This is a minute long, it's the full moon rising over the bay in Sarasota with a boat going by. Slow...but serene :)
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Lido Key Beach
This was the 1st day that it felt like Fall in Florida. We went swimming and when we got out it was cold! So we took videos and pictures of the sunset. We also went to a pier by Matthew's work in the bay where we watched boats going by. Hope you enjoy!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
Sarah got a job!!!
Thanks for all your prayers, they worked! I got a job as a flute technician for the Marching Band at Braden River High School. It's exactly what I was hoping to get a job doing when we moved to Florida, and Matthew and I are so excited that our plan is ACTUALLY working! It's job with definite "advancement" possibilities. Marching band is only the fall semester of school, but he was already talking to me about teaching lessons during class time, whether it be vocal, piano or flute. And if I help out with the Colorguard, (which he said the other guard instructors will probably try to recruit me) then there is winterguard during the spring season, so I would also have a job there.
I'm just so excited that I'm finally doing something I've always wanted to do. This job is going to be exactly what I love, but it's also a great opportunity for me to try to get some of the band kids to take private lessons from me. And I'll have a place to teach the lessons! There are lots of private studio rooms in the band room. It's all working out so well, I'm so excite! My first day is tomorrow morning so I'm trying to get prepared tonight. I love you all!!! ~Sarah
I'm just so excited that I'm finally doing something I've always wanted to do. This job is going to be exactly what I love, but it's also a great opportunity for me to try to get some of the band kids to take private lessons from me. And I'll have a place to teach the lessons! There are lots of private studio rooms in the band room. It's all working out so well, I'm so excite! My first day is tomorrow morning so I'm trying to get prepared tonight. I love you all!!! ~Sarah
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Our move to Florida
Hello friends and family! If you click on each photo it will make it bigger. Hope you enjoy!
We visited family before we moved to Florida. We stayed with mom and dad for a week. Here we're visiting and playing aggravation with the family and Nana Dyson.
Visiting with Nana and Papa VanHoorebeke and Aunt Gail and Uncle Tim in Illinois.
Hugging mom and dad goodbye before we drive away on July 1!
We drove separate cars which were packed to the brim with all our things! Shiloh rode in Sarah's car because of the air conditioning, poor Matthew had to sweat the whole way there. :(
Shiloh had fun in her little spot on the way there.
We made it! This is in Cocoa Beach on the east coast our first morning in Florida.
We got to see some truly gorgeous views.
This was Shiloh's first time swimming in the ocean. She was apprehensive at first, but when she realized it was fun she took off all the way down the beach splashing in the waves as she went, it was so cute!
We went to the Fourth of July fireworks in Palm Beach, which is a gorgeous town. The fireworks were shot over the bay. We started out on the left there with tons of people, but decided to sit on the bridge to watch the fireworks. It was a much better view, we got to see the reflection of the fireworks off the water.
It was a great fireworks display, Matthew said the finale was the best he's ever seen.
We found a temporary place! We're staying in Sarasota, on the west side of Florida for a month while we look for a more permanent place. It is fully furnished, with a king size bed woohoo!
The furniture came from a condo here so it's fun that the whole place has a beachy theme.
We love the huge shower.
These lizards are so cute! They run around everywhere and eat the bugs, go lizards!
This palm tree is right outside our patio door, we really love it.
Siesta Key! This is the 3rd best voted beach in Florida. The water is crystal clear so we often search for shells under the water. The sand is like baby powder, we love it.
There are so many beautiful birds here.
These are weird seagulls that we haven't seen since then. We like all the different kinds of birds.
That parasailing company is out there everyday. It looks like fun! That little area near the beach is what we call the kiddie pool. It is about 6 inches of water where lots of people have their kids play, then as the water goes out there is another bank so the kids can't get pulled out to sea. There is also another bank even farther out so Matthew and I swim out to it and enjoy the waves.
We love that there are areas that are just full of people, but if you walk down not too far you can also be almost completely by yourself. It's a very fun atmosphere.
I was excited I got this picture of a seagull! :)
We found this awesome shell, but it turned out there was a snail in it! We brought it home and planned on keeping it as a pet and getting a fish tank, but then decided he would probably be happier in the ocean so we let him go. I named him Shelldon. :)
We have lots of fun here looking for shells, enjoying wildlife and watching sunsets over the ocean. We absolutely love living in Florida and hope we will be able to stay here for at least a little while longer!
We visited family before we moved to Florida. We stayed with mom and dad for a week. Here we're visiting and playing aggravation with the family and Nana Dyson.
Visiting with Nana and Papa VanHoorebeke and Aunt Gail and Uncle Tim in Illinois.
Hugging mom and dad goodbye before we drive away on July 1!
We drove separate cars which were packed to the brim with all our things! Shiloh rode in Sarah's car because of the air conditioning, poor Matthew had to sweat the whole way there. :(
Shiloh had fun in her little spot on the way there.
