Say goodbye to 2007!

Hi all!

It has been a crazy, but amazing 2007 and I am kind of sad to see it go. Nothing like graduating from college, planning a wedding, getting married, going on a honeymoon, moving to a new town, buying a house, and getting a new job all in the same year! I can't complain about anything though, I am so happy with my life and where I am right now and have to thank all my friends and especially my family for helping us to be where Jeff and I are now. We are so lucky!!

Christmas flew by but was very nice. I just keep wondering when our parents are going to stop buying us so much! But hey, I'm not complaining. I can't think of a thing I didn't get that I "wanted" and neither can Jeff. I love being with my family whenever I can and Christmas was one of the best times I've had in a long time with everyone being together including Granny. It's so hard to be away for weeks at a time.

Well, to fill everyone in on my job status... Early November I was hired at DeBrand Fine Chocolates, a local company here in Fort Wayne started in 1987 by a woman out of her home and has spread into a worldwide company with business from all over including lots of famous people. Most people know how I love baking and chocolate and figured I've give something like this a shot. I was working in one of the actual shoppes thru Christmas since its one of their busiest seasons of the year, but now am back at the headquarters where I will be working in the office doing a variety of things and also in the mail order department when needed. I like it so far, so let's keep our fingers crossed! So nice to have a job and an income again! haha.

Jeff is doing very well at Sweetwater. He has worked with a few up and coming artists whom are now pretty well known and have signed with labels and have their own CD's out. We told Jeff he has got to get everyone's autographs whom he records at Sweetwater so that when they are all famous he will have their original autograph and some of their first recordings (and hopefully some people will thank him on their album when they are famous ;) ). He has been in the process of packing up their old place and getting ready for their move next week to the new building (which we have pictures of on Shutterfly). So they are very excited to get to the new place and to work with really awesome new equipment and have bigger offices and studios. I am very proud of him and all he has accomplished so far! He is telling me all the time how many compliments he gets at work and how people tell him what a great job he is doing.

We are in a winter wonderland right now and have been off and on for the last few weeks. It is pretty, but gets old when I have to drive 30 minutes to work everyday and have to be extra careful. I'm already ready for the winter to be over when it has hardly begun! It was great to see Alexis and Amanda over Christmas for a little while. It sure is hard to see my old friends when we don't live anywhere near each other anymore, same with Jeff's. But we are slowly meeting work friends and hang out with them from time to time. Of course we love just spending time at home too.

Alright well make sure and check out the updated photos of my neices and our home on Shutterfly. The link is to the left. Have a wonderful and healthy 2008! I hope its everyone's best year ever!

Love, Sarah

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Go Colts!

So I think the Colts are going to win another Superbowl, what about you? 5 - 0 right now! Jeff and I had an added bonus of a cheerleader yesterday with my neice Drue at our house dressed in her Colts attire. She was so cute!

Not much to report except that I am very excited to say all of the new lighting fixtures in our house are now finished being switched out and/or put up, all thanks to my bro-in-law ANDY! Thankyou so much Andy. It was a lot of hard work! So everyone will have to come check out the good job, it makes the house look more updated and nice. The weekend was fun with Andy, Kelly, and Drue visiting. I didn't want them to leave. We showed them around Jeff's work (Sweetwater) and saw the progress on their new building. The studio guys are the last guys to move over, and are scheduled to move in late December. I've got some photos up of the new place so check them out!

Alright well thats it for now. I'm going to try and enjoy the 90 degree weather (ha) for one last time... the high is only 52 in 2 days! ahhh.

Love,

Sarah

I love babies!

Hi!!

I just figured I'd report a few things and post some new photos since on here last. I just spent the last week or so back at home in Carmel catching up with my family and playing with my two adorbale nieces. I love them so much! Jenny and Camryn finally came up to visit us here in Ft. Wayne last Monday and Tuesday and convinced me to go to Carmel with her on Wed. since I didn't have to work at all and I ended up staying thru the whole week. Jeff came down on Friday after work and was with all of us too. So it was really good being back together with everyone, made me realize that I do get kind of lonely up here with no friends really. But anyways, today is a new day right! I have pretty much been spending my time job searching and filling out applications and things so we'll see what comes of it. I still have no clue what it is I really want to do so its hard to job search when you don't know what you are looking for. With money running low though, and not much left to do around the house, its really made me realize I've got to get into something, somehow, and soon. So everyone pray that I find something worthwhile!

So the next big events in our future are that next weekend on Sunday we have Jeff's first employee event where all of Sweetwater families get together at this place called Paige's Crossing with go-carts, puttputt, some rides, stuff like that. So that should be fun. Camryn's baptism we just found out is scheduled for Oct. 14th. Jeff's birthday is the 21st, which is also when we are planning our "housewarming" and inviting the whole family to our house for the grand tour. So we'll see how that goes. So those things I'm sure will keep us busy for the next month. Oh yes, and Halloween of course! I can't wait to have little kids run up to my door for the first time. How fun! I'll have to get costumes for the cats, hahaha.

I'm putting a few new photos up of the little girls so look for those. See you soon!

love, me

Pictures are up again!

Just wanted to let everyone know new photos are up! Check them out!! (link is on the left)

Jeff and I at the game...

