TGIF

And so another workweek comes to a close. We have made it through another week, though I hesitate to say we have gotten into a new routine yet. Hard to do during the summer, there is always something happening that prevents us from establishing the good nighttime routine we need, or the regular grocery shopping evening, or a laundry day or two. Ah well, we'll be turning that calendar to September before we realize it, and school will start, and we will meld into a routine with all those things and more. For now, we're going to continue to enjoy the warm summer days, the evenings of backyard play and staying up too late, and the consistently inconsistent non-routines we've become so used to!

 

This Friday evening finds me home with just my Joelers, as Doug is in Texas taking part in AdvoCare Success School, a huge event taking place at none other than Dallas Cowboy Stadium. He has joined 25,000+ other AdvoCare Distributors from all over to learn about new products, hear from the SciMed Board, meet Endorsers, and so so so much more! It's an exciting time to be sure, and while I'm disappointed not to be there with him, I am enjoying my time with Joel and looking forward to our weekend of mother-son bonding! Gracie was picked up by her beloved Gammie yesterday afternoon, and was very excited to have 4 nights "away from my brother Joel, I needed some alone time"!! Today and tomorrow they are at the annual church campout, another event I am disappointed to miss out on, but am thrilled that she is able to be there!

 

After spending a few hours at work together today, Joel and I had a late lunch at Wendy's, came home for some downtime that he spent watching "muddy water mud trucks" (real name: 4 Wheel Parts Top Truck Challenge) for the 27th time this week and I spent reading on my Nook, did a little evening shopping at Kohl's, stopped at DQ for an Oreo blizzard for the li'l buggar, and have spent the last little while playing with Monster Trucks and watching Monster Jam. Joel is nicely playing on his own now after telling me, "mommy all done playing with Joel", so here I sit!

 

Connecting

Many a time a blog idea pops into my head, or I compose a posting in my mind, but I don't get myself to the computer to put the words down. I occasionally put a nugget of positivity on my Facebook status to keep those who are asking me for a post with something to think about! I recently had a friend tell me, "please write on your blog again, I need some inspiration!". That humbled me, and frightened me a bit! People are turning to ME for inspiration?! For something to give them motivation to face this negative world? I have been a beacon of hope for somebody? Yipes, the responsibility!!

I continue to be amazed at God's grace, at the opportunities He continually places in front of me, even though I often don't do the best I can with them. The opportunity to connect with people via this blog is one of those; I am humbled that my words, my expression of thought, my voice of hope, can touch the lives of others. Often times the words that come into my head begging to be written don't make sense to me, or I tell myself they won't matter to anybody else, or that nobody really cares what I'm thinking about or dealing with. So they don't make it to print.

But that comment from my friend got me thinking and I came to realize, God has placed those words there, He wants me to share them, and if even one person can be positively affected by them, then I have succeeded in serving His purpose. It is a disservice to anybody following my blog to NOT write down what crosses my mind that begs to be shared with others.

So I present to you this summary of the past 4 weeks worth of blogs postings that never made it to print.

- Be a light of positivity in this darkened world.

- You have what you need to make your dreams happen, it's already inside of you, but fear of the unknown & of failure is holding you back. Reject that fear, Embrace your dream, and stop at nothing to make it a reality!

- Impact those around you simply by being YOU! IMPACT=I'M in Possession of my own Ability to enact Change Today. Be confident in yourself and trust in your instincts.

- What you surround yourself with will become your reality; Who you surround yourself with is who you will become. Choose Wisely!! This world is full of negativity, of drama and discontentment, of passing the blame and not accepting responsibility or accountibility. Do not be party to that, and do not spent time around those who are party to that; it is contagious!

