Hopeful Expectation...

I've Moved...Again!!

2010-09-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

That's right. I have moved again. I am now living in Arizona. Why you may ask? My mom is going to pastor here and I prayed and felt led to go. So here I am! It is very hot here, but I am very thankful that it is dry. I think North Carolina is beautiful, but I do not care for the humidity. A lot of changed have happened in my life since I last posted. Namely, I'm not in nursing school anymore. It is a long story and I would love to tell you it when you have the time. Basically, Nursing + Sara = no way! It was not at all what I was expecting. I learned a lot though and gained valuable experience I do not regret. As for what I want to do with the rest of my life? I have no idea. One thing I do know is that I want to win souls for Christ. I want to serve God to the best of my ability. He means the world to me and I love Him so!! I was set forth as I lay minister this summer and I have felt God anointing me for the work ahead. I don't know exactly where He is going to lead me, but I want to trust Him. I read on someone's blog that they were having difficulties trusting God and I have to say that I struggle with that. I know without a doubt that He loves me, but I guess being in this world makes me frustrated and confused. I know I have to trust Him with college, a job, my ministry, and so many other things, but a lot of times I want to take things into my own hands or just worry myself to death. My poor family.

I got to attend the General Assembly the year and it was awesome! The best I've been too in my short life. I know that next year will be even better. The way God moved Sunday morning was amazing. I felt his presence so strong. I also enjoyed International Youth Camp immensely. I got to meet some new people and God's presence was there in a mighty way as well. I learned how to be a better witness and how to be a more effective cabin leader. I am excited about our next Youth/Family Camp. I'm also excited about what God is going to do here in Phoenix. We have a great group of young people that love the Lord. I know we can do a lot to help win souls and grow the Church here. I just need to get past my insecurities. Well, this post is longer than I thought it would be. I love you all.

Sara

Long Overdue Post

2009-08-19T20:15:00.000-07:00

Hey!

Sorry it has been months since my last post. I have an account with Facebook and Twitter now so I seem to use them more.

So what is new with me? Well, I got into the nursing program at Wilson CC. I start classes tomorrow. I am so excited!! Just got back from NC State Convention on Sunday. It was really good and I got a blessing on sunday morning. Also got to see my friend Linda which is always great. I got all four of my wisdom teeth removed last thursday. That is definitely a painful experience. I have been having a lot of jaw pain and headaches, but I am glad they are gone because they were impacted and infected.

I will not be making it to the Assembly this year which is a big bummer. I always look forward to it. I just cannot take time off from school. I hope to attend next year thought. Well, I better go. I need to get some rest for my first day of classes. I love and miss you all.

Sara

Pictures of My Mission Trip to England! Commentary to follow.

2009-04-18T17:34:00.001-07:00

Off to England!

2009-04-09T04:43:00.000-07:00

Hey,

I do not have much time to post since my mom and I will be leaving for the airport in a few minutes. It is finally here! I am heading to England on a mission trip. The mission team will consist of my mom and I as well as Bro. and Sis. Griffin, Sis. Theresa Ard, and Sis. Jada Knowling. Just about everyone on the team are preachers. lol! So my mom and I will fly out of Greensboro and then meet the team in Detroit, Michigan. From there, we will fly about 11 hrs. to Amsterdam, Holland, and then we will arrive in Birmingham, England. I am so, so excited! Can ya tell? Youth Convention starts this weekend and Sis. Griffin will be the guest speaker. Then we will spend Sunday visiting the churches in England. We will also be passing out tracks and going door to door next week. Keep us in your prayers and I will post pictures when I get back. Lots of Love!

Sara

Great News!

2009-03-25T19:26:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

I'm sorry I have not posted for about a month now. I get so busy sometimes that when I have a free moment I chose to spend it relaxing instead of blogging.

So what has happened since my last post? Well, I went to District Convention in Lucoma a couple of weeks ago. It was such a blessing and I really enjoyed all of the boosts and messages. I also went on Spring Break a couple of weeks ago. I always enjoy a break from school. : )

The great news I have to tell ya is that I just got a letter from the college I am attending and I have been accepted into the nursing program! Wahoo! I will be starting classes in the fall to become a registered nurse and I am so excited. After two long years of school, I am finally in a nursing program. I give God the glory and I thank Him so much because I could not have done it without Him. I also appreciate all the prayers everyone has prayed in my behalf. God has truly given me the desire of my heart which is to be a nurse and help people.

So I have two years of the toughest schooling ahead of me, but I know that God will help me. Anyways, I just wanted to let you all know. I am so happy!

I need to go because I have to pack as my mom and I are driving to Alabama tomorrow to attend a Ladies' Retreat. My mom is going to teach a class. I am looking forward to it. I will try and post more soon.

Lots of love,

Sara

Part 3

2009-01-25T22:54:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I had to make a Part 3 too.

I need to post more often! Ha!

The last few photos are of when my friend, Linda, came to visit me. She helped me paint my room and we had fun staying up late and making goofy home videos on my computer. Linda has become one of my best friends since I have moved here. I met her at Family Camp and we noticed each other right away as we were both about the same height. I was amazed to find another girl who was as tall as me! At the end of camp, I felt God lay it in my heart to invite her to go to the Assembly. She said she would love to go and from then on we have been fast friends. We are very similar in a lot of things and get some good laughs over that fact.

Well, actually this picture is of when I visited Linda. Her brother was getting married and she invited me to come down and help her with her hair. That was a fun weekend too!

So here are the pictures of when we painted my room. It was originally a little girl's room and had a baby pink color on the walls. I decided to paint my room brown. Not sure why I chose that color, but I did. It is called "Sumatra Brown." Anyways, you may be wondering why there are letters and drawings on the wall. Linda and I thought it would be fun to play around with the paint and draw some pictures on the wall since we were going to paint over it anyways. I must say it was a blast. The walls were like giant canvases and we just wrote our names and doodled all over them like five year olds. Hey, you're only young once!

Sorry but I do not have any after photos of my room yet. I want to wait until I get my furniture in my room and my decorations up. I will post before and after photos of it as soon as I can though.

My mom and I have finished painting all of the wood trim in the living room a white color and painted the walls a gold color the other day. We have also painted my parents room a color called "natural" and it turned out really good. Aaron's room has been painted "Cut Ruby" which should match his Texas-themed decor pretty well. We still have to finish stripping the wallpaper in the dining room, but are almost finished with that. We are going to probably touch up the trim in there and then we will paint the walls a light blue color. The trim in the kitchen still needs to be painted white as well as the trim in the downstairs bathroom. I tell ya, that is a lot of work! My mom and I had to paint the trim 3 times in the living room. We were wore out afterwards. So we are going to paint the kitchen the same light blue as the dining room, but we still have to remove the wallpaper in there. After all of that, we will head upstairs and paint the master bathroom the natural color I mentioned earlier and also paint the hallways that color too. Then we will tackle the bathroom Aaron and I share. It has wallpaper that has been painted over with a very ugly lime green color. We are going to paint the bathroom the natural color after we get the wallpaper off. The last project my mom and I will tackle is our 3rd floor which needs the popcorn ceilings taken down and the walls painted. We will eventually tear out the 80's looking blue carpet, but that will probably be a little while.

After the inside of the house is done, we will focus on the outside and planting flowers and such. We also need to take care of the small above-ground pool that came with the house. My mom is thinking about painting the shutters on the house a nice red color since the original color has faded with time. I think once dad gets home he will help with a lot of the outside stuff. So we have a lot of work ahead of us, but I am looking forward to it as this is now our very own home. It is so peaceful here and God has really blessed us. The house has some wear and tear, but that is really the charm of it. Well, I better go. I will make sure to post pictures as we make more improvements on the house. I love you all and want you to know you are in my thoughts and prayers. There is no family like the family in The Church of God and I would not trade you all for anything in this world. Congratulations to the couples who have been richly blessed with the news of a baby on the way! God is so good!

Sara : )

Part 2

2009-01-25T21:32:00.000-08:00

So here is Part 2 of my post:

This is mainly going to be pictures with a little commentary since it is getting late and I need to head to bed. The first picture is of my niece Rylee. I took this while my family and I were visiting Adam and Jen at Christmas.

Me and Rylee

This is the entrance of the Hilton Palacio del Rio. We stayed on the riverwalk in downtown San Antontio and stayed here for a night.

The rooms at the Hilton were gorgeous and here is the one we stayed in.

After we checked into our hotel, we all decided to go to the mall on the riverwalk. Here is Josh and Rylee holding hands. So cute!

Mom and Aaron on the Riverwalk

The RiverWalk was decked out in Christmas lights and so beautiful.

