Halle and Grandma
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Monday, May 09, 2005
Y Join?
Well, there are lots of reasons to join the Y. There are other gyms of course, closer ones, ones for only women, probably cheaper ones, but they call it a family gym for a reason and not just because you can bring your kids to childcare. You can do that at any gym, but there are activities for the kids as well. Swimming comes to mind and that is included in your gym membership, but also Tae Kwan Do, tee-ball, swimming lessons, and lots more. I was trying to avoid the women's only thing and the meat market thing and from what I saw today I accomplished that.
My needs really are to have a pool for Chloe and Amanda, a place for Halle, several different workout regimes for me, weights for Travis, a place we could workout together, and a place to meet people and network for Arbonne. I had actually been putting off joining because of Arbonne. But there was a small sign at the front door of the gym that said "Hard work always leads to profit, mere talk leads to poverty. Talk about a sign! Anyway, I'll do my best and God will have to do the rest.
I'm off again this weekend to Tisra's house for another Arbonne class and my last unless I do some networking soon! I'm excited though, I'll get to see good friends again and it looks like I'll get to go to Grant's soccer game. Chloe and I are looking forward to that.
Until next time...
My needs really are to have a pool for Chloe and Amanda, a place for Halle, several different workout regimes for me, weights for Travis, a place we could workout together, and a place to meet people and network for Arbonne. I had actually been putting off joining because of Arbonne. But there was a small sign at the front door of the gym that said "Hard work always leads to profit, mere talk leads to poverty. Talk about a sign! Anyway, I'll do my best and God will have to do the rest.
I'm off again this weekend to Tisra's house for another Arbonne class and my last unless I do some networking soon! I'm excited though, I'll get to see good friends again and it looks like I'll get to go to Grant's soccer game. Chloe and I are looking forward to that.
Until next time...
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Happy Mother's Day!
Well, it really has been a nice weekend. The weather has been amazing here as I'm sure it has been in other parts of the south. Today was the warmest day we've had reaching a little over 80 degrees.
Yesterday I went out to the golf course (http://www.rossbridgeresort.com/ ) because my dad forgot his wallet, so he bought lunch for Chloe and me in the golf clubhouse. It was kind of weird being the only girls, but the clubhouse is beautiful and overlooks the courses and hills from enormous arched windows on all sides. Chloe charmed everyone she met (Hi, my name is Chloe...It's nice to meet you Mac...Thank you for giving me more tea Lisa...) and her Mommy and Poppi were very proud. After that we went to the park and had a great time.
Mother's day was beautiful. The weather was perfect and the girls were very sweet. We had to wait most of the day for Travis to get home from work, but after he got home we went to the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham (it's tampical gardens according to Chloe). As many times as I've visited Birmingham I've never been to the Botanical Gardens. And, unlike Nashville, the Gardens are free. They have a Southern Living section which my Uncle Charlie helps to maintain since he's a garden editor for Southern Living. I must admit that I was disappointed with that section. It was mostly greenery and I thought it would look more like Uncle Charlie's front yard which is AMAZING! Anyway, the Japanese garden was beautiful and extensive, we missed the bmboo section because it had recently been sprayed with pesticide (no organic growing here!). The rose garden was gorgeous and quite large. After that we thought we were done, but it turned out there were acres we hadn't seen yet. We went to the greenhouse which had 3 different sections and saw that there was too much left to do to fit it in that day so we left it for another time. Overall, it was a simple but enjoyable Mother's Day. I'm so glad we didn't go to a restaurant and wait for 3 hours to be waited on by an incredibly busy and frazzled server. I think I'd rather do anything other than go to a restaurant on Mother's Day. Unless it was an upscale restaurant where you make reservations and they don't overbook. Maybe some other time.
Happy late Mother's Day to all
Yesterday I went out to the golf course (http://www.rossbridgeresort.com/ ) because my dad forgot his wallet, so he bought lunch for Chloe and me in the golf clubhouse. It was kind of weird being the only girls, but the clubhouse is beautiful and overlooks the courses and hills from enormous arched windows on all sides. Chloe charmed everyone she met (Hi, my name is Chloe...It's nice to meet you Mac...Thank you for giving me more tea Lisa...) and her Mommy and Poppi were very proud. After that we went to the park and had a great time.
Mother's day was beautiful. The weather was perfect and the girls were very sweet. We had to wait most of the day for Travis to get home from work, but after he got home we went to the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham (it's tampical gardens according to Chloe). As many times as I've visited Birmingham I've never been to the Botanical Gardens. And, unlike Nashville, the Gardens are free. They have a Southern Living section which my Uncle Charlie helps to maintain since he's a garden editor for Southern Living. I must admit that I was disappointed with that section. It was mostly greenery and I thought it would look more like Uncle Charlie's front yard which is AMAZING! Anyway, the Japanese garden was beautiful and extensive, we missed the bmboo section because it had recently been sprayed with pesticide (no organic growing here!). The rose garden was gorgeous and quite large. After that we thought we were done, but it turned out there were acres we hadn't seen yet. We went to the greenhouse which had 3 different sections and saw that there was too much left to do to fit it in that day so we left it for another time. Overall, it was a simple but enjoyable Mother's Day. I'm so glad we didn't go to a restaurant and wait for 3 hours to be waited on by an incredibly busy and frazzled server. I think I'd rather do anything other than go to a restaurant on Mother's Day. Unless it was an upscale restaurant where you make reservations and they don't overbook. Maybe some other time.
