the year in review.

Friends. 2010 is quickly taking it's bow. Final curtain call. Wow. What an incredible, crazy, awesome, scary year. Here's my year in review:

10 - (or more) orders I've placed on Amazon.com in 2010. I think I have a problem.

9 - number of days I got to spend with my family for Christmas this year

8 - number of mornings I actually got up and made it to Boot Camp. In August. Thanks humidity... you're for the birds.

7 - number of times I cried when my 14-year old, Maggie, died.

6 - the AM hour I was standing on South Congress with my Aunt and Uncle to cheer my cousin, Blair, in his first half marathon!

5 - number of goals I set here and actually kept.

4 - total number of times I dealt with moving boxes this year.

3 - number of trips I went on this year! New York to celebrate ringing in 2010 with some of my best friends. St. Lucia with family and friends to play and witness my cousin getting married! Denver on a much needed girls trip with my best friend!

2 - number of Bucket List items I've crossed off this year :: concert at Red Rocks and seeing the Eagles play live.

1 - undeserved, humble, blessed, convicted, amazed servant of God that can't wait to grow more in love with Him and live out each day for His glory!

Happy 2011!

the long awaited post...

i thank you for your patience. now... the pictures of the house. you're welcome.

the home sweet home.

when you walk in the front door

and... the kitchen to the right

looking back at the front door

one side of the kitchen

the fridge used to be where the microwave is... and that picture window wasn't there either :)

the other side of the kitchen

took the doors off the cabinets, new counter tops, painted the cabinets

dining room

laundry room

living room from the dining room

french doors... instead of the sliding glass doors

l.o.v.e. this.

added the bookshelves. l.o.v.e. this too.

hallway.

bathroom

my room

other side of my room

the roommate room. aka i need to find a place to put this stuff room.

the guest bedroom. aka the music fan room.

see. more music.

the blank slate of a back yard. can't wait for this spring!

hello. random speaking.

Last week I had a few "oh wow, I'm random" moments. I'm sure some of you are thinking, "what's new"... but I had to write these moments down to share...

Signatures

I have an odd fascination with signing my name. Like. I love to sign my name. Seriously. It's weird. I like comparing one signature with the previous one. In my head, I say "sorry" to the poor chap that will be receiving the work Christmas card/2011 Calendar with my "ugly" signature. I mean, it will be hanging in his/her office for ALL of 2011.

"Dear Banker, I'm sorry that you didn't get the best signature out of me. No offense to you or anything. But, be sure to visit Banker Tom in Smalltown, Tx to see what the real deal looks like. Sincerely, < insert an even better signature of Sarah > (you're welcome)"

No, seriously... I thought about doing that. Or I thought about signing all of the cards "Decker"... seeing as how most of the time, even at work, my first name is irrelevant. I had the quick thought of me just dropping my first name all together and going all Madonna-esque on y'all. Alas, I dropped that notion, but not after some internal debate.

Ok, moving on now...

Cold Feet

Haha... not the cold feet that you're probably thinking of. I mean, HELLO... I guarantee by the time I get to the alter I'll be skipping like a little 5 year old instead of pulling a runaway bride move. I digress. Cold Feet. I hate it when my feet are hot. Hate it. But more than anything, I hate it when my feet are hot at night. I'm constantly moving my feet from side to side throughout the night to find the cool spots in the sheets. This is where I feel sad for people that never sleep with top sheets... because they miss out on this goodness. Or maybe I'm the only person alive that knows about this secret. If so. You're welcome.

Two Fans

I'm pretty sure I've shared this with most of you. And for those of you that know me really well and have slept in the same room with me since college will know that I sleep with not one, but TWO fans. Ceiling fan and a tornado-type fan blowing right beside my bed. Two fans. 365 nights a year. It doesn't matter if it's freezing outside. Heck, it doesn't matter if the heat is out. Two fans. Two fans. Two fans.

Dear Future Husband, get ready. Love always, Decker... err I mean, Sarah

 

PreMature Stall Opener

Ok, this one may be TMI for a few... but whatever. I'm proud to say I'm a premature stall opener. When I'm in a pubilc bathroom, I often find myself opening the stall door before my pants are fully in tact. I mean, they are pulled up... but I'm probably in mid-button phase. Sorry if that makes you feel awkward Ms. Random Lady in the Bathroom. I just gotta get out of that stall!

