My trip to Ecuador (The Child Survival Program)

Thank Heaven for 2011?

How was your 2010? Great? Mediocre? A Struggle?
Are you thinking, "Thank heaven! It's 2011!"
As I look over the past year, I am grateful for all the ups and downs of 2010. But, I know 2011 is going to be an amazing year! Not only am I excited about the adventures we have planned as a family for 2011, but I am also excited about Beachbody in 2011.
As I was reading Success Magazine last night, it dawned on me...I'm an Entrepreneur. I was reading the stories of the different people in the magazine who are entrepreneurs and I could relate to them. Then I thought, "When did I become an Entrepreneur?" It was the first day I said, "Yes," when my friend asked me to be a Beachbody Coach. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I didn't know I was an Entrepreneur...I was just a stay-at-home mom who thought she'd like to make a little extra money for herself. $100 a month would be a great success! Little did I know what the next almost 4 years would have in store for me.
When I made the decision to say "Yes" to Beachbody: I did not let fear take a hold of me (because there was little to risk), I knew I wanted to make a change in the life of my family (because of the health of generations before me), and I had some goals (I wanted something to call my own).
Maybe you know someone who is ready for 2011 to be different. Maybe they don't see themselves as an entrepreneur but want to make a change. If so, I'd love to have them on my team. I'd love for them to be
saying for themselves at this time next year: I'm an Entrepreneur.

Prone to Wander

In 1758, Robert Robinson wrote these words:
"Bind my wardering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it.
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, o take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above."
The song was Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing and is still sung today in churches all around the world.
This song has been going over and over in my head this past week. So, I decided to do some research on it. I couldn't get over the fact that it was written in 1758 by Robert Robinson. Does't it seem like in those times, people didn't have the distractions to cause them to wander? I mean...what would cause them to wander? They worked, ate, and slept. They didn't have all the distractions we have today that cause us to wander. But, still, they were prone to wander. Even Eve was prone to wander. We just have that bent! Ugh!
I was thinking of several friends who have been caught in their deep sin lately. I don't think they just woke up one day and said, "I think I'm going to ruin my life and those around me. I'm going to...." No, they were prone to wander...just like we all are! The wandering is what causes the beginnings of the disaster. The longer you wander, the farther off you are and you don't think you can get back to where you were before.
I love the fact that Robinson asks of God to take his heart and seal it. Wrap it up tight, Lord, so that nothing can get in! But, the verses go on to acknowledge that he will struggle with sin all his days.
Have you been prone to wander lately? I sure have been and will continue to be. We've all been there. Maybe you've wandered away pretty far...let this song be your anthem today . (even if you don't use the words Thy, Fount, Ebenezer, fetter, and some of these other "old" words in our current speech).

Come , Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fxed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,
Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit,
Here They praises I'll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by They great help I've come;
And I hope, by They good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me
Mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me
I cannot proclaim it well.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let They goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it.
prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for They courts above.

O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see They lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I'll sing They sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.

Summer 2010

I get so sad the last day of summer! Do you? So, I usually make a slideshow of all the fun we had...

To Adopt or Not to Adopt?

About 5 or so years ago, Jeffrey and I started praying about adoption. Because we'd heard how expensive adoption was, we decided to go to a Foster/Adopt meeting through CPS (Child Protective Services). There was a lot of fear in me because of all the horror stories I'd heard. Shortly after the meeting, Jeffrey's company filed bankruptcy so we did not pursue adoption. A couple years later we decided to approach adoption again. Then, my dad got very sick and we had to forgo the adoption classes again. Two summers ago, on our 10 year anniversary trip to Barbados, Jeffrey and I decided to approach the adoption subject again. We decided we would look into adoption when we returned home. The following day, Jeffrey's company called and said they had sold 38 of the 58 stores. So, again...the timing wasn't right. As we were talking about our goals for 2010, the subject of adoption came up again. Our boys are now 10 and almost 8. We decided to pursue it for 6 months and if it didn't happen, we'd shut the door and know that wasn't our path. We also decided to pursue private adoption and CPS.
So, about 3 weeks ago, I sent our information to New Life Adoption Center. It is an amazing agency that bathes each placement in prayer and fasting. We got a response a week ago that we did not fit the qualifications because you can't be over 40 years old and adopt with their agency. Another door closed. Yesterday, we went to the Foster/Adoption Information Meeting. We decided to go with Covenant Kids Agency and are excited to see what God has in store. Maybe it is a "no" and the door will be shut forever. But, we are moving in that direction.
Did you know in the state of Texas, there are over 3,000 kids who are waiting for adoption? I can't stop thinking about them! My prayer today is that families would rise up to adopt them.
Yesterday, we talked to the boys about the process we are going through. Will was quiet and Jake was excited. Then, we started looking at kids online who need homes. It was interesting to hear the boys and their questions. Last night, when Jeffrey put the boys down for bed, Jake said, "Dad, it makes me want to cry thinking about the 3,000 kids that don't have families. I think we need to adopt 2!" So sweet!
We don't know where this road will take us but we know that God has placed on our hearts to have compassion for others. We're excited to see what He has in store for us!

