change. i hate change.

today was the first day of my second week of school.

i didn't think it was a good idea to write anything about it last week,

because i'm pretty sure i couldn't have done it

without sitting on my couch for an

hour or more crying my eyes out. {oh wait, i did that everyday anyway}

i've realized lately, how afraid i am of change.

yes, i am living with my very best friends in the entire world.

yes, i get to be with the man of my dreams

everyday {DEFINITE PLUS}

and yes there are a billion things to do all the time because there is

actually a substantial amount of people living in the area.

but maybe i have a bad case of

the-grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side syndrome

because even with all of these spectacular things in my life,

i still can't help but miss

cute little ephraim.

{doesn't this picture make you miss it too?}

i miss my house.

i miss my yard.

i miss those sanpete mountains.

i miss my dog. {that's a BIG deal}

i miss the familiar smell of turkey poop. {never thought i'd say that}

i miss roy's pizza.

i miss kaitlyn's family.

i miss having one stoplight in the entire town.

i miss free parking at the college.

i miss the summertime bonfires.

i miss the fact that you can walk anywhere and it's

never more than a mile.

i miss the one finger wave to/from everyone you pass.

i miss going to wal-mart because there's nothing else to do.

i miss running into people i actually know.

but most of all, i miss these people...

{my cute family}

i miss my little brother and his sweet personality.

{michael}

i miss my little sister and her incredible ability to be herself, no matter what anyone thinks.

{lizzy}

i miss my older brothers and how much they make me laugh.

{david and daniel. no david is not crossed-eyed and no daniel is not an orney butt...posers.}

i miss my sister-in-law and our good sister talks.

{carli}

i miss my older sister and her enthusiasm for life.

{michael, rebecca, lizzy}

and lastly, i miss my adorable mom and dad. so much. i think i'll go tell them that right now...

i get kind of sentimental when i think about my family.

sometimes i wish i could go back to the good ol' days when

life was just fun and games.

all i needed was a sibling by my side to be happy.

i guess one good thing about all of this, is the fact that no

matter what happens, they'll still be family!

i love them all so much and can't wait to see them in only

4 days!! {and counting}

my happily ever after.

every little girl fantasizes about their wedding day.

the poofy white dress, the pretty make-up, the stylish hair-do, etc.

but even before that, they fantasize about how they will get engaged.

i'll be honest...i was one of those girls.

it's part of being female and accepting your womanhood

{planning your wedding from age 7}

but whether any girl wants to admit it,

the engagement means almost as much to us as the actual wedding!

i'd always imagined something quaint and cute.

i'd come home from school or work one day and there

would be a note on my door telling me one of the reasons he loves me.

i'd walk into my bedroom and

there would be another note on my pillow.

i'd head to the kitchen and there in my cupboard

would be another one.

after a hundred of these, they would lead me to him,

where he would be on his knee,

ring in hand. {extremely cheesy, i know, but i like cheese}

sweet and simple right?

little did i know how lucky i could get...

zachary has been saying for over a month now how bad he wants to take me flying, so finally one day he called a friend and set a date!

i was nervous/excited/nervous.

i knew it would be fun, but to tell ya the truth...flying scares the crap out of me.

i am known for always thinking worst case scenario.

ie. what if we crash? what if the pilot has a heart attack? what if i fall out of the plane?? {very unlikely, but an actual concern believe it or not.}

thanks to the constant reassurance of my wonderful boy, when the day came, i found myself feeling only excited/nervous/excited.

we got to the airport and zachary and i sat back and relaxed and watched the other planes while our pilots {kizna king and alex loosle} did the pre-flight safety checks.

{relaxing, relaxing, relaxing}

{pre-flight safety checks}

then it was time to FLY!

{getting ready for take-off}

i was terrified honestly.

zachary told me to plan on lots of turbulence and bumps.

i get really bad motion sickness,

so this was the last thing i wanted to hear.

once we got in the air though, things were so gorgeous that i kind of forgot about all of those worries. it was the perfect time of day {you know, when the sun is about to set and the entire valley is lit up like gold? i LOVE it!}

and everything was so pretty!

you're not as high up as you are in a normal plane, so it was cool to be close enough to pick out landmarks and stuff.

{logan airport}

{usu campus}

{logan temple}

{hyrum dam}

{paradise. that's really the name of this cute little town}

at this point, i was getting really excited.

my family has friends {the danielsons} from paradise, so i wanted to fly by their house and take a picture so that i could show them later.

not everybody gets to do something like this, so i wanted to have proof!

{the danielson's house}

as we got closer, i could see the whole family outside on their deck.

i thought "oh how fun! they must be having a barbecue or something. it'll be awesome to show them these pictures later."

then they all started waving.

i thought, "cool! they don't even know that i'm in this plane! i can't wait to tell them that they were waving at me!"

and then i looked down...

my insides turned to moosh.

i was half confused, one-fourth excited, and one-fourth shocked!

i turned to zachary and to my surprise,

he was holding a ring!

