tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84122037566057996822024-02-19T15:16:33.489-06:00The Best is Yet to ComeRandom thoughts, big news, and pointless happenings in the life of Drew and Sarah Hayden.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-8531172326750133052010-07-12T12:16:00.003-05:002010-07-12T12:35:58.846-05:00Moving Up<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Fsch94CnIBiUVx9QLboG4ysYAKqbcrBz-W3J3YsA5shyunrjkji4jIxovVA1G0D4s692XcktKAUCRZlT8wXBQHjW9ENUl1517FdY_eBWBCLyCt9ftuTwmdaYfyK9jY-FFd67QIhvk_15/s1600/community_15.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493073680433283762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Fsch94CnIBiUVx9QLboG4ysYAKqbcrBz-W3J3YsA5shyunrjkji4jIxovVA1G0D4s692XcktKAUCRZlT8wXBQHjW9ENUl1517FdY_eBWBCLyCt9ftuTwmdaYfyK9jY-FFd67QIhvk_15/s320/community_15.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>A few weeks ago, Drew and I were swimming at my mom and dad's house, and we started casually talking about buying a new house. We really like the house we're in, but we are definately starting to outgrow it (not with kids, we have just accumulated a lot of stuff in 3 years!). So we did some checking around, and found out we qualify for the FHA loan, which gives us a 4.5% interest rate and lets us keep our current house as a rental. Well, how could we say no?!?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So we found a house in Glenpool last week that we really liked.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Unfortunately, the FHA loan has certain requirements with it, and this house was too close to over head power lines, so it doesn't qualify for the loan, meaning we can't get it. We were both pretty bummed, but we both agreed it just meant there was something out there better for us.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So Saturday, we went over to a neighborhood called Providence Hills where I had seen a listing online. First of all, the neighborhood is awesome- it has a pool, a huge club house, a fully stocked pond, and a splash park. When we pulled into the neighborhood, I thought the listing must have been a mistake, all the houses looked way out of our price range.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>But, to make a long story short, we ended up talking to a guy with Capital Homes, finding a completely different floor plan, and a corner lot we can build on. They are going to wave the $4,000 lot upgrade fee, pay our closing costs, and put in a full privacy fence! We are so excited, but still not trying to get our hopes up, because we still have to make sure the floorplan and lot qualify for the FHA loan. If it does, then we would start construction this week! And being in on the construction means we get to pick brick color, paint color, appliances, light fixtures, etc. So exciting, hoping it works out!</div><br /><div><a title="Pool Complex and Clubhouse" href="http://www.capitalhomes.com/CmImageDir/community_19.JPG" rel="lightbox[gallery]"></a><a title="Pool Complex and Clubhouse" href="http://www.capitalhomes.com/CmImageDir/community_19.JPG" rel="lightbox[gallery]"></a></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-8146139986503145382010-07-09T19:38:00.002-05:002010-07-09T19:45:35.812-05:00Only ChildThe dreaded, yet inevitable, has happened. We moved my sister to North Carolina last weekend, and I am heartbroken.<br /><br />It all started last Autumn, when my sister applied for the one NICU fellowship at OU in OKC. She didn't get it, but immediately began getting calls from other programs all over the country asking her to come interview for them. She narrowed it down to about 4 schools and started flying all over the country to check them out.<br /><br />She was offered a position in North Carolina, St. Louis, and a job on the floor at OU. It was a very difficult decision, one that included lots of tears, but she chose to go to North Carolina.<br /><br />Even though we knew the day was coming, it didn't make it any easier. We drove 14 of the 18 hours last Friday. We being my mom, dad, sister, me, aunt Kemo, and Katie. We finished out the last 4 hours on Saturday and got the UHaul unloaded that evening. Sunday we went to the Biltmore Mansion, and let me tell you, it was amazing! We spent all afternoon and evening there, and topped it off with a fireworks show on the grounds of the estate. Monday we worked on unpacking the kitchen, and since I had to go back to work Tuesday, I left about 3 to fly home all by myself. My sis and dad drove me to the airport, and I sat in the backseat trying not to cry the whole time. When they dropped me off, I couldn't hold it in any longer, and I let loose.<br /><br />My sister is my best friend. I keep telling myself it's only gonna be 3 years, but so far it's only been a week and I miss her like crazy :(Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-30758757280193650652010-04-29T14:57:00.002-05:002010-04-29T15:29:17.802-05:00OlogyRules: Okay...you're tagged! You have to do this, too. Let others know a little more about you. Re-post this with your name followed by "ology." YOU! Yes, you, reading this. You're tagged. Please send your responses back to me also. Now that you know more about me than you probably wanted to know; be nice and play the game.<br /><br />FOODOLOGY:<br />*What is your salad dressing of choice? Ranch<br />*Your favorite sit-down restaurant? I love Texas Roadhouse, Ted's, and Olive Garden. It depends on what type of food I'm in the mood for.<br />*What is your favorite fast-food restaurant? Probably Taco Bueno<br />*What food would you not get sick of if you were to eat it every day for 2 weeks? Spaghetti or pizza<br />*What are your pizza toppings of choice? Cheese<br /><br />BIOLOGY:<br />*Are you right or left-handed? Right<br />*What, if anything, have you had removed from your body? Well I had a nose ring put in that I removed on my wedding day- does that count?<br />*What is the last heavy item you lifted? Boxes at work- we're moving next week<br />*Have you ever been knocked unconscious? No but getting in a fist fight has always been one of my life goals<br />*Have you ever fainted? A few times, I take after my mom<br /><br />BULLCRAPOLOGY:<br />*If it were possible, would you want to know the day you're going to die? I'm not sure, I kinda do<br />*If you could change your name, what would you change it to? Sarah Carner Hayden Montgomery Shephard (I want to sound important, and a lot of last names gives you that)<br />*How many pairs of flip-flops do you own? Tons, I keep them all in a big laundry basket<br />*Last person you talked to? The drug rep that just came to my window at work<br />*What Color phone do you have? Black iPhone<br /><br />FAVORITOLOGY:<br />*Season? Fall<br />* Holiday? Christmas<br />*Activity? Reading and swimming<br />*Day of the week? Saturday<br />*Month? October<br />*Color? Pink<br />*Drink? Dr. Pepper<br /><br />PASTOLOGY:<br />*What's the last movie you saw in the theater? Date Night- hilarious!<br />*Video or DVD? I'll take it one step farther- BluRay<br />*Have you been in a car wreck? 3 last year :(<br />*Have you caused a car wreck? According to the law, no<br />*Last time you cried? I cry when I watch most TV shows<br />*Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? Unfortunately<br />*Name 3 things you bought yesterday? A scarf, lunch, baby cloths for a friend<br />*Met someone who changed your life? My hubby<br />*For better or worse? Definately better<br />*How did you bring in the New Year? At Beau and Laci's<br />*Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? To college<br />*Who was the last person you took a picture of? Drew<br />*What songs do you sing in the shower? Not really<br />*Have you held hands with someone today? Nope<br />*Last time you ate peanut butter and jelly? It's been a while<br />*What were you doing at 12 a.m. Last night? Snoozing<br />*What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Too early...