Oapie's Story.

“Abused sweet mom and her pups are homeless. Store employees are feeding her. She shows up at the store for food but does not bring her pups. Pups are said to be about 10 weeks old. If anyone would like to help her out, please let us know. Employees think she has been abused - One thing is for certain, something bad has happened to her. She needs vet care and a safe place to go. If anyone can help sponsor her and her pups and/or foster her, please let us know. DONATIONS: For the care of HOPE: Dr. Martin's office.

This is Hope’s story.  

 In January 2013, I guess I was feeling empty, like almost something was missing from my life (dramatic, I know).  I went and volunteered at our local shelter, as I always did one Monday night and Rose, one of the workers there told me that they have had a lot of rescues that they’ve been pulling and needed fosters or they would have to be put down. My heart immediately sank, I hate when people tell me things like that. It almost makes me feel like I’M the super hero, like I’M the one who has to foster the 30 dogs to save their lives. I’M the deciding factor. Even though I know that I’m truly not the deciding factor I left my number for Rose to have anyway just in case they absolutely needed me under certain conditions.  

 I left and not even ten minutes later I got a call. It felt like I was in an adoption process for a child! She told me they had a lab mix who needed a foster home and that she has a current foster but that she is moving and could not take the dog with her. Just out of instinct I said yes. I mean, I had a fully capable fence, how much harm could a dog be just to house until I found it an owner, especially when she was fixed, fully potty trained, and crate trained? 

That same Monday two people knocked on my door. I had butterflies like no bodies business. I answered the door and in walks this sad, chunky white pitbull-lab mix. I could tell she could feel the energy that her foster mom was leaving and not taking her with her. I pitied the dog. She was pretty beat up and when I heard her story I felt even worse. This dog was 1.5 years old, had puppies, abused, and never had a place to call home.  She had a huge gash on her back from where she had either been beaten or neglected, and she had a scar on her face from where hot oil was poured on her. I eventually found out about her puppies and the heart ache got worse. I immediately got attached. Her foster mom and I took her to the back yard to play and then her foster mom (The only mom she’s ever known) left without her. I watched Hope sit at the fence door and cry as she watched her mom leave her. That night Hope didn’t know how to act, she was quiet and shy. 

After a week full of car rides, walks, and swims I could quickly grasp her sense of being. She was a sensitive goof just like me. She began to warm up and snuggle with me. She slept with me in the bed instead of her dog bed on the ground and she would wait for me to get home to go on a walk. I took her to the dog park everyday unless it was rainy. I began to put coconut oil on her scars and she began to quickly heal up. After a few weeks I knew she was the one. Basically my soul mate in dog form. I felt that even though I lived far away from my parents and sisters this dog has helped me cope more about the loneliness. She’s just so loving, goofy, respectful, and overall lazy. 

I never once took her to go meet new parents because deep down I knew I was it for her. How could I trust someone to take care of her or love her more than I do after what had happened to her? My foster time came up and it was either time for me to let her go or for her to get adopted. I knew I wasn’t allowed to get a dog yet so my anxiety started to thicken. I signed the papers. She was mine. February 22, 2013 Hope became Oapie Warren, my best friend. 

Why Oapie you may ask? Several reasons. Hope never fit her, it was too classy. She needed something that described her in every way. Her other foster mom called her Hopee as a nickname and so I dropped the H, Oapie it was.  It’s been almost three years and I don’t regret her one bit. She’s saved my life a couple times and I don’t know what I would do without this dog. I am honestly blessed to be her owner and everyone who meets her falls in love with her. Maybe she’s thankful to have a home, or to be loved? But it works both ways. Without her I wouldn’t have a home or be unconditionally loved.  This is just proof that fostering saves lives. Not only Oapie’s, but mine as well. 

This was Oapie right before I met her. Three years  later, this dog doesn't even look like Oapie, she is literally unrecognizable. THIS is Oapie now.

