FAITH

You have to have FAITH through it all, good and bad, no matter what comes your way. I truly believe this and try to live by it every day.

ACE Hardware

They had this child on display with the lawn furniture at ACE...she looks fun. :)

Newer model

They also have a male version in a younger model....I think I'd take em' both.

Here's to new friends!

Jocelyn, whom I met through Wendy, is now my massage therapist, and a friend I am thankful to have. A bunch of us girls went to CA Pizza Kitchen the evening before my surgery and had a lot of good laughs. This is just one of the shots...probably my favorite. :)

It's all good!

Just another Wednesday....having the doctors go in through both my legs up to my heart to see what's going on. A little voltage mapping while they were there...and I'm doing well. :)

Gramma Millie

My grandma went to be with the Lord on March 17th, 2011. I'm so happy that she will not be in pain anymore but I will miss her terribly. I know that she is in a better place and that is what brings me Peace. I have so many great memories with her growing up and she will always have a special place in my heart. Love you Grandma!!

Sara Smile

a song I was named after....not many people posing for pictures before heart surgery...but I got all prettied up for the event. Gina and I went and got our toes pedicured and painted..I did lucky green for St. Patty's day and Gina got hearts on hers to support me! Again, lucky girl I am to have such great friends/family! I also had my good friend Kristin do my hair for the event...so I wouldn't have crazy hair at the hospital! I know..but it made me feel better. :)

Pre-Op

Here I am with just a small portion of my support network. I am blessed to have such amazing friends/sisters in my life. The good Doctor wanted to go in and take a look around at the ol' heart. He tried to speed it up to cause it to throw some PVC's or have something happen in the Atrial part of my heart but no such luck. He also did some voltage mapping of my heart. I'm just glad to be here. They will do what they need to do and I will suck it up because..what other choice do I have! :) I'm happy to be alive!! The only thing better would have been if my mom could have been there...

What life means.....

Life can change in an instant...and all you can do is embrace it and roll with it! I thank God every day for what he has done for me in my life and what he continues to get me through. This past month has been full of challenges but with Him anything is possible. I found out my Mom has breast cancer and that scares me to death, but I trust Him to take care of her. I found out that I will be going under the knife again to check out my heart...but know that is what is best and is planned for me!

"My life is not my own, to you I belong, I give my life, I give my LIFE AWAY!"

Go Red and Save the Tata's! Two girly colors that mean so much to me!

Something that touched my heart today....

God wants you to know that you matter....People need you. People you love and people you have never met are depending on you. You matter to God as well. No one else can be the person you were created to be. Do not think for a minute that you are not important....the world needs you. God needs you!

Once in a lifetime....

Getting all dolled up for the Heart Ball 2011 at the Broadmoor Resort. I had a blast! You don't see me dressed up like this often so I thought I'd better share it with everyone. :)

Heart Ball 2011!

My good friend Wendy and I rocked the Heart Ball this year. I had so much fun. I'm lucky to have such a great friend to do these things with me. We started off working the front table and registering all the peeps. There was close to 500 people that attended...at $250 a plate thats a good fundraiser! Next, I was in charge of trying to sell the center pieces..that was a tough job. :) My favorite job of the evening was being a "live auction spotter" I was getting people to bid against each other and lots of yelling and having fun. I won a few silent auction items this evening as well....a great night had by all!

Manicures

Antler's Go Red for Women event to prepare for the Heart Ball this coming weekend. Manicures, martini's, appetizers, and dessert all for $25. In addition there were some good looking firemen to look at...can't go wrong on a Friday evening.

and martini's

A delicious free drink with Kayla and Wendy Friday evening...I wonder why Kayla won't take off her jacket? Hmmmm.....

Going Red for the AHA.

I love my staff....everyone wore RED and paid $5 to wear jeans on Friday to support the Go Red for Women campaign for the American Heart Association. We raised about $340 for this organization that is close to my heart. Thanks to all!

Colorado anytime!

You can hike in Colorado almost any day of the year. I love this state and the great family and friends I have made here!

Hiking on cold winters day!

Daniel in his best hiking outfit...yes he dressed himself! He's so cute!

Kind, Mean, and Smart!

They know what this means! Friends through it all....I love spending time with them no matter what we are doing!

My YMCA hero!

Torie and I rockin' it out for a 2nd year in a row to help raise money for the YMCA. I thank God for this woman all the time!

