Getting to know you Sunday

I am linking up with Mann Lan5 today again for more getting to know you questions.  You can link up with her by clicking on the button below. 








1. Do you iron your sheets? Heck no.  I don't iron my own clothes Darin does. 

2. Your dream car is....? Pink Cadillac

3. Do you have an innie or an outie belly button? A very deep innie

4. What meal do you look forward to the most..breakfast, lunch, or dinner? one where I don't have to cook.  Eating out. 

5. Favorite mascara? Mary Kay's Ultimate Black Mascara!  It is awesome! I am a little bias though. 

6. What would you say your decorating style is..traditional, modern, eclectic, country, french country, shabby chic, etc..?

Rustic or Italian.  I don't like all the western theme stuff but I do like the Italian Cottage Look.  My kitchen is the purple and black vinyard look. 

7. Have you ever been skinny dipping? Nope, maybe someday. 

8. I hate the smell of...? Fried grease.  Like in an unvitalated area when some one is frying something.  Darin working for Whataburger comes home sometimes with that smell and I have him hang his jacket in the laundry room and not our bedroom.  Vomit too.  Just smelling it makes me want to throw up.

Friday Five Questions-Posted on Saturday

Today I am linking up with an new blog I discovered MamaM at My Little Life and am linking up with her 5 question Friday.  I know that it is not Friday but I still want to play.  Click on her button to play along. 

1. Would you ever vacation alone?

No, I don't like to do anything alone, although; I think that Samantha Brown has the coolest job ever!
2. Do you go the speed limit? With my kids in the car I try to.  But I have always had a lead foot and once, before I had kids, I had deferred adjudication in two different counties in centeral Texas at the same time. 

3. Why did you start blogging/following blogs?
I love to talk and this is another way to connect and communicate with other people.  I also have always loved to write and have been published once and this was another outlet for that.  I like to hear the sotries of other women who are in the same boat as I am with raising kids, managing a household and living life.  I follow blogs because I connect with some of the women and I am inspired.  I love the creative ideas I see on here. 

4. Where do you shop for yourself? Ross, Target and Khols.  Hobby Lobby for things other than clothes. 
5. What was the song that you danced your first dance with your spouse to at your wedding...or...what song would you like your first dance to be to?
My father is a baptist decon and so there was no dance at my wedding.  I would have loved to dance with Darin to the song at the time that was out was Tracey Byrd, "Keeper of the Stars. "  But that is not a waltz.  Two songs that came out after we got married that I would have loved to dance with my hubby as our first dance is Switch Foots song "Only Hope" or Edwin McCains "I'll Be". 

Feature Friday- My Little Brother

I am starting a new thing on my blog for my Friday posts.  I am going to feature people in my life.  My life has been enriched by so many people.  This week I am starting with my youngest brother Shane.  I am starting with him because he is one of the funniest people I know and I there are so many stories I have to tell about him.  We but heads at  times because we are so much a like and our middle brother is often the peace maker.   Shane can fix almost anything and is a builder. In Jr. High he was trimming the Christmas tree and cut the wire to the lights.  He then rewired the lights so my mom would not know.  When we were kids growing up Shane was the one that was always playing tricks on people.  He set my alarm one day to go off at 3 a.m. instead of 6 a.m.  I was already getting ready when I realized what had happened. He would put magazine pictures in my bed of snakes with open mouths to scare me.  Two years ago he bought my son a big rubber rat to scare me with. I have found that thing hidden in my bed, my jewlery box and my underwear drawer.  Dalton thinks Uncle Shane is the coolest. When I was a teen I got one tank of gas a week that was paid for.  I drove a 1978 Bronco and that tank of gas did not go as far in that huge truck.  One Sunday afternoon as I went to start it I saw that I was out of gas and was not going to make it very far.  When I looked out my window I saw Shane driving his  go cart in the neighbors feild. (He had rebuilt the entire go cart himself.)  He had siphened the gas out of my truck to make it run.  Shane has always been resourceful.  In highschool Shane went to state for the 300 meter hurdles and ended up winning a big 12 championship ring with Texas A&M's track team.  He has overcome dislexia with a great attitude.  He also leads worship for one of the services at his church. I could write a lot about all the stories of things Shane has done to entertain us over the years.  For those of you that know Shane feel free to leave a comment telling your favorite story of adventures with him.  

