LIFE LATELY

- I got my post in last Thursday but wasn't able to get my Friday post in. I mentioned on Thursday that my FIL was having surgery that day. Matthew and I took off from work that Thursday and Friday so that we could be there with his parents. I'm thrilled to say that the surgery could not have gone better...exact words from his doctor, and that he was actually able to come home late Sunday afternoon. So thankful everything went well and that he is recovering well!!

- Saturday morning we had Matthew's follow up appointment with an out patient neurologist. We were so glad they had Saturday appointments available. We were the first ones there so we were able to see the neurologist very quickly. Long story short, he thinks some of the tests/ultrasounds that Matthew had taken while he was in the hospital were bad readings....especially the one of his heart. So he wants Matthew to have a Transcranial Doppler ultrasound done. This is to check and see if there is a hole in his heart. Please keep him in your prayers as we figure out what is going on!

- Matthew's oldest brother came in for the weekend to see his dad and stayed with us. We left the hospital early on Saturday afternoon so his parents could get some rest and we all went back to our house and napped and then woke up and ordered pizza. We had a lazy night watching HIMYM and they played Xbox some. 

- On Sunday we picked up Matthew's parents dog, Murphy, from his mawmaw's house to take back home since his dad was being discharged that day. Murphy rode in our laps the whole way and loved looking out the window. Of course this snap chat filter was appropriate! 

- Matthew and I have been having some serious "steps competition" since we got our FitBits. It's so fun and I love that they are motivating us to be more active. Hello 7 flights of stairs at work!!!!

- My best friend's grandmother passed away the other night, so we are headed back home after work this afternoon for a few hours for her funeral.

- We made a quick stop in World Market the other day and I came across this pineapple display. Matthew had to quickly drag me away so I wouldn't start picking everything up to buy....seriously, so many cute things. Perfect for summer!! You can find some of those cute items here.

- Yesterday marked 9 months that we have been married. If we would have had a honeymoon baby it would have been born around this time of this month. LOL.

- This past Sunday and Monday was my grandfathers birthdays. My something old at our wedding was old pictures of my grandfathers. Since they couldn't be there this was the next best thing! I'd give anything for one more night of sitting in the carport listening to whippoorwills or sitting on papa's lap sharing an apple and ginger ale, but I'm thankful for the time I got with them and all the memories that we made as I was growing up. Happy birthday to both of my grandfathers.

And that's about it! The weather has been so nice, high 70's to low 80's with a light breeze...my favorite kind of weather! 

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LIFE LATELY

We're ENGAGED!!

I still can't believe we are engaged! It all happened so fast and was completely unexpected. Of course we had talked about when we would get engaged and he completely had me convinced it would be sometime late spring or early summer. So I definitely wasn't expecting it anytime soon.

Last Sunday night I came back to Cookeville by myself because I had to work Monday and Tuesday. I had planned on going straight home Tuesday when I got off of work. My best friend was supposed to come up Sunday with me and spend the night but she backed out last minute. I was a little upset about it but didn't let it get me down too much. I slept in Monday as long as I could, waking up in time to put some concealer under my eyes and my hair in a low messy bun. I sit in a cubicle all day so I'm not too worried about my appearance at work. I had talked to Matthew throughout the day and he told me about how he had been cleaning out the garage at home getting stuff ready for a garage sale.   I got off around 3:30 and decided I was going to get Blue Coast for dinner and stop and get gas before I headed back to my apartment for the night. I got back to my apartment and opened the door and found Matthew sitting on my couch playing his PS3. I was in complete shock. He had hid his car behind a big work truck on the other end of my apartment parking lot. I was asking him all these questions of why he was there and why he was dressed up. He got up and said he felt bad Sarah couldn't come up and didn't want me to be by myself so he thought he would surprise me and take me to dinner. Most people have asked how I didn't see it coming then but that is not out of the ordinary. We always dress up to go on dates and he is just a thoughtful man! I even asked him if I should change and put a nicer dress on and fix up a little bit and his exact words "nahh, you look good and no one is going to see us anyways" We went to one restaurant that we both like but they were closed on Mondays and we didn't know so we decided on a local Mexican restaurant we both like.   Matthew was acting completely normal the whole time. I thought whenever he did propose I'd be able to see it coming from a mile away.   After dinner I mentioned I needed to stop at Kroger to pick up my cousin a gift card for Christmas but then said I could just get it later because it looked really crowded. Matthew insisted we go on and stop because we were already by it and he really had to use the bathroom. I thought it was really weird he couldn't hold it until we got back to my apartment, but didn't put too much thought into it.   We left Kroger and thought we were headed back to my apartment. We drove by campus and he asked if I wanted to walk around campus. It was mid 50's and had been raining all day but stopped and still felt pretty good outside for a couple of days before Christmas. I absolutely LOVE walking around campus at night and often ask if we can, so AGAIN didn't think anything about it when he suggested it. We parked and as we are getting out I notice Matthew putting on his big peacoat. I had forgotten my coat and thought it was very strange of him not to offer me his coat. I didn't say anything of course, I just thought he was cold and didn't realize I had forgotten my coat.   We walked all around the quad and then he point to the middle where we had played ball with the SOC and so we walked over there and sat down on some bricks. He started talking about how he can't imagine not being on campus anymore and how he can't imagine not going to intramural games, etc. I am getting a little emotional because I'm not ready for him to move back home just yet. Then out of no where he says "You know what else I can't imagine? You not being in my life" I snap back to reality and think to myself "OH MY GOSH" at this point he is going on and saying really sweet things and as he is talking I could tell he is getting REALLY nervous. At this point all I can think about is "OH MY GOSH IT"S HAPPENING" He then told me to stand up and so I did and he did too and then he got down on one knee and is still saying all this sweet stuff and for the life of me I can't remember all if it. I am tearing up and asking him a million times "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" like it wasn't obvious lol.

