Sarah: Leap Day

Happy February 29th everyone! 

How weird is it that a single day exists only once every four years? Personally, I think it's really strange. Who decided this was necessary?

A little research tells me it was Julius Caesar. What the heck, Julius?

Leap day is special to me. Four years ago today, my husband asked me, "Would you be interested in having a boyfriend?" I answered yes. Then we went on our first date, to Meijer, to get shampoo. So romantic.

This is the first time in four years we've been able to actually celebrate our official dating anniversary!

Sarah: HIMMH

In case you don't watch How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM), I'll tell you up front that this post title (which stands for How I Met My Husband) pays homage to that show. 'Cause I love it.

Even though Frank and I don't really celebrate valentine's day, I thought I'd share the story how we met.

I was a college freshman filled with dreams and the hope of possibilities. I had the foreseeable future planned out for myself: Go to college, meet cool people, get a degree, join the peace corps (or some other organization like that), travel the world, meet more cool people, have life changing experiences, maybe in my late 20s meet a nice guy, get married, have kids a couple years later.

Spoiler Alert: That's not how things turned out.

When I had just entered college, I had never really had a "serious" boyfriend or relationship so I wasn't necessarily looking for one. I told myself to build good friendships with people and focus on school. I had a passion for people, cultures, and service--so I went to school for missions. I had seen the Invisible Children video for the first time in high school and I felt so drawn to Africa. As I discussed my interests and passions with my older sister (who was a senior at the same university), she told me that I should talk to a guy named Francis because he's from Uganda.

Speed things up to the first couple weeks of school. I had joined the university choir, which provided a good way of interacting with various people who didn't share my classes or major. I had noticed this guy who sat behind me, a tenor. One day in the cafeteria, after choir, that same guy and I were next to each other in the dinner line. I asked him his name and he replied Francis. I made the connection that he must be the same Francis my sister told me about (after all, how many Francis' do you know?). So I made the leap and asked him where he was from. Uganda. Suspicions confirmed.

And this my friends is how, in our first interaction, my future husband shot down my dreams:

Me: I'd like to live in Uganda one day.
Frank: Why?
Me: I'd like to be a missionary.
Frank: Uganda doesn't need anymore missionaries.

And he proceeded to walk away while I, reaching for an apple, stood dumbfounded. After that conversation he kind of intimidated me.

Fast forward to February when a select group from the choir went on tour to Florida. Francis and I were both in that group. We spent a lot of time together over those 4 days. It was then that intimidation of our first conversation started to melt away And it was also when I first felt the flutter of butterflies when we talked to each other. At one point over those four days a friend asked me, "Do you like Francis?!" And I replied that I did.

In Florida together

Once back in good 'ole Elgin and out of the rays of Florida sunshine, Francis and I began to hang out more than usual. A few weeks after that, on February 29th, he asked me out.

While we were dating

Since then we've had our ups and downs. I broke up with him once and we were apart for four months. Then I realized the error of my ways, we talked about it, processed through some stuff, and started dating again. Two years after that, before I even graduated college, I was a married woman.

 

Sealing the deal

Sarah: Celebration

Here are some pictures from Frank's birthday:

I love birthdays. I enjoy celebrating the life of someone I love and trying to make their day special. Saturday, I spent the morning making him a secret chocolate cake with coffee icing. It was delicious. Sunday was mostly low-key, because that's the kind of guy Francis is. He's uncomplicated and straightforward. We went out for the Super Bowl with friends and then at the end of the night we found ourselves indulging in tasty Indian food (with a complimentary dessert for the birthday boy). So lovely.

Sarah: Happy Birthday, My Love

Today is Frank's birthday!! I got up this morning and got him Starbucks, made him breakfast in bed, we're currently watching the Manchester United game and later we're going to go out somewhere to watch the Super Bowl!

It's a day full of celebrating one of my favorite people!

Happy 33rd, my love. I hope it's everything you want it to be.

Sarah: Big Year

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

I took an unintentional leave of absence from the blog for the holidays I guess. It certainly wasn't planned, but I'm glad it happened. It was nice to just take a break and focus on on the holidays, my husband, & our families. 

For both Christmas & New Years Eve, we just chilled out at home. Everything was low-key, lovely, & perfect.

