just a reminder to myself

time.

it keeps moving, whether we can keep up or not.

whether we fall behind, waste it away, or use it...

it goes on.

we live our lives setting alarm clocks and looking at our watches.

running from this place to that,

crossing off to do lists and calendars,

setting appointments and missing deadlines,

forgetting about birthdays and showing up early to meetings.

our lives are driven by time.

it's an extraordinarily important "thing" in our lives, 
because we don't know when we will run out.

sometimes we don't know what to do with it, we have so much of it!

other times we don't know how we'll make it another minute,

knowing the heaps of things we have to do with too few hours to do it.

some of the time, is our happiest time.

our best moments.

even if for only a second.

he proposed, i said yes.

winning a race.

a smile.

some of the time, is our lowest time.

hours of pain.

disease.

heartache.

our darkest hours.

our saddest moments where we feel oh so alone.

but we're never alone.

time is on our side.

if we let it.

we love it,

we hate it.

we want it,

we need it.

we can't live without it.

time.

how do you spend it?

is what you're doing worth it?

do the hours you dedicate to certain tasks in your life 
equate a certain level of importance to you?

time is what you make it.

it's all too easy to fill it up with meaningless things that leave us empty,

excess things that leave us overwhelmed,

or wonderful things that leave us fulfilled.

i am grateful to know that time is a precious gift,

and that each new day i can start fresh and try a little bit harder to use it

a little bit wiser.

be mindful of how you use it.

the clock is ticking.

found here a long time ago

i've realized

i've realized a lot of things recently.  

i realized that i don't like coming up with ideas for dinner.  

actually i don't really like making dinner, i would much rather bake treats to fatten up forever-skinny chad.  

i realized that i can actually stand {and slightly enjoy} watching baseball, but only if it's the rangers in the playoffs. 

i've realized who the people are in my life that matter most.  

i've also realized recently that maybe blogging isn't my thing.  

it's not for lack of trying, but i would much rather snuggle up with a blanket on the couch and 

procrastinate homework by reading other people's blogs than update my own. 

and my life has not been particularly inspiring lately. 

but this post is for you, all 3 of my followers. 
here's an update of the past four months. 

maybe i'll get a second bloggy wind after the fate of my nursing future is decided on october 31. 

{who decided that was a good day to break the news?}

portugal for a week in june with our best friends the moons, more here

in july we left our european adventure behind and moved back to texas

family reunion in august at bear lake, more here

so blessed to have so much family with me when i went through the temple in logan

and then on august 19th we finally decided to seal the deal 

which was followed by a caribbean cruise, more here

in september my favorite girls convinced me that it would be a good idea to do a 10k mud run

and since then we've just been watching lots of football ... and studying.

sister wives

So this is a guest post by me... Cheyenne Morris. Sarah's twin in life and sister wife.

When Chad first started dating Sarah he told me that I had to meet her because we were alike in every single way. Um, hi we are more than alike. We are identical. We have the same style, same taste, same humor, you name it. So it was only a matter of time before we became besties. Ok, you know how you can separate siamese twins? Well if I could choose someone to be conjoined with, it would be this girl.  A little too extreme? Maybe. But, really she's my favorite.

Sarah and I promised that we would spend as much time together this summer as possible after Chris and I dropped the bomb that we were moving back to Texas and that's exactly what we did. Chad and Sarah would even come over to our matchbox apartment to watch.... wait for it.... Animal Attack shows!! I'm not sure what my fascination is with Animal Planet and, even to take it a step further, the show "I'm Alive".  I promise I'm not morbid I just don't understand how you can possibly be dumb enough to get mauled by a Lion when it's injured. Ok, another story for another time. But the fact remains that anything we did, we had a blast doing it! We would stay up until 1am to play Phase 10 and just die laughing. But the fact remains that anything we did, we had a blast doing it! How am I supposed to find another couple who will play card games and watch Animal Planet with me here in Texas? Anwer? I can't. Yall are the one and only.

There are SO many reasons why I love Chad and Sarah individually but there are more reasons why I love them together, as a couple. They are the true image of love. They are supportive of each other, they laugh together, and they uplift each other. They are going to be an amazing married couple and I can't wait for their wedding and for them to start their lives together.

I can't really think of anything profound enough to say to you two, so that's why I left it up to President Gordon B. Hinkley. He said:

"In all of living, have much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured." 

