Author Archive
My Thoughts on Single Parenting
Posted on: February 7, 2013
- In: Life
- 2 Comments
Jonathan has been out of town for the last two weeks. He’s been away for his MBA program and gets home late tomorrow night. I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am to have my husband back home. Like so, so happy. Our little world just doesn’t function the same without him.
While he’s been gone, I’ve done a lot of thinking about playing the single parents. And I have just a few thoughts to share…
1. Single parents are rockstars. Like seriously. Rockstars. It doesn’t matter why you’re a single parent, if it’s permanent or temporary, but if you’re flying solo on the parenting front, you deserve way more praise than you get. It’s hard work and you are so not getting the break you need.
2. I have so much respect for military wives. I heard a story about a military wife who hadn’t spent more than just a few days with her husband in two years. Two years. And yet they were still going, still serving our country. That’s incredible. Much applauding needs to take place for those spouses who stay behind.
3. Jonathan is incredible. I probably don’t give Jonathan enough credit, but that man does way more than I even realize. I mean, if nothing else, he wakes up with the kids 4 days a week while I’m out training for my race. I know that may not seem like a big deal, but for someone who is so not a morning person, it is a big deal for him to get up on those mornings.
4. Girlfriends are invaluable. I have some amazing, wonderful friends. And I love them so much. They push me, encourage me and make me laugh. And if it weren’t for them {and our continuous string of text messages} I might just loose my mind.
5. Coffee, grace, wine. Repeat. That, my friends, is how I survived two weeks of solo parenting. Lots of coffee, even more grace, and some wine to finish off the night.
*I do have to give bad props to my brother, Fletcher, who has helped with the kids in the mornings so I can keep my crazy training schedule going. Just over a week till my marathon.
Artisan Bread for the Lazy Baker
Posted on: February 1, 2013
- In: Life
- 6 Comments
I love bread. Like, eat-a-loaf-by-myself love. And I love baking {or rather the results of baking}. But, I don’t have the time or energy to make bread very often.
Until now.
A couple of years ago I first heard about the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. The idea of having fresh baked bread in just five minutes was really appealing. Yet, I never tried it. Then, after the new year, I thought, “why not?”.
I checked the book out from the library and read through their recipes and list of items you need to get started. I figured it was worth the $20 to give it a try.
The main recipe is a simple Boule bread, and makes 4 one pound loaves of bread ::
3 cups of lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
6 1/2 cups unsifted flour
In a large 5 quart container, you pour in the water. Then add the yeast and salt, mix {but don’t worry about it dissolving}. Pour in all 6.5 cups of flour. Mix until the the dough is wet. Cover with a lid, but not airtight. Let stand 2 hours. Then transfer to the refrigerator overnight. The next day you are ready to make the bread. What dough you don’t use, you continue to store in the fridge. It’s suppose to be good for up to 2 weeks.
Up front, I invested in a 6 quart lidded food container and a Danish dough whisk. Buying the whisk was a complete whim, but I LOVE it. It really does make hand mixing a breeze.
Once you’re ready to bake your bread ::
Generously sprinkle a pizza peel with cornmeal. I’ve been using a thin plastic cutting board {not ideal, but it works}. You’ll use this to transfer your bread into the oven.
Take your dough out of the fridge, sprinkle the top with a light coat of flour, grab a grapefruit size of dough and cut it off.
Lightly coat your hands in flour, then stretch and shape the dough into a large circle. Put it on a pizza peel {or in my case, the thin cutting board}. Let it set for 40 minutes. The dough will rise some, but don’t worry if it doesn’t rise much, it will once it’s in the oven. Once it’s ready to bake, sprinkle it with flour and make a slice across the top {a cross shape, lattice cut, or whatever you fancy}.
While you’re waiting for your dough to rise, put a pizza stone on the middle shelf of your oven. Underneath that, put a broiling pan. Preheat your oven to 450*. Again – I don’t own any stoneware {or a broiling pan for that matter}, so I used a cookie sheet flipped upside down {flat side up} in place of the stoneware and a metal 8″ round cake pan in place of the broiling pan.
