Life Lately, November 13

Sarah is at preschool, and the house is clean, so I can blog, right?  Preschool has been so great for Sarah and me!  She genuinely loves her teachers and feels very safe and comfortable there.  She's making some new friends, and learning so much!  I'm enjoying time to run errands and clean the house by myself, but I'm also loving having some silence.  You don't get much silence when you have a talkative 3 year old girl around!  She's the best, but it's been good to have some down time.  Right now all I hear is the click of the keys and Mittens snoozing next to me.  

Sarah loves going with me to vote.  The church where we vote has a huge elephant named Sue.  Sarah asked me why the elephants at the zoo are just grey when this one is all the colors of the rainbow.

Aunt Pam came to town, and we got to see her for a day.  So fun!

I always let Sarah's hair air-dry, but since it's gotten so cold I didn't want her to have a wet head.  I dried it with the diffuser, and she was ready to model!

Pretending to teach Sunday School

 Sarah is in a habit of waking up around 5:30 for the day.  This was going on before the time change and is continuing.  It's kind of miserable.  She comes to our room several times before we finally officially start her day at 7:00.  It won't last forever, right?  But yesterday when she came to our room she was dressed in a fancy dress and tights!  Princess Sarah!

We got our first little snow yesterday.  Sarah really enjoyed it!  Obviously, it wasn't enough to play in, but Sarah and Robert did make the world's smallest snowman complete with Froot Loop eyes and a toothpick nose.

Who's ready for some recent Sarah quotes?

• In Sunday School we were watching a music video that went with our lesson.  Sarah was doing the motions, and another kid got up in front of her.  Sarah said, "Stop trying to ruin my worship!"
• We were playing with Play Doh, and Sarah said, "It's purple like Lydia's (from the Bible) cloth!"
• "I brush my hair like Cinderella because she's a princess and I'm a princess.
• Sarah didn't like the fish Robert made for lunch.  "My doctor said I'm allergic to fish."
• Me: "Use your mind to think about it."  Sarah: "Actually, it's my brain."
• Sarah's Sunday School teacher said, "Mmm somebody smells good," and Sarah said, "Well, it's not me!  I didn't take a bath today."
• Sarah's prayer: "Dear God, thank you that it's going to rain tonight so we don't have to water our flowers.  Thank you for Grandma.  She's so perfect.  Thank you for my new school.  We do stuff all the time.  Thank you that I get to play on the big playground there.  Thank you that tomorrow is water day.  Amen."
• We were at a hotel, and Sarah said, "This is going to be the most perfect sleepover!  Is everyone else in this hotel waiting to go see their Papas?"
• "My toots are funny.  Your toots are funny.  Dad's toots are funny.  But don't tell people that we're the toot family!"
• "At the Temple (where we have Bible Study Fellowship) I learned that there are three parts of God.  It's God, God, and God.  It's the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  And God is in heaven on a sparkly throne!"
• "When I get married I want to wear a crown, and my husband can wear a cowboy hate.  I'll move out and you can get a new kid to live at your house.  When I have kids you can keep on at your house, but I'll need to keep the rest at my house."
• "Jesus might have a hard time carrying me to heaven since I'm such a big girl."
• "Stomp, drop, and roll!"
• We drove by something stinky, and Sarah said, "We must have driven by a toot factory!"
• Sarah to me at bedtime: "I could huge and kiss you all day!"

Life Lately, October 23

Since I've been off of social media for almost two months, I thought I'd share some pictures and tidbits about our days the last several weeks here on my blog.

Robert finished up our shower!  We had a shower/tub combo originally which I really didn't mind, but it was cracked and stained pretty badly, so we decided to replace it with a large shower since Sarah's bathroom has a shower/tub.  Robert did a great job!  We're hoping Santa gives us a shower door for Christmas. :)

You all know that our yard is a work in progress, to say the least.  Here's what it looked like last year in a blog post.  This year it's really looking great!  It's much greener and thicker.  I think in the spring it'll really look great when we do a pre-emergent to control the weeds.  I'm so proud of our hard work! 

