to bring the world His truth...

well, it's here.
september 29, 2010.
i'm a missionary.

all i can say is, "far and wide 
we tell the Father's story, far 
and wide His love proclaim."  

God be with you till we meet again...
. . . in april 2012.  loves!  

pedestrian is human being.

today on the way home from Logan i saw a billboard that said, "save a pedestrian, save a life..."  doesn't that seem kind of obvious?  

is this ad relevant to you?

 went to smith's today to develop some pictures.  photo down for the day.
went to rite aide today to develop some pictures.  photo down for the day.

went to great clips today, said "cut an inch".
an inch and a half and a heck of a lot of layers later,
i have a new hair-do.
good thing i trust tricia.  hah!

had the strangest dream this morning, with the tingey family?  weird.

it's supposed to rain today!!

going to logan tomorrow!  so excited!  hopin' the leaves are red, at least a bit?!

devin wanted me to grow my hair out... oops.

the mission to-do list is down to just a few small items.  hooray :)

i'm hoping the family pictures we took the other day will be done before next week!

next week at this time i'll be in the MTC.  WOWzers.  no big deal.

yesterday my mom said "there comes a time when you just have to
move on.  it's time for you to leave, sara."  ha ha!  glad i'm not the
only one that's bored out of their mind sitting around home!

"20 years in debt, 20 years in the government, 20 years can never get me by" --america - non stop listening!

aaron christensen updates his status on facebook like every two hours.  crazy boy.

glee came back last night!  too bad this is the only episode i get to see.

wednesdays are good days.  

blah.

in all my spare time today i was just reading over some of my old blog posts from last year and the beginning of this year.  wow, i used to be such a better blogger than i am now.  my posts recently have been so boring.  my apologies to you, all 3 faithful readers!  hah!  right now my life consists of these 3 things: family, devin, and mission prep.  not too exciting.  well, that's not true, it's all exciting, but not so much blog-worthy exciting.  i only left my house once today, for like 10 min only.  here's to proving my laziness:
7:00 up for family scripture study
7:30 back to bed
10:00 woke up for reals, made myself french toast
10:15 wasted lots of time on facebook and blog stalking
11:00 studied preach my gospel
1:30 realized how long i'd been sitting there without moving, went to the bathroom and played piano for a second
2:00 started writing farewell talk #2
4:30 started reading some conference talks and studying preach my gospel again
5:30 took hannah to library
5:50 read some more scriptures, finished pmg chapter
6:15 organized the mess in my room, gathered some more stuff for the mish, got lost on facebook again
7:30 dinner with the fam
7:55 jam session with hannah on piano and cello
8:15 fhe with the fam.  low key
8:50 rootbeer floats
9:00 went to room and read old blog posts, thus the purpose of this post
10:30 i will be in bed.  missionary curfew calls, after all.

wow, such an exciting day, right?  I MISS BEING BUSY.  however, lovin' all this study time!

so, here's to a recommitment to making the next 9 days of blog posts better than they have been this summer... lo siento, again.

"sometimes i like the 5 dollar cheeseburger, but other times i'm satisfied with a french fry or two.  yes, just one or two."

my voice shall echo thy message sweet

"trusting my all to your tender care
and knowing thou lovest me,
i'll do Thy will with a heart sincere,
i'll be what you want me to be.

i'll answer dear Lord, with my hand in thine, 

i'll go where you want me to go."  

525,600 minutes

i miss being busy!  this break from life has been nice, but i'm pretty excited to get out of here and have a busy life again.  busy is my middle name and i haven't been living up to that, ha ha!  10 more days, friends.  10 more days.  

porch swing

"picture you on a front porch 

your smile shows your teeth 

i'm sittin on the stairs

got this image with me

i give you everything that you want

on top of all that you need

and all that i ask in return 

is a lifetime with me

and i know that it's a good thing

and time goes slow when you're on a porch swing

life can show me everything

when i look at your ring 

ask me again in 5 years 

it'll still be the same

except for one thing

and that's just your name

we'll watch this little town grow

everything new seems so strange

but you're still in my arms

and your eyes don't change

and i know that it's a good thing

and time goes slow when you're on a porch swing

and life can show me everything 

when i look at your ring"

love this song, thanks for the fun find, ems!  <3

7 napkin kind of girl.

that's right.  7 napkins.  i hate going to a restaurant and they bring you... one napkin.  my sandwich tonight was hecka messy and let's be honest, that can get embarrassing.  cowboy grub has the same problem.  can't i get me some napkins?  7 please.