Shakeology?

Busy with Boys

Yep! Being a MOB (Mother of Boys) is a busy task! When they were toddlers/preschool age you were busy chasing them and cleaning up after them. Now that they are in elementary school, you are busy driving them to various things, listening to their day (and wanting to punch the kid that was mean to them), teaching them life "things" (God, friends, etc.), and still cleaning up after them. :)
We've gotten ourselves into a new world of Modeling/Acting with Will. (Jake wants nothing to do with it...just give him a ball and he's happy). We had him take an Acting for Film Class at Cathryn's Sullivan's over the Christmas Break to gain some confidence and try something new. He had a great time! So, we sent in some pictures to some agencies and he was actually signed with one of them! He is now with The Campbell Agency. We've very excited about this new adventure. He had his "Headbook" Photo on Saturday and had a blast doing it! See...all my painful (to the boys) picture taking of those boys over the years has paid off! :)
Jake is enjoying playing basketball with Upward. That kid needs a ball in his hand at all times. He truly enjoys playing any sport! I love watching him just have fun!
Both boys will be seen every afternoon throwing the football. They both have their eyes set on the NFL. Will says he feels he will be picked up by Georgia Tech. Jake thinks he'll play for A & M, since they have a better team than Baylor. Will wants to be a Quarterback while Jake wants to be a Runningback.
They are both taking piano (which is painful to get them to practice) and will both be doing soccer this Spring (which actually starts February 13th).
This is such a teaching time in their lives and it sometimes overwhelms me. God has been faithful to calm my spirit and we've been blessed to spend some quality time together.
I'm excited to see what God has in store...

2009 Was Mighty Fine! :)

Pine Cove Family Camp 2009

Yesterday we got back from Pine Cove Family Camp Retreat. Wow! We are exhausted...but we had a blast!
We got there on Friday night about 5:30pm and left yesterday (Monday) at about noon.
On Friday night, after dinner we enjoyed family sing a long with the boys followed by game night and dessert. On Saturday morning, we woke up early (7:30am...yikes) to have breakfast. Then, we had family devotionals. After family Devos, the kids went with their counselors and we headed to listen to Gary DeSalvo speak. The boys had a blast riding horses and swimming/jumping on the giant blob! We all met up for lunch and you'd think we just chilled the rest of the day, right? Um...no! We were busy bees! Hiking, doing archery, bb guns, zip lines, and swimming in the pool (which had a giant slide...which I also rode on). We had dinner that night and then had fun games that night with Medieval Madness! 10:30pm was the bed time! The next day...same schedule. Busy weekend for sure!
It was our first time at Family Camp. The common question was, "How'd you hear about family camp?" We had friends that had told us about it. Our friend, Stephanie Weber, had asked us to go with them several times for the Palm Sunday weekend. Unfortunately, she passed away before we were able to join her. However, while I was there I would imagine what she was like at that camp. I imagined her cheering her kids on as they tried new things like the slides, ropes courses, etc. I imagined her meeting new people, getting close up to them, and asking them a million questions...all to get to know them. I imagined her loving the beauty of God's creations and thanking Him endlessly. I imagined her soaking in God's word as she listened to the Guest Speaker for that weekend. I imagined her enjoying the food. (I wonder if they had chips and queso? That was one of her favorite foods.) I imagined her taking one of her last family photos there. I imagined her making memories that her children will always remember.
I was grateful for her life all over again this weekend. She had shared with me the joy of family camp which enabled my family to share the same experience. What a blessing her life was...and continues to be! It definitely reminded me to live life to the fullest! :)