Here is my brother Adam and his family.

Joshie was so tired by the end of the night as you can see in this photo. He definitely had a glazed over look!

Aaron and I

Part 1

2009-01-25T19:48:00.000-08:00

Hey!

Sorry I have not posted in so long. It seems that life just gets so busy and I forget. I know you all are very busy as well so I guess that is not really a good excuse. : ) Well, since I last posted my family put an offer an a house out in Bailey. I think my mom posted a couple of pictures of it on her blog. We did get the house and I absolutely, completely love it! I have a room of my very own again! My mom, Aaron, and I moved our things from the RV into the house after we got back from our Christmas trip to Texas to visit my brother and his wife. We are sleeping on blow-up mattresses right now and have only a few things in the house as we are waiting for my dad to return before we move all of our furniture and things from the storage units.

That is the other piece of news that has happened since I last posted. My dad is now back in the United States!! Yeah!! He returned home last week and is currently in Texas as he is still stationed there. He will be flying home to see us in North Carolina on Feb. 4th and my family and I cannot wait to see him. Words cannot express my gratefulness to the Lord for protecting my dad while he was over there in Iraq. God is so good! I am also glad my dad only had to be there for just 6 months rather than a year or more like a lot of the other troops are. He will be staying with us for about a month before he has to head back to Texas. My dad is still stationed there till Nov.

So my trip to see my brother and his wife in Texas was nice. I am glad I got to see my niece and nephew as I have missed them very much. I miss us going out in the backyard and blowing giant bubbles or heading to the park on a warm summer day and swinging on the swings. We would take long walks and wheel Rylee and Josh around in a big red wagon...

I guess I just have a lot of good memories with my niece and nephew from this last summer when I was off of school. They were just lazy summer days with my family and sometimes you just need that.

Speaking of lazy days. I had a couple of those this last week. We actually got snow here in North Carolina! Can you believe it? Two wonderful taste of pristine snow. I had Monday off from college already because it was MLK's Birthday, but then it snowed both Tuesday and Wednesday which prompted the college to close. We got around 6 in. or more and it was the whitest, fluffiest snow I have seen in a while. So on Tues. Aaron and I decided to go out in the snow and explore our 3 acres of property. Aaron and I agreed that it was like walking in a Winter Wonderland. We walked to the end of the road, around our pound, and even explored some of the woods too. It was great! I have been praying God would send us just a little snow and He surely did that and more. I felt like God gave me that moment in time to just relax and enjoy the beauty of His creation. I loved being able to hang out with Aaron and I had such a great time making snow angels and throwing snowballs. Here are a few pics I took:

Isn't it beautiful!!! A couple of the pictures are of my house and of the pond out front. We have catfish in the pond which is so cool because we have never owned catfish or a pond before. Ha! My mom is talking about getting some ducks or even chickens since we have about 3 1/2 acres for them to roam on. I am trying to talk mom and dad into letting me get a cat again. ; )

The picture of the boy with the red jacket is Aaron. He has grown so much and turned 16 yrs. old this past Wednesday. My mom, Aaron, and I went to a Japanese steak house to celebrate and then went to the mall. If you don't know Aaron, he used to hate the mall. He never wanted to go with us when he was younger. However, now that he is a teenager, he loves the mall. He likes trendy clothes and dresses pretty snazzy these days. I am so proud of him. He has not gotten his license yet, but I am sure he will have it by this summer. So if you see a blue dodge avenger on the road steer clear!

Speaking of cars that reminds me of something. Another thing that happened since last time I posted is that I hit 2 DEER! No, I did not hit A deer, but a couple of deer. It happened as my family and I were driving back from the Raleigh airport. We had just got back from our trip to see Adam and Jen. It takes about 45 min. to an hour to get home from the airport in Raleigh and we were traveling along just fine without any problems. In fact, we were only about a half a mile from our RV when I spotted three deer on the side of the road. I slammed on my brakes and tried to swerve around them, but 2 of the deer ran out in front of us. I hit them both, but luckily I had slowed down enough that the deer did not come through the windshield. That was all I could think about as I was slamming on my brakes is that I did not want them to hit the windshield. Thankfully, they only knocked out one headlight and dented the fender on our car. We did get some damage under the car, but it could have been far worse. I was so terrified and I still feel I could have done more to prevent it, but I am thankful that God kept us safe.

So Aaron's poor car is in the shop right now and should be fixed here pretty soon. I tell ya, we have had a lot of things happening lately. I know it has been especially hard on my mom because she has to deal with these things without my dad. She is such a strong person though and I hope to be a Godly woman like her as I get older. Well, I think I am going to make this a Part 1 and Part 2 kind of post since this one is pretty long.

Sara

Merry Christmas Eve!

2008-12-24T15:37:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas Eve!

I hope everyone's Christmas is going well. I am currently in San Antonio with my brother, Adam, his wife, Jennifer, and my niece and nephew. I am watching "The Year without a Santa Claus" while my nephew, Joshie, is playing with his car. He loves the character Lightning McQueen from the movie "Cars" and he drives McQueen all throughout the house. Josh is also wearing pjs that have the character on it too. So...as you can see, he LOVES Lightning McQueen! Rylee loves all the Disney princesses like Belle, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella. She also likes to dress up like a princess. My niece and nephew have gotten so big since the last time I saw them in July and I am grateful for this time to see them.

We are going to bake sugar cookies tonight and decorate them with lots of yummy frosting and sprinkles. It is a tradition we have carried on since I was a little girl and it never gets old. The only thing missing this Christmas is my dad. I know my mom especially misses him during this holiday season. He called us today to wish us a Merry Christmas and I can't wait till he comes home in January. I am very proud of my dad though and his service to this country.

I think the things I am most thankful for this holiday season are my parents and family. I do not know where I would be without their love and care. : ) I am also thankful for good health, a car, and for a new home! Yes, my family has finally bought a home after 6 months of living in an R.V. It has around 2 floors with a third that can be used as storage or a gameroom. We have a small pond with catfish as well as an above-ground pool. I will have my own room again which is very exciting! I love my family very much, but living with them in such tight quarters can drove one bonkers! Ha! I am sure my mom and Aaron feel the same way. The house sits on 3 1/2 acres and is out in the country. We will be much closer to the city than where we are now which will be nice. I am also about 20 min. closer to college too. I can't wait until I can get home and start painting my bedroom. It is currently the color of hot pink and I plan to change it to a more neutral cream color. I am going for a French/Parisian look with black and cream as the base colors. I have pictures and decorations of different countries around the world like France and England that I will put up. They are done in an old fashoned black and white motiff. So my room will have a travel theme to it too since that is one of my favorite things to do. I hope to travel all around the world during my lifetime. So my mom and I will be doing lots of painting when we get home next week.

I also have to enroll in classes for the spring semester when I get back. I have decided to leave Barton College and go to Wilson Community College instead. I just cannot afford the tuition at Barton and I have not been too satisfied with my experience there. I will be going back into nursing to either become an RN or LVN. It depends on which program I get into. I will be applying for the nursing program on February 1st. and have all of the classes I need to get into the associate degree program. I just have to take a nursing entrance test and pass it with flying colors and then wait and see if it is enough for the college to admit me into the program. So please keep me in your prayers because being a nurse is something I truly desire. I just got a little confused about it when I first moved to North Carolina. Everything was so new and I was just overwhelmed by the level of difficulty involved in taking Bachelor level courses for nursing. I have decided to take things a little slower and just get my associate's degree and then work my way up to a bachelor's degree if I feel God leading me.

The whole reason I have wanted to be a nurse is because I want to be a comfort and help to people who are sick. I really want to work in pediatrics with children who have cancer because I think it would be so rewarding. I have seen a lot of t.v. specials about St. Jude's Research Hospital and how they are leading the way in cancer research and cures. It would be great to work for a hospital like that. As I get closer to the holiday season, I think more and more about what I am doing to be a witness to the lost and how I am helping those who are in need. I could definitely be doing more in this area and I feel that nursing would be a great avenue for me to make a positive impact on others. So, we will see what happens. Again, please just keep me in your prayers.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas Eve and that you have a great Christmas Day!

Love,

Sara

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T20:17:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has had a great Thanksgiving! My mom, Aaron, and I watched the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It is a tradition in our family and I look forward to it every year. My family and I will be celebrating Thanksgiving with my grandparents on Saturday so we are holding off on the turkey till then. Mom and I will be going to all of the after Thanksgiving sales tomorrow and the first store we plan on visiting is Target. We are going to try and get there by 6am! Well, I hope you all have had a great time and have filled up on lots of turkey and stuffing.

Love ya!

Sara

Tired...