2011 was a big year:

I made a commitment to take care of my body & followed through on it//I finished up my degree & graduated college//I helped Kels pack up her stuff & move to Uganda//I ran my first 5k//I watched as my sister gave birth to my first niece, Luisa//My husband lost his job & we made a really big decision//Frank & I traveled to Uganda & I met my in-laws for the first time! And I love them//I saw the source of the Nile//My womb was blessed by one of my husband's aunties//We packed up our cars & moved across the country//We almost moved into our cars while living in San Diego//I became an official Californian//I had a big personal revelation//I got new glasses//Kelsey & Denis came to the US//Kels & Deno got engaged//

I think 2012 is going to be an even bigger year. Bring it on.

Sarah: Good Fun

Guys. I found this website that allows you to morph your face with your friends', spouses', celeb crushes' face to see what a combined version of your would look like OR to see what your babies would look like.

This is Kels & me:

Aren't we pretty?

Prettiest imaginary child award goes to
this little angel.

This what Husband and I would look like:

bahaha. This cracks me up. It's kind of attractive,
but mostly terrifying.

And this is what my future daughter will look like:

Doesn't really look like either of us. hmmm.....

I just thought I'd share something fun & silly! If you morph yourself, I want to see the result!

Sarah: Life Lately

Frank and I moved [again!] on Saturday! We moved from the cockroach infested little apartment to a cute little apartment in a busy little neighborhood. I. am. loving it. I'm not loving the unpacking, though. A necessary evil I suppose.

Here are some iPhone photos that I've taken lately:

 December Nights in the Park

On Sunday [right after we moved into our new
place] we got our first real Christmas Tree!
I am now in FULL holiday mode!

Starbucks for moving day!

We were excited in line for the coffee to
help us with moving day!

I hope you all have a lovely Tuesday!

Sarah: Oldies but Goodies

Look what I came across today! These pictures of Kels & I were taken by my good friend Margaret. She took them for her photography class my junior year (so about 3 years ago--wow! three years?! time flies...).

Look at Gordon! That picture captures him so well as a kitten who was incredibly playful, curious, & loved water. These photos were taken during the 9 month period Kels & I lived together & shared a room. Really, where our friendship was cemented. This is where we first got Gordon, battled a crazy roommate, & discovered our kindred spirits. As you can see, things have changed since then. Kels went to Uganda that January (and met Denis & is now engaged!), I got engaged that March & married in August, we both graduated college, Kels moved short/long term to UG, I moved to San Diego...I'm thankful to have these photos to look back & remember these times. Thanks, Marge.

Oh! By the way, Happy December! I love this time of year. I've been listening to Christmas music nonstop : )

Sarah: Pretty Little Tops

One: I love the pale grey & peter pan collar on this little number.

Two: Do you see this blouse? Mint green, a collar, & a bow. I think I'm in love.

Three: I tried this one on at anthro last week, & it was super cute. The sleeves rock.

Four: Is it just me, or is burnt orange a really flattering color? 'Cause I love it.

Five: Simple. Pretty. Classy.

Six: I currently love the baggier, bohemian style blouses going around. They're [usually] flattering & they make your style look effortless. I especially like the neck of this blouse.

Seven: Mustard & Floral pattern. Delicate & feminine.

Eight: I also tried this shirt on at anthro & I adored the fit & embroidered details.

Nine: I love the neckline, small key hole, & bow in this pretty little top. 

Ten: I own nothing with polka dots. Can you believe that? How pretty would this dotted blouse be with a simple necklace?

On a completely unrelated note: This morning when I went to work, I accidentally took both sets of keys, so Husband didn't have car keys to get to work. I left work 3 hours early to get them to him (his new job is super strict on being late). As I was driving, the van overheated three times & I had to call a tow truck. I left work at 7:15 am & reached home at 10:50am. Husband had to take a cab to work. Good job, Me.

Sarah: Saturday Plans

The sky is grey and bright all at the same time--the

perfect fall weather to drive around some neat little neighborhoods

and look for a new place to live with my love.

Later I might sew up some Christmas gifts & indulge myself & watch

some kind of foreign film. Any suggestions?

What are you up to on this lovely Saturday?

Sarah: Week in Instagram

tree

a section of our dresser

Frock You vintage store

vintage earrings

mad men

salsa chicken & black bean soup

husband hard at work

i love me some mindy kaling

Life is really good. Yesterday, I heard a great message on judgment at church that was challenging and refreshing. I hate cooking, but I've been doing it a lot more lately--which is a big change for me. Let me clarify: I've been dumping things in my crockpot, leaving it for 5-8 hours, and then I marvel at the delicious food that comes out. I got a new moleskine journal--which makes me very happy. I love moleskines. Francis and I went out to a bar on Thursday night with a couple of people and it was super fun. Like I said, life is good.

