Last Night

As you can see, I am experiencing a lot of "last" things here lately. Well, tonight is my last night staying at Karla's house. We ate our favorite bread sticks together (PJ's parmesan encrusted breadstix), make our favorite cookies together(Christmas cut-out cookies), watched our favorite movie together (Pride & Prejudice) and we smoked cigars together (my first ever). I promised her a couple months ago that we would smoke cigars my last night in the condo - I really thought she would forget!! :)

It's a little sad. I'll be honest. This has been my home for the last year and a half and I've enjoyed it immensely. I've certainly been blessed to get to know this girl a bit better. We've rubbed off on each other...that's for sure. She burps now and I'll accidently let out a cuss word every now and then. Shameful, I know. :) But, she's rubbed off on me in plenty of other great ways too. Her faith in God and her walk with Christ have definitely been a testimony to me. I've watched her go through a pretty tough year and still make it through with a smile and a belly laugh every now and then. Thankfully, I will still see her everyday at work and won't have to say goodbye forever. How we worked and lived together the last 18 months and didn't kill each other will always be a mystery to me. Funny. Her personality and mine just mix I guess. It's good to know because her and Max are practically the same person. This means good things for my future. If I can live with Karla, surely I can handle Max! haha
Well, we'll see about that!! 10 more days people...10 more days. This is crazy!

Good night Karla and good night all.

Last Day

So today is my last official day in the office in the year 2007! AAAHHHH! It feels great. Now, I will be at church this weekend with the kiddos, but that part of my job is WAY fun! Vacation is looking pretty dang good right now. Everyone needs a break once in awhile. I'm just glad that mine gets to be like 18 days! What a dream:) It feels good to be 12 days away from getting married and even less than that til Christmas! All this excitement...I can barely contain myself! YIPPEE!!

White Elephant Gifts

We had a great time at our Team Christmas Party at PF Changs yesterday. This is our third year that we have had our Christmas lunch there. We all eat yummy food and then we exchange gifts with each other, and the final activity is when Steve buys a variety of $20 gifts and allows us to choose which one we want. They are all wrapped up and one at a time we pick one and open it. The next person decides if they want our gift or if they want to open a new one. It goes around the circle and we all end up stealing others gifts and having a good time. Well, this year I ended up with the Back to the Future Trilogy!!! Those are my favorite movies EVER!! It was the first present to be opened and I guaranteed myself that I would steal that gift fair and square. haha! And I did!! I walked out with the best white elephant gift of my whole life. Sorry Jim. :)

I'll be having a Michael J. Fox marathon at my house very soon!

Anonymous

You know what annoys the snot out of me...
People who leave obnoxious comments on your blog and then don't have the courage to leave their name. Then I have to go to the trouble of deleting your comment and then wonder who saw the comment before I deleted it. Thanks a million.

Come on people...

Can You Believe It?

So it is 5 minutes past midnight and I just saw that the blingy blob has crossed the final threshold. We are down to "00" months people! Wow. This is real isn't it! We had our last pre-marital session the other night and got the "ok" to get married. :) I just had my last shower tonight - which was AWESOME by the way. We laughed harder and louder than I've ever laughed before. Gosh, I love my friends. I am so blessed. Anyways.

Time is ticking. Thankful for that. The closer we get...the more real it becomes. Sara Semenick. Better get used to that, huh.

Good night world. It's been a good one.

Sanity

sanity
the quality or state of being sane; especially : soundness or health of mind

So I feel in recent days that I have fallen pretty short of being what the dictionary calls "sane" at times. I feel like my world is spinning around faster than I can handle and I can't do anything to slow it down. I want so badly to enjoy this time of my life...my engagement...getting ready for this wedding...friends and family showering their love on us. I know I will never be able to rewind and come back to this time period. I just fear I am letting the stress of work, relationships and this big event steal my joy.