- The moment you are living RIGHT NOW is one that you will never get back, there is no guarantee for a better tomorrow, so why not instead focus on living a better today? Be present in the moment, do not let a clip on TV, a sports game, a text, an email, or anything else driven by the technological advances that have weakened our society take precedence over a real conversation with a loved one, a "watch me mommy!" moment from your child, a hug from your spouse, or any of those important moments of connection with PEOPLE; real people, in the flesh, not on the cell phone or in the TV. Technology has its place, but it is not the priority. If you are reading this blog posting right now instead of playing a game with your child or listening to what your spouse is trying to say to you, then STOP READING! Right now! Focus on people, our society has us starving for real connection; many youth don't even know what it means to 'connect' with someone, they think 'connecting' is how you get onto the internet! Ack!

I think that's a good stopping place for now! For the record, I came home from the office after a morning of connecting with other business people at a Chamber meeting we hosted, to an empty house. I am thrilled at the opportunity that gave me to sit down and blog! But now I'm going to eat some lunch and be ready for when my kids get home, because this momma wants to play CandyLand with her Gracie-girl and Monster Trucks with her Joelers!

One more thought...during the hour and a half that businessmen and women were mingling in our office, I did not see one person reading a text or really even talking on their cell phone. They were too busy chatting face-to-face with other businessmen and women. It was refreshing!! THAT is what you call connecting!

 

Hello July, what happened to you? It's August!

Somehow an entire month passed since my last blog posting! It was a very busy, crazy, but fun several weeks, and while I thought often of my computer and my blog, I did not have or make the time to sit and write. To bring you up to date very quickly, one month ago (give or take) my husband became a stay-at-home dad and I went back to work full-time. This has been an adjustment, to say the least, but a welcome change in our home! I'm trying to work 32-40 hours a week in 4 days, keeping Fridays open for family time. Some weeks this works, others not so much; but there are no complaints from me, because I know the companies I work for are blessed to be busy during these uncertain economic times. Doug and I continue to build our AdvoCare business as well, so have been to a lot of meetings, Mixers, group events, etc as we learn everything available to us about this amazing company, and share the products and opportunity with those around us. This past month also took us on a camping weekend to Lincoln City, an evening at the Washington County Fair, gave Doug ample time to tackle household projects, and allowed us many pleasant evenings to sit outside and enjoy time together as a family. We even got to watch the Hillsboro Air Show from the rooftop of our house!

 

It has been a month full of the very moments we were hoping for by bringing Doug home from the retail world...family moments. Moments enjoying the silliness of our kiddos, watching them play in the backyard, staying up watching House Hunters and reading books, working hard to get Joel potty trained, talking a lot with Gracie about starting Kindergarten. We celebrated Joel's 3rd birthday, Gracie was excited to lose her first two teeth and have visits from the Tooth Fairy, Doug has started some weekday routines with the kids, (AdvoCare workouts, Tuesdays at Bi-Mart for lucky number day, trips to Haggen to visit his past co-workers who are now AdvoCare clients). It has been a fabulous month. We are so excited to see August has in store for our family!

 

 

 

 

35 Going On...36

Today marks 35 years of yours truly being a part of this thing called life. My mom would tell you that from birth, I knew what I wanted and went for it!! I was the fastest of her 5 deliveries, (all done naturally mind you, and the last one being just 3 months shy of her 45th birthday...my mom is a Rockstar, people!! I aspire to be even a fraction of the kindhearted, caring, patient woman she is!), and she barely made it to the delivery room before I entered the world, strong-willed and spunky from the get-go!! Growing up, she would tell me I was 5 going on 15, 10 going on 20, 15 going on 35...you get the idea. Stubborn, opinionated, always knew what I wanted, didn't care to waste time on emotions and sensitivities. Just wanted to plow through the nonsense and get to the purpose!

 

So here I sit, 35 today, and very honestly feeling quite fulfilled with my life, and very much looking forward to year 36 and all that it will hold, not just for me, but for my family, my friends, and anyone who I meet on the journey of the next 12 months. Truth be told, when I was "15 going on 35", had you asked me where I wanted to be at 35, a lot of what I would have told you then is where I am at now. Other than the fact that at 15, and even at 20, I would have told you I was never getting married and never having children!! But I also would have told you that a lot of where I was going was really not in my control; that God had a plan for my life and I was going to do my best to seek His will. I believe that is a lot of why my parents felt I was older than my 15 years, because I knew there was more purpose to my life then what I was experiencing in high school with its social drama, its limitations of what could be taught within those walls, and its abundance of teenage angst, often driven by relationships and a need to fit in, to validate oneself through the acceptance of others.

