the holidays/averetts 2.0

disclaimer: i wrote this post like a month ago and never put it up. don't judge me and just roll with it.

merry christmas, happy new year, and all the big shablang-blang! can you believe that a year ago, we spent christmas on the beach and this year it was spent with a foot of snow, sledding down the mountain?

it made me miss the tide pools we played in last year and the lovely picnic we had, but i wouldn't trade this year's christmas for anything. we went all out in our decorating for it and best of all - we spent it with some really great people. 

since we didn't get to go home for christmas, we made a new years trip. but only after we spent one heck of a second anniversary in vail, co!! zachary had been planning the trip for weeks and wouldn't even give me a hint as to where we would be going. i had no idea until we showed up. it was such a surprise! i'd be lying if we said we didn't feel kinda outta place there with everyone and their fancy clothes and cars. we weren't exactly able to blend in as well as we did last year in san fran, but it was still everything i could've ever wanted for an anniversary trip. we actually didn't stay in vail, but rather a little town a mile or two away called minturn. that was probably the best decision we zachary could have made. we were able to get the city/busy feel of vail, but then we were able to come home and relax at the bed and breakfast we stayed in, all nestled in the woods under three feet of snow. it was a winter wonderland! i couldn't have asked for a better way to spend our anniversary.

and besides, isn't my husband just adorable? i'm one lucky girl. i love that after two years, being together is still my favorite place to be. i love you babe! happy anniversary. {even if this is a month late...}

-the mrs.

do you remember?

my dearest luftwaffe-

do you remember one year ago to this exact day and hour?
we were running around downtown salt lake city, freezing our bums off, watching the fireworks, while stealing kisses every chance possible.
what a perfect honeymoon.

can you believe it's already been a year since we sealed the deal of our lives?
one year since we promised to love each other for forever and nothing less.
it feels like it was just yesterday.

remember how early we had to wake up to get ready?
no wait, that was just me.
4:30 came much too soon after staying up until midnight to put the final touches on our reception decor.
remember picking me up from the hotel room where i was getting my hair done with the girls?
my heart skipped a beat when you walked through the door.
the day had finally come that i got you for keeps.
remember how late we were in getting to the temple?
it was a good thing they couldn't start things without us.
remember how beautiful our sealing was and how great it was to have our friends and family with us in the Lord's very own house on our very own wedding day?
remember how you stepped on and ripped my wedding dress in front of all of those said friends and family?
don't worry babe, there wasn't any major damage done.
remember how cold it was taking pictures outside?
it chills me to the bone just thinking about it.
remember how perfect merilee made our luncheon?
remember all the wonderful things that our loved ones said about us there?
do you remember how handsome you looked in your air force blues?
it still melts my heart.
remember how great our reception looked?
i couldn't have asked for it to have turned out any better.
do you remember all the people that came to wish us well on our special day?
remember the great food that was served?
me neither.
next time we get married, let's be sure to eat some of our own food that we took weeks to plan out.
remember the drive up to salt lake and the countless number of times we looked at each other and yelled, "we're married!"?
remember getting to the hotel room, you in your tux and i in my dress, and hearing all the oohs and ahhs from passerbys?
remember the first thing we did {well, almost the first thing ;)} was order pizza because we were starving?
remember the feeling of being able to snuggle up and fall asleep, knowing that we'd never have to say goodbye and part ways again?

oh how in love i was with you that day and how even more in love with you i am today.
happy {late} anniversary honey.
thanks for one fabulous year.

love,
your wife

just a mushy love shpeel.

my boy started his first day of school today.
i made sure to buy him some brown paper bags to carry his lunch in along with a baggie full of keebler cookies - one of his favs.
i can't believe how grown up he is! *tear*

but, in all seriousness, i am so stinkin' proud of that man that it really does almost bring me to tears.
i won't turn this into a "my-husband-is-better-than-your-husband" story, but i will say this: he is one hard workin' dude.
he's woken up at the crack of dawn every day this week and still comes home happy.
i'm grateful for everything he provides for us and his unconditional love.
he's definitely got this husband thing down to a t.
that's all.

-the wife

the proposal anniversary.

one year ago today, i said yes to the most important question of my life:

"will you marry me?"

i can remember it like it was yesterday.

zachary managed to take me by complete surprise as we sat there in that little da40 aircraft.

{for the full story, click here}

i have to commend him for that, because there are few times in my life where
i have actually been surprised.
there were so many emotions running through my head in a matter of seconds.
i wanted to jump for joy and at the same time burst in to tears.
it was such a thrill!

it's so funny to think back to that day and realize how much we really didn't know each other.

compared to now anyway.
it was a time full of superficial twitterpation.
that sounds bad, like we didn't love each other or something.
not true.
of course we loved each other or i wouldn't have said yes.
but, after feeling what i feel today, it's incredible to see how much the dynamic of our relationship has changed and turned in to something much deeper; a stronger love than i have words for.
i can't begin to tell you how much i appreciate him and care about him and i love the fact that
it only keeps getting better.
thanks for picking me, babe, and for asking me to be your wife!
i love you.

