7670 days with my best friends.

From about the age of 4 until I was 9 or 10, I thought that I was supposed to be an only child (or at least not one in a set of quadruplets. Siblings yes, but one in a set of four…nope.) As long as I can remember I have hated any attention on me in public places. This happens quite a lot when you are a quadruplet, and especially when your family does commercials (not the Hollywood type, just a local insurance company.) I can remember from a young age people staring at us when we would go grocery shopping, people stopping us and asking my mom questions about us, and even people coming up to us saying how cute we were and that they loved watching us (this is no longer happens today haha.) When things like this would happen I would hide behind my mother while Mary Elizabeth and Caitlin would smile and even carry on conversations with complete strangers. They were meant to be quadruplets not me. I also really struggled growing up with wanting to be independent. When we were younger it was easier I guess for people to say the Haynes Quadruplets or the Alfa Quads. Rarely did people (except for family) address us by our first names, or as individuals. I did not like this at all. I remember telling my mother that I did not want to be know as I quadruplet, I wanted to be known as Sarah. I also wanted to be different than my siblings. I loved that I was the only one to have blonde hair when we were young and the only one with green eyes and while everyone got rollerblades, I decided I wanted roller skates instead. Through this stage in my life my mother always told me that I was so blessed to be a quadruplet and that one day I would realize that. I would say it was in fourth grade that my attitude about being a quadruplet changed dramatically. In fourth grade we moved schools. It was driving to school the first day, when I realized how thankful I was not to be alone. I was nervous and it was so comforting knowing I had my three best friends with me and I have had them with me ever since.

I honestly cannot put into words how thankful I am to have Will, Caitlin and Mary Elizabeth as siblings. It is with these three that I have experienced twenty-one years full of adventures and laughter. It is my siblings (Anna Lee included) who have put up with my dramatic self for 21 years, and have accepted and loved me despite all my quirks.  It is my siblings that have always had my back, and when I experienced my first taste of heartbreak cried with me and listen to me talk for hours. It is my siblings who know everything about me, my hopes, dreams and fears. We have experienced everything together and always been there for each other. I now can clearly see just how fortunate I am to be a quadruplet and I would not have it any other way. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY Caitlin, Mary Elizabeth and Will!  I love you all so much and I cannot wait to spend another 21 years with ya!  


-warning: there are a lot of pictures. 

Our First Birthday Party. 

We used to love to hide in my parents shower and wait for mom to find us. 

"The ALFA Quads"

We spent most of the summers outside all day. 

Our Tenth Birthday- 2000

Freshman Spring Break

Last Summer

Hiking in Tellico Plains, Tennessee

National Championship Celebration- War Eagle. :) 

Spring 2011

the best surprise ever.

Well I am back in the good ol' U.S.A. Caitlin and I got back on July 2nd and headed straight to the beach for a week. I am now at home, and I have to say it is so weird to be back. I have continued to journal and hope to share in the near future all the Lord taught me while in Honduras, but for now I am going to share the story of the best surprise ever. 

On Saturday morning it was still not real that my time in Honduras was over. I hate goodbyes, so I am pretty sure that I was in denial, I might still be. For our last breakfast Karla (one of our awesome translators) brought us Dunkin Donuts and fruit drinks. After breakfast, it was time to load up our suitcases and take some last pictures at the Humuya Inn (our home for the month of june). On Friday, I saw a text on Karla's phone to one of our CTC students. It was telling her what time we were leaving for the airport. I didn't really think much about it on Friday, but on Friday night I had a dream that the CTC students surprised us at the airport. When we got to the airport on Saturday and they were not there, I thought maybe Karla had texted them just to let them know when we were leaving. With the thought of them being there completely out of my head, we got our boarding passes, checked our bags, and got cleared by immigration. In Honduras you have to pay to leave the country. We were all standing in line when an airport worker told us that one person could pay for us all. Mary Elizabeth (our awesome leader) was in charge of all the money, so Kimberly, Caitlin, Sarah and I decided to go sit down and just wait on her to pay. As I turned around I saw Daniel (one of our CTC students) with a guitar and a group of people. After a couple of seconds I realized that the group of people standing in front of me were all from the CTC. They had come to surprise us and say goodbye! :) I immediately started to tear up. They then told us they had something for us...that is when they started to sing "Joyfullly" by Kari Jobe in the middle of the airport. I do not think that I have ever heard that song sound better. After giving each of them four hundred hugs and saying goodbye to Louie, Karla, Sarah and Mary Elizabeth, it was time for Kimberly, Caitlin and I to head through security. I am pretty sure we were all depressed by this point and I will admit I cried at random times on the plane. I do not know if they will ever know how much it meant to me that they came to say goodbye. I have told them a hundred times and now I am telling you- I honestly got to spend a month with the nicest people in Honduras. I cannot wait to see them again. Here is the video of them singing to us in the airport. enjoy. :) 

This past week for me has been hard in many ways. I have really struggled with my attitude about being home. I know that the Lord is sovereign and that I was only supposed to stay in Honduras for a month, but my flesh wants to be back in Honduras badly. Please pray for my attitude in the following weeks. I do not want my sin to get in the way of the Lord using me in the mission field at home. Also pray for Maria and Carlos (the kiddos I talked about in an earlier post) they were sent home last Saturday. Pray that they would be protected from any physical and emotional abuse from their parents, and pray for their parents' salvation.