My fast is almost over..

Posted on January 29, 2010

Well, my fast from FB and Twitter has been an experience to say the least. I will save the entirety of my thoughts on the matter for next week when I post about what I learned from my absence. :)

Here are a few Happy’s and Sad’s that have been happening lately –

Sad’s-

*Mean girls. Go here to see what I am talking about.
*Hormones. And, really, do I need to expound on this?? My poor husband looked a bit scared yesterday when I went crazy in the car. I needed lots of Jesus time to get me through. I mean lots…
*Thinking about my life in terms of 140 characters or less. I have had so many good ones to share with you all, but I couldn’t. Oh well.
*Porcelain Tile floors.. beautiful to look at.. a bear and a half to sweep every day. Did I mention that we have tile throughout our entire house? I’m talking even the bedrooms. Get me a broom, paint me green, and call me Elphaba, because that is what I do everyday. Maybe I will turn it into a Happy and sing Defying Gravity whilst I sweep…
*Having to explain to my little Miss why she can’t have gluten for the umpteenth time, only to have her declare in a very loud voice that She. Will. Be. Eating. Gluten. When. She. Turns. 18. Hahaha.. I do love her so. I guess that is the magic age where everything I have taught her flies out of the window.. Non-Gluten goods, bikinis, the evils of sugar all free for the taking.. Dear Jesus, I hope not.

Ok.. let’s get Happy, shall we??
*The hubs going out and getting me one small bag of peanut butter m&m’s… I do love HIM so… and only crave those suckers once a month. (See second Sad post above)
*Naps. The end.
*Good books. (I will be compiling a list of my fave reads very soon.. stay tuned!)
*Beth Moore’s bible teaching. AMEN!!! That woman brings it every time, and I have so so needed to hear it.
*My sisa, sushi, and Sally’s Beauty Supply.. I mean, how could that not be a happy?

Ok, my people. I will be back bright and early Monday morning to give you the run down of what’s been going on. I’m so excited y’all!!

Mean Girls..

Posted on January 27, 2010

Let me paint you a picture.

7th grade. Chubby girl. First chair flute player. Thick straight frizzy hair with a wall of bangs that I made my mom perm every 6 weeks thankyouverymuch. I had such a poof on the top of my head.. girl, I was a mess. Needless to say, I was a walking target for meanies.

However, I was put into Weight Watchers at age 11, (oh, trust me.. I’m in therapy for that!) grew a few inches and over one summer became the skinny popular 8th grader. My bangs had grown out a bit, and I replaced flute with drama club. I even was class speaker at graduation.

Yep.. I peaked in the 8th grade. True story.

Sad sad sad true story.

High school was even sadder than 7th grade. My weight came back on with a venegance and I returned to the social suicide that was “Organized School Music Programs” only this time it was show choir. I mean, I could not get any hotter my people.

Debbie Downer moment, if I may.. I believe this is one of the moments when I realized that, in this twisted culture of ours, if skinny=good, then chubby=bad. Math was not my forte, but that was one simple equation I could figure out. Oh, how I desperately wish I could go back to that sweet little 15 year old and tell her a few things.

Why the outpouring of emotions tonight on my unsuspecting blog?? Well, for one, I am in the full throes of pms. Yay! TMI?? Secondly, my sweet squishy 8 year old daughter is dealing with a mean girl of her own. And boy, I have never wanted to pick a fight with a mean girl more than I do right now, even if she is only 9.

The short of it.. this little girl has been harassing my little girl for almost 2 years, off and on. We have constantly tried to encourage our bubba to stand up for herself in hopes we can teach her some life lessons about how life is hard, Love is the answer.. blah blah blah.. and up until this point, it was mostly playground hierarchy.

However, when said mean girl gets an entire table of 2nd graders to make fun of my daughter over her lunch contents? And my daughter comes home telling me an entire table accused her of passing gas because she was eating a smelley hard boiled egg?? And she doesn’t want to eat eggs ever again?? And mean girl told people at the table to smell my daughter’s booty?? Umm.. Mamma Bear (and Papa Bear for that matter) are. on. it. On it!

