Snippets From September

September has crazily flown by, and now the month is coming to a close.  I do not want to let go of this Fall weather. Thankfully my husband and I got to enjoy some of the beautiful weather together last weekend. Nate was anxious to use his bikes one more time this year. We spent the night at my Grandpa's cottage and then headed for the Pumkinvine Trail, starting out in Shipshewana. It was the perfect day for a bike ride. Unfortunate for me, I am married to an avid biker. He could ride mile after mile. I, on the other hand, have a limit.

The picture below displays my position all 17 miles of the ride. Behind, taking up the rear, at the end, last, and normally much farther behind than the picture depicts. While I don't think I am the worst biker out there, I do have room for growth. To my credit though, all I got (during those 17 miles) was a 1-minute break. I'm sure with consistent breaks, I could conquer at least 25 miles. Maybe=)

Afterwards, we treated ourselves to lunch at The Blue Gate restaurant. They have great food! Of course, anything would taste good at 1:30 p.m. and after a trek like we had just endured.

On Saturday, I headed up to Ft. Wayne to meet a group of girls for Victoria's Bachelorette Party. Victoria and David are getting married in less than two weeks. I am so excited to be part of their special weekend!

Toria and I at her Mexican-themed Personal Shower

 Olive Garden was the restaurant of choice for the night, one of Victoria's favorite places to eat. It was a fun, lively group of girls. We had a great time.

Victoria and her girls!

The food was good and service....well....entertaining I guess. I think all of us girls could come up with other various words to describe our two waiters, but we'll go with "entertaining" for now.

And to top my weekend off, four of my greatest Fiechter cousins came out my way. They came for breakfast, followed us to church, and stayed for pizza too. These four are pretty great! Us five have gotten very close in the last few years, and we plan to keep that bond going. Even if they all get married and move to far-away places too, nothing can separate us, not even the spouses.

We are the offspring of four Fiechter brothers. I
bet they never knew how close their children would be one day.

Seth puts up with his girl cousins very well. We are protective over him. Someday he is going to find himself a wife and then we may not be quite as important, but we are the girls that he currently spoils. 

For example, Seth called me the other day and wanted to meet me for lunch because he had a free day before starting college. 'Wow' I thought, 'he still cares about me even though I'm married, and he would spend his one free day eating lunch with me?' Of course he always manages to pick up the bill too, one way or another. That is just the type of guy he is.

This Monday has been harder than some, probably due to my fun, extended weekend. Getting back into the routine of a new week isn't always easy, but a stepping stone to the next weekend. Never know what lies ahead.

Until next time....thanks for reading!!!!!!

Friendships That We Cherish

Look at these 8 flashy bridesmaids of mine. If you want to learn a little bit about each of them, then keep reading. Not only do I adore them as friends, but I adore the dresses I chose for them to wear. The day after I was announced, I was off of work for 2 days due to that crazy snow storm we had. Thankfully though, it gave me time to start making decisions, and ordering these dresses was about the first major decision I checked off the list.

 The girls all looked so beautiful in them. The fuchsia, raspberry color made for some bright pictures too. Love it! Enough about the dresses.

If you would have asked me 2 years ago, who I expected to have in my wedding party someday, I would have been about 50% wrong. I am so thankful that God orchestrates time, and that he brings new friends into our lives. Now it feels like I have been friends with all of them forever.

Audrey

Audrey and I attended Kingdom Academy together. The first years of KA we didn't hang out a whole lot, especially since she was a grade above me, but after we entered high school and became part of the young group, that is when our friendship began to blossom. We have traveled many places together, endured pre-calculus together, taught Sunday School together, and made priceless memories with one another.

What I admire the most about Aud is her practicality, dry humor, her amazing gift with children, and her easy-going personality. I will warn you though, you may not want to invite her to your wedding. She has experience of hiding in the back of the bride and grooms vehicle and then making an appearance a mile down the road. It sure made for a good laugh though!

Kinsey

Neither Kinsey nor myself ever expected that we would become as close of friends as we did. When one of our mutual cousins/friends got married, we really began to rely upon each other. Kins has taught me alot. She has been a great example to me and such an encourager. I have enjoyed watching her as a young wife, and now we are in the same life-stage. Kinsey likes warm drinks on a chilly day, she's creative, resourceful, and our opinions are normally very similar. She came out to see me a few weeks ago, and I am already looking forward to her next visit.

Krista

I could write a book about this girl. My cousin and wonderful friend for 21 years is married, and they have the cutest little boy. Even though Krista moved on to married life a few years earlier than myself, when we are together we pick up right where we left off. If you ever get us in our 'quoting Andy Griffith lines' mood, you might be sorry. Kris has been someone who I have always looked up to, and she is one of the most selfless girls I know. She is always caring for others, asking about others, and serving others way before herself. We have a history of lifetime memories that I will always hold near and dear to my heart.

