a hard-working man and a little hiker

My husband, Parker, is one of the hardest working people I know.

(Bear with me while I brag a minute. I have no shame in bragging on my man!)

He throws himself into what's before him, even when it may not always be what his heart is wanting to be doing.

He is an incredible daddy and husband. he mentors other men and walks closely with several "brothers", he owns his law firm with a few other partners, where he does law, brings in new business, helps manage a growing practice, he always has his hands in entrepreneurial dreams and deals going on, he answers the phone to people needing counsel, even when he really doesn't have the time, and he is a dreamer.

He is obedient to what is before him and is a very organized and efficient person.

He speaks truth to me and to our children, and always points us to the root of things so that we can really work through our hearts with the Lord.

He hasn't given up on me all these years, though sometimes he probably should have.

He loves people well.

Especially his family.

And especially his girls...

and this one in particluar is quite the Daddy's girl.

His Abigail, his "bug".

Yesterday, in the midst of being super busy and trying to balance it all...

he took his girl "hiking".

Needless to say, she had the BEST time.

Quite an adventure, I heard.

She loves her Dada.

I imagine these won't be the last "hike' pictures I share of the two of them!!

(I love you Parker, you are an incredible man. Abigail is blessed you are her forever hiking buddy!)

Tsu : a new and beautiful way

If you haven't already heard of the new social media site that is currently launching, then you will hear it from someone soon enough, I'm sure of it.
I'd love to be that someone, as I am a big believer in this new network of social media!

It's called Tsu, pronounced "sue", which they say means "ideal" in Japanese.
That's because the founders truly feel this is the ideal way for social media to happen.
And I could not agree more.



If you want to just go check it out now, you can click on this link.
(you have to be "invited" to join...think, Pinterest. :) )
http://www.tsu.co/sarah

 Let me start by saying this real quick, so you know where I am coming from 
(because if you know me, you know I am not a huge "pusher" or "promoter" of things)...
but Parker and I truly believe in this. 
We were fortunate enough to be brought in by a good friend who has had his hands and efforts pouring into this site since he heard about it while it was still in its Beta version. 
After much due diligence and research (I AM married to a lawyer!), 
as well as seeking some wise business counsel, and lots of prayer together,
we decided to jump full force into backing this new site.
And we feel so much peace, and even joy about it, and are excited about sharing it now with everyone we know!

It's funny,
As much as I love social media, and use it daily...I never thought I'd be totally immersed into spreading the word about it, and actually be excited to spend my time and efforts on helping to build this network. 
But with this...I love working on it, and sharing about it...
why?
Because it is done right.
The RIGHT way social media should be done.

let me explain.

You probably love your Facebook and Instagram accounts as much as I do, and I am not speaking against them.
What I am going to try and explain, is that there is just a better way.
 (I'll try to be quick and simple, track with me here)

So, you know all those ads over on the side of Facebook?
Those advertisers get paid by the number of eyeballs that are driven to their ads/buy their stuff, right?
So, those companies pay BIG bucks to Facebook to be seen on all of our "walls".
(about 12 billion bucks this year)
And WHO is it that is driving the traffic of eyeballs to look at those ads?
YOU are. We are. I am.
(and I am not just talking about if you actually click on those ads, which let's be honest, I hardly ever do that...the advertisers just want to be seen. Just like a billboard.)

So to the big question.
WHO is keeping all the money that advertisers pay for people to look at them?
The big guys are, that's who. Facebook.
That's why it is worth Billions. 
yes, with a B.
And again, who is driving the traffic, providing the content, building the network larger, so that more eyes see those virtual billboards?
yep, WE are.
So a kind of blunt way to look at it?
We are employees of Facebook (and Instagram, who Facebook owns).
hmmmm.

I'll let you re-read that if you need.
ok did it sink in?

So now, let me tell you what the awesome people at Tsu have done about it all.

They have taken a different approach, in that the company (Tsu) is only keeping 10% of all the revenue from ads.
And the other 90%? 
It is being distributed to the content providers, the ones who drive the ad dollars...US.
Why would Tsu.co not keep all the ad revenue?
Because they recognize that the content providers are the ones creating the value!
Genius and honest, if you ask me.
A pretty beautiful way for things to be done.

