December

Well........once again I've failed to keep up on here. I'm currently sitting in my kitchen drinking a reheated cup of Starbucks coffee someone blessed me with yesterday. Lol. I'm watching Elise run around the house chasing our new puppy, Birdie. Olivia is with Sloan, they went to go check out my truck that broke down yet again on me last night.

A couple of weeks ago, the girls and I were going to visit a friend in Lewisville (an hour away) when the bakes and steering went out on my truck. We were doing 65 down 121, and by the grace of God I managed to coast across 4 lanes of traffic and hit a grassy ditch before rolling to a stop in a muddy pasture.........all while the girls were in the backseat asking for their chocolate cake we had bought just 30 min before. Life keeps me on my toes for sure. I try to always keep this blog positive and 'whine free'........but real quick, if anyone feels led, please pray for us a new vehicle. Lol. It doesn't need to be 'new' new, doesn't even have to be shiny! I'm just growing weary of being a one car family and Sloan riding his motorcycle everywhere so that the kids and I have the truck. It's a truck that was passed on to us when Sloan's father passed away 3 years ago, and I have driven it with pride these last 3 years......but it's getting worn out and Sloan can nay 'fix it' so many times. Lol.

Ok, on to cool stuff: The Ricki Lake Show! We flew out to LA (Culver City) for an interview with Ricki last week. She has a new show that started up in September, and I was taking a bubble bath one night when one of her producers called me :) She had heard my interview on NPR and wanted us on the show. We flew in Monday night, and after I shut my thumb in the limo door and nearly died, we met friends for dinner at a fantastic noodle joint! About the thumb.........I know it's just a thumb, but I'm pretty sure I'd choose child birth on my living room floor again over the thumb injury! Seriously, it hurt SO bad and I swear I cracked the end of the bone or something. It's all black and blue and hurts still. I keep waiting for my nail to fall off. Lol. Anyway, met up with some old 'China friends' and hung out at Orachon Ramen. It's a little hole in the wall joint that 'Man vs Food' visited a while back. Epic noodles! We slept in late the next morning and had breakfast then got ready to head to the studio. Everyone at Culver Studios that we encountered was very nice. They got us all prettied up, covered up all our tattoos, and we went onstage. I was SO excited to meet Ricki......I loved her first in Serial Mom, but grew even more affection for her after seeing Business of Being Born. It's a documentary about birth, and it shows her home water birth :) Anyway, we would film, then they'd go to commercial and we got to talk with Ricki during commercial breaks! She asked me about my home birth, then about my ears. She was very nice and down to Earth and really seemed like someone I'd love to hang out with. As soon as the show was done taping, they whisked us away to the airport as our flight was leaving at 7. It was a quick in and out trip because Sloan had to go to work, but I really enjoyed it, minus the thumb incident.

I don't know about y'all, but we have had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year. I don't know if its the weather (It was 80 yesterday) or what. I normally get a tree the second they start selling them, but this year we had to wait for funds and just got one last week. The girls really enjoyed decorating it, and that made us happy. I am looking forward to all the family parties and getting together though.

I am currently trying to garner more book signings. I have a few in the works here in Texas, but am hoping to branch out to other states. There has been talk of going to a bookstore in Denver, Co. called Tattered Cover. If any of my readers are near that area, feel free to call them and request me for a signing! Lol. I've had 3 signings so far, the 1st one went really well, and the other 2 were small but good. My book is still only available through me or the publisher at this time. It will go to book shelves and e book format in a few weeks. If you are interested in a book now, holler at me or go to www.indigoriverpublishing.com. I really appreciate the support from everyone!

Well, I guess that's it for now. Hope everyone has a great week.

Much love,
Sarah

The thankfulness goes on...

Ok, I missed posting her a few days. I'll catch up now:

Nov. 3rd I stated that I was thankful for the ability to be a SAHM to my girls. Growing up I was always the minority because my Mom didn't work. I'm noticing that it's becoming more and more 'normal' for there to be SAHM and for that I'm grateful. I so enjoy watching these girls grow and learn on a daily basis and getting to share in their joy as they experience the world around them is priceless.

Nov. 4th I gave a shout out and a thanks to my grooming clients whom I'm thankful for. I used to groom at vet's offices and boarding facilities before the girls were born. Once Elise came along, I quit and came home. I started out grooming friends and families pets, and since then it has grown to a nice little clientele for me. These folks are the ones who trust me with their furry babies and fund my thrift store habit :)

Nov. 5th I posted that I was so thankful to be married to a man who accepts that I'm part 'Ellie May Clampett'. I never have to worry about sleeping on the couch because I brought home some little critter. The irony to the story was that Sloan was literally outside building a rabbit hutch for a pair of Netherland Dwarfs we are getting once we return the demon bunny we got suckered in to buying a couple weeks ago. LOL! I've always had a huge love for animals and I've always had lots of pets. Sloan accepts it, just smiles, groans, and shakes his head. I love him for that.

Nov. 6th I gave thanks for the North Texas School of Swedish Massage! Sloan gets me certificates to that place and I used one on this day. There's just not much else better than relaxing for an hour while getting a rub down!

Nov. 7th, today. Today I express my thanks for my little 'China Doll', Olivia Li. I remember like it was yesterday, finding out I was pregnant after our first try. We lived in China at the time and I was so nervous! I returned home to the states nearly 5 1/2 months pregnant, and I can honestly say that I've probably not ever prayed as much as I did during those months with no prenatal care. Olivia was born at 9:05am on a Wednesday morning, and it was then that I learned I could fall in love all over again and make room in my heart for another. I strive to do better each day than the day before because of her. She has taught me so much in her 5 years, and I'm blessed to be her Mom. I'm so proud of her and the young girl she is becoming <3

So those are the days I missed. Maybe I'll actually get on track and blog each day, but I'm not making any promises :) Things are hectic around here as I prepare for a birthday tea party on Saturday. I hope everyone has a nice night, we are off to Red Lobster. The birthday girl says she wants 'lobster from Red Lobster'. LOL!

<3
Sarah

Thankfulness...

Today is Friday, yay! I've joined the bandwagon on Facebook and am listing something each day that I'm grateful for. I thought it'd be good to post each day here as well. Gives me something to blog about and keeps me writing.

Nov. 1st: I said yesterday that I was thankful for Adam Tillinghast. He's the man who approached me with a book deal back in February. Without him, my book wouldn't exist. I'm thankful that he believed in my story and has spent countless hours on the phone with me.

Nov. 2nd: Today I stated that I'm thankful for the man who 30+ years ago sat down at his kitchen table and drew up the design for the hearing implant I now use. He and his wife were killed in a car crash and their 2 young daughters tried to get the idea off the ground but didn't have the funds to sustain it.........enter Envoy Medical and the men who own it. They took the mans design, tweaked it and spent many years and investments to get it into existence. Without many individuals who saw the possibilities the device had and their money, it wouldn't exist. Bless all who believed!

Hope everyone has a great Friday. We are surprising our girls and taking them to the drive in movie tonight :)

October!!!

WOW! This month has been busy! We started off the month with a cruise to Mexico that we had paid and planned for months ago for my 30th birthday. We spent 5 days on the cruise ship and by the 4th we were ready to get home to our girls. Lol. The last cruise we went on was before we had kids, so it was kind of funny for us to want to come home early this time. We really enjoyed ourselves though. It was nice to just relax and have food cooked for you 24/7. Ha. We did Bingo, gambled in the casino a bit, went to some shows, watched the movies out on the deck at night, and just hung out. We ported at Cozumel one of the days, and we are the 'weird couple' that doesn't sign up for all the excursions and stuff..........we like to just rent a scooter and drive around to the unoccupied side of the island and find a hole in the wall joint to eat at. Plus, the beaches are much prettier on the secluded side. We returned home from the cruise, had a few days to rest, then packed the kids up and headed for California for some more fun in the sun. I had an interview at the Crystal Cathedral for the Hour of Power show on the 14th. The interview went well, and I ended up doing the 9:30 and the 11 service. Everyone there was very nice and accommodated us and the kids nicely. This was our 2nd day in Cali and everyone we talked to kept saying "Oh, you need to take the kids to Disney!" to which I'd shush them up really fast hoping the kids didn't hear them. Disneyland is EXPENSIVE! Lol. I'm one of those that would rather take the money and do a different activity, but I knew I'd like to take the girls sometime when money wasn't tight. Well, to our surprise, we were given tickets to Disneyland after my interview! We were literally 10 minutes away from the park, but we were having a hard time because we had to be out of our hotel and we already arranged for a friend of ours who lived an hour away to come pick us up. We were going to spend a couple of days with said friend and his wife. So after some thinking and rearranging, we had the driver drop us and all our luggage off at Disney. We lugged everything to lockers and crammed it in. We spent the day discovering the park and riding rides. The girls had a blast! Our friend picked us up that evening and we spent our last 2 nights at his house. While there, we took the girls to Venice Beach on a Monday afternoon. It was glorious!!! The weather was perfect and because it was a Monday, the beach wasn't crowded. We explored the Boardwalk and ate lunch, then made our spot on the beach. The boys napped while the girls played. It was a great time.

