The weekend I'd been waiting for:)

As of last Friday, it had been 11 weeks since I'd seen Luke. January 4th was the day I had left him standing there, outside of the staff house at Zephyr, and drove away. I moved to New York knowing that it would be difficult to see him, but we planned on him visiting twice. Well, as the best laid usually do, these plans fell through. Between Luke's work schedule and me adjusting to life in the city, there wasn't much time for him to visit. We planned on him visiting for my birthday weekend, March 26th-28th, which was, again, 11 weeks since we'd seen each other. Before this semester, we had never gone more than about 6 weeks without seeing each other. Luke and I both knew that this was the kind of thing we were committing to when we decided to have a long distance relationship. But 11 weeks?? It didn't seem possible...

But, we made it:) And for the first time in 11 weeks, I saw Luke this weekend!! And it was the best weekend I've had in a LONG time. We had both missed each other, but with the craziness that is our lives, I don't think either of us had truly realized how much we had missed each other. As we were saying goodbye at the airport yesterday evening, I was crying my eyes out (this is a normal Sara and Luke goodbye for me) and Luke was even a little emotional. I know its hard for him to see me upset, but its that much harder when he's upset as well. We got through it though, and it was well worth it. We had a wonderful weekend and I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present! I love that boy so much!!

Instead of going through every detail of our weekend, I'm just going to make a list of all the things Luke and I did:

1) Visited and ate lunch at Grand Central Station
2) Watched Phantom of the Opera on broadway
3) Walked through Times Square twice
4) Bought candy and a teddy bear at FAO Schwartz
5) Visited the under ground Apple store
6) Walked up and down 5th Ave., window shopped, and looked at diamonds at Tiffany's
7) Bought hotdogs and ate them in Central Park
8) Explored the Central Park Zoo
9) Watched crazy hip hop dancers dance outside of the park
10) Watched a virtual tour of New York City and went to the 86th and 102nd floors of the Empire State Building
11) Ate New York Pizza at some hole-in-the-wall pizza place
12) Visited Ground Zero
13) Hung out in Brookyln/visited my "hood" (ha!)
14) Walked Monatgue St. and ate at Five Guys
15) Walked the Brooklyn Promenade
16) Walked the Broklyn Bridge
17) And my favorite: cuddled a lot and watched tv

I know, it sounds simple and not very proper since we were in New York and all, but seriously, mine and Luke's absolute favorite thing to do together is just lay around cuddling and watching tv. I think it's because we're both so busy and never slow down. This was so needed and I'm glad we took that time together.

Even still, we did SO MUCH in a very fast 48 hours. I was proud of us! I'll cherish forever the memories we made this weekend. Luke actually liked New York a lot and I'm sure we'll be back to visit again after we're married. Here are a few pictures from the weekend:

{Luke and I at the Majestic Theater for Phantom of the Opera}

{At the Central Park Zoo}

{In the jungle at the zoo}

{Freezing at the top of the Empire State Building!}

{Kisses at 1,250 feet!}

{One more Empire picture just because I Like this one}

{Luke and New York pizza for lunch!}

{At Love Lane in Brooklyn}

{Looking a little sleepy in Times Square}

You may be wondering why Luke is wearing the same thing in every picture. Well, he's not. My sweet boy, who is not used to the cold, was not as prepared for the weather in New York as he probably should have been. This was my fault though, because the weekend before he visited, it had be around 72 degrees and sunny. But once he got here, the high was in the 40s and lows in the 30s. Luke had to wear his hoodie and jacket over his shirts every day to keep warm. Oh well, it was all the more reason to snuggle closer! And we still had so much fun!!

And now, the countdown begins. I had been looking forward to Luke's visit for so long and now that it's over, there is one presentation, two finals, and 5 weeks that stand between me and moving back to Texas. I can't believe this adventure is almost over and I know that part of me is going to miss this city so much, but seeing Luke reminded me of why I'm doing this and what it is I'm working so hard for. I can't wait to get home to him and to GRADUATE! Ahhh!!! 39 days until I'm home and 47 days until graduation. I know that I should be more nervous and sad about this, but I'm not. I'm ready:):)

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

It's been a couple of days since I blogged last, but that's because life in New York has been busy and I've had visitors! This is a recap of my weekend and all of the interesting/fun/crazy adventures we went on.

