Sidewalk Chalk

2011-01-25T09:16:00.000-06:00

New Blog - CarrollCreations.com

2009-12-29T14:34:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to let anyone here that I'll be blogging under a new name and site.

CarrollCreations.com will include recipes, sewing projects and lesson plans.
This site will not just be limited to 'creations' however. I plan to blog about family, work and what God is doing in my life, which lately has been amazing, humbling and difficult things.

CarrollCreations, the name, blog, logo, photos, sew-in tags and idea was a gift from my husband. Jonny Carroll. I was excited to start posting recipes on here, but now have another place for that.

Thanks for all who have read this blog, please see my new one, as this shall be no more.

-Sarah Carroll

My Classroom

2009-08-30T09:24:00.006-05:00

The first week of school was so great. I love being a teacher already and am looking forward to the rest of the year! Here are some pictures of my classroom ready for the first day of school.

I think I am a grown up...

2009-08-09T21:05:00.008-05:00

Tomorrow, I start working. This is it - a big girl job! I mean, I don't start teaching tomorrow, but from here on out, it is school stuff. Tomorrow starts my 2 weeks of trainings/orientations/such. This past weekend, my parents, Jonny and I started setting up my classroom. I have a lot more work to do, but it was good to have so much help and get a lot done.

Another sign I am a grown up is that I will be moving into the house we are buying and building at the end of this month. It has been so neat to see it go through the process of being built and I can't hardly wait to move in. (This picture is from a little while ago, but gives you a good idea of what the finished product will look like from the outside!)

And I have a birthday this month! Now, I can hardly believe how blessed I am. I have graduated, gotten married, am starting my job, and will have a house - all in a 4 month time span. And to top it all off - all of it happens by the time I am turning 22. Really? Amazing! I am so thankful. Thing is, we need to stay that way. God is good all the time. It's easy to say that now while everything is so great - but I need to remember that always, even when things aren't going so smooth, God is good.

By the way - my husband is amazing and surprised me with an awesome date. He brought the clothes, jewelry, purse, everything with us - had me change - and took me out! Oh yeah, I am blessed.

Annnnd one more thing - my dad and I went and checked out the new Cowboys stadium today and we had so much fun! The stadium is, indeed, incredible!

Conclusion of the post: I think I am officially a grown up. But! that doesn't mean I have to stop hanging out with my parents! :) And! I have an amazing husband. Wahoo!

Bridesmaid/House Party Gifts

2009-07-20T08:13:00.004-05:00

For my bridesmaids and house party girls (who are all wonderful, by the way) I made tote bags as part of their gifts. I had a really good time making these because it was a reason to sit down at the sewing machine - which I don't do as much as I would like.

To me, the best part of the whole project was going to pick out the fabric. I loved finding fabric I thought went with each girl. And I loved seeing everyone open them up and see their fabric chosen for them. :)

We're married!

2009-07-10T13:20:00.003-05:00

Jonny takes most of the pictures (obviously!) so I don't have many yet to post on here. I have been putting off updating because I want pictures, but I decided I am going to update anyway.

The wedding was amazing. I couldn't of asked for anything more. And the great thing about it to me is that people always told me it would be a big blur. Well, since so many people told me that, I was very aware of remembering the day. And I really remember it all! I love my husband, family, and friends. We have sooo many awesome people in our life - it's so wonderful.

And the honeymoon - best week ever... seriously. I am not going to say much about it right now because I really think it will be better with pictures. But we had such a great time and did so many fun things in Hawaii!

Best thing so far though? Marriage! I love Jonny so much and he is just the best husband in the world. I love living with him and spending time with him so often. I am cooking every night, we watch movies together, and are really getting into a groove together.

I'll post one from the honeymoon where Jonny took pics of me in my wedding dress!

Life, Love and a new blog member.

2009-06-20T11:22:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone, this is Jonny. This is my first post here. The wedding is today. woot.

I've copy and pasted a post I made on facebook:

To answer some common questions. Because life is just so incredibly fast pace right now, and I have just wonderful friends who are asking questions, care and are interested in my life. Ya'll are so great, and I do appologize that I've not been quick to return comments. Maybe this will show how fast life has been.

