Poor Dog

Even though work felt very unproductive, today proved to be rather nice.  On occasion I like coming home from a long days work feeling like I actually got something accomplished. We were way overstaffed and I couldn't go home until the store was almost closed. I did not have any classes to teach so I spent most of the day cleaning the store and picking up after those messy customers. Well Jon and I went to Red Lobster after we both got off work to celebrate his birthday a little late. I know what you must be thinking. She just joined Weight Watchers!! How can she still go out to eat? Well for some reason I wasn't hungry until way late in the evening then I only ate half of my lunch.... long story short I had plenty of points for Jon's dinner celebration. My meal of choice was the Coconut Jumbo Shrimp with FRIES!! Man were those good!!! Also on the side I ordered SNOW CRAB!! AHHH DELICIOUS! I only used 4-5 extra points! Well the reason I decided to write is because when we got home we noticed the trash bag that was left on the floor by my dear dear husband, was open with some trash scattered through the house. I went through the living room picking up trash and noticed nothing was eaten. Apparently Pluto doesn't like my new choice of foods! haha He refused to eat any left over food and instead smeared it on the carpet. What a silly boy! I looked over at him as soon as I found my Jell-o and told him I didn't really care for that one either. lol I guess Pluto and I have similar tastes! Well Thats All Folks!

Here is a quick video of the real Pluto! I was trying to show off some of his favorite tricks but apparently he didn't want to be filmed which explains most of the back talk. When Pluto and I were at our apartment before daddy entered the picture. Pluto would climb into bed with me and rub his face in the pillow and say what sounded like "mama". I have been trying ever since to get him to say it on camera. 

Christmas Commotion

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year. Unfortunately some of us have lost sight to what Christmas is all about. Instead we fill our heads with the crazy notion that we must somehow come up with the money to afford a nice Christmas for ourselves and our family. Christmas is not about how many presents end up under our tree on that wonderful Christmas day. Its about the gift of salvation that was brought to this lost and dying world. You see God sent his one and only son Jesus Christ to the earth, not as a powerful king but in the form of a baby. Jesus was fully God and fully man. So yes he was born to a virgin who raised him as her own with the help of her new husband. The baby Jesus eventually grew up and became a man who preformed many miracles here on earth. He eventually died on the cross to take the payment for our sin (the bad things that separate us from God) so that we would have the opportunity to spend eternity with God in heaven instead of hell. The Christmas season in my opinion is a season of repentance and of renewal. If you are caught up in the material Christmas escape now while you still have time. 

I Love Pickles!

Last night was one of the best nights I have had in such a long time. My dreams are usually filled with scary or action packed adventures whereas last night I had repeated visions of events that happened yesterday. Let me explain. Yesterday I went to visit my good friend Tiiara and to baby sit her daughter while she did a presentation with Levi for their class project. We first started out on a quick girls date to Starbucks to talk. Looking back I decided that coffee was a perfect idea because of later events. Well we walked and talked and I was sad to say it was a little too short for my liking but its alright we will have plenty more. So after we arrive back to the apartment they give me the run down and a key just in case we wanted to go back and forth to the play room across the hall. So thats just what me and Azariah did. We walked mommy and daddy to the elevator and said quick goodbyes then ran straight to the play room. We played for a bit and slid down the slide quite a few times before we realized that we were hungry. Sadly we left the play room in hopes for food.

(This is where the video located at the end of my blog should have been)

When we got back to the apartment we ate peaches and she decided to throw a tantrum. I told her that I don't acknowledge bad behavior and she laid down on the floor like she was going to fall asleep there. I scooped her up, turned down the lights, and propped pillows up around us to create the best sleeping environment. Durring the last scenes of Princess and the Frog she fell asleep! This was amazing! Its like my drug to put babies to sleep but it was even more addicting that Azariah let me put her to sleep! At church she always "knows" when I am trying to put her to sleep and she would fight it so badly. Here is proof!

After a 30-45 minute nap she woke up in a great mood. She quickly got up and went to the refridgerator. We picked peaches as our snack choice and gobbled those up. Then she ran back to the fridge where I got my sugar free Jell-o pudding cup. We both had some of that. Then we tapped into my lunch bag and while she was finishing off my white cheddar cheetos, I started to eat my mustard sandwich. She took notice of my sandwich and asked for a bite. Of course she's a big girl now and wants to feed herself. I handed over my sandwich and she ended up eating the majority of it! haha But I received a little payback when she realized that my condiment of choice was mustard! lol she made such a sour face! lol

Well after eating we popped in the movie Pocahontas and relaxed a bit more. Once she was done relaxing we played with my iphone. I turned on a little bit of Super Chick, Coffey Anderson, and Taylor Swift. I gave her my phone and we danced and sang to the songs. I swear she was dancing so hard I thought she was going to fall over! haha. This is when I realized the coffee was a great idea! lol After dancing and haning out we got the opportunity to go visit with Levi and Tiiaras class upstairs. They were all very nice and it gave me a better chance to hang out with the Fergusons. Jon of course picked me up and hung out for a bit. I had such a blast. I of course love babysitting but I love it even more when the child loves me as much as I love them.

Jon had a fun night as well. The youth group finished up painting the youth room. Earlier in the week Jon, Chelsea, and I made the squares for the mural and the kids got to paint. I was personally a little nervous giving the youth paint brushes but they did a fantastic job!