 

Do you know, truly know in your heart, who you are and where you're going? Are you where you want to be? I see so many people who seem to be 35 going on 25...or even 35 wanting to be 18 again. This is mind-boggling to me! Embrace who you are right now, and if you aren't happy with yourself, make a change!! Empower yourself to be 35 going on 36, to be content with where you are, and if not content then to step up, step out of comfort, and do something to allow true happiness into your life. It's a chaotic world out there, but you do not have to allow that chaos to overrun your desire to be better tomorrow than you are today. There are excuses all around you for not taking a stand, for not bettering yourself, for not taking that leap of faith and finding your greater purpose. Because, make no mistake, God has a purpose, a desire for you, but you must be willing to seek it, to seek Him, to listen and follow Him, to get uncomfortable at times, to be, in all honesty even though it sounds like a cliche, the change you want to see in the world. You only hold the power to change yourself; through that you can empower others to go forth and make changes as well, but it starts with you.

 

I have lived 35 years full of blessings; sure there have been difficulties and heartaches along the way, but the blessings far outshine those and the blessings are what I choose to focus on. I look forward to what God has in store for my next 35 years, and my daily prayer is that I am on the path He has intended for me. I hope you know that I pray this for you also. You have a purpose, and you matter. Seek your purpose, embrace your 35 without wishing for 20, let go of regrets or dwelling in the past and simply focus on your purpose for now, this moment, and future moments that you have the ability to change for the better.

 

Thank you, Dad and Mom, for the life you gave me, for the God you taught me to trust in, and for always encouraging me to be myself.

How Would You Like Your Eggs?

My thoughts lately are like eggs, scrambled some days; over easy others; fried sometimes!  There has been a lot going on in my mind these past couple of weeks, as I find the days going by too quickly and I can't get everything done that I want to, and yet too slowly as we anticipate Doug's last day of work and his being home. In general, I am not an overthinker; I don't analyze a situation to its death before making a decision and then second-guess myself and look back over all the "could haves". But when making a decision as huge as the one to have Doug leave his job, you can bet that my mind has gone over all the possibilties! However, I feel settled about our decision, and at peace that it was the right one for our family. And if there was any doubt, it disappeared immediately when Doug's mom called a few days ago and asked, "You guys have any plans the weekend of July 13th?" and I was able to say "NO!! Doug ISN'T working!!" It was very freeing! Just like that, we were able to plan a little camping trip in Lincoln City that weekend, which also happens to be Joel's 3rd birthday weekend, and we get to see some of Doug's out-of-town family that aren't able to be together very often. After 16 years of working weekends, Doug felt so awesome being able to just throw some plans together like that and not having to miss out on family time because of working.

 

I love that knowing there will be more evenings and weekends available to him, more time in general, Doug has already reached out socially and has delved into learning as much as he can about AdvoCare so he can share it with others. We met another couple that we've recently re-connected with for dinner one evening last week; he had a meeting this week with one of his AdvoCare mentors who is quickly becoming a good friend; we went to Salem to visit with my lifelong girlfriend and her little family, and it was so nice watching our kids play together, seeing Doug chatting with her husband and being able to make plans for another weekend get-together without having to "check Doug's schedule"! And we purchased a ticket for Doug to attend AdvoCare's Success School this August, in Texas at Cowboy Stadium! He is going to come home from that weekend a changed man, in all good ways! I'm so excited for him. Excited for us! Excited for our family!

 

This week will be a scrambled one for sure, Doug is working opening shift (5am) with only 1 day off all week, and we have a few other things on the calendar, but we're going to get though it one day at a time, and each day that we go to sleep puts us one day closer to realizing a dream...having Doug NOT have that crazy retail work schedule any longer!!

