tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271413610086920162024-03-05T13:44:09.396-08:00Insist & AspireLife, lessons, and inspiration. Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-53320199607810882862014-02-24T22:14:00.000-08:002014-02-24T22:17:19.245-08:00So God made mothers. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I read this article tonight that brought tears to my eyes. Most articles about motherhood and children do that, but this one made my heart explode into a million little pieces. It was listing off a bunch of things that mothers of sons should live by. They were all great and practical and touching. But in the last one the writer talked about how mothers are "home base" and that you will always be the constant safe place in your sons life, like the sun.<br />
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<i>Like the sun.</i><br />
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God made the universe and it was good, he made heaven and earth, beast and fish, sky and ocean, and it was all good. He made man, but he knew that man shouldn't be alone.<br />
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<i>Shouldn't be alone.</i><br />
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So God made woman, the ultimate companion. He made Eve, the first wife and mother. God made us loyal with a heart of servitude.<br />
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God knew that our husbands and children needed a source of warmth and comfort, so He made us.<br />
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Our husbands needed a companion, a helper, a supporter, a cheerleader, a partner, so God made us.<br />
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Our kids needed a warm chest, a listening ear, hair to pull on, lips to kiss, tummies to squish, and hands to serve, so God made us.<br />
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With a constant, warm love. <i>Like the sun.</i>Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-2728862609774365792014-02-19T14:49:00.000-08:002014-02-19T14:49:14.424-08:00I'm angry today. But sometimes it's okay to be angry.<br />
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Today I feel like giving a piece of my mind to the next guy I see wearing those horrible shirts from the mall with a naked woman on the front of it. You know, the shirts that <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/02/19/utah-mother-says-shirts-are-indecent-buys-them-all/" target="_blank">this mom in Utah purchased all of so that they couldn't be displayed in the store anymore</a>?<br />
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I want to scream at the high school boys my husband sat behind on the bus yesterday, who gossiped about "getting hot girls" and keeping certain people in their circle because he brings around hot girls.<br />
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I want to gather up all the dads that have abandoned their families and tell them about the ripple affect their actions have had and how their decisions have made the world a worse place.<br />
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I want to slap every pornography producer upside the head and tell them how they have single handedly destroyed marriages and families (including my own).<br />
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But I can't do any of those things, and that makes me angry.<br />
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But I do have a precious and innocent seven month old son napping in the other room. And everyday for the rest of his life I am going to make sure that he knows that women aren't <i>objects, toys, or things</i>. I know that I won't be able to shelter him from every objectifying ad or sexualizing commercial, but I can teach him what our culture fails to communicate: That those things are wrong. That using women's bodies is abuse and that supporting it or tolerating it is sin. I will teach him that it is a big deal, which is exactly what our culture doesn't want him to believe.<br />
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<br />Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-28224582525507103102014-02-08T19:49:00.001-08:002014-02-08T19:49:38.562-08:00Bare<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Art by <a href="http://society6.com/product/Remember-who-you-are-Qze_Print#1=45" target="_blank">Society 6</a>.</i></div>
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Talking about my issues with comparison and self esteem is one of the hardest things for me to do. I feel more vulnerable talking about these things than I do my divorce or other struggles I have. If I'm being perfectly honest, a lot of times I still feel like I'm nine years old in the school yard. Trying to fit in, feeling so self conscious about everything I would say, do, or wear. Being tormented by other kids' opinions of me. To say I was a sensitive child is an understatement, but I also had (have?) extremely low self esteem. </div>
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But now that I am an adult, I find my low self esteem working against me in different ways. The enemy uses it to isolate me and make me feel worthless. I often feel that I have no value as a friend, which stops me from reaching out to people. I want so desperately to fit in with the other awesome photographers in Seattle and for them to see me as their equal, so I try to engage them on Twitter or Instagram (both of which I HATE using), but I just end up feeling like a fake. And why would anyone want to be friends with someone who can't even be true to themselves or break out of the mold? </div>
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The truth is, I can't remember who I was before the world told me who I should be. Before people said hurtful things that made me change, before I took a critical ax to myself in a mirror, before I was shy, before I felt self conscious about everything I said. <i>I don't remember who Sara really is, or the things she says or the way she acts. </i>I think that about 75% of the things I do in a day are things I think I should be doing or because I want to appear a certain way to others. </div>
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Have you ever met someone who was just so unashamedly themselves? Someone who just had a way of life that was unique, who said the things they thought and did the things they wanted and didn't feel sorry for not being loved by everyone? I knew a woman like that once, her name was Jess, and she was amazing. I had never met anyone like her and I felt lucky to be one of her best friends. She passed away from cancer a few years ago and not only am I sad she's gone, but I'm also sad that the world lost one of the few people who wasn't afraid to be themselves. </div>
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Which is where I get back to, "Just be yourself". But I don't know who that is. </div>
Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-42601031795201583782014-01-31T18:32:00.002-08:002014-01-31T18:32:52.715-08:00Being made<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">― C.S. Lewis<span style="background-color: white;">,</span> </span><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Mere Christianity</i></span><br />
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About a month ago, I had been in a long season of pain and anger. A combination of things had just been weighing on me for so long, and I slowly slid into a depression. I felt oppressed and controlled by the enemy. I awoke and went to sleep angry everyday. I didn't feel like eating, I didn't feel like getting out of bed. On days when I was so mean and bitter that I was causing conflict left and right, I felt like my family would be better off without me.<br />
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I prayed for God to change me. I didn't know how to get out of this hole I had found myself in. I was angry and hurt about so many things, I needed healing that I couldn't get with my heart so hard. Feeling miserable is a vicious cycle.<br />
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And then God answered my prayers. He gave me joy and a renewed spirit. He gave me the strength to pray through all the feelings I was feeling. He gave me wisdom to discern all the problems that were going on. He gave me a desire to be close to him. He started showing me how to really love and serve others and why I should. It's been a few weeks, and God has been knocking down walls everyday.<br />
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He started building a house I never could have dreamed of.Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-35839580453629941442014-01-24T12:01:00.000-08:002014-01-24T12:19:16.993-08:00Thank you JesusFinnegan has never slept more than a three hour stretch in his entire, six month long existence. It probably wouldn't be that big of a deal if he regularly slept three hours at night, woke up, slept three more hours, etc. But usually he wakes up five times a night, give or take a few.<br />
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This has stretched me and challenged me more than I ever thought possible. Not just battling the sleep deprivation, but the negative self talk, doubting my skills as a mom, and constant unwanted advice from others… All while trying to remain patient even though I am exhausted.<br />
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Well last night I was more exhausted than usual. I was falling asleep on the couch at 9pm while Charlie and I were watching a sermon (I did make it through most of it… but man Driscoll's sermons are long!). As I laid in bed I asked God for the first time to help Finn sleep through the night. I felt strange asking for it, but I also felt that it would be okay if my prayer went unanswered since God has met me with abounding strength and grace through this time of exhaustion.<br />
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Then I fell asleep… and as far as I can remember Finn didn't wake up until early this morning (around 5am I think). It is very possible that he did wake up and I just nursed him back to sleep without even being coherent or remembering. But I'm pretty sure he didn't.<br />
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So yes, that was my (and Finns!) first full nights sleep in six months and seven days. This morning when I told Charlie I welled up with tears in my eyes.<br />
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Thank you Jesus.<br />
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<br />Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-70901518868893469452014-01-15T14:52:00.001-08:002014-01-15T14:52:55.539-08:00Who I am<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIOFiKcMeqT4KO8nmjkfl1GaT-_fJ-ZFqLEWHsIiwixpx_w8cfQIGPAduDS57Q29d47EaUt9uKn5YcQfaukHFnLYMid5G5LulOflP-6AZDnUZF0e-XquaUvQLW9gh0HN01rUqYOlfSrfI/s1600/51670018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIOFiKcMeqT4KO8nmjkfl1GaT-_fJ-ZFqLEWHsIiwixpx_w8cfQIGPAduDS57Q29d47EaUt9uKn5YcQfaukHFnLYMid5G5LulOflP-6AZDnUZF0e-XquaUvQLW9gh0HN01rUqYOlfSrfI/s1600/51670018.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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I am a woman, pure and feminine. I am a daughter, a mother, a sister, and an aunt. I cry during TV shows, movies, books, Youtube videos, and just about everything else. For a long time I was lost, stubborn and hard hearted. When my heavenly Father showed me who I am to Him, I became more tender, accepted, and loving. </div>
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<i>"In Him you also are being built into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit." </i>Ephesians 2:22<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">I am a lover, a partner, a helper, a supporter. My husband is my best friend and my joy. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><i>"The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life." </i>Proverbs 31:11</span></div>
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I am a nurturer down to my core. I want my career to be raising lots of kids. Showing them what loving God and loving others looks like. Teaching them to be dreamers, healers, and thinkers.<br />
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<i>"Her children rise up and call her blessed…" </i>Proverbs 31:28<br />
