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Latest "Family & Friends" Posts

It’s been a while…and for good reason. I have soaked up the last 8 months of being “mama” to my sweet son Gabriel (aka “Baby G”!) It’s amazing how life changes–not just our bodies, schedules, sleep, etc…but how our life changes for the GOOD.

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Being a mom has caused me to worry less about the “little things” and now I worry more about things concerning him! I guess you can call it “shifted worry”! But then, I bring to remembrance this verse:

Philippians 4:6-7New King James Version (NKJV)

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

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It has also caused me to carefully think about “legacy” in every decision I make…my desire is for him to view me as a woman of character and integrity, a faithful wife to his father, and a devoted mother to him. His opinion of me will form over time, with each decision that I make, so I am choosing them wisely.

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My success is not about me–it’s about legacy. I’m constantly asking myself where more I can give  of my time, talent, and resources to others, while not sacrificing what is most important to me (him).

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He is at the forefront of every decision I make.

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I’m not going to lie…the transition is tough…at times you struggle with identity, but I am confident in the role I have to raise a mighty man of God, who I believe will be a world-changer!

TRUTH: “Your greatest contribution to the kingdom of God may not be something you do but someone you raise.” -Andy Stanley

There are times where I felt “mushier” than most…but then I praise God that he allowed this body to carry a happy, HEALTHY baby boy to full term (plus two weeks!)

There are times I am so tired or forgetful that I walk into a room and have to think (for about 30 seconds) why I am there! LOL! But I am CHOOSING to rejoice in the journey and make the most of my moments with him! He is my EVERYTHING, and I refuse to lose sight of that! Nothing and no one will steal my joy, or my quality time with him.

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Often times I see people setting goals, and defining their reason “why” (why they do what they do), yet they sacrifice the very ones they are doing “it” for. I want to encourage you to put them first (yes, the days are long, but the years are short), instead make “healthy exchanges” in other areas where possible (less TV time, etc), as this will be the legacy you leave and a seed you sow that will bear good fruit for generations.

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Put the phone down, enjoy those chubby cheeks, sweet smiles, and soft voices. I’m already finding, it goes far too fast! When I am away from him, that is when I am glued to my phone, scrolling through the 10 million pictures that I take, that is taking up all the storage on my phone (*smile*).

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I’m so thankful God chose me to be his mom!

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Here are some great shots from Jean Smith Photography of his 6 month shoot!

(*click on a pic to start the slideshow–my FAVE is the one where he gets away with pulling my hair, little stinker!)

(*Thanks for letting me be a gushing first time mom, and share my sweet boy!)

Are you a parent? What is the favorite part of the stage your kiddos are in? 

One month ago I was awarded with the greatest accolade… MOM. My greatest achievement…YOU.

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Dearest “Baby G”, “G”, “Rooster” (you have so many nicknames already)…my boy…you are the greatest answer to prayer! Grammie prayed for a baby under the tree this past Christmas, and what a blessing to your momma…I found out on my birthday that I was pregnant with you, and due on Christmas Day! But much like your momma, you decided to arrive fashionably late, on the Epiphany (the 12th Day of Christmas! 1-6-16) It will forever be the “best day of my life” (besides marrying your handsome and hilarious daddy of course!)

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I know most mommies think their babies are brilliant…but you had a LOT of Dr appointments your first 3 weeks (all is well now). Every medical professional who saw you said “what an alert baby!” and “I can’t believe he’s really smiling! Those aren’t accidental smiles!” You “coo” in your crib. You recognize our voice…as we talked to you, prayed for you, and sang to you faithfully…every day when you were in my belly.

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No one could have prepared me for how much I love you. You’ve challenged me to become a better wife, daughter, sister, friend, leader, and mother… because you deserve the best of me.

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Your daddy…he truly is a “Good Good Father” (this is the song we sang to you and played for you every day when you were in my tummy. Now when we play it, and sing it to you..it calms you). Watching him become a daddy to you has made me love him even more (and I love him an awful lot!) He cherishes his time with you…making you smile, and even making you laugh! He sings to you, plays with you (sometimes I have to remind him you’re 4 weeks old, not 4 years old!)…and he prays over you every single day. He calls himself your “Body Guard”…which is a lot better than the nickname he gave to me… the “Dairy Queen”! LOL! (I told you he would make you laugh with all of his #Philisms!)

