Because of Arbonne, Because of You

This week has been a week of attitude checking.  My attitude has needed to be checked and guarded so often.  I've had to dish out apologies to my children for irrational behavior and frustration.  I have been feeling run down and tired.  I allowed my feelings to grab a hold of me instead of me grabbing hold of my feelings.  Funny how I just posted on guarding your peace and focus and it is exactly what I have had to practice this week. 

I digress.

My attitude was stinking up my whole house this afternoon.  I have a PILE of stuff that needs to be attended to, yet I'm tired.  I'm working tirelessly trying to manage it all, but all I want to do is nap.  When I looked at the clock and realized it a nap, not even 10 minutes, was going to take place I decided to get the mail.  In the stack of junk was one thing I look forward to the most.  A letter from one of our 'adopted' children.

 

Say what? Yes, we have a few adopted children through Compassion International.  Their names are Luis (from Peru) and Lesly (from Mexico).  Both children are apart of our family.  We help support them financially so they are able to attend school, have meals, supplies, and clothing, as well as learn about a God who loves them more than they can even hope to imagine.  We get to send birthday and Christmas gifts to them on their special days.  We get to pray for them and encourage them.  In return, they encourage us as well.

When I think about what all we are able to do with our finances, it makes my head spin.  When I walked away from my lucrative (that's a joke) teaching career, I knew times would get hard.  I also knew, and still know, that God is faithful.  We've had our share of challenging financial times.  We've gone without a lot of things we would have loved to have, but little by little we've seen abundant blessings.

That brings me to Arbonne.  I've shared before how I never in a million years ever thought Arbonne was for me.  Not at all.  Once I got passed my own pride I realized Arbonne is a vehicle to help others.  Whether through the products that I love or through the financial freedom it offers.

Arbonne has allowed us to change the lives of Luis and Lesly.  We can freely give each month above our tithe because of what Arbonne has to offer.  It's not just a business.  It's a life change, and it never stops.  My dream is to one day take my Arbonne check and purchase 5 plane tickets to Peru and Mexico.  I want to hug and love on Luis and Lesly and their families.  I want to pour into them the way others have poured into my life.  I want them to know that life may be hard for them now, but God has a plan to prosper them.  To give them hope.  To give them a future.~ Jeremiah 29:11

I want them to know that they are deeply loved by this crazy Torres Family.  I also want them to know there are ways of achieving their dreams even if it comes in a way they never thought possible.  Arbonne has been that for me.  I am so thankful I finally said yes.  I am so thankful for all of you who have opened your homes for Spa Nights or Healthy Happy Hours.  I want to thank those who gave Arbonne a chance and love their products.  Thank you for giving me a chance.  Because of you, I am able to have a loving, lasting relationship with two children I will someday meet.

If you are looking for ways to support others, ask me about Arbonne.  It may be an answer for you.  Spa Nights are an amazing time for you and your friends to get pampered.  Healthy Happy Hours are full of information and samples on doable ways to improve your health. 

If you are looking specifically to help children all over the world, log on to CompassionInterational.org and sponsor a child.  Your life will never be the same.  I promise you this!

Foam

What do you think of when you think of foam?  A memory foam mattress?  Foam bubbles? Something soft and fluffy?  Comfort?  Do you think of this?

 

I never did.  I equated foam with light, fluffy feelings.  My thoughts on foam have seriously changed.  Seriously.  I now think of foam is of the devil.  Not exactly of the devil, but it is the most painful, excruciating necessity.

Since upping mileage in running, I've developed a bit of a tight IT Band.  If I stretch religiously (everyday, multiple times a day) I don't have many issues with it.  Rolling out my IT Band becomes more of a minor annoyance.  If I get lazy and don't stretch, rolling out my IT Band is like that of labor contractions.  The pain takes my breath away.

It all really stinks.  The foam roller stinks.  The knee pain stinks.  Being limited stinks.  On the other hand, I still have two legs that function well.  I have the ability to push myself during running and interval training.  I just have pain.  Too bad the answer to fixing that pain is even more painful.  I hate foam now.  It is not soft and fluffy and light.  It is brutal.

