Category: Tired Mommy’s Tales

Dear Grandpa

Posted on by Sarah Marshall
Guarding Slave Labor Camp during WWII

Dear Grandpa,

It’s been two years since you’ve left us. I wasn’t prepared for it at the time. You always battled back from whatever evil tried to take you down. I guess I was naive to think you could pull that off forever.  I don’t know how much Brooke will remember but I’m so SO glad that she was there to see you one last time.  The smile on your face when she came into your room is a memory I will treasure forever.

I will tell her about that day as she grows up and how even as your time with us was coming to an end, your family could bring you such joy.  I try to share as much of you as I can with her. “My grandpa liked *this*.” “I used to do *this* with my grandpa.”

You already know this but you’re still with me all the time. The man across the street reminds me of you. I see him mowing his lawn and he wears clothes very similar to yours, has a build similar to yours, even wears the same style ball cap. When I see him I smile and I tear up. How the sight of a stranger can make you so happy and so sad at the same time, I’ll never understand.

I sometimes wonder what you would think about decisions I’ve made or what I’m doing. I think you’d be proud. I have a great marriage, a wonderful little girl, I’m taking charge of areas in my life that were faltering…I’m happy, really happy, and I feel that’s all you ever really wanted for us.

Study break with some #redpop in honor of Grandpa. I miss you and tonight in honor of you, I drank an honorary bottle of Redpop. I hope you’re having some too. And maybe some peanuts…and all the other foods you weren’t supposed to have.  We all knew you ate them anyway!!

Until we meet again,
See-rah

Compassion Change Tour {Wordless Wednesday}

Posted on by Sarah Marshall

When the Compassion Change Tour came to our church, we had the opportunity to see and hear what life is like for sponsored children, like our own sponsored child Emerzon. We toured the life of Julian from Uganda.

The alley behind Julian’s house
Compassion Community Center – Psalm 127
Compassion Community Center – The simplest things to us are great treats to them
Compassion Community Center – Correspondence to and from Sponsors
Julian obtained a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Baylor thanks to Compassion’s influence in her life

Yesterday, I ran

Posted on by Sarah Marshall

I stepped up on the treadmill. My Couch to 5K app was up and ready. Headphones plugged in and ready to rock. I pushed start on the treadmill and the app and began my brisk warm-up walk.

The clock was approaching the 5 minute mark when I would do the first run portion of today’s training.

I glanced at the cute skinny blonde on the treadmill next to me. A pang of self-doubt hit me as I imagined all the snarky things she could think of me if I tried to run.

Luckily, something in me pushed aside the negative dialogue and replaced it with positive.

“What does it matter what she thinks?” “You have to start somewhere” “Don’t put it off”

So when the voice in my headphones said “Start to Run”, I did. For a full minute. And I didn’t die.

For twenty minutes, I alternated walking and running. My left shin hurt and I felt awkward. I wondered if the people around me could tell.

After the 30 minute C25K program was done, I headed over to the elliptical. That machine and my thighs do not get along. But I’ve challenged myself to go a little longer each time I’m on it. Yestrday I went from 7 to 10 minutes!!

After 15 more minutes on the treadmill to cool down, I called it quits for the day and wondered why, of all days, was today the day we forgot our water bottles?