Summer 2009

Summer 2009 started early this year. Jeffrey was offered a job in May and so we decided to take the kids out of school (a few weeks early) for a week to go to WaterColor, Florida. Wow! What an incredible treat! We felt like we were in a Pottery Barn catalog! The boys loved playing in the water and the sand. We enjoyed the time together and celebrated Jeffrey's new job that God had provided.
With the end of school, Will and I headed to Houston where he spent a few days with Nana and Papa while I got to play with my high school friends.
The first week of summer included Jeffrey starting his brand new job, the boys going to Vacation Bible School at Prestonwood, and Will & I starting rehearsal for Wizard of Oz at the community theatre. The boys loved Vacation Bible School and I enjoyed the time playing with my mom while she was here.
Wizard of Oz practices went on all summer: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Nights (7-10) and Saturdays (1-5). What was I thinking? Although, I was checking off something from my "bucket list", Will and I felt a little slighted on our summer!
In June, Will went to...wait for it...CAMP! Jeffrey and I were a wreck sending him (although we didn't show him). At least it was church camp and we knew most of the counselors. It was letting go time for Jeffrey and I. We anxiously awaited an updated blog entry each day hoping to spot a picture of Will on the uploaded pictures.
We enjoyed getting to spend a few days with the Parkers at Possum Kingdom lake and the boys experienced their first Sea Doo/Jet Ski ride...which they were terrified. It was a relaxing trip for us.
Because of rehearsals, we didn't get to go to Houston much but did manage a few days so we could catch the VBS of all VBSes at my dad's church. It was incredible! Jake was a big boy and stayed by himself in Houston the rest of the week.
For July 4th, we had a lawn party and watched a movie on our front lawn. It was nice to get together with the neighbors.
Mid-July, I went to the Breast Surgeon to check on a lump I had biopsied in April. We decided to have the lump removed the last week in July. Thankfully, my mother was here to help me recuperate. The lump was a benign papiloma and we were so grateful. The Lord gave me a glimpse into the world of Breast Cancer and it gave me a greater appreciation for the women Warriors of that horrible disease. Later that week we celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary and ramped up rehearsals for The Wizard of Oz.
The Wizard of Oz actually ended up being a lot of fun...although extremely time consuming. Our summer was over.
It was a summer of praises: Jeffrey's job and my benign tumor were huge blessings.
It was a summer of fun: lots of swimming and playing.
It was a summer of memories: doing things we've never done before.
Good bye Summer of '09!

Summer 2009 Slide

Mother's Day 2009

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

This weekend, I celebrated my 9th Mother's Day. 9?! Where did the time go?
While Reading my "Victoriously Frazzled" bible study this morning, Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 was the scripture reading. You know it (or have at least heard the song): "A time to (blank), A Time to (blank)". The context was on "Aging". I'm "only" 35 but I've done some "aging". Yes, I'm getting gray hair and things are sagging but that is not the point. The point is I've aged in life. I've gotten some "bumps and bruises" along the way...and am so grateful for them.
There are seasons in our life. Seasons. I think of High School/College and the flirty girl I was. I think of being Single and feeling alone for the first time (but also learning to rely on my relationship with God more than ever). I think of being a Newly Wed and the expectations of that time. I think of being a new mom and feeling overwhelmed. I think of being a mom of preschoolers and again feeling overwhelmed. I think of being a mom of elementary students and feeling the "light at the end of the tunnel". I think of being married and learning it's not that easy.
I've looked back on all that I've learned (especially in the past 13 years since college) and have grown so much.
I'm not who I was even 2 years ago. God is constantly stretching me and growing me. That's why I think it is so funny where I am today. I tried out for Community Theatre this Mother's Day Weekend. Me! And I got the part of Aunt Em (I sure hope they don't make me look old)!
Truthfully, I'd kind of believed that "my life" was kind over a couple years ago. I kind of fell into a trap that "my time" was kind of over. I'd worked and had my kids. My dreams were gone. But, I think God has been showing me the past 2 years that he has more for me. Whether it is learning and growing as I lead a team with Beachbody or trying out for a play (neither of which I thought would EVER happen)...God's not done with me yet!
But, I had to go through the seasons...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vO8l3zEVV8

CB

I post a lot on my Facebook status update that I'm going to "CB". Wonder what "CB" stands for and why I go there a lot? "CB" stands for Corner Bakery. And it is in our new shops by our house (Shops of Highland Village). It is a great place! Healthy food (there are some unhealthy choices but mostly healthy), great atmosphere, and community feel. Oh, and did I mention FREE wireless and amazing Black Current Iced Tea (oh, my!)?
Today was a prime example of why I go there. I went to meet my friend, Morgan, and ran into about 10 other people I knew. You see, this is kind of my "Cheers" (remember that show?). Everybody knows my name! LOL!
It is what Community is all about. I always feel good when I go there and, most of the time, I enjoy an awesome conversation that spurs me on...mostly in my faith.
So, if you see I am going to CB...you'll know I'll be happy, sipping my Black Current Iced Tea and enjoying some amazing conversations with great friends! Come meet me at "my office".

