My "blog archive" is somewhat of a joke. I posted in July, August (3 times!!), October, November, and January. And now April. If I keep it up, I might squeeze in at least 12 entries this year. My little sister Hannah recently jumped on the blog wagon, so I've been inspired to try again... with pictures and everything!
I promised to write down engagement details, so here we are 5 months later...
Brett and I were celebrating our 3 year dating anniversary... so Saturday night he took me to North Carolina to Macaroni Grill which is my favorite restaurant ever... (all of this was a surprise by the way....)
The next morning we woke up super early and went for a hot air balloon ride! It was such a fun surprise... I had always talked about how I would like to do that one day. The weather was great... it's so quiet when you're up there. Virginia really is beautiful in the fall...
They let us get inside the balloon while it was blowing up...
I thought maybe he would propose on the balloon but he didn't... so we had breakfast and drove back to my house. By this point I had pretty much given up on the whole proposal idea... but when I got home there were roses on the table and a cd I had been wanting... aaand there was something in one of my roses!!!
So Brett got down on one knee and asked me to marry him :)
I said yes :)
And for your viewing pleasure, I'm now the proud owner of a smoking hot ring... please play close attention to my fabulously manicured nails...
After our engagement, I had girlfriends tell me to keep a journal of these months because time would pass so quickly. They were right. This past year has FLOWN by... I can't believe we have less than four months until the wedding. The whole thing has seemed so abstract... like I'm planning for this big event that is never actually going to get here. I was a wedding planning machine for a few months but lately I've been a slacker. I'm starting to realize now how close we really are to being Mr and Mrs!! And it's really exciting... I'm excited about the wedding itself because I really think/hope it's going to be fun. I want it to be beautiful and memorable and all of that, but I also really want it to be fun! We're celebrating the start of something fantastic and that deserves an amazing party :)
I'm also excited about the honeymoon... we're going to Belize and neither of us have traveled anywhere outside of the country except Mexico (which just doesn't count). I'm excited about what this next year holds for us even though much of that is a mystery right now. I'm excited about beginning a new life with the most incredible man I've ever known... and seeing where God takes us together.
So wedding plans are coming together... I have a long list of little details that we need to take care of, but a majority of the big stuff is done and ready. The church is gorgeous, the boat is just awesome, the cake will be delicious, my dress is HOT, our ring bearer and flower girl are precious, our wedding party is full of good looking people, our photographers are so talented, our DJ will be perfect, the menu sounds de-licious... overall it's shaping up to be a good time.
We're halfway through our marriage counseling with Mr. Hyland... the discussions we've had with him have been really encouraging. Every issue he has brought up is something that Brett and I have already spent time talking through at some point in our relationship. He's given us good insights to think about and discuss and lots of good reading material... but everything we've talked about has given Brett and I even more affirmation about our relationship and this path that we are taking. When I think of a great marriage and a Christ centered relationship, Mr. Hyland and his wife always come to my mind... he has been such a great friend and mentor over the years that we have known him.
So much has been going on lately.. I don't even know how to type it all out! My baby brother moved to Nashville in the fall... he's had a lot of great opportunities with his music so far, and I'm excited to see what God has planned for his life and drumming career. Mom and I moved into a new townhouse a few weeks ago that we really love... we're starting to get settled in and Alley is figuring out her new routine. Hannah has been knocking out college like it's her job, so we've missed being able to see her as much lately...
Our friends Ryan and Cortnie got married in October... the wedding was on Kent Island right on the Chesapeake Bay... it was so classy and gorgeous. Brettski was a groomsman...
Brett's housemate Josh and his girlfriend Hillary joined the world of fiance's in March! It's been great really getting to know them and the rest of the house family this year. I'm so glad that the guys were able to move off campus... it gave us all a chance to spend more time together and we've had such a fun year.
Hannah and I celebrated our birthdays in February with dinner and tubing at Wintergreen! Jon came into town to help us celebrate with Brett and mom. Good times...
I discovered my random talent at Guitar Hero... this picture was taken back in my novice days. I have to stand up to play now if I'm really being serious :) Any challengers out there? No one around here wants to play me anymore because I always win. Oh snap.
