Sarah Who Wanders...

 I am in my very last few days of my 30's. I have loved being in my 30's. I have felt strong, healthy, and happy. I have felt tremendous love and support from my family and friends, and manage to have an amazing marriage. I have had a close and growing relationship with my sons. I have tackled grad school to become a nurse practitioner. In my 30's, I learned more about who I am and what matters to me. On January 1st, 2022 I will turn 40 and ring in the New Year with a new decade for me. The plan is a somewhat quiet birthday weekend in a cabin in the snow with good friends, good food, and good times. Especially after the tumult of 2020-2021, these are the things my soul longs for. Do you make resolutions each year? Resolution means:  a firm decision to do or not to do something.  While I like that wording, I tend to use goals instead. I make goals. Goals are maybe not as firm? I guess that is a distinction I need as things are always changing and evolving. A goal is instea...

 I wanted to take a moment to post an electronic version of a Christmas card from our family to all of our loved ones. 2021 has been a whirlwind and yours truly will not be getting traditional cards sent out. Unlike all years prior, we have not even taken annual family photos-though have a session scheduled soon in the snow!  2021 has been a hot mess full to the brim of blessings and change for our family. I think all of the fluctuations in family and work life (and living in general) the past 2 years have taught us to embrace the unexpected and roll with it. Below, an update for our family as a whole and each member. Isaiah James: This year Isaiah is an 8th grader and I daresay our first (sweet) girlfriend is happening! Isaiah is a boisterous soul with a wicked sense of humor and adventurous streak a mile wide. This year he is enjoying exploring art as an elective, continued piano lessons and performances, and playing soccer and baseball. He loves that Matthew can drive him a...

 Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Today is a pretty low-key day for my family as the boys are in California with dad, and we are doing a non-traditional feast of pizza, salad and drinks this evening instead of turkey and fixings. It is my mama's bday today, and that is what she wanted.  Life has been very full. In September I began a new job working as a family nurse practitioner in primary care. I plan to blog more to share an inside look at medicine.  Obviously whenever I tell a story I have changed ALL identifying details of my patient, but have left enough in to get the meaning of the encounter for you. That should go without being said, but there: a disclaimer for you.  It has been quite the journey, and I must say that most days I actually enjoy my job. Would I rather stay home curled up with a novel or be out on the lake or traveling? WELL DUH. 😎But I can't make a living doing that so there you go. I always sought finding a job I loved enough to want to go to ...

I write not because I am an open book to all, but because many of you have been following my journey from afar for years-emailing and messaging me encouragement. I have treasured that and call you friends.  As many of you know, I announced today that I will be taking a role part time in Eugene instead of the one as originally planned full time in Albany. It was with a lot of prayer and consideration. I am having to have faith that all of the pieces of this puzzle will click together to create one lovely vision. I had a lot of hesitation about the role that I had accepted especially over time and after doing my specialty rotation in psychiatry. I've spent many years trying to figure out not only who I am but what it is exactly that I want to offer the world. I knew there would be some combination of working with children, my background in education, and my passion for mental health. There are sometimes I felt like Goldilocks where nothing was "quite right." Mental health f...

 This has been the best summer of my life, and still has another month to go! Since completing my MSN/FNP program and becoming board certified in May, I have been enjoying the most PERFECTLY BALANCED schedule. I am working just 16-20 hours per week still as an RN and there is glorious time available. If this is at all in your budget ever  in this lifetime, I can truly say I have never felt healthier, happier and less stressed.  After almost 3 years of balls against the wall (I'm sorry I can really think of no other way to describe it and know the metaphor is not anatomically accurate 😏), studying and learning and putting myself out there I now have time to REST. I have time to BREATHE. I have time to cultivate new and other passions. I began piano lessons and am learning very quickly, or so my instructor assures me. BTW, she is the nicest person ever and told me she feels silly giving lessons to someone who is "a professional," to which I replied, "Why? I want to le...

 I have been wanting to have the courage to travel solo for almost as long as I have dreamed of travel. I love my sons and my hubby-all of which are excellent travelers by the way, but there's something about a trip just for yourself.  Going somewhere I care about going, seeing things I want to see, meeting other people from around the globe. Barrett knows this has been a goal of mine for some time.  In 2015 I visited Rome with my friend Candi. I joined her for just 5 (AMAZING) days of her (even more amazing) journey through Italy and Israel. It was a joy to be there and 5 days was really all Barrett and I could swing for me to be gone, but I was thankful to come along. While I had a companion, I also had some of the joys and anxieties of traveling alone. I had my own room, I had to look out for my own bathroom and hunger needs (I am kinda like traveling with a toddler-potty stops and snacks please!), and I had some time each day or evening totally on my own. ALL ALONE-in...

I really am quite a simple creature, though many of you probably don't believe that.  You see me with my hair not a messy wreck and mascara on (I almost ALWAYS have mascara on mind you because my lashes are like nonexistent!), and you think "she has it all together,"-or maybe you don't think that and I flatter myself hahaha!  While it is true that I often have polish on my finger and toenails and a lightly made up face, it is only because I enjoy these things. Often going anywhere outside my home-including to work-garners a bit more effort, but I promise you I am NOT a girl that takes hours to get ready-Not that there is anything wrong with that! I have honestly had to pare down my routine and products (I may have used to have been that girl!) so that I can fit in things that are also important to me in getting ready for the day: yoga, time with God, and uh...more sleep! My most relaxed self is as pictured below, tank top/camisole from Old Navy, leggings, yoga tee-com...

 As promised, a new blog series here called "Sarah Says" with my personal recommendations on things I love. I will review books, travel destinations, household products/decor, Zen living (yoga mats, essential oils, etc.) and clothing/cosmetics as well as some of my favorite Amazon finds. If you can think of something you'd like reviewed by yours truly-let me know and I would be happy to look into it more! Today, we talk books. I am an avid reader, always have been, and while I work a bit less this summer and early fall I am getting to indulge almost to my heart's desire. If you too love to spend an entire day curled up with a book-or if you get in snippets between chasing toddlers and cleaning up messes, I have some great books for you. All books are recommended based on nothing more than my personal taste and the emotions they stirred up in me.  June Goals give or take a few ;) Disclaimer #1: I will try to tell you in the post and in future book reviews if a book has...