"you're all smiles and silly conversation as if this sunny day came just for you... tell me what's right with you"  -- when did you fall, chris rice, on repeat!

mission shopping:  done and DONE.  after days and days of shopping practically everyday we finally finished the daunting task.  woo!  it's a good thing too, the lady at macy's recognizes mom and i now... awesome.

CANADA!

yesterday at the sister missionary mall, devin walks up to the counter and awkwardly asks... "can i purchase something here?" made my day.  pretty sure he's the only boy that ever goes in that blessed store.  what a good sport he is!  "i'm glad i get to see your shopping side.  that's important."  baaa.

i think the amount of times i've been to provo this year has way exceeded the sara ence limit.  oh but guess what... moving there in 2 weeks.  good thing i only have to stay for 3 ;)

i'm really missing my logan autumn!  with all the leaves starting to change down here i keep thinking about how much i love logan in its brilliant red fall-ness, and wow.  logan-sick am i.

i wrote a "last will and testament" today.  just so these young fellas and fellow don't have to fight over my stuff while i'm gone:

ba ha ha.  

turns out having only church music on your ipod isn't such a bad thing after all.

our waitress at red robin tonight was so bubbly... and an awesome saleswoman.  i would've order liver and onions from her, had she asked.

would you still be friends with me if my hair looked like this everyday?

on npr the other day they were interviewing this guy who had written this book about the periodic table of elements... one "everyday" story for each element.  you could call in while he was on the radio and talk about your favorite element from the table, and also share personal stories you had with different elements.  do people really have regular occurrences with the periodic table, like that they'd be willing to call in and share?  

it's a pretty fun feeling to still be on summer break when everyone is so stressed with school and such.  i sit home and read all day.  and LOVE it!  don't worry though, soon i'll be busy again.  busy preachin' the word!  mmhmmm.  

devin called to invite me to my own brother's birthday party as his date.  ha ha, always something new with this boy ;)  happy happy happy.  

i saw a car for sale today.  it had window chalk on it that said, "car 4 sale.  runs good.  runs real good."  

i miss hannah's hilarious stati.  they've gotten real deep lately.  nbd.  

i'm listening to christmas music right now HA HA.  i guess that holiday display at macy's really got me excited today.  don't judge.  it's a one hour deal.  

lovin' this: 

just a country lovin' girl all the time all the sudden.  104.3 is my new best friend.  

i love what ashlin said today, "i wish facebook counted as a class in school... i would have a really good grade."  wouldn't we all, sista?  wouldn't we all.  

also, the other day, ashlin's little 5-year-old sister called 911 like 10 times with a friend, then had to talk to an officer about it for a good little while.  funny funny.  

i still need a haircut.  but i want to grow it out.  but i want to cut it.  but i think i'll grow it out.  but tomorrow i might cut it.  gahh i don't even know anymore, someone tell me what to do  :P

the world needs more places like this: 

 

the right to hold you tight

today i finally finished the "rainy day" box,
and BOY is it good.  can't wait to give it away!

that is all :)  

loves her momma's lemonade

i hate the sound that goodbye's make.

can't believe i have to start saying goodbye to people.

what a crazy time.

:(  

victims

"more often than not, love jumps at us unexpectedly
in moments when we start to fall little by little,
unknowingly, more and more, until it's too late
to break that strategically secret connection."

pain throws your heart to the ground

but love turns the whole thing around.
no, it won't all go the way it should,
but i know the heart of life is good.

whit.jen.sar.kate.

{ missin' these ladies tonight! } 

so true it's painful.

member what i said earlier about all roads leading to provo?

guess where i'm going today...  ;) 

leaf spin.

my favorite time of the year is spring, when it's just getting warm enough to walk outside in a short sleeved shirt and a light jacket.  no more snow, no more coats, flowers budding, birds to wake me up in the morning, and school's almost out for summer.

but, my almost favorite time of the year is fall.  I LOVE FALL WEATHER!  i love football games.  i love the changing leaves.  i love pumpkins.  i love fall holidays and the upcoming holiday season.  i love back to school (even though i didn't get to do that this year...) i love sweatshirt weather.  i love pulling out my jeans again.  i love cold fall nights.  i love cuddling in the fall - cuddling in the cold is the best time to cuddle ever, he he!  i love cleaning out my room and bringing my long sleeved shirts to the front of the closet.  i love fall!!  