<br /><br />CURRENTOLOGY and FUTUROLOGY:<br />*Missing someone? I'm sad to think of how much I'm gonna miss my puppy next week<br />*Listening to? A baby in the waiting room<br />*Watching? Nothing<br />*Do you smile often? Yep<br />*Worrying about? Not much, I mostly ignore my problems<br />*Procrastinating about? Nothing really<br />*Are most of the friends in your life new or old? Old<br />*Do you like pulpy orange juice? Yuck, no<br />*What's on your wish list for your birthday? Carrie Underwood tickets<br />*Plans tonight? Going to iHOP and Madison's t ball game<br />* Do you have an accent? No<br />*If you could change your eye color, what would it be? I wouldn't<br />*Does the future make you more nervous or excited? I try not to think about it, live in the momentSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-14932196305412229942010-02-25T15:24:00.002-06:002010-02-25T15:30:17.561-06:00Team Jacob?<div>So last night I had a "romantic" dream about Taylor Lautner. (And by romantic, I mean sex) It was weird in many ways. For one, you would assume it was Jacob I was lusting after, but it was the actual kid, not the character. It was also very true to life. I was really 25, he was only 18, Drew and I had split up, and Taylor and I met and had an automatic connection.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Unfortunately, being only 18, he was not a "master of the sexual arts" as my cousing Luke would say. But, in my dream, I vowed that I, with more experience, would train him in the art of womanly plessure. That was the end of the dream, but with my promise to make him into a "man," I'm wondering if there's more to come?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>It's weird, I know, but really, can you blame me? :)</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442296478857750834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Kuw8yO1DIJRs0LyAAfURlt4WzrvlldchjNe5p-yjkvVuRWUgj4HrX8zwXWdvgnEehsnDmvb8T0cR05KbJ43psAXKRTX8TyIxuYRGzBt95xwcq5lA19XOCb_SNOEXMl3XxAqPAEAWaQlC/s320/taylor-lautner-chest.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-49634692912160281982010-01-07T14:33:00.002-06:002010-01-07T15:36:09.996-06:00Here Lately...Whew, I have been one busy girl here lately. I'll start with our adventures over the Christmas holiday.<br /><br />Sunday the week of Christmas, my family and I went on our annual trip to Honor Heights park in Muskogee. We always go and eat at El Chico's and then drive through the park to look at the Christmas lights. It's a guaranteed good time :) Unfortunately on Sunday, the cough I had been fighting started getting much worse. My sister listened to my chest and heard a wheeze so we called my doctor (who is also our friend) and had her call in a steroid for me.<br /><br />Monday at work, I kept having coughing fits, and the doctor I work for thought I might have pertusis (or whooping cough). So I got a swab jammed up my nose to find out. She also wanted me to start an antibiotic right away b/c if it was pertusis, it is very contagious and we have babies that come in that are not yet vaccinated against it. So Monday night, I waited at WalMart for an hour and a half on my prescriptions. I kept having coughing fits and people were looking at me like I had the plague! It was not a fun evening.<br /><br />Tuesday was pretty uneventful, and I did start feeling a little better. Wednesday, bad weather started moving into town, and it got cold and snowy. I went to our church's Christmas candle light service, and coughed my way through praise and worship :)<br /><br />Thursday was Christmas eve, and I had to work half a day but we got to close the office about 11am. I went straight home and Drew and I started the normally 2 hour journey to Ada. Because of the snow and ice, it took us close to 3 hours, but we made it safely thanks to my husbands wonderful driving skills. (I'm kissing up here, you'll see why later.) We spent Thursday afternoon/evening with Drew's dad, and then stayed the night and woke up at his mom's house. We spent the morning and lunch with her, and headed home about 2pm to see my family Friday night. We went down through Stroud and got on I-40 to go home, which is usually a good route. My dad called and told us a semi had wrecked on I-40 so we needed to exit at Kellyville, which is before our normal exit, but can still get us home. About 4 miles before the Kellyville exit, traffic came to a dead stop. We turned off the car and sat for over an hour. We had Hank with us, so we took him for a little walk in the freezing cold, where he tried to lift his leg on every tire around. The problem, we found out later, is that a semi had jack-knifed and was sitting across both lanes of traffic and was in a position where he couldn't move out of the way. So we were all waiting on a tow truck to come save the day. We did eventually get home, unload the car, and go to my parents for Christmas.<br /><br />Saturday was the entire Carner family Christmas at my parent's house. It was quite an adventure getting there. We were going to take my car, which is a little SUV, but does not have 4-wheel drive. We backed out of the driveway, and as we started to try and drive up our street, we slid about 3 houses back. We were stuck. A little while later, our neighbors helped us get the car back into our driveway, and we were going to drive the Jeep instead. It hadn't been driven in a while, so Drew had to work on it for a little bit to get it running. It didn't have insurance or a current tag, and Drew was convinced he was getting arrested for driving it. It started over heating two different times on our normally 20 minute drive and we had to pull over to let it cool down. We then had to stop at WalMart, who had apparently not yet cleared their parking lot, and almost got into 3 different wrecks while in the parking lot. After we got what we needed, we headed back out. 3 hours after beginning our journey, we finally made it. Needless to say, we were both a little irritated. But Christmas was great and we had a lot of fun.<br /><br />Sunday, we decided to not even chance the roads and had my dad come pick us up for our next-to-the-last Christmas. We went to my aunt Kathy's house to celebrate with my mom's family. My cousin has a 2 year old little boy name Jaden, and Drew and I spent most of our time playing with the new toys he got from Santa. You should have seen Drew playing with Jaden's linkin' logs, he was so serious and all about it, it was too cute. Sunday night Drew and I were tired from all the traveling and excitement, so we just hung out at home and went to bed early.<br /><br />Monday was our last Christmas celebration with my aunt Kemo and Katie. We went to mom and dad's, ate pizza for dinner, watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (another tradition) and openend presents. We love Kemo and Katie and hanging out with them is always a good time.