Once your oven is preheated {and your 40 minutes of rise time has passed}, carefully slide the bread off your pizza peel onto your stoneware. Then pour 1 cup of HOT water into your broiling pan. Close oven door and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Once your bread is cooked, allow it to cool on a wire rack until completed cooled down. Slice and enjoy.
A TIP FROM MY FAIL ::
Be sure to have your pizza peel {or whatever you use} coated with plenty of cornmeal. This will really help the bread not stick and make the transition to the oven much smoother. Otherwise, you’re dealing with a really hot oven, sticky bread and a bad situation.
THOUGHTS ON MAKING ARTISAN BREAD IN FIVE MINUTES A DAY ::
So easy. Like, really, really, easy. And delicious. You get that perfectly crunchy outside and soft inside. I’ve only made their Boule recipe twice, so I haven’t tried out other recipes they share, but I can’t imagine it being much more difficult.
- In: Life
- 12 Comments
I’ve never been accused of being fashion forward. Though, in my own defense, I did buy a chambray shirt back at the beginning of the fall before it became all “cool”. Granted, I never called it a chambray {and still don’t}, and I bought it purely because I like it and not because I had somehow gotten word of it’s impending coolness. But whatevs.
Anyways, I’ve heard about hair chalking for a while. The idea is intriguing; putting chalk in you hair {mainly at the ends} to give it a pop of color. I’ve gone back and forth on trying it and finally decided yesterday to drop the $12 and give it a whirl.
I gave the Pop Pink a try. The directions say to apply to dry hair. I tried that, but frankly had little success. It just made my ends look really dull, not pink. I decided to try it with wet hair. This time the chalk went on smoother, seemed brighter, but once the dust settled, still proved to be more dull than bright.
As the morning has gone on, my house is being covered in a layer of pop pink dust, my hands look as though I played in pink sidewalk chalk, and my hair looks dull. The chalk isn’t holding to my hair like I wanted at all. Kinda a bust {which, while a synonym for pop, is not quite the bust/pop I was going for}.
I considered taking back the chalk, but seeing that my two attempts at chalking used up more than I expected, I’ll have to eat the cost and keep the chalk for Julia and Hannah to use for special dress up days.
Ah, c’est la vie. I’m glad I tried it. I guess if I’m actually wanting to go for colored tips, I’m better off dying them.
I’d love to hear any fun fashionable things y’all have tried lately.
- In: Life
- 6 Comments
Last Sunday I told my brother, John, that I had never had the flu. At least not that I remembered. And you’d remember that, right? I mean, the flu is suppose to be bad, right? Well, maybe I’d had it and it wasn’t as bad as everyone says.
Wrong.
I’d never had the flu. Until this week. And it is as bad as everyone says. In fact, while I laid in bed in misery yesterday, I realized “the flu is worse than childbirth”. Now, some of you might think this is just me being funny, but I’m serious. I’ve had three babies, and while it was painful and hard, once it was over I thought “That was so beautiful! Let’s do it again!”
The flu? In the wise words of Taylor Swift – we are never, ever, ever getting back together. Like ever.
In my opinion, having the flu is worse than childbirth. Childbirth was painful, but SO worth doing again. The flu was painful, but SO NOT worth doing again.
I’ve been sick before. I’ve parented my kids while sick. But can I be honest? I don’t think the kids and I would have survived the last couple of days had Jonathan, Adriane, or my brother Fletcher, not been around to help. In fact, yesterday, Fletcher ended up unintentionally babysitting the kids for 2 hours while I slept. I literally couldn’t get myself up. I had the kids ask him to make them lunch, and the next thing I know two hours had gone by. Whew.
I’m feeling much better today. I know I’m not 100%, so I’m forcing myself to not overdo it. I’ve got a nasty cough and still feel a bit tired after I’ve been up and about for a while. But I’ll take a cough and a little tired over unable-to-function-as-a-normal-human any day.
I’ll let Taylor take it from here ::
And I’m like, I’m just, I mean this is exhausting, you know
We are never getting back together, like ever
I Am Who I Am.
Posted on: January 14, 2013
- In: Life
- 12 Comments
Funny how you can find yourself shying away from who you truly are sometimes.
I told all y’all {yes, I did just type all y’all} in September that life was too busy to blog. That was true. But there is more to it than that.
