On the day you were born

I can’t even express the joy you have brought me

My life and world are forever changed

Your dad and I are so in love and blessed to have you

Thank you for being the wonderful girl that you are and will be in years to come

Happy 1^st birthday sweet baby girl

Let me tell you about the special day that you joined our lives:

At 3:30am on November 7 your dad and I got a call from the Women’s Hospital saying they were ready for us.  November 7^th was your due date and since you didn't come on your own, we needed to help you out.  It was a very early morning for us and I was very excited for you to come into the world, but I was also very scared because I didn't know what kind of mother I was going to turn out to be.  Your dad and I got up and gathered all our things to head to the hospital.  We were very quiet on the drive to the hospital, and I remember your dad saying a prayer for you and for a safe arrival into this world.                                     

When we got there I was checked in and all prepped and ready for the process of labor to start so we could meet you.  At 8:00am the medicine to start the contractions was given and my water was broken.  The process to meet you was well on its way!  There was no stopping you from coming after that.  Grandma, Papa, Nana, and Aunt MaryClaire were all in the waiting room waiting for you to come also.  Everyone was excited to meet you. 

Around 1:00pm it was getting a little painful, and when the doctor checked to see if you were ready to come out, you were almost here!  We were so excited.  The doctors checked your progress again around 3:00pm and it was time to push.  You were ready, Baby!  You were such a good girl, even from the beginning, you didn't hurt mommy much at all and were here with only a few pushes!

At 3:44pm you came into this world!  YOU WERE PERFECT!!  So beautiful and alert….you were a amazing gift from God!!
             
                   

Your dad and I held you for an hour before we let any of the family come and see you…we wanted to have that special time with you before everyone else showered you with loves and kisses!  You were and ARE such a blessing to me daily and have changed my whole life since that day.  We had a few rough patches since the wonderful day that you joined us, but I would never take one second back.  Thank you, sweet girl, for being the joy of my life.  I cannot WAIT for many many more birthdays that we can celebrate together!!  This is your perfect day….I love you more than words can describe. 

          
          

Watching you grow over this year has been amazing!
Happy Birthday my sweet little bug!!  XOXO

x.o. Sara

Boo's and Oohh's

This weekend was BEAUTIFUL weather, and because of that, several outings were had by me and my sweet family.  I will try and make this blog post short, but I had so much fun and I want to tell you all about it.

On Saturday my hubby, daughter and myself went to the Houston Zoo.  This being the first true outing that we have had with our daughter to a zoo, we were ready to capture every cute moment.  The Houston Zoo during the month of October has an event called Zoo Boo.  It's fabulous, and there is still time this month to go, so if you haven't tried it out....GO!!   There are so many super cute things for kids, like the Fiesta Mart Pumpkin Patch, where kids get to pick out and paint their own pumpkin.  Which is where I took this super cute pic of my little bug!

                     

            Lady Bug outfit from Kroger

Oh, by the way...kids can wear costumes.  So can parents...but there are rules for y'all.  All costumes must be family friendly AND show your face.  Come on people...it's the zoo...lets not scare the children!!  :)  The zoo also has a great children's petting zoo, which my bug LOVED!  She is an animal lover, especially since we have a dog and cat at home, my parents have two cats and my husband's parents have two dogs.  It's kinda in her blood.  Anyway, when we went into the petting zoo she kept giggling at all the goats and was super excited to pet them.

                             

                  

Needless to say it was a BLAST and we all had fun!!  My bug was a little too young for a lot of what Zoo Boo had to offer, majority of it is for school age kiddos, but even so, it was a great experience for her and we are happy we took her.  The weather couldn't have been more beautiful....did I already mention that??  LOL!!  Go to the zoo if you have time in October!!  If you miss Zoo Boo, then check out Zoo Lights in December.  We will for sure be back for that one also!

On Sunday my hubby and I went to BY FAR the best concert I have ever been to!!  Pitch perfect, amazingly talented, Michael Buble!!  He played at the Toyota Center, and although we had nose bleed seats, his voice was all that mattered!

                   

Michael was tiny, but the voice was SO SO big!!  A group called Naturally 7 opened for MB.  They use only their voices to make music, they call it Vocal Play.  The drum sounds they made were very cool, but being so far away from the stage, I couldn't believe that there was not some mic tricks going on.  Who knows?  They were great though.  However, if you really want to hear an awesome A Capella group, check out Straight No Chaser!!  They have a great Christmas CD, just FYI, one of the CD's I have in my car currently!!  Anyway, I digress!!  

Okay, so the opening group was okay, but really everyone just wanted MB.  The concert started at 8PM and MB came out at 9PM.  It was amazing from the 1st song to the last!!!  His voice was exactly like how he sounds on the CD and it wasn't because they were doing something cool with his mic....it's just pure talent people!!  My favorite songs, which there were quite a few, was Haven't Met You Yet and Cry Me A River if I have to pick two!!!  Okay, no one made me pick two, but we also don't have the space for me to write all the songs that he did since all of them were FREAKING A.W.E.S.O.M.E.!!!!