As you can see, this is one happy girl who is just thankful for life. I have helped people save everything from baby ducks, dogs, to kittens and she has loved every single animal that we have helped. Her fun loving spirit is what most people need in the world. If you or a friend are looking for a dog or pet, always check your local shelters and rescues. I am a big fanatic to giving lives second chances. Just because an animal is purebred doesn't mean its perfect. Save lives and start spay and neutering your pets! 

XOXO Sara and Oapie

My Journey as a Bikini Competitor.

I have been meaning to write a blog post about my journey becoming a NPC Bikini competitor. So here it is.

I decided to train for a show to see how far my body can go. Little did I know that wasn't even the smallest part of my training. Its' much more than just seeing how far your body can go. What about your mind? That's a whole different ballpark sister.

I started training about 9-10 weeks ago, which would put me at 19 weeks before my first show in October. (NPC Southeastern USA) I wanted to start early! I soon began to realize that training isn't easy. I figured if I could run a half marathon I could easily workout for 19 weeks and by then I'd be ready. I had no idea the time, effort, money and even energy that people put into to this lifestyle. So for about ten weeks now I have been on a meal plan and worked my butt off in the gym 6 days a week. I had a cheat meal once a week up until I was 12 weeks out, now its seldom but definitely needed every 2 weeks.

People think I am obsessed, and truth be told...I am. This process has changed my life and thinking forever. It has made me so strong, literally and mentally. Think about it..... I have been clean eating on a meal plan for ten solid weeks, and I still have 9 more to go. Its easy to push yourself at the gym, the hard part is controlling what you eat the other 23 hours of the day. Even though I have had some rough, and I mean rough, days through this prep I needed it as a person. I needed the discipline and I needed the energy. Not just anyone can train like I have for the past 10 weeks and I am proud of the person I have become.

Finding me.

I don't post very often, I've always been into the more hand written types of things. I feel it's more comforting to read things I have hand written a long time ago and maybe to see where I was coming from at that point in time. Along the way of some difficult journeys, I feel like I have lost myself. I'm still here on the outside and I have added some new loves but I feel the things I love most have almost escaped me. I'm not being dramatic I just know that I have grown up and away from who I was, but that doesn't mean that I have changed who I am.

There are things that very few people know about me and what I love to do, or even the dreams that I have for myself to accomplish. This "me" is who I am.

 I absolutely love the fall time, where you can see your breath when walking down a road that leads to no where. Three places that can calm me down would be a library, graveyard, or a beach at midnight, but only during a lightning storm; any other place won't do. I love reading old books from the 40's when its cold and I can just sit in silence at a coffee shop where I will most likely not get coffee and get a strawberry frap. I connect with almost any and every animal on the planet. I have a thing for candles. When I light them and see them flickering it sends a sign of hope in my mind. I love to paint, but I have always wanted to paint with watercolor and mostly oil. I could paint for hours upon hours, even if I'm not painting anything at all. I read my horoscope everyday, and I am so undeniably obsessed with true love, always finding a way even when the way isn't paved for you. I love macaroons, and watching old black and white films on rainy days (which are my favorite beyond favorite days) I get excited over the littlest things, and something like that could make my whole day amazing. I absolutely love vinyl records, it makes music sound so much better. One of my favorite singers is Billie Holiday, she's extraordinary. I love adventure. I could drop everything and get on a plane and just travel for the rest of my life and have nothing and be the happiest person in the world. I love to enjoy life and live simply. Isn't that the point of life? Find what truly makes you happy and then keep it. Don't let it be a certain item, but a feeling. Never let money or things take the place of feelings. They could never replace them and you will continue to live life empty.

Find that feeling you can't live without, find out what's making you feel that way then do everything you can to keep it because that's what's going to make you the happiest in life.  

Until next time,
Sara

Forgiveness; an act that requires love.

