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Welcome! I'm so glad you've found your way here and hope you enjoy your time connecting.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Whirlwind

So, life has been incredibly crazy.  The course of our lives has changed in such an incredibly weird way, but we have seen God's hand on everything.
After the holidays, we'll be back up and running, with lots of fun news about our lives.

And the lovely Cait won the giveaway!  I'll be emailing you with the information.

Have a lovely Christmas, friends.  Thank you for standing by me with all of this quietness.  I'm blessed by you all!


Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Giveaway!

I am so excited to share one of my new favorite hobbies with all of you!  I have recently gotten into digital scrapbooking, and before you let it scare you away, it's SUPER easy to do if you use the right stuff!  I've been using this digital scrapbooking software from My Memories, and it makes me look incredibly talented without much effort (and isn't that what we all want?!)!

I've started a scrapbook for Liam, and all I have to do once I finish it is get it printed wherever I choose!  It's so much easier than it should be, but I'm getting really excited as it keeps coming along.

It's great because I don't have to do the cut outs and spend all of the money on scrapbooking materials (the scrapbooking kits are so cheap), and I don't have scrapbooking stuff sitting everywhere in my house each time I want to work on it!

Look at some of the pages I've made for my baby book using the software:






The great news is that My Memories is allowing me to give away a copy of their scrapbook software for FREE!
I'm so excited, I can hardly stand it!  It's a very easy to use software, and you can even make other things beyond scrapbooks!  It is more user-friendly than photoshop, and especially suited for scrapbooking, even if you do have photoshop.

Also, it's perfect for holiday time - gifts, cards, or anything else you can think of!

How to enter:
Go to mymemories.com and tell me which  scrapbook kit is your favorite. (1 entry)
Follow my blog. (1 entry)
Post about this on your blog. (2 entries)
Twitter about this giveaway, and make sure to mention @sarahannrogers (1 entry)


Leave a comment letting me know what you did, and I'll tally up your entries!

Also, just for being a reader of bon mot, you get a 10 dollar off code for the software from My Memories that you can find in my sidebar.  Feel free to share this with your friends and family!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Anxious Peace

I am quite the emotional person.  My mom says that when I was little, I could cry on demand (I'm almost 100% sure that I'm have retained that skill into adulthood).  Needless to say, in my relationship with God, I have had to learn what is my emotion and my flesh and what is a move of God in my spirit.  Sometimes it's easy, and sometimes it's not.

In the past year, as we have tried to figure a lot out for our little family, I have experienced such a hurricane of emotions that even sometimes I feel as if I am overwhelming myself.  At times, I have poured out my tears to the Lord, asking him that if He made me, why couldn't He give me more ability to put my emotions aside?

I did not get many answers, except for this:
God uses my emotions as part of His process.

The ultimate example: Jesus.  Though I do not pretend to equalize myself with God, He is the perfect example.  His sacrifice on the cross is the basis of everything I believe, everything I base my life on.  Yet even Jesus, in His perfection, recognized that the task was hard.  He asked God to change the situation if there was any other way, but there wasn't.  Luke 22:44 says that Jesus was in "such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood."  This is not my idea of peace.  Yet God strengthened Him, and aren't we all so very thankful that Jesus went through with it?

As women especially, we are incredibly tempted to allow our emotions to govern our peace.  Yet sometimes, we will feel anxiety amidst God's peace.  Yet if we recognize this and let Him use it, then our emotional weakness can be a conduit through which He shows His own strength.

Thank goodness I don't have to have it all together, because I'm pretty sure that is never going to really happen.

“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.  -2 Corinthians 12:9

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

25 Weeks!



How far along: 25 weeks

Baby size: A loaf of bread!  ...Over 13 inches and 2 pounds!

Sleep: Sleep is going relatively well.  It's not bad, but it's not the most amazing sleep I've ever gotten in my life.

Movement: I watch my stomach move daily.  I have an app on my phone that allows me to count kicks (you're supposed to get 10 in at least 2 hours).  This morning, this baby moved 10 times in 47 seconds.  This is pretty much how it is all of the time.  I think he's supposed to sleep sometime, but I don't know?  I wonder if this means anything about how he'll be as a little boy...

Food cravings/aversions: I haven't had many cravings.  I am super happy that Starbucks has reintroduced the Peppermint Mocha, though.  Don't tell my midwife that I have had three this week.

Pregnancy Symptoms: I cried the other day sending one of my best friends a sweet, sappy message on Facebook the other day.  Like, cried.  And it was embarrassing.  What was worse, somehow, the message never got sent.  So my emotional efforts were not super effective.  Like many other things I do these days.  I was talking to my mom about the shower at the birthing center, you know, that it has a seat.  And it came out like this: "In the shower, mom, there's a hotel.  It's awesome."

What I miss:  My brain.  I like the usual clarity.  

What I'm looking forward to:  The holidays!  I'm so excited to have our little man inside of me for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Milestones: I keep nesting.  I don't think that's a milestone, but I fully understand now.  And I hope I don't take it too the extreme, which shouldn't be a problem, because I'm never extreme with anything.

Best moment this week:  Taking the time to fix my hair.  It's something small, but it made me feel relaxed and put together.

Moments with Billy:  Baby Liam adores his dad.  If he stops kicking for any amount of time, and Billy starts talking or touching my stomach, the baby gets incredibly excited.  I love that Billy has this influence already.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Mental Capasity... Capacitee... Ugh.

