Koenig Fischer

Read here: http://www.southernbulbs.com/blog/

I've spent part of my morning mourning a dog that I've only met once. That's the power of friendships though, both with people and with animals...it shakes you to the core when someone loses someone or something dear to them.

To Chris W:

I'm sitting at home with my little curly headed mop of a dog sleeping beside me, crying my eyes out. I love reading your Fischer stories and I love how you told the story of his life today. I hurt for you, dear friend. I can't imagine how you must feel. There are people in the world that don't understand animal lovers and could never understand mourning the death of a pet. That's just it though: Fischer wasn't just a pet. He became one of your best friends - "someone" that you could rely on to always be there to experience life right alongside you. I understand because I'm an animal lover myself.

I pray that your heart heals quickly but never forgets to remember your adventurous and funny friend. I love you and can't wait to wrap my arms around you!

-Sarah Shalley

Cheers!

Sunday morning Daniel and I woke up and he said..."if we go home (to Nav), do you think that your Mom will make us fried chicken and mashed potatoes for lunch?". We got dressed, threw together my bags, grabbed the chicken and bag of potatoes and were on our way. We had a GREAT lunch. Personally, I think my mom makes the best fried chicken and mashed potatoes that you can find - ANYWHERE!
I spent the night at Mom and Dad's because I had a dr's appt. this morning. Daniel came on home. I had plenty to do for the short time that I was there!
Here's a glimpse at what kept me busy during the (less than) 24 hours that I was in Navasota-

Bek's Sr. Cheer Photos:

For more, visit http://www.sdshalley.shutterfly.com/ or http://www.sarahshalley.photoreflect.com/.

Cheer 2adays and Glenn Fuqua Ad Photos:

For more, visit http://www.navasotarattlers.shutterfly.com/.

Enjoy! Cheers!

Trade In

July 28, 2007 (actual date of event)

We woke up this Saturday morning eager to begin our car "looking" day. Daniel and I had a mental list of vehicles that we wanted to look at, research and test drive. At the moment, we're just considering a newer vehicle for me since I'll be on the road so much (commute to Navasota).

STOP #1: Kia Dealership

SUV: Kia Sorento

NOTES: drives smoothly, towing capacity, Sarah hates the headrest, 10speakers, decent gas mileage, Daniel hates the gray interior fabric, like the cargo tray, completely dislike the Chinese Saleswoman (not because she's Chinese or because she's a woman, but because she didn't speak very good English and was totally annoying!)

# CRUNCHING: 800+for 3 years, 600+for 5 years, 500+for 5 years....see ya!

FINAL OUTCOME: We left to "eat lunch". The manager was a complete ^*&%%$^#+*^%$##*!! We would NEVER buy a vehicle there - even if we really did want a Kia. :)

STOP #2: Chevy Dealership

SUV: Chevy Equinox

NOTES: Sarah loves this car!, TONS of legroom in the back because the seat slides just like in the front, gas mileage ok, man its HOT outside, Daniel doesn't like the back end of the vehicle

# CRUNCHING: NONE

FINAL OUTCOME: An overall ok experience, but we're already exhausted and ready to go home. At least one more stop though!

STOP #3: Ford Dealership

SUV: Ford Escape

NOTES: drives really well on the highway, like that there isn't any gray plastic on the bottom of the doors as in older models, like the snazzy grill on the front, pretty tan interior, plenty of legroom in the back seat, good gas mileage, low price!, Daniel likes the back end much better, Sarah wants a black car!

EXTRAS: There is no black Escape on the lot (that isn't a limited version), but the manager promised us that he would make us a deal we wouldn't be able to refuse! We were at this dealership for a total of about 8 hours! Our 2 goals were to pay off the Dodge truck and also get our payments down to 300-350...we were STICKLERS on these items! After several rounds of # crunching, we were asked to go home and get the truck so that it could be appraised. Hmmm...this was only supposed to be a car "looking" day. So we headed to the apartment confused about what to do. We decided that this would be a really good opportunity to get the truck paid off if they would do so. Also, the price on the Escape was one that we couldn't see ourselves refusing. We hurried to clean out the truck, reinstall the toolbox, fix the front end (I gently rear-ended someone a few months ago), and head to the car wash. The dealership agreed to payoff the truck and offered us a payment just slightly over our max price. We accepted (there's more to this story if you've never bought your own car before) and headed upstairs to the finance department. More time passed and we finally came to a financial conclusion...after I cried through this process (again, there are more details).

FINAL OUTCOME: We're proud new owners of a super good looking maroon 2008 Ford Escape!