                                              
                                                                Pic of me and my hubby
The only complaint of the weekend was the parking garage situation at the Toyota Center on Sunday.  They for some reason would not take CC....only cash or check, which I think is STUPID...but it caused us to have a poor attitude prior to the concert, especially since the parking attendant dude had a CC machine in his booth and looked as if he swiped the person in front of us CC.  Anyway...word to the wise...if you are going to the Toyota Center for anything and plan to park in the parking garage....bring cash!!  Big thumbs down on that!!

So that was my weekend peeps!!  This next week is pretty low key, but I would love to hear if anyone else went to the concert and their thoughts, OR if you have been to Zoo Boo and have thoughts on that!!  Have a super week!!

x.o. Sara

Exposing myself

Today I am feeling compelled to open myself up, be and open book, and share some things that you may not know about me.  A few insights into the life of Sara.  What deep dark secrets can I reveal to you??  Hmm...lets see...

1.  I am in love with Christmas music!  Most people know that about me, but what you might not know is that I listen to it all year round AND 5 out of the 7 CD's in my car CD changer are Christmas CD's.  Also, when it rains, or even looks overcast, I turn on Christmas music because it reminds me of winter days in Chicago.  I turn the air conditioning on high and pretend that it is cold outside.  My favorite song is All Be Home For Christmas

2.  I am OCD when it comes to junk in the house.  My house might not look like I am OCD, but if you ask my husband what I do once I come home from work he would answer that I start cleaning up before I even kiss him Hello.  It's a bad trait, but I can't seem to see anything else BUT the mess in the house when I get home and it drives me insane!  There are some areas of the house, like the garage, that are my husband's zone that I can't even look into because I will freak out.

                                       

3.  I've written a book, a young adult novel, that I think is pretty awesome if I do say so myself!!  My friend Kristi and I wrote the book together and hope one day to have it published.  As a reading teacher I have shamelessly read bits and pieces of our book to my intermediate school students and have seen a pretty good response, so at least I know that we wrote to the correct age group.  If anyone who reads this is a publisher.....hit me up!!  I would love for you to read it!!  

4.  I tried out for American Idol the second season that it aired.  What many people don't know about American Idol is that the really really bad singers are passed through the many steps it takes to get to the judges just for good TV, which I think is so horrible!!  There are actually many steps of YES and No before you get to the judges.  I made it through the first two steps and then was told no.  Glad I was able to try out, had a good time, but I am no longer am a fan of the show.  It's a popularity contest, and any show that passes people along just to make fun of them is no show I want to be associated with!  The Voice is the way to go and may be something I try out for in the future! 

   

5.  I'm a dreamer.  Well, I am a dreamer, but I'm also a "Make it Happen" kinda person too.  I have many many ideas and Bucket List dreams of things I want to do and I won't let anyone tell me that I can't do something....hence the many jobs I have held.  If you don't know my history, check out my first blog post.  Now that I have a family I have to be more cautious because I do have to bring some money in, but I want to try everything life has to offer....if I want to be an author - I will try, if I want to be an artist - I will try....I never want to look back and think WHAT IF!!  However, I do contradict myself because I am also a HUGE planner and NOT spontaneous.  But all that means is I am ready and have planned it all out to do and be whatever I want!!!  

Ok...well that's 5 little insights on this Friday into my life.  A few interesting facts that you might enjoy about me.  I hope everyone takes some time to listen to a Christmas tune during this rainy weekend, tries something new they have been thinking about and never let someone stop them from being a dreamer.  Dream away my friends....goodness knows I won't stop.  The Bucket List keeps growing!!

x.o. Sara         

A look inside the life of a teacher

So it has been awhile since I posted, and for that I am sorry.  It has been a little rough lately and while that would be the perfect avenue to post something, alas, I have not felt up to pouring my heart out.  BUT....good news...I am now getting in a better place....somewhat!  So, I felt like sharing a little into the life of ME!!

                                  

I don't know if I mentioned before, but I am a teacher....a middle school teacher...middle school!!!  Yes I know...hormones raging, attitudes flying, and basically an overall passion to do NOTHING and throw a fit when the grade represents the lack of effort.  Middle school!!  BUT it is a place I have called home for 7 years now.  Besides, as a women, wife and mother, I come to expect the same hormones, attitudes and passion at home with a husband and 11 month old child.  Love you honey!!  :)  XOXO

So, needless to say, things at work have been rough and stressful.  I'm going to get on a soap box for a minute, so if you want to tune me out, start.....now.  