Brooke

This is Brooke (aka: Brookie Cookie or Cookie Monster). Cookie is always coming up with new ideas, exciting adventures to go on, and creative pranks to pull. She has been good at keeping me fun and young. We are actually very good for each other. Sometimes I either put some reality into her schemes or get really hyper around her, because I know she can handle my crazy side.

Brooke has been an amazing friend and cousin to me. We used to be carpooling buddies, and now I really miss those days. Cookie likes to show her love to me in interesting ways, such as decorating my room after a weekend away or post-it-noting my car (the entire thing I might add). It's alright though, because we soon realized that we work better together vs. against each other. The last year or so, we have showed mercy towards one another.

Shelby

Shelby is one of the most transparent, fun-loving, and most cheerful girls you could ever meet. People are drawn to her by her beautiful smile, great personality, and so much more. Our families have vacationed together for years, and that may have been where our friendship really sparked. Over the years, we have just gotten closer and closer to each other.

Shelby Bear and I have had some of the best conversations. She is a great listener and is always in tune with what you are saying. Shelby and I can be competitive together, especially in Eucher against two guys that almost always consistently beat us. Shelby's brother, Blaine, and our mutual cousin, Seth, tend to take their fair share of the victories, but once in a while we get lucky. You could probably guess that we make it known when we obtain VICTORY!! Shelby has been great about coming out to Ohio since I've been engaged/married. I love her visits.

Paige

Paige is the definition of sweet. Everybody loves Paige, and she loves everybody. We are 1 month apart in age and have been friends for years. Paige has always been one to lift me up or give me a compliment, and her laugh is so contagious. Paige went through the 'engagement' process 6 months before I did, and I was touched by the amount of faith she put into action. She was an inspiration to me, as I soon traveled a similar journey as she did.

We were married 6 months apart and were both there for each other when we married the loves of our lives. It's great too, because Jackson and Nate are good buddies. We look forward to growing our friendship, even though we sort of moved in opposite directions. Love you Paigy-lynn!

Jenae

Oh Jenae! I have been so impressed by this astounding girl. She is two years younger than me, but you would think our maturity levels are about the same. We have opened ourselves up to each other in ways that neither of us ever expected. There was no doubt in my mind that this girl had to be in my wedding, even though I had been friends with her for the shortest length of time. Our personalities just seemed to click.

When she texted me, a few months ago, and wanted to come out to Latty for a Sunday, I thought it a little odd. Friends have a way of reading each other, even when it's not face-to-face. I had a feeling that she was contemplating a proposal and began to pray harder than I ever had for this girl. I knew the emotional rollar coaster that she was enduring was not easy in any way, shape, or form. A few weeks later, we met for lunch and had a good heart to heart. Soon enough she was engaged, and I am so thankful for what God has done in her life. We were just meant for each other Jenae.

Lena

Last but not least, Lena. I have such a great time with this girl. Lena always exhibits a positive attitude, and I love her goal-minded, hard-working abilities. I'll never forget that day we came how from Gridley to find her car half buried in snow. Thanks to the snow plowers, who graciously cleared the church parking lot for the following Sunday.

She took it very well and began planning how to best free her car from the accumulating snow. Our hands were numb after manually scooping all that snow off, but we got it accomplished, and Lena was on her way. Lena is a servant to others, multi-tasker, amazing baker/cook, and a lifetime friend. She's added some fun spice to my life.

Well, that is all for now. I feel unworthy of the friendships of these good, God-fearing girls. Crazy to think, these are only 8 of my close friends. I could list another 8 that I feel just as close too. They have been there for me in the lows and the highs. We have laughed and cried together, and I'm just guessing that we have more laughs and cries coming in the future. Thankful for the bond of Christ that ties our hearts together.

Sweetened Sensations

Life here in Paulding is pretty sweet, especially when you live within walking distance from the Dairy Queen. I have tried not to abuse the privilege of living so close, but once in a while I find myself lacking self-control, especially during Happy Hour when certain items are 50% off. Yikes, that is the worst. 

Plus, living across from DQ is a tactic I use to get people to come visit me. 

Paulding Dairy Queen (photo taken from my yard)

After buying a DQ ice cream cake for $20 the other day, I decided that I could make one a little cheaper. I had been asked to bring dessert to a gathering, so I set out to copy-cat the famous DQ ice cream cake recipe. 

I even bought real DQ ice cream for the cake. I used my springform pan and layered the following:

 1 layer of DQ chocolate ice cream,

a layer of crushed up oreos, with my favorite hot fudge recipe drizzled on top,

1 layer of DQ vanilla ice cream, and cool whip for the very top.

Take-home quart for $2

The cake turned out good. It didn't taste exactly like the 'real' thing, but it tasted pretty close. The cake was a little time-consuming, but enjoyable and fun to prepare. We can't forget about the money I saved too you know. A whole $10.

