Sarah is 4!

Sarah turns 4 years old today! I am very thankful for my daughter, and it's been a great year! When I think of Sarah I think of energy, curiosity, beauty, kindness, and humor. I think the gift of being a mom to a baby for the second time now has made me cherish my time with Sarah even more. I'm realizing more and more how fast they grow up. The days are long, but the years are short.

Sarah will be starting PreK in two weeks.  It's hard to believe that this is our last year together before she's in Kindergarten.  She enjoyed her year in Preschool, and thinks that she's nearly a teenager since she's going to PreK. This year she learned how to identify all of the lowercase and uppercase numbers, because even more curious about numbers, became obsessed with rhyming, started writing letters, and made lots of new friends at school.

She loves junk food.  What 4 year old doesn't? If she had her way she'd eat waffles and cake for every meal, but she also likes some really healthy foods like peas and asparagus. She still isn't a huge eater most of the time, but manages to be a very healthy, growing girl.

She's about 42 pounds and 42" and is so excited to finally be riding in a booster seat! I am also excited. :)

She enjoys helping in the kitchen, playing outside, playing Barbies, and doing arts and crafts.

I don't feel old enough to have a four year old, but ready or not, here we come!

Dear Sarah,
I love you so much. You made me a mommy, and you're my sidekick.  We've spent more than 1400 days together at this point, so I think it's safe to say that I know you more than anyone else does. I know that one day you will use your incredible mind to change the world whether it's by being a urologist or a stay at home mom (or both!), and I love getting to see you use it now to explore the world. When you crawl onto my lap and say, "I need a MiMi snuggle," I melt every time. You will always be my baby even though you're such a big girl and remind me of that daily. You are everything I ever could have asked for in a daughter and more. You have a way with words and use that ability to make me laugh, smile, and think deeply. You feel your feelings so strongly and aren't afraid to express them. That inspires me. You aren't afraid to be yourself whether it's expressed through dancing on a table, picking out an incredible Sarah fashion outfit, or singing in the bathroom. You propel me to be myself. I love being silly with you and having inside jokes that only you and I understand because, after all, "We're the girls!" I am thankful for the privilege of being your Mommy. You are my favorite 4 year old in all the land.

Love,
Mommy

Life Lately, June 21

Now that I'm back to blogging, here's a recap of our spring and summer.  You know we went on a big trip to PA. 

I don't think I ever mentioned that Robert started a PhD last August, so he's almost finished with his first year!  He's studying Pastoral Ministry at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.  It'll be a long road since he is continuing to be a full-time pastor while in school, but we think he has about two years of class left followed by working on his dissertation for two or three years.  He's doing great!  For each class he goes in person to KC for 40 hours of seated time, and the rest of the class he completes from home.  When he goes in person he gets to stay with his mom and her husband which is really nice! He even made his own "Cloffice" (closet office) for studying at home.  I'm so proud of him!

Sarah had such an amazing year at preschool.  I couldn't have asked for a better experience for her.  She went two mornings a week, and next school year she'll be in PreK three mornings a week.  She learned how to identify all lowercase and uppercase letters, improved in her counting and handwriting skills, made news friends, and enjoyed the special Spanish and Stretch and Grow classes.  She's so sad that school is out for summer which is absolutely precious to me. 

Sarah had her first haircut in March, and she loved it!  I had the same lady who gave me my first haircut do it for Sarah.  My mom still gets her hair done there, and she got to come too.  Sarah got her hair washed, cut, and styled.  She wants to go back every day!

My mom retired in May, and we're so excited to spend more time with her! 

Sarah says the funnest and most adorable things regularly.  Here are some examples:

• She made up some verses for Hush Little Baby: Hush, little baby, Mama's gonna get you a heart, and if that heart should break she'll put it in the trash, but she'll have to sweep it up first. Mama's gonna buy you some hairspray, and if that hairspray runs out Mama's gonna buy you some hair gel.
• If you don't poop for a long time it can causes problems.
• What does my soul look like?
• It breaks Jesus' heart when we fight
• That's a pretty house.  Maybe when I get married I can buy it and we can be neighbors.  That'd be fun!
• Thank you for not making me ride in my stroller.  Dad makes me, and it's so embarrassing!
• Can you please contact Ms Sandy and tell her I won't be at preschool any longer?  I've grown up and will be going to high school.
• Do you know who the king is? Jesus!
• Remember that gross McDonald's in West Plains, and it had a lot of flies?  Yeah, at least there weren't any bears.
• What was it like when you were pregnant with Mittens?
• When I'm holding a baby, he's so warm and cuddly that it feels like he's holding me!
• God, please help Taylor Swift to become a Christian.
• Mittens turns 7 on Saturday.  Is she old enough to go to college now?
• I'm good at practicing being 4!
• The top of my feet are cold, and the bottom of my feet are warm just like how some planets in the universe are hot and some are cold!
• I'm allergic to dust so I'm never going to the moon since it has so much dust! (Robert says you'd wear a helmet and have oxygen so the dust wouldn't bother you.) Okay, if I go to the moon Dad can come with me to keep away the meanies.
• I heard there are streets of gold in heaven.  I can't wait to see them.

2019 Books so far

I know I am the last person on the planet to do so, but I read the entire Harry Potter series this year from January-April.  I loved it!  I don't need to give a review because you've probably already read the books or watched the movies, but it was great, and I didn't want it to end.  I had wanted to read more fiction in 2018 and didn't do it, but I feel like I definitely made up for it over the first four months of 2019!

I followed it up with some nonfiction and read It's Not Supposed to be This Way. I found myself nodding in agreement and crying throughout it.

In MOPS this year we had a guest speaker who became a widow in her 20's when her husband battled colon cancer.  I received her memoir, What I Wasn't Expecting When I Was Expecting, as well.  It's a quick read and kept my attention.  I enjoyed being able to support a local author, and her story was gripping.

So I've read nine books so far this year.  Obviously, the Harry Potter books were all very long.  Robert bought me a few books at Lifeway when everything was on clearance before it closed, so I have a few books on my "Want to Read" bookshelf: Sacred Parenting, Love Where You Live: How to Live Sent in the Place You Call Home, Born to Wander: Recovering the Value of our Pilgrim Identity, Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles that can Radically Change Your Family, and The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity.

What are you reading these days?