You're Welcome.

Aka my new phrase. I've been saying it a lot here lately... and almost never after someone says "thank you". For instance:

In response to a possible prank that may or may not be played when I go home for Christmas...

"Our signature just needs to be a sign that says, 'You're Welcome.'"

Someone's day has gotten better after they spent some time with you and they may or may not be referring to that time? - You're welcome.

You're hometown football team wins State for the first time ever? - You're welcome.

Tell people they need to sign up on Skype and when they do? - You're welcome.

Ok, maybe not as funny written out. But it's funny in my head. And for that, and all of the other completely useless information stated above... you're welcome.

the we lessons.

I just realized that it's been a long while since I blogged. I think the most exciting/stressful/humbling thing that has been going on is that of buying and moving into my new home. Now, before I get going... I don't have my pictures to show you. I'll save that for another time. I'm in deep Sarah mode, so I apologize that deep Sarah is who you are about to get. Brace yourselves...

When I bought this house, I tried to have a plan of "attack". I had ordered appliances, settled on a contractor (who was INCREDIBLE, by the by) and started working on painting myself. I prayed for this house... I prayed what it would be to me AND to everyone that stepped foot into it. I was ready to make this house a home. I'm not going to bore you with crazy stories of having appliances on "hold" or about how I have memorized the extensions for the people I need to talk to at 1-800-BEST-BUY or how many trips I've made to Lowe's in the last month... but I do want to talk about the hardest thing I've had to learn... the we lessons.

Through the course of time between signing the dotted line and well... now, when asked about the house, I would often respond in the plural form. For example, "we're cutting a hole in the wall.", "we'll go over and paint tonight.", "it'll be so exciting once we're all moved in." Now please note, this became rather embarrassing... because, I, in fact, am not a we. I had to laugh it off a few more times than I care to admit.

At any rate, these are the 3 we things I have prayed through, figured out and learned from...

Simply stated, I am ready to be a "we". I had some incredibly lonely moments over the past month. Literally, carrying these burdens by myself. I prayed that I would let go, that I could lay all of my frustrations and worries at the Lord's feet. And, to be honest, I prayed for God to show me what I was missing... because I still had this huge stress that wasn't letting up. And, I prayed more consistently for a husband than I have in a very long time. I asked God to prepare my heart and the heart of some man that would be able to walk through this life with one another. To share the burden... even if it is still me having to take off of work or call the electrician or get a little fierce with a manager. I didn't necessarily need someone to take care of me... I just really desired to have someone to share the burden... and whenever I was struggling, to point me back to Jesus... to encourage and challenge me to love the people that, in that moment, were very hard to love. I wanted a partner. I still want a partner.  

"even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." - John 14:17

I knew I wasn't alone. I knew that God was walking me through this the whole thing... even though I didn't physically have someone beside me. But then it dawned on me... maybe a deeper layer of this "we" thing I keep on word-vomiting is because I am apart of a we... Now there's a eureka moment, Decker... come.on.  I've been praying for a home for a long time... praying to have a place that brings God glory. He has provided in more ways that I have ever imagined. He has provided the way. HE makes me a we. I realized that I am part of this we. And I'm the one that had to go through these inconveniences so that He could be glorified and use this home the way He wants it used! "So, God, you're saying I didn't do this all on my own? I shouldn't get caught up on not having someone in this physically with me, because You are always there and seeing me through this?" -  "Yes, dodo brain, I.got.this." Ok, so maybe God doesn't call me a dodo brain, and calls me "My beloved" instead... but it was the gut-punch I needed to tame this woe-is-me state I've been dwelling in.
  

"The Lord your God is in your midst..." - Zephaniah 3:17

 

So the last we lesson has really come into play over the last few weeks. I've handed out 4 keys to friends, they have their own alarm codes and they know they have to let Layla out when they come over. They know how the TV works, that they can add whatever they want to the Netflix and Hulu accounts. They have volunteered to have get-togethers at the house and then call me to let me know. They've met the neighbors. They know they've always got a home away from home. God has shown me that there is no I, my, me or mine in this... this is truly a we. In less than a month, He has not only given me a home, but given others a home too. It's what I've been praying for... and He's answered it so clearly and abundantly. I'm just excited to see what else He has in store!