Shaker Village

December 30th, 2012

Jennalyn and Nikki arrived Saturday night at the airport. We visited Shaker Village on Sunday afternoon.

Nikki & Jennalyn

We ate lunch at the restaurant and sat there waiting on menus for fifteen minutes before we realized it was a holiday buffet. We don't get out much. ;)

Jennalyn was impressed with the homemade butter.



Another great reason to travel with friends; you can order four different desserts and get to try all of them! :)



Shaker Village is peaceful. You can hear the snow crunch as you walk along the paths. It is a restfully quiet place in an increasingly noisy world.

Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring ting tingling too . Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you!

Nikki

Christmas Waltz :)





 



This pig in the gift shop was the most huggable stuffed animal ever! :)



Shelby & Jennalyn

Friends

"Of all the things God created, I am often most grateful He created laughter." ~Charles Swindoll

Old stone fence

"True friends see who we really are, hear our words and the feelings behind
them, hold us in the safe harbor of their embrace, and accept us as we are.
Good friends mirror our best back to us, forgive us our worst, and believe
we will evolve into wise, wacky, and wonderful old people. Dear friends
give us their undivided attention, encourage us to laugh, and entice us into
silliness. And we do the same for them. A true friend gives us the courage
to be ourselves because he or she is with us always and in all ways.
In the safety of such friendships, our hearts can fully open."
~Sue Patton Thoele

"Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face." ~Victor Hugo

Sisters

Icy pond

After wandering around Shaker Village and attending an uplifting song service with the church, we returned home to celebrate our Friendship Christmas. Jennalyn had been telling me for months that she was dying to give me the Christmas present she had chosen. She managed to keep it a surprise and I had no clue what it could be. Was I ever surprised to open a tiny box and see a picture of an apple green Kitchen Aid mixer inside! I looked at Jenn in shock and was rendered speechless. She had remembered from freshman year in college how I talked about wanting an apple green Kitchen Aid mixer someday.

The mixer arrived a few days later in all its shiny, apple green glory. :) I absolutely love the mixer, but I love even more the fact that God blessed my life with Jennalyn, a kindred spirit who knows me better than I know myself at times.