My momma and sisters flew in on Thursday around lunch time. However, I was still at work until 6 p.m., so we couldn't meet up until dinner time. From that point on, the five of us spent the whole weekend together! On Friday, we hopped over to Chinatown to do a little bargain handbag shopping;) This part of Manhattan is the equivalent to Harwin St. (sp?) in Houston. We also ate lunch at a little Chinese restaurant right off of Canal St. It was really hot on Friday (for New York that is), so it was nice to sit down inside and take a break from walking around in the scorching 72 degree heat (ha!). I also took the girls to their first bridemaid dress appointment at David's Bridal. There was really only one dress that Claire tried on that could possibly work if it had to. But it really wasn't the style and/or the color I was looking for. I think we all left David's Bridal a little less than satisfied. Friday night, we had dinner at Red Lobster in Times Square, which was SO good! Have I mentioned my love for coconut shrimp? Because I LOVE coconut shrimp!

{Momma hen and her chicks in Chinatown!}

On Saturday, we went to the second bridesmaid dress appointment at Bella Bridesmaid. I loved all of these dresses! Seriously, every one of the dresses my sisters tried on I would be more than happy to have worn at my wedding. We decided on two different styles of dresses, 4 girls will wear one style and 4 will wear the other. They are so romantic and flirty, exactly what I'm going for! They are a beautiful stormy blue color. When I see this color, I think of the sky right before a heavy rain. My bridesmaids are going to look so beautiful!!

Saturday night we went to see Mary Poppins!! This musical is just fantastic! The actor that played Burt did such a great job and the woman that played Mary Poppins is the orginal Mary Poppins. Not Julie Andrews from the movie, but the one and only person that has played this role on broadway. I guess it does help that she is British, but I just thought this woman was phenomial. I'm not going to lie, I did tear up when Mr. Banks realizes the value of his family and when Mary Poppins leaves. SUCH A GREAT SHOW!

{After Mary Poppins!}

On Sunday, the girls focused on getting their last souveniers bought for themselves, boyfriends, etc. Mom and I made a quick stop by J.Crew to check out one other bridesmaid dress which was not nearly as cute as the ones I've picked out. Oh well, it was worth a shot! After a quick lunch, a pretzel from a street vendor, and a couple more cups of coffee, mom and the girls were almost ready to leave. We went back to their hotel to get the luggage and add the souveniers to the already very full suitcases. They caught a taxi around 6 p.m. and headed to the airport and I walked to the subway:(

{My visitors before they left}

It was tougher than I had thought to say goodbye. I have missed my momma and sisters a ton since I've been in New York, but I think I've missed my momma a little bit more. It hit me while she was here that there are a lot of things with the wedding that I wish I was able to do with her or talk with her more frequently about. I want to go through every step of the planning with her and I don't want either one of us to miss out on anything. I can't wait to be home so we can do all the rest of it together!

Since my birthday is Friday, I won't see my family on my birthday, and because it's practically spring in the city now, my mom took me shopping for some new spring clothes! I would like to proudly announce that I dominated Ann Taylor Loft. You know how some girls sort of have "their store?" A place they always love to shop at, can always find a good sale deal, or always find clothes that fit them the best. Well, The Loft is most definitely "my store." I bought:

1) A cute floral dress I'm thinking about wearing to my first bridal shower in May!
2) A black dress that I'll probably wear to see Phantom of the Opera with Luke this weekend.
3) Two skirts: one black silky one and a cute blue on with a bow that ties at the top.
3) A cute ivory blouse with a little ruffle across the neckline
4) A pair of khaki-green pants that came with the cutest belt!
5) A khaki-tan 3/4-sleeved jacket

I also bought two really comfy t-shirts and two pairs of sandals at American Eagle. The American Eagle in Times Square has a great spring clothes selection right now! I can't wait to go back to The Loft in a couple of weeks to buy some new shorts for the summer. I love shopping:):)

{These are the two dresses I bought this weekend. I love them both!}

{These are the two skirts I bought this weekend! Except I actually got the gray one in black.}

And now, some MORE great news! LUKE WILL BE IN NEW YORK ON FRIDAY!!!! I cannot even begin to explain my excitement. By the time we're together again, it will have been 11 weeks since we've seen each other. I'm pretty sure I won't be letting go of him after that initial hug. My arm will be around him, we'll be holding hands, or something! Or for that matter, maybe I'll just lock him in a closet so he can't go back to Texas. Just a thought:) On Friday night (my 23rd bday!) we're going to see Phantom of the Opera and I'm planning on taking him to the top of the Empire State Building on Saturday night after dinner. I want to take him to Central Park and on an adventure to Brooklyn. Of course, he needs to see Times Square. So much to do, so little time!! But ultimately, I just want to be with him. I don't care what we're doing as long as we're together. I'm committing to a "no-wedding-talk" weekend so that we can just relax and enjoy each other. 4 MORE DAYS!!!

