How do you handle disappointment?

This morning after waking up and a quick stop at Starbucks, Mike and I headed to Atlanta for the day. We have had plans to go to the Georgia Aquarium for the past month. We bought tickets online and originally we had plans to stay the weekend, go to a really nice restaurant or two and just kick back and relax. Last week we decided to change those plans a little and not stay the weekend so we could save a little money. Not a big deal. Still had plans to go to a nice restaurant and the aquarium, which we did.

I'll be honest. I was disappointed in the aquarium. I don't know if it's because there were sooooo many people and everyone was just getting pushed and jostled around....or if I had just built it up much in my head that there was no way it could meet my expectations. My favorite animal of the day was the Australian Sea Dragon

After being there for a whole hour it was time to leave:) we walked to Centennial Olympic Park and played in the fountain of rings....just kidding. we didn't play but we did watch kids trying not to get wet and one woman who stepped out of the rings at the right moment and got soaked.

We then headed to Legal Seafoods across the street from the Aquarium and had some yummy seafood. Mike had the Louisiana Catfish Matrimony (sautéed with bay shrimp and andouille sausage)and I had the salmon special which ended up being a sandwhich. Was actually really good. It was nice to just sit, talk and eat:)

We are now home and getting ready to curl up on the couch and watch a movie.

Here's to life being wonderful even when it's not what you hoped for!

Thanksgiving:)

ok, so this is only 2 days late (seeing a horrible trend in my blogging here)

Thanksgiving was great as usual but this year it didn't "feel" like Thanksgiving. I'm not sure why. We saw my parents, 2 brothers and sister in law last week and had an early Thanksgiving (no traditional Thanksgiving meal, but we had a great time and were truly thankful for having each other...as my mom says "it's not the meal that makes the day...it's me being thankful for the moments I do have with you." well said mom)

Thanksgiving day was spent at Mema's (Mike's grandmothers) with Kaitlyn, Cassidy, Chandler, Adrienne, Megan,Donna, Larry, Ralph, Wyanne, Daniel, Jamie, Wade, Holly, Charles and Mema. Food was excellent and as usual overate and then needed a nap. After getting home and watching a movie I debated on if I should even go to sleep at all. I did indeed go to sleep but was back up at 3:30 and met Wade and Holly at Wal-Mart right before 5:00...surpisingly we were out of there in 30 minutes...wow! Went to the mall and found absolutely nothing. Wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be...think the longest line I saw was at Starbucks.

After shopping I headed home and we decorated for Christmas. Yay! so glad that's done! Think the only thing left to do is to put the Christmas china in my china cabinet and put all my storage boxes back up.

When overwhelmed....

...it's important to not become paralyzed with the emotion! I've found that I have gone from one extreme to the other. Go figure! It's amazing how I think I have so much to write and then I start typing and it's gone...just gone...nothing to write. oh well. I will take that to be God saying "be still, shut up and listen to me!" (not sure if God would say "shut up" but you get the point:))

Let's see, got to be something to write. Today after work I picked up my friend Tiffany and we went to grab a bite to eat, hang out and run some errands (including getting her passport pictures for an upcoming mission trip to India!). Let me tell ya, I love this girl! She is 17 and in the youth group at church. It is so exciting to see what the Lord is doing in her life. She is so quick to focus on the things of God, quick to share her heart and quick to extend a helping hand and I've been blessed by getting to know her. I feel she is someone who I can share my heart with and not be judged. So here's to her and her wonderful journey in the hands of God.

"Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you- majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?" - Exodus 15:11

catching up

been a total slacker lately! sorry! I had somewhat of an excuse this past weekend....was at the beach...and when I'm at the beach nothing else seems important! the following is a journal entry from this past weekend. I usually do not share things from my journal but here it is.....

So many thoughts! 11/20/09

Have lot I feel I need to write but somehow the urge is diminished a bit as I sit on our 12th floor balcony looking at the ocean! We are staying at the Embassy Suites at Kingston Plantation in Myrtle Beach. Wyanne (Mike's mom) has her Alpha 1 conferene here so Mike, Mema and myself came with her. It is hard to believe it's November though! I am sitting in a t-shirt and jeans and the weather is gorgeous! Thinking about putting my bathing suit on and going down to the hot tub (have already seen people on the beach and down at the pool in bathing suits...they must be from the north!)

we arrived in Myrtle Beach a little after noon, checked in, went to barefoot landing to walk around a little. we ate at Johnny Rockets and then came back to walk on the beach. Again, it is soooo nice! i did put my feet in the water but it was freezing!

Plans later tonight are to eat leftovers while Wyanne and Mema are at their dinner and conference and maybe do a little shopping. I brought one of my Aunt Dimity books so I can read that later. I could just sit here all day listening to the ocean and reading:)

tomorrow we will head to Oak Island, NC and visit with mom, dad, Steene, Jon and Rhonda. We always have a great time with each other and I always look forward to these trips!

more later!
Love,
Sarah

Randoms....

1. I love old movies! old Alfred Hitchcock movies and pretty much any movie with Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Doris Day or Rock Hudson are good and I could spend hours just watching them all back to back. I'm also the same way with the tv show I Love Lucy

2. When I was 10 or 11 my brother threw a baseball at me as I was running (away from him) into my room and it hit me right in the mouth, chipping one of my teeth. It hurt so bad and I was so mad! I remember being scared to tell my mom....think I told her the following week....or month (it was obviously a very small chip or she would have noticed). To my brothers credit...he had a very good aim! The ball just made it through the door as it was closing. lol.