We made it! This is in Cocoa Beach on the east coast our first morning in Florida.
We got to see some truly gorgeous views.
This was Shiloh's first time swimming in the ocean. She was apprehensive at first, but when she realized it was fun she took off all the way down the beach splashing in the waves as she went, it was so cute!
We went to the Fourth of July fireworks in Palm Beach, which is a gorgeous town. The fireworks were shot over the bay. We started out on the left there with tons of people, but decided to sit on the bridge to watch the fireworks. It was a much better view, we got to see the reflection of the fireworks off the water.
It was a great fireworks display, Matthew said the finale was the best he's ever seen.
We found a temporary place! We're staying in Sarasota, on the west side of Florida for a month while we look for a more permanent place. It is fully furnished, with a king size bed woohoo!
The furniture came from a condo here so it's fun that the whole place has a beachy theme.
We love the huge shower.
These lizards are so cute! They run around everywhere and eat the bugs, go lizards!
This palm tree is right outside our patio door, we really love it.
Siesta Key! This is the 3rd best voted beach in Florida. The water is crystal clear so we often search for shells under the water. The sand is like baby powder, we love it.
There are so many beautiful birds here.
These are weird seagulls that we haven't seen since then. We like all the different kinds of birds.
That parasailing company is out there everyday. It looks like fun! That little area near the beach is what we call the kiddie pool. It is about 6 inches of water where lots of people have their kids play, then as the water goes out there is another bank so the kids can't get pulled out to sea. There is also another bank even farther out so Matthew and I swim out to it and enjoy the waves.
We love that there are areas that are just full of people, but if you walk down not too far you can also be almost completely by yourself. It's a very fun atmosphere.
I was excited I got this picture of a seagull! :)
We found this awesome shell, but it turned out there was a snail in it! We brought it home and planned on keeping it as a pet and getting a fish tank, but then decided he would probably be happier in the ocean so we let him go. I named him Shelldon. :)
We have lots of fun here looking for shells, enjoying wildlife and watching sunsets over the ocean. We absolutely love living in Florida and hope we will be able to stay here for at least a little while longer!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Our new place!
We found a place to live in Sarasota for a month while we look for something more permanent. However we can stay here for awhile if we like it. It's a part of a woman's house that they built into kind of a duplex. We have 1 bed/1bath that is completely furnished. The bedroom is huge and comes with a kingsize bed, yay! The kitchen/living room are the same, but I don't mind it being smaller - less to clean! :) We have a patio with 2 swings and a grill. It's fenced in for Shiloh, oh and she has a doggy door too! Which she is too scared to use now :) but we'll try to teach her. It comes with wireless internet and cable, and all we have to pay is the rent - no utilities hooray! It's really nice that everything we need is supplied for us since all our stuff is still in storage. We're going to get it this week but we're soooo sick of the car we need a break.
Also we're 1/2 a mile from both of the places we want to work. The hospital for Matthew - he thinks he might try to get a pca job for now. And the high school for me - I'm going to try to get a tech job with the marching band.
But anyway, for today we're going to go sit at the beach. We're like 5 miles or so from Siesta Key - one of the top 3 beaches in Florida. We couldn't believe it when we went the first time, the sand is literally like baby powder. And it has more waves than the east coast, which is what I wanted. And we bought an umbrella and a chair so we could just sit and watch while we sleep or read a book or whatever. We still have to find a dog beach for Shiloh, but she liked the ocean when we went in Palm beach so I think we'll have fun with her.
We like our new city and hope that everything keeps going well. I'll post pictures of the place later - it's fun, all the furniture is from a condo so there's a beach/vacation theme. We have to say thanks again to Daniel for getting us such nice hotels to stay in while we looked. We super duper appreciate it! We love you all and will continue to update. :)
Also we're 1/2 a mile from both of the places we want to work. The hospital for Matthew - he thinks he might try to get a pca job for now. And the high school for me - I'm going to try to get a tech job with the marching band.
But anyway, for today we're going to go sit at the beach. We're like 5 miles or so from Siesta Key - one of the top 3 beaches in Florida. We couldn't believe it when we went the first time, the sand is literally like baby powder. And it has more waves than the east coast, which is what I wanted. And we bought an umbrella and a chair so we could just sit and watch while we sleep or read a book or whatever. We still have to find a dog beach for Shiloh, but she liked the ocean when we went in Palm beach so I think we'll have fun with her.
We like our new city and hope that everything keeps going well. I'll post pictures of the place later - it's fun, all the furniture is from a condo so there's a beach/vacation theme. We have to say thanks again to Daniel for getting us such nice hotels to stay in while we looked. We super duper appreciate it! We love you all and will continue to update. :)
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Update! July 1
Hello! We made it to Valdosta okay. We're staying at a Comfort Inn and we just had breakfast...mmm. :) We're going to head out in a little while for Cocoa Beach! We can't wait to get to that hotel - beach, beach, beach!!! We'll update more when we're...
