Here are some of the pictures from the weekend. I figured they deserved their own post. Enjoy :)
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| The dapper gents |
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| Justin and I |
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| Add caption |
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| the happy couple |
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| Dallas |
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| I love us!! |
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| she was too nice! |
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| she lost that loving feeling |
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| some of the fam |
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| twins! |
1.17.2012
snapshots of love
a Texas wedding
What a weekend. Phew. Thursday I got on a plane and headed south, to Dallas, Texas. Why Dallas you say? Well let me tell you...
Back in December 2010, my friend Justin (aka Bama, aka Booger, aka Southern Comfort) came to visit me all the way from Alabama! It was a glorious visit and we knew we couldn't let too much time go by before we got together again. A few months ago he and I were talking randomly about me wanting to take some kind of vacation and the possibilities of that being to Alabama for a visit. Out of the blue Justin said "hey, why don't you be my date to my brother's wedding in January"? It took me all of 3 seconds to decide and say "Let's do it"! A few weeks and a plane ride later and I was in Dallas ready for a great weekend.
I don't think the word 'great' can really begin to do it justice though. Not only was it so fulfilling to spend time with Justin, but his family is one of the warmest I've ever had to pleasure of knowing. There are those families who you know love each other but it's more of an unspoken, not overly expressed type of love. Well Justin's family is NOT that type of family. Just being in the same room with this group you can feel the love and pure joy that they share by being together. It was incredible and mildly addictive. And the best part? You don't even have to be related to get in on it. They are so welcoming of everyone, I felt like I've been a part of them for years.
And the wedding itself, so beautiful and perfect. I've seen plenty of weddings from working at the hotel and none of them have compared to this one. The bride was gorgeous, the flowers beautiful, and the reception was detailed to the T. But more important than all of that was the couple themselves. I've never seen two people more in love and truly prefect for each other. It was really awesome to be a part of and I felt so so honored to be there. If I ever find a man that looks at me the way the groom looked at his bride, it'll be a done deal.
Justin was a phenomenal best man. I've know him for going on 6 years now and I've been able to sit back and watch this person grow and change and become a truly great version of himself and this weekend only solidified that. He was absolutely in his element and it was awesome to watch. Between his best man speech, that almost had me in tears, and his overall sense of responsibility over getting people organized and ready, he was truly a force to be reckoned with. It was an astounding thing to see. I'm truly blessed to have him in my life and as one of my dearest friends.
To add to all this fun I was also able to spend some time with my own family! My aunt and uncle have lived in Dallas for about 30 years now so we don't get to see each other as often as my other relatives. Obviously I wasn't going to go all the way to Texas without spending time with them as well. They were a huge help to getting me around to and from the airport as well. How fortunate I am. Thursday night my uncle and I went out for pizza and beers. It was great. We talked about all sorts of things and he bestowed much Uncle-ly advise on me. Then on Sunday he picked me up from the hotel and I spent the day at their house just lounging, watching football, and drinking wine. It was glorious.
How did I get so blessed?? Before this month I hadn't taken a vacation in 2 years and I've already taken 2 in 2012!! Both were equally crazy and restoring all at the same time. I really needed a break and to get away for a bit. And now, being back home, I feel so rejuvenated and ready to get back to a normal schedule and work. I can't wait to get back into the gym regularly and watch my Tuesday night shows with my besties and go to Wednesday night trivia and make some regular paychecks!
SO, a huge THANK YOU to my Southern Comfort and his entire family!! You're cheaper fun than the alcohol and there's no hangover either! I love you to death and I can't wait until we are reunited again. And congrats to the happy couple!! I only dream of someday having the same love that you two share.
Hooray to vacation and hooray to returning to a normal schedule.
Back in December 2010, my friend Justin (aka Bama, aka Booger, aka Southern Comfort) came to visit me all the way from Alabama! It was a glorious visit and we knew we couldn't let too much time go by before we got together again. A few months ago he and I were talking randomly about me wanting to take some kind of vacation and the possibilities of that being to Alabama for a visit. Out of the blue Justin said "hey, why don't you be my date to my brother's wedding in January"? It took me all of 3 seconds to decide and say "Let's do it"! A few weeks and a plane ride later and I was in Dallas ready for a great weekend.