 "True love is not so much a matter of romance as it is a matter of anxious concern for the well-being of one's companion."

These are 2 quotes that I feel are crucial when you get married. You will find that marriage is so much fun, if you allow yourselves to have fun. Everything is an adventure in marriage. Just don't take yourselves too seriously. Take the time to laugh and enjoy your lives together. 

 Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured.

I want you and Chad to be successful in everything you do... buuuuuut, I'm just going to have to request that you guys become successful in Texas :) love you sarah and chad!!!

one year down

i can't believe how fast this crazy year went by. it was definitely a challenge and a little life course featuring self-realization (yes sarah, you actually do have to study now), priorities, taking chances, accepting others, finding the good in everything, change, appreciating simple things, independence, letting life take a different path than you planned, i really think i could go on and on.  i remember driving into provo and looking around and feeling so out of place, not knowing what anything was, worrying i would never be able to find anything or get myself anywhere in this little town, wondering how my roommate would be, how i would make friends, where my classes were, really just wondering what to do with myself. BUT, i survived!! and although there were a few days of lots of tears, a few of stress, homesickness, loneliness, there were so many more of happiness, adventure, and laughter.  i finally figured out the weird (but helpful!) street setup of utah and can now pretty much get myself anywhere, i made it to all my classes, i had the best roommate for me at the time, the sweetest, smartest girl who i always ended up having fun with at night when we were stressed and studying, i made friends in my hall and in my ward and classes, i went to football and basketball games, i ate at the cannon and the creamery and the cougar eat, i hiked the Y, i picked up the funniest and most loving guy at a volleyball game and somehow got him to marry me, i went to las vegas and california and zion's, i volunteered with the cutest and most humble people, i made more amazing friends, i pulled all-nighters studying, i went on late night food runs and ran to every dorm in helaman looking for gardettos in the vending machines.  i had so many little adventures and so many fun moments and i'm so grateful for everything i've learned, all the experiences i've had (good and bad!), all of the friends i've made and people i've met that have left little impressions on me along the way.  so here is just a little picture summary of the previously unknown events of the past year!

hiking the Y one of the first weekends of school

football pep rally ... so naturally we need a picture with a football player

sightings like this on campus

50 chicken nuggets ... disgusting

drives to the Y with my favorite boy at night

mattress parties

watching sports with THE funniest boys

little bits of home in utah!

lots of road trips

Jason Derulo and B.O.B. concert

one of my best friends Megan's birthday

bonding with my 2 best dorm friends Eleanor and Melissa

first ticket.................

crashed a girl's sweet 16 party

found these beauties at IHOP

football season!!

Melissa attempted to dye her eyelashes while I died my hair........

ice skating with Meliss and Courtney

Vegas for the Mountain West Conference Championship

found these gems in Chinatown, San Francisco

favorite girls at my bridal shower, thanks Kam and Chey!

found my other (besides Chad) soulmate

watched the Mavs win the NBA championship!

one year down, many more to go...

we keep it classy in the (future) spitzer family

prime example: chad asked my dad to marry me at a gas station in southern utah

white pants, blue flower shirt, and some silver sandals

Hey this is Chad, I was given the opportunity by my beautiful fiancée to write a blog post for the followers about our proposal.  I figured before I talk about the proposal maybe I should tell y'all a little bit about how we met. 

So it all started when Sarah lived in the same ward as my sister, Ambyr. They both lived in the Denton, Texas 2nd ward and Ambyr happened to be one of the young women leaders at the same time that Sarah was there.  I remember going to the ward one time to visit while my parents were out of town and I sat either in front or behind her and we met after class when Ambyr introduced us. I didn't really ever think twice about it [probably...most definitely a lie] and wasn't too worried considering I was 17 and she was 14...........At that time she was just some girl that Ambyr thought was awesome from her ward. 

