I'll Be Home for Christmas

One of the nice things about ending up back in Binghamton, is that even though many of my friends have moved out of state - their parents still live in Binghamton, so they have a reason to come back every once in a while!

Two friends from forever were in town this past week to celebrate Christmas with their families. We were able to get together for lunch to catch up!

It's nice to stay in touch long-distance with phone calls, texts, notes, and pictures, but there's nothing like getting together in person and really spending time together.

While we used to get together for girl-time, we had two husbands and a fiance join us this time! It's been wonderful to see God's plan unfold in each of our lives and the new adventures we've each had since we were in high school together. Although times together with these friends are sometimes few and far between, the Lord has allowed our friendship to continue as we each look forward to the unique future He has in store for us.

Not only were Heather and Pam in town for Christmas, but my sisters both came home for the week of Christmas!

Amy is now living in Arizona, and Julie is home for a few weeks before her final semester of college. I'm on vacation from work all this week, so it'll be great to spend time with Amy and Julie while they are home.

I'm glad Binghamton is still considered "home" for family and friends that have moved away!

Another Airport Rescue

My sister, Julie, was studying abroad in Lithuania for the semester. Her travels home began on Tuesday, and when she made it to London, her flight home was delayed 8 hours.

Julie's friends has planned to pick her up at the airport in New York City Thursday night at 6:30pm, but her new arrival time was around 2am!

Nate and I both had the day off, so we offered to travel down and pick Julie up.

As we were preparing for our journey, the snow started coming down and the roads became slick.

We ventured off into the dark storm at 11:30pm - slowly making our way through snow, rain, and fog.

To add to the crazy weather, the exhaust on my car had been getting worse in recent weeks, so we endured the loud noises from my car every once in a while.

Four hours later we finally arrived at the airport where Julie was anxious to see us and complete her last leg of the journey home. After greeting Julie and loading the car up, we were headed back home!

As we were leaving the City, the rain was still coming down, and we hit a huge puddle of water - and then we heard something dragging below the car. Eventually we found a safe place to pull over, but realized there was nothing we could do about the part hanging from below my car. Nate assured us the vehicle was still safe to drive, and we continued home.

Later we found out the item dragging on the ground the whole was home was the catalytic converter - with this dragging and the exhaust and muffler totally shot, we sounded like the lead car in a Nascar the whole drive back to Binghamton! VRRRROOOOOMMM!!!! It was unreal.

The trip would have been stressful enough with the dark night, rainy weather, and lack of sleep - but combine that with a noise so loud you can hardly concentrate - and it was a trip we will never forget!

We safely arrived home around 8am and promptly took my car to the shop.

Nate successfully completed another airport rescue, Julie was finally home after days of traveling, and my car now sounds brand new!

Laura Tischer's Final Birthday

"Don't eat breakfast tomorrow." -Nate's subtle request the night before my birthday...

He showed up at my house in the morning with breakfast he had made! He called it Keishomelette - an egg  and venison creation that was rather tasty! Breakfast together was a great was to start the day before I headed off to work.

My co-worker and I share a birthday, so it was fun to celebrate two birthdays and a friend visited me for lunch. Between phone calls, text messages, birthday cards, and Facebook messages - many family and friends helped celebrate my birthday throughout the day too!

Nate picked me up from work and we drove up to Syracuse for a birthday dinner. Nate had looked up a couple restaurant options, and we ate at an Italian place with the best homemade dinner rolls!

After dinner we went to the Lights on the Lake display and drove through 2 miles of Christmas light displays. It was a fun little trip to take together, and on the way home while singing along to Christmas songs on the radio Nate started changing the words to birthday songs about me - he knows how to keep me laughing!

Nate had the day off from work and made a gift for me after shopping for supplies at his two favorite stores - Harbor Freight and Lowes. He made a wooden box and filled it with some thoughtful presents from one of my favorite stores! Overall it was a fun day and a reminder of the many family and friends that love and care for me.

Birthday Weekend

We had our first birthday celebration at the new house! We combined a work day with a pizza party and birthday cake!

On Friday, my parents and Nate's dad joined Nate and I as we touched up trim, scraped wall paper, prepped ceilings for painting, and got other projects done around the house!

We took a break for pizza and wings and then another break for cake in a cup - and all the extra helping hands at the house was a greatly appreciated birthday present!

My dad and I went back the next day and painted mine and Nate's future bedroom - the first real color we put on the walls! It's been exciting to see the transformation that fresh paint can make!

My parents took me out for lunch after church, and then I went to the mall for a birthday shopping spree. I felt somewhat guilty when the cashiers kept asking if I needed gift receipts for my items, and I was only buying things for myself - but I did enjoy updating my wardrobe a bit with birthday money I received.

It was fun to celebrate my birthday throughout the weekend in a few different ways!

Keeping Everything in Perspective

This picture is from the day Nate proposed. We got engaged in June.

Little did we know what all engagement actually entailed.