Happy late Mother's Day to all
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'
I forgot! Halle started rolling over last week!
It's so cute, anytime she's laid on the floor now she can't help but roll over. Also, if you hold her hands she'll stand up and smile really big because she's very proud of herself. She's so cute!
Mary, I'm gushing...
It's so cute, anytime she's laid on the floor now she can't help but roll over. Also, if you hold her hands she'll stand up and smile really big because she's very proud of herself. She's so cute!
Mary, I'm gushing...
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Up, Up, and Away!
Well, we've finally started the church. We had our first service this past Tuesday and it went really well. There weren't any other people there other than my family but the Lord ministered to us anyway and we're excited. Travis played the keyboard and I led worship, Dad gave a short devotion and prayed and it was a great time in the presence of the Lord.
The format of this past week is what we plan on doing for right now. Once we get people here we plan on doing a lot of drama and community outreaches. We have been talking for some time about what we want to do and feel like cultural relevance is one of the biggest hindrances to the church today- there are lots more but we'll start with that. My Dad of course, feels that at 60 years old he'll have some difficulty with the cultural relevance part but that's what we're here for. But being 60 and just starting is good too because there is a level of freedom that you have when you've got nothing to lose.
Travis has had a desire to do a sit-com with regular characters (a clean version of course) and Dad is very excited about that. There is a coffee house in Old Town Helena that has a stage and mics that we could possibly use. The ideas are flowing and it's great to finally be doing what we came here to do. The nice thing about starting your own church is that you can do this kind of stuff and you don't have to worry about old (and young) codgers mucking things up. There's nobody to complain about the "un-spirituality" of a sit-com. There are down sides too- like no salary- but that also means we have nothing to lose. We want to do community outreaches and do our best to think outside the box.
Life is exciting.
The format of this past week is what we plan on doing for right now. Once we get people here we plan on doing a lot of drama and community outreaches. We have been talking for some time about what we want to do and feel like cultural relevance is one of the biggest hindrances to the church today- there are lots more but we'll start with that. My Dad of course, feels that at 60 years old he'll have some difficulty with the cultural relevance part but that's what we're here for. But being 60 and just starting is good too because there is a level of freedom that you have when you've got nothing to lose.
Travis has had a desire to do a sit-com with regular characters (a clean version of course) and Dad is very excited about that. There is a coffee house in Old Town Helena that has a stage and mics that we could possibly use. The ideas are flowing and it's great to finally be doing what we came here to do. The nice thing about starting your own church is that you can do this kind of stuff and you don't have to worry about old (and young) codgers mucking things up. There's nobody to complain about the "un-spirituality" of a sit-com. There are down sides too- like no salary- but that also means we have nothing to lose. We want to do community outreaches and do our best to think outside the box.
Life is exciting.
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Home Again
Well, I'm back. I could tell you everything we did for 11 days, but that would be way too long. There is a pretty good list of what we did with my mom in law on her blog at www.heartsrejoyce.blogspot.com
It really was great to be in Florida. I felt at home again for the first time in a long time. For those of you that know me you know that I haven't felt at home anywhere for a very long time. The weather was gorgeous, the palm trees were amazing and it was great to see that Florida sun. My hair is lighter again. It's amazing that all through high school and college people would describe me as a blonde but years in Tennessee made me more of a brunette. It's even more amazing that a few days in Florida brings it right back.
I got to go to my home church in Bartow, FL. My best friend from college (Chris) is the worship leader/music director and her husband is the youth pastor. It was really great to see them. Chris had a baby 3 months after I had Halle so I was actually there for the baby's dedication! After church we went to Sonny's (my most favorite BBQ place) and I was able to talk to Dr. White who is Chris' dad and a professor at Southeaster University- my alma mater and yes it is now a University!!! I think I talked to him more than I did to Chris- I really love that guy.
Amanda and I took a drive through Lakeland and we saw all the things we loved- the Lakeland Terrace Hotel- that's where Travis and I spent the first night of our honeymoon. It had a grand history, but declined until it was a hangout for the homeless and sat abandoned for years until someone restored it. We saw Lake Mirror which we refer to as "the dead frog lake". It's a long story and I wish we didn't remember it like that but we spent time walking around that lake when it was just Travis, Amanda, and myself. We saw lake Mirror which has a very large population of Swans and miscellaneous ducks. We drove around Lake Hollingsworth where I used to walk and rollerblade- I know it's a lot of lakes, they don't call it "Lakeland" for nothing. We drove past Southeastern University and saw the amazing changes that have taken place in the last 6 years and talked about Amanda going to school there. It really was a nostalgic trip in that regard and I realize how much I miss it.