<br /><br />Tuesday and Wednesday were, thankfully, pretty uneventful. Thursday was New Year's Eve, and my third and final wreck of 2009. We had been using my dad's Jeep due to the lack of tag on ours. The weather and roads were finally pretty clear, so we were returning the Jeep on our way to my cousin's house for the New Year's festivities. Drew drove the Jeep to Glenpool, and I followed him in my car. Mistake #1- after dropping off the Jeep, I just said I would drive since I was already in the driver seat of my car. We were pulling out of Keifer when I hit the black ice. Mistake #2- turning into the spin like I have always been told. My car started spinning left, so I turned the wheel left. But, because the other lane of traffic was dry, this turned out to not be such a good idea. When my car hit the dry pavement in the other lane, it turned us around so that we were facing opposite of our original direction. Then we hit the grass. Mistake #3- keeping on the brakes. We slid sideways down the hill straight for a ravine bordered by trees. I grabbed Drew's arm and said "What do I do?" His response- "Just stand still." What? That in no way helps me! We stopped about 4 feet from the tree line. It is by the grace of God and His grace alone that neither of us nor my car were damaged in any way. If I had had new tires on my car (which I need) chances are, when I hit the dry pavement, the new tires wouldn't have slid like mine did and we would have flipped. It had finally warmed up the past couple of days which caused a lot of the snow to melt and the ground to be very muddy. If we hadn't have the mud, we would have hit frozen ground, and instead of sliding down the ditch, we probably would have flipped. The back end of my car came around more than 180 degrees so we were kinda sliding down the hill at an angle. If we would have been perfectly sideways, we probably would have flipped. So as scary as it was, God saved us, no doubt about it. We called my dad and he brought chains and was able to hook up to us from the road and pull us out. We went on to the New Year's Eve party and had a good time, even if I did fall asleep on the couch at about 1:30am :) My new year's resolution? No car wrecks in 2010.<br /><br />The rest of the weekend went by just fine, until Sunday night. I got a call at about 9pm that my aunt and uncles German foreign exchange student had taken her own life in their driveway. I was in shock. Janne (pronounced Yanna) was the sweetest girl and none of us had any idea how unhappy she was. Drew and I offered to keep our little cousins, ages 6 and 3, to help out in any way we could. We had a "No Boys Allowed, Girls Club" sleepover. Those girls have way more stamina than me and we were up until 4am. We had a fun night, but it wasn't enough to erase the reality that Janne was gone. My aunt and uncle are really strugling through this, and it breaks my heart to see them hurt. My aunt ended up having a stress induced heart attack Tuesday night from all of this. Yesterday (Wednesday) was her memorial service. Two of her teachers spoke, one of her friends spoke, and a letter my aunt and uncle wrote her as if it were the summer after she left was read. It was very sad, but helped us forget the tragedy as we listened to their funny stories about Janne. It is hearbreaking, and will take time for my aunt and uncle to recover, and I continue to pray (and ask you to join me) for peace and comfort for both family and Janne's family back in Germany.<br /><br />Lastly for this post, I have decided to take a study course for the MCAT. It starts next week and is every Tuesday and Thursday with some Friday's and Saturday's thrown in until April 6th. So I'm hoping I survive the class and that it raises my MCAT score because the school has told me it's the one thing keeping me out. Wish me luck!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-33865434827085776622009-12-11T08:05:00.002-06:002009-12-11T08:14:22.653-06:00Lack of an UpdateI haven't posted in quite a while, but I really just don't have anything that exciting happening in my life these days. Here's a little bit of what's been going on lately:<br /><br />Drew and I went to our alma mater's Homecoming on Halloween day. It was exciting for several reasons- my cousin Lauren was a Homecoming queen candidate (she won!!), Hank and I were driving her in the parade (and he had a Tiger costume to wear to support the good ole ECU Tigers), and it was our school's centennial. We had a really good time and a lot of my family came in to support Lauren, and I was glad they all got to see that school that I loved so much. We also got to catch up with friends, which is always a good time.<br /><br />Thanksgiving was a blur of activity. We celebrated with my immediate family Wednesday night and then got up Thursday and drove 3 long hours to Alva to see Drew's family. I did get to meet the newest additions to the Brunsteter clan, Stella (~5 months) and Conrad (~2 months). We came home late Thursday to get up and go Christmas shopping Friday. We shopped, napped and then went to my cousin's house for game night. We play this game called Settlers of Catan, and we are all obsessed with it. We usually play into the wee hours of the morning because we just can't stop. Then Saturday we ate lunch with our cousins and went and saw Blind Side, which was awesome, I highly recomend it if you haven't seen it yet. Saturday evening we drove to Braggs to have Tree Trimming with the Carner family. And Sunday was a much needed day of rest.<br /><br />It looks like Christmas is going to be just as busy. But I love this time of year, and I love spending time with family, so all the hustle and bustle is well worth it.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-44906945945456620852009-09-24T12:37:00.003-05:002009-09-24T12:53:44.838-05:00Man vs. PigWell, it happened, the dreaded, the unthinkable- I got (duh, duh, duh....) swine flu.<br /><br />First, let's clear up a few myths here. Anyone who has the flu right now has swine flu. The regular ole run of the mill seasonal flu has not yet reared its head. Also, due to the fact that the symptoms of the swine flu are much more mild than the seasonal flu, health care professionals aren't even treating for it unless you are under 5, over 65, or pregnant past your first trimester. The big stink about it is that it is new, period. It's not worse than the regular flu, it's not going to kill off half of the population, it's just the flu. The problem is that since it's new, no one has any immunity to it so it is spreading quite readily. But, if I can survive it, trust me, so can you.<br /><br />Here's an overview of my battle with the pig:<br /><br />Saturday was my birthday so I was spending a fun filled day with my family. We (we being my mom, dad, sister, me and Drew) went to Incredible Pizza for lunch and played games. Then Drew and I did some running around until 6:30pm when we went and saw "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" in 3D. That was pretty cool. Then we ate dinner at Cheesecake Factory. A little before the movie, my throat starting hurting a little, but I thought it was just allergies (which have been terrible this year). It got a little worse as the night went on, but nothing to terrible. When we got home from dinner, Drew gave me my present (a pink .38 revolver!) but I was so tired I basically went right to bed.<br /><br />At 12:45pm on Sunday, Drew finally woke me up. I couldn't believe it, I never sleep that late. And I was still tired! So I basically just laid around on the couch the rest of the day. Around 5pm, I started feeling warm so I took my temperature- 100.0. Not to high, but still not normal. So I called in to work for Monday fearing it might be more than just allergies.<br /><br />Monday was pretty much the same thing. I was completely exhausted. My joints were achey, my throat still kind of hurt, I had a headache, but most of all I was sooo tired. And my temperature all day Monday was only like 99.2-99.6. It never got back up to, or even over 100. So I called my boss again and she said I needed to go get a flu test. Drew and I went to Urgent Care and my temp was 99.1 and my flu test was negative. But the doctor said I definately had the flu, those tests are only accurate 10-50% of the time. Who knew? So he treated my for bronchitis, said lots of rest and fluids for the flu, and sent me on my way.<br /><br />So now it is day 5, I'm still home from work, but I am finally feeling better. I know have a nasty sounding cough, but that's the bronchitits talking. The flu wasn't that bad. The most prominent symptom was that I was completely exhausted all of the time. Like today, even though I'm feeling better, I slept till almost 11am (which I never do) and I got up and tried to do some things around the house to get my energy back up, but I will probably take a nap in a little while to tell you the truth. It just sucked all the energy out of me that dern flu.