Temple Trip again!

The day was windy but inside the Temple was amazing. This Temple trip I was thinking about my mission some more. I reflected on all the little tender mercies that Heavenly Father has given me as I’ve been preparing that this time at the temple the feeling was different but still the same sweet, calm, peaceful feeling. I guess I’m just so blessed right now I don’t know how to feel or explain it.

After our amazing car ride home with Mark and Rachel, Anna-Marie and I did a little shopping and then went to Brother and Sister Yost's home for a YSA movie night! We had Hawaiian Haystacks to go along with the theme of the movie, Leo and Stitch. And of course I just had to hold little Abigail! What a cutie! We had such a grad time with lots of funny commentary from Nick! Haha. You had to be there for you to laugh… sorry!

Friends and Yummy Treats!

Valentine's Day is something great but for those that don't have a significant other... it's sad. So Anna-Marie and I wanted to do something for our YSA friends. Andrew was such a trooper with helping make the brownies and such! They were so good!

Skip the main meal and just have dessert!

After church on Sunday we had a potluck. The food was just amazing, but this was the tops for me! I could not help myself from taking it in! It's like dirt pudding but better! What can I say, Anna-Maire is the best! 



It's like sledding... but better!

Every year our YSA Branch goes Tobogganing and there was no way I was going to miss it just becasue I was sick... I may have a smile on my face but my stomach sure did not. So I only went down once! But don't worry I was able to keep all my food down!

Face it. We had so much fun that you're jealous!!! Haha.

A special day to be HOME

Just yesterday, December 16th, marked Andrew's one year from being home from his mission in the Netherlands! I still remember that night at the Airport filled with tears of joy! But this year we filled the night with fun excitement! We spent it with my YSA friends! We started the night with Ice Skating and then a look at the Lights at the Zoo! We had such a fun that we had smiles on our rose colored faces!!! Too bad there wasn't any snow...!

Temple Trip

I always have a super awesome time going to the temple but this was different. I didn't just go with my siblings and/ or family but I drove down with other YSA members (Anna-Marie, Trevor, Mark and Rachel.) They are such a great group... too bad you couldn't be there with me in the car. It was great laughter and fun! Haha.  

But it doesn't matter who I go with, I can always feel the love of the Savior with me!

Relief Society: 2nd Counselor

'Relief Society stands for love. What a remarkable thing it is to witness the love of good women one for another. They mingle together in the bonds of love with friendship and respect for each other. This organization is actually the only resurce that many women have for friendly association. It is the natural instinct of women to reach out in love to those in distress and need.' -President Gordan B. Hinckey

I feel lik all of my weaknesses are going to come out right about now. On Sunday the 25th I was called to be the Relief Society 2nd Counselor of the Bowling Green University Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints! When I received this calling so many thoughts went through my head... 'Am I able to do this? I'm only 20?!!?!', How will I help the sisters in this branch?', 'Will I even be able to help them at all?' THen a powerful felling come over me to know that our Savior, Jesus Christ knows us. And with all my weaknesses I'm able to rely on Him and His understanding and His knowledge of His daughters. How truly blessed I am to know that through the quite wispers of a sincere prayer He will hear me. He will help me with this calling! To know also my sister, Anna-Marie, was called to be the Relief Society President! Anna-Marie is so caring, willing to listen, and serve. She is full of love and willing to share it. Her testimony is so storng and I look up to her all the time. She is not just a dear sister to me, she is my very best friend! As for the 1st Counselor, Rachel B. was called. She is new in the Branch this semester and is wonderful! Full of love too. She was just released from her last ward as the 1st Counselor so this is good! Plus Rachel is older than Anna-Marie and I so she will be helping (me especially) a lot! She has experience! I'm so excited to work and learn from both of these amazing women.  

'You are second to none. You are daughters of God.'

GOT WORT?

'Each of us is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny' -Gordon B. Hinckley

On my spair time this summer I spent one week with super awesome young women from the age of 12-18! I never knew this would happen so soon, but I had the opportunity to serve as a Young Women's Camp Leader for my home ward. It was different being just a year or two older then the YCL's there at camp! When I first got to the camp site so many memories of my youth came running back into my head. But this year I had to put that behind me and think of the girls I was over. They needed me and in a way, I needed them. Throughout the week we had fun - playing games - dancing - swiming at the lake - making crafts - singing songs - canoeing for miles - cooking our own meanls every day - celebrating a Birthday -making a midnight shoping run to Wal-Mart.

It was about the second day at camp and I guess word had not gotten around the camp site that I was for a fact a leader.. not a young women! I was talking to another leader when she interrupted me and said, 'I'm so sorry, I thought you were a camper!' I just laughed. I told her that even though I'm only about a half an inch taller than the girls, I'm a YSA member, and I do have my own tent!