-sarah

the end of a long haul?

i have butterflies in my stomach.
all. the. time.
not because my cute husband wakes me up every morning, just to kiss me goodbye before
work. {even despite my horrid dragon breath}
not because after i get out of bed, i am sometimes welcomed to a cleaner-than-the-night-before kitchen and an unloaded dishwasher. {a very welcomed sight to see}
and not even because i am constantly being left little notes around the house telling me why he loves me more than any other human being on the planet.
while these joys of being married to my wonderful man do give me butterflies, they aren't the kind of butterflies i have been having as of late.
remember how we had a bit of a change in plans in our adventures here in del rio?
well, the review board that zachary was a part of met three weeks ago.
word on the street is, we just might be finding out the results of that meeting....tomorrow.
just typing that sends my stomach into disarray.
after waiting around for 3 and 1/2 months, it's almost like we've become numb to the fact that we have no clue where we are going to be or what we are going to be doing for the rest of our life.
i have tried over and over to picture ourselves ten years down the road.
heck, even five years down the road.
are we going to be happily settled in to a beautiful home in massachussetts?
could we possibly enjoy the luxury of moving to aviano, italy, or maybe ramstein, germany?
or could we be living in logan, utah, close to family and surrounded by familiarity?
i can hardly believe that we are this close to finding out.
we basically have two options in all of this: either they keep us in the air force, or they don't.
i haven't decided which one i would rather have.
obviously, if they kept us, we would take our next assignment and move wherever they need us.
i have absolutely loved seeing new places and meeting new people over these last several months,
so i feel like there is no loss there.
on the other hand, i would give anything to live close to our families.
we visited them last month and it makes me so sad to see how quickly our nieces and nephews
are growing up.
zachary and i have a secret plan to be the best aunt and uncle ever and that's nearly impossible
when we live 2,000 miles away.
not only that, but there's something about being with people that you know love and accept you, that makes you never want to have a reason to leave.
maybe it's a good thing that all of this is in God's hands because if it were up to me, we'd probably end up being here another year while i tried to decide which option i like more.
we definitely don't want that to happen.
i can undoubtedly say that i am so grateful for this wait to be over.
we have learned a lot and have done our best to be patient, but we are ready to know.
no matter what the outcome, we will trust that God has our best interest at heart.
thank you for all of your prayers and support.
we couldn't have done it without you.
wish us luck!

-the wife

leaky faucet, coming through.

i've never cried in a movie before...until the other day, watching p.s. i love you.

i don't know what it was, but the thought of ever losing zachary seemed so unbearably awful that i couldn't keep myself together. {cheesy, i know}
but if you look at it that way, then it was a good cry. right?
wanna know what else can make me cry?
this video:

works every time.

being married and loving someone enough to know that your whole world would be a wreck without them has turned me in to one big bawl baby.

i sure do love that husband of mine!

-the wife

oops?

i've heard some crazy stories of how military wives can react to their husbands leaving. they lay in bed all morning, crying at any thought of him. after pulling themselves together, they stumble across some sentimental keepsake that was given to them right after their wedding, that on normal days wouldn't even be given a second thought about, but today, it sends them into another episode of tears and tissues because it was a gift from him. they end up locking themselves in their house all day long, wanting nothing to do with the ouside world, while eating junk food and watching chick flicks that end up making them cry even harder. after all of their tears are dried up, it's finally time to go to sleep. they lock the doors, turn out the lights, and crawl into bed, only to be saddened by the fact that he isn't there to cuddle the night away with. which then...ends in more tears.

did i act like this after zachary left yesterday? of course not. did i act like a milder, slightly more controlled version of this? maybe.

all i know is there was a lot of candy eaten:

a lot of time spent wearing zachary's clothes:

loads of snuggling with this guy: {which happens to be sprayed with zachary's cologne.}



and many tears shed. but let's be honest people...as much as i really do miss my husband and i never thought that it would be this hard to be without him {i'm lame, i know} i think the real reason for all of this drama was my subconscious trying to cope with this haircut:

somewhere between the tears and the junk food, my funny little brain thought it would be cool to go all out and change up my hair by getting front bangs and cutting it a little shorter. for some reason, i thought it would make zachary being gone a little easier. no worries, it didn't. instead i am left still husbandless and looking like a boy.

-the wife

integration.

tadah! we decided that it would be more convenient just to blog together.

now you can be updated on both of our lives at the same time!

today marks the 2 week anniversary of our blissful married life.