Daniel is sad to give up the truck:

THE DODGE:

Our NEW CAR:

Thanks baby, I love it! :)

Let's Play Catchup!

July 30, 2007

Whew! It's been a really busy two days. I'm finally home, on the couch - ready to rock and roll. Have I studied at all? NO! My personal life and "other job" got in the way. I'll make several postings on what the weekend was like (it seems like you're more likely to read these if they're short and sweet).

Love,
Sarah

My New Background!

July 28, 2007

I have tons to talk about, but today was just a horribly long day. The day itself wasn't all that horrible (there were some questionable moments) - it was just LONG! I'll tell you what happened tomorrow.
For now, here's the photo that's now my new background on my laptop (I couldn't get my print screen to work!):

I love you Daddy!

Loo Loo Love

Hannie was in an accident today. Thank you Lord for protecting her!

She walked away with nothing but the highest grade in her class for the second time!

:)LooLoo - you're the only person in the world that would try to make it to class after a car accident. Guess thats why you have the best grade!

I LOVE YOU and I'm glad that you're okay.

My Husband Is Better Than Yours

July 26, 2007
Shout out to DT for all his awesomeness today!

Just a few of the many great things about my husband:
-He lets me call him an unlimited number of times a day and rarely ever sounds frustrated, fed up or just plain sick of me when he answers.
-When I look up directions before leaving home (and then leave them at home), he looks up places for me and THEN stays on the phone, directing me around town, until I've reached my final destination. HOW SWEET!
-He listens to every stinkin' story that I have to tell him, no matter how unimportant. This makes me feel SO SPECIAL!
-He reminds me over and over again that I should be studying (instead of writing about how great he is) because he cares about what's in my best interest.
-He goes by the grocery store in the rain so that I won't have to.
-He buys my favorite chips to go with dinner (when he should just make me share with him).
-He loves my Honey as much as I do.

Dan, you ROCK! Thanks for making every day special. I love living with you and sharing our lives together. Keep the good times comin', baby. I love you!

Houston, We Have a Problem

What a disaster getting out of the house was today! I had an 11am doctor's appointment this morning and decided to take the BW down to I10 and exit at Gessner. BIG mistake on my part. I10 (exactly in that area) is a complete construction zone and should be avoided at all costs. I then wandered around Memorial Hermann looking for the correct doctor's office (this is the problem with going to the doctor in a huge city). I finally found it, signed in and handed over my new insurance card (because its one of those once a year places). Let me just tell you a little bit about this particular doctor's office: they never answer the phone, they don't call to confirm your appointment, they don't greet you when you walk in the door(instead a sliding glass door is closed in your face) and it takes over an hour before you get to go back and be "examined". I had reservations about going back to this lady anyway...last year's appointment was a little bit - um, painful. At this point I called Daniel for the 13th time today (we'll talk about him later) and asked him for yet another phone number for my fave doc (OBGYN - it matters!) in BCS. They had a spot for me on Monday! YAY! I of course accepted. Next stop was Target at Memorial City Mall for a few household items and groceries for dinner. Another mistake...they didn't have anything that I needed. The grocery section of this Target was extremely small and they didn't even have note cards with holes already punched in the top! Ahhhh! I was frustrated, to say the least. Moral of today's story is this: don't be a patient of Dr. Levin and don't shop at the Target in Memorial City. Good things about today: My husband saved my life about 5 times, I got a great book called "1,000 Places to See Before You Die - In the USA and Canada" AND my new, gently used, backup D70S camera came in. :)

Back to my studies - English is HARD!
Love to all ya'll!

Building a Household of Faith and Building a Bridge to Understanding

Since I went to bed in the am hours, I rushed to get ready for church in less than 30 minutes this morning. So glad that I did! We made it in time for Sunday School. One of my favorite things about Sunday school is seeing my friends! Both the Larkins and the Butlers were also in attendance. It'd been so long since we'd all seen one another so if felt great to all be in the same room again. I love that we all worship together!