Sarah: Good News

I have some good news:

1). I am now an official resident of California! Woo! Now all we have to do is change our license plates.

2). Husband got a job! We're so thankful and in awe of God's timing.

3). We found a church. I feel so motivated and excited to get involved in this community. This past Sunday we heard an awesome message from the humorous and charismatic Donald Miller.

4). We are now members of the YMCA and I can't wait to start swimming laps again.

5). I got my new glasses! I decided on the Sinclairs [number two]. They rock. They came in a nice little box and the case is so sleek and colorful. The glasses are such good quality, I feel good when I wear them, and it's super nice to take a break from my contacts!

aren't they pretty?

6). I [finally] started decorating our apartment. It feels good to have our space, beginning to look like our space.

Sarah: Kitty Cat

Happy

Halloween!

Halloween is a big deal to people around here. Streets get 

shut down for the [adult] partying.

To celebrate the holiday, Frank and I are going 

out for pizza tonight!

What are your plans for the day? Did you dress up?

Sarah: Observations

I can't breathe through my left nostril. Which tells me I'm getting sick.

We're waiting to unpack our stuff until the cockroach thing is taken care of--which is one week from today! I'm counting down the days.

Pumpkin spice coffee creamer is not as good you would think.

There's a thrift store called "Frock You" that I really want to visit. 

Daytime television is depressing.

It's beginning to cool down here. Yesterday it was 65 degrees. Today it's going to be around 72.

Frank and I are going to go to Mexico sometime soon--just because we can.

I'd like to re-experience my wedding day.

I can't wait to read Mindy Kaling's book.

Image taken from here

Why do women try to fight aging? Fighting it makes them look desperate, insecure and older than they really are (I'm talking to you, Kathy Lee).

I'm obsessed with black tea.

I'm excited to start a certain sewing project, but I can't find the scissors. I could go out and buy a new pair, but I'll just wait until I find the old ones.

I've been sleeping like a rock lately.

I have the entire weekend off! 

Sarah: (Trying to) Stay Positive

Yesterday, I was feeling really discouraged about life. More specifically, the fact that we have been in San Diego for one week and we still don't have a place to live...

Even though our move across the country hasn't been totally smooth and easy, I can still see the Lord working in this transition. For example:

The day we left Elgin (September 22), our hitch kept scraping the ground everytime Francis would drive over a bump. So we had to stop into the shop that hooked up the trailer to our van, so that they could do something about it. While we were sitting in the waiting area, Francis expressed his fears of having to drive over the Rocky Mountains with his not so reliable van pulling 800lbs of stuff up large inclines. The man next to us asked where we heading. We told him San Diego. He looked at us with surprise and said, "Well, you know, I live there for half the year. I have a condo there in San Diego and I have an apartment here in Elgin." I did not know that. He then asked, "Do you want to know a better way to go, that'll avoid the Rockies?" Yes, yes we do. He proceeded to give us his directions and he also told us where we should stop each night. If it weren't for our hitch scrapping the ground, causing us to go into the shop, we never would have met Dave. We would have had to drive over the Rocky Mountains. And since we barely made it over the smaller Sierra Nevada mountains, I think it's safe to say that we never would have made it over those monster mountains.

Speaking of the Sierra Nevada mountains....As we were heading through Death Valley, over the mountains, Frank's van started overheating. Thankfully, I had service and was able to call my dad to ask him what we should do. We had to pull over several times and wait for 45 minutes (each time) for the engine to cool down before we could go on. Each time we pulled over, we dumped some water on the radiator to help it cool down faster. Which meant that we no longer had any drinking water and it was well over 100 degrees outside. We made it to a rest stop along the interstate where we decided to just let the van sit while we filled our cooler with water and poured it on the radiator. A couple of UPS truck drivers saw us and came over to offer their expertise. They told us there was only one more big slope to get over, they gave us a container to put water in (instead of our cooler), and they checked to see if everything was working ok under the hood. We made it over that slope and didn't have to pull over again (because of overheating).

One of my largest fears moving out here is that we don't know anyone. We have no contacts, no friends, no family in the area. No one. I was (still am) afraid that we won't make friends or find a sense of community here. On our first morning in the city, Frank received a call from his good friend, Michael. He told Francis that he was on his way to San Diego for a convention for work. Keep in mind that Michael didn't know when exactly we were moving, because we were in UG for 3 weeks, then we moved when we got back. He and Francis didn't talk once we were back from UG. So Francis tells Michael that we are in San Diego! There was lots of yelling, laughing, and wow-ing going on. We were able to spend our first few days with one our very good friends. I feel like bringing Michael to San Diego for work was God's way of welcoming us to the city.