We've successfully made it through 6 months of being engaged, and with only 3 months left to go, I've come to realized that the engagement period is this really unique time of transition full of anticipation, planning, self-control, expectations, and wishing you could go back to the days of care-free dating!

Overall, these months of our engagement have been a period of learning and growth.

Two weeks after Nate proposed, he closed on a house that we have been working on fixing up to move into after the wedding.

One month after we got engaged, Nate started a new position at work and is now a truck driver at Frito Lay. This meant long hours and an unpredictable schedule and requires a lot of patience and flexibility.

Throw planning a wedding into the mix and preparing for marriage and you have a whole lot of life changes happening all at once!

Instead of becoming overwhelmed by everything going on during this period of engagement, we've really tried to keep things in perspective:

• The wedding day will be one day out of our entire lives. I enjoyed planning events ever since high school. I pictured planning my own wedding to be a wonderful experience, but in reality it's been hard to find motivation at times to keep moving forward with plans and making decisions. We've decided to keep the day simple, but are still looking forward to celebrating the significance of the day with our family and friends in a memorable way.
  
• This house we're fixing up will most likely be our home for the next 10+ years. Nate purchased this house with plans to pay it off in 10 years and eventually move to a house with more land - and perhaps more than the one bathroom this house currently has! We are grateful for the opportunity to work on this house together as we make it our home. It's fun to think about all the major life milestones that could happen at this house as we dream about our future together. We're putting significant time and money into this house know, trusting that the investment will pay off with wonderful memories there in the years to come.
  
• Our relationship as a couple will last a lifetime in marriage. As we've been looking forward to the wedding day and moving into the house, we're also looking for ways to continue developing our own relationship - because without that, these other plans are meaningless. While this engagement period is a busy time of planning and preparing, we're still making time for us as we continue to learn more about each other. We're seeking advice on marriage and have plans for pre-marital counseling. This is a unique time for us to prepare ourselves for the forever commitment we're about to make to each other!
  
• Far beyond each of these three areas and time frames I've mentioned, our relationship with God will last for eternity! All of our plans here are on earth are nothing compared to what God is preparing for us in heaven. Nate and I try to remind ourselves that with everything going on, we need to keep an eternal perspective. There's a line in a poem which says, "Only one life, it will soon be past; Only what's done for Christ will last."

Nate and I might have the best wedding day ever. We may have the best house around. Maybe we'll even have a perfect marriage relationship. But none of that would matter if each of those aren't also glorifying God and moving His purpose forward!

Would you pray for us as we finish out this weird transitional time called engagement? Pray that we'd be able to keep everything in perspective and keep Christ in the center of all we do!

Better Than What We Had Dreamed

When Nate and I first talked about getting married, our dream was to have an October Barn Party style wedding with donuts, cider, and a get-away tractor. Nate was pumped about his tractor idea!

We had fun dreaming about this October wedding, and I was tempted to buy decorative hay bales last year on clearance to hang onto for our Big Day!

As we further considered this time frame for our wedding, my sister Julie was considering studying abroad for a semester. If she decided to study abroad, she would be in Lithuania during our October Barn Party. Not wanting to sway Julie's decision about where to spend her semester, Nate and I kept our hopeful wedding plans to ourselves.

While Julie made plans to travel to Lithuania for her fall semester, I was looking up plane tickets to see what it would cost to fly her back for a wedding weekend in October.

After much prayer and discussion (and the fact that time was ticking and we weren't even officially engaged!), Nate and I realized that there would be no October Barn Party in 2012.

When Nate did propose, we had to decide if we wanted to make October Barn Party 2013 happen. Not interested in waiting that long, we compromised our dream and began making plans for a March 2013 wedding! Julie would be back in the states, and her spring break from classes was actually in March.

Without realizing it when we picked out wedding date, planning for our March wedding has worked out quite well!

Nate purchased a house just after he proposed, so along with wedding plans, we've also been working to fix up this property to move into once we're married.

It's funny to look back on what plans we had in mind, and to now see that relying on God's perfect plan for us really has been better than our original dreams!

• We got engaged during the summer, so we were able to snag some good bargains at garage sales for the wedding and our future home. 
• The timeline of progress at the house allowed us to take advantage of Black Friday deals to purchase some major kitchen appliances as well as other things for our wedding and future home.
• Not only will my sister be on spring break, but relatives from Texas have break that week as well - they are talking about renting an RV and taking a family road trip to NY for the wedding!
• March is a slow season in the wedding world, so vendors and locations have been very available to schedule our special day.

Overall, I'm glad I did not clear out the fall clearance section at Walmart last year! God has used His perfect timing to teach me patience. He does have a sense of humor though because although we did not end up with an October wedding, Nate's family threw us an engagement party in October! It was a perfect fall day - and we were able to celebrate with family and friends...and cider and donuts! I just had to smile as I realized God still allowed our dream to come true - but in His way and in His timing.

As we continue to move toward marriage and prepare our future home, we're praying God will continue to guide our decisions as we rely on Him and His plans for our life together!

