Glorious Day!

Three awesome things happened today...

#1) I discovered Thrift Books! Holy Cheap Books Batman! What a great thing!

#2) I FINALLY finished my bosses Christmas gift! This is my first "official" attempt at scherenschnitte. I've practiced a few times before, but this is the first time that I will actually allow it to displayed in public. I think it turned out quite nicely if I do say so myself!

#3) And last, but not least, is that I received a package today from my sister Lara! It was filled with a menagerie of lovely things to adore and that inspire all the senses! Here's just one of the little gems! A card game circa 1850 called "The Cottage of Content". Tehehe! Good time lie ahead with this game in the mix!

Walking in a Winter Wonderland!

So, the Washington DC area is officially snowed in!

That's right folks! It's been a weekend of amazing coziness! The last time I can remember it snowing over 1 ft. of snow is back in 8th grade when it snowed 5 feet and school was canceled for 2 weeks! Our merry band of friends that live in our neighborhood have been playing in the snow, watching movies, baking cookies, hosting meals...just like a real family.

I'm so grateful for fun friends who live with/near me. I haven't had a fun, cozy weekend like this is years!

Ann Marie and her German Pancake breakfast delight

Three Snow Angels

Good Friends are like good family!

Winter Wonderland

Leaving the Nest

Well...the time has come. Finally!! I have recently gained enough gumption in my life to finally leave the nest...cut the apron strings...etc. The world is my oyster!? Reality has not set in yet. I doubt that it will until I'm sitting on the floor in my new home crying--wondering to myself if I did the right thing. It seems that I follow a pattern at transitional times like this; completely irrational brain takes over and rational brain goes on sabbatical. Pre-life-changing- event my brain says, "Ummm...is this really going to work out? Is it worth the sacrafice? How could you possibly thrive when you have so many weaknesses?" --Gotta hate that irrational devil!
However,in the midst of the chaos going on in between my ears, there is always that quiet little voice that cuts through the noise. Reassuring, peaceful, and hopeful. *sigh*
So...Washington DC it is. Ready or not, here I come! What will I do for work? I have no idea yet. Living off my savings for few weeks. People at my work keep reminding me, "Trust in the Lord and He'll provide." Little angels--that's what all the sweet people are that I'm leaving behind. Angels.
Raise your glasses--here's a toast to new beginnigs!

A few of my favorite things

I love, love, love fresh flowers. It only deepens my love when I know that these flowers came from my own yard. Mmmmmm....how delicious! I just like the way flowers look when they are on my piano next to my new song book. I found this secret treasure of old school "MIA" recreational song books from way back in the day. They have so many good ol' songs that we just don't sing anymore. Instead we listen with ear-buds to Beyonce while run about the errands and business of our lives. Don't get me wrong...it just seems like something is missing. Remember when families or a group of friends used to sit around a piano and sing songs? It just seems more "real" to me--old "MIA" song books and flowers from my own yard. This is the stuff that makes my cup runneth over! :)

Late Spring Peony

        Early Spring Lilacs

Today I was sitting at my desk working on something. However, unbeknownst to me I was making a funny (or maybe I should say ugly) face. You know, the one where I tuck my upper lip under and I look like Buckteeth Bertha! (someone once told me that this is THE ugliest face I make! haha! little do they know!!) 

Well, amidst my unconscious-ugly-face-making-fest good ol' Lester Betz (who is a 80/90ish year old man that lives at the nursing home I work at) CAUGHT ME from across the lobby making this becoming face! Suddenly I snapped out of my concentration when I heard his sweet little voice.....

L:  “Sara. What are you doing?”

Me: “Oh, haha. I like to make funny faces sometimes. I was just tucking my lip under.”  *blush*

L : “Oh. Well......you have beautiful teeth!”  (he shakes his head & chortles to himself as he walks away)

This is the reason folks why I love old men. I need to marry a wonderful guy that has an old fashioned sense of humor. One who won’t point out that I’m making an ugly face and make me stop because I'm embarrassing him. Instead rather he will be kind. Perhaps in place of projecting a degrading comment in my direction he will say something gentle, something kind, something humorous that diffuses my uniquely odd behaviors! And I won't feel silly even though my face might, in fact, be silly. Someone a little like Lester. 

Adventure April : UTAH!

This weekend I went out to Utah for a Mission Reunion. It was so sweet to see some missionaries that I served with. It's like seeing trench buddies. However the most sweetest thing was to see my dear mission president and his wife. I love them so dearly. I hugged them as many times that I possibly could! 

    Me, Pres. Andrus, Jackie A., and Sister Andrus

     Some of my most favorite Elders. Love them! 

My BFF's from the Mission. Jackie Acevedo and Adam Young. 

Another joy of going to Utah was to see my little bro David. We got to go to conference and it was amazing! I'm so grateful to have sat at the feet of our prophet and the twelve. It was such a once in a lifetime experience! 

     Me, Dave, and Dave's girlfriend-Amy at the conference center. 

Heaven on Earth!!

Passin' Time

So, I haven't blogged in eons of time! Don't worry, I'm still alive! I'd like to say that I've been so busy that I couldn't blog...but I think that that would be a lie. Mostly....I'm just lazy. However, here I am. That's gotta count for something. So, just to catch you up and for my posterity, here is what I've been up too for the past transfer (6 weeks) of my life:

#1:Fastnacht Day (Feb. 24th) - This is the PA Dutch tradition of frying dough the Tuesday before Lenton season begins! So here in Central PA we fry up our dough and we consume as much as possible. Yummy!