In FLORIDA!!!!!
In FLORIDA!!!!!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Moving to Florida!!!
Hello all! Well we're finally getting ready to head out...that's right, we're moving to Florida!
We left Springfield on June 24 and have been staying with the Haglers this week. And tomorrow morning we're leaving at 5:00 am and driving 12 hours to Valdosta, Georgia. Matthew's brother Daniel got us a really good deal on a hotel (he works at the Best Western in Branson). Then July 1 we're getting up and driving the final 5 hours to Cocoa Beach! We're staying there 1 night to see the town and stay in a hotel on the beach (Thanks again Daniel!). From there we're going to drive down the coast and see the different towns to decide which one we like the best.
Port St. Lucie is going to be our base - that is what we think we will like the most. We hope to find a lot of job opportunities in the area for the both of us.
We'll update our blog here as the time goes on...and add pictures! Wish us luck!! :)
We left Springfield on June 24 and have been staying with the Haglers this week. And tomorrow morning we're leaving at 5:00 am and driving 12 hours to Valdosta, Georgia. Matthew's brother Daniel got us a really good deal on a hotel (he works at the Best Western in Branson). Then July 1 we're getting up and driving the final 5 hours to Cocoa Beach! We're staying there 1 night to see the town and stay in a hotel on the beach (Thanks again Daniel!). From there we're going to drive down the coast and see the different towns to decide which one we like the best.
Port St. Lucie is going to be our base - that is what we think we will like the most. We hope to find a lot of job opportunities in the area for the both of us.
We'll update our blog here as the time goes on...and add pictures! Wish us luck!! :)
Friday, April 24, 2009
Hawaii!
Ashley and her husband flew me out to Hawaii for 2 whole weeks. My friend Whitney came with me, the 3 of us lived together in college so it was a great reunion. We had the most amazing time. We actually went because Ashley's husband had to go to training in California during that time for the Marines, so they didn't want her to be there alone with their daughter. We were so glad we could be there to keep her company. But we of course had to do vacationy stuff too!!! We actually went with Ashley to some places she had never been, so it was a vacation for all of us!
I made Ashley's daughter Gentry this little dress. It was pink and brown to match the colors of her room.
The mountains in Hawaii are gorgeous. They were all green all the way up, and always reached the clouds.
This beach was just down the street from Ashley's house. It was very pretty.
This was a "hidden" beach, I can see why. It was absolutely gorgeous
Right after we took this picture the waves came up on those rocks behind us and got us all wet. :)
I went and watched the sunrise and these little crabs popped up all around me. Then this big crab came up, I called him the King crab. :)
Hawaii sunrise in Kailua. Absolutely beautiful
Hanauma Bay. We went snorkeling there and saw tons of fish. I even saw one of those fish that is flat and "sideways" and camoflauged like sand. Everyone keeps telling me it was a sting ray, but I looked it up and think it's just a sand fish.
We hiked through the rainforest up to Manoa Falls. The falls weren't that spectacular, but the hiking part was so much fun! We got absolutely soaked, while Gentry was in a pack on Ashley's back with a poncho around her. She loved it!
The "bamboo forest" as I call it. I got a piece of bamboo there and used it as a walking stick. Then I brought it home in my luggage.
Ashley had real hiking bags, it made me feel like a real hiker!
We went to dinner in Kaneohe where they had a live jazz band and seafood. It was really neat.
Sea Life Park...my favorite part of Hawaii because I got to swim with dolphins!
A dolphin kiss. If you didn't kiss them long enough they sprayed you with water.
The reason I was so excited about this is that when I was about 8 I got picked out of the crowd at Six Flags to go up and pet and feed the dolphins. Ever since then dolphins have been my favorite animal, I even wanted to be a dolphin trainer when I was younger. So naturally, I'd been waiting for this for a looooong time. It was a dream come true!
I got to be in the tank for about an hour, we got to pet them, feed them and get a tummy ride.
I'm excited to be at Sea Life Park!!!
We went to the Waikiki Aquarium where I saw tons of fish: jelly fish, seahorses, sea lions, and all kinds of other salt water fish. I like this guy because he looks so much like Nemo in his house.
We went to a Luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center. They had these huge drinks before dinner, they were pretty tasty!
We got a HUGE Kailua pig that they dug out of a pit. It was delicious. Also...they really like purple in Hawaii, they made everything purple. Our dinner rolls, and the sweet potatoes were died purple...I liked it!
After the Luau there was a show where they had 7 different countries come and do their dances and songs. They also had flame throwers and guys that sat on fire. It was hilarious.
BYU Hawaii. We bought some fun souvenirs at the gift shop.
