Schedule.

This is our first week of "Summer Vacation". I repeatedly play the theme song to Phineas and Ferb over and over in my head!

I am busy working this week on a schedule for us to have over the summer. With 3 kids (my 2 girls and my "is almost like my own" boy) I don't want to "boreds" to take over.

So I am busy trying different things to see what will be best!

Gav, is at baseball camp til 12 this week so I have the next few days to figure out what is going to work best for us!

I know we will have bible time and school time each day. Gav & madyson are both in AR at school and I want to make sure they make progress over the summer. Aubrie Kate will be working on 4k stuff over the summer.

Other than that I am busy Pintresting Ideas!


If you are a stay at home mom and have some suggestions I would love to hear!!! (Leave them below!)


Also! I am closing out a Thirty-One party on May 31st! Stop by and shop and stock up on great summer essentials! This month's special is spend $31 and get the All-In-One Organizer for $5!!!

Over on our Disney Blog, I talked about how we use Thirty-One to travel to Disney in today's VLOG!

School ends. Summer begins!

We are officially on summer break! School ended on Friday and we loaded up in the car(sans daddy broadus) and headed to our family condo in okaloosa island, florida!

Friday was madysons last day in kindergarten! I cried more than the first day!

While she was in school, I took aubrie kate to her preschool to the end of the year ice cream party!


Then ak and I decorated the car for a last day celebration!




We are at the beach right now with Todd's parents. We miss him VERY much. :( 

The adventures of Bird and snake

Happy Thursday!
I am on day 3 of stay at home mom life and so far....I love it. This morning Madyson asked me to set up our little baby pool in the yard for her, Aubrie, and Gavin to play in this afternoon. Today was a half day at school so I thought that sounded like a great idea since we would be home most of the day!

Aubrie and I were filling up the pool when I noticed the "army" of birds squealing, sqwaing, and cawing in our bushes. I ignored it at first then saw a baby bird on the ground. I figured that was the deal so I scooped up the bird and grabbed a basket out of the garage. As I was walking towards the bush, I saw another bird hopping around the yard. So I scooped up that bird and added it to the basket.

I was explaining to Aubrie that we usually don't touch birds because they can make us sick. But we needed to return these to the mom so she could take care of them bc they were too little to leave the nest. (yes, she will return. Its an old wives tale that if you touch a bird they wont return) As Aubrie and I were standing at the bush I reached up to stick the basket of birds near the nest when I saw it...

A HUGE SNAKE. i jumped back. Told aubrie to get in the back of my dad's truck and ran to the garage to find something long enough to get this snake. My dad came out as I was running to the garage and I told him the situation, he ran in to grab the BB gun, in case it was a poisonous one.

We creeped over to the bush, I pointed out the snake and we stuck the handle of the tool up in the bush and pulled the handled out. When the snake came out we realized it was a 4ft long king snake! We were going to pick it up and move it to the near by ditch but the fast booger took off...somewhere?!?! (we think it went under my dad's truck and up on the tire.)

I grabbed Aubrie Kate out and took her to the other side of the bushes. We had the baby birds in tow when we heard Roger, the lab, crying. Thinking "oh great, another snake. I put Aubrie (and the birds) in the garage and got the stick. Turned out to be another bird :) So we added that bird to the basket and put them on a table near the bush. About 30 minutes later, Momma returned. She fed them and came back numerous times during our pool  playing adventure.
As I thought about it, I got really emotional! (I think the whole last day of kindergarten tomorrow is taking a huge toll on me) That momma and daddy bird sensed danger with the snake and got their babies (who can hop, but not fly) out of the nest so the snake couldn't get them. Then them, along with their army of feathered friends attacked and made a mess of noise to try to scare the snake away.

I explained to the kids that no matter if it is a human momma, dog momma, cat momma, or bird momma...we love our babies and will do whatever we have to, to keep them safe.

Pretty adventful morning huh? Lets hope they all aren't this exciting! :/




*I have an open Thirty-One party on my site! May's special is spend $31 and get the All-in-one organizer for $5~ One of my favorites!*

Homestudy.

Our homestudy is DONE! I can't believe I am writing those words.

This has been the step of the process that we have gotten hung up on or at every time. 1x for an issue with the company, 1x our caseworker had to reschedule to go to court....it just seemed like we would never get pass that step.

Well today, we did. She came, she looked at all the rooms, fire extinguisher, fire alarms, cars, car seats...asked us a series of questions, wrote down alot of notes. and then left.

