Life-giving/Joy-inducing

Happy mid-(late) February!  

For as excruciatingly long as January seemed, February is flying by - over here, at least.  Anyone else?

In the case that you're sitting at home on yet another snow(y) day, here's a lengthy blog post for ya!  In the case that you were hoping this would be a quick read, I do apologize.  I probably should've split this into two posts, but you'll see how the topics are related and can just read it in pieces, if necessary.  Or just skim.  Or just look at the pictures.  Or stop reading right here.  You do you.

For those still reading...

I recently listened to a podcast interview during which they discussed, among other things, the importance of Sabbath.  I'm not going to get into it all here (for now, at least), but the main idea questioned why we don't seem to place as much weight on this commandment as the others.  I doubt I'm the only one who sometimes forgets this is a true commandment, and though it's not punishable by law, it is right up there with "thou shalt not commit murder."  Not too long ago, I wrote about our fairly-new "margin" practices (here), and I think those relate to Sabbath, or count for something, at least.  But this interview also reminded me of a couple "bigger" life-giving "things" (for lack of a better word) I've been a part of in the recent past.

The first: stamping weekend.  I know I've mentioned this regularly-occurring event in my "favorites" several times, but I don't think I've ever explained it!  So, in a nutshell: stamping weekend is a long weekend dedicated to making cards using rubber stamps and many, many other card-making supplies.  It has also been designated as time to work on scrapbooks, though I've never done so, and many do not use it for this, anymore.  My aunt and uncle host the weekend three to four times a year and guests include a couple close friends, my mom, and whatever corresponding spouses and kids are able to be there, including myself.  (Whenever I attend, guests also include any of my friends who are able to stop by for a visit! ☺)  The ladies take over the kitchen counters, dining room, and extra tables with gobs of stamps, paper, special gadgets and tools, paper cutters, embellishments, etc., etc.  They take turns making meals, so only one person steps away from their progress at a time (though they usually all help each other out, anyway).  Everyone brings snacks and yummy treats to share.  Meanwhile, the men either work on outside projects (including, but not limited to, building a deck, cutting down trees, and mowing), watch sports, or watch movies.

This weekend has always been life-giving to me, because of the amount of quality time we're all able to spend together, the productivity that takes place, the creativity I'm able to unleash, the delicious food, and the lack of other obligations over the course of a few days.  It was especially life-giving this time around, because it served as a brief retreat from motherhood, some important uninterrupted conversation time, and a couple mornings to stay in bed as long as I pleased (I almost wrote "sleep in," but I wasn't that far removed from my "mommy schedule" - haha)!

I have next to no pictures of this most-recent stamping weekend, because we truly had our noses to the grindstone making cards!  Here are a couple, though!

One of my favorite Lincoln restaurants closed a few years ago, but they just reopened in a new location (closer to my aunt and uncle's), so you'd better believe we went for lunch...which included their amazing Brussels sprouts!)!

I made over 60 cards over the course of the weekend! 
Many were fairly simple or just assembling pieces I'd already created, but still - was well worth the trip/time!

Here's one of them - made for a sweet friend's second birthday!
All credit/props/kudos goes to my sis-in-law who designed Elmo and Cookie Monster. 
You know, of course, I just couldn't handle the tiny little cookie!  Haha.  Needless to say, we mass-produced some of these guys, so if you have a little one, you may be seeing them on a future card...

The second life-giving "thing" I was involved in recently was IF:Northside - a livestream of the IF:Gathering at our church!  There are several reasons this was life-giving for me:

-The "duties."  I was the first to say "yes" to helping organize this, so ended up sort-of heading it up.  This meant I was able to dust off some of my previous event-planning experience and administrative skills, and I have to say, it felt really good!  I haven't had (or maybe just haven't taken advantage of) a lot of opportunities to show these "colors" since living in KC, so I think my leadership may have come as a surprise to some, and perhaps a bit of a surprise even to me - haha.  I was really glad to be able to help out in this way and am looking forward to future events!

-The fellowship.  This was the first opportunity we'd had in several months for the women of our congregation to gather and spend quality, intentional time getting to know each other.  You know how I feel about building relationships, so this was absolutely life-giving for that reason.  It was especially sweet to not only build relationships with others, myself, but also to witness others doing so with each other.

