Sarah Family with Chicken

A Day in the Life: Sarah Koontz

Sarah Koontz is a freelance writer, inspirational speaker and stay-at-home mom to daughters Anya (8) and Nadia (7). She’s been married to her husband, Ryan, a Mechanical Engineer at SDSM&T for 12 years. They live in a quiet spot just outside of Rapid City with plenty of room for Sarah to garden, raise chickens and write for her blog at www.groundedandsurrounded.com.


6:09 a.m.

The beams of light sneaking through my blackout shades wake me from a dreamy sleep.

 

6:18 a.m.

I grab my fluffy red robe and shuffle to the kitchen to start the coffee. I hear my two girls playing in their room, even though it’s Saturday and I was hoping they’d sleep in.

 

6:22 a.m.

I quickly check on the baby chicks in the garage and grab my first cup of coffee before settling into my morning routine of updating social media, replying to e-mails and writing a post for my blog.

 

6:45 a.m.

Work is interrupted when I hear one of my girls shout, “I’m gonna huff, puff and blow your house down!” Out of curiosity, I peek in their room and am greeted with an enthusiastic invitation to watch their reenactment of the Three Little Pigs. How could I possibly say no?

 

7:43 a.m.

Breakfast is ready. I love my husband (for cooking) and my hens (for laying delicious eggs). Once breakfast is done, Daddy and the girls finish last night’s movie while I wrap up my computer work for the day.

 

8:46 a.m.

The closing credits of Star Wars beckon me out of the office.

 

9:18 a.m.

After cleaning the kitchen, mediating two fights, starting the ninth load of laundry for the week and grabbing my second cup of coffee in a to-go cup, I trot outside to help my husband in the garden.

 

9:36 a.m.

The kids join us outside and I get to referee fight number three.

 

10:05 a.m.

Children, weary of garden chores, are tasked with transporting our twelve baby chicks from the garage to the outdoor baby coop to enjoy the sunny day.

 

10:45 a.m.

Kids convince me to take a short break to join them on the trampoline with the sprinkler on. But first, we’ve got to get all the bugs off! So I catch Maddi (our beetle loving hen) and task her with the job.

 

11:18 a.m.

With the garden watered and weeded, the rocks picked and the raspberry plants transplanted, we pile into the car and head to town for some errands.

 

12:14 p.m.

They have the cutest baby ducks at the feed store. We contemplate buying a few.

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12:15 p.m.

We realize that an impulse purchase of waterfowl will most likely end in a case of buyer’s remorse.

 

12:42 p.m.

Run into my blogging partner (and best friend) Sammi at our favorite burrito place. She giggles while I strike a pose in my garden overalls, dirt-smudged, makeup-less face. No, I wasn’t planning on seeing anyone I knew on this trip to town.

 

1:23 p.m.

After a stop at the dollar store for the kids to spend the $1 they earned working in the garden this morning, I discover that I have food stuck in my teeth (neither my best friend nor husband said a thing). Nice!

 

2:16 p.m.

While the rest of the family enjoys some computer time (and Daddy arbitrates fight number five), I run a hot bath and rest a while.

 

3:52 p.m.

Ding Dong! My aunt shows up to play with the kids and I get busy preparing dinner. I revel in the sound of merriment as my girls reenact the Three Little Pigs for their
new audience.

 

5:30 p.m.

Finally pass dinner prep to my husband, the “Grill Master,” and agree to a quick game of Mario Party while we wait for our dinner guests to arrive.

 

6:06 p.m.

Our next-door neighbors (also known as Grandma and Grandpa) show up just in time to enjoy a feast of homegrown beets, turkey burgers and Greek salad.

 

6:49 p.m.

Gluten-free Chocolate Cake! I’m in heaven…

 

7:15 p.m.

Hugs and kisses to our extended family and it’s snuggle time on the couch. Tonight, we’re watching the newest episode of Fixer Upper.

 

8:06 p.m.

Kids are in bed. After tidying up the kitchen and living room, watering plants, grabbing eggs and locking up the hens, my husband and I call it a day. I do my very best not to think about the seven loads of laundry I had intended to fold today.

 

9:47 p.m.

I drift to sleep while my husband watches a re-run of the Office.

 


What she’s reading: Unstuffed: Decluttering your Home, Mind & Soul by Ruth Soukup Favorite indulgence: Getting a massage Signature meal: Sweet and Spicy Chili Hidden talent: I can make a flower with my tongue Biggest challenge: Living with fibromyalgia. It forces me to say no when I want to say yes and keeps me humble. Favorite quote: “God never said it would be easy, He just said He would go with me.” – JG Holland On her iPod: Taylor Swift, Norah Jones Workout she manages to squeeze in: Jumping on the trampoline with my kids Personal hero: My father On her nightstand: Essential oil diffuser Can’t miss TV shows: Covert Affairs, Fixer Upper Favorite movie: Anne of Green Gables Favorite family outing: Fishing

Photos by Picture Perfect Portraits