Now a Box of Memories

I was cleaning/organizing my room tonight, and I finally decided it was okay to part with all of my class notes and homework assignments from Principles of Accounting and four years worth of other business classes, but then I found a box with papers from 3 years ago - three years ago today to be exact.

November 16, 2009. I was hospitalized for over a week. I had saved cards, emails, and words of encouragement from family and friends during that time.

I was a Junior in college and struggling to figure out what to do with my life. I was being treated for depression at the time when a series of events led to other mental health issues that needed more specific medical attention.

Many doctors worked with me to find a proper balance of medication, and I was released the day before Thanksgiving to enjoy the holiday with my family.

Throughout the rest of my time in college I met regularly with a doctor in the Rochester area and a counselor on campus. I learned more about myself and how to appropriately handle various life circumstances.

I graduated from college in 2011 and moved back home. I continued to see my doctor in Rochester every three months or so to monitor the medicines I was taking.

In February 2012, with agreement from my doctor, I came off one of my medicines. Knowing I could begin taking the medicine again at any time, I was curious to see how I would do "on my own."

A few months later, with agreement from my doctor again, I stopped taking my final medicine in July of this year. I followed up with my doctor and have now been off the medicine for a little over 4 months.

I'd be lying if I said these past 4 months have been wonderful and smooth sailing, but I was interested in using the many tools I learned to use when I was on the medicine to take care of myself without having to "rely" on the medicine.

I'm still learning to pay attention to my triggers and incorporate necessary "me time" in order to avoid that dangerous point again, but I'm thankful for the process I have gone through these past three years. I've come to appreciate making the most out of life, and I'm now able to better relate to some of my family members and friends that have faced or are facing similar struggles.

Looking back through that box of "hospital memories" today was a little emotional as I was reminded of the love and care extended to me during that unknown time.

I understand that I can go back on the medicine if that is what's necessary, but I'm thankful that God is faithful and uses unique periods in our life to teach us more about ourselves and those close to us.

I do try and take the time to look back on that season of my life every once in a while to remind myself of the importance of not letting my life get to that point again, but also to as an encouragement of the support shown to me. I'm thankful for the many ways God has allowed me to grow throughout this process.

The picture above was me in the hospital that November three years ago. My family brought in many of my favorite things, and I had the best decorated room in the hospital! To read more about my experience, check out my blog post from two years ago when I was reflecting back: Hospitalization

Unsure what the future holds in regard to my mental health, I am thankful for the prayers, encouragement, and support from loved ones - it has certainly given me courage to express my emotions appropriately, find balance in life, and look forward to what God has for my future!

A Clean House and a Clean Heart

As Nate and I have been fixing up this house to move into after the wedding, I've done a lot of cleaning in the past few months! It never seems to end - there are always more areas to clean!

I spent the majority of today at the house cleaning. From the picture above you can see that we have several supplies to help us make the house squeaky clean again. And today I got to thinking...

This would be so much easier to clean if the house hadn't just been sitting here for a year and a half!

You see - Nate bought the house off the bank. No one had been living in it for several months. No one had been consistently cleaning it and the dirt and grime piled up.

How often do I let the sin in my life pile up?

Wouldn't it be best to keep short accounts with God? Much like it would be easier to keep a house clean if you cleaned a little bit every week instead of letting it all build up and become a huge project to restore it to the point of cleanliness?

This house was filled with mold, and dirt, and cobwebs, and broken pieces - but that is all slowly changing.

And it's the same in our life - cleaning up our sin takes time. It can be a long and slow process to allow God to purify our sinful selves, but once your life gets to that point of restoration - keep short accounts with God and don't allow yourself to get to the point of complete filthiness again!

We're trying not to let the current mess in the house discourage us. Instead, we are choosing to see the potential and carefully taking the proper steps to cleansing. In the same way, God has a closet full of cleaning supplies - if we open our heart to His love and forgiveness and allow Him to work in our life, He will make us squeaky clean!

Who's Setting Your Pace?

In a race, you often pace yourself based on the speed of those surrounding you. You can push yourself a little harder if the people near you have a quicker pace.

When I go for a run by myself, I'm not the fastest runner - but if I go running with someone who's just a little bit faster than me I realize I can push myself to run faster than usual! All it takes is a little motivation and encouragement from the person next to you setting a faster pace.

So think about your own life. Who's setting the pace for you? Who do you surround yourself with?

Do you spend time with people that challenge you to think and grow? Do those around you motivate you to try new things, accomplish goals, and be creative?

How about your spiritual life? Who's setting the pace when it comes to your walk with the Lord?

"You pace yourself according to whom you run beside."

This statement is from a Bible study book I'm going though with a group at church, and it stuck with me and made me think.

Life is meant to be lived with other people. If we are willing to be open and share in relationships, they can encourage us and keep us accountable in our spiritual life and other areas.

When you're unmotivated or have hit a low point - look for others who are full of energy and have a passion for God's Word! Chances are, if you surround yourself with people eager to live their life for the Lord, they'll set the pace for you and you'll be encouraged to join them and run along side them in this journey of life.