My stomach was churning the whole time. Being evaluated as a parent is a huge deal. Parenting styles, discipline....whew I am just glad to get that over with!!

So whats the next step?

Getting our baby! They will write up the homestudy and make sure all the paper work is in place. Then it will be to figure out who will best fit in our family. Our guidelines are under 3. 1 or 2 kids. My sister and I are a year apart and we were separated when I was born. I know how hard that has been on both of us and I wouldn't want to do that to a sibling set. So we could grow by 1 child or 2!

My gut is a boy...or twins. I don't know why I believe we will get twins but we have always said we wanted them. Either way. It really is ANY DAY NOW!

From there, the baby will be placed in our home and we will have monthly visits to make sure we are all adjusting. After 6 months, we will be legally the child's parents.

Thank you to everyone who tweeted me today. Prayers really do help! Now...we wait!


**I have an open party on my site! May Special is spend $31 and get the All-In-One Organizer for $5!! Its one of my favorites!!**

home.

This is a post I never, ever, EVER thought I would be writing. EVER.
After 2 months of working from home, I am officially "A Stay At Home Mom". SAY WHAT?!

Yes! After leaving the church in April and beginning my work with the Social Media company I quickly realized that the corporate world Sarah was no longer here. My idea is somewhere in the 2.5 years I was at the church she disappeared. Family became priority over corporate world. I gave my best at my new job but as much as I adore the company and LOVE my friends there....I wasn't getting the satisfaction that I thought I would have. I longed for more time with my girls, to clean my house, to be home. Todd and I wrestled back and forth over this for weeks.

It was literally a tearfest EVERYDAY! I did an experiment this weekend. To shut off my computer (until the kids were asleep...not in bed) and to not charge my phone. To just be a mom. To clean my house. To play with the kids. and I was so happy. I was unstressed, it was a huge relief, I felt like a new person. Todd and I really just decided to act on this instinct and "take the summer off" from 40 hours a week of work. I still have my contract job doing concerts, my part-time job helping at the hospital, and My Thirty-One business. So to say I am "unemployed" would be incorrect. I am just not a fulltime employee but a fulltime mom who has some "career hobbies"

For those of you who are reading this I am sure you are in shock. For the newbies, let me explain. I have claimed for YEARS that I would never be a stay-at-home mom. That I couldn't do it.
I was proud of my Working Mom status and our financial stability.

I am going to try this for the summer. Its 2 months. Who knows, I might love it and God might use this time to teach me things I had no idea were possible. and on the other hand, I could hate it and it bring nothing but stress to me and my family and I end up working at McDonalds. Either way, I am going to allow God to work in my life. Give Him the glory and be a mom that my girls will be proud of.

Pray for us during this time please and I promise to keep you updated.

to the seniors of 2012

Today was Baccalaureate service at church. This is when all the graduating seniors get recognized in front of the church.

As the "graduation march" started and these teens dressed in their cap and gowns started walking down the church, I had this overwhelming emotion come over me and the tears started flowing. (Actually they are right now too as I type)

10 years ago, that was me. I was that Senior that had the whole world in front of them and dreams, dreams, dreams! I was going to be a doctor or a nurse or a vet...I was going to work for Disney at some point....be married young, be a young mom...and probably run for mayor...one day.

Then as the emotions and memories flooded my brain, it was like it fast forwarded me 12 years, when I will be the parent that gets up to pray with my Senior girl. They showed a slide show of baby pics and senior pics of the students. In my head I saw madyson's first day of Kindergarten pic and her last day high school pic. The tears flowed more.

I glanced at these young people before me, many have had huge roles in my children's lives as sitters and mentors and thought if I were the speaker today...what would I tell them?

probably something like....

Congratulations, welcome to adulthood. Life is no longer easy. From this point forward you will walk your own path, not the path set before you by your family...your peers...your church. You are an individual now, a college freshman, a bootcamp rookie, a new employee at an hourly job. You are now a person who can decide how your life will turn out.

Some of you will go on to college. You will encounter people who believe different from you. Some of you will join the military and learn the sacrifice that has been made decades before you just so you could be an adult. Some of you will join the workforce, get married, have children. With all of these comes responsibility.

With responsibility comes outcomes or consequences. I suggest the first choice.

Life you life but live it with no regret. That means when you are 28 and talking to a bunch of 18 year olds make sure you can say "from the day I sat in your set to today, I honored Christ in every decision I made." Not "Man, I regret that I never attended that party everyone else did"

Life is hard. Sometimes its rockin and you are getting it all right. Sometimes nothing is right and you can't figure out why. Don't be afraid to ask God for help. He already knows the answers.

