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Sarah Nichols Bowen

@sbowen15

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✨ Therapist-College Expert @futureu515
🤓 Awkward & unfiltered (in the best way)
🔥 Single mom to amazing teens
💁‍♀️ Scary good at what I do

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47 looks good on me — turns out, confidence hits different when you stop chasing approval and start hanging with people who actually see you. 💛
Growth isn’t about candles on a cake — it’s about believing you deserve the peace you built.
#ThisIs47 #fyp #iowahawkeyes #birthdayvibes #ideserveit #singlemomlife #friendsandfam #tailgate #yoga #momentrepreneur taken in Waukee, Iowa by @sbowen15

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a year ago

Enough said. ❤️ #loveher #motherdaughterduo #winterformal @avery.bowen11 taken in Downtown Des Moines by @sbowen15

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9 months ago

Saving the planet. One carton at a time.
(Apparently “walk it 2 feet to recycling” is an advanced skill in this house.) 😅
#reallife #momofteens #winterbreak #lifeskills #dohardthings taken in Clive, Iowa by @sbowen15

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10 months ago

Happy National Daughters Day to my Avery. ❤️

She is kind, absolutely hysterical, and has a level of emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and communication skills that far surpasses many adults I know.

But one of the things I admire most about her is her strength. She has faced adversity with a resilience, maturity, and ability to keep moving forward that I wish everyone could experience in themselves.

She makes every single day of my life better simply by being in it. I’m incredibly proud of the person she is, the way she loves people, the way she knows herself, and the way she continues to grow into exactly who she is meant to be.

Being her mom is one of the greatest gifts of my life.

Love you, Avery. ❤️ @avery.bowen11 #nationaldaughtersday #mygirl by @sbowen15

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21 days ago

Junior Homecoming 💕✨

There’s something extra special about watching your daughter head to HOCO with friends you’ve watched grow up over the years. And now they’re ready to make even more memories. 🥹

Such a fun night for Avery and some of the best kids. 💕 by @sbowen15

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a month ago

First day of school 2026. ❤️

Avery → Junior year
Weston → 8th grade
Will → Sophomore year at the University of Iowa 🖤💛 (Mom handled this one with significantly fewer tears than last year. Progress. 💪😂)

We got the traditional front-step picture of Avery and Weston, including the official first photo where Weston is taller than Avery.

Will had the easiest first day of all—his first class was online, so his commute was approximately six feet.

Avery’s AP Psych textbook, on the other hand, is apparently trying to take her out before class even starts. 😂 She bent down to say goodbye to the dogs with it in her backpack, lost her balance, and ended up on the kitchen floor. I did what any supportive mother would do and took a picture.

And Weston finally joined the club and drove me to his first day of school. Which also means I have now officially been driven to a first day by all three kids. Apparently my driver’s ed position will soon be done. 😂

Junior year. Eighth grade. Sophomore year of college.

Here we go. Love you three more than anything. Go be great. ❤️ by @sbowen15

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2 months ago

Happy 17th birthday to my best girl. ❤️

When I found out I was having a daughter, I was honestly nervous. I had always pictured myself as a boy mom, and girls hadn’t always been the easiest thing for me to navigate growing up.

And then I got Avery.

She is hysterical. Like, truly one of the funniest people I know. She can talk to anyone, and not in a fake small-talk kind of way. She genuinely wants to know people. She asks questions, she connects, she remembers things, and she makes people feel comfortable.

She is loyal, kind, accepting, beautiful, and the best sister and daughter.

And one of my favorite things about her is how she treats other girls. She’ll tell a girl she’s beautiful. She’ll compliment her outfit. She’ll hype someone up without thinking twice about it. She doesn’t seem to need to tear anyone else down to feel good about herself.

She knows who she is.

And if I could go back and talk to 17-year-old me, I think I’d tell her to be a little more like Avery.

I worried so much about having a daughter, and somehow she ended up being exactly what our family needed.

Happy birthday, sweet girl. I could not love you more. ❤️ @avery.bowen11 by @sbowen15

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2 months ago

Alaska was breathtakingly beautiful. The kind of beautiful that photos will never quite capture.

But as incredible as the scenery was, I think what I’ll remember most are the moments with my kids and family that are now etched in my brain forever.

The awe of seeing a whale for the first time.
A sunset at 10 PM.
Hearing our voices echo back to us off a mountain.
Laughing, exploring, and experiencing something completely new together.

I know trips like this aren’t always easy to make happen. They take time, money, planning, and usually a little chaos. But they’re so worth it.

And Alison, you are beyond amazing at making things like this happen for the people you love. ❤️

Take the trip when you can. Enjoy your people. Be amazed by things together. Make the memories.

And if you ever have the chance to get to Alaska…do it.

#Alaska #MakingMemories #TakeTheTrip by @sbowen15

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2 months ago

Happy birthday to my mom — the woman who truly started all the awesomeness in our family.

She raised me as a single mom while working multiple jobs, and somehow, even with everything she carried, we always knew she was there for us. That has never changed. To this day, I can call her to vent, laugh, cry, or just chat about absolutely nothing, and she shows up every time.

When you are divorced, different people step into different roles, and my mom very quickly became my ride-or-die, no-questions-asked person. She has been steady, supportive, loyal, and always in my corner.

She is also the best sports-loving grandma, our Grambee, doing her very best to make it to every game, cheer on every kid, and keep up with all the chaos. She taught all of the grandkids how to read, which will shock absolutely no one who knows her. And she has been a Mahjong master since long before it became trendy.

Mom, we love you so much. Happy birthday to the one who started it all. #birthdaygirl #loveyoumom by @sbowen15

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4 months ago

Happy 14th Birthday to Weston ❤️

I waited a day to post so we could add the permit photo… because apparently the DMV insists on not being open on Sundays. 😏

Weston is funny, smart, charismatic, helpful, loving… but most of all, kind.

Every year, he’s recognized at school for that kindness — to adults, to kids, including kids who might be left out. He naturally makes people feel seen. Parents often tell me how kind he is to their kids, too. He’s the kid who helps an opposing player up, makes friends with umpires and refs, and genuinely treats people with respect.

He never goes to bed without telling me, his brother, and his sister “I love you”… even if he drops his voice an octave when saying it to Will. 😏

From the beginning, he came into this world ready to take it on — arriving almost three weeks early — and he’s never been afraid to tackle what’s ahead of him.

14 already. 😳 More independence, but I know he will still have the same huge heart.

I Love you SO much and I’m so proud to be your mom! ❤️ taken in Waukee, Iowa by @sbowen15

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5 months ago

I love everything about her. ❤️ Prom 2026 with her sweet boyfriend and wonderful friends. My mom made the bouquet which made the night even more special. by @sbowen15

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6 months ago

Yeeeeesssss!!!!! by @sbowen15

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7 months ago