Pre Wedding:

First off, I want to say that because of budget and size issues not everyone could be invited to the wedding who we wanted. We litterally had to sit down and scratch off names, family and church members had priority and that's a large large amount of people. We both are sorry if you didn't get an invite.

Graduation:

Yes, I graduated. It was a blast. Sarah and I both did.

Jobs:

I will be shooting photography full time. Working from home and concentrating on aerial commercial shoots, weddings and portraits. Sarah got a job at Paloma Elementary in Denton ISD. She will be teaching 2nd grade. These are both our dream jobs that we've worked incredibly hard to get. We only need enough money to have a safe environment for our family. Doing what we love is the most important.

House:

We are currently building a house right by the school Sarah will be working at. It's not in city limits. It's located between savannah and providence village along HWY 380. Mailing address: Aubrey. Utilities: Denton.

Bike:

Still have not found my baby. It's been possibly spotted, and rumored to have been spray painted black. I've been talking a lot with the maintenance guys around the apartment.

Birthday:

Thanks for all the birthday wishes. Sarah came in town and spent the day with me. We cleaned my old house to get the deposit back and also took a trip to Ikea to dream of the furniture we probably can't afford for our house. Thanks to her parents and my dad and their birthday gifts, we're one step closer to getting that furniture

Jude:

I am and uncle. Sarah and I made the trip to see my brother and his wife. We had to head back for work and wedding stuff, the baby officially born 14 hours after we left. Bummer, but we'll make another trip. As far as I know, jude is healthy and doing great. I'm so happy. We are also so excited that my brother will be able to make the wedding.

Wedding:

Yes I'm excited, yes I'm ready. No, not nervous yet, but I'm sure I will be. In fact, now that I'm typing this, I'm getting a little nervous.

"who's shooting the photographer's wedding?"

Photography: Tre Lathon and Charlie McRae

Video: Brad Holt and Lorraine Sherrill

Yes, I'm totally confident in them, they do great work.

Rocket:

He'll be staying with Chopper for half the time and with my future cousin-in-law, Ashley, for the second half.

Honeymoon:

Hawaii, Big Island. Never been. Yes, I'll be taking photos, but the Sarah has made it clear it's not a photography trip. hehe. I'll be spending my time with my new wife, Sarah. We have a few dedicated photography times, such as a helicopter ride and a trip to the volcano national park. In fact, my lovely wife has agreed to take her dress with us, and we'll be having a bridal photo shoot on the beach!! I'm so excited about that.

So, that's the last month of my life. Phew! So many great things, so many life changes. I truly am blessed. I'm waiting for something really bad to happen, because life is seemingly just too good to be true.

TODAY!

2009-06-20T00:09:00.004-05:00

I AM GETTING MARRIED TODAY!!!!

And I am so excited. It is after midnight, so yes, it is today! :) Tonight was the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner - perfect. I couldn't of asked for a better night. I love my friends and family so much. To think that all of those people came together for Jonny and I makes me feel so blessed.

It finally is the big day. I have been waiting for this my whole life and I could not be more ready. I can not wait to be Mrs. Jonny Carroll. I can't wait to see him as I walk down the aisle.

The girls and I will be getting pedicures, having a delicious lunch, and getting our hair done... then heading up to the church for pictures and oh yeah, the wedding!!! Oh - and then the reception - the part I am sooo ready for! :)

Next week, we will be off to Hawaii! Gah, so so so many things to look forward to. But the thing I am looking forward to most? Being Jonny's wife.

May is Great

2009-06-03T23:51:00.008-05:00

So much happened in May. I thought I should share. By the way - I'm getting married to Jonny Carroll in 16 days!!!

Amanda and Rachel - some of my best friends in the world - threw a couple shower for Jonny and I. It was so great and I loved hanging out with some of our favorite people. There were awesome cupcakes and we received so many wonderful presents. People coming, bringing presents, sharing in your joy - it's amazing to see how much love I have from friends and family.