My brain is at complete overload.
I've accidentally put dirty dishes in the refrigerator, overbooked my poor husband and myself for different things on the same night, and said some pretty funny things, especially when I'm tired.

Seriously, if you could see me typing this, you would giggle at how many times I'm backspacing and correcting things.

Maybe it's God's way of humbling me.

Maybe it's my body's way of telling me to stop thinking so much.

Or maybe I'm going absolutely insane, and my poor baby will have a mom who can't finish sentences.

How is it that I feel completely out of it, yet simply blissful all at the same time?  I am loving the fall weather, accessorizing with scarves and a large, round belly, and I even relish being able to experience every odd ache because I know a little baby comes along with it.

I hope he looks like Billy.

See?  I'm rambling.  I'll stop.  Just tell me I'm not crazy, please.

PS - This is our life sometimes lately.  Poor, poor, poor Billy:

Come back later this week for a very cool giveaway.  At least, I think it's cool.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

A time to be silent

For such a words-lover as myself, the concept of silence is an incredible thing to grasp.


si·lence
[sahy-luhns]  noun, verb,
absence of any sound or noise; stillness.

I can honestly say that this past year has been a period where God has met me through my silence, and it has been an effort to remain still.  However, for a blog, it doesn't always bode well.  I sit down to write and there is no block, but there are also no words.  Nothing to share, not yet.  Jesus whispers into my ear, Patience, my daughter, patience.  And so I have sat.  Without much to say, with little to share.  And I have hoped, friends, that you would be patient with me.  My heart is about to burst with all of the things I have been learning, yet I still feel the urge to remain here, quiet, before Jesus, for just a few more moments.

And so I am waiting here quietly and learning in the process.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, for waiting here with me.


Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Love Story

It may be my pregnancy hormones or my hopelessly romantic heart, but I just melted at this story. True, lasting love... ahh.  So sweet. 


An Iowa couple who was married for 72 years died one hour apart last week in the hospital as they held hands.

Family said the story of Gordon and Norma Yeager is a real-life love story.

On the day she graduated from high school, Norma Stock said yes to Gordon Yeager's marriage proposal. The couple got married on May 26, 1939 in State Center.

"They're very old-fashioned. They believed in marriage til death do you part," said son Dennis Yeager.

Dennis Yeager was the youngest of four children born to the couple. His sister Donna was first born.

"Staying together for 72 years is good, I'd say that's exceptional," said Donna Sheets.

The way the kids tell it, dad was the life of the party while mom kept everything together.

"Anybody come over -- she was the hostess with the mostess. She just seriously -- the more she did -- the more she smiled," said Dennis Yeager. "Dad would be the center of attention, like, 'Weee look at me,' and mom was like 'get him away from me!' You know we even got a picture like that."

Norma didn't really want the distance, and family said she hardly left Gordon's side for 72 years.

"They just loved being together. Everybody argues once in awhile, but they still, he said 'I have to stick around. I can't go until she does because I have to stay here for her and she would say the same thing,'" said Dennis Yeager.

Dennis Yeager said the couple left home last Wednesday to go into town, but they didn't make it.
At the intersection of Highway 30 and Jessup Avenue just west of Marshalltown, state troopers said Gordon pulled in front of an oncoming car.

"I rushed from Des Moines where I was working and saw them in the hospital," said Dennis Yeager.

In the intensive care unit of Marshalltown's hospital, nurses knew not to separate Gordon and Norma.

"They brought them in the same room in intensive care and put them together -- and they were holding hands in ICU. They were not really responsive," said Dennis Yeager.

Gordon died at 3:38 p.m. holding hands with his wife as the family they built surrounded them.

"It was really strange, they were holding hands, and dad stopped breathing but I couldn't figure out what was going on because the heart monitor was still going," said Dennis Yeager. "But we were like, he isn't breathing. How does he still have a heart beat? The nurse checked and said that's because they were holding hands and it's going through them. Her heart was beating through him and picking it up."

"They were still getting her heartbeat through him," said Donna Sheets.

At 4:48 p.m., exactly one hour after Gordon died, Norma passed too.

"Neither one of them would've wanted to be without each other. I couldn't figure out how it was going to work," said Donna Sheets. "We were very blessed, honestly, that they went this way."

"They just loved being together," said Dennis Yeager.

At their funeral on Tuesday, Norma and Gordon held hands in their casket. Family said they will be cremated and their ashes mixed together.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

22 Week Update



How far along: 22 weeks

Baby size: About 11 inches from head to toe & over a full pound!

Sleep: Sleep was getting better.  I was almost getting through the night without getting up.  But the past week or so, I have found myself getting up again with an urgent need to use the restroom.  Last night I told Billy (who sadly awoke because of my getting out of bed) that I feel like Baby Liam is clapping his hands around my bladder.  Lovely, right?

Movement: This child moves ALL of the time.  My uterus is higher on my waist than it would normally be at this point because I'm so very short waisted.  The midwife said this along with, "This baby's going to have nowhere to go but out!"  This means that I'm feeling movement well up past my belly button and farther into my sides than I even thought possible.  Not that I'm complaining.  No matter how early or how late he is active, I'm loving it.

Food cravings/aversions: I craved chili the other night, so I made it.  And cheese... my goodness.  I want lots and lots of cheddar cheese. 

Pregnancy Symptoms: I get breathless when I try to read out loud.  My hips are pretty sore, and I think I can literally feel my bones spreading.  Oh, and I have this odd thing around my waist that keeps growing...