Chicago here we come!!

So sorry Jeff and I haven't had much time to report anything these days. Its a busy time, let me tell you. I did want to let everyone know that we are leaving here in about 3 hours to go to Shaumburg/Chicago for the weekend! Our first vacation together, yay! (besides the honeymoon) I suprised Jeff with Cubs tickets about a week ago as an early birthday present. I knew we were taking a trip to IKEA sometime this month and found out there was a game this weekend and my boss had tickets so figured it was the perfect opportunity to suprise Jeff. He's talked about wanting to go to Wrigley ever since I met him, and since in October when his birthday rolls around, there are no baseball games left, I figured we'd just go now! So anyways we are really excited and know we will have a great time. We're also going to try to get to the Navy Pier after the game tomorrow since Jeff hasn't been their either.

So expect a full report and new photos sometime fairly soon.

TTFN!

Sarah

P.S. Alexis, I will miss you SOOO much!!! Have a safe trip tomorrow. love you!

A little update....

Just wanted to say a short hello since neither Jeff nor I have had a chance to get on here in awhile and update you all on our lives. First off, its finally a hot sunny day after 4 consecutive days of non-stop rain and cloudy skies. However, it is supposed to rain again later tonight Jeff just told me, so we better get our lawn mowed soon! I guess I just watered the flowers for no reason. haha.

Jeff and I are still just busy working everyday and coming home to lots of unfinished business with the house. We FINALLY got the painting of our bedroom and bath done, and all of the office furniture is assembled and up! The only major things left are painting the kitchen and office and doing a little decorating of the walls and things here and there. We are taking a trip to IKEA next weekend to hopefully find some good finishing touches and possibly some dining room chairs, as we still don't have any of those yet. I also suprised Jeff last night with a very early birthday present of some Cubs tickets to a baseball game that same weekend, on Sept. 1. He has been wanting to go to a game since I met him, and I thought this would be the perfect time so I looked and looked and finally got lucky and found tickets thru a guy I work with. I was going to wait until next week to give them to Jeff, but just couldn't wait any longer so I spilled the beans last night and he is really excited. So it should be a fun weekend.

I do want to say how much I miss everyone, especially my family and close friends. Alexis, I am beginning to get very sad that you are leaving! I promise I'll see you before you go. The transition of moving here to Ft. Wayne probably went better than I expected, and getting to work full-time with Jeff's mom has been great so that I can at least have an income while I'm getting settled. I do tend to get nervous, however, when I start thinking about how I need to look for a job of my own and where I am going to find one. I still don't know the area all that well so it may take some time to figure it out. Everyone is very nice, friendly, and helpful here though so I hope I don't have any problems finding something.

Well, I suppose I shall try and enjoy the rest of the sunny day. Jeff and I are going to grill some steaks and maybe eat out back. Too bad we have no friends here to invite over! Keep in touch everybody! And check out our picture site to see the update house photos.

Talk to you soon!

Love,Sarah

P.S. Here is me with my new hair cut!

Baby pictures are posted!

Hello again!

I just wanted to let everyone know that my new neice Camryn's photos are posted on our photo website where you will see the link to the left. There are also a few of Drue, my other neice, being a cutey at 4 months old. Nothing like going from having 2 sisters to 2 sisters with baby girls in a matter of 4 months! I love them all so much. Now if I just wasn't living so far away....

The past weekend was great with getting to meet Camyrn Bailey and seeing all of my family and a few friends again. I didn't want to leave! Jeff was so cute with the babies, he makes a great uncle (and of course I know he will make a great Dad one day!). Jenny, I will come visit you as much as I can so that I don't miss out on the first few months of Camyrn's life. Just thinking about it all makes me teary, I am so happy for you!

Well, Jeff and I are in the middle of painting our bedroom and bathroom before he heads off to work here in a couple of hours so I better get going. Enjoy the new baby photos!

Love,Sarah

Camryn Bailey Zabel

We are down in Seymour, IN for the weekend because Sarah's sister Jenny just had a little girl. Camryn was born on Thursday, August 9th at 4:38 PM. She was 20" long and weighed in at 8 pounds 4 ounces. She looks a lot like Jenny did when she was a newborn, but she has Jeff's lips. Once we get back home we will post the pictures we took of her and our weekend extravaganza.

House Update:

Well we are at the exact same place we were when we stopped painting the other night. However we did order our entertainment center last week and that should arrive by the end of the month.

I'm getting very sleepy...

Hola. Well I just got home from spending the night with Jeff's family while Jeff is at work till 11. He has to work a 2-11 shift 3 days this week. I work about 9:30-5 so I won't get to see him much this week!





Anyways, I don't have much else to report at this time. We purchased our entertainment center on Monday so that is to arrive in 3-4 weeks. Last night we sorted out the office and filing cabinet so that's all done and things are falling into place. We have finished painting the foyer and family room and are still working on our bed and bath but I know its going to look fabulous when it's all done! Here are a couple of pics of the finished blue walls:

Well, its off to bed here shortly. I have a busy day ahead of me of work and then driving back to Carmel to get ready for the birth of Jenny's baby on Thursday! How exciting!!

Goodnight!