Also - I graduated!!! And so did Jonny! So, that's kind of a big deal. I am so excited to be done with school and to be moving on to the real world! My family is wonderful and were there to watch me graduate. Both Jonny and my families also celebrated with us at a dinner/party that was so great.

What else? Some things have happened that I feel I should just write on here - you know, to remember 10 years from now. I got my bridals done and felt like a princess. Brad and Charlie took them and my sisters and mom came to help. Everyone was amazing and I had so much fun. But of course - I can't show a picture of that yet! :)

Our house is moving along - we met with the builder and there is actual progress you can see!! -This picture is at the model home that looks like our house.

And, Jonny has moved into our apartment that will be our first home! It is so cute and we had so much fun unpacking and organizing. I can not wait to move in there and have it be OUR home!! :)

Looking forward to this weekend filled with fun events: baccelorette party, bridal luncheon, and lingerie shower! I'll do my best to update with pictures and info soon!

Two showers!

2009-05-03T20:57:00.005-05:00

I have been blessed by wonderful people in my life. Great friends and family who have blessed Jonny and I by showering us with love and presents!

The first shower given was by 9 wonderful ladies from my church: Kim, Brenda, Shannon, Heidi, Edwina, Lisa, Christiane, Eileen, and Leslie. All of these women have made an impact in my life and are some of my favorite people. Lots of women came to the shower and talked and watched me open presents. It was so much fun and I felt so loved!

The Hostesses:
All the presents:

I was also given a shower by the greatest sisters in the world, Julie and Kim, and my great mom. This one was mostly filled with family members and close family friends of both Jonny and I. Again, lots of talking and watching me open presents.. and again, I felt loved!

The hostesses:
My mom got these cookies made, they have the colors of the wedding on them!
All my bridesmaids were at this shower, yay I love them!

It is 48 days until the wedding! Lots to do, but I know it will all get done. More importantly, I know I will be married to the most amazing man in 48 days and that makes me so happy!

Here comes the real world!

2009-04-30T16:16:00.004-05:00

First of all, God is wonderful. Let me tell you what, He certainly has taught me to rely on Him. As I have been in this stage where I have had no idea where mine and Jonny's lives were going to be, I have found peace in knowing that wherever we were, it would be His will. Praise Him!

Back story - I interviewed with Paloma Creek over a month ago. We were thinking I was going to get this position, but it wasn't final because of transfers and such. Also, Jonny and I found a house that we loved and decided to proceed thinking Paloma was going to happen. Well, as time went on without the Paloma offer... we started getting anxious and thought I should look elsewhere.

So, I pursued the idea of working in Arlington. Met with some people, and got an interview at an elementary there for Pre-K last week. I was so thankful for that opportunity, and although I leaned toward Paloma, knew God would have me wherever it was his will. I waited to hear back from that principal.

Yesterday, I came into Denton. From about 2:00 to 10:00, I left my phone in my car. At 10:00, I realized it was in my car, got it (Well, Jonny got it :)) And, when I opened it, I saw 9 missed calls and 5 voicemails. After freaking out because I thought something was wrong, I listened to the voicemails. One of them being from... the principal at Paloma! Another being from... the principal at the elementary in Arlington. um, WOW.

I freaked out. Jonny and I freaked out. We prayed for a long time. My parents freaked out. All with so much excitement!

In the end, in more ways than one, God showed us that I was supposed to teach at Paloma. The timing, the phone situation... everything pointed to it and we were ready to accept!

I talked to the principal and accepted the offer at Paloma today. I also talked to the principal and graciously declined the offer in Arlington. I am ecstatic.

After this long detailed post, the whole point is - I will be a 2nd grade teacher at Paloma Creek Elementary. Jonny and I will be living in the same neighborhood as the school (a bike ride away - which I will be doing!) Our house is currently in the process of being built. I am so ready to start this journey with Jonny together with God. I look forward to seeing what we have in store!

New York

2009-04-26T12:57:00.007-05:00

Over spring break, my parents and I went to New York!! It was such a great trip. I love my parents and I love New York!

