He asked. I said yes.

So, I'll try not to ramble but I haven't had much time to process today so it may be a little bit of stream of consciousness.  Talking through things helps me process.  Just ask Paige if you know her.  She'll definitely agree that I like to talk things through.

I have been getting a feeling that Brett would be asking me to marry him in the near future.  I thought about it so often that I think I stressed myself out and even had dreams of him getting me the wrong ring (I tried on the ring he picked out back in June or July).  I'm not proud to say this, but four weeks ago, I even looked for it when I was cleaning his apartment.  Luckily, I didn't find it.  That would have ruined the surprise.

Brett had mentioned Thursday that the leaves were beautiful up where he lives and that he wanted to take a drive up to Asheville on Friday morning to look at the scenery.  He texted me early Friday morning and told me that is was too dreary to drive up there.  I told him that we could go on Sunday if he wanted, since I know that driving relaxes him. He said that it would depend on how the game went on Saturday (welcome to the life of a football coach's wife).  Little did I know that he drove up there on Friday morning to make sure he knew where we would be going on Sunday.

Brett was in great spirits after a NGU win, Outback steak, and Clemson loss Saturday night.  We talked about a bunch of things, including him telling me that he actually asked my dad back in July for his approval.  Well this came to my surprise because two weeks ago, he said that he hadn't talked to my dad yet.  Little sneaker.  This put me at ease because I respect my dad's opinion so much.  I think he was given the gift of discernment.  It meant a lot to me that he got my dad's approval, since my dad is a great judge of character.

We decided Saturday night to go to the Blue Ridge Parkway on Sunday. It's the most spontaneous we've ever been.  Needless to say, I was sort of restless Saturday night because I thought he would be asking me soon.  I got up on Sunday and put on something cute because I thought something would be happening.  We met Brett's parents for breakfast and then started the drive.

We talked a lot more, telling stories we hadn't heard before.  We even sang along to some worship songs.  It was a very unique worship experience: seeing God's beautiful creation while driving.  I hate driving so combining worship with it was out of the ordinary for me.

We passed a power plant, which I rambled on and on about.  I work with a lot of power plants for my job so I'm always fascinated when I see one, wondering if it's one that I've worked on before.  Brett said it was so unattractive.  We pulled up to one overlook and took a couple of pictures.

See the power plant way in the distance!

He was just my boyfriend at his point.

Look at the background. Amazing.

He pulled up to the next one called "Bad Fork Valley Overlook" (seriously who comes up with these names?).  I could tell he was thinking something because his breathing was a little different, he had his hands in his pocket, and he had some nervous energy.

He pulled me to him and asked me, "What would you say if I asked you to marry me right now?"  I responded with a classic Sara response:  "I don't know."  He turned me to face him and pulled the ring out of his pocket and got down on one knee.  He said, "I love you Sara Gail Veale.  Will you marry me?"  I said YES! and stood there holding my camera.  He said, "Well you've got to give me your hand so I can put the ring on it."

A couple that we didn't know drove up right after he put the ring on my finger.  Brett told him we just got engaged (his wife started smiling really big) and asked if he would take our picture.  I think it's my favorite picture of us ever!  We took a couple more pictures then drove a little longer.  I was in complete shock.  I knew it was coming but it still was surreal.  Boy were my hands shaking.

The future Mr. and Mrs. Michael Brett Hickman.

This place will always mean something to us now.

BLING BLING!

I tried to call my parents, knowing that they would be in church.  I thought maybe if I called them enough they would pick up.  I was wrong.  While I waited, I was able to talk to my brother in Montana and a couple of my close friends.  I FINALLY got a hold of my parents 20 minutes later to celebrate with them.  Then I made the post on Facebook.  You know if it's not on Facebook, it isn't official :)

I am very excited to become part of the "Football Wives Club" and to be a Hickman.  Sara Hickman has a nice sound to it.  I'm even more excited to be able to join Brett in his ministry and to be a support wife while he reaches out to his players. 

