Labor Day in Charleston

Over Labor Day weekend September 1-3, 2012, I went to visit David in Charleston, SC while he was there for boarding officer school.  I flew out on Saturday and returned home on Monday.  This was right after Hurricane Issac had hit the Gulf Coast, so I was concerned that the flight would not go out, but by then the airports were open.  His parents were also visiting that same weekend and we had a great time with them! David and I stayed at the Charleston Place hotel on Meeting Street and we felt like we were on our honeymoon again!  It was a beautiful hotel and the location was perfect.  Our hotel was also close to where his parents were staying in a cute bed and breakfast down the street, which made it very convenient to meet up with them.  After I arrived on Saturday, we walked through the farmers market in the Marion Square and then walked through all the vendors on Market Street before heading to lunch.  We tried to go to S.N.O.B (Slightly North of Broad), but it was closed for lunch, so we ended up eating across the street at Magnolias.  It was a very nice restaurant but it took a while.  After lunch, we decided to go to the 5:15 pm mass on Saturday night at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.  Then we went to Old Towne Grill and Seafood for dinner and got some gyros and seafood.  It was delicious! Afterwards, we went our separate ways and David and I went to the Noisy Oyster  restaurant for drinks to end the night.  It was crazy downtown and many of the other clubs/bars had a cover charge.  We also saw about five Bachelorette party groups, one of which I had met on the plane ride to Charleston from Atlanta.  

On Sunday morning, we slept in until noon so completely missed the morning hours.  We met up with his parents and went to West Ashley to see the apartment where Mr. and Mrs. Brinkmann first lived when they were married 30 years ago.  Then we headed to Isle of Palms for our Charleston beach experience.  We had lunch and drinks at Coconut Joes Beach Bar and Grill before going out on the beach.  We played with kites, frisbees, and inflatable inner tubes in the ocean.  It was a lot of fun! After the beach, we went back to shower up before dinner at Bocci's.  We split calzones, white pizzas, and cokes.  It was late when we finished dinner so we showed his parents our hotel and then went our separate ways.  We had to be up fairly early to catch the 9 am flight out to Atlanta.  It was such a great weekend and we had an amazing time! But nothing compares to having David home now! 

Newlywed Life in a Nutshell

Well, it's been a while since I last posted on here, but a lot has been going on in our lives.  First of all, David and I both graduated back in May, David from the Coast Guard Academy and me from the University of Georgia.  I was able to go up to Connecticut for David's graduation right after I graduated, and we spent about a week up there.  Then, David and I drove two days to get back home to Georgia, where we had about two weeks until the wedding.  Despite all of our planning up to this point, there was still a lot to do leading up to the big day, so we stayed pretty busy.  Before we knew it, it was June 1 and we had the rehearsal dinner that night.  The rehearsal in the church went very smoothly, and then we had the dinner in Marist Hall at the church.  We had delicious barbeque catered from Jim N' Nick's, and it was great to spend time with out of town family and friends.  Then, it was the big day, June 2, 2012.  Everything went so smoothly throughout the entire day, it was a fairytale wedding.  We are so blessed to have such amazing friends and family that made this day so special. 

After the wedding, we spent the night at the Hilton Marietta Conference Center Hotel before driving to Port Canaveral to get on the Carnival Ecstasy cruise ship.  The whole cruise was amazing and we had such a great time together.  Once we were back in Port Canaveral, we made a trip to the Kennedy Space Center before heading home to Marietta.  It was a great way to end our honeymoon! We spent a few nights in Marietta before leaving for Ocean Springs, Mississippi.  When we got there, we signed our apartment lease, and we moved into our new home! Unfortunately, we found out that our things would not be delivered for another week, so we had to make do without furniture or much at all, but we managed.  We bought a queen sized bed, couch, and a TV in the meantime, so it wasn't so bad.  Eventually the movers came with all of our things, and it was great to finally feel settled in.  Meanwhile, we made lots of Walmart shopping trips to get all the things we needed for our new apartment, and we started setting up my Kindergarten classroom at St. Alphonsus Elementary School.  Between the apartment and my classroom, we were kept busy.  But of course David had to start work too.  He is stationed on the Coast Guard cutter Decisive and I am so proud of him for his commitment to our country.  We recently celebrated the 4th of July, and I am proud to be an American, and honored to be a Coast Guard wife.  So far, this first month of life as newlyweds has been amazing, and I am looking forward many more months with my husband David.  

Message in a Bottle

At one of my bridal showers, all of my friends wrote a favorite memory or well wishes in a jar for me to read later.  I really enjoyed reading all of these, and I wanted to record them for future reference: 

Beth: "I'll never forget those fun nights in the Alpha Gam house with you! You always were there for me with the best guy advice! Best wishes to you and your hubby! I am so happy for you!"