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for my Pink Bubble!  I am so grateful for all that Mary Kay has given my life and the journey has not really gotten started.  The money has provided private kinder for Dalton, Darin's Christmas and Birthday gifts, many Christmas expenses and a lot of extras around the house.  This year it will get us out of debt and pay for a Disney Vacation that we have been dreaming about for years.  Winning my car last year and finishing the Queen's Court of Sales was the best year ever!  But it is so much more that the things that money can buy.  For that $100 starter kit I bought 12 years ago I thought I was getting a discount on product that I loved.  But I have gained so much more and my life has been enriched like I never dreamed. 

1. Self Esteem.  How can you be depressed or have a low self esteem when you are getting prizes and ribbons for everything you do that is your job. 

2. Getting to dress up  and be a professional woman while being a mom during the week.  I love that I have a reason to trade in the mom sweats from time to time and put on the suit. Getting to talk and be with other adults is great too. 

This is with Daylene White the very 1st Mary Kay beauty consultant.

3.  I love having a reason to get dressed up every year in a formal. 

4. The awesome Mentors! These women have not only mentored me in my buisness but they have enriched me with advice on parenting, marriage counseling, weightloss, my Christan walk and just being a better me. 

My National Sales director, Joanne Holman.

My director, second mom and life coach Teresa. 

5.  The girl friends.  I have the best friendships with the girls in my pink bubble.  They are all over the country.  These are the women that have cheered me on in victories, pushed me to be more than I thought I could be, and picked me back up when I failed.  To me this is like being part of a sorority that we get paid for and without the cattiness. 

Wordless Wed.

I want to be this fearless.  Not sticking a toe in the water but jumping in with everything I have.  This is Brighton at 3 when she was taking her 1st set of swim lessons.  If you would like to link up your wordless Wed.  go to http://www.5minutesformom.com/15376/wordless-wednesday-rustico-aj/

"For God did not give us a spirit of fear but of power, of love and self-discipline." 2 Tim. 1:7

Worship Wed.

I love this song!  Among Thorns is one of mine and Darin's favorite worship bands.  It was one of the most powerful worship songs we experienced at youth camp when we took our students to Wild Week years ago.  It is the prayer of my heart to bless the Lord with all that's in me.

Itunes Give Away!

I just found a new blog Called a Blond Walks into a Blog.  That is such a cute title.  Go on over and leave a comment to enter.  http://blondeinablog.blogspot.com/2010/01/itunes-giftcard-giveaway.html.

Yes I am posting three times on a Monday! What am I reading

I am linking up with three different blogs I follow today.  This one is at http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/2010/01/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-january_25.html. JKs Book Blog.  I love reading and this is a neat blog of other readers.  This week I just finished Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.  I took forever jumping on the Harry Potter bandwagon.  I have debated for years and thought that I could not have an opinon on it until I read it for myself.  I really liked it.  My seven year old son and I read it together.  He loved it.  I loved hearing him laugh at the parts that were suppose to be funny before I had a chance to explain it.  He loved everything the Weasley Twins did and said.  We will be starting the next one in the set tomorrow.  I love our times together reading chapter books and it is special that he has a love for reading like I do.  It is our special time together. 

The non fiction book I am reading is Tosca Rena's Eating Clean.  This one is taking me longer because I am trying to implement what she is talking about into my life as I read.  I am starting Joyce Meyer's, I Dare You after I finish this one.  I am trying to read a non fiction and fiction book a month. 

I hate to admit that I have also discovered fanfiction.net and that has really fed my Twilight addiction.  There are some wonderful stories on there that continue the story and fill in some of the blanks of the story. 
 Hop on over to J. Kaye's blog to write about what you are reading right now. 

Getting to Know you Monday!

Today I am linking up again with Amber at her blog for another making friends Monday.  I can't pass up an opportunity to meet more people and increase my blog cirlce.and talk about myself while answering her questions.   Play along and link up too. 

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window... a cool breeze too cold to open it.  My car and sunshine.

I am thinking.... I have got to be more disciplined and get into a better consistent daily routine. 

I am thankful... For my Jesus and his grace being new every morning.  My wonderful family and friends. A new year and new beginning. 