2008-11-13T06:41:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone.

I am at school today and am hanging out at one of the computers here to find out the results of my geography test. I am nervous that I did not do well on it. This week has been so busy and the next few weeks look to be about the same. I taught sunday school to the primaries this last sunday and enjoyed being able to do that. We played Christmas Bingo after I taught them the lesson. I think they enjoyed it. Two and three years old are such a handful and they can wear you out, but they are also so inquisitive at that age which makes it fun to teach them.

I had two major tests I had to study for this week. One in Western Civilization and the other in Geography. The professor for Western Civilization gives out a study guide of about 25 questions that are opened ended and we have to make sure we are prepared to answer any one of them in essay form. Talk about a hard test! I think I did alright on it, but I do not want to count my chickens before they hatch. I studied so hard for that test that I did not give enough time for studying my geography test. If you know me, then you know that i have to get straight A's so needless to say I am a little worried. I also had to get my V.L.B. service ready this week for last night's service and I have to write to two articles for the Collegiate, my college's newspaper.

I do not think I let everyone know, but I am writing for my school newspaper now. I really enjoy gettin to track down stories and interview people. I have met a lot of new faces this week. The articles I am working on right now have to do with incoming freshman who quit school after the first year and also the endowments or scholarships the college awards to students. They were due by 12pm today, but I had to email my editor and tell him I need an extra day. I hated to due that, but I just can't put the time into the articles I want to because of all of my responsibilites this week. So I am slightly worn out and in need of a full 8 hrs. of sleep. Does not look like that is going to happen though. : )

I have one more class today, "Intoduction to Exceptional Children," and then I am going to meet a classmate at the library so we can work on our resource notebooks togther. After that, I will type up my articles and then head over to a staff meeting for the Collegiate at 6pm. After that, I will be heading to band service at 7:30pm. I will then go home and study for my psychology test on Monday and type out all 5 of the essay questions due for that test. I also will be attending a wedding this weekend as well. Someone I know is getting married and I will visit my friend Linda who I have not seen since the Assembly. I have a whole list of things for church and school that I will need to accomplish for next week when I get back. Please come soon Thanksgiving break! : )

Well, now that I have spilled out a bunch of useless information about school that I am sure you all were just dying to hear, I am going to go. I hope you all are doing well and make sure you keep up the bloggin because I love to hear about how God is blessing your lives. Thanks to everyone who commented on my last post. I do not always get to comment on yours, but I am praying for you and have you in my thoughts. Love ya!

Sara

November 4th is here!

2008-11-04T06:28:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

November 4th is finally here and I want to encourage everyone to cast their vote. One vote CAN make a difference and we must defend our Christian rights. I am going to vote after my last class is out today. I believe our prayers are going to make a difference and no matter what happens we can trust God that He has everything under control.

So not too much has happened with me since my last post. I did put in a petition with the college to wave a prerequisite course I needed before I could take Comparative Governments of Non-West Nations in the spring. I am actually going to take the prerequisite course, American Government and Politics, in the spring, but it has to be completed before I can take the other. The only problem is that the Non-Weat Nations class is only offered every 2 yrs. I need to take it now becuase I am going to try and graduate as soon as possible. I also need the class since I am going to major in International Relations. Hopefully the vice president of the college will go ahead and let me take it.

On Sunday of this last week, I was the moderator for the evening service and the B.T.I state corrdinator gave a boost at our local church. I am always so nervous when I get in front of people, but the Holy Ghost got on me and that was all she wrote. My mom said that I was very close to preaching. I do not know if I have let everyone know this, but this last summer at VA youth camp God spoke to my heart and called me to preach. I have not been set forth as a lay minister yet because, quite frankly, I am very nervous about it. I still cannot believe that God wants me to preach. I feel that I am the least qualified person to do so. I've decided to just work the V.L.B. leader position I am in and see if the annointing comes rather than just jump into being a lay minister right away. I feel like if I have a calling than it will show. Well, I guess it has been really showing lately! I just get so excited about God and His Word when I get in front of people that I cannot help it. I want to encourage others and let them know how good He is.

Well, I need to go for now. I am shocked that I have posted again so soon. I am sure many of you will be too. I love you guys!

Sara

Changes...

2008-10-31T10:40:00.000-07:00

Hi to Everyone who still may read my blog,

I cannot believe I have waited a whole 2 months to post. Talk about lazy. The only problem with waiting so long is that you forget everything that has happened within that span of time.
I appreciate the comments that you all gave about my birthday in July and thank you Alaena for telling me a little bit more about Special/Deaf Ed.

I want to assure you that I have not fallen off of the face of the earth although I have been piled under mounds of schoolwork. So I changed my major to Special Education. It was an unexpected change becuase I have been working this last year toward getting a nursing degree and I really truly felt that that was what I needed to do. Well, I enrolled in all of my nursing classes in Aug. and bought of the books that I needed. I went to my first day of class and the teachers immediately started talking about how each of us needed to get perfect grades becuase we would be competing against each other for a limited number of slots. I got homework assignments piled on me that first day as well. Then the second day of class began with Finite Math. I have not taken any math in about 2 years and have never been good at it. The professor handed us what he called a "pretest" as soon as class started and told us that if we could not do the problems on the sheet than we needed to rethink taking his class. After this, he proceeded to zoom through the first chapter of the book which sent my mind reeling. I had no idea what he was talking about! You may think I am exaggerating, but my palms became sweaty and the room started spinning as I tried to absorb what he was teaching us. He had us work on some world problems as well and if anyone knows me they know that I can't do them. Never have been able to. I have trouble with even the simple ones kids are taught in elementary school! I am not exaggerateing when I say that I am the MOST TERRIBLE person in the world at math. So needless to say, I left the class feeling defeated and dumb.

This class, however, was only the icing on the cake. I had to take another course called Microbiology. The teacher gave us the syllabus and as I looked at it I thought "How in the world can a person do all the things he is asking of us in this course and not blow a gasket?" I mean the professor wanted us to keep this notebook of all the experiments we did and he wanted it kept a certain way and everything had to be signed. If we pasted anything into the notebook, we had to tape it in. Then you had to sign your name so that it covered the piece of paper taped in, the tape itself, AND the notebook. Any tiny mistakes that were made caused points to be deducted from our grades. He also had a list of class rules a mile long such as wearing a lab coat, wearing goggles, no open toed shoes, do not touch your face, and the list goes on and on.

So I came home on Tuesday or Wednesday night completely stressed out and proceeded to cry my eyes out to my mom. The reason I was so frustrated was because I had spent a whole year at Midland College working hard to get straight A's so that I could get into their nursing program. I took all the classes I needed and was set to get into their program. I had dealt with the pressure of competing with other students for the few coveted spots there were available in the R.N. program. Now that I had moved to North Carolina and went to Barton I realized that I was going to have to do all of it over again. Frankly, I was tired. Some of the frustration was my fault becuase I know that I could have went to a community college here in NC and just gotten my associate's. I am the classic overachiever and thought that a bachelor's degree would be even better. So it is kind of my fault. I have the tendency to be so hard on myself and expect too much.

After I cried a while and talked with mom, I decided that I needed to think about changing my major. Maybe nursing was not for me? I think God new it all along, but I was so focused that I did not take the time to slow down and listen. The great thing about God is that He never forces His will on any of us. He will let us plow on ahead with our own ideas until we get ourselves stuck in the mud and then be there to pull us out with a stick. I decided, after praying and thinking for awhile, that I would speak with the dean of education about changing my major to Special Education. So I dropped all of my nursing courses and signed up for education courses. I had to buy new books and try to sell my others. I could not sell them all because I had taken a few out of their packages. I did a lot of running around my first week of school and lets just say that the Registrars office was seek of seeing me after that. It was hard for me that first week, but God really helped me.

I am now taking Intro. Western Civilization, Geography, Intro. to Exceptional Children, and Educational Psychology. Oh, and I am doing volleyball too. Know before you say, "Volleyball! I cannot believe that girl is runnig around in shorts!" It is a P.E. course and you have to take 2 semester to graduate. We all just wear our sweat pants and such so don't be alarmed. I would be crazy to wear a pair of shorts.