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I am a thinker, an observer, and an analyzer. I am a listener and an advisor. I want to help others learn from my own experiences. </div>
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<i>"She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." </i>Proverbs 31:26<br />
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I am an artist and a perfectionist. I am a writer, a reader, and a dreamer. I see beauty in light, in the old and forgotten. I am my own worst critic, and I desperately want to make an impact in the world.<br />
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I am nostalgic and sentimental. I desire a simpler life, in nature, away from modern pressures. </div>
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<br />Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-15022749990419787372014-01-13T20:26:00.003-08:002014-01-13T20:37:41.538-08:00How we found joy: Parenting our high need baby. Charlie insists I need to blog more, I'm not so sure. There are many things that I want to say, but like a lot of other areas in my life, my need for perfection paralyzes me. I think that if I can't say what I want to say in <i>the best</i> possible way that I should just leave the talking to someone else. But the people around me keep insisting that I'm wrong, so here I am.<br />
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I promised that I wouldn't turn this blog into a mommy blog.<br />
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But I lied.<br />
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That's like being on a boat, out at sea, and trying to talk about your life on land. It's so far gone you don't even remember. Maybe one day you'll get to land again, but for a while you're here.<br />
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Anyways.<br />
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Today I want to write about what has been my "boat" for the last six months; this tiny man.<br />
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If there's one theme to the last six months it's been this: going with my gut and following my heart. At times this meant swimming upstream and tuning out basically everyone in the world around me. It was hard, but it has been so worth it, and I think our family is better because of it.<br />
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The truth is that before Finn was born I didn't really have any idea about raising a baby, no one does really unless you've done it before. I had a basic gist about their needs and breastfeeding and baby care, but not really any idea how to manage their temperament and how to get them to sleep and make them happy.<br />
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So this was what the first three months of Finns life were like:<br />
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From birth he was pretty fussy. He nursed for 45 minutes every 1.5-2 hours. To <i>convince</i> him to sleep we had to swaddle him, give him his binky (force it into his mouth repeatedly) and bounce him vigorously. He fought and screamed and cried constantly. This process usually took between 15-40 minutes. Since he couldn't stay awake for longer than an hour and a half, these thing sucked up the majority of our lives. I can count on one hand how many times I've left him with a babysitter.<br />
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He has never slept through the night to this day. From 1-2 months he only woke up 2 or 3 times a night but as he got a little older he started waking up more frequently to the point where at five months he was waking up 4, 5, 6 times a night.<br />
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On top of all that, he was a pretty discontent baby. He would never just relax or chill out (I thought this was normal for all babies until I met my nephew, Korben!), he wanted to be constantly stimulated and engaged, but after ten minutes or so you needed to mix it up.<br />
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Can you hear the exhaustion in my voice?<br />
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I reached the end of my rope <i>several </i>times a day. I was beside myself, I didn't know what we were doing wrong or how to fix it, and I was so sad because I just wanted him to be happy. I read everything I could find about helping your baby sleep, but a lot of the stuff I read made me uncomfortable and didn't seem right for my son.<br />
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After reading Dr. Sears article about high need babies we decided that this described Finn pretty well. And at that point (I think he was about 3 months old) Charlie and I made the decision to change how we had been handling him. <b>We decided to press into our son because he obviously needed us. </b>Just like everyone else in the world, he needed understanding, grace, patience, and persistence. We decided to stop wishing he would sleep through the night like so-and-so's baby, stop wishing that he would be more content and not demand our attention every second, and stop getting so frustrated with him. We made a commitment to support each other more and communicate to each other when we were at the end of our rope so the other parent could help out. We decided to just accept him where he was.<br />
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This really didn't change Finns behavior at all, but it changed our perspective. Instead of constantly feeling like a horrible mom and trying to find ways to "fix" him, I just accepted that Finn is the way he is. Instead of worrying every time he woke up in the middle of the night that we were messing up his sleeping habits for life, I just gave him love and patience and extra cuddles (of course I still had my moments of impatience). I use to try to multi task while taking care of him, which left me frustrated when I couldn't accomplish what I was trying to do, and instead just stopped what I was doing to give him my undivided attention. I stopped talking to anyone about Finns behavior because I knew their advice would only discourage me and revert me back to my place of frustration, because truthfully, people don't really understand HNB (I learned this the hard way after letting slip at the chiropractor about how Finn doesn't sleep well at night. After twenty minutes and a "You gotta get him to stop manipulating you" speech later, I swore I would never make that mistake again).<br />
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Eventually Finn came around to everything in his own time. He wouldn't sleep in his own bed until he was 3 months old, but now he loves it. He use to need to nurse back to sleep in the middle of the night (yes that means sometimes I had to nurse 5+ times a night), but now he will go back down with some comforting. He use to not be able to fall asleep on his own, but we are currently in the process of teaching him to do that and he is doing SO GREAT! I use to think he would <i>never</i> be okay with a babysitter, but he is perfectly content with strangers. All in all, he has become a super happy baby. He is strong willed, always wants to be engaged, and constantly active, but I really think that we're seeing the fruit of our labor with him. I truly believe that it is <i>because </i>we were patient and let him do things in his own time, instead of forcing things on him. I'm so glad that we listened to his needs and met them, that we never tried to fit him into a box of what he was "supposed" to be doing. Because now I feel that we have won his trust. That he feel so safe and secure with us that he is independent and happy, and he knows that we will always meet his needs.<br />
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If you have a chill baby who sleeps through the night and laughs at your silly faces, then you probably have no idea of what I'm talking about. But if you are the parent of a high need or fussy baby, I hope this post can give you some inspiration and hope. You're not doing anything wrong and there's nothing wrong with your baby. Let them lead you, listen to their needs and accept them where they are, and eventually they will grow.<br />
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<br />Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-83255903069640614682013-12-31T21:29:00.000-08:002013-12-31T21:29:34.820-08:00Goodbye, 2013. I keep forgetting that it's New Years Eve. I've never been big into holidays except for Valentines Day and occasionally Christmas. Christmas had been hard the last few years but this year it was exciting again, being the first one as a family.<br />
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Today I had some alone time and someone had just wished me a "Happy New Years Eve!" so it was on my mind, the last year. Every year brings a lot of "change" and "amazing things" but getting married and having a baby are especially high on the charts, both of which I did. As I started to compose a Facebook post to add to the lot about what a great year it's been, I felt like a fraud. This has been one of the hardest years of my life. And not to say that marrying Charlie and having Finn aren't blessings, because of course they are, but I think a lot of that joy will be reaped in later years. This year we had to sow.<br />
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The truth is that it's hard to get married and have a baby three months later. Especially a high need, fussy baby like Finnegan (he has mellowed out GREATLY PTL!). But the first three months of his life contained some of the most challenging moments of mine. Going through a horrible labor, postpartum anxiety and insomnia, nursing problems, thrush, sleeping problems… And then after that a hoard of personal and financial problems for us… which spiraled Charlie into a depression… which caused our marriage to snowball into a dark place. You get the idea. While all of this is going on I've also been dealing with serious family problems including having my brother arrested and going to the hospital with both my parents. There is so much to process and heal from that has occurred this year.<br />
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But one thing that is standing out to me is this, and it may sound silly, but I realize that <i>I became a woman this year.</i><br />
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Here I was, thinking I already was when I realize nope, at this time last year I was still a girl. There were times this year when things were so stressful I wanted to throw in the towel and give up but instead have persisted for my family. When I've actually turned to others and God for guidance and help instead of trying to muscle through everything on my own. And that doesn't even touch on the sacrifices that I've made in becoming a mother.<br />
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All of these things have collectively grown me and aged me. In a good way, I think. And not because of my own will, but because I have searched and sought out God through everything. Not once did I blame him like I had in the past, not once did I hide from him out of shame. But instead I knew that he was the answer, and at times he was my only hope, the only one not disappointing me.<br />
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Thank you, Lord, for walking with me through every step of this year. Thank you for your faithfulness and your unwavering strength. I am so thankful that you have a will and purpose for my life. I know that you will bring healing to the broken parts of my life and work them out for my good, just as you have every hardship that I faced this year. Help me to keep my sights set on heavenly things, not fleeting, earthly concerns. Help me to remain faithful to honor you, my husband, and my son.Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-30036197679462209752013-12-17T21:32:00.001-08:002013-12-17T21:32:10.745-08:00Five months. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't believe our little bear is five months old today. Blessed are the people who tell you over and over how fast it goes, because it really does and you better soak it up. Sometimes I look at Finn while he's sitting up in his high chair eating big boy food and think <i>'Weren't you just a newborn?' </i>Yet at the same time, I can't for the life of me remember what he looked like then.<br />
