Thursday, August 28, 2008

It's Settled, then...

We did it!!  Tonight, McStudly and I signed aaalllllllll (I'd keep going, cause there was SO dang much, but I think you get the idea) of the paperwork, and are officially home owners!!

As of tomorrow evening, I'll get to go see it whenever I want, and starting Sunday - we're moving in!!!  It all worked out fantastically, BLESS GOD!!  And we get to move into our new home!


We're so stinking excited and can't wait to make it our own.  SO... anyone available Sunday afternoon?  I need movers AND shakers... well... more like movers and cleaners.  




AND of course, with me being the geek that I am, there are pictures.



On my way to settlement (at a light, of course):






Getting real excited!!



McStudly - following in the car behind me (he had to go straight to work right after):



It's official!  We just finished signing the papers, and Sheena took a pic for us:







And tomorrow - pics of me with our wonderful Realtor, in our new home -


Stay tuned!  ;-)

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

The Unsettling Settlement


Oh the drama of Real Estate... we may not be able to move into our new home until on or around September 12th, as opposed to our original plan of moving in this weekend.


And no - it's not our fault, or even involving our settlement. It's because of the seller's settlement with her new place, and the fact that her new home's listing agent is going on vacation after Friday. So if things don't go through with her settlement Friday morning (a very big possibility) then... the Realtor will be out of town until the 12th, and that means I won't get to move in until after she settles around that date.


Stupid stupid stupid...





The whole thing is stupid!!





Can I cry now?

Monday, August 25, 2008

Dear Seda:

I'm not quite sure where to start in response to your comment on my "Serious Pill" blog, so I guess I'll just start from the beginning. However, please be warned - I am not perfect, and I by no means understand everything that other people claiming to be Christians may believe. But this is what I believe, and I hope it makes sense, without offending you.


I want to begin by apologizing - but I'm not sure how because I can't apologize for other people, though I wish it were that simple. It breaks my heart when people are judged or outcast for whatever reason, but I have to admit I've done it myself. I'm not perfect, and I continue to struggle with this. I wish people didn't, as you say, "drive the ambulance away as soon as you see the person falling is gay or transgendered." but I'm afraid that is how some people react. And that's very unfortunate because that is NOT the kind of love that Jesus teaches us to portray.


Getting back to my other blog, though... the intent of the quote was, I believe, to encourage Christians to help people NOT to stumble, or fall, and to take more of a preventative approach (putting a fence at the top of the cliff), rather than to stand around, waiting to pick up the pieces after they have fallen (the ambulance). But you make an interesting point about the people who hop in the ambulance and speed away, instead of choosing either of the two options mentioned in the quote, depending on the kind of person that comes to the edge.


Now this is where I need you to be open minded in hearing my opinion. I don't intend to shove it down your throat, but I would really like for you to hear me out, rather than writing me off as "one of those": I do not agree with same-sex marriage, and let me explain why. I believe that marriage was instituted to be between a man and a woman. So in this belief, the relationship between two people of the same gender does not fall under this. I know you disagree, so, again, I'm not trying to shove my opinion down your throat, but I can't sit here and pretend that I believe it's ok. I DO, however, think that it's your decision. And I also believe that even though this is considered a sin in my line of beliefs, it is also not at ALL different nor held on any different level than other things we consider a sin, such as lying, stealing, etc., which many who proclaim to be Christians struggle with daily.

But I say all of this to respond to your comment saying we should write our senators and legislators asking them to legalize same-sex marriage. I wouldn't do this, though in the same respect, I'm not asking them to keep it illegal, either, and I'm not ever going to protest at a wedding, or funeral, or anything just because I disagree with something that someone else did or chose, because that's not loving people. That's judging, and the Bible is clear on this - not to point out the speck of sawdust on someone else's eye, when I have an entire log in my own (Matthew 7:3). In other words - I'm not perfect, so it would be hypocritical of me to expect anyone else to be and to worry more about other people's shortfalls then focusing on correcting my own. In other words, I will not "fight so hard" to prevent you from enjoying the rights that we ourselves take pride in. I may disagree with things, but I also won't make it a point to shove my beliefs down any one's throat. I love sharing my opinions with people, as well as hearing theirs - after all, isn't that how it's supposed to be? Isn't that how we learn and grow?