               

Testing!!  I hate testing, I hate state testing, benchmark testing, 9 week testing......it all sucks!  Kids are tested and tested and tested, and since I work with Special Needs kiddos....testing is a TAD bit more stressful for them because they have other barriers to overcome aside from taking the actual test!  I don't think kids should be tested so much.  I think it limits teachers and what they can accomplish in the classroom since they are basically forced to teach to the test.  It's a horrible representation of what kids understand, because you have to take into account test anxiety and all the other factors that could play into bad test results.  It just sucks!!  PERIOD!

Ok...finished....you can tune back in now.  Needless to say, this is the end of the 9 weeks and emotions and stress levels are on high...and the kids are stressing out too.  :)  For the parents out there who freak out on bad test scores....relax.  Talk with your kids teachers, see how they are preforming on a day to day basis.  Our job, or at least what I think my job is, is to prepare your child for the battles of the world.  Make them a well rounded person, and if college is in their future, set them up for success.  I am not the enemy, I am here to work hand in hand with you and your child to provide them with the best possible future.  I become a "momma bear" with my students and will advocate for them whenever needed.  Trust me!!  This is how I feel sometimes.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxsOVK4syxU
Watch it....you will feel empowered (ignore the passionate language throughout though, if you're sensitive to that stuff)!!  Power on my teacher friends!!

                                    

To all my teachers out there who are also feeling the stresses....here are a few funny things about us that might brighten up your day...you know, in-between testing students.  LOL.  ENJOY and if you need some of #2 below...I have PLENTY in my classroom!!  Come on by..


You Might be in Education if,,,  
1.  You want to slap the next person who says, "Must be nice to work 8-3 and 
have your summers free." 
2.  You believe chocolate is a food group. 
3.  You can tell if it's a full moon without ever looking outside. 
4.  You believe the unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says, "Boy, 
the kids are sure mellow today." 
5.  When out in public, you feel the urge to snap your fingers at a child. 
6.  You have no time for a life from August through June. 
7. Putting all "A's on a report card would make your life SO much easier. 
8. You believe no one should be permitted to reproduce without having taught 
in a middle school for at least five years. 
9. You can't have children because there isn't any name you can hear that 
wouldn't elevate your blood pressure. 
10. You think caffeine should be available to staff in IV form. 
11. Your personal life comes to a screeching halt at report card time. 

x.o. Sara

My life as a musical

If you have read my bio you know that I tried to make it as a famous singer in Nashville at one point.  I have loved music my whole life.  Started out playing piano, then cello, then flute....realizing with each instrument that I hated practicing and I was not getting any better.  I used to fight for last chair in band....not much was expected of you there.  I then discovered that I could sing, and pretty good, with minimal practicing.  So....choir is where I planted myself.  And I loved it!

When I went to college I joined a band and performed many different places.  Music filled my life.  I would walk to classes with ear buds in my ears, listening to the latest pop artist all the way there, most likely singing aloud as I walked.  I didn't care.  I wanted my life to be a musical where you could just bust out in song the moment you were sad, happy, on your way to a game, with friends....anytime!!  I still think there are times I should have theme music...just sayin!!
                                                      

Anyway, as I have "matured," music has taken on a new form in my life.  I am still surrounded by it throughout the day, and still perform in front of people, but not only is music inspirational to me, it's Spiritual.  God uses music to speak to me SO many times.  I am floored with all the times I am driving in the car, struggling with something, turn on the radio and the song playing is saying EXACTLY the words I need to hear.
                                   God is so cool that way!!

Specifically in my life now, like I discussed in my bio, my husband and I are waiting on God to show us the right job for him in order for me to stay at home with our daughter.  We have been on a roller coaster ride for 6+ months now.  We get excited about one job and then disappointed, and then excited about another job and then disappointed.  We KNOW God has a bigger plan....one that we can not see yet, but waiting is not a skill my husband and I have!!

So, AGAIN, God spoke to me through song.  I sing for my church on most Sunday's and this Sunday the song I am singing is Healer by Kari Jobe.  It's a powerful song!!  But what I know God is telling me through this song is what is said in the bridge.
 

"Nothing is impossible for you,

Nothing is impossible.

Nothing is impossible for you,

You hold my world in Your hands."

I had to giggle last night at practice because we kept going over that part....I mean, kept going over and over that part.  I had to sing it like a million times, okay not that many, but I'm sure God was like...."Sara, get the hint!"

               

So after my "DUH" moment, and no matter how many of those I have this year, God is sovereign!!  Thank goodness, right??  NOTHING is impossible for Him....which is SO hard to wrap my mind around!!  But as I talked about before, we TOGETHER are going to witness God's AMAZING power.  I WILL be home next year with my daughter because I believe that is what God has called me to do, which means my husband WILL have a job that allows me to do so.  I will not let negative nay-sayers diminish God's power.  It may seem like an impossible task, but I CHOOSE to believe!!  So, just as the song says.....

                                           I BELIEVE!!!!

x.o. Sara