A hop, skip and a jump.

April

What a month this has been! The Lord is really getting to me, for the better! With lots of prayers I can say, I'm in good health! I was scheduled to work on April 2, yes, and General Conference weekend. I kept telling myself to find someone else who could work for me but I settled for the thought, I can watch it on a later day. I went to work Saturday morning expecting to arrive home around 8:30- 9pm that night. I now know why you don’t miss your church meetings, because bad things happen to you! I had slipped on some water that was on the floor in the kitchen of the restaurant. I was caring some bowls and when I slipped the bowls fell and I fell on the bowls which of course broke. I got a pretty big cut on my arm, and hit my knee so bad I had to go to the ER. Talk about totally embarrassment in front of all the people I wok with… But I have to be grateful for caring workers that helped me in saying, ‘Sarah it’s going to be okay’ and ‘Okay Sarah, you need to breath in through your nose and blow out of your moth.’ When the EMS came with great personnel they asked me who they could call, I knew my family would be returning home from the chapel and my dad and Andrew would not be home till later that night because they would be at the Priesthood session of General Conference, so I told the EMT’s that my dad would be in a church meeting and I don’t want to bother him and I didn’t know if my mom would be home yet. When I arrived to the hospital I then felt like no one would be with me… until I said a silent prayer and knew I would have the sharp pain in my knee for just a short time. In a short while my dad appeared before my eyes! I find it so odd, but the first words out of my mouth were, ‘Sorry you had to come and leave Priesthood meeting.’ My dad was so caring and shortly after two wonderful caring girls from work stopped in to make sure I was okay and not alone. They tried so hard to make me laugh but I hurt so bad… Haha. By 10:45 pm my mom had then come, I had finished signing my name on the paper work, the nurse had washed my cuts, the Doctor glued my arm. At 11 pm I was able to leave with a wrapped arm, an immobilizer brace on my leg and crutches. This was not what I planed on doing at the beginning of the day!

I was on crutches up until Wednesday the 20th. This all has been my first time and I hope it will be my last! What an ordeal it comes down to not working when you should be attending your church meetings. I’ve been humbled with all of this. Follow-up appointments with the Doc., going back to work not as a Runner, but as a worker who had to have a sit down job which only means eyeing/ pealing potatoes and pealing labels off of jars, and best of all, using the elevator to go to and from my classes which is not located in a convenient area on campus! Fun stuff! I may still not fully understand why this happened to me, but to know no matter what happens I’ll be a better person through all of this!

I heart 5K’s and Temples

I was so excited to watch and cheer on Carrie as she ran a 5K on The OSU campus. She put a lot of hard work and effort into doing this. I was so excited to see her every time she passed me!!! At the very end I got her time… I thought it was way super good, but what do I know. I really don’t do races. I just do little jaunts up and down our road. ;)

Carrie and I were fully loaded after the race and were both able to go to the Temple. Little did I know the youth that were going were in our stake!!! Oh how I love the Perrysburg Ward Youth! It was just the Priest and Laurels with a few others that joined along. As I was talking to a few of them, you can see their great determination and eagerness to succeed in life as one young man in particular told me about his plans after HS. He is so excited to attend BYU for a semester or so and then serve a two year mission for our church. I know he is prepared to ‘Preach My Gospel’.

Happy

Congrats Anna-Marie!

In the year 2008 Carrie was in her cap and gown walking into the gymnasium as the first of our family members to graduate with her Bachelors Degree. Now as an alumni of Bowling Green State University she and the rest of our family was able to watch Anna-Marie in her cap and (Carries gown!) walk into the same gymnasium as the second to graduate from BGSU! Anna-Marie was eager for the day to come, that she jumped for joy at the end of the ceremony!

As friends in the YSA Branch we took a road trip to Kirtland, Ohio. In the mist of getting lots, making illegal turns, having a picnic and a bit of acceleration to the peddle, our group had a wonderful time viewing Historic Kirtland for the day and feeling the sweet spirit of THE Ohio!

It seems to me that weddings are all about planning! And I love it!! The Jones family will soon meat the Pratt's. We're taking a road trip to Utah!

March Happiness

March

Happy 26th Birthday Carrie!!!

As the snow still falls... when will spring come?!!?! The weather has been totally crazy, I'm calling it Global Cooling!

Diana was ablet to sing in the choir for the CES Fireside on the sixth. http://bcove.me/dlv87hva It was such an awesome sight to see when the camera went on her!!! Plus the music was just amazing!!!

Spring Break with out the spring. It was an awesome time not stressing myself too much with class work! The BG Relief Society invited the YSA to their Relief Society Brithday. It was filled with great food and wonderful women!