       Forgiveness is one thing most people don't do enough of, me included. I've held grudges and never thought that people could change and I was wrong.  People change all the time even when we don't want them too, sometimes for the better and other times for the worse.

     I know that it's a hard thing to do, to forgive. I've had plenty of people not worth it in my life.  But what happens to you when you don't forgive? Does it ever make you feel like you're carrying all this unneeded baggage? It's easier for me to forgive than to trust and I think that's the point in life sometimes. Life is always testing you to see what you'll do, or what other's will do with your trust. Maybe they'll fail you multiple times or maybe they'll surprise you.

     Over the past 2013 year I have had a heart to heart with myself about forgiveness, and forgiving other's and making an inner peace within myself and so far it's been working out great. I've never had this type of closure that I sincerely needed. I'm so proud of the progress I have made and how I've let go certain feelings towards people that I resented in the past.

     The point of this blog is that recently I have had to forgive people who have really done me wrong in the past, but it gives me hope for the future of this world. I can see so much has changed and I don't know, it just makes me happy. I see people who have held onto regret for too long and it makes me sad, because regret will get you no where. People grow and people change. Just listen to this for me, look how far you've come on your own and realize that if you had done it any other way everything would be so different. And maybe that's what you're looking for is different, but let your path that you chose decide that for you. You can't reverse time, and you can't live in the past even though sometimes it sounds like a great thing to do.

This is a message to someone very special to me who will always have a special place in my heart:
        I have forgiven you, and I am so proud of you. You have changed so much in just a couple of years and have grown into a great man with amazing dreams. I used to think you were crazy and sometimes I still do but your dreams would have never come true without that spunk. You're just a little over half way there but I know that you have something great in you that other artists don't have. You have passion for creating something great, sometimes people leave that behind and I hope that you never leave that behind. Don't let anyone change your words, be honest and true with what you write because that's when something changes someone's life. You will do great things in the future with your gift and I am so glad that I met you, but I am happy with the path that you chose 5 years ago. I have always believed in you, and forever will. I honestly want the best for you, and it took me a very long time to realize that but I do. Thank you for everything.
 
It's all about forgiveness people. But remember, you can't forgive without having a little love in your heart.

"When the day is through, do you believe in me too?"- Quote of the day. Google it.
xoxo, Sara

100%

How come no one believes in going their 100% to anything anymore? It's advertised everywhere in quotes and magazine yet I don't see anyone giving their 100% to most things including me. I do exclude Olympic members and some famous people (like I know their personal lives haha) but I'm talking about full on honest, 100% to work, school, family, friendships and even relationships. Why do people start giving up? I've just noticed it lately about people's priorities in school and at maybe in families. Why can't everyone just be strong within their own skin and thank God for a brand new day to start over? Why does it have to be all complicated? Is it money? Or time? Why do people skip class or maybe bale on a hangout with their best friend? Maybe you're tired and you need some time for yourself, I get that. I totally you get that. But maybe that's where things get messed up. We start thinking about ourselves. I'm definite a winner in this category but I'm trying to change and think less of myself when it comes down to my priorities. What's important to me? What comes first? School? Money? Job? Family? Relationships? How can I keep my own personal feelings aside sometimes when I make plans or need to make plans? How can we all just stop for a second and think about others and what's important to them? 

How can I make others happy instead of myself for a change? 

-just a thought of the day.

-Sara xoxo

Watch I've got planned for me.

It feels like I haven't blogged in forever! Well school has finally finished!! Thank God. It was a very hard year. I finally finished ASL classes 1, 2, 3, and now 4. I was very very sad leaving after my last final in the same room I have been in for a year. I remember walking in over last June semester and everyone was so quiet and shy and now we are like a giant family who helps everyone out over assignments and gives feedback. It was bittersweet ending this semester. I looked back on my journal the other day and I wrote "In a year I will be fluent in ASL, isn't that a crazy thought!" now I feel like I'm just waiting for the next thing to pursue.

