Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Hats Off to Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving, like every monumental event this year, seemed to sneak up behind me and surprise me at the last minute.  I have a calendar right on my desk everyday, but I can be entirely blind to something staring at me in the face sometimes.

We went up to Michigan again this year for Thanksgiving, but everything was a little different.  We went to Frankenmuth as we have for many years, did some shopping, relaxed at the house and had a fun game night.  But, it was all skewed and shifted this year.  This was our first Thanksgiving without dad.

The picture, though not bad and full of great laughs and fun, looked different this year.


The new normal is setting in slowly and it will take time.  It didn't stop the silly though!



Doesn't everyone do this at Thanksgiving Dinner?



Yes!  It was warm enough in NORTHERN Michigan to NOT wear a coat on Thanksgiving.  The next day, however, was whirling and swirling ice.  That is Michigan.
When we were out shopping Trinity had to try on hats.  The girl LOVES Hats and Cats and even Cats on hats and, unfortunately for our cat, hats on cats.




Mom!!!  Help!!

That smile looks good in anything!

Um....  not sure.  Moving on.

We had a great time with family and relaxed, watched some movies, just sat (ahhh...) and saw a movieat a theater even!  Go us!
Now we stand in the four week holiday cloud where it seems like event filled days are passing without your permission and you just have to stand ground and hope you catch the next day by the horns.


When nothing else works just make this face and the whole world will look better and brighter.  Good luck and God speed my friends, the Holiday Train is a comin'!!






Monday, November 19, 2012

A Brief Pause

In the ins and outs of your life do you ever have those moments where the world stands still for just enough time to bring clarity to everything else?  If you are like me those times are often lost in the shuffle again moments after they happen because of, well..  the list of possibilities in a household of six people, two cats and a dog are endless so I won't even attempt it.

But, those moments are the exact ones I need to grasp tightly to, lean into, learn from and grow from.  The moments are different for everyone.  They are the ones that make you stare a little longer.  The ones that you physically feel your heart move just a little.  The ones where your eyes meet the eyes of your children and you can palpate the connection between you.  Sometimes the moments come from others lives as well, and you are struck with all the blessings your life has held all at once. A good book, like The Shack I am reading for the second time through now, can bring focus in a refracted world.

As we move into the holiday season I pray that you, as well as myself, can take these moments we are given and stay in them for a while longer.  I hope I can play in the sands of their pondering and learn all I can from them.  Our world is so busy and we loose time everyday to the nonsense and hurt and do not give enough time to the truly substantial.

I wish you all a beautiful and plentiful Thanksgiving this year filled with a cornucopia of these moments.




Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Colossal Convention of Compassion!

Is this true?  Am I really leaving my family for four days, getting on a plane for the first time in five years and going to Dallas Texas with over seven thousand people I don't know?

YES I AM!!

When I made this decision in March/April I didn't completely understand the impact it would have on my life.  I didn't know that I would have personal growth that would stretch every boundary I thought I had.  I didn't know that I would travel and see places I had never seen.  I didn't know that I would meet life long friends, mentors and be surrounded by a team that gives me support unparalleled to anything I have felt before.  I didn't know that God would be breathing into every move forward I made and every relationship I fostered through this business.  I didn't know I was becoming more of a woman my children could look up to by helping people, being brave and having courageous compassion for others.  I didn't know how many times I could fall down and get back up again and I didn't know how much support my husband was capable of giving me.

I didn't know I was on the verge of finding a big hidden, secret room of ME.



It had been a while since I felt so anxious, proud and loved all at the same time.  I was anxious about taking this opportunity for me (something, like many moms, I am not accustomed to).  I was proud of myself for pulling through and getting on the plane and having the courage to do what I set out to do. I was also SO incredibly proud of this company, NSA, and what it represents, how it does business, the passion and the devotion to research to make sure they have the best product possible.  The philanthropy, both inside and outside of the company, the encouragement and personal touch a company this large gives each of its distributors is very unique and rare.


This was the view from my balcony!  It was gorgeous and by far the best hotel I had ever stayed in.  Again I ask...  Was I REALLY here?

While I was at Conference I had the pleasure of listening to people that have made it.  They have been able to reach out and help hundreds of people with their health and hundreds of others with this beautiful business model that NSA has created.  The perfect storm of Direct Sales, Multi-level marketing, Franchise Ownership and Corporate America with a full benefits package, has left even wall streeters in awe!!  (Thank You!  Says the woman with four kids who hasn't been able to put away a dime yet!)


The stories, the perseverance and the team attitude were overwhelming at times.  I have never seen so many people really, truly work together for one another with out expectation or chance of being rewarded in any way but a "Thank You".

I had the pleasure of hearing from an amazing young woman Winter Vinecki, who has started a true movement among young people with their fitness and doing so while raising money for Prostate Cancer Research (a disease that took her father at a young age).  She just wishes Juice Plus would have been in their lives before her dad passed because "I know it would have made some difference".

Juice Plus and the Tower Garden have Partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of America to promote healthy living in the hardest of areas by teaching and helping and giving.

Janelle Isis and Josie Bissett were there to share their words of wisdom and how they came to Juice Plus, why they have stayed on and how it helps in their lives.



