Michigan Artwork

Anna spent over an hour creating this masterpiece in the driveway at my parents house in Michigan. She is super proud of it. 

Fair Fun

Went to the county fair in the county I grew up in. The kids rode a camel, ate fair food and petted lots of farm animals.

It was a beautiful day in Michigan, the weather was perfect and we got to spend it with Nana and Aunt Brandy.

Watching a calf being born.

Michigan Entertainment

Paintball guns and PopPop as the moving target on the tractor. Doesn't get much better than homemade fun.

Owen is 5

Owen began this new year of his at 5 years old with a super double Poophead party in Connecticut. He's had a big year already, he started kindergarten, he is playing baseball and he lost his first tooth. Owen is all energy all the time, he is never at a loss for words which we feel is unfortunate at times. He has started to read and if he can't figure it out he won't leave you alone until you help him. He comes home from school begging to do a project or write a story. I can't keep up with him. His ability to make us laugh helps compensate for his ability to make us angry with his constant pestering. He's a rule follower at school but not so much at home. Owen loves life the most when all six of us our home together as a family whether eats eating dinner together, family movie night or just doing homework around the table he is happiest when we are all together.

Family Canoe Trip

Owen is finally old enough that we could take a family canoe trip. So 4th of July weekend we spent an afternoon on the river.

$100 for two canoes

$20 for water shoes 

$15 snacks

Mom, Beau and Luke flipping out of the canoe....priceless.

The kids were all smiles all day definitely more family outings will occur on the river.

Luke

Luke turned 10 last month, double digits already. Luke lives life with a passion, it's always full speed ahead with a huge grin on his face. Even though he's in fourth grade and starting to be the cool kid he still isn't too cool to hug. He hugs everybody, teachers in the hall can always count on him to brighten their day. He's been invited to so many birthday parties in the last month we haven't had time to have one for him. He is still learning which jokes are appropriate and when the timing is right to make it funny but he's definitely improving. He's a fantastic big brother to a very trying Owen. Luke and Anna are still good friends and play when the opportunity exists. Luke and Beau can talk Legos for hours and those few sets that are Luke's favorites live in Beau's room for safe keeping, that pesky little brother. Soccer is his favorite and he is really learning the game well, he scored three goals in his first game of the season. He's looking forward to joining the science Olympiad team and is enjoying being back in school with all his friends.

If you Give Owen a Minute

If you give Owen a minute then he will want 5 more after that.

If you give him 5 minutes he will want to books read to him during that time.

While you are reading the two books he will see something in the books 

that he wants to research.

Then you will go on the internet or YouTube and research whatever it is that has Owen fascinated.

While you are researching he will see something that makes him want to do a project.

So you will then look up on the internet a cool and fun project that you can do together.
As soon as he starts the project and you try to load the dishwasher while he works,

he will remind you that you are supposed to be doing the project with him.

Now that the project is done and another a sufficient mess is made he will want you to go watch a show with him.

During that 30 minute show you will close your eyes for approximately 30 seconds before he jumps on your head because you are supposed to be watching with him.

The show will remind him that he is hungry and you will make him lunch. 

While he is eating lunch you will return to loading the dishwasher,

while your back is turned he will spill his milk yet another mess for you to clean up.

While you are cleaning up the lunch mess he is asking you to go downstairs and watch him

while he builds bionicles with hero factory pieces because he is afraid to be

downstairs alone.

While you are downstairs Owen will decide it is wrestle time because you picked up all the legos that were on the floor making plenty of room for a rumble.

When he is losing the match he will say he needs help and remind you that it is time to go pick up

Luke from school.

After you have picked up Luke from school and Owen has fallen asleep for that 4 minute car ride

he will wake up and want all of your attention because he is so grumpy.

He will spend the next 40 minutes begging  you for cake which you do not give him because if  you give him cake he will want milk to go with it and you can only handle one glass of spilled milk in a four hour span.

Once you have won the battle of wills for cake he will curl up in your lap until he has

taken all the physical interaction he wants from you.

Then he will run off to play with his brother.

You quickly finish throwing dinner together before a fight ensues.

When the fight ensues you distract and acknowlege both sides while praying it ends quickly.

You feed them all dinner, you run them to their respective practices while Owen never shuts up in the back seat about his need for cake.

You finally get home past bedtime, throw him in the tub until he has another argument with Luke.
You wrestle him into his pajamas, you brush his teeth with one hand while pinning him still with the other. 

You read two books, you pray the Hail Mary (he knows all the words but still wants prompted)

you kiss him goodnight and turn on the music. Then he asks for one more minute...

and when you give him one more minute he'll want 5 to go with it.