I garnished the cake with frozen chocolate curly cues.

 Another quick and easy favorite of ours is peanut butter pie. This is a great option for last-minute company.

quick, simple, easy, & delicious

Here are my raspberry, lemonade cupcakes. I made these for our Memorial Day gathering a few weeks back. These are some of my favorite cupcakes. Oh, they are so delicious, especially a few hours after being baked and frosted. The raspberry on top gives it the finishing touch it needs.

Have you heard of these frosting creations flavor mixes? Maybe they have been out for a while, and I just discovered them. Anyways, I cheated with the frosting and added the 'pink lemonade' flavor mix to a container of vanilla frosting. There are so many fun flavors to spice up your frosting with. Get adventurous and pick one up today! You would think Duncan Hines has me advertising for them or something.

Can't go wrong with peanut butter, chocolate cupcakes either. Depending on my mood, sometimes these are more of a craving, but for the most part I normally lean toward the fruitier desserts, ice cream flavors, ect.

I may have added a little too much cupcake batter. As you can see, the cupcakes were quite large.

I have fallen in love with these Keebler Ready Graham Crusts. Sometimes coming up with a dessert for just the two of us can be challenging. To make an entire pie or a whole 9x13 of something could mean that we eat the same dessert all week. Trust me, we like a little variety. You just coat these crusts with egg white, bake them for 5 minutes, and they are ready to be filled.

I like to fill mine with strawberry pie, peach pie, a cream cheese filling with a raspberry sauce on top, or peanut butter pie. Those are just a few that I have tried, but you could fill these with absolutely anything. Not only are these mini-pies cute, but they are tasty as well.

Keebler crusts with strawberry pie filling. YUM!

Well those are my sweetened sensations for this beautiful Saturday morning. Hope I got your taste buds ready for the weekend!!

Recent Happenings!

Life here in Ohio is going so much better than I ever expected. I give credit to the visitors we have had, along with our various travels. For not living around either of our families, we still feel busy enough.

Lance and Sara came out for the first time to see our abode. My parents wanted to get out here before harvest started and before the busyness overtook them. So they asked Lance's to come along, and it truly made my day! Nate and I enjoyed having them here for supper, and then they joined us for church that Wednesday night.

Lance & Sara

Tessa & Mae in front of my zinnias. My zinnias actually started looking better after Mae so generously picked some.

Monday, we headed up to my Grandpa's lake cottage to spend Labor Day with the Fiechter family. I had full intentions to snap some pictures, but unfortunately I was not feeling in the 'picture-taking mood.' Needless to say, it was a great time, you can just take my word for it.

On Wednesday my garage was overtaken by busy ladies, along with several kids, setting up for a garage sale. One of Nate's cousins asked to use our garage since we live on a busy road, which provides a prime location for a garage sale. All the proceeds went to an organization planning to build a school in Ethiopia.

The garage sale went on Friday & Saturday

I wasn't used to so much action going on at my house, nor so much stuff in my garage, but it was fun to see/meet so many faces.

Brenda and her nephew by the lemonade stand

Nate & Maelea

 On Saturday I drove to Ft. Wayne to meet up with some girls for supper. Jenae is getting married this coming October, and a few of the bridesmaids planned to steal her away from her fiance for a night. Sadly, I didn't get to participate in the kidnapping, but this is how I hear it went. Brooke, Taylor, & Shelby swooped into Jenae's house, where Randy and Jenae were peacefully playing a game. The kidnappers were disguised wearing different colored masks and jean skirts (can't go wrong with that combination). From the video I saw, it looked like a very loud, clamorous entrance into Jenae's living room with toy guns continuously shooting into the thin air. They blindfolded her, handcuffed her, and stole her away into the night (well not exactly, seeing as it was about 4:30 in the afternoon, but it made the sentence flow better.) Randy had been in on it from the start, so he let his girl go, but only on the condition that they would be reunited at 10:00 that night.

The three stooges and poor, innocent Jenae
(photo credits to T.G.)

Me, Jenae, Taylor, Brooke, Shelby, & Lena

Randy & Jenae when they came out a couple Sundays ago. So excited for their wedding on Oct 26th! 

Yesterday morning we woke up early and headed to Smithville for the day. We went out to celebrate some birthdays. Nate's mom and our nephew Stuart have birthdays 1 day apart. 

Stuart blowing out his 3 candles

Birthday gal

The nieces of the family
(Kamri, Kendra, Austyn, Alena, Jericka, & Ashlie)

Peyton was so excited to give Stuart his present

Stuart dressed up in the firefighter suit that we gave him

Kamri & I

Lena & Kamri

We had a great time with the Zollingers! It was good to see and be with everyone again.

Nate and I feel abundantly blessed. We are so thankful for all the love and loved ones in our lives.