Saturday, March 16, 2013

Our Little Sunshine, Chloe Rose!

Born on January 5, three weeks early and via emergency c-section, Chloe Rose has charmed us ever since she made her debut.  She was 6.3 lbs and 19 inches long.  The first few weeks were rough (can anyone say baby blues?), and Chloe had to get over some Jaundice   But we made it through with the Lord's strength.  She is now 10 weeks old today and is doing wonderful!  Tyler is head over heals.  He is the best, totally hands-on dad.  We are loving getting to know her.  She is just now starting to smile and coo a bit.  Thank you Jesus for such a precious gift!

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Happily Ever After

Well I'm finally getting around to posting since our wedding and moving into our new house.  Please, please, pleases forgive my delay.  On Saturday the 10th 2011, Tyler and I were married.  It was a beautiful day, one of the only beautiful Saturdays in September in fact.  Everything went so smooth and we were so blessed by all the family and friends who came out to celebrate with us.  Here is a link to our online wedding album, if you haven's yet seen pictures.   http://goslingphoto.zenfolio.com/sarah-tyler-married

The next day Tyler and I set out on our honeymoon.  We drove up to Maine and all through the New England states.  We camped in Acadia National Forest and stayed in a beautiful B&B in Bar Harbor.  We visited Fort Ticonderoga in New York, the Cabot Cheese Factory in Vermont, and camped in great spots all over.  It was a blast.  Tyler and I got our system down.  As soon as we hit the road in the morning, I would get on the internet and map out our next destination.  Then we set the GPS and Tyler drove.  We couldn't have asked for a better honeymoon. 

We are now living in our home.  We moved in about a month after the wedding.  We still have to do a few things here and there, but for the most part the inside is all done.  Next we'll tackle to outside with some landscaping finishing the decks.  This spring Tyler plotted out a garden space for me.  I am so excited!  I've always wanted a "real" garden, no more urban gardens on a small patio with tons of pots.  I've planted tomatoes, corn, herbs, pole beans, carrots, and flowers.  I love it so much!!  The other day I made pesto and it is soooo made with basil fresh from the garden. We absolutely love living here.  We thank the Lord all the time for His blessings. The transformation is amazing of this little house.  You would never guess that this is the same house we started remolding back in May.  We are so very blessed and grateful for all the help we have received in this project.

I started a new hobby this year, sewing!  I love it!  My mom, bless her heart, bought me a sewing machine for my birthday, and I convinced Jenny (Ty's sister) to take a beginners sewing class with me at a local craft shop.  It was so much fun.  We made a pillow case.  For Mother's day, I made my mom and mother in law a set of pillow cases, since it was the only thing I knew how to make at the time.   They loved them ; )

I was blessed to have my mom here with me for Mother's day!  We spent a week catching up and seeing some of the sights here in Virginia.  Tyler, mom, and I went to the historic Appomattox Court House, where Lee surrendered to Grant during the Civil War.  And Rosie, mom, and I went to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home.  It was so beautiful!  Virginia is full of historic, beautiful, and wonderful places to visit.

Work is going well for the both of us. We work for Lapp Metals, the new metal fabrication business Lee (my father-in-law) started last year.  I work in the office 3 days a week and do some cleaning jobs, while Tyler manages the shop. Its a blessing to work together, and we are pressing into what the Lord has in store for the company in the future.

Tyler and I are also very involved in ministry at our church, Calvary Chapel Farmville.  Tyler is the Worship Leader and I am basically his assistant.  I also help in putting up the words for worship.  It keeps us busy and grateful. 

Thank you all for your love and support.  I hope you enjoy looking at these pictures as much as we enjoyed capturing the moments!

Love and blessings, 
Tyler and Sarah


Kitchen

Dining Room
Living Room


Mud Room & Laundry

Living Room
Guest Room w/Bathroom

Master Bedroom & Bathroom

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Our first Home!