It was such a joy being with my two girls! I will never forget the fun we had eating ice cream at DQ plus having a Real Fruit Smoothie at McD's and the amazing spiritual time we had together on the canoe trip relating eveything we saw to our life and to the gospel. Then cooking togher and being able to learn together druing the mini classes. Knowing that each of us are loveable and capable. 'Be a women of Christ. Cherish your esteemed place in the sight of God. He needs you. This Church needs you. The world needs you. A woman's abiding trust in God and unfailing devotion to things of the Spirit have always been an anchor when the wind and the waves of life were fiercest.' -Jeffrey R. Holland 

Woman—Of Infinite Worth

For the Love

February

Bing in the YSA Branch has really changed my life. For the better. I was called to be one of two Sunday School teachers! I'm was so super nervous. I felt totally inadequate... I'm one of the youngest ones in the Branch, and there are like four or five return missionaries, and I'm the one to theach them about the scriptures and the gospel of Jesus Christ?!!?! This is one big learning curve that I'll have to rely on hte Lord a lot for. But none the less, I felt peace when President Thacker set me apart. To know I'm to ba a teacher and Heavenly Father is mindful of me. He is humbling me and helping my weaknesses become my strengths, one lesson at a time! I sat down one night and watched a DVD about Joseph Smith. He had said, 'The Lord calls us in our weaknesses and qualifies us in his work.' I was able to give my first lesson on February the sixth! I had an interactive activity that went ten mins over the class time... opps! Overall, the lesson was great.

Now after church we have T to the third, Teach, Talk, and Treats! It was the 13th and having Valentine's Day the next day I wanted all the YSA to Fell The Love from me! So Anna-Marie made yummy cupcakes and I made chocolate heart molds to go on top of them! I had lots of fun staying up and doing that!

I'm so grateful for friends that live in the Coulumbus area and really close to the temple! Anna-Marie and I were not going to wake up at 4AM to get ready and go down with the YSA's to the temple. So I made arrangements to stay at a friends appartment Friday evening into Saturday. Rudi was so willing and welcoming to us. Ps. she is the best person to do your hair, make-up, and all that good stuff! Plus she is a wonderful listener, very caring and has a super cute smile! Anna-Marie made arrangements for Andrew to say with a young man in one of the wards down in the area which we found out is in Rudi's ward! I'm glad it all went well. We had a wonderful time!

On a side note, I went to our first Jr. Fair Board meeting! It was lots of fun meeting the new members and talking with the old ones like me! I'm pretty sure this will be my last. The board has given me so many leadership opportunities I will never forget.

Home Sweet Home

December

December First was week three until Andrew would come home!

The YSA Branch always has a Christmas dinner.

The Interfaith Nativity Festival was the first weekend of the month. Mom, Dad, Anna-Marie and I were able to sing in the Institute Choir. What an amazing spiritual moment to see so may nativity sets and hear the songs of Christ. When I looked out at the people it put a smile on my face to see Diana, Carrie and Joe, and his parents. Of course you can't forget FRIENDS! I love the Young Women in our Stake!!!

I was able to put some time aside to help Delores, a good friend of our family, put up her Christmas Tree! For me it was such a small service, but for her it was the world!

My family had fun attending the Wauseon Branch Christmas Party!

Finals were the week Andrew would be flying in and I was so excited because if they were after I would have not studed at all! Haha.

Five days, four days, three!!! TWO!!!

I had to work the night James, Diana's boyfriend, landed in Ohio. But when I came home it was like some big pow wow!!!

ONE more day and the house was up and moving around getting ready for Andrew to come home! Carrie, Joe, James, Diana, Anna-Marie and I had a sibs nigh at Toney Packos and visited the Toledo Art Museum! I'm positive every time I go, I get caught using flash on my camera!!! Haha. This is a clip form Andrew's last email he sent to my famliy. 'I can't wait to see more miricales the next few days, amidst our busy dinner and lucnh appointments with church members! I need to accept the fact that everybody's hosting a party specially for me and that my loving little zusters, ana-kun and sarah-kun, mama and Diana too are hleping to make the house tip-top shape for my arrival. It's a unique feeling, I hope that I can do more for each of you and help you feel happy, but this will be great!! I can't wait to meet br. James, yes? two J's: br. Joe and maybe soon to be br. James!! Quite funny I'd say!!... I can't wait to prepare for Defiance College and Wal-Mart deli??'

