2012 In Pictures

Happy 2013!

An evening filled with laughter, friends, family, LOTS of food, and a midnight toast has once again welcomed in a new year. As the clock was ticking, glasses were clinking, I began thinking about this past year, what I've accomplished, not accomplished, and what I have yet to accomplish. I also reflected on things I've learned as well as the blessings of 2012! Here are just a few:

I graduated from college. Enough said.

I was accepted to U of R and followed my gut that this was what I needed to do.

I moved out of Georgia for the first time in my life to a state that I fell in love with some two years before. However, I do miss the mountains and my family every day.

           



  I lost 35 pounds this past year.

 My photography was displayed along with my Dad's at the Georgia Capital. We were two of the 28 chosen out of 100 entries. Photograph: My Dad with Gov. Nathan Deal.


 Our work was also shown in an exhibit at a gallery after our work was selected.

 I started an amazing relationship with Cad in June 2012. We knew each other throughout undergrad, ran into each other this summer, and the rest is history. I've gained someone that I love dearly who treats me the way a girl should be treated, as well as a person who makes me unbelievably happy.


I also learned how to freehand a super creepy pumpkin.

 I've also gained a second family that I love dearly as well! :)

I watched my grandfather go from being extremely sick, losing half a foot, go through chemo, and then return back to work at 85 years old. Strong as an ox? I believe so.

I've gotten closer to my Aunt, which is a huge blessing to me. Her humbleness continues to teach and amaze me! And in case you were wondering, this was our costumes for the medieval fair at her school. :)

I've become more confident in my faith, but not in a conventional manner.

 (Brooklyn Bridge Picture- My Uncle on my Dad's side was apparently an avid photographer. Didn't know this until I ran across an old portfolio of his)

I've learned more about my family. For example, we were always told that part of my family immigrated from Alsace-Lorraine but after a little digging on my part (kudos to ancestory.com), I found out that we are German. Very. Very. German. My grandfather's father always told us that we were not of German ancestry during World War II. Another tid bit of information (one that will be researched in depth shortly), my grandmother's side of the family were some of the first settlers over to America. A relative (I believe great+ grandfather) owned land in James City County, Virginia as well as the James Geddy house in Colonial Williamsburg.

I got to feel the true impact of music on others. My last Chamber Singers tour was all around Florida, and I roomed with some of the most wonderful ladies I've ever met in my life that week. We stayed up every night praying and just being there for each other. Also, our tour this past year was based on remembering others whether they had departed by death, or even removed themselves from our lives. After my last tour performance with Chamber Singers, the pastor of the church came up to my choir director in tears. He told our director that he had lost his wife of many, many years just 2 days before and that our music brought him comfort and understanding.

 
I watched very, very dear friends of mine get married, some to each other, and others I did not know but have formed new friendships with.

Oh, and my beautiful cousin got engaged on Christmas Eve...

....As well as this this wonderful couple! :)

I've met a few really wonderful people since I moved to VA! :)

I've gained Rusty & Yoda as surrogate pets. Yoda is quite the cuddle bug and likes to be carried around in a baby sling. Rusty likes to sit up around my shoulders and eat waffle syrup.

Below is Yoda helping me celebrate my 23rd birthday.

And last, but certainly not least, what has stayed constant through this year (as well as every year of my life)? My parents. I am so thankful for their love, support, health, and technological savvy-ness so we can FaceTime and Skype when I'm in Virginia!

 Not pictured:

 I've learned companionship, how to vacuum a ceiling (I'm not kidding), how to stay more organized, and to always check the cinnamon roll tube for the frosting container. Frosting metal baked into a cookie sheet at 9am on a Saturday morning is not always the best wake up call.

While accomplishments are amazing goals and move you forward (which is extremely important and things you should be absolutely proud of), remember to not get too caught up in your accomplishments that you forget what and who blesses you daily, what shapes you, and what molds you into who you are, whether that be the discoveries of your family history, looking up to people in or out of your family, people who enter and bless your life, and/or the continuing support and love of family. My goal this year is to be more humble, try to count my blessings more, and try to make more of a difference to others. What's yours?

