God has blessed this Sacred Vow... (Read this post ALL THE WAY THROUGH)!

(this is a picture of our rings in my gorgeous bouquet)


So, I figured I better make the official statement before you hear the news and start to formulate your own opinions... This next post might be a bit lengthy, but PLEASE take the time to read ALL that is listed so that you are sure to have all the proper information...

At 1:20 pm Saturday the 24th of January 2009, Frank and I became husband and wife... This took place in a very beautiful home of a friend of ours with only both sets of parents and his sisters. The dress I wore was on loan from the bridal salon my original gown was purchased from (mine has not arrived yet) (and that is the reason for the unmatching shawl)My dress isn't due until late Feb, since we thought we had plenty of time...

This all happened so quickly, we were all set for April, and then as life would have it, the plans changed in an instant. FOr personal family reasons, I am choosing not to go in to all the details, but I would like to share these thoughts with you...
After much prayer and fasting, Frank and I sought the council of our Branch President, and Stake President. Both said that either decision we made with regard to our marriage was a righteous one, and that Heavenly Father would bless us just the same either way.
You see, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a pretty strict code for Temple marriages, and until recently what happened this past weekend would never have allowed us to still be married in the Temple in two months.
In the Church handbook of instructions it states that under four different circumstances a couple can be married civily, (outside of the Temple first) and still be married in the Temple immediately following. This is all possible because Frank has been a member less then a year still (he hits a year the end of February). We aren't going to be sealed immediately, but we will be sealed for Time and ALL ETERNITY on Saturday April 18th 2009. We are staying with that day because we already have all of our vedors booked for the reception. That is when we expect to see all of you there and celebrate our sacred union with you, our beloved family and friends! We feel so blessed to have been able to be married this way to have our parents a part of this since they won't be able to be a part of the the sealing.We are both converts to the church. We have felt so peaceful about our decision, and know in our hearts that Father in Heaven has blessed this sacred moment, and will continue to bless us when we have been married (the right way in our hearts) in the Temple. We know and deeply understand the importance of a Temple Marriage and feel nothing but blessed to be able to have the best of both worlds. From that day in April forward, we will look back on that experience and that setting as the moment our marriage was validated and consider that our wedding day. We will forever celebrate April 18th 2009 as our wedding day.

We want each of you to know that we were a bit saddened to not experience our wedding day with everyone else, but in our hearts we feel that even though we are married on paper, will be married by Heavenly Law in just two months by a man ordained to seal us for time and all eternity, and that is the occassion we would rather each of you be a part of.

We would also like each of you to know that since this happened so quickly, we have not yet experienced the "traditional" pre wedding shindigs! :) We realize that this is a little unconventional, but considering the circumstances, are hopin you will still celebrate with us as if we are leading up to our wedding day... does that make sense? I hope so.

Frank and I are so happy, and glad to finally put all the stress we have been dealing with behind us. Our love for one another seems to have multiplied an hundred fold just in the few short days we've been married. We are looking forward with great hope to not only the Temple, but an eternity to grow deeper and deeper in love. We were just talking the other night and he made the comment that "not everyone has the opportunity to be married 3 times in 2 months" (meaning our civil marriage, temple marriage, and ring ceremony). I thought about it for minute and realized that God truly has bless this sacred vow, look at how many chances he has provided us to "renew our vows"!

In the next two months, we expect to celebrate the wedding on several different occasions, including the following:
My bridal shower for LDS friends... February something (not sure of the date yet, sometime towards the end)

*Temple Endowment... MARCH 3RD 2009

*TEMPLE SEALING... APRIL 18TH 2009

*WEDDING RECEPTION... APRIL 18TH 2009

i sincerely thank each of you for taking the time to read this post and have the proper information before spreading the news of what you have just read... I posted this, not to justify myself, but more to let you all know that is something we are very excited about and wanted to share with our friends that we don't have the opportuntiy to see or talk to all the time!

Thanks again, and I hope you all will be able to celebrate with us in all the festivities to come over the coming months!!!!!!!!
Invitations to come in the next month or so!!