Left to Right: Tanner, Carson, Jenise, Samantha, Nitza, Chelsea, and Isac.

Beauty is Pain

My heart was beating so hard I thought it was coming right out of my chest. The nights cold air nipping my nose. Shadows in the distance. My legs felt as if they were collapsing from under me. How did I find myself in this mess? Well  as you may already know have decided to join weight watchers with my "friend" Chelsea. Last night she and I met up after church to do a little run/walking. The reason I separated the words run/walking with a slanted line is because Chelsea runs and I well... walk. I brought my jump rope to keep me busy while she ran. But apparently she had other plans. "Just run one straight Sarah! Just one Straight!" "Thats all I ask!" I rolled my eyes and told her I'm not the running type. Let me just tell you how much I hate running. I feel like a fat footed walrus sloppily making its way back to the water. Yes thats right I said it!  Needless to say she pestered her way into making one straight turn into half a mile! I am glad I was able to run that much, but man are my ribs sore! My legs are doing just fine for being so out of shape but I can hardly laugh without pain. I figure its because before I ran, earlier that morning I decided to do at least 5-10 minutes of jump rope. No pain no gain right? Sometimes I wish it were easier. Chelsea is a good coach but I just had to complain just a little! : )


To follow Chelsea on blogger go to the link ramirezinthemaking.blogspot.com. Maybe she will start writing if she has followers!

Good Morning!

This morning I made a nice and healthy breakfast for Jon and I. It consisted of turkey bacon, egg beaters, and wheat eggo waffles. It was a very nice feeling to smell breakfast all afternoon! I used to love waking up as a kid to my mom and dad making breakfast. Even though I only ate cereal back then, having breakfast smells wafting throughout the house was a great mood setter. We spent the rest of the morning cleaning house together. You know doing dishes, putting clothes in their right spot, taking out the trash, and all that fun stuff. I really feel as if Jon and I are getting used to the whole marriage thing. I know this because I still like him. hahahaha. When Jon left for work I got on my handy dandy computer and looked at the new Glee footage of Rachael singing Christmas carols. What a wonderful morning! In other news Jon bought me a new scale and it read almost seven whole pounds gone since Thanksgiving! I know I probably shouldn't weigh myself all too often but its a nice feeling to see the numbers go down instead of up. haha. I think I'm addicted. Well it is time for work. I will try and post more later tonight.

Down by Five!

Thats right! I'm down by five pounds! I'm super duper excited. haha I am already feeling so much better! I have increased stamina throughout the day and feel as though I can conquer the world (some days). The last few nights I have gotten better quality sleep and also waking up 1-2 hours earlier than normal. For the first time in forever I jogged to my car after work and my ankles didn't want to break! AMAZING! I am hoping to loose enough weight to start running which I haven't been able to do since elementary school.  Unfortunately my weight watchers program only lets me update weekly so I cant update my current weight until Monday. Tonight I ate at Applebees with Pastor Kevin, Charlotte, Jon, and my little brother Marcos. I had an Oriental Chicken Salad (half) and used the rest of my daily points without going over! All thanks to my 30 minute walk this afternoon. In other news, I am also looking forward to the end of the semester. It has definitely been a trying one. I have never had so many conflicts or obstacles to over come as I did this semester. I ended up "dropping" my math class and kept my Biology class afloat. My final is this coming Tuesday and all I have left is one more project and this girl is done with school for a few months! I do plan to take another set of classes like the second Biology and re-take the math. This time I will be sure to plan them on the same day instead of alternating days. Well I am all out of inspiration! See you on the flip side!

Time to Deliver This Fat Baby!

This may be very silly and self mutilating but I was sitting on the couch sometime ago and realized that the reason I couldn't get off the couch without a grunt and a swift push is because I have conceived a fat baby. Finally fed up with my self image, I agreed to join Weight Watchers with my friend Chelsea. Thanksgiving Day was both a day of joy and sadness. It is/was time to let go of my poor eating habits and time to create new ones. Today marks the first day of my new lifestyle. I began the day with eating a bowl of Crispix (it usually gets my creative side of my brain going) and ended with a spicy chicken sandwich minus the mayo. Out of a possible 29points I consumed only 28! I was very excited especially because I totaled them wrong to begin with. Otherwise it would have been 30/29. Already I feel a new sense of empowerment. I hope I can hold on to the momentum! Luckily I have a great accountability partner! Well thats all for now! 

Terrible Tuesday!!!

TUESDAY is usually the day of excitement. The day before my day off... WEDNESDAY. My Tuesday begins sometime after midnight. Sound asleep and yet wide awake. How that happens? Well my dream was (as usual) very real. I wake up after my dream still feeling the same physical pains I had felt in my dream. No biggie right? Wrong apparently I had done something yesterday that made my whole body sore. I think it was that crazy rush of customers at 8:55pm before the store closed at 9pm. Yea lets blame the customers! After a very relaxing shower I notice my phone was lit up. I walk over and read a text message from a friend from school saying "where are you girlie" OH NO!! I totally forgot about school! It was already too late to try and make it. Not only that but I had two projects due and I was only half way not even close to being done with them. So alas tonight sometime after work but before midnight I must complete my Biology projects. After a good panic attack,  I go to lunch at Furr's with my Daddy and my Adorable Husband. I of course ate just a little too much so my stomach was again in pain. Now its time for work. Wish me luck because I'm not even done with this Tuesday. 