Crusaders Win... Again

I was in Greenville this past weekend cheering on my fiancé (then boyfriend) as they played Catawba. It was the NGU homecoming so there were quite a few people tailgating when I got to school.  When I stepped out of my car, I almost lost my breath because the wind was blowing so hard.  Even though it was sunny, I could barely feel it because the wind was cutting through all three layers I was wearing.

I was able to hang out with Brett a little bit before the game.  Ever since the first game I came to last year, some of the guys (especially the Chadwell men) have been calling me Mrs. Hickman and wife. Everyone has been giving Brett grief about when he was going to ask.  He even said before the game that his high blood pressure was due to that, although I know most of it is due to the game.

To be honest, the first half of the game was pretty uneventful and somewhat boring from a spectators point-of-view, with NGU leading 10-0 at half.  The second half started with a safety, putting NGU up 12-0.  The Black Swarm (NGU's defense) dominated the whole game.  I was sitting near Kelli (the defensive coordinator's wife) and Keonna.  Brett's parents were there this weekend too.  I love how we are always tense until there is about a 3 TD difference, then we can relax a little.  I'm looking forward to being apart of the "Football Wives Club."

Crusaders ended up winning 25-7.  Two more games to go.  Strike the stone.

Three great coaches right there.

I think this is Isaiah's punt or kick return that he returned to the 3 yard line.

Kelli and Chad have the cutest kids. 

Our last picture as boyfriend and girlfriend.

How it all began: 1.5 years later

Today marks 1.5 years of dating Brett.  Now if you ask him, he would say we started dating February 19th instead of April 24th.  I don't count a dinner while he was driving from Greenville, SC to Greenville, NC as when we started our relationship.  His response is always, "That's when I stopped looking." Awwww. Sappy.

Anyway, I can remember that April weekend so clearly.  It was the first time I met his family.  Needless to say I was a little anxious about that whole weekend, especially since we weren't "official," although I would probably say we pretty much were if I was meeting his parents and staying with them all weekend.

Brett's brother Will had a show at Inlet View with his band Jaded Mayberry (if you want to check them out, click here).  Brett had a horrible headache, probably from the stress of me being there, so we went back early to his parents' place.  We were on the couch watching TV when he looked at me and asked me to be his girlfriend.  I probably said something like "Sure."  Typical Sara response.

So that's how our story started: a headache and watching TV.  Seems to sum us up pretty well even to this day. Looking forward to many more years to come.

My favorite picture of us. Tailgating with the Hollidays at an NC State game last year.

Change of Plans

Well this weekend didn't go exactly as planned, but how often do things really go 100% as planned?  La Farm Bakery was AMAZING! I had a croissant with egg, bacon, and cheddar cheese.  Their coffee was even good. Keri and I talked about a whole bunch of things, one of which included family holiday rituals. It made me ready for the holidays and wanting to start my Christmas list for family members and friends.

John's Honda Shop worked on my car a little longer than expected. Now my car has new oil and new cabin air filters....free of charge. I'm a preferred customer :) I stayed at my parents' house all day, watching football, talking with my family, getting a home-cooked meal and playing with the dog. There's something about being at my their place.  Even though I didn't grow up in that house, it feels like home: safe, warm, and welcoming.  Here are a few pictures with the pup.

Such an affectionate dog. She can go to sleep anywhere.

She's out

I got updates on Brett's game through Twitter. They beat Brevard 36-6.  Brevard was NGU's third straight triple option opponent.  I've learned that there are multiple types of option offenses, making it so you can't use the same game plan just because a team runs the option.  Plus, making option game plans take a long time and are exhausting.  Glad Brett is done with option planning. It's even better that they went 3-0 against those teams this year.

Getting NGU updates.