We are loving the cooler weather!  It's so much more enjoyable to play outside when it's this nice out!  Trying to cherish it before it gets too cold.

We made our annual trip to the beach to visit Robert's dad.  Sarah really loved the beach this year!  We picked mid-September hoping that it would be cooler, and it wasn't. :(  But we got in lots of swimming!  Sarah enjoyed "camping" in the RV.

Front porch swinging!

I love having an awesome park so close to our house!

Sarah, Robert, and I got to ride with Memaw in the Model A for the SBU Homecoming Parade.  Sarah loved sitting on Memaw's lap and throwing out candy!

You might remember that last summer we had to remove our red maple tree because it was rotting from the inside out.  We planted a moon bay magnolia tree.  It just never did well.  It had a one year warranty, and we got a refund this fall.  The roots never took, and the branches were all dried out.  We replaced it with a ginkgo tree.  Here's hoping it does better!

We went up to KC for the in-person portion of Robert's class at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary for three days.  Did I tell you all that Robert is pursing a PhD in Biblical Studies with an emphasis in Ministry?  Robert's mom took us to a fun farm park while we were there, and Sarah was thrilled to pet the animals and feed the baby goats a bottle!

She also loved the chalkboard at their house and drew a "jellyfish with hundreds of legs!"

My parents treated Sarah to a day at Silver Dollar City.  She looks so grown up in this picture riding the tram to get to the park!

We celebrated 5 years of having Mittens!  She really is the best. 

Sarah is in a big princess phase, so it was thrilling to see Anna at the mall!  She told Sarah that she and Pocahontas are friends. :)

This girl has a thing for bugs, and it's so endearing.  Shes so inquisitive!

My little cashier!  She loves dressing up!

We got to celebrate her cousin Sadie's second birthday.  Sarah enjoyed pulling her around in her new wagon!

Last year, Memaw took us to the Harvest Fest and Sarah rode a miniature pony named Ricky.  We have talked about Ricky for an entire year!  She loves riding "Ricky" on the carousel at Silver Dollar City.  So obviously we had to ride Ricky again this year!  She took it very seriously and loved every second of it!

Robert's grandparents came for a sleepover, and we were so glad to have them here!

Sarah is going to be a princess for Halloween.  She's very excited!  Preschool is going well for her.  She's learning so much!  I'm enjoying my eight hours a week on my own.  It's been a good time to clean the house, relax, and do my Bible study. 

Two Weeks Without Social Media

15 days ago I disabled my Instagram and Facebook accounts.  It was something I'd been considering for about a year it seems.  I found myself hopping on to check even if I just had 10 seconds to spare - Robert walks out of the room to grab something, I check Facebook.  I would miss out on something important that someone would say to me.  If I took a good picture it definitely needed to be posted.  Admitting this stuff feels kind of embarrassing, but I am certain that these scenarios happen to most people with social media accounts.  Even still, it is embarrassing.

I got Facebook when I was in 9th grade, 14 years ago.  14 years on social media!  That is half of my life, so it's kind of hard to remember what it was like without Facebook, but I didn't have a smart phone until 2009, so Facebook was something I would get on once a day from my parents' desktop computer in the kitchen.  It wasn't something I was checking several times a day.  Then I'd say in 2015 I started using Instagram.  I didn't love it at first, but then it became an addiction just like Facebook.

Like I said, it's embarrassing to admit, but I feel okay admitting it because I know that this is the case for the vast majority of people my age.  Actually, I'd wager to say it's an issue for people about 16-60 years old, if not an even wider range than that.

So, I'd been considering it off and on for months and months.  I thought maybe I'd just delete the apps from my phone and check it daily on my computer, but I never got around to it.  15 days ago I was at a meeting for a new Discipleship Group that our church is starting.  Pastor John said he had broken his Facebook addiction.  He was talking about spending 15 minutes a day in the Word.  A lot of us don't feel like we have time for that, but we spend well over 15 minutes a day looking at social media.  Ouch!  The truth hurts, huh?  So I went home that night and disabled both accounts.