I am trying so hard to not let the little things overwhelm me. I'm trying so hard to delegate and let other people help me. That's a hard one to swallow. I can do it all...can't I? I've always done it all myself. Surely I can make this happen. I can work long hours and get the job done. I can plan this wedding and keep everyone in the loop. I can organize this whole event...no problem! Max and I - we keep truckin along. I can keep a smile on my face everyday and keep my cool when times are tough. I can "change my bracelet" only a couple times a day and be good. I can balance the world. That is...until it all comes crumbling down and I have another meltdown.

Well, I'm here to say...I refuse to let my joy be taken away from me!! I refuse to be controlled by meltdowns and emotional outbreaks. Oh people, if you are reading this...pray for me PLEASE!! I need so desperately to feel sane and not to feel like I am spiraling downward. 5 weeks from tonight, I will be married and dancing the night away. I can't wait for that day when I will finally be someone's wife. I am loved by the most amazing man in the world and I couldn't be more blessed. He is incredible. I am so ready to commit my life to him before God and all of our family and friends. So let's get rid of the stress and hurry this night along.

I'm sorry for anyone who has crossed the path where I've been throwing rocks. By no means have I meant to hurt anyone. Thank you in advance for the grace that you have shown me. I appreciate it more than you know.

So I say to myself..."Just breathe, Sara, just breathe."

Extreme Home Makeover in Louisville

That's right my blogging friends...
TY PENNINGTON is in town!! Planning to go over and see him...I mean the house...sometime in the next week:) The big "MOVE THAT BUS" part is on Wednesday at 2:00pm. I want to be there. I love that show. To be honest, I love Ty...who doesn't! Anyways...have fun being jealous. :)

Big Week

1. Moved Max into our new apartment.
2. Painted the new apartment in 3 lovely shades: coffee, coffee bean and bangkok rust (gorgeous - thanks for your help Becky with the picking of the colors...and thanks to our friends for their help with the painting.)
3. Picked up our new (slightly used) washer and dryer from Frankfort and got it hooked up.
4. Picked up our new (brand new) furniture from Ashley Furniture (looks great if I say so myself).
5. Auditioned for the Easter Pageant and conquered my fear. Proud of myself for trying something new.
6. Went to a new doctor to get help with my spine issues. (Huge blessing...he is amazing!)
7. Invitations went out for the wedding. Whew!

I think that's enough for one week...don't ya think? :)

So Close

So a tornado just passed through Louisville. I watched the storm front come in - dark skies and all. I drove to Max's house listening to the tornado sirens going off. Closest I've ever been to a huge storm like this and if you know me at all...you know I am loving every minute of it. I have been outside watching the clouds swirl and get gloomier. Saw a couple spike, but nothing too scary. We've got the bathroom ready with blankets, candles and a mattress for protection. Right now we have a break between storms, so we are going to eat some shells and cheese. Yummy! I'll keep you posted if there are any more life threatening situations tonight. Gotta a couple other nasty ones coming our way. I was born to be a storm chaser! Seriously folks...this is awesome!

Flu Shots

Got mine today. Have you gotten yours?
I haven't gotten the flu in years....seriously can't remember the last time.

Watch, I'll get it this year just for saying that! :)

Happy Flu Season! Stay Healthy!

Wait

Our Saturday morning group has been going through Andy Stanley's bible study "Discovering God's Will". It's a good one. This poem reflects a little of that. It is by Russell Kelfer...

WAIT
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried.
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, He replied.
I pleaded, and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said, "Child you must wait."

"Wait? You Say Wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why.
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word.

"My future, and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me, 'wait'?
I'm needing a 'yes,' a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no,' to which I can resign."

And Lord, you have promised that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking: I need a reply!"

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again, "You must wait."
So I slumped in my chair; defeated and taut
And grumbled to God; "So I'm waiting, for what?"

He seemed then to kneel and His eyes met with mine
And He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, darken the sun,
Raise the dead, cause the mountains to run."

All you see I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint;
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint."

You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust, just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me,
When darkness and silence was all you could see."

You would never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart."

The glow of My comfort late in the night;
The faith that I give when you walk without sight;
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.

"And you never would know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that 'My grace is sufficient for thee.'
Yes, your dreams for that loved one o'ernight could come true,
But the loss! if you lost what I'm doing in you."

So be silent, my child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though oft' my My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all... is still... wait."

