Dear Followers:
I am going to try a new thing....being a faithful blogger. At least weekly. I know, I have been TERRIBLE at this blog, but I have been reminded of why I wanted to blog in the first place. To capture memories to remember later down the line when my memory fails me, and to be able to look back and laugh (and probably cry) with the stories of our life. So, here it goes....my attempt to be better. Bare with me, blogger friends!
So, where I do begin after not blogging in MONTHS? Well, let's start with an update of the summer, my favorite time of the year!
May:
Kyle and I hit our 5 year anniversary on May 19th (which is so hard to believe) and to celebrate, well, we had a FREE trip to San Fransisco!! We were wined and dined by our Shaklee family for a long weekend away, met some new LIFE-LONG friends, and enjoyed time away. Thank you to my parents who watched the kiddos. (I think my mom realized a whole new side of my saying to our Shaklee family...."If I can do this, ANYONE CAN DO THIS!" It's not easy with little ones, but they are the joy of my life and worth the challenge!) This was Kyle and my first time away from Ethan other than 1 night, so I was the most worried about him. But to my delight, the kids did AMAZING and never asked about us- one of those good/bad things- I mean, didn't even ask? What am I, chopped liver?!?! But, I was thankful and both mommy/daddy and kids were excited to reunite after our amazing trip! :)
At the end of May, Kyle finished up his 3rd year of teaching, which meant- SUMMER HOME WITH US! A MUST NEEDED benefit of a teacher, and much deserved! So, May welcomed Daddy back home, full time! :)
June:
June was a busy month for us! It was an important month in our business, working towards some big goals, both Kyle and my birthdays, free days for the lake, and much more! We enjoyed every second of it! We were honored with being asked by Shaklee to do a "profile video" of our family, telling our story of why we do what we do. So, we had 2 camera men (Gerry with a G and Jon with no "h") and Director Joan come for 3 days filled with filming! And when I say "filled," I mean FILLED! We wanted to show them our full life, so we took them to Bethel College, where we met, played on the lake, went bike riding, got ice cream, played outside, had some friends over, and went through everyday life as we know it. It was a BLAST and we love the final product they came up with! The kids were little HAMS and they did so well! Payton would wake up each morning asking if the cameras were coming today....she is my little movie star! :)
About a week or so later, we had family pictures taken by Kelli Rasler. She is AMAZING!!! (and if I can remember how to upload pics, I will do so!!) We hadn't done professional pictures since Ethan was born (I know, I know, sad, but in the age of digital cameras, we just didn't see the need.) However, we were VERY glad we chose Kelli and will continue to use her for future pictures!! This month, we also drove to Ohio to welcome some new friends into the Shaklee family. We look forward to many more road trips in the future!! And of course we also spent countless hours outside, playing, sliding, swimming, boating, tubing, and much more! Whew, what a month! :)
July:
July started off with probably my favorite weekend of the entire year- FOURTH OF JULY!! It is tradition that we spend much of the weekend on the lake, and this year was no different. Although many of my siblings were unable to make it home for the weekend, we enjoyed time with my parents. The kids LOVED all the outside time, although hot, and we enjoyed seeing SO many boats out and having fun! We grilled out, did smores, and enjoyed fireworks multiple nights! Payton at first was a little scared of the fireworks, esp. the loud ones, but my mom kept telling her they were "pretty lights and BOOM BOOMS" and that made all the difference. She then would get SUPER excited and in a high pitched cute voice would yell "BOOM BOOMS" every time. Let's just say it was cute, but got a little repetitive after 1000 times!! One the 3rd, they did the big fireworks on the lake, and we packed snacks, blankets, drinks, and games and headed out to the lake. We enjoyed watching SO MANY people light chinese lanterns and let them fly. They filled the sky and it was beautiful! By the time the fireworks were over, Ethan was asleep in my arms and Payton was asleep on her Grammie! :) We did our usual "Slow stroll" around the lake after, and I even snuggled in under a blanket and fell asleep! It was just SO peaceful!!!
The other big thing in July was that my baby boy turned 1!!!!!! I know, so hard to believe. It seems like just yesterday that they announced that I had a baby boy, and now he is 1! Can't believe how fast this year has gone! So, for his birthday, we just had some of our family over for a small celebration. We did a sports theme (of course!), I made and decorated cupcakes, we grilled out, and we got a smash cake for the birthday boy! It was SO hot that day, but we enjoyed it anyways! We celebrated little bubba, watched him open presents (if his sister would let him....she was a little jealous), and watched him DEVOUR his cake! It was so cute! He sure needed a bath after that!! It was a blast!!