Who is setting the pace for your life right now? Could you push yourself a little farther if you surrounded yourself with other people? Find people that are going to encourage and motivate you - share life with them!

Delayed Gratification

I miss blogging.

I miss doing a lot of things right now.

It's already October, and I have yet to pull out one fall decoration. I don't think it's even going to happen this year.

I think there's a lot of things that will not be happening this year - but there is a lot of other things that will be happening. And it's all part of this weird transition into marriage.

I may not be decorating for fall, but Nate and I are fixing up a house that I can decorate for fall every year in the near future!

I may only be blogging once a month, but right now we're dreaming about the lifetime of memories we'll make in the years to come!

Time spent with Nate now usually consists of working together to plan out his truck routes, hotel stops, and directions - but helping him learn the routes beforehand reduces the stress he has on the road and puts him in a better mood when he calls me from his hotel. And those 2 hours of prep work before each of his trips will some day mean he will be able to complete his trips a little faster and be home for the night instead of in a hotel!

Catching up with friends now typically involves a paint brush or a cleaning product, but some day those same  friends will be over for dinner or a game night in a fresh and clean house!

I shop at Lowes more than any other store right now, but the effort we put it at the house now means it should be fairly low maintenance for a while after it meets certain standards.

I stay up late to work on wedding stuff and get up early to work on house stuff - but someday our marriage and our home will be worth it!

As much as it might be nice to fast forward to March and have this all behind us, there's value in delayed gratification. Nate and I are learning how to best communicate our needs, desires, struggles, and frustrations. We're learning patience and forgiveness. We're giving up a few months that could be full of fun activities for preparing for a lifetime together.

We can't predict the future, but we have hopes and dreams. We're prayerful that our time spent putting in the hard work now will pay off down the road - in our relationship, in our home, and in our life together.

We're making sacrifices now, but it won't always have to be this way.

I may miss blogging, but Nate told me the other day he's thinking about not getting his hunting license this year. We had never talked about it - he came to that conclusion on his own. He may set hunting aside for one season, but that doesn't mean he won't ever be out in the woods again waiting for those deer to come along. Just like I don't have to give up blogging for good. Our engagement is just a season in our lifetime together - and this season calls for different priorities than we've had in the past.

So we're trying out this delayed gratification thing and giving up a few things now for potential future gain!

Full [Blue] Moon Cruise

The whole month of August was a little nuts starting with a big fundraiser I was in charge of at work, and then Nate starting to drive truck for Frito Lay. My family was in town for a bit, and there were a lot of summer events going on.

All that to say, I was thrilled last night when Nate took me to Skaneateles for their Full Moon Cruise on the lake! A whole evening away together with no wedding planning or house project!

 We had planned to go on this cruise last year, but the flood happened a few days before, so we decided not to go. With Nate's unpredictable work schedule now, I wasn't sure if we'd be able to go this year either - it would remain on my list for another year. However, yesterday afternoon we decided we'd go up last night for the cruise! Not only was there a full moon, but this was a blue moon - meaning it was the second full moon in the same month, and that won't happened again until 2015!

It was a perfectly clear and warm night on the water. We enjoyed some dessert together before boarding the boat, and the light of the moon made for a perfect evening together!

While there has been a lot going on with planning the wedding, fixing up the house, and adjusting to Nate's new position at work, we are still making time to enjoy our relationship and encourage and support each other!

21 Leslie Ave

Nate and I are continuing to work at the new house in Conklin. Little by little we keep finding more to do, but we've definitely made some progress! We're typically over at the house three days a week - sometimes together, sometimes on our own or with other friends, sometimes just to eat dinner together. It's a very active neighborhood with people on bikes, taking walks, and walking dogs. Nate and I have gone running and rollerblading around the streets, and I appreciate the flat roads - and many are newly paved!

The major cleaning started in the kitchen - see above for before and after! Now that the mold in the main house is under control, we're focusing on the apartment - cleaning, painting, and hoping to have it move-in ready for this fall. While I have focused on the cleaning, Nate has tackled the plumbing and the more major projects around the house. We make a good team!

 Speaking of major projects..Nate used an excavator the other day to dig by the foundation on the side of the house. Some of the blocks needed to be repaired, and he dug a nice hole to access the problem blocks. While he was at it he ripped out some bushes, a cement pad, and an ugly awning in front of the house - I think he was having a little too much fun with this toy!

 I actually got my turn on the excavator too! Before Nate ripped down the awning, I convinced him to wait a minute so I could save the plants that were in front of it! I dug five holes with this machine and replanted the hostas from the awning area to the front of the house. I think every gardener should dig their holes with one of these!

We've had some friends over helping at the house too! Our friend, Ryan, from church is over quite a bit to give advice, and Nate's cousin, Chad, has been helping with plumbing, Nate's dad has been over painting, and my parents have helped clean and do yard work. Scoty and Katie, two of my friends from college, were over cleaning the apartment recently. And my sisters helped out when they were in town. Kristen and I snapped a picture together after bleaching the apartment bathroom, and if you ever come to help at the house, you can plan on a trip to Nirchi's for pizza or Pop's Sugar Shack for ice cream - one of Sara's favorites - she was a big help painting the apartment kitchen!