We once again returned home to settle down for a couple of days and prepare for a wedding. My mother in law was getting married :) My father in law passed away 3 years ago, and though we miss him dearly, we are SO excited for Lari (MIL). All the family gathered the night before the wedding to visit and eat dinner, then the next morning we attended the small wedding. A family friend threw a reception at her house, and it was so nice to have all the family together for a day.

Life has pretty much settled back down now, travel-wise. Although, I have been VERY busy in between all this events working on the finishing stuff for my book :) Spent several days on the phone and computer all day long, but guess what?!? It officially went to print last Friday!!!! I'm so excited. And relieved. Lol. We are doing the first run of books with a printer in Houston so we can have them in time for my first signing in Fort Worth on Nov. 18th. If you live nearby, come to the signing! It will be at Magnolia Motor Lounge in Fort Worth from 2 to 5. Live music provided by my friend Josh Weathers too! I have other signings lined up over the next 2 months, but they are all pretty much local. (Cleburne, Jefferson, etc.) I've had several people ask me about signings, and for those wondering, if you are within driving distance or you'll pay for my flight, I'll come!

The interview I did with Hour of Power aired Saturday and Sunday several times on several channels, but if you are wanting to watch it, you can do so online on their website.

I realize this post is all over the place......my coffee is kicking in and I'm scatterbrained this morning. Now that things have slowed down a bit, I decided to fire up the sewing machine again. (A hobby I recently discovered I really enjoy and I'm pretty decent at!) Working on some skirts for the girls, and starting on some Christmas gifts. I'm really going wild and crazy this year because I've already started on Christmas shopping! I never do that! Lol.

I hope everyone has a great week and a fun Halloween! My girls are going to be a horse (Elise) and a zombie princess (Olivia).

Blessings,
Sarah <3

Short and sweet!

First thing first....I now have an official public Facebook page! For those who are interested, it's: www.facebook.com/sarahmchurman. Info about interviews, book signings, etc. will be posted there.

Second, my first official book signing is in the works! Third weekend in November (coincidently also my 11 year anniversary) I'll be the gal with perma-grin :) thank you for keeping up with me and for all the encouragement. The book is being pored over by editors and test readers as I type this. The light IS at the end of the tunnel, and it's glorious!

<3 Sarah

One YEAR!

I almost let it pass me by........almost! Realized as I was heading to meet my Mom for dinner tonight that the date was the 26th. I then began to reflect on this date one year ago........and was humbled.

One year ago I had my first implant turned on. I'll never forget the emotions/thoughts running through my mind and body as I sat in the chair at Envoy Medical anxiously awaiting my activation. Being completely scared out of mind that the device may not work, or I may not like it. So much was riding on the moment; Lari's $30,000 savings mostly, but also 29 years of wholehearted desire.....Desire so strong I was scared my expectations were too high.

You see.......at this point  I was so very tired; tired of missing so much and tired of working so hard to get so little. I was becoming angry; angry at what I was missing out in my social life, but mostly with my kids. I was starting to find myself 'checking out' a little on my life. This was not me, this was not how I am or how I usually looked at life. Over the 29 years until that moment, I've rarely let myself get down.

Melinda turned the device on, and for me, time stood still for a few seconds. The moment it was on, I KNEW. I knew before anyone spoke, before any noise was made, I knew I was 'complete'! She told me to set the remote down, and I heard the 'clack' of it hitting the counter and I snapped back to reality. Instant relief flooded me.........Lari's money was well spent.....I liked my new ear right away! All the fears I had diminished and was replaced by joy like I've never felt. Then began me hearing my internal noises, then hearing my voice and freaking out, then crying, then freaking out over how weird all these things sounded inside my head.

Life has not been the same from that day......I have blossomed into this whole new person spiritually, mentally, etc. One year later I still experience new noises. I still play the 'what's that noise' game. I still am finding new joy in music and nature. The path I have had the opportunity of taking this last year has been an incredible one. I've met so many cool people, I've made new friends, I've traveled, I've done exciting things, I've written a book, I've built closer relationships with those around me. Most importantly........ My faith has only been strengthened furthermore. The words God gave me when my father n law died 'Hold Fast' have become a daily mantra of sorts. God blessed me with $60,000 dollars worth of new ears in a matter of hours through a matter of crazy events............nothing is impossible to me anymore! Nothing should seem impossible to any of us!

To all who have followed me on this journey, thank you so much....

Much love and blessings,
Sarah <3

PS- People constantly ask me about music........I love an eclectic mix from 80s rock to jazz and everything in between. I'd like to take this opportunity to ask you to help me bless a good friend......Josh Weathers! Check out his music online. He just released a new album 'Josh Weathers Band, Big Night in the City'. My girls and Sloan and I literally jam out and dance all over the house listening to Josh. I feel like if I were a musician......I'd be him. I love his sound! Please, go help a brother out and go buy some of his music, I promise you'll be glad you did :)

Wowsa!

Been busy! I'm not sure how often I've mentioned it before, but I sit on a small committee that puts on a roping annually in my father in laws memory. Ross Churman passed away in Jan. 2010, and our small group has managed to pull off a spectacular roping the last 3 years! We paid out over $70,000 to ropers, and raised thousands for scholarships for college kids. It's nice to be a part of something like that. People have asked how we pull it off, how it's successful, etc. we truly believe its because we don't get a dime, yet do it for the ideology and to honor a man who touched so many in his life. We have a website if you want to know more or attend next years roping: www.rosschurmanmemorialroping.com and there's even a Facebook page.

Anyway, that was last weekend and we spent the week recuperating. Lol. Last weekend got off to a rough start.......my English Bulldog, Bruno, died :( this is the first pet we've lost that the girls bawled about....it was hard. This Saturday morning however, we woke up to find that our Momma cow had her baby! The new little guy is so cute and small and the girls are obsessed with petting him and checking on him. We have to drive around the place looking for him so they can 'see that he didn't get dead'. Lol. Oh to be so young and awed by nature again :)

Next weekend I am so excited that we were blessed with the opportunity to take Olivia to see Kooza, a Cirque du Soleil show! She has been begging to go for a year now but tickets are expensive! We were recently blessed with some extra money and decided to splurge :) I will also be throwing a housewarming party for some friends of ours next weekend who were recently given a house! Andrew was presented with a house from the Wounded Warriors Program while visiting the ballpark in Arlington on Military Appreciation night :) So nice to see God working in other's lives. The weekend after that I'm celebrating my 30th birthday selfishly by hosting a party at our house. Lol. Hey, I'm feeding everyone and even baking a cake ;) That makes it ok right? On October 13th we will be flying to California to the Crystal Cathedral for an interview with Hour of Power. We subsequently we're able to delay our flight home so that we can visit friends and take the girls to the beach. We figure if we eat Ramen Noodles the whole time, we can afford a few extra days to make memories with the girls.

I'm cracking down on my last chapter in my book currently, rushing to get it all together and to publishing. I'm just so over the moon excited about this new journey. Well, not exactly 'new' since I've been writing for the last 6 months, but I guess more so a 'phase 2'............the fun phase! The phase where I get to experience something I never imagined possible in my wildest dreams! I'm a freaking author :) A blessed, crazy excited, anxious, nervous, writer. Someone was talking to me the other day about hosting a book signing for me and I nearly cried at the prospect of actually doing something like that. I still wake up every day and go 'this is really happening!' And it's happening because of people like YOU. The ones who have reached out to me, the ones who read this blog, the ones who pray for me, the ones who have been my cheer leaders all along this crazy path life has had me on the last year. To each of you, I say THANKS! From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I didn't realize how much sharing a testimony can affect millions..........I pray that everyone would use their own testimony to help others. We all have one ;)

Good night folks......I'm starting to ramble.