Brett and I are seriously considering moving to Colorado! It's such a big move, but we're really excited about the idea... We actually visited CO in January. One of Brett's best friends from high school/groomsmen moved out there recently, so we made a group trip out to visit him. The difference in my asthma was incredible... I can't even explain the relief to go an entire day and not even think about using my inhaler. The areas that we visited were so beautiful... the weather is awesome... the skiing and snowboarding is delicious. So we started thinking... and then we thought some more... and now we're seriously considering going out there. I don't know if we'll stay forever... maybe we'll fall in love and never want to leave. Or maybe we'll spend a few years out there and then decide it was fun, but we want to be closer to our families when we have kids... who knows. But it's definitely exciting to think about...
Brett and I made our first big purchase together!! We bought a car... it's actually for him to drive because his truck was on it's last leg and my car is only a few yars old. It's a little race car and we love it... Subaru Impreza WRX STi...
Well I guess this is getting a little long... and I should probably try and get some sleep so that I'm not brain dead at church this morning. One final thought that I just want to write down for my own memory...
Brett and I were talking the other day about wedding to-do's... and I mentioned that I needed to figure out what I wanted to get for my wedding gift to him. He immediately said "Oh I already know what I'm getting you... I've spent alot of time thinking about it and already have it all figured out." That was so precious to me! Knowing that he has put thought into something so far in advance because he wants it to be special for me is priceless and I love him for it. I always say how lucky I am to have found him... but I truly wish I could just write a book about this guy! The way he demonstrates his love to me on a daily basis is so humbling... he has such a sweet spirit and is so patient with my wants and needs. He tells me on a daily basis the things that he loves about me and about our relationship. He's respectful, chivalrous, and supportive. He's physically strong, HOT, and extremely athletic, and I love that. He's a hard worker, an excellent communicator, and doesn't mind being the first to apologize if he feels he has wronged someone. He's passionate about the people and things that he loves, and anyone would be fortunate to have him as a friend. The fact that I get to have him for my very best friend is overwhelming. I could not ask for a better teammate for this lifetime and I'm so incredibly thankful that God has placed us together.
Bedtime.
Love you all.
After our engagement, I had girlfriends tell me to keep a journal of these months because time would pass so quickly. They were right. This past year has FLOWN by... I can't believe we have less than four months until the wedding. The whole thing has seemed so abstract... like I'm planning for this big event that is never actually going to get here. I was a wedding planning machine for a few months but lately I've been a slacker. I'm starting to realize now how close we really are to being Mr and Mrs!! And it's really exciting... I'm excited about the wedding itself because I really think/hope it's going to be fun. I want it to be beautiful and memorable and all of that, but I also really want it to be fun! We're celebrating the start of something fantastic and that deserves an amazing party :)
I'm also excited about the honeymoon... we're going to Belize and neither of us have traveled anywhere outside of the country except Mexico (which just doesn't count). I'm excited about what this next year holds for us even though much of that is a mystery right now. I'm excited about beginning a new life with the most incredible man I've ever known... and seeing where God takes us together.
So wedding plans are coming together... I have a long list of little details that we need to take care of, but a majority of the big stuff is done and ready. The church is gorgeous, the boat is just awesome, the cake will be delicious, my dress is HOT, our ring bearer and flower girl are precious, our wedding party is full of good looking people, our photographers are so talented, our DJ will be perfect, the menu sounds de-licious... overall it's shaping up to be a good time.
We're halfway through our marriage counseling with Mr. Hyland... the discussions we've had with him have been really encouraging. Every issue he has brought up is something that Brett and I have already spent time talking through at some point in our relationship. He's given us good insights to think about and discuss and lots of good reading material... but everything we've talked about has given Brett and I even more affirmation about our relationship and this path that we are taking. When I think of a great marriage and a Christ centered relationship, Mr. Hyland and his wife always come to my mind... he has been such a great friend and mentor over the years that we have known him.
So much has been going on lately.. I don't even know how to type it all out! My baby brother moved to Nashville in the fall... he's had a lot of great opportunities with his music so far, and I'm excited to see what God has planned for his life and drumming career. Mom and I moved into a new townhouse a few weeks ago that we really love... we're starting to get settled in and Alley is figuring out her new routine. Hannah has been knocking out college like it's her job, so we've missed being able to see her as much lately...
Our friends Ryan and Cortnie got married in October... the wedding was on Kent Island right on the Chesapeake Bay... it was so classy and gorgeous. Brettski was a groomsman...