Special Thanks to Crispix

Dear Beloved Readers,

So much has happened since I have written last. One of the most exciting and nerve wrecking event that has happened is that Jon is in the process of switching departments at work. Like I expressed in earlier blogs that he has the potential to make me a part time at home wife, that in itself makes me nervous. I am excited for him mostly because it will give him a challenge and he enjoys a good challenge. I think sometimes he does things like this to see my "impressed" look during our dinner meetings at Denny's. Yes, Jon and I do have family dinner meetings to discuss business and other things coming up. lol So not only is Jon switching departments but his role within our church has changed as well. He went from being a Deacon/ Music Minister to a Deacon/Music Minister/Youth Pastor. I am super excited! I cannot wait to see how God is going to use us. I know Jon is going to rely heavily upon me to help him with his new position at church and I can't wait. Already we are seeing Gods hand in this new ministry of ours and that is super comforting. 

So I dont know if you heard but THANKSGIVING IS NEAR! Since both sets of parents do different things on different days our total thanksgiving experience will be spread throughout the week. But on the special Thanksgiving Day we will be eating at our friend Chelsea's. We are doing a sort of pot luck for our meal. Jon and I are making Yams and Green Bean Casserole. Chelsea makes the best deserts so on Wednesday I "volunteered" to go "help" her with the baking. I hope she doesn't read this until after! lol I love sampling! Here is a picture of Chelsea holding my good friend Tiiara Ferguson's cute little girl during our last youth outing at the Galleria Mall.

Last but not least. I cannot continue to keep my feelings a secret any longer. Jenise Mowery is growing up way too fast! It felt like just yesterday she was just a little kid running around our youth room! Now she is becoming just like me... a big kid! lol I look back at our old youth camp photos and she looks so tiny! Most people blog about their kids and I feel somewhat left out but then I realized that Jenise is more than just a kid from youth I hang out with... she is my little sister! I have extended family and I wouldn't change that for anything! 

This is her at youth camp a couple of years back!!!

This is Jenise and I at the Galleria Mall!! So grown up already! 

In the mist of my confusion... you are still calling my name!

Here I stand where the streets have no name. Where at the end of every road lays two more roads. Decisions to be made and confusion runs rampant. Bloggers...You see there are many twists and turns that lay before me and my brain is in mush mode. I sometimes feel like have lost my direction and desire my will power and my care. School is going to take its spot on the back burner once again. All I long for is to spend just spend time with my husband. Is that so bad to ask for? I rarely see him in the morning before he goes to work (probably because I skipped school just for that reason)  and only see him when I get home late at night after I get off work. Life is more valuable than a piece of paper stating I have a college degree. But listen here... if my college degree gets in the way of me spending time with the person I love the most, then that in my opinion is ludicrous!!! When did we as a people decide to skip out on life and things that are most important (like family) so that we can fulfill the pleasures of this world and not matter how good intentioned they are!?! Things that flood my mind on a regular basis are as follows. Sarah... get a better job with more $$$... Sarah... your house is messy.... Sarah... you're falling behind in school... Sarah.... rent is due soon.... Sarah... Sarah... Sarah.... ENOUGH!! These things are all just worldly crap that we put upon ourselves. If my house is messy ... so what?!? If rent is due and bills need to be paid... so what?!? GOD PROVIDES!!! The sad reality is that not everyone has God to rely on like I do. The sad reality is that others will listen to the things of this world and fall face first into the stinky pit of sin that God detests!! Bloggers where do your priorities lie? 

Dear God,

Thank you for giving me my life so that I may enjoy the blessings you have given me. Help me to not to seek the blessings to enjoy life. Lord thank you for being my rock and my salvation. Please forgive me where I have failed you. In your son Jesus name...

Amen

Crazy Dream

Last night I had one of the most "real" and strenuous dreams. I dreamed I was held captive with a few other members of a group I was in. I believe we were Christians being persecuted. So they drug me out of my holding cell which was like a mile away from everything else in my dream, and brought me to the judge. I was bound in rope and forced to be on my knees. After a rigorous question and answer session they condemned me to burn at the stake. On the way back to my holding cell I remember crying out to God repeatedly asking him to show his power. Not only to save me and a few of my friends but to show his glory to those who did not believe. So I pleaded with God all the way to my cell where I was to get the last remaining items I owned and throw them away. After the guards had corralled all others in my group we took what was to be our last walk, toward certain death. On the way there I was coaching and mentoring some members in my group who were scared to die and I made sure they knew the power of prayer so we all began to cry and plead with God asking for his mercy and grace. Upon arrival at the burning site they tied me and my pals to individual stakes and set the top of the stake on fire as well as the bottom pit of leaves and coal beneath us. All seemed to be lost. I braced myself for certain death. I felt the heat and smelled the fire. I closed my eyes which was to be the last time, suddenly the sky opened up and a pillar of water came down and put out all the fires. I was drenched in water. Looking around I could see the wonder and awe of those who were trying to kill us. Then I woke up! It was such a crazy and real dream! I just thought I would share with you readers! 