The Jetsons

The boys have been watching The Jetsons lately on "Boomerang" (great Cartoon Network that plays all the cartoons I watched when I was little).
Anyway, Jake said, "I wish we could do food like the Jetsons." The Jetsons have a selection and eat all their food by a pill (hot dog pills, turkey pot pie pill, etc.). I think that is funny because I remember thinking the same thing when I was his age.
But, I was thinking today...we kind of have that now! With Shakeology, it gives you all the fruits and vegetables you need in ONE shake (kind of like a pill). It's a meal in a shake! However, it has much better ingredients than The Jetsons food capsules and will be much easier on my hips. LOL!
To find out what Shakeology is, go to: www.Shakeology.com
You can order at: www.FunFitMom.com
You can tell your kids that you are eating like the Jetsons! :)

That Look In Her Eyes...

I ran into a new mom yesterday at Walmart (yes, I shop at Walmart...but it's a fancy one in Highland Village). She had her almost 3 month old baby in her Baby Bjorn. I was excited to see her because I hadn't seen her since the baby was born. She had that look in her eyes. You know...the one of a new mom who looks overwhelmed, sleep deprived, and about to cry at anything? I felt for her. I was there and it was an all too familiar look. I wanted just to hold her and tell her..."IT GETS BETTER! PROMISE!".
We talked about her quitting her job and how money was tight. We talked about the Beachbody Business and I told her I wanted to help those with "That Look In Their Eyes". Those moms who are overwhelmed, strapped, and just plain tired!
I wish I had this Beachbody Business when my baby was 3 months old. I was so lost. I had quit my job because I KNEW I wanted to stay home but this was such a shift from working. I was in a sales job and talked all day long...to BIG people (adults). My baby didn't talk! I needed an outlet but was so overwhelmed by being a new mother...I didn't know where to start. Plus, I had NO structure. If you know me, you know that is one of my struggles.
I'm excited about helping those moms "with that look in their eyes" find a way. A way to not feel so overwhelmed, spend time with their children, feel good physically, find something of "their own", and be able to help their family financially. To be a Fun, Fit, Mom....

Prayers for Silent Followers...

I visited my friend Kristen today at Parkland. Her dad, Reece, was in a terrible accident yesterday involving some sort of machinery. I've been friends with KBR since we were Freshmen at Baylor. We were roommates our Junior year and her family has always been so great to me.
Parkland in itself is an experience. So, I walked in dressed up from a meeting I came from...Pink coat and all. Let's just say...I was a little too dressed up! When Kristen's mom greeted me, she told me she'd been reading my blog for years! She knew all about my family. My blog? My boring blog? She knew all about me...she's a Silent Follower.
So, let's lift up my sweet "Silent Follower" and her family today as they wait in the cramped waiting room of Parkland. Pray for a speedy recovery, restful nights, and peace for all.

I've been Bamboozled!

I realized lately that I've been Bamboozled! Why? Because I didn't realize it but I got myself in a Multi Level Marketing company (MLM). What? How did that happen? I've stuck my nose up in the air to "these types" of companies for as long as I can remember. Cheesy, slick salesmen are what MLMers are, right?
Two years ago, my friend Melissa called me to see if I wanted to join her with a company called Beachbody. I had seen her husband have a dramatic change in his body with the products so I knew it was a legit company but I didn't want to "sell" anything to my friends or family...and definitely didn't want to have "home parties" (shoot me now...who likes those things?). When she told me I got the customers from the company...I said, "Sign me up!" I guess I sort of knew it was a MLM but I think I was in denial. I was going to meet my requirements and that was it. I just needed a a little cash and a LOT of accountability to get healthy. Sounded like a perfect fit, right?
So, I started making $150 per week. I was thrilled! I got my hair colored, went to lunch with my friends, went shopping...you get the picture. Then, I started looking into this MLM thing. "This could be big", I kept hearing in the back of my mind. What if I "worked" a little harder. What were the possibilities? Hmmm? My results (physically and financially) were selling the products and opportunity for me. So, I began to "work" it a little more and saw my checks increase...enough to pay the mortgage.
I've now embraced that I am in an MLM and see what possibilities are ahead of me. It is what you make it. If you are greedy, then you will come off like a cheesy, slick salesman and people will talk about you behind your back while avoiding you at every turn. But, if you legitimately want to help people, then people will see your authenticity and want to come on board. Not everyone, mind you, because we all have that bad MLM experience in our minds so we are all a little leery. However, when you find the right MLM for you, you will be successful because this business model works.
I'm excited about helping other moms find the same benefits that I have found. I'm excited to help them stay home with their kids and still make money. I'm excited to see them get healthy so they can be better moms. I'm excited to see them have balance in their lives. I'm excited to see them flourish!

My 15 seconds of fame...

Sheryl Crow Does P90X

Buy it by clicking here.
It works! Just look at Sheryl's results and mine! :)

Will's 9th Birthday!!!

I can't believe my boy is 9! We had a packed day! 2 basketball games and a cousin sleepover...not to mention breakfast at Golden Corral (I was a good sport).
Here are a few pics...