My Fully Complete Spoiled Life

My sheets are missed matched, comforter is homemade, carpet is stained, windows are unfinished, walls are scratched, concrete is cracked, caulking is moldy, linoleum is worn (not to mention '70's Harvest Gold), wooden chairs are dented, light bulbs are burnt, oven is dirty, grass is weedy, TV is small, remote is lost, batteries are dead, key board is sticky, garage is cluttered, car is rusty, clothes are second-hand, coffee maker is slow, laundry room is full of spider webs, dinner is sometimes boxed and everything, covered in dust.

And yet I have way more then I will ever need, am spoiled, and experience life's luxuries daily.

Up and running again? (p)

I thought it my be time to move some of my time back here.  Only God knows why.  ;o)

Hollywood Haylie

Nothing Says Summer Like Matching Sandels! (p)

What I've Learned From My Kids

A few simple things that I'm learning from my kids (and from the girls I watch). I say "learning" because it is still a process that is unfinished until the day I pass.

1. It does help to have someone at least acknowledge your hurt, on the outside OR inside. As an adult, acknowledging it yourself can help you move on. Kids have a MUCH better time moving on though as seen by the HUGE smile on their face as soon as you kiss the "booboo". ;o)

2. Black and white is good. When you let someone take an inch the next will try to take two.

3. As a parent, if you do give an inch, it's your right to deny that inch (or two) the next time. No need to rationalize.

4. Life is unfair, and in order to preserve sanity, a "pecking order" can be OK. Best to learn sooner rather then later who they can mess with.

5. It's not their EARS that are the problem. When they are disobeying, it's best to call it what it is, disobedience. If they really didn't hear you, it was still a CHOICE not to listen.

6. TV sucks the life out of you and can cause you to behave badly.

7. The bark is worse then the bite (unless they really do bite). They may put up an AWFUL fight, but in the end they are JUST FINE and sometimes even joyful.

8. Two wrongs do not make a right. It's hard to be the bigger person, even when you are. Yelling back does no good it just shows that you have no plan of action to right the wrong.

9. Something I am SO still learning...lesson are repeated until they are learned. The longer it takes the more difficult they get. Pain has a way of getting out attention. Make it painful!

10. They are us...on a tiny scale.

Severally Neglected (P)

If anyone EVER does happen to check this I will be embarassed at how out-of-date the posts are. So in effort to make up for lost time...

10 McConn family updates from 2010 (because let's face it, I'm sure this will be the last update again for a while)

10. Tommy's still trucking, hauling grain for local farmers. High waters really made things interesting this fall but we have our daddy back now, more or less.

9. Haylie's in Pre-K and LOVING it. Starting to get pretty restless at home but I'm glad to have her so we can TRY to enjoy our last year together.

8. Brady is getting out the house and doing "school" as well one morning a week. He never got much of a taste of being outside of the home since I was laid off when he was about 7 months old. He's potty training and I can't believe the "baby" is growing up so fast.

7. Still pushing the boulder with my Stella & Dot. Love doing it, getting out the house and having all the jewels, but the business side is slowly (ever so slowly) moving along. Having fun and that's what counts! Did I mention I LOVE the jewels?!?!

6. Have extra kids during the week. An opportunity to watch a friends little girls plopped itself in my lap this fall and though having a 2 year old, a 2 1/2 year old, a 3 year old and an almost 5 year old does keep my head spinning, it's been good for us and I'm glad to get to know the "girly's" better.

5. No AZ this winter for my mom and dad (or us), but CA for Uncle Matt's wedding this spring!! YEAH!!

4. Another niece on the way up in Fergus. WOW!

3. It's COLD! New roof from hail storm this summer = great! New windows will = even better.

2. Studying the Book of Isaiah through Bible Study Fellowship (BSF). It's a LOT of work but only because I make it such. Amazing how relevent the bible is. Kids getting the same lessons in "kid" format and every once in a while I get a glimmer of the impact it's making.

1. Can't think of a #1, so...

Who knows that the next year will bring. I would love to be able to know but that would be my terrible attempt at controlling the uncontrolable world again. Praise the Lord for the blessings, all the good and wonderful things in our lives. May you share in the same blessings and most of all the knowledge of a loving God who cares for you as His own.

KT

These all so tiring years.