The Count Down!! Dreams Come True?

It sounds so incredibly weird to hear myself say " I can't wait to be an at home wife". Seven years ago, the thought of being at home ALL the time made my stomach cringe, but that was all before I met Jon. Before Jon I was such a selfish person. I mean that in all the correct ways... I'm not downing on myself. But its true, my thoughts and actions reflected a person who only cared for their own well being. I guess it stemmed from a childhood that quickly became adulthood after my mothers passing. None the less I wanted a very successful career working all the time, children whom I could support on my own without a second income, and a large house with probably a few staff members to help with the housework. Sounds glorious right? ..... Wrong. Getting married and especially to Jon changed my whole perspective on my life. I have never met a more caring, loving, and genuine person. He has shown me its perfectly acceptable to allow someone else take the burden of provision and to accept provision instead. The last few years I have worked full time plus commissions/ bonuses only to put a roof over my head and food in my belly, nothing more nothing less. That in my old way of thinking was "how it was". But Jon has rocked my world with this new idea of being an at home wife maybe in a few years an at home mom!!!  As I said in an earlier post Jon is hoping for a job transfer that will allow us to be more financially stable. His goal (without my point of views) is to make me an at home wife whether it be full time or part time. What was thought of just a few years ago as sickening, has now become something more like a treasure. How wonderful would it be to cook a full meal for my husband morning, noon, and night?!? If you are wondering man she has gone crazy.. no worries I'm still fully sane! But I genuinely love the look on his face when his belly is full of a meal I have cooked! Lately I come home and fall asleep before I even think of food. Jon has taken a leadership role in dinner because I am way too exhausted to even think of cooking. When I say leadership role I'm talking fast food.... which is so terrible for both of us. This is just one example of many ways our lives would be better if this happens. Of course nothing is perfect but at least I would not be as stressed out and I could enjoy life instead of watching it pass me by. 

Life in the Fast Lane

Life as I know it has been kicked into full speed these last few weeks. When I left you readers I was just beginning school. Now that I have added school to the long list of "must do's", I find myself stretched to my breaking point. School itself is not a problem, the problem lies when I must get up everyday between 7 and 8am only to make it back home after work by 10 or 11pm. That is 16 hours of non-stop rushing around trying to make a living and attend school. Outside those 16 hours I am trying also to squeeze in homework, cleaning, laundry,cooking, not to mention my quiet time with God. I just cant do it all the time. Last week I wore myself to the point of illness. Upset stomach, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue flooded into my new list of worries. Work for me has not been the greatest experience these last few weeks either. I feel as if those imaginary doors are slamming in my face. I have not been able to sell not one of my classes in the past two weeks. The only ones I do sell are for the other trainer. Last month however, I was on fire! My classes were selling left and right. My managers do not treat me with respect for some reason. I honestly have never had this problem in the past. Every manager I have ever worked for has said I am one of their most valuable asset. Does this mean that God has other plans for me? I sure hope so! While doors are closing for me it seems like doors are opening for Jon. Next month we are hoping that he will be transfered to  a new position and potentially make enough money, so I may either go part time at another occupation or even stay at home to finish school. At first my thoughts were "no way am I going to be cooped up at home!" then the more I thought about it the more the idea appealed to me. I would have so much more time to make Jon's and my life easier. I would be able to clean and do laundry on a regular basis and even make straight A's (hopefully). I would have more time to do what I love and that is working at the church. Whether it be cleaning, planning or teaching I love to work there! I feel it is where I belong and my other job is just getting in the way. So dear readers that is my life at the current moment... uncensored! Hopefully soon my life will settle down so I dont have to feel like I'm speeding through life because if I do I may crash. 

My Pleasure.

I know I have not posted, well ever on this blog, and I'm sure that Sarah will be happy that I am at least posting something. Lets just move past that for now.

This morning I got a little hungry and decided that chick-fil-a would be a great place to get some breakfast. If you don't know already, I really really like chick-fil-a. The sandwiches, their breakfast, the sweet tea, and their shakes, and pretty much everything else on the menu. But I have been noticing a saying right after you say "thank you." This saying is very frustrating to me, not because I have some kind of background for it frustrating me. Not because of the fact that it is a bad thing to say after "thank you," but only for the fact that they say it every time. Personally I feel that its insincere, and the insincerity has led to my frustration with the saying. Don't get me wrong I am still going to eat the delicious food that they make, and I will still enjoy it. But every time I go though the drive through and I hear "my pleasure" I am going to be a little frustrated. I know it might just be me thats fighting this battle, but why can't they just say "your welcome," or "no problem," or I don't know choose what they want to say. Well thats all that I have for today, and I am off to actually eat my chick-fil-a, still frustrated by the fact that they are trained to say "my pleasure".