What I miss: The ability to be a bit more active.  We were moving things around in our house the other night (thanks to the nesting instinct of yours truly), and I couldn't do as much as I wanted.  And when I did try to do something, I found that I was off-center and off-balance.

What I'm looking forward to: Everything!  Though I am uncomfortable already, I am really enjoying this time of pregnancy.  I finally look pregnant, and I only get nauseated in the mornings or when I am starving.  I feel very blessed.

Milestones: I'm over halfway pregnant now!  That feels like a huge hurdle!

Best moment this week: Waking up to Liam moving.  This happens often, but it always makes me smile.

Moments with Billy: Yesterday was our 2 year anniversary, and Billy was incredible (as always).  We got to spend the entire day together, which was such a blessing.  He even wrote and recorded a song for me (swoon)!  I have the best husband in the whole world.  He is incredibly understanding about every pregnancy symptom, even the weird ones.  I can't wait to see him with our son!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Nursery Inspiration

So far, I have two things purchased for the nursery decor (from Etsy, of course).
The theme will be a non-theme.  I like vintage, but not too much pastel baby.  I want our little boy to have a boy room.  The colors will be beige, navy, red, and perhaps some browns.  I'm not limiting those colors, but those will be the main ones.
Ok, so the two things:

Print from PebblesPrints

Vintage 70's Children's Poetry Book (Recyclarama)
(I plan to take some of the pages and frame them in a series... 
I adore the bright colors and the precious illustrations!)




 There are more, but I'll show them when we actually get them framed and on the wall.

What do you think?  Any more advice on things for vintage decor?  I'm thinking some wire or wicker baskets on shelves and/or cubbies... I am going for something fairly eclectic.

I've never had more fun nesting and dreaming.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Bashful

I have had the most bizarre pregnancy symptom.  I may now call it a symptom because I have googled it, and everyone knows that Google has the answer to everything.  Also, I asked my mom, and she's even smarter than Google.

Prepare yourself... it's really weird.  And frustrating.

For the past couple of months (I'm almost 20 weeks pregnant), I sometimes will start talking and out of nowhere, I start to get really hot.  And then I feel it... a blush starts to creep up my neck and into my face (and on my hands, and my feet... at least, that's how it feels).  I mean, in general, I blush every once in a while.  I'm pretty pale, and I just can't help it.
But this is not the cute, regular flush-cheeked bashfulness.  And it's definitely not what you would label the "pregnancy glow."  It's all-out-call-the-fire-department burning under my skin.  It reaches my scalp.

And it's a vicious, vicious cycle.  Usually, when I start blushing now, I'm not embarrassed at all.  It just starts happening.  But when whoever I'm talking to looks at me oddly, I start to get a little embarrassed.  I want to start wearing a sign that says:
I know I'm blushing.
I'm not embarrassed.  
I'm pregnant.  
It's the extra blood flow.  
I know because I googled it.

Maybe you'll tell me that this has nothing to do with pregnancy.  Well, me and a bunch of my new-found friends on random bulletin boards online (sounds secure, right?) are here to tell you that IT DOES!  And if it doesn't, at least we're all crazy together.  And that we can blame on pregnancy.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Welcome, Fall!

There's something about fall that makes me incredibly grateful.

This fall, I'm more thankful than ever.

We are still figuring life out.  But we are incredibly blessed.  A baby on the way, a husband who leads me, prays for me, and loves me, and a Jesus who saves me daily.

And though things are not perfect, I decide to give thanks.  Not even just because of my blessings, but because of who Jesus is, at all times.  My confidence rests not in happiness, but in the amazing, overwhelming, unchanging goodness of my God.


Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Only in Pregnancy...

...Will I ever relish this little boy kicking his mommy not just once but multiple times.  I am pretty sure he will get in trouble from birth on out for either punching or kicking me.

...Will I let people touch an otherwise uninteresting part of my abdomen.

...Will I cry over wanting wings at 11:45pm because I feel absolutely insane but can't help sobbing (goodness... I do hope this stops after the baby comes).

...Will people smile sympathetically when I tell them that I cried at 11:45pm over wings.

...Will I memorize every square inch of my bathroom because I visit it so often, due to those kicks directed at my bladder and the earlier nausea/vomiting.

...Will I be so happy and blessed to feel so weird, off-kilter, and a little bit (or a lot) crazy.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Baby is a...

Boy! 




We couldn't be more thrilled!  Remember this naming post?  Well, we stuck with William Judah, but we are going to call him Liam!  I love it, and I'm already used to thinking of him as a little growing boy now!  I can't wait to share some nursery ideas with you all.  We can't wait!

By the way, the poll actually said girl!  But it was close in the end... those of you who chose correctly, you win smiles and hugs and fun stuff!

Monday, September 5, 2011

4 Months!!

Eeek!  It's fun and crazy to think this growth is normal!

How far along: 16 weeks

Baby size: Avocado

Total weight gain/loss: Um, I'm a little freaked out by the rapid weight gain... I don't even want to talk about it.

Sleep: One of my best friends let me borrow her boppy body pillow, and sleep is much better.  I am still getting up a couple of times a night, but falling back asleep is much easier.
 Ah-maz-ing.

Movement: I'm almost 100% sure I'm feeling some movement now.  It only really happens when I'm sitting or lying down later in the evening.  And it's not very consistent, but it is very different than gas.  I can't wait until it is even more common!

Food cravings/aversions: I've craved sushi this week, but that's pretty much it.  I don't have any definite aversions that are new, but I need to mix up my snack routine.  I've eaten way too many mini-bags of almonds and pretzels and pita chips.