I'm in the basement hiding from my kids right now. I don't know what happened but all of a sudden the life got sucked out of me. Read Isaiah 40 before I came down, trying to scrape something together to get me through the bedtime routine. Posted on facebook my status. Someone said they wanted to come and hide too. ;o) Quickly wrote, before someone else could, the all so common statement "but the years pass so quick and then you want them back." Yes, yes they do, and I guess that's what I'm holding out for tonight. Two days without much time away from the house OR any daddy. He's late again and think I've just hit my limit. On another note, but kind of the same... FINALLY got Tommy's tests results from his "specimen in a cup" that took all but half a day of running around with two kids in tow to deliver. The word, "sterile". Ugh! I knew that was the point but it didn't hit me until is was time to find out whether the "snip" worked. For a couple of reasons I'm so glad we're done. I'm sure that the jump from two to three would be even harder then one to two AND I KNOW another pregnancy would have been harder. But you can't help and think of all the people wait to find out they are sterile only to their great despair. Oh well, no looking back just forward. Forward to the fact that soon this night will be over and both kids will be in bed. And for now I will remain excited about the prospect of them being able to put themselves to bed in a few (or more) years.

Driveway Play (p)

Felt Like Taking Pictures and All I Had Was Me (and Stella & Dot)! (P)

Sowing, Reaping, Eating

Isaiah 37:30
"this will be the sign for you, O Hezekiah:
"This year you will eat what grows by itself,
and the second year what springs from that.
But in the third year sow and reap,
plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

This is the scripture that I was brought to when praying about starting this Stella & Dot venture. It's seemed pretty clear and yet I was unsure what it meant. Today as I picked Haylie up from school, her bad behavior made it clear to me that something has got to change. Something that I'm doing has got to change. I need to pour more time and energy into being her parent. God gave me this chance to be home with my kids, and though he doesn't care whether or not I do Stella & Dot, He does want me to do it His way. I love having something outside the of the home but I am finding that it does take attention away from the duties at home, my kiddos and my husband. It's been fun but I finding myself tempted to spend more time then I should "doing business." I really WANT Stella & Dot and I don't feel God telling me to quite, but rather telling me to cool it a little and leave it to Him, because after all, this year and next is about "eating what grows by itself." Man, that's hard to trust and understand but I should know better. It really makes perfect sense. In a couple of years four things will most likely happen: The economy will hopefully get better, Haylie will be in kindergarten, I'll have learned more about having a business and Stella & Dot will have built a reputation. Until then this scripture and Psalm 37:3-9 will be what I cling to. How neat it will be to see God do the work instead of trying to do it myself. I know I'm not alone in this so many moms struggle to find balance between work and family. Heck, guys probably do to. It's a never ending battle, one that's meant to be handed over to God, one day at a time.

Trip to AZ to See Mom and Dad (P)

All Clear For Landing (V)

That's The Way, ah ha, ah, ha, I Like It, ah ha, ah ha!

Stella & Dot's new Spring/Summer 2010 styles are on-line! Can't wait to see them all in person. Going to a party Monday night to check it all out. WHOOHOO!! Will post pictures soon!!

Haylie Ann 4 Years Old (P)

6 Ingredients a Good Leafy Green Salad Should Have

I've decided that 6 must have, flavor explosion ingredients a leafy green salad should have are:

1. Some kind of cheese, feta is a good one.
2. Bacon.
3. Some kind of nut, walnuts and sunflower work well.
4. Avocado.
5. Something sweet, like raisins or apples.
6. Cilantro.

Add those things and you have got one kick ass salad! Of course, I like all kinds of salads, but this really makes for a perfect plain green salad.

It's Been a Long Time, Too Long (P)

I wish I could get my mind off some things and enjoy what little free time I do have. God's working on it. We just got back from our Christmas vacation to Bakersfield, CA to see Tommy's little brother Matt. It was not much of a sight seeing vacation as Bakersfield is about 2 hours from anything scenic but it was a really nice time spent with family. The kids fared the travel well. Haylie got her fair share of Dramamine. The trip home was a total of 13 hours (yes, we flew). Have seriously reconsidered plans to go to AZ to see my parents in February after that. ;o) The new year is under way and though I put the Christmas decorations away tonight I could have handled having them up a while longer. I don't mess much with "all year long" decorations but thought about putting something up in the place the holiday ones seeing as it seems so empty without them. Trying to think of one thing I'm looking forward to this year. Wondering what goals/resolutions I should have. It's only the 6th day of the year and already it seems long. Only because I make it that way.

A Whole Month!