We have appreciated so much help from family and friends!

Nate has put his masoney skills to work, and I've tackled mowing the lawn!

 We've definitely been learning a lot as we work on this house together! We are excited to continue making it our own, and look forward to moving in after our wedding in March!

Wedding Plans!

 It was great to have both of my sisters home for a week in August! Between family meals, games, and watching home videos, we did a bit of wedding planning! They were a big help in brainstorming ideas and listening to my thoughts.

Mom, my sisters, and I went to a bridal show together. We had fun getting ideas from the different vendors. We didn't win any prizes that day, but I was later emailed saying I did win a pampering packing that I'll use closer to the wedding!

So fun to Amy and Julie in town!!

 My mom is very organized and enjoys projects. She's a big help with all this wedding stuff! This picture is from the bridal show. It was at Pumpelly Estate in Owego - a place we had considered for our reception, but we have too many friends, so it wasn't big enough!

Later in the week, we all went out to lunch and tea - such a fun afternoon! After teatime we went wedding dress shopping. It was my first time trying on dresses, and while slightly overwhelming, it was nice to have my mom and sisters there for their opinions, help, and picture taking skills.

Wedding plans are coming together. We're in the process of signing a contract for the ceremony and reception locations. There is a caterer that works closely with the event location, and he has some good ideas for our reception. My mom and I are looking into some photographers, and I just may have found THE dress earlier this week!

It will be nice to have these more major decisions taken care of - I think I'll enjoy the creative details we still have to work on!

3.1 Miles for LIFE

I've been running on and off since Jr High and ran my first official race two summers ago! I enjoy running, and when I started working at Life Choices Center, I was excited to help organize the Run/Walk for Life they are involved in. This past weekend was my second year running in the 5K with Life Choices Center, and it's a great opportunity for family and friends to learn more about the work I do at the Center.

I raced along with 153 others running or walking with Life Choices Center - we had a huge turnout this year, and for some, this was their very first 5K! Above is Kim, Kayla, Amanda, and myself before the race - it's a fun race to do with family and friends. Nate ran again this year, and my mom and sister, Julie, walked.

While other family members of mine participated last year, they supported me from far away this year. Many family and friends sponsored me as I ran for Life Choices Center. We use this as a fundraiser to continue offering our services to those facing an unplanned pregnancy. Raising over $11,000 this year, we passed our fundraising goal and were thrilled to see so many people eager to be involved in this 5K and join us for those 3.1 Miles for LIFE!

Bye-Bye July!

Well, July has come and gone with hardly any updates! It's been a whirlwind of activities since Nate and I got engaged at the end of June, and I wanted to take some time to remember back to what we've been up to!

The weekend after we got engaged, Nate and I took a trip down to Washington DC. Nate had never been before, so I acted as our tour guide as we explored the American History Museum, Air and Space Museum, and some monuments along the National Mall. Like many of my previous DC experiences, we took the metro into the city and then did a lot of walking as we explored!

We stayed with my friend, Heather's, family and experienced the hottest days of summer that weekend! We stayed cool at the pool and the National Firearms Museum - the guys loved that one! Heather also introduced us to Sweet Frog, and now Nate is a big fan of serve-yourself frozen yogurt! On our way home, Nate and I stopped in Maryland for lunch with my grandma and some extended family. It was fun to spend some time catching up and eating crab cakes. Nate continues to be my favorite travel buddy!

The week after our DC trip, Nate closed on a house! That opened a whole new door of projects and activities to do together! It's a bit of a fixer-upper, but we're looking forward to working on it together. Our families have been over to help clean, repair, and offer some TLC to our future home, and little by little it's looking better!

The house is in Conklin (just outside Binghamton and about 20 minutes from my parent's house) and has an apartment we can eventually rent out. We went running in the neighborhood tonight, and we believe it will be a pleasant place to live once we're married. You'll have to stay posted for some before and after pictures!

Between wedding planning and working on this new house, I did spend a weekend away with Nate's cousin, Julie. She is working on conquering all 46 high peaks in the Adirondacks and invited me to join her for a hiking trip! We headed up on a Friday night and spent the night in her car and heading out hiking in the morning. We actually knocked two peaks off her list since we made it to the tops of both Colvin and Blake that day! We hiked 16 miles and were out just before dark.

This ADK hiking was definitely a new experience for me! We're talking hiking sticks, climbing boulders, tricky footing, restrooms up close and personal with nature, achy knees, and spectacular views! It was quite an accomplishment, and I was only sore until the middle of the next week...

It was fun to spend time with Julie and get to know her a bit more. I've enjoyed being part of Nate's extended family and look forward to more opportunities to get together in the future!

I flipped my calendar to August yesterday and realized that most of the summer is behind us. It has been full of adventure so far, and this new month is looking pretty great too!