Obviously I had no idea what was coming that night or I would have painted those nails, but I am completely okay with it. If he would have told me to paint my nails I would have known, so it was perfect.

  He asked and I said YES and he puts the ring on my finger, stands up and hugs me and gives me a kiss while I am still asking a million questions. We walked back to the car and I'm asking who all knew and he told me my parents and his parents. I said something about send them a picture after I called my mom and he said we're going to see them tonight. Again, cue the million questions. I asked if they were in Cookeville and he said no we are going home to see them and I said "Oh I have to be at work at 7:00 in the morning" and he grinned really big and said "No you don't, you're off tomorrow, I called your boss and asked her if you could have tomorrow off" And that's when the ugly crying began. He joked that I was more excited about being off of work than being engaged but I assured him that wasn't the case at ALL. It was just starting to hit me that it was all REAL and finally happening.

We went straight back to my apartment so that I could change and put on some make up and look halfway decent to see family and friends when we got home while Matthew helped me pack to go home for Christmas!! We stopped at the SOC house before we headed home to see his brother and some friends and went back to campus with Nathan and Jenny so they could make a picture of us where we got engaged. We then headed home to his parents house. We got to visit with them and share the excitement and then headed to my house and my two best friends were there also. It was a crazy night and all happened SO fast. After I posted it on social media our phones were BLOWING up. It was all so exciting.   He had asked my dad that morning and of course my dad was happy for us. Like I said I still can't believe it happened. He played it off so well all day Monday. I had told him a long time I ago I wanted it to be just us, no cameras, no audience, not in public, just us and that is exactly how it was, a complete surprise! There wasn't a soul on the quad at that time (it's Christmas break so everyone is home), it had stopped raining and was decent out for late December, and we got to see our families and friends. Honestly the most perfect night.  We never went ring shopping together, he always had said he wanted to pick it out himself. and he did SO good!

  We are so excited and ready to begin this next chapter of our lives together. Now that the holidays are almost over we can start wedding planning!! Still can't believe I just typed those words. :) We haven't picked a date yet, but we do have an idea of when we want to we just have to wait and see with Matthew's new job fixing to start up when would be best. I will definitely share when we have an official date set though!  

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We're ENGAGED!!

It consumes our lives

Last night at church we heard a great lesson. It came from a man who has been through a lot this past year and a half or so. His son was diagnosed with neuroblastoma the fall of 2013. He and his wife have spent multiple days and even weeks in the hospital with him since then. He said one of the things he just can't get over is, sitting in the waiting room and seeing people on their phones. Married couples sitting right beside each other on their phones and not saying a word to each other for over an hour, all because they were too involved with something on their phone. He said when he and his family go out to dinner it's something they notice other families/couples doing at the dinner table as well.   And that's when it hit me.   Matthew and I have made it a rule that we don't have our phones out when we eat dinner but other than that we usually have our phones right by our side or even worse, in our hands. I thought about it all night after his devo and it kinda makes me sick. Don't get me wrong, I love social media and I am very thankful for how far technology has come. I can FaceTime my family whenever I want if I am feeling homesick, my cute little sisters can send me "mirror selfies" of their outfit they are wearing for picture day from my moms phone, I can get coupons in seconds while I am standing in the checkout at Old Navy and save money, but how much is too much? I am so thankful I made it all the way through elementary school, middle school and high school before I got a smart phone. It breaks my heart to know my sisters and future children won't.   He asked us last night, "What is it that draws us in so much?" Is it being nosey? Trying to stay up to date? Boredom? Yes. Yes. and Yes. I'll be the first to admit it, I like seeing how other people live. I love when they post pictures of what their night is consisting, what they wore that day, or what craft they are making next. Does that make me weird? Maybe, but I'm almost positive YOU are the same way. Am I trying to stay up to date? Yes. That new blanket scarf that is so popular this winter? Better believe it has crossed my mind to buy it (until I saw the price) Is it cute? Yes, it's cute but I'm not completely sure if I wanted it because it was cute or because I thought I needed it because it's all over my Instagram feed. Do I get bored? Yes, I do, but isn't there more I could be doing instead of being on my phone when I'm bored? Of course!   He asked us, "Why can't we look at the person sitting across the table when we are talking to them...without our phones in our hands?" or "Why can't we sit in a waiting room with our loved ones, waiting on good news or bad news, and comfort each other instead of being on our phones?"   If you are like me you probably check your phone when you wake up, when you are at a red light or sitting in a long line of traffic, when you are waiting in line at the store, when you are doing your thing in the bathroom, when you are in the car with your significant other, when you are waiting at the doctor's office, when you are on the couch after work, when you are hanging out with friends and right before you go to sleep. It's embarrassing writing all that out, but it's true. We have let it consume our lives.   He gave us this verse to think about, and it hit me all over again.   Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8   He emphasized on the word "think" at the end of that verse. Are we really filling our minds with everything that verse is saying?   I'm not saying I'm going to go and delete all my social media accounts and never look back, but I am going to limit myself. I am going to try and not look at Instagram and Facebook every 15 minutes. When I am hanging out with family/friends I want to be all there. When Matthew and I are riding in the car somewhere I want to be all there. Not half way paying attention and scrolling on my phone.   I don't want set rules, I just want to break my habit of refreshing my social media accounts.   I know this is a lengthy post but it's been on my mind every since last night and I wanted to share. And because I don't like posting without any pictures... In honor of my favorite guy graduating in TWO days a little #tbt to last years graduation picture!

