roses for "Red" & too many goodbyes

{Roses for "Red" from Jared}

 So, I hope all of you lovelies had a wonderful Valentine's Day whether you are fabulously single or lovingly taken. I had a lovely and bittersweet Valentine's Day myself. The lovely part of my V-Day weekend and day was that my love came to visit me...and he brought me RED ROSES!! 

*long sigh as I look over at my beautiful red roses sitting in their lovely glass vase*  

{Thanks again babe, I love my red roses!}

Jared and I had a lovely, extremely relaxed, early V-Day date day out this past Saturday. We went to the used bookstore with a large stack of books in tow to trade in for some book credit, and we ended up getting $22 trade credit for our haul of books that we brought in. So Jared and I spent a while perusing through shelves upon shelves of books and dvds until I managed to find 3 books and 2 dvds ( if you are curious about what books and dvds Jay and I got you'll find out in a future post...okay!!) to get with our trade credit. All in all I ended up only having to shell out $2.16 for all of my haul that we were going to take Home with us! 

After going to the used bookstore Jay and I were both craving some Taco Bell, so that is where we ended up going for our early V-Day 'linner.' Classy, no? It's okay if you don't think so because Jay and I do! =)

{I laid on my chest 'n' tummy in the middle of the road to get this shot of Jared.}

After we got back Home from our V-Day date day out Jay and I decided to take a long 5+ mile walk around where I live at. It's so beautiful near where I live, what with all of the wildlife and mountain views to look at during the walk...so walking with my love is always a pleasure! Jay and I took Lila Canon (my camera) along with us as well so we could take pictures along our long walk. I actually let Jared hold my baby (Lila) for a while and he managed to get some pretty great shots too! 

We stayed outside and walked so long that I managed to get sunburned on my hands, neck and face a bit, due to my meds that I was taking for my case of acute sinusitis. In my defense I didn't know that meds could make you THAT extra photo-sensitive, and I forgot that I wasn't supposed to be out in the sun for a long extended period of time. I was on a mission to go on a lovely long walk with my love....my mind was obviously elsewhere, not on photo-sensitivity. Yeah, I felt pretty dumb, but I did have a blast walking with my handsome man and getting some great photos with him! 

{Pictures from our walk(s) will be up soon on my photography blog.}

{Jay sitting in the woods across from the cemetery....looking at flowers blown from off of the graves.}

On Sunday I decided that I wanted to drive with Jared to his Hometown and spend some more time with him and visit with his family, because even though I was slightly sunburned I felt a lot better (after having had the flu and sinusitis recently) and was rearing and eager to go. Now the bittersweet part of my V-day weekend comes into play because Sunday evening I had to stand beside Jared and his family as they said goodbye to their Church family (where Jay's dad was Pastor at) as the Fisher family prepared for the newest chapter in their lives...moving to another church far away from where they currently live.

{Me & Jay at Church saying our see you laters}


We said so many goodbyes Sunday evening, Jared and I. I tried so desperately not to cry while at the church. I never thought that it would have been so hard to say goodbye to all of those loving faces before us, but it was. My heart was fumbling around for wondering how to feel about it all, but I never really did understand how I felt until later on this week.

Many old wrinkled, beautiful hands, clasped my younger hands and told me that Jared and I were a lovely couple, and that their best wishes were ours. Little old ladies and men hugged me over and over again and marveled at how "pretty" I was and how "lucky" Jay was. It was hard to say goodbye over and over again, but it was easy to stand by my love's side and support him and his family. I love Jared whether he is here, or there or anywhere...as long as his heart is always close to mine. It will be hard knowing that he isn't just an hour and a half away any more (for the time being) but I know that I'll still have his love.....it's not Iceland.

{Renato & Sophia}


 On a positive note my friend Jennifer noticed that I had my camera with me and asked me if I'd take pictures of her husband Renato and their little baby girl, Sophia. I was obliged to do so for Jennifer....and that evening I had my first real photo shoot! Sophia is a living precious doll and I had the absolute best time ever taking photos of her and the rest of the family. =)

{Jennifer, Sophia & Renato}


The rest of the evening at church I played photographer, and I had the most wonderful time doing so. I got a lot of great shots of the church staff and their families together, as well as a few other completely silly and random moments too. I got to show my mad photography skills, and I think everyone enjoyed humoring Miss Blooming Photographer too!

