tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82526052012-03-01T02:45:47.913-06:00Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.comBlogger1279125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-89738441671100961162012-02-14T12:32:00.000-06:002012-02-14T12:32:28.787-06:00

originally in Abilene Families My family experienced some minor medical drama the week between Christmas and New Year's while traveling out of state. On one of my many trips to the drug store, I had to stop dead in my tracks. I was perusing the Christmas decorations and wrapping paper on clearance. I turned around to look for more, and was faced with a shelf full of boxes of Valentine's cards

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-34609455443201928532012-02-10T17:59:00.000-06:002012-02-10T17:59:13.366-06:00

I caved. I gave in. I broke. I just broke a 20 day streak without Diet Coke at lunch today. Starting over. Please don't feel obligated to tell me all the ways Diet Coke is horrible for me to try to encourage me to break my habit. I know. By Evan-Amos (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons  As a migraine sufferer, I gave up Diet Coke "for good" in 2010. In my prolific reading

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-318959182802747072012-02-09T13:41:00.000-06:002012-02-14T12:35:43.917-06:00

It's a gray morning here. Rain is in the forecast, and my looming migraine tells me it's on the way. I don't know -- now that I'm almost half-way through February -- that I will ever go back and confess to you how much I did not get accomplished on my Twelve by 2012 list. I think that was the post where I saw someone write, "I am not one to not finish what I started." It has become glaringly

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-23779255768145717682012-02-07T18:08:00.000-06:002012-02-07T18:08:37.729-06:00

I honestly didn't mean to be gone again FOREVER, but Jiminy Christmas -- what a week. First -- Matt's funeral? Most beautiful and holy experience I have witnessed. So thankful we were able to make it. My ladies class at church is studying the life of David. We had just, the week before, read 2 Samuel 12:19,20: "David noticed that his servants were whispering among themselves and he realized

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-61500865896073630002012-01-30T09:12:00.001-06:002012-01-30T09:12:30.945-06:00

I had grand plans to try and get something real on the ol' blog today. But when I woke up this morning, my phone was exploded with texts and phone calls. And now, I have to wake up this adorable young lady to tell her that this precious young man -- the flashlight tag champion of her birthday party, and a dear buddy since 3rd grade -- quit breathing yesterday and is now healthy and whole and

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-44251490042800584102012-01-28T16:59:00.003-06:002012-01-28T16:59:46.118-06:00

I'm a ponderer. An over-thinker, probably.  This week, I'm considering momentum. Too much, I'm sure. I seem to have lost momentum in many areas of my life. Blogging being the most obvious (to any of you that happen by the ol' COTR). I've also lost momentum in my running. While we have been enjoying a mild winter here in the 'burbs, the last few weeks have been fits and starts of running for

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-3768219633884022372012-01-20T07:00:00.000-06:002012-01-20T07:00:13.244-06:00

I just have a moment to check in here. I am on my way out of town -- I am FIRED UP excited! I am headed to Houston to celebrate with a group of ladies -- a year's worth of scripture memory work! The Siesta Scripture Memory Team Celebration is this weekend and I leave in a few short hours and, of course, have a bajillion things to do before I leave (and, guarantee, I WILL forget to pack something

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-70880601080817902602012-01-19T13:33:00.000-06:002012-01-19T13:40:10.823-06:00

I'm sure you remember that my girl turned 16 some time ago. I say it that way because I seem to have lost all track of time. I guess it's been almost two weeks now. She told me very early on that she wanted to go back to our former town to celebrate her birthday, which didn't surprise me. Sixteen is kind of a big deal to a girl, you know, and you don't celebrate it with people you only have

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-54968384706767093342012-01-17T16:02:00.000-06:002012-01-17T16:02:31.083-06:00

Well. Well, hello, there! Yes, yes this is me. Why in heaven's name would I burst into the blogging scene of 2012? I don't do much bursting in the winter. Slogging is what I do. And oh, how I slog. But there is so much I want to tell you. And I will. Pinky promise, 'kay? Like what we did to celebrate a 16th birthday. It was WAY super fun. (We did NOT get a driver's license. Yet. Did you know

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-73043649945953442052012-01-07T07:00:00.000-06:002012-01-07T07:00:07.396-06:00

I still vividly remember standing at the kitchen sink, about to leave for the hospital, sixteen years ago this morning. Everything had been done. The house was spotless. My bag was in the car. The car was running. Troy was standing at the door --- it was a BEAUTIFUL day, but cold -- and the sun shone in through the door so brightly I could barely see him. And I cried. I was terrified of labor,

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-67394649943526597292012-01-04T08:30:00.000-06:002012-01-04T08:30:02.239-06:00

originally in Abilene Families “Ugh. Fine. Run, Duchess, Run.”Why is it that a dog that deems it too cold and drizzly to go out in the back yard (where one would argue large dogs belong) is perfectly okay with bolting out an open door into the front yard where the weather is equally cold and drizzly?It didn’t matter why, the fact was that my dog was on the lam AGAIN and one child was about to be

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-3819357715360242702012-01-02T15:57:00.000-06:002012-01-02T15:57:54.690-06:00

Happy New Year, one and all, you lovely people!! I hope that the year has started off well for you and you are on your way to a prosperous and successful 2012. My kids started back to school today -- TODAY!! -- and that is a rude awakening, I tell ya. My running partner and I, after some glorious 5 mile runs basking in the sun the last 2 weeks (she is a school administrator in a nearby district)

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-27587205681577046212011-12-31T08:30:00.000-06:002011-12-31T08:30:01.490-06:00

(I am taking a bit of a bloggy break this week. I am posting some of my all-time top 5 posts throughout this week. Enjoy) Nine years ago, my home was flooded, I wasn't living in my house, I had a husband whose job required him to travel, two small children, we were being sued (I haven't told that captivating story on the blog), and I was keeping a baby 2-3 days a week. In short, I was a wreck.