Grandpa's Family

This picture is 4 years old, but it's our most recent family picture with my mom's whole side of the family. Actually, this family wouldn't be possible without the love and commitment from one family member not pictured here.

Grandpa Lyttle passed away 11 years ago today. I was 12 years old. It was July, and my family had just been down to visit around the 4th of July.

Within weeks after returning home after a great week at Grandma and Grandpa's house, I remember my mom listening to a message on our answering machine that explained Grandpa was in the hospital. I wasn't sure what a brain aneurysm was, but noticing my mom's tears, I knew it wasn't good. He passed away in the hospital, and our family traveled back down to Maryland to celebrate the life God gave my grandpa.

I don't remember much about the funeral, but I do remember my aunt trying to put her eye contact back in after it fell out from her crying! I also remember a woman singing "His Eye is on the Sparrow" and I remember some men carrying the casket down the aisle of the church past our family.

I also remember being told that each of us grandkids could pick one flower from the many arrangements to take with us. I chose an orange gerber daisy - it seemed so cheerful, and now I always think of Grandpa when I see orange gerber daisies.

I'm planning to pick up an orange gerber daisy on my way to work today. As a simple reminder of Grandpa Lyttle and the wonderful part he had in my family.

• I remember making homemade ice cream at his house and having ice cream eating contests with my cousins, aunts, and uncles - no hands allowed!
• I remember playing house in his camper with my cousins and sisters.
• I remember him teaching me to water ski behind his boat and going to Blue Knob to downhill ski in the winter.
• I remember him coming to visit at our house - and always bringing donuts..or maybe that was more Grandma's idea!
• I can remember his deep laugh and his gentle, loving voice.
• I remember how he used the words "Thee" and "Thy" in his prayers before meals, and it always made me realize the importance God had in his life.
• I remember his sense of adventure and all his cool cars.
• I remember being at his house for his birthday one year when he got a music CD as a gift. He took me out to his car in the garage, and he opened the car sunroof as we sat and listened to the songs together.
• I remember his generosity and love for people.
• I remember his nicknames for me and my sisters - Cuter than Me, Prettier than Me, and Sweeter than Me. I'm pretty sure I was "Sweeter than Me" and can remember him using those from time to time.
• I can remember the last words he said to me as my family headed home after a week at his house, "Laura, there's so much we didn't get to do this time, but there's always next time!"

There never was a "next time" with Grandpa, but that's okay. He made the most of his time here, so we made plenty of memories in those 12 years together. And because of his love and commitment to God and his family, his 12 grandkids and their families continue to love and support each other, and I will thank God for that as I glance at my cheerful orange gerber daisy!

A Tricky Oil Change!

You're looking at a future Mr. & Mrs. right there! That's right! Nate proposed, and we're engaged!! 

It has been a whirlwind since last Friday, but I do want to share our story here so I can look back and remember what a special day it truly was!

Nate and I had been talking "wedding" for a while, and I was anticipating a ring sometime this summer. However, after some false alarms, I was beginning to wonder if he'd even bought the ring yet...

We both have Fridays off right now, and Nate had plans to take my car to his house Thursday night, change my oil Friday morning, and come back to pick me up in the afternoon to do something fun he had planned. (I liked the sounds of this!) The thing was, I didn't need an oil change for another 400 miles, but Nate convinced me he would be busy the next few weekends, so Friday morning really was the best time.

Stuck at home without a car, I slept in on Friday and eventually got ready for Nate to pick me up around 1:30 for our fun day together. Around 12:30, Nate calls to say there is something wrong with my oil cap and other things - this oil change had quickly become more complicated and he needed to go to the auto store for some parts. Apparently my car was in pieces on his driveway, and it would take all day to fix it all. Great. So much for our special afternoon! He said he could probably be at my house around 8:00 that evening.

Well, what was I supposed to do? My parents were working, and all I had was Nate's motorcycle! Nate suggested I call my friend, Hannah, who was in town from Texas. I told Nate he should drive his truck down here to get me and figure out my car later! Or I could at least hang out with him at his house while he tinkered around with my car. He claimed he needed some "man time" and really just had to take care of this today. Great. Nate's little project was more important than me. He asked me to stay positive and that he would make it up to me. Trying to show him I was being positive, I sent him a text later to thank him for taking care of my car. But really I was bummed because I had thought our special afternoon would involve a diamond ring, but yet again, it was a false alarm since he so easily canceled these plans!

I eventually got in touch with Hannah who said she was going to a craft store her grandma suggested for some wedding decorations (since Hannah just got engaged!). I had all the time in the world now, so Hannah picked me up, and we headed out to Kathy's Country Crafts. Hannah warned me the place was a bit of a drive, but she was told it had really nice stuff. I was up for whatever, and we talked in the car about how I've really been trying to trust Nate and the plan he says he has for proposing. Gosh I was beginning to hate the words patient and hang in there!

As we're driving, we came to Berean Bible Church in Greene. There was a red truck in the parking lot with a tool box just like Nate's - and Nate was standing in the back waving his hands! In my head I was thinking we should stop and say hi before we go to the craft store; Nate must be running some errands in between working on my car. I don't even get these words out of my mouth, and Hannah pulls into the parking lot next to Nate with just a huge smile on her face!