So what do you have to do to be a part?
Create an account, that's all!
The only difference between this and other sites is (like I mentioned above), you have to be invited by someone already in the network.
Oh, and that you get PAID!!  
I'll invite you again at the end of this post! I want you in on this, friends!
It's free, and it even has an awesome app you can find in the app store.
(PS i LOVE the app, it's so simple yet has a ton of features. Very clean feeling too, which I love!).

Once you join, all you have to do is just post.
Post like you do to any other site! Share pictures, articles, random things...
not anything you aren't already doing!


And then build your network.
Invite your friends with your own "shortcode" (the link of your profile).
Invite as many people as you want, the bigger this network grows, the more advertisers will pay to be on it! And the more advertisers pay, the more the content providers get paid...
aka, money in your "bank".

One thing to keep in mind as a bonus of this, as you build a network...
The bigger the content provider, the more followers they bring in, right?
So that means, be thinking of who you may know that has a large following, whether it's a person, a celebrity of some sort, a business or whatever.
The more followers who "sign up" under your code invite, the more potential you have to make money!
It sounds a little network-marketing-ish, but believe me, it is not.
(been there done that!)
...this is actually the opposite...the money goes to ALL the content providers, not just the big ones.
 ie. some big names are already on Tsu, like the rapper 50cent. (so cool!)
So not only is 50cent gonna make a ton from his millions of followers that will follow him over, but the guy that invited 50cent to join will also make a percentage of that.
So awesome, right?

oh, and speaking of 50cent, and the other celebs on Tsu...be watching for a media day very soon!!
This thing is going to blow up once they all announce they are on!! woot!!

And as far as your bank goes, there is so much to tell you about that.
Pretty awesome stuff that you can do with the money you earn.
(get a check sent to you, "transfer" money to other friends in the network, donate it directly to a charity with the click of a button, or just leave it there and watch your royalties grow!)
I've already made a little money, y'all...and with only 1,200 people on the beta version of the site!
Imagine what it could be like with 120K people on, or 12 million, or...you get my point.


So I am ending this with some important things y'all should check out...

first of all, here is the invite to join and make your own account.
http://www.tsu.co/sarah

(and once you make your account, you can get to the FAQ's through the setting tab, and that has a ton of good info to help understand it more!)


So, have I convinced you?
If I haven't that's ok, because I fully think that when this thing catches fire, you will see that you should be on it too! :)
We truly just want all our friends to be blessed by this amazing new network and platform.
So, thanks for listening.

And please, do not hesitate to email me personally if you have any questions or want more info.
ourhopereclaimed(at)gmail(dot)com.

I love you all.
Welcome (or Come on over!) to Tsu!! 

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** if you have already been invited to join by someone else, then please, by all means, use their code and not mine! I want everyone to be blessed here!**

(the button below will be over on my sidebar, it will take someone directly to my code to sign up!)



 

maternity photos

While I was in Seaside, one of my best friends Danielle, who happens to be an incredible photographer, did a maternity shoot for me. 

I am so excited to have these pictures of this beautiful little miracle inside me...

 God is so good.

photography by Danielle Burkleo

Thanks, Danielle. These mean the world to me.

8 by the GLORIOUS Sea

 It's one of the most amazing things in my life, really.

These girls, these friends God gave me.

We met in such a "crazy" way...proving God's value of friendship and authentic relationship, and that He will be as creative as He needs to be to bring us just that.

(if you don't know our "story", we all met through social media, became close friends, dreamt up a  trip together...and just went on our third trip. We live scattered across the country, but are as close as sisters.)

This year, we beached it.

We went to glorious Seaside, Florida and had a beautiful time.

The water, the sand, the salty air, the food, the gorgeous house, the incredible food (and cooking it together), the late night games of Mad Libs and Would You Rather, an awesome "get to know you better" game...it was ALL glorious.

Most of all that I was just WITH my people, my girls.

I love them with all my heart, they are an answer to many years of prayer.

God chose them for me.

I love you all...

// you can see all the beautiful pics from our trip on Instagram with the hashtag #8bythesea...
and follow all the beauties I call my best friends! //

some (old, and new) get-to-know-me's . . .