We bought a house!  We are super excited and blessed!  Last month Tyler and I closed on a fixer-uper on 2 acres of land about 3 miles from Tyler's family and his work.  The Lord opened the door at just the right time and we got an amazing deal.  With a bit of work we hope to restore this brick house into an updated and fresh new home.  The goal is to have me move in before the wedding in September, so we have a lot of work ahead of us.  We have started cleaning up the grounds this week, which gave Tyler the chance to break in his new chainsaw...boys and their toys.  He cleared out some dead trees and trimmed limbs.  He cut, I hauled.  

Wedding plans continue to take up much of my time and thought.  Things are coming along though.  In fact, I just picked up our invitations today from the printer!  So as the time draws near we keep plugging away at work, ministry, house plans, and life.   Tyler is playing on the church softball team again this year, and I am the official score keeper.  I even made my very own team shirt.  

 We are very busy this season, but having a ball.  Hope you are all doing great and are enjoying life!  Here are some "before" pictures of the house.   Enjoy!

Tyler welded this mailbox stand, with light and all.

This is the living room, complete with a wood burning stove.

This is where the kitchen and dining room will be.

Here we will put a mudroom/laundry room.

This is the front of the house.  There are beautiful trees all around.



The front of the house will look totally different when we are done.

Us

Keeping score is hard work.

So is looking good in a uniform.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Long Overdue Updates

Hey everyone!  Hope this finds you happy and blessed and enjoying life!  I hope your holidays were joyful and your New Year has started off right!

Just want to update you on what's been going on in my life since the last time I posted anything.  The biggest news is that Tyler and I are engaged!! He asked me this past weekend while in Colonial Williamsburg.  He took my by complete surprise as he knelt down on one knee and asked me to marry him.  It was a perfect moment!  We are planning to marry in September and are very excited and blessed.  

Here are some pictures of the proposal, and the past few months of events and holidays. 

I miss you all and pray that you are blessed!


Enjoy!

We're engaged!!!




The walk way where Tyler proposed, in Colonial Williamsburg



Winter Wonderland! This is a view from the side of my home.



Red Bird, or so I call them. 



I made this wreath with Rosie & Jenny this Christmas, Tyler's mom and sister.
Beautiful fall colors of Virginia!



Tyler as "Scooby" at the Harvest Festival.  That dog can really rock.



Me stirring a cauldron of Brunswick Stew.  I just need a pointy hat.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Fall is coming!

So I promised to post some pictures of where I live.  Check it out.  This house is super cute and I love living here!  I often sit on the back deck with my coffee, watching the birds fight over seeds at the feeder and trying the neighbor cats to come near me. 
Things are going well for me here.  I am attending a woman's conference this weekend with Rosie in Roanoke.  And next weekend Tyler and I are going hiking.  It has been raining for a about 5 days and fall is on the way!  
  Hope this post finds you doing well too!


This is where I live.  See the cute pumpkin?
This is the kitchen/hang out room.  Mom, see the picture you made hanging on the wall?
A Finch on one of the feeders
Tyler playing with his team "Band of Brothers.' He's the catcher.  Go #17!!

Jenny and I playing with shadows at the game.
Jenny Girl. Isn't she lovely?
In the doug-out with Ty and the boys.






Thursday, September 2, 2010

Touchdown, Virginia!

It's been almost two weeks since I arrived in Virginia, and I am loving it!  The weather is warm still and summer is winding down.  Soon it will be Fall, my all time favorite season, and all the colors of the East will be in full array.  I can not wait to see it!!  As the seasons change, so too my life is changing.  Seriously, how much more melancholy and poetic can you get?

Tyler and I are very happy to finally be together in person.  No more Skype for us, although it was fun while it lasted and gave us some awesome memories.  I love the Lapps, Tyler's family.  Here's the line up: Lee & Rosie (dad and mom), Tyler, Ben, Cynthia, Steven, & Jenny...oh, and Jackie the Shih Tzu.  The house is full of music, noise, and laughter, and I love it.  I have been staying in the guest room. Once I am ready, I will move to town (Farmville) into a cute two bedroom house owned by the Lapps.  I have been working over there during the week, cleaning and getting it ready to live in.  Once I move in I will post some pictures.  Living there on my own will be a new experience for me, but I think it will be good and a time of growing.

