Old School Blogging

My Feedly feed (the app I use to follow blogs) is filled with Old School Blogging posts… so I decided I'm jumping on the bandwagon.
Credit goes to my friend Jess at Get Busy Living who not only blogged old school today, but provided the connection to several other blogs that went old school.
If you want an amazingly inspiring blog to follow- I strongly recommend checking Jess's out.  This girl's strength is incredible!  She has been a huge inspiration to me in many aspects of life and is one of the people responsible for Matt and I attending LCBC.  She has quite the story to tell and is just an awesome person!

Now about old school blogging… take a trip back to the days of instant messenger, myspace and Facebook notes… You know (unless you are a youngin') where you answered a list of questions and then told people they had to take the same "quiz."  Most of these lists has the same basic questions in different variations.  Enjoy!

• Where's your cell phone? Hidden under the dog who is sleeping next to me.
• Your significant other-  Matt.  We've been through thick and thin… to hell and back… and I love this man to death.  I can not wait to see what the remainder of our life together holds!
• Your hair- desperately needs some attention from Coby (my hair stylist)… I haven't had it cut since June.
• Your Mom- is often blamed for many things that I inherited from her… the most often include turning into a bear when I'm hungry and my love to travel.
• Your Father- has been an amazing help during the trials of the last 7 months… he provided infinite wisdom from a medical standpoint during my pregnancy complications and he helped Matt and I burry our old girl, Dutchess. 
• My favorite thing- God tops the list!  If you told me it had to be something I could physically hold in my hands to show you… it would vary depending on the day- my wedding ring and TJ necklace are the best second place
• A dream from last night-  I don't remember any dreams from the past few nights other than the ever popular "falling dream"  which I never remember what was happening- I just jolt awake and take forever to fall back asleep.
• Favorite Drink- Water is my drink of choice… however I occasionally get strong cravings for Perrydell chocolate milk or orange drink
• Your dream/goal- to have rainbow children and my own classroom
• The room you are in- living room- it's tiny and a bit messy… I was crafting tonight (blog about that coming soon!)
• Your "ex"- Matt and I have been together for almost 10 years (Dec 22) so my ex is from my way past… Jeremy- the guy I dated in college before I met Matt… he is now dating the girl who was one of my best friends in college.  She didn't like him when I dated him- how funny is that.
• Your fears: losing another baby, Matt leaving me, snakes
• Where do you want to be in six years? (this answer is probably the same as it would have been 10 years ago) living in my own house, with a family (children) and a job teaching.
• Where were you last night? LCBC for Jcrew and then packing up Operation Christmas Child Boxes… then I came home to snuggle with the pup.
• What are you not? Innocent… this past year I lost a lot of innocence I didn't even know I had… I wish I had it back- but I am now very much aware of things that can & do go wrong in life that no one wants to talk about.
• Muffins? I don't do muffins generally- unless you count a cupcake that I've licked the icing off of.
• One of your wish list items- a house
• Where you grew up- York PA… I've lived within a 15 minute drive of my childhood home for all but the first 2 years of my life.
• The last thing you did- wrote a future blog post.
• What are you wearing?  Ahh- remember when the goal was to be as cute as possible with this answer? (or maybe it was as suggestive as possible) Sorry guys- jeans and a hoodie- super exciting.
• Your TV- has provided background noise tonight since Matt is working… 
• Your pets- Clara… a yellow lab.  
• Your computer- A Macbook Pro that was a Chrsitmas gift last year to use for my teaching job… one day I'll tell ya about how that didn't really work.  (but I Love my macbook!)
• Your life- has been a mess… is taking a new shape… is nothing what I expected it would be at 30 years old…
• Your mood-  kinda blah… it's just me and the dog tonight… I'm in a weird place- not awesome but not awful… just kinda meh
• Missing someone? Everyday for the rest of my life!  
• Your Car- Darcy… a 2003 Saturn Vue…. I love my car.
• Something you are not wearing- socks
• Favorite store- Ikea, Kohls, Target… depends on what I'm shopping for
• Your Summer- Last summer is a blur… hoping this coming summer has GREAT things in store…
• Like someone? There are lots of people I like… do I have a crush/like someone- just my hubby!
• Your favorite color- Blue (although I do like me some pink)
• When was the last time you laughed- earlier today… I asked Matt- WTF?!?  **Disclaimer Matt made a face in response to something I said… see image below…
• Last time you cried- Earlier today… I'll refrain from going off on a rant about what caused it
• Who will repost this?  LOL  

Maybe one day I'll look back and find one of these survey blogs things and post it providing the "then and now" answers.  

Loved DC edition

What do you do when you've had dogs  continuously for 9 years and you suddenly find yourself dog-less? You start looking for a new dog!