Year 2....

Think I'm looking a little better this year....feeling better for sure and enjoying life more and more!

My Y Ride Crew 2011

I had a great workout with a great bunch of peeps that supported me by sweating their behinds off!

First Birthday of the 2011!

It came in with a bang....Wendy's birthday was a success. It was a lot of fun planning it and keeping it a secret from her....just in hopes that she would be just as excited to hang with some of her peeps instead of going to a movie. Always a good time, with good peeps!

The Birthday Girl!

Wendy's big Happy Birthday, Janurary 22nd! Her husband and I pulled off a surprise party for her. I felt so awful the last 2 weeks having to lie to her about stuff...where I was...what I was doing...but it was all for the good of the cause. The day of her birthday was hard because I'm pretty sure she was a little bummed that none of us did anything with her...but little did she know the fun night we had planned for her. I hope she had fun...I know I did! :) Love ya girl....

My BFF for the last 2 weeks.

We did it! Dustan and I pulled off a surprise birthday party for Wendy......with the help of a few friends. :) A success if I do say so myself.

Who wears a hat to a party?

My awesome friend Jen...who is the girl I can count on no matter what! She is always there for me...motivates me to lose weight and promises not to give up on this for both of us! I don't know where'd I be without her! Thanks for the laughs tonight. :)

Last photo of 2010!

Grandma's house has been sold...many great memories there...but now it's time for someone else to make new memories.

Another year has come and gone...out with the old and in with the new. Things change...people change....and life changes. This year has been good to me and I look forward to what new adventures lie ahead.



Random things and thoughts that happened in 2010!

• As I sit and write this I think back to 1 year ago tonight...it was my first night in my new house. I've survied homeownership for 1 year....and I think I like it! (minus the flood)
• I volunteered to be part of the Partner's Campaign for the YMCA to help raise money for kids and families to be part of the Y. I was even named the rookie of the year for raising money. I will sign autographs later....my rookie card should be coming out soon!
• I organized an event at my school for National Wear Red day...everyone paid $5 to wear jeans and wore RED in celebration of Go Red for Women...I donated the money to the AHA .
• I got to meet the men that saved my life at my 1st celebration of life event with the CSFD...and my mom flew out to join us!
• I was part of the largest CPR event at a Sky Sox Baseball game in part with the CSFD and even got to throw out the first pitch and did 4 interviews with a few of the TV stations and the CSFD. How FUN!
• My littlest brother Michael graduated from high school!
• My sidekick Wendy and I helped with the Go RED for Women event this summer by getting silent auction donations from local business's. I couldn't have done it without her.
• I finished my paper for my Master's degree and am now a MASTER of something or another!
• Participated in a photo shoot this summer for a survivor gallery for the Go Red for Women event.....had sooo much fun doing it! Hmmm..maybe I should do more photo shoots?
• Had an extraordinary time with my Aunt Pam and her family this summer....we went whitewater rafting and it would have to be one of the highlights of the summer....I believe I got the backbend of the year award from Sonya.
• I became a CPR instructor and taught my 1st class.
• Had a great 4th of July with Torie and her family blowing up things in the backyard.
• Got a few little projects done around my house and hosted a few parties with many laughs!
• Slept on a patio lounger chair for an entire night!
• Celebrated with Anne in welcoming Easton James.
• Married Alex off to Jacob after many long talks to just go for it!
• Made a very good friend in Jennifer....who has been by my side during some rough times...so thankful to have her in my life! Thanks Mark. :)
• Many fun girl's nights with The Big C and Weeds.
• Learned to relax a little more....
• Friends like W and G and T that put up with my @*?! and still love me!
• Learned to give up and let go and have faith.....
• To 2 and 4 year olds that make my life amazing...you know who you are!
• To so much more but this post is getting so long...that I can't keep it up!

Here's to family, friends and life in 2010. You were great....can't wait to see what is next.

Much love to those of you that read this.... :)

Birthday girls.

Another birthday celebration with one of my best friends. We share MY birthday. Even though she is a year older than me! :) We may not talk every day or even every week, but no matter what she is always there for me when I need her.

Long time friends.

Jenny, Heather and I at Angie's having a birthday celebration. My how life has changed, but I am truly blessed to have such great women in my life! I worked with these two at Schaefers and we have many, many stories that we could share....Wow, we were pretty crazy but good memories none the less. :)

Wow...how time flies.