<br /><br />But the moral of the story is- I survived. It's really not that bad. My temp has been gone for 24 hours so I might try to go to work tomorrow even.<br /><br />So in this episode of man vs. pig, man won :)Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-16596609723170694672009-08-28T10:33:00.002-05:002009-08-28T12:16:28.617-05:00Proud ParentI'm taking this opportunity, like many others, to brag on how incredibly smart my child is. Unlike many others, however, my child is a 2 year old Yorkie named Hank.<br /><br />First, a little background information- we adopted Hank when he was a 12 week old furball. We planned on crating him at night, and we knew he would cry for his momma at first, but we did not except just how powerful those cries would be! After a sleepless first night- for all of us- we came up with the idea to put his crate on the landing of our garage stairs so his crying would be muffled. It worked! Eventually, when it started getting colder, we decided to bring his crate inside. He was not happy about that move and he started crying again at night. I had an idea that maybe he liked the pitch dark of the garage and didn't like to have any light like what he was getting in the house so we put a dark blue blanket over his crate. It worked and the rest is history. He sleeps every night in his crate with his blanket over him. Even on the weekends, he will sleep in as late as we do as long as he has his blanket.<br /><br />So now to the part about how smart he is :) Usually, we let Hank lay in bed with us for about 30 minutes each night before we put him up. Some nights, like weekends, we'll let him stay for as long as he wants. I say as long as he wants because he will come tell you when he is ready for bed. A few examples:<br /><br />Drew got the idea that if we just left our door open a little bit, that Hank would put himself to bed when he was ready. So we tried it, and we thought it was going to work because when Hank got tired, he came up to our heads and snuggled for a little while, then he jumped down and went to his room. But a few minutes later, there he was with his little head poking up over the side of our bed (he doesn't jump up on it). So I picked him up, and a minute later we went through the whole scenario again. Finally, after the third time I had put him back on the bed and he had jumped down again, I realized the problem. He kept going to his crate every time, but he wanted his door shut and his blanket pulled down like normal. As soon as I did that for him, he went right to sleep.<br /><br />Another night, Drew and I had been out for most of the evening, and Hank had been in his crate the whole time. So we were going to let him stay up for a while, even if we fell asleep. We laid down about 3am and Hank laid with us. About 4am, I felt a wet little nose sniffing my ear. When I tried to ignore it, he gave a light little lick on my ear. When I still tried to ignore it, he climbed up on my chest and started licking all over my face. I sat up and he jumped down and ran to the door. He was telling me he was ready for bed.<br /><br />So not only is he probably the cutest dog ever, but he is definately one of the smartest! :)Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-20345365808401621052009-08-04T15:36:00.002-05:002009-08-04T15:45:46.233-05:00FunniesA List of Funny Thoughts and Questions:<br /><br />1. Why do banks charge a fee for insufficient funds when they know I don't have any money?<br />2. Why is it people say they "slept like a baby" when a baby wakes up every two hours?<br />3. How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of murdered?<br />4. If you have sex with a prostitute against her will, is it rape or shoplifting?<br />5. Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?<br />6. Why do doctors leave the room while you take off your clothes? Aren't they going to see you naked anyway?<br />7. If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about it?<br />8. If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?<br />9. If Wile E. Coyote had enough money to order all that stuff from Acme, why doesn't he just buy dinner?<br />10. Why does a dog get aggravated when you blow in his face, but then put his head out the window of a moving car?<br />11. Why do people believe there are 4 billion stars but have to check if the paint is really wet?<br />12. Why is it that no matter what the color of bubble bath is, the bubbles are always white?<br />13. Is there ever a day when mattresses aren't on sale?<br />14. Why do people keep running over a string on the carpet with a vacuum, pick it up, examine it, then put it back on the floor to give the vacuum one last chance?<br />*I so do that!*<br />15. Why do we try to keep the house as warm in the winter as it was in the summer when we complained about the heat?<br /><br />Just some silly little things. Hoped they brightened your day!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-34676091760158745182009-07-24T11:19:00.003-05:002009-07-24T11:25:17.787-05:00And The Surprise Is...<div>I got a new tattoo! I knew I wanted to get an owl on my foot, and I have been looking at designs for about three months. I wanted an owl because it is my sorority's mascot, but it is against our rules to get any official Chi Omega insignia tattoos. So I found this perfect little owl and I had it done in Chi Omega colors- red and yellow. It hurt like you wouldn't believe, but I absolutely love it and I would do it again in a heartbeat.<br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362062658279254498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhvw4IXfAXBzux-4qEInUg83jKxOOJsH6ieBYa5NQSlNAOzHE37-zVrW5KUcLUQaEfxsLW7oWE1zxSaLC2A_iCQnZ0EZg2nmw_gmeXATiiXxsW4zemsPCgvnyjfob09GvxQNxsVlV-hks/s320/Close+Up.bmp" border="0" />This is a close up of my little beauty. This was two hours after it was done, and it is very swollen and kinda bleeding still. There isn't really red around the eyes and on the belly, that's just my blood :)</div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362063078546273906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88G-hGZuHGJXuv4onADrV0a4BorPfUxgVxQVkl1NB0C8EzmtvfxAwBNAm7-ykFcVhSypD9InHslgrXL4SFkm-qSbmwQ1oJvJLXBaVsMv2qbnVTm3NzxKiFJSyEvkGWY_oKq8r_8BlF1XD/s320/Foot.bmp" border="0" />This is where I got it. It's a little higher than I had originally thought I wanted it, but the tattoo artist said it would heal better if it were closer to my ankle rather than my toes. Looking at this pic, I should've had my toes done before the tat cause now I can't soak my foot for 30 days!<br /><p></p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-8345483908389228542009-07-23T11:39:00.003-05:002009-07-23T11:57:33.796-05:00New Couch!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpQaGJXmf3GxiGqOGVMds0fAO_JQ-p_dVm-Y6yJkGlJzu8TjdouHCKhyphenhyphen_DliGin38sE5GwOyQMGBVLTVT0d-tdUv1yGJeI25pGMAebF_cuQAYTJzvsqt59MDBO7ROpa9A1QZHlp0VHUh5/s1600-h/COUCH.JPG"></a>When Drew and I got married, we were very fortunate in that we didn't have to buy any furniture for our home. (With the exception of a set of end tables for our living room, which we bought from my cousin for $75) We either had everything all ready, or had it given to us. In about March of this year, we decided we were ready for a new couch. We started looking around for several weekends, and we finally picked out a cream colored sectional at Mathis Brothers. We were all ready to make this big first purchase, and they told us that couch was on backorder for like 12 weeks! We decided not to order it since it was such a long wait (which turned out to be a blessing because we needed that money later) Now that we have our finances a little more in order, we decided to look at couches again. We found one at the first store we went to, and bought our new couch!