Matt and I had decided we needed to rescue another dog so we quickly checked out the organization that connected us to Dutchess... And they had a lab adoption day this past Sunday in Burke, VA.  We agreed to make the trip to see if we could connect with a lab seeking a "forever" home.  We were going to make the trip early in the morning (because we had plans the night before) and then turn around and come back so Matt could work that evening and I could make the evening services at LCBC.

I got a phone call Saturday mid-morning from Matt (who was at work) requesting a bunch of items for him and instructing me to pack an overnight bag for myself and meet him at work.  I was in the middle of cleaning and laundry... All of my jeans were mid-wash... So my departure was a bit delayed... But I packed up and headed to meet my hubby.

Our lifegroup topic last session was about saying "yes" to adventures and not always needing to follow a program... That these adventures can be some awesome experiences God is providing us... In keeping with the way of our lives as if late- God wasted no time in allowing me an opportunity to practice what He was teaching me.  It was something new for me- not having a plan, not knowing what I was walking into...

When my jeans were all dry, I pulled on my skinny jeans followed by heeled boots, jumped in the car and headed to see what this adventure was going to be... When I met up with Matt he shared we were going to stay in Washington DC for the night.  Some friends of ours were there (the ones who experienced the loss of their sweet baby shortly before we did) and we were going to meet them for dinner.

We arrived at our hotel... Located just off of the George Washington University campus and learned parking was $47.50- YIKES!  I circled the block while Matt checked us in and I managed to score an amazing spot!  But this meant the car was staying put until our stay in DC was over.  

We dropped our items in our room and departed on the 5-6 block walk to meet our friends... Only our GPS suggested walking path took us all sorts of craziness and it took longer than we thought... Once we met them, we picked where we were headed to eat and began the walk. Our first choice restaurant had a 2 hour wait... So we back tracked to our second choice place and ate totchos (tater tots prepared nacho style) on a nicely heated patio.  As we wrapped up dinner we discussed going to see some of the sights... My hubby was kind enough to suggest we go back to the room so I could put my piggy toes in more comfy shoes- yay!!!

In my sneakers (with very grateful feet) we walked a much faster route to meet up with our friends again.  

First stop- the Lincoln Memorial.  (There may have been some jay walking in our attempt to reach our destination) It was like 9pm... I had visited the Lincoln Memorial numerous times as a kid but not one visit was after dark.  Folks this place looks awesome all lit up against a black sky!

Matt had never actually been to see the memorial so we walked the stairs and paid a visit to good 'ole Abe.  (He's my great great great great great uncle twice removed or something crazy cool like that.)

After we had our fill of the man "sitting in an uncomfortable firehouse chair" (thanks K) we looked out on the Washington Monument and reflecting pool- another awesome sight at night.  There may have been some debate about how far away it was (.6 mile) and we decided to go check out the "new" WWII memorial.  

We trekked the length of the reflecting pool and looked in awe at the amazing tribute to the men and women who fought to protect my freedom.  The mister half of our friends has served in the Navy and was part of an event to give WWII vets a chance to see their memorial.  He shared some cool facts (like it was funded entirely using donations- not a cent of taxpayer money) and recommended we make the trip during the day and take a guided tour to learn all the details.  You can bet that I added that to my bucket list!  The memorial is beautiful!!!

The night was brisk and we decided to head back towards "home."  We stopped on the way to pay respects at the Vietnam Memorial Wall as well.  Afterwards we returned to our hotels by way of passing the  department of state.  They have some serious security measures to get into that place!!!

That was the end to the excitement if our DC trip... We were beat when we got back to our room so it was off to sleep and then waking up to head to the lab adoption event.

 We mapped our course of travel and determined we covered 5 miles in our short visit.  (The part done in sneakers was much more comfortable and was done at a faster pace.)

Our DC tour was short but breathtaking!!! If you ever get the chance to go after dark- DO IT! 

And I can tell you that a surprise adventure is pretty great!  

P.S. I typed this at 32,000 feet on my way to LasVegas... Surprise trip #2 in a weeks time... Gaurantee you there will be a post or two about it in the not so distant future!  