I don't think the word 'great' can really begin to do it justice though. Not only was it so fulfilling to spend time with Justin, but his family is one of the warmest I've ever had to pleasure of knowing. There are those families who you know love each other but it's more of an unspoken, not overly expressed type of love. Well Justin's family is NOT that type of family. Just being in the same room with this group you can feel the love and pure joy that they share by being together. It was incredible and mildly addictive. And the best part? You don't even have to be related to get in on it. They are so welcoming of everyone, I felt like I've been a part of them for years.
And the wedding itself, so beautiful and perfect. I've seen plenty of weddings from working at the hotel and none of them have compared to this one. The bride was gorgeous, the flowers beautiful, and the reception was detailed to the T. But more important than all of that was the couple themselves. I've never seen two people more in love and truly prefect for each other. It was really awesome to be a part of and I felt so so honored to be there. If I ever find a man that looks at me the way the groom looked at his bride, it'll be a done deal.
Justin was a phenomenal best man. I've know him for going on 6 years now and I've been able to sit back and watch this person grow and change and become a truly great version of himself and this weekend only solidified that. He was absolutely in his element and it was awesome to watch. Between his best man speech, that almost had me in tears, and his overall sense of responsibility over getting people organized and ready, he was truly a force to be reckoned with. It was an astounding thing to see. I'm truly blessed to have him in my life and as one of my dearest friends.
To add to all this fun I was also able to spend some time with my own family! My aunt and uncle have lived in Dallas for about 30 years now so we don't get to see each other as often as my other relatives. Obviously I wasn't going to go all the way to Texas without spending time with them as well. They were a huge help to getting me around to and from the airport as well. How fortunate I am. Thursday night my uncle and I went out for pizza and beers. It was great. We talked about all sorts of things and he bestowed much Uncle-ly advise on me. Then on Sunday he picked me up from the hotel and I spent the day at their house just lounging, watching football, and drinking wine. It was glorious.
How did I get so blessed?? Before this month I hadn't taken a vacation in 2 years and I've already taken 2 in 2012!! Both were equally crazy and restoring all at the same time. I really needed a break and to get away for a bit. And now, being back home, I feel so rejuvenated and ready to get back to a normal schedule and work. I can't wait to get back into the gym regularly and watch my Tuesday night shows with my besties and go to Wednesday night trivia and make some regular paychecks!
SO, a huge THANK YOU to my Southern Comfort and his entire family!! You're cheaper fun than the alcohol and there's no hangover either! I love you to death and I can't wait until we are reunited again. And congrats to the happy couple!! I only dream of someday having the same love that you two share.
Hooray to vacation and hooray to returning to a normal schedule.
1.06.2012
christmas pants 2011
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| Fabrics for this year! |
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| The switched pockets |
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| our better sides! |
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| Our traditional family "Capt'n" pose. |
I'm so happy with how everything turned out. And even more happy with the smiles on my family's faces. They all loved their pants and wore them for the rest of the day and into the weekend. What a Merry Christmas for all!
a new year
resolution- the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.
As I started thinking about resolutions this year I had this overwhelming sense of....realism I guess. I wanted to make my resolutions realistic. Sure I could say that I'm gonna eat healthier, go to the gym everyday, become fluent in a language, and write a book, but I know myself. I know myself well enough to know that while those all sound great in theory, the likelihood of them actually getting entirely accomplished is slim. Really slim. So I wanted to make sure that the things I was committing myself to this year were actual and realistic goals to work toward. I also made sure that they were fulfilling to me personally, things that I've recognized in myself that I don't like and that I want to change. So, without further ado, here it is, my list of resolutions for 2012!
Spend more time on both my blogs. I tend to give this one more attention than my craft blog and I shouldn't play favorites with my children!
Do more crafting/how-to's to add to said craft blog. There are so many new projects I want to try and learn.
Stop using the F word so often/at all. I used to hate the word but college turned me into a bit of a sailor.
Call people more often. I've become too dependent on texting and chat and I find myself missing people's voices.
Keep reading. This was on from last year and I did a pretty alright job of it so I'd like to keep it going.
Be more optimistic. I find my sense of realism turning to pessimism sometimes and if there's one thing I can't stand, it's pessimism.
Be more financially conscious. Another one stemming from last year. I find myself going through waves of being really diligent about it and then being totally careless. Not good.
There you have it. I may come up with more as the year goes on but that's what great about resolutions, there's nothing that says that you can only start them on January 1st! Good stuff eh?
I really look forward to coming back to this blog as the year goes on. I don't know that I've ever actually written down my resolutions so I think it will be a great way to keep myself accountable. And for those of you reading this, feel free to ask me about how they're coming along throughout the year. Nothing makes you stick to a decision like some accountability. Hopefully by next year I will be the person who is all these things and has a whole new list of things to better myself.