<br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361697932484931522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 256px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWG9Xpzvg8igL4aN6cw20ZbwhUiXSusjGTBucfX4EdHDumsGqTq5YxHj5lLVsvtM6tgo8DKmbTgh8qSyZwi5QPnMFpbUn-5eHkXUuBC7lm2FLvFu9HyHAYPVQn6iudpsPacGP1nVGYwo-/s320/COUCH.JPG" border="0" />This is just a stock photo, but it is our couch. I wasn't for sure I would be happy with a sectional, but it was our compromise. But once we got it home and all set up, I love it! We also got the ottoman, which is a little big for our living room, but we figure we will have the couch longer than we will have the house, so we are gonna keep it.</p><p>In other news, I got a ticket about 2 weeks ago for running a red light in Sapulpa. Actually, the light turned red while I was going through it, but whatev. I almost choked when I saw the fine- $244! The cop advised me to go to court, so I did this morning. The judge dismissed the ticket because of my stellar driving record and I only had to pay a $30 court fee. What a relief!</p><p>Much more fun news- Drew and I are going to Vegas next week! We fly out Tuesday morning with Drew's mom, her husband, his two sons and Drew's little brother (who turns 21 this Saturday- Uh Oh!) and fly home next Saturday. I'm looking forward to a good time and will hopefully have fun pics when I get back.</p><p>Lastly, big changes are happening tonight, but I want it to be a surprise. I'll try to take a pic and post tomorrow!<br /></p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-3433341042744407022009-07-17T12:18:00.002-05:002009-07-17T12:36:37.418-05:00Study, Study, StudyI haven't updated in a while because my life is currently consumed with studying for the dreaded MCAT. I researched study programs and decided on ExamKrackers. It is a 10-week at home study course that is lecture style instead of just taking tons of practice tests. I study everyday of the week (well, actually I get most Sunday's off) for 2-3 hours, depeding on the material that night. It is very structured, which I like because it keeps me on track. I have not missed a day yet, and I am finishing up week 3.<br /><br />On a positive note, it has been a good test to see how Drew is going to handle me studying 24/7 during medical school. Surprisingly, Drew has handled it very well. Hank, on the other hand, is not enjoying the new arrangement. He will come push the office door open and sneak over and lick my toes. Then he will put his paws on my leg and look at me really sad until I pick him up for a little while. Then when I'm not studying, he follows me around the house even more than usual, and is always wanting to sit in my lap and cuddle with me. It breaks my heart because he feels neglected :)<br /><br />So that's pretty much my life right now. Work, study, pet my dog, sleep.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-64366825436476421602009-06-29T10:15:00.002-05:002009-06-29T10:46:40.855-05:00ShakenWell, my dad's hearing was last Wednesday, and he said he felt like it went really well. His attorney made a statement that there was no just cause for termination. Then Friday, at 4:30pm, my father was notified that his contract with the Broken Arrow Fire Department would be terminated effective at 5:00pm. My dad lost his job.<br /><br />My family is stunned and heart broken. Not only were the accusations against my dad ridiculous- the city manager said he violated policy but listed no such policies what-so-ever whereas my dad listed the specific policies that backed up his actions- but when the city manager got fired, we were given hope that the whole ordeal was almost over. My dad had city adminstrators "secretly" calling him and giving him advice and head's up on what was happening so we thought they were all on his side. Then we get with this bomb shell.<br /><br />And to make matters worse, a phone call? How completely unprofessional! It is normal for a place to call you in and tell you it's not working out and give you the option to resign, but a freaking phone call saying your fired? How ridiculous is that?<br /><br />To understand how heart broken we all are, you have to know my dad. He is a genuinely good person. He loves being a fireman, and his priorities have always been #1- God, #2- his family, #3- the fire department. He loved his guys and they knew it. The support he has gotten has been amazing, but it's so hurtful that the former City Manager and current acting City Manager tried to drag his name through the mud. I am so thankful that my dad is so strong and he has enough confidence to not let this get him down. He knows he didn't do anything wrong, and he said if he had to go back, he wouldn't change the decisions he made.<br /><br />I think that my family is struggling because last year, when he was up for this job, my mom prayed that if it was going to lead to something bad- if he would get hurt or if he wouldn't love it there- then we didn't even want him to get offered the position. And I think that if he would have gotten "terminated" in the beginning, when this whole ordeal started 4 weeks ago, we would have handled it better. But as time went on, our hope grew that things would work out. Then Friday my dad's world fell apart.<br /><br />So I'm asking for prayer for my family. Please pray that my dad will make it through this. Please pray that God will bring strength and understanding to him and my family. Please pray that God will reveal the next step to my dad. And please pray that the thruth will be revealed, that BA's mishandling of this situation will come to light, and that my dad's good name will be redeemed.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-24789368522575527862009-06-22T08:36:00.002-05:002009-06-22T08:55:15.639-05:00My FatherAs all of you know, yesterday was Father's Day, a time to celebrate our dad's and the love and care they have given us over the years. I felt like this year was especially important in our family because of the struggles my dad has been facing over the last 3 weeks.<br /><br />My dad has been a fireman for 33 years, and a fire chief for the last 15 years. He spent the first 32 of those years with the Sapulpa Fire Department, but began his journey with Broken Arrow last July when he was hired as their Chief. While it is a much different department than Sapulpa and we were all kind of sad to see him leave, he was so excited to begin a new challenge. Like in any new job, he had his struggles finding his place in this new department, but- like we knew he would- he fell in love with the job and formed strong bonds with his firemen.<br /><br />There were a couple of downfalls to this new job, though. For one, it took more of his time so it seemed like we weren't seeing him as much. And his office is in City Hall, which he doesn't like because first and foremost, he's a fireman, and he wants to be in a fire station. But those are things he could learn to live with. The kicker was his relationship with the City Manager. Things were not always great between them, they had very different leadership styles and it caused some tension. But it was something my dad assumed they could work through.<br /><br />Then, May 29th, the day after my dad's birthday, he received notice that he was being put on administrative leave for poor job performance. His employment status would be determined in a hearing to be held the next Wednesday. WHAT? If you have ever met my father, you would understand what an absurd accusation this is. My dad is genuinly one of the best people that I know. Well, to make a long story short, my dad's hearing has not happened yet, he is still on administrative leave and he is scheduled to meet with the City Council and others this Wednesday to defend his actions and determine his employment status. Needless to say, it has been a very trying time for our family, especially my dad.