July also started a NEW Shaklee year in our business, which meant a fresh start to a new year! That means new trips to work for, new team members to help, and another great year of looking up! We had an amazing first year, and we are even MORE excited for the year to come!
August:
August snuck up on us! Before we knew it, we were in August, facing nearly the end of summer and Kyle being home. This is always a hard time for me, but we knew we wanted to enjoy the last of the days to the fullest! On Aug. 9th, we headed to DC on a bus filled with 50+ people all excited for Shaklee's Global Conference! Over 5000 people gathered to hear about the year to come in Shaklee! We heard all about the new trips that we will be earning this year- an all inclusive luxury trip to the Mayan Riviera, and a once-in-a-lifetime trip on a Kenyan Safari! A true DREAM for us! We have always wanted to go to Africa, and to make a difference for a child in Africa, and this is our year for that, because with every Safari that is earned, Shaklee will pay for a child to go to school for a year! A trip that is MUCH more than just seeing the lions and elephants, and so much more about giving back! And not to mention, the chance to partner with a Nobel Peace Prize winner in planting trees in Kenya! Truly a trip you won't ever forget, and Kyle and I are SO EXCITED for that opportunity! But, in order for us to succeed in anything in this business, we must help others! So, we are committed to taking AT LEAST 4 couples to the Mayan with us this year....could you be one?? Anyways, back to the Global Conference! We were able to take our leaders, Abbey and Brian Cook, as well as Abbey's brother, Patrick, with us and it was a BLAST introducing them to the SHAKLEE FAMILY! Kyle and I were honored with recognition on stage for our accomplishments this next year, and even had the owner, Roger Barnett personally introduce us to Commander Mark Kelly! What an honor! Through the WHOLE conference, we just realized how much we want our entire team to experience the red-carpet treatment next year in Vegas for the Global Conference, and it solidified that we are in the right place at the right time, and that this company has become a true passion of ours, one that is going to insure our future in so many ways! What a week- meeting new people, being encouraged and energized, getting recognized, and so much more! Can't wait for Vegas next year! :)
As soon as we got home (we got home on Sunday, August 14th), we were back to the reality of Kyle headed back to school full time the next day! This was hard for everyone, not only from being exhausted from our trip, but also because the kids were without mommy and daddy for 5 days, and now daddy went right back to work. They missed him, and Payton STILL asks where daddy is every morning, but we are managing. It isn't just hard on the kids, it is hard on mommy! Not only do I lose my "extra hand" around the house for diapers, phone calls, and playtime, but I miss my best friend when he isn't around. :( This just showed Kyle and I how much more we are looking forward to the day that Kyle is able to stay home as well, and when we can be a family with NO SCHEDULE in the future! We can't wait for that to happen, and we are committing this year to making a giant step in the right direction!
So, that brings us up-to-date on life! This week we welcome another month, September! Crazy! But, we are looking forward to it, taking each day, each month, as a new month, moving forward with what God has for us!! God has been teaching us A LOT this summer. For example:
*True friends will stick with you through the ups and downs in life!
*Be true to yourself and your values, and if others don't appreciate it, then it is ok.
*Take a hold of your future and happiness, and don't let anyone or anything stand in the way of your dreams!
*When you get knocked down, just say thanks, and GET BACK UP! The strongest person moves past those downs to rise to the top!
*DREAM BIGGER and PRAY BIGGER! We have been challenged to not put God in a box, and to truly pray BIG, believing that God has BIG things out there!!!
*Life is too short to waste time! Enjoy every minute of my kids, my husband, my family, and our dreams is what is making me who I am!
*Laugh a lot!
We also feel like God had blessed us with so many unexpected things this summer! First of all, the big storm that came through took off shingles and ripped down part of our fence. So, how is that a blessing? Because after insurance, and materials to re-roof our entire house and re-fence our entire yard, we still have money left over!! An unexpected blessing! Then, we found out that Kyle might get up to $5000 of his college loans written off if he teaches one more year at his school! An unexpected blessing! And we are finally able to pay off all doctor/hospital bills! An blessing that we have waited for!!
God is good! I thank him every day for giving me the life that he has! A life filled with smiles, giggles, love, enjoyment, fulfillment of helping others, and laughter! I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!
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