Honestly, the first couple of days were difficult.  What was I supposed to do when I waited in car line to pick up Sarah?  What was I supposed to do when Robert hopped up to grab something?  What was I supposed to do while watching TV?  Actually pay attention to the show so I'm not confused?  Now that's a concept!

I've found myself checking the news a bit more than usual.  It's definitely not as much time as I spent on social media.  Robert teases me because our concepts of news worthy topics are very different, but I'm still learning stuff!

I'm a pretty antsy person, so it is hard for me to only focus on one thing.  I've been crocheting while watching TV which I think is productive.  Crocheting is something that's always calmed me down.  I've also been reading in the evening before bed.

So what have I learned from my first two weeks without social media?

1. Genuinely no one cares that I'm not on it.  Ouch.  Not a single person has said, "Hey, I've noticed you aren't posting on Facebook/Instagram."  Wait, you mean people aren't actually dying to know every detail of my fascinating life?  I'm shocked!  I text pictures to family and share important information with my actual friends in person when I see them on a regular basis.  Those are the only people who really need to know what's going on in my life.
2. I haven't actually missed anything important in other people's lives.  Sure, I don't know that a person I haven't seen in 10 years got a new job out of state (fictional example), but did I really even need to know that? If there is something going on in a person's life, a real friend will tell me in person, call me, or at least text me.
3. I'm not thinking about crafting a great post or taking an impressive picture.  Sure takes the pressure off!
4. I'm getting more sleep because I don't check Facebook "just one more time" before bed for 15 minutes.  Screen time at night messes up your sleep so much!
5. My neck feels better.  Seriously.  No more straining!
6. I'm enjoying more mental quiet time.  It's okay to be bored, day dream, or think about nothing from time to time.  It's good for you to have some mental down time.

I'm in no way trying to condemn people on social media, but I do know that if you're like me it's hard to get a grip on it.  If you feel an urge to take a break, go for it!  If I can do it, you can do it!  If you want to do it along with me, feel free to contact me.  I'd love to encourage you!

Sarah is 3!

Sarah turns 3 today!  It's been a big year of growing physically, socially, and intellectually.  She'll have her 3 year old well visit in a week or so, but the last time she was measured she was 33.5 pounds and 37.5", so I'm guessing that's about right.  Her hair continues to be curly and light blonde.  I think the front has finally gotten long enough that it doesn't get in her eyes quite as much.  She enjoys wearing it down as well as in ballerina buns. :)

We have full conversations now, and pretty much every waking hour is a running dialogue with her.  I think most people understand all that she says, and I know we definitely do.  She enjoys teasing people and making people laugh.

Her favorite TV shows this year have been Llama Llama, Sarah and Duck, and any Barbie shows on Netflix.  She still loves books and has started noticing the letter S everywhere she goes.  She knows how to spell her first and last name and is very interested in rhyming words.

This summer she went to preschool one morning a week for 3 hours, and this school year she'll be going 2 mornings a week for 4 hours each time.  She really liked preschool, and I think it was good for her and will be this school year as well.  This summer she took a four week ballet class and absolutely loved it!

 She has developed a good crew of friends, and we had a friend party last weekend.  It was very fun!

Here are some of her most recent quotes:

"Mommy, if you become a boy I’ll marry you and you can be my husband."

“Mommy, I’m glad you’re in my world.”

She was mad at me and said, “You’re a philistine!”

We were at the zoo and couldn’t see the otters, “Maybe they’re in jail.”

Me: It’s a rainy day. Rainy days make me want to take a nap. 

Sarah: Yeah, rainy days make me want to poop.

Dear Sarah,
I love you very much.  God has made you very smart, and I hope you use your desire to learn new things to do something great for Him.  You are very sensitive, and I love your ability to identify those in need and desire to meet their needs.  You teach me new things all the time, and getting to spend my days with you is an honor.  You are a fun-loving girl who knows how to have fun, and I hope you always keep that part of you.  Let's keep being buddies.  You love reading your Bible and learning more about God, and every day I pray that one day you will become a Christian.  If nothing else happens but that, I will be a happy mommy.  I love you so much, and I'm thankful for you!