<br /><br />But there has been some positives in this situation, things that I am so grateful for. The outpouring of support for my dad has been amazing. From the minute the announcement was made, and still today, people are constantly calling him to offer support. Even though he has only been in BA not quite a year, almost the whole city is routing for him. There is a pizza place that has posted flyers on every pizza box they sale that say "We Want Our Chief Back." Even the mayor calls him to say he hopes it all works out and he stays. It has been truly amazing, and made a huge difference in getting my dad through this.<br /><br />So, on this Father's Day, I was reminded of how great my dad really is. He is a Christian and he raised my family in church and set the example for us. He is so generous and does anything he can to help those in need. He has an awesome sense of humor and never takes himself to seriously. He is so strong and level headed, and he always thinks things through. He loves his family and has never done anything to make any of us question that. He is a hard worker and has set a great example on finishing what you start. More than anything, he loves us.<br /><br />So here's to my dad, I wouldn't be anything without you.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-70065510778250717512009-06-10T08:50:00.002-05:002009-06-10T09:45:35.514-05:00I Could've Died! (Well, Maybe)My aunt is re-doing her flower beds and called me Friday to see if Drew and I wanted the plants she was taking out. Well of course we did, it's free plants! The problem was, we needed to get them in the ground soon because she had already dug them up. Which meant Saturday was "gardening" day for Drew and I.<br /><div><br /></div><div></div><div>We put in flower beds last year, but the bricks were uneven and we needed to add a lot of dirt to them. So we started Saturday by buying a trailor full of dirt. Then I drove to Tulsa to pick up the plants while Drew worked on getting the mulch out of the flower beds so that we could re-use it. When I got back to our house, my job was moving and leveling the bricks while Drew started moving the dirt. Now let me clarify something here. I don't like playing outside. I don't like getting sweaty and itchy. And I don't like dirt. So why Drew thought it was a good idea to have me help in this project is beyond me.</div><br /><div>So picture this, I'm down on my knees moving bricks, putting dirt under them, stacking them back up, then using the level to make sure things are even. If they're not, I started over. Then there's Drew, standing in the trailor, throwing dirt, over my head, into the flower bed that I'm kneeling by. I'm immersed in a situation full of things I don't like! </div><br /><div>Then, (here's the real drama) I'm digging along, and I see a huge black spider with red on its belly. "AAHH! DREW I THINK IT'S A BLACK WIDOW!" He, of course, doesn't believe me and takes his sweet time climbing out of the trailer to come check. He killed it then took it to the porch to look at it better. This is what we saw:</div><br /><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 201px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 183px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.spidy.goliathus.com/img/BlackWidowSpider.jpg" border="0" />Yes, a bonified black widow in our flower beds, that may or may not have been trying to take my life (that's the drama queen in me.) Needless to say, I was pretty apprehensive about continuing my job of digging up the bricks. Drew convinced me it was a fluke thing that there was a black widow in our flower bed, and the chances of there being another one were one in a million. What do you know, about three bricks down...</p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 176px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 207px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.californiadesert.gov/imagefiles/animals/blackwidow_small.jpg" border="0" />Another one! One in a million chance, huh? So there's the story of how I almost died twice on Saturday. Well, kind of.<br /><p><br /></p><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-82352197505109130702009-06-01T09:07:00.002-05:002009-06-01T09:37:34.633-05:00The Flea SituationWell, here's an update on Hank's little "problem." Turns out, it's not so little. I was petting him Thursday evening, and he loves getting his belly petted. So he rolled over to indulge in that little treat, and I could see the fleas crawling all over him. I felt so bad for him, because you know that's not comfortable. And to make things worse, he is completely spoiled and basically gets all of Drew's and my attention. But when I saw how bad his fleas really were, we stuck him outside by himself until bed time, when we stuck him straight in his crate. He just cried and cried, which he hasn't done when we put him to bed since the first week we got him. It broke my heart! So Friday morning, I stuck his bed and blanket in the washing machine and left a message with our vet to call me back. Like I said before, I didn't really want to fill my house and coat my dog with chemicals, and I let the vet know that. Unfortunately for us, he said we could try all the "natural" methods we want, but the only sure fire way to get rid of the fleas, is to use a chemical area treatment on our carpets and leave the house for a few hours. He said the fleas on Hank are leaving eggs in our carpet, which are later hatching, and causing more fleas on Hank. So not matter how many times we bathe him and treat our yard, we have to do something in our home. He also said to bathe Hank everyday and vaccuum everyday (what?!?) until the problem is solved. And I hate vaccumming! But if it's what we have to do, it's what we have to do.<br /><br />So Saturday, I put Hank in the backyard and vaccuummed the whole house and all the furniture Hank gets on. I also stripped all the beds and vaccuumed the mattresses. We already had plans to go to Alva on Saturday for Drew's mamaw's 80th birthday, so it was perfect timing to treat the carpets. After I got done vaccuming, I put Hank in the bath. 30 minutes later, I had a tub full of dead fleas and a very unhappy puppy dog. Once that was all said and done, Hank and I waited outside while Drew sprayed the house. My parents watched him while we were out of town. But when we picked him up last night, he was still itching. So we start the process again today. We won't spray our carpets again until next weekend, but I have to wash his bed and blanket every morning, then every evening give him a bath and vacuum. This is going to be exhausting! But, he's our baby, so he's well worth it- at least that's what I keep telling myself :)<br /><br />On a much more serious note, my family is struggling with some bad news my dad received Friday (nothing to do with his health, thankfully) but I would really appreciate if our family were in your prayers in the days to come.<br /><br />I hope everyone has a blessed week!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-38934881732523323882009-05-22T08:16:00.001-05:002009-05-22T08:25:44.259-05:00There Ain't No Bugs On Me...Hank has fleas. I feel so bad for him, because we are trying to get rid of them, but they keep coming back. Drew put powder down in the yard, but that was before the 12 days of rain we had, so he's going to redo it this weekend. We have tried the flea medicine from the vet before- not this year, but last year- but it doesn't seem to really work because his hair is so thick. So I've been researcing "natural" ways to get of them. We used Dawn dish soap to give him a bath, which seemed to work for about 4 days. But then the fleas were back. Which make me think they are in our yard or our house. So, like I said, Drew is putting more powder down this weekend. So now I'm worried the fleas are in my house. I read that if you fill a bowl with Dawn and water, and put it under a lamp. The fleas are supposed to be attracted to heat of the lamp, which is supposed to make them jump in the water, and then the soap in the water supposedly makes it where they can't jump out, and the drown. So I set up the contraption last night in the office, where we keep Hank's crate. This morning, no fleas in the bowl. So I'm gonna try one more time in our living room, but I don't know what else to do. We don't really want to fill our house and dog with chemicals, but I don't want him to be miserable because of fleas either. Any suggestions?Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-77188624379239238972009-05-15T09:15:00.002-05:002009-05-15T09:31:03.306-05:00Not Much of an UpdateI haven't posted in a while, but I really don't have a lot to say. The only thing that has really changed in our lives is that Drew was really stressed out about a test that he had to take for work. His boss told him he had to take it in two weeks, and it is a test he normally would have spent at least a month studying for. So needless to say, he was very stressed out, and things were tense around our house for those two weeks. But, like I knew he would, he passed with flying colors. So he has now passed every major test that he needs to do his job. It was a nice confidence booster for him. He is a financial advisor, and since our economy is not at its best right now, people are not exactly rushing to invest- or buy life insurance, health insurance disability insurance, he does it all. So we have had to be careful with our finances lately, which can be a little stressful, but it's not too bad. I just continue to pray that business will pick up and he will meet new clients that can then refer him to more new clients.<br /><br />As for me, I'm still on the waitlist for medical school. I have asked them to consider my application for the duel degree program, which would be an extra year, but it slows down the pace a little, and I would come out with a master's degree also. I think I should hear something about that in about two weeks or so.<br /><br />So, nothing to exciting, but that's us :)Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-29303712337792272062009-04-21T10:42:00.002-05:002009-04-21T11:01:33.672-05:00Me, Me A To ZA: Attached or Single? Attached to my hubby of almost 2 years<br /><br />B: Best Friend? It's a tie between my sister and my husband. I tell my husband just about everything, but I don't always like his advice. I also tell my sister almost everything, and she's the one I turn to when I need to vent about my husband :)<br /><br />C: Cake or Pie? I think pie. Cakes okay but I don't really ever crave it or anything.<br /><br />D: Day of Choice? That's a hard choice between Saturday or Sunday. Saturday I get to sleep in, but Sunday I get to go to church, and I love my church. And Sunday's are usually lazy days, which I love!<br /><br />E: Essential Item? Myy dog, Hank. I couldn't live without him.<br /><br />F: Favorite Color? In general, pink, but to wear, black. It's slimming :)<br /><br />G: Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms? Probably Gummy Bears, but I'm not a real fan of either to tell you the truth.<br /><br />H: Hometown? Glenpool, OK<br /><br />I: Favorite Indulgence? A good book<br /><br />J: January or July? July, especially this year because my parents are putting in a pool!<br /><br />K: Kids? No thanks, not yet anyway<br /><br />L: Life isn't complete without? My family, they are my rock<br /><br />M: Marriage Date? June 23rd, 2007<br /><br />N: Number of brothers and sisters? 1 sister and 1 brother-in-law<br /><br />O: Oranges or apples? Oranges I suppose<br /><br />P: Paralyzing Fears? Heights, I get nauseas when people are on tall buildings in movies even<br /><br />Q: Quotes? That's what she said!<br /><br />R: Reasons to smile? That this is another day, I have a job to go to and a family to come home too<br /><br />S: Season of choice? Probably Fall. Not to hot, not to cold, and it's a good season to have friends over and cook out in the evenings<br /><br />T: Tag 5 people?<br /><br />U: Unknown fact? I talk to my dog and talk for him too. It's sad, I know.<br /><br />V: Vegetable? Probably potatoes- not the best, I know. But I am branching out and I have begun to eat brocolli, asparagus, and sugar snap peas recently<br /><br />W: Worst Habit? Popping my joints. Not just my fingers- my neck, my shoulders, my knees, anything that needs to pop<br /><br />X: X-Ray or Ultrasound? I don't really have a preference<br /><br />Y: Your favorite food? I love spaghetti!<br /><br />Z: Zodiac sign? VirgoSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-77678759424743440662009-03-27T09:02:00.002-05:002009-03-27T09:38:27.176-05:00Lead Me Lord I'll FollowI am getting to the point where I have less and less optimism about medical school. Last night I prayed for direction. I don't know what else to do to give me that little extra push to get me accepted. It is so frustrating and the thought of having to apply again and go through another year of this makes me sick- literally, my stomach starts to cramp up. Then at about 2 o'clock this morning, I woke up with "Daystar" in my head. I haven't heard that song in forever, and to be honest, I was never really a big fan of it. But the words are perfect and I'm making it my prayer.<br /><br />"Lead me Lord, I'll follow Anywhere You open up the door.<br />Let me know Your wisdom. Show me things I've never seen before.<br />Lord, I want to be Your witness. You can take what's wrong and make it right.<br />Daystar shine down on me Let Your love shine through me in the night."<br /><br />That embodies exactly what I need and long for. I want Him to lead me in the direction I'm supposed to be going. I want to know His plan for this part of my life. If I'm not meant to be in school right now, somehow let me know so that I can have peace with it. And through it all, I want to give glory to His name. All that I have accomplished so far, and all that I will accomplish, will be through Him and I want to be a walking billboard for God's glory. So I continue to pray, hoping God will speak to me and give me a glimpse into his plan.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-11561052272079364492009-03-17T09:24:00.007-05:002009-03-17T11:07:16.214-05:00Great News!<div align="center">This whole ordeal with my car wreck has been such an awesome reminder that God is in control. First, we took some pics of the damage to my car, so here they are.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314163368397842866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_B7cJDu_xi8oBlG5po4PIlTr2zeONYFjmu6gylc8oOtv9A680hfPj5uoxjgTUPEf1BSLffeDKFfPCCV1gi9ZNYln19Vj-gBfVZGtQ5ZWRBfPj72zZKK_wdGdck_hL4j7seJKnMeIjgxrF/s320/Old3.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p align="center">This is my poor baby :(</p><br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314163213784477186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctBoKmMggE3rn1PhA7_O-WIlGPIu8BHbO-ttv8hqgUKLBIkhUpiZ0baXSq6FB8c8aNmxYUtrTSG8D3DyXgm5Sp41Za9luUWuhkYU3juNKm2cqYvNXXpEFClP1Oo4KZihOnEH0aMdEKrHq/s320/Old1.jpg" border="0" />A close up of where my door almost got peeled off my car!