We got to spend time with Shane and Angie and Trav's grandparents. Everyone loved the girls! Chloe was charming telling EVERYONE she loved them and that she wanted them (Oh Abuela, I wanted you! Oh Abuela, I love you! Etc...) So, everyone was crazy about Chloe.
Oh yeah, the other reason I went- Arbonne! It went well and thanks to some help from Christina and Kelly (Kelly is Christina's sponsor) I made first step to District Manager this month! I need to make the final step in May and am very much looking forward to making that so I can work on making Area Manager by the end of July! It's a lot of work but it's worth it! I'm excited!
I could write much more. I really don't feel like I've done the trip justice, but I'll have to work on it later.
It really was great to be in Florida. I felt at home again for the first time in a long time. For those of you that know me you know that I haven't felt at home anywhere for a very long time. The weather was gorgeous, the palm trees were amazing and it was great to see that Florida sun. My hair is lighter again. It's amazing that all through high school and college people would describe me as a blonde but years in Tennessee made me more of a brunette. It's even more amazing that a few days in Florida brings it right back.
I got to go to my home church in Bartow, FL. My best friend from college (Chris) is the worship leader/music director and her husband is the youth pastor. It was really great to see them. Chris had a baby 3 months after I had Halle so I was actually there for the baby's dedication! After church we went to Sonny's (my most favorite BBQ place) and I was able to talk to Dr. White who is Chris' dad and a professor at Southeaster University- my alma mater and yes it is now a University!!! I think I talked to him more than I did to Chris- I really love that guy.
Amanda and I took a drive through Lakeland and we saw all the things we loved- the Lakeland Terrace Hotel- that's where Travis and I spent the first night of our honeymoon. It had a grand history, but declined until it was a hangout for the homeless and sat abandoned for years until someone restored it. We saw Lake Mirror which we refer to as "the dead frog lake". It's a long story and I wish we didn't remember it like that but we spent time walking around that lake when it was just Travis, Amanda, and myself. We saw lake Mirror which has a very large population of Swans and miscellaneous ducks. We drove around Lake Hollingsworth where I used to walk and rollerblade- I know it's a lot of lakes, they don't call it "Lakeland" for nothing. We drove past Southeastern University and saw the amazing changes that have taken place in the last 6 years and talked about Amanda going to school there. It really was a nostalgic trip in that regard and I realize how much I miss it.
We got to spend time with Shane and Angie and Trav's grandparents. Everyone loved the girls! Chloe was charming telling EVERYONE she loved them and that she wanted them (Oh Abuela, I wanted you! Oh Abuela, I love you! Etc...) So, everyone was crazy about Chloe.
Oh yeah, the other reason I went- Arbonne! It went well and thanks to some help from Christina and Kelly (Kelly is Christina's sponsor) I made first step to District Manager this month! I need to make the final step in May and am very much looking forward to making that so I can work on making Area Manager by the end of July! It's a lot of work but it's worth it! I'm excited!
I could write much more. I really don't feel like I've done the trip justice, but I'll have to work on it later.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
On the Road Again
Well, this weekend it's time to hit the road again in the name of Arbonne. This little excursion should be nice since we haven't been to Florida in over a year and a half. This trip will accomplish a couple of things, first I'm doing 4 shows while we're there and second I'll get to see friends and family that I haven't seen in a while.
My first show is at Tracy's house. Tracy is my best friend from first grade! I was figuring it out the other day and we've been friends for 26 years! It's amazing, no? I'll get to see her kids, she'll get to see mine and we'll talk about the days when we were hooligans; we really were. Then we'll talk about husbands and all things girlie, it should be lots of fun.
My second and third shows are at my sister-in-law's homes- Wendy, then Angie. I'm sure their only doing this because we're related but it will be lots of fun anyway.
My last show is at my Mother-In-Law's house and I'm sure it will be great. She is very much into health as well so we'll have a good time.
In between I'll be squeezing in visits with the grandparents and aunts and uncles. I'm expecting this to be somewhat stressful but I'm going to do my best. And I'm going to spend 3 extra days there just so we can go to the beach, hang out at the pool, and go shopping. Basically so we can do all things Florida. I'd like to visit Disney Village again, but Orlando is way out of the way. I may have to save that for July.
Speaking of July:
I told a few of you about the condo owner wiping out our bank account. Well, we got it straightened out but since we asked her to pay the NSF fees (since she caused them) she said that was fine, but she'd cancel our reservation (how's that for customer service!). Anyway, it's ok because we'll probably go back to central FL and visit with family again but this time with Trav so he can see his family as well.
I'm not looking forward to the car trips there and back. I haven't made this long of a car trip by myself since I was in college. Actually, it was Amanda and me. It never seemed stressful because she was 6 or 7 and could do everything for herself and it was nice to have the company. But now I have 3 and I'm nursing one of them so I hope this goes well.
My first show is at Tracy's house. Tracy is my best friend from first grade! I was figuring it out the other day and we've been friends for 26 years! It's amazing, no? I'll get to see her kids, she'll get to see mine and we'll talk about the days when we were hooligans; we really were. Then we'll talk about husbands and all things girlie, it should be lots of fun.