Getting older...and hopefully a little wiser

My birthday is at the end of the month - the last day of the month to be exact! Just in case you were wondering:) It's not really hitting me too hard this year that I am turning 27. I've basically been telling people that I'm already 27 just to get myself into the swing of things. It's really no biggie. I like getting older...I learn more about myself, about life, about others, about my job, about relationships...it's crazy what you can learn as the days fly by.

It's funny when we are young, in elementary school, in middle school, in high school....we think we know everything. We think we can stay up late when mom tells us to go to bed at 8:00, then when we do stay up late...we are exhausted and cranky in the morning. Guess she did know what she was talking about afterall!

I feel like I've made some good choices in my life...and some bad ones, but I've learned lessons from them all. God is good like that. He can't keep us from making those bad choices, but He can be there to pick us up when we fall, brush off the dirt from our knees and help bandage our wounds. I've enjoyed looking back to see how He has helped me up in the past, how He has led me on this journey called life, and I'm anxious to see the turns, hills and even the bumps that lie ahead. I know He is faithful to lead me through every situation, but it is up to me to surrender every day to Him and to follow Him faithfully.

Year 27...bring it on! :)

So close I can smell it...

I leave in approximately 41 hours for my hometown!! But who's counting?
I don't know if I've ever looked so forward to a trip before. It's gonna be good. I can feel it. With so many good people to see...how could it not be awesome?

on a side note...my friend "Betty" and I are the CORN HOLE Champions of the SECC Staff! It was a tough tournament today, but we came through and beat the snot out of our boss and co-worker in the final round! Sweet victory! :) The game of corn hole simply rules. You must try it sometime. later taters!

Countdown to Q-town

11 days and I'll be home!
It's the long awaited trip home. Seeing as my visits home seem very few and far between these days, I cherish every trip I can take. I really don't like being this far from home, but I'm not about to quit my job just because I am homesick! ;) hehe (some people know what I'm talking about)

Top 10 List of Things I am looking forward to in Q-town:
10. Rolling down the windows on the way into town just to smell the air.
9. Getting my hair cut by the fabulous Sha and getting an opportunity to catch up on her life!
8. Wedding appointments: flowers, photos, music, dress fitting...
7. Going to church with my family and not having to work:)
6. Teasing Matt that he was demoted to usher and that John is now Best Man! :)
5. Seeing parents, brothers/sisters, family & dear friends...and all the hugs we'll get from them!
4. CARTERMAN!!!! That little booger is almost a year old now:)
3. Max and I beating everyone at the water balloon toss at the Reunionfest 2007!
2. THE SHOWERS!!! Whoohoo:)
1. TIME OFF!!!

I love you all! See you next week!

Change

I just don't think that I can take any more change this week.

First, one of my good friends on our team resigns Monday and tells us he is moving to another team at the church. It's a good thing for him, but you can't help but be selfish and realize our team will suffer from the loss. That's just my opinion. It will take me awhile to be "okay" with this.

Second, we had an all-staff meeting called on Wednesday morning. Another "re-org" for our entire staff. It generally happens every 18 months at this church. This one aligns us with Dave's vision - it makes sense. It's just another change.

Third, our senior administrator, the awesome DW, resigned and is moving away. It saddens me. We are losing a great leader and friend...yes. But I'm more sad that my roomate will be watching her best friends and her "kiddos" move away. They are her family. Praying she doesn't move away with them:)

Too much change. I'm in overload. I know God is still sovereign. Just not able to see the final picture yet. Doubt He will give me all the answers. Eh...guess I will have to be okay with that.

Is it Possible?

By the looks of the countdown above...the day is approaching faster than I thought. The first number is what scares me - 4 months!!! Yikes Bikes! Still so much to do. I hadn't looked at my blog for over a week because of camp and before I left, the first number was sitting safely at #5. Now all of the sudden we've breached the next level and a new sense of panic has set in. But who can stop time? Well, God can stop time, but I'm pretty sure if I asked him to, He would chuckle a bit and give me that look that says "I don't think so". He did it for Joshua...come on now!!