-The snack pot-luck. ☺

-The (donated, so FREE) Scooter's coffee!

-The content.  I won't attempt to share everything that was meaningful, interesting, and important, because it ALL was!  There were speakers I'd heard from before (and looked forward to seeing, again!), as well as new faces and fresh messages.

-The worship.  Because I play keys on our worship team most Sunday's, I don't often have the opportunity to partake in corporate worship as a non-performer, if you will (please don't read into this term and think I see leading worship as just a performance, or anything like that - don't need to go down that rabbit hole...simply couldn't think of a better way to describe it in this instance).  It was also extra-wonderful to stop singing, myself, and listen to the other women's beautiful voices lifted together in praise.  ♥

I did a science experiment in the 4th grade that used flowers and colored water. 
Imagine my surprise when I ran across this as a decor idea!
(They didn't change quite as much as I'd expected by the next day, but were still pretty!)

Put my Cricut to good use cutting lots of circles!
(Special thanks to Joann's for having the perfect colors of paper on sale for 70% off at just the right time!)

The theme was celebratory and bright colors, so thanks to Dollar Tree party supplies and a little time, we created a corresponding photo backdrop.

Fun pens and journals for everyone!

We had close to 50 ladies in these seats over the course of the weekend!

♥♥♥

So thankful my mom and BFF (who was mistaken as my sister a couple times just this weekend) were able to attend the whole conference!

Obviously, there are other "things," both bigger and smaller than these two, that give me life and bring me joy, but these are the ones I'm sharing with you, today.  Perhaps you can relate.  What's "life-giving" in your life, right now?  Is there something you'd like to do that you could, but haven't, for some reason?  Do it.  Totally worth it.

Joyfully,
Kensy

P.S. After working on this post for a couple weeks, I'm starting to second-guess using the term "life-giving," but don't want to go back and change it all.  So, just know that by "life-giving" I simply mean these things have brought me great joy...or "sparked joy," if you want to get trendy.  ;)

Favorites of the day:

dark chocolate

"Snow days" that mean no morning library storytime, and instead, watching some of "The Price is Right" with a snack and a kitty lapwarmer.  ☺

♥☺♥☺♥

BFF(AE!)

Hey, all!

I'm writing from a completely nostalgic/sentimental/sappy place today.  Don't say I didn't warn you.  ; )  I'm also writing, from a thoughtful/thankful/reflective place, though, so if you can wade through the personal stuff, I think you'll find some practicality here, too.

This post is in honor of my best-friend-for-life's 30th birthday!  Please join me in celebrating Katie today (and always, really, but especially today)!

Many of you know this, but Katie and I have known each other since the 2nd grade, and have "officially" (ha!) been best friends since the 5th (or maybe 4th) grade.

I really don't even know where to start to tell our story...  We lived 5 mins. from each other.  We attended the same school(s).  We were in 4-H together.  Our moms were friends.  We had the same piano teacher.  Our families became each other's families.  We vacationed together.  Etc., etc.

Looking back on our childhood is quite a trip, but it also makes me teary to think of the blessing it was and what a foundation it created for the friendship we have today.

One of the reasons this is currently at the forefront of my mind is this:

Katie recently unearthed our friendship journals.

Yes, you read that correctly.  We had friendship journals...plural.

One even had a matching bookmark.

Not only have these been hilarious and entertaining to read through, but they've also provided for some reflection and "deep" thoughts (not unlike ones we used to write about in these - haha).  So much life has happened since we started that first journal in the 5th grade.  What a treasure to be able to look back on not only our friendship over the years, but also our individual lives and day-to-day thoughts and happenings.  I think I've mentioned how terrible my memory seems to be, especially lately.  It's always been hard for me to remember things from my childhood and school years, except for a few milestone/big deal occurrences, of course.  These journals have reminded us not only of various life events, but also of how our days used to look and what mattered most to our younger selves.

We've known for a long time what a treasure our friendship is - we documented how thankful we were many times - and we are continuously grateful for each other and our ever-strengthening relationship.  Please know I am not sharing all this to brag, to one-up your friendships, to say our friendship is perfect, or anything like that.  Rather, after reading back through these journals, there are some recurring components in various "entries" that provide clues as to how we've made our relationship work over the years, and I thought I'd share them with you.