Fast forward about 4 years I had just been back from my mission for about 6 months and went to a BYU volleyball game with my friends the first week of Fall semester.  As we were walking up the stairs I spotted a girl at the top of Smith Field House stands that was looking pretty good. (white pants, blue flower shirt, and some silver sandals) I checked her out as I walked up the stairs and then when it came time to walk in front of her I just put my head down and walked past. But before I could pass her she stood up and stopped me and said "Hey! You're Ambyr's brother!" I had no idea who she was but right when she said that I realized that she must of been the girl from Denton.  [Direct quote several weeks later, "Even if I wasn't Ambyr's brother I would have said, 'I'll be whatever you want me to be!!!!'"]  (When she first stood up I was a little worried she was going to be one of those crazy girls that was going to ask why I was looking at her. This also shows how she Facebook stalked me for the two years I was on my mission because she still recognized me after four years! Really? and I later found out that she knew what my profile picture was while I was on my mission...) Anyways, to say the least I was a little pumped to know that the girl that I thought was gorgeous in the stands stood up to talk to me (never happens). We sat on the other side of the stands from them and I kept looking over at her, while she supposedly claims that she "had no idea where I was sitting." (As if she wasn't staring me down as I walked to my seat.) I texted my sister then and told her that I had just met Sarah and I guess she had done the same thing and said that we just met.  Ambyr then told me that she had a boyfriend, but he had just broken up with her so that I needed to "treat her nicely" and to not "break her heart." Personally I was not too worried about it because I remembered how young she was and I was for sure not going to date a freshman when I got back from my mission! At that same time Sarah told Ambyr that she would only go on one date with me since I was a returned missionary and that was it! Well for some reason I went and talked to her after the game and I got her number and said that we should hang out sometime. I THINK I really only wanted her to hang out with our friends and stuff and since she was new at BYU I was going to just take her under my wing. haha okay maybe not. 

that night at the game when I thought she left...

That night we texted each other a few times and then the next day at the first football game I happened to run into her while she was aimlessly walking around the stadium looking for her seat. I told her that maybe I would try to go up to her seat and say hey and we texted a few times during the game back and forth, but I never went up to her seats. After that, she clearly just decided that she wanted nothing to do with me or maybe she thought I was just too good for her...HAHA no, not really. But I talked to her on Facebook a couple of times to just say hey, and then one night I decided that maybe I would tell her to meet me at one of the soccer games.  I called her when I got to the game with my brother, but there just happened to conveniently not be any room for me to sit next to her. I told her that it was alright and to just meet me down at the bottom of the stands when the game was over. She came down, walked in front of me (about 3ft away) with two other guys and looked the other way and acted like I wasn't even there. [I had seen him get up and talk to someone else during the game in a completely different row and never saw him go back so I didn't even realize he was there.  Also I wasn't just with 2 guys thank you...] I decided then that maybe I really shouldn't even talk to her anymore, so I didn't. 

About two weeks later I walked out of a devotional and saw Lauren Cochran from my home stake and asked her where she was headed.  She said that she was going to eat at the Cannon Center and asked if I wanted to go with her for some free food which I for sure did! While I was eating with her, Sarah saw Lauren (they somehow knew each other before) and came over to sit and eat with us.  During that lunch, I somehow made a comment to Sarah about her also taking me to the cannon center the next day.  Later that night I texted Sarah and said "Cannon tomorrow at 1?" So the next day we went to eat together and we were just arguing about funny stuff and cracking up the entire time for an hour and a half. I then forced her to go to the library with me where we didn't get anything done for about three more hours and we just laughed and joked around the entire time. 

At the end of September we kissed the day that she met my parents. We said that we loved each other in November (she actually said it to me first because I was worried about the problems she was still having with the ex boyfriend. She still never lets that one go.) And since the first day that she took me to the Cannon, there have been maybe two or three days that we haven't seen each other. We love hanging out, and never get sick of each other. We are best friends and know everything about each other. I never thought I would find a girl with my same personality, but she is everything that I have ever wanted. 

Okay well the actual proposal wasn't as good as originally planned but it worked either way I guess [besides my second 5 page paper of the day due by midnight that I didn't quite finish]! I told a bunch of lies to her and said that I had an appointment with my bishop when really I didn't. I told her to go out to my car to come pick me up and there was a note there for her that told her to go where we first met (the Smith Field House). She went there and one of her friends was waiting and told her to go where we first ate (the Cannon). After that she went to where we would always go and talk (Y Mountain), and then ended up where we first kissed (Kiwanis Park). I put my laptop there and had a video ready for her with pictures of us and the Taylor Swift "Enchanted" song. At the end the video it said "Sarah, will you marry me?" and I came out to ask her to marry me. My brother was there with one of our other friends, Dustin, so they got some pictures of it happening. 

We still sometimes laugh about how we somehow found each other, but we love it. We just think of all of the little things that happened for us to somehow meet each other and end up together forever. We are now getting married in the Dallas Texas temple on August 19th for all eternity and there is no way that I could be any happier!!!