This is a shining moment in the Christensen family. This is only the 2nd time my dad has ever been to a movie with me, it is the first time Mike has ever gone to a movie with him. He took Adam, Jake and myself to see Batman in 1989. That was the last time until this special day...12/26/2010 we all went as a family to see True Grit. He did well and the movie was good too. :)

Only Bryan.

I had to give my cousin Bryan a hard time for his cell phone. I'm not sure if you can really see it but it's OLD...it even has the antenna you can pull up to get better reception. He is a lawyer and they always tell the lawyers they can't bring in their phones due to cameras, video recording and the like. Well, let's just say that the security guard always lets Bryan in because his phone is an antique!

Christmas with Grandma 2010!

Me and the family...where's Dad? Sitting with his mom. We spent about an hour at the nursing home with Dad's side of the family celebrating Christmas. Always a good time with plenty of laughs!

My beautiful grandmother.

I am always so blessed to see my grandma. She is a tough old German woman hanging on with her ever breath. They gave her 6 months to a year and she is coming up on that year. I love her so much and am so fortunate to have had the time I did with her...sharing stories with me ...spending time with her while my parents were with Adam....Jake and I have many memories with Grandma.

My first table.

I took on the responsibilty to be a table hostess this year at the women's luncheon at my church, Calvary Worship Center. I was to decorate a table and thanks to many friends it all came together.

Thanksgiving 2010!

One of my Colorado families....I love these guys with all my heart!

Parade of Lights

Had a blast with the Franklund kids at the Parade of lights this year! The weather was great and the kids were so fun to watch. We had in depth conversations about the Grinch and I think Maggie has come to love him. Jack shared his caramel corn until he decided that after 3 pieces that I'd had enough....glad he's staying on top of my WW with me. :) I couldn't have asked for a better evening....thanks guys!

We did it!

My good buddy Jen and I rocked the 5k Turkey Trot this morning despite the cold weather. It was about 14 degrees but the sunshine made it bareable. I have to say that I didn't do as well as I would have liked to but I learned that running on a treadmill and running outside are wayyy different..the cold air was killing my lungs!

I'm thankful for so many things in my life and she is one of them. Jen has helped me do things that I've needed to do for a long time...she motivates me and supports me in this adventure to a healthier Sara. I think our competitive nature also plays into that a little....I couldn't have done it without her!

Thankful....

Happy Thanksgiving 2010!

Another year has come and gone and I'm so thankful for everything in my life. I have to say that I am truly blessed...I felt the need to write this today as I had my 7th invite to spend Thanksgiving with another one of my friends. It makes me realize that I'm the lucky one to have such great people in my life. People have been asking me where am I going to spend Thanksgiving....I wish I could stop at each of the places I was invited to, but that's not going to be possible. It would be like a turkey marathon....speaking of marathons...I'm going to do a tiny part of a marathon tomorrow morning.

I'm going to be doing the Turkey Trot at one of the local YMCA's. It is a 5k run/walk....I have been running for the last couple of months but don't think I will be able to run the whole thing....I am going to give it my best shot! I have to thank my friend Jen for inspiring me to do it and not bailing on me...as it is going to be soooo cold tomorrow morning. I hope my lungs don't freeze. :) She's been an amazing support to me on this getting healthy plan....we are doing it together and I'm so thankful for her!

I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving and remember that I'm so thankful to have you in my life! :)

Long time friend....

Spinning our hearts out.....come back and put your hands up in the air!! :)

Halloween party 10'

The Franklund's hosted a Halloween party and I didn't get a chance to dress up...they all did an awesome job though! Dustan is Maggie's pit crew, Scott the Scarecrow and my two best buds the withches...who are far from that, but they looked good!

My transportation crew....

Maggie, the racecar driver, and Jack the airplane pilot! They are too cute....I love these kids..they mean the world to me!

Go Red for Women 2010!

Wendy and I had a great day on October 22nd, 2010 at the Antler's Hilton volunteering for the Go Red for Women Event. We are posing with my portrait they are using for the Survivor's Gallery around town. I hope to get it when they're done....we'll see. I may have to schmooze Ent. It is a wonderful event with a bunch of amazing women. I had so much fun this day with Wendy and all the women. I am so lucky, blessed, honored to have such a great friend, more like sister, in Wendy. Love ya girl and thanks for all your help with this event!

