My week alone in Shipshewana

Tomorrow I’m going up to Shipshewana Indiana for my quarterly (yeah I’m a bookkeeper, even use those terms in my everyday life…haha) checkup with my food nutrition advisor. In the spirit of that, dreaded three and a half hour drive, I thought I’d share some photos from my time there. The very first week of my favorite month (December), alone (when I love to be with my family, this time of year), missing my horse, and for an entire WEEK! I was lonely  to say the least…A little back ground on why I was there….I went for week of meetings with a ministry trained to help people Biblically deal with life issues.

I brought most of my food with me, so I even ate healthy here….lol=) For breakfast I took a couple cups of dry oat for overnight oatmeal. As you can see I love cauliflower…haha!Being off work for a week never works for the bookkeeper/secretary of a business…so here was my makeshift “work desk” for the week.  I was in communication everyday with my boss, definitely NOT a vacation at all!My Bible/journal/study guide-they go with me everywhere=)And I did it…I took my yoga mat and resistance band with me…a hotel gym is always empty, so I spent most of my evenings taking advantage of all that FREE equipment, as well=) Oh and look who my boss sent up to spend the day with me, Christina…my BEST friend! Here is how she looks going onto her second 24 hours with no sleep...lovely=)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Country Christmas was on the first night there…and since we don’t have a TV at home, I never watch it. But here to the one plus to being in a hotel=) in December too! I got so tired of buggies, but then again I’m tired of them at home too…so just increase their popularity by say a couple hundred and I could have just gone insane…haha!Since most of the populous, up in this part of Indiana ,is mainly Amish I didn’t see a whole lot of Christmas lights, except for right in town. I forgot to bring the power cord for my computer and the nearest Staples was was about a half an hour west of me. There I got to see some lovely Christmas lights. But of course I was driving and taking pictures is never in the equation when I am.This horse is insanely cute! At a little cafè with Christina…the food was delicious! 

Another disappointment of this week was that I, normally a very good sleeper, didn’t sleep through the night once while I was there. When I got home I went straight to bed. And boy did it feel soooo good to actually sleep=)

I had such a good time despite being by myself for a week and the lack of proper sleep. It was lonely but I learned so much…and am so glad I took the time and spent the money to do this. It was an investment that will continue to guide and support me every single day, for years to come.

~Photo-a-day~ Oct 8–Oct 14

Wednesday night I went shopping with dad for a new business computer, for his company. It was so fun spending one-on-one time with him, it’s been forever since I have. Plus we were shopping in some of my all-time favorite stores…anything store that has office supplies, I’m just crazy about=) I love walking down the isle looking and wishing I could buy “that….and that…” =) So now I will also be doing the bookkeeping for my dad’s company. yikes I think I’m taking on too much….but I will never know what all I’m capable of, if I don’t try it.

On Saturday, along with three of my Amish girlfriends, I went to a hay press barn demonstration check it out here…pretty neat stuff.  The Amish girl’s dad was one of the three guys that took the barn down and reconstructed it. Afterward we hung around and watch an apple cider making demonstration, ate too much dessert, rode a hay wagon and walked along the riverbed. On the way home we stopped at a family farm pumpkin festival and walked through their corn maze, my first time doing this as well. It was so fun! The owners also raised white-tailed deer so I spent a lot of time petting those lovely animals.

On Sunday Isaac and I cleared the garden and flowerbeds, pulling up of all the old flowers and plants. We then did one of my T25 workouts. It was so nice, for once, not being that person trying to keep up…sorry Isaac=) On Monday I started my new second job, jogging race horses for an Amish race horse trainer. Just down the road a-ways from where I work…hopefully only Mon-Thurs. after work, each week. I’m very nervous, but I’m learning. So far, so good!

On to this weeks pictures=)

Day 281

~details~

I brought these shells home for Christina from North Carolina (check out my trip here)

Day 282

~friend~

texting a friend…you’re welcome to think this is a cheesy photo, for this word. I do =)

Day 283

~enjoy~

you know me well enough by now that I really ENJOY cooking, here I was roasting a turkey and used James Oliver’s  recipe This was before I added the milk. (btw whole organic milk…haha)

Day 284

~comfort~

the most comfortable place. In the middle of a quiet corn field…this maze took me back to all the time we trudged through cornfield while picking berries in the spring.