Suzie Q

Dear Car,
     I am writing to you today to tell you how disappointed I am in you. I can deal with the intense summer heat and the lack of air-conditioning you so generously provide, but I cannot deal  with you leaving me stranded in the middle of Fort Worth. I was trying to be a good friend when I decided to take my manager home on my lunch break. When we got lost and you started throwing one of your tantrums I was able to handle your curses and keep on going. I had the last straw when you just quit working on me. I guess I should have read deeper into the signals you were showing me. Red is never a good color on the indicator lights. However I did not have a good idea of how to get back to work so I really needed you to pull though for me. I'm sorry Suzie... its over. Jon and I have already decided that we need to replace you stat. I cannot risk having an unreliable car this semester at school, and without a reliable car how will I be able to afford a roof over my head? I will forever cherish the memories we have had together. Laughing and speeding down highway 183 while singing at the top of our lungs. Giving me a ride after our wedding. Taking Jon and I to most of our dinner dates. You were a good car for the time I needed you. I just hope that one day you will find an owner who can afford all of your medical bills. I still love you and hope to have one of your cousins one day (if Jon lets me).

The Charge

Dear Church,
Understand first and foremost I love each of you dearly. I would never wish any ill will upon you. Today however I have a few words I must say to you. I feel if I do not share this piece of information I will implode and never recover. I have watched you grow up from the time you were just a few years old. You blossomed and grew, as radiant as a sunflower. First your stem, then came leaves, then finally your true colors bloomed. Bright and brilliant. However dear church you forgot to properly water yourself. You forgot the most important task. Without water you will never survive. You and your people may be pouring water upon yourselves but the roots is where it all happens. Your roots are your foundation and your support. Your roots have become the cause of your problem. You elect leaves to come and be your leaders to soak up the sun and sometimes take the heat, but your roots will be your ultimate downfall. Your roots are not growing away from their comfort zone. They stay hidden under your shade from the large shadow you cast. Dear church please understand that simply nodding your head in agreement will never solve any problem. The roots or your people must go away from the shade (comfort) and take chances. Change lives! Jesus never stayed comfortable so why should we! I challenge you church to reach out or you will surely die!

Brownie Points

I would just like to point out that I have the most wonderful husband in the entire world. Allow me to start from the very beginning. Early Friday morning I ask Jon to take me to work due to my cars air conditioning problem. He willingly takes me to work at 2:00pm and around 4:30pm he comes back to take me to lunch and brings Carson and Tanner along with him. So we go to eat at What-A-Burger and have a pretty normal lunch. Later that night I receive a text message from him saying that he was in the parking lot and ready to take me home but had a surprise waiting for me. Well I hate the suspense of a good surprise, so I frequently asked "What is it?!?" via text message while I wait for my manager to give me the go ahead to leave for the night. I jump into the car expecting something amazing, only to find a super size bag of M&M's with a pretzel center. I will admit that I love a good chocolate pretzel but thats not exactly the surprise I had in mind.  I honestly couldn't tell you what I WAS expecting... just not that. : ) So we arrive home and I quickly head to the living room to settle in for the night. Jon asked me how my day was as I decide to head for the bedroom instead. As soon as I open the door balloons come rolling out of the bedroom! I'm talking 502 balloons to be exact. The balloons filled my bedroom all the way up to the bed. I turn around and he says "surprise!". I didn't know what the occasion was so I was a little confused. He told me that the reason he filled our bedroom with balloons was because 1. It was our old anniversary day (the 13th of every month) and 2. because he saw how upset I was after not being able to have a balloon party of my own. How sweet is that?!? I love Jon so much! Before I went to work today I asked him to pop at least half of the balloons because after we moved all the balloons to the living room we could hardly walk around the house. Now I can say that I do have a yellow, blue, purple, white, and pink balloon filled home! I will probably leave them in the house for a few days as a reminder of how much Jon loves me!

Turn That Frown Upside Down!

Today was a particularly challenging day. I woke up at 7:09am in order to register for classes because apparently if you do not take any classes within a years time you get booted out and have to re-apply for school all together. Luckily my particular school either has low expectations or allowed me in because I have failed numerous classes and just want to keep taking my money. (Side note: I am more determined this semester. I am taking Biology and Developmental Math) So when I arrive it takes me 30 minutes to fill out an application form, 30 minutes to wait in line for a clerk to tell me that I can go register with an advisor, and 1 hour of waiting in line for the advisor to call my number, then 30 minutes speaking with an advisor. Jon and I were almost late for work. I expected delays but nothing like that. The funny thing is I overheard one of the clerks telling a guy that during the busy times students have to wait like 90 minutes to visit with an advisor. Crazy! Well after my ordeal at school, I rushed to work with a non-air-conditioned car that was overheating  just to make sure I didn't upset a student who had a private class scheduled at noon, only to find out that they canceled class an hour prior. So I arrive to work dizzy from the mid-day heat and sweating with my hair half done. I can only imagine the thought of the cashier as I stroll into work. "Dang she looks rough" I hope I do not have a day like this one for a little while. The rest of my night went pretty smoothly and only got better as I jumped into bed with the box fan on high while eating a cup of cereal. Sometimes I feel that in a world of sadness and disappointment it is comforting to know that I serve a God who can turn my frown upside down. 

Mathew 6:25 - 34

²⁵"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^[b]?
 ²⁸"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Super Woman

It has been said countless times "You have your whole life before you", then why do I feel the pressure to complete it now? I have been out of school for over a year now. Truthfully I am not quite ready to go back but I understand the consequences if I dont. I will be heading up to school tomorrow to try and convince my advisors to let me into school 14 days before classes start. I completely understand I am procrastinating, but in my defense I feel like I'm having a hard time multi-tasking all the demands of life and school somehow has taken the backseat next to a healthy lifestyle. I want to do so much in so little time. I want to start a gym membership, go to school, read my bible through in 90 days, clean, cook nutritious foods , practice for worship on Sundays, take care of my many pets, take care of my husband, go to work on time and make money, then on top of all that fix my car. I find myself becoming numb to all the pressures and just letting them  slide through my fingers. I hope that this is just a season in my life that will soon pass. I know I will never be super woman but sometimes I wish I were. 