We can serve God better as a couple than we can as an individual.
How true! Three things we can do to serve God better as a couple:
1. Live yielded lives.
Daniel and I both need to yield our agendas, wills, hopes, dreams, desires, priorities and goals to God and allow Him to do His work in our lives. I am sure that the outcome would only be rewarding and satisfying. The most difficult thing for me to give up is my TIME. I am a person that is consumed with endless tasks. Everything that I do may not be super important, but I'm doing it anyway. I pray that I will get off my cell phone before I enter my home at the end of the day, spend a limited amount of time on the computer (unless I'm working) and just CONNECT to my husband. Daniel and I have always had an amazing connection - we communicate and interact so well with one another! We ENJOY one another. We're best friends! Lately though, I feel like life just passes us by week by week. What are we accomplishing? Why aren't we growing? What have we done to strengthen our relationship and build a household of faith? Not much over the last 6 months of marriage...but that is all soon changing. Daniel and I want to be a Godly husband and wife. We want to love one another purely and wholy and completely turn our lives over to the Lord. I want to dedicate the next 6 months of marriage - and life! - to becoming the woman, wife, daughter, sister and friend that God is asking me to be. Please pray for me as I assume this will not be an easy task.
2. Pray together.
1 in 2 marriages fails. 1 in 1500 marriages fails where the couple prays together. What motivation that is to prompt me to grab my husband's hand and pour out my heart in prayer. We will be working on this! :)
3. Get in God's word.
God's word is not present to restrict us.

* We need to be deliberate in making a decision about what kind of legacy we want to leave. All of our marriages leave a legacy. What kind of legacy do I want to leave?

Some of you that know me REALLY well know that I expect a lot from church. I can't attend a church that doesn't move me during worship or during the sermon. I just can't. I talk to God the whole way there and ask Him that I PLEASE be stirred to feel His presence. Anyway, not a lot of people or places are capable of meeting my expectations and sadly I never found a church home during college. Thank God for Gregg Matte! I am a Gregg lover! God uses Gregg to captivate me and evoke thoughts, feelings and emotions in me that I've never before experienced. I was so sad when Gregg left BCS and Breakaway beforeI graduated from aTm. God had a greater plan though - even for me! Gregg became the pastor at Houston First Baptist Church...and withing 2 years later I ended up moving to Houston. Daniel and I live only 20 minutes from HFBC and (much to my pleading and begging) have been attending church there. Yay! Twice we've attended a newlywed Sunday school class that I'm pretty sure we'll continue to go to for the next year of our marriage. We've met some amazing people and have become friends with several people from the class. We are so blessed to have local married friends that are an encouragement to us.

Back to Gregg and my expectations...Gregg is on sabattical and vacation for the next several weeks. I always moan and groan when I learn that he won't be speaking on Sundays. Thank you Lord for a sweet surprise! Afshin Ziafat was the guest speaker today and I felt that he was AWESOME! His message hit home with me! Three things to Building a Bridge to Understanding:
1. Understand the IDENTITY of Christ:
Matthew 16:13 - "When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Phillipi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?' They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' 'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say that I am?'
Often we base our own thoughts and feelings on the opinions of others. Who do I say that Jesus is? Who do you say that Jesus is? Jesus IS God in the human form. The Creator became one of His own creations and dwelt among us. Why? He is a Savior! (vs. 21 - From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go from Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. )
He came to us ultimately for the cross. I must either stand on what I have done or what Christ has done. The standard is sinless perfection and one sin is one too many....this I cannot measure up to. Sin is not just about our actions. Sin goes to the heart, the mind, the thought! The law came to show me that I am a sinner and to drive me to Christ.
2. Understand the CALL of Christ:
Jesus is not merely calling us to believe in Him. He calls us to FOLLOW HIM (vs. 24 -Then Jesus said to his discipes, 'If anyone would come after me, he must ey himself and take up his cross and follow me.' I can't hold onto my own world and have Jesus too. I have to lay down my life! (Matthew 10:34-42) You can't be ashamed of the one that you fall on. Even my family should not come between me and my relationship with Christ.
3. Understand the MISSION of Christ:
(1 John 2:12 - I write to you dear children because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.) My relationship with Christ has been something that I've struggled with and I am sad to admit that it has been something that I have neglected for many years. I pray that I can be devoted to the Lord and that he will spiritually mature me.
(2 Corinthians 5:14 - For Christ's love compels us, because we are conviced that one died for all, and therefore all died.) I want Christ's love to control MY life the same way that it did for Paul! I want to be dead for my old life and new in the life that Christ has provided for me. I should no longer live to please myself but should strive to be pleasing to God.

More than anything, it is my hope that God continues to speak to me and that I HEAR him. I want be changed and I want Daniel to be changed. Thank you God for waking me up this morning and for asking me to go to church.

This afternoon Daniel played golf with Jim and JonO while Elizabeth and I made the rounds at Harwin. We met up with Mom, Baba, Norma, Bek and Emily - it was great to see you all! We found a few things we couldn't live without and then headed home to play with Gus and Honey. We made dinner and the 5 of us sat down to my favorite: chicken and rice with cream of mushroom soup. :) Happy Sunday!

Visit http://www.houstonsfirst.org/.

