Engagement Story

It's April. I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted. I have so much I've wanted to write, so MANY pictures!

Yes, probably most if not all of you know...Alex and I are engaged. If it weren't that we decided a 61-day long engagement sounded great, I probably would have posted earlier, but there are a LOT of decisions you have to make!! :)

Easter morning, April 5th, 2015, I didn't really think he was going to propose... Sure I wondered, but then, as Alex says, "Sarah's always wondering". haha And so, I suppose I am. There were a few things that were just enough different that I chose to write them in my journal the night before--just in case, but if you read it, you'd say: 'That's a bunch of nonsense that doesn't point to anything'...and you'd be right.

Still, I did paint my fingernails a sparkly transparent color before church, because I've read a lot of places that that was one thing all the newly-engaged girls wished they'd done since the did show their ring off all day!

Alex was smart, and waited for ME to bring up the idea of going to the Sunrise Service (he was already planning to propose then), but I did have to wonder when he said he was going to wear my 'favorite blue shirt' and that I should match him...but then asked me to dress up 'like a princess' the night before, because....after all, it is Easter!! :) There was nothing conclusive to it, and really, that wasn't a hint for me..but I did think it was funny.

We had talked about types of proposals before, and I knew he was going to do it when we were alone and figured that he'd do it somewhere else than our house--which because of our busy schedules pretty much only left Sundays. So, in my mind, I guess I figured that he'd propose after church on the way home, by way of a park or something. It really NEVER crossed my mind that he'd do it RIGHT AFTER the Sunrise Service on Honeysuckle Beach--after all, we had to go to the breakfast at the church, right??

Alas, Alex is way too good at surprises. My brothers were his cohorts, and David photographed and videoed everything. We took a walk around the dock where my dad and Alex pretended to 'baptize' James...and then instead of just going to the car to drive to church, Alex decided he wanted to take a walk. We informed my folks, and started on our merry way.

At that point, okay, I wondered, but it wasn't until we'd started down a little path winding between trees with the marsh on one side and Hayden Lake on the other, that I thought "I think he really is going to propose!" While we walked, enjoying the beauty and chatting a little bit, I felt like I was in a Jane Austen movie... "How are you supposed to feel when you're going to get engaged?" "Can this really be happening?"

Finally, after a good ways, he decided we should go 'all classy' and take off our coats. I humored him, and we laid them on the side of the road. NOTE: Yes, it was 27 degrees outside. ;) We continued walking and finally we paused looking out over the lake. He started praying, and then I prayed, and he asked God for wisdom for the future. I felt his heart beating fast, and knew he was going to propose (though outwardly, you would have never known). Still, I didn't really think it was going to be then.

 Just as soon as I opened my eyes, he was scuffing the ground with his foot, and then kneeled to dig something out of the dirt. Curious, I watched. My first thought was that it was a sewer cap. Haha. But when he picked it up and blew it off, I saw it was a rock, and then he handed it to me.

Him digging out the rock

Suddenly, reality hit me, and after reading the words, I looked back at Alex and he was holding out a ring box (that he had made!) with the most beautiful ring I'd ever seen. He asked me to marry him, and I said yes. And then, it took 10 minutes to process that I was now, {finally} engaged. To Alex. Unbelievable. This man, my man, my Alexander. I cried, we prayed, hugged, and talked.

Asking me to marry him

Presenting the ring

Early on in our walk, I noticed a bird house in the distance, and where we were now, I saw it was just on the other side of the path. It looked like something was in it, and upon looking closer, I realized it was a camera!! Alex had set up 3 video cameras---2 in home-made birdhouses, and 1 in a tree, and had disguised David in a gillie suit to take the rest of the photos!!

After some more time together, my parents came and gave me flowers, hugged and prayed with us, and then left us to have some more time. After more talking, photo taking, and packing up all the gear, we walked to the car, and headed to church to eat breakfast.

Right after the proposal, Alex showed me this other ring he had gotten for kicks--a HUGE faux diamond solitaire, which we then proceeded to have LOTS of fun all the day long--getting hilarious responses out of our viewers when they'd ask to see my ring.

We had a really sweet Easter dinner at my house with Alex's parents, grandparents, and my grandparents too, and then that evening, my parents put on an impromptu engagement party. It was so precious, priceless, memorable, special, and amazing.

This is a GIF showing my reaction to him telling me about David in the Gillie suit.

What's your love story?? I want to know!!!

