Nice to Meet You!

Hi! My name is Shannon Deppen and since we will be going through this blog journey together, I found it appropriate to introduce myself and to tell you a little about me! :)

I was born and raised in Swanton, Ohio with two older brothers. Josh is the oldest, six years my senior, and Jason is next, three years my senior, and then me, blonde hair and blue eyes born in August of 1999. I grew up in a happy home, with my lovely parents, Kirk and Shanda Rumsey. My family is my built-in group of best friends and that has not changed from the time I was a tot through to now. I grew up going to church, listening to my parents talk about the Lord, and having my moral values intertwined with my religious beliefs, so I discovered God's wonder at a quite young age. I was confirmed in eighth grade and continued to help my parents teach Sunday School for a few years. I attended Anthony Wayne local schools and pushed to follow in my brothers' footsteps and graduate at the top of my class. During my high school years, I was a long-distance runner, which taught me new and exciting things about my strength and my freedom. I still love to run, just not quite as long or as fast as I did in high school. The joy and power running brought me never left and I am grateful for that.

My next step in life was college and I attended the University of Michigan to pursue a degree in Communications. Along the way, I met some amazing friends and professors, in addition to picking up a minor in History of Art (I would have majored in this as well if I had found it earlier in my college career. I absolutely adore Art History, particularly Roman Art History). I graduated in Spring of 2021 with Honors. Throughout my senior year, I began working at a bridal shop in Delta, Ohio. After working in the wedding industry for over a year and a half, I found a job as a Communications Specialist that I enjoy very much. Right after graduating college, I married the love of my life, Clay, in July of 2021. He and I met in high school, began dating in college, and now we are enjoying married life. He works as a process improver engineer and graduated from the University of Toledo in winter of 2021.

My brothers have grown up and moved away--Josh to St. Louis, Missouri where he met his darling wife, Audrey, and works as an engineer for Boeing. Jason to Savannah, Georgia, where he is going to marry his sweet fiancé, Katrina, and works as a personal trainer for a country club. Here in Ohio, my mom and I are still best friends and we spend as much time together as we can. We love to cook and bake, craft, talk, workout, shop, and so much more. Clay and I enjoy spending time with my mom and dad and value the friendships we have built with them. Both my mom and my dad have supported me throughout every single step in my life and I cannot give them enough credit for shaping me into the person I am today. Clay and I love to read books, watch oldie shows, and spend time outside any way we can, including walks, bike rides, and roller skating. We also love to travel! My parents have a Tennessee mountain home that we frequent often, my family takes an annual trip to Canada to fish, and my family has been to Maui, Hawaii numerous times. Here is a photo of all of us Rumseys together: (left to right) Katrina, Jason, Mom, me, Dad, Josh, and Audrey.

As far as my church life, it was impacted by college and the pandemic. We found ourselves asking questions, like so many others, about the safety of being gathered in large groups. As we continue to navigate through this pandemic, the changes that come along with it, and the world's constant ebbing and flowing, I have found myself restless to contribute to find a way to reach people. God has been working on me with this blog idea for a bit now and I am excited about the opportunity. I love writing and I hope that it can be used as a way to connect! Now that you know a bit about who I am, I can't wait to learn more about you and share more experiences!