Sarah Leach

Growing up it was always a dream to visit Washington D.C. Luckily that wish came true in 2008.

After studying congress and presidents in school, my parents thought it would be a great idea to visit Washington D.C. for our family vacation.

During our trip out there we visited Lincoln’s Memorial, Washington Monument, Vietnam Veteran Memorial, Tomb of the unknown solider, Reflection pool, United States Capital, White House, National Museum of Natural History, National Air and Space Museum, National World War II Memorial, International Spy Museum, Arlington Cemetery, and Korean War Veterans Memorial.

Being able to see all the sites listed was a great experience! It really gave me a look into our history. To be honest, it was an emotional experience. Standing in front of the Vietnam Veteran Memorial, and seeing all those names was almost an awakening as too how many people died for our country. My great Uncle Tom was a POW during the Vietnam War. Being able to sit down to talk to him  about his experiences in the war definitely made seeing the wall more memorable.

Unfortunately, when my family was visiting Washington D.C. Ford’s Theater was closed due to renovations. Abraham Lincoln was my favorite president and I so badly wanted to visit Ford’s. I will just have to take another trip there to see it.

Visiting Washington D.C. was a unforgettable trip! A trip I recommend everyone to take at some point in their life.

 

 

Growing up every child wanted a puppy. I know exactly how that feels; I had two dogs growing up that were both puppies when we got them.

After my last dog Emma died, it was very hard to think about getting a new dog since I grew up with her. However, after a few months of not having a dog, my family and I knew it was time to get one.

We had always had big dogs growing up, but when it came time to thinking about a new one we decided to go with a smaller breed. After many hours of looking online at small dogs we were lost on which breed we liked. 

My family has always been good about getting dogs from shelter; we wanted them to have a forever home. So, during our search for a small dog we came across Buster, a  three-year old Yorkie mix. He was very cute and small with lots of hair. We instantly wanted him!

After having Buster for two years, we decided he needed a friend to play with during the day. Our search for another dog began. After only a few weeks of looking, we found Murphy, a one year old Yorkie mix. He we perfect!

Buster and Murphy were both rescue dogs from different shelters. Buster had been given up by an elderly couple when they were unable to care for him anymore. Murphy, well to be honest we never got a background story. However, Murphy has done great with Buster and the family. Both boys are happy healthy dogs who love attention!

Rescuing dogs from shelters is one of the smartest decisions my family and I have ever made; I hope to continue this with my own family in the future.

As warm weather approaches, more and more time is being spent outside. What better way to spend beautiful days than at St. Louis Zoo!!

St. Louis is not only known for the arch but for their zoo as well. St. Louis Zoo has been in operation since 1910 and has grown ever since.

While traveling through the zoo you can stop along the way and learn fun facts about the park! For example in 1917 there were 299,100 people visiting the zoo and in 2009 they broke the record with 3,101,830 visitors!!

The zoo offers a wide ranger of animals to see; from insects all the way to a red panda. They are home to 560 different species of animals! WOW!

On the super hot days visitors can go inside the penguin house, insectarium, bird house, primate house, and the multitude of shops. And if you’re needing a break from walking visit the sea-lion show, zooline railroad, children’s zoo, or 4-D theater. There’s an exhibit and attraction  for every one of every age.

With animals becoming more extinct everyday, don’t waste any time. They may not be around much longer to see. Head on over to St. Louis Zoo and experience everything they have to offer before it may be gone.

 

Spring is finally here! You know what that means? Fresh flowers, green grass, warmer weather, baby animals, butterflies…..WRONG! It means baseball season!!!!

The St. Louis Cardinals have been able to call Busch Stadium home for many years. And now fans have the ability to watch their favorite players not only at the stadium but right next door at Ballpark Village.

Ballpark Village is a building next door to Busch Stadium where fans can gather to still experience a baseball game when they did not purchase tickets to the game. At Ballpark Village you can dine, drink, or play. It is a great place to go if you’re wanting to get that game experience but don’t want to pay the price for a ticket.

Busch Stadium has done a great job incorporating activities for every age. For the younger age there is Cardinals Kids Club. Cardinals Kids Club has fun activities for kids throughout the baseball season; such as kids being able to run the base   s.