January | Rest of Month

January was another full month for everyone and a lot of fun too.. :) 

First off though, I found a couple photos on my phone from a couple outings with Alex in November: one where we had to get some organics (I straightened my hair that day) & the other when we all went to the Dollar Store and Alex decided to make James a Dr. Seuss character.

Going back a bit, on January 7th, Hank & Tasha (Alex's sister and hubby), Daniel & Rachel, and a couple other friends went on a quadruple date to Tito Macaroni's, before going to the Cotton Candy machine (thus our cotton-candy colored outfits). Alas, we had so much fun at the table, though we were just next door, we arrived and they were *gasp* closed!! Horrors!! T'was a great disappointment, but we all solemnly decided we must go again and change our fate.

Plans having changed, we went on to have dessert at Gooeys and embraced a chilly walk around the short side of the boardwalk before clambering back into our cars and driving home.

On the 13th, Alex dropped by for lunch and brought by these beautiful mini Orchids to grace my desk at work..aren't they adorable?! :) He's such a sweetheart.

We all went skiing again, 3rd week of January, and since homeschool days get such good rates, you always see friends on the slope... :) (Let me tell you--homeschoolers don't lack for friends!!) 

A relaxing, quiet afternoon journaling, working, and drinking a healthy version of  an Orange Julius and popcorn. :)

January 24th was a full day, starting with the Homeschool Spelling Bee. It's long been a tradition to compete and enjoy these annual competitions, and at the end, I'm proud to say that Esther and Josiah (our 2 competitors) won their divisions (6th and 8th grades, respectively) and are going to Regionals in March!! It'll sure be fun to see if either of them go to Nationals this year!

Afterwards, we all went to celebrate at Ihop, and Alex and one of the judges came and ate with us.

In our opinions, you never get too old for coloring! :)

Afterwards, we went to the Symphony (another annual tradition), and this time Alex came with us too! That's been awhile... Isn't he handsome? ;)

 That evening, a bunch of my co-workers (ie. friends and family, haha) and I had a game night...talk about fun! This game is called Ticket to Ride, and if you haven't played, you should! It's awesome, and a mix between relaxing and strategic. I was yellow and did pretty good! :)

Alex and I had a little mudding adventure on the 26th, and enjoyed washing the car clean afterwards. :)

Aren't these adorable?! I found them for a GREAT price at GoodWill for Rebekah.

January 31st, to finish out the month, Esther and I made pizza together for dinner....talk about delicious! :)

 Mmmm..are you hungry now?? Haha...well, you should be!!

And that was our January! Yes, there were other things--selling alpacas (we're down to 20 now!), lots of work and school, etc. But these were our highlights.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love..."

~ Ephesians 1:3-4 ~

2014 in Review

Abraham Lincoln said, "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." Well, I for one can say that 2014 has been one of those 'full life' years....

One of those years that you always have dreamed of but sneaks up on you unexpectedly, and even while it's happening, you're quite sure you must be dreaming.... It's been one of those years... To put it simply, it just hasn't been that simple. :D But then, at the same time, it has.

January found me serving the Belizean people for 2 weeks with a mission team from our church--how incredible that was!!! Only to come home to a spin of activity when I helped my childhood best friend of 15 years marry my cousin!! (What an awesome way to keep her for keepers!!) :)

February was the craziest month... Kinda funny when you find yourself talking to a guy (okay, not just any guy ;p) about how many kids you want (on Valentines), with no idea that he's been talking to your dad for weeks about you...and then to be told while skiing together the next week that he's interested in you, and searching that out together for a few days before saying goodbye for a month while you travel Europe with your family. With an unspoken 'Let's not communicate' rule between you for most of the trip.

Tasha took the balloon pictures on Valentines of us, and that black and white photo (thanks to Kellie?), is unfortunately the only photo I have of Alex and I on February 21st. :)