When you are traveling down the path to your dreams and goals and all the sudden the road runs out. Don't try to make the jump. Back up and give God the will. Let Him guide you, even if it is not what you want.

Pray daily. Get some sleep. But when you wake up...don't go out in public in your pajama pants. Go to class. Even if you get 10 skips...try to only use them when you really need them. and most of all....come home some. Tell your parents you love them. Keep them a huge part of your life. You will always be there baby, and they need to know that you are okay.

Congratulations graduating seniors!

getting close to the due date...

today's post is a little "calm". There wont be alot of ! in here but to track the healing process of the miscarriage.

According to my lovely babcenter.com updates I would be nearing my 33rd week of pregnancy. I can tell its getting close because the bundle of facebook friends that announced their pregnancy the same time I was having the miscarriage are beginning to have contractions, get uncomfortable, and deliver.

Over the last few weeks, I will be laying down and experience what feels like a kick. I researched and found they are called "Phantom kicks" were your mind/body experience traits like you were still pregnant.

I figured by now I would be 100% but at least once a week I get extremely depressed, curl up and cry. Mainly for whats not going to happen. In a few weeks I am not going to go in for a C-Section, I am not going to be bringing home my #3 the way, 33 weeks ago, I thought I would.

When I get upset, I am reminded of the day I sat in church, sobbing, feeling God calling us to adopt. It is the only thought that has allowed me comfort in this. That day was profound day. It was God, speaking to me. To love a child that didn't grow inside of me. But was created for me. After 2 years of a crazy adoption ride there is a chance we are getting close to bringing our #3 home.

I have learned that even though you feel like things are going great and are own track, sometimes God takes over the wheel and you take a detour route. To you, that detour route doesn't seem like the best route. But God, he knows best.

Some of the things I have seen take place over the months since the miscarriage is the following:
1) Todd's mom had a stroke when I would have been about 24 weeks. That is the same time I went into preterm labor with Madyson. The stress that caused on our family would not have been good for a high-risk pregnancy.

2)When Todd left his former job for his current job we lost our insurance for 60 days. Yes we could have paid for Cobra for me but the cost of that would have been 2x our mortgage. For a high-risk pregnancy 60 days without insurance is a lot.

I say all this to conclude to this. God has plans for us. I know that he will allow us to bend but never break.

He works miracles and who knows...in a few weeks, we could still be bringing our #3 home.

Thanks for continuing the journey with me.

Whoo hoo Wednesday!

OH! The Stomach Bug. Let me just tell you. Not fun! I am on the mend. Toast is the only thing I can keep down. Lucky, Pinterest keeps me entertained!

Source: keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk via Rachel on Pinterest

Other than the bug...Madyson is wrapping up her last few days at school! They have "themed" days this week. Today is Sunglasses and Popsicle day!

She found this outfit in our "save for baby #3" pile. Its a 3t. BUT it had popsicles on it...so she wanted to wear it! The capris are shorts...but she felt cool! :)

Tomorrow is Spirit day. And I am working on creating her a School Tshirt into something...cuter. Her XS is more like a medium and she has stretched it out over the year. So I am "making it cute..." Hopefully. :/

That's our week so far....Kinda easy! Can't believe this time next week we will have 2 days left in kindergarten :(

The Bug in My tummy

I have a bug in my tummy and it is no fun! I have a great blog post for you for later in the week but it involves food, and well....I just don't want to look at the pictures right now.

This past weekend was great. Friday we had a birthday party to go to, Saturday I had breakfast with my mom and girls at Cracker Barrel. Saturday night my girlfriends and I went to eat at a yummy restaurant.

Sunday we spent Mother's Day with Todd's mom!

It was very nice!!

But the bug in my tummy came Sunday night and it is not my friend!


A few things to address:

1) if you live in my small town and you read something on my blog and you would like to know more information, just email me...or facebook me. I will not think you are being nosey. If its here, its open game.  Even if you don't live in the small town...same applies.

2) Madyson has 9 days of school left.

3) Todd's mom is doing better. Her recovery is like watching God heal the blind. simply amazing.

4) Our crazy out of this world life is starting to get back on track, praise the Lord.

5) Its almost time for Disney. Whoop Whoop!

Okay, I am off for more clear liquids and some more BRAT diet. Hope to be back soon with a great post with TONS of pictures!!

My New Favorite Photo

Aubrie kate is playing Tball for the first time this year!

She is enjoying hitting the ball and playing in the dirt with her 2 amigos! (Polly and Allie)

We ordered a team pic and an Individual pic but we also got a "daddy and me" pic.