We stayed in a really cute hotel called The Moderne. It was a small place with really cute decorations.

Over the time we were there, we went pretty much everywhere we could squeeze in. Times Square a bunch of times (We were pretty much staying right next to it), Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building, China Town, Little Italy, Brooklyn, and lots of other places.

Mom and I in Times Square...

Rockefeller Center...

Hanging out in Times Square...

On our way to Brooklyn, walking over the Brooklyn Bridge...

At a chinese restaurant in China Town...

At PinkBerry in Little Italy...
Oh, and we saw the taping of the David Letterman show!!! When he was interviewing Julia Roberts. Yeah, it was awesome.

The musical we saw was Shrek the Musical. Don't judge, it was great. Hilarious, I must say.

We did and saw lots of other things...

like watching Good Morning America get filmed and being on TV...

And running in Central Park like Phoebe...

And going to the library in which Carrie almost got married in Sex and the City...

It was a great last trip of just me and the parents. :)

Countdown

2009-04-06T22:27:00.002-05:00

Life is crazy but wonderful. I went to New York with my parents and I promise that those pictures and stories will be my next post.

But for now... I shall share all of the exciting things going on in my life soon!

9 school days left of my student teaching!

6 weeks until Jonny and I graduate!

12 weeks until Jonny and I get married!

And in a few weeks showers start being thrown for me, I have my bridal photos, and all sorts of other fun stuff.

Life is good. :)

February

2009-03-02T18:36:00.003-06:00

I am alive. I am just not good at this, there is no denying it. So, February was a good month.

Valentine's Day, Jonny and I went to Olive Garden for lunch and then I cooked that night. It was a great day spent with my love.

Amanda got engaged! So, that's exciting. And I am going to be a bridesmaid in her wedding! Yeah, it will be awesome. (She is one of my best friends, and freshman year roommate.)

And I sewed a purse! My first sewing project! I'm planning on sewing this week again, so I will try to post pictures of that creation within the next... year. :)

Oh, and I had an interview today (at the school in which I am student teaching). And it went well! God is good and I can't wait to see where mine and Jonny's lives are taken together. :)

Recent Happenings

2009-01-27T17:21:00.005-06:00

January has been a great month. Student teaching is still going great. I got evaluated and it went well, which was a sigh of relief. Today, though, it is bad weather - so no school! So, finally, you get an update from me. :)

My parents came up to Denton for the day a couple weeks ago. It was so fun to hang out with them. We went shopping, walking, and ate some yummy food. Then, that night Jonny joined us and we went to the UNT basketball game, which was awesome!

Also, a few days ago, my sewing machine arrived!!! I'm so excited. I have now read the manual, figured out how to thread the machine, and done some practice sewing. I bought fabric for my first project and as soon as I get it finished - I will post it! :)

Oh, and my fiance is the best. He got me yellow roses... randomly! :)

Student Teaching

2009-01-10T14:20:00.002-06:00

Well, my first week of student teaching is over. I am in a third grade classroom and love it. The school, the teacher, the kids... everything - I love.

I have already been getting really involved in helping and teaching. I taught my first lesson over matter and it went well. I have been doing small things with the kids throughout the day and gaining my confidence and gaining the respect from the kids.

This semester will probably be a little stressful, but I know it will be good in the end. I have learned so much already and I look forward to learning more.

This week I will teach science and language arts every day! It's exciting to have the feeling of a "real" teacher. I can't wait to have my own classroom! :)

New Years Resolutions

2009-01-04T17:15:00.003-06:00

Okay, well, I have some "resolutions" as some might say. But, really, I think they are things that I want to do now and it happens to be the first of the year. I don't want to build them up or anything, but here's some things I hope to be able to do and accomplish:

1. Learn to sew. I have all the tools, my sewing machine should be here in 2-4 weeks, I have had a tutorial with Beth, and I have all the excitement in the world. Very soon I hope to be showing you my creations! :)

2. Eat breakfast. I usually say that I want to do this... however in the mornings, sleep seems so much better and I usually end up eating it in the car. I start student teaching tomorrow and I hope to start eating breakfast in the morning as well. Energy, yummy food, and time to myself and with God - what could be better?!