Mare: "Like my grandmother always says, "Never go to bed angry!" Congratulations and I wish you and David the best!"

Amanda: "I love you with all of my heart.  You are my best friend and my partner in crime.  I have way too many amazing memories with you to pick just one.  You are an amazing woman and David is so lucky to have you.  I'm so happy for you guys!"

Mom B: "Look for love and humor in every situation!"

Katherine: "Oh Sarah! There is so much to say! However, what always sticks in my mind is how sweet and enthusiastic you are! You never have a mean or negative thought! I know you'll take this warmth and positivity into your future marriage.  You are going to make an amazing wife.  David is a lucky man.  I feel you don't need advice! You have got it all figured out.  I wish you the best of luck in your exciting new future!"

Mary Margaret: "One of my favorite memories of you is playing in the snow freshman year and then warming up with hot chocolate.  My favorite memory about David is when we went out to eat on Spring Break 2010 and David kept throwing butter at people. Then he randomly got in my car (without Sarah) and goes grocery shopping with Kristin and me.  I kept finding butter packets in my car for two weeks after that! Love you both!"

Jennifer: "I can still remember the first time I met you.  We realized we both had a love for ballet and became instant friends.  It was so nice to have someone to talk about plies and pointe shoes with.  Our friendship has expanded since then and I am so happy to have known you for the past four years.  I wish you all the happiness in the world with David and wanted to leave you with a little advice: 1. Even though you will always be right, let him think he is sometimes.  2. Don't be a cover hog. 3. Perfect the cooking of his favorite meal for emergency situations.  4. Wait at least a year to pee in front of each other.  5. Don't go to bed mad and without saying, 'I love you'." 

Angelique: "From the very beginning, I've loved being your friend and I've known you and David were meant for each other.  I'll always remember you both helping me move in my entire carful of stuff.  My only advice is to keep smiling, laughing, and be happy!"

Mom McP: "You are lovely.  You are beautiful.  Take care of yourself so that you can take care of David (and your family when you have one).  I love you!" 

Marissa: "Marriage advice for you, even though I don't have any experience haha, but never stop doing the small silly things.  Leave post-it notes on the mirror in the morning with sweet messages, buy a nerf gun and have nerf-gun wars, and make sure you set aside at least one date night a week! So happy for you!"

Kathryn: "Memory- Waking up in the wee hours of the morning to you and Brittany giggling and snuggling with me after an Alpha Gam social.  I will never forget it! Advice- Don't sweat the small things.  Enjoy this time in your life!"

Melissa: "I can't give official marriage advice, but my best relationship advice is don't go to bed mad, don't sweat the small stuff, and always make time for cute romantic nights out! My recent favorite memory of you was watching you find out from David where you're living! You were so cute and so excited.  I am so amazingly excited for you!" 

Gabby: "Memory- First time we went to a frat party.  We went to ATO and she loved the hunch punch.  Two cups in Sarah was happier than ever.  She was too cute and funny! I think the Sarah giggle started there.  Sarah, I have been so blessed to have you as a friend.  I know you will be a wonderful bride.  Advice- laugh everyday with David! It makes life better!"

Mallory: "No matter how long you're married, never stop trying to wow David! aka. Always shave your legs! Memory- Your teeny tiny phone, Brittany always impersonating you, how much you love teaching, and walking up and down Brumby hill together." 

Natalie: "Remember- Two heads are better than one, God shows us little miracles when we least expect them, smile and laugh everyday, enjoy the small things, and always love and appreciate each other!" 

Rebecca: "Memories- Spring break sophomore year-fun, fun, fun! Picking you up in the car when you got cramped up on your run--so random, but a good conversation came from it.  All the times downtown- you are always so happy! My favorite was this February when Nick talked about how you were the greatest, nicest person.  He talked about you all night. I agree and thought him sticking up for you was the best.  Advice- Do all things in love."

Kristin: "I don't even know where to begin! I will say that my advice for you is limited, but my memories with you are endless! I have had such an amazing time living with you in the house (EPIC!) and now living with you again in TC 37! Through our many 'heart-to-hearts' about life and God, through two hospital visits in the span of two weeks, and through sharing one tiny closet for all of our clothes, you have become one of my best friends and hold a very special place in my heart.  I love you so much and I am truly blessed to have such a special friend in my life.  I can't wait to see you grow into a beautiful and incredible wife.  Congratulations!" 

Senior Events

On Sunday, April 15, we had a nice senior brunch at the sorority house and then we went to take senior pictures around campus.  I cannot believe that we are graduating this year.  These past four years have flown by, and on May 11, 2012, I will be graduating with a degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Georgia.  I finished up student teaching this past Monday, so now I am getting ready for graduation and the wedding.  This is such an exciting time with graduation, the wedding, moving to Mississippi, and finding a new job.  2012 is a good year! 