My second and third shows are at my sister-in-law's homes- Wendy, then Angie. I'm sure their only doing this because we're related but it will be lots of fun anyway.
My last show is at my Mother-In-Law's house and I'm sure it will be great. She is very much into health as well so we'll have a good time.
In between I'll be squeezing in visits with the grandparents and aunts and uncles. I'm expecting this to be somewhat stressful but I'm going to do my best. And I'm going to spend 3 extra days there just so we can go to the beach, hang out at the pool, and go shopping. Basically so we can do all things Florida. I'd like to visit Disney Village again, but Orlando is way out of the way. I may have to save that for July.
Speaking of July:
I told a few of you about the condo owner wiping out our bank account. Well, we got it straightened out but since we asked her to pay the NSF fees (since she caused them) she said that was fine, but she'd cancel our reservation (how's that for customer service!). Anyway, it's ok because we'll probably go back to central FL and visit with family again but this time with Trav so he can see his family as well.
I'm not looking forward to the car trips there and back. I haven't made this long of a car trip by myself since I was in college. Actually, it was Amanda and me. It never seemed stressful because she was 6 or 7 and could do everything for herself and it was nice to have the company. But now I have 3 and I'm nursing one of them so I hope this goes well.
Thursday, April 07, 2005
I'm Done
K- I have successfully put most of the pics from our first Tennessee trip on my blog. I realize that I could e-mail them to people but that would take more time. I guess if somebody really wanted me to, I could e-mail them.
Well, last weekend was such a surprising treat. It was such a short trip that I was expecting it to be harried and that I would be frazzled but it wasn't at all. Trav and I had a chance to reconnect and spend some time with really good friends as well. The trip back was much better weather wise than the weekend before and overall I think we just felt refreshed.
On Sunday we went to church with Eric and Tisra and had a chance to talk to their pastor about being affiliated with the Four Square Gospel denomination (that is who thier church is affilliated with) and he was very helpful. In fact, Dad called the contact that he gave me today and things look very positive so far.
We are set to start services here in May and we are all looking forward to that. We're going to start as a prayer meeting during the week first and then start having services later.
My first Arbonne class at Mary's house went well and I'm having one at Mom's house next Friday. Christina is coming - arbonne sponsors typically do your first 3 shows to train you- and she's bringing Stephanie. Stephanie is a licensed massage therapist and Arbonne consultant so she'll be doing foot massages at my party. Unfortunately I can't take her to Florida with me which is where I'll be the next week.
It's nice to have a few kid free minutes, but my time is up...
Well, last weekend was such a surprising treat. It was such a short trip that I was expecting it to be harried and that I would be frazzled but it wasn't at all. Trav and I had a chance to reconnect and spend some time with really good friends as well. The trip back was much better weather wise than the weekend before and overall I think we just felt refreshed.
On Sunday we went to church with Eric and Tisra and had a chance to talk to their pastor about being affiliated with the Four Square Gospel denomination (that is who thier church is affilliated with) and he was very helpful. In fact, Dad called the contact that he gave me today and things look very positive so far.
We are set to start services here in May and we are all looking forward to that. We're going to start as a prayer meeting during the week first and then start having services later.
My first Arbonne class at Mary's house went well and I'm having one at Mom's house next Friday. Christina is coming - arbonne sponsors typically do your first 3 shows to train you- and she's bringing Stephanie. Stephanie is a licensed massage therapist and Arbonne consultant so she'll be doing foot massages at my party. Unfortunately I can't take her to Florida with me which is where I'll be the next week.
It's nice to have a few kid free minutes, but my time is up...
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Curse and Swear @#$%!@##@$#
Can you tell I'm having trouble with this program. These aren't the pics I want on here. There are cute ones of Grant, Dean, Chloe, Lael, Amanda, and Halle. I just can't get them on here and I'm giving up now because I have other things to do.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Motivation Issues
Well, I'm leaving for Tennessee again in less than 24 hours and I'm having serious motivation issues. There's packing and cleaning to do, you know that fun stuff that you always have to do before you go on a trip.
I'm looking forward to having my first Arbonne party. I hope it goes well, I'm a little nervous. After last weekend we all decided we definitely want to move back at some point. Then I remembered that we have a church to start first. That shouldn't take too long, should it?
At least this weekend Travis will be riding with us. And since he has two whole days off I think I'll actually get to see him for a while. I'm looking forward to that.
We are also going to go to Eric and Tisra's church this Sunday. I think I'm as excited about that as anything else we're going to do this weekend. When we lived there we couldn't visit other churches, after all I was the Music Dept. Assistant and we couldn't let that happen.
I have just downloaded Picasa and as soon as I find the USB cable I'll upload the pics from this past weekend to share.
On the Amanda front;
She really has changed a lot. It's amazing what taking a kid away from everything that's importan to her will do. She realizes it too. She actually thinks that this move was mainly for her benifit. And now she sees that she took a lot of great people for granted and that she was very snobby toward the end. Of course, now that she realizes all that she told God that it can be over now and she'll go back to Tennessee and will be a very good girl. I told her it doesn't actually work that way.