In no particular order, here are a few key components of our friendship and how we've applied them over the years:

Grace
Then:  One of the very first entries in the very first journal is, "This will also be a book of appologies (bless my fifth grade speller's heart), and here's one..."  From using our "code names" outside of the journal to jealousy to failing to make time for one another, we recognized and sought forgiveness for actions both big and small.
Later: Though we found a surprising amount of these "I'm sorry" notes throughout the journals, I know there were so many more in-person requests for forgiveness over the years.  As we matured both in our friendship and as individuals, we recognized the things that might upset the other and learned to avoid them.  We also had grace for each other in knowing life changes meant making some adjustments in our relationship, as well, and were patient with the process of working through all that.
Now:  We haven't had a major conflict in years, and I'm having a hard time remembering even having a minor one.  Though we had never intentionally hurt one another in the past, we learned from the times that we unintentionally did, and have since been able to avoid doing so again.  Our grace is likely often extended without a prerequisite apology, though, because we're human and mess up, but we know and love each other in a way that allows us to recognize when hurt wasn't intended and forgive without an apology extended.  Perhaps this just came with practice, too - practicing apologizing and forgiving and moving forward.

Shared Interests
Then: 4-H, gel pens, boys, puppy chow
Later: slumber parties, shopping, Bible studies, puppy chow
Now: pool time, hospitality, awesome bargains, puppy chow ☺
Seriously, though - a relationship without shared interests is much more difficult to maintain, in my opinion.  While our differences allowed us to grow as individuals, our commonalities allowed our friendship to thrive.  Quality time is much more enjoyable when you're spending the time doing something you both truly enjoy.

Honesty/Vulnerability
Then: Sharing what boys (a.k.a. "flowers"...don't ask...) we liked.
Later: Sharing what boys we liked (haha - but seriously - this is what girlfriends are for, right?).  But also: opening up about various situations and how we felt about them, calling each other out and keeping each other accountable, writing/talking to each other during our lowest of lows and highest of highs (which usually involved tears on both ends of the spectrum)
Now:  All of the above and much more!  As our friendship has deepened, so has our level of vulnerability.  It has become clear to me that this is such an important part of any real relationship.  Though I may not tell her EVERYthing, there isn't anything I wouldn't feel comfortable/safe sharing with Katie.  With great vulnerability comes great...

Trust
Then: Keeping the journal(s) hidden from others' view (both intentional and accidental). "Mom just came in my room without knocking AGAIN."  Heaven forbid our own mothers lay eyes on our precious journal.  An entry written while writing during a high school class, "People keep looking at me like I'm crazy.  Do u know how horrible it would be if people took this and read it!  lol.  It must be a secret."  The next entry started with an "*idea*" to only write in the privacy of our homes and simply transfer the journal at school.  haha
Later: As our relationship grew, so did our level of trust.  We learned we could trust each other with our insecurities, emotions, and "deepest secrets." From petty thoughts to important feelings and decisions to knowing the other wouldn't back out on plans; we gained each others trust through many, many opportunities to not let each other down.
Now: I hardly know how to quantify this, at this point, except to say that I know I can trust Katie with absolutely anything.

Foresight
Then: Making a plan as to how we're going to use the pages in the journals (this was a surprisingly prevalent topic of conversation (and consequently, use of space) in the books.
Later: Comparing school schedules and finding several opportunities for quality time during the school year when we were living in different states, because we knew that simply trying to meet up when we were home at the same time wasn't going to be enough.
Now: Knowing that even though we're in the same metro area, we need to make plans somewhat far in advance to spend time together, because life just seems to get in the way if we aren't intentional about it.  (The opportunities for spontaneity and the times we're able to take advantage of it, however, are so wonderful!)

Loyalty
Then: "Kensy and I have been having big problems with a group of girls who are extremely rude to us.  They are rude to everyone!"
Later: Our friendship survived junior high.  Enough said?  ☺
Now: Though we have various commitments, several different circles of friends, and husbands(!), we continue to make an effort to prioritize each other and our relationship.