3. I have a very large scar on my left side that I have thought about having 'fixed' with plastic surgery. Also the scar of a cross over my heart and scars on my neck...all from being a preemie and the surgeries they performed.

4. My current favorite tv shows are Ghost Hunters, Destination Truth, Biggest Loser, The Office, 30 Rock, Monk and Psych (good grief, do I really watch that much tv?!...very sad!) . Also like Little People, Big World; 18 kids and counting and....Bridezillas....part of me has issues with the show and I think of of the Bible verse that says "I will put no vile thing in front of my eyes". Plain and simple, these Brides actions are vile....and I laugh at it.Sad that I find humor in bad behavior.

5. I love to read. Especially mysteries, anything by C.S. Lewis, Harry Potter books, children's books...I love variety:)

6.I have a bachelors degree in Natural Health...but I don't use it:( Very sad, but it was good for my personal knowledge. Who knows. Maybe one day I will have a job where I need it:)

7. I can't sleep in past 8:30 unless I'm sick! No joke. I wake up between 5:30 and 6:00 on weekdays and even when I try to sleep in on Saturdays it never works! usually I'm up by 7:00...on the couch with my journal, a book and the remote. Sometimes I'll go yard sale-ing. Here lately I've been doing my longer runs on Saturday mornings though.

8. Speaking of running....my first half marathon is in 3 weeks and I'm getting a bit nervous. I don't doubt I can do it. I know I can. I'm still nervous. Luckily, a good friend of mine is going down with me (it's on Kiawah Island, SC near Charleston) for support and to drive me back home if I need her to.

And that's all for tonight:)

Wilbur?

I know I promised some random things today, but they can wait.

In my parents move I inherited a lot of things including most of the family pictures. I decided to re do my baby book.....I can just move the pictures from a large, old brown picture album to a cute, small pink one. First picture I take out is my first (and only) ultrasound. I turn it over and on the back is written "Wilbur's head 31 weeks in utero"....what?? Wilbur? I knew my parents thought I was going to be a boy and had discussed the name Patrick...but Wilbur?

Soooo.....I had to call my mom. After the "hey, how are you", "are you having a good day", etc. I ask " Were you going to name me Wilbur?" and it is immediately met with laughter...."hahahaha, no, we weren't going to call you Wilbur....hahahaha....Jim Sprinkle (a friend) called you that before you were born....hahahaha....did you see something with Wilbur on it?"

So, I got my answer:)Amazing what you find while going through old stuff:)

so not cool!

I had my blog all ready to go and for some reason it was there one minute and gone the next. oh well...luckily it wasn't a long blog...just some random things (that I will blog about tomorrow). I am fighting a little bit of a cold and at the moment I have a cup of hot tea and my bed waiting on me so good night!

"All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." - Proverbs 16:2-3

getting the hang of this

ok, so I think I may finally be comfortable with blogging every day:) of course, no guarantees at this point but it is promising!

Looking forward to this week....well, the later part of the week. Friday Mike and I are heading to Myrtle Beach with his mom and grandma. His mom has a support group conference for her lung condition and was sweet enough to invite us. There is no bad time to go to the beach in my opinion...and it doesn't hurt that the hotel has an indoor pool:) Then Saturday afternoon we are heading further up to Oak Island, NC to visit with my parents, younger brother, older brother and his wife. Think the guys have a deep sea fishing trip planned (no idea what us women-folk will do but we'll figure it out) and I'm sure we'll have a nice pre-Thanksgiving meal with them since we won't be together on Thanksgiving.

verse for the day-

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger"-
Prov. 15:1

Yeeeeee Ha!

Tonight we had a wonderful time at the hoe down at church....good food, good fellowship and of course dancing:)

do si do kind of day

last night Mike and I went line dancing and square dancing....well, it was practice for the Bridge the gap youth hoe down tomorrow at church. We practiced Monday night as well and I was ready to give up! But last night was better and I actually enjoyed it. Now I just need to go find a cow boy hat and boots and I'll be ready to go:)

Afterwards Mike treated me to a yummy gingerbread latte from Starbucks. It seriously felt like we were on a date. So I had to point out that that was something simple and inexpensive and yet it made my day so there's no reason we shouldn't go on more dates. Then we went home and watched our Thursday night line up of Community, Parks and Rec, The Office and 30 Rock followed by me reading in 1 Timothy and of course Psalms and Proverbs.

Want a good way to get through Psalms and Proverbs every month? Whatever day it is, read that Proverb. Today is the 13th so I'll read Proverbs 13. For Psalms start with the day as well (today I'll do Psalm 13) and then add 30 to it (Psalm 43) and another 30 (Psalm 73) until you run out of Psalms. However, you do skip the 119 Psalm on the 29th and save it for months that have 31 days and read it on the 31st. This was something my mom did with me and my brother in the mornings before school (we were home schooled) and has been something that I've done ever since. Granted, I have been very sporadic with it but it's something I always return to.


"But godliness with contentment is great gain" - 1 Timothy 6:6

Not that anyone reads this....

but I think it's good for me:) An aquaintance/friend of mine has committed to writing on her blog every day even if it's just something small and I'd like to do the same thing...we'll see how it goes.

Today is a cold windy day, I'm going on 5 and a half hours sleep and I really want to be home in bed (or on the couch) with hot chocolate, my journal and my Bible. I've been doing a study on 1 Timothy and it's really good. When I say study it's just me studying it...no special book or commentary...just me reading and rereading, picking out favorites and having the intention of learning something and really knowing my Bible.

For the past 4 weeks I've been helping lead a purity Bible study with the youth at our church. I have the middle school girls and although it's only a small group I have been so blessed with their desire to remain pure until marriage and also their desire to walk with God.