Bridal Shower

On Sunday, March 4, my bridesmaids Brittany, Kylene, and Kristin hosted a bridal shower and it was so amazing! The food and drinks were delicious, including homemade bruschetta, chicken salad, baked brie, fruit, cheese, crackers, cupcakes, sangria, and lemonade, along with many other treats! They decorated the house beautiful with blues, pinks, and many pictures of David and me.  When everyone arrived, we at some food and chatted for a while.  Then, we went into the living room to start playing a few games.  The first game was a questionnaire.  They had previously asked David some questions and I had to answer the same questions about David based on how I thought he would answer them.  For every question that I missed, I had to eat a piece of double bubble gum (my favorite)! I did pretty well, but I also had to have a few pieces of gum...I learned some things that even I did not know even about David, including the fact that his favorite dinner is grilled catfish (Mom knows best)! After the questionnaire, we split up into three groups and the girls had to choose one person to create a wedding dress made out of toilet paper.  Then I had to choose the "best dress."  They were all really creative and good, especially since they were made out of toilet paper! After that game, we opened all the wonderful gifts from my friends.  I am so thankful to have received so many nice things! Thanks everyone! I had such a wonderful time at the shower last weekend, and I am so blessed to have such great friends, family, and bridesmaids! With just about three months until the wedding, this is the beginning of all the spring wedding festivities! It is such an exciting time for us!

Mississippi Girl

On Thursday, March 1, 2012, David found out that he is stationed in Pascagoula, Mississippi on the Coast Guard Cutter Decisive! We are so excited about this! It is just a 7 hour drive from home in Marietta, and it is in a nice area right on the coast.  This station was one of his top picks! He called me around 8 pm on billet night and my heart was pounding.  I had been waiting all day for this phone call.  He tried to trick me by telling me that we were stationed in Michigan, but then he said, "and by Michigan I mean Mississippi!" We are both so happy about this and cannot wait to begin a new chapter in our lives in Mississippi.  We will spend the next two years there, with David on two month tours every couple of months, and me hopefully teaching at an elementary school.  I am going to visit Pascagoula soon, and I am looking forward to checking out the area, looking for schools, and just exploring! This is going to be an adventure and I am so ready for it! Congratulations David!

Happy Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's Day and although we may be miles apart, I have the best valentine in the world! We got to celebrate with a Skype date, opening the presents that we sent each other last week and just getting a chance to talk.  With June 2, 2012 quickly approaching and our honeymoon to the Bahamas immediately after, we decided that we wanted to get each other bathing suits for the cruise.  David got me a nice teal colored bathing suit as well as a cover up, and I got him a blue suit.  These gifts have gotten us even more excited about the honeymoon! I also sent David some homemade heart shaped cookies, but he did not receive them today so hopefully he will get them tomorrow! 

 This past weekend, we got a lot accomplished as far as wedding plans go.  I went home for the weekend and we printed invitations, bought new shoes for the wedding, and we talked to different hair and makeup artists about getting us ready the day of.  I also met with the deacon to go over anything else that we need to do in preparation for the ceremony, and we will meet with him one more time in May right before the wedding! It is all coming together and I cannot believe that the wedding is less that 4 months away! This is a very exciting time for us and we are so thankful for everyone who has helped us along the way!

              

Student Teaching

I start my first day of student teaching in a Kindergarten classroom at Barrow Elementary School tomorrow and I am really looking forward to it! I met my teacher and the students today and I think it's going to be a great semester! I know that this will be a great opportunity for me to prepare for having my own classroom soon (hopefully!) and it will give me a better idea of what teaching is really like. Of course, I will be getting up at 6 am every morning so that's not going to be easy, but this is what I will be doing for the rest of my career and working with the children is so worth it.  I cannot believe that this is my last semester of college! These past four years have flown by and it is a little bitter sweet now that it is coming to an end, but I am going to enjoy these last few months of college with my friends and look forward to graduating, getting married, and hopefully getting a job this summer!

New Year's Resolutions

As we begin the year of 2012, I have reflected upon the past year and begun to think about the changes and improvements that I want to make in my life in the upcoming year.  This year, I want to work on worrying less and trusting in God more.  This prayer from Francis de Sales really helps me to remember that God is always with me and He will take care of me in any situation. 

Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life;

rather, look to them with full hope that as they arise,

God, whose very own you are,

will lead you safely through all things;

and when you cannot stand it,

God will carry you in His arms.

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow;

the same understanding Father who cares for

you today will take care of you then and every day.

He will either shield you from suffering

or will give you unfailing strength to bear it.

Be at peace,

and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.

       -Saint Francis de Sales