So here's to 2012! I choose to believe that this year will be glorious and rewarding!! See, one resolution already in action! Cheers!
1.04.2012
3 weekends of awesome
The past 3 weekends have been some of the best ever! I don't know how I got so fortunate. Not only did I have some stupendous people to spend this time with but we also shared some really wonderful experiences at the same time. It's pretty exciting when I'm too busy living life to write about it sometimes! So here they are, my 3 weekends of awesome:
Weekend 1: My guy friends from high school and I are all split down the middle in our love for our football teams. Half of us like the Buffalo Bills (obviously) and the other half of us like the Miami Dolphins (not as obvious). Needless to say it makes from some pretty heated competition and rivalry amongst us. And since the Bills and Dolphins are in the same division they play each other twice a year, once in Miami and once in Buffalo. Last year we all planned on going to the game in Buffalo but it happened to be the season opener so getting tickets just didn't happen for us. This year we were hell bent on making sure that we went to the game and WE DID! We caravaned up to Buffalo at 7:30 the morning of the game and spent the morning playing corn-hole and picking on Canadians and enjoying some adult beverages. Oh and freezing our asses off! But it was so worth it. And to top it off, the Dolphins won! Most importantly though it felt so great to hang out with my guys again. We don't all see each other too often what with jobs and girlfriends(theirs not mine lol) and life in general so it makes the times when we can be together that much better.
Weekend 2: Christmas!! Since I already wrote a post on the greatness that was Christmas I won't repeat it all again. Moral of the story, full of fun and relaxation and perfection. And obviously added to my string of weekends.
Weekend 3: Probably the most fun of all, though that may have something to do with the fact that it was 4 days long...New Years Eve! A couple of months ago my best friend and I were talking with another friend about wanting to visit our friends Tim and Josh in North Carolina. When the conversation turned to what our New Years plans were, my best friend had a light bulb moment-why don't we all go to NC FOR NYE! It was a perfect plan. We immediately texted our friends to let them know of our plan (they didn't have much of a choice). Fast forward to the Thursday before the NYE and we were off to the south. The next 4 days were indescribable. We slept all day and stayed up all night. We rode four-wheelers, line danced, cooked out, and wore matching argyle sweaters. There weren't any schedules or deadlines or alarms (well, except for Tim. workaholic). It was an honest to God vacation and an over-due one at that! I couldn't have asked for better weather and better people to spend time with! Especially the latter. Those 2 guys are some of my favorites and I don't get to see them nearly as often as I'd like. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend.
And now I'm going to bombard you with some great pictures as proof of the awesomeness!!!
Weekend 1: My guy friends from high school and I are all split down the middle in our love for our football teams. Half of us like the Buffalo Bills (obviously) and the other half of us like the Miami Dolphins (not as obvious). Needless to say it makes from some pretty heated competition and rivalry amongst us. And since the Bills and Dolphins are in the same division they play each other twice a year, once in Miami and once in Buffalo. Last year we all planned on going to the game in Buffalo but it happened to be the season opener so getting tickets just didn't happen for us. This year we were hell bent on making sure that we went to the game and WE DID! We caravaned up to Buffalo at 7:30 the morning of the game and spent the morning playing corn-hole and picking on Canadians and enjoying some adult beverages. Oh and freezing our asses off! But it was so worth it. And to top it off, the Dolphins won! Most importantly though it felt so great to hang out with my guys again. We don't all see each other too often what with jobs and girlfriends(theirs not mine lol) and life in general so it makes the times when we can be together that much better.
Weekend 2: Christmas!! Since I already wrote a post on the greatness that was Christmas I won't repeat it all again. Moral of the story, full of fun and relaxation and perfection. And obviously added to my string of weekends.
Weekend 3: Probably the most fun of all, though that may have something to do with the fact that it was 4 days long...New Years Eve! A couple of months ago my best friend and I were talking with another friend about wanting to visit our friends Tim and Josh in North Carolina. When the conversation turned to what our New Years plans were, my best friend had a light bulb moment-why don't we all go to NC FOR NYE! It was a perfect plan. We immediately texted our friends to let them know of our plan (they didn't have much of a choice). Fast forward to the Thursday before the NYE and we were off to the south. The next 4 days were indescribable. We slept all day and stayed up all night. We rode four-wheelers, line danced, cooked out, and wore matching argyle sweaters. There weren't any schedules or deadlines or alarms (well, except for Tim. workaholic). It was an honest to God vacation and an over-due one at that! I couldn't have asked for better weather and better people to spend time with! Especially the latter. Those 2 guys are some of my favorites and I don't get to see them nearly as often as I'd like. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend.