Middle School Makes My Day

It's no secret- I am a life group leader for Jcrew (5th-8th Grade) at LCBC Church (York Campus).  I am blessed with an amazing group of 7th & 8th grade girls who come to the 4:30 gathering.
This past weekend was pretty great!  (Watch for my loved. DC edition update)  I ended my weekend with my Jcrew girls and they had no problem matching the level of awesomeness that Matt had achieved Saturday and Sunday morning.
I was greeted by M- a normally calm chic- bouncing towards me… announcing that she "got a boyfriend on Friday"… ahhh middle school love… She told me all about him and then laughed at me as I failed at printing my name tag (you know- cause I was paying attention to learning about her dreamy boy)  A few minutes later she asked me "not to tell" the Jcrew pastor.  When I asked why she wanted me to know but not him… she stated, "cause you're like my second mom- I can trust you with everything."  Talk about making you feel LOVED!  My job as a Jcrew Life Group leader is to make sure that the Jcrew kids know they are Loved (period)… it's pretty awesome when they turn the tables and make sure you feel loved too!!!
Jcrew was good fun as always- laughing, sharing, loving kids- good fun!  We had 2 new ladies join us and I had the opportunity to give them Loved. stickers.  I shared with them that the stickers are a reminder that they are loved (period) for who they are.  That I love them, all the Jcrew leaders love them, and most importantly that God loves them!  They are loved for who they are now- who they will be in the future- and there are no strings attached- Loved just as they are!  Their faces lighted up and they immediately accessorized their phones.  It was so cool to see these girls and their excitement over a reminder that they are Loved!
We were wrapping things up and another one of my ladies visited.  (She now spends 4:30 serving with the little munchkins so I don't get to see her as often)  A huge hug from her is an absolute awesome end to an amazing weekend after a rough week!
And that is why- Middle School Makes My Day.
I Love my Jcrew girls!!!

What a week...

I can't believe I disappeared for a week… well not completely… in my absence I have been working on crafting future posts to tell my story… they take a lot out of me so I write one day and then review later to make sure it really says what I want it to.
But the real reason for my absence is that 2013 continues to kick my rear end…. I am SO ready for this year to be over!  As if losing my son, an extremely difficult spot in my marriage, and resigning my job and ruining my chance on getting hired for the current school year (more on that later) weren't enough… We said good-bye to my old girl this weekend.

Meet Dutchess… She was my best furry friend this past year.  

We adopted Dutchess from Lab Rescue in September 2006.  She was our 2nd black lab- and she had BIG shoes to fill after having Jazzy.  The moment AFTER we committed to adopting her we learned she literally knew NOTHING about being a pet.  She had been a stray (the adoption event had info on each dog- her info said something along the lines of: Found as a stray.  Spayed and heart worm negative.- Other dogs had huge paragraphs… we picked the one who had zero info.)  She didn't know how to jump into the truck, how to walk on indoor floors, how to climb stairs… not to mention she knew nothing of basic commands like sit and stay. 

With a lot of love and work we turned her around as best we could.  The vet helped us determine that the spots on her ears that we were told were fly bites were really scars from dog fights… which explained why she NEVER liked other 4-legged creatures…. 

2.5 years into our lives with Dutchess- she had turned into a Daddy's girl and only slightly gray.  

Dutchy loved people- she thought anyone who came to visit was there to see her… we had to speak in code to use words like walk (klaw, stroll or tour),  food (doof), and ride (r-i-d-e) as they were all things that got her attention even when she was in the deepest of sleep.  The beach was one of her favorite places to visit even though she hated the water.  She was a snuggler and in her old age had started to enjoy "selfies." 

She was our side kick for sure!  Phil at our garage- Quality Service Center commented on more than one occasion that Dutchess reflected our personalities/expressions perfectly.  

We had noticed her getting very old- you can see the "gray beard"… she moved slower, her back legs working as one, slept longer, eating changed… we knew her time was coming… Last saturday she started going down hill quickly and late Monday night (at bedtime) she stopped eating (and the tears started flowing.)  Matt and I spent the night taking turns sleeping on the floor with her (she wouldn't jump into bed and refused to be picked up) and she snuggled us close!  In the morning she got up and wagged her tail for a few steps and then curled up on one of her favorite blankets.  We called the vet (that's a very hard call to make!) and carried her (all nestled in that blanket)… one last ride in the car to the vet… where we learned she had kidney failure.  They took her out of the room (after much hesitation from us) to put in an IV and she decided she needed to WALK back into the room to be with us… she walked in tail wagging and planted herself right next to Matt- all she wanted was to be with us.  We bawled!  We loved on her and said our goodbyes.  The vet said "I can tell she was a special pet."  No sir- she was a life saver during the hardest months of my life!  She was a big sister- we realized after we knew- that she knew I was pregnant much before we did… she was a best friend… she stuck around until she knew Matt and I had our stuff together.  I strongly believe there is a reason she went downhill a week AFTER we were baptized… 

Dutchess was a disaster… a slobbering, shedding disaster… but she LOVED us… and we LOVED her… she LOVED our friends… and you either loved her or couldn't wait for her to leave you alone… She made life interesting… and we now have quite a list of "requirements" for our next dog- most of them things we learned from dear Dutchess…

One thing is for sure… We loved Dutchess and we miss her terribly!  I hate coming home to a dog-less home!  