For the middle and older age fans they can get online and check stats, news, watch videos, and stay up to date on scores of games. There is also Redbird Nation; where you can purchase membership cards, 10% off entire purchase coupon for STL team store, access to select pre-sales and exclusive ticket discount offers.

If you’re ever looking for a family outing, see if the Cardinals are in town and buy some tickets to a game. Kids will love it and so will you!

 

With hockey season slowly coming to an end, I wanted to take this time to give a little insight to the Blues!

When I was younger I never really cared for hockey. To me, they were big guys that were too ruff and mean to each other. However, once I got to college that all changed

A friend of mine had been watching the blues games more and more and convinced me to go to a game with her. All in all I became a Blues fan very quickly!

Throughout high school, the only sport I took interest in was baseball. Now, don’t get me wrong we have an amazing baseball team here in St. Louis, the Cardinals, however; baseball to me was such a slow moving sport. Anytime I went to a game I often found myself people watching or on my phone. Once I became introduced to hockey I couldn’t stop watching it. Every time there was a game I would be pressed up against my TV taking in every second of the game.

Sadly, being so busy with school, going to games as often as I used to doesn’t happen anymore. I still enjoy going to sports restaurants and watching the game with my friends!

If you’re ever questioning if you should go to Blues game I highly recommend it! You will have an exciting night! Don’t be afraid to take the family as well! Kids love hockey!!

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!!!!!!!!   

Tests. The word that everyone hates. The word that makes us sweat and worry.

I myself have never been good at test taking. When I was younger I was able to take tests without a problem. However, now that I am older and the material is harder I have a hard time staying concentrated.

During a test I find myself looking at the walls and ceiling as if they will tell me the answer. No matter how long I study, how many times I re-read the book, or the amount of test taking tips I read; I still freeze up during tests.

After many long hours of studying, crying, and having people quiz me; my mom finally sat me down and we prayed about it. Yes, I understand many people do not believe in Jesus Christ but turning to the Lord has helped me in more ways than I thought possible.

Whether I am taking a test at school, going in for a job interview, visiting family member, or even going out for the night with my friends; I take the time to say a quick prayer asking for the Lord to watch over me during this time.

It may not work for everyone but the Lord has a plan for each of his children. No, he may not have blessed you with the ability to take tests but he has gifted you with a skill that may not be like anyone else’s. It is your job to figure out what that skill and gift is.

The Lord has created this amazing world for us; use it to its fullest and appreciate everything you see and do. He is never far and is always willing to listen to you.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,”declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

At a young age many kids start saying, “I wish I was older”.

We wished we could be thirteen to say we are finally a teen. Next, we wished to be fifteen to have our permit., sixteen so we could have our license, eighteen to say we were adults, and twenty-one to be able to drink.

However, once we’ve finally reached those ages we wished we could turn back time. We often forget where we came from and how we were brought up.

Before graduating high school everyone told me, “Take a good look around. Many of your classmates won’t be seen once you walk across that stage”. At first I thought they were exaggerating, but watching my classmates walk across that sta
ge than out the front doors of our high school made me realize we weren’t kids anymore. The real world was waiting for us.

During high school I was involved in Marching 100. I had made so many friends in Marching 100 but once my class graduated it felt as if those friendships left. People went to different schools, moved to different states, began deleting social media profiles; for many people it seemed as if they never existed.

It is said that once you grow up, you grow apart from people. Nevertheless, whether people are at different schools or in different states; they can always come back to their roots and remember where it all started.

Never be afraid to come back home and reminisce on the past. Sometimes, reminiscing is the best way to get yourself back on track.

ONCE A REDBIRD ALWAYS A REDBIRD.   

What is the one question every kindergartener gets asked? “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

This question has been asked to probably every child while they are in kindergarten. Some may call it a tradition for this question to be asked. Many people just want to hear the cute responses kids come up with.

Many children would answer with careers such as a fire fighter, ballerina, superhero, teacher, etc. Every now and then a child would say, “I don’t want to grow up!” I however, answered with, “I want to be a waitress.”

Growing up I would always watch the waitresses so intently while I sat at a restaurant waiting for my food. I was always so mesmerized by how happy they were when taking orders, how gracefully they carried the trays filled with food, and how they got a smile on their face when they waited on families with small children.