<3

It's a book!!!

So we survived New York! The weather was beautful this trip and we enjoyed walking around seeing the sights. We arrived Thursday morning and spent the day walking around, eating, and shopping. Thursday night we were invited to go watch the taping of World News with Diane Sawyer. Sloan has had a crush on her since he was a little boy, so needless to say, he was floored. Lol. We arrived at ABC studios and were shocked to learn that they offered us to be on the set! If you've ever noticed the people in the background behind Diane on computers looking 'busy'.....well, we got to do that! It was hysterical to me because they logged us on the computers and were like "get online, get on Facebook, whatever, we just need you to look inconspicous and busy" I didn't have time to call friends or family, so I immediately found friends and family online and started chatting. At one point I started grinning like the Cheshire Cat and then people were instant messaging me saying things like "We see you smiling!" which only made it harder for me to keep a straight face. Lol. It lasted 30 minutes and then much to our surprise when taping was over, Diane invited us to hug and take a pic!!! Sloan was pretty much speechless and I was gushing as usual. Ha.

That night we ate at a Brazilian Restaurant that was fabulous. Those who know me, know how much I love food.....and vacations pretty much revolve around it. Lol. After we ate, I received some VERY exciting news from friends back home.  The Military Warriors Support Foundation presented my longtime childhood friend Andrew, an Army Commendation Medal and Purple Heart recipient with a new home at the Ranger game!  He and his wife Amy and kids are so deserving and I had been praying that this blessing would come through for them. We were on the streets of NY grinning big for them :)

Friday morning we got up and got ready and headed for my interview with 20/20. I was SO nervous as usual. It never gets any easier, whether I'm speaking at a church, in front of 5 people, or on TV, it's always so nerve wracking for me. The interview went very well though and will be airing Sept. 7th on ABC. It was a typical interview, but the thing I was most excited about was the opportunity to share my new book coming out! I've not allowed myself to get excited much, but being able to share it with the world on TV, the excitement is starting to creep up on me. The book is anticipated to be on shelves by the end of October if everything goes well. I'm literally in the home stretch and the light is very near the end of the tunnel. It's been an amazing journey to walk out for sure. Anyway, I wanted to let ya'll know that you have the ability to go to my publisher's website and 'reserve' a copy if you like. The site is:  www.indigoriverpublishing.com

I'd blog more, but I have 2 girls tugging on my arm and we are about to leave to go have dinner with family.........plus I'm starving (big surprise) and can't focus well. Hope everyone had a great weekend and for those of you near me, enjoy this rain!!!

Blessings,

Sarah

New York......again!

Sloan and I arrived in New York this morning. I'll be doing an interview with 20/20 tomorrow that will air Sept. 7th. I'm excited because I'll be debuting my book on the show :) We are currently sitting at a hotel eating free wine and cheese and fixing to head to a taping of World News. Sloan is thrilled to get to see his lifelong crush, Diane Sawyer. Lol. I'll blog more later.

Blessings,
Sarah

Distractions....

So, let's just be honest......I suck at keeping my blog up to date. Lol. I guess I feel as though I have so much going on in my daily life that I don't find myself sitting at my desktop much. I'd rather have tea parties with my girls, ride horses, read a good book, play games with friends, spend time outdoors, etc. Seems as though there are a million things I could be doing at any given time. Lately we have been getting ready for the 3rd annual Ross Churman Memorial Roping. It's a roping that was started in my father in law's memory. He passed away in Jan. 2010. Check out our website at: http://rosschurmanmemorialroping.com/# or find us on Facebook to see what we're all about. It's always the 2nd weekend in Sept. and has been a great roping thus far.

Anyway, other than that I've been continuing to work on my book. Some weeks are easier than others when it comes to writing. Overall, I'm excited and beginning to let myself actually feel some of that excitement! I'm a big 'don't count your chickens before they hatch' kinda gal. I keep  having trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that there are folks out there who would want to read what I write....but apparently there are :) God willing, the book will be out this winter.

As for my hearing implants...........they only get better as the days go by! I'm still adjusting to having 2 though, and I do find myself tiring easily on some days. Bless my kids hearts....they can be loud! Being in places where there are tons of people or noises tends to overwhelm me, but I'm still elated that I can actually function and take part in situations like that. I keep having people ask me if I still read lips, and the answer is....I forget a lot but I'm trying to keep it up just because I think it's a good skill set to have. I have started to not use captioning on TV and movies to put my ears to good use and practice actually hearing words spoken instead of cheating and reading them. I haven't used the captioning device at the movies in a while, and that's been nice too. I still have many moments where I'll be talking to someone and they'll pause mid story and be like "You are totally hearing me right now aren't you?!?" Lol. It sounds crazy, but I forget sometimes that I haven't always heard like this. Just goes to show how easily we forget.

Hope everyone has a great week,

Sarah <3

August

August marks a year since my first Esteem surgery. It's so hard to believe a whole year has already flown by. It's been a crazy, emotional, amazingly blessed year. Ill never forget the feeling when Sloan called to tell me about hearing the ad for the Esteem on Rush Limbaugh, and the feeling when I called the company to ask a million questions only to find out that the surgery was $30,000 per ear. That was possibly the most heartbreaking moment of my life......but I held fast and remembered and believed wholeheartedly the promise of God through the words of Ross while we were living in China "He who promised, IS faithful". The moment Lari came to us and let us know she felt led to cash out her savings, newly widowed I might add, I knew...........We all knew, 'God's got this!'. The rest of the story you all know, and even though they'll prob never see this.....thank you Ellen DeGeneres for your kind heart, thank you Envoy Medical for all the blood sweat and tears you guys have put into this miracle of a device, and thank you to all those who joined me in my prayer requests along the way. And to the one who will see this, Lari, thank you for believing, and listening, and trusting in God. You ARE the best mother in law a gal could have. Most importantly....thank you to Sloan.....the man who was gonna sell his kidney or do whatever he had to 'hell or high water' to make my dream come true. Thank you for standing by me, taking care of me, loving me, and being the man you are. God certainly broke the mold when he made you ♥

Mother's Day...

Mother's Day is an important day. I'm reminded that we are to honor our Mothers because it's God's word................but I also honor my Mothers because I love them. Love above all else is worth more than any material possession we have here on Earth. If only we could all realize that our status in the job world, what car we drive, what house we live in, and the amount in our bank accounts pales ...in comparison to having love. Like someone said earlier today, birthing a child is the easy part.....it's raising them in this dark world that the hard part begins. I hope that when I'm on my death bed many years from now and gazing in to my daughter's faces, I can look back on their lives and see that we taught them to 'above all else' love. I hope they realize that Sloan and I have worked so hard to teach them that love and being happy far surpasses anything else we can get/give in life. We have been on a journey for quite some time now that to the rest of the world seems crazy.......but I truly believe that because we have been obedient and followed our hearts, we are being rewarded. Blessings to ALL the Mothers out there, ones who have birthed children, ones who have raised children, and ones who are examples and role models to children, and that covers us all ♥

^ The above statement was my recent Facebook status. That in turn reminded me that it has been far too long since I've blogged! So many 'little things' have gone on and I'm so far behind I can't remember all I'd like to blog about. I went earlier this week for my first adjustment appointment on my newest ear. Found out that I had a bit of scar tissue, so they weren't able to do my adjustment and instead did a minor surgery to remove the tissue. My ear is packed and healing and I will go back in 3 weeks or so to have the actual adjustment and make sure all is well. Other than that minor hiccup, my ears are still doing great :) I'm learning more and more to 'use them' well and still getting used to things.