Summer So Far

Summer is the time of year when Robert is gone the most.  I remember the first summer as being the summer where I went to most things but was very hot and very pregnant, the second summer was the summer of Sarah teething molars and crying, the third summer was the summer of potty training, and this fourth summer is the summer of taking forever to fall asleep.  Interesting what major themes stick out to you.

Before summer stuff really got kicked off for Robert, I was in my second wedding of the summer!  Congrats, Tiffani and Matt!

Robert had Serve Springfield at the start of June.  Although he's technically home at night, he had 14 hour days Sunday-Wednesday.  It was an exceptionally hot week so Sarah and I really didn't join him for much.  I think we stopped by to say hi two or three times, but that was it.  Each morning the students worked at a senior adult's house scraping off chipping paint, power washing the exterior, washing his RV, and doing some yard work.  After they finished Sherwin Williams was going to send a crew to paint it for him.  In the early afternoon they worked doing landscaping for a new community of tiny houses for homeless men.  Super cool!  In the late afternoon they went door to door near our church asking if they could pray for people.  Talk about courage!  I don't know many adults who would be up for that, but the Holy Spirit always enables our students to get out of their comfort zones.  Then they'd meet up with other local student ministries for dinner and a worship service.

Sarah had her first lemonade and loved every second of it!

We celebrated Robert's 28th birthday early before he left for summer camp. 

And we got to celebrate Father's Day the day before Robert left for camp.

Camp was a week after Serve Springfield, and they returned to Camp Revo at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, AR for the fourth time.  We're hoping/thinking maybe Sarah will be able to handle going next year.  I really hope so!  The students had a great time, and I know God did big things in their lives.  Monday we went to Jump Mania with friends, Tuesday I went to visit my parents for the day, Wednesday morning was preschool, and then Wednesday afternoon hit and there was nothing left to do for the week.  I had an hour or two of panic and a pity party, but I managed to pull it together.  We went and used a gift card at Starbucks and played outside to end the day.  On Thursday we had dinner at Chick Fil A and stayed at the play place for a long time.  Thursday and Friday mornings I had other mom friends over for play dates.  Sarah has been taking an hour to an hour and a half to fall asleep at night for the last nine months.  It wouldn't be so awful if she'd just stay in her room, but she comes out several times.  She prefers Robert to do the majority of her nightly routine, and it's always worse when he's gone.  That was the case this week, but I am glad that once she went to sleep she stayed asleep.

Last day without Robert

 Robert's birthday is during camp every year, and the students always make a huge deal of it!  This year they all had cutouts of Robert's head on a stick to carry around. :)

We've been able to tag along for some small student activities like a game day and a pool party next week.  We've had lots of trips to Bolivar and have met up with Robert's mom and sister and their families.  We aren't taking any trips this summer, but it's just so hard with Robert's job, so that's how it has to be, and that's okay. :)  We'll have a fall trip to Alabama.

I donated 10" of hair to Locks of Love, and am enjoying being a bit cooler!

Sarah got more in to fireworks this year and really enjoyed throwing down the snappers.

Can't believe there's just one more month until a new school year and Sarah switches to going to preschool twice a week!

Life Lately, June 6

The last four months or so can be summed up in this picture:

Honestly, Sarah's "spirited" nature has been kicked up a notch (or 50?) since late January/early February, and I'm clinging to the idea that if two is hard three is easy????

Robert got ordained in April, and we had a ton of family in to celebrate with us.  It was a great weekend!

Sarah and I have been able to go to Silver Dollar City a few times this year, and Robert is bummed that he hasn't been included in a single one of those trips.  I think Sarah has now ridden everything she's tall enough to ride, and I'd say the ladybugs are her favorite.  It's one of two rides that she's allowed to ride by herself.