You see, about six months ago I wrote a post that is very dear to me. It caused some outrage and it caused some good discussion. Both of which I am totally ok with. What I didn’t realize {or rather didn’t want to admit to myself} was that with some of the backlash came a shying away. I didn’t want to write for fear of it causing another riot. And while I am not one to back down from my beliefs, I am also not one to keep arguing just to argue.
It felt good to walk away from blogging. To defriend some Facebook “friends”. To take a break. However, I’ve wanted to write again for a few weeks now. Yet, I keep getting gun shy, keep worrying about riots. I went so far as to make an alias blog. But what good is an alias, when what I really want is for people to know me?
Who am I?
I’m a girl who loves spontaneity, but can’t live without structure.
I love my Savior beyond words. But I’m not always great at acting out my Christian faith.
Learning more about Christ brings me to my knees. Knowing how depraved I am without Him makes me need Him even more. The closer I grow to God, the bigger He gets. That might seem terrifying, but it brings me comfort more than anything else.
I talk too much. Yet I don’t always speak up when I should.
I start arguments when I don’t feel accepted and loved.
I’ve fought dirty before. It’s not a good thing.
I married up. I am so happy for that.
I work for two princesses.
Before kids I never knew what it meant to love people so deeply beyond myself.
I do now.
I like beer. Shiner, specifically.
And red wine.
I drink often. But not excessively.
Running is a passion.
Then again, so is eating. Which is why running happens.
I screw up. A lot sometimes.
Other days I’m a freakin’ super hero.
I love music, but frankly don’t care for live music. You can call me weird for that one.
I day dream too much.
I try to act cooler than I really am. Which probably makes me less cool than I really am.
I’m more like a librarian that laughs at her own nonsensical jokes.
I am who I am. Yet I will change. I will mess up. I will offend. I will repair. But, I am staying put. I’m not shying away. This is who I am.
- In: Life
- 11 Comments
Our family spent a few days on a ranch just after the New Year. My uncle organized the event, which included my parents, cousins, a couple of extra aunts and uncles and our Nana.
It was a blast. Well, that might be an overstatement – little sleep was had, kids were off schedule, we over ate sugar and sugary drinks, at least one argument happened, and perhaps compromises of parenting skills took place {I’ll meekly raise my hand to that}.
While we were there, I overheard someone mention coffee. Always one to jump at a cup of coffee, I asked if a pot was brewing. My cousins all laughed and one even joked “Every morning I get on facebook, I look to see how many miles Sarah has run and how much coffee she’s had. What’s that? She’s run 16 miles and had 4 cups of coffee.”
We all got a good laugh. And he’s right, if you looked at my facebook updates, they are almost always about running, coffee, or something mildly entertaining {actually, I really hope that people find my updates hilarious}.
Here’s the thing :
My facebook updates aren’t my real life.
Sure, I ran 16 miles. Sure, I drank 4 cups of coffee. Sure, I might have said something witty.
But that’s the Best of Sarah. You don’t see the nitty gritty. You aren’t seeing the failures, the mess ups, the heartaches. After all, that doesn’t make for great social media {in my opinion}. What makes for great social media is triumph. Laughing in the face of obstacles. Victory.
As I’ve spent the last several months quietly sitting back, letting the blogging and social media world get a few steps ahead of me, I’ve realized something – I’m comparing my worse to everyone’s perfect.
I’ve heard people talk about this a lot. How you can’t compare your behind the scenes with other people’s highlight reels. It is so, so true. But I’ve been doing that a lot lately. And I’ve learned something from it.
1. I get really bitter over failing to meet “expectations”.
2. I will never meet “expectations”.
I’ve been threatening for some time to get rid of social media all together. To burn our computer to the ground and toss out my iPhone in an effort to get rid of those “expectations”. But those things aren’t my hang up. My hang up is that I forget the people behind the status updates are real. I forget that they, just like me, are showing their highlight reels. I forget that I’m comparing my worse to everyone’s perfect.
And when I remember that, that the people on my computer are real and fail just like me, I can sit back and enjoy the highlights.
Happy Birthday, Julia Mabel!