Sloan had to work today, so he took his Mom and I to breakfast this morning. We parted ways and the girls and I went to church. After church we loaded in the car with Muz (what the girls call Sloan's Mom) and we went to visit Nannie (Sloan's Grandmother). She recently had a pacemaker put in and is now home doing well. Anyway, we stopped after visiting her to grab a bite to eat. We sat at the table at Subway getting ready to eat and I realized my most favorite song in the whole world came on......"Shooting Star" by Bad Company. (What can I say, I am an 80's kid) I distinctly remember listening to Bad Company's music as a kid. My Dad and his band buddies played them a lot, he had the record and eventually the cassette tape. Cassette tapes always had the song lyrics folded up in the cover..............I knew all of Bad Company's songs and attempted to sing them at the top of my lungs horribly off beat and out of tune with the actual music. Because of my hearing impairment, my parents often allowed me to blast music at an all time high so I could attempt to enjoy it and really feel the vibrations well. Anyway, I for some reason took to "Shooting Star" and it became my favorite. So back to Subway, we were sitting there and I told the girls "Ohhhhhhh! Mommy loved this song when she was a kid!" I sat at the table and sang along. Every single lyric. In rhythm to the music.........it was epic!!! The music wasn't even up that loud! I say all this to say that even now, months later, I still have those "WOW" moments where it hits me that I can now do things like that :)

In other news, long story short...my English Bulldog 'Bruno' was stolen a couple of weeks ago.  I was heartbroken and so were the girls. Bruno is a high dollar champion dog that was given to us from a very kind person. However, he was returned to us 2 days later. We literally pulled in the driveway on Sunday night after going to put a down deposit on a new Boston Terrier puppy, and there he sat tied up to a saw horse in my yard with a note that said "Here's your dog back". (I'm all about replacing one heartache with another ASAP....plus I have little girls who love dogs, so I just sucked it up, accepted that he was gone, and searched for another pup) Anyway, we pull up and there he sits. Sloan looked at me and said "Well, you probably ought to call that lady and let her know you'll be coming by for your deposit because you no longer need that new puppy now that Bruno is back." Um. No. We now have Bruno and "Dotti" the teeny tiny Boston Terrier pup. She's a doll and the kids and I love her. Sloan too......he even admitted it the other day.

In 3 weeks we'll be heading down to New Braunfels for our yearly river floating trip!!!! I am beyond excited for this year's trip!!!!!! Why you ask??? Because I can float and HEAR EVERYTHING!!!! I absolutely LOVE the water. I grew up in a pool/lake/river/puddle and I am most content when water is involved. I have always not been able to enjoy it to the fullest because I've had to take my hearing aids out and not be able to interact with folks. Floating the river is always fun for the first hour or so, then I start getting angry because I'm missing out on what everyone is laughing about or talking about. It's hard to read lips when you're floating all over the place and turning about. I end up being grumpy and make it un-enjoyable for Sloan because of it. This year I'm plain giddy to go!!! Can't wait.

Well, I realize my thoughts are all over the place and I'm sorry. Gonna end it here, I've got nervous energy to kill. I've started making bows again and I've got all my stuff spread out and it's calling my name.

One last thing.......Mr. McCain, if you're reading this, THANKS! Your gift has been an amazing blessing ;)

Sunday Night...

Howdy.

My thoughts lately are all geared toward the book I'm working on and I can't seem to make myself blog.

Hope everyone had a nice Easter, we did. Spent it with family as usual. We did have some bad weather and tornadoes in our area, thankfully though nothing on our place was in the path. We did have some friends and family that were not as fortunate, but no one was hurt.

Got our chicken coop built, got a few more chickens, and are now enjoying having eggs! I'm tickled at the fact that you can literally clock our one laying hen........she lays at the same time every day! Is that normal? Olivia and Elise like getting the eggs, and they LOVE playing in the coop as well and will entertain themselves in there for quite some time. I guess I should be glad they can entertain themselves so easily?

I did an interview with the paper a few weeks ago, and then Life Teen a couple of days ago and enjoyed those. The article for the paper was already published and the one for Life Teen hasn't gone to print yet. As for anything else going on, I have nothing at this time that I know of. I do have the pleasure of going go Minnesota next week for Envoy Medicals annual share-holders meeting. They are flying us up there to meet everyone and be a part. I'm excited. I've never been to Minnesota, and it will be nice to meet everyone there.

Today I attended a memorial service for my Great Uncle that died. He was 84 and had been in bad health this last year. He was a member of AA and had been for 20+ years. There were several people from his group that got up and spoke, as well as others. As I sat there listening to all these folks talk about how my Uncle Tommy had impacted them over the years, I was reminded of how I felt when my Grandpa and my FIL passed away and we had their funeral services. It's amazing to hear so many people speak of how these men impacted them in such a prominent way in their lives. I find that the common thread every time is love. Every person is so affected by someone showing love and kindness. I am also reminded of when we went to China. The company that hired us to go over stated that our sole mission was just to go over and love on the Chinese. It wasn't about trying to 'convert them' or 'teach them', it was simply about showing love and kindness. I often say over and over that I wished people (myself included) could wake up every day and have the mindset to be kind to every person they meet. I know that will never happen, but it'd be awesome if it did.

Anyway, I'm babbling on. Hope everyone has a great week. I get to start my Monday off going to the dentist. LOL. I don't have a problem with the dentist..........I just hate going because I'd rather spend my time doing something outside, or playing with the girls, or about a million other things. I find I'm like a kid in that way.

Blessings,
Sarah <3

Like the rain.......

Wow! So much has gone on and I've been bad to keep up on here. So sorry! I did have my 2nd ear activated, and I posted the link to that. It's hard to explain it, it's just a crazy sensation. I now have 'stereo sound' and it's an adjustment in itself. Lol. We have had some incredible storms lately, and being able to sit and listen to the thunder, the rain, and the wind has been incredible. Sloan and I have laid in bed at night and just listened. He told me the other day that even though he's been with me for 12 years and has experienced everything I've experienced, every struggle, every heartache, etc. Everything has a new meaning now and a new beauty for him. Watching me experience life anew has changed his perspective on many things. Thousands of complete strangers, people like YOU have said the same thing. Thanks for 'cheering' me on during this journey :)

Switching gears now.......A documentary film crew flew in for the activation and spent several days here. It was a group of 3 men, 2 from Cali, one from NY. They were an awesome group. When you find out you're going to have strangers in your home for a few days, it's always a little nerve wracking. Not even gonna lie. So far, everyone that has spent time with us, has been great. I think we connected with these guys the most so far though. They were just really nice and down to earth. We took them one night to see our friend's band (Josh Weathers Band) and they really seemed to enjoy that. We also had a party one night and we had them over for that, everyone really enjoyed meeting them and they seemed to enjoy themselves. They did interviews and did a bang up job on those..........they asked great questions and took lots of pictures. I'm excited to see the end result! You never realize how much work goes into a project like that until you experience it firsthand. These men flew across the U.S. to spend a few days with us, filmed footage like crazy, took a million photographs, and will go home and edit and cut and do their awesome work for a short film. It's humbling for someone to do that just to show your 'story'. I'll keep you all posted on the outcome and when you can see it.

As for what I'm enjoying most at this moment.............MUSIC! I get the full spectrum of it now and it's amazing. People constantly ask what I listen to, well as of right now my top 'play lists' are Dustin Kensrue, Abigail Washburn, Josh Weathers, Adele, 80's music (Bad Company, Stevie Ray Vaughn, etc.), The Judds (Ha), and a million others. I am learning more and more that I really have eclectic tastes in music! Makes sense........I have always been an eclectic person in general :) I kidnap Sloan's I Pod constantly and plug it into the thingy in our kitchen and blast music while cleaning or just doing stuff. The girls have always loved it when their Daddy blasts music and they all dance and go crazy. It's sort of a daily routine around here, except now I can really join in and enjoy.

Other exciting news??? We planted our garden :) We've had tons of rain recently and the garden is loving it! Got lil sprouts coming up and I'm enjoying not having to water it ;) In other 'lil sprouts' news, we also have baby rabbits. We breed and raise Californian meat rabbits, and one Momma had her babies last weekend. Another Momma is due this weekend. We also have Lovebirds, and they have laid eggs that are due to hatch next week if they are fertile. We shall see. Everything is growing, being born, and changing colors. Spring has definitely sprung around here!

I oftentimes have a hard time blogging because I think "People don't want to hear about my everyday boring life". So, I'm gonna try something new.............If you are interested in asking me a question or sending me a 'survey' of sorts, hit me up! I promise to do better about blogging. Send me your questions, survey, etc. and I'll answer it(them) and post it here!

Hope all of you have a great day!

Much love,

Sarah

P.S. The photo above is a 'sneak peek' at the pictures our new friend Luis Pena took. He's an awesome photographer!!!

2 EARS!!!

As promised, here it is! I'll blog later.......there's currently a documentary film crew here.

http://youtu.be/e6RNWB7N4VQ

NERVOUS

Ok so I'm currently in the car on my way to Envoy! SO nervous! I didn't realize I'd b so nervous. I really thought the first ear would be the only 'nerve wracking' one. First let me apologize b/c Im on the IPad and it's literally the 3rd time I've used it. Just want to basically thank everyone for the well wishes and prayers. I will post a video tonight when we get home and possibly blog

:)

WOW.