I went on my annual weekend trip with Robert's mom, grandma, and sister, and Robert and Sarah survived!

This year we went to Tulsa, and my favorite part was our stop at Ree Drummond's Merc.  The food was tasty, and the line was long but worth it for special occasion.

My dear friend Leigha got married on May 5, and I got to be a part of it! It was a special day!

For about a year I've wanted to paint our garage door, so Mother's Day seemed like a perfect time to cash in on that request!  It only took one coat and Robert agrees that it looks much better now.

On May 20th Robert and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary!  Wow!

Sarah loves chips - a girl after my own heart.

On May 22nd Pepaw passed away.  I could spend a whole day listing his positive attributes and reliving fond memories and attempting to express the love that our family shared, but that wouldn't do him justice, so I'll just say that Pepaw loved God and devoted his life to Him.  I look forward to seeing him again one day.

Sarah started preschool and couldn't be more excited!  This summer she's going on Wednesday mornings from 9:00-12:00.

Robert had a work meeting in Hannibal (4 hours away), and Sarah and I tagged along.  We slept remarkably well in the hotel, and Sarah and I enjoyed swimming and eating lunch at a cafe.  She ate off all the icing from her cupcake and the server brought her more, so it's basically her new favorite restaurant.

We have put so much hard work into our yard, and it's a lot of fun to check on it and see how it's progressing.  Our lilies were looking really good last week!

We went to a Springfield Cardinals game since Yadi was in town.  Sarah caught a shirt, and Robert participated in musical chairs and won a shirt.  We lasted for about half of the game and had a lot of fun!

Sarah and I picked strawberries with friends and even got Robert to try one!

I was in another wedding yesterday!  Tiffani and Matt got married, and it was a great day!  Sarah sat through the whole service and loved the cupcakes at the reception.

When Sarah says something I really want to remember I try to type it up in my phone really quick, so here are the endearing things she's said the last couple of months.  It's quite a bit, but the grandparents love this kind of thing, right? :)

April 3 - Sarah was asking about our wedding rings. I explained what they mean and told her maybe one day she’ll marry a nice man. “I hope I get to marry Santa!”

4 - She saw the moon, but it was faint since it was day time. I talked about how the moon goes away during the day and comes out at night. She asked me if it sleeps. I told her that's kinda right. She asked me if the moon has a blanket and bed when he sleeps. ️

May - She came out from nap to say, “I just needed to let you know that I love you. Do you love me too?”

Am I allergic to pokey trees? I don’t feel very affectionate towards pokey trees.

I have to have a babysitter because I’m not allowed to stay home alone. 

S: We need to sit in the car and die. R:  No, we don’t want to do that. Dying is a bad thing. S: But Jesus died, and that was good. 

9 - Sometimes big girls get out of bed to kiss their mommy

11 - My strength wants to go pee pee, but my brain won’t let me.

12 - Holding two receipts. “If you give me 100 bucks I’ll let you pick which one you can have."

23 - Nana, did you know that I’m a child?

26 - I hope Jesus comes back for us soon 

30 - First day of preschool - Preschool was good! When I picked her up she said, “You came back! I was wondering if you would!” Then when we got in the car she said, “I wish I could go to preschool every day!” The teachers’ names are Miss Michelle and Miss Elizabeth. She used the potty twice and told me one time she zipped up her pants by herself, and the other time Miss Elizabeth helped. She met a boy named Skyler and a girl named Cora. They learned about the letters C and M and played a lot. She got goldfish crackers for snack and ate a big lunch that I packed - string cheese, half a PBJ sandwich, mandarin oranges, and half a pouch. She had a good time!

(Frustrated with stickers) "For pity’s sake!"

31 - Knock Knock

Who’s there?

Sarah!

Sarah who?

Sarah Varner!

Knock knock

Who’s there?

Nobody!

Nobody who?

Just kidding! It’s Sarah!

You’re a sweetie pie. I’m a sweetie pie. Mittens is a sweetie pie. What’s a sweetie pie?