Pregnancy Symptoms: Almost the exact same as last week, except I've added some sharper pains across my middle.  I tried to do this pregnancy fitness video this week, and every time I tried to stretch out my abdomen, I felt like my muscles were being pulled... so I stopped in the middle of the workout.  I'll stick to the elliptical and some yoga.

What I miss: I went shopping yesterday and got a little discouraged.  Here in Charleston we have some outlet stores, and none of them carried anything maternity.  I just kept thinking that even if the cute things I saw might fit right now, they probably wouldn't in the next couple of weeks.  So, I guess I miss knowing my body.  Right now, I'm a little cloudy as to what to expect.

What I'm looking forward to: This Saturday, we are getting a 3D ultrasound, and if Baby decides to show us, we'll find out the gender!  Also, though figuring out my changing shape is somewhat of a challenge, I do look forward to continual growth.  I do love my growing belly, despite the awkwardness.

Milestones: Not being nauseated or throwing up for a whole week.  I know I have Zofran to thank for that partly, but I also really do think things are slowly improving.  Also, I woke up one morning this week not feeling tired, and that was incredible.  I'm hoping that becomes more common very soon.

Best moment this week: Thinking I had gained a ton of weight and then stepping on the scale the next day to realize I'd dropped back down to where I should be.  I forgot that weight could fluxuate within a couple of days, and I thought I'd been doing well.  I had, but that one day really threw me off.

Moments with Billy: He's been amazing!  Lately, he's been talking to the baby, which makes me laugh.  I want so badly for him to feel involved and connected.  Also, I caught him looking at baby clothes, which was absolutely adorable!

Friday, September 2, 2011

Where's Waldo?

I love my life.  I relish the crazy, full, diversified schedule that we keep.  I love saying yes to things.  I love feeling accomplished and tired at the end of the day.

However, between being a pregnant wife, part of a ministry, a small group leader, a homemaker (though that is often debatable), a friend, a sister, a daughter, and a person, I tend to feel a little like Waldo:
If the childhood urge hits you like it hit me, click on the image to enlarge and highlight over this next line if you need a hint:
He's in the upper left quadrant!  

Sometimes, I can't find me... the girl who loves to curl up with a cup of coffee in a silent room escaping in a book... a passion for creative writing sometimes so overwhelming I could cry... a need to indulge in art and emotion and compassion and a yearning to just feel and relish the connection between myself and my Maker.

It takes effort to push these things aside for a moment.  As an achiever, I'm always striving for the next thing, waiting to check off the next line of the list.  Sometimes, I forget that that girl with oddly deep and analytical thoughts and emotions is ok.  I shove her aside for the other one - the do-er, the one pushing for excellence.

But when I make that effort, when I turn off all of the distractions, I am reminded of Who made her, and that He did it for a reason.  When I let Him overcome me, the rest of the list doesn't seem so important anymore; the responsibilities no longer so heavy.  I am allowed and encouraged to be the daughter indulging in her Father's love and compassion and mercy.  It's alright to be motivated by the depth and the emotion and the passion, because all of those things stem from Him.  I am flawed, but I am His masterpiece in the making.
You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day.  --Psalm 139:15-16 (MSG)

Thursday, September 1, 2011

September!

This lovely month, we will...

Find out whether our peanut is a he or a she...
 

Go to lots of Friday night football games for my little brother...

Say goodbye to morning sickness (let's hope!)...

And say hello to fall, thanking Jesus for all of the beautiful gifts that come along with it!

For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
Psalm 100:5

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Baby Update!


How far along: 15 weeks

Babe size: Apple

Total weight gain/loss: About 6 pounds

Sleep: I usually wake up an average of 3 times a night.  Also, I get anxious if I feel like I won't get enough sleep that night.  On the flip side, since I'm still really tired, I sleep like a rock when I am sleeping!

Movement: I think I may have felt one movement yesterday, but I wasn't one hundred percent sure.  I guess when I feel them more regularly, I will know whether or not it was one.  I am usually over-aware of what is going on with my body, so I hope I'm not wrong.

Food cravings/aversions: I have craved green-bean casserole, and finally got up the nerve to make it.  The smell of cold cream of mushroom soup makes me gag, so I held a rag soaked in lemon juice up to my nose, and that did the trick.  As far as aversions go, I have recently thrown up frosted mini-wheats on more than one occasion, so I guess we could say that one is an aversion.

Pregnancy Symptoms: Achy sides and lower abdomen, as well as some random tightening across my belly.  I am pretty forgetful, as in last week I tried to put a dirty dish in the fridge.  I'm also intensely emotional, which has it's ups and downs.  I love being in touch with how I'm feeling, well, when it's a good day...

What I miss: Feeling like myself, period.  I feel like something has taken me over, and I don't know quite who I am.

What I'm looking forward to: Some more movement, and our next appointment in one week.  Also, we're finding out the gender pretty soon.  I found your comments to be helpful, and I can't wait to share what we find out!

Milestones: Well, when I looked at the picture Billy took for me this week, I thought I looked huge-ish, which is a milestone I'm pretty happy about (so, maybe I shouldn't use the word huge, but I don't know what other word to use)...

Best moment this week: I got to run up to the birthing center and hear the baby's heartbeat again last Monday, and that will never fail to make me feel incredibly blessed.

Moments with Billy: Sunday, I got sick and had to miss church (yes, even into the second trimester...).  Right after Billy finished leading worship he came home to sit with me until he had to go back.  Just his presence and touch made me want to cry.  Though it doesn't take much to push me to tears these days, I was super grateful.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Goodness!