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Some of his favorite things recently are…<br />
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-Food! He has only been getting baby food for the last few days, but now whenever he is in his high chair and we have food he wants it. Like really wants it. So far he is getting sweet potatoes, carrots, applesauce, and bananas.<br />
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-Napping. This kid gets a little more awesome everyday. He has finally started napping better, the last thing to go is the night time sleep! He still wakes up at least 3 times a night (but usually more like 5!)<br />
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-Playing with his toes.<br />
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-Saying "Ba ba ba ba ba" with a very serious tone, it really sounds like he is talking to someone.<br />
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-His new exersaucer that we got him for Christmas (and of course gave to him early)<br />
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-Scooching around the living room on his belly, he will probably be crawling in no time.<br />
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-Riding in his stroller like a big boy, this kid loves to shop!<br />
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And his least favorite thing this month has been his two bottom teeth coming in. We can see and feel the little bumps but aren't sure when they are finally going to break through!<br />
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<br />Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-58008753818152356442013-12-10T19:23:00.001-08:002013-12-10T19:23:07.446-08:00Somewhere along the line. After carrying you for 9+ months and delivering you for 35 hours<br />
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Through the nights when you would rather be up than soaking up sleep<br />
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While trying understand your ever pressing needs that I don't seem to understand<br />
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And helping you explore the world in my arms.<br />
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Somewhere along the line<br />
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When I lay you down to sleep<br />
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and there are sweet potatoes on the floor<br />
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and in my hair<br />
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and on my sheets<br />
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and my back is sore<br />
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and you are properly covered in kisses<br />
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you made a mom out of me.<br />
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<br />Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-41777300595338668332013-11-07T09:39:00.003-08:002013-11-07T09:39:37.818-08:00Tiny BatmanFirst off I want to say thank you to everyone who took the time to read Finn's birth story, it had nearly 400 views! I was so surprised at the number of people who told me they cried while reading it. I read a lot of birth stories when I was pregnant and I always cried, but I thought that was because I was pregnant HA. But I'm glad that everyone enjoyed reading it. I hope that anyone who is out there and planning a natural labor would take heart.<br />
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Last week was Finnegans very first Halloween. We actually have a hunch that he was conceived on Halloween (tmi? Sorry…), it's crazy to think that he has been in our lives for a year now, and we didn't even know it! Charlie worked really hard on making his Halloween costume. I have no shame in admitting that he is DEFINITELY the crafty parent. I am the photo taking parent. Actually we both are, crap. Well I'm the breastfeeding-wake up in the middle of the night-gave birth to you parent :-)<br />
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<i>He was so pooped after trick-or-treating! </i></div>
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<br />Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-67624136457111813762013-10-28T15:00:00.001-07:002013-10-29T12:38:53.438-07:00Finnegan's Birth StoryThe story of Finn's birth really lasts a whole week, so this post will be long, but I will try to break it up into sections for the sake of the reader.<br />
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<b><u>Induction</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><i>Sunday, July 14th (Ten days before due date)</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
At 38.5 weeks pregnant, I was feeling normal with no signs of labor starting anytime soon. I had what I thought might be my first "real" (aka painful) contractions a few days before while Charlie and I were walking home from the store, but they faded away and I didn't get my hopes up. On Sunday morning around 10 am I woke up and felt myself leaking a little bit <i>down there</i>. This was normal albeit uncomfortable so I hopped up to go to the bathroom. On my short trip across the hall I realized this was NOT normal and liquid started gushing out of me. After falling into a puddle on the bathroom floor I exclaimed to Charlie, "My water just broke!"<br />
<br />
He sleepily leaned on the bathroom doorway, "What does this mean?"<br />
"It means I'm going to go into labor soon!"<br />
<br />
We excitedly called Loren, our midwife, who told me that my labor should start within 24 hours, and to rest and eat lots while we waited for contractions to start, so we did just that for the next few hours. Charlie was scheduled to lead worship at church that night, so by the time the evening rolled around and nothing had happened, he went ahead with his plans. I met up with him later after walking nearly two miles trying to get things going. My mom came up later that night, and she was hopeful that my contractions would pick up in the middle of the night. I didn't feel any different though, and I didn't have a lot of faith that they would.<br />
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<b><i>Monday, July 15th</i></b><br />
<br />
The next morning when still nothing had happened, we went into the birth center so Loren could try some natural methods of induction. She did a really good membrane sweep (one of the most painful things I've ever experienced) and wrote me a prescription for some natural herbs for me to take that induce labor. At 2pm we picked up the herbs and walked around our neighborhood for nearly an hour, we also tried some nipple stimulation using my breast pump. After taking the herbs regularly for five hours and no contractions, our final step was to try castor oil. Loren originally said if I had not started labor that night that we should go into the hospital, but she gave us until 8am the next morning instead. That night we went to bed with our hopes dwindling.<br />
<br />
<u style="font-weight: bold;">Labor Begins</u><br />
<br />
<b><i>Tuesday, July 16th</i></b><br />
<br />
Tuesday morning was solemn. All of our hopes, planning, and preparation for a natural birth at the birth center was about to be all for nothing. I had to call Loren at 8am to check in. We were all up early and packing for the hospital and getting ourselves ready. I was in the bathroom, probably finishing up my makeup or something, when I felt a cramp. I checked my phone, it was 7:59am. I told my mom and Charlie, but I really didn't want to get anyone's hopes up. I could already see the light and joy back on Charlie's face though. I had a few more over the next 20 minutes, so I called Loren and told her I thought they were starting. She was also relieved, and told me to keep in touch throughout the day.<br />
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We decided to go down to Golden Gardens and walk to keep the momentum going.<br />
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<i>My mom snapped a photo of us as we started our walk. </i></div>
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We walked for probably an hour, my contractions were definitely consistent but for the most part I could talk through them. We went home for a little while to regroup, then headed to the Northgate Mall to meet up with our friends Sean and Kara and keep walking.<br />
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My contractions tapered off and then on again. We had lunch and by the time we were leaving I was needing to lean on Charlie for support through my contractions. When we got home my contractions were getting regular and more painful. Charlie and I laid down and timed them for about an hour, they were increasing to about 4 minutes apart. Around 3pm we decided we should head over to the birth center before rush hour. It took us nearly an hour to get there, and during the drive my contractions were between 1-3 minutes apart.<br />
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We settled in for a few hours at the birth center, and my contractions spaced out a bit.<br />
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<br />
Charlie and I got into the birthing tub, which felt nice. After getting out Loren checked my cervix. I told her I didn't want to know how dilated I was because I didn't want to feel discouraged if it wasn't very much. She told Charlie though, and I quickly changed my mind and wanted to know. He was hesitant, but told me I was at 4cm. We spent the rest of the night working through contractions in various positions. I really favored sitting on the birthing ball and leaning onto the bed. Lying down on my side was the worst and most painful position. At my 38 week appointment she thought Finnegan was probably posterior (facing my belly instead of my spine) so we tried some positions to encourage him to turn. Because he was posterior I started having back labor, the pain was worse in my back than in my uterus with each contraction. Eventually Charlie had to push on my back, hips, and butt through every contraction.<br />
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Over the next few hours they became more painful and I became a lot more worn down. I began to feel like I had the flu, I was tired and felt weak, I had the chills and just felt awful all over. Loren checked me twice more, the second time around 3am and she suggested we try to walk around and lunge/squat a little bit. I felt so discouraged when she said that, I felt like I could hardly make it through them sitting down, and now she wanted me to work harder. I held onto Charlie and tried to walk and quickly burst into tears. I began sobbing and he just held me and we slowly walked out into the lobby of the birth center and back. He told me that if I didn't progress after this that we would probably have to go to the hospital, that this was our last chance.<br />
<br />
When we came back into the room I had to sit back down. I told Loren that I couldn't keep doing this if I wasn't progressing. She told me that I still hadn't progressed passed 5cm. At this point I had been in labor for 20 hours. She said she thought it would be wise for me to transfer to the hospital and get an epidural, that it might help relax my pelvis and Finn might drop down more (since his head was still a couple inches above my cervix). She assured us that things like an epidural and pitocin were more appropriate tools at this point and they could really help me. Charlie, my mom, and I took a few minutes to talk about it and we all agreed that we should go.<br />
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<b><i>Wednesday, July 17th </i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
We arrived at Group Health around 5am and were immediately placed in a birthing suite. Within two hours I had an epidural. At this point both Charlie and I felt defeated, discouraged, and scared. While I was relieved to have a break from the pain, I felt like we were dangerously on the edge. Here I had been with my water broken for three days, and in labor for almost 24 hours, and it still seemed that Finn was not ready to come out. I am glad though, that out of all the hospitals I was able to go to Group Health. The midwives and nurses there were wonderful. They read over our birth plan and listened to what was most important to us. They told us they were already huge advocates for skin to skin, and all of our other requests would be met without hesitation.<br />