As Christians, Christ tells us to love people. If anyone can show me a verse in the Bible where he himself did these things (protesting at weddings, funerals, etc., or writing his leaders against laws being passed), or anything like them, then maybe I'll reconsider my stance on the topic. But isn't our goal, as Christians, supposed to be striving to be like Christ?


So in response to your last paragraph - it breaks my heart when I hear things like that. Your friends were granted a marriage, and then the county decided to annul it out of the blue. I can only imagine how hurt they were, and how much pain that must have caused them, and may even still cause them to this day. They've been faithful to each other for 16 years, and this, in ANY kind of a relationship (especially these days), is commendable.


I guess I say all of this (hoping it makes sense to you) to say that whether or not I agree with someone's lifestyle or decision, doesn't change the fact that I try my hardest to love them. And I fall short. I screw up. I make BIG mistakes and I judge people sometimes. It's awful, and I shouldn't do it, but I'm not perfect.


Will you do me a favor as I work even harder not to judge people in the ways you say we Christians have? As I do this, will you also try and not judge all Christians by the inconsiderate and judgemental actions of some? It hurts some of us just a much to be bunched in with a group of radical, hateful people who try to use Bible verses completely out of context to prove their point and tell people that God doesn't love them because of one reason or another.



Maybe if we both work to correct these stereotypes, then eventually people can get along a little easier. I know that sounds very "sunshine and and bunnies", but... it doesn't hurt to dream, right?


And for the record: God DOES love you and he loves every gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transsexual person JUST AS MUCH as he loves heterosexuals. So who are we to be any different?


I hope this helped and has answered your questions. If not, or if you have any more questions PLEASE feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer them as best I can. Take care!





Sincerely,
- Sarah :-)

Friday, August 22, 2008

Riddle me this...

Why don't Blind people skydive?





















...Because it scares the dogs.






ha ha ha haaa.... I need a vacation!

Serious Pill

I didn't mean to take one, today, but it seams that they must have gotten mixed up with my Happy Friday Vitamins. So today - a dose of seriousness.


I read a quote today, in reference to some shortfalls of a well-known evangelist of our day, and it sort of slapped me in the face with way more meaning than I think the writer may have intended. I'll share it with you... and then tell you what it made me think.



"As good as it is to have an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff to help the injured, it is much better to have a fence at the top of the cliff to prevent someone from going over."



Now - maybe that's not a new quote, and maybe I'm just slow off the gate with it, but... it speaks a lot to me. Let me essplain...



As Christians, sometimes we wait for God to bring them to church so that we can "love on" them. Or we wait for the Pastor to bring them to the altar so we can "pray into" their lives. Or even more still, we wait until they respect us and our beliefs before we respect them and theirs (Ouch!). So, tell me - are we being a fence, or an ambulance?



I'm sure there are a lot of other examples in our lives of when we do this, but it really caught me off guard. I'd LOVE to hear your comments and opinions on this topic... or even just the quote.






And just a little encouragement - Speak up! God may be able to hear you, but what about the world around you?

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Weekend-O-Ashley

My LOVE!! She came to town last weekend for a little teaser (becuase she'll be moving here soon... right ASH?)... and we had a BLAST!!

Here are some pics from her "birthday dinner" Friday night. It was loads of fun, though I wish we'd taken even more!!

Weekend-O-Ashley

More to come (I hope....)
.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

We Got the...



How stinking AWESOME is that?!?!


We have the home inspection today, so say a prayer for us that all goes smoothly. As of now, settlement is set for 28 August. :-D




I can't wait!!