****Love****
Mrs. Sabrina Velasquez!

Frank's new "BUDDY"

So after watching a movie, I look over from across the room and this is what I see... Frank and his dog Buddy, snuggled up and sleeping like two little babies ,lost in dream land. Once I walked closer they must have sensed I was there because both of them woke up only enough to open their eyes move their heads my direction and then dose off back to la la land. It was really cute actually.
We love Buddy. He was suppose to be a Christmas present for my mom, but whenever Frank is at the house the dog shadows his every move. When he leaves, Buddy stands at the door and whines. It's quite depressing actually. So, needless to say, come another month or so, I think we have ourselves a dog to care for on top of nurturing a BRAND NEW MARRIAGE!! :) Not exactly what I had in mind, but he really is such a sweet dog, and much more well behaved then the two other dogs my mom already has!

A Very Merry Christmas indeed!

We had a very busy two weeks!! We got a new dog(it was supposed to be for my mom but he won't leave Franks side), spent too much time with family, didn't see enough friends, ate way too much junk, shopped 'til our bank accounts dropped, got in a couple necessary disputes, took me (Sabrina) to learn how to shoot a whole arsenal of guns (I LOVED IT)!!!! Umm, what else, oh rang in the New Year with a bunch of crazy mormons hopped up on too much karaoke, and rested, boy oh boy did we rest... It was very much needed and well deserved... when I can figure out how to get the sd card to register in my computer, I will post some pictures of the festivities! hope you all had a wonderful Holiday!!

Overall though, it was a great Holiday. Frank and I really enjoyed the time we were able to spend together... things have slowed down a bit for him, so it was nice to just be together!

Just a few thoughts on a list of many to work towards this coming year!

"AHEM"... (Clearing of the throat to read this list)

This past year has had it's ups, and more recently, it's downs... This next time around, I'd like to aim to be a little more proactive in times of uncertainty, so here is the beginning stages of this years mental TO DO'S (now made in to a list form).
If you see me slacking off, be sure to correct me and put me back on my way... no hard feelings to be had here! :)

*Trying to love others more, and truer!

*Striving to be more giving in my relationships instead of taking only

*Learning to be more self sufficient instead of relying on others to come to my aid

*Studying more aspects of the Gospel more thoroughly and with deeper commitment and contemplation

*Trying to serve in my callings with more joy and less grumbling and/or frustration when things go in a direction other then planned

* Learning to be more selfless and giving more of my time and efforts to those whom I love.

*Spending more one on one time with Frank to continue to strengthen the bonds of marriage we're about to enter in to!

*Doing more things for myself that I love and not worrying so much about how I'm going to pay for it!

*Using my talents for more worthy causes then just for myself!

*Learning to enjoy life for what it truly is and what my purpose is in it!

And last, but most certainly not least... I have got to learn to be less of a gas Jew. (That is not meant to be derogatory! I am of Jewish decent) PLEASE DON'T BE OFFENDED BY THAT STATEMENT! :) I hate to admit it, but it is true, I am ridiculously obsessed with how much waisted gas gets used throughout the week. i often refrain from going places because it wastes too much gas to get there!

Happy 2009!!!

So... Happy New Year Everyone! Hope the coming year is filled with joy and happiness!!!!!!!
I guess right now, the term "happy" is kind of a "catch-22" phrase. There is so much CRAP going on in our own country as well as throughout the rest of this world that can easily drag us down to the gull of misery and bitterness That's why I think as we ring in the New Year, each of us should begin at the very least, a mental list of individual and family PRIORITIES so that we as a people can get back to the basics of what truly matter. With the recession we're living through right now, we're beginning to see a once prosperous country take a turn for the worst and reach near desperation as far as the money flow goes... I'm not an economist by any means, and never once have I pretended to be, however, I do know that times are tough and tensions are high. Thus being the reason we need to get back to the basics and figure out what really matters to each of us in the end...
What matters to me now, and especially in the coming years is not what has mattered to me in previous years. This up and coming year, I hope more then anything for the ability to stand strong in my faith and convictions and learn to rely more on my friend and Savior Jesus Christ because he is the Rock on which i have built my foundation and the place I have, do and will continue to turn to as my refuge from the raging storms and winds around me. This next year is the time in which we need to set ourselves and our lives on a more righteous path, the only one which truly matters in the end because it leads to our Salvation from physical death and life eternal in the presence of our Heavenly Father, the very being which created our existence here and or otherwise.