Another big contributor to the success of our friendship is our shared faith (our 5th grade selves even wrote a special prayer for us to say when we spent the night together...I have no memory of ever actually saying it, but it's in the friendship journal!  Bless our hearts...).  Though we went to different churches (different denominations, even), we attended events/services at each others churches and participated in several Bible studies together.  In "Christianese": The intersection of our faith walks was a huge blessing, and Katie's faith continues to challenge me and keep me accountable.  In plain terms: Katie's faith definitely impacted on my own, and still does, to this day. ☺

Truly, the list of components goes on and on: intentionality, thoughtfulness, respect, encouragement, etc., etc.  I could write a book about all the hilarious and meaningful memories we share, as well as the important conversations we've had and the ways we've built this friendship to be what it is today.

Praise the Lord for technology and the ease it eventually brought to our constant communication, esp. when we were living in separate places.  The first friendship journal documents our first e-mail addresses, and we even wrote, "E-mail me!"  That said, however, these hand-written words are so precious; there's just something about the time and effort it takes to write, as well as the ability to have it all in one place when we want to reminisce and have a good laugh.

I hope that all made sense to you, dear readers - especially those of you who don't know me well and/or don't know Katie, at all.  My goal was both to give you a glimpse into our specific friendship, as well as present more universal thoughts on relationships, in general.

Happy birthday, Katie Sue!  I love you so, so much, and am inexpressibly grateful you're in my life.

Friendly-ly,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

This girl, who stood by me (in literally every way) even when I had those bangs.
(I had such a hard time not sharing more pics than this one...there are some gems, for sure! haha)

sunshine and pool/splash pad/water time

rhubarb custard bars

More glad than sad. ☺

Seriously?!  It's been over a month since my last post?!  Goodness gracious.  For the love of Pete.  "You've got to be pulling on my leg!"  *all the sad and/or surprise-faced emojis*

I said a long time ago I wasn't going to apologize for any lapses, so instead, I'll just THANK YOU for sticking with me and for reading.  ☺

Today's post is going to be more introspective than informative.  So, if you're looking for a play-by-play life update, a new recipe to try for supper tonight, or a guide to all the awesome things KC has to offer, you'll probably need to wait till a later post...or you could just read this one, anyway.  ☺

I recently took a trip back to "the good life;" more specifically, Lincoln, NE.  (Calm down - I'm not saying life isn't good in MO - it just says "the good life" on the NE state signs...also, it's true.)

The trip started with a baby shower for a couple former coworkers and quickly developed into a fun-filled, action-packed 24 hours...which actually consisted mostly of "catching up" over food and/or drink.  (Lincoln friends - please don't be offended if this trip didn't include visiting YOU.  Will hope to catch you on a future one!)

Some of the "food and/or drinks" pictured here.
A brown-bag lunch packed just for me?  Be still my heart. ♥

The introspective piece that came of all this - which was mostly developed over the 3-hour journey home - is this:
It was very refreshing to go to a place I am so familiar with and spend time with people who I am also so familiar with...and who are familiar with me and who I am.

Here's why (I think):
As much as I love meeting new people, exploring, building relationships, and trying new things, it's sometimes very exhausting!  Even though I'm more of an extrovert than introvert, there's a large part of me that cherishes the familiarity and ease that comes with established relationships.  Being able to "pick up where we left off" and already know background/"getting to know you" details makes sharing life happenings much easier.  And knowing the path someone has taken to get where they are makes for a unique, deeper perspective on current situations.

If I wanted to be poetic about it, I'd explain it this way:
There are many, many people who have played important roles in various chapters of my life.  You could even say they helped write some of those chapters.  It fills my bucket when those same people are anxious and excited to read the new chapters I am, and have been, working on.  Some prefer a summary, others want to read every word.  Either way, they're more interested in continuing to read than just putting the book down because it doesn't include their name as often as it used to.

I think I've taken that analogy as far as it will go, so I'll say it this way:
Friends are awesome - new and old.  But when distance separates you on a regular basis, old friends have the power to show how much they truly care by the effort they put into maintaining the relationship.  This doesn't mean calling every week, writing occasionally, visiting, or even texting every so often.  It could mean all those things and more, but it doesn't have to.  What means the most is the genuine care and interest shown in what's happened during your time apart, no matter how long it's been.  As I write this, I'm realizing this is also true for new relationships.  What sets the old ones apart, though, is the understanding the two parties have of each other that only comes with time and shared experiences.