I am praying... My husband gets paid this month from his part time second job so things will not be so tight and he gets his promotion quickly at his full time job.  Also that my business would pick back up again so we can get ahead and that my kids would get well. 

I am reading... Eating Clean by Tosca Rena.  It is a great book. Dalton and I just finished the reading together the 1st Harry Potter book and will be starting the second one this week.  I am trying to read a non-fiction and a fiction book each month.

I am creating... a better lifestyle for my family.  I have started this year getting us in better eating habits with reading this book.  Gettting us financially free by working my buisness and getting me to the next level.  I want to teach them to be more diciplined and diligent through my actions and expand their thinking that anything is possible through my example.  I want each of them to know who they are in Christ and become fearless of the unknown. 

From the kitchen...not sure what is asking but I am overhauling our pantry and fridge with better food for them to eat and not so much processed food. 

Around the house... there are toys scattered that says three kids live here.  I am trying to be ok with that, while training the kids to pick up after themselves. 

One of my favorite things...is to be captivated by a good book and get totally involved in a story. I have had trouble doing that since discovering the Twilight series last year and am having trouble leaving the world of Forks.  I also love to be inspired weather is be hearing a great story of accomplishment or something I read in my bible that hits me where I am.  I love the feeling of the accomplishment of meeting a goal and doing what I said I was going to do.  I guess that is more than one thing. 

A few plans for the rest of the week...get more bookings on my books this week and finish my month strong.  Get Dalton over strep and get the germs out of my house. 

I heart Faces!

 
Week four  picture challenge is texture.  I am not sure this fits but it is what I could come up with.   I am not sure my picture fits but it is what I could come up with. 

Skip Sunday Night Confessions-Playing Getting to know you.

I have not been able to play on my blog in a couple of days.  Mary Kay has been great this weekend and things are picking up again.  I have also had no internet at home.  I am linking up with http://www.mannland5.com/2010/01/getting-to-know-you_24.html today.  I think her blog is cute and I just found it today. 
1. Waffles, pancakes or french toast?
None of these are on the Eat Clean diet but if I were cheeting french toast.

2. Dream home..What would it look like?
A Ranch Style House on lots of land.  Could not find a picture of what I have in mind.  Mediterianian/Country feel.

3. Favorite sport to watch during the Winter Olympics?
Ice Skating but, I really love the summer Olympics more!
4. The first word that comes to mind when describing yourself?

Fun/Driven I could not pick one. 
5. Dresses, pants (jeans, leggings, etc.) or skirts?
Skirts I love to dress up and I actually like wearing hose and high heals. 

6. What is your favorite time of day?
Mid day, right after lunch.  The girls are taking a nap and the house is so peaceful.

7. Beach or Mountains..which do you prefer?
Mountains.  I am not a beach fan.  I don't like the feeling of sand. 

8.Will you watch the Super Bowl?
Yes, to be with my husband and see the commercials.  But I always am working taking calls because I have a huge Super Bowl sale.

Link up to play along!

Thankful Thursday

I can not express how much I am am thankful for the people that prayed and helped out during Dalton's eye ordeal!  I cannot tell you how blessed I feel.  Don't judge me as I admit to this, but we had let our kids insurance lapse the last part of Decemeber thinking that my husbands job would be picking it up at the start of January.  But, the company changed their policies from the last time he worked for them.  Our insurance is not kicking in until February 1st.  So this eye ordeal could have been very expensive.  I felt like such a failure as a mom for needing people's help when I made an irresponsible decision.  We are having to rebuild our emergency fund back up due to Darin's job situation this summer, so that was out.  Every eye doctor appointment was done for free.  Then when they referred us to the cornea specialist I thought, "Well, we will be paying this off for awhile."  But when I went to check out he said, "No charge. We did it after hours."  I stood in shock.  I wanted to cry right there and hug the man. (I didn't, I just thanked him.)  He also said that Dalton's eye was not an ulcer but a scratch that had gotten infected and was healing.  The only thing I was out was the cost of the three different medications.  Which my parents helped me pay for.  I am so blessed.  This just goes to show you, you can't out give God.  You really can't.  At the start of the month I wrote my weekly tithe check and felt the Lord telling me to write another check for $100 to our building fund.  I thought we are scrapping by to write the tithe check each week but I did it.  I have seen it over and over that God will not let you go without.  I am also thankful that I have a husband that agrees with me about that.  When I wrote the extra check he did not bat an eye.  He agreed that God was leading us to do that. 

