Did you know your parents get older?

Have you ever noticed with each passing birthday, year after year, you parents secretly are getting older? Or how one day you just see them in a different way?

My dad played football and any other sports for decades and had 5 knee surgeries (on the same knee) between now and then. However he has always been so active, involved and on the go. He has been this focus to reckon with and never have I seen him physically week. Just the strong, big, former defensive tactic that towers over the majority of people; literally. I still see him exactly as I remember him at age 8 and definitely not as a man getting older. Today, at age 54, he had a knee replacement surgery and when he came back, it was the first time I saw him as a man getting older. What a weird feeling to see him in a different light. I still see him as that ageless man but today was the first time even noticed, that parents age too. Their bodies are as ageless as they are in our minds.

Love you daddy!

Musical chairs

Yesterday my parents treated the family to the Harry Potter movie and the dinner at Lennys. We decided to go to the 4:30 showing and to get there an hour before since it was such a popular movie and to make sure we all could sit together. Well that was not a line at all and then we started thinking we switch our tickets for the 3:30 showing. I was switching the tickets while my dad was asking if the show was full, when my mom walked up to see if the show was full all. Then when we got in it was "where do you think we should sit?" We change from one row to another and then it was where does everyone sit? Once we where finally done with musical chairs, everyone had to go to the bathroom.

I told Alex, now he knows where I get it when I'm like that!

1 Year of Marriage Down and Looking forward to the Next 50 PLUS

Sunday was our first year anniversary! The first year flew by and I have to say it was a great First Year. I was thinking back on all the things we did, what new things we tried and new memories we made, lessons we learned and here a few things I came up with:

• Becoming Mrs. SEC (Sarah Elizabeth Constien)
• Buying our first Car together
• Getting kicked out of our Hotel on our Honeymoon night due to Fire alarms (long and funny story)
• Leading a Mission Trip of 20 Singles in their 20's after being married 5 days and then going on our Honeymoon (completely a God Thing!)
• Going to Jamaica together
• Scuba Diving for the first time together and first time in Open Waters (seeing a nerf shark, albino flounder, lobster & more)
• Zip Lining through a Rainforest TreeTop
• Kayaking in the Ocean
• Couples Massage
• Making all of those Returns & Exchanges of Gifts (two full 4-Runners worth & me not allowed to make returns to Wal-mart for a whole year! lol)
• Cutting all of my hair off and your mo-hawk for Turkey Bowl
• Your Christmas Tree Costume for leaders Christmas Party!
• Learning to Fly Fish
• Going on hikes together
• Our First Christmas together
• Playing t
  he ICE together, staying at my parents during the storm of January 2009. Praying I wouldn't lose you when you were rewiring the house for the generator :-)
• Learning you are a great and messy Cook
• Leading a small group together
• Learning you will vacuum and mop if I will clean the toilets
• Learning to how to combine two people's schedules (school + ministry) - (that's on going)
• Skiing together at Winter Park and partly losing each other in a mini blizzard
• Guatemala Summer Mission Trip of 2009 (enough said)
• Dancing in Antigua to live band
• Going Canoeing together for the First time (great times)
• A Weekend to Remember Get-a-way
• Going to our First Midnight Movie ever (Transformers II)
• Our First year Anniversary Adventure to the big LR
• Going to Wild River Country and being Kids together
• Riding a bikes along the river and seeing Deer along the way
• Brunch at the Clinton Museum
• Falling more in love with Alex every day and how he still takes my breath away every time he kisses me.
• Experiencing what a great listener you are
• Finding my one True Love ( my husband, Alex) He stretches me in ways that make me a better person.

It's truly has been a year for the Books and I can't take God enough for allowing us such a blessing. It has not only be wonderful to finally experience the joy of marriage but it has been a hug Faith builder in my relationship with my God. Seeing how He answered my prayers for years and years and when my Lord answered, He went beyond what I dreamed! Thanks a bunches to my one and only Heavenly Abba!