He got cheese, but no cake.

Notice the dishwasher is still not loaded or closed.

Lunch Visitors

Owen and I enjoyed some lunch visitors yesterday.

Owen thought it was so awesome to see them so close to the house.

He asked if we could research deer now.

Everything new he wants to research, last week we researched ants.

One of the deer limped when it ran away, so every day Owen asks if we can go look

for him in the woods in case he is hungry or stuck.

I'm sure they will be back as long as they stay out of my garden they are welcome, my garden is taking some serious effort already.

Why Arbonne, Why Now...Becoming Who I am Meant To Be

Previously I would have answered this question with "Why not." Now I know that the true answer is because sharing Arbonne is sharing a piece of me, it's being healthy, living healthy and making connections along the way. It's finding joy in meeting others and helping others discover their own inner beauty, the inner beauty that I am discovering in myself.

Believing in my inner beauty is the root of loving myself and by loving myself I can be a better wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend. I can reach out to others because I have more energy and more belief in myself than I have in years.

I’ve struggled with not being enough, not because others said this to me but because I allowed that self doubt to creep in through mistakes made or unsuccessful adventures. Since beginning this new journey I have learned (and remembered) that FEAR is what has been holding me back.  Those struggles for finding affirmation from others can only be overcome by truly loving the woman God made me to be. As I begin to love myself more I feel closer to my heavenly Father as I know this is the me He’s been expecting. I see my positive attitude reflected back to me through my children. The TV stays off not because I tell them to but because they enjoy my company and the laughter we share.

Ben leaving for Africa was harder than I wanted it to be. I’d been through plenty of deployments, and 60 days was short compared to previous deployments and compared to what my army wife sisters have done recently, but I wasn’t coping. I was angry, frustrated at the chaos in my house and wondering how the kids were ever going to get their acts together if I couldn’t get mine together. When I decided to make a change, the phone rang, it was an Arbonne Executive National VP that happens to live in my area. She invited me to coffee, shared some of her nutrition products with me and we just chatted. That chat lit a fire within me and started me on this journey not just to share Arbonne with others but through rediscovering Arbonne I am rediscovering the person God made me to be. I am loving that person and I am refining her to listen more and work harder to hear God’s call in my life.

It’s not perfect I’m a work in progress and this is just the beginning of my journey, but I’m sharing it on my blog because I want to hold myself accountable and I want others to know that it doesn’t matter what place in life you are there is always tomorrow, there’s always a chance to change, to be better, to love yourself.

Today I’m taking mine with Arbonne, I’ve lost weight, I’ve turned off my negative mindset and have begun being positive and loving to myself. Every day is a new day, I may get my 5 mile run in or I may have to settle for pushing that huge bulky stroller for 3. I might not get my whole list accomplished but I have tomorrow and I have a plan to keep loving the person I am.

This quote has helped push me to where I am…and reminds me of where I want to be tomorrow…

“As you grow in understanding as to who you are, where you came from, what the purpose of your being is, and how you are to fulfil that purpose for which you are intended, you will become a more and more perfect center through which the Creative Spirit of Life can enjoy itself”

I want others to see Christ through me, when I began using and selling Arbonne 11 years ago, my thought was that by bettering myself inside and out I am better able to reflect Jesus through me and that is still true today. When I look in the mirror at the healthy person I am becoming both in mind and body, I know the reflection others are seeing is a better representation of who Christ means for me to be.

Long Walk

We took a 3+ mile walk on the beach around the island, we were luck enough to get to stop and watch a pod of dolphins at play. Finally found something that would wear Owen out. Anna got lots of great pictures and a video of the dolphins on her phone. It was so cool to see.

Fun at Folly Beach

Preschool Easter Egg Hunt

 Owens Easter egg hunt was last week since Ben wasn't here Beau went with me. Owen didn't say a lot about having him there but I know it's something he won't soon forget.

Spring Picture Day

Today was Spring Picture Day at the middle school but somehow we missed the memo telling us that we had to prepay for the pictures, I don't usually buy them but Anna looked really pretty so she was disappointed so we took a few pictures of our own and I will print them and hang them on the wall. They have grown up so much.

Anna's Haircut

Anna got a really grown up haircut with layers and texture, she loves. I love it too but I don't love how much older she looks every day.

Spring is Coming

We enjoyed a beautiful day outside on Sunday, softball practice, bike riding, reading on the porch swing. Spring is rolling in, lots of rain this week but that's okay the sun will come back.