I am also thankful for a tender hearted little boy.  He has the most giving heart.  His school is raising money for Haiti.  My mother is a teacher at his school and he goes to her room after school to wait for me to pick him up.  Tuesday I was going through his folder and noticed a little ziplock bag with "Help Haiti" on it.  In it was a $5.00 bill.  I asked him about it.  He said, "Yea, Nana put that in there for me to give to help Haiti. But can I add some of my own money?"  I told him sure and he ran into his room to get money out of his bank.  When he came back his bag was full of quarters about $5.00 worth.  It was most of his money in his bank.  I told him, "You don't have to give all of your money if you don't want to."  He answered, "But it's my money and I can right."  I was touched by his heart.  We did not discourage him and put the money in his backpack.  I love that it was his idea. 

I am thankful Madie is almost potty trained! Yay! No more pull ups!  She is doing it all on her own and feeling very proud of herself.  I will soon be a mom with no kids in diapers!  This has been a day I have been looking forward to for a very long time!

I am thankful for my birthday buddies.  It is almost February and this will be our third year in a row to have our birthday bash party.  The first year it was a pink & black theme with a four tierred cake!  Last year it was come as famous couples. (Darin and I were Hannah Montanna & Nick Jonas. We should have gone as Bella & Edward but the books were not as popular last year.)  This year it is an 80's them and I am so excited! We just had our first planning meeting and I can't wait. 

Worship Wed.

This is one of my favorite worship songs, Love Song, by Jason Morant.  It is one of those songs that sweeps your heart away in worship.  It reminds you to be in awe of the majesty of God. 
When Darin and I were serving in our first church in south Texas we were stuck in the middle of a worship struggle.  People were complaining about the different styles of worship.  This is not new to churches.  To me this one was worse because when we came to the church they had a hand full of hymns that they played over and over because that was the the former piano player knew and it became the way of life.  I hated that worship had become a point of contention and anger.  I just wanted to be free to worship and wanted people to be authentic in it.  It did not matter to me how you worshiped just that you did it with an open heart to God not a ritual to get through so you could check it off for the week.  We sat in a meeting one day with the deacons due to more complaints and one of them asked me, "Well we don't have to stand up for all of the songs and why is it nessisary for you to raise your hands when you sing."  First off the question frusterated me because this man's heart was not in the right place, his agenda was to fight for keeping the things the same.  But I was frusterated with myself because I had no answer.  In my heart I did not want to do something out of rebelion or show.  I just wanted to worship Jesus and feel his presence. Then I was frusterated with myself because I had no answer for why I raised my hands in worship.  I went home that day and began to pray about it.  I asked God to give me wisdom in this and show me the answer.  The next day I was sitting in my office cleaning it.  I had praise music going and a song struck me so deeply as I sang it that I had to stop and worship.  I was all alone in my office and was free to sing as loudly as I wanted and raise my hands with out question.  I heard a little chirpy voice behind me ask, "Mama what you doin'?" It was Dalton, my son, who was two at the time.  He came and sat beside me.  Then the answer hit me.  "Well, Mommy is reaching to God.  You know when you get scared, or sad, or you just want to see things up high and you raise your hands for mommy to pick you up?" He nodded. "Well Mommy is reaching up to God because she wants to be picked up."  He shut his little eyes and threw his hands up in the air and started singing, "We reachin' to God, we reachin' to God." as he swayed back and forth.  This will alway be one of my favorite memories of a moment as a mom. 

Friend Making Mondays

Making Friend Monday! Yes, I will post twice in one day because I want to grow my circle in blog land. (and I am feeling very unpopular with only 25 followers) Seriously, though I want to connect with other women out there that are positive and I want be inspired by them and their journey.  My goal in life is really to inspire people to be better and grow through anything life throws at them by sharing my journey and my struggles.  Have I always been perfect at this. No.  But it does not hurt to keep trying.  It is also nice to meet other women that are surviving the same things in life that I am.  So this weeks question is a list of of projects that you are diving into this year. 
1. I spent the entire week after Christmas organizing my house.  My goal is to train my kids to clean up after themselves and form good habits with taking responsibility for their things.
2. Clean out the garage and have a huge garage sale.  I want to be able to park my car in it.
3. Pay off all of our debt and save for that Disney Trip we have been promising our kids for years. 
4. Lose all of the weight before I started having kids.  I have 25 more to go.
5. Finish Mary Kay directorship and go on target for the Pink Cadillac.  We almost did this last year in May and due to life things fell apart.  So we are going to finish it this year. (My team and I.)
6.  Get Madison's letters done for her wall that match the ones I had done for Brighton.  She will be three this year and I don't have her name on her bedroom wall like her sister. 

