv park sandbox today in Bristol, TNWe’re in Bristol, TN.

Tim is making grilled cheese sandwiches.

The girls are playing doctor.

I wrote a post this morning, but I’m not “feeling it.”

Tim says I just need to go ahead and relaunch as StephanieSheaffer.com – bigger possibilities, more room to grow. (I’m leaning towards that too).

Gotta run. I’m leaving my laptop behind in favor of spending time with my sister and nephews – a most worthy trade.

P.S. I’m not pregnant (or maybe I am) (it’s a new month, after all…). ;)

What did you eat for lunch today?

Do you have any sisters and, if so, do they live in your town?

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the grass IS greener (but, not necessarily better)

April 15, 2011 By 50 Comments

by the ducks at the lake the grass IS greener (but, not necessarily better)When we lived in Tucson, I often lamented to Tim about the quality of the grocery stores. “Where can a girl get a decent loaf of bread in this town?” “This produce is terrible!” “Why are the stores so uninspiring?”

Then, I started traveling the USA…and I realized that our whole country has some serious food quality issues (more on that later).

How I long for Trader Joe’s with balloons and free samples! How I wish I could stop in for zucchini squash, cantaloupe, & plums (and gummy bears!) at Sunflower Market! And let’s not forget that I had access to the boring (but reliable and decently priced) Safeway & Fry’s.

I also miss the spectacular desert sunsets, painted by the very breath of God – each night a creative display of artistry.

And – oh! – the glorious mountains towering high above in every direction.

I took for granted the pleasant dryness of the weather. Even in the hottest summers, our family could still go out for walks after dusk – without being eaten alive by mosquitos and bloodhungy gnats.

I pine for the yellow sunshine, beating down on my bare shoulders in the springtime. For the winding hiking trails through cactus country. For the lack of tornados and blizzards.

As we drive cross-country, people inevitably ask where we’re from. After we answer, they say, “I love Tucson!” or “We’d love to move there!” Without fail. Apparently, my nondescript hometown has quite the reputation.

All this to say – Tucson may be lacking in some areas (nice parks with updated playscapes, unique residential & commercial architecture, and a thriving business/technology environment), but it also has a certain charm.

Oh, Tucson, you’re still inside me. An invisible tattoo on my life.

What do you like most about the city you currently live in?

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here we are in Woodbine, Georgia

April 3, 2011 By 27 Comments

crooked river pier here we are in Woodbine, Georgia

We’re kickin’ it in Woodbine, Georgia (bet you’ve never heard of it) for a whole week – maybe more. The owners of this campground are young and from Australia. They have 4 kids and are super friendly – and the rates are among the most reasonable we’ve come upon.

We walk down to the Crooked River at least a few times every day (and try not to have heart attacks as the girls walk precariously toward the edge of the pier).

I’m glad we’re going to stay put here. We desperately need a little reprieve from the go-go-go. We’re tired, perhaps even a little distressed.

I’ve lived long enough to know, however, that “pain” often eventually equals growth…and good outcomes.

Do you live in Georgia or the Carolinas? What non-profits, businesses, or parks do you recommend that we visit?

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She knows what she wants to be

March 31, 2011 By 16 Comments

she knows what she wants to be1 She knows what she wants to be“Do you know what I’m going to be?” my 4-year-old asked me this morning.

She didn’t wait for an answer: “A nurse and a writer.”

She continued:

AND – I’m going to be a Bible Maker.

And do you know what else? A schoolteacher that shows people about God.

And a person that helps sick kids go to Disneyland.

And I’ll catch bees and give honey to people so they can make sandwiches.

And a car-fixer too.

Tim interjected: “Do you want to be a mommy someday too?”

“Yes, I do.” She stated confidently.

—

[Sweet girl, always remember this: I believe in your dreams.]         [I believe in you.]

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After this year

March 29, 2011 By 27 Comments

queen of hearts chair After this yearPeople ask us all of the time – “Will you go back to Arizona after your 365 days of giving?” “Will you return to conventional jobs?” “Will you write a book?” “Will you go abroad?”

And the answer is: we don’t know. We’re not keeping secrets about it either.

We sold almost everything, started driving…and now we’re changing. I’m convinced that our brains are actually being rewired by this.

It might even be appropriate to say that we’re having a quarter-life crisis. Or awakening. Or something like that.

Perhaps we’ll stumble upon Dreamtown, USA – build a house, create a home, and give to others in a quiet community.

Or maybe we’ll go to a humid place with long winters and no bakeries…because God calls us there.

Perhaps we’ll go back to school. We both have our Masters, but we sometimes dream of MBAs and PhDs.

Or maybe we’ll just stay enrolled in the school of hardknocks. Experience is one of the best teachers, after all. (Travel is a pretty good one too.)

sun flare on the playground After this yearPerhaps we’ll speak about leadership at conferences and churches.

Or maybe we’ll lead by washing feet and telling stories and sorting poopy clothing.

Perhaps we’ll go abroad right away.

But more likely, we’ll have a new baby to suckle and sling.

Maybe we’ll do ALL of that.

What we do know is that we want to stay out of debt. We know we want money to not be our master. We know we want to cherish the closest ones first. We want to put greed behind us and love before us.

Most importantly, we know that we want to hear HIM – His voice in this too-loud world, in our too-cluttered hearts that we are so desperately trying to clear.

But what will that look like? Where will we go? How will we live? THAT – I do not know.

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