<br />
After letting my epidural set in for about an hour, my contractions had weakened, which is normal. They started me out with the lowest dose of pitocin, as we told them we would like to take that as slow as possible. They increased it in small amounts until my contractions were regular and close together. They let us rest for a while and did not seem in a very big hurry to push my labor along, which was fine with us. By that afternoon I had only dilated to 7cm. Lynda, our new midwife, suggested that we break my second bag of waters as a last resort to get Finn down onto my cervix. She also inserted a uterine catheter to measure the strength of my contractions, to see if they were even strong enough to push him out. She said if this didn't work, that he was likely too big for me to deliver him vaginally. After seeing that my contractions weren't indeed strong enough, they increased my pitocin again for a few hours. At this point I thought we were heading for a C-Section. This was our last resort, and I just didn't have the hope anymore.<br />
<br />
At 5pm she came back to check me again, and she said I was fully dilated. Once again I saw joy light up Charlie's face. I was in a very weird place though. After laboring naturally for so long, having the drugs was such a strange and foreign thing. I didn't feel like I was doing anything, I was just laying there, and the drugs were delivering my baby. They came back in a little while and asked me if I was ready to push. I didn't really feel any different, it was just the strangest thing to think I was just going to open up my legs and push a baby out.<br />
<br />
But nonetheless we started pushing. Everyone was very encouraging and kept telling me I was doing a great job, and that Finn would be here in no time. But then Finn's heart rate started increasing, so they started giving me oxygen in between contractions. Then the thing that we had avoided all this time finally happened, I got a fever which meant I had developed an infection from my water being broken for so long. They informed us that this meant Finn would have to go to the special nursery after delivery and would need to be observed for 48 hours. All of this was being told to me while I was pushing and was very overwhelming and upsetting. At this point I just shut down. I was angry and disappointed and I didn't want to talk to anyone. Soon the obstetrician came in and the room was filled with people. They told me they wanted to try a vacuum since Finn was having a hard time getting under my pubic bone. Because of the fever and his increasing heart rate, they wanted to get him out quicker. I felt like everything was so out of my control, I didn't know how we finally ended up in this place, but I knew we just had to do what we had to do. The whole experience was so different from what I had always imagined. Here I was, numb, being given contractions by a drug, with a man pulling my baby out via a cord, and a team of doctors there to take him away after he was born. After some more pushing and a lot of pulling on the doctors part, Finn was finally born. He was crying so they placed him on my chest for a minute. I looked into his beautiful dark eyes and told him what a good job he was doing at crying. After they cleaned him and bundled him up they brought him back and I held him for a few minutes. He laid there so quietly and just stared at me as I talked to him. Charlie came to my side and started talking to him and Finn looked at him too. But then they took him upstairs. And after I was finished getting stitched up for what felt like twenty minutes, suddenly the room was empty and I was alone.<br />
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It is really hard for me to go on writing past this point. At the time, I thought I was fine. I was upset that I didn't get to be with Finn and Charlie, but after nearly two days of everything going wrong and constantly changing, by that time I had forgotten what I expected the hours after his birth to be like. After not sleeping for that long either, I think I was surviving off of a lot of adrenaline and other hormones, which was not really allowing me to feel a lot of emotions. It's only now that I look back and feel a lot of grief and sadness that I didn't get to be with Finn for six hours after he was born.<br />
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<b><i>Thursday, July 18</i></b><br />
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It took me a long time to feel okay enough to go up to the nursery to see Finn after delivery. After letting my epidural wear off, I had such a bad headache that it took me hours just to be able to sit up in bed. Once I finally tried standing I nearly fainted, then the second time my blood pressure was too high. I wasn't able to go to the bathroom (like, I couldn't feel the sensation). All of these things made me have to stay in my room longer. Finally around midnight I had had enough. I stood up and lied to my nurse and told her I felt fine, even though I felt faint. Finally she and Charlie wheeled me up to the nursery, where I finally got to hold Finn and feed him for the first time. I was so tired that I honestly don't remember much about that night, I imagine we stayed up there for a few hours, then went back down to my room to sleep. After about 3 or 4 hours of sleep they called us back up to feed Finn.<br />
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The next two days were a blur. We spent most of the day in the nursery with Finn and then would try to go back to our room to sleep occasionally. Looking back, I was having a lot of anxiety about leaving him alone, and therefore I didn't sleep probably more than 8 hours total over the three days we were in the hospital. I was so frustrated because everyone (the nurses, doctors, my family) kept telling me I needed to rest, but Finn was so fussy and wanted to nurse so often. On top of that was the stress of not knowing if he was okay or not. They ran blood tests on him each morning because of little complications here and there. He was hooked up to so many machines with wires that were going off constantly. He also had a really hard time latching on and staying awake during feedings which made him constantly fussy. I had so much leftover fluid in me (my feet and legs were so swollen that I could barely bend them at the knee) that my milk delayed in coming in.<br />
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<i>Finally released from the hospital on Saturday, July 20th</i></div>
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All of these things made the following weeks so hard. It took me a long time to feel physically okay. I couldn't sleep for ten days. You know that feeling when you almost get in a car accident and your body releases a burst of adrenaline and your heart starts racing? I felt that all day, everyday, for ten days. It was one of the scariest things I have ever gone through in my life. It messed with me to the point where I wouldn't even try to sleep anymore, because laying down and not falling asleep scared me. I panicked. I feared I would never sleep again and I wouldn't be able to take care of Finnegan and we would both die.<br />
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Hormones y'all. No joke.<br />
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I prayed constantly and eventually God answered my prayers. Even after I physically started feeling better, it was still a long road mentally and emotionally. But I can say happily after 3.5 months, I am my normal happy self :)<br />
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<br />Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-22568047243318606712013-07-08T21:00:00.000-07:002013-07-08T21:00:01.760-07:00Are you the church? It's no secret that our calling (our JOB) as Christians is to love people, share the gospel with those who do not yet believe, and build up communities with fellow believers. I don't know about you, but to me the task of witnessing to the world as Jesus commanded me to seems quite daunting. But no matter how introverted or new at Christianity you are, there is one thing you can do that can be the difference in someone joining your church or not: <i>you can make them feel welcome.</i><br />
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Maybe this person is a new Christian and coming to church for the first time. The whole experience can be confusing, which often times us "veterans" can forget since we have been singing "Jesus Loves Me" since we could coo. Find this person, introduce yourself, have them over for dinner, get to know them, be their friend. You just became another reason for them to come to church and a safe place for them to ask questions.<br />
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Or maybe this person is a former Christian who has been away from God and/or the church for a period of time. This person can often have an even harder time coming back to church. They are worried about opening about their life, being judged, or even just being questioned. Love this person, let them know that they are welcomed back with open arms, find out how you can serve them and pray for them. You just demolished the lies that Satan put in their head that has been keeping them from coming back.<br />
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If you can, imagine your brother/sister/parents/best friend lives in a different town and falls into one of these categories. Show new people at your church the hospitality you hope would be shown to them.<br />
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After all, we're not just <i>a part</i> of the church, we <i>are </i>the church.<br />
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<i><br /></i>Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-57897067976960493432013-06-19T21:18:00.001-07:002013-06-19T21:18:54.328-07:0035 Weeks<em>A side note before I start: I'm going to chalk my last post up to a few days of built up hormones and poor prayer. The next day I spent the morning praying and asking God to take all of burdens from me and he has TOTALLY answered my prayers. I am feeling much better now :-)</em><br />
<em></em><br />
I feel like we are at the beginning of the end, and I couldn't be happier. It seems so surreal to be saying goodbye to pregnancy soon. Since November 23, it has been my whole life. It's weird to think about wearing normal clothes again, it's weird to think about being able bodied and having my strength back, it's going to be weird not having everything I do or eat affect my growing baby. You seriously go through a complete mind and body adjustment when you are pregnant, nothing is the same. And now, it's all going to be done with.<br />
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On another side note, I would personally like to thank the five hundred people who have told me that I don't look like I'm ready to have a baby and who have commented on how tiny I am. It has made me realize how much we need to compliment each other more, it is such an easy blessing to give to someone! <br />
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Right now we are on "vacation" since Charlie just finished his spring quarter at the Art Institute and has two weeks before summer quarter starts. We have been planning out for a while how we would spend this break, and it has already been a very productive week. We have a ton of things on our "to-do" list that includes so many things, from selling a car to creating a paper filing system. <br />
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We decided to spend last weekend down at my parents house to take advantage of their patio space to sand and paint a bunch of wooden picture frames that we have been collecting at garage sales and thrift stores. We are also going to sand and stain some crates from Michael's (yes, hopping on this Pinterest train!) that we will be using as storage in our bathroom. On Sunday we also had a joint family baby shower with my sister since she is also expecting in September! It was a huge celebration and we were so blessed by the dozens of family members that came and the gifts they bestowed onto us. Now that our showers are out of the way, we have a pretty clear view of what is left that we need to get for baby over the next month. Yesterday we went to an amazing consignment store up the road and got most of the things left on our list. It seems so weird that we have pretty much everything we need. Carseat, stroller, swing, baby carrier... Are we really all prepared?<br />