7. Get Madison fully potty trained.  We are well on our way with that.  We moved three times since last June and now that we are really settled we can get this task done.  She has been in panties during the day for the last week with very few accidents. 

8.  Memorize more scripture.  I have started with Phillipians 4:6-8.  The same one I saw Amber put on her blog.  That is funny how that worked. 

This was fun.  To get to know other bloggers go to Amber's cute page.  http://amberfilkins.blogspot.com/2010/01/friend-makin-mondays-projects.html

I heart faces week 3-"We are Family"

I heat faces challenge week 3! "We are Family"

This was taken Thanksgiving 2008.  I don't consider myself a photographer.  To me it is like magic when I capture a shot like this.  It is of my youngest daughter Madision and my grandmother.  I love that my kids have four greatgrandparents still living.  I cherish everything about this shot.  This is 2 kissing 82!

I think....

Just my little rant for today to say what I think
I think .....
*I think the dryer is eating my socks to mock me with a basket full of mates with out pairs.
* I think I love my new single story house and do not miss vacuming the stairs.
* I think my children conspire against me to taking turns of who will not sleep through the nights.
* I think life is to short to sweat the small stuff and to fuss with others and get into fights.
* I think that new guy on the McDonalds commercials, who is waiting for coffee to brue, is a little bit short and a little bit rude.
* I think that Sara Palin is someone I respect and admire.
* I think I don't know what I think about Coach Leach getting fired.
* I think that God is blessing us all around if we would open our eyes and foccus our attention on the good.
* I think I worry,complain, and gossip a lot more than I should.
* I think that my laundry mulitplies while it is in the wash and the dryer.
* I think I need to keep the nail polish completely out of reach and move it a little bit higher.
* I think that Dr. Pepper is the hardest thing I have had to give up while I am on this new diet.
* I think that oatmeal is gross but to lose weight I will try it.
* I think that the Cowboys may have a shot at the Super Bowl, if they keep playing like this.
* I think there is not better way to wake up than with a smile and a kiss.
* I think I could eat a Sonic burger every single day.
* But I think I will not wear a size 6 jean that way. 
* I think that I have the best girlfriends a girl could ask for.
* I think that each day I love my husband a little bit more.
* I think that it is important to foccus on the postive, not the negative and pray more instead.
* I think that January is an awesome time to evaluate what is behind and look on to what is ahead.
* I know that God is soveriegn and I have nothing to fear.
* I Know that 2010 is going to be an awesome year!
For other random thoughts head on over to this new site I found. http://www.theunmom.com/

Thankful Thurday!

This year I am really striving to have a grateful heart.  I want to look at every situation like Pollianna did.  This last Christmas someone asked Dalton, "So what if you get sticks and rocks in your stocking?"  Without missing a beat Dalton said very matter of factly, "Well I guess I better like playing with them."  I know I have posted a lot of pictures of Dalton lately.  I do have two other girls.  But he gets left out a little.  When you have two beautiful blue eyed little sisters that people ooh and awe over every where we go, I sometimes feel sorry for him.  Plus, he has had some eye issues come up this last week that has caused us to really take care of him and give him extra attention.  Last Wensday night he came home crying his eye hurt.  He was being really dramatic about it and I thought he was just tired because it was his first day back after Christmas break.  The next morning it was really red and swollen.  I thought. "great pink eye."  I called my pastor's wife, who is an optomistrist to look at it.  Our insurance is  messed up right now and we are paying everything out of pocket until it is straightened out.  We got into her office and it was not pink eye.  He has an eye ulcer.  We have been giving him round the clock eye dosages for over a week now, every two hours.  (Let me tell you, I am tired.)  We found out yesterday that it is not healing as quickly and we have to go to a cornia specialist on Friday.  So keep my little man in your prayers.