Posted on: November 23, 2012
Five years ago, on this exact day {Black Friday}, my life was turned upside down. My sweet and beautiful daughter, Julia Mabel, was born.
Five years is such a short time. And yet it’s forever. I remember life before Julia, but it is fuzzy and distant. I do remember this – life before Julia wasn’t nearly as beautiful.
Julia {Jules, Mabel, Mabes},
Precious, sweet, wonderful little girl. I’m not even sure where to begin this letter. Five years. Five, wonderful, heartwarming, challenging, God-graced years. You, my first born, are a gift. God has used you to shape me, to mold me, to refine me. You have shown me what it means to take time for others. You have shown me what it means to set aside my pride, to set aside my selfishness for the benefit of another. Not only because you demand it of me, but because I see it displayed in you. You are the best big sister Hannah and Joseph could ever ask for. You show them a love and loyalty that will unlikely be matched on this earth. Julia, you are amazing. One day you will read this letter {and at the rate you’re going, won’t be too long from now}, and I hope that you understand just how perfectly you fit into our family. Your energy that comes from your dad, your sensitivity that comes from me. The way you mesh with your sister and brother. No other person could ever fill your shoes.
You have a heart that is so loving and sweet. You are gentle and kind, a little mama to the core. And you are smart. Too smart sometimes. I love that you seriously think through decisions before you make them, always logical {you most certainly got that from your daddy}. Your passion for life is contagious. While you are cautious, you have an adventurous side that comes out when you feel supported. I pray I continue to be that support for you as you try so many adventures in your lifetime. And while I don’t know what your life will hold for you, it is my deepest desire that it always leads down the path to Christ. Above everything I pray that your life and heart are spent following Our Savior and Lord, because in Him you will always know your place.
I love you, I love you, I love you,
Mama
Happy birthday, Joseph Judea!
Posted on: November 4, 2012
- In: Life
- 2 Comments
One year ago today, we welcomed our precious, wonderful Joseph into our family.
I cannot believe how fast this year has flown. Bringing Joseph into our fold has been a healing, beautiful process for me. I’ve been pretty honest about my rough transition into motherhood. It wasn’t a natural process for me, and I struggled with guilt for years because of that. But when God brought us Joseph, I found myself falling in love, not just with my son, but with my daughters and motherhood itself.
Joseph {Joe Joe, Joseph Jude, J Jude},
Sweet, sweet boy. You are loved beyond anything I have ever seen. Your sisters dote on you constantly. Your daddy thinks the world of you. And your mama? Well, I am overly smitten. You are such a good, sweet boy. A complete joy to be around – you are always smiling, laughing and enjoying life to it’s fullest. You are happiest when you are in the middle of everything. Delighted to chase after your sisters, you are determined that while you may be the littlest in size you will certainly not be left behind. I have no doubt that you will pave a path for yourself in this crazy world. Having a boy brings such a new dynamic to our very girl centric world. You could stay outside all day, every day. Much like Jack, you see the front door open and bolt. I love your already budding adventurous self, but it makes me nervous too. You don’t seem to want to communicate with many word, but that doesn’t mean you don’t know a lot. Especially “sisters/sissy”. Whenever I get you up from your bed and I ask you “Do you want to see sisters?” you immediately worm down to the floor and say “sisssss, sisssss” and scurry as quickly to them as you can. You’ll say a few words like “papa and Jack”. Sadly, though, you’re a little stinker and still don’t say “mama”. Yet you make up for not saying my name with making me your favorite cuddle partner. So all is forgiven.
I could go on all day with how wonderful you are – just ask anyone who is around you. But, more than anything, I want you to know that you are created to serve a God who deserves all your praise. As a man, you will certainly face challenges that bring you to your knees. And I want you to know, that in those dark moments, in the times that you aren’t smiling, aren’t laughing, aren’t innocent and sweet, Christ loves you. He cares for you, longs for you, died for you. It is my prayer {as well as your daddy’s} that you walk all your days praising your Father and Lord; that as you face this world, you face it with a faith that is firmly rooted in Truth. And that you realize, as much as we love you, it is nothing compared to how God loves you.
Stay sweet, gentle and loving my baby boy.