Chris, my brother, called me Saturday night to catch up.  We (Mom, Dad, Oba, and me) are flying up there to see him next month.  I'm getting really excited. He said he went to a real rodeo on Friday.  They had the adult riders but they also had little kids trying to stay on sheep.  That would be really entertaining to see.  Saturday, he decided to go sightseeing, so he jumped in his car and drove.  I'm excited to see the scenary.  He sent me a picture while he was out. It was absolutely beautiful.

Today, I went to the 9 service. The Summit en Español pastor preached today while JD is overseas.  He brought a very powerful word today, but that's for a later blog. I went to go see Jessica's new apartment this afternoon.  I know she's excited about having her own place. Being able to cook and have people over is something she has been looking forward to for a while.  Her boyfriend David was there so we had a fun time hanging up pictures and putting things away.

Yep they're made for each other.

I think laughing happens a lot with them.

Yay for her own place!

Now I think I'm going to watch football (I'll actually get to watch the Colts play tonight) and start planning people's Christmas gifts :) Hope everyone's weekend went well, even if it wasn't as planned.

Weekend Plans

This weekend is an off weekend in terms of traveling to see Brett.  I'm not sure about you, but traveling wipes me out.  Even though I don't get to see Brett this weekend, I'm thankful for the days when I can recuperate from the hustle of work and travel. 

With that said, I think it is going to be a fairly relaxing weekend. I have absolutely no plans tonight! I want to order a pizza, do some laundry and just watch TV so maybe I'll do that.  I've been craving a meat lovers Dominos pizza for a couple of weeks now.  That sounds really good as I'm sitting here writing considering I had a PB sandwich for lunch today.

I'm meeting Keri at La Farm Bakery for breakfast on Saturday. Apparently, everyone in my small group thinks it's a crime that I've never even heard of the place, despite living here over 10 years.  It's been featured in magazines such as Country Living, Oprah's Magazine and Rachael Ray so I'm looking forward to seeing what all the hype is about. 

I'm going John's Honda Shop (my parents' place) after that for some car maintenance. Yes, I know.  I'm a lucky girl.  I have the best dad EVER!  At some point, I think my brother is going to call so it will be nice to chat with him now that he's all the way in Montana. Six o'clock Saturday night service at Summit wraps up my Saturday.  Let me know if you want to join.

Sunday is up in the air. If one of my best friends Megan comes into town, we'll hit up the NC State Fair for a little bit.  This weekend is moving weekend for two of my closest friends, Jessica and Jennifer, so I want to try to stop by each of their places.  And of course....FOOTBALL!!! 

Now that I type my plans out, it sounds like I'm going to be busy, but it should be a fun weekend. Anyone else have anything exciting planned?

My Game Day/Weekend Schedule

I cannot believe the season is already more than half way over.  I'm happy that I'll get to see Brett more, but sad at the same time because I enjoy going to his games so much.  The Crusaders stand at 5-2 right now, with a victory over Carson-Newman this past weekend.  I thought this would be a good time to give you all a taste of what my weekends look like when I travel to Brett's for his games.

Friday: I tend to leave around 7 p.m. so that I can miss most of the traffic in Raleigh, Greensboro, and Charlotte (although this weekend I had stop-and-go traffic until I hit I-85). It takes 4 hours to get there so I get there by 11 p.m. 

Saturday: Brett goes into the office around 8 a.m. so I typically get out of bed after he leaves.  I sleep on an air mattress downstairs so it's hard for him to not wake me up when he leaves.  He had a 2 p.m. game this weekend so I was planning on getting to the office around 11:30.  Unfortunately, I locked my phone in his apartment so I drove the 15 minutes to NGU, 15 minutes back to his apartment, and finally 15 minutes back to NGU.  I'm glad I was able to go back because I could change into a t-shirt.  It was extremely sunny on Saturday (yes I got a sunburn in October).

I'll go out on the field after the special teams players go out, so about an hour before kickoff.  Since Brett is in the press box this year, that's the only time I get to see him coach, which I love to do.  It was a tough game but NGU pulled out a W 34-27 over Carson-Newman.  Big plays on all sides of the ball to get the win, including a 24-7 run in the second half by the Crusader offense, great play on special teams, and an interception by the defense to seal the win. 