Here is how I have seen God's hand in it though.  My pastor's wife has totaly worked with us on all of the doctor visits.  She caught it quickly.  He has not been in pain since the first day we started the meds.  He has been an awesome sport about taking the eye drops even through the night.  It has blessed my heart to see the concerns and people lifting him up in prayer through facebook and texts.  I feel so loved.  Not to mention that I broke a tooth on Sunday and my friend, who's husband is a dentist, got me right in the next day and is working with me until the insurance gets fixed.  I mean I am blessed with fellow christians that God has placed around me.  Plus, yes this eye thing is serious, but it is fixable.  He does not have a terminal illness.  I am a work from home mom who has the flexibility to take care of all of this with out taking off work.  Through all of this I am blessed. 

Worship Wed.

http://iLike.com/s/3kgG

• Embrace This Place by Among Thorns

More Among Thorns music on iLike

This is one of my favorite worship songs.  I have been reminded over these past few weeks that I am nothing with out Christ.  I can do nothing without his strength and I should not try.  He never intented us to live this life in our own strength.  I am exhausted from the stuggle of trying to be perfect and have exhausted myself from running around trying to please people.  I think will always be my "thorn in my flesh."  When I am tired and weary I call out to my God to draw me into his chest like a Daddy.  He has embraced me and lifted my head to his face.  He has wiped away the tears and is restoring my soul.  This is one of my favorite songs of rest.  In moments where I just need to quiet my soul and rest in him.  I am having trouble getting my videos to load so I hope it works. 

I heart faces-Best Face Challenge

This is another favorite of Dalton that I took.  My little outlaw.  I did not know when I named him Dalton James that James Dalton was the leader of the old west Dalton gang.  He is the most photogenic of my kids.  I entered my favorite picture of him last week so I did not think I could re-enter it this week.  Check out other enteries by hitting the button below. 

Friday 10 List!!! A Decade in review

I thought that I would do a reveiw of pop culture over the last 10 years. Just a few I thoughts of in no particular order. I mean wasn't it just yesterday that green was just a color, MTV and VH1 actually played music videos and you had to wait to see what your pictures looked like until they were developed?

1.  Texting become a primary way of communicating
2.  The Era of the Vampire (I am only a Twilight fan, not of any of the rest)
3.  Harry Potter being the most popular fiction to come out
4.  Wireless Networks everywhere
5.  Alternative Medicine
6. Reality T.V. being everywhere-Creation of Reality T.V. Stars (Kate Gosslin, Kelly Clarkson, ect.)
7. A first black president being elected
8. September 11
9.  Michael Jackson's death
10. Crocs (Even if they are the ugliest thing to ever come out.)
11. Connectivity- Blogging, Facebook, My Space, wireless phones

I also wanted  to make a list of things that have become obsolete in the last 10 years, like:

1.  Answering Machines
2.  Camera's with Film (Remember the drive through Fox Photo places you could drive through in the parking lots to get your pictures.)
3.  Telephone's and Computers having to be plugged into walls. We are in the age of the wireless eara.
4.  CD's now we have itunes
5.  VCR's and VHS videos
6.  Tapes and Tape players in the cars
7.  Home Phones (How many of you only have cell phone now and have given up your home phone.)
8. Handwritten letter.  I still have all of mine from my grandmother she use to write me. 
9. Arcades  We all have video games at home now and who needs to play these games at a public arcade. 
10.  Big paper Maps- We have GPS now. 

Add to these.  I know there are so many more.

Thankful Thursday!!! Also my 100th post!

I can't believe it. My 100th post! I now understand it. Blogging is addicting and I have not been on facebook as much because I am checking my blog. I love reading other people's blogs and meeting new people. One of my New Years Goals is to have a more thankful heart in all circumstances and really count my blessings. It helps keep things in perspective. Here is my list for the week.

1. Julie Beader. I love this woman! It was this time last year that I met her in the locker room at the YMCA. (Yes I talk to everyone!) I was praying for God to bring women in my life to work Mary Kay with. I wanted strong Christian Women who have a vision and a drive that I could run with. There Julie was putting on her make up with an outdated Mary Kay compact. I introduced myself and the rest is history. Julie is a minister and so wise. We became fast friends. Her wisdom has blessed my life and she helped me with the many transitions life brought last year. Julie was the one that got the spark lit and the ball rolling on my team last year. She was the one that put our team on target for our first Mary Kay car and she was the last order at 10 pm that put us over the top to finishing qualifications. I love her fire and her drive. It is my goal this year to find five more of her.

