Beautiful surprise!

Kaytlin and Liam have been out in Montana with Peter for weeks. I missed them so much! I knew that they were coming home today, but I figured that it would be sometime between 10 and 12am. So when Kaytlin walked in the door with my little peanut at 8am I was just thrilled! I jumped up and ran to get him and looked up to see Jannessa walk in the door with Faith, too!
I had no idea they were coming! They hadn't planned it, either, just sort of a spur of the moment decision yesterday.
Jannessa is staying here for a month or more to help me get the house packed up for our move to Texas! She has been a source of blessing to us over and over! I couldn't ask for a better daughter in love! Devon, Cody and Sam have quite the role model to wife finding to live up to!

My 2 little morning surprises! I am in heaven!

Uff da!

Donnie and I have joked for a few years that we should pretend to move so we can get rid of a lot of junk. Oh my goodness, we so should have! Because now I HAVE to deal with it, haha!

Fish tanks we haven't used in YEARS, that we should have already sold. A recliner that is falling apart that we should have thrown out, but just haven't yet. And just WHAT is IN that closet anyway?

I am really thankful that I am not finding myself with a sentimental attachment to things. There really isn't that much that just has to go with us. Photos, some clothes, enough beds and dressers for all of us, the furniture that we need, but nicknacks? Not so much. Crafts? eh, haven't touched that in a year or more, so why keep it?

I am excited to majorly downsize my life!

Our Summer in Pictures

 Cody turned 17! He had his birthday at the Quarry and went cliff jumping.

 Liam is just stinking adorable!

 We spent some down time at Wall Drug on our way to visit Drew and his family. Sam and Trinity love the musical fountains!

 They clearly got SOAKED!

 These boring people did NOT run through the fountains!

 One day this little guy will run through them!

 Drew, Faith, and Jannessa, (and Sam pouting on the ground for no reason).

 Kaytlin and Liam. His first trip to Mount Rushmore!

 My crew, minus Devon and Peter. (the guy in red on over to the right are not my crew)

 My grandbabies! I could eat them both up!

 Drew hasn't changed much! lol

 I mustache you a question.

 We had a great time at Cosmo! That place is a must-see!

 The kids dug for geodes.

Then they got to crack them open.

Breaking through!

A little over a year ago, after more than a year of pain and heart break, I made a decision to start selling Pure Romance. It wasn't an easy decision, but after 4 months of praying, it seemed like God was telling me to do it, and telling my husband to encourage me to do it. (he wasn't too thrilled at first) So I took the plunge and did it! I know "friends" talk behind my back about it, and just don't get it, and that is OK, God knows what He is doing.
It didn't take too long before I saw part of the reason I was doing this. The leadership training is amazing! It transfers over to ministry leadership perfectly! The changes that I need to make in myself are being spotlighted and the training I need to learn HOW to do it are found in this company. Now I can see why God put me here. Bonus is having fun and helping women find new life in their marriage!
I recently went to a training seminar with the company and it changed me. I'm still working on that change, but WOW, it was just amazing how it hit me! This is another big reason God put me here!

One of our classes is callled Breaking Through. I really didn't have much expectation from the description, but it is required for first time attendees. He said some neat stories, blah blah. But then he taught us some neat things in relation to our mind and bodies. How we have control of our energy, which he then proceeded to walk me through having little energy to having LOTS of energy.

From there he showed is how our expectations limit our abilities, but that if we can visualize something we CAN achieve it, and we DID. (If you know me in real life, ask me to show you this, it is cool!)

We then had to think of the things that hold us back from the life we want, what is negative, or hurtful or whatever, that keeps me from living a better life? For me it was part laziness, indifference, FEAR, and it is keeping me from living life, being present in my life. I don't want to be hurt again, I actually FEAR being successful.
Next we had to visualize what our life would be like if we broke through that, who would it affect if we broke through that barrier? For me, it would look like Joy and Truth and being Present! It would affect all of my kids, my grandkids my husband! My business would be where I want it, and our finances would be better and on and on....... JOY!

He then gave us all 1 inch thick boards, pine boards, not balsa wood, That we wrote down what we need to break through in our lives. We then wrote a big X over it. On the back side of the board we wrote what our life would look like after that breakthrough and who it would affect.