On Saturday, December 18th, Diana, James, Anna-Marie and I have decorated signs and were all ready for when Andrew arrived off the plane. We had to talk two vehicles to pick up Andrew! Carrie and Joe went up in their car, and Mom, Dad, Grandma, Diana, James, Anna-Marie, and I went in the van. It was so much fun going to the airport, and trying to figure out which terminal we had to go to. Carrie and Joe made it before we did but it was all one happy evening! We were able to find a wheelchair for our sweet Grandmother which I pushed her in. ;) When we saw Andrew, we were all scraming! I'm positive they called security to watch out for the massive group down in baggage clain! Haha. Here are some right before Andrew lfet to go to the MTC for a two year mission to the Belgium Brussels/ Netherlands Mission.

NOW when he returns!

So, have we changed?!!?!  

On the way home Anna-Marie and I called dibs on being with Andrew in the van!!! It was the sweetest feeling when Andrew sat in between Anna-Marie and I in the back seat! It was like old times taking road trips... Andrew had said to me right before we got home, 'Sarah, it doesn't seem like you have graduated and are in college now.' I said, 'It feels like we just picked up where we left off at... two years ago!'

That Sunday we filled two rows at church! ;) It was a tender moment having the whole family together. It was nice to have one of Anna-Marie and Is YSA friends come for work on that same weeked. She was a big help with taking pictures! We took family pictures during Sunday School but it was totally worth it!

It was kind of odd having James leave. He felt like a part of the family already. Little did we know!!! ;) He was such a trpuper with dealing with our crazy, happy, loving family that not onlly made sugar cookies, and then delivered them to neighbors and family during the Holiday, but sang at their door step! James was totally fine with that, because that is what his family does too! We had and early Christmas day for hime to open our presents for him! Diana gave hime a super cute one!

We had another visitor for the Holiday come and visit Anna-Marie and our family. Gail moved to Navada because of a job offer. She really likes it there even though we really miss her. She came to cook Indian food with us! It's the best and we were excited!

It had snowed so much during December. So Christmas Day was just a lovely day. We didn't have any expecting phone call to make since Andrew was with us now! As we woke up to sweet smells of pies and gathered downstairs to open wonderful heartfelt presents that we each gave each other. But Christmas won't be the smae if we didn't go to the American Legion to help prepare and serve meals for those that wouldn't have a meal of family to go to on Christmas Day. It has been our famliy tradition for as long as I can remember... about 15 years!

Diana and Anna-Marie were off to Utah with a car loaded of clothes, books, food, and so much more!

Thanks & Giving

November

When Andrew was set apart to be a missionary of our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints, our Stake President said for us not to count down the days.... Well I just had to put it on the clendar! November first was week seven until Andrew would come home!

Because of me working I had to miss quite a few YSA activities which I was bummed about. But there was on last Youth Dance that I just couldn't miss...! It was in Liam so it was even more important to go to. They always have the best decoration/ ideas and they still do. I was pretty ecited to see I was not the only YSA to sneak into a Youth Dance, Aaron joined in on the dance too!

Anna-Marie and I were still able to keep our tradition from High School. We would eat lunch together in the parking lot at school. So now in college we get lunch and eat it at the park! It's the cutest thing. Just imagine two young women siting in a small car in a big park parking lot eating, talking and best of all, Laughing!

It has been a goal of mine to attend the Temple every month. I enjoy spending the time with my parents, but this time my friend Mary and I were able to go together with her parents!

On Thanksgiving Day, Mom, Anna-Marie, and I were able to spend the day going through lots of tolls just to pick up Diana form the Chicago Airport! Diana had the opportunity to spend the summer with the study abroad program through BYU and went to South Africa! While she was there she hit the front page of the Dispatch!!! http://michellehsolomon.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/18-11-10.pdf

It was different being on the road for Thanksgiving, and not having Dad with us, but it was sweet to have Carrie and Joe invite us to their home before we went back home. Carrie had an amaizng meal made for all of us, plus it was good to see Joes parents too. We were on little sleep and when all of us girls get together we tend to laugh. A LOT!!! Haha.

Ab's, Abby, Abigail!

For some reason I have this amazing friend named Abigail! She was my hero when I first meet her, at Young Women's Camp. Now that we have moved on in life we each have taken directions. Abby to BYU-I and my self, I'm still at home! So that means Abby comes to visit her family. (Really to visit friends!)

  When I heard she would be coming home for the summer I was so excited! She on the other hand wasn't too excited, but it all worked out. We were able to have a party, sleepover, and attend church together. What more could you ask for?!!?! Every time Abby and I see eachother I have my camera ready for a picture. I love talking pictures and of course being in pictures! Haha. You say camera, I say cheese!!! ;)  I want to remember every memorie we have shared together! So the day before Abby left I told her we needed a picture and she just rolled her eyes and said, 'okay!' So here it is! I love you Miss. Abigai!