3. Work out my arms. Now, I will continue to work out my body in general, however this is something I am currently doing. My arms, on the other hand, I tend to forget about. I helped Jonny move my refrigerator and I thought my arms were going to fall off. So, I think I need to spend some time on them. :)

4. Be less of a judgmental person. I went to a gathering the other night with a bunch of people I didn't know (but who knew each other). I felt so welcomed in without any sense of judgment. I want to have that kind of attitude with people as well. Who am I to judge?!

Okay so there they are! I hope to keep you updated on how these things are going. But you know, blogging in general is hard for me, so who knows how that will go. Oh man, that reminds me about another one! ...

5. Blog more often. I have so much to say and so many things happening... but I forget to post about them. So, I hope to make a post at least once a week. If not, as close to that as possible. So get ready to see me more often on here! :)

Some of Christmas

2008-12-31T10:06:00.006-06:00

I have several things to post about before Christmas, however, the pictures are on my mom's camera and I haven't gotten them yet... so no posts about that stuff yet! But, I do have the pictures from some of Christmas (thanks to Jonny!)

On the 23rd, my family gathers to have a gift card exchange. Basically played like a White Elephant Gift Exchange... only with gift cards. I ended up with Texas Roadhouse and Jonny got Target! We made out good :)

Now, this night was special for me because it was the first time I actually made food to bring to a family gathering. I looked up recipes and decided on zucchini bites. Everyone in my family was a little weary of the sound of this food, however it seemed that after tasting it - everyone loved it! Recipe here.

Along with that, the night was great. I love my family. We had a great time hanging out and playing with the kids.

The Past Month

2008-12-22T11:03:00.006-06:00

As everyone can tell, I am not very good at updating. I've been told by several people to update... so here I am! I am going to try really hard to keep this thing up because making a post after over a month is a little daunting. So here's the latest happenings:

At the end of November, I went to a few get-togethers with some of my favorite people. Rachel and Amanda hosted a Thanksgiving...

And Rachel was thrown a surprise party!!...

Real Thanksgiving also happened! At my house, after eating, it is a tradition to look through all the magazines to figure out the plan for the next day, Black Friday.

And then, of course, the next day we go out and venture the stores. My sisters, Julie and Kim, my mom, and I go every year together. This year we met at Kohls at 4:30 (I think) and then headed to Target after that. I love it!

Jonny and I went to Austin for a weekend. It was Beth's birthday and there was a surprise party thrown for her! It was a lot of fun. We played wii! :)

Along with the party, we got to hang out with Jason and Beth, which was really nice. Oh, and Beth taught me how to sew!! And a big bonus of being in Austin was getting to see Caitlin and Jeff! Mmm, we ate at Central Market - which is amazing! And I got to see Caitlin's wonderfully cute apartment!

Last, but not least, was Griffin's birthday party! Griffin turned 1! He got to have his very own little cake. And really didn't know what to do with himself.

There has been even more and I will update soon, I promise! :)

Life is good :)

2008-11-17T19:00:00.002-06:00

So, I am bad at updating sometimes, I know, but I thought I would send out a small update letting whoever reads this know that life is wonderful.

You wouldn't believe everything God is doing in my life. And the great thing about it all is that I am actually thanking Him and praising Him for it! That is, so often, something I forget to do.

I'm looking forward to the holidays and the semester being over. I'm looking forward to student teaching, graduating, and getting married to the most amazing man. I am so looking forward to seeing the path God has planned for me.

Being an Aunt

2008-10-28T21:51:00.001-05:00

... is such a blessing!

What have I been doing?

2008-10-11T23:20:00.005-05:00

Well, it has been over a month since I have updated. I said today that I just had to much going on that I didn't even know what to write... so I will just give a little update on my life these days.

It is... busy! With student teaching and the massive amounts of projects and homework that goes along with it, I feel pretty overwhelmed a lot of the time. Don't get me wrong, I am loving being in the school, interacting with children and watching teachers do their thing. It certainly makes me excited to be a teacher soon!

