Eye Opener...

(Betsy): Last night, Scott and I attended a donor's banquet for Fresh Start, the organization where Scott is a candidate to be a board member (He should find out if he gets to serve at the beginning of November when the other board members 'vote'). The banquet was held at Laurel Hall, a beautiful mansion in the Fall Creek area of Indianapolis.

This organization is so incredible. I learned so much about domestic violence and was blown away by the frequency of abuse that occurs in Indianapolis alone. Some 30,000 families are affected by domestic abuse just in Marion County. Not only are thousands of women physically tormented, but they are also mentally and intellectually attacked. Fresh Start is for women who are serious about leaving their abusers for good. Oftentimes,we learned last night, those being abused won't leave (or will leave and go back) their abusers because they are fearful, without money, and feel incompetent. Fresh Start offers counseling (financial, character building, etc.) and provides resources (such as furniture, housing, employment opportunities) for these battered women.

One woman, Charlene, shared her testimony with the donors, and brought Scott and I (and the rest of the audience) to tears. This woman had been in an abusive relationship for over 39 years before deciding to leave her marriage. She had lived on a farm in Southern Indiana, where she and her husband raised cattle. As she told us her story in her amazing Southern-bell accent, I was floored by all she had endured. Her 'job' (what her husband forced her to do) was physically demanding; she 'threw' one-hundred pound bails of hay every morning, delivered baby calfs, and milked cattle on a daily basis. She also raised three children and worked in a factory.

Despite all of her hard work, she had no money. Her husband, a 6ft 3in, 275lb man, used her income to pay bills and buy food and clothes. Meanwhile, he stashed his cash in a separate account. Not only did he control her finances, but he also controlled her social life, family life, and private life. She wasn't 'allowed' to do much of anything; rather, she was required to serve him when he demanded.

One night, after coming home trashed from the bars, Charlene's husband woke her up from a deep sleep. She had to wake up at 4:30a to begin her daily tasks, but that did not matter to this cruel, disgusting man. He violently woke her up, demanding that she get him a glass of milk. When she responded that he was a 'big boy' and could get it himself, he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her into the kitchen, insisting she do what he told her to.

Unfortunately, this story was only the beginning. Charlene had been raped numerous times and was constantly verbally assaulted by this creature she lived with. After coming home a little late one night after a wedding reception with friends, Charlene was kicked in the throat by her husband, who, at the time, was wearing his huge farming boots. She couldn't swallow for a month...

Despite her unfortunate circumstances, she was 'tickled to pieces' to let everyone know that she just signed papers for a new home. Fresh Start gave her the opportunity for a fresh start. She was provided legal assistance and left her husband after "39 years, 11 months, and 17 days." Her story, her faith, is so inspiring, and I am so humbled by her tale.

Scott and I want to volunteer--both time and money--to a great cause, consistently and frequently (30 List, anyone?). As we learn more and more about Fresh Start, we become more and more passionate. I hope that we can continue to build a relationship with this organization (specifically, through Scott's contributions if elected as a board member). We will keep you posted!

On a much lighter note, I discovered the most amazing wine ever while at the banquet (the organization brought in a gentleman giving free wine samples)--Moscato d'Asti. If you love sweeter wines, this is definitely worth trying. I'm trying to learn more about wine so I can roll with Scott and his fam :) If any one knows of any good books, let me know!

Have a beautiful weekend!!!!

Crazy Week!!

(Betsy): This week has been quite a busy week; I have exhausted myself with studying for/taking midterms, and poor Scott has had a full workload while trying to suffer through a common cold. We have been tired, cranky (esp me!), and frustrated that we have not been able to spend a lot of quality time together because we have been busy hitting the books and/or meeting work deadlines...

The good news...the week has come to an end! In the midst of our exhaustion, we did take some time to think about things that we are grateful for (healthy family, friends, employment) and work through a list of questions we thought were really important to consider as a couple: Check Them Out Here. Scott and I have very similar values and belief system; however, it was interesting to see where we differed and, moreover, how we are planning to handle those differences.