They not only invited us YSA, but also the BG Young Women! Makinzing and I are buddy duddies!!!

I was able to talk for quite some time with the BG Sister! They are just so super. Full of the love and understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Their familys are so blessed to have them in their lives.

As that week came to an end, Andrew, Anna-Marie and I were so excited to spend the weekend with Carrie and Joe! We spent some quality time talking and enjoing each other by simply having dinner together at Casa Lupita. Andrew loved speaking spanish to our waiter and I enjoyed telling hime about where I went when I went to Mexico the summer of 2010! He knew the places and were I went! It was great! When we got done, Andrew was prepared with a mormon.org pass along card and shared it with him! It really is fun sharing the gospel to others! When we got back to Carrie and Joe's we watched a funny movie! It was so gerat to laugh and have no one tell you to mello down!  

Andrew, Anna-Marie and I went onto BGSU Campus to watch Annie at her vocal resital. Then we went with Allison to have an early dinner at Panera Brad and just chated and enjoyed our time! When it came time to leave, we went to view Amy's photos at an Art show! Have I said yet that I love YSA?!!?!

Amy is a convert of the Chruch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has a wonderful testimony of the gospel and is willing to sahre the gospel in any way she can. So she shared it through her photos!

We all had lots of fun looking at the different kind of art. We are standing in front of quitips that were molded in different shapes! Carzy cool!

Anna-Marie was reconized in making the Bowling Green State University Deans List at an Open House on campus. We were so excited for her! She has made it so far! May seventh she will be graduating!!! Whoot! Whoot!

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.

It's A Brand New Year!

January

Happy 23rd Birthday Andrew!!!

Every year people make a goal or goals and never keep with them. Why is that? I found an awesome talk that Elder M. Russel Ballard had given to the Salt Lake Area Young Adults, 'I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don't set goals in our life and learn how to master the technique of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look bcak on our life only to see that e reached but a small part of our full potential. When one learns to master the principle of setting a goal, he will then be able to make a great difference in the results he attains in this life.' http://lds.org/ensign/1983/06/do-things-that-make-a-difference?lang=eng&query=goals Well, I'm just going to say it, this totally applies to me! I think we being humans give up on ourselves way to much and too often. We shouldn't knock ourselves down, but build ourselves up in our good works. This year I made the goal to... you know... walk... run... okay loss weight! Haha. I know what your thinking. WHAT?!!?!  I'm sure I won't because I'm just not that kind of person, but I thought I would give it a try, see if I could really eat less sugar, or actually go out walking. I guess we will see if I actuall make a difference in my life. Will it even effect me? Will it effect those around me?

It was wonderful being able to meet up with my very best friend Abigail! We had a wonderful time eating at a cute little place in BG called Campus Pollyeyes and just talking about life!

After Chirstmas and all of  our famliy and friends leaving, we were pretty mello jello! Except we were pilled with lots of snow which caused Dad to work super early in the mornings and late at night! We have never had our old stump covered before!!!  

My family had a late Christmas get together. But we had a wonderful time going to the Temple before hand. It was our first time going with Andrew in two years! While being with my cousins, I was able to be read to by one of them from a shark book! It was awesome!

Classes are full swing for Spring Semester! Andrew and I started the same day so he drove me to class. But since his class time starts bfore mine I had to wake up extra early... :/ But I still have a smile on my face!!!

Having a brother isn't too bad, it is really lots of fun! But now I have two, Andrew and Joseph Gunther. And that's not bad either. But now three?!!?! That's right, if I have three then that means someone is getting married!!! Diana is engaged which means I now have three super awesome brother!!! Andrew, Joe, and James! My family figuared it would happen. We just didn't know when, and boy was it a suprise!!! It was in the evening and Diana called us asking if the whole family was there. Why would a sibling be asking if the whole family was home?!!?! Haha.Someting was going on... we all had a super big smile on our faces as we had Diana, James, Carrie and Joe one speaker phone! What an exciting time in Diana's life and in all of ours. Let the planning begin. And as Dad said, 'Two down, three more to go!'

Being in the YSA Branch is just so much fun! I enjoy every one of them. Plus they make the activites fun! Like when we went Tobogganing!!! It was so super cold, but it was worth it!!!

 After we went down the hill/ slide three times we ate pizza! We chated with Amy and her friend Trent!

Andrew was undesided if he would go but Anna-Marie told him he had to and was truly grateful for her encouragement because he saw (Elder) Jeremy Harper! Andrew was Jeremy's MTC Zone Leader! It was awesome meeting someone from Andrew's mission!!!

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.