3 weeks?

so, i'm leaving in 3 weeks from yesterday.  :)
after watching future sister jessica myers open her call
yesterday (brazil, santa maria!), i got another wave of
mission excitement.  this week, reality's been setting
in that i really am leaving so soon, i'm really going
on a mission... leaving my family, leaving devin,
taking a break from school and real life, for 18 months...
going to live in another country with complete strangers
for 18 months.  WOW.  18 months.  but, as i was watching
the cute little MTC videos ("the district"- they're great!), i
got both so excited and so nervous.  i've said it before, but
i've never been so excited and nervous about any event in
my life.  the closer i get to leaving, the more stuff i gather
and add to the perpetual piles in my room, the more i read
preach my gospel and study my scriptures, the more i attend
the temple, and the more i just stop and think about what
i'm getting myself into, the more i just have to stop and
breathe.  today i wrote one of my farewell talks, and just
picturing myself up in front of the congregation giving
my talk, with everyone i love there, i just got this gut-
falling, heart-wrenching feeling that i am leaving.  i am
leaving, and soon.  3 weeks goes by SO fast.  i'm leaving
in 3 weeks.  WOW.  3 weeks.  3 weeks from yesterday.

he's got a point

last night: (after devin decided to stay in salt lake rather than go to his fhe at b.y.poo.)

s: "thanks for forfeiting fhe to be with me :)"

d: "yeah.  that family isn't eternal anyway."

s: "i'm glad you think the ence family is"

d: ";)"


at dinner on sunday david, aunt ally, kristen, and i had an interesting discussion about the newly created singles ward dilemmas.  no more ward hopping, guys.  this is for real.  they mean business.  funny though - ally (whose husband, my uncle greg is the singles ward bishop in holladay) was saying there's a flaw in the system - we want people to meet each other in the singles wards, but not go to church with their significant other.  "church is not a place to cuddle and scratch backs of the one you love... it's a place of worship."  (so true...)  david said his bishop said "if your girlfriend is in another ward, that's too bad.  join the ward activities committee and organize an activity with her ward.  but when you come to church, you don't bring her, and when she goes to church, she don't bring you."  ally and i wonder how this works, exactly.  just food for thought.   the singles ward system never ceases to entertain.  haaa.


ps i wrote the longest blog post this morning then never posted it and it got erased.  boo mac, boo. 

i feel my savior's love in all the world around me

did i ever mention that we got up for the sunrise at my cabin deep in the heart of the mountains?  gorgeous!

good morning mountain world!  

"these fries are so yummy!"

so... the parentals are out of town for 6 days.  partyin' it up in powell.  today they hiked a mountain to get coverage to call us... hah.  what dedicated parents, i love it :)  anyway.  it's been a great [exhausting] weekend playing mom.  definitely another eye opener of how much my mom really does for all of us.  i can now see why she sometimes comes home and says she never wants to drive again, and the house seems to be a bit messier all over today, hah!  we've had a happy weekend though, culminated today with front row above the dugout bees seats and an exquisite dinner at five guys.  here's to another happy weekend!  
huzzah!  

elder mcrae :)

i got a letter from my dear friend alex mcrae today!  he's doing great and i'm so proud of him and how much he's grown up already, just in 3 months!  but one paragraph he wrote really stuck out to me today: 


"the lord will bless you, and in the times of need just get on your knees and plead with the Lord saying that you are doing what he wants and that you need his help to accomplish those things and he will give it to you. when you ask ye shall receive." 


i needed that reminder today.  thanks, alex!  sure miss you!  

27 days. but who's counting.

now that september is here, the countdown is really here!  devin told me to stop counting days... so i did... but it's hard when all the sudden it's september 2nd and i'm leaving in just 27 days!  (4 weeks from yesterday).  still lots to do to prepare... but wow, i'm getting excited!

it's finally hitting me and setting in that it's almost time to be gone.  i don't think it will hit how long i'll be gone until i get in the mission field... but i'm at a content place right now, so no stress, baby, no stress.

"we must protect this house" - oh man.  utah football and ence family tailgating starts tonight.  as hannah says, "i'm more excited for college football than school starting..."  she's fo real.  go utes!

did i tell you about our john mayer adventure?  no?   well, it was excellent.  best concert of my life, devin clark: mission accomplished.

my cousins just won "family of the month" down in southlake, texas where they live.  check their story out here.  *sniff sniff* so proud of you guys.

i found this yesterday and it made me not only want to go back to quickwater right NOW, but also to go out and move some pipe!  hah.

and this one:  look how little coleman is!!  

also found some old efy treasures of pictures.  amazing what the catacombs of this computer hold, hah! 

spoon me with the fam last night.  best yogurt ever.  i could eat there everyday.  i told my dad we should get a frozen yogurt dispenser in our freezer to replace the poopy water dispenser.  mmm.  someday.  someday.  

i'm lovin' this fall weather!  bring out the sweatshirts!!  

lots to do this day, i better go.