"sarah, will you marry me?"

"oh my gosh. oh my gosh. yes. oh my gosh"

we joke that i had to say yes or else that would have been one very awkward plane ride home.

i know it's a joke, but little does he know

that i would have been the stupidest girl in the world to say no.

he is everything i could ask for and more.

i feel so lucky that i get him for keeps.

every girl deserves a zachary in their life and i am more than ecstatic that i've found mine.

forever.

just he and i.

crazy in love.

happily ever after.

ps. our ring isn't done yet,

so i am now the proud wearer of the most beautiful $8 ring you can buy at wal-mart.

it's gorgeous.

i love and adore it.

summer joys

as i was coming home today, i was feeling particularly happy. it was a beautiful day outside, LOTS of good things happened this week and i had just gotten out of a job interview that i felt really good about. of course i am always happy {give or take a few days} but today seemed to be a little more noticeable.

and then it happened.

as i was turning the corner, i saw three adorable little kids sitting next to a table. on this table was a cooler and a cardboard sign that read "juice pops...50¢" {as rodney atkins would say, "man, what a picture-perfect postcard this would make of america."} i thought to myself, "self, it's warm outside, you have a couple extra bucks, why not put them to good use?" so i pulled over and one of the little girls got very animated when she asked me which kind of popsicle i would like. i told her an orange-pineapple would do so she proceeded to grab it for me. i gave the oldest girl 2 dollars and told them they could keep the change. i don't think i have ever seen a more grateful 7 year old. the look on all of their faces was PRICELESS.

every kid dreams of becoming rich off a front yard lemonade stand {or in this case a popsicle stand}. i realize that yeah, i may not be able to donate a million dollars to some kid that wants to make a few extra bucks, but to them, even 2 dollars means the world! so starting today, no matter when or where, every time i see a couple of kids selling popsicles, lemonade, juice, etc. i will be their #1 supporter. {even if it means having to eat in for dinner that night}.

p.s. i'm pretty sure this was the BEST popsicle i've ever had. that is all.

my antonio banderas

i am in love with a pilot.

those are 7 sweet words that not every girl gets to say in this life. i happen to be one of those very lucky girls though. let me introduce you to the man that i am head over heels for {aka zachary averett}

behold the goodness... i know you're probably thinking, "well what about this picture ISN'T there to love?" just remember that he's already taken...

he is a GOOFBALL {the good kind}. he has literally got to be the funniest person i have ever met. he's a pro at making me laugh and has this uncanny ability to make me happy, even when i am in one of my unpleasant/crabby/mad/sad moods.

my favorite things about this boy:

-his cute smile

-how he plays with my hair when we cuddle

-the messages he leaves me when i miss his call

-his gorgeous green eyes

-how his hands are softer than mine

-the need i feel to tell him everything

-the way he dresses {very fine}

-his mexicano skin {hence the antonio banderas}

-how he talks about himself in 3rd person to alleviate awkwardness

-his love for Heavenly Father

-he knows everything there is to know about airplanes {hot.}

-the way he melts my heart when he carries his nephew to bed

-his selflessness

-his untamable left eyebrow

-the fact that we can laugh and talk and laugh some more and not realize an hour has gone by

-we are in love

#1 worst idea ever

i will be the first to admit that i have had a lot of stupid ideas and done a lot of stupid things in my life. for example, kaitlyn and i went through a phase where we thought it was so cool to walk from her house to my house. here's the glitch though: we would walk in the middle of the hot summer day in a field full of rattle snakes, ginormous man-eating caterpillars, and who knows what other kinds of critters. halfway through our trek, we would have to cross a swiftly moving creek, that was sure to engulf us if we made one slip. we would then continue on where we would grab an otter pop from my house, only turn around and make the VERY long walk back, all the while, pretending that we were pioneers. {i was sister sue and she was sister mary. we had a strict policy that we could only answer to those names}. at the time, stuff like this doesn't seem dumb, but looking back now, i sometimes wonder if my brain had fallen out for a moment. out of all the ridiculous things that have happened in my life though, this weekend definitely tops them ALL off.

at 1:30 a.m. 14 adventurous souls and myself set out to conquer mt. timpanogos {the second highest peak in utah's wasatch range}. after a half an hour of hiking, we realized...we were on the wrong trail. we were all in good spirits though and were able to laugh it off as we hiked back down to the cars. so take 2...we got started on the RIGHT trail, bound and determined to annihilate the rigors of this journey.