Now why didn't I go to school THERE?!?
We went to a Botanical Gardens and saw lots of gorgeous flowers and plant life. Of course I had to go climb this tree. :)
I don't know what flower this is, but I'd love to have it in my house!
Kailua Beach...so pretty. The water was so pure and the sand was very powdery. I spent so much time out in the water the first day we were there, Ashley and Whitney thought I was crazy!
So, when we got to this beach the first day...first thing we did in Hawaii, there were people taking kayak lessons. Well the waves were really big and this one huge wave brought everybody back in and toppled over one of the kayaks. When the guy stood up he had lost more than his kayak...that's right, we got booty on video camera. A very eventful first time at the beach. :)
This was when we flew out of St. Louis. We had a layover in San Francisco, and in Denver when we came back. It was neat, we got to see the Golden Gate Bridge. And flying over the ocean interesting...I kept thinking about how many sea creatures there were beneath me. It took 13 hours to get there, and the flight over the ocean was longer than over land. It was definitely the best destination I've ever been to. And I had so much fun with Ashley, Whitney and Gentry. I'm so thankful that I got to go on such a wonderful vacation!
I made Ashley's daughter Gentry this little dress. It was pink and brown to match the colors of her room. 
The mountains in Hawaii are gorgeous. They were all green all the way up, and always reached the clouds.
This beach was just down the street from Ashley's house. It was very pretty.
This was a "hidden" beach, I can see why. It was absolutely gorgeous
Right after we took this picture the waves came up on those rocks behind us and got us all wet. :)
I went and watched the sunrise and these little crabs popped up all around me. Then this big crab came up, I called him the King crab. :)
Hawaii sunrise in Kailua. Absolutely beautiful
Hanauma Bay. We went snorkeling there and saw tons of fish. I even saw one of those fish that is flat and "sideways" and camoflauged like sand. Everyone keeps telling me it was a sting ray, but I looked it up and think it's just a sand fish. 
We hiked through the rainforest up to Manoa Falls. The falls weren't that spectacular, but the hiking part was so much fun! We got absolutely soaked, while Gentry was in a pack on Ashley's back with a poncho around her. She loved it!
The "bamboo forest" as I call it. I got a piece of bamboo there and used it as a walking stick. Then I brought it home in my luggage. 
Ashley had real hiking bags, it made me feel like a real hiker!
We went to dinner in Kaneohe where they had a live jazz band and seafood. It was really neat.
Sea Life Park...my favorite part of Hawaii because I got to swim with dolphins!
A dolphin kiss. If you didn't kiss them long enough they sprayed you with water.
The reason I was so excited about this is that when I was about 8 I got picked out of the crowd at Six Flags to go up and pet and feed the dolphins. Ever since then dolphins have been my favorite animal, I even wanted to be a dolphin trainer when I was younger. So naturally, I'd been waiting for this for a looooong time. It was a dream come true!
I got to be in the tank for about an hour, we got to pet them, feed them and get a tummy ride. 
I'm excited to be at Sea Life Park!!!
We went to the Waikiki Aquarium where I saw tons of fish: jelly fish, seahorses, sea lions, and all kinds of other salt water fish. I like this guy because he looks so much like Nemo in his house.
We went to a Luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center. They had these huge drinks before dinner, they were pretty tasty!
We got a HUGE Kailua pig that they dug out of a pit. It was delicious. Also...they really like purple in Hawaii, they made everything purple. Our dinner rolls, and the sweet potatoes were died purple...I liked it!
After the Luau there was a show where they had 7 different countries come and do their dances and songs. They also had flame throwers and guys that sat on fire. It was hilarious.
BYU Hawaii. We bought some fun souvenirs at the gift shop.
Now why didn't I go to school THERE?!?
We went to a Botanical Gardens and saw lots of gorgeous flowers and plant life. Of course I had to go climb this tree. :)
I don't know what flower this is, but I'd love to have it in my house!
Kailua Beach...so pretty. The water was so pure and the sand was very powdery. I spent so much time out in the water the first day we were there, Ashley and Whitney thought I was crazy!
So, when we got to this beach the first day...first thing we did in Hawaii, there were people taking kayak lessons. Well the waves were really big and this one huge wave brought everybody back in and toppled over one of the kayaks. When the guy stood up he had lost more than his kayak...that's right, we got booty on video camera. A very eventful first time at the beach. :)
This was when we flew out of St. Louis. We had a layover in San Francisco, and in Denver when we came back. It was neat, we got to see the Golden Gate Bridge. And flying over the ocean interesting...I kept thinking about how many sea creatures there were beneath me. It took 13 hours to get there, and the flight over the ocean was longer than over land. It was definitely the best destination I've ever been to. And I had so much fun with Ashley, Whitney and Gentry. I'm so thankful that I got to go on such a wonderful vacation!
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