March was memorable--flying half-way around the world (not even sure if you're going to make your flights), and visiting 9 countries, seeing 10: a layover in Holland; visiting the Pinkerton valley in Scotland; walking the Putney Commons in England (my maternal grandmother's name); 12 hours in Paris, where you try to fit all the sight seeing in you possibly can, and then minutes from the time your train leaves, you snap a group picture in front of the Eiffel Tower, only to have the 2 taxis get separated, and no form of communication (or payment) with the other taxi to figure out where everyone is, and then on top of that, having to grab your baggage and run to a different train station--all with minutes left before you're stranded;
experiencing a sleeping car on the way to Germany, where you walk the ghastly remains of Dachau, and visit the quaint, gorgeous countryside of old-time Bavaria; driving through the edge of Austria; and seeing the palace lights of Liechtenstein; arriving in Switzerland and beholding the incredible mountain beauty and breathing the fresh air, and skiing the alps of Zermatt (what an opportunity of a lifetime!), receiving a 2nd degree burn to remember it by, not to mention calling your sweetheart long-distance and his enjoying trying to make out what you're saying because the connection is bad (all because he asked you too--weeks before);
traveling through the Italian countryside and exploring Venice, Italy and all the amazing canals, architecture, and gelato (mmm!!!); traveling to Monaco and hiking the 7+ miles of it's borders in 5 hours, all the time wishing that your sweetie was there with you...your Man-Monaco; day trips back to French villages where you explored and zip lined; all the while trying to remember the many different courtesies you learned for each country you visited, and using them correctly with the correct people; missing Alex so much that his sister gives it away and he emails you the sweetest poem ever, and you start communicating again.
And...serving on your first Jury Duty (a domestic battery case) all the way to the end!!
That was March. And it was beautiful.

Top Row: Little Pinkerton & Pinkerton Barony, Scotland; Windsor Castle, and Lincoln Statue
2nd Row: Girls in Paris; (2) Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany; Austria
3rd Row: Zermatt, Switzerland; Venecian Gelato and 2nd Degree Sunburns; Monacoan Inlet
4th Row: Overlooking Monaco, Monaco ;); Biking & Ziplining in France

Oh...one more photo.. (It's SO weird thinking I can post all of these photos now!!!) :D

This was Alex and my first ever official photo...priceless moments. :)

April was full of readjusted to home life, babysitting my siblings while my parents visited China, babysitting a few times overnight for friends, getting back into the work routine, figuring out how a relationship works and still trying to keep it quiet,  while slowing down your decisive heads so that your father can finish his heart-searching of your young man.

It was getting alpacas ready to market, and correcting and sewing up a friends's ewe's prolapsed uterus with the best helper in the world - Alex ;), and volunteering as a victim with the Coeur d'Alene Disaster Drill with your bestie as a young, hysterical 32-wk. pregnant woman with multiple injuries.
It was taking a road trip down to Texas with your family and friends for a homeschool conference (by way Grand Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, and Zion National Park), where you led 6 girls, ages 12-15 in crafts and heart-searching on what it means to be a daughter of the King, where you don't have to believe the lies and fears Satan tries to feed you. It was wonderful catching up with dear friends there too!

Park time, Selah & I  as victims, Open Arms Fundraiser, my Southern girl pose in TX, Zion Natn'l Park, Carlsbad Caverns, Grand Canyon, & my COMMIT girls

May was greeted by alpacas being born, shearing day, birthdays to celebrate, relatives visiting, watching another friend get married, and starting to sell more alpacas from our herd of 50+, and of course lots of working at the Firm too. We broke ground for our very own PRS office (We've rented all these years), and are looking forward to moving in sometime in mid-2015. A bunch of us 'older people' went and watched The Lego Movie (hilarious, but not for kids), and what fun memories that made! Alex also painted his car, and so my brothers and I went over to help...and of course, when asked to dress like a minion, who can resist?? ;)

Gru and Minion (aka painting Alex's car), 33 days worth of shredding at work, Lego Movie with friends, our first cria for the year-Ballad, Esther's hair, Shearing, Breaking ground for PRS' New Office, & Wedding memories (with Tasha and Hank!)

June was full of company....really a blur: my grandma, aunt, and cousin stayed for a couple weeks at our home (and more cousins after that), leaving just before we incorporated 5 missionary kids for a jolly month's stay while their parents traveled. We had lots of fun outings, and Alex and I tried to 'unfriend eachother' at church for a {terrible} month, while he wrapped up what he needed to finish before becoming 'official'. Rachel and I traveled to western Washington for a friends' graduation, visiting the amazing Thorp's Fruit Stand and Antique Mall on the way.