See where I am going with this?

A leader in our business held the board for us, and we were taught some techniques for breaking it. But that was easier said than done. I did what I was taught, I looked past the board into the leaders eyes, etc. But I could not break that board! And it HURT! The more I tried to break the board, the worse it got. But then, I decided to break THROUGH my issues, I was not letting those stop me from living the life God wants for me! When I stopped trying to break my board and tried to break through my issues, I broke that 1 inch thick board like it was a piece of paper, did not hurt at all!

That was an empowering moment! I cried and cried! Well, I cried watching everyone else break their boards, too. So I cried for a long time! It was a life-altering moment.

I am still struggling with application of my breakthrough, but I CAN do it! It is a choice that I have to keep making. The timing of all of this is not coincidental, either. I NEED to do this right now! With a move to get through, I can't sit on the couch and be absorbed in Facebook all day. I have to have energy, I have to move, I have to do things I don't want to do, and did not think I could do.

I see God giving us a new life. A new gorgeous home. Maybe even a new vehicle (which is pretty amazing, and I hope it pans out!). New friends on the horizon! A chance at a whole new life!  A life we are not afraid to live. A life where we open back up, not afraid of the pain people can cause. New everything!

I wish I had a board to break through every day to keep showing myself that I CAN do this! But to keep it fresh in my memory, I use half the board as my mouse pad so I always see it and remember that I CAN.

You can totally see I had been crying for like an hour! But that is Ok, it was emotional and wonderful and life-changing! I BROKE THAT BOARD WITH MY BARE HANDS!

Life keeps on changing!

A few years ago we had this dream.
We bought a 6 bedroom home to raise our children in. The community was nice, great schools but also homeschool friendly, great churches, nice place to live and raise a family. We met some wonderful people that we thought we would be life-long friends with. We dreamed about turning the kids' bedrooms into fun play places for our grandchildren, bunkbeds galore!

The last couple of years have changed so much. We were hurt by our church family, even with reconciliation, the hurt is still barely tolerable. We lost friends over who knows what. The town because less safe, with bomb threats, bank robberies and a string of robberies in the strip malls. Not to mention all the bikes and gas cans and tools we've had stolen from our yard and garage.

But still, we have a new church, and still have wonderful friends! The really close connection and feeling of being home disappeared. We have felt displaced for quite some time and knew that God was getting ready to move us away. You know, like closer to my husband's work or something.

Donnie wanted to go somewhere warm, he is tired of shoveling snow. So how about Arizona where I have family? Um, sure, honey. But I'm thinking it will never happen. He interviewed a couple of times out there, but nothing. So I grew comfortable.

Donnie continued his job search, even though he adores his job, and his co-workers. Texas, Florida, Arizona, Minnesota. Just applying and going through the process. Nothing.

Then one day after a 15 minute phone interview for a job he wasn't even serious about he got a call that changed our life.

Hey, come work for us, with this 27% pay increase, and oh, by the way, it is in Texas and we want you here in 2 weeks, let us know tomorrow.

Um, yes, we were in shock.

Texas? Really? That is a big pay increase. But leaving our little grandson? Our family? But God has been leading us to move, preparing us to move.

So, we did it. We put on our big boy/girl panties/undies and took the plunge! He accepted and turned in his resignation and moved to Texas!  I am staying behind to deal with all of our loose ends. Packing, sorting, tossing, selling. School. Legal stuff. Moving Donnie's dad somewhere that he will be cared for. Finishing up my work schedule. etc.  We have no idea when we'll be able to be all moved down there. We weren't expecting it would be this soon, or so far. We are not financially prepared to put a down payment/deposit on a place down there.

Limbo.............. That is me.

And what I really want is to make up with my friends before I leave. I have no control over that, though. So I am just trusting God here, and knowing that in heaven it won't matter and we'll party up there. :)

So, I need to restart my business up in Texas! If you know someone in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, especially the west side, who would love to host a Pure Romance party, refer them to me, and I will reward YOU with a gift certificate! Or if you live there and want to host a party, I will give extra hostess rewards!  email me qtpies5 @ msn.com