My Fall Feels Complete...

On Friday, I went along with the elementary students on a farm field trip. We went on a long hayride through the corn field, the kids played on hay bales, we went through a corn maze, and we saw lots of farm animals.

When I found out they were going on this field trip, I knew that I simply had to go along! After going on so many "fall field trips" previous years, my fall just wouldn't feel complete without it!

We had a perfect afternoon for this fall adventure - bright blue sky with just the right amount of "crisp" in the air. (Who would have thought we would have an October blizzard the next day?!!)

It was a fun afternoon in the fresh air!

48 long hours...

Oh, it's been an adventurous weekend! I woke up on Saturday to this.....

A few hours later of heavy snow falling on trees, which were still heavy laden with autumn-colored leaves...

...and we were soon out of power!

At first I wasn't too bothered because this has happened before, and it always seemed to pop back within a few hours. Not so this time....

Our supper on Saturday night was provided for by our gas grill on the back porch. Here is my Mom trying to boil water to make noodles. Grilling and winter attire don't seem to mix...

We survived fine Saturday night, lighting candles around the house and bundling in our fleece blankets, using flashlights to read books to pass the time. It was kinda like an adventure...

Although there was no power at church on Sunday, we still had a morning service. They used generators to give us some lighting in the auditorium. For the afternoon, we headed to my grandparents' house to keep warm and stopped at a diner along the way to get a hot meal.

We came back for church at 6 pm, and the power was still out at church. We had another chilly service, and then headed home to a really chilly house! Temperatures were steadily declining in the house. Mom heated some chicken noodle soup on the grill, and it sure felt good going down, let me tell you! Another evening of candles lit, fleece blanket bundling, flashlights, and tap lights. It wasn't quite as adventurous the second night...

Alayna slept down in my room so we could keep each other company in the dark and keep warm. Actually my room wasn't *that* bad because there wasn't any cold air coming in from doors opening etc. I kept waking up throughout the night though, hoping to see that the power was back on...I kept being disappointed....

This morning I bundled in multiple layers knowing it was going to be COLD. When I got upstairs I could literally see my breath as I walked about the house. The adventurous spirit inside of me was completely gone at this point! :-)

Andy came up with a unique way to heat water this morning. (I am sure we were breaking some fire code somewhere...oh well!)

For lunch, we drove to a McDonald's in a nearby town that had power, so we could enjoy some hot coffee and a lunch with some substance - other than granola bars & pretzels! On the way home, my Dad calls to inform us that the estimated time for power to go back on was 11 pm on November 3...which was another 3 full days away! He was trying to come up with some alternative plans so we wouldn't have to stay in a cold house that length of time. My spirit wasn't exactly what I would call "positive" anymore. My "secure lil' world" was feeling out of control and I didn't like it! As we continued home, I tried to get a healthy dose of perspective. I was reminded of all the devastation that earthquakes, tornadoes and tsunamis have caused to countless people around the world in recent months/years, and I felt ashamed that such a "little inconvenience" got me into such an insecure, despondent state of mind. Yes, I was quite chilled...yes, my hair was quite greasy at this point...but what was that compared to losing all your possessions and even some loved ones??? By the time we pulled in our driveway, I had given myself enough mental lectures and felt somewhat prepared to brace all the "little unknowns" that lay ahead for the rest of the week.

We walk in the door, and as Alayna walked in the kitchen, I stood there, gazing in utter disbelief. What looked different about the kitchen?? Suddenly, it clicked.....the light was on!! I literally started bouncing up and down with giddiness..."Our power is back! Our power is back!" I kept shouting. (I wasn't acting like a mature 26 year old at this point, let me tell you!) Never before have I been so glad to see that kitchen light shining bright!

Oh yes, my pioneer ancestors would be ashamed of me for being such a sissy throughout this 48 hour ordeal! But then again, they never had all these modern conveniences to begin with, so they wouldn't know what it was like to have it all taken away. Hmmm...perhaps they were lucky to not have as much to begin with??? Now there's a thought! You never realize how much you depend on electricity and modern conveniences until something like this happens. :-) How easy it is to take them for granted! Perhaps the Lord allowed this to happen to give me some new perspective on how blessed I really am! :-)

Hopefully, everyone else's power turns back on soon!

A Birthday Memory I'll Never Forget

A few months ago, I was browsing through the family email when I came across Beverly Lewis' newsletter. She is definitely one of my favorite authors, so when I see her newsletter I always quickly scan it to see when her new book is coming out. However, this particular newsletter captured my attention when I saw -much to my amazement- that one of her book series was being put to a musical! I LOVE musicals, and just the thought that it would be based on my favorite author's book made it even more intriguing. I looked for the location and discovered that it was going to be taking place near Lancaster, which is only about 2 hours away. Then I noticed that in October, Beverly Lewis herself would actually be coming to the musical, and there would be a special dinner with her before the show. When I discovered that it "just so happened" to be the same week as my birthday, I subtly mentioned to my Mom that it would be a perfect birthday present! Well, my Mom picked up rather quickly to my subtleness, and booked tickets for the two of us to go the day after my birthday!