Speaking of, I subbed for the first time last week! It was in a kindergarten class, and I loved it. It was so much fun and I felt really good about the day. Again, I can not wait to be an actual teacher and have my own classroom!

I have also been busy planning the wedding. We have gotten a lot done, but there still is so much to do! We did make a big decision today and decided on our reception spot! It is going to be at the Diamond Club at the Rangers Ballpark. It's beautiful and we are so excited.

God is really working in mine and Jonny's lives right now. We have so much to praise Him for and are definitely building our relationship stronger in Him. Church has become a big part of my week, as I now attend 3 different church related events throughout the week, but God is amazing and showing me so much in all of them. :)

Also... I never posted about Connor being born! He is such a handsome little baby and I love him just as much as my other two favorite little people in the world! :)

My 21st Birthday!

2008-09-03T22:13:00.003-05:00

My 21st birthday was a few weeks ago, and it was wonderful!

First off, my family had a get together. We went swimming and ate yummy food and had a good time. Jessalyn and Griffin were both in the pool and I loved swimming with them, and my daddy and Jonny.

Everyone gave me really great presents that I love! Movies, books, giftcards/money, clothes... and more! I even got the Real Simple Cookbook and the Real Simple Solutions book!! :)

Then, on my actual birthday, Jonny took me out to Olive Garden. I had my first drink, but couldn't drink much of it! ha And then we went on a relaxing bike ride and saw the movie: Henry Poole is here.

Then! Rachel and Amanda and I went out for a little birthday dinner! We went downtown Dallas to a restaurant we had gone to before and loved, but it was closed. So, we went to another that was just as good! I loove them!

Oh, and a few days before my birthday when it was raining... Jonny and I played in the rain!!! And it was so much fun!

The Time Traveler's Wife

2008-08-20T22:03:00.003-05:00

by Audrey Niffenegger

This book was wonderful. I won't try to describe what it was about in detail. There was love, adventure, and time traveling. It sucked me in and kept me turning the pages. I recommend!

Katy shoot

2008-08-14T22:41:00.003-05:00

I did a shoot with my good friend, Katy. Jonny was my assistant/second shooter for the shoot. It was a lot of fun and good practice for me. I really am starting to enjoy photography and love doing shoots together with Jonny.

Here are some of my favorites from the shoot:

Jonny also took pictures and sneaked some pictures of me, too. :)

Although I got a little nervous beforehand, I really enjoyed the shoot. I would love to do more, so let me know if you want to model for me! :)

The Arboretum

2008-08-04T23:13:00.003-05:00

This is a little late, but that's okay! About a month ago, Jonny and I went to the arboretum. Actually, it was the day before we got engaged! The day was great.

We took public transportation, the dart rail and the bus, to get there and back. It was both of our first time on the dart bus, and it wasn't too bad!

We both took pictures at the arboretum, which made it fun. It was a casual day of walking around enjoying flowers and enjoying each other.

See Jonny's post about this same day here!

G.A. Camp

2008-07-28T21:34:00.008-05:00

Riverbend Retreat Center in Glen Rose, Texas is one of my favorite places in the whole world. Every time I go back, I feel overwhelmed with the feeling of belonging. Since I was one year old, I have spent from one day to two weeks every year at Riverbend (for G.A. camp or youth camp or both). The drive to camp has always been a suspenseful one for me as I look for the landmarks that mark the way. Each time, I anxiously wait seeing the Coca Cola sign painted on a building in Glen Rose, which marks the place for us to turn to go to the encampment. I know when I see this sign that we are almost there. I am not only excited to see Riverbend, I am always washed in memories and excited about the new ones I will be making. Arriving at Riverbend gives me a comforting feeling, a feeling of safety.

This past weekend I visited this wonderful place for G.A. Camp. This is a church camp for 1st through 6th grade girls focused on missions. My mom runs the camp and has ran it for over 20 years. I have visited, attended, or staffed at this camp every year of my life. This time I was just a visitor because I could only go for half of it since I am in summer school. My dad and I drove down together doing one of our favorite things to do together, listening to great music. We passed the Coca Cola sign and then we were there.