On Friday night, we took on the challenge of watching four seventh-grade preteens. Maddie, my 12-year-old sister, and three friends came to the house, fully loaded with cell phones, fake-nails, and the latest gossip from junior high school. We thought and thought and thought about what we could do to entertain these girls...take them shopping, take them to a movie, buy them pizza?

As it turns out, you do not have to do any of these things. In fact, all you have to do is provide them with a camera because, as Scott and I quickly learned, all seventh-grade girls want to do is take pictures of themselves...and watch Jersey Shore. So, what Scott and I anticipated to be a long, stressful night, actually turned out to be quite relaxing (and entertaining).

(Side note: Abby-do you remember our green frog days at your gmas? and making those silly videos? Watching Maddie and her friends reminded me a lot of those days!)

On Saturday morning, we were able to enjoy a great breakfast with our friends, Breena and James (who, by the way, are amazing cooks! Last weekend, they spoiled us with heavenly cheesy/sausage potatoes and chocolate chip pancakes!!). Scott and I, after our stressful week, were in much need of a date night, so bearing in mind our food budget, we jumped on Resaurant.com to find a good deal on a local joint. We agreed on The Tap Room, a little diner in Zionsville, IN. For just three bucks, we scored a twenty-five dollar gift certificate, and it was so worth it! The atmosphere was great and the food was delicious. The Tap Room is located in a community in Zionsville called Stonegate, modeled much like The Villages of West Clay. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend checking out the neighborhood. The homes are beautiful, and it is fun to drive around because the neighborhood has so much character.

(Mo and Eric, we definitely want to go back with you guys. We think you would enjoy it!)

We are now ready to start another week, with fresh, clear minds. Midterms are over, and Scott has recovered from his cold. Everyone have a great week :)

George

(Scott) - Hello all!  Just wanted to say a few things about this past weekend. 

First off, I love this weather and all other things that go with the fall season - the scents, football, pies and the leaves changing colors - just to name a few.  We made our way down to Bloomington on Saturday with some of Betsy's family members for some tailgating and to spend time with her brother, Alex, as he recently turned 21.  It was a little rainy and chilly but, apparently, that does not prevent people from tailgating.  Let's just say we had a good time and most of us were done 'celebrating' by about 5 pm as we exhausted ourselves with being outside and, well, doing what people normally do while tailgating. 



Wow - Betsy's photography skills at work



With that said, Sunday was not what you would call productive as far as getting stuff done - studying and work.  However, we ended up having some great quality time on Sunday as Betsy and I decided to head to a pumpkin patch.

Sunday was a glorious day to be outside and perfect for hunting down pumpkins.  We enjoyed the atmosphere of the pumpkin patch and all the activities that were taking place.  We did have a mission though - find the perfect pumpkin.  So, we hopped on the wagon and headed to the patch.  We attempted to take a picture of ourselves to capture the moment but we were unsuccessful after several attempts as it is rather difficult to take your own photo.  Betsy then pointed out that the other passengers probably thought we were in love with ourselves considering how many pictures we attempted to take when, in reality, we just kept messing up each photo.  Once we made it to the patch it, was time to find the perfect pumpkin for us.  After walkling around for a few minutes - there he was - a perfect pumpkin.  We decided to name the pumpkin George and I am sure some of you have been wondering for quite some time as to what is up with the title of this blog - now you know.

We finished up at the pumpkin patch, drove around for a bit and had some lunch.  Throughout the entire day we had some great conversations and also gained insight to a very important lesson - be happy with what you have, don't live in envy and try not to constantly chase after 'stuff' because if you continue chasing something you think is better, you will likely never be truly happy.  Thanks for reading.

(Betsy): I wanted to add some more pics from the weekend!

Dad and Alex, celebrating the BIG 2-1

My mom and my stepmom, JC....

...versus me and my sister, Morgan!

Favorite pic ever of my dad and cousin, Hanna! Go IU :)

Scott and George, our pumpkin!

Stoneycreek Pumpkin Patch, Fall 2010. Such a great time :)