<br />Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-24661957605687329292013-06-10T21:34:00.002-07:002013-06-10T21:37:05.595-07:00Why I'm not looking forward to the next six weeks. I have heard every pregnant woman I have ever talked to give the "I'm ready" speech, so I knew this time would come, but oh I wish I could find a way to get over these feelings. (Ya know, other than the fact that... I HAVE TO.) Here are my reasons for hoping that the next month and a half will FLY by!<br />
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1. I miss my husband.<br />
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This one almost doesn't make sense because I'm sure having a newborn and being sleep deprived isn't really going to spark up our romance, but I am just so darn tired of how irritable my hormones are making me. Again, I know it will most likely still be this way after delivery, I'm just looking five months down the road here...<br />
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2. I've got the pre-baby blues.<br />
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I'm terrified, anxious, excited, impatient, bored, unmotivated... the list goes on. Part of me just wants this baby here NOW, but the other part of me is SO SCARED for postpartum life. I am confident that once I hold my son in my arms, most of these emotions will seem so trivial and the joy will overwhelm me.<br />
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3. I am tired of being tired.<br />
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I have no energy or motivation. Charlie has been amazing and taking over a lot of the cooking and cleaning, which makes me feel awful! I have so much free time but no desire to do anything productive with it.<br />
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4. I don't want to gain anymore weight.<br />
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I know, I know, I'm such a hypocrite after writing <a href="http://insistandaspire.blogspot.com/2013/05/i-have-been-dying-to-get-this-off-my.html" target="_blank">this post</a> a few weeks ago. But I have officially let myself go and am just riding it out until the end. I have gained as much weight as is "recommended" for pregnancy, and anymore will be excess that I don't need.<br />
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5. IM TIRED OF PEOPLE STARING AT ME!<br />
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Okay, this is the hormones talking (and that I have ALWAYS hated being the center of attention), but seriously, we all got to this earth somehow and for most of us it was by a pregnant woman, so what's the big news? I got a big belly, go away.<br />
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6. I'm ready to start the next chapter of our lives.<br />
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To end this transition, to become a family, to have a routine.Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-1950257297543175482013-06-10T15:09:00.001-07:002013-06-10T15:09:27.156-07:00Where have I been? Part Two. (Make sure to read <a href="http://insistandaspire.blogspot.com/2013/05/where-have-i-been-part-one.html" target="_blank">part one</a> first!)<br />
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After finding out we were pregnant at the end of November, we started planning a quickie wedding for January. After taking up counsel with our pastors, we realized that we were just jumping into it because we felt like it was our only option, so we decided to postpone it until we felt like it was God's time, not ours.<br />
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Back to March...<br />
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At this point Charlie and I had been going through counseling for nearly a year through our church. In January we started official "premarital" counseling and met weekly. That week after my moms accident, we tossed around ideas of eloping, and when we met with our counselor, we brought it up to him. He was supportive and encouraging, and gave us a step by step list of things to do and think about, including finding a place to live, where we would elope, and other wedding details. The next week was hard as we tried to find an apartment in the Seattle area. I replied to probably 30 ads on craigslist, and had maybe 5 return my calls. The places we looked at were not promising, and I was starting to lose hope again. At this point I was frustrated and discouraged. Everyone kept telling me that living at home was not a good situation for me while pregnant. I was trying to do everything in my power to change that, but I felt like God wasn't hearing my prayers.<br />
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As usual, I was wrong.<br />
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The next weekend we found our perfect apartment. I already had a great feeling about seeing it, but when the landlord called me and said we could look at it a day early and before anyone else, I knew this was God opening a door. We applied that night and were approved the next week. We started moving in and set a wedding date for April 6, about two weeks later.<br />
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The way that God opened doors for us from there on out was astounding and I had never experienced anything like it. It made it so clear to us that we were doing things in His timing. <b><i>He had heard our prayers, and the wait was finally over! </i></b><br />
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We were married on a rainy Saturday afternoon on the shore of Lake Quinault. Only a few of our family and friends attended, about 15 I think, and it was all perfect. I will never forget the love that was bursting out of my heart for Charlie when we took our vows. I get butterflies just thinking about it.<br />
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<i>Our photo's were taken by <a href="http://arianalyneephotography.com/" target="_blank">Ariana Lynee</a> Photography, they were an amazing part of our day! </i></div>
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After the wedding and our relaxing night at the Rain Forest Resort (ahhhhmazing!), we came home and settled back into our new apartment. Charlie started school again on Monday, and before long we were in a full-blown-married-couple-routine. And we couldn't be happier :-) </div>
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<br />Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-87875600463158723062013-06-09T22:16:00.003-07:002013-06-09T22:19:34.917-07:00Pregnancy Lessons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>This is a candid list of some things I have learned throughout my first pregnancy so far, as I write this I am nearly 34 weeks. Please take whatever you find helpful and leave the rest. I am by no means an expert, but I love reading real women's perspectives on pregnancy, which is why I write this. </i></div>
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#1. Get a head start.<br />
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Pregnancy is this terrible game of "hurry up and wait." When you find out you're pregnant your mind naturally goes crazy with everything that will be changing and happening over the next year. You start to research what you need, what you need to do, what to expect.... For me this whirlwind climaxed then ended with my first trimester. After spending what felt like weeks reading and researching, I was ready for a break, it all just seemed SOOO far in the future, what was the point in trying to do it all now?<br />
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While that break was nice (and totally acceptable), all of a sudden I was 28 weeks pregnant (hello, LAST trimester) and I freaked the crap out. Here I was, feeling like the baby was going to come any day now, and we had not read a single baby book or taken any classes. Heck, we hadn't even chosen a midwife or a place to deliver yet, much less a pediatrician!<br />
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This sent me into a frenzy. It took me a few weeks to finally <strike>burn myself out</strike> catch up, but I am still feeling on the unprepared side. It is hard to find a balance during pregnancy of preparing yourself and staying relaxed. Most people will encourage you to just relax, they ensure you that you have plenty of time, <i>which you do</i>, but if you put everything off until your third trimester you will be overwhelmed. It is already SUCH an overwhelming trimester to begin with.<br />
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If I could go back I would have crossed the following things off in my second trimester:<br />
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-Picked a midwife and place to deliver<br />
-Created a birthing plan<br />
-Started reading baby books<br />
-Taken at least a few basic classes about labor, breastfeeding, and newborn care (we are skipping this altogether now)<br />
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If you're like me, then you have had what kind of stroller, baby carrier, nursing bra, bottle, etc, that you want picked out by your 10th week. But if not, then I would add "product research" to this list as well.<br />
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<i>Me and Charlie at the start of my third trimester, aka "the great freakout". </i></div>
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#2. Talk to other moms.<br />
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Since I am on the younger side and the first of my <i>best</i> friends to have a baby, I don't spend too much time interacting with moms of young children. But really, moms are the experts (who knew).<br />
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You can get a lot of opinions on the internet, my personal favorite, but when you're just not sure if your baby needs a swing <i>and</i> a vibrating chair, ask some moms. Is it insane to try and cloth diaper using shared laundry? Ask some moms. Staying up all night with your crazy fears about labor and all it's possibilities? Talk to some moms. (I have tried talking to Charlie about this a hundred times and bless him for listening, but men just can't understand the fear).<br />
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<i>My mom, grandma, and sister, three women who I love talking parenthood with!</i></div>
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#3. Be firm in your beliefs but flexible with your judgments.<br />
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You will surely become closer with other friends who are pregnant at the same time as you. My sister and a few close friends happened to get pregnant within a few weeks of me, which makes it more exciting! But boy is everybody different when it comes to pregnancy, babies, and parenting.<br />
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I'm a classic glass bottles, cloth diaper, breastfed is best, sulfate free, roll in the grass, hippie parent. (For the record, Charlie is too). But just like in every other area of our lives, my sister and I are opposites. Since I wanted this pregnancy to help us bond instead of alienating one another, I took a road that I don't normally take when I believe strongly in something, the road called "shutup, it doesn't matter." Normally I love making my family watch documentaries and read articles about the growth hormones in our food, but I knew that this just wasn't one of those opportunities. I want to keep my mommy friends close, not push them away. If I do stumble across a great video or book, I recommend it to my other pregnant friends, but I don't push it. I have strong beliefs, but I also know that I don't know it all yet, nor will I ever, and I sure hope nobody gives <i>me</i> a dirty look as I try to figure this "parenting" thing out.<br />
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If a friends asks for your opinion, by all means, share! People are more likely to be swayed by facts and information than they are by your personal bias or judgements though, so keep that in mind.<br />