One thing that I absolutely love about going to Brett's games is getting to see all the wives and kids of the other coaches.  Jameson, the head coach's 2 year old son, waved at me from two sections over when he saw me. Made my heart smile.  Kelli wasn't there this weekend with Gracie and Jack, but I was able to sit with Keonna and Lanier's family who were in town for the weekend.  We took up almost a whole row.  Keonna is a fantastic fan.  She knows the game and isn't afraid to cheer loud and show her support.  Her husband is the outside linebackers coach (Brett coaches the inside linebackers) so we both stress out when the game gets close and the defense is on the field.  I think it's because we have so much invested in the outcome of the game: the happiness of our significant other.  It directly affects what the rest of the day/weekend is going to look like.

The staff and their families really are like a fraternity.   There is a common understanding of the importance of a win.  They also show so much support for each other and their husbands.  It's something I look forward to being a part of in the future :)

After the game, we went to get dinner then went back home and watched more football.  Now, that's my type of Saturday.

Sunday:  We always get up early and go to Marietta Baptist Church, which is a big supporter of the football program.  Afterwards, we get a quick lunch.  The NFL Network is on the TV as soon as we walk in the door and both of us check our fantasy football line-ups (mine was not good this week).  Then, we just hang out until I leave, which is around 1:30 or 2.

The weekends seem to go by WAY to fast, but I'm thankful to be a part of them.  Here are a couple of pictures from the weekend.  Did anyone have any fun plans this past weekend?

Watching his kicker warm up.

The DBs getting pumped for the game (I think that's Isaiah in the middle dancing). I love this part of football.

Two of Brett's guys: Dukes (41) and Batchelor (49)

I think this is Idris but I'm not sure.

Keonna's niece Isabella. Beautiful little girl.

So it Begins: Football Season

It's been a while since I have blogged.  I've started traveling every other weekend to Greenville, SC to see Brett's home games. I absolutely love going to his football games.  He likes me to get to the office a couple of hours before the game starts.  I'm not sure why he likes it, but I'm glad I go early because I enjoy seeing him in his element and getting to meet some of the players.  It's so weird to drive up to the stadium three hours before the game starts and not see anyone tailgating.  Definitely a different atmosphere than at ECU. 

Three weeks ago, NGU had their first home game against Tusculum.  Brett's mom, dad, and brother drove up from home/ECU to see the game.  I love sitting next to Brett's brother Sam at the games.  He is the ultimate fan.  Actually, everyone in Brett's family are good fans.  I guess that comes with growing up around the field.  NGU ended up winning 27-7.

Brett with his guys (inside linebackers) before the game.

Three of the Hickman fellas.

Victory!!

This past weekend, I went down again for the Lenoir-Rhyne game.  I knew the game would be a tough one.  NGU lost by I think 1 last year. LR runs the triple option which is extremely hard to defend.  It was a really competitive game.  I wasn't sure if I was shaking because it was around 40 degrees or if I was shaking because of the anxiety.  That's one thing about dating a coach.  You have so much invested in the outcome of the game.

NGU dominated the game. Defense was flying all over the field, but LR capitalized on a couple of turnovers.  I'm telling you, the defense was stellar.  Those guys were so disciplined.  Brett, Lanier, Chad and the rest of the defensive staff really coached them well.  The defense ended up holding LR to 100 yards of rushing, which is not much at all for a team that runs the triple option.  NGU won 35-27!  That made for a super happy Brett, which makes me so happy.

Overall, it's been a great couple of weeks.  I really enjoy football season, aside from not seeing Brett often.  Hope you have had a great past couple of weeks!

The team getting hyped before the game. Love this.

Brett running some drills with his guys

Lanier, Brett, and Chad

Chad's little boy Jack. So cute.

So proud of him and his guys.