 

We believe in dreaming, and in working towards making those dreams a reality. We took hold of a dream and turned it into a reality, and it isn't going to be easy; but life isn't supposed to be easy, and sometimes the things that are the healthiest for our minds and bodies are actually the most difficult. It's much easier to swing by the drive-thru to grab a meal, or to buy all pre-made packaged foods at the grocery store, or to sit on the couch and watch TV rather than take a walk or work out; I know this because I took that easy way for a long time, making excuses as to why it was okay, making excuses as to why Doug had to tough it out in his job because how could we possibly make ends meet otherwise, and what about health insurance, and this-that-and-ten thousand other things?! But at the end of each day, taking the easy approach did not make me healthy, happy, or content. I'm still struggling with this, as it's so much easier to just eat whatever I want and not exercise, and use the excuse of my digestive woes to justify it. It's much easier to not budget, to not plan what I'm spending on groceries, to just buy now and figure it out later. It's easier for me to work part-time, making my hours work within our family's schedule. Easy, easy, easy...but NOT healthy and NOT teaching my kids the value of working towards a goal, of making a dream a reality, of appreciating that meal in a restaurant because it's a treat instead of a weekly normal.

 

Easy is done for this girl, it's out the window, I'm taking the difficult road...God is calling me to get out of my comfort zone, to put clean and healthy foods into my body, to work consistent hours for the sanity of my co-workers and my family, to dust off the walking shoes and use them often, and most importantly...to promote positivity in a negative, pessimistic world; to be a beacon of hope and light for others; to utilize the talents He has given me in the best ways to touch as many lives as possible.

 

I do believe I'll take my eggs hard-boiled today, after all that takes the most time and patience to prepare.

 

 

 



Moving Forward in Faith

We are embracing change in a big way in our family, and are doing so with faith and peace that God has provided us direction and will continue to guide us down the path He wishes to see us on.

 

Doug put in his notice at work today, his last day as Produce Manager at the Tualatin Haggen store will be Friday, July 5th.  After 16 years working in Produce with Haggen, he will be taking some time to be with his children, to focus on building our AdvoCare business, and to support me working additional hours with Five Star.  After 16 years working in Produce with Haggen, he is physically and mentally worn out, and is going to take some time to rest his body and rest his mind. 

 

We feel very confident in this change; it's huge, and it was not an easy decision to come to, but after many months of praying, talking, and planning, we knew it was time to take the leap of faith, time to put our family first, time to stretch ourselves and pull out of our comfort zone, time to move forward.

 

We are excited with the journey we are on, excited to see what God has in store for our family, and thankful for all the support we have found along the way to making this change.

 

"Be still, and know that I am God"

When we realize that we are truly incapable of controlling life, we can surrender our will to God’s will. It may be a matter of finally saying we trust Him. This will open the door so that we may experience the fullness of all God wants and has for us. After all, He is our Creator and has a perfect plan for us when we let Him orchestrate it.



Embracing Change

Change:  To make different; to give a different position, course or direction; to replace with another.

 

It can be subtle, it can be noticeable, it can be by choice, it can be forced upon you, it can happen without you even realizing it, you can make it happen.  Whatever the method, it is inevitable. It will occur. Often, and in many facets of your life.

 

Change.

 

Embrace it. Encourage it. Appreciate it.

 

It's not easy to do this; the important things in life are not supposed to be. God didn't give us faith to make things easy, He gave us faith so that when things are difficult we have the strength to get through them. 

 

Change.

 

Do not fear it.  Do not resent it.  Do not disrepect it.

 

There is a place for change in all of us, and a need for it.  As much as we would like to make those around us change, we cannot.  We can only change ourselves, and how we allow another person or a situation to affect us.

 

Change.

 

Choose it.  Be the change you wish to see in others. Hope for it.

 

We are embracing change this week, we are choosing change to better ourselves and our family.  We are challenging ourselves to improve our quality of life. It won't be easy, but we will face it together and will power through the difficulties. We trust, in God and His plans for our family, in each other, and in change.