It is my new favorite photo.

 

Look at ME!

So most blog post this week award goes to me!

I have a new system in place for blogging so I hope to stay caught up now!

Thank you to all 300+ of you that visited during Kelly's "Will you be my friend?" SUYL. I am so excited to grow my list of MS bloggy friends!

I have had so much feedback on "Just need to write" through tweets, emails, and messages. Thank yall for the kind words and support. Life is getting a little less chaotic, but I have a super strong feeling that God is up to something BIG. Words can not describe what is going on in my heart right now, but my whole "outlook" on things is getting wider.

Sunday in church, our Pastor spoke about David and Bathsheba and sin and responsibility. 

 "The failure of responsibility is a welcome mat for the enemy."

This is going to be my motto for the month. I am battling a spiritual battle inside. For 2.5 years I have been surrounded 6 days a week by Godly people who supported me daily. Now, it is up to me to bring God into my life. Working from home adds alot of extra responsibility. Family is A LOT of responsibility. And managing it all is huge responsibility. The only way to do it all and do it all successfully is by leaning on Him to give me strength and help guide me.

On the Adoption front: If I go by my gut, a lot should be happening in the next few months. You know before you give birth you get that "nesting" feeling? Well, I defiantly have that right now. I need baby #3's room done, I have a desire to start doing a lot more and this is a new feeling for me. This whole process I have been kind of "going through it" without the emotions that normally go along with adoption. My reason behind it is this is God's thing. I know He is in control and I have done really well to just let the process go His way and tried not to let my emotions of I WANT MY BIGGER FAMILY NOW get in the way. But in the last 2 weeks, the nesting feeling has set in. And this was brought on by nothing. SO, we shall see!

Aubrie Kate is done with 3k preschool for the summer!

Last Day at 3k!

 She will be hanging out around the house with me/Todd/or a sitter until Madyson is out at the end of May. Then we will have a little Summer celebration kick off, then my mom will step in to help me during June&July (as well as some super fun "big girls" to help!) THEN in 60 days we leave for DISNEY!!!

I am so excited about our trip to Disney World! Our best buddies are going with us this year. You can follow along our planning process over at our Disney Blog!

On the Lifestyle change, I am now into month 2 of my big lifestyle change! For the newbies. I gave up eating all animal products for 2 weeks. My life changed! On week 3 I integrated milk, cheese, eggs, chicken and fish into the diet. But kept red meat out. Week 4 I thought I could eat a hamburger at a cookout and be okay. WRONG. never been in more pain in my life so I gave up all red met.

I have not felt better in my entire life. Including the years of playing soccer, cheerleading and dance.

I am down 14lbs total. and still have 6 to go! But, I am content with this size. I feel healthy. I look healthier and I can see my family making better eating choices. I have a TON of recipes to post! My girls are diggin Veggie Grits and Turkey Bacon on the weekends!





Butterfly

A few weeks ago our little town presented a "caterpillar parade" to mark the kick off for spring. The kids (by the hundreds) doned their wagons and bikes and carried balloons and noise makers! WE (yes the Broadus girls) paraded through the town to the magic show! While the girls were enthralled with show I snuck away to adopt a caterpillar cocoon. The city had them all ready to go!

The girls were delighted we were going to have a butterfly guest very soon! We put ours in the pantry bc it has low light and is cool but not cold.

After 7 days we went in to check on it and there it was! Our cocoon had hatched and we had a beautiful butterfly!

We allowed him/her to dry off then we opened up the case, expecting the butterfly to fly away.

But...It did not. Our butterfly (the girls named it sparkles) pranced around the edge of the container but never flapped its wings. For 45 minutes the butterfly tiptoped to the grass, then back into the container. Then back to the grass. Then back to the container. The girls were SURE that Sparkles wanted to stay with us forever, thats why she wouldn't leave.

However, as a person going through alot right now, I felt for Sparkles. Here she was once a little caterpillar then all the sudden. BOOM. A butterfly. She had to learn to fly, learn to live life with wings. She didn't have to stay on the ground anymore, she could now fly!

 My mind started to wonder as I watched Sparkles. God is amazing. He has created all of u,s butterfly to human, and yet as different as we all are...in ways, we are the same. New experiences make us cautious, like leaving our container for the first time. The grass feels different, this new body is strange. But yet, it is okay. Its okay to experience new things, even if they are scary. Its okay to climb up and just soak in the new life. we get ready to fly...