Things have settled down some now and I am settling into my new school more. I am the youth leader and choir leader at my local church in Royal and I enjoy it very much. My mom is keeping busy with homeschooling Aaron and my dad is doing well in Iraq. We are still leaving in our R.V., but are looking for a place to buy or rent. My uncle Wayne will not be able to finish the house by the time dad gets back so we have been looking. We put in a bid on a house near my school, but it does not look like they are wanting to give us the price we are asking for. The R.V. is not really so bad though. My uncle hooked us up to a big propane tank so we will have plenty of heat for winter and not have to be worrying about it. We have all our needs supplied and I am very greatful for that. Although, I think my mom and Aaron would like for a place of their own to go to so they do not have to hear about me stressing about school. : )

Really though, I am much happier that I have changed my major. In fact, I changed it again for the Spring. I am double majoring in Political Science and Journalism. You are probably thinking I am crazy, but that is why I entitled my post, "Changes..." I do like Special Education and I think it is a great field, but I do not feel like that is what God is calling me to. I decided on this change from the geography class that I am taking this semester. It is the first class that I have taken that I truly love. I have learned so much about other countries and the conditions that many people are suffering from. The teacher is teaching us about the poverty in different countries and it has really touched my heart. I want to get a Master's degree in International Relations if that is in God's will and posssibly work with refugees. I am going to take it one step at a time thought and season that with a lot of prayer. Over these past few years I have been feeling God tug at my heart about going to other countires. I want to help reach the lost. So that is kind of why I decided to change my major again. I chose Journalism becuase I believe that there is a lot of power in the written word. I can use a degree in Journalism to help spread my faith.

I know I have written about a lot and jumped from one subject to another so I hope I am making at least a little sense. Well, I better go. I have to go take care of some things for school. I will make sure that I post sooner so that I do not write such a long one. I love you all and appreciate your prayers.

Sara

So Many Changes...Such a Short Time!

2008-08-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

Hello to All!

Y'all thought I might not ever post again. This summer has been full of so many changes that I haven't had much time to sit down and write a post. I will be more faithful though as I begin school again at Barton College. Let's see...where to start...

Well I am now officially moved to North Carolina. My family drove our RV all the way from Texas to NC in the month of June and then stayed about a week in NC. We then flew back to Texas and finished packing and loaded up the U-Haul for our final trip to North Carolina. My dad got a dolly and towed our Ford F-150 on the back of the U-Haul as well. I must say that those 2 trips to NC by vehicle were the longest ever and I don't want to do that again any time soon! : )

After we made our final trip to NC, Aaron and I were invited by Sis. Williams to go to VA/WV Youth Camp. Steele, Laine, and Kyle were going there and there was plenty of room for Aaron and me to ride along. So glad I went because I made a lot of new friends as well as got to see some old ones! The Lord moved in a special way in that Camp and I got a blessing too! I feel like I went away having drawn closer to God and He answered a prayer request as well. He is so good! While I was at VA/WV Youth Camp, my mom flew back to Texas to spend time with my dad before he left for Iraq. Dad will be there until Jan. or Feb. and it has been a month since he left. I miss him lots. I appreciate everyone's prayers for him. They make such a difference.

After Youth Camp in Virginia, Aaron and I headed back home and mom was back from Texas as well. We had a couple of days to do laundry, clean, and pack before heading to North Carolina Family Camp. Mom and I were cabin leaders for the 15-17 yr. old girls and I also got a chance to teach a class one day for Sis. Vicki Williams. I really enjoyed doing it, but was very nervous. I talked about different issues that teenage girls are facing and how the enemy uses the things in the world to distract us from God. My class was about making God FIRST in your life before anything else and loving Him with all your heart. I appreciate Sis. Vicki giving me the opportunity.

God blessed mightly at NC Camp as well and there was a spirit of seeking at Camp. From the 1st. night, the young people and children were in the altar seeking God. A lot God Saved, Sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost. I do not have the exact numbers though. My lil bro., Aaron, got the Holy Ghost again! Praise the Lord! On the last night of Camp, mom and I helped the girls in our cabin play some pranks on the boys. If you know my mom and I, we have never played pranks before and this was totally out of character! I couldn't help myself though! Anyway, us girls stayed up till about 1am and set our alarm to go off at 3am. We thought that would be a good time since everyone including the boys would be fast asleep. So we got up after the alarm sounded and got our gear ready before we stalked into the night to play some pranks. It had rained heavily earlier in the day so the ground was really wet. I got my feet covered in dirt and my pajamas a little wet from stalking through the grass around the guy's cabins. With the other girls' help, I tied the guys' doorknobs together so they couldn't get out in the morning and put shaving cream on their door knob on the outside as well. The other girls(including my sneaky MOM!) toilet papered the outside and took the guys close that were hanging on the outside of their cabins and hung them on the monkey bars. They sprayed girly perfume on the clothes as well. We tied their back doors together too! It was so much fun! I don't plan on playing any more pranks, but it was fun to step out of the box and try something new.

As you can see, I had a great time at NC Camp. After I got back from that Camp, I had a little time to recover before it was time to head to the Assembly. I did some laundry, ran errands, and finalized things with the college I will be attending in the fall. I have decided to go to Barton College. It is a private school which means it costs more, but I will be getting a great education. I will be getting my bachelor's instead of my associate's degree. The only draw back is that I have about another 3-4 yrs. of school, but I am okay with that. I really like college it is just that I don't like all that studying! I plan so far has been to continue to work towards becoming a registered nurse. I have been having second thoughts though and may be changing my major. I am thinking social work, special education, or deaf education. I am trying to figure out if my change of heart is because the Lord is trying to lead me in a different direction or I am just afraid that I will not be able to do nursing. I will be taking on a lot of classes in order to get done in 3 yrs. and I am afraid it will burn me out. I wonder if I have what it takes to be a nurse. So I am praying and asking God for His direction. The most important thing is for me to be in His will. I think of the scripture that refers to acknowledging God in every decision and that He will direct my paths. So just keep me in your prayers that I will find God's will. : )

So Barton College is about a 40 min. drive from where we live. We live out in the country and it takes 15 min. or so to get to different places like Walmart and church. My uncle is renovating my Grandparents old home and my family and I are living in our RV in the backyard until my uncle gets done. I really miss having my own space and my own room, but I am thankful that I have all my needs are provided for and that is all that matters. I really love it here in North Carolina. The countryside is so beautiful and I just learned the other day that there is a historic plantation near where I live. It was built back in 1766 and I happened upon it while driving the other day. It is really beautiful. Okay, so that was kind of off the subject. : ) Anyways, I like it here a lot and I know my mom and Aaron are so glad to be near church again. The Church people are great here as well and so loving. It doesn't matter anywhere you go. The Church of God is the same and so is God's presence. I feel as though I am part of this huge family outside of my own.

Lastly, I just got back from the General Assembly. Can we say one of the best Assemblies ever! Every message spoke directly to my heart and I received some good correction as well. The special singing was great as well and one could tell that each person on program really sought God. The Annual Address was much needed and I really enjoyed the V.L.B. program as well. So much happened that it would take many posts to write about, but all I can say is that I KNOW this The Church of God and I am so happy, blessed to be a part of it. The theme for the Assembly this year was "The Beauty of Holiness." We received a lot of instruction concerning consecrating our lives fully to God as well as removing things from our lives that keep us from being holy and pure before God. I also got to see many church friends I hadn't seen in a while and it was good to be able to fellowship with them. I also got to bring my friend, Linda, with me from North Carolina. She goes to a church here and I met her at NC Family Camp. We hit it off right away and I just felt impressed to ask her if she would like to go to the Assembly with my family and I. She is not a member of the Church and has been around it for only a few years. She was able to go and I am happy to report that she wants to join the Church! Praise the Lord! God is so amazing and He never ceases to amaze me. Linda has become a dear friend and I am so happy she was able to go with me to the Assembly. As you can see, this Assembly was such a blessing and I am glad I was able to go.

Now I am back home and trying to finish last minute things before I start school on the 25th. If I change my major, I need to do it by next week. So far today I have been hanging out and don't plan on doing too much. Sis. Deitz and Megan are staying with us right now and Bro. Deitz is supposed to be arriving some time today. Sis. Deitz and her daughter rode with us back from the Assembly and we all plan on going to Washington, D.C., this weekend. We are going to visit the monuments and see the Declaration of Independence. The Deitzs have never been there before and have been really wanting to go. It is so great to have them here with us.

My mom went to the doctor today. Before the Assembly, she found a large lump in her right breast and a small one in her left. She went to the doctor and they told her she needed to do some testing to determine what it was. She told the doctor she wanted to wait until after the Assembly to do the testing and pray that God would heal her while she was there. I know the Lord touched her eyes at the Assembly and healed her of the cataracts she has been struggling with, but she still seems to have the lumps. So she is getting some testing done today. Please remember her in your prayers. God healed her of a lump that she had a couple of years ago and I am confident He can do the same with these.