Friday, August 15, 2008

*Fingers Crossed

So McStudly and I put an offer on another house, last night (after a very long, high stress week, that is), and we're currently waiting on pins and needles for the reply.

I just got a call from Sheena (our Realtor) and she let me know that she sent over all of the paperwork last night, and confirmed receipt with the Seller's Agent. So... here we go again.


We're super excited about this place (both of us are!). It will need a little TLC to make it our own, but it's such a great starter place. We love it! And the only real TLC it will need outside of updating the kitchen counters and appliances is to remove the wallpaper in the bathroom upstairs (and it even has a matching shower curtain! nice...) and paint there, the the master bedroom, and... that's probably it.


I'm so anxious to find out. Here's to hopin'!






(... and you wouldn't mind sayin' a little prayer for us, would ya? Yeah... I didn't think so. Thanks, guys. You're the best!)

Friday, August 8, 2008

Through my eyes

The 4th of July, according to me:









The makings of...

A picture with my Husband...






He just can't wait that extra second until the flash goes off.  SHEESH!  But... if I'm REALLY lucky... I just might get a good one:







Well, it's about time!!

Take it Down a Notch

There is SOO SOO much crud in today's news. And by today, I mean literally today - 8 August 2008. I mean, we've got war brewing between Russia and Georgia (no, dear friend of mine, who shall remain nameless... not Georgia the US State, it's a country), Israel is gearing up for something with Iran, AND there's a man near Atlanta that killed his daughter, calling it an "honor killing", because she was unhappy with her marriage.





OY!!





So let's move on to some WAY more positive things, like...



My dear friend ASHLEY!!!





She's my best friend in the WHOLE wide world. The only bummer? That little turd moved to Georgia 2 years ago and left me here! I know, right?! What was she thinking? Who KNOWS what she was thinking! But, she may be moving back soon! I miss her SO SO Much!! I can't WAIT!! I haven't seen her since the beginning of this year, and that was hardly a visit!




Let me tell you a little about Ashley and I -


When we first met, we wanted NOTHING to go with each other! It's pretty funny, actually. She thought I was a snob, and I thought she was a angst-ridden bad girl with pink hair (yes, she really had pink hair at the time). THEN our parents made us hang out. She came over to my house one evening, and while our parents hung out, we were down stairs "getting to know each other". We had a BLAST!! It was fantastic. And honestly? We've been practically inseperable ever since.

When she still lived in MD, I was over her house... what... like every weekend? That's not even an exaggeration. Just ask my parents! I went on a family vacation with her family! It was AWESOME! (and boy do we have some good stories from that trip)




I miss her something TERRIBLE!! We have a relationship that is SO different from any other. Seriously - I'll be talking to her on the phone and say something, catching Kyle TOTALLY off guard and causing him to say something like "Babe - you can't say that to people! She'll get upset and not want to talk to you. You don't want that to happen!", but it doesn't phase her. And it's the same with me! We can totally call each other out on things, and we're not offended.




How many friends do you have like that?




I absolutely love her. I wish she was here. I miss her so much and I just wish she could be here and happy again. Isn't it hard seeing someone you love unhappy? It's awful. And I want her to be happy again. She's such a dear friend to me, and I only hope that I can be so dear to her. I just wish she could be Ashley again soon. Because I miss my best friend.






Ashley, Come BACK!!!! Come back and be happy agian!!











... please?

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Your Mission...


... should you choose to accept it ...





Is to help me find this year's Halloween Costume (yes, I'm starting early, but I need all the time I can get, and lots of help!!).



Here are the top three things I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to be for Halloween:


#1 - Rainbow Bright. The problem I keep running into is finding a version of the costume that isn't called "Sexy Rainbow Bright". Yes - I'd like to be the plain ol' regular Rainbow Bright, if you don't mind. BUt I suppose I could always buy this one and wear shorts under it, if worse-came-to-worse.



#2 - A Fraggle. Yes - any character from Fraggle Rock, really, but I can't find ANYTHING!! Not a THING! I've only found t-shirts when characters on them, and that's just not good enough.