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Our greatest achievement together is being your mom and dad…

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Oh by the way…you do have one more body guard, and that’s your puppy Bella! She followed my every step faithfully when I was pregnant with you…and now she follows you around instead, carefully peeking in your bassinet and barking (and coming to get us if you even make the slightest peep!)

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 You’ve brought so much JOY to the “Robbins Nest”! I can’t imagine life without you…

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Happy “1 Month” my son! This past month has been the greatest month of our lives! I can’t wait to see what our future holds, together…

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P+S +Baby G= Robbins Party of 3…finally <3

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A special thanks to Jean Smith…who somehow made this tired momma, fresh out of the hospital (just one week post-delivery)  look and feel her best for this photoshoot! You’ve captured our greatest memory beautifully. View more of Jean’s work, and Gabriel’s 1 week newborn photos, by clicking a photo below to start the slideshow:

And last but not least, a tribute to our boy…

On the 12th Day of Christmas my true love (Mr. “Rockin Robbins”) gave to me…little baby Gabriel!

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Meet Gabriel David Robbins–Born on the Epiphany (the 12th day of Christmas!) 1-6-16!

…our Christmas angel….due on Christmas, but who decided to show up fashionably late (like his momma) on the 12th day of Christmas!

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We truly had the most amazing pregnancy, and the most incredible labor. If you read my previous posts here ,you now that is exactly what we prayed for! After 5 minutes of pushing (ladies, don’t hate me)…we welcomed our angel into the world! We are finally home now…P+S+ baby G= Robbins Party of 3 (finally!) 

Little Gabriel is loving his new home (as you can see from the pictures below)…he is quite the happy baby!

It was so incredible to be welcomed back home to incredible meals, flowers, and fabulous messages from friends and family who prayed for our little miracle.

I feel especially grateful for these bouquets (seen below)…not just because they are beautiful, but because of what they mean. Let me tell you why…

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I’ll never have to miss a baby smile…

I’ve been married for almost 12 years…and we waited a very long time for our precious angel, our firstborn son. He is the result of an answered prayer–a promise from God. We prayed for him for a very long time. We were so blessed to find out on my birthday that I was pregnant, and that he was due on Christmas day! Everything worked out so perfectly–we even found out he would be a boy on our anniversary day (the exact day we were allowed to find out!)

We prayed for the most perfect pregnancy (and it was). We prayed for a speedy and safe delivery (and it was–only 5 minutes of pushing!) With all of the excitement, we didn’t get an ounce of sleep since labor started Monday, so it was so nice to be welcomed home to these beautiful bouquets, and a really special phone call…

The beauty of our business…

As I walked into our home, with my beautiful boy in my arms….I stepped in to find the most gorgeous bouquets of flowers I had ever seen. Many from friends and family…and 2 from my “Rodan + Fields family”…one bouquet from our CEO and President Lori Bush, and the other from our executive team at Rodan + Fields.

It is so awesome to be a part of a company that recognizes us well, and celebrates us well! These flowers were so special to me because they reminded me of our journey–they allowed me to reflect on how thankful I am that I don’t have to take a maternity leave, and instead I get to celebrate every little smile…

I started my Rodan + Fields home-based business part-time 8 years ago, so I could do for my family what I did for so many others as a kindergarten teacher. Since then,  it has been more than a blessing to us– providing us the time and resources for both Phil and I to be home with our son and allow us to retire…but also for us to give our time and resources to children in need all around the globe– in fact, a few short weeks ago, we opened up a brand new orphanage in Gabriel’s honor. You can see the dedication below. This is the second we opened (the first was last December for 117 boys in India), which you can see here. 