Balloon Party : / My Secret Hope

I love balloons. I will just throw that one out there and anyone who is close to me will agree. One day I want to have a house full of balloons. Pink, purple, blue, red, green, and even orange balloons will hopefully one day fill my home. Even though I have been married only a few months, if the good Lord decides to bless our little family with a balloon I will be ecstatic. Allow me to start from the beginning. All last week I have been feeling quite sick. Dizziness, nausea, and much more balloon type symptoms were reaching their "full" potential. I thought nothing of it until last Wednesday evening when I lost my meal. That was the first thought of an upcoming balloon party. I Sarah Dixon try my absolute best to keep my food where it belongs. I love my food so when I lost it down the drain I knew something was just not right. After I lost my meal I began to secretly wish that I was going to have a balloon party. So I didn't mind the symptoms too much but I did mind the emotional roller coaster that accompanied the symptoms. One day I was up.. excited at the possibility to be having a balloon party the next day or even a few hours later I would be down.. I was confused if the balloon party was even going to happen. Well after a few tests I am not going to have a balloon party. I am still awaiting the official results from the doctor but the technician was allowed to give me the news I was waiting for. I am still experiencing the same balloon party type symptoms but this time with the knowledge that a balloon will not come anytime soon. I understand that it is Gods timing and He calls the shots but sometimes I wish the calls He shot were the ones I would have called.

- Sincerely The Hopeful Balloon Party Host

Back By Popular Demand of Two.

Before I begin, I would like to take the time to apologize to my loyal readers. I understand  my priorities were out of line and I will try better to have a post every two weeks if not sooner. I have missed writing in my blog, but before I post anything new I feel I must continue what I have started from the previous post.  
Guitar Hero 5... Carson... and Jon... a perfect mix. The boys had a blast playing for hours that day. After having the new video game for about two weeks Jon started asking to get a drum set and microphone to accompany the two guitars we currently had to make it a "real band". I suggested that we wait to make sure that they would get good use and not be a fad. Here we are a little over a month later and the two guitar controllers for the video game are sitting collecting dust beside our television set. I knew the high of a new video game would soon fade and something new would take its place. Because it is late, I will say goodnight to my adoring two fans! Thanks for your support! : )

Will Add Words Later.. Running Late For Work!!

Fathers Day 2010

This Fathers Day the only gift my father asked for is a home cooked meal prepared by yours truly. So this past Sunday, I went to the grocery store with Jenise and bought the groceries I would need for that nights dinner. I guess the main reason my dad wanted me to cook is because I never cook. I will admit it. I really dont even know how to cook, but for my Daddy I decided to make the effort. The lines were long, I was confused, and it was super hot outside but I braved the elements and made it home with the groceries. My game plan was to cook a chicken fillets in a lemon marinade, green bean casserole, and baked potatoes. (Sounds fancy right!!!) Half way through cooking we called Jon's parents to come and eat with us. Everything was fine and dandy until I realized that Jon and I still do not have a dinning room table. So Jenise set out all the dishes and utensils on the coffee table instead. We even used our new china set! After everyone arrived Jon prayed over the food... while he was praying I thought that we should have probably prayed before I started cooking! : ) Soon everyones plates were full with my creation. My dad was silent through out most of the meal and his first words were thank you sweetheart it is delicious. I was super excited! I (Sarah Dixon) made a real dinner! Jon was happy too! He liked seeing me in the kitchen.  I was even more excited because I could finally show Jon's mother that I can cook and provide for my husband. The baked potatoes were still a little hard but everyone decided that it was because they were just too big. That made me feel good! I enjoyed this fathers day. Below is a picture of part of my meal in the oven.  The largest potato was given to my dad! lol Poor guy had to microwave his potato twice to get it soft enough! 

I have just recently received all of my wedding photos and I am super excited to share them! I especially love the bridal photos probably because I absolutely love my wedding dress! (Thank you Daddy!) Lately, people have been asking how married life is treating me. Well to them I say ... It is better than I expected. I believe it is because I married my best friend, but most people are jokingly saying wait for a while it will change as time goes by. I don't think that is the case with our relationship. Jon has always been more concerned with my well being than his own and I am the same with him. We are a team and we acknowledge that there will be trying times but for the most part we also understand that we LOVE each other! That is the most important part! A relationship without love is pointless. I am so thankful for a husband like Jon! He makes me feel like princess! I love him so much!