Lastly, I have to rant for just a second about my new favorite thing to do in New York: run the Brooklyn Bridge in the evenings with Helena. We love it! We run from our dorm to the bridge, from the Brooklyn end of the bridge to the Manhattan side of the bridge, and then we turn around and run it back. It's so fun because tons of people are always walking, running, or biking this bridge. And when you run at night, it's like your running into the New York skyline. It's absolutely breath-taking. I plan on doing this as much as possible between now and when I leave the city to go back to Texas.

Ok, I leave you with two questions:
1) What's "your store?" The one store you absolutely love shopping at...
2) Where's your favorite place to work out?

I'd love to know:) Hope you had a not-so-manic Monday!

Sara

My Papaw

I am extremely blessed to have the greatest Papaw in the world! After a wonderful phone conversation with him on the phone last night, I was motivated to blog about my Papaw and what he means to me.

Some of my favorite childhood memories are from my weekends spent at my Nana and Papaw's house. Nana would take me shopping and Papaw was always working on some kind of project outside. Trimming trees, mowing the yard, something. We'd watch a lot of TV and there was never anything "good" to eat in their house because, let's face it, grandparents don't have Cool Ranch Doritos in their pantry. They have Saltine crackers and grapefruit juice, blah!

I loved when my Nana would get out her ukulele and sing "Big Rock Candy Mountain." I never knew all the words to the song, but my Papaw did and I thought that was so cool! And Papaw, he tells the BEST stories. He used to be a Marine and flew fighter jets (is that the right terminology, Papaw?). I still to this day love listening to Papaw tell stories about his life; where he lived, the adventures he went on, the lessons he learned. I never knew there was so much one person could teach another. Papaw has taught me so much in my short almost 23 years of life.

As I got a little older and started high school, Papaw used to help me do my math homework over the phone. Every high school girl needs a Papaw that is a pro in Calculus, let me tell you! I'd be one of the ONLY kids in my class with all of the answers to our homework and people would want to know how I'd figured them out. I don't think I ever let them in on my "secret weapon." Get your own Papaw, people! One of his favorite phrases to say to me back then, and even now, was "Work, work, work. Learn, learn, learn." This is one of those principles that never dies. For the rest of my life, I will know that as I work hard and learn as much as I can, I'm making my Papaw proud.

Last night, I was having a rough night. I missed Texas, my family, my friends, and Luke. I called my mom and she happened to be in Victoria, visiting my Papaw. She had to get on the road to go home to Hallettsville, so she had him call and talk to me. We caught up on life, my time in New York, my internship, where I live, my upcoming graduation, marriage, etc. He told me he got my save-the-date in the mail, which was cool. I asked him how he was and of course, he's keeping busy. Still working, still learning. He also told me that he's been keeping up with me and my sisters via facebook. He even reads my blog regularly! How awesome is my Papaw?! It was good for my heart to talk to Papaw last night. I miss him, and all of my family, very much. Talking with him, however, reminded me that I am so blessed to have such an amazing family and support system. I can't wait to visit both my Nana and my Papaw when I get back to Texas!!

Before we got off the phone last night, Papaw said, "Chin up girl! Only 6 more weeks. You can do it!" That is so like him:) It's also exactly what I needed to hear and from just the right person.

Papaw,
I love you very much. You mean more to me than you'll ever know or more than I've ever told you. Thanks for all your help in Algebra, Geometry, Pre-Cal and Calculus. I couldn't have done it with out you! I dedicate my last 6 weeks of this time in New York to you. I promise that I will "work, work, work and learn, learn, learn." I want to make to you proud. Thanks for sharing your life stories and wisdom with me. You're an awesome role model and I'm so blessed to know you and call you my Papaw. I love you.
Love,
Sara

Psalm 25

Psalm 25 is the scripture God has laid on my heart the past couple of days. I keep reading it and it gives me so much hope and strength. I just wanted to share it with you all. What's your favorite scripture? What part of His Word does He call you back to over and over again? I hope you have something like this, but if you don't, maybe Psalm 25 could be yours:)

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
No one whose hope is in you
will ever be put to shame,
but they will be put to shame
who are treacherous without excuse.
Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you are good, O LORD.
Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.
All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
for those who keep the demands of his covenant.
For the sake of your name, O LORD,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD ?
He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.
He will spend his days in prosperity,
and his descendants will inherit the land.
The LORD confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them.
My eyes are ever on the LORD,
for only he will release my feet from the snare.
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart have multiplied;
free me from my anguish.
Look upon my affliction and my distress
and take away all my sins.
See how my enemies have increased
and how fiercely they hate me!
Guard my life and rescue me;
let me not be put to shame,
for I take refuge in you.
May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope is in you.
Redeem Israel, O God,
from all their troubles!

Psalm 25