As I was marvel at the beauty of these gifts, I find myself marveling at the meaning behind them…

More than the money…

 The moment I stepped inside my home returning from the hospital, I got a phone call from our Chairman Amnon Rodan, congratulating me on becoming a mom…and also congratulating me on becoming our company’s very first “10 million dollar circle achiever”! I was humbled and grateful…and while the accolades are nice, what is truly marvelous is how this business has allowed us to LIVE MORE and be home with our baby, and never miss our baby smile. And also how we are able to GIVE MORE–as we are able to give our time and resources to children in need, so we can make these precious babies smile…

That is the beauty of what we do–it is a vehicle to live a life we truly love, and help others do the same!

What is YOUR “Why”? WHY are you here on this earth? What is your purpose and plan?

If there is one thing I wish for each of you–is that you define your “why”…and find a vehicle to help you achieve it, and passionately pursue your dreams! There is nothing like seeing your reason “WHY” in action! You deserve to LIVE more, GIVE more, and LOVE your life so much more–that is my wish for you!

Thank you all for your warm wishes celebrating baby G, and 10 “MDC”! (<=and to be really honest, this little boy has rocked my world…the accolades don’t matter at all..what matters most is how much more we can give….to our family, and to those we are able to bless. My family IS my greatest accomplishment!)

We are thankful and grateful.

We believe we are blessed so that we can be a blessing! XOXOXO

Phil, Sarah, and baby G! (*more baby pics and posts to come! I’m one proud mama!)

What’s Poppin? This momma!

As we celebrate the joyful journey to “Baby G” I thought it would be fun to reminisce about the joyful memories that lead up to his arrival!

One of our best memories was the day that we celebrated his daddy’s birthday/ and baby G’s “gender reveal party” (I hadn’t heard of these til recently)– by hosting a backyard movie night with family and friends…we popped popcorn (and balloons too!) to celebrate Phil’s birthday and baby G’s gender reveal too!

Here’s the invite:

What's Poppin Party

Since it was an outdoor event, and we wanted to truly enjoy time with family and friends (and not be cooking) we hired a food truck that was a big hit! On the menu were: salad bar, fresh fired pizza (gluten-free for Phil and I), and handmade gelato for dessert! YUMMMMMMMM!

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Dessert was a POPcorn bar of course! Complete with many theatre-style treats!

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We chose movies with baby themes, like “Mom’s Day Out” which everyone enjoyed! We had a bonfire going, and lawn chairs to watch on the big screen (which we rented)! The movie started with a “SPECIAL PREVIEW” which revealed the gender of “Baby G”, which you’ll find below!

Robbins Gender Reveal

Here’s how we did the BIG REVEAL (our movie preview for our friends…) We played the following “movie preview clip” on the big screen as everyone gathered around…it was the first thing to play right before the movie. 

Press play to see our movie preview our friends saw that night:

As you can imagine, everyone cheered with excitement! An amazing time was had by all! Thanks to everyone who has celebrated the anticipation of “Baby G” from near and far! POP by for our next post–as I write this I am ready to POP at #38WeeksPregnant! Hopefully the next post will be to tell you–he’s here! HOW EXCITING!

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Thanks for “POPPING” in! XO, P+S and baby G!

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Missed our pregnancy announcement post, maternity pics, or baby shower blog?

CLICK HERE and scroll down to check out “all things baby!”

There’s a Bun In The Oven, and it’s just about done! 🙂

As we countdown the days til we meet “baby G” (I’m 38 weeks today–due Christmas day), I thought it would be fun to reminisce about the joyful memories that lead up to his arrival!

One of our most memorable experiences leading up to baby G was telling our friends we are expecting! After being married for 11 years, you can imagine they were beyond surprised! We called them together for what they thought was a “cooking class with friends”, hosted by the fabulous Dawn Bause of Cooking with Dawn Tours.

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We hosted it at our home, and told our friends if they missed it, they would die (LOL–just kidding…but we seriously told them not to cancel…and they still didn’t have a clue of what the night was truly for….)

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On the menu was…

Appetizers (prepared for guest arrival):

Caprese Salad on a skewer
Sautéed Shrimp with Honey Mustard Sauce
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Bisque

For the interactive dinner and cooking class we prepared as a team:

First Course: Asparagus Risotto

Second Course: Classic Lemon Chicken Scalloppini

Warm Asparagus Salad with Pancetta, Leeks and Pine Nuts

Dessert: Fresh Strawberry Parfait with Fresh Ricotta Cheese and Homemade Dark Chocolate Shavings

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A fun time was had by all…but I think we all agree…dessert was the most memorable part of the night!!!