Seize the Day

Chubby Cheekers. Ah man.  That boy had my heart.  So much of him is a 3 year old trapped in a 1.5 year olds body.  He is sweet and spirited and funny and can throw temper tantrums like nobody's business.  He is our icing on the cake.  He's our party in a box.  He's our snuggle bug.  He's our jokester.  He's so much all the time.

Most days I'm exhausted from chasing him around.  He figures things out so quickly.  I try to stay a few steps ahead of him, but most days I'm sprinting behind.  I can't imagine our family without our little Chubby Cheekers.  Especially on beautiful sunny days.  Beautiful sunny days in the 70's.  Beautiful sunny days in the 70's when you're getting your diaper changed in the cool breeze.  Beautiful sunny days in the 70's when you're getting your diaper changed in the cool breeze, and you realize for one split second you can zip away from mom. 

Then you're home free...

 

Free to run and jump and play and let it all hang out.  

It took me a good 15 minutes of running around the trampoline to finally wrestle this guy down and strap on a clean diaper.  I tell you...this guy keeps me on my toes.  All. The. Time.

This Is THE Week..and Menu Monday

This is THE week.  The week where I get to get out of town.  The week I get to spend with girls only.  The week where I get to be responsible for only myself.  Actually, it's not the whole week, but it sure feels like it.  On Friday afternoon I head to OKC to spend a weekend with my Arbonne peeps for a reward trip I earned.  I cannot wait to share pics and stories with you.  I've heard it's an amazing weekend meeting ladies from all over the US and world. 

Since I will be out of town, I'm planning for my family to fend for themselves this weekend.  This is so unlike me.  Normally, I plan meals and prepare them beforehand to help Steven, but not this time.  I feel so rebellious.  Instead, I made sure there is plenty of meats and veggies to last the weekend...and of course some cash.  This girl is taking some VACATION TIME!

So here's my menu...

Monday-Key West Chicken, Parmesan Biscuits, Broccoli and Cheese
Tuesday-Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Ultra Crispy Potatoes, Salad
Wednesday-Chicken Roll Ups and Green Beans
Thursday-Pot Roast, Potatoes, and Carrots, Buttered Bread
Friday-VACATION!!!
Saturday-VACATION!!!
Sunday-VACATION!!!

Randomness

I don't want to toot my own horn or anything, but I actually managed to find time to write every day this week.  Overachieving at its finest.  Unfortunately for you, I don't have a lot of pertinent information to share.  You're about to get a load of random thoughts.  I apologize in advance.  

• Little Man had a football game last night.  I am the idiot parent who cheers a little too loudly.  Eventually, I will be asked to not come to games.
• Little Miss is in the stage of picking out her own clothes.  Just keep that in mind when you see us in public.
• Chubby Cheekers is in the stage of spilling everything on his shirt...and...rubbing food in his hair.  Just keep that in mind when you see us in public.
• I had a brilliant idea of running while pushing two toddlers in a double jogger just so I didn't have to wake up at 5:30am.  Next time, I'll choose 5:30am.  
• Bravery happened the other day.  I went to school drop off all sweaty and stinky.  It was liberating...for me.  Later on I caught a whiff of myself and immediately felt sorry for the poor souls that shared the same air space. 
• The cooler weather headed in this weekend prompted me to buy a rump roast.  Yes, cold weather leaves me with a craving for animal bottom.
• I went to buy mint extract and my hand glided over vanilla extract.  It made me think of beaver booty.  Cooler weather does not leave me craving beaver booty.  Pass on the vanilla.
• Our annual outdoor movie night is Saturday night.  Let's be real.  This is just an excuse to eat pizza and popcorn and not feel bad about it.  It has little to do with the actual movie.
• Secretly, I wish I were one of those parents who put little thought into birthday parties.  Get a cake, rent a place, buy some pizza...done.  BUT, I over think details.  For Little Man's party, I think I'm going to go with the easy route.  Of course I'll have to think about whether I'll do that or not.
• I finally convinced Little Miss a pumpkin party was way cooler than a princess party.  At a pumpkin party everyone can wear a costume and boys can come too.  I feel like a master manipulator.  I have issues.
• After reading about the end of the prophet Elijah's life, I realized how stubborn both Elijah and Elisha were.  There is hope for Chubby Cheekers.
• Right now my contacts are so dry, I can barely see the computer.  That's when you throw in the towel and call it a night.