I was VSU's ASL Club's Vice President for this year and I have done so much! I went to the Mall of Georgia chat where I sat and signed with a Deaf boy named Tyler and his family, I went to S Squared project where local deaf children from the schools came and got to experience and see that when you become a Deaf adult, you CAN accomplish your dreams. I talked to a mother there who had a four year old deaf son and told me all about how they found out he was deaf and when and I really enjoyed that. I was on the club's intermural volley ball team and this was probably my favorite thing I did. It was so fun and I got to hang out with one of my good friends Whitni while we attempted to play, and we went to playoffs! Haha. I went to Deaf Deaf World which was an awesome experience to just to see how much I actually progressed as a signer over the last year. I am so glad I got to experience all these great events! They have seriously opened my eyes to so many new things.

This year I also accomplished my R.A.D. certification which is Rape, Aggression, and Defense training. This was an awesome experience as well. Now I know all these moves and I "practice" with Chado :) I feel a lot more protected knowing that I can get out of certain situations by just using my body and I feel every woman should know and take precautions by taking a class like this offered near them.

As for my grades.... I DID IT! I got my 3.0 GPA back and I will NEVER lose it again. It's actually a 3.05 haha. I got 3 A's and 2 B's and in one of those B's my grade ended out as an 89.... My teacher doesn't round either, as she told me. I was devastated, still am. This is the second time this has happened to me where my teacher decided not to round which I think is stupid because to a college student one point means the world to us. Obviously it could've changed everything BUT I am so very thankful that I pulled out my 3.0 in the end and shouldn't dwell on the subject. God is taking care of me and I know that. Needless to say I am no accepted into my Speech Pathology program and I will begin my classes in the Spring. Good news is that I already took many of the classes needed for my program so now I am just one step ahead of where I would've been. I am really excited and nervous all at the same time but I know this is what God had planned for me all along.

Now that this year is approaching quicker, and its summer already I've decided to take my body cleanse one step further and I have started a daily yoga work out. Yoga is some tough s***. If you've never done it before I would say try it... Chad and I have a schedule now where he comes over around 11:30 and we do an hour of full hard core yoga then go for a run afterward. I am training for a half marathon so I have to keep up. After that we both usually make a salad or something healthy for lunch then go to work. He usually works at 3 or 4 and so do I. If you haven't heard I work at a gym down the street from me called Kinetix, I work daycare which is AWESOME. I totally love it. Plus we get a free gym membership. So after work I get on these amazing machines with T.v.s on them and work out for about another hour. I am totally loving this summer fitness challenge and I can totally see a change within myself. I am so much more less stressed and I can tell the changes in my body as well.

My two roommates moved out for summer and I am so happy to announce that I have found my new ones! Amber and Rakeeta! I LOVE Amber, I swear we are soul sisters. Every year we always come back together somehow, and Rakeeta is a lovely young girl who I just met the other day but totally work with. I'm so excited to start my "real" Junior year and just start from scratch. I have a new job, new roommates, new goals, and new classes. Nothing gets newer than that. It's time to start summer and I can't be anymore excited!

Healthy Body & Lifestyle Choice.

So in one of my last postings I talked a little about how I was cleansing my body and working out more. I have been in kind of a rut lately with then end of classes nearing and so much work at once so I have held back working out everyday just so I can get all my work done in a short period of time. With that being said I haven't stopped eating healthy. That is a life style choice that I continue to pursue. I also got a job at the beginning of April at a daycare in a higher up gym 5 minutes from my house in Valdosta. I LOVE it and with working there comes free membership. I just got my membership card yesterday so I am pretty psyched to start working out on these nice machines with TVs on them! How fancy. Yes I still pay for the gym on campus and yes I still go there. I am going to start swimming over summer in the indoor pool and I still go there after classes.