Cookies.

One of the silent auction items I loved. It was from Andrew Collins Cookies...a gift basket of Go Red Cookies. What an amazing guy! I hope to co-chair the Silent Auction committee next year for this event. Wendy and I rocked it this summer as members but think we can do great things if we are in charge???

Flashback?

Alex's crew for her 80's themed bachelorette party!

Who's getting married?

Alex's 80's themed bachelorette party! Me and 2 other friends threw her a bachelorette party and had so much fun. We started out at her house...then went bowling and singing and dancing. Fun times were had!

A baby shower....

My good friend Anne, the one with balloons behind her head, is bringing a bundle of fun into this world. I threw her a baby shower with a couple friends and we had a blast! She is due...November 15th, how do I remember this..well it's my dad's birthday. Her and her husband will be amazing parents, I just know it!

Life...so they say.

Things have been pretty crazy for the last few weeks since I've posted but I try to keep my spirits up for my sake as well as others. I am not the type of girl that likes others to worry about me...so I smile and remember there's a plan for everything that comes my way....whether it be blood clots in the brain....an enlarged heart...(is that really a bad thing?) and a water damaged house......LIFE.....the good...the bad..and the ugly!

I have rejoined for the like the 4th or 10th time weight watchers and have been sucessful so far the last 2 weeks. 5.8lbs in 2 weeks....I have a friend doing it with me and that is what motivates me....I'm a competitive girl...if you didn't know that already....

School is in session..I have coached softball and am now helping coach volleyball and working like a dog at school to be the best math teacher I can be.....I pray for patience every morning and for God to get me through the day and He comes through every time! Life is GOOD no matter what the circumstances! Have Faith.....

Going RED!

Here's just one of my pictures from the photo shoot I did for the Go Red for Women event. It will be held on October 22, 2010 at the Antler's Hilton Downtown Colorado Springs. I had such a blast at this photo shoot....I look forward to seeing the other pics from this event. I will share when I get them.

I don't know why....

Here it goes...

My life....why me? One year ago on July 24th, 2009...I woke up to a second chance at life. Not many people live through what I went through...they say 7% survive sudden cardiac arrest outside of the hospital. Not great odds if you actually think about it..would you go into surgery with a 7% chance of surviving? I know I wouldn't!

I didn't have a choice in the matter, but I came out on top!

My life has forever been changed since that week of hell last year!

It took me a long time to figure out why I was brought back...I always thought I had a purpose to fulfill but I have come to the realization that I was saved for another reason. It was to have a relationship with God..the one who saved me! I know there are great plans for me...but I couldn't do any of them without Him in my life. So, here is what I have done with this life in the past year that has been granted an extension......

1. Became a Christian.

2. Bought my first house.

3. Celebrated life with firefighters and many friends :)

4. Became a campaigner for the YMCA - was rookie of the year!

5. Shared my story with the Go Red for Women campaign in Denver and raised $380 for them.

6. Became a CPR instructor.

7. Became very involved in the American Heart Association -

- Did the Heart Walk,

- Volunteered on 3 committees-sponsorship, silent auction, and passion

- Shared my story as a survivor

- Did a photo shoot as part of a traveling survivor gallery around Colorado Springs

- My story and photos will be presented in the Gazette paper on August 22 in a 22 page spread

for Go RED for Women

8. Threw out the first pitch at a Sky Sox baseball game for a massive CPR training event

9. Was interview by 3 TV stations, 2 of which aired on the 10 o'clock news and 1 for the CSFD to use

for a training video for CPR

10. Got my Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction

So, that sums it up for the big things..for the things that really matter....having dinner at friends house, playing five straight, watching movies, watching tv shows like lost, survivor, weeds with my girls, the long hikes with friends just talking about everything and nothing, spending time with the kids - Maggie, Jack, Ian, Ben, Delanie, Levi, Daniel, going to church with friends and family, bike rides all summer, girls night out, birthday parties, just lovin' on the people that mean the most to me.

I couldn't survive this life without the amazing friends and family that surround me.

A year has come and gone...a once in a lifetime event..as one of my good friends stated...

It's time to live life like you're dying...cuz guess what? You are!

I'm glad that I am here to do all these things with all the people I love...truly know that I love all of you from the depths of my big ol' wacky HEART!