</div><br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314163297908973410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwRz0JA5GoxCZUyqFk7fzClR8rJ3aTVokcvdIqXvSV0Bwh3pdmtuhoasauFYV4_emaTmF0yUQdN2OjzrnC-jkwhcMWuJBsq3n6Hmi58ABeiQrw9YDEsZkGdcQoVbJiDbBO2wiSa5Bq1OB/s320/Old2.jpg" border="0" />This is a pic from the side that shows how the door was bowed out at the top. At least we got a nice little breeze while driving :)</div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="left">So here's a recap- the day I got a $400 check in the mail for the wreck I was in back in December, I was in another wreck that did the damage pictured above. We tried to file with the other driver's insurance, and they told us he didn't have any. So we were devistated. My husband is a financial adviser, and lately, people aren't willing to invest- we knew we wouldn't be able to afford a car and we didn't know what we were going to do. Our answer- turn to God. Two days later, the insurance company found the other driver in their system, and the claim was filed. </div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">So now you're up-to-date and here's the most recent news. Last Wednesday, we found out the insurance company found their client 100% at fault and I would be receiving a check for the full amount of the damages. Saturday- 1 month and 1 day since the accident- I received a check in the mail for $4089. We went looking for cars for a while, but had no luck. Yesterday was my court date for the ticket I received from the accident- I plead not guilty because the ticket was for crossing a marked no passing zone which I did not do- and I won and the whole thing was dismissed. Since we had already taken the afternoon off, Drew and I decided to go looking for cars. We drove to a small car lot/body shop outside of Sapulpa to look at a Mitshubishi Montero Sport we found online. Once we drove it, we didn't like it at all, it drove really rough. I felt like I was driving through the wilderness or something. He had another car that I liked the looks of, but looked to pricey. I thought, what the heck, we're here I might as well ask. It was a 2003 Isuzu Axiom with 56,000 miles and he was asking $6,900 but would come down to $6,500. (Two things are important here- after looking at many different cars, a 2003 with that low of miles is almost unheard of. Most of them have closer or more than 100,000 miles. Secondly, we were looking for a car around the $5-6,000 range so we wouldn't have to take out a loan.) Unfortunately, the car had a flat tire so we couldn't drive it. He told us if we wanted to come back, he could have it ready in an hour and a half or so. So we went home and did some research on the car. According to the Kelly Blue Book, it was worth $6,900 in excellent condition, $6,500 in good condition, and $5,500 in fair condition. So we printed that off and took it with us to drive the car. We drove it and loved it! It was much nicer than any other car we had looked at for that price. When we got back to his place, Drew was in bargaining mode. He showed him the print off we had, and the guy said he'd come down to $5,500. Then Drew showed him my car and asked if he would give us anything for it- but we wanted to keep the tire because they are almost brand new. Since he also runs a body shop, he said he could fix it and sell it for a pretty good price, and he would give us $1,500 for it! I almost hugged him right then and there- we were hoping for around $800-$1,000 but expecting more like $500! So of course we took it- I have a new car! Even more, there was a guy there looking at the car we had driven earlier, but when he heard what we were doing, he said he would buy mine for the $1,500 and pay the guy to fix it up- so everyone won! And, we still might get $700 more from the insurance company for renting a car for the past month. I truly believe that God orchestrated every single aspect of this whole ordeal. We have not had to spend a single dime, I got a newer nicer car than I had, and we could end up as much as $1,100 on top. Here's a pic of the new car!</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314172610290744274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAzEMUz07vOq_SXrJkVOFHOxunN_UazWmtWXnKGzuFyG1xG33DT0iWyNA9KrI8MONz28Q8zDiHyjezkD3jehLOn4AJHAOPur_9BPRXWa6F5TwZuJafJMcwls9fZwf5oGohmMq-gC0C1E7L/s320/New2.jpg" border="0" />We absolutely love it! And on top of everything else, this whole situation has really opened up Drew and mine's communication about God. We went to church and we both prayed, but we never really talked about God in our daily lives until all this. I cannot say I have enjoyed this whole thing- most of the time it has been a real pain- but, in the end, God proved himself once again and everything has worked out for the better. <div align="center"></div></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-12347085157663141132009-03-16T11:03:00.002-05:002009-03-16T11:06:53.968-05:00Court DateToday is my court date to fight the ticket I got from my wreck. I'm really nervous because even though we have a lawyer, I'm not sure she is really on my side. When I was trying to talk to her the first time, I said "There is no evidence to support the ticket, and aren't you supposed to be innocent until PROVEN guilty?" She said no and just went on asking me questions. So I'm trying to be confident, because God has definately had control over this entire situatioin thus far, but my nerves are starting to creep in. Wish me luck!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-726294710800041912009-03-11T13:38:00.002-05:002009-03-11T13:42:48.982-05:00Praise God!I talked to the insurance company, and they are paying for my car! They said I should have a check for the price of the damages in 7-10 business days! And even better, the check will be in my name, so Drew and I can choose if we want to get it fixed or use the money to get another vehicle. This is such a blessing, and it comes in perfect time. Last night, Drew and I were going over our finances and it didn't seem likely that we would be able to pay for a car right now. Since Drew is a financial advisor, things are not exactly in our favor right now, with the economy and all. But we decided to give it to God, realizing it's out of our control. Then today I find out they are paying for my car, and I found a car online that we may be able to pay cash for- meaning we wouldn't have an additional payment!<br /><br />God is good!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-80148056408830244742009-03-10T12:15:00.003-05:002009-03-10T12:19:47.995-05:00Still Waiting...It will be a month on Friday since my wreck, and here's what I know- nothing. Last week, the other guy's insurance company asked me to take my car to a certain body shop to get an estimate, and they will decide from there if they are going to make me an offer. I don't really understand that, are they wanting to see how much it costs first before they say yes or no? That doesn't really seem right.<br /><br />The first place we took my car to said it had $4600 in damages and was $50 short of being totalled. The second place said $3800 in damages and 85% totalled. The place that the insurance company wanted to use said $4000 in damages and 95% totalled. I'm not really sure what all that means, but hopefully it's a good thing?<br /><br />So basically, I'm just still waiting. That's the story of my life.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8412203756605799682.post-6539667507801236132009-02-20T12:01:00.002-06:002009-02-20T12:06:52.815-06:00One Week Later...Well, here's an update on the car situation. I was filling out the paperwork Monday afternoon saying I was hit by an uninsured driver and the result would be the other guy's license being suspended. I called the company he said he was insured through one more time just to double check, and they found him- he has insurance! So I filed a claim and now we just wait and see. Since we both got tickets, it is possible for the insurance companies to say the wreck was 50/50 so that neither of them have to pay anything. I know our insurance company has denied his claim, and I have no idea when we will hear from his. I asked them yesterday what the time line was, and they said they haven't been able to get a hold of their client (the guy who hit me) yet, and they can't do anything until they get his statement. I told them good luck, he doesn't seem to answer or return messages. As far as my car goes, we took it to one body shop that said it was $50 short of being totaled (and that was using some "refurbished" parts) but another said it was 85% damaged and it had to be 95% damaged to consider it totaled. But they both said once they got in there, it would probably be considered totaled. So now I'm driving my dad's truck and praying that his insurance company approves the claim and they pay for my car. We'll see!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01917215973390266729noreply@blogger.com1