Gah....tomorrow is THE day! Activation Day! I'm so nervous.I couldn't sleep last night :( I'm so ready to do this, but yet so nervous as well. I'm hoping I won't have too much of an adjustment since I already have the one ear, but several Envoy folks are telling me to be prepared for just as much of an adjustment as the first ear. I'm excited to experience 'stereo sound' and a little embarrassed to admit that I actually had to Google what that was. LOL. I think because I know I have the other ear done, I'm tired of working out of one ear.

I've also decided to address the almost 10 million folks on YouTube in a video that my best friend will be willing to film tomorrow when I get activated. A while back they (YouTube folks) kept asking for me to post another video and I said when I hit 9 million I would. (Not realizing I'd hit it that fast) I've put it off and put it off because I have no idea what to say or how to express my gratitude to all those people! Time to do it though. Channel 11 will be putting together something to air with their footage and the documentary folks will be using the activation footage in their short they are making. As nervous as I am, I'm also equally excited. Just want today to fly by! Think cleaning will make that happen? *said in sarcastic tone* :)



In other news, if you haven't seen the KONY2012 video, look it up! I was contacted by one of the producers last night asking for permission to use my clip in this awesome short they've made. It apparently went viral and the Oprah Winfrey Network has picked it up and will air it! It's 29 minutes long and very touching. Really, take 29 minutes out of your day and watch it. It makes an impact and is taking off like wildfire! A friend of mine contacted me with the idea to do a benefit concert for KONY2012............I'm hoping it's a 'go'. That would be an awesome thing to be able to help in some way.

Well guys, I'll blog more later tonight.........as I'm sure I'll be up late ;) I can't think right now. Lol.

Much love,
Sarah

Catch up again....

Well, I've unfortunately gotten waaaaaay behind on blogging. So much so that I'm not sure what all to 'report' on. I go on March 8th to get my other ear activated, and I'm counting down the days. I guess because I know I have it, and what I'm missing out on, I'm VERY ready for it to be on. I'm very curious to see how much better certain things sound.

I'm not sure if I posted anything about it yet or not, but I went on Anderson Cooper a few weeks ago. It aired a couple of weeks ago. That was a very fun trip. Anderson is a very nice guy........and he's even more gorgeous in real life. Perfect skin, perfect hair, and those crystal blue eyes that just look into you. Much the same as Ellen's eyes actually! Lol. After taping, Ami came up to me and we chatted for a while. Got a hug from him and he asked to see my ink since it's healed. Said it looked great. (Of course it does.....it's Tim Hendricks work! Lol) I actually set up an appointment with my tattoo artist friend here locally to do a couple of things for me on Monday. I have tons of people ask me all the time "Who does your work?" Well, it's a friend of ours named Tyson Meyer. He currently works at a shop called Lost Highway in Crowley, Texas. If you are in the area and wanting a tattoo, hit him up and tell him I sent ya :) Anyway, I got him to draw me up a colorful child-like owl for Elise. She loves birds, and I realize she may not always love birds, but I want the tattoo to symbolize this time in her life and to remember her as a child. Easily entertained and able to find joy in simple things. Adults could learn a lot from that.......The other tattoo is going to be some lyrics from the song "Beautiful Things". I'll post the song here in case some of you have never heard it. It's a great song and touches me every time I hear it. Here it is:

All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust


You are making me new
You make me new,
You are making me new

In other news, I'm still moving forward on my book. The publishing company sent over a contract and we are currently having our lawyers look it over. I'm itching to get started.......just not sure on the format. What do folks want to hear about? What do they want to read? I'm praying that it will just flow from me and be a good experience. Speaking of good experiences, I was introduced to an organization called "Project Endeavor". They help hearing impaired/deaf people get computers, laptops, phones, I Pads, Internet, etc. at a discounted rate. They are a really great group of folks. I sent over an application not sure if I would qualify, and I did! I ordered my I Pad and Sprint Overdrive Hot Spot and they are arriving on Monday. I'm very excited. I'm not much of a 'gadget person', but I may come over to the dark side before long. Lol.

Today is Friday, the weekend is here, and I'm wondering what Sloan and I and the kids will get into this weekend. I hope this post finds you all doing well and that you all have a great weekend!

Blessings,
Sarah

New York, round 3 with Anderson Cooper!

Ok, so New York was great :) We had a great flight there and Tuesday we just spent the day walking all around taking in the sights and eating everything I could get my hands on. Lol. Tuesday night we went and saw "Stomp". It was really good! I just sat and took it all in, the sounds of the people stomping, beating on tubs, etc. It was a great experience. Wednesday morning the producer took us over... to the set of "Anderson Cooper" where I was sent directly to 'hair and makeup'. I tell ya.....there is just nothing better than sitting down and having a team of people do ya up! Makes you feel so good. Lol. I was SO nervous thinking about what to say, how to say it, meeting Anderson and Ami, etc. They went over the questions with me, asked me all about the Esteem, all about my experience on NY Ink, etc. When it was time to go on, they placed me in a 'special audience spot' and the cameras rolled. Anderson was a very nice man, I spoke with him briefly before we taped and a briefly after we taped. He's even prettier in real life ;) Perfect hair, perfect skin, and those piercing blue eyes (much like Ellen's eyes!). Hearing him and Ami talk about my experience was cool.

Before I left, I was asked several things by many of you ladies. Here are the top 3 questions I was asked to find out:

1. Is Anderson short? Not really....but he's not tall at all. Who needs to be tall though when you're that handsome :)

2. Did Anderson smell good? I didn't smell any cologne....but who needs cologne when you're Anderson Cooper ;)

3. Can you tell him I think he's gorgeous? I have to admit ladies, I failed you all there....I was too nervous and forgot to let him know. Lol. I did however at one point make a joke about his age....you'll have to watch the show, it was hysterical complete with Anderson falling on the ground in mock horror. Ha.

After we were done taping that segment, Ami came up to me and was like "Hey Babe, how are ya?" I have to admit......I giggled. LOL. He smelled wonderful and was very sweet. He had me show him my tattoo so he could see it 'healed' and we chatted a lil more before I was swept away back to the dressing room. Basically, all in all, it was a good experience and I enjoyed meeting all the people on the set, etc. They will let me know soon when the episode will air and I'll keep you all posted. Thanks for praying for a good trip!

Random question....

Does anyone have a way to get a discount on an Ipad or laptop? I'm in need of one and they are SO expensive! I didn't own a computer until I was 24 years old, and that was because a family member gave us one when we moved to China to keep in touch with family. That laptop was a refurb and it is now dead. Lol. I have some money saved up, but want to buy the best thing I can. I realize this is a stab in the dark, but hey, God does amazing things :) Everyone have a great weekend <3

Sound Discovery- Interview with The Story on NPR

Here's the interview I did with The Story on NPR.

Sound Discovery

:)

Sound Discovery

Sound Discovery

Twas' a great Friday!

Spent the day and evening getting ready for my youngest daughter's 2nd birthday party tomorrow! Whew, I'm tired. Cleaned house, got the guest bedroom ready for family coming in, cooked tons of food, and even managed to bake a 3 tiered cake :) I cannot believe that Ms. Elise An will be 2 years old :( I still remember the morning she was born in our living room. One of the best memories of my life for sure! She has enriched my life in so many ways. She was born 3 weeks after my FIL passed away suddenly, and she has done an excellent job of turning our sorrow into joy.

Today was an exciting day in many ways. It started off by me receiving a DVD from UFC fighter Matt Hamil in the mail. It's a copy of his movie called "The Hammer". Really great story! Another highlight of my day was finding out that we are indeed going to New York next week for the Anderson Cooper Show! The producer called and set our plane tickets up and got us taken care of. I'm so excited to be visiting NY again! I'll be on the show with Ami James and talking about tattoos and what mine means to me. Sloan and I decided to splurge, and we bought tickets to see "Stomp" on Broadway while in NY. VERY excited to go see that and actually hear and appreciate it! I'll be sure to blog about that :) And for the MOST exciting thing that happened today.........I got to hear a heart beat!!!!! Not just any heart beat, but the ones of my little girls. I sat on the kitchen floor with my ear up against Elise's chest and crying. She said "What's wrong Mommy? You okay?" I did not realize that you could hear a person's heartbeat without a stethoscope! Someone mentioned it to me and I excitedly made my girls and even my hubby pull their shirts up so I could listen. I was absolutely amazed and astounded! Sloan's heart beat is very slow, but Elise's is very fast. Olivia's is in the middle. Best thing I've heard so far for sure.