The front porch at the Lapp's.  Its a great place for morning coffee and evening conversations.
My 1990 Toyota 4Runner made it from Montana to Virginia!  This is at the Lapp's place too.  See the cows?
God gave me a sweet rainbow one day on the drive through Texas...or at least I think it was Texas.















My road trip was great.  I took exactly 7 days from the time I left Montana to get to Virginia.  Here is a list of all the states I drove through: Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and finally, Virginia.  12 states in 7 days!  I stopped at friend's houses in Idaho and Colorado (thanks Mackenzie and Jen!)  Then when I was in Texas, I stayed at a state park in the back of my car.  I didn't get much sleep that night, go figure.  I was in the middle of a HUGE storm.  It passed right over me, and I saw and heard the most thunder and lightning of my life!  I was praying that I wouldn't get hit by lightning and be electrocuted, be swept away in a flood, or get caught up in a tornado.  It was pretty freaky, especially by myself.  But God kept me safe and sound!

This dragonfly stuck with me from about Colorado all the way to Virginia!  He was my travel companion.
The sunrise on the day I arrived in Virginia was beautiful!




Rachel and Ruthie Pernatto.  Ruth is modeling a gorgeous cardigan that I knit her.  Its a little big for her now, but this winter she'll be snug as a bug!
From Texas I headed to Shreveport, Louisiana to visit my good friend Rachel.  It was a lovely time of visiting and catching up. Thank you Rach, Mark, and Ruth for letting me stay!

I had planned on staying with them till Saturday and then make my way to Virginia by Sunday.  But once Friday rolled around, I just couldn't wait any longer!  I packed up my car and left Shreveport at 6pm, and drove a solid 18 hours to get to Tyler on Saturday.   What an experience that was.  Even though it was a very long haul, I was so juiced up on excitement and Starbucks that I only really got sleepy towards the end of the journey. I made it in at noon Saturday, had a wonderful reunion, and then took a three hour nap!  We went to dinner later that night and have not been far from each other ever since.

God has been good to me!  Settling in has not been hard at all.  I love Virginia, the climate, the landscape, and the people.  This past Friday night, Lee and Rosie took Ty and I to fancy dinner at a local vineyard.  It was beautiful!  We all ordered different things and let each other sample our dishes.  One of Tyler's dishes was cow's tongue...oh my, that was sooo bad!  Yuck!  Other than that, everything was amazing.  I had a simple cheesecake with apricot puree for dessert, and Tyler had our favorite, Tiramisu.  What a beautiful evening of conversation, laughter, and food it was.  Thank you Lee and Rosie!

Date night at Palladio.
Lee & Rosie with Tyler & I
The restaurant is on a local vineyard in Barboursville, Virginia.  The grounds are beautiful!
Tyler's cow's tongue plate.  Nice presentation, but looks can be deceiving.
I ended my meal with this wonderful cheesecake topped with white chocolate shavings and an amazing apricot puree. 

 
Well, I hope you enjoy the update and photos. I will post more soon.  Until then, I love you all!


Tuesday, August 10, 2010

On Passing A Kidney Stone

Avoid it if you can.  
It's been three days and so far no sign of that nasty devil.  This is pretty miserable, no doubt, and most women who have had babies and passed a stone would choose the pain of child birth hands down.  Even so, I'm not asking God "why" because really, what's the point?  Pain is a part of this life, but thank the Lord, we have a God who knows pain first hand and who can sympathize with our pain.  So as I sit here drinking liters of water and take medication meant for old men with prostate problems, I think of Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross and the pain He endured for us all.  Thank you Jesus for your extreme love and mercy!

P.S. I'll let ya know once it finally does pass.