Happy 2013!

-SN

Thanksgiving.

Georgia. Home.


I've always listened to the distant chatter of people looking forward to going home and spending the week with their family who were far away from home. I've always listened to the songs that dwindle in melancholy chords and ring homesickness during the holidays, but I've never understood the meaning of their tune.


I guess I've never understood what it meant to come home.


I left for Lexington late Thursday night to drive home with Cad on Friday after he got out of class. We had a blast driving down to Georgia, cutting up, drinking cheap pumpkin cappuccinos, listening to con law as I worked on a test as we laughed and talked all the way home. We stopped about 45 minutes away from home to eat a much needed Italian meal with my parents. I swear that Cad had not even fully parked until I dashed out of the car to see them! We enjoyed a wonderful dinner, much anticipated conversation with my parents, and of course, an amazing slice of cheesecake. When we got into the car to finish our journey, our anticipation to be home was building. I cannot even explain my feelings when we hit the Georgia line. I certainly felt a rush of home that I have not ever felt before.

We went straight to Cad's house to drop him off with his stuff, which was defiantly my first feeling of finally being home! I received much anticipated hugs and exclamations of excitement from his family, which was something that I was counting down to. The feeling of 'missing' is sometimes the most difficult feeling to endure, but when you are face to face with people you cherish, every feeling of 'missing' seems to melt away.


And then there was the moment that I walked through my front door, suitcase in one hand, jacket in the other.


Home.



So, my point of all of this? This Thanksgiving, I am so thankful for being home with my family.


However, thankfulness does not stop there.


I'm thankful for my family and my family's health. My parents have been unbelievably supportive, loving, and have set amazing examples for me my entire life, and I could not be more thankful for the parents that I know as two of my best friends. I do not know what I would do without them. Also, the past few years my grandfather has been very ill, but this Thanksgiving, while he is missing half a foot and has cancer, he is back to work and as spry as a spring chicken.



I'm thankful for my Aunt who has taken me in while I finish my education at U of R. She is unbelievably loving, kind, and is a role model to me. Her generosity and humbleness (not to mention, her sense of humor) is constantly something that I seek for within myself. I am also thankful for her patience, especially following my sleepwalking incident where I apparently left the water running in the middle of the night!


I am thankful for Cadman. His love, companionship, listening ear, and ability be as goofy as I am are things that I cherish deeply. I am also thankful for his ability to teach, especially when I feel like I do not have a grasp on something that I am learning, or there is something that I am interested that he is more knowledgeable at than me. Oh, not to mention his patience with me when I go on a cleaning spree, eat all of the parmesan cheese, or am as cold as an igloo, which is 99.9% of the time.


I am thankful for the Cad's family and their continued love and support. His siblings and parents are some of the most wonderful, loving people that I know.


I am thankful for being employed at Murphy & McGonigle. I work with some of the most amazing, kind people and their knowledge of the legal profession provides me with a chance to learn something new everyday.


I am thankful for the professors that I have, Schola Cantorum, and the friends that I have made at the University of Richmond. Schola has given me the chance for an outlet, new friends, and music 3 days a week, which I seriously think that I would go crazy without. U of R is an amazing, challenging school with professors that push me further and further, and for that, I am grateful.



I am thankful for the friends that have stayed in touch from back home. I don't know what I would do without them! I am also thankful for the friends that I have made in Virginia in general and the ones that I've known before I moved up here. 


Last, but certainly not least, I am thankful for my faith and the freedom to express it. I am generally a very private person about my relationship with God, but I could not imagine not having Him in my life.  Faith is a very cherished and deep thing for me, and I am thankful for a God who understands and forgives me where I falter.



 While we look forward to the stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans, turkey (or tofurkey...just kidding), remember to be thankful for the people who surround your table, your faith, freedom, your friends, family that is not present, and blessings that you have received in your life. Make sure that the people who matter to you know it, that you never take anything for granted, and that humbleness and thankfulness is not a seasonal occurrence, but an everyday thing, even when times get hard.