I hate…HATE…that my lovebug has to suffer this inevitable? girlhood tragedy this young.

I implore you to tell your sweet things they are precious and loved and safe.

And that the God of the universe finds them beautiful and captivating.

And He is simply thrilled over them, and has been since the day He created them.

I am absolutely positive of this fact.. if every girl knew these things without a doubt, our world would change radically. I know my world would have been vastly different had I understood that a little earlier.

Please.. let’s do our part to stop the meaness.

A recap..

Posted on January 26, 2010

Oh my gravy.. I haven’t been on here in a while. July 2009? What? I have been so busy with the business side of things, that I haven’t had a moment to breathe and write a bit about the haps with our little family.

A few brief recaps..
* We went to Disneyland with the kiddos during their fall break and even stayed in the ohsoMickey-fied Disneyland Hotel. My sweet deprived children had never seen such decadence.. It wasn’t that decadent.. they just haven’t gotten out much. ;)

* The holidays were full of twinkle lights and hot cocoa, family time with some family drama thrown in. Add a huge car repair bill to the mix and it makes for interesting times.. But God provides, and we are blessed. That’s all I have to say about that!

* Our sassy Miss H turned 8 years old last week. Coconut smoothies and Tortilla soup from Island’s was her pick. I will dedicate a whole post to her day as soon as I get her 8 year old portraits done.

* I have been seeing a biocranial doctor to help with my migraines and fibro.. it seems to be working, so yay??!!

I need to get to bed, but wanted to fill in the details. I will be back soon!

Goodbye Twitter and Facebook…

Posted on January 11, 2010

For 21 days.

Yes.. you thought I was ending it all, but alas I’m not. I am participating in a church wide fast that will end on the 31st of January.

See, because of my illnesses (fibro, migraines, DVT) I have to abstain from a billion different food groups. Ok.. maybe not a billion, but some days it sure feels as if the list is ohsoverylong. So, fasting from food wouldn’t be a sacrifice since I have to do that every day of my life.

I also thought about t.v., but I truly don’t watch a ton of it and…I have a DVR. Friends.. I know myself! I would just record all the shows and spend the entirety of February catching up. Not such a great plan!

So, I kept pondering and praying.. What is the thing You want me to leave for a bit God?

The urge to give up social media was almost immediate.

Dangit..

I don’t really want to. (Insert visual of 2 year old stomping her tiny foot..)

I have the very loud thought, spinning round this brain, that I will most decidedly be missing out ON EVERYTHING! I will not know what is happening anywhere. I won’t know which new photography products are all the rage. I won’t know where my friends are at every minute of the day. I will not know who bought a puppy, who’s relationship ended, who is now engaged, which friends are twitpic-ing super fun things… I mean, the list is truly endless of all the things I. Will. Not. Know.

And that is one of the very reasons I believe God has asked me to give it up for 21 days. This flawed human being so fills her head with everything that everyone else is doing. And sometimes that overtakes the wonder of what God is doing in my very own life. This comparision junkie needs rehab…

So, I am off to find that wonder. I am going to get on these knees that are messed UP from years of roller skating.. well.. really years of falling, but that is another story for another time. I’m going to get myself facedown so I can seek My Saviour. It won’t be a 24/7 thing.. but every time I have the urge to check out Twitter or Facebook or Bloglines, I am committed to finding a way that draws me nearer to the heart of God… praying, praising, journaling, whatever He asks of me.

Of course you can still contact me through my cell or business email, and I might possibly blog some thoughts along the way. As of 5 minutes ago, I have turned off all notifications, so if you ask me a question through one of those sites.. I won’t be answering until January 31st.

It is drastic. Some may tell me it’s unnecessary, or extreme. But there is no way on this earth, I am going to miss out on what God has for me. If not participating in social media for a few weeks is the thing… I’m all in.

See you on the other side. Peace out friends!

Sarah Tolson Photography Copyright 2010