I don't think Amanda is the only reason we moved here. I'm not sure of what the reasons are and I can't worry about that today. I am sure that we'll know in time. Time sure does move slowly though. I prefer that things move much faster.
I don't know if we'll ever like it here. The taxes stink. And not only do they tax you to death the politicians then spend it on parties and stuff and then raise taxes again. I really dislike people that are dishonest and dumb.
Wow! I think I'll wait to post again until I'm in a better mood.
I'm looking forward to having my first Arbonne party. I hope it goes well, I'm a little nervous. After last weekend we all decided we definitely want to move back at some point. Then I remembered that we have a church to start first. That shouldn't take too long, should it?
At least this weekend Travis will be riding with us. And since he has two whole days off I think I'll actually get to see him for a while. I'm looking forward to that.
We are also going to go to Eric and Tisra's church this Sunday. I think I'm as excited about that as anything else we're going to do this weekend. When we lived there we couldn't visit other churches, after all I was the Music Dept. Assistant and we couldn't let that happen.
I have just downloaded Picasa and as soon as I find the USB cable I'll upload the pics from this past weekend to share.
On the Amanda front;
She really has changed a lot. It's amazing what taking a kid away from everything that's importan to her will do. She realizes it too. She actually thinks that this move was mainly for her benifit. And now she sees that she took a lot of great people for granted and that she was very snobby toward the end. Of course, now that she realizes all that she told God that it can be over now and she'll go back to Tennessee and will be a very good girl. I told her it doesn't actually work that way.
I don't think Amanda is the only reason we moved here. I'm not sure of what the reasons are and I can't worry about that today. I am sure that we'll know in time. Time sure does move slowly though. I prefer that things move much faster.
I don't know if we'll ever like it here. The taxes stink. And not only do they tax you to death the politicians then spend it on parties and stuff and then raise taxes again. I really dislike people that are dishonest and dumb.
Wow! I think I'll wait to post again until I'm in a better mood.
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
From Tennessee and Back Again
Wow! We had a great weekend. I finally got to see (and hold) Lael. It is a bummer that Tisra spent all that time pregnant and it took over 3 months for me to see her. She is beautiful, of course.
When we got home Halle had a cold, so I have spent hours holding her over the last 2 days. She seems to be much better for which I am very grateful.
Eric and Tisra had a cook out in our honor Saturday evening and we were able to spend time with some people we hadn't seen in a while and it was really nice. I really enjoyed being back and feeling comfortable for the first time in the last 4 months.
Grant and Chloe had so much fun. I believe a wedding is now in the works for them. You'll have to ask Tisra to tell the whole story because I wouldn't do it justice and it is too, too cute!
We were able to go to Cornerstone for Easter services and it was great to be back.
The Buttons are heading back this weekend for the first class in my Arbonne launch and we're all looking forward to that.
When we got home Halle had a cold, so I have spent hours holding her over the last 2 days. She seems to be much better for which I am very grateful.
Eric and Tisra had a cook out in our honor Saturday evening and we were able to spend time with some people we hadn't seen in a while and it was really nice. I really enjoyed being back and feeling comfortable for the first time in the last 4 months.
Grant and Chloe had so much fun. I believe a wedding is now in the works for them. You'll have to ask Tisra to tell the whole story because I wouldn't do it justice and it is too, too cute!
We were able to go to Cornerstone for Easter services and it was great to be back.
The Buttons are heading back this weekend for the first class in my Arbonne launch and we're all looking forward to that.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
On My Way To Tennessee
I'm so excited because today is the day I leave with the girls to go to Tennessee. It's been over 4 months since we've been there and I'm looking forward to showing off the baby and seeing friends that I haven't seen in a while. We're leaving in a couple of hours so we're still doing last minute things but hopefully the trip will go off without a hitch.
Halle hasn't actually been in the car for as long as she will be today so we'll see how it goes. I hope we don't have to stop too often.
Well, since I'm actually going to see most of the people that read this blog today- I'll see you guys soon.
Halle hasn't actually been in the car for as long as she will be today so we'll see how it goes. I hope we don't have to stop too often.
Well, since I'm actually going to see most of the people that read this blog today- I'll see you guys soon.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Happy St. Patrick's Day
Happy St. Patty's Day to all! Not that I actually celebrate the holiday or anything; I don't like green beer. But we bought Chloe the Veggie Tales DVD "Sumo of the Opera" and it had the story of St. Patrick on there so I did think about it today more than in years past.
I also did my Senior Recital on St. Patrick's Day 7 years ago (I can't believe it's been that long). It's funny how you can look forward to something for so long and it seems to take forever and after it's over time just flies.
I have had an incredibly eventful week, but it seems like I can never get to the computer for the 20 minutes or so that it takes to type it out.