Someone, actually several people, told me lately that they love when people share "get to know you"s on their blog or social media.

There's even a "Friday Introductions" started by some amazing ladies on Instagram, to help followers and friends be reminded or get to know who each other are. LOVE that idea, btw.

So...I thought as I pick back up and dust off the ole blog here, 

I'd repost something I shared a while back, with some facts about me...

a few things might be different, and I will add a few new things in right now, but it's an overall random overview of me! 

here goes. :)

Id LOVE to read your "get to know you's" for whoever wants to share!!

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Before I was a mommy, I worked as a Child Life Specialist.

Most people have never heard of that...but basically my job was to help children cope with hospitalization. I worked mainly with kiddos with traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and long term illnesses. It was very difficult, but very rewarding. I met some amazing, perspective-changing kids.

I'd love to go back to it someday, or at least be in the medical field again! I actually really love the hospital setting.

I am adopted.

I was adopted at 6 weeks old to the best parents in the world, and I've always considered it such an amazing blessing, and have the utmost respect for those who adopt, as well as for those who give babies for adoption.

I remember learning as a little girl that "I came from my mommy's heart instead of her tummy". I am forever thankful for my parents.

(and on that note) I met my birth mother and her family a few years ago.

It has been an amazing blessing to add family into my life...I even gained 2 younger sisters, and was in one of their weddings! God orchestrated it all so amazingly and I am so thankful for the gift she gave to me and to my parents, and am now thankful to have them all in my life as well.

(my two sisters meeting Bethany!)

I danced competitively my whole life.

every kind: ballet, jazz, hip hop, pointe, tap, modern.

It was my LIFE...day in and day out, dancing is what I did.

 {Abigail is my little Ballerina now...a DREAM come true!!!}

I LOVE being preggo.

Dont get me wrong, there are hard days, and especially #2 was more difficult bc I could not rest much with a toddler already. But I love it. I love how it feels, I love the weekly milestones,

I love my belly. And I love the amazing creativity of the Lord in it all.

**and being preggo with # 3 right now is def something I LOVE, because it is on the heels of several losses...but it is DEF more tiring, Ill tell ya! **

I am a die hard Texas Aggie.

I have been going to games since I was born, and have sat in the same seats my whole life.

Funny thing is, I did not go to college at A&M, but I rooted for them against my own school!

My Dad had a very valuable role in the university a long time ago...so it is just how I was raised.

I have lots of maroon t-shirts. :)

(Abigail's first game, Whoop!)

I have a tattoo.

Some people would never guess that about me, but its true!

It's of an Icthus (Christian fish) and it is on my foot, right below my ankle bone)

I had wanted one for a long time and about 6 years ago, decided it was time...

I've never regretted it and I secretly think about getting another one someday.

**and since I wrote this post, I got my second tattoo, the word "hope" on my wrist. I got it after going through several losses and deaths, and a big health scare. I absolutely love the daily permanent reminder to me of where my true hope comes from. I never thought a tattoo could be used as a tool of daily encouragement like it has in my life!!**

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 5 years ago, BUT...

after many tests, lots of pain, several scary possibilities, I was "diagnosed". But in March of 2008, I was prayed for, and healed. yes, HEALED. immediately. Like I have never again dealt with the many terrible symptoms I once had. It was one of the most life changing events ever, and I definitely will post about it someday when the Lord leads me to.

**you can read more about my healing here**

I hate running, but I love to do races.

It's not like I've done a bunch, just a few here and there, my biggest accomplishment being a triathlon 3 years ago...but there is just something about the atmosphere that is moving to my soul. I have actually written about this before, about how I love to go cheer people on at races, and what an amazing picture that is to my heart.

**I completed my first Half-Marathon in April...not knowing I was 2 weeks pregnant! I look forward to making it my baby weight-loss goal and doing it again next Spring!**

Well, thats all I can think of for now. I'm sure there are more randoms to be shared someday...and hopefully you feel like you know me a little better now!!!

**look how little these two were when i first posted this! time is FLYING!!**

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Now, tell me some things I don't know about you!!! :)

A great way to get to know each other is through Instagram, so go find me there, yall!
my name is @heyitssarahlowe
(I heart insta!)