Anyway, it was a really great trip, and I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to make it.  I've been asked if going back makes me miss Lincoln more and/or makes me sad.  There was probably a time in my life (in the first few pages of the KC chapter - ha) when I would've said, "Yes."  This time, though, the answer was, "No."  I was more glad than sad.  I was glad to have so many people I wanted to visit...and so many who were excited for me to visit!  That may sound a little conceited, but I don't mean for it to.  It's just nice to be "wanted" by so many in such a short amount of time, I guess ("I want you to want me...").  I was glad for my time in Lincoln - past and present.  I was glad to spend time with several people who had a large impact on my life then and who care so much about what's happening in my life, now.  I was glad to be reminded of how easy it is to go back...and I was glad to get home to KC.  ☺

Speaking of - I'm excited to share some of the awesome things we've been doing in and out of the house!  Will hope to be able to share sooner rather than later, this time!

Until then,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

This girl warms my heart.  She's so genuinely funny and cares so deeply about those she loves.
I just love spending time with her!

He isn't embarrassed to greet me with a huge hug in the middle of his school lunchroom.
I think that says a lot about this handsome, growing-up-too-fast guy.  ☺

 the new Pampered Chef products that came out yesterday!
My most favorite (or, at least, the one I was most excited about)?

The stoneware deep dish pie plate!
I grew up using my mom's, but it had since been discontinued (happens every so often when they change stoneware glaze colors), and I'd been patiently waiting for them to bring it back - hooray!

Check out all the other new products here: www.pamperedchef.biz/kensybyers
Let me know if you'd like any for YOUR kitchen!  I'm offering a 10% discount on any new products ordered this month.
Also - check out (and like!) my PC Facebook page (Kensy Byers - Pampered Chef)!
Tell all your friends!  ☺

I said yes!!!

Hey, strangers!

I told you once upon a time that I wasn't going to apologize for any lapses between posts...and I'm not going to.  I don't think you'll mind the wait when you finish reading this one, though.  ☺

As those of you who are my Facebook friends already know, I've been dating a handsome guy for a few months, now.  Those of you who just read this blog occasionally may have read between the lines (pun intended) and noticed a few hints at a change in relationship status, lately...maybe.  

Anyway, I had decided when I started this blog that I wouldn't post anything about a boy and/or relationship until there was a ring involved.  So, I didn't...and I waited (as you know) for my "someone special" to make his entrance into my life.  And guess what?!  He did, and he asked me to marry him, and I said yes!!!

I've been waiting so long to share our story, and am so excited to do so, now!  If you're not interested in reading about it all, I won't be offended...but I know quite a few of you are, so I'm going to try to be as thorough as possible.  (Would love to share all this in person with ALL of you, of course, but we all know how life doesn't always make that possible...)

So...here's our story:

Bryant and I met via Christian Mingle last fall after I'd signed up for the site in late July.  I had witnessed quite a few successful online dating relationships develop into marriages, and after attending a friend's wedding (they met via Christian Mingle) and hearing a few other success stories there, then receiving a promotional e-mail offering a hefty discount on the membership fee (you know how I love a good bargain!), I decided to give it a shot.

We started corresponding mid-September, and after a few weeks of daily, extensive e-mails, he asked to meet in person.  So, in mid-October, he drove to Lincoln to take me to dinner (he planned it all, even though he'd never been here!  (He lives in Kansas City.)).  It went well enough for me to agree to his request to "do it again sometime," and the rest is history.  ☺  

Since we started officially dating in early November, we were able to take advantage of the holidays and meet each other's families fairly early-on in our relationship.  There are so, so many things I want to tell you about him, but I'll leave it at this: You know how high my standards are, and he exceeds them in so many ways!  Also, he's an engineer...and likes to cook...and is super funny...and smart...and thoughtful...  ☺

At the beginning of this year, his (wonderful!) family invited me to join them on a trip to NYC they'd be taking in May.  I've always wanted to go to NYC and couldn't imagine a better opportunity, so I accepted the invitation!

Fast forward to a week (or so) ago:

Bryant, his sister, his parents, and I were in NYC...and had been for a couple days.  It was Bryant and I's 6-month anniversary.  We'd just finished a yummy breakfast at a great bakery there and were going to head to the Metropolitan Museum of Art after a quick stop at the F.A.O. Schwarz toy store.  We got to the store about a half hour before they opened, though, and I was trying to tell everyone that we didn't need to wait around just so I could see the big piano...especially since the Charles James exhibit we were on our way to see at the Met was pretty much the reason for the whole trip!  Everyone assured me that it was ok to wait around, though - they wanted to go inside to see it all, too!  