Here’s how we told our friends we were expecting…. (Play the video clip below) Watch Phil’s face! 

We seriously have the best friends ever. I watch this and cry as I see their excitement for us! It was like someone won the super bowl!

The cake was in the shape of the bun, and on the tray it read “There’s a (BUN) in the oven!”

 

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Thank you to all who’ve celebrated the anticipated arrival of our little “bun”! We seriously cannot wait to meet him!

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XOXO, P+S and “baby G”!

PS- If you missed our maternity pics and baby shower post and pics, here they are!  (<= click on this link and scroll down to the bottom of the page!)

Baby Gabriel,

Oh, how we’ve waited for you. After 11 years of marriage, your daddy and I can already say “son, you were truly worth the wait”! You are our miracle. And to think…you started as a prayer…

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Earlier this year, your Grammy (Fairless) came to your Aunt Emily, Aunt Katie, and I and said “I am praying for a baby under the tree this Christmas!” We all kind of giggled–but to my surprise, I found out I was pregnant with you on my birthday–and that your exact due date would be Christmas Day! (We found out you were a boy on our 11th anniversary too…how cool is that?) Your Grammy’s prayers sure are powerful! Christmas baby!

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That’s how you got your name–I kept calling you my “Christmas angel”! One day, I felt the Lord speak to my heart: “Who was the Christmas angel?” I opened up the Bible to read the Christmas Story. The angel Gabriel was the “Christmas angel”–the angel who told of the most famous baby to ever be born on Christmas–Jesus.

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I want you to know how faithfully your daddy and I have prayed for you, and how we’ve spoken greatness over you. In fact, we prayed so carefully before we selected your name…because we know it will be the #1 thing “spoken over you” over the course of your lifetime. So we wanted you to have a name with strong meaning…and yours means “messenger of God”! We believe you will be a mighty man of God–who is a “doer” “seeker” and “SPEAKER” of God’s word! What a blessing you will be to so many people, including US!

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How we’ve prayed for you…many mommas-to-be download different apps on their phone to tell them about their baby-to-be’s journey. It details weekly what is happening to our bodies, but to yours as well. I chose not to read the part about me (as I wanted to “guard my heart” and “guard my mind” and not be fearful for what is to come). Instead, your daddy and I just prayed that I would have a “supernatural pregnancy”–easy, healthy, and good….and guess what? I didn’t get sick one time! You’ve been good to me my boy! Instead, we use the app to see what’s developing in your little body–and here is what we do…we PRAY FOR YOU! Every single detail…

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For example, when your brain was developing–not only did we pray that it would form and perform perfectly–we also prayed that you would have “the mind of Christ” – ” (1 Cor. 2:16) We believe our prayers, and spoken word over you are one of the greatest gifts we could give you now, and as you grow to be a mighty man of God!

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I’m anxiously awaiting the day I can hold you, and pray for you while you are in my arms–and you can hear the words of greatness that we will speak over you as we look into your beautiful (hopefully blue) eyes! I love your daddy with an unexplainable love–and I can only imagine how much I will love YOU!

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PS- get ready to laugh. A LOT. Your daddy makes me laugh EVERY SINGLE DAY!

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We just can’t wait to meet you soon, my (Christmas) angel!

XOXOXO, your mommy (the first lady you’ll ever love!)

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Thank you to Jessica Gliesman for these beautiful maternity photos of me and “baby G”!

Click on the pics below to view the entire gallery=>

Nursery pics to come–be sure to SUBSCRIBE TO THIS NEW BLOG to get notified about the full tour! <3

For now, here’s a “sneak peek”…

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PS- if you are a woman trying to get pregnant, or are pregnant and are praying for a healthy, happy pregnancy… prayer is POWERFUL. I recommend this book my pastor shared with me (the ONLY book I read about pregnancy!) I stand in prayer with you! XOXO