2012 IN REVIEW.

+ january, carter underwent a major surgery that left him home bound for over a month.

+ february, we explored cade's cove and enjoyed the mountain air. 

+ march, we spent time visiting some of charleston's finest rooftops. 

+ april, we met our nephew, miles flynn. (double swoon)

+ may, we celebrated our anniversary on the beach with friends. 

+ june, we traveled to nashville to celebrate a special life. 

+ july, i found out i was high risk melanoma and thankfully, in time for surgery.

+ august, we celebrated carter's 25th birthday kayaking the intercoastal waterways. 

+ september, we watched sunsets on the beach. 

+ october, we indulged in everything pumpkins... patches, lattes, and pie!

+ november, we hiked through the forest and made to-do lists of national forests to visit. 

+ december, we moved back to tennessee, spent christmas with family, and i turned 25! 

-- this past year has been filled with lots of love, laughs, tears and growth. i have no idea what the future holds for us. but i'm thinking it's going to be great! 

happy new year to you all! xo - s. 

PS....

via

today, i turned twenty-five!

RADNOR LAKE.

the trails were something. although there were no lush green forests surrounding us or high overlooks, we enjoyed just being outdoors for a few hours... despite the freezing temperatures. we bundled up and ventured through the woods. it's been over ten years since i've visited radnor and i could not believe the wildlife in the area. we passed families of deer, enormous wild turkeys, chipmunks and mallards. this was a nice welcoming home for two nature lovers. 

CHRISTMAS EVE TRADITION.

christmas eve is one of my favorite nights to look forward to. each year, my mom's side of the family gets together to celebrate and spend the evening laughing and stuffing our faces until we can barely stand. we spent some twenty odd years at my grandmother's house until we were all a little too grown up to squeeze together in a tiny living room. tonight we celebrated at my parent's home which allowed for some extra space. the only real difference was my missing cousin, whom was stuck at work. seriously, everyone should be able to be with family during the holidays. we watched my niece open her gifts and admired her classic expressions. us "kids" hung around listening to my dad tell stories about his childhood and making new year's plans. after everyone left, we picked up and all settled on the couch together. my dad made hot chocolate and we watched christmas vacation by the fire. now it's just me and my younger brother and our traditional christmas sleepover. we're all excited for tomorrow around here. especially me, since carter's coming home. our first actual christmas spent together. goodnight!

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

spending the winter here in franklin has just been wonderful. except the fact that i spent a week with the flu and still have a lingering cough some days. the plus side was that i spent a week catching up on sleep and a tv with cable. hello, duck dynasty! here's a little bit of how my holidays have been spent. 

+ having him here with me

+ early birthday present

+ dad's "sons of arthritis" holiday party

+ first hail storm

+ christmas cookies 

+ first drinks of the season

+ the cutest mini blt's and tots

hope everyone has a merry christmas

filled with love and family! 

KNOXVILLE PIT-STOP.

we spent a few days in knoxville with carter's family before reaching our final temporary destination of franklin. we got our things unpacked, caught up on much needed rest and spent some quality time with his folks. we got the turtles set up for the winter, grabbed an orange julius one afternoon and carter got his annual haircut. we were also lucky enough to spend time with the boys. we watched a charlie brown christmas and covered the kitchen with flour while baking holiday treats. somewhere right before heading to nashville, i caught a cold. once we were home and settled, it hit me with full force. i spent the next five days battling a fever, sore throat and zero sleep. it was the flu... and yes, i got a flu shot before leaving charleston. oh, modern day medicine. i'm finally sleeping through the night and almost rid of this awful winter cough. i also finally left the house. and since the world didn't end yesterday, it's time to do some holiday shopping. hooray.....

hope you all are having a wonderful winter break!

TUESDAY TUNES.

via

now playing // phillip phillips: home. 

this afternoon after traveling over six hundred miles with loaded down cars, a huge uhaul and two turtles literally strapped in by seatbelts, we pulled into our final destination in tennessee. my parents have offered to let us stay here with them in franklin while we are figuring out our plan. eventually, we see ourselves settling down near the smokey mountains but first we must find jobs and a home. until then, we will be doing some temporary work here, saving some money and spending much needed quality time with our families. 

lately, i have been humming this tune in my head. it was one of the first songs that came on my pandora as i was pulling out of charleston and the emotions of our situation overwhelmed me. we have always seen ourselves as wanderers. taking a job that will force us to travel or to move every few years. ofcourse, plans change in an instant. but these are the things we dream about. and this song tugs at every string in my heart. together, we are not alone. we have each other and we will make a home no matter where we are or end up. 

MOVING UPDATE.

well... someone will have to roll me back to tennessee. do you see all the food i've been consuming this last week? i'm calling this time "no diet december." i've also been running about two miles a day in attempt to counteract some of the extra calories. we've been saying goodbye to not only some of favorite friends but also our favorite restaurants. 

+ breakfast at page's okra grill.
+ sushi at bambu with a few other "sarah's" i know
+ melvin's barbecue
+ mike's bike oyster roast // going away party


this morning carter picked up the uhaul and we were lucky to have a friend help pack up most of the apartment. i went out and grabbed lunch for us all, which we enjoyed on the living room floor. the rest of the day will be spent finishing packing the truck and deep cleaning. i have a few movies for us to watch on my laptop once things settle down. and we should be on the road by noon tomorrow! this is my last post while living in charleston. it's been an amazing few years...

nashville, here we come! 

LIFE LATELY.

...

TUESDAY TUNES.

now playing // the band: the weight. this video is from their last concert "the last waltz" filmed by martin scorcese. i've loved this band for over ten years. they are so good. 

now playing // ingrid michaelson: you and i. we've always loved this song. and how neat is this video?! one day, i'll own a ukelele.

now playing // josh groban: o holy night. this song always brings tears to my eyes. it's one of my favorite songs that reminds me the true meaning of christmas. "fall on your knees" chills...

now playing // damien rice: 9 crimes. this song came on pandora today and i had almost forgotten about how hauntingly beautiful it is. 

there couldn't be anything more random than this little playlist.

but these songs are making this tough week a little bit easier for me.

 enjoy!

LET GO.

do you ever have those moments where you stop and wish you were a better person? 

more selfless, less selfish. more patient, less judgemental. more active, less lazy.

i know we are our own worst critic. and with the upcoming move this weekend 

hanging over my head... i am having several of these moments. 

i pray that the best is yet to come. whatever that may be. 

STUFF I LOVE SUNDAY.

                                 

this weekend has been full of a state of nostalgia. our time here is quickly coming to an end. i know in my heart that if this is where we are meant to be, we will find our way back here. but for a few months, i just need to be closer to family and finish my degree. 

yesterday, i worked my last shift with osi. i've been with the company for over six years and walking out, i was filled with a mixture of emotions ranging from anxious to ecstatic. i said goodbye to some wonderful people who have made me feel like family. so far, that was the hardest part. 

today is carter's last day. and i know he is feeling the same. mostly, unsure of where we will end up once we are back in tennessee. to say we are kind of "winging it" would be an understatement. but that's how we ended up in charleston and it has definitely served us well. tonight his boss is throwing a little oyster roast // bonfire for us and we couldn't feel more loved. 

charleston, you have been so good to us over the last two years. 

this isn't a goodbye. we will see you again someday.