It was awesome to spend time with mine and Jay's best mutual friend 'Saint Pat' too while at church. It was like old times back at camp where we all met for the first time (Patrick has a lot to do with how Jared and I came to be "Jared and Me.") We laughed a lot. We took tons of photos. And there was cake. It was indeed a bittersweet evening for moi...so full of life, memories and goodbyes to prick my heart with a menagerie of emotions.

 {Jared's parents: Pastor Robin & Tricia}


{The EHBC Cool Peep Crew}

{Jared, Me & our awesome friend Patrick}

During the evening people kept on coming up to Jared and I at church and saying how cute of a couple we were, how handsome my man was (him and his curly hair) and to let them know how things work out *wink wink* between us. Earlier in the evening Mrs. McCain came up to Jay and I and told us about how her husband had once been in the Navy and had been stationed in Iceland for a whole year and how they had recorded tapes (talking to one another) and sent them back and forth to each another. Mrs. McCain said that Jay and I will make it, because her and her husband did.

I told Jared when we got home that night from church, "It's not Iceland, love." And thank the Lord that Jared is not moving to Iceland because I know that being away from him for a long length of time would literally break my heart into a thousand pieces.

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was hard packing boxes at Jay's house on Valentine's Day....really hard. I had to leave on V-Day though to go back to work, so Jared and I headed out to Wendy's for lunch before I hit the road. Wendy's was the first place we ate together and it was the last in this chapter of our lives together. This is so hard for me...because Jared will be moving (5 hours) away from me for a while (until he moves to Asheville this autumn we hope and pray), and I had to say see you later on Valentine's Day and then drive an hour and a half heading to work.

I'll be honest......I totally cried my eyes out in the Wendy's parking lot as Jared held me and said that he wouldn't be away from me for forever and that he would come and visit me as much as possible. I am just no good at the change game, really I'm not. Saying goodbye hurt so much. I just pray that Jared and I can weather through this time in our lives as we have weathered through many times and trials together over the last year and three months that we've been courting. I just pray my heart stops breaking at some point.....and that Jared's dreams become forged and alive....and that I continue to find my way in life.

6 comments:

  1. You will continue to find your way in life, no doubt! Will each turn be easy and fun.. not likely, but you will bloom and grow, bloom and grow! I am sorry you are having a difficult time.. I love you and am praying for the both of you.
    <3

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  2. aw. im so sorry. :( everything will be ok, God knows what he is doing. luv ya and prayin for ya.

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  3. Oh, no! I'm so sorry, girl. I can feel your pain - Beej and I had a long distance (6 hours apart) relationship for almost 8 months. It was hard but sweet in a lot of ways, he came to visit me many times and sent me flowers. We spent hours on the phone and wrote long love letters to each other. Those were super special times and even though it was hard it was a good strengthening for us. And then he made a HUGE change for him and moved to a town he hardly knew to be with ME! 1 1/2 months later we were married and that was 5 1/2 lovely years ago! Long distance is hard, but it can be done and I'm sure you guys will make it through strong as ever!

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  4. I love that picture, on the road, of Jared -- great stuff!

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  5. *sigh* I'm sorry. Try to use this time to lean on the Lord. He won't let you down, and when things do "work out *wink wink*" you will be better prepared. We are praying for you guys! God is going to do an awesome work in you both.

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  6. Thank you so much everyone for your thoughts and prayers! Yesterday and today have been extremely hard to traverse through, and honestly I'd just rather hop into bed at the moment and not leave for a long while. While I know that there is joy and things to be learned held within each day it just seems so hard to be joyful right now. I know that the Lord puts distance between things when He wants you to learn to lean on Him more....so I think I'll take this time to do so. Please continue to pray for Jared and I though!

    Much love to you all! You truly are the BEST!
    ~Sarah Elizabeth

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