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<i>The only person you need to be on the same page with is your partner, everyone else is optional. </i></div>
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<i>Photo by: Peter Larson Photography</i></div>
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#4. Pregnancy really isn't that bad.<br />
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I have come to the conclusion that pregnancy is given a bad rap by a small minority of two kinds of people. People who: actually have really bad pregnancies (I'm sorry if this is you) or don't get any sympathy from their partner and need to look for it elsewhere by complaining to anyone who will listen (I'm also really sorry if this is you :( I will listen).<br />
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But I believe that <i>for the most part</i> (again, if you are the exception please don't take offense) pregnancy is like every other time in your life; how you feel results from how you take care of yourself. If you are unhealthy or overweight to begin with, it's probably only going to get worse. If you don't drink enough water, walk enough, sleep enough, or eat healthy, you probably will be miserable. Such are the rules for any other time in life, but pregnancy tends to MAGNIFY whatever is going on in your body.<br />
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<i>(These rules don't apply to the first trimester. I was healthy as a horse before getting pregnant but I had such bad morning sickness I landed in the ER.)</i><br />
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For example, most people don't drink very much water. Certainly not the 897,298 ounces a day or whatever it is that we're supposed to drink. Normal people? Get thirsty, maybe a headache, drink some water, whatever. Pregnant women? Nausea, headache, dizziness, fainting, stomach cramps, general feeling of death. If you are out of tune with your body before you get pregnant, get it together. If you generally do okay, your pregnancy probably wont be the horror story you've heard so much about.<br />
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I really was expecting pregnancy to be some sort of nightmare. And while the heartburn, hemorrhoids, swelling, and rib cage matches aren't a picnic, it's really <i>not that bad</i>. So relax. Obviously I have yet to deliver, so I can't speak at all on that part, and it remains a nightmare in my imagination :) I hope I'm wrong on that one too.<br />
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<i>My best friend and I getting ready on my wedding day, 6 months pregnant. </i></div>
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#5. Thrift. It. Up.<br />
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My absolute favorite thing about living in the city is Value Village (we literally live right across the street), Goodwill, garage sales, and Craigslist. I have never been a big thrift store person, but because we live in such a big city, the selection is amazing, and I'm addicted.<br />
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As far as baby stuff goes, we pretty much just stick to clothes, blankets, and books (What to Expect for $1.99!!) at VV and Goodwill. There are about 1 billion onesies in perfect condition for $0.99, and jackets and pants for $1.99. Once you pay $1 for a onesie, you'll never be able to pay full price for one. Garage sales and Craiglist are also great for clothes, but also other items like nursing pillows, baby carriers, strollers, pack n' plays, etc. You can find <i>everything </i>for sale for such a better price than brand new. If you don't live in a city, then plan a weekend to visit one and hit up as many garage sales and thrift stores as you can in one day.<br />
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The following is an example of how much money you could save on clothes buying used vs. new.<br />
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<u>Used:</u> <u>Old Navy:</u><br />
<br />
15 plain white onesies $15 $50 <br />
<u>5 pants (lowest price) $10 $30</u><br />
Total $25 $80<br />
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Take all that money saved and go buy some diapers, which you can't get used ;-)<br />
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Chances are someone will throw you at least one baby shower, use this as an opportunity to register for the bigger stuff that you can't find used, and buy all the cheap baby clothes/blankets yourself. I've had several people ask me what I would "like" them to get me, and I knew my top priorities off the top of my head: Baby carrier, breast pump, stroller, nursing pillow.<br />
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<i>My first ever goodwill shopping trip, all for under $10. </i></div>
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I hope that this advice is helpful to you throughout your pregnancy. Pregnancy really is a wonderful and exciting experience, I have loved mine and wouldn't take it back for anything. Feel free to comment if you have any specific questions!<br />
<br />Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-681478810444380992013-05-30T17:52:00.001-07:002013-05-30T17:55:12.579-07:00I have been dying to get this off my chest. I'm just going to go out on a limb and say this...<br />
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<b>The way women treat their bodies is wrong.</b><br />
<br />
Yes, I blame the American culture, advertising, men, women, the media, your mom, and your ex boyfriend. But ultimately, I do hold <i>you</i> accountable for changing this. I hold myself accountable, I hold women everywhere accountable for how they view, think about, speak about, and treat their bodies. (I am speaking in general terms. If you are one of the few women who have been enlightened and treat yourself with respect, then praise to you.)<br />
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It starts with: how we think<br />
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Women are beautiful, kind, and they smell good. You may not realize this until you get married. The world needs us. But the world has also exploited that need and is attempting to manipulate us into thinking that we must be the most beautiful, kindest, and good smelling woman <i>on this earth.</i> You see Vanessa Hudgens? Yah, you need to be like her. Good luck. Here are 12 steps on Pinterest that I found to get you there.<br />
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But as much as we color, straighten, whiten, tone, tan, and try to transform ourselves into Vanessa Hudgens, we never do. Are we still beautiful, kind, and good smelling? Yep. But we don't really think so because... well... she's so much <i>better.</i> So we carry around a burden of inferiority and self consciousness our entire lives. We hate when there are "pretty girls" (you know, the ones with straight blonde hair) around, we hate taking our boyfriends to the beach where the in shape girls play volleyball, we never feel good enough. And in reality, we can't even see ourselves anymore. All we see is a scale of how we measure up to that other girl. <i>'Well her skin is a lot better than mine but my teeth are straighter..." </i>We're paranoid. What do we think is going to happen if we're not the best smelling in the room? I don't know, but it sure is awful to think about. <br />
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We have no idea how beautiful we actually are. How our family, husbands, kids, and friends see us. I can tell you right now that not a single one of my girl friends is ugly, but I'm sure if you asked them, they would disagree. We automatically asume that our husbands would be happier with that skinner girl over there, she is so beautiful.<br />
<i> </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Do you hear all of this? </i>I'm sure most of you are agreeing in your head. I'm telling you that this is <b>insane.</b><br />
<br />
This insane thought process is perpetuated when: we speak<br />
<br />
To our girlfriends, our moms, our husbands. The words "discontent" and "unsatisfied" are the first that come to mind. But you know what this does? This creates a world where women are judged based on their appearance. This speech is what <b>fuels</b> the media and advertising agencies. They hear us scrutinizing ourselves, they see our dissatisfaction, and they jump on it. Imagine a world where each woman had confidence and respect for herself, we would laugh at ridiculous advertisements. But by proclaiming that we're ashamed, by stating that we're not pretty enough, by complaining about how we look. The rest of the world is just following suit.<br />
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This all comes together in: how we treat ourselves<br />
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So we've been carrying around this burden our entire life. And it is heavy. We have completely stripped ourselves from confidence, pride, self assuredness, and peace. We have proclaimed it to the world and they are proclaiming it back to us. Our bodies, which were once a beautiful, living, breathing masterpiece, have been reduced to a shell which we try to spruce up, paint over, cover up, and make excuses for.<br />
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If we really viewed our bodies as a source of life, to be protected, loved, and respected, then we would remain objective about how we treated it. We would eat healthy, because that's what makes the most sense in caring for something. We would listen to our bodies, we would spend more time outside, exercising, and doing what our body craves. It's like taking care of a child or an animal. How you take care of it has nothing to do with what it looks like or how well it performs. You give it healthy food because that's what is best for it! You take it outside to the park because that's what it enjoys!<br />
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But we don't treat our own bodies that way. We base everything on our appearance. We think we are fat so we either eat out of sadness or drag our butts to the gym, we lay in the sun to get tan, a lot of us even go to extremes to change our appearance at the sacrifice of our health such as laying in tanning beds, using treatments that are loaded with chemicals, or having botox or plastic surgery. <br />
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It makes me incredibly sad when I see women who are hurting, defeated, and carrying around this heavy burden that their appearance is not good enough. When I watched the Dove sketch video, I cried. It is so incredibly sad that this is the norm. I know my mom and my sister have the same esteem in those videos, and I wish I could make everyone realize how beautiful they are, but even further than that, that how wonderful of a person they are doesn't have anything to do with their appearance.<br />
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This can be changed with: you.<br />
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During my pregnancy I have become extremely convicted of my poor body image and self esteem. A few months ago I had the epiphany that to change the world, I simply had to be a spark. <b>If I want men and the media to stop treating women as objects, I have to stop treating myself like an object.</b><br />
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So how do I do that? I make an effort everyday to view myself as more than a shell. To remind myself that my appearance is not the most important thing about me. I have tried to change my view of my body from that of something that needs to be "dealt with" to a living, thriving, piece of God's creation that should be respected and <i>loved.</i> When I do feel bad about my body, I keep the thoughts to myself, knowing that what I'm feeling is mostly hormonal and emotional, not how I truly feel. I make an effort to never talk negatively, but positively about my body in front of my husband, friends, other women, and especially other pregnant women. When my husband compliments me, instead of "correcting" him (because sometimes I think he needs to get his vision checked), I graciously accept. I know he isn't lying about the way he see's me, who am I to tell him he is wrong? I am letting go of the expectation that I have to have some miraculous "recovery" or bounce back after my baby is born. My body needs love and nurturing, not a deadline.<br />