Nate has a yellow gerber daisy, opens my door, and says, "Laura! You're coming with me for the rest of the day!" Oh man!! I told Hannah we'd had to go shopping another day, and I hop in Nate's truck.

I asked about my car and the oil change, but Nate just told me to relax and we headed to dinner. He had made reservations at the Silo for 4:00 when they opened. We were a bit early and enjoyed the gardens outside before sitting down for our meal. (I wasn't even all that hungry because I thought we could do a later dinner when Nate came back with my car at 8pm - I had just eaten lunch at 2:30!) We helped ourselves to the salad bar and enjoyed our meals - Nate got a chicken dish, and I had pasta...with lots leftover!

After dinner we got back in Nate's truck and started driving again. I hardly ever go out to Greene so didn't recognize a thing! I had no clue what was next. Miles later, we turn down a path in the woods and right through someone's campsite! We park, surrounded by tall grass and woods. I informed Nate that I was not prepared to go hiking in just my flip flops! He assured me that we just had to walk a little ways - and we came across a lake with a canoe so conveniently sitting there! (Funny because we had just talked the night before about how we should go canoeing some time! Little did I know what Nate already had planned...)

We hop in the canoe and paddle against the current out on the lake. (Actually, Long Pond as Nate clarified.) We floated for a bit and eventually drifted back toward where we started since the wind was so strong. Thinking I'd had enough canoeing for the day, I asked Nate where on shore we had started. He said we'd already past it, and convinced me to keep going a little father! We eventually turn around again to head back, and Nate points out a stump with a flower on it. I didn't see a flower, but we paddled closer. Sure enough, there was a flower on the stump - another yellow gerber daisy!

I picked up the flower and there was fishing line attached to it. I kept pulling, but it kept going! Nate paddled us closer to shore as I collected fishing line. As we reached more plants near the shore, I gave a tug on the fishing line and a ring box pops up!

I turn around to see Nate kneeling down on one knee in the middle of the canoe! He was holding open the real ring box with a beautiful ring inside - beautiful because of what it signifies in our relationship. Nate confirmed his love for me and his desire for a future together. He said something about spending the rest of our lives together, and I asked if he was sure he was up for that! Even after how frustrated I was with his that morning over the oil change and my other not-so-great sides, he said he is definitely up for a lifetime with me!

We were so happy and carefully hugged as we balanced on the canoe in the water! Realizing that I'd said, "Yes!" Nate put the ring on my finger, and it fit perfect!

I was so impressed with the plan he'd come up with and the effort he put into making our engagement such a special day! He'd talked to the people at the campsite early when he brought the canoe, so they celebrated with us and were the first to offer congratulations! 

Nate was proud of the successful day he had conquered, and we went back to my house to celebrate with some family and friends! We called family and texted friends - everyone was thrilled for us, but not the least bit surprised that Nate proposed - I wasn't the only one waiting for it!

When Nate and I had talked about rings, I'd asked him for one with etching on the sides and a princess cut main diamond. He also had two smaller diamonds embedded on either side - one to represent each of us with God as the center and focus of our relationship like the main diamond. It's perfect, and I love that it means Nate has chosen to merge our two lives and continue to build a future together!

Side Details:

• My oil never got changed. In fact, my car never even made it to Nate's house! He met a friend late Thursday night and took the car up to Hannah's house!
• Kathy's Country Crafts does not exist in Greene, NY. Hannah totally made it up to made it believable that she had to drive way out there!
• Nate bought a brand new outfit for this special occasion. Only, he didn't bring a belt, so had to zip-tie his new shorts to hold them up!
• My mom knew about all this two days before and didn't spill the beans to me!
• Nate barely slept the night before all this; I barely slept the night after!
• There are actually 11 diamonds in my ring, and Nate and I met in 2011.
• Nate has been fishing up at Long Pond before, but I think I just got the greatest catch!!

The Big Brown Mountain Mudder

Nate's brother, Evan, and a friend, Jon, recently organized a race through the woods at Nate's house - Brown Mountain. The course led runners through the woods, obstacles, and plenty of mud! The day before the race, Nate and I spent time in the woods making mud pits and securing a wall that Nate built to some trees. Racers had to climb over Nate's 9 foot wall, climb up a rock scramble, race along the top of a wobbly stone wall, maneuver various other obstacles, and finally run to the finish carrying a log!

We did all this as a fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. A friend from church has muscular dystrophy, and we were glad to have an event to help out this organization. Each runner paid the entrance fee and received a shirt that another friend design. We also had businesses in the area donate food for after the race. With just over 30 mudders in the race and many others helping out that day, we raised $430!

I'd say the first Big Brown Mountain Mudder was a success!

An Entire Day Off Together!

 

Nate's schedule recently changed, and now he has 3 day weekends - just like me! We took advantage of our Friday off last week and took a day trip to the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. We hiked down the Canyon when we first arrived - enjoyed a few waterfalls along the way and met a couple who was celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary! Wonder if we'll still be active and hiking by then!