2. I am thankful for all of my new followers. I makes my day to see a new follower on my blog. I love all of your comments. My love language is words of affirmation and every comment on so fills my love tank.

3. I am thankful that Madie is working on potty training and I will soon be a house with no diapers. My budget is thankful for that one too.

4. I am thankful Dalton had a good day back at school after the break. I was worried about it.

5. After cleaning and organizing all last week I am thankful for Brighton. My five year old has been little Susie Homemaker making sure everything is picked up and put away in the toy room and in the girls room where it goes. I have one that likes organization.

6. I am thankful for Darin, my man. He has just been so happy and sweet these last few months. He really likes his job and is at peace. It has been a while since I have seen this side of him. He has always been an awesome husband and father but he is happy right now and back to the Darin I married. 2009 was a very hard year on him and he is coming around.

7. I am thankful for my mom and all she does for us. She kept each kid last week for one night and took them each on a fun day with her. I love that she teaches at the school where Dalton is going. He is struggling a little in math and she knew it before I did. She sent home things for him to work on with him and how to help him. Reading I can teach because I was a reading resource teacher for 4 year but I am clueless on math. I love having her on campus with my kids.

8. I am thankful for our neighbors. They are the sweetest retired couple. They brought us so many goodies over during the holidays and then the day after Christmas they showed up with gifts for my kids. We have only lived here a month. They are such a sweet couple.

Make a list of what you are thankful for. It really helps you feel better when life is challenging.

Worship Wed. You Alone

When I was cleaning last week I pulled out my Passion Cd's to listen to. It is sad that it has been a year since I listed to these CDs. This song is the one I have been playing over and over this last week. It has been watering my dry and thirsty soul. I love the key change when it goes into "I'm Alive, I'm Alive, I'm Alive, I'm Alive..." This song has been the prayer of my heart. It is from Passion 98 album.

True Story Tuesday!!

This week's true story comes from when I was a brand new Mary Kay Beauty consultant at my very 1st show. I was so nervous as I started the show. I was a young 20 year old and had booked my girlfriends from church that were all still in highschool. I wanted to do everything right. I listened to my tape over and over. I studied my flip chart. I even practiced my entire class on my husband the night before. (He has always been a great sport.) I stood at the head of the table with all of their eyes looking at me. I fumbled through the first part, on the history of Mary Kay, the company and the lady, trying to read it smoothly from the back of my flip chart as if I had been doing this forever. I managed to get through that part and felt well on my way. After that, I got them all through the first step of cleaning their face with the cleanser and got a little more confident. Then I got to the page talking about the mask. (This was over 10 years ago when we still demoed the five step skincare system at our shows.) It had a dermatologist enhanced picture of the different layers of the skin and showed the benefits of exfoliation. I was really going to show my knowledge of being a professional beauty consultant and expound on this page. I picked up my flip chart pointed to the picture and said, "Now you know all of our products are gynecologist tested." (Let me stop and make sure you got that. I did not say dermatologist tested like I meant to.) Have you ever had one of those moments when you said something and your brain stopped you in mid thought and you thought,"That did not sound right." All the girls heads tilted to the side like, "Hugh?" There I stood, dumb founded trying frantically to pull the right word out and move on. All I could do was blink and say,"Um, Um...." I was rescued by one of the girls who smartly replied, "You mean dermatologist, right?" We all just had to stop and laugh at that point. I managed to finish the class and now it is part of my story. I use it to open my shows to let people know how far I have come. For more true story Tuesdays or to link up and tell your own go to Once Upon a Miracle. http://www.onceuponamiracle.com/2010/01/true-story-tuesday-by-mr-daddy.html

I heart faces

This week's I heart faces challenges was just our best faces. I don't know how to use photoshop so this is the best I could do to label them for the challenge. But I love some of these pictures.

Letters of Intent

I know it is Saturday and not Friday but I came up with a good letter last night and so I will link up today.