Day 285

~experience~

I write two new soldiers every week (I know right, like I don’t do enough already) through soldier's angels It’s been an amazing experience, challenging but still amazing. It’s a nice surprise when one of your soldiers takes the time to send a note back.

Day 286

~I smell…~

I smell….=) my dinner

Day 287

~black & white~

piano keys…I really wish I could play this instrument. But as it is I will just have to enjoy the sound other people can make come from these keys.

Happy Wednesday!

Thanks so much for stopping by =)

 

Shipshewana with Christina+Ally =)

At the last minute Ally decide to join us…and you always have a good time when she’s there=)….and she paid for lunch and dinner. she’s the best oldest sister in the entire world!

She had never been to Shipshewana before, I hope she had as much fun as I did. It was probably to best trip up there so far. Lots of laughter and fun sister conversation.

My cob salad…it was AMAZING!!!!Forgive me – for I have sinned!This is us…so much fun!Then I saw this cart……and she jumped in=)

It was so much fun! thanks Ally for taking these of her and me=)

by the way…spontaneous would be a word I would use to describe Christina…

Have a great weekend!

~Photo-a-day~ June 18-June 24

This week was so eventful from the ‘get go’. (I don’t know what ‘get go’ really means, but I’ve said it right along with all my family for well – my entire life) I went to Shipshewana for a Doctor’s appointment on Wednesday and for this trip I dragged my parents along…haha. WE HAD SO MUCH FUN!!! I was able to spend the entire day alone with both of my parents. this almost never happens anymore. We had such a good time, shopping, eating and (my favorite) people watching=)

I actually left my schedule book behind this weekend, as I headed down to a little town in southern Indiana, near French Lick, with the most dearlin’ name of Birdsong. (actually if you blink as you drive through it, you might miss this bitty town all together=) It was so freeing not to have my schedule with me, I didn’t HAVE to do anything…I felt lost that Friday evening without it and the next day a tiny bit, but I soon got over it and just enjoyed myself=)  I went there to visit a girlfriend who I met at work last spring. For some reason we clicked and have kept in touch, ever since she moved down there last winter. It was great to spend this much time together!  Four wheeling, hiking, great food, and a fun conversation was my weekend in a nut shell.

What was your weekend like?!?!?!

 

Day 169

~today I…~

today I went to Shipshewana with my parents=)

Day 170

~groceries~

Day 171

~upside down~

adorable beagle hound puppy…born just days before this picture was taken=)

Day 172

~jewelry~

yeah I forgot…so I just looked back through the pictures I took and whala I found this one of Katie’s earrings=) sometimes you gotta’ do what you gotta’ do=)

Day 173

~sister(s)~

my best friend…missed being with her so much this weekend, even though my time with friends was a blast=)

Day 174

~happiness is…~

happiness is watching new life begin, baby wrens - in our raspberry bush

Day 175

~hug~

=) I absolutely love this lady!

Happy Wednesday!!!!!!

And please tell me which photo(s) you like the best=)

 

June 24th

    In my room...Christina was reading and bored with listening to me=) the joys of sharing a room with your sister!

We are decorating our room in shabby sheek...love it! It feel so much like our previous home

An Amish lady we babysit for made this for us...lyrics from Miranda Lambert's "The House That Built Me" This song is exactly the way we feel about our old home...

Christina's an Amish novel reader (seems pretty natural seeing we are surrounded by them, their really nothing like in these books btw)...she like wow this one is so good, you should read it, (like I would ever have the time to read)...I like this photo a lot!

Amish little girl...

     For privacy reason I can only add these three...this little girl was so cute. She's not Amish but is being raised by her grandparents which are. She's was thrilled about taking these and by the end was coming up with photo ideas herself.


This is why I take pictures....:)

Our new house...becoming home more everyday

     Here it is...pretty cute actually! The inside is large and airy, at least for us it is. I'm starting to get used to "the sights and smells" of the place. An Amish buggy going by is normal...right? Not yet it isn't. Also our Amish neighbors are really friendly and drop by often just to sit and chat, really? It's taking a little bit to get used too...lol! Listening to cars go by at night is very different. Breaking the habit of bolting to the window when you hear a car is very hard. Where we used to live (in the middle of nowhere) if you heard a vehicle...they needed something with you or they weren't suppose to be there. 
     I had a dream the other night...and in it I was coming home from work...and you guessed it I went to the other house. Soooo...I think I need a little more time:) 

This was taken at dusk....