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!