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It consumes our lives

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

 A time to be born,
    And a time to die;
A time to plant,
    And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill,
    And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
    And a time to build up;
A time to weep,
    And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
    And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones,
    And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
    And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain,
    And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
    And a time to throw away;
A time to tear,
    And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
    And a time to speak;
A time to love,
    And a time to hate;
A time of war,
    And a time of peace.

            Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

 

Love this verse. I  came across it the other day and it just hit me. There really is a time for everything. Things will change, things will get worse and things will get better but it is all apart of God's plan, and I need to continue giving Him the glory through every season of life.

Happy Thursday, friends!! 1 more day until the weekend! :)

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Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Life is sweet, go have fun

we had our first intramural doubles match Tuesday night. Now if you know us then you know Matthew is the tennis pro and well, I'm just not. All afternoon I kept telling Matthew how nervous I was and he just kept telling me to go have fun. Y'all I did just that. We played an hour and a half and I had a ball the whole time. Even though we lost in a tie-breaker 8-8 (7-4) Matthew played his little heart out and I tried haha. If you can't laugh at yourself you just aren't living people!!  Life is sweet, go have fun.
P.S. Follow me on Instagram P.S.S. One more day until Friday. HOLLA

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Life is sweet, go have fun

Trust and Obey

The other day Matthew and I were listening to the fireworks and the band play though my apartment window after the football game last Thursday night. One of our favorite things to do if we decide to leave the game early or in that case miss the game because I was sick. We were sitting there and he asked me what I wanted to do when I got older. Without hesitating I said be a mom. There is nothing more that I want than to be a mom (5+ years of course) He asked what else I wanted to do (we have had this conversation many times) and I just sat there, trying to think. I get frustrated when I think about this because it seems like everyone and their mother already has this figured out especially at 21 so why do I not have it figured out? I mean I have an idea of what I want to do, wedding stylists/ coordinator/ planner/ event planner, but is this really going to happen? Is this really a need? Will I be able to succeed in this or will I end up working in an office doing something I don't like because this career path I want is not a need?   I enjoy my job now for the most part but it's just a job not a career for me. After about 3 months of working in this type of setting I have already decided it's just not for me. I need to be up moving around, not sitting on my hind end all day talking calls. I want to be active throughout the day creating things, maybe even have an office at home and work from home? Don't get me wrong I don't hate my job now but it's just a job to get me through the next couple of years of college.   I've been a teller but I don't want to spend the rest of my life as a teller or even a personal banker. I want to help people, maybe be a nurse? But I can't do blood, so that's definitely out. I worked in a daycare and enjoyed it but I don't want to be a daycare teacher the rest of my life. Snot and dirty diapers are just not my thing. I love kids and can't wait to have some of my own one day but I can't see myself as a teacher. I think it would be fun having my own classroom and decorating it the way I want to but I just can't see myself teaching for the rest of my life. All of these thoughts go though my mind daily. FRUSTRATING I tell ya.   But then in the middle of all this frustration and stressing out I am constantly reminded. //Trust and obey// One of my favorite hymns.  Why am I stressing out so much on this when I already know there is a plan and I just need to trust God's plan? Why is this so hard for me?     If you really think about it you trust more than you think. I hear people all the time saying they don't trust anyone but that's not necessarily true. You trust the person driving past you on the interstate, you trust they know how to drive and that they won't hit you. You trust the doctor giving you that flu shot, you trust that he will give you the shot in your arm like he was taught to do and not stab you in your neck. You trust the expiration date on your gallon of milk siting in your refrigerator you trust that the date is right and that you still have two good days to drink it before it goes bad.  So why is it difficult to trust God at certain times?      One of my favorite verses and is and will always be a great reminder...   "Be strong, courageous, and firm, fear not be in terror before them, for it is the Lord your God Who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you." -Deuteronomy 31:6     What are your thoughts on this? Ever been in this position?  

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Trust and Obey