Cherish the tunes of coming home for the holidays. I know that they mean more to me now than ever before. 



Happy Thanksgiving,
Sarah

DIY

Ok, so this is a break from my typical posts- Have fun & enjoy!

I had an idea to get a couple of large cardboard letters and try to make them look kinda old, so I went to Joanne's Craft Store and purchased the large cardboard letter for $8 and the small one for $4. In addition, I bought white and antique acrylic paint (the antique will have hues of yellow and a little bit of brown), a paddle sponge, various scrapbook supplies (bling, bling, and more bling), and plain ol' glue.

Step one: Grab glue and make designs all over the cardboard! Make sure that the glue is raised so it has texture when you paint the letters. I grabbed a pillow of mine that matches my bedding to try to replicate the pattern so that the letters would tie into my decor. In addition, make sure that you figure out a place that you want to cluster all of the scrapbook stuff. Do not put glue in this area- it will be insanely difficult to get anything to stick!

Another angle of the "S." Once again, make sure the glue is raised!

Wait for the glue to dry...fun, I know.
Continue to wait for the glue to dry.
And continue waiting for the glue to dry.


Once the glue has dried (snore),  place your white paint and antique paint side by side. take the sponge paddle paint thingy, and dab right in between the two. Make sure that you do not dab the paint on thick.

After you have used the two paints combined, take the white paint and dab over the first layer. After that, take the antique paint and just accent the areas of glue. After the paint has mostly dried, take a sheet of newspaper and rub it all over the letters. You will have some areas of grayish shading, which gives it that antique-y look! :)

 When the paint has dried (snore again), get ready to add the fun stuff! I took 3 flowers ($2), a pack of gold scroll-y things ($3), button pearls ($2), and bling ($3) to design the bottom of my N! Make sure you design before you stick.






Below is the finished product! They look super cute on a dresser, shelf, or wall (make sure you use command strips)!

Have fun!!

Happy Creating!

Sarah

Right & Wrong Threads

Things shake us. Things change. And it's beautiful either way. 

I started to think about  this as I drove to Lexington for an emergency visit last week with the windows rolled down, the mountains greeting me as I left the city, and the sight of dense fog over the river with the sun filtering through. The red tail lights intruded on this beautiful scene.

Life isn't always the script we had written out as children, as high schoolers, as college kids, or even as it was written in our minds the day before. Everything hangs like a tiny thread balancing inside hole of a needle; it could stitch everything together, or it can slip away, unable to be rethreaded again. 

I'm a full believer that everything happens for a significant reason, and when everything falls into place the way it should, you are able to look back at everything that went right, everything that went wrong, even the wise words that you ignored from your parents when you were younger suddenly ring true, and everything that is right, wrong, and suddenly true make everything around you beautiful. 

How beautifully we are flawed.

How beautiful are the moments that went right.

How beautiful are the things that went wrong.

                      How beautiful are the moments when we are so thankful that things went wrong.

And how glorious the moment that we realize that life continues, either way. 

I remember the feeling of receiving good news during said emergency and being thankful that everything that could have gone wrong, didn't. I thought of every single aspect of my life for the past four years that stitched me up to this day. 

Specifically, this very moment of relief.

In a brief recap, I looked back at everything that went wrong, everything that went right, every decision that I made, every decision that was made for me, moving to Tallulah, going to PC, traveling to the place that changed view of my life and what I wanted to do with it, falling in love with Virginia, moving to Richmond, choosing the legal field over counseling, and choosing to go to U of R put me exactly where I needed to be in this very single second of this very single day of September. These few moments of reflection showed the interweaving of all of the threads that God placed in my life and how they came together so perfectly. 

I know there is more to experience, more to learn, more to see, but it is amazing to me how one moment can show you just how beautiful everything that was right and wrong can suddenly be shown in a somewhat flawed, yet beautiful tapestry.

