A Day at the Park

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone takes the time to make a list - mentally or written - of everything you have to be thankful for. I'm willing to bet it's a long list. Don't forget that!

(This is me not addressing the fact that I haven't blogged in SEVEN months)

Y'all know we got a dog, right? Ranger. He's a Texas Blue Lacey, 10 months old, and completely a turd. But we love him. We are thankful for him, even. He is comic relief every day, and a gentle reminder of my Dad. When Mom took Dad's dog, Pearl, to the breeder, she wanted nothing to do with the stud he paired her with. Instead, she showed interest in another dog - named Buster. If you're new to my life, I'll fill you in: My Dad's nickname was Buster. So, yeah, we had to have an offspring. Enter Ranger. There are lots of puppy stories between then and now, but I'll just share one from yesterday.

Our home in Arlington has zero yard. It's tough on kids and dogs. Luckily, we live just two blocks from a great park, with a great fenced-in soccer field. We have been taking Ranger to the soccer field since we can let him off the leash to be a dog and run wild for a little while. So yesterday, we bundled  up and walked down with a tennis ball for him and a football for the kids. After a few minutes of playing, the kids got warm and took their jackets off, throwing them in a pile on the ground. We continued to play, and eventually the whole family was tied up in a game of touch football. I use the term "game" very loosely. For a few minutes, Ranger was playing along. But he got bored, as puppies do, and he went to smell the rest of the field. Including the spot where the jackets were piled. Just about then, we were in between plays in our game, and I hear AJ say "I'm pretty sure Ranger just peed on our jackets", followed by Alan confirming "Yep, I think he did."  Nice.

So we made the kids jog home to stay warm.

A day in the life...Just living the dream!

Overheard...

Adam telling Grandma "I'm probably going to be an Artist when I grow up, not a professional tennis player."  Perfect.  I'll clean out the basement and keep it ready.

Anaya telling Dad at breakfast "Daddy, im going to be a cheetah when I grow up."  When Daddy explained that a cheetah was a cat, she was totally appalled at his apparent disbelief in her.  "I CAN be a cheetah when I grow up if I want to!"  Dad replies (because sometimes we can't help but argue with them) "Cheetahs are big cats.  You are a human.  You are going to be a lady like Mommy".  She replied "No, cheetahs are really fast humans"...this went on a couple of minutes and she finally just resolved to pouting because she just really wants to be a cheetah when she grows up and her dad has crushed her dream.  It's like he forgot about that cat lady in the Hunger Games.

That's all!

Dude, where's my car?

This morning, as I do every morning, I sent the kids out the door ahead of me so they could load their backpacks into the trunk while I put the dogs (we got another dog - that's for another post) in their appropriate spaces for the day.  A few minutes later, Adam returned to me asking where my car was.  See, I usually park it on the street in front of our house, but someone else was parked in my spot for a couple of days, so I parked in our driveway.  That blocked Alan, who was parked in the garage.  So he had to move my car before he could leave this morning.  I assumed he moved it to the street because that's what he would normally do.  But today my car was nowhere to be found in the street.  I headed out to have a look and, sure enough, my car was nowhere!  I was about to panic and call police when I heard a little God whisper: "Check the garage."  There she was, safe and sound.

Just another day in the life of me. Lots of people think I have my act together, but the reality is that on most days, I can't even find my car.

Top 5 Jedi

A post by A.J., our nine-year-old, who is a genuine Star Wars fan...

I have been thinking about Star Wars and I thought about the strongest Jedi.  I saw on the internet nobody agreed with me, so here's my opinion:

1.  Yoda
I think the top Jedi is Yoda because he trained thousands of Jedi and he is a master Jedi so that's why I think Yoda is the top Jedi.

2.  Obi-Wan Kenobi
I think the 2nd top Jedi is Obi-Wan because he killed General Grievous and defeated Anakin Skywalker.

 

3.  Mace Windu

I think the 3rd top Jedi is Mace Windu because he almost  killed Darth Sidious and he defeated Boba Fett. 

 

4.  Anakin Skywalker

I think the 4th top Jedi is Anakin Skywalker because he killed Count Dooku.

 

5.  Luke Skywalker

I think the 5th top Jedi is Luke Skywalker because he still needs to learn a lot.  But he can control his feelings so he won't go over to the sith.

 



Best Year Yet!

As we say "farewell" to 2015, I just wanted to document how great of a year it was.  I can say with complete honesty that this year was different than any other in how I viewed it.  Y'all know I am a "Mary Kay girl," but what you probably don't realize is how many valuable life lessons and faith lessons I have learned through that business.  It is not all face wash and lipstick, peeps. 

Last December, I sprinted full-out toward a big goal of becoming a Sales Director in Mary Kay.  While I was doing the work necessary to reach that goal, I often felt a little "mommy guilt" creeping in.  It would cause me to question my decision to leave the house in the evening or on the weekend to go hold a party or appointment.  Was I doing the right thing?  Was this "sacrifice" going to be worth it?  Were my priorities out of line, putting my business first?  I kept thinking about a story my Senior National Sales Director had told about one of her kids, which wrapped up with the lesson that sometimes (just sometimes) putting your business first is putting your family first.  So I wrapped up last December counting on it to be one of those cases.  Operating in faith.

As I sit here today and reflect, I am so incredibly glad I made the decision I made last year.  I'm so glad I pushed that guilt aside because without a doubt, putting my business first then did turn out to be a decision that allowed me to put my family first every single moment of this year.  My business not only provided a significant income source for our family every month, allowing multiple vacations and "treats" we otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford, not to mention a FREE CAR, but it has also greatly strengthened my faith, my resolve, my confidence, and my joy, which has allowed me to be a better person - a better mom, wife, and friend.  It has taught me to trust God for the big stuff, as well as the small stuff.  It has taught me to listen for His whispers and to obey them.  It has taught me that scripture applies to everything all the time, no matter what you're going through.  It has helped me to recognize every single blessing bestowed upon me - big or small.  And it has helped me to recognize when God is using me to do something so much bigger in someone else.  To me, this is so much more than a skincare company - it's a ministry.  It's my way of sharing love and making other women realize how strong and beautiful they are - how valuable they are.  It's my way of showing others how God is at work in my life and in theirs.  We can't all be in ministry careers, but we can all figure out how the career we are in can be a ministry and that is an important lesson I learned this year.  It's an important lesson I have been able to teach my kids.  And it all stemmed from that difficult decision I made last year to put my business first for just a short time.  So sometimes, putting your business first is putting your family first.

I know 2016 will be even better and will allow me to continue to share this blessing with others.  I love my life!