Daddy Material "Hannah Sitting"

Last Saturday night, Jon and I babysat our friends little girl Hannah for the first time. Let me tell you I was super excited! I just adore Hannah! She is always so cute and bubbly it is so hard to not love her! I have baby sat little ones before but none as small as Hannah so I was ready to test my baby sitting abilities. Jon on the other hand, was a little more nervous about watching and taking care of her with me. A little baby history on Jon: It was about a few months ago that Jon confided in me that he has never held a baby before. I was shocked! I hold babies all the time and it never dawned on me that Jon wasn't comfortable holding babies. So I quickly jumped on the ball and found him a baby to hold. Hannah was the perfect candidate. Not only does she already love Jon from seeing him play his guitar for church, but she was a comfortable size for Jon's first baby holding. From the moment he held her for the first time Jon has been in love with Ms. Hannah. Saturday night he read her books, sang songs for her using his guitar when she got fussy, and even fed and rocked her to sleep. I believe he is great daddy material! Last Saturday was very refreshing to see him take an interest in children as I have many years ago. I cannot wait to see him in action one day!

Pluto's Mystery Boo Boo

Every so often I discover a boo boo on Pluto's nose. Here is how the process works. I leave Pluto unattended, I come home, and a mystery boo boo always appears on his nose. A few months go by and it heals, we go from a pink nose back to a solid black nose. Then out of no where the mystery boo boo reappears. For the longest time I could not pin point what was happening to my puppy every time I left him alone. It was only until about sometime last year that I discovered the secret to the mystery boo boo. Let me start by saying I am against rawhide for dogs. I don't like the idea of it possibly swelling inside their tummy's and I definitely dont like the idea of him chocking when I am not paying attention. However, on occasion I do give Pluto a compressed rawhide bone because he loves them so much. Last year I discovered that Pluto stresses when he cannot find a suitable "hiding spot" for his rawhide. I watched him to see what he would do. He first starts out in a whining run around the house, then he jumps onto the couch, places the bone between the pillow cushions, and starts to "cover up" the bone with his nose. He gives himself a couch burn on his nose! I quickly found out that if I give him rawhide, I must "hide" it for him when he starts to look for a good spot. I usually place it in a drawer on his level so when he wants it he goes back to the drawer and asks for it. I felt horrible when I came home last night to discover that I had forgotten to "hide" Pluto's bone for him before I left for work that morning. I did try and make it up by doctoring his boo boo with some triple antibiotic ointment and a band aid. Needless to say the band aid didn't stay on quite like I had hoped and Pluto ended up licking the ointment off his nose. I guess he couldn't say i didn't try!

And I Thought I Loved You Then....

The song "Then" by Brad Paisley describes exactly how I am  feeling. "Then" was our song we played for our wedding invitation and we even used the song for our first dance as a married couple. As I look back at our engagement photos, I have come to realize we are not the same couple we were back then. We have both developed such a deep love for each other that wasn't there before we got married. I look back and think.... and I thought I loved him then. This photo was taken about 6 months before our wedding and since then my love for Jon has grown into words that I can't even express. A little back ground... I have a hard time with trust, especially with relationships and people in general. It has only been through marriage I am even starting to begin to understand that Jon is defiantly not going anywhere and that I cannot imagine my life without him. Back then I was so independent and I created a thick barrier between my heart and everyone around me. If anything marriage has taught me thus far it is that love is ever changing and that it is perfectly fine to accept love and to give it in return.  I thank God that he gave me such a wonderful husband. Jon is my best friend in whom I can rely on and trust and I would not trade such a love as ours for anything!

Marriage Month One Quick Version

It feels so surreal to say that I have been married for a little over one month now. This last month of May has been such a whirl wind. Where do I even begin? Well Jon and I got married on the 1st of May then the Honeymoon came immediately after which was a super fun vacation by the way. (Blogs soon to come) Then we had two weeks of packing and work, work, work, work. I seriously worked two 6 day weeks in a row. So I was exhausted. Two days before we move to our new apartment my jaw will not open but enough to fit a straw, so we had an emergency surgery at the dentist's. Apparently one of  my wisdom teeth decided to come for a visit and the others rebelled thus all 3 wisdom teeth had to be pulled two days before moving. Needless to say that the move itself was a rough time for me, Jon had to work all day that day and I had a migraine and got dizzy the entire time the team was loading and unloading. The next day Jon was able to move the rest of the items from the old apartment and help unpack. So now almost done unpacking and I finally get a breather. I would like to remember the fun we had on our wedding day. It came and went so quickly but I can still feel the excitement  and joy of walking down the isle to marry my best friend. I still haven't received any official pictures for the wedding, so here is one someone took of us during our reception. 

Bridal Portraits

Today I had my bridal portraits taken by my good friend Lauren Robbins of Lola Doll Photography. Of course I am not going to show pictures of me in my dress because that would be so very silly, but I thought it might be somewhat fair to show pictures of the location. The day was perfect! The weather was great and most importantly I felt like a princess in her garden. Ever since I was very little I wanted to get married to my prince charming. Today it felt like a dream come true. I was a princess anxiously awaiting the day when she will marry her prince. Six days and counting! I am so very excited about my bridal pictures, but most importantly I am excited about walking down that spiral staircase and seeing the look on my prince's face when he sees me for the first time in my wedding gown. I know these last few days are going to fly by but I am enjoying being able to relax and enjoy the ride. It seems like just yesterday I was saying yes to the ring at the Rangers Stadium in Arlington and now I am about to say " I Do" at our wedding chapel. I love my Prince Charming!!!