I know this is a really long post, but so much has been happening since I moved. God has really been with me and my family and I am happy to be living here. I miss everyone from the Southwest region, but I am excited about where the Lord is leading me in this new region. Now I know you may be expecting pics relating to the camps and Assembly, but I took zero. Yes, that is right. I am so bad about taking pics. I get so wrapped up in being involved in things that I totally forget my camera. I will do better though! I have a few pics of my family's trip to the beach a while back that I will post though and maybe a few others.

Okay, so now I will get off of here. One last thing that I must post about is that...I am Now 21 years old!!!!! WHOO!! I had my birthday on July 12th. It feels good to be 21 and someone told me the other day that I now can book my own reservation at a hotel. I can also buy a gun for hunting as well. No thanks! I couldn't shoot an animal to save my life. I would cry buckets of tears if I ever did. Well, I better go. I love you all and will post soon

Sara ; )

A lot has happened...

2008-05-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

So much has happened since I last posted that I am not sure if I remember it all or not. I will try to update you on as much as my memory recalls. Let's see...well, I finished and passed all of my finals for college. I got good grades on them which makes me really happy!! I am now in the process of transferring my credits to some schools in North Carolina. I sent a copy to Nash Community College and they sent me a letter that said only 17 of my 24 credit hours would transfer. Basically, my pharmacology, dosage calculation for nursing, and student success in healthcare classes did not transfer. I was expecting that because every college or university's nursing program has different requirements on the classes needed to be taken to get into their RN program. It is kind of frustrating to lose credit hours that I have worked so hard to get A's in. I also called the North Carolina Nurse Aide Registry today to see about transfering my nurses' aide license from Texas to North Carolina. I was really deflated after talking to them because I found out I must pay $92 to the state and take the written and skills test again to be a certified nurses' aide there. That means I have to go through the stress of studying for NC's nurses aide test AND have a state examiner come and watch me perform the skills part of the test properly. I have already went to nurses aide school and passed the state testing, but you have to do all the testing over again when you move from want state to another. The same is true for when I become an RN. I was not expecting all this so I feel a little overwhelmed. I wish we could just stay here in Texas because moving from one college to another is so hard especially when you are trying to get into a nursing program. So that is what is going on with my school right now. I am also not sure if I can get the In-State tuition rates at the colleges I am looking at. My dad said that a law was passed that says I can because my dad is in the military and I am a dependent. I hope that is true because I cannot afford the Out-of-State tuition rates. I hope I do not sound like I am complaining which I probably am, but it is hard to have to move so much sometimes. I know that I need to trust the Lord with my future even though it may seem confusing to me at times. I know God loves me and wants only the best so I am determined to remain positive and see our move as a new adventure.

Okay so now I will tell you all what we have been doing lately. My mom, Aaron, Sis. Tammy, Bro. Sam, and I went to Youth Convention in New Mexico the last weekend of april. I had such a good time and the preaching was wonderful. Bro. Tim Cox from Virginia was the guest speaker and many others preached like Bro. Sam and Bro. Hayes. I just really enjoyed myself and getting to hang out with others from around the region.

After Youth Convention, my family and I decided to stay a few more days after my semester at MC was over before moving me back home. We took a trip with Sam and Tammy to the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico!! Let me say that that was a GREAT trip! All of us decided to enter the Caverns through its natural entrance instead of getting a guided tour. We were basically our own guides. I have never seen such beautiful rock formations as well as the innumerable stalagtites and stalagmites. The temperature was a cool 6o degrees or so and it remains consistent the whole year long. I natural entrance to the cavern was amazing and the descent into it was very steep and a little hazardous. It really worked the leg muscles. Every cavern I entered was enormous and awe inspiring. I don't think I have ever seen a cavern that could compare to this one. You could even see old coral reefs on the cavern walls as well as fossils. It was just an amazing experience and I would encourage anyone who can to visit the Carlsbad Caverns. I do not have any pictures (sorry about that!). Bro. Sam took a lot of pictures with his camera and I am going to try to get a copy so I can post them.

After the Carlsbad Caverns, we headed back to Sam and Tammy's so mom and I could back up my stuff to move back home. I have to say that the room seemed so empty after I took everything down and packed it up. I hated to leave Andrews and my school, but I am glad to be back with my family as I have missed them so much. I will never be able to thank Sam and Tammy enough for letting me live with them this last year. They took care of me as if I was their kid and I have so many good memories there that I will always carry with me. I will miss the late-night "Bonanza" marathons after a long day of school and Sis. Tammy's good cooking too! I will also miss the local church and the precious people there. I love you all! Thanks so much Bro. Sam and Sis. Tammy!

So now I am back home and all my stuff is packed in boxes for our move to North Carolina. My mom is presently getting clothes and things packed to put in our R.V. as we will be heading to North Carolina for a week. We will leave tomorrow and be back on June 2nd or 3rd. We are not moving officially yet. We are just moving our R.V. and my car out there and also checking on our house to see how my Uncle Wayne is coming along on the renovation process. He and Robin have been working diligently to renovate my granparents old house and will be selling it to us. We are going to go and try to help them out. We will come back to Texas at the begining of June to finish up packing and then load it into the moving van. So officially we will be moving to North Carolina at the end of June. Whew! Sounds like it will be busy around here!

I think that is about all that has happened. My brother, Adam, and his wife, Jennifer, came to visit us a week or so ago since it was Mother's Day. I loved having my niece and nephew here and got to take them to the park with my mom a lot because they LOVE to swing. I also took them outside to blow bubbles and draw on the sidewalk while they were here too. I had a great time with them. Well, I better get off of here so I can help pack for our trip tomorrow. I love you all and will post again as soon as I get back from North Carolina. I am also going to post some pictures of my family's trip to the National Sand Dunes Monument that I promised I would as well as some other pictures. Hope you enjoy them!

Sara ; )

This is a picture of my friend Melissa and I. We were both in the Students in Philanthropy Club at the college. She is a really great person and loves the Lord a lot.

This is Julianne. She came all the way from Indonesia so she could go to school in the U.S. She got accepted into Pharmacy school at the University of Arizona which was a big accomplishment as there are a ton of other applicants. I had so much getting to now her and learn more about here culture. She was also in Students in Philanthropy.

A pic from the last Students in Philanthropy Club meeting for the year. I had so much fun in that club and we awarded over $25,000 to non-profits in the local community! We raised over $5,000 of that total and received a matching grant in the amount of $20,000 from the Abell-Hanger foundation. That money went to non-profits like the ASPCA to the Big Brothers-Big Sisters program in Midland. I learned so much this last year!

This is a photo of Air Force One! The one that flys President Bush around the world. It landed here on base while I was in school and dad got to get up close to it and take pictures. How cool is that.

Close up pic of Air Force one although it is a little blurry. Dad always gets to do the neatest stuff.

Okay, here starts the pictures of the our trip to the National Sand Dune Monument and District Convention.

My younger brother, Aaron, at the sand dunes. He has shot up like a weed this last year and is now only a little ways away from being as tall as me and I am 5 foot 10 inches!

Me and Aaron at the Sand Dunes.

The reflection of the sun of the sand dunes. It was really cool and breezy that day. A perfect day really. The sand was cool and soft between my tones. It was so much fun!

Mom and Aaron walking on the sand dunes.

More sand dunes!

Aaron reclining on the sand dunes!

Even more sand! Okay, way too many pictures of the sand dunes. I guess I got a little carried away taking pictures.

Here is a random pic of my niece, Rylee. She is such a cutie and loves to talk.

This picture may seem odd, but there is a story behind it. Mom had just cooked popcorn and was trying to relax and enjoy it, but Rylee and Josh would have none of that. They wanted some popcorn too! Mom ended feeding it all to them it was hilarious. I had to snap a picture of it.

Here is a picture of Sis. Tammy as we are driving to Youth Convention in New Mexico. My mom, Aaron, Bro. Sam, Sis. Tammy, and I rode together to save on gas. It was fun piling in the car together.

Not sure why Aaron is making such a goofy face. He would hurt me if he knew I posted it, but I can't help myself!

We were still traveling to Convention and Bro. Sam asked for Sis. Tammy to hand him some sunglasses because it was so bright outside. Sis. Tammi handed him mine and snapped this pic. So funny!

One can get a little bored on such a long trip so I restored to blowing bubbles and taking pics of myself.

Okay, so you may be thinking, "huh? why did she post a picture of a bag from McDonald's?" Well, you may want to read what it says first. "100% beef in every burger." I mean, what else have they been putting in our burgers all these years? Bologna?

My last and final pic for this way too long of a post. I could not pass this one up. It is Haley's little girl after she downed a big milkshake at Village Inn. She had it all over her face and down her shirt. I laughed so hard!!