Has it really been two whole weeks since I've last blogged?  I can't believe it!  I have been pretty forgetful and a little out of it lately, and time has just flown by.  I have missed blogging, but I think because I was so sick and exhausted, I was nervous that every post was going to sound like a venting session.

Did you get that?  "Was" sick!  I am not one hundred percent yet, but I'm getting closer!  I'm still completely tired all of the time, but that is so doable in comparison to around-the-clock nausea!  Now, it just comes over me once or twice a day, so I'm assuming that within the week, things will be even better!

On Monday, I will be 13 weeks pregnant, and you can expect an update!  I saw a friend yesterday, and he said, "Oh, it looks like you're showing some!" ...So, I guess I'm showing a bit more!  I think I'm excited about that, but it's something different to wrap your mind around! 

Speaking of pregnancy and such, I have a question, and I want your opinion.  At the Birthing Center we are going to, they only offer one ultrasound at 20 weeks.  However, here in town we have a place that does 3D ultrasounds, and they say that they can determine the gender at 16 weeks.  The 20 week one is covered by our insurance, and the 16 week one is not.  I am going back and forth about what we should do!!  I so desperately want to see our little one, but I don't want to be too impatient!  Have any of you run into anything like this?  Is it worth the money to find out a whole month earlier?!

Monday, July 25, 2011

Bump Update

I love reading my friend Cait's blog, and I've loved her pregnancy updates that I've decided that they are copy-worthy!
I used to think that ten weeks would be way to early for a bump picture, but lo and behold, I have a mini one already.  I have vacillated between sharing it and keeping it, just because I already feel a little bit huge-ish.  I didn't expect to have anything showing yet, so it's taking me a little while to get used to the idea, but here is the picture, followed by a little preggo update:
Eeek!  Seeing it again makes me feel a little crazy!!
How far along: 10 weeks

Babe size: Kumquat (google it)

Total weight gain/loss: I'd lost a little with being sick, but I'm back to my normal weight now.

Sleep: Sleep is and has been odd.  I'm exhausted all day, but when I lie down, it takes a good fifteen to thirty minutes to fall asleep.  And I sleep more lightly than ever... any move or groan Billy makes wakes me up.  I'm not sure if this is my ever pressing need to relieve myself or just incredibly weird raging hormones.

Movement: No movement yet.  The only neat thing I feel is pressure when I lay on my belly (obviously only for a moment).  It's like someone blew up a little balloon in my lower abdomen.

Food cravings/aversions: I have such food aversions I'm afraid that typing them out will make me remember the smell and look and I will start to gag.  I am praying/sleeping my way through the next couple of weeks and hoping the sickness decides to end then!  I haven't had many cravings, except that when something sounds good, I want to eat it right away because hardly anything consistently sounds appetizing.

Pregnancy Symptoms: Lots of nausea and achy-ness.  For a moment yesterday, I was resting and I felt really good, which started to worry me because these symptoms have been so incredibly consistent.  Well, no need for concern, because the moment I got up and started to move around, they all returned.  I'm thankful for the reminders that things are going as they should. 
Also, I have crazy vivid dreams that I hope are completely meaningless and disconnected from my mind.  I wake up thinking, "Seriously?!"  I don't know where these ideas come from.

What I miss: Having the energy to run my normally full schedule.  I feel like a hermit.

What I'm looking forward to: Our next appointment on August 2.  We recently decided to go with a local birthing center instead of a regular OB, and I'm excited to see how the appointment is different than our first few.

Milestones: My little bump is actually hard now instead of being a puffy gas-baby.  That was disgusting as well as discouraging.  At least now, it feels picture worthy. 

Best moment this week: We went walking on the beach with some friends for our friend Anna's birthday.  Though I was pretty worn out, the fresh air and coolness of the evening were a glorious combination.  It felt like a glimpse into the energy and excitement of the second trimester.  Though I don't want to rush any part of this pregnancy, I am itching for the nausea to come to a close.

Moments with Billy: I have felt much more connected with my husband, which I never would have thought possible (we are hopelessly in love!).  Primarily, I have been ever so thankful for all of his help.  I was stressing the other day because of my inability to keep our house clean.  The next day, I was out for a couple of hours, and when I got home, he had vacuumed the house and cleaned the kitchen, and I just about broke down.  I am so blessed.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Persistence

There are so many questions in our lives right now.  What do the next five years look like?  Where will we be?  What does life hold for us?  I think it comes with the territory of being in the starting stages of a life and family.  I've never felt it was more imperative than now to really know where God is leading.  So I pray, and my husband prays (and he fasts... which I'm not doing right now because of the little peanut), and we seek God's face daily.
This morning, however, like many other mornings, I just got overwhelmed.  I want to feel settled and have control over what is coming in our lives.  I completely trust God, but sometimes I get the timetables all mixed up.  I know that His ways are different than ours, but I want answers quicker than I get them.  You know, the whole, "Seek and you will find" bit?

Well, I re-read that verse this morning, and was reminded to not stop... it says to be persistent:
Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.  --Matthew 7:7 (NLT)
Just because I am not getting the answers I want as quickly as I want them does not mean that God is not working.  It's my job to continue to seek his face so that when he's ready to reveal his will to us, we'll be ready.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Vintage

I've always had an affinity for stories.  I devour books as if they're disappearing, and I ask probably way too many questions.