Dear 2009,
You were a very hard year to get through. Our family endured a lot of life changes and had us riding such an emotional roller coaster that I am exhausted. With career changes for Darin and the reality of closing the doors on his church and dreams of planting a church, he has survived. With the uprooting of our family to a new community and new school for Dalton we are closer and stronger. I rejoiced in the accomplishments I made in Mary Kay and dealt with the disappointments of unfinished goals and faced having to start over. Our budget survived the economy and various changes to our income. Our hearts broke as we said good-bye to our 13 year old dog, Scarlett. I am happy to close the door on you. I leave behind the resentment, fear, disappointment and feelings of failure that has weighed me down this year. I choose to remember the good things that happened to our family and the lessons that we learned. I rejoice in the blessings we received in 2009 and will let the rest go. We embrace who we have become in the process. We look forward to the opportunities that 2010 will bring. This year we are drawing a line in the sand and will look back and see that 2010 was the year that things changed. We will be debt free this year, directorship will be accomplished. I will lose the 30 lbs that have been on my goals for the last three years. Our home will be reclaimed as a Christ centered home. 2009, you will be remembered as a strengthening year in our diligence and faith. We will remember you as a year for weeding things out of our lives and placing us on a new path. We feel ready and equipped now to accomplish things in 2010. So it is with a happy heart that I bid you, 2009 a final farewell and greet 2010 with excitement!
Sincerely,
Nocona Koenig

Top 10- What I Discovered While Cleaning out My Kids Rooms

My status read on facebook this week, "Nocona just went Kaite Gosslin on her kids rooms today and even got the label maker out!" I have spent 4 days this week reorganizing my entire house to get ready for the new year. We moved in this house in November but in the ciaos of unpacking and getting things put away, not much was organized. Plus my kids got so much stuff for Christmas I had to reorganize. One of my goals this year is to keep my peace and be more disciplined. I want my kids to be more responsible for their stuff. So I got storage bins and a label maker and went to town. I am super excited about the little pink couches I found for the toy room. Each kid got $100 from their great grandparents and I found these couches on Tuesday for the girls to use their Christmas money on. They fold out into little beds too.

So here is my top 10 list I discovered:

1. My kids have way too much stuff! I cleaned out so much when we moved and had even more to clean out after Christmas.

2. I loved using Darin's label maker. It actually made organizing a lot of fun. Brighton even asked me yesterday when she could have her own label maker someday.

3. I found all the missing socks that are filling my laundry baskets without matches. Under beds, behind the bed and the dressers or just floating in their drawers.

4. My son is a pack rat like his father. He wants to hold onto everything! I could not clean out his drawers until he was gone. He had 4T clothes in his drawers still that he swore still fit.

5. Having more than one girl means double the dolls, and kitchen stuff. They had 6 baby strollers when I started cleaning out.

6. I hate kids meal toys. They are small and I think they multiply. I think Dairy Queen has the right idea when they give away a coupon for ice cream instead of a junky little toy. (Don't tell my husband I said this. He is a manager for Whataburger.)

7. I hate toys with a bunch of pieces. All they do is get scattered.

8. Stuff animals have no point and take up a lot of space. I am all for the special one that they sleep with every night and have a few favorites. But do we need so many! They take up space and if you are not sleeping with them what else are they for? This is a point of contention between my mother in law and me. She brought me two boxes of Darin's old stuffed animals. I mean huge boxes and gave them to my kids. (Did I mention he was a pack rat? This is where he got it.) The stuffing was falling out and they were old and dusty. Then my in laws buy my kids stuffed animals for everything! Some have been slowly disappearing.

9. It is much easier to clean out and organize when they are not with me. I was having to fight them from pulling stuff out of the trash and goodwill box. Then they were trying to play with it as I was cleaning. Thankfully my mom took them this week one at a time. They have not asked for one thing I got rid of. They actually discovered old favorite toys when we found a place for them.

10. I actually thought of Toy Story as I was getting rid of things and putting things in the toy box. It made me sad that Dalton does not play with his Woody and Buzz light year dolls anymore. He has even moved away from Spider man a little more and is onto Star Wars. I was a little sad to clean out all of his Spiderman shirts he had out grown and his first pair of baseball pants. They were the smallest pair we could find and we watched them got from his ankles to his shins in the three seasons he got out of them. I was able to get rid of all of the baby toys because Madie is now moved onto other things. Brighton is now playing with Barbies!

Now we will see how long they actually keep the rooms looking like this.