So my Mom and I were off to Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant yesterday to enjoy a yummy meal with Beverly Lewis, and later on, enjoy an Amish musical! This family restaurant was like a mini Shady Maple, with the same delicious Pennsylvania Dutch food served. I was quite happy to eat my pork & sour kraut with fluffy mashed potatoes!

We soon discovered that Beverly Lewis is a very sweet and personable lady. She came around to each table to greet all the guests personally and chat with them. It was one of those moments that I couldn't believe was actually happening! I have seen her smiling face on the back of many of my favorite books, so to actually carry on a conversation with her was pretty amazing! My Mom thanked her for always having a clear Gospel message in her books, and she replied that was the reason she wrote. Without the Gospel, there would be no reason to write. Beverly then gave a short talk before she began signing books. She was quite inspiring!

Book signing time!

I just did a quick scan through the bookshelves in our house, and between all her Amish series I currently have on my shelf, her teen series I read when I was younger, and her children series Alayna collected, we have a total of 56 books written by Beverly Lewis!! She is quite the amazing author, and if that number doesn't prove that to you, nothing will! :-)

There are certain moments in your life you want captured, and this was definitely one of those moments!

After dinner and the book signing was over, we then went downstairs to the area where the Amish musical was taking place. Although it wasn't the grandeur of a Sight & Sound production, the cast did an AMAZING job with both their acting and singing!! It was obviously a condensed version of this particular book series, but they captured the emotions of the story quite well. There were moments where we were dying of laughter, and moments where we were wiping away tears. By the time the musical was over, it was rather late, and we still had about a 2 hour drive home. My Mom bought me the soundtrack to the musical, so we played it all the way home to keep me awake as I drove. :-) Oh yes, it was definitely a birthday memory I will never forget!!!

26 years old? Me?!

Today I turned 26. I don't feel 26, but then again, what are you supposed to feel like when you turn 26? Am I supposed to feel young or old? Mature or immature? Happy or depressed? I've had mixed emotions about turning this age! Some people are shocked when I tell them I am turning 26, because I apparently have one of those "young faces". I guess I'll appreciate that in the future, right?! It's hard to believe that it has been a decade since I turned 16. I know...quite strange of me to think like that, but that is how I roll! :-) Okay...I am over my ramblings...

We celebrated my birthday mostly yesterday in the afternoon with my family. Despite the fact that she had just returned from an exhausting weekend in Washington DC, my Mom still outdid herself by having a scrumptious birthday lunch prepared - chicken cordon bleu and perogie casserole. Mmmmmm!

Normally, I get to peek at my birthday cake beforehand, but this year my Mom was full of secrets. When she came out with this creation, I just have to laugh because it was so not what I was expecting! It was affectionately nicknamed "The Alien Cake." :-)

You can't beat cheesecake dipped in chocolate, sprinkles & coconut!

Obviously, cheesecake pops would not handle candles really well, so my Mom got a musical candle holder that actually played the "Happy Birthday" song while I blew out my one little candle. :-) Oh yes, gotta love it!

Today, on my actual birthday, I was showered with presents, birthday hugs, and many birthday greetings (face-to-face, Facebook, text messages and phone calls) so I feel pretty special! Tomorrow afternoon I am receiving my present from my parents...which involves a fun afternoon and evening with my Mom. I can't wait! I shall post about it afterwards. :-)

While the Parents are Away...

Last night Andy and I hosted a singles party at our house. My parents and Alayna were away for the weekend in Washington DC on a school civics trip, so the house was ours to do with as we pleased...hehehe. :-)

It had been awhile since the singles from church had gotten together, so we thought it was the perfect opportunity to have a group over. We couldn't of asked for a better night! The chill of autumn was in the air, but it felt refreshing as the house got quite stuffy with 24 people crowded about!

A mixture of aromas filled our house throughout the evening ~ a sugar cookie candle burning, Italian sausage simmering, pizza pockets baking, apple cider bubbling, coffee percolating.

Sounds of laughter were heard all around from the competitive ping-pong games on the back porch, the crazy nonsense words of Bible Mad Gab, the debating creativity of the game "In a Pickle", the shouts of "Blitz!!" during the fast-paced games of Dutch Blitz, and the quick grabbing of spoons during a new variation of the game "Pit".

My camera was in Washington DC this weekend, so I wasn't able to take any pictures of the evening, but Andy got a few during one of the many rounds of Pit & Dutch Blitz. It definitely was a fun night with our friends!