While things are painful that are wrong, and the moment of things that are right can diminish quickly, take a minute to reflect on the threads in your life. Some are wrong, some are going to be right, but all have a purpose. All have a reason.

And when you realize the reasons why, be thankful that whatever was right and wrong stitched you to this moment. Caution: Reality might slap you in the face.

Happy Weaving,

Sarah 

Virginia thus far...

I apologize for not keeping up in the last couple of weeks! It has been a little hectic with moving, working for a week, figuring out Virginia, and getting used to a new school, all within the last three weeks! I'm currently in the middle of writing my first inner office memorandum for my litigation class (certainly one of my favorites)!  I have reached the point of a deep batter, extra crispy, brain fried state, but I still have to pack to skedaddle to Lexington for the weekend. :D Therefore, I will enlighten you on a few things that I've learned about Virginia in the past couple of weeks.

A. Two words: Road Reflectors.

I have learned just how difficult Virginia roads are to drive on during the rain, early morning fog, and at night. Combine all of the mentioned conditions, and what do you get without road reflectors? A blind bat navigating a 3,000 lb vehicle from Georgia. I'm not even slightly kidding.

Most of us from Georgia make fun of drivers from Florida (anyone reading this that is from Florida, I sincerely apologize, but unfortunately, it is true), and now I know why we make fun of people from different states on the road. I've already been yelled at by a man in an old, beat up Cadillac in Lexington from turning on an unmarked one way street. Awesome. I've spun around Richmond trying to find the right road and how to properly get on I-95. Merging on and getting off of the loops on the  interstate has already caused nightmares, which yes, this includes when I have to merge onto I-95 in downtown Richmond.  At night, I have to put on my eyeballs, get behind a car with bright red lights, and follow them as much as I can.  I'm getting used to it, but I promise that reflectors would make life so much easier.

Richmond Traffic > Atlanta Traffic
I think I could drive in a Grand Prix after driving through there a couple of times.
Also I've learned to NOT program my GPS to avoid toll roads. It is worth the $0.70 that they charge you to travel on a safe road. I promise.

B. The University of Richmond is probably the most beautiful campus I've ever seen in my life. I love running there, strolling around campus, etc. Everywhere I turn, there is something different, including nutella gelato at the Passport Cafe. Any school that includes nutella on the menu has my full support!

C. My classes are fascinating, challenging, and are fueling my passion for law even further. There are so many aspects to law that I didn't even know that I would begin to find interesting! For example, even though my brain is fried and extra crispy, this mock memo has been a blast to write. I had my first Judicial System class tonight, and not only was my professor dynamic, but she also included the history of law into her lecture. I was hooked all the way through! My litigation class covers the psychology of clients and witnesses, how to prepare a conference room for interviews including where to sit, what color the room should be, and how to draft memos, pleadings, interrogatories, etc. Legal research will most likely be my most challenging class because of the various case numbers, but all the reason to work harder at it. Intro to paralegal law gives me the chance to argue, which I forgot that I knew how to do pretty well.  Also, I decided to audition for Schola Cantorum, which is already providing me with an outlet. I absolutely love it!

D. Virginia is gorgeous. Everywhere I have been thus far (Richmond, Lexington, and Williamsburg) has its own element of beauty that is captivating. Richmond has beautiful rivers, Lexington really does remind me of home with the mountains and valleys, and Williamsburg has an old beauty that I love, such as cobblestone walkways and streets, original structures, etc.


So, did I make the right decision to move to Virginia? Yes. Yes I did. I absolutely love living here, being in the company of my aunt, having the boyfriend in Lexington, making new friends, having friends already here, and yes, even exploring the roads of Virginia in the daylight hours without rain or fog.

Take a leap of faith- a net will catch you no matter what you decide!

Until next time (hopefully sooner than 3 weeks),
Sarah

2 Weeks of Settling.

Well, everyone, I'm finally in Richmond! The chaos started Friday night when my wonderful Dad and I started to pack the Mountain Shark (his Tacoma) and when the most bravest man of them all came to my house to tackle my closet- Cadman. We huffed, puffed, and color coordinated everything into black plastic trash bags only to stack them up in the Black Pearl (my RAV4). I had to say goodbye to his family and the office on Friday, which was nothing short of heart wrenching, but thankfully, I get to see everyone over Labor Day weekend.