Anyway I started this "life style" (not diet) on Spring break with my family who are all losing pounds fast! Which I just want to reiterate that I am not doing this to get skinny but to be fit. They're are two different  things. I have gotten a lot of weird responses when I tell people that I am going to go work out and stuff. But another reason why I do it, is because it lessens the stress I uphold everyday. Not only does it lessen the stress it also can help you sleep better at night and stretching can make you more flexible. There are many benefits of working out like helping your heart and blood pressure, so don't think that just because I work out I want to get skinny. I'm skinny but I want to be healthy.

So I have some pictures that obviously show my stomach and where I started on this journey and some food pictures of what I eat. I am poor so I eat a lot of fish, corn, beans, cabbage, water, and carrots. A lot of people say that eating healthy is expensive (which it is) but I have actually found that I have been saving more money by eating healthier. How? Fresh food goes bad quicker. I eat cabbage and carrots that week and don't but chips and bad stuff because those things made with saturated fat can uphold to longer times of usage. Obviously wheat bread is more expensive than white bread but I found that if I go to Big Lots on their bread days you can get Nature Valley Wheat bread (like a 3$ bag of bread) for $1.40 and I just get a lot and freeze them. I get organic peanut butter with the oil you have to spread in and jelly. Even though this isn't they BEST healthiest meal, it's a step in the right direction. There are always better OPTIONS. Just like fish is always better than mashed potatoes and mac and cheese.

Now there have been cases where I have eaten birthday cake or something like that but there are ways where you can make the birthday cake healthier by taking out the harmful stuff like butter and eggs and substitute it for something else like pumpkin or applesauce. And if you do eat a cupcake from a bakery do it once in a while but not everyday. It's okay to eat normally, and its okay to eat regular food in the right proportions.

Things to look out for though as a college kid:
-Alcohol. Wine in general literally turns to sugar. Don't drink a whole bottle in one night ladies. This is the same as beer for dudes, you see the beer gut, you know what that is.

-Cheap dinner boxes. Some of them are okay if they include preparing chicken in them, and if they are the meals that call for ground beef, go try ground turkey. Its less in fat, tastes the exact same, and is .20 cents cheaper.

-Mashed Potatoes and Mac n Cheese Boxes. Although these are $1 and are yummy most are carbs, saturated fats and trans fats. Saturated fats are oils that are turned into a solid which is no longer the healthy oils that your body needs so stay away from them in bags of chips as well. If you want mashed potatoes go grab a potato and mash it yourself, at least you will know what exactly is in your food.

-Chips. If you are going to buy chips go for the healthier route and get either Chips and Salsa or Jalapeno Kettle Cooked chips. Jalapeno chips spark up your metabolism but only eat them in the right proportion. No more Cheetos.

-Sodas and Juices. First of all if your a poor college kid you probably shouldn't be wasting your money on drinks when you have a water faucet at home. 1) water is free, (if you don't count the water bill) and 2) water is healthier. If you don't trust you water company buy a Brita filter, they are only 8$ to start off and would be the same amount of money you are spending on the soda cans.

There are always things you can do to get healthy and on a budget. If I can do it anyone can do it.

This is my goal body (picture I stole from pinterest)

And these are my pictures in order of my progress. They aren't the best pictures but you can definitely tell how my progress is going. This was my very first day, you can tell that I am kind of boxy and not an hour glass shape.

 

 

 

 

Right here we can see my lower stomach started to flatten from doing like 20 planks throughout the day. Which planks are my favorite workout.

 

 

At this stage you can start to see my hour glass is starting to form.

 

This is my last picture for now. I am still working toward my goal! You can see the water I've been drinking has flattened my stomach along with my planks and my "hour glass" shape is actually there. It's not perfect but it's a start to my goal and I am pretty proud of how well I am progressing. And you can kind of tell I'm sun burnt in this picture! And I put on 50 SPF!!

 

Anyway lastly these are just two examples of meals I eat for dinner. Just some fish and or chicken.

 

 

Just try to make your plate colorful with veggies!

 

xoxo

-Sara