{this is when we took the wrong turn. be sure to take note of how happy and cheerful we are. soon this will be just a memory.}

{we made sure to load up on all kinds of goodness. ie. jolly ranchers [case in point], salt water taffy, fruit snacks, water, etc.}

it's 2:33 a.m. and i'm hiking up this beast of a mountain, loving every second of it. i won't lie, it felt like a hard hike from the get-go, but we didn't care much about that. the occasional rustle in the bushes around me kept me on my toes and wanting to stay as close to the group as possible. by this time, the moon had gone over the mountain, so the only light we had {literally, the only light} was our flashlights, and even then it was difficult to make out the trail sometimes. it made a cool sight to see though-the light trail of our little group slowly making our way to the top and also groups ahead of us that were higher up. all in all, we had high hopes for the night and were excited to make it to the top before sunrise.

**3 hours later**

exhausted from so much walking. starving because all we brought was freaking candy and junk food. dehydrated because the freaking candy and junk food made us extra thirsty. ornery because we were all running on 0 hours of sleep.

basically, i was ready to jump off the cliff we had just climbed.

i will admit that the scenery was breathtaking. when we saw this though, all we could think about was bookin it to the top so we could catch the sunrise from a better view.

...and a better view is what we found...

good thing vincent was prepared and thought to bring a machete to ward off any human-eating zombies. we felt very protected in his care...

we actually didn't make it to the very tippy top which was a little disappointing, but we were too tired and cranky to care. it took us the longest, most grueling 3 hours of my life to get off the mountain, but we finally made it. although, the whole experience seemed miserable and i have sworn never to do it again, the scenery definitely made it worth it. the crappy little camera on my phone doesn't do justice, but you get the general idea.

welp. that's all. until next time...

~suMmA tiMe~

so as i am sitting here doing my homework..

{i know, i know, i've heard it a billion times. "nobody in their right mind should be doing homework in the summer." trust me, it's a mistake i hope to never make again}

it got me thinking about how great this summer has been so far. yeah, having to take anatomy sure blows, but i am grateful that i have been able to squeeze in a good time every weekend. {literally...EVERY weekend.. ;)}

i am especially grateful for the fact that i have been able to spend these good times with people i love and care about. this summer has been one like i have never experienced, but in a good way. here's a glimpse of the fabulous times we have had, from e-town to bear lake!

girl's day out! Urika, Katlin and my birthdays are all within about a month, so we decided to celebrate by getting FULL BODY MASSAGES! it was glorious.

my ADORABLE best friend kaitlyn marie averett threw me a tea party for my 20th birthday! who said prom dresses were only good for one night? :)

these are my cute friends that attended the tea party for lady sarah {myself}. we have been friends since the SIXTH grade. boy oh boy am i grateful for these girls. we have had some grand adventures and i can't wait for more to come! {l to r: stephanie, shandi, alyssa, lacey [popsicle stick], me, kaitlyn, feleicia, emily}

i feel so honored to say that for an entire weekend, i was able to be a part of the averett family. you may think this is no big deal, since i have been best friends with these two girls {who happen to both be averetts} for quite some time, but when i say "averett family" i am talking the ENTIRE averett family. i was able to go bear lake for their reunion and i must say that it was one of the funnest vacations of my life! i truly love that family. every last one of them.

behold the goodness. creamy. delicious. succulent. it looks harmless right? i thought so too. so i fearlessly engulfed =>THREE<= entire shakes over the weekend...little did i know what HUGE effects they could have on my stomach...

i was in charge of a blood drive and believe it or not, i donated blood! not only that, i was able to coax my bestest friend to do it with me...we save lives!

i went to my very 1st rEal soccer game this summer! this was made possible by this fantastically amazing boy of mine {zachary averett}. after a romantic dinner at mimi's cafe, we came to the game and watched our team whomp on new england {5-0}. following the game, there were fireworks which made the night even more magical! i couldn't have asked for a better birthday present.

i got to spend my 4th of july with my man zachary, my bestie arika, and the rest of their wonderful fam. it was a fabulous weekend filled with lots of food, fireworks, games, and relaxation {a personal fav}.

the night was ended with a spontaneous denny's run {thanks to the brilliant idea of merilee}.

one of the best things about summer is the endless popsicles and ice cream. so last weekend up in logan, we decided to make our own ice cream! all i have to say is it was MmMmM good. here is the recipe if you want it. works like a charm!

as we were in logan, my family decided to drive through and stay the night. we went and had dinner with them in paradise and took a little sunday stroll to the canal {which happens to be the same canal that my dad proposed to my mother at. *adorable*}

take 2 for the trips to bear lake. this time, the trip was for a stevenson family reunion. although i felt a little more out of place than at the averett one, they were very good at making me feel welcome and at home. we had a talent show, went wakeboarding, played games, and got very sunburned. i had a grand old time! {that's right..i am dating that}.

for 3 months now, every weekend has been spent with this studly man of mine. he is the one thing i look forward to seeing at the end of every week and the one thing i can't wait to talk to at the end of every day. short piece of advice: long distance relationships are hard, but they are SO worth it. especially when you get a catch as good as i did...

stayed tuned for future shenanigans that we are guaranteed to get ourselves into...