Who am I kidding though. I wish the countdown said 4 days instead of 4 months. I'm ready to be married to this man. I've finally found the love of my life and this whole planning stuff is getting old. I've planned enough. I got the man. I got the dress. I got the ring. I got the preacher. I got the music woman. The essentials in my opinion. What else do ya need?

Max and I are excited though. We are close to snagging an apartment that we both really like and for us...that is HUGE! We were offered a washer and dryer combo worth $1,200 for free - just because someone wanted to bless us. Thank you God! We begin our pre-marital counseling next week with a great guy on staff. Looking forward to see what advice he has to offer. This relationship stuff is fun, but I wouldn't want to take this marriage thing on with anyone else. It really helps that I love this man more than life itself. Cause somedays it's not that easy. We are two different people, with different personalities and different opinions...it can cause friction. But, we work things out, ask for forgiveness and move on. Ain't love grand?

Now that camp is done and I'm back to reality, I'll try to write more frequently. Reality without rest time and pool time...yuck! I want to go back:(

Still Hanging in There

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am still alive. My apologies for those who check my blog everyday and have been left hanging for months....Max. I really didn't think my life was that interesting:) The last two weeks I've been at camp with 3rd-5th graders and having a blast. We have decision counseled around a dozen kids who have made decisions for Christ - how awesome! I love this job! Plus, we get to spend the afternoon lounging around at the pool talking to kids. Come on now people...who wouldn't LOVE camp? One more week, and then we're off and running planning for Fall Kick-Off. Lord help us!

Wedding plans are coming along just nicely. Invitations are printed and ready to go. Showers have been planned in Quincy - yippee! Registries are complete. Top four picks: Lowes, Pampered Chef, Bed Bath & Beyond, and good ole Wal-Mart. Quincy really needs to get a Target! :) Engagement pics have been ordered - props to Laura! They were incredible. Looking forward to the wedding pics. Thankful also for a mom that is willing to be the wedding planner. Couldn't do it without her...seriously. She is amazing and I'm pretty sure she is loving every minute of it. Except having to wait on us to get her our finalized guest lists...they're coming, i promise.

Random sighting...
Ran into Gil and Angie in Cincinnati. Max and I drove to CCU to turn in one of his papers. As we were getting out of our car, a tall, bald fellow came strolling up the road. I told Max that he looked alot like Gil. Come to find out he and Ang were both there with the kiddos. Got to see Carterman and got to meet Brynn for the first time. She's a doll and had just learned how to spit. :) It was too cute, I couldn't help but laugh. Anyways...hadn't seen Ang since the John and Shawna wedding, so it was REALLY good to see her and the fam.

That's about it for tonight. Must get to bed and get some rest before camp. Lata...

Check List

Suits, invitations, and the beginning of registries...
Just a couple more things to cross off the list. God has been doing some crazy cool things for us in helping plan this wedding and the marriage after. We have had alot of things fall into place. Feeling blessed.

Friends...Family...same thing to me!

Best buddies...Monte & Amy









Ahh...









Momma and Carterman








Going on a year...Johnny & Sha. Came out to visit us in Louisville.







My girls...Missy, Melissa & Jane








My best friend...








Good buddies...Kevin & Madonna








Happy Anniversary! John & Becky








Tammy's Fun Girl Night!








Long lost friend...Ricki!

Best Roomie Friend...Kark
Valentines' Day :)

Steve, Karla, Nevan & me...having way too much fun in the office.

John O & Karla...up to no good!

Trip to Indiana University

Max and I took a trip to his college town of Bloomington, IN. "Hoosier Land" he so affectionately calls it. Beautiful scenic route. Quaint little surrounding towns. Nice place to visit. Beauitful campus. Great people. Look and see!

Max and I at the Steak n Shake where he spent many nights with his fraternity brothers.

Hoosier Stadium!

The bowling alley where Max recommitted his life to Christ...how cool!!

View of the campus

Max's friend/mentor, Brandon.

Hey ladies....he's single and he has a job!! :)

The SubWay store that made headlines when the famous Jared lost all his weight. I had to take a picture!!