Love,
Your smitten mama
- In: Life
- 8 Comments
I’m not even sure where to begin, it feels so long since I have last written.
Life is busy.
Jonathan is working and traveling. A lot. Then toss in his MBA program.
I’ve started an amazing theological/seminary class through our church. It is crazy, and awesome, and totally kicking my butt.
Plus, there’s the whole, training for three major races thing.
Oh, and the kids. Let’s not forget the 3 kids under 5.
I don’t say all this to somehow make my life seem harder, busier, or more stressful than yours.
It’s not really.
In fact, it’s really good. Really crazy and challenging, but good.
I tell you all this, because, life is busy. And because of that I’ve been pretty silent.
Sadly, I don’t see that changing. As much as I love this little blog I’ve created, as much as I love the friendships I’ve made, the lives I’ve touched and the ways I’ve grown through it, something has to give. And for now, blogging is it.
I have realized – I could keep writing, keep cranking out content. But it wouldn’t be from the heart. It wouldn’t be what I really want to say. It wouldn’t be what you really want to read. It would just end up being words on a screen. And I don’t want that.
For a while, I carried some guilt for not writing. Like there was a level of expectation set and I was failing to meet it. But that’s not true. I know that. You know that.
So for now, my sweet, dear, friends, I’m saying good night. I’m going to put Loved Like the Church to sleep for a now. I’m going to focus on this new season our family is heading into. And hopefully, one day not too long from now, I’ll be back, sharing my life with all of you again.
Run Mama, Run
Posted on: September 10, 2012
- In: Life
- 7 Comments
My sweet friend, Katie, sent me a text a few weeks back asking for a post on running with kids – “Like an exact schedule would be great!”. I didn’t tell her at the moment, but I think my current running schedule would make most novice runners cringe.
I have found, that living in Texas, having three kids, morning runs are the only way I can run outside from May-September. Morning runs mean I am up by 5:15 on Tuesdays/Thursdays and by 5:45 on Saturdays. I meet my running buddy{ies} at Town Lake, where we start running by 6 or 6:30. I think every person {and new moms especially} just collectively groaned at that schedule. It’s not easy. And the nights where I am up with Joseph, or the girls, several times, just to have to be up by 5:15, are brutal. But, I do it.
Sarah’s Current Running/Workout Schedule
Monday – Strength Training/Extended Stretching
Tuesday – 6 am run {5 miles}
Wednesday – Cross training/Cross Fit
Thursday – 6 am run {5 miles} followed by Cross Fit
Friday – Rest day
Saturday – 6:30 run {5+ mile long run}
Sunday – Cross training, or, Rest day
Keep in mind, I am actively training for a half marathon and prepping for a marathon {Even I get a little shiver thinking that my running will increase come October}. The mileage, and number of workouts, should not be that high if you’re just beginning.
While this is my current schedule, I’ll admit, there is no way in the world I would have started off with a schedule like that. I love running now, so I don’t mind the commitment. But when I first started running? Yeah, it was like a courtship – I needed running to woo me before I’d love it back.
My suggestion for new mom runners :: Be consistent. Find out what three days a week you can run {morning, afternoon, or evening} and get on a schedule. I find it easiest to run short distances during the week and long distances on the weekend. But maybe that’s not the case for you. Perhaps you have more time on a Tuesday than a Saturday. Plan your schedule accordingly. If you plan to run after your husband gets home from work, I suggest being in your workout clothes before he gets home as added motivation. If you plan to run before the family gets up for the day, I suggest having a running buddy. It’s a lot easier to wake up at 5:30 am when someone is depending on you. Finally, if you plan to run in the afternoon, be mindful of the heat/sun. If you are taking your kids with you, be sure you bring extra water for them as well as yourself.
Mamas need to exercise. It helps us clear our heads, gives us energy, and sets a wonderful example to our children. It’s not always easy to start running, but you will always be thankful that you did it.
Remember — It doesn’t matter when you run or how far you run. It only matters that you run. Choose your three days and stick to them.
*Disclaimer: All tactics/tips are my own personal opinions and not medically backed. Please seek medical advice before starting any running program.
A Wife Loved Like The Church 
Recent Comments