We are taking advantage of our dog free time… Matt took me on a spur of the moment overnight getaway- something that always had to plan well in advance so we had a dog sitter… I'm cleaning like crazy (and feel like I'm getting somewhere without a dog shedding over everything I clean) and we are making plans for bringing a new dog home.   

In the mean time… one last snapshot of my BFF (Best Furry Friend) and all of her fuzzy, squeaky friends…  

We Love You Dutcy and Miss you so very much!

Bingo

Sometimes it's the little things in life that make you feel loved.  Tonight I had my first Bingo experience...  "31" bingo no less.  (I'm on "31 probation" so I didn't buy anything to add to my collection)  My friend Lauren treated me to the event- I in turn bought her dinner.
We had arrived early- so we had time to catch up as we ate.  We laughed.  Shook our heads in disbelief.  Talked a bunch.  Then it was Bingo time.  Like I said it was my first real bingo experience... I played Bingo in college but YCP Bingo is NOTHING like this!  I felt like I had stepped into of the scene in Roseanne...

I survived my first game- with BINGO no less.... although the lady next to me said I didn't yell BINGO loud enough and that I needed to raise my hand higher- because straight up was not high enough... I wasn't the only winner so they had "bingo sudden death"- you know where they keep calling and the first person to have the number wins... yeah I didn't know that either... but the lady next to me kindly watched my card and informed me I had won.  YAY!!!  The movie night themed bag was all mine!
My luck ran out after that... although I did manage to make a false call on "Y" bingo- I didn't realize I needed to be a letter expert to play- geesh!
Lauren wasn't as lucky- although she got to spend the evening with me so I think she was the real winner...
With all games over and the place clearing out- we headed to our cars and continued to chat.  If it hadn't been so cold- we probably could have talked for hours...
It was a simple night... but one that left me feeling warm and fuzzy... and loved by a great friend!

Spolier alert:  Day 3 of my Count Your Blessings calendar has Lauren written all over it!

Not digging November

Keeping this short and sweet- because I don't want to share my ugly thoughts you don't want to know where I am right now...
Normally November- and it's abundance of Thankfulness- is a great month that I easily come up with the many things in my life to be thankful for.
This year it's a bit of a struggle. I have been working to face my struggles and this one is no different.
I found an awesome Count Your Blessings 28 day printable with the suggestion to write something for each day- and then after you have filled the calendar you take a picture of each thing and write a post about it.
Enter sigh of relief- this is exactly what I needed.  Something that takes the pressure off of right now... I can focus on facing my struggle as it forces me to search for things I'm thankful for and share about it all after I've had some time to work through my thoughts.
So this month- you will not be seeing a daily post of something I'm thankful for- instead watch for one giant post after the big Thanksgiving Celebration.

My Story- Part 1

So I've talked about sharing my story... I could share one VERY LONG post that tells all the nitty gritty... but I know you have a life- so I'm breaking it down into several parts.
To make it easy- I'm starting by sharing my baptism story.  It provides the basics (and might put some of the pieces together for you.)  In the future I plan to expand on this story and also share my baptism experience... but for now this is where I'll start.

This is my story- as read to LCBC

My name is Bekah Dietrich.  I live in Dallastown with my husband Matt, who is joining me in the water today.  I am an elementary teacher and a life group leader in Jcrew.

I grew up in a Christian home and accepted Christ as my savior at an early age.  I struggled with living up to the rules of being a Christian and lacked a real connection with God.  

I started attending LCBC with my husband a little over a year ago and immediately felt God’s Love through the love of the people here.  I left each week wanting to share in the love that poured from the people of LCBC.  I started to feel a connection to God that I had only experienced in short bursts growing up.  That connection would prove to be paramount as my marriage began to unravel.  It felt like my husband was ready to check out of our life together as I shared with him the news that I was pregnant.  Feeling completely helpless, I began to seek Jesus for guidance.  Slowly my marriage began to heal.  In April, I developed severe complications with the pregnancy and spent a week in the hospital.  During this week I could feel God working in my marriage- I had my husband back.  I thanked God for his goodness in our marriage and prayed for him to keep my baby safe.  One week after being admitted to the hospital I went into labor, many weeks too early.  For all 33 minutes of his life, my son was surrounded by love before joining Jesus in Heaven.  Although I felt immense pain as I lost my son, I felt peace that God was with me.  

God has provided me with peace as I continue to face the challenges life.  He is healing my marriage, comforting my hurting heart, and opening new doors in my life journey.  

I am getting baptized today to demonstrate my commitment to following Jesus-  I am a life changed by Christ!

That is my story in 300 words... only problem is 300 words allows for the bare bones... It shares the basics and shows that there is hope!
What it doesn't show is the journey, the persistence of love, the moments where I cried and felt hopeess, and the things that helped carry me through... that part of my story is for another day.