Wednesday, July 25, 2012

I'm ALIVE!!! and I'm 30!!!!!!

So after several emails (some worried and some joking with me about where I've been) I decided a blog update is LONNNNNNG overdue!!! I need to get back into the swing of things! These days much of my time is taken up by our two beautiful girls and helping newly inquiring Reece's Rainbow families! In the meantime, I missed posting about Mother's Day and Father's Day and Mila's 8th month home, our trip to the National Down Syndrome Convention/Reece's Rainbow Reuinion, and many other happenings. So hopefully one day I'll get caught up!

Today I am 30 years old! Wow, how did this happen? When I was younger, 30 seemed so old!! I prefer to say today is my first anniversary of my 29th birthday, though! When I was 18 and just starting out in life, I would have never been able to guess that this would be my life. Married to the man of my dreams (I had always hoped that would be the case), and mama to two beautiful daughters....those things are not so far off from what I'd hoped ;). But what surprises me about my life is that at 30 years old my identity is a WIFE and a MOTHER first and foremost. Recently I resigned from my teaching job after being denied a 2nd year of leave.  My priorities have completely changed over the past several years. My family is more important to me than any amazing teaching job (and it was a great job!) A few years ago I never would have been able to imagine myself walking away from a career that I loved with every ounce of my being. A few years ago, material things mattered a lot more to me. At 30 years old, I know that my treasures are not my house and my belongings. My treasures are my family.  I went from "I could never in a million years be a stay at home mom" to "I wouldn't trade my ability to stay home with my girls for the world!" We are blessed that I have the opportunity to stay home with our girls and feel it is what is best for them right now.

As we sat on the front porch this morning having breakfast, I looked to my left and saw my amazing husband and thanked God for him. I looked to my right and saw my two beautiful daughters playing. I praised God for sparing their lives and allowing me to be their mama.  I wondered how in the world I deserve such a beautiful life. Don't get me wrong, there are days where the house is a mess and the girls are having bad days, and Shawn is working 12 hours in a row, and I just want to pull my hair out....but in the still moments I know how blessed I am....I can feel it with every ounce of my being. Believe me, there are days I think to myself "what were you thinking taking this road?" There are days I wonder if all those people who thought we were crazy for choosing to adopt kids with special needs were right. But more days than not at the end of the day when the house is quiet, I feel in my heart that this is exactly where I am meant to be.  I never would have guessed this would be my life at 30 years old....because I never could have imagined it to be this beautiful!

30 is a milestone of sorts....a BIG number in the age game. Several years ago, I would have thought at 30, I'd be content and settled. I can say that I am happy, but I don't ever want to just feel content, or settled and I certainly don't want to become comfortable in my ways. Because when I feel settled and comfortable, that means I'm not doing enough in this one and only short life. I know many people that live for the American Dream. While at one point that sounded appealing, it no longer does. I hope 30 means stretching myself in ways I never thought possible, continuing to aim only to please my audience of ONE, trying harder to do more for others who need my love, and stepping out in faith MORE than ever before.

And with that...some pictures of my lovies just because you waited so long for a blog post!












Be back SOONER than later this time!!! (I hope!)

22 comments:

  1. I love how you were able to not only capture but to share those beautiful pictures. I especially love the pictures of each girl showing their silly faces off.

    Blessed in so many ways. Always a great reminder for the rest of us to take a moment and acknowledge our blessings too.

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  2. Oh.My.Goodness. That last picture of Mila is TOO adorable!

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    1. She makes that face when she gets in trouble sometimes!! Stinker ;)

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  3. Hooray - glad you're back and Happy Birthday! I would like to know about Mila's necklace. Does she prefer to wear it? Does she know she even has it on? A little girl at our church has an identical one, same color and everything. Do you think about adopting again? And can you say what part of Ukraine your girls are from?

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    1. Mila's necklace is an amber teething necklace. You can google it! It is pretty amazing and seriously works!!! If God leads us to adopt again we'll go kicking and screaming, I mean we'll embrace it, of course!! ;) hehe. And Zoya is from Dnepropetrovsk and Mila is from Lugansk.

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    2. Interesting on the necklace and that explains why the little girl at church also has one then too- she is about 11 or so months old. Can they put them in their mouths? And why are there so many cute and ever so interesting things out there now that I'm way past babies? Can you spell Zoyas home tome without looking?

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    3. Ok on the necklace, do they chew on them? The little girl at church is almost a year so she probably has the same thing. Can you spell Zoyas home town without looking? Our girls are from Makeevka, which I can spell without looking...

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  4. Always love seeing pictures of these girls. Just wanted to share with you, that I am a Special Education teacher as well. I work for an online public school, everything is virtual so I am able to work from home and still be with my kids. Sometimes it's a lot, but I feel very blessed to work from home (need the income) and have my kids with me. This year I also decided to keep my older girls home and homeschool.

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    1. Awesome! I'd love to look into something like this!! Can you point me in the right direction?

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  5. Happy birthday Sarah!!. Missed your posts !!.

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  6. You and your family have been missed! Glad to see y'all back!

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  7. Hooray you are back! Happy Birthday! I hope it was a fun day. So good to see those little dumplings of yours. Was Zoya signing to the dog? Does the dog know sign???

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  8. SO glad to see you again! Is there ANYTHING more precious than these two sweeties together??!?? Love these pics. I think Mila is "warning" you in the last one not to leave us hanging for so long! LOL! Happy Happy Birthday Sweet Momma!!! Your 30 years have served you well as you have learned to cling to your audience of ONE!!! (((GIANT BIRTHDAY HUGS)))!!!

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  9. welcome back to blogger! :) nice to see you here ;)

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  10. Glad to have you back. Always enjoy your writing and love the pictures of your girls. They are growing so much.

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  11. Glad to have you back. Love your writing and of course the pictures of the girls. They are getting so big.

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  12. I forgot to add. Happy Birthday! Thirty is still so young. I pray your day was wonderful.

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  13. Happy birthday! Lol I know the feeling.. 31 here now.. :) Your girls are sooo beautiful!

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  14. A belated Happy B-day, Sarah!! 30 is great! I just had this scary realization though--I am old enough to be your mother lol! (51 but don't tell anyone lol)
    Thanks for sharing the photos--we've missed your wonderful blog posts out here in cyberspace!
    Mila is just blossoming--she is beautiful! And love those silly face photos. Zoya looks like such a wonderful big sister.
    Happy for you guys that you are able to do what is best for your family and stay with the girls. I'm sure they love having mama home with them!

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  15. Oh my gosh I lost it with that last picture - ha ha ha ha ha! Oh my gosh I love faces like that. Hope you had the most wonderful birthday!!! We chatted via Reece's Rainbow about Mabel not long ago (not for us but for a fundraiser I was doing). I just emailed RR again about a fundraising opportunity so perhaps it will be YOU I end up speaking with?! Anyway your girls are absolutely adorable!!!

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  16. Love, love, love your girls and a HAPPY belated BIRTHDAY!!

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