Once we got inside, I was immediately drawn to the penny pressing machine (I collect pressed pennies, so am always on the look-out for these souvenirs), but Bryant ushered me up the escalator saying, "We'll get one on the way out, babe."  We made our way to "The Big Piano" upstairs, and as we approached, the line of customers waiting to play it somehow dispersed.  The employees asked us to pose for a picture in front of a green screen (this is standard operating procedure) before asking us to take our shoes off in order to play The Big Piano.  Then, this happened:

Yep.  He asked me if I'd explore the future we'd been talking about with him and, "Will you marry me?" after we'd just played Chopsticks with our feet on The Big Piano.  What?! 

We'd been talking about the future quite seriously leading up to this, so I knew the question was coming at some point.  My only request, as far as the proposal went, was to be surprised...and he sure got me!  

If you know me at all, you know how special and wonderful this all was and how much it meant to me...and how many tears were shed afterward!  ☺  Not only did he choose to propose on a meaningful day, but he chose a fun, meaningful venue (for those of you who may have forgotten - I teach piano lessons.  Seriously - could it get more perfect than a giant piano?!), and he (and everyone else in on the plan) kept it a secret from me...AND his family was around to help capture the moment!  I'd never imagined I'd get to have pictures (his sister just happens to be a talented photographer), much less a VIDEO of the moment I got engaged!

Afterward, we got to spend a couple days enjoying the rest of the trip as planned, but as an engaged couple!  It was so, so special to be able to enjoy the quality time together and to celebrate with his family, too!  And we got free dessert at dinner that night...as if the day could get any better!  ☺  

We even got to have a couple mini-engagement-photo-shoots with his sister!  Here are some of the great shots she got:

Did I mention he'd bought me a rose that morning in honor of our 6-month anniversary?  Little did I know he had that gorgeous ring for me in his pocket!!  He also wrote me a letter to read afterward, since we were in public and he had lots he wanted to say to me.  ☺

I am so, so excited and blessed to be marrying into Bryant's family!  His mom made me an "Almost Mrs." shirt and cute bag with my "new" initials, and his sister bought me my first wedding magazine.  So very sweet and thoughtful!  A huge "thank you" to them for making the trip and proposal possible...and so special.

It's been so much fun to share our news this past week.  Thank you to those of you who have already shared your excitement in various ways!  My students, especially, have had some pretty priceless reactions and comments.  ☺  One 2nd-grade-boy whose mom had shared the news with him prior to his lesson said before starting to play his first assigned piece, "So, who is he?"

As is probably obvious, I could go on and on about how great it all was and has been...and about how much I love my fiancé.  I'm going to be done gushing, though (and hope to get a post about the rest of the amazing NYC trip written, at some point...and maybe one about long-distance relationships...and God's perfect timing), and let someone else do the talking for a bit.

I asked Bryant if he'd like to share anything as part of this post, and he graciously agreed to drop you all a line, or two.  I've never had a guest writer on "The Scoop," but who better to be the first than the man with whom I'm going to spend the rest of my life? ☺  Here's what he had to say:

Those of you who have known Kensy for a while know how wonderful she is.  I have had the privilege of getting to know her recently and have come to realize what an amazing person she is…which is why I asked her to marry me last week.  She said YES!!!!  I am very much looking forward to spending the rest of my life with her when October finally arrives.  Haha.

From the first date walking around the Haymarket, to the Giant Piano, and all the calls, emails, text messages, and face-to-face time in between, I have been learning how great Kensy is for me.  I never understood the people that said, '"When you know they are the right one, you just know…"  Now, I do understand that statement, and I am so grateful that God brought her into my life.

I can't wait for you all to meet him!

That's all for now, dear friends.  Thank you for reading - I know that was a long one.  Hopefully, it was worth it, though. ☺

Engagingly,

Kensy

P.S. Yes, he said October.  ;-)

Favorites of the day:

my newest piece of jewelry!

seeing and celebrating with friends and family

generosity