Ya Ya's

The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood would have to be one of my top 5 favorite novels. It shares the story of a sisterhood that exists between lifelong friends regardless of how much one "drops her basket". Although the plot thickens with a more dysfunctional theme than many have experienced including abuse, negligence and episodes of insanity, the sisterhood between the friends remains constant. In the height of the popularity of the novel and when the movie was hitting the theaters a connection was made that many of us have those Ya Ya's in our life that stand the test of time and remain constant no matter how much one would " drop her basket". It is with that introduction that I can share one of my Ya Ya moments as I have many but here is a recent one =).

Eight families travel each year to the coast to spend a week together. This summer on the last day the mothers /wives decided to snag our little ones Boogie Boards and go past the second sand bar to ride the waves. We took an extreme beating getting to the place where we could actually ride the waves on the boards. Through laughter and swallowing much salt water , we prevailed in our mission with the Dads/husbands watching diligently to make sure we did not go under. On the way back we decided to drift in with each passing wave. As we talked, laughed and enjoyed the breadth and depth of the ocean floating back to shore, one of us suggested we form a circle so we could all hear each other. As we did the ocean waves would pull one of us this way and the other one that way. Then the suggestion was made that we hold hands in our circle so that the waves could not separate us.

As we held hands in a circle floating on our kiddos boogie boards , a silence came over the circle. It was in that silence with the sounds of the ocean and the taste of the salt water that the Ya Ya moment became real. In that silence more was spoken between each of us than had been spoken the whole trip, it was as if the sisterhood that existed , the spirit of unwavering faithfulness was felt and our hearts were warmed by the precious friendship that has been given to each of us by God. It is amazing to see how He interweaves the lives of His children to connect with those that He has planned and purposed for us to interact with in our lives if only for a season. Some of the Ya Ya's in this circle have weathered a many a turbulent storm together as well as shared the most joyous .In the silence as we held hands to keep from being pulled apart from the ocean ,you could feel the bond of sisterhood. Although we could not recapture that moment again even if we tried, it was incredibly special as in it we could rest that we were each mothers, wives, daughters, and yes, SISTERS that had formed a sisterhood. Now for the Divine Secrets...we will never tell!!!!

The Talent Show

The Talent Show was the last week of Suzanna's second grade school year. She and one of her very best friends decided a couple of days before the show that the friend would play the piano to Yesterday while Suzanna sang. Well, if you know anything about being a teacher the week before school is out it is INSANE, so did I, her insane school teacher mother practice one time with Suzanna...of course not, but did that stop Suzanna...no. She was so brave to get up in front of all her peers and sing a song she had practiced several times with one of her best friends. Suzanna has a grace about her for sure. She is confidant and courageous. I am truly amazed at how grounded she is to only be eight years old. You can watch here below. Although if Suzanna would ever want to be a real singer we would certainly have work to do, but it is her spirit I see here with her laughter and her innocence. Suzanna is one of our JOYS.

Suzanna's Dance Recital

Today was Suzanna's Dance Recital . Suzanna Bananna has been taking dance since she was three. Today, she earned her 5 year trophy. What an accomplishment. We have a tradition on recital day , since Suzanna was three, Katie one of her many second mothers does Suzanna's hair in a stylish bun and all her glitzy glitter make up. I do make an attempt, but Suzanna enjoys Katie's pampering much more than mine!

Suzanna was beautiful tonight. The theme of the recital was the Wizard of Oz focusing on the symbolism between our earthly home and our true eternal home in heaven. The recital ended with all the girls bowing before the cross recognizing that only through our Lord Jesus Christ can we find true bravery, true courage, true love and true wisdom which was what all the characters in the recital were looking for , but in the wrong places of course. I have to say, I had tears streaming down my cheeks to see so many girls kneel before the cross. It was one of those moments that gives you chills to see your daughter and all her friends kneel before the cross at the conclusion of the production.