Recently, an older relative of mine put together a facebook group with pictures from my paternal grandfather's family.  They're sweet and make me thankful for where I've come from.

I'm hoping to sit down with my grandfather soon and get some stories with these pictures...

My dad's dad - in his younger years.

My great-grandparents, "Memaw & Pepaw" 
He was a preacher out in Grand Prarie, Texas.  A lot of the family still lives there.  We had the privilege of living in Texas for a little while and sharing some holidays with them.

I don't know if it's the baby or just my natural inclination for history that makes me so excited about learning more.  I'm blessed to come from a family that loved God and gave their lives to make Him known.  I hope my children feel the same one day.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Balance

With all that is going on in my life (ok, just the pregnancy, but it feels like a lot), my normal over-analytical self has been kicked into overdrive.  I have a truckload of emotions and they crowd in on each other.  My prayer right now is that God would grant me wisdom on how to balance these thoughts and feelings and when to express them (or not).

I'm dealing with a profound mixture of:
  • sickness,
  • thankfulness,
  • exhaustion,
  • excitement,
  • anxiousness, &
  • peace.  
I was boo-hoo-ing all of this confusion to my sweet mom, and she brought up the clip in Disney's "Tangled" (if you knew my parents, you'd know that this has swiftly become one of their favorite movies) where Rapunzel is SO conflicted from one moment to the next.  It made me laugh, because the extremity matches exactly how I've been feeling (minus the whole mother-daughter issue).

Please, watch and laugh at my expense!


Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Baby on Board!

Yes!  It's true!  I am one pregnant lady!
I haven't blogged much in the past few weeks because all I wanted to do is let you guys know our secret.  It's been so incredibly hard to keep our secret, but it was nice to have something between the two of us.
This is about the third pregnancy test I took (out of about... seven or eight!).  I was so shocked that I felt it was desperately important to make sure. 


We just decided to tell our friends a few days ago.  We are about seven weeks pregnant, and were going to wait until next week, but we got to go into the doctor early and heard the heartbeat, meaning the risks went way down.  Because everything looked so good, the doctor rescheduled our 8 week appointment for a few weeks later. 

I even contemplated waiting longer, but I've been so under the weather that we were starting to get questions.  I'm so glad we have shared now, because people are much more understanding of my exhaustion and constant nausea!  Though I wouldn't wish the nausea on anyone, I'm so thankful for these signs that mean our little one is growing on schedule. 

I've never known as much nervousness and cautiousness as I do now.  It's a whole new level of faith, but God has provided wonderful little signs along the way, and I can't wait to share them with you!

Friday, June 24, 2011

This Week

This week has been incredibly lovely!
Things I've loved:

1.  My small group.  They're sweet and they make me laugh and I'm so blessed by them.

2.  Rain.  There are few things better than cuddling up on the couch with a good book watching it pour.

3.  Hope.  When life is confusing, I have solid ground to stand on.  I'm more thankful for this than any other thing.
There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary-we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!  -Romans 5:3-5 (MSG)

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Taking a Breather

This summer has been wonderful for me so far.  I am working less, and I am enjoying the sweet smells and sensations of a Carolina summer.  I have had time to meet with some other wonderful women who have blessed my life so much.  I have had time to clean.  I have time to read and pray each day.
What a sweet, sweet season.
The biggest concern of mine today is having lunch with a dear friend, Anna, and maybe buying a watering can... and painting it.
Isn't it a precious idea?

And here's to you, hoping you are enjoying summer wherever you are, finding time in the busy-ness to take a deep breath!

Friday, June 10, 2011

I'm just saying...

Sometimes, when I walk into Target, I feel like they should hire me on the spot.  I made a quick run there this morning and realized that half of what I had on was from Target.  And then I came home and realized that half of what I decorate with is from Target.  And I thought, they should be paying me for these advertisements.  I'm just saying...
Here are some of my more recent cute Target purchases (I bought the husband an awesome shirt there yesterday, but I don't have him here to photograph in it, so that's missing...)
1.  Sweet Floppy Hat
2.  Cardigan & Striped Gray Tank
3.  Floral Flip-Flops
4.  Soap/Lotion Duo (that smells AMAZING)
5.  Decorative Bowl Filler
6.  Awesome Red Pillow
7.  Bike Portrait (for THREE dollars!)

Monday, June 6, 2011

5 Things

I was tempted to write about all of the things I need to do this week.  I'm an accomplisher.  I live to reach the next goal, be in the next season, move toward higher ground. 
However, in the last year or so, God has been teaching me how to live in the present.  I want to be the best me and the most thankful for my life right now
I know that God has a plan that will move us forward in life, but I never want to forget each moment that he gifts us with.  Every stage is a part of the vital process he has placed me in, and I don't want to wish any part of process away.  So, instead of writing the long list of things to do or change, I wanted to write a list of what I'm thankful for in the here and now.

5 Things I Love About Our Life TODAY:

1.  Our freedom to have nights open.  This may seem small, but Billy's job is a normal, 40-hour week, which leaves us many free nights for ministry and meeting with people.  Which leads me to #2...

2.  The ministries we are a part of.  We are involved in a few different ministries at our church, and I'm in love with each one.  Our small groups are a blessing in SO many ways, and the different services are great times of fellowship and encouragement.  Also, the outreach we get to do has changed my life, and I will never forget what it has taught us.

3.  Our precious little home.  We rent a 2-bedroom townhouse, and I adore it.  It's got so many little things that I would've never asked for myself but that I love.  It's got electricity, heat, and AC.  The walls are clean and beautiful.  I have ample space to have guests and friends, and that is the whole purpose of having a home.