Dr.DuBois was a brilliant speaker on the science and research in the past, present and future of Juice Plus.  The thrill of fellowship, the spectacular views, awards, pomp and circumstance mean nothing without the research.  It is truly the core of what Juice Plus stands for and believes in.  28 Published, peer reviewed, 3rd party, gold standard studies and still more to come!  


I had time for me.  Between the hours of terrific training and the sharing of meals with team members I had time for me.  I worked out at a gym in the morning with some people I consider mentors in my work both in the business and in the medical field.  I stayed up and did work in a quiet room.  I walked the halls and just looked around without distraction.


As much alone time as I might have had, when you are surrounded by over 7300 friends, it is hard to be alone for long.  


More than ever I learned that with everything out there that lines the shelves and inundates our lives that you can't outsmart nature!  In every study done fruits and vegetables always produce better results than synthetics and I walked away feeling even more fortunate to have found a way to get more into the bodies of my children, my husband and myself. 


The friends that I was able to meet and share time with were incredible.  Men and women from ALL over the world gathered together with the mission in their hearts.  This is our Indianapolis group that was there.


Our Mission?  Inspiring Healthy Living Around the World!  We are all One Team with that One Mission and we are getting their with patience, persistence and education.  Not only are we helping inspire healthy living, but we are changing lives with a certain business in an uncertain world.  It not only helps others, but comes with amazing benefits, no pressure on your own time line.  The part time business for busy people that so often is a Plan B that turns into the Plan A.  



So.  Am I Really here?  Really doing this?  YES I AM and I am enjoying and gaining so much from every curve, hill and mountain on my journey.  I didn't know this would be me, but I am so glad it is.




Saturday, November 3, 2012

Fall Cleaning!

When I was away in Dallas (more posts to come from that one!) my husband took the initiative of cleaning out our Tower Garden for the winter growing season.


You can imagine that a growing season with extreme temps and LOTS of growth with all those minerals would cause a mess.  They did!  Consequently, while he was doing this I was learning that a partial cleaning should be done once a month to avoid such a mess.  Live, Go to Conference, Learn and Teach!  There is a booklet that comes with the Tower Garden for a reason! 


This is the top shower cap where the water is pumped up to and then showers down on all the roots inside.


This is what the inside of the Tower Looks like!  The roots are literally sprinkled with necessary minerals every 15 minutes.  This is why there is such great growth!



Section by section he took the Tower down and he used vinegar and water (1:1 concentrate) to soak and rub down the pieces.  The roots and little baskets were discarded.


Ta'da!!!  It came all clean after an afternoon and they are ready to start our winter harvest.  We just have to plan what we are putting in, get it filled, started and go for it!


We just had to put it in the garage for a day because of lovely Hurricane Sandy's wrath in Indiana and not having it's spot ready in the house.  But, we are digging in the books and excited to start the Winter round!  

Juice Plus is making great changes with the Tower Garden site and we are getting them into restaurants and grocery stores across the country.  The main idea was to get them in YOUR back yard though.  The 100 step diet is a reality and anyone can do it!

Our first season was terrific with our Tower and we are so blessed we had it this summer.  Our produce bills were substantially lower and the education and lessons we were able to give ourselves and the girls were priceless.  

Contact me, or your Juice Plus representative, anytime for more information on how you can get started with the Tower Garden!  We had the honor of meeting and learning from Tim Blank, the creator of the Tower Garden at conference and we were able to learn from him.  I will be writing a piece on that coming up as well!  I will also be taking advantage of those great home shows in mid winter and help others discover the fun, savings and simplicity of the Tower Garden!



Thursday, November 1, 2012

Halloween 2012!

Halloween 2012 snuck up on us and right when we least expect it, it jumped out from around the corner and shouted "Here I AM!"

This month has been so crazy.  I know we have all had months like this, but it was so crazy that we FORGOT to carve pumpkins!  Brian and I remembered the night before Halloween and there was NO time the following day.  Major Fail!  We always do the patch and pick some great ones out followed by a night of carving and pumpkin seeds and goo.  Not this year though!  The birthdays, the conference, the job change, the general running around, and a few more things I have plain forgot about, robbed our schedules.  

Brian came through with the costumes though.  We haven't really dressed up for Halloween in years and this year his going away party for Conseco was a costume party and he was not holding back.  He took care of everything and just told me to put it on right before we left.  It was a nice break from the crazy.  Well, it was just a different kind of crazy.  

Queen of Hearts and The Mad Hatter!


The next night it was the girls turn and after they all changed their minds a handful of times before we landed on our costumes. 

Skyla the Clown

Trinity the Princess (costume mostly covered by coat!)

Lana the Cat

Journey the Witch

We ran out of the house, unknowingly almost an hour late, to meet friends with a pot of chili in hand.  A hurried dinner, redressing and a potty break later we were good-to-go!  Skyla ran from house to house with the big kids and my mind flashed memories of my own childhood.  Lana, Trinity and Journey all wiped out on the pavement at some point and, content with their loot, had enough after one round around the block.  We played the divide and conquer parenting game and all met back at home for a quick treat, clean up and a warm bed.  

Thanks for the fun!  ...and, Halloween 2013? I promise to get my act together by next year!