Finals Week

2008-04-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Well, it seems my first year of college will be done here within the next week or so. I have 3 or 4 finals this week and one really BIG one next week. The big one is my Anatomy & Physiology II final. I will be so glad to have this semester over!! I am beginning to feel like all I do anymore is study and go to school. I am ready for the summer so I can relax and help my family move to North Carolina.

As soon as I take my last final next Tues., I will pack up things on Wed. and head home. I have missed my family so much. It is not easy being out on your own for the first time and working while going to school. I wouldn't trade this last year for anything though. I feel like it has really taught me a lot and that I have grown in the Lord. I definitely feel I have drawn even closer to God because I have learned that I must lean on him for everything. I love the Lord so much and am thankful that Jesus is my Savior.

I guess I do not have much to write about except school. I want to post a few pictures from my last Students in Philanthropy Club meeting from Wednesday, but they are on my phone and I just realized that I do not have the adapter I need to connect my phone to the computer. So I guess I will have to wait to post those pictures. I really need to learn to bring my regular camera along. It would make posting pictures much easier.

Wow! I am really boring when it comes to posting! Sorry y'all. Other people can take just ordinary things that happen in their day and make them sound so interesting. The only interesting thing I did yesterday was go to the local library and print something out for school!! lol! I then cleaned my room and proceeded to study for my finals for the rest of the day. Today is church, but we do not have it until 12pm because we are currently sharing a building. It is always really nice to sleep in on Sundays. I never come to church sleepy which is great! So I will be going to church on Sunday and then coming home to do some more studying for finals. Oh one thing that will be going on this next weekend is Youth Convention. I am so looking forwards to it. It will be the last time I get to see everyone in this region before we move to NC. My mom and Aaron are supposed to be coming on Thursday and I will head to Concention with them on Friday. Okay, I better go because I need to get ready for church. See ya!

Sara ; )

Time for a Post

2008-04-18T08:35:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

I guess it is high time for me to post. I have been feeling a little bit lazy about blogging lately. School is going well. This week was really busy for me. I am in the Students in Philanthropy Club here on campus and we had our annual grant awards ceremony on Wed. Basically, we have a ceremony were we give out all the grant oney we have raised this past year! We raised a total of $20,800 with the matching grant of $15,000 from the Abell-Hanger Foiundation. As a group, we raised over $5,000 with our t-shirt fundraiser and frito chili-pie supper. I have had so much fun being in SIP and have learned a lot about non-profits and philanthropy. At our last meeting, Laura (SIP coordinator) passed out the renewal forms for those who would like to participate in the club for another year. I had to pass it up because we are moving to NC, but if I was staying here another year I would definitely apply again! I hate to leave the club because I have gotten to know some great students, but I trust that God has even greater plans for me in NC. : )

Another thing that happened this week was the Midland College Job Fair. I work for a man named Oscar over in the Career Center of the school and he is in charge of the job fair. So he has the work-studies help out. We had over 100 employers set up booths for the event and there was free candy and free pens, etc., in abundance. I helped to pass out flyers and things like that. I had a really nice time. I got to dress up which is great because I am usually just in t-shirts and jeans all the time. I have to wake up around 6:40am every morning to head to work and school so I usually just throw on what is comfortable. Anyway, that happened yesterday and after walking all day in heels my feet were killing me. Between school and all of this week's activities I am officially tired. I will be hitting the books this weekend because I have tests and finals coming up. I can't believe I have only 2 1/2 weeks left before I get a break for the summer! I am so ready!

Well, I better cut this short. Have to do some stuff at work.

Sara

District Convention

2008-03-31T06:43:00.000-07:00

Howdy Everyone!

I just got back from District Convention in New Mexico. I feel so refreshed spiritually and feel good in my soul. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to go because of my school, but I decided to trust the Lord and went ahead anyway. I am so glad I went! The preaching was wonderful and God really changed my heart about some things. I felt like the Lord corrected me on some things too, but He does it in such a gentle and loving way. I love Him so much.

My mom and Aaron came with to Convention and I am glad they were able to be there. They headed back home yesterday after church. I always hate it when I have to be away from my family, but I only have around 6 weeks of school left and then we will be moving to North Carolina.

Please keep my dad in your prayers as he will be going to Iraq at the end of June. We love him so much and wish he didin't have to go, but I trust that God has a perfect plan in everything.

I am back at school today and ready to get started back studying and working on projects. I hope everyone is doing good. I want to say sorry to those who I have not called or emailed recently. I really lose track of time when I'm at school.

Oh, one other thing before I go. My mom, Aaron, and I got visit the White Sands National Monument on Fri. before Convention started. We got to New Mexico faster than we thought we would so we had a few extra hours to burn. The White Sands National Monument is only six miles from the air force base we were staying on so we decided to go there. It was so much fun! They are these huge piles of sand in the middle of nowhere. I told my mom that it was like being at the beach, but without the water to make the sand stick to your toes. The weather was perfectly warm and we climbed up and down sand dunes just having a blast. I took pics on my cell phone, but I will have to upload them when I am at home. We all took are shoes off and ran though the cool sand too. I loved it!

Well, I better get off of here. Hope everyone is having a good week and I will post pics soon.

Sara ; )

Back to College

2008-03-25T06:22:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

How was your Spring Break for those who have had it already? I hope everyone's Easter went well too. My Spring Break was really good. I did absolutely nothing the whole time and I loved it! If you have read my mom's blog, you have already heard that I rounded out my vacation with food poisoning. Yuck! I felt so sick. I have had food poisoning one other time and let me tell you it is not fun. My stomach hurt so bad and even after a couple of days my stomach still does not feel right. I can only eat little amounts of food at a time. I don't care if I ever see an Enchilada again!

I am feeling much better now and I am currently at work and thought I would write a quick post. I only have a little over a month left and I will be through my freshman year of college. I am going to go ahead and apply to the nursing program in May even though we are moving to North Carolina. I figure I might as well see if I actually might have gotten in since I have worked so hard this last year.

I have to be honest. I have mixed emotions about moving. Part of me would like to stay here and continue on in the nurisng program at MC, but I don't want to be without my family for the 2 years it takes to get through RN school. I had a good time with my family during spring break and it reminded me of how much I miss them. I have Sam and Tammy here for support, but it is not the same as having your family nearby. It is really hard trying to balance school, work, and SIP while also living away from home. I have learned a lot since being on my own though and I am very thankful for the opportunities God has provided for me at MC. Please just keep me and my family in your prayers as we make this move.

Oh, I want to say Happy B-Day!!!! To my nephew, Joshie. He is now 1 year old. I love that little guy. I also got to shop with my sisiter-in-law, Jennifer, while on spring break like I had been wanting too. I had so much fun! I didn't buy anything really because I am broke, but I just enjoyed relaxing and shoppping. Sorry I have no pics of spring break. I always love it when people post pics. All the things we did during my vacation were pretty run of the mill so I didn't snap any photos. I will try to think of some things I can take pictures of before I leave MC in May. Talk to you all later. Luv ya!

Sara ; )

A Wedding, Tests, and Spring Break!

2008-03-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

Wow! What a whirlwind the last couple of weeks have been. I guess I will start by saying that Grace and Paul's wedding was beauuutiful! I arrived at the Phoenix airport around 11:30pm. I did not get my bags till around 12pm and was greated outside of the airport by a car load of people. Grace, Paul, Sara, and Paul's cousin, Bethany, had rode to the airport to pick me up. I took such a late flight on Wed. because I had classes to go to for most of the day and I could not miss them. Anyways, I figured I would be really tired once I got to the Shuler's house that night, but I wasn't. I was so excited to see everyone that I was wide wake! If you knew me, you would know that that does not often happen. I like my beauty sleep.

Grace, Jenna, Sara, and I stayed up till 4am the next day talking, taking goofy pictures, and just being girls. It was a blast! I did not know Jenna very well before my Arizona trip, but we had so much fun together and she is a lot of fun. On Thursday, we all woke up around 7:30am because Lyndi, Grace's cousin, was coming to pick us up. I had planned a surprise Spa trip for Grace and all the bridesmaids so that we could all relax on the day before the wedding. After getting lost for a few minutes, we finally found the nail spa and let me tell you it was great. We all got manicures and pedicures and even got free bottles of water to sip on while we relaxed. Grace got a really nice, relaxing facial and when she was done and came out to leave with everyone I noticed her eyes were all blood shot. I thought, "Aren't facial supposed to be relaxing? Maybe she didn't like it?" Grace stated that the facial had been so soothing that she had fallen asleep! Ha! I thought that was so funny. Everyone had a really good time and after are spa experience, we all went to "In-N-Out Burger." Lyndi bought us all lunch, which was great of her, and we chomped down our hamburgers because we were so hungry. Before we headed back to the Shuler's, we had to stop by Walmart so I could pick up the cupcakes for the Bachelorette Party. The whole wedding party headed over to the church at around 2:30pm and we began rehearsal. Chick-fil-A catered the reseption dinner and it was so yummy. After the rehearsal, the girls headed to the bachelorette party and the the groomsmen headed to their bachelor party. We all had a nice time and tried to get some sleep for the wedding the next day. On Fri. morning, everyone slept in a little bit and then got ready to head over to the church to begin getting our hair done and doing last min. things. Us girls had to head to Walmart for some sunglasses and socks before heading over to the church. You may be thinking, "Sunglasses and Socks? Who needs those for a wedding?" Well, the sunglasses were for pictures that the wedding party would be taking later and the socks were for the groomsmen. I guess they wanted some crazy socks to go with their Chuck Taylors.