During middle school I had decided I wanted to be a teacher. I loved sitting down with kids to help them learn. Watching their faces light up when they finally understood a topic really put the cherry on top of working with them. However, after becoming a freshmen in high school I began learning about the economy and salaries. It was then that I realized being a teacher was a hard career and their salary wouldn’t allow me to travel like I have been dreaming.

While in high school I tossed around the careers of marine biology, culinary school, flight attendant, special needs teacher, business, and photography. When it came down to picking, all the signs pointed towards business. Nevertheless, photography was still in the back of my mind. I really enjoyed going outside no matter what the weather to find that perfect picture.

I am happy to say I am able to study business yet keep up with my love for photography. I often times will take a break from homework to go outside and find that perfect picture once again. My family enjoys seeing my pictures and I enjoy taking them.
Don’t give up a talent or dream. Always find a way to incorporate it into your life. Follow your dreams. You never know where they might take you.

With Valentine’s Day only 5 days away everyone is beginning to shop for their significant other. The stores are now packed, jewelry is flying off the shelves and restaurants are booked. It seems that every year people do not express their love for their significant other unless it is a holiday or birthday. I am just as at fault as everyone else.

On April 11th, 2015 I met a young man named Joshua. A friend and I had been out for dinner when we decided to go meet up with a few other friends. We pulled up to a local bowling alley and saw everyone standing in a group. When we walked up my friend Cody introduced me to Joshua. He was wearing a baseball hat, shorts and a t-shirt; I couldn’t keep my eyes off of him. His eyes were so beautiful and inviting.

Him and I did not say too much to each other that night. After dropping my friend off at home, I myself headed home as well. Joshua was still on my mind; being the typical teenager I added him
on social media hoping I could have to opportunity to see him again. I quickly got a notification from social media saying he accepted my request. I quickly messaged him with butterflies in my stomach. The rest is history.

Joshua and I are now a couple and have talked everyday since April 11th, 2015. He is everything I ever dreamed of. Joshua and I attend church together weekly, spend time at each others family functions and have homework dates when time allows.

Joshua is the prince charming I have always dreamed about. He listens to my stories, helps with personal problems, cooks dinner, surprises me with gifts, goes on dinner dates with me, attends family functions, attends church with me, rubs my feet after a stressful day; I could go on forever. Yes our relationship has its rough moments but we work through them together.

I once asked my mom, “How do you know when you love someone?” and she responded with, “You’ll just know.”

I’ve loved Joshua for almost a year now and I couldn’t be any happier. I hope to love him the rest of my life.
He is truly the man of my dreams and I am lucky enough to call him mine. He is the love of my life.

I hope everyone is able to spend Valentine’s Day with loved ones.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Throughout high school we make friends that we expect to keep the rest of our lives. In reality, once we graduate we end up losing a lot of them. I was lucky enough to keep two of my closest friends after graduation.

My two closest friends are Maddie and Jessica. I met them both while attending Alton Middle School. Once us three got to high school we became even closer. Maddie and I were in band together while Jessica played soccer. Sometimes we would get lucky enough to have a class together. We called ourselves the Three Musketeers! 

After graduating Jessica started attending a college in Decatur while Maddie and I stayed here to attend Lewis and Clark Community College then Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville. In May of 2015 Jessica, Maddie and myself decided to take a trip together to Branson, Missouri. This trip allowed us to catch up on everything that had been happening since we started our Sophomore year of college.

On our way to Branson the drive seemed to never end! Mile after mile we kept each other laughing by playing car games along the way. Once we arrived at our
condo the exploring began. The condo had one bedroom, a loft bedroom, kitchen, living room, two bathrooms, laundry area, and a deck. It was a perfect place for us to stay for a long weekend.

On our first full day there we spent the first part at Silver Dollar City then headed to Moonshine Beach. We
rode many roller coasters, took plenty of pictures and was able to soak up the sun. Then finished the day out with popcorn, ice cream, and chick flicks. Needless to say we chose to sleep in the next morning. The morning of our second day we hung out around the condo and took it easy. That night we attended Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede to enjoy an amazing show and delicious dinner.

Another our trip seemed rather short it was still enjoyable. No matter how long or short of time we are together we always make the most of it.

I grew up with two brothers so being able to have friends as close as Maddie and Jessica makes me feel as if I have sisters too. They are truly the greatest friends I could ever ask for. I can’t wait to see what the next few years have in store for the Three Musketeers.