4.  Our church family.  We have a ton of other young-married couples in our church right now.  I fully know that this is rare and wonderful, and I try to take advantage of it as much as possible.  Having so many other believers in the same stage of life is incredibly encouraging.  I never thought that I would have so many good friends surrounding me.  I know that if God ever moved us, this may not be the case, so I'm thankful for each and every moment with these people.

5.  My Superman husband.  I have the best husband in the world.  He really needs his own list, actually.  He's incredibly forgiving, kind, and encouraging.  Plus, I think he's really swoon-worthy handsome.  I am so awed by the leader he's become in our home.  I trust his decisions and his relationship with the Lord.  He's everything I never knew I needed.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Summer Days

Summer has begun, and I couldn't be happier!  Though living in Charleston during the summer often feels like you get smacked in the face with hot, sticky humidity every time you walk out of the door, it really is so lovely!  The beach is quite a perk, and spending time with family out in the sun is a blast.
Also, so far I have yet to get burned this summer!  I have very fair skin and used to want nothing more than to be super tan.  Last summer, I got burned a good five times, and at least three of those I was sick with a fever.  It was just terrible.  Therefore, the first time we went to the beach last weekend, dear Billy walked all through Target with me and watched me try on a good twenty hats.  I finally found one big floppy white one, and with SPF 50 in my other hand, I was a happy girl.  I reapplied every 45 minutes and have done so every time I've been in the sun this week.  If you see me, I may be pale and pasty, but it's way better than being swollen and nauseous.
Here are some pictures of our lovely summer beginnings:







The sweetest little boy in the world

My super-cool little brother

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

The List of New

I'm experiencing a lovely amount of new things right now.  It's a breath of fresh air, and I'm thanking Jesus for this sweet time to just rest in Him.

Some new [or old-made-new] in my life:

1.  The Non-Blog-Design Existence 
I'm finishing up the last couple of blogs I had promised to finish and I have refunded everyone I couldn't promise designs for.  I am such a people pleaser, and I hate to disappoint anyone, even those of you I've only met/done business with in cyber-space.  However, getting used to not designing every waking moment or feeling guilty every time I do something besides fill orders has been not too hard.  I thank God and my husband for nudging me toward this.

2.  Books! 
When Billy and I first got married, we didn't have room to house all of my books, so we had to leave about half of them at my parents' house.  Well, last week, I got all of my babies back!  I literally feel like a mother hen who can now breathe normally because all of her children are back under one roof.  Please, please laugh at my nerdy expense.  I don't care, and I will show you by hiding my nose in re-reading one of my old books!
Please note that these pictures are taken before I alphabetized the books by author and loaded them onto a six-foot high shelf.

3.  HUGE Zucchini 
I'm not kidding.  A guy from Billy's work just thinks my husband is super awesome (which he is!) and is always bringing us yummy food-stuff.  First, he filled our freezer with deer-meat, which I have had fun experimenting with.  Then, today, he brought some of his veggies from his own garden for us!  I was really excited when Billy called because there is nothing I love more than organic food, especially if it's locally/home grown!
Billy said to me over the phone: "These zucchinis are very large!"  He lied.  They are not large.  They are bigger than my HEAD!
I am at a loss.  What to do?  How do you utilize such a humongous veggie!?
I'm looking forward to figuring this out.  Also, I will be very upset if any of you has ever cooked a vegetable this large and does not give me hints.  Very, very upset.

Thank you for the support with closing the blog designing.  I look forward to actually enjoying blogging again.  Also, I hope you enjoy the new design.  I'm pretty stoked about it.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Recovery

I haven't blogged for over TWO WEEKS.  I have been busy, but mostly I just have been recovering from the emotions that I put into my last blog post.  I know that it may not seem super emotional, but it was a bit taxing to write.

I've had lots of time to think and pray lately, and I have felt an overwhelming need to close the blog design shop.  I love blog designing, but our life right now does not have much room for it.  Just because it is something I can do does not mean it is something I should do.  That said, by next Monday (hopefully), you will see a new design to this blog, taking away any mention of blog design.  If you are one of the clients whose design I had to cancel, I thank you for your incredibly gracious responses.  

Anyway, I'm back!  With a fresh heart and an impending new look, I'm excited to share more with you all!  I'm so blessed by you and thank you for your sweet friendship!

Thursday, April 28, 2011

The Problem with Confidence: The Journey, Part 2

Thanks for checking in on Part 2 of the the journey!  
If you haven't read Part 1, you can do so here!
•••

You can bet that I was hitting my time with God in a big way.  I was spending more time reading and praying than ever.  I was begging God for clues that he had not, in fact, dropped me out of the back of his mind, but I felt like I was getting nowhere.  Looking back, I see that God was allowing my brokenness because it was priming me for what he was about to do.  The time I spent with him started out as my desperate pleas to for him to answer my prayers, but somewhere along the line it changed to desperate pleas that if he didn't answer anything, that he would just show up.  This was the most crucial, most broken spot for me to sit in.

It was here, in my brokenness, that I got hit by a two-by-four with this verse written on it (ok, not literally, but it was kind-of dramatic for me): 
We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ.  It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God--2 Corinthians 3:4-5
When I read that verse, I saw how inverted my faith had been.  Until this point in my life, I had not had to question where I placed my confidence.  If you had asked me before, I would have surely said "God," and meant it.  However, reading Paul say that he was only confident in God's ability and nothing else really surprised me.  They key is that he was confident in nothing else.  This is where the small seed of understanding planted itself.