And now I'm going to bombard you with some great pictures as proof of the awesomeness!!!
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| the whole gang! |
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| us gals |
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| Dolphin Pride! |
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| WOOOOOO! |
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| Best Friends since 8th Grade! |
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| me and the fellas! |
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| Tim and I! |
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| Family Portrait! |
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| Studs |
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| Josh and Me! |
1.03.2012
the holidays
What a whirlwind the last couple weeks have been. Between the Christmas Chaos and the New Year madness I'm ashamed to see my blogging got left behind. Needless to say I'm over flowing with post ideas so you'll have to bear with me. Let's start with Christmas
My Christmas was perfect. This year I was put in charge of decorating our tree...our tree that happened to be the biggest we've ever had at a staggering 7.5 feet! Obviously I needed a ladder, but it felt so good to do and really feel in the spirit. I had SO much more holiday spirit this year then I did last year. I ate too much and did lots of laying around but most importantly I was able to spend some great quality time with my family. My sister came home with her boyfriend for the long weekend, which is more time than she usually gets, and we had such a great time together. It just felt right having her around the house.
And the gifts!! I got some really great and thoughtful gifts this year. One of the most significant was a record player that my parents got me. My family knew that I had been wanting one since the summer time and for some reason hadn't gotten one yet. On Christmas Eve morning when I opened the large box that held it, I couldn't believe me eyes. I was so moved at the thoughtfulness of it that I even began to tear up a little. More important that having the player I was just grateful to have such a wonderful family who loves me that much.
My Christmas was perfect. This year I was put in charge of decorating our tree...our tree that happened to be the biggest we've ever had at a staggering 7.5 feet! Obviously I needed a ladder, but it felt so good to do and really feel in the spirit. I had SO much more holiday spirit this year then I did last year. I ate too much and did lots of laying around but most importantly I was able to spend some great quality time with my family. My sister came home with her boyfriend for the long weekend, which is more time than she usually gets, and we had such a great time together. It just felt right having her around the house.
And the gifts!! I got some really great and thoughtful gifts this year. One of the most significant was a record player that my parents got me. My family knew that I had been wanting one since the summer time and for some reason hadn't gotten one yet. On Christmas Eve morning when I opened the large box that held it, I couldn't believe me eyes. I was so moved at the thoughtfulness of it that I even began to tear up a little. More important that having the player I was just grateful to have such a wonderful family who loves me that much.
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| Cassie had been wanting this for years! |
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| The hats I made! |
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| Family pajama pants!! |
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| Blitzen and his Holiday Harem |
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| Cousins! |
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| too much festivity for these two |
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| we aren't related or anything |
So like I already said, Christmas was pretty perfect
12.19.2011
Dear Someday Fan,
Let me start out by saying, I absolutely love the Miami Dolphins. They have been my team since birth and I will never leave them. Thats just the way is. Now, this doesn't mean that i won't support you in your loving of your team. I may even wear their colors just for you! But please realize that I will not abandon my team for yours. I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings.
Oh, and one other thing, if you happen to be a Bills fan, we may not be able to be friends during football season. I only say this because I love you. :)
I can't wait to spend our Sundays together!
Ever yours,
Sarah
12.13.2011
separate ways
Ok, so I know it's not a Christmas song but I've been rocking out pretty hard to this lately. The lyrics are great and musically it's so perfect and 80's rock. I just love Journey and I LOVE this song. I suggest listening to it while you're at the gym...it's a great motivator!
Oh and the video's pretty rad too haha Enjoy!
12.01.2011
timing
Yesterday a woman told me the story of how she came about marrying her second husband. It was movie worthy!