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My goal in doing all of this is to encourage other women to do the same. <b>You do not have anything to prove to the world, or anyone. </b>Remove all expectations from yourself and give your body the love it deserves. Your body is nothing to hate, your body is nothing to complain about, your body is a magnificent tool.<br />
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Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-73320210916712220632013-05-28T11:54:00.002-07:002013-05-28T11:54:31.190-07:00Settling. Transitioning is never easy... but I never thought settling would be this challenging. The last two years and eight months of my life have been spent going through transition after transition.<br />
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I moved from Canada back in with my parents (decided, packed, and executed in two days), I got divorced, I joined a church, I started dating, I got kicked out of said church for dating, I went through depression, I started working a real job for the first time in years, I started community college, I started a business with my boyfriend, I joined a new church, I started counseling, I moved, I quit my job, I got accepted into a university, I moved again, I got a new job, Charlie and I got engaged, I got pregnant, I got fired, we got married, I moved to Seattle.<br />
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Pretty much nothing (with the exception of Charlie) stayed the same for longer than six months. But here I am, and though I am about to have a baby in less than two months and go through THE BIGGEST transition yet, my life is finally starting to settle. Or is it? There are still so many things that are changing. We are looking for a church, I am planning on finishing my personal trainer certification after the baby is born, Charlie is trying to figure out if he should take a different career path (or yet, an <i>additional </i>one), we are praying about where/what God wants us to go/do after he graduates. But I guess that is getting a little ahead of ourselves...<br />
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But something that I've known about myself for a long time, the thing that made it <i>so hard</i> for me to let go and trust God about staying home with our baby, was that <b>I thrive</b> on the transition and the stress. It was so exhausting balancing full time school, work, our business, church, friends, boyfriend... but I was too busy to have the energy to hate it. It occupied me, it distracted me. I never had to sit still and think about my life.<br />
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The stillness kills me.<br />
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The stillness makes me day dream about a better life in which I eat perfectly and workout with ease and never have trouble getting me and baby out of the house and Charlie and I are a part of a small group of other young couples who love and support us. And we serve and make a difference and use our talents for the greater good, and we save for a house and we live frugally. The stillness makes me obsess over all the things I don't have, over all the things I'm not. And I spend more time obsessing than I actually spend doing. And I fall into this pit of self loathing where I stop eating healthy and exercising and I spend money on things I don't need and most importantly... I <i>don't</i> pray about how I'm feeling.<br />
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And so I ask God to forgive me and I ask Charlie to forgive me. And I pray that the stillness wont be so bad this week because I just can't take it. I pray that I will use this time and opportunity for good and not just fantasizing about the good.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text Rom-8-1" style="background-color: white;">"<b>There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.</b></span><span class="text Rom-8-2" id="en-ESV-28103" style="background-color: white;"><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;"> </sup></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text Rom-8-2" style="background-color: white;">For the law of <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28103A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></sup>the Spirit of life <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28103B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup>has set you<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b> </b></span>free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span class="text Rom-8-3" id="en-ESV-28104" style="background-color: white;">For <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28104C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></sup>God has done what the law, <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28104D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></sup>weakened by the flesh, <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28104E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></sup>could not do. <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28104F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)"></sup>By sending his own Son <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28104G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)"></sup>in the likeness of sinful flesh and <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28104H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)"></sup>for sin,<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b> </b></span>he condemned sin in the flesh, </span><span class="text Rom-8-4" id="en-ESV-28105" style="background-color: white;"><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;"> </sup>in order that <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28105I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)"></sup>the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28105J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)"></sup>who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. </span><span class="text Rom-8-5" id="en-ESV-28106" style="background-color: white;"><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;"> </sup></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text Rom-8-5" style="background-color: white;"><b>For <sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28106K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)"></sup>those who live according to the flesh set their minds on <sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28106L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)"></sup>the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on <sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28106M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)"></sup>the things of the Spirit.</b></span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span class="text Rom-8-6" id="en-ESV-28107" style="background-color: white;"><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;"> </sup></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text Rom-8-6" style="background-color: white;">For to set <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28107N" title="See cross-reference N">N</a>)"></sup>the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span class="text Rom-8-7" id="en-ESV-28108" style="background-color: white;"><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;"> </sup>For the mind that is set on the flesh is <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28108O" title="See cross-reference O">O</a>)"></sup>hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28108P" title="See cross-reference P">P</a>)"></sup>indeed, it cannot.</span><span class="text Rom-8-8" id="en-ESV-28109" style="background-color: white;"><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;"> </sup></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text Rom-8-8" style="background-color: white;"><b>Those who are in the flesh cannot please God."</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text Rom-8-8" style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>Romans 8:1-8</i></b></span>Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-70407713164549172992013-05-07T21:47:00.000-07:002013-05-07T21:47:28.508-07:00Where have I been? Part One. I miss blogging. But so much has happened in the last two months that I don't even know where to begin to catch you back up to speed and get into the routine of normal posting again. But, I will try. This is a story of letting go and taking a leap of faith into God's plan for you. And honestly, it was probably my first time ever. I'm going to write this in sections for the sake of... well, everyone. <br />
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<b>The accident</b><br />
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The real reason I have put off blogging about life for so long is because of this. I apologize if I am brief but I am still very traumatized by what happened and don't feel like reliving it.<br />
<b> </b><br />
On March 1st we found out that our baby was a boy. We had been <i>dyyyying</i> for this ultrasound and were so content when we finally knew that we were having a son. The next day we had a very full day and ended it with an exhausted and bleery eyed trip through Target, where we spontaneously decided to buy the baby's car seat. It was our first real purchase. We came home and excitedly told my mom about our purchase. We were exhausted, so we got ready for bed. We were laying there (both on our phones I'm sure), when I heard a crash upstairs, like someone dropped something heavy. I didn't think anything of it. About 5-10 minutes later my brother knocked on my door and told us that my mom had done something to her face, that she was bleeding and wanted to be driven to the hospital, but he had been drinking so he couldn't. We both got up as my mom was coming inside from the back yard, it was then that we realized the severity of the situation.<br />
<br />
My mom had been on our back deck (one story above the ground), when she got up, she slipped and fell into the railing. It collapsed and she fell onto it on the grass below. She had a major gash (which we later deduced must have been caused by a nail) that started on the side of her head, went onto her forehead, across the bridge of her nose and ended on her cheek. The inner corner of her tear duct was also cut. The next ten hours were some of the most traumatizing I've ever experienced in my life, so I'm going to fast forward... My mom and I had rode in the ambulance to Harborview, and she was finally about to go into surgery with their plastic surgeon and ophthalmologist. Finally that afternoon she was out of surgery and we were relieved to know that her eye was in tact and would function normally (aside from her tear duct) and that she had no other major injuries.<br />
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At this point I had been up for two days and at my mom's side since we left the house in the ambulance the night before. But I was so emotionally overwhelmed that I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes it was all I could think about. Every time I left my moms side I worried about her constantly. The next day we brought her back to my Grandma's house, which we all decided would be the best place for her to recover and receive constant care. We spent the next week napping, watching movies and eating good food until she felt well enough to start getting around and out. <br />
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It was on that first or second day at my grandma's that Charlie and I shared a moment. I had been leaning on him so hard and he had been doing his best to hold me together. After taking a few days off of school to recoup with us it was finally his time to go back to Seattle. I looked at him and said something along the lines of, "I don't want us to have to be apart anymore." He looked back at me and agreed, and for the first time I could really see his pain in us not being married. We were both ready.<br />