When we got to the church, grace started getting her hair done and we bridesmaids helped each other with our hair. Anita, Grace's cousin, helped me with mine and it looked great! Thanks Anita! I helped Jenna do hers because it just did not want to curl for her. After we were all read and looking fabulous, we made our way to the main part of the church. The bridesmaid dresses looked great and I really appreciate Sis. Clarkson making them for us. I know she put a lot of sweat and hard work into them. She also did Grace's jacket for her dress and it looked great too. Us bridesmaids may have looked good, but we paled in comparison to how Grace looked in her wedding dress that's for sure! The wedding went beautifully. Grace's brothers sang two songs and one of the songs was written by Jacob and Philip for Grace and Paul. Paul also sang a couple of songs to Grace. I was so happy to be able to be a part of such a happy event in their lives. I feel honored that Grace asked me to be a part. I made many new friends while on my trip to AZ and I had a wonderful time. I am sure that I am forgetting many details about being at the wedding, but I think I hit the highlights.

Now I am back at home and big tests are looming on the horizon for me at school. I need to get studying and quit procrastinating. I am so excited for this week of school to be over because next week is SPRING BREAK! I get to go home and see my family! I haven't seen them in 2 months and I miss them so much.

To satisfy my mom I better tell you all about being invited to join Phi Theta Kappa. It is not a fraternity or anything like that it is actually the National Honor Society. They invite you to be a part if you have a GPA of 3.5 or above and have taken 12 credit hrs. I plan on joining it and it is supposed to look good on job applications and things like that. I credit the Lord for me getting this and last semester. There have been times when I just get tired of studying, but God always gives me the encouragement to keep on trying my best. I love Him so much. My family is also a great source of strength and encouragement. I want to make them proud. Well, I better get cracking on my school. I love you Adam, Jen, Rylee, Mom, Dad, and Aaron! See you guys soon!

Here are some pictures of the wedding and my trip to AZ.

SARA

Heading to Arizona!

2008-02-27T06:12:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone,

This week of school and work has been crazy for me!! I have been trying to finish projects and take all of my tests early so I won't have to worry about catching up when I get back from AZ. I am at work right now using the computer so I have to keep this short. I have classes till 5pm today and then I leave aroun 7:10pm to head to AZ!! Like Jenna said on her blog, "I am so ready for some R&R."

I am so excited to be able to be at Grace and Paul's wedding! I know I am going to cry when I see them holding hands and saying their vows to each other. They are my best friends and I am so happy for them. I am also sad a little too because I know me and Grace will not hang out as two single chicks anymore. But that is okay and I am sure Grace doesn't care because she is marrying her best friend, Paul.

Well, I better go. I just thought I would post before I head to the wedding. I will take plenty of pictures and post them as soon as I can. Oh, and Jennifer, I am glad Rylee wants to go to college like me. That makes me feel really good and like I am being a good example. : )

Talk to you all later!

Sara

Quit My Job

2008-02-16T23:04:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

Thought I was never going to post again huh. Well, here I am at around 1am on Sun. morning posting. This is the only free time I have this weekend and for the next couple of weeks. I just got done with my marathon day of studying. I have been tests coming up this week and next so I thought I would give myself a good headstart. I am sooo tired of studying already and I am not even half way through the semester.

The most recent development in my life is that I gave my 2 weeks notice at my job at the library on Fri. My supervisor called me into her office yet again to scold me about having not shelved the books on the cart the day before. She also proceeded to ask me how far I had gotten on my shelf reading and then told me that I should already be on the other side of the library organizing books. I mean, there are thousands of books and just one little me! I'm not a speed reader ya know! She has gotten on me before for the dumbest things. One time it was because I was wearing a hat. A hat! It wasn't a ball cap, but a cute little beret. How dumb is that? She can have the harshest done and grumpiest disposition at times. Then, she will turn around and be really sweet and nice. I couldn't take it anymore. The way she treated me on Wed. was the last straw. I even cryed because of it. Basically, I have been sick with the flu all this week. I did not let my employer know that I was sick because I figured she wouldn't care. So I just went to work even though I felt awful. On Tues., there was only me and another lady working so I stayed up front while she worked in her office. I was glad to be taking it easy because I was so sick. I just couldn't shelf books and the lady I was working with understood that and said not to worry about till tomorrow. So I didn't. As soon as I walked in the door, my employer said, "Sara. I want to speak to you in my office." I felt my stomach drop and knew I was getting ready for a tongue lashing. Well, I got one. Before I could tell her I had been sick, she pointed to the book card and said, "What is that?" I should have said, "Well it is a cart with library books on it Dummy. What does it look like?" I didn't but just listened as she proceeded to get frustrated at me. So, I decided to put in my two weeks notice. I just don't want to be treated bad anymore. I am a good employee and always arrive to work early and am there faithfully. If I need time off, I always let her know in advance. And I also never have slacked off in putting books away the whole last year I have been working there. I just don't understand it. I am praying I will be able to find another job on campus, but with the limited hours I can work, it may be very hard to get one. Please pray that the Lord will help me find a job.

Wow, I did not plan on venting about my job like that. I know I sound really negative, but I am glad to be moving on. My school has been going really good. I have been getting good grades so I am happy about that. I had a really good Valentine's week at school. I say week because classmates, fellow SIP club members, and teachers have been giving out lots of Valentine goodies since Tues. My Pharmacology teacher gave us Hershey kisses on Tues., the Students in Philanthropy Club I am involved in threw a Valentine's party on Wed., and someone from my A&P2 class was giving out candy on Thurs. So it has been a whole week full of Valentine's fun. Next to Christmas it might be the most celebrated holiday on campus. It has been really great. Oh! I almost forgot. Sis. Tammy and Bro. Sam bought me some chocolates and some goodies from Sis. Sue's store for Valentine's too. Yep, I am really blessed. Mom and Dad even texted me and wished me Happy V-Day. Love you guys!

Well, Grace's wedding is less than two weeks away and I still need to get some stuff together for the party I am throwing for her. I need to get on the ball. My best friend is going to be married! I'm still kind of in shock. I don't think it has registered yet. I am excited about the wedding though and am looking forward to seeing her and Paul. I guess I better go to bed. I have an essay to start writing on and Sunday School to teach tomorrow so I better get some rest. Love y'all.

Sara

ALL SIP Spring Conference

2008-02-02T11:47:00.000-08:00

Hey Everybody,

Sorry it has taken me so long to post. I have been really busy lately and just haven't felt like writing. College is going well. I have a TON of tests coming up next week so I have to get to studying this weekend. I am currently taking Pharmacology, Dosage Calculations for Nursing, Lifespan Growth and Development, Anatomy and Physiology 2, and Student Sucees in Healthcare Studies. These classes really keep me on my toes, but I have great instructors and that helps. I only have one complaint about my classes this semester and that is that I hate all the competition that is going on. See, there are only 30 slots per semester for the RN program. The problem with that is that there are over 200 applicants that apply for the program each semester. You have to get straight A's in certain courses such as Anatomy & Physiology to even have a running chance at getting into the program. Thus, there is a slight undercurrent of tension and competiveness as people try to get good grades. I don't like all of that because it stresses me out and makes me worry about getting perfect grades. I have to realize that I can only do the best I can and that that is enough. I got a 4.0 last semester, but I really stressed and worried the whole way through it. I refuse to do that this semester. I have to trust that God has my future in His hands and that all my worrying about getting into the nursing program is for nothing. I hope I'm making sense. I really love my school though and am thankful for the scholarships I have received that have payed for my first year's tuition and books.