Ashlie's Baptism

Ashlie is one of the girls in my Sunday school class at church. She is very dear to me in the fact that I would take her as my own child if given the opportunity. She is such a bright and bubbly young lady. The whole time she was getting ready before her baptism she was jumping up and down with excitement and I dont blame her! I was almost doing the same! I am so excited for her and her new walk with Christ. I cannot wait to see her grow in the Lord and see who she will become, but  as for now I am also content in enjoying every moment of her youth. I love this little lady so much!!

Easter 2010

Easter 2010 came and went so quickly. We didn't participate in any Easter egg hunts or Easter party's, but we did spend our morning at church. I love a good egg hunt but that didn't seem to be Gods focus for my life this year. Let me start from the day before. I had gotten off work already feeling stressed about the day's normal problems, picked up Jenise for our usual sleepover, and headed home after a nice 8 minute tan that ultimately burned my face the next day. Jenise and I arrived at my apartment and received a call from Jon that he will be late coming over that night. After a few exchanged words and lack of double sided tape, I lost it. I felt so alone, stressed, and exhausted from this weeks wedding planning. As soon as Jon got home I told him I was going to go take a trip to Wal-Mart and get the tape myself. About an hour later Jon and Jenise catch up with me after I had been crying and out of breath from running the tennis court. Of course Jon and I made up so no worries there. It was later after church on Sunday I realized that the devil was trying to keep me from church that morning. I had even sent a text to Charlotte (pastors wife and my mentor) on Saturday night letting her know I would not be making it to church that next morning. She convinced me to go to church that morning and to just relax. Come to find out that after teaching a lesson I didn't anticipate teaching all five of my Sunday school kids accepted Christ for the first time. God had amazing plans for our Junior Youth and if I had fallen to the devils schemes my kids might have never come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I am so excited that God has used me through this trial to see my kids accept Him!

After spending some time at Jon's parents house, Pastor Kevin, Charlotte, Jon, and I spent the rest of the evening playing arts and crafts. We finished all 101 wedding programs! What a relief to know that I am almost done with the wedding. I love having a strong support to catch me when I need them! Thank You guys! I love yall!!

Farewell Old House!!

I have reached a time in my wedding planning where I am realizing and understanding that I will no longer be my own person. I will be joined in Holy matrimony to my fiancé whom I have been dating since high school. Not only that, but I will soon be sharing a new home with him! Yesterday we spent the last half of our day looking at apartments and we had just finished looking at a prospective apartment and all of a sudden it hit me, I realized that this is real. Getting married to Jon is no longer a hoped for dream. I'm not gonna lie, I got extremely nervous! After some financial planning and coaching we have decided that May 28th will be our move out/in date! Four weeks after we say I do we will leave our small little 1 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment and move to a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment. Today, now that I have had time to soak it all in, I cannot wait to move! If I had my way I would already be moving all my things!

This is the layout of our new apartment! I cannot wait and Jon is excited as well! The coolest feature in my opinion is the laundry room! I will have a full sized washer and dryer IN A ROOM all to myself!! Lets face it.. Jon doesn't do laundry and I don't do dishes.. so i will take the laundry room and he can have the kitchen sink. Another cool feature is the mini closet as you walk in! I have always wanted a coat and shoe closet and now I get one! Another perk is two .. not one.. medicine cabinets! The apartment before the one I am in now didn't even have a medicine cabinet so I have learned the value of cabinet space! I am so thrilled to be at this point in my life! Sometimes I get overwhelmed but I think thats a normal.

My Huge Break Through!

It has been about a months long process of trying to find/make the perfect wedding ceremony program. Let me tell you that it has been so frustrating trying to make this work. First it was the shopping trip to Michaels where I found only ribbon and glue. Paper was way too expensive! So a few days later, I made my way to staples on a lunch break and found some paper that I thought was card stock but ended up being regular colored paper. Then my friend Lauren came over to help me today with the wedding programs. She gave me some really good ideas! But something still felt like it was missing. After Lauren left I continued my search for the perfect wedding ceremony program. After a quick trip to Wal-Mart and some over the phone advice from Jon, I went online found some programs that I wanted to purchase. I had given up all hope of saving money and making a fabulous looking program. When I was putting the programs in my "cart" the light bulb clicked on! I realized that I had everything I needed right in front of me!! I quickly put everything together like the picture online and once finished I had in my hands the first wedding program!! I am so excited to finally have an almost finished product!!  On the left is the failed attempt and on the right is the program without any words. Instead of a single sheet back and front it is a regular sized program with a cover!!

Almost There

Tomorrow I finish the last of our wedding invitations. I have addresses. I have envelopes. I have an paper cut on my tongue. Nah just kidding no cut but a very sour taste in my mouth. Yuck!! All I need is to do is send them through the U.S. Postal Service! I've been using all my spare time working on the final touches for the wedding. I cannot wait for Hawaii!! Oh Joy!!

My Maid of Honor

Jenise might seem young but she is very clever for her age. Sometimes she gives me more insight to a problem than any of my older friends. I know that as time progresses she will remain my constant.

Attendant Gifts

Last night Jon and I spent our time working on wedding projects. He worked on finishing up last minute invitations and I worked on wrapping our attendants gifts. By the way I did actually "wrap" most of the gifts but they are in the bottom of the box and you cannot see them. I'm sure I will look back on these times and wish we could do it again, but for now I am ready and waiting for our wedding day to come so I can just relax.