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<br />Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-11007143492118922432013-02-27T13:41:00.001-08:002013-02-27T13:41:25.556-08:00You have a choice. A while back we were asked to photograph something for some long time friends (I'm going to be vague here because <i>they are</i> our friends and we love them). While we were eager to meet their needs as photographers, we could tell that they were less concerned with our work, and more concerned with finding someone to get the job done and hopefully treat it as a "favor" (since, ya know, we're friends).<br />
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We love taking photos and we certainly don't mind helping out our friends, we have had a lot of friends give us free stuff over the years. But usually this type of request is accompanied by an admiration and appreciate of our work. Or of high quality photography in general. But I could tell our friends didn't really care that much. We offered them the service at a minuscule fee, but they even considered <i>that</i> too high.<br />
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At this point, I was forced to make a decision. Let's talk about the two biggest factors that played a part.<br />
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1. My feelings.<br />
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And no, these aren't in the same category as pregnancy hormones. This is not the first time I have felt insulted by someone who undervalued my work and my time. I was a little peeved that they could not be grateful for the wonderful deal we were offering them, and I knew that stemmed from the lack of respect they had for what we do. The emotional part of me wanted to make a statement of defense and recoil my offer to show them how rude they were being.<br />
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2. The greater good.<br />
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But just because these people are my friends, I couldn't expect them to automatically have an appreciation for photography <i>or </i>an understanding of the work that goes into it. I know that a lot of people who initially have doubts about high end photography are cured in the aftermath. Once they've received their wedding photos the bill seems a lot less important. I knew that I had an opportunity to convert these people into photography appreciators, for lack of a better term. We could be professionals and <i>show them</i> <i>why</i> we charge what we do.<br />
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Now I'm not advocating that you work with anyone who undervalues you just to prove them wrong, you can lose a lot that way. But every situation is different, and sometimes it might be more valuable to overcome what you're feeling in the name of the greater good and your friendships.<br />
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<br />Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-67272736300378549962013-02-26T15:20:00.000-08:002013-02-26T15:20:02.979-08:00Things that drive me crazy on Pinterest. 1. These super common quotes that say...<br />
"First we had each other, then we had you, now we have everything." Way to teach your kids where to put <i>all </i>their hope and security in life.<br />
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<i>and</i><br />
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"All you need is love." Because that's crap.<br />
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2. Useless money saving tips like "How to make your own dryer sheets, this will save you a ton of money!". Really? Maybe it's been a while but how much are dryer sheets running these days?<br />
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3. Photo's of people holding frames in front of themselves or signs in their wedding pictures/professional portraits that say things like "She said yes!". <b>Let your photo speak for itself. </b>We can tell that you are engaged. Why are you holding a frame in your photo? Aren't you going to put it in a frame?<br />
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<b><br /></b>Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-15051096673442516012013-02-25T20:19:00.001-08:002013-02-25T20:19:14.247-08:00More than a lily. The last time I blogged was on Valentines Day. Later that day, one of my two bosses (the nice one) came in to tell me that the other (the mean one) had decided to fire me. I hadn't spoken more than a few words to the mean boss in weeks (we work in different cities) so it came as quite a surprise to me, but a pleasant one none the less.<br />
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You see, I had actually been praying that God would provide me a way out of this job. It was really stressful for me to work for such a tyrant, so much so that my heart rate jumped anytime I got a text or e-mail from him, I was so worried it would be in ALL CAPS! For the last few months I have been trying to work on loosening the tight grip I have on my plans and circumstances, and to be patient and wait for God's timing. My past has a pattern of making huge decisions based on my emotions and what I think is "right", and I am ready to happily give that burden over to my heavenly Father. I prayed and prayed about leaving this job, but I knew that it wasn't the right time to quit, so I kept waiting. I was relieved when my boss finally let me go.<br />
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In the mean time I am applying for other jobs and collecting some money from unemployment and our business to pay my bills. Luckily I don't have too many so my stress is low. I have a lot to do for our business for now and I am keeping plenty busy.<br />
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A lot of people (okay, everyone) has asked me what mine and Charlie's plans are. I know what they mean, he is living in Seattle and going to school, I am living with my parents in Shelton, <b>what's our plan?! </b>But the truth is that is also something we're praying about. After we found out we were expecting, we set a wedding date for January. But after talking to our pastor and our counselor about it, they helped us see that we were merely <i>reacting</i> and that we had backed ourselves into a corner and getting married was the only solution. But now we are taking our time, we are going through pre-marital counseling and asking God to prepare our hearts for becoming a family. We are content with answering "We don't know", because we trust that God does know.<br />
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I think I needed losing my job to reassure me that God <i>is</i> listening. He <i>is </i>faithful and he <i>does </i>hear the desires of my heart. I can rest in that.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Luke-12-24" id="en-ESV-25475" style="background-color: white;"><span class="woj">"Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Luke-12-24" style="background-color: white;"><span class="woj"><b><sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25475AS" title="See cross-reference AS">AS</a>)"></sup>Of how much more value are you than the birds!</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Luke-12-25" id="en-ESV-25476" style="background-color: white;"><span class="woj">And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25476AT" title="See cross-reference AT">AT</a>)"></sup>span of life?<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b> </b>I</span></span></span><span class="text Luke-12-26" id="en-ESV-25477" style="background-color: white;"><span class="woj">f then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Luke-12-27" id="en-ESV-25478" style="background-color: white;"><span class="woj">Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b> </b></span>yet I tell you, <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25478AU" title="See cross-reference AU">AU</a>)"></sup>even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Luke-12-28" id="en-ESV-25479" style="background-color: white;"><span class="woj">But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, <b>how much more will he clothe you</b>, <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25479AV" title="See cross-reference AV">AV</a>)"></sup>O you of little faith!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Luke-12-29" id="en-ESV-25480" style="background-color: white;"><span class="woj">And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25480AW" title="See cross-reference AW">AW</a>)"></sup>be worried.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Luke-12-30" id="en-ESV-25481" style="background-color: white;"><span class="woj">For <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25481AX" title="See cross-reference AX">AX</a>)"></sup>all the nations of the world seek after these things, <b>and <sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25481AY" title="See cross-reference AY">AY</a>)"></sup>your Father knows that you need them.</b></span></span><span class="text Luke-12-31" id="en-ESV-25482" style="background-color: white;"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;"><b> </b></sup><b><i>I</i></b><i><b>nstead, <sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25482AZ" title="See cross-reference AZ">AZ</a>)"></sup>seek <sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25482BA" title="See cross-reference BA">BA</a>)"></sup>his kingdom, <sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25482BB" title="See cross-reference BB">BB</a>)"></sup>and these things will be added to you.</b></i>"</span></span></span><br />
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Luke 12: 24-31Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-27029965518272044982013-02-14T11:51:00.000-08:002013-02-14T11:51:39.283-08:0017/40A quick update. <br /><br />I bought maternity clothes yesterday at H&M. I have been feeling so uncomfortable in my clothes the last week or so, it's nice to have some more stretchy stuff. I also had the first stranger approach me to ask if I was pregnant, which is the first time someone who didn't already know was able to tell. Woot. <br /><br />I eat Subway about everyday of the week, almost everything else upsets my stomach. But this baby loves it's sandwiches. Which is why I'm convinced it's going to be a boy, sandwiches are like Charlie's favorite food. <br /><br />I had a good three week stretch with no throwing up, but that ended this morning. Happy Valentines Day!<br /><br />In 15 days we have our ultrasound and will hopefully get to know the sex. We're finally both at the point where we're so excited that we don't even have a preference as to whether it's a boy or girl, it's going to be our baby! <br />Sara Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437774409201991546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527141361008692016.post-69496455150481893122013-02-10T09:15:00.000-08:002013-02-10T09:19:08.434-08:00A clean space. <br />
I love <a href="http://www.lifeasanartistpreneur.com/">Becka's blog</a>. So much so that Charlie likes to tease me a little bit about it. I found it a few years ago and it has probably been the only blog that I have followed closely. Her honesty and unconformity inspires me.<br />
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Last week she wrote about how she needed to downsize and simplify her life, which has become a new passion of mine throughout the last year. When I moved home from Canada in September 2010, I left everything in boxes. There were things that were still in boxes from my move <i>to</i> Canada two years prior. I didn't have any furniture that was mine, I just didn't want to go through it all.<br />
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But eventually I did, when I moved to Lacey last spring. It was the first time in years I had sorted through my stuff. A lot of things from my childhood and high school. I was very unorganized. Since then I have found it very liberating to periodically clean out the clutter and organize a bit at a time. It's hard because I keep moving, but I don't think there's anything more peaceful (besides a beach in Maui, which I will be writing about in my next post) than knowing everything that you own and having a place where it belongs.<br />
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So I will be following Becka on her own Project Downsize and hopefully picking up some tips along the way. I think it's time for another de-clutter of my own anyways. Anyone else going to join?<br />
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