You may be wondering about the title of my post: "ALL SIP Spring Conference." Well, I am in the Students in Philanthropy Club at school. Basically, the club is run in a similar way that a nonprofit organization would run. We have an executive committee that meets to decide on what matters need to be brought before the club. We conduct fundraisers to raise money for nonprofit organizations and if we raise a $1,000 dollars than the Abell-Hanger Foundation here in town will match it with $15,000! We raised over $5,000 dollars last semester so we more than made our goal. Now we have around $20,000 to doante to nonprofit organizations. This semester we are focusing on grant reviews. Basically, nonprofit organizations summit paperwork that tells us about their organization, its goals, finances, and what their need is. We review the the paperwork and decide which nonprofits are in most need. We then get the pleasure of informing them that yes, we will be able to help fund their projects or needs! They range from rehabilitation equipment for those suffering with Alzheimers to music summer camps for underpriviledeged kids. So for this spring conference, SIP clubs from area high schools as well as other colleges including my own got together to learn about reviewing grant requests. We learned about red flags to look for when looking at a nonprofits budget or statement of need. This is so we grant the money to those organizations who are most worthy and in need. I sooooo enjoyed the conference and I love being able to give back to my community! There is no greater feeling than being able to help others.

So that is what I did today was go to the spring conference. I hope you were able to follow all of my talk about Students in Philanthropy. If you are still a little confused, just comment and I will try to explain it better. It is now 2:50pm and I need to get to studying. Truthfully, I am really tired and would like to take a nap. I got up at 6:30am this morning because I had to be out the door by 7:20am to make it to the conference. It was held near where I got to school at and that is a 50 min. drive. I get worn out making that trip everyday and especially when I have to do it six times in one week! I calculated the mile and I have driven 540 miles this week. Crazy! But I get to live with my pastor and his wife and that is a lot better than leaving in the dorms with a stranger. Plus, it makes mom and dad feel better too. ; )

One last thing before I conclude this too long post. I am so excited about Grace and Paul's wedding. They are my dearest friends and I can't wait to share in their happiness. I can't believe the wedding is almost here. Where did the time go? Well, I guess I better go. Talk to you all soon and I love you!

P.S. I wish we could hang out and go shopping Jen. I could really use that right now. I will see you spring break so maybe we can do it then. : ) I am glad Rylee likes here princess dress and I think it is funny that you have to carry around her Hannah Montana doll. I love you guys and give Josh a hug for me!

Sara

Aaron's B-day and Crazy College!

2008-01-16T19:18:00.000-08:00

Hello again everyone!

Today seemed like a really long day of school. I had class at 10:00am followed by my Students in Philanthropy meeting at 12pm and then work from 1-3pm. Then I had my students success in healthcare class from 3-5pm. I got home aroung 6pm because I live about 45-50 minutes away from school. That drive gets to me sometimes. Today was a good day though and I have just been working on the students in philanthropy club agenda for next Wed. as well as typing out the minutes of the meeting today. I am the secretary so I do the minutes every week. I am now also going to be serving on the volunteer opportunities committee for SIP. The committee will bring forth ideas concerning volunteers projects in the community that SIP members can participate. I am going to be busy this semester! I think I have bitten off more than I can chew. : ) Mom and Aaron left this morning to head back home to Ft. Hood. We celebrated Aaron's b-day last night by making a cake. I will post the pictures of it, but I warn you, it is not a pretty sight. I am a terrible cake maker. In my defense, mom piped the green icing for Aaron's name and also did the wierd decorations on the cake. Love you Mom! Well, I better go. I need to study. P.S. The "H.B." on the cake stands for "Happy Birthday." We had some problems with the icing and had to make due. : )

Real Quick

2008-01-13T20:56:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone,

It is really late and my second semester of school starts tomorrow so I better make this quick. I am now back at Sam and Tammy's and wishing I was still on Winter Break. : ) No, I am glad to be going back to school, but I will have a lot of studying to do in the next few months. My mom and Aaron came to visit me a day after I left to go back to school. They missed me that quickly! I thinl they will be heading back tomorrow. I'm glad they came up and that they were able to be in church with me. Aaron will be turning 15 YEARS OLD tomorrow! Wow! Happy B-day Aaron! Well, I better go. I hope to post more later this week.

P.S. Sorry I have not called you back yet Sis. Mandie, but I will tomorrow. : )

Clifgirl

Happy 2008!

2008-01-02T10:41:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe that 2007 has come and gone. It went by so fast and my life has changed a lot since this last year. I am really looking forward to 2008 though. I hope that I will be in nursing school this fall!

My family's trip to Dallas/Ft. Worth was a lot of fun. We drove up the night before the football game and stayed in a hotel in town. The only problem with the hotel was that they gave us one bed instead of two! We worked it out though and then decided to go to downtown Ft. Worth to get a bite to eat. The restaurants there were a little pricey so we decided to eat at Cracker Barrel instead. Adam, Jen, and their two children arrived at the hotel later that evening. On Monday, we all got up and decided to have breakfast before we headed to the game. Adam and Jen decided to head home instead of going to the game because the kids were pretty tired. The football game was great! It was neat seeing the sea of blue that was out there to support the Air Force Academy Falcons. I also love hearing the roar of the crowd when a touchdown is made. I enjoyed myself a lot and even though the Flacons lost, which made me very sad, I still had a great time. My family and I stayed one more night in Ft. Worth and went to the historic stockyards to get some dinner. It was an old fashioned steakhouse and the food was delicious. We also walked around and looked at some of the shops there after dinner.

We headed home yesterday and made a stop at a western store because they were having a great deal on cowboy boots. Mom, Aaron, and I got a pair and Dad was going to, but they did not have ones that fit him. I actually found a pair of women's boots in my size which shocked me because I have a size 12 foot and it is hard to find shoes that fit. Today we are just going to clean things up at home and Aaron has to get back to doing school. I will be heading back to college sometime next week and I am not looking forward to the drive. It will be 6 hrs. long! I will be happy to be back at school though. I guess this is a pretty long post so I will go for now. Here are some more pics of Christmas and the Armed Forces Bowl!

More Pictures!

2007-12-29T17:47:00.000-08:00

This is my niece Rylee after she smeared a purple gumball on her face.

These are of our trip with the Williams to the Alamo in San Antonio, TX.

This is what my dad flies! He is a helicopter pilot in the Army. He flies Longbows.

This is a beautiful sunset in Texas. Don't know why I posted them, but they sure are purty!

These next pics are of the Frito Chili Pie Supper that Students in Philanthropy hosted. We raised over a $1,000 dollars that night for non-profit organizations. It was a lot of fun because it was right before Christmas and we got to wear reindeer hats and santa hats while we served chili.

The snow photos are of where I live. We hardly ever get snow here because it is so hot. It was a rare occasion, but I loved it.

These are of Thanksgiving and after we put up our Christmas tree.

This is my niece Rylee.

This is my nephew Josh and the other is my mom.

The last two photos are of National Philanthropy Day. All the SIP officers attended it and I really enjoyed it.

New Blog!

2007-12-29T16:44:00.001-08:00

Hello Friends and Fam!

This is my new blog. I had one before, but I abandoned it because I neglected it so much. Here is my second attempt. My Christmas went great. I got an Ipod! The Williams came to visit and my family had a great time with them. We haven't had 11-15 people in our house in a long time. We went to Sea World in San Antonio while they were here and I have to say that it has lost its charm since that was about the fifth time I have been there. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing the dolphins and killer whales, but they have not changed their shows since the first time I went there. I still had a good time though and am glad the Williams came.

My brother, his wife, and my niece and nephew visited us for Christmas. They live in San Antonio. We decided to open presents on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day and I have to say that my niece and nephew made out like bandits! Adam would pull a present out from under the Christmas tree and ask, "Who does this one go too?" My mom would say, "Either Rylee or Josh." Man, to be a kid again. We had lasagna, care of Adam, on Christmas instead of a traditional Christmas dinner. Adam makes a mean lasagna although, you might need some Pepcid AC afterward because it will give you some mean heartburn.

A lot of other things have happened on my Christmas break, but it has happened so fast that I think I have forgotten it. I guess I will tell you a little bit about today. My mom and I went to Waco and did a little shopping. My mom got a nice outfit and I got a shirt. We went to Soup and Salad to round out the day and it was good. My mom, dad, Aaron, and I will be heading to Dallas/Ft. Worth tomorrow afternoon. We are going to see a college football game for New Year's Eve. I think it will be fun. I will post some pics when I get back. I guess that is about it. I will post some pics of things that have happened while at college as well as some pics of Christmas. Talk to you all later.

The first few pictures are of the trip my famiy took to Memphis, TN. We got to see Elvis's home. The one of me standing with a group of people nobody knows was of when I received a $1,000 scholarship this last summer for college. The last few are of Family Camp this last summer in New Mexico.