Park Visits, First Hair cut given, visiting his parents and relatives, detailing his car (unknown to me, that was the day he asked my dad to court me officially =D), more park visits and Father's Day, our visit to the Pattersons in WA, Alex likes doing my hair, Murillo and cousins' visit, and adorable Hank and Tasha. :D

July was a turning point in my life for many reasons: I turned 21 on the 1st, and was thoroughly surprised by a huge surprise princess birthday party (thanks to Alex's distractions ;P). On July 11th, my dad and Alex planned an outing where Alex officially asked to court me at the Melting Pot, which officially began/continued a wild, amazing ride that we're still on. :D

We had a wonderful family reunion in late July (where almost everyone pitched in to work on securing my quilt, which I embroidered in my teens, so I can quilt it). It was so wonderful seeing family members again that I haven't seen in ages! :) Also, Alex, David, and I went to help video a wedding up north - it was gorgeous and made more wonderful memories. I love how easily Alex and I work together as a team.

Family Photos, Officially courting, My surprise birthday party, July 4th, stabilizing my quilt, wedding video team, our Family Reunion

August was started pretty quick with our annual Client Appreciation Banquet, where Samuel and Rebekah sang a patriotic song, and I played piano for a majority of the time as background music. I also made a record on how many alpacas I've ever sold, and by September, had downscaled our herd of 50+, down to 26. It was a slower month for me, with at one point me being the only one home with mom, as everyone else was either traveling, or as was Daniel's case- in college (as he moved to WSU to finish his last 2 years of pre-med).

Client Appreciation Banquet, the boys' Alert Cadet fishing trip in Hells' Canyon,  helping Daniel settle into WSU, and a photo David took of Eagle River, Alaska where he and Rachel were born.

September, I threw a bridal shower for Tasha (Alex's sister), with the help of some awesome people! It was a wonderful, rich time of fellowship and fun, followed a few weeks later by a girls' party her sisters-in-law-to-be threw. I also got to hang out with Tasha and prepare the BBQ with Alex later in the month while all the guys threw a surprise party for Hank and did some shooting... :) So much fun.
I kept really busy with work, helping out at the Henkoski's, and sewing Alex's and my matching outfits for Tasha's wedding too...plus, I took Esther to babysit some friend's kids over the weekend too (and was able to bring my sewing machine to get some work done too! :D)

October was wonderful, glorious, crazy, but amazing. Not only did I get to watch Tasha and Hank's marriage, but I got to assist Alex with his directing, MC'ing, and filming it too. It was so much fun spending time & getting to know most of their relatives too, and even got a couple of them to our place! I was also glad to be home to be a support during all of life's transitions too.
Alex and I also got to film the last 2 shows of Rockin B' Ranch's 20th Anniversary Dinner Shows. What an honor that was!! (And we got to spend our courtship anniversary together, for the first time up to date). Alex also got a new winter vehicle, and we got to celebrate much venison put into our freezer, thanks to my siblings! :)
I also started working 4 days a week at the end of the month, which actually was a crazy idea, but I survived (praise God!). :) Actually, work is to blame for my falling behind on all of life and blogging...sorry guys!

November, God reminded me again (though it took a while), that His grace is sufficient..actually, that was the theme of my Autumn and Winter. In some ways, it was a little more relaxed than the previous couple months, yet, in other ways, it was just as crazy--especially work-wise. Thanksgiving week was amazing, with Alex spending a few days and relatives coming here for the holidays. It was nice to have Daniel home for a bit too.
My parents celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary, and Alex and I - our 4th official courtship anniversary. Also, we had a father/daughter / mother/son weekend after Thanksgiving-awesome memories!

December didn't have enough snow, but even so, we got some good sledding in, and even had a skiff for Christmas. I took an extended time off from work over the holidays to recoup and get my brain on straight again (it's a pretty mentally taxing job, though incredible atmosphere!!!), and enjoyed spending more time with family and friends than I had in a good while. We enjoyed lots of festivities and company too. The Hogans came at the end of December, and of course, with a household of 23, there's bound to be fun!

Looking back over the year, it was a year of transition (even with my blog). At times it was really rough--mentally, emotionally, even physically (especially with my arm injury in the Spring)...however, God proved to be faithful, and above all else, was and is everything I need. I'm so not perfect, and I've made a lot of mistakes and had to make a lot of attitude adjustments, but through  all that, I learned so much--about me, about God, about what a blessing it is to have parents like mine, and how blessed I am to have Alex (though I've known how special he is for years--even before I really knew him).

I'm looking forward to 2015, and all that it will hold for me. I'm looking forward to posting hopefully a little more regularly, and getting back into some of the old habits I used to have with posting, and maybe adding some new ones too...

Above all, I have learned more this last year what Psalms 4, 5, & 7a mean:

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for....him." ;)