 Then we land, sometimes it takes a few times to get it right,

 but when we do, we can soar!

Dance Recital

The girls have wrapped up their dance recital for the year!

This was Madyson's 3rd dance recital and Aubrie Kate's First!

Madyson decided about a month ago, she was done with dance, so since the recital was paid for and her costumes ordered, she agreed to finish it out but is looking forward to taking piano next year. She says "dancing isn't my thing". Which is fine with me! ;)

However, our little diva proved to be quiet the entertainer. Aubrie Kate worked her little booty and has declared that she is going to do it again....tomorrow night:)

Here they are on Friday night before the rehearsal. Madyson is NOT that much taller than Aubrie. She is standing on a tree root :)

Before the recital in their Ballet costumes

And after the recital in their Jazz Costumes

Todd's mom (almost 2 months post stroke) came and sat through a 3 hour dance recital. As well as her twin sisters and mother. My parents were also in attendance and Todd's StepDad was there as well! (see below)

It has been a great year at dance but BOY are we glad it is over! Now on to our last few weeks of school for Madyson! Aubrie Kate finished up her last day at preschool Friday! (more on that later!)

Making Friends-SUYL

Welcome!

I am Sarah and welcome to my family's little neck of the blog woods. I am SO thankful you dropped by for Kelly's SUYL "Making Friends" edition.

 If you are a regular here, let me take a second to share that Kelly is doing today's SUYL as adults connecting for new friends. You guys are already in the Broadus friends list, but feel free to read along!

First, a little about me. I am a "later twenties" mom of 2 precious girls!

(See? Told ya!)

 and a #3 that is expected to arrive later this year via Domestic Adoption

I live in Mississippi, I work from home for a social media company as a Sales & Advertising Rep.

I just started this position last month before that I was a Children's Ministry Assistant at our church and before that...well...I did this

worked for our local Zoo! (greatest job EVER!)

I have a deep and serious passion for the following:

My Lord Jesus Christ

My family

Cooking/Food

Repurposing Stuff

and duct tape

Here on the broadusbunch.com We talk about everything from digging through the trash to miscarriages(had one in Dec. just now can say the word)

and Vegan life (I try, I do...) to being a "GRAY" mom

a what?

a gray mom. I don't believe parenting has to be white or black. I believe in the "gray tones" That there is always a happy medium between the extremes.

My husband and I have been married for almost 7 years. We are HUGE, HUGE Disney fans.

we are going on our 3rd trip in 4 years this summer with our best friends!!

I can't spell, have no idea the proper way to use a comma, and sometimes just write because I have alot on my mind, and sometimes I just post funny youtube videos to help you through the day.

Whatever your reason for stopping in, I am glad you did!

We didn't even scratch the surface so

Stick around, there is always something stirring here at the Broadus Bunch!

Make A Ball: Review

A few months ago I was contacted to do a review for the online company Make-a-ball. Tim (my rep) and myself spent a few days via email designing "the perfect fathers day gift".

Daddy Broadus is in the process of finally getting his "Man Cave" finished. (this also double duties as my office 6 hours a day so its not to frat boy :) Iin his cave, he has a collection of autographed footballs from Brett Farve, Peyton Manning, some coach that's suppose to be cool...he has been looking for another ball to fill the empty shelf in his Man Cave. When I shared this with Tim, we decided to do a Todd Broadus Ball. You heard me right!

Todd played football in high school and in college (anytime you are over, he will be happy to relive his football days by making you watch VHS tapes of it...) He has his high school jersey framed (over my desk) and I knew he would be tickled if this football came out like I hoped.

Well the other day, the box arrived and inside was this beauty.

I let Todd open the box and told him it was an early Father's Day gift. He was so excited. This is my favorite picture of Todd (pre-Sarah) it shows his love for the Lord and football, what a true Southern Boy!

The quality of this ball is extremely well done. I am not only impressed, I am trying to decide who else should get one! I believe this would be a great gift for a graduating senior, a first time T-baller, a state champion...or even a dad who adores his "glory days" I can see this being a great award for teams instead of a common trophy (online they even have a multi-ball discount!)

Our experience with Make-A-Ball has been outstanding. If you are looking for a unique gift to get that sports lover in your family, I highly suggest using Make-A-Ball.

Broadus Bunch readers get a special discount

 (THANKS MAKE-A-BALL!!)

use code MAB.20.REF for 20% off your order!

**Disclaimer. The review above is an honest review about a real company. No money was exchanged for the reveiw. A product was designed and sent to us and we tested, discussed, and reviewed it wih our own minds. **