I can't believe it's been a whole month since my last posting. Oh well. Busy with the holidays like everyone else. We're leaving for CA on the 25th for 11 days. Still a little unsure how we're going to afford it (tickets were free from Tommy's credit card). My mom and dad are heading to AZ for at least a couple of months. Hoping to go see them too (maybe finally use my frequent flyer points to fly me and the kiddos down, could be interesting, especially if Brady doesn't have a seat). Stella & Dot is slowly plugging along. Lots of people interested, no I should say EXCITED, to have trunk shows after the new year. Can't wait to see the what's going to be in the spring line being released January 15th. I hear a lot of turquoise. Had my one year anniversary since my layoff last month on the 17th. Got to hang with all my old co-workers. Doesn't feel all that different to me, wonder if they feel the same way. Haven't actually exercised more then a couple of times in the last month. Ran the Reindeer Run and could tell. I've needed to buy new running shoes for the last year. Still haven't bought them. Did finally get to tires for the car (had waited a year for those too). Tommy has been SUPER busy trying to maintain our income. Still don't know what the new year has to bring. Funny how that hasn't changed since this time last year and probably won't change next year either. Not planning on doing Christmas cards, but LOVE getting them from everyone else and wonder if we should just do it. Kiddos growing, attitudes too. Brady is finally putting words together, in his own little way. Just bought Brady the same size shoe that I bought Haylie this last summer. Haylie is almost 4! Very fun to talk to her as long as she's not trying to boss me around...or dad...or Brady...or.... Well that should sum it up. Will post pictures soon and will try to write more frequently.

The Competition

I've spent many years researching competition. Today I learned that my jewelry competition is much like the competitors LTF had in the health club market. The draw from the same pool...but not really.
A VERY last minute opportunity to set up a display at a Holiday Boutique at the Axle's restaurant in Loretto dropped itself in my lap Wednesday. Thursday night I set up shop and discovered how crazy an event like that is. It's hard to have one on one with people because they are "drive by" browsing. No time to get to know them, a totally different beast. ;o) It was fun and I got to know other women doing other direct sale businesses like mine. Round two of the Holiday boutique was this afternoon. I showed up late (because my husband was hunting) and didn't have a place to set up when I got there. A small table with food on it was cleared. Humbling. ;o) In the large spot I was in Thursday night was one of my competitors, Silpata. I've heard of them and seen some of their jewelry. Even though it is nice stuff and she had a good spread, I realized that we aren't really in the same league. Cool! I really love my Stella & Dot the same way I love LTF and believe in the product/company. In my mind there really is no competition. ;o)

The Wind Out of My Sails

My mother-in-law called in sick for her day with the kiddos tomorrow. It's a blow. Thankfully I got some stuff done already this week and Hayile will be at school while Brady naps, but I was really hoping to get out of here.

I was just thinking tonight how glad I am to be home with the kids but how quickly that changes when a free day disappears. I know I'm spoiled because I even have a free day.

People keep telling me how hard these years are when they are young. I believe there is light at the end of the tunnel but I don't even remember what it's like.

Now instead of the highlight of my day being with friends for lunch and visiting my cousins new baby, it will be the parents workshop at Haylie's preschool at 7pm and working out at the FD after. Not all bad I guess. I could still dress up for at least the workshop. Not so much for working out. ;o) I should be thankful we're not the ones sick. I'm sure our day is still coming.

I've been having fun with the Stella & Dot stuff, I'm excited, but it's hard waiting for things. My first party is not until November 14th and the next not until December 5th. There are still possibilities for others but they aren't on the calendar yet.

The Lord knows best and I'm trying to trust. I HAVE to believe it's all in his hands and should use this time wisely.

I was reading in my journal an entry I made the night before Jenny (now my up-line) called me and asked if I would be interested in doing Stella & Dot. It went kind of like this:
Up at 3:45 am.
Got health care and belly fat on the brain. (the silly things that creep into our minds in the middle of the night)
How am I going to pay off one and get rid of the other.
Then I listed all the things I feel we need and some I want.
Then I listed things I thought we could do without.

So far I've basically made enough to cover health care for this next month and with the anxiousness of this new venture I've lost weight. I know it's not God's will for me to be anxious but it's funny how he can even work through things like that to accomplish a desire of our heart and bless us when we look back. Right now I feel like I would much rather read God's word and spend time in prayer then eat. Food has lost it's luster. I really truly yearn for the Lord. I know he's the one that satisfies. I want to cling to him and not lose hope. I would like to see things through his eyes because it will bring faith. It's said that his unfailing love does not disappoint and I do not want to be disappointed. So tonight I will go to bed and pray for a new outlook on tomorrow, filled with God's purpose for my day.

Just Like Playing Dress Up (P)

I had so much fun at my launch Trunk Show. There weren't many people but I think it worked out perfectly. I was at a disadvantage because I had never actually been to a Stella & Dot party, I hadn't seen much of the jewelry. But Friday night I got to try it ALL on. It was a blast. The black scoop neck t-shirt was perfect with EVERYTHING too! I took some pictures because I LOVED how it displayed too and a picture of the necklace that started it all!