Christine's visits...

My best friend Christine came up to visit me this weekend!!! YAY!!! She and her husband Travis just closed on their first home together - miraculously it's right next door to my parents... funny how things work out. Friday night we went out with a bunch of friends to Chadwicks in Old Town for Happy Hour...yummy. Afterwards we had some people back to our apartment and played cards and sang (Comcast) Karoake...very fun/ny. Saturday morning we got up had a nice brunch at Bittersweet in Old Town. Since Christine & Travis will be moving at the end of July we decided to go to IKEA to try to find stuff to furnish her home office. We only spent 2 hours in IKEA...but found so much great stuff. Christine bought a cute green area run, beautiful white desk, matching buffet/storage unit, 2 huge pictures & frames, and tons of cute little matching green storage boxes....and even better - it didn't break the bank! When we got back from IKEA we met up with Mikey and our friends for dinner and a night out on the town. Well, if you consider Royal Lee (Karoake Bar) out on the town...it was closing down - i.e. going out of business that night. We got to the bar around 8pm and it was the smokiest most crowded bar I've ever been in. And to make matters worse if you wanted to sing there was a 3 hour wait list, needless to say we ditched Royal Lee and headed back to Old Town.

Sunday Mike, Christine and I went to Murphy's Pub in Old Town for a delicious and inexpensive brunch. It was so incredibly hot outside but we mustered up the courage to metro

into the city for the Nationals game. After much sweat and an expensive Margarita

we made it to our seats and enjoyed the game. The new Nationals Stadium is beautiful, if you have been you've gotta go. Overall it was a great weekend and I really enjoyed spending so much quality time with Christine. Thanks friend!!!

Alexandria Kickball...

For those who didn't know Mike, I and a couple of our friends played WAKA Kickball Alexandria Division. Our team name is/was Evil Petting Zoo - don't ask...I don't know. Last night was the final game of our season...we were ranked number 5 going into this game and played Gonzo. For the record...Gonzo is composed of the fiercest most competitive dedicated team of kickball players this side of the Mississippi. WE Lost :( It was overall a great season...I enjoyed acting as team coach... with the assistance of my whiteboard!

Summer colds...

So I am the biggest self diagnosed hypochondriac...I'm not ashamed to admit it (nor is my mom). I usually have a dull headache all the time, complain of back pain or neck pain and the list goes on and on. As a kid growing up I used to get a ton of sinus infections, probably like 10 or so a year. But Never.....NEVER....Ever have I had a cold in the summer. After we moved Lauren Merrill into her apartment in Baltimore on Saturday I woke up Sunday morning and could barely breathe....I thought it might be the dust from all the stuff we moved in, so I didn't think much of it. Monday I woke up, couldn't breath, couldn't talk and the pressure in my ears was insane. With taking so much time off from work recently I felt that I needed to go in to get as much done around the office as possible. Unfortunately Monday nights are also my night to work at the Kidz Klub at Sport & Health....I play with kids. After I worked my 12 hour day I still couldn't breath but was wired from a Starbucks Doubleshots so I called Mike on my way home and asked if he'd join me to pickup groceries from Whole Foods, and we went. When we got home from the grocery store I could barely walk up the steps of our apartment I was so exhausted and achy. Tuesday I woke up at 3am, 4am, 5:10am and at that point I couldn't go back to sleep so I called my boss' voicemail and said I wouldn't be in...I got up out of bed, did a load of laundry then at about 7:30am headed out to see my doctor. The doctor diagnosed me with having a severe upper respiratory infection and border line bronchitis..... So to sum up this long and wordy post - SUMMER COLDS SUCK.

Happy Anniversary...

I'd like to take this time and blog space to wish my parents a Happy 30th Wedding Anniversary. Mom & Dad...you have been a true inspiration of what a great relationship should and can be. You have taught Lauren and I to trust and find the best in people (although we don't always do so). You have provided us with a firm foundation for the many relationships we have created with friends and loved ones. So here's to you, I wish you many more years of continued love and happiness!

Love ~ your favorate daughter SARAH (the Queen)

She's all moved in...

Yesterday, Mike, his parents and I moved his kid sister Lauren into her new home....Baltimore, MD. For those of you who don't know Lauren, she is smart, funny and spunky. She is a recent college graduate - Virginia Tech School of Architecture class of 2008!