Love,
Sarah

Drapes, Galore!

Last night Roger and Barbara came into town so that they'd already be here to start shopping early this morning. Man did they hit the town running! They were out the door by 10am and Daniel and I joined them by 11am. Little did we know that this day would turn into a shop-a-thon. The Shalleys are redoing their entire house all at once. What a huge project! This entails stripping wallpaper, painting walls, laying wood floors, selecting new drapes and new comforters, looking for new furniture and a whole lot more! We spent the day shopping at: Linens N Things, Dillards, JC Pennys, Bed Bath and Beyond, Target, Layne's Furniture, Star Furniture...I'm probably even forgetting a few! We had yummy burgers and onion rings for dinner at 9pm! Daniel and Roger were kind enough to hang my curtains and help me with the bedskirt for our guest bedroom. It's ALMOST ready for more visitors! I just have to get all of my office stuff organized and hang things on the wall. We were super busy today but had a really fun time hanging out with the Shalleys. THANKS for the visit!

Love, Sarah



Potential Kitchen Drapes:

A Favored Companion

Daniel and I just had a dinner date with two of my new favorite people: Jim and Elizabeth Larkin. I know that it may sound silly, but it's been such a long time since I made new friends. Now that I think back, the one thing I always looked forward to when a new semester of school rolled around was seeing who I'd meet in my classes. It's been two years since my last semester at A&M and I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't ventured very far. Maybe I'm someone who craves comfort. I've taken jobs with existing friends and have lived in cities where there are girlfriends from home. Now, I'll soon be working with my mother at my very own high school! Yay! I'd say that I have a tendency for seeking out familiarity. Is this a good thing? Should it be my goal to become more adventurous? Hmmm...

Back to my new friends. I love friends! Jim and Liz are Aggies and we met them in Sunday school a few weeks ago. Now, don't get me wrong...I'm not cutting anyone out (as Phoebe and Monica would say), but it has been so nice to get to know people that I didn't know in high school or in college. I don't know what it is about them. I'll use Merideth and Garrett Dodd's expression and say that "they're just so us". We don't feel like we just met, but I know that we always look forward to getting to know them better. We laugh a lot and tell stories that we've never told one another before. When we finally glance at our watches and realize that it's past 10pm on a week night (and I'll be a grump if I don't go home and go to bed SOON), I'm already looking forward to the next time that we'll be able to get together.

I love my friends. While each of them means something different to me, I believe that every person in my life makes me so much better than who I would be without them. Thank you for allowing me to be myself - faults and all. I am so grateful for our friendship.
Elizabeth...I can't wait to hold your babies (someday)!

Daniel, your friendship means more to me than any other (sorry guys and gals!). You are my favored companion.

Love,
Sarah

21! on 07.07.07!

21 years ago today, my very first friend was born into the world.
I'm so thankful that Hannah is my SISTER (you have to know the brother story)! Sisters truly do make the best of friends. I am so blessed to have wonderful girlfriends in my life; however, they can't possibly replace my sisters! Hannah, as different as we are, I have ENJOYED you and the relationship that we have nourished. I pray that we will always be friends and that we'll always have one another to count on. Thank you for being so strong and for letting me lean on you in times of need. I ADMIRE YOU! I love all the things about you that I lack in myself.
You are unique and you are to be treasured. Happy 21st, my LooLoo! I hope that you have a very memorable day.

All my sisterly love,
Sarah

Happy Independence Day, USA!

Daniel was out of town on business for the week so Honey and I were on our own for the 4th. Thankfully, I have GREAT friends that invited me to hang out so that I wasn't on my own. I had lunch with Jodi, Matt, Hannah and Shilo. The burgers were so yummy! Honey and I then went to Jim and Elizabeth's to hang out with them and Erica & Kevin. Honey had a blast playing with Gus and I so enjoyed the great friends, food and fireworks.
Thanks for all the fun!

Pre 4th of July Weekend in Ft. Worth!

Daniel and I spent the weekend before the 4th with all of the Shalleys in Ft. Worth. We hadn't ever seen Jake and Hayley's place - they've done a FANTASTIC job remodeling. Because of all the rain, we had to stay inside all day Saturday. It was off the the bowling alley for some brotherly competition. :) That night we had Texas de Brazil for dinner. At first I was very anti-meat restaurant, but I later had to retract that statement. It was one of the most enjoyable meals I've ever had! My biggest challenge was trying to keep up with Roger. Daniel and I introduced Catch Phrase to the family that night. I am ashamed to admit that the girls lost nearly every game. We're looking forward to a rematch!