Simply Sara

We went out of town to visit my family for Christmas. The kids loved being with their cousins and we loved being with family. It was truly a special time. But Ava had a few hard nights after we got back. For whatever reason, she keeps waking up around 10:00 and crying. Both Matt and I took turns consoling her, but with little success. One night, I was already in bed (I'm an early sleeper now), so Matt finally brought Ava into our room and put her in bed with me. The little girl was so surprised she didn't know what to do. (We are anti-family-bed people.) She laid her head on my chest so tenderly and calmed down immediately. Another moment of countless moments that I will treasure in my heart. After snuggling for 10 minutes, I gingerly carried Ava into her room and put her to bed. The Lord quietly spoke to my heart in that moment. All Ava needed was to be near me to calm down. She found peace being with me. How often do I find myself consumed with worry or fear, distracted by th...

We went to see a Christmas light show here in town this week. Both of the kids were pretty amazed. Lucas, my ever practical boy, wasn't too impressed with my enthusiasm. "Look buddy at the reindeer!" "Mama, that's not a real reindeer. It's only lights!" Lucas had asked me last week if he could see Santa again because he "needed to tell him one more thing!" So after we drove through the lights, we went into Santa's workshop so Lucas could tell him about a pirate ship he really wants. As kids can be, Lucas was more excited about the balloon sword an elf made him, then sitting with Santa. Ava wanted no part in Mr. Claus, so the man in red asked Matt to hold Ava and sit on his lap. Matt was really caught off guard by the request! It was too funny to watch! Last night the kids dressed up and we went to a family Christmas party. I tried to get them to pose by the tree before we left, but as you can see Ava was not impressed by my efforts one bit....

Baby girl asked to sit on the piano bench by herself and play for us! She's growing so fast! The kids are fascinated by the Christmas tree. So far, only two ornaments have broken and I am responsible for both! Clumsy me! Getting them both to smile normally for the camera is getting harder and harder! I always wear my snazzy apron when we have company! Makes me feel like a 1950s housewife!

Sing with me, "Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus right down Santa Claus lane..." It's been in my head all night! Last night, we made an improptu decision to attend the tree lighting service downtown. I say it was impromptu because we rushed on to arrive 1 minute after the tree was lit. Suddenly, we're walking up a side street, when two fire trucks come racing by. Knowing "the man in red" would be on board, Lucas and I took of running, giggling like two school girls, just to catch a glimpse. The crowd was waiting in anticpation, children (and me) jumping up and down with glee. But just as quickly as they came, the fire trucks left. No Santa! We were thoroughly confused. So we decided to have our picture made by some nice lady. Do you like my red coat? I do. I feel rather glamorous when I wear it. We waited for what felt like forever, when we heard the fire trucks coming down the road again. This time, we were not disappointed! We rushed across th...

Remember a while back ago when I was so excited about the new chore chart I was trying out with the Lucas? Well, the excitement wore off pretty quickly for the both of us. Lucas was not motivated by the stickers or rewards and I felt like the chart took away from my passion to teach my children biblical principles. The chart was forgotten by the both of us during the second week and I finally tossed it out this week. Amazingly, Lucas is still and even more willing to help around the house. This morning I asked him to water the dog before we left for school,which he did without a question or complaint. Here's what I realized this morning; I feel pretty passionate about the idea of modeling and teaching the concept of biblical servanthood. I want our children to understand what it means to help and serve the people around them without personal gain. I want this to come naturally for them one day, so that means, I need to invest my time and energy in them today. Lucas and I had three ...

They looked so cute this morning, I had to snap a picture before school! Notice the hair bow on Ava - she finally has enough hair to wear the bows I ordered over 2 years ago! Captain Hook and Peter Pan showed up for dinner last night! Funny girl. For three days Ava kept crossing her two fingers at the oddest times. Matt thought she was making a gang symbol.