Here are two videos! The first one look in the middle as it is Suzanna. If you do not follow her...you will certainly lose her as all the girls look the same on stage from a far far distance wearing the same costume.

The second is a short, short clip of the last dance where all the girls dance and then bow to the cross .

Bull Dozing and 50's day at School

Doyle in April rented a bull dozer for the property on the Brazos River. Well, give the two boys in The Borchgardt Bunch a real live bull dozer and away they went! Blaine had a great time learning how to drive and operate a bull dozer with his father. When it does finally come time for Blaine to get his drivers license, he sure will of operated many types of operating machines, farm equipment and 4 wheelers and such! Somehow the play bull dozers and monster trucks Blaine has have lost all their meaning when you get to drive the real deal!

It was 50's Day at Forest Ridge. Suzanna helped out at the Sing a Long just as Blaine did with the Rodeo day! Here are some pictures and a video for you to watch!

We have made it to April!

APRIL is HERE!!!!!!!!

Blaine before church, the children's church, Big House opened.

He was so proud to usher.The Hearst Court Skateboard Crew... drive by Hearst Court on any afternoon and you will find the skateboard crew out and about. Blaine is learning many moves from the teenage boys! Suzanna does ballet skate dancing! She is my precious precious girl for sure. No Tom Boy at all.
Scootch, a month later after being rescued =)!

Well, our month long adventure with Scootch has been just that an adventure! We have come to discover that our beloved Scootch is in need of manners and more manners and then even more manners. The first walk we took him on ended with him barking at and charging the cars that drove by. Hmmmmm....we have come to believe Scootch never was on a leash. Then I took him out for a walk only to have him lunge after a smell and found myself on the pavement with a skinned knee, but nothing tops Doyle's bike ride adventure with our Scootch! Scootch caught a smell and off he went before Doyle was properly organized on the bike. You can imagine what happened next...Doyle fell FACE first into the pavement. He has a pretty serious road rash from his nose to his chin and the handle bars imprinted on his chest. He was banging up pretty good and still is recovering. Woodstock the animal rescue organization is going to take him and train him. When he is up for adoption they will call us to see if we want him back, but you know I think two large dogs is more than the Borchgardt Bunch can handle!

Last Saturday night I went to a Brazos Christian School fundraising event with some church friends. I dressed up, actually put my contacts in which is hard these days since my eyes are rejecting them, blew dry my hair , had a full face of make up on and even a coordinated outfit. When Blaine saw me he said, ' Mom, you look beautiful!" I said, "Thank you, Blaine." He stared at me again and said, " No, Mom. really, go look in the mirror!" It was if Blaine had no idea and he must have thought that I had no idea, that I do clean up pretty good =) =) =) =)! It was if that was the first time he had seem me looking the way I should look every day.

I am also taking graduate school for my principalship certificate. I love learning. I enjoy researching, writing papers and learning all about best practices in education. It has just added more wild and wooly days here with The Borchgardt Bunch.

Blaine's comments on my appearance made me realize that after so many days of just putting anything on and rushing out the door, maybe I should invest in a little more time for myself. Balancing working full time with two 8 year olds and rescue animals and of course husband Doyle many days leaves me depleted with nothing left to give, so who do I give nothing to ...ME! I have a beautiful blessed life, by no means am I saying that. I am just saying balancing does not come easy for me. I wish I could find a way to feel that I am doing every role ...teacher, friend, Sunday School teacher, mother, sister, daughter, wife to the best of my ability. So many days I am living completely on GRACE which is how God intended it anyway!!!!!

Spring Ball has begun. Blaine is a Marlin and of course still imitating those professionals with pounding before he swings. We love baseball at The Borchgardt House for sure.