As a vistor this year, I didn't have too much to do. So, I got to spend quality time with my mom and dad. I was, however, assigned one task- to put together and lead the Praise Walk. What is that? Well, the camp is a circle road and each year on the last night of camp, cars are parked spaced out around the circle road. On each car windshield, we put a posterboard that has a praise song written on it. Each church group at the camp meets in a common building. One by one they are led out by a staffer and then around the circle road. Each time they get to a new car, they sing that song. These songs are such as Amazing Grace, Jesus Loves Me, and I Love You Lord. At the end of the path is the amphitheater. The girls are led down and seated, still singing. I had been waiting for them there and started leading them in songs. After each group got there, the other staffers and I led them in fun songs and performed skits.

The feeling I got while doing this was the same feeling I have gotten every year down at the amphitheater on the praise walk. It's amazing. I see God so clearly in that moment. Hundreds of little girls in one place praising Jesus' wonderful name. Thank you, Lord, for providing this wonderful place with so many moments and memories, this being only one small one from all the years. Thank you.

I'm getting married.

2008-07-06T22:43:00.008-05:00

The Story:

As you know, Jonny is a photographer. Along with his photography, he does aerial jobs. On his birthday (June 11), I wanted to do what I could for him, which he decided would be to answer his work emails. I proceeded to answer one email that day, an email about an aerial photography shoot for the Fourth of July weekend. The shoot was going to be at night and to shoot a hotel with decorative lights. I set the date for the shoot and put it on his calender.

Time passed and Jonny informed me that the only helicopter company that would fly him at night was Summit Helicopters and they were going to have to use a big helicopter, which happens to have extra seats. Since I am always bugging him to take me up with him, naturally he asked me if I would like to go up. And of course I wanted to!

The weekend of the shoot, my cousin Megan was visiting and we planned a great weekend together. She suggested we get our nails done and after some convincing from my parents, I decided to get a manicure along with my usual pedicure. (hey, they said they would pay for it!) I asked Jonny what I should wear, I heard the word "professional" and automatically thought I should wear a polo. (I regreted this later, as it wasn't the cutest outfit ever...)

Jonny and I went to the helicopter airport and got ready to go. On the way, I made sure to have Jonny agree that if there was time, we would fly over my parents house. I met the pilot, Geir, who is a great guy and was a great pilot. I was nervous, but Jonny and Geir both were able to calm my nerves. We got in, got ready, and off we went!

It is typical for Jonny to fly around while doing his shoots. He usually has some extra time and will take some pictures for fun. So, first, we went to Downtown Dallas and took pictures there. It was beautiful and fun to take pictures and see it from the sky. Jonny then said we should head for the site of the shoot. Well, on the way there was fireworks and they were beatiful to see from the sky!

(Note the polo that happened to turn into a marshmallow.)

After that, Jonny said we were really close to my parents house. It took me a while to figure it out, but I finally found my house from the sky and saw my parents waving from the driveway. I was looking down and waving to them as well when Jonny says, "Hey, look over here." I turned around and.......

There he was with the ring!! And the first thing I said was, "You're joking!!!" But he wasn't and he proceeded to ask me to marry him and of course I said YES!!

Well, little did I know that there was no hotel with lights that needed to be photographed. Jonny had sent an email to himself the day before his birthday, knowing I would do anything he wanted for him on his birthday. He wanted me to answer emails, I answered the fake email. The whole helicopter ride was designed for him to ask me to marry him!

Also little did I know, Jonny had hired a photographer, Justin, who had taken pictures of us when we got into the helicopter and was also there afterwards. He took great photos of us with the helicopter and the ring!

(Our Pilot, Geir)

Also, Jonny had secretly planned a lunch for the day after the engagement. Post coming soon about that!

I was so surprised and seriously had no idea it was coming. Jonny did so good. We are so happy and so in love. Now it's time to plan for a wedding, and more importantly, a marriage.