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-75150116381507876842011-12-30T08:30:00.000-06:002011-12-30T08:30:02.468-06:00

originally on heartlight Here it is just a few days after Christmas and I've done it again: I'm suffering from yet another holiday hangover. Not the kind that comes from indulging in too much alcohol, though the fit of my pants indicates that overindulgence of something needs to be addressed. I have the kind of holiday hangover you get from overspending, overeating, over-scheduling, and

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-65575810522722977402011-12-29T08:30:00.000-06:002011-12-29T08:30:02.134-06:00

(I am taking a bit of a bloggy break this week. I am posting some of my all-time top 5 posts throughout this week. Enjoy) originally in Abilene Families My family experienced some minor medical drama the week between Christmas and New Year's while traveling out of state. On one of my many trips to the drug store, I had to stop dead in my tracks. I was perusing the Christmas decorations and

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-44547968828554985032011-12-28T08:30:00.000-06:002011-12-28T08:30:01.766-06:00

originally in Abilene Families Dirty clothes, graded papers, a video game cover, a roll of colored duct tape, part of a uniform that needed to be washed weeks ago, and a stuffed animal loved to the point of needing repair all litter the floor. I step over and around and pick my way through the teen detritus. Asked to bring something to school, I have entered the war zone. I sigh and marvel.  I

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-13540980392524767732011-12-27T08:30:00.000-06:002011-12-27T08:30:00.073-06:00

(I am taking a bit of a bloggy break this week. I am posting some of my all-time top 5 posts throughout this week. Enjoy) Ya know, I try to be Suzy Sunshine over here, which is annoying beyond all comprehension I'm sure. But I read this today and decided to keep it real and share with you one of my peeves. I think I've even decided that the phrase "pet peeve" is one of my peeves, too, so I'm

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-46884724612494224422011-12-26T07:30:00.000-06:002011-12-26T07:30:01.862-06:00

(I am taking a bit of a bloggy break this week. I am posting some of my all-time top 5 posts throughout this week. Enjoy) At the beginning of every year, I hear/ read on blogs some people say, "The Lord gave me my word for the year: xxxx" (no, no one actually uses xxxx. You know.) Anyway, some people spend a year focusing on 3 words. Last week as 'words' kept cropping up on people's blogs and

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-38815675758528157102011-12-23T08:30:00.000-06:002011-12-23T08:46:29.217-06:00

Same song, next verse, eight months later. Last night my 10 year old son and I experienced a feeling of deja vu as we traveled to the same emergency room to have the same foot x-rayed so a (different!) doctor could tell us that he had fractured his ankle the same way he did eight months ago. Same injury, different season. Now, instead of trying to figure out how to keep toes warm in 40 degree

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-75023108447109249592011-12-22T11:48:00.003-06:002011-12-22T11:48:27.572-06:00

Oh, it's been a busy few days finishing up Christmas running (I just accidentally typed "funning" -- Freudian slip? I think NOT :-) and frolicking and such. Yesterday I was gone ALL day -- trying to get my stuff done early in the day before the crowds got awful, then met a friend, then had just a few more things to do, then finally home at almost 5. Do you know what one of my kids had done

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-23606643283406225682011-12-19T10:57:00.001-06:002011-12-19T10:57:23.978-06:00

It's HERE!! The week of Christmas is HERE! (Does that make anyone else's blood pressure spike? Yeah... more on that later...). The holidays are stressful and can bring out all kinds of crazies in each of us. Women, especially, tend to set high expectations for ourselves about how the holiday should go: the decorations, the baking the school pageants and programs, the pictures, the gifts... can

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-33800815519721010562011-12-16T08:30:00.000-06:002011-12-16T08:30:01.339-06:00

I have frequently requested a weather forecast for my church. Not for the town the church is in — for the auditorium. I have suggested a running scroll on the website: "Current temp in the auditorium is 58° and breezy. Dress accordingly." or "High of 84° in the auditorium today." I have yet to be heeded. This day it was 58° and breezy. On Easter Sunday. The children were precious in their

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-47845682447542985052011-12-15T08:30:00.000-06:002011-12-15T08:30:03.478-06:00

I will jump right in and tell you I loved this book, though it was difficult to read. via The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Set in Nazi Germany during World War II, it's a story about the have-nots. The Book Thief is technically a little girl, Liesel, who steals books (not a shock), but we learn so much about her whole street -- Himmel Street. The characters are so well developed (it is a

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-90929830070211544462011-12-14T08:30:00.000-06:002011-12-14T08:30:01.977-06:00

published in today's Abilene Families As I consider the upcoming holidays, I would love to write an article about slowing down, enjoying this time of year, and remembering the reason for the season. The reality is that by the time this article is published I will be eating Tums as a regular meal, darting from one activity to another as a crazed woman with her hair aflame, and I will

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252605.post-24104288669130010602011-12-12T11:27:00.000-06:002011-12-12T11:27:07.689-06:00

I have written about marriages in crisis before, but the reality is that many marriages (mine included) come to a time of crisis because the individuals in the marriage were going through a time of external crisis and failed to care for their marriage through the crisis. In our marriage, we evidently don't do health issues, we do house issues. And, of course, we have had the health issues of our

Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02967745278090623772noreply@blogger.com1