Have a great weekend.  Go and bless someone who is least expecting it.  Give a little grace, guard a little peace, get down tonight.  Mmmmhmmm, get down tonight.  Whoops!  Got a little sidetracked there. 

Guard Yourself

 

Surround yourself with people who desire for you to be and do better.  

Long ago a chose friends who 'got' me.  I hung around people who were fun.  I didn't really think about the ramifications of hanging with those that were heading down the wrong path.  If they were having fun and I was having fun, we hung out.  In most cases, this worked out well.  In other cases, I could have saved myself some heartbreak and a lot regrets.

Now, my life is so different.  I have an amazing group of friends that make me better in many different aspects of my life.

Yesterday, I was cooling down and stretching with my morning F.I.T. Boot Camp friends.  Erica, my friend and fitness instructor, challenged us all to practice guarding.  She asked what are some things we should guard in our daily lives.  I knew mine immediately.  My attitude.  My days can be so crazy and stressful.  I can choose to let my attitude get out of control or let my attitude be that of a servant.  Servants don't really get to choose to serve.  They just serve.  No matter what is thrown their way, no matter how others treat them, they serve.  I need to guard myself in this area.

The precious girl next to me shouted out, "Peace!  I need to guard my peace."   I needed to hear that.  I would have never thought about guarding my peace.  Never, but guarding my peace is exactly what I need to focus on every single day.  

Our schedule gets increasingly crazier every year.  We have reached the stage of life where we are gone each night.  Some nights we are a split family.  From the 4 o'clock to 6 o'clock hours Monday thru Friday it is balls to the wall at our house.  Still hanging on to the time we all sit and eat together, I have to cook up something fast, get it on the table, eat, and then clean it up in world's record time.  All of that prep time sometimes leaves me barking orders to get the table set, toys cleaned up, uniforms on, homework finished, reading done, it goes on and on and on and on...

It totally defeats the whole purpose of eating a meal together.  It takes so much stress and dysfunction to get dinner on the table, everyone needs the prayer just to forgive the whining and rudeness directed towards each other.  

Peace. I need to guard our peace.  I set the tone of how we prep, start, and end our dinner together.  Whether that means I need to prep more in advance or make meals simplified or go out for dinner, peace needs to be guarded.

I am thankful for those that surround me during the week.  I am thankful for those that challenge me to be better without even knowing it.  I am thankful I finally decided that I would be like those I hang around so I'd better choose the best people. I am thankful I have so many that speak life into me so I can, in turn, speak life into others.  It's not just what I get from others, but what I can give to others as well  So I hope this has something for you.  I hope you leave today with a thought about what you want to guard today.  Is it your attitude?  Is it your peace?  What is it?  We all have something.  Guard it.  Make yourself better today.

My Party or Her Party

It's getting close to Birthday Season around here.  Eight birthdays in the course of 3 months constitutes Birthday Season.  First up is my niece.  I won't even tell you how old she will be because it makes me feel old.  She's early next month.  A week later we celebrate Little Miss' life.  She will be five.  She has an opinion.  She wants a princess party.  I want a cute Pinterest party.

I've spent most of the evening baking and consuming chocolate chip cookies pinning pumpkin party ideas.  She has a Fall birthday after all.  There are so many fun things to do with a pumpkin party. Seriously, how fun would this be?

 

And this...

 

And decorations like this...

 

and this...

Wait, you say.  It's her party. Not my party.  But what about Cinderella?  There was a pumpkin in that movie.  Maybe I could spin it that way.  OR, Or, or, maybe I could make it a Fall Fairy Party with pumpkins.  Who am I kidding?  I'm going to have to run all this by the Princess herself and see what happens.  Worst case scenario, I'll just throw a Fall Festival Party.  I can't just go wasting good pins now, can I? 

No, no I can't.  That would be a crime.