I had to get down to the most core part of myself.  No more self-talk, assuring myself that it would all turn up how I wanted it.  I saw my prayers for what they were--Begging God to give me the life I had pictured.  I desperately wanted things to fall into place, and those exact words, of asking for things to "fall into place" had riddled my prayer life.

However, when I read this verse, I saw exactly where I was placing my confidence: in situations.  I was saying to God and myself, "If only I could be here, I would be satisfied."  I was placing my hope of satisfaction in life on the contingency that God would show up in the ways I thought he should.  I could say that I felt slapped across the face and God said, "Duh.  Who do you think you are to give ME contingencies?" but that would be DEAD wrong.  All of this realization did come on strong, but it came on gently.  I did not feel disciplined or chastised, only very loved. 

That moment I could say to God things that I didn't even know needed to be said before:
I have confidence in who you are and your perfect plan, and nothing elseI don't have confidence in me--I have confidence in you in meI don't have confidence in my husband--I have confidence in you in my husband.  I don't have confidence in any plan, any recognition, or any promotion that the world gives us, no matter how bad or how good it looks.  In the deepest valley and on the highest mountain, I can feel the same satisfaction that I am yours and it is all part of your plan.

Feeling forgotten was no longer an issue, because that was the me that put my confidence in situations.  That feeling rested on the fact that my life did not look how I wanted it to.  This new understanding left no room for self-confidence or situation-confidence.  It only allowed for God-confidence. 

•••
I know that this part was a bit longer than Part 1, so thank you for sticking it through!  I'm hoping that though my journey was completely personal, you are finding things that connect to your own journey.  If you do, please let me know in a comment, or you can email me at contact[at]sarahannrogers[dot]com.  I would love to hear about your journey, and I thank you for being real with me!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Nesting

As of late, I have had an uncontrollable desire to nest (and no, I'm not even pregnant--don't you think you would know if I were?).  And when I say nest, I mean:  
"Dear Husband, I feel as if I need to spend some more money on our little home.  What?  Oh, no, it's not anything we need.  Just, you know, cute stuff for our walls.  What?  Oh, yes, I like the stuff already on our walls, I just want different stuff."
Now, even I know that it is a little unreasonable.  Just because I feel like nesting does not mean that my house is undecorated...  I just want to change it all!  Obviously, that's not happening anytime soon, because last time I checked, our budget does not have an unlimited "Nesting" category.

In an effort to recognize this and, in a sense, "count my blessings," I planned to do a post with pictures of the little things in my house that I already love and where I've already nested.  You know, because I'm always doing posts about what others need and that really is how we try to live our lives--recognizing how blessed we are and how much we can give.

I found TWO WHOLE THINGS to take pictures of!  That's good, right?  I mean, we are incredibly blessed, but my house is kind of messy (in my opinion), and so there wasn't much to photograph for today.

However, to stay true to my efforts, here are two small things that I do like in my little abode:
 These are hanging over my kitchen sink (which I could not get a picture of due to the dirty dishes).  And yes, they're fake plants.  So many people want to touch them to check.  Sorry that you must resist that urge.

The nightstand in the guest bedroom.  It's nothing special, but I love Paris and hydrangeas.  So, just kidding, it is something special.

Hey, I never said that this was a decorating blog.  It clearly is not!  But "nesting" has been SO overwhelming my thought life lately, and I thought it might be something you guys think about, too!  If it is, how do you control the URGE?

Tomorrow, we're back to the new blog series on My Journey.  
To catch up on part 1, read yesterday's post.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Forgotten - The Journey, Part 1

This is a series of blog posts chronicling my journey over the past year.  I'm doing it in parts because I have so much to say about all that God has done in my life, but I want it to be painstakingly real, and that's going to take quite a bit of space.
Welcome to Part 1 of my journey.

•••

My biggest struggle over the last year has been feeling as if God had forgotten me.  I never questioned if he was God or if I should obey him; I just thought that somehow, I had fallen out of the back of his mind.  Maybe I was low on his list.  I saw people taking the next steps in life and wondered why it seemed God had put our lives on hold.  I was so incredibly confused as to why people around me seemed to have the direction they'd prayed for.  I had prayed too, daily, for God to do in my life what he was doing in theirs.
You could have told me that those people had issues and questions with God's plan for their own lives, too, but that wouldn't have helped.  See, I didn't want anyone else to suffer.  I was so overwhelmingly happy for those around me, and I never wished that they would "not have" because I felt like God was withholding from me.  It was not envy that was eating me up... it was the loneliness of confusion.
I was desperate.  I was caught in the middle of so wanting to submit my life to God's will no matter what it looked like, and railing against God for not giving me answers--for not writing on the wall when we would be able to move forward with our lives. 
Whenever I would open up, people would give me the worst advice.  They were all telling me what to do, how I needed to approach God--all things I was pretty aware of already.  I was writing down Bible verses about not questioning God and how his thoughts were higher than ours.  I started to see God as cold and uncaring--I just needed to follow him because he said so.  I found no comfort, which I realize is what I needed most.  I was not doubting God's power, and I was not falling away from trusting in him; I was just emotionally exhausted.

 •••

For today, I'll just leave you with a hint that my journey from feeling forgotten into God's perfect peace has something to do with verses like this:
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.  When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.  When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you....
No one can snatch anyone out of my hand.
--Isaiah 43:2,13