I met with Dr. Deanna Osborne who is in the upper management in Arbonne. It was very exciting considering that I'd only decided that I was going to do Arbonne as a business 2 days before and she just happened to be driving through town on her way to Mississippi. We had a nice lunch and talked about Arbonne and the Lord. She's a Christian and a lovely woman, with a lovely white Mercedes (Arbonne's company car). It was a very encouraging lunch. She told me about a couple of families that are with YWAM and do Arbonne so that they don't have to raise support and can just do ministry. She also told me that she can tell when someone is going to be successful at Arbonne by talking to them and that she knew that I was going to be successful. That was very encouraging. It really is amazing to me how excited I am about it.
Now, her expectations for me are very high. Actually they are higher than my expectations for myself in the short term. I think, long term our expectations are the same. I'm doing my best but God is going to have to do the rest. I've talked to a lot of people so far, especially considering I don't know that many people so it's just a matter of time before it takes off.
I also did something today that I'm dying to write about but I am going to surprise somebody so I can't in case they read my blog. Ugh! It's sooo killing me!
Amanda applied for her first job today. It's at a Mom and Pop type restaurant in Helena where her friend Jennifer works. I can hardly believe my little girl is growing up so fast. Jennifer has a job and a vehicle and Amanda has gone out with her a couple of times. It's great that she's older and that I can talk to her as a grown up, but it makes me appreciate my little kids so much more. Wiping noses and bottoms doesn't seem like such a chore when I remember how quickly they grow up.
I also did my Senior Recital on St. Patrick's Day 7 years ago (I can't believe it's been that long). It's funny how you can look forward to something for so long and it seems to take forever and after it's over time just flies.
I have had an incredibly eventful week, but it seems like I can never get to the computer for the 20 minutes or so that it takes to type it out.
I met with Dr. Deanna Osborne who is in the upper management in Arbonne. It was very exciting considering that I'd only decided that I was going to do Arbonne as a business 2 days before and she just happened to be driving through town on her way to Mississippi. We had a nice lunch and talked about Arbonne and the Lord. She's a Christian and a lovely woman, with a lovely white Mercedes (Arbonne's company car). It was a very encouraging lunch. She told me about a couple of families that are with YWAM and do Arbonne so that they don't have to raise support and can just do ministry. She also told me that she can tell when someone is going to be successful at Arbonne by talking to them and that she knew that I was going to be successful. That was very encouraging. It really is amazing to me how excited I am about it.
Now, her expectations for me are very high. Actually they are higher than my expectations for myself in the short term. I think, long term our expectations are the same. I'm doing my best but God is going to have to do the rest. I've talked to a lot of people so far, especially considering I don't know that many people so it's just a matter of time before it takes off.
I also did something today that I'm dying to write about but I am going to surprise somebody so I can't in case they read my blog. Ugh! It's sooo killing me!
Amanda applied for her first job today. It's at a Mom and Pop type restaurant in Helena where her friend Jennifer works. I can hardly believe my little girl is growing up so fast. Jennifer has a job and a vehicle and Amanda has gone out with her a couple of times. It's great that she's older and that I can talk to her as a grown up, but it makes me appreciate my little kids so much more. Wiping noses and bottoms doesn't seem like such a chore when I remember how quickly they grow up.
Sunday, March 13, 2005
March 13
I used to try to come up with really creative titles for my posts but since I'm having trouble finding time to post at all I think I'll retire that...for now.
We finally made it to Chuck E. Cheese's yesterday. First of all I'd like to say we had a lot of fun. It was exactly as I expected it would be; wall to wall screaming children, not so great pizza, and we had to stand in line to play anything. I wasn't disappointed though because I was expecting it, Travis was a different story. He really gets excited about things sometimes and if they don't turn out the way he thinks they will he gets very disappointed. I think it took his childlike giddiness about 10 minutes to disappear. He wasn't grumpy after that he was just less enthusiastic. After about two hours in the hot, loud environment it was time to go feed Halle, which I did outside. Overall we had a good time but we've decided that next time we're eating somewhere else and we'll go on a Tuesday.
Amanda met a friend at church today and for the first time in 4 months she didn't sit with us. She also went home with her (Jennifer) and is now spending the night. I'm very happy for her. Jennifer is home schooled too and it's great that Amanda finally has a friend here.
Working out is finally starting to pay off some. Of course, there is always the cardiovascular benefit but who's really thinking about that when they want to lose weight. I have started doing interval training which I heard was the best way to lose weight and I'm finding that it's true. It's very simple and works great for me since I don't like to jog for 45 minutes at a time. Here's an address describes interval training well.
We finally made it to Chuck E. Cheese's yesterday. First of all I'd like to say we had a lot of fun. It was exactly as I expected it would be; wall to wall screaming children, not so great pizza, and we had to stand in line to play anything. I wasn't disappointed though because I was expecting it, Travis was a different story. He really gets excited about things sometimes and if they don't turn out the way he thinks they will he gets very disappointed. I think it took his childlike giddiness about 10 minutes to disappear. He wasn't grumpy after that he was just less enthusiastic. After about two hours in the hot, loud environment it was time to go feed Halle, which I did outside. Overall we had a good time but we've decided that next time we're eating somewhere else and we'll go on a Tuesday.