We've been staying in a weekly hotel. There's a sink, mini-fridge, microwave, and a shower. But right around the corner from us is this little delicious and cheap Mexican restaurant. We don't eat there everyday, but it's a nice break from the pb & j, chips, and snacks that we have. And let me tell you - if you have no other reason to come visit me in San Diego, the California burrito is reason enough. Trust me.

I know in my head that the Lord has an apartment just waiting for us and a job for Francis lined up. But sometimes, I forget and become discouraged. Then I think of how faithful He has been to us up to this point and I think, "If He's done all this for us so far, I know that He is able and willing to help us now." It's only a matter of time.

On a side note, I start my new job at Gap today! Wish me luck.

Sarah: Boat Series

When Frank and I went to visit Kels in Jinja, we were super touristy. We got up before the sun to make it to Jinja early enough to fit it all in. We arrived at the source of the Nile before anyone else. As in, we were the first ones there. It was nice to be able to walk around without a bunch of annoying tourists around. We didn't take a boat ride because they wanted to charge us WAY too much to do it. Oh, you should also know that going to the source is a t o t a l ripoff. Do you know how much they charged Francis (a Ugandan) to get in? 2000 shillings. Would you like to know how much they charged me (the foreigner, aka the white girl)? 10,000 shillings. It was literally 5 times for me to get in than Francis. We tried to argue that I am Ugandan by marriage, but the guy was not buying it.

We missed breakfast because we got up so early, so we stopped the Garden Hotel to grab a bite to eat.

DO NOT EVER EAT BREAKFAST THERE. EVER.

It was awful. First of all, the food was not good. Secondly, it was too expensive for the product being served. Thirdly (is thirdly a word?), the menu spelled maybe 4 words right. Sauce was spelled "souce". You can tell a lot about a restaurant by their menu.

After that we met up with Kels, went to Bujagali Falls (which is beautiful - if you ever visit Kels, make her take you there), had lunch at the Black Lantern, went swimming, I met Deno's family, and then we had fanta and went home. It was a loooong, but super fun day. It was great to see where Kels is living and to finally meet all of the people she blogs about. I told her she needs to do a more detailed tour blog post of the house/area where she's living. It's not anything like I thought it was!

Here is a photo series of boats that were just sitting in the water at the source of the Nile:

Sarah: Eating Candy

Since I've been in UG, my posts have kind of been the same thing: I just tell you what I love about it. So, in the spirit of tradition, I'm going to stick with that theme : )

Perhaps the thing I love most about being here is that I get to experience my husband in his culture and around his family. Usually when people date (and especially before they get married!) you meet the future in-laws and get to see your significant other around their family. I think that could be really eye-opening. You get to see where they come from, who helped shaped them, and a possible shadow of what they could become in old age. I never got to experience that. So, within the past month or so, I had been preparing myself to see different sides of Francis that I've never seen before - the legit Ugandan/family side of him.

I expected that he would be different somehow and I wanted to mentally prepare myself to meet those differences. But they never came - and I should have known better. With Francis, what you see is what you get. It's one of the things I love most about him. He is no different around his family than he is around me.  He is no different in the States than he is here. Although, he does speak a different language most of the time and he's slightly more animated/outgoing.

So now to what I love about being in Uganda: Being with his family. Frank has already heard all the old, embarrassing stories (mostly from my mother) about me, and I was feeling a little left out of the fun. Well, let me tell you: his sisters have so many stories about Frank and I am eating them up like candy! Not to mention I get to see all his baby pictures! Seriously, look at him!!!

Frank in the middle with his twin friends
back in the day : )

oh.my.goodness. I die.

Sar: We Made It!!!!

Greetings from Uganda!!!

After two flights, 18 hours, and thousands of miles, Frank and I have made it to Uganda! After all the praying, planning, and waiting - I can't believe that we're finally here!! It's so surreal to be back in Africa. I've missed it : ) It's even more surreal to meet my in-laws for the first time (I'll be meeting them this afternoon!) and to see Kels again after so long. Here are some pictures of my travels thus far:

Checking in

who do you think is more excited?

Turkish Air airplanes are so brightly colored that they will blind you.
seriously.

The view from where we're staying.

random animal skull

I'm so happy to finally be here. My husband is over the moon. Let's hope the excitement will shield the jet-lag!