Moving is stressful, scary, terrifying, horrible, and absolutely annoying as all get out. I'm not one to moan and groan, but between dumping my stuff in Richmond to running down to Williamsburg to work for a week has been slightly stressful and really scary. While stressful, scary, terrifying, horrible, and as absolutely annoying moving is, it certainly has its perks. I get to become closer to my aunt, which I've always wanted, I have wonderful friends in this area (not to mention the brave man who tackled my closet),  a campus that is so beautiful that it is jaw dropping, a choice of churches around to look at attending, two wonderful, supporting families even at a distance, art museums to get lost in, a ton of libraries, music events, and just a lot of potential to explore in general. While I am slightly frazzled, stressed, and extremely tired, I am looking forward to the opportunities that I will chase. But for this week, I am going to teach, try to relax some at the best coffee shop in Williamsburg, spend my time with two great friends of mine, and get used to living in Virginia.

Did I mention trying to drive with all of these different traffic laws? Sheesh.

Anyways, I apologize for such a short, slightly uneventful post, but I have a long day ahead that includes saying goodbye to my two best friends (yes, my parents) as they head back to Georgia.

As I've said, never forget those who help you get to and reach your goals. God, your family, and true friends will always hold you and push you far above your goals and potential.

Until later this week,
Sarah

Moving Forward & to Virginia.

I was going to write this tomorrow, but my never ending list of last minute things is interrupting my writing flow. I apologize for the short, bittersweet post!

Well, about a year ago today, I thought I had said goodbye to 

the possibility of moving to Virginia. Now I am leaving early

Saturday morning for a new adventure in Richmond, Virginia, 

and I couldn't be more excited and nervous at the same time! I 

will be stopping in Richmond for the weekend, booking it to 

Williamsburg for a week, and then making a trip to Lexington 

to spend a week with Cad. I will also, hopefully, be making a 

short flight back down to Atlanta to meet Governor Deal who 

will have my photography, as well as my Father's amazing 

photography, hanging in his office area! I'm so excited and

nervous for the weeks to come!

The following is from my Dad with regards to moving. He always 

sneaks a post on my wall when a major life event is about to take 

place. I, of course, was sitting at my boyfriend's house, on the 

couch, minding my own business, and started tearing up when I 

saw this! Ah!



And yes....this is me at about 10 months comparing my tummy to 

the size of the pumpkins. 

Even before we moved here in August 2003, Sarah was never too far from Rabun County. Somewhere in a photo album we have a picture of Carol during a picnic at Black Rock Mountain State Park -- two days before we discovered she was pregnant with Sarah. This picture was taken at a roadside stand between Clayton and Tallulah Falls (does "Fiddle Creek" sound familiar to our Rabun friends?) on our way back to Buford.

In a few days, Sarah will move to Virginia to continue her education at the University of Richmond. We were more fortunate than many parents since Sarah completed her undergrad at Piedmont College just 20 miles away from home. Sure, she was in the dorm and had her own apartment, but she wandered in and out of the house at random over those four years. We will miss that terribly, but are thankful for iPhones, webcams, Skype and FaceTime.

Sarah will probably never again live in Rabun County. We hope for long visits as she completes her education and begins her career, but days under our roof will henceforth always be numbered. This is difficult to grasp and accept, but we are proud of Sarah's accomplishment and her direction.

Thank-you to all our friends in Rabun County who accepted and embraced Sarah (and us) when we move here 9 years ago. Rabun is home and I'm sure Sarah will never be too far away, in spirit if not in presence.

Moving on and forward is scary, invigorating, and exciting all at the same time. For those of you making a large, mediocre, or very tiny move in your life, always remember the people who helped you get there, whether it be a positive or negative influence! :)

Until Williamsburg, Virginia,

Sarah