We started the morning out like always - running late. We (Mike & I) were supposed to leave Alexandria at around 11 to head up towards Baltimore. We left our apartment at a little after 11:30 am. We were making good time and were actually going to get to Baltimore about the same time that Mike's parents and sister were, who were coming up from Salem. Unfortunately, because again...we're such good planners and never wait til the last minute...we had to stop at Dick's Sporting Goods (in God only knows little town Maryland) to pick up a Father's Day present for Mike's dad. But, eventually we got to Baltimore and were driving through the extended neighborhood of Lauren's new digs. I've only been to Baltimore once before so to visit outside of the Inner Harbor was a first for me. Some of the townhomes were beautiful and prestine, but then you hit some slums, and then it was nice again....kind of made me worry about her walking/biking around the neighborhood... We parked in front of her new townhouse that she'll be sharing with 2 guys (1 owns the townhouse) and 1 other girl. Lauren's parents had rented a 10 foot truck and so we began the dreary process of unloading and moving her in - Why is it that everybody we know INCLUDING OURSELVES always move in July & August? Fortunately she didn't have that much stuff so it only took about 2 hours to get her all moved in. Patty, Mike & Lauren's mom, Lauren and I began unpacking, organizing and decorating her room.

It only took us about 5 times to figure out where she wanted her bed...which wouldn't usually be a huge problem or pain to move except she had the bed on "risers" and everytime we tried to move the bed it would crash to the ground...only fueling Mike and his dad's smart a$$ comments (LOVE YOU GUYS). So yada yada yada we finished and then cleaned up and started getting ready for dinner. We dropped Mike's parents off at their hotel while Mike, Lauren and I went to ESPN Zone, sat outside and had a couple drinks. When Mike's parents finally arrived we decided we didn't want to have some "commercial restaurant" food so we headed over to Little Italy and found Amicci's. If you head up to Baltimore you have to go there....I highly recommend the Chicken Lorenzo. After dinner we dropped Lauren off at her friend Megan's townhouse, she went to school with Lauren and lives a couple blocks from her in Fells. Then we dropped Mike's parents at their hotel and headed back to Alexandria.

Mike was super thirsty on the drive back, and I offered my bottled water from earlier in the day. He took a sip then looked puzzled, turned to me and asked "Does this water smell funny?" So I put the bottle up to my nose - and he tips it into my face...spilling water down my shirt and into my lap....funny guy. About 10 minutes later he said "Can I get another sip". I unscrewed the top off (like always when he's driving) and went to hand it to him...unfortunately it "slipped" out of my hand and fell right in his lap...poor Mikey.

Becoming a better....

So, for those of you who haven't heard....Mike and I are going to be God Parents. We are truly excited and honored and can't wait the arrival of Brett & Jill's son Aaron Michael. Aaron is already blessed in so many ways ~ He's coming into this world with a family (Dad, Mom & Brother Peter) who love him more than words can express. Many of my friends who are reading this probably haven't met Brett or Jill, but for those of you who have you can attest that their relationship has a strong foundation. Peter, who was born August 14, 2007 is the sweetest most well behaved 10 month old I've ever interacted with. His parents put him first, they document every step and phase of his life.... and what this has made me (and hopefully Mike) realize is that



I want to become a better role model, so that one day (many days/years) from now, when we're ready to start a family we will an example of honesty, discipline and respect for eachother and people we know. I want to develop goals and have the will power to aspire to them.



I want to become a better historian...What I've also realized is that if it weren't for great friends and loving family I would have no pictures to remember fun times with all of you. So thank you to Alana, Elizabeth, Paige, Lauren, Jill and whomever else has contributed to documenting my life.... because the last real picture I took and printed/showed off was a wedding pic. So as you may have noticed, in the last few weeks I've been taking more pictures....and will be posting them to my blog as well as my snapfish account.

So if we're out and about just having fun...please know, I keep my camera in my purse....so encourage me to take pictures to remember our fun times!!!

What's all the fuss about? ...

So, after months of listening and observing nearly all of my friends and husband rave about blogging I've decided to give into the peer pressure and publish my thoughts. I know...I know... all of you are so excited you can barely contain yourselves. Not only now do you have to listen to me when we're together, but you'll be forced to read my every thought. If this is like anything else in my life it might just be a couple of blogs and then turn into the black hole of nothingness.... so I can't promise anything. What I find funny is that people actually read this stuff. I personally didn't get it until I became hooked to our friend "The Gardner Family"'s blog and now I find myself pulling up http://www.brettandjillian.blogspot.com/ when I sit down to eat my breakfast in the morning...just at the slight chance they have a new update. (sorry honey - I know I should also check your blog...but could you talk about something other than sports or politics?) I know there's nothing too interesting about my life, so I kind of feel sorry for you if you are looking forward to future post...





until then - have a great day!