As a young girl, Mary (we'll call her) got pregnant right before her sister was to be married. Being the time that it was, her mother insisted that she marry her boyfriend in order to save face at her sister's wedding. She did, knowing that he wasn't the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Three children and ten years later Mary finally was able to get a divorce from her husband. In her words "He believed in not working" and she had been supporting them financially through their entire marriage. Once the divorce was final, her divorce lawyer, we'll call him Dave, turned out to be someone she was very interested in and vice versa. They dated for three years before her mother became ill and she made the decision to move her children and life to Georgia to be with her. Mary's relationship with Dave wasn't meant to be a long distance one so they went their separate ways. Over the course of eleven year, Mary lost her mother and father, her children grew up and went to college, and she found herself at a new start...again...in Georgia. This brings us to Christmas 2010. Mary decides to send a Christmas card to Dave, just a friendly, how is your life, card. He quickly responds and tells Mary to come to Buffalo to visit as soon as she can. Mary does. Mary and Dave married last October and she said she's the happiest she's ever been.
Yup, all that at the cutting counter at Joann's. I couldn't believe it. She was bursting at the seams to tell the story and her joy was absolutely infectious. I was pretty blown away.
After thinking about the story for the rest of the day I couldn't ignore the idea of timing. Timing played such a big part of how Mary met and eventually married Dave. If she hadn't moved and had married Dave when they dated the first time maybe it wouldn't have worked out. There was a reason they didn't re-find each other until years later.
I can't help but think about the ended relationships in my life. Why they ended. Sure there were specific reasons that I could point out. Reasons to call exes mean names or hold bitter feelings towards....like everyone wants to do. But in reality, wasn't it just timing?
It's like everybody is on a time line and they're a different version of themselves as the time line goes on. As they meet people, who are on their own time lines, they are a not the same person as they were a week, a month, a year before. In terms of my relationships, I can't help but feel like in each of them neither of us were the person we were supposed to be yet in order to make the relationship really last. We weren't the people we needed to be for each other. Our timelines didn't match up. Sure some people were closer than others and those relationships can lasted for a while, but they didn't go all the way.
Timing is everything. No one knows who will enter, exit, and re-enter their life. Maybe when someone exits your life it's simply because they aren't the right version of them-self yet. Maybe you aren't the right version of yourself yet. Maybe eleven years down the road you'll both be at the right places in your timelines and what's meant to be, will be. The joy is in the journey.
So thank you to Mary. I wish you and Dave all the happiness in the world!
As a young girl, Mary (we'll call her) got pregnant right before her sister was to be married. Being the time that it was, her mother insisted that she marry her boyfriend in order to save face at her sister's wedding. She did, knowing that he wasn't the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Three children and ten years later Mary finally was able to get a divorce from her husband. In her words "He believed in not working" and she had been supporting them financially through their entire marriage. Once the divorce was final, her divorce lawyer, we'll call him Dave, turned out to be someone she was very interested in and vice versa. They dated for three years before her mother became ill and she made the decision to move her children and life to Georgia to be with her. Mary's relationship with Dave wasn't meant to be a long distance one so they went their separate ways. Over the course of eleven year, Mary lost her mother and father, her children grew up and went to college, and she found herself at a new start...again...in Georgia. This brings us to Christmas 2010. Mary decides to send a Christmas card to Dave, just a friendly, how is your life, card. He quickly responds and tells Mary to come to Buffalo to visit as soon as she can. Mary does. Mary and Dave married last October and she said she's the happiest she's ever been.
Yup, all that at the cutting counter at Joann's. I couldn't believe it. She was bursting at the seams to tell the story and her joy was absolutely infectious. I was pretty blown away.
After thinking about the story for the rest of the day I couldn't ignore the idea of timing. Timing played such a big part of how Mary met and eventually married Dave. If she hadn't moved and had married Dave when they dated the first time maybe it wouldn't have worked out. There was a reason they didn't re-find each other until years later.
I can't help but think about the ended relationships in my life. Why they ended. Sure there were specific reasons that I could point out. Reasons to call exes mean names or hold bitter feelings towards....like everyone wants to do. But in reality, wasn't it just timing?
It's like everybody is on a time line and they're a different version of themselves as the time line goes on. As they meet people, who are on their own time lines, they are a not the same person as they were a week, a month, a year before. In terms of my relationships, I can't help but feel like in each of them neither of us were the person we were supposed to be yet in order to make the relationship really last. We weren't the people we needed to be for each other. Our timelines didn't match up. Sure some people were closer than others and those relationships can lasted for a while, but they didn't go all the way.
Timing is everything. No one knows who will enter, exit, and re-enter their life. Maybe when someone exits your life it's simply because they aren't the right version of them-self yet. Maybe you aren't the right version of yourself yet. Maybe eleven years down the road you'll both be at the right places in your timelines and what's meant to be, will be. The joy is in the journey.
So thank you to Mary. I wish you and Dave all the happiness in the world!
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