After our picnic lunch, we started biking along the large creek at the bottom of the Canyon. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining and the sound of the water next to us. We eventually spotted two deer cooling off in the creek. We stopped and watched them for a bit - see them near the middle of the picture below?

We decided we need to bike more often if we're ever going to be able to enjoy biking. We probably rode about 9-10 miles, but we barely even talked with each other the whole half riding back! All we could focus on were how much our butts hurt and that we wanted to get back to the car!!

We did, however, end our day the most relaxing way possible! We floated in tubes down that same creek for two hours! It was so nice just to sit back and let the water carry us down. Definitely a good way to end our active day!

We stopped for a late dinner on the way home, and we were glad to be able to spend an entire day together - looking forward to more adventures this summer!

A Trip to the Hospital

I've been traveling to Rochester every other weekend for the past two months. I thought my next trip wouldn't be until September, but when my parents said they were traveling to Rochester to visit my grandpa in the hospital last weekend, I decided to join them.

Grandpa is a retired teacher, but he is still very active. He can often be found painting houses. Last Thursday he was outside painting on a ladder. The ladder slipped, and he fell 12 feet to the concrete ground! He was taken to a hospital in Rochester where they did surgery on his wrist. The x-rays pictured above show some screws, pins, and a plate that now hold his wrist together. We're thankful that his wrist was the only major injury!

My parents and I drove up to my grandparents' house Friday night to see how Grandma was doing. The next morning we took her to the hospital to visit Grandpa. He was sitting up and eating breakfast when we arrived - his first solid food since Thursday morning! We was in good spirits, and his pain had gone down to a 5 (it had been at a 15 out of 10!). Grandpa rested most of the day, and we were able to talk with him and make him more comfortable.

Grandpa kept making comments about how he had such a great family, and I know we all appreciate being part of his family! When Grandma was out of the room, he was asking how she was doing. He was the one dealing with a broken wrist, but he was still concerned for Grandma! We assured him that even though she was tired, she understood that everything happens for a reason, and she was ready to take it one day at a time as Grandpa heals.

I loved watching the interaction between my grandparents during this time. There was so much love and care shown on both ends, and they were both concerned for the other's needs. Other relatives took shifts at the hospital too, and we received word on Monday that Grandpa was home from the hospital!

It will take some time for his wrist to heal and the cast to be removed, but I'm glad we were able to visit Grandpa in the hospital and provide some encouragement - I know he would do the same for me!

Campfire Grilled Cheese

The other night, Nate and I were figuring out what we should do for dinner, and then I remembered our Spring List. Before each new season, we try to make a list of things we want to do over the next few months. We list people we want to visit, how many times we'll aim to run or rollerblade, new activities to try, places to explore, or birthdays and holidays to celebrate. One of the last things left to do on our Spring List was to try and make grilled cheese over a fire.

Back in February, we made breakfast on the campfire, and the pancakes turned out really good! We figured we should give grilled cheese a try. We got a fire going and prepared our sandwiches. We placed them on a baking sheet over the fire, and they were done in no time! We enjoyed our sandwiches while we warmed up a can of soup over the fire too.

It was a fun way to make our dinner, and we completed our Spring List just in time to think about what our Summer List will look like!

Venus Transit

Nate and I went to Kopernik Observatory tonight for an event that will not happen again until 2117! The planet Venus passed by the sun, and the orbits of Venus and Earth lined up so we could see it.

It was a pretty cloudy evening, but people eagerly gathered inside to watch Venus via live internet feed from NASA's clear view of the sun. Everyone anxious wondered if the clouds would clear enough for us to view it from Kopernik's telescopes.

Then..we got the call! The sun had been spotted on Murry Hill Road, and blue sky was on its way! After a rush of excitement, the telescopes were set and ready to display the sun.

Nate and I went into a large room that had a giant telescope coming down through the roof. The view from the telescope was projected on the wall, and when the clouds cleared, we saw the picture above. The giant white circle is the sun, and the small black dot toward the bottom is Venus making its way to the right side of the sun. And those blacks spots in the center are sun spots.

After a view minutes of watching the sun on the wall, we made out way to the smaller telescopes. The one Nate is looking at here displayed the sun as green. This was to lessen the intense impact of the light the sun gives off. They connected a special eyepiece to the telescope to make it safe to view the sun with the naked eye. Sure enough, we could see Venus in front of the sun!

We headed outside to find sunglasses you could use to safely look directly at the sun. There were more telescopes set up outside as well, and it was interesting that it was cloudy because you could see the clouds moving past the sun too. The final telescope we looked at magnified the sun even more - you could even see the solar flares moving on the surface of the sun!

It was fun to be part of all the hype at Kopernik tonight. God creatively placed so many different things in the sky, and we gained a greater appreciation for His creation by viewing this rare occurrence. I would highly recommend a trip to Kopernik! They typically have events on Friday nights if you're ever interested: www.kopernik.org