{and by blissful, i mean absolutely 100% fantastically wonderful}

we were suppose to move to del rio, texas on january 4th.

right now...we are living in north salt lake, utah.

as you can see there is some serious confusion in these two scenarios.

it's a long and complicating story, but the gist of it is:

we will be in utah until february 6th! yay!

this gives us a lot more time to see family and friends, as well as a moment to
breathe and enjoy being together as newlyweds.

i know i've said it before, but being married really is
everything i ever wanted it to be and more.

i'd be lying if i didn't say it is different trying to incorporate two lives into one.

not hard.

just different.

but there is nothing more worth it.

i love being able to snuggle up to my cute boy every night,

and waking up to this face every morning...

delightful isn't it?

he takes such good care of me.

i fall more and more in love with him every day.

i can't believe that i am actually living this life!

-the wife

do you believe in magic?

i sure do now!

to me, magic is waiting your entire life for your wedding day
and having it go perfectly.
magic is being able to spend time with more family and friends
than imaginable and relishing every moment of it.
and lastly, magic is leaving the party that was thrown just for
you and your honey and being ten times more in LOVE than
when the day began.

everything was so wonderful all day long.
i've heard so many times that it can be a stressful day and we may
not even have time to think of each other,
but it wasn't like that at all!
i owe it all to my handsomely incredible husband.

{husband}
        that is so fun to say!!

i have an overwhelmingly extreme feeling of love.
it feels like i am going to burst at the seams any minute now.
this boy that i have been in love with for months is
finally mine forever!!

being married is everything i could ever want and more
and our wedding day will most definitely go down in history as
the most magical day of my life!

{more pictures to follow shortly}

-the wife

my better half.

i feel utterly overwhelmed and completely blessed right now.

life seems to be one fiery ball of opposition/challenge,

but nothing makes me feel like i can get through it more,

than when i am wrapped in the 

loving arms of this boy...

maybe i am a little biased, but i think we have something unique. 

something i only imagined possible for the few "lucky" people in this world.

something i have hoped my whole life for, but never thought i'd get.

tim mcgraw sums up this "something" pretty well...

you're more than a lover

there could never be another

to make me feel the way you do.

oh we just get closer

i fall in love all over

every time I look at you.

i don't know where I'd be

without you here with me,

life with you makes perfect sense

you're my best friend.

yes, i have a best friend to keep forever.

a best friend that i love with my whole heart and can be loved by in return.
a best friend that makes me feel complete when we're together.
a best friend that knows me so well, a second thought isn't needed

in knowing how to heal my pain.

why i was given such a blessing of a boy, i don't know.

but i couldn't be more grateful.

i believe...

... taking a bubble bath while reading your favorite book is
by far the best way to relax.

...in celebrating holidays to their fullest. they only come around once a year,

so you had better enjoy it for as long
as you can. {this means that it's ok to listen to christmas music in october}

...in saying “goodbye,” “hello,” and “i love you” no matter how 

angry or frustrated I am.

…it’s totally okay to be afraid of the dark when you’re a “grown up.”

...this has to be the cutest watch ever! it will most definitely be

going on my christmas wish list.

...smiling at a stranger does more good than harm. you never know
how much a sincere smile can do for someone.

...a best friend is someone that you can do anything or nothing
with and still have the time of your life.

...i am going to marry the most handsome/sincere/romantic/kind/greatest boy in the universe.

...in laughing out loud when everything in life seems to be going wrong.

...running is one of the hardest, most rewarding things that i attempt to do. i hate it and crave it at the very same time.

...unicorns are real, but they all happen to own invisibility cloaks.

...that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

...duct tape and super glue can fix anything.

...that sometimes when i'm angry, i have the right to be angry.

but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

...someday i will be the instant winner on the bottom of a soda lid.

...that kisses are wonderful.

...everyone has a story that can make you cry.

what do you believe in?

ingredients to the perfect date.

turn on one playlist of love songs by michael buble.

add a romantic homemade dinner including champagne glasses and bubbly.

stir in a smokin' hott fiancé.

and you will get one very in love couple.

girl meets boy.

once upon a time there was a girl.
one day this girl met a boy.

girl had a crush on boy.
boy asked girl for her number.
*shouts of elation*

boy asked girl on a date.
girl said yes.
girl and boy talked and laughed and talked for hours.
girl liked boy.
girl got butterflies just thinking about boy.
boy liked girl.
boy and girl started dating.

boy and girl could only see each other on the weekends.

every weekend that boy left, girl's insides had turned to moosh.
girl was falling in love.

boy and girl talked on the phone every night for 4 months.

girl moved to be closer to boy.
girl was in heaven.
every day spent with boy was the best day of girl's life.
girl was head over heels in love.
boy asked girl to marry him.
girl said yes.
girl wears his ring with pride.
girl is the happier than she's been in her whole life.
girl falls in love more and more everytime she sees boy.
marrying boy is all that girl can think about these days.
girl loves boy.
boy loves girl.
girl can't wait to be with boy forever.

the end.

{photo courtesy of this cute girl}

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.

my antonio banderas

i happen to be a very lucky girl. 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