Brett's housemate Josh and his girlfriend Hillary joined the world of fiance's in March! It's been great really getting to know them and the rest of the house family this year. I'm so glad that the guys were able to move off campus... it gave us all a chance to spend more time together and we've had such a fun year.
Hannah and I celebrated our birthdays in February with dinner and tubing at Wintergreen! Jon came into town to help us celebrate with Brett and mom. Good times...
I discovered my random talent at Guitar Hero... this picture was taken back in my novice days. I have to stand up to play now if I'm really being serious :) Any challengers out there? No one around here wants to play me anymore because I always win. Oh snap.
Brett and I are seriously considering moving to Colorado! It's such a big move, but we're really excited about the idea... We actually visited CO in January. One of Brett's best friends from high school/groomsmen moved out there recently, so we made a group trip out to visit him. The difference in my asthma was incredible... I can't even explain the relief to go an entire day and not even think about using my inhaler. The areas that we visited were so beautiful... the weather is awesome... the skiing and snowboarding is delicious. So we started thinking... and then we thought some more... and now we're seriously considering going out there. I don't know if we'll stay forever... maybe we'll fall in love and never want to leave. Or maybe we'll spend a few years out there and then decide it was fun, but we want to be closer to our families when we have kids... who knows. But it's definitely exciting to think about...
Work has been going pretty well... I really enjoy nursing as a profession. I love getting to know people in such an intimate way and helping them through tough times... I seriously meet some of the most precious people. I've learned so much working in the ICU and I'm so glad I started here... but I think I'm ready for a change. Working night shift is certainly part of the problem... my body is on a totally different timetable than the rest of the world. At first I didn't mind it, but the schedule is definitely starting to wear on me. I miss being outside when the sun is out! No matter how much I sleep, I never feel rested except in the middle of the night (which explains why I'm writing this at 5:30 in the morning!). The extra money from my shift differential is nice and I love the atmosphere of night shift, but I'm wearing out. After we get married, day shift will be the main criteria of my job hunt :) I'm not sure what type of nursing I want to do next... I think I would enjoy an ICU with a higher acuity than we have in Lynchburg. It's pretty common for me have one patient who is truly critical and then another patient that really could be on a regular floor. I've toyed with the idea of switching over to obstetrics of some sort... but that is just a whole different ball game. I would really be starting over in my general knowledge base. I love working with special needs kids, so something that involved that would be cool. I also think I would enjoy teaching nursing in the future, but I need to get my Masters for that and going back to school does not sound good right now!! We'll see what happens... these sorts of options are one of the great things about nursing in my opinion...
Brett and I made our first big purchase together!! We bought a car... it's actually for him to drive because his truck was on it's last leg and my car is only a few yars old. It's a little race car and we love it... Subaru Impreza WRX STi...
Well I guess this is getting a little long... and I should probably try and get some sleep so that I'm not brain dead at church this morning. One final thought that I just want to write down for my own memory...
Brett and I were talking the other day about wedding to-do's... and I mentioned that I needed to figure out what I wanted to get for my wedding gift to him. He immediately said "Oh I already know what I'm getting you... I've spent alot of time thinking about it and already have it all figured out." That was so precious to me! Knowing that he has put thought into something so far in advance because he wants it to be special for me is priceless and I love him for it. I always say how lucky I am to have found him... but I truly wish I could just write a book about this guy! The way he demonstrates his love to me on a daily basis is so humbling... he has such a sweet spirit and is so patient with my wants and needs. He tells me on a daily basis the things that he loves about me and about our relationship. He's respectful, chivalrous, and supportive. He's physically strong, HOT, and extremely athletic, and I love that. He's a hard worker, an excellent communicator, and doesn't mind being the first to apologize if he feels he has wronged someone. He's passionate about the people and things that he loves, and anyone would be fortunate to have him as a friend. The fact that I get to have him for my very best friend is overwhelming. I could not ask for a better teammate for this lifetime and I'm so incredibly thankful that God has placed us together.
Bedtime.
Love you all.
2 comments:
so what a wonderful post! So much has gone on over these past few months it really has seemed to just fly. I cant believe its almost May. I am so glad to be a part of your family! I hope that Jon and I will continue to be as blessed as you and brett are! Thanks for tonight! Love ya!
Sarah, your blog is funny. Seth really wants to move to Colorado so badly when and if we ever leave the army,so maybe we will see you guys there (probably a few wrinkles and kids later) :)
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