Scootch.... the yellow lab is rescued

We are officially out numbered at our house now by rescued pets. It is amazing to me how animals in need of rescue just always happen to cross someone in The Borchgardt Bunch's path. Last Tuesday, March 4th, Doyle and Blaine took a late afternoon drive to the river in South Brazos County to check on several cows who should be having calves. Suzanna and I passed on this quick trip to the river as I had just grabbed her from ballet class. Doyle was headed after the river run to Brenham to celebrate his mother winning Tax Assessor for Washington County. Needless to say a busy night at our house. I receive a phone call about an hour and half after the boys had left from Doyle who sounded distressed. Apparently they stumbled upon a yellow lab male who had been attacked by other dogs or coyotes. He was covered in mud and blood and could only walk on three legs. Doyle had wanted to drive off knowing good and well what was in store for us after the Cowboy rescue which ended in orthopedic surgery at Texas A&M. Blaine fell in love with the lab and as Doyle began to drive away not wanting to rescue the dog Blaine cried, " Mom would do it! God would do it!" Doyle said when your son tells you how Christ would respond in a situation, you have no other choice, but to respond as Christ would. He loaded the injured lab up and called me to get the on call vet to the clinic for a long night ahead of them. Sure enough ,it was a long night as they had to bath the lab 3 times to get the blood and mud off. He had xrays done to find no broken bones, but his wounds were three days old and horribly infected. Antibiotics, rabies shots, worm medicine for the grossly out of control hookworms he has and specail rinse for his wounds are now my daily regiment. When the vet called and said, ' The stray ( Blaine later named Scootch) is ready to come home." I thought, ' Home? Where in the world is the stray's home?" Well, now it is with us in our zoo of rescued animals. Each with their own story to tell, but certainly all now healed and restored.

When sharing the story with my father on how we now have come to adopt "Scootch" the yellow lab his one comment was, " That was the Christian thing to do, Sara. You did the right thing!"

Scootch is FULL of energy and our sweet loyal faithful Cowboy has to learn how to now make room for him. Cowboy is quite protective over Blaine and Suzanna! Here is Blaine telling the story of how he found Scootch! and got the uneven hair cut =)!


Here is me "On 10" afraid of the dogs fighting while the kids are swinging and jumping on the trampoline =)! Looking at our backyard from the video, we do need to pick up a bit.

Now and Then......

January flew by in a whirlwind of after Christmas excitment, back to the routines of school and into the new year of 2008! With the beginning of each year also comes the celebration of the duos birthdays! This year they turned 8!!!! 8 years! When Blaine and Suzanna were younger everyone told me, " Enjoy it! They grow so fast!" " Don't blink! They will be grown before you know it!" I thought then that I would stay immersed in bottles, diapers, sippe cups, naps, Barney and Bob the Builder for ever! Oh how now I wish I just could have frozen them then and cherished them...really savored every moment of their baby talk and learning to walk and playing with Fischer Price Little People and lazy days that stretched for ever at the park or pool with no where to go or be...just us! I love 8 though. I love each season we are in, but with it we say good bye to another season. Cherish those seasons! Cherish them!

Blaine and Suzanna are the light in my life! They are the wind beneath my wings and they are so much of who I am now as each day we embark together on a new journey in this big wide world to find what it holds! Blaine encountered his first school bully this week and I mean BULLY! We learned a new cuss word from the bully and we also learned what real friends do when someone is being hurtful as one of Blaine's friend jumped between him and the bully to protect Blaine. That is what a friend does...jumps in front of you when you can not jump for yourself. It was a precious story. I realized though bullies today are not like the bullies I recall. As this bully had profanity I had not even heard and had an agenda to harm in a way I am sure I never experienced. On the bus she told the students closest to her she would bring a knife to school and stab me, Blaine's mother. I am sure that this was just a threat.... something she had seen on tv but still pretty vivid, pretty scary and pretty real to a just turned 8 year old. So this is where we send our kiddos off to school to see and learn how to deal with the real world??? Is this the real world????? Do I deal with this today as an adult? Wow...how scary if it is the real world. Right???? Teach them well I keep hearing ringing in my ears. Teach them well. They know Jesus! What a journey we have been on just this week.

Here are my angels....Now and then some from then =)!