Photoshoot of Jonny

2008-07-01T12:53:00.012-05:00

As I've mentioned, Jonny is teaching me some tricks of his trade. I find photography interesting and have a lot of fun doing it. I was supposed to have a shoot and so Jonny took me out and modeled for me to give me some practice. Thanks Jonny!

He's pretty cute, huh? :)

-Sarah Kay

parmesan pasta with chicken and rosemary

2008-06-28T22:06:00.009-05:00

I cooked this meal for Jonny and I the other day. It is simple and yet delicious! The recipe is from Real Simple magazine.

Ingredients:
-12 ounces (3 cups) orecchiette pasta
-1 31/2 to 4 pound rotisserie chicken
-2 tablespoons rosemary
-3/4 cup Parmesan
-salt and pepper

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Shred the chicken, using a fork or your fingers, while the pasta cooks. Discard the skin and bones.

Drain the pasta, reserving 11/4 cups of the water. Return the pasta to the pot.

Add the reserved pasta water, chicken, rosemary, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the pot. Stir over medium-low heat until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.

Divide among individual bowls and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

Jonny and I decided that I am going to cook the meals and he is going to take pictures of the meals! More meals and pictures to come!

-Sarah Kay

Abigail's Wedding (Sarah)

2008-06-25T12:47:00.011-05:00

This past weekend was Abigail and Jake's wedding. Before the actual wedding, there was many pre-wedding festivities. Caitlin and I both were honorary bridesmaids in the wedding, so we got to take part in a lot of fun beforehand! I love Abigail oh so much and am so happy for her and Jake. It was also good to hang out with old friends and make new ones.

Here is mashmcpa at the BBQ/lingerie shower.
I love them.

The BBQ and lingerie shower both were entertaining and full of laughter.

The rehearsal dinner was at Zio's in Ft. Worth, which I now highly recommend. It was delicious. Jonny was a wonderful date and it was lovely sitting with friends (Amanda and Forest, Caitlin and Jeff.)

The wedding was beautiful and so fitting for Abigail (and I assume Jake). It was filled with singing, Jesus, and love. Perfect.

My fellow honorary bridesmaids were Caitlin, Amanda, and Ashley. We had a great time together the whole time and it wouldn't of been the same without them. They are super.

-Sarah Kay

About Me: Sarah Kay

2008-06-15T19:31:00.007-05:00

Who am I? What am I interested in? What can you expect to see from me in this blog? Well...

I am a student. I go to the University of North Texas and will start my senior year in the Fall. I am an education major, and I have a passion for children and teaching. I have a wonderful man in my life, Jonny. I love family. I have a great family, including my mom and dad, two sisters (and two brother in laws), a niece, Jessalyn, and a nephew, Griffin. (And a nephew on the way, Connor.)

Over the years my interests seem to always change. Right now, I love cooking. Well, not necessarily cooking as much as reading recipes. But, sometimes I will actually try the recipes. I am an amateur photographer. (My boyfriend is a photographer and a great teacher.) I enjoy organization, pens, the magazine Real Simple, and the like. I like to read, although I tend to read my books slowly. I am a Christian and enjoy understanding and deepening my knowledge in my faith.

From me you will see... well, a compilation of the above. I might write about my family or Jonny. I might share a teaching idea. I will likely post recipes, books I enjoy, and other info. I think is interesting. And I'm excited.

Chalk on the Sidewalk

2008-06-13T23:09:00.003-05:00

Tonight a blog was born. We, Sarah Kay and Caitlin, were at Borders admiring all of the colorful pencil cases. (We are the kind of girls that freak out about cute pencil cases.) So naturally, after bonding over our love for pencil cases, we decided to start a blog together. We like cooking, reading, organizing, teaching, knick-knacks, and colorful, pretty things.

"Sidewalk Chalk" is a jumble of all of the things that we love about life.

Think about sidewalk chalk. You draw everything that comes to your mind. A flower, a rainbow, your name, the sun. When you finally step back and take a look at all that you've drawn, it looks quite messy and yet... it is beautiful. That's a little bit like our site will be. Enjoy.