Amanda met a friend at church today and for the first time in 4 months she didn't sit with us. She also went home with her (Jennifer) and is now spending the night. I'm very happy for her. Jennifer is home schooled too and it's great that Amanda finally has a friend here.
Working out is finally starting to pay off some. Of course, there is always the cardiovascular benefit but who's really thinking about that when they want to lose weight. I have started doing interval training which I heard was the best way to lose weight and I'm finding that it's true. It's very simple and works great for me since I don't like to jog for 45 minutes at a time. Here's an address describes interval training well.
http://www.acefitness.org/fitfacts/fitfacts_display.cfm?itemid=87
If I was not technically challenged I wouldn't have that whole thing up there, but I am. You'll have to copy and paste it into the address bar because, again, I'm technically challenged. I'll have to ask Travis how to do that.
I have finally launched Arbonne. I made several phone calls today and have one class definitely scheduled (thank you, Christina) and 3 more tenatively scheduled. I'm excited and am looking forward to doing very well. Arbonne is unheard of in Birmingham so there is a lot of potential here. As usual, I owe a huge thank you to Mary and Tisra who always are there to help me out with whatever new thing I'm doing. I love you guys!
And I'll be taking a trip to the Nashville area in less than 2 weeks! I'm so very excited to see everybody and to show off the kids. I can hardly wait!
Monday, March 07, 2005
A Lovely Sunday!
Well, I'm not willing to commit to it yet, but it looks like Halle may be a thumb sucker. When I was growing up I always heard thumbsucking in derrogatory terms, but I think there are some advantages. The main one that I can think of is that Halle is able to comfort herself which means it is much easier to get her to sleep and stay asleep. You're probably wondering what in the world this has to do with a lovely Sunday, soooo....
I'd like to say that we went to church yesterday, that it was a lovely service, and then we did fun family stuff, but we didn't. Go to church, I mean. We did go to the Summit (except Amanda because she hates the Summit) and had a really nice time. It was a rare Sunny and warm day (it seems to rain all the time here) so we decided to take the little girls out. On a day like yesterday I prefer the Summit to any place else because it has the shops I like the most and it's outdoors. We picked out lots of things we liked from Pier 1 and especially Restoration Hardware. I didn't know until yesterday that Restoration Hardware sells paint already mixed, which for me is great because picking out paint colors ranks up there with acting. Fun but terrifying. I'm always scared I'm going to pick the wrong color and then it turns into an ordeal. They also have some great and incredibly well made furniture. Notice I said before that we picked out lots of things, not bought lots of things.
Oh, back to the thumb sucking. Halle has been sucking on her left hand for a while now. I make sure that when I swaddle her I leave her left hand free. But yesterday I decided to carry her in the backpack because it's easier to carry her than to maneuver the stroller in shops and she started sucking her thumb. It was so cute! She had her thumb in her mouth and the rest of her fingers over her face- with one finger in her eye. I have heard that it can be difficult to break them of sucking their thumbs, but she doesn't really like a pacifier. It's probably my fault because I never really pushed it. She would tolerate one for a while, but there are definite drawbacks to pacifiers as well. Since this is my third child and she sleeps all night already I really just have a "whatever works" attitude. Of course, some people give infants vodka or something in their bottle and I guess that works, but I definitely don't mean that. So, I guess it's more like "whatever is safe, and works" attitude.
Travis had 2 whole days off last week and it was really nice to spend time with him and catch up on things. I actually have and Alabama tag now. I'm sad. Amanda hung my Tennessee tag on her wall. Trav is going to get his tag this week, I'm not sure what we'll do with his.
Speaking of Travis, he has 3 days off this week from the restaurant, but will probably work 2 of those at Publix. I'll be able to spend Saturday with him though, so I'm excited about that. I think a trip to Chuck E. Cheese is in the works.
I'm sure I have much more to write, but I'll save that for another post.
I'd like to say that we went to church yesterday, that it was a lovely service, and then we did fun family stuff, but we didn't. Go to church, I mean. We did go to the Summit (except Amanda because she hates the Summit) and had a really nice time. It was a rare Sunny and warm day (it seems to rain all the time here) so we decided to take the little girls out. On a day like yesterday I prefer the Summit to any place else because it has the shops I like the most and it's outdoors. We picked out lots of things we liked from Pier 1 and especially Restoration Hardware. I didn't know until yesterday that Restoration Hardware sells paint already mixed, which for me is great because picking out paint colors ranks up there with acting. Fun but terrifying. I'm always scared I'm going to pick the wrong color and then it turns into an ordeal. They also have some great and incredibly well made furniture. Notice I said before that we picked out lots of things, not bought lots of things.
Oh, back to the thumb sucking. Halle has been sucking on her left hand for a while now. I make sure that when I swaddle her I leave her left hand free. But yesterday I decided to carry her in the backpack because it's easier to carry her than to maneuver the stroller in shops and she started sucking her thumb. It was so cute! She had her thumb in her mouth and the rest of her fingers over her face- with one finger in her eye. I have heard that it can be difficult to break them of sucking their thumbs, but she doesn't really like a pacifier. It's probably my fault because I never really pushed it. She would tolerate one for a while, but there are definite drawbacks to pacifiers as well. Since this is my third child and she sleeps all night already I really just have a "whatever works" attitude. Of course, some people give infants vodka or something in their bottle and I guess that works, but I definitely don't mean that. So, I guess it's more like "whatever is safe, and works" attitude.