Well, it's late and I have a big day tomorrow. Pray that the weather holds up and we don't get any rain. I rented a bounce house for the kiddos :)

Blessings,

Sarah

T.G.I.F!

First, let me take this time to say that I JUST NOW have figured out how to respond to people who comment! LOL. I get frustrated because sometimes I just really feel compelled to respond but could not figure out how. Thank you to everyone who has written words of encouragement or just nice sentiments, it really means a lot.

Second, I ran out of time after posting the thing for the girls' contest yesterday so I didn't get to post like I intended. Just wanted to kind of fill everyone in and let you all know that I'm doing well :) This time was much easier than last, and I've felt better much sooner than last time as well. I don't know if it's because I wasn't under near as long, if the surgery just went smoother, or a combination of both. Either way, I'm very grateful! Last time it was 10 days before I even felt like going anywhere or doing anything. This time I was up and itching to go somewhere much sooner. I still cannot sleep on my right side, and to be honest, that's getting old. BUT, I won't complain too much ;) I got the date for my 'activation' and it will be March the 8th. I'm excited. Soooooooo ready to have 'stereo sound' as people keep calling it. I wasn't aware that's what 'stereo' meant. Lol.

On another note, I really don't have anything too exciting to report......although, my youngest daughter Elise's birthday is next weekend. That's what I'm spending my time and thoughts on currently. Getting planned and ready for her party. I'm hoping we'll have decent weather and it won't be too cold. I rented a bounce house for the kiddos......it's always a big hit. Anyway, hope everyone has a great weekend spent surrounded by those you love.

Blessings,
Sarah

Will you vote for my girls???

Hello all! This first blog will be a selfish one........would you take the time to find VanZandt Studios on Facebook and 'like' my girls photos in their contest?

The link for Elise's photo is: https://www.facebook.com/durendam/posts/10150547090067529?ref=notif&notif_t=feed_comment_reply#!/photo.php?fbid=10150538272234396&set=a.10150539526674396.390931.199184034395&type=3&theater

And the link for Olivia's photo is: https://www.facebook.com/durendam/posts/10150547090067529?ref=notif&notif_t=feed_comment_reply#!/photo.php?fbid=10150538279649396&set=a.10150539526674396.390931.199184034395&type=3&theater

Sorry for the crazy arrangement........I'm not savvy enough to figure out how to arrange this in order. Lol. Anyway, if you have time, go vote. The winners get a 'photo shoot' and their picture used in advertising for a local shop called Ruffled Rebelles in Mansfield, Texas where I'm from. Olivia would LOVE the chance to 'play dress up' and have her picture taken.......she's quite my little 'photo diva'. Elise just thinks anything is fun. These girls are my world and the main push for me wanting to have the Esteem Implants done. Thank you all so much! Feel free to pass the info along and share it. If you have sent me a friend request on FB and I've not accepted it, please don't be offended...............I just decided that it was in my best interests not to accept the hundreds of requests. Please understand. No hard feelings, I just like to keep FB my main friends and family. Thanks.

Feelin' decent :)

Well, it's now Tuesday I'm told. 4 days post surgery. Overall, the experience this time has been much better than last time. Partially because I knew what to expect, and partially because what I expected didn't happen in a lot of ways. LOL. Surgery did not take near as long this time, thank God! I was only under for 5 hours versus over 9. Dr. Berryhill worked his magic and had me done in good time with no complications. He told Sloan everything went well and that it was a 'pleasure to be able to work on me'. I assured him the pleasure was all mine :) Dr. Berryhill is an awesome man, and a fine doctor. I have really enjoyed him every time I've dealt with him. He has a sweet spirit and is very easy going. Once I woke up from surgery, I immediately knew I felt much better than last time. I told the anesthesiologist that I could 'kiss him on the lips' for giving me such a good combo of whatever he gave me. Lol. I believe I also told Dr. Berryhill that I could kiss him as well. The very last thing I remember before going under is looking at the clock in the surgery room while on the table..........it said 6:48 and I silently prayed "God, please let me be done by noon". Guess what? Noon on the dot! I did not have any 'visitors' this time that I was aware of or rememeber, but I'm sure they were there. I was so sad that I didn't get to see Ross or Jesus, but I know they were watching over me nonetheless.

Anyway, the channel 11 news crew followed us down to Houston, complete with a dash camera that Sloan made them take out at our first gas stop. Ha. They also had a camera on their car filming our car going down the road. You really have to wonder what the point of that is? For an artsy 'in action shot'? I've learned that camera men can really be 'gadget whores'. They like all the little trinkets and technical toys :) Anyway, Jason and Sal were very nice and I enjoyed spending time with them as well. They joined us for my pre-op appointment and filmed that. They sat down and asked questions and go to know as much as they could about Envoy Medical and the Esteem Implant. I am very curious to see how they'll make the story and how they'll incorporate all the film they got. They ended their trip with filming me going into surgery (which I have no recollection of.......hope I was smiling or something. Lol)

For the first several hours after getting back to my hotel room I assured Sloan I was 'dying' and did my fair share of crying. At one point I think I even cried for my "Mommy", then it turned into crying for my "babies". Sloan's a tough guy you know it? If the shoe had been on the other foot, I'd have been searching the hotel for some baby girls to steal and bring them to the room to calm me down. LOL. Once I got my pain under control (aka, got hooted on pain meds) I was very pleasant and comfortable. Sloan is a great nurse when he needs to be. I mumble 'chocolate' and he raids the gas station for candy bars and brings back 10 different kinds. I say 'dorito' and he loads me up, takes me downstairs amid stares from strangers and lets me pick out chips in the lobby. In fact, since getting home, he's been quite lovely as well. Yesterday was really bad, I felt horrible. That whole '3rd day after surgery is the worst' was true in my case. After staying in bed all day, last night he loaded me up and took me to Barnes and Noble because my Nook wasn't working. We got help and I was ready to leave but he thought I should "walk around a bit" because it'd "be good for me". Once he looked up from his magazine and saw me passed out on the table, he asked if I'd like something sweet to eat. I told him "Yes. But from 7-11. I want a Slurpee." He loaded me back up and drove me to 7-11 before we got home. He's a good man I tell ya. Even brought me home a gun the other day as a 'get well present'. I'm pretty sure that's the start of a redneck joke somewhere. Today I have felt much better. I actually slept last night which I haven't been doing much of. Lari and the girls took me to lunch. When she brought me back I told her I now knows what it feels like to be really old.............You have one activity a day that you look forward to, and you're worn out after it. I napped te re-coup and am fixing to scrounge some dinner.

Basically, I'd just like to thank everyone for the well wishes, prayers, messages, food, etc. I had a short phone interview today, and I have a radio interview at a studio in Dallas Friday afternoon. Not sure when the channel 11 thing will air, but I'll keep everyone posted. Hope you all have a nice night.

Much love,
Sarah

The time is NOW!

So the time has come! We leave out in the morning for Envoy's surgery center in The Woodlands. I have surgery early Friday morning. Not gonna lie, I'm nervous. I think anyone would be. I'm not nervous about the surgery itself, I'm just nervous about being under. I want everything to go well, and I want no complications. Praying for a steady hand for the doc as well. I've got a good support system made up of family and friends, and I'm blessed that they are all able to help with the girls while I'm 'out of commission'. The next time I blog, I will no longer have hearing aids!!!! Yay. It will be a long 8 weeks waiting for my 'activation date', but at least I have one good ear to work with during this time :)

On another note, this weekend will be the 2 year anniversary of my Father in Law Ross's death. He left us suddenly January 14th, 2010. One of the greatest men I've ever had the blessing to meet. He taught me so much about life and about God using so little words :) I miss him dearly still every day. We all do. (Our family) Last time I had surgery, I woke up telling everyone that Ross and Jesus were by my bedside the entire time I was under. I experienced a complete and utter peace. Even though it didn't seem like 9 hours, it seemed more like an hour. Jesus sat in a chair at my bedside, and Ross stood the whole time. Had his little fingers tucked into his pants pockets the way he did when he was just standing around talking or listening to someone. It was a complete sense of comfort............I have to be honest and say I hope I get to experience this again.