#3 - A Snork. Unfortunately, more people were deprived as children and do not even know what the Snorks are! Please oh PLEASE someone has GOT to help me find a costume. It's our only hope!!




Okay - that's that. PLEASE let me know if you find ANYTHING!! And... the cheapest version, of course, would be most helpful!








Toodles!

God and the Post Office

I got this in an e-mail today (it didn't actually happen to me), but I just thought I'd share it because it's so stinking cute - and makes me happy that some people still have a heart!



"This is one of the kindest things I've ever experienced. I have no way to know who sent it, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the US postal service.


Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:



Dear God,


Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.


I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her. You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.


Love, Meredith.



We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith, and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.


Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith' ....in an unfamiliar hand writing. Meredith open ed it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies'. Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:



Dear Meredith,


Abbey arrived safely in heaven.


Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.


Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.


Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.


I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.


By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.


Love, God"

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

No Go

Just to keep you all updated...


We didn't get the house. They accepted someone else's offer. So.. back to the drawing board!

Busy-Body ol' Biddies!




Let me just say this -






You know who you are and you are making my life miserable. Just becuase you smell poop, and my dog is the only one you see, does NOT mean that it is his poop you are smelling.




And with that - jsut because you smell poop (even if it WAS my dog's) does NOT mean you call my landlord and tell her about it. Perhaps - did you forget to think about the 5 million people in our neighborhood who do NOT clean up after their dogs? Whereas you actually see us cleaning up after him? Did you forget that everything friggin poops? And it MIGHT Not even be POOP that you smell? and WHO has to go back inside their HOUSE just becuase they smell POOP? WHO DOES THAT?!








You need a hobby... and no, babysitting me and my family is not a hobby - it's a sickness. So go TAKE A PILL!








Thank you. I really hope you sleep well at night.












Can you TELL I'm a bit angry today?? For those of you wondering why I'm so steamy, just know this - I got an awful e-mail from my Landlord (yes... yes I said e-mail) today, and it's really not cool. So... there... that's why.














UGH!!!!

Monday, August 4, 2008

Just a lil' Update

Okay - jsut to keep you all informed -


Kyle and I put an offer on a house yesterday... just a little townhome that we think wil lbe perfect for us, after a little paint and "sweat equity".


So we're on edge, waiting on pins and needles... just waiting for the word. If these people jsut accept it, it'd be the best deal ever!! But if not, I'm sure hoping they at least counter-offer with a deal that's still really good.





Here's to hoping, right?!

;-)

Friday, August 1, 2008

A Hunting We Will Go


I submit that I may just have the funniest family.  It is comprised of myself, my husband (aka McStudly), and my Pup - Austin.



They are, as we speak, actively "hunting" for flies.


Yes... together...





It's hysterical, and if I could video tape it without McStudly noticing, you, too, would probably die laughing, as I have been for the past 10 minutes.  The best part?  McStudly will find the fly, and "point" it out to Austin (he's trying to teach him to lift his leg when he "points" and thinks that by doing it Austin will pick up on it), and when Austin sees the fly, he jumps right AT the WALL trying to catch it, without a care in the world about how badly that jump could end.

And now - Austin waits until McStudly "points" out the flies.  This really is a sight to behold.






Oh boy do I love them.


And just to hold you over until I can get a picture or video of them hunting, here is a picture from their last hunting endeavor.  Do you see Austin waiting patiently in the background for the queue to pounce?  Yeah.  He's a beast.


Nachoooo

Okay - so I finally saw Nacho Libre a few weeks ago, and I have to admit...



It wasn't nearly as funny as I thoght it would be, BUT I'm thinking it's going to be one of those Napoleon Dynamite type movies, where it's more fun to watch with a big group of people, and then quote it later.




So - good times were still had by all.



And for the record - I still have nightmares about those scary little lion-cub looking thingies. They remind me of Gremlins!



=


So they dont' look EXACTLY like them, but really - they're still freaky!