Travis had 2 whole days off last week and it was really nice to spend time with him and catch up on things. I actually have and Alabama tag now. I'm sad. Amanda hung my Tennessee tag on her wall. Trav is going to get his tag this week, I'm not sure what we'll do with his.
Speaking of Travis, he has 3 days off this week from the restaurant, but will probably work 2 of those at Publix. I'll be able to spend Saturday with him though, so I'm excited about that. I think a trip to Chuck E. Cheese is in the works.
I'm sure I have much more to write, but I'll save that for another post.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
Catch-Up
I really have a lot of things to write about, I think about it during the day but when I sit down to write I draw a blank. So, here goes...
Travis went to orientation for Publix today. Fortunately for us the store that does the orientation is right down the street, but Atlanta employees train there as well. It's funny that they do because it's in Helena and there are at least 2 other stores that are much easier to find. Helena is several miles from the interstate and there is really not a great way to get there, but again it's not far from us. It turns out that Publix is a much better place to work for than I realized. I'm from Lakeland but I just assumed that it was like working at any place else, fortunately I was wrong. The benefits are great and it really seems like it's going to be a great opportunity. And Trav will learn a little something about baking. I told him he needs to try a black and white cookie because they look delicious. I've never bought one for a couple of reasons, 1. Calories and
2. If I don't try it I won't know if it's good or not so it's one less thing to crave.
His hours should improve some because when he works days he'll go in from 5 am to 2 pm. It's much nicer than now because he'll work at Ruth's Chris from 9 am to 2 pm and then come back on from 5 pm to 10 pm, so he's gone for the whole day. It is very seldom that he works just one shift.
I'm going to look for a part-time job to help out. I still plan on doing Arbonne, but I want to be in our own house first. There is much too much stuff stuffed in this house right now.
I bought a mobile for Halle today- finally. I've been wanting to for quite a while and have felt guilty for not getting one yet. I've been worried that her cognitive development would be stumped because I hadn't gotten a mobile to stimulate her brain . Yes, I'm a neurotic mom.
Of course I bought a mobile with some black and white patterns because I've heard that they are better. It helps that she has no bedding set for me to match it up with. She's been sleeping in a pack-n-play bassinett, which is a regular pack-n-play just smaller. It fits better in the 10 x 10 bedroom which we currently reside in. I said all that to say, I was more rational about the mobile choice because I didn't have to worry about it clashing with the bedding. It does clash with the pack-n-play, but I think I can live with it.
I bought a beautiful Easter dress for Chloe. It's a lovely lavender with embroidered flowers. I also bought an Easter hat. I want to get Halle a complementing dress so I can have their pictures taken. I really love Marshalls because the dress and hat were a steal at $20 for both! I just love a bargain!
Travis went to orientation for Publix today. Fortunately for us the store that does the orientation is right down the street, but Atlanta employees train there as well. It's funny that they do because it's in Helena and there are at least 2 other stores that are much easier to find. Helena is several miles from the interstate and there is really not a great way to get there, but again it's not far from us. It turns out that Publix is a much better place to work for than I realized. I'm from Lakeland but I just assumed that it was like working at any place else, fortunately I was wrong. The benefits are great and it really seems like it's going to be a great opportunity. And Trav will learn a little something about baking. I told him he needs to try a black and white cookie because they look delicious. I've never bought one for a couple of reasons, 1. Calories and
2. If I don't try it I won't know if it's good or not so it's one less thing to crave.
His hours should improve some because when he works days he'll go in from 5 am to 2 pm. It's much nicer than now because he'll work at Ruth's Chris from 9 am to 2 pm and then come back on from 5 pm to 10 pm, so he's gone for the whole day. It is very seldom that he works just one shift.
I'm going to look for a part-time job to help out. I still plan on doing Arbonne, but I want to be in our own house first. There is much too much stuff stuffed in this house right now.
I bought a mobile for Halle today- finally. I've been wanting to for quite a while and have felt guilty for not getting one yet. I've been worried that her cognitive development would be stumped because I hadn't gotten a mobile to stimulate her brain . Yes, I'm a neurotic mom.
Of course I bought a mobile with some black and white patterns because I've heard that they are better. It helps that she has no bedding set for me to match it up with. She's been sleeping in a pack-n-play bassinett, which is a regular pack-n-play just smaller. It fits better in the 10 x 10 bedroom which we currently reside in. I said all that to say, I was more rational about the mobile choice because I didn't have to worry about it clashing with the bedding. It does clash with the pack-n-play, but I think I can live with it.
I bought a beautiful Easter dress for Chloe. It's a lovely lavender with embroidered flowers. I also bought an Easter hat. I want to get Halle a complementing dress so I can have their pictures taken. I really love Marshalls because the dress and hat were a steal at $20 for both! I just love a bargain!
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