Thank you for all the prayers, words of encouragement, and thoughts. It means a lot.

Long winded thoughts......

http://polishmycrown.wordpress.com/2011/09/04/50-rules-for-dads-of-daughters/

Okay, so I came across the above link a few days ago and it really struck a chord with me. Just about every single one of those 50 'rules' are completely true! I made Sloan read the list and once he got through them all he looked at me and said "I'm proud to say I do just about every one of those!" It got me thinking.........so I sat down and actually thought about each one and here's what I came up with:

1. Very important one, glad it was at the top of the list! Growing up, I rarely saw my parents be cross with each other. I can honestly think of only 2 fights they got in (not physical). Like it or not, as a child, you are a product of your environment. Dads, make that a good environment! Sloan is good to give me affection, treats me well, respects me, and has manners (when needed) LOL. The girls need to see that.

2. Ahhh, quality time. I admire Sloan for this one among many others. He's good to just lay on the floor with the girls and 'hang out'. They'll sit forever just hanging out wallering all over each other and giggling at nothing. It melts my heart to watch it, and I can only imagine the good it does for our children. They'll only be small for so long...........I promise, they'll remember the times Dad got down on the floor and just 'chilled' with them and made them laugh.

3. How nice would it be if all Dads could be the 'hero' their children need in times of crisis? Not even crisis........just a time when they are needed. Make time, always be available if needed.

4. This one is especially hard because I dread the day we're not 'cool' or 'special'. While everyone assures me that that time is short and our children will come back around to thinking we're 'cool', I have to admit it makes me sad to think about. Sorry Mom and Dad if I ever made you feel this way :(

5. Wow. What can I say..........5 is UBER important and probably the most important thing you could ever do for any of your children. Sloan and I pray over the girls every night as we lay them to bed. Even if you aren't a believer, speak affirmation to your children daily.

6. Ahhhh, number 6. This one brings back memories of me throwing a football with my Dad. I had a freakishly good throw for a little girl. It's no longer impressive as a woman, but as a girl, I could actually throw a decent spiral ;) Thanks Dad! I also still remember the day Dad brought me home a ball and a bat. I sucked, but I had fun! I also remember being given Mom and Dad's old softball gloves and thinking I was 'the bomb'. I always had a fear (and still do really) of being hit in the head, so I was never good at things flying towards my head........but I loved to hit a ball! Thanks for not telling me I sucked, and for always throwing a ball for me because I was an only child and had no sibling to play with so I had to bug you for games that required 2 people. I won't go off on a tangent about that though.......we'll save that for another blog ;)

7. To be honest........I don't have much experience with #7.......I honestly do not remember ever 'fighting' with my mother.......I was never brave enough to do that. LOL. Although I do have to give Sloan kudos because when I tell Olivia 'no' and she goes to Daddy his response is "What did your Mother say?" Smart man I married!

8. Number 8 makes me think of the time Sloan and I went into Cavendars to buy me some boots. We are by no means wealthy.....so buying expensive boots is a treat. I had saved up and had my eye on some. We got there, found my boots, tried them on and were proceeding to go to the checkout when Oli looked up at Sloan and with the best 'pucker' she could muster she said "Daddy, I want a pair of boots like Mommy except pink." Wanna guess what happened??? She got her some boots. Nice ones. Pink. Like Mommys. We walked out of there and Sloan said "I cannot believe I just bought her those boots. I was 15 before I had nice boots." But you know what? She LOVED those boots and wore them til her little toes begged for air. They now belong to her sister. Sloan will tell you it was the best $55 bucks he ever spent on kids shoes :) Splurge every now and then...........

9. Of course I'm too young to remember my Dad playing peek a boo......but I do remember him doing a kart wheel in the front yard one time because I asked him too. Did he look ridiculous....oh yeah. Did he pull a groin muscle? According to my Mother, "oh yeah". Meant alot to me that he did it though :) I've always admired Sloan for not caring what anyone else thinks to an extent. I remember him taking Oli to dinner one night so I could have 'me time' and he walked out the door pink frilly diaper bag and all and I thought to myself "Now THAT is a man". Men, take note, gals love a guy who is secure in his manhood enough to carry a pink bag for his kids!

10. Ahhh, bath time. It's a big event here at the Churman House. Bubbles, toys, shaving cream, etc. I know the girls will not remember their Daddy wasting his shaving cream just to hear fits of giggles as they make 'mustaches' or whatnot 50 million times every night.

11. Oooh, number 11. My Dad was a pro at this. I had every pet imaginable as a kid! I'd have to say a pet raccoon topped this list. I also remember my Dad bringing home baby Pigeons and letting me raise them. There were also a few cotton tail rabbits. This along with the normal stuff like dogs, cats, snakes, lizards, frogs, birds, turtles, etc. I even remember a mole I found. As I got older and married a man who has horses, I've gotten to continue this love for animals.

12. Money. Hmmm. I honestly don't remember thinking or caring too much about this at a young age. I did have an allowance and I do remember that I'd spend it all on books from garage sales. When my Dad realized this he told my mother not to let me spend my allowance on that, he'd buy them for me. Most of you may be thinking 'What's the big deal?' But I would read TONS of books. Went through my allowance pretty darn fast every weekend stocking up my book collection. My Dad was a hard worker and was not 'showy' with cash, so I'm proud to say that I had a pretty good concept of working for the dollar. Sloan is good to teach Oli about this even though she is 4. Lol. We have a few years before this really becomes an issue. I hope.

13. Have to say, this is one I never had done for me and one Sloan has never done for the girls. I do remember my Dad making me french toast though. I thought it was so cool because Mom never made it, it was "Dad's specialty". Sloan's specialty is whipping up a huge breakfast (enough to feed an army even though there are only 4 people under this roof and 2 of them are under 4 feet) He likes to make breakfast 'special' for the girls by using my best china. While I'll admit that sometimes I'm grumpy about it because I dread washing it all................watching him pour the girls tea from my antique tea pot and them giggling hysterically at his 'British accent' is worth all the time and turns my frown upside down. Sometimes he even does all the clean up after all.

14. Not gonna lie, my Dad never owned any cool shoes like Chucks. LOL. Sloan owns them though, and I used to have a slight obsession with them, so naturally the girls both have a few pairs. We nailed this one on the head :)

15. I remember dancing on my father's feet as a kid. There's just something magical about it. This is another thing that makes my heart happy.........Just about every day at some point, Sloan turns on music and he and the girls 'rock out'. I just sit back and watch. The looks on their faces as they move to the music is priceless. Even more priceless is Daddy in there shaking his booty with them. We have tons of video of this and I'm sure I will cherish these videos some day when I'm old.

16. FISHING! I LOVE to fish. My Dad was great about this. We went fishing quite a bit when I was a kid. This is something Sloan admitted he needed to work on..............he thinks fishing is 'boring' and would 'rather have a tick in his navel'. LOL.

17. Whew. Saying 'no' to 2 cute little faces is HARD. My Dad had no problem saying no, but it just made the 'yes's' even better when I heard them. I remind myself of this as does Sloan. It's important to not be one of 'those' parents that says yes to everything. Lol.

18. This has always been important for me. I have known since before I had kids that if we had girls we would tell them all the time how beautiful, pretty, smart, etc. they are. We try to do this several times a day. There is nothing better than building your children up and helping their self esteems. Someday this will pay off. When they are teenagers and the 'world is against them', their self esteem will get them through. Fathers, continually build your children up. It can pave their paths in ways you can't even imagine!

19. To be honest, my Dad never showed me how to do this...........but I watched him do it enough times that if need be, I like to think I could have done it. Lol. I cracked up when reading this one though, because Sloan has said on many occasions that his girls will know how to change their oil, change a tire, and will know the basics of an engine and how it works. Lol.

20. CAMPING! I'm a big 'nature' person. I live in the country for a reason. I cannot stand 'city life' and all the busyness of it. I like wide open spaces. Some of my favorite memories as a very young kid are of camping! This is one that made Sloan go 'Uh oh' because he'll be the first to tell you that he's saving all his camping skills for post apocalyptic society. I will be highlighting this one on the list I will hang.............Camping rocks. 'Nuff said.

21. True, true, and SO true! I remember being so overjoyed because Dad would let me drive from the stop sign to the house. I LOVED doing this. Judging by the looks on my kids faces, they too love doing it. It's pretty much a rite of passage as a kid. It just has to be done!

22. My father was always good to tell me how smart I was. He was always good to commend me on my reading and spelling abilities. (we just kept hush hush about my math.......cause no one is good at math. Who needs math anyways?) Sloan is good to always commend the girls when they do something 'smart' as well. He is always very positive when they are trying new things. Any time they don't do something right, he's quick to say 'good try' and 'here, let me help you'. It's always good to let kids try even if you know they'll fail...........it's how we learn.

23. Kisses. Eskimo kisses, butterfly kisses, slobbery kisses, painful kisses, sweet kisses. They are all good and I like to say they get my 'feel good endorphins' flowing.

24. Sunflower seeds. This and Pistachios and peanuts are a knowledge that just has to be learned.

25. Riding on shoulders. There is just something magical about this one. Something about feeling invincible and on top of the world. Oli continually says "I don't wanna get big because then you won't hold me or carry me anymore" to which Sloan says "I'll always hold you, you'll NEVER be too big for that".

26. Music. My poor Dad. He has an ear for music and can play beautifully. I on the other hand did NOT have an ear. Much less an ear for music. LOL. I tried to learn to play the guitar. It was pitiful. May have broke my Dad's heart.........but I'm hoping my girls will make up for it because they seem to be musically inclined even at this young of an age. They both love music. They love to dance and they love to play any instrument they can get their hands on.

27. Water. Oh how I loved water as a kid. Whole summers were spent in the pool, lake, water park, sprinklers, water hoses. It didn't matter. My Dad was NOT a water person though. Lol. Neither is Sloan. Lol. This past summer Sloan earned mad props because he took the girls and I to Sea World and to Uvalde State Park. Lots of water activities ensued! He was a trooper. He and the girls played til they were whipped. We all slept good that week :)

28. I don't remember waiting my Dad's arrival from work as a kid. Not sure if I did it or not.......doesn't mean I didn't love him though! I do have to say that my girls eagerly wait for their Daddy though. Doesn't matter if he's coming in from the barn after riding, or coming home from a job. They squeal with delight when he pulls up and eagerly run to the door screaming his name. He always says it's the best part of the day. Funny thing is, at this age, they'll do this whether he's been gone 10 minutes or 10 hours. Ha. We eat it up while we can. They do it for me as well and I have to say, it makes my heart over flow.

29. Swim lessons. I never went anywhere for these. My Grandpa taught me and every other child in the family. Grandpa and Grandma had the biggest pool I'd ever seen. Grandpa had it put in after winning a big race back in the 60's. My Mom grew up by that pool, and I grew up swimming in it as well. Sloan and I don't have a pool, but we do have a tank on our place. When Oli was small she had no fear of the water. We enrolled her into swim classes when she was 18mo. and believe it or not, Mr. Churman got in the water and sang 'kick your footies, kick your footies, whoa, kick kick kick' right along with the other kiddos and their Mommies. Made me proud alright and I got photographic evidence just in case Oli can never get him in a pool again.

30. This one was kind of odd for me. My Dad was always present for my birthdays. Can't imagine why a father would be absent for something like that. Birthdays are a big deal around here for the girls. We have a big family and we have them all over when it's time to celebrate. Mr. Churman is always involved :)

31. Roller skating. I can't honestly remember who taught me or who first took me. I did love to do it though. Sloan told me when we were dating that the Churmans 'do not get on 2 wheels unless it's a motorcycle'. He has stuck by that rule. Gotta give it to him that at least he was honest up front. That's ok, I'll teach the girls to skate!

32. Oh Lord. We do plenty of grass rolling around here in the pasture. Grass rolling, cow patty rolling, horse poo rolling, and even on occasion..........dog poo rolling. All these activities elicit giggles from all involved. We're country folk, we ain't scared to get dirty ;)

33. Swimsuit shopping? Really? I would have rather gone swimsuit shopping with Batman instead of my father. I just overlooked this one altogether.

34. While I do not remember ever asking my Dad to marry me..........I have heard Oli ask Sloan to marry her. I have also had to break her heart and inform her that Daddy was already married to me and no I will not give him up. Surprisingly enough, much crying ensued. It's very hard to not giggle at your 3 year old crying because she cannot marry Daddy. I assured her that she'd find her own prince charming someday and that he would be every bit as good as her Daddy. He has to be, or I won't approve ;)

35. Nightmares, I never had them as a kid and so far my kids do not have them. Hope it stays that way.

36. Awww. This is true. That is all.

37. I cracked up when I read this one because 'higher and faster' is actually the same in Sloan and the girls books. We got us lil dare devils on our hands and both girls unfortunately for me enjoy speed and danger. The higher the swing goes the better. The faster you get it going, the more giggles you get. Oh my.

38. See above.

39. Oh man. These girls can say 'again Daddy' a million times and Sloan will do it over and over a million times til I step in and go 'Okay that's enough'. Maybe it's a pride issue? Lol.

40. Ha. We live on a farm..........we have 'ponies'.......that ends this one.

41. Experiences are far worth more than material gifts. It's up to you as a Father to teach the kids that. This is one thing that will help them throughout their lives.

42. I got married at 19 and left home. I never needed to go back, but I always knew I could. Sloan jokes and says when the girls turn 18, they better start looking for a place to live. They need to learn independence. BUT, our door too, is always open.

43. This breaks my heart. It has to be hard to 'let go' of your kids, but it's necessary! They'll always be your children, you'll always love them, but they too become adults. It's important to treat them as such when the time comes.

44. Can't honestly say I ever got a letter from my Dad. I'm sure most little girls haven't, but I'll admit it would have been nice. This one has inspired Sloan. Doesn't have to be every year........just a note here and there would suffice.

45. Trust. That's an important one. It's also a fine line and a hard line to tow. It's important to give children your trust as they get older........and helps them as they come into adulthood.

46. I can only hope that our girls will continually trust not only their Daddy's heart, but their Father's heart as well.

47. Ha. Once again I was never brave enough to get too fired up at my parents.................I'm praying Olivia and Elise will be the same way......although they do have Sloan's DNA....the odds are good that they'll test this at some point. LOL.

48. Ice cream. I remember the times my Dad would take me for ice cream! Oh the joy! My girls are already suckers for ice cream. Any flavor. Sloan is a push-over when it comes to this and the girls know it.

49. Ahhh. The day the girls fall in love........not only does Daddy have his rifle/shotgun/pistol/machete ready....................but so do I. Oh how I dread this. Sloan says we'll send the girls to a convent overseas when they are 12. They can return when they are 18. We'll just bypass 'young love' altogether. Surely it can be done?!? No???

50. Don't blink.

Blah, blah, blah. Yep.

....It's safe to say we'll never know everything, still blessings we receive. And it’s safe to say I really don't know a thing, still I choose to believe.

And all the answers that I find, only take me so far down the line. The tracks always give out yeah it's a leap from the lions mouth.....
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Taken from one of the songs I'm really stuck on right now. Dustin Kensrue rocks. This and his song 'Pistol' make me cry every time.

Anyways, I've been reading up on the YouTube video comments lately. Bad idea for the most part. I try to ignore it, but I can't help it. The whole 'God vs. Science' debate is running rampant. That and all the 'doubters' or 'haters' are getting old. I was driving around running errands for Sloan and he had left his I Pod in the truck, so I popped an ear bud in my ear and turned it on. Album titled "Americana Mix" really rocks my world right now. There's a song called 'Believe' and the above lyrics are taken from that song. They really spoke to me today...... 'it's safe to say we'll never know everything still blessings we receive. And it’s safe to say I really don't know a thing, still I choose to believe.'


On another note, people continually ask 'what are some of the weird sounds you've heard lately?', so I'm gonna try to start making a list. Lol. Here goes:

1. The sound of brushing my hair. Sounds like I'm ripping it out every morning when I get up.
2. The sound of scrubbing your head when you shampoo it, very weird.
3. Water in the shower trickling. I STILL check my ear every time making sure I've taken my hearing aids out.
4. Burps are still an odd sound.
5. My 4 year old has learned to whistle and bless her heart, it's an annoying sound! Just hate to burst her bubble, so I refrain from screaming when she does it. Lol.
6. Just gonna be honest, but my hubby's farts are quite impressive.

That's all I can think of at the moment. Sloan and I still play the 'what is that noise' game every day. And for some reason, I still have trouble discerning what direction some noises come from. Hopefully that will get better with time. Well, I'm off to get Oli ready for dance class. Have a great rest of your day folks!