Not a bad two weeks...

In spite of a few minor setbacks, the last two weeks have been extremely productive for me. I've managed to put 3 new people in our business in just 14 days, and got 2 inactive people to become much more active (that credit goes to Tim's Dad). Also, when I started working at Abbey Gardens we were 5th in the state according to a popular website - and the last 4 comments were made by my customers - and we moved up to 4th, then 3rd, and we now sit at #2 in the State for tea rooms. The number one spot is held by a place that isn't a tea room at all, it's more of a Starbucks for tea, no food, no atmosphere, not an experience, just a place to buy tea in take-out cups.

Also, we've made it through the rough spots of Honors Algebra I and Spanish with my oldest, we're working on more responsibility and accountability with our middle child, and the youngest is really progressing in her Math and Science classes.

Tim's also having some great days at work, and my customers have been wonderful, especially in their tipping. So we're caught up on bills instead of falling behind (lowered gas prices and deals on groceries really has helped lately too).

So all in all, life is good and progressing forward.
We're even planning a trip after the first of the year and it looks like we'll be able to pay cash for it. We've been consistently making a few hundred bucks a week with our business. Our goal is to earn $2000/month with it so I can come home and be a full-time, homeschooling Mom again. Then the kids can participate in more stuff because I'll be available during the day to take them.

Life is good.

What an amazing day!!!

Yesterday afternoon, a bunch of us from our Tuesday morning Ladies' Bible Study went to the home of Pastor Phil Toole and his wife for a baptism. There were over 35 people who made the decision to declare to the world that they will follow Jesus in obedience and choose to be baptized as he was.

Growing up Catholic, we were baptized as babies, and that was taught to mean you "made it into heaven". As I got older and read the Scriptures for myself, I realized what it really said, that only by believing Jesus already paid the price for your sins (the wages, or cost, of sin is death) will you go to Heaven. Baptism is a personal choice you make, often as an adult, but also as a child or teen who understands. It's like "coming out" where you're telling the world you want to follow Christ, obey him, be more like him.

In the picture are my friends: Diane, Cassandra, Sallie, Laurie, and Tracy. There were another dozen of us or so that came to cheer them on and be a part of this special ceremony with them. We are family. Sisters in Christ.

I Have New Recipes!

Working at my favorite restaurant, which happens to be an elegant, Victorian tea parlour, has been great for adding new recipes to my family's meals! Check these out:

Tropical Scones
(Cold) Strawberry Soup
Chicken salad in a cucumber boat
Mimosa salad (with oranges & strawberries)
Turkey sandwiches w/Rasp. Cream Cheese

...just to name a few...

I really do enjoy cooking for my family when I'm home long enough! Tonight no one was really hungry, Adam & Tim weren't home, so I whipped up Caprese salad and Strawberry Soup. Light, sweet, healthy, and easy!

Next I may branch out to some of the desserts, which scares me since I'm a cook, NOT a BAKER. There's a huge difference! I'm going to try to make either the Lemon Bars or their Black Cherry White Chocolate Bars...when I get up the nerve.

Saguaro Lake

Here's our recent 2 trips to Saguaro Lake. It's about 1/2 an hour from here but never found it before this year. Here's Jordan after a mud fight with Logan, Logan making hot dogs in a solar cooker he built, Me & Tim (but the sun was in our eyes), and Adam with a large reed he found and made into a Tiki Torch. He looks so tribal. His sense of humor is so funny.

This place is great. For just a $6 day pass per vehicle, you can bring stuff to grill and make a day of it. It's nice to get away to hidden places like this. It's our new favorite swimming location because it's got a soft bottom where most others you need to wear sneakers in the water because of all the rocks.

It always seems that the kids are nicer and play together better when we get away to spots like this.

It's Getting Better

I've been working for about a month now, the money's pretty good, the people are great, it's a good "team" environment, but yes, it's still a job. I miss being with my kids when I'm at work. I really enjoy teaching when I have a day off. I've got Mondays and Tuesdays off for now. That works out perfect because I get to start off the week teaching the kids what they need to do the rest of their week's work. I still get to go to my Tues. morning Bible Study. Without that, I'd never have the support and strength to get through everything else all week. Adam gets to stay in drama on Tues. afternoons (he pays for it). And if someone wants to attend a Monavie Team meeting, they're on Tues. nights so I can go to those too.

I realize by my aches and pains that I'm older than I realized, but I think the addition of so much walking at work is good for me. I'm losing weight consistently, so that's good too. I just get really tired these days. I used to deal with chronic fatigue, but since my scleroderma has been reversing itself, that's not really a problem. However, I have a new problem...I can get sick now where before my never-shutting-off immune system prevented that. I've been sick with a bad cold for over a week now, constantly struggling to breathe clear, and I can't stop blowing my nose.

It's an adjustment, but at least it's only temporary.

She's coming!!!

I've waited for over a year now for my best friend to move here from Boston. I've known she was coming and the waiting has been so hard! We talk on the phone for hours every time - what'll it be like when she's finally here? We have so much catching up to do. The last 15 years we've been apart trying to build a life for ourselves, figuring out how to be good wives, etc., now we can learn and grow together.

I'm so excited to meet her husband again too. We met him briefly around 5 years ago, but it was the last weekend before we moved here, it was at a family and friend gathering where I'd been away a long time and he was fairly "new", so we didn't talk too much. We probably were thinking the same things that day, though. My friend is forever telling me how wonderful and intelligent he is, how much she respects him, and would do anything in the world for him. That's so refreshing to hear in today's "me-me-me" society. I'm sure I'll learn to love him like a brother. She's been my long-lost twin for most of our lives: we think alike, finish each other's sentences, enjoy and respect the same things, married very similar men, have identical thoughts (and words) within 24 hours of each other, even though we're 3000 miles apart. It's going to be the best thing for me to have her in my life again. I barely can come up with words to describe how much she means to me. The weekend I last saw her, before our move, I cried my eyes out at the thought of not seeing her again. I never cried saying goodbye to my family, friends, church members, neighbors, but with her, I was so scared to let go of her. We've been through so much together. Now we can go through EVERYTHING together. My kids already call her "Auntie ________ " when she calls.

I pray that she'll be here as soon as possible. It's less than a month to go now.

My new job at Abbey Gardens

If I have to work, what a great place. I get to work with great people who understand the importance of serving others' needs, take a team approach to getting jobs done, everything that surrounds me is Victorian, girly, porcelain and beautiful, it's perfect. I also don't have to be at work before 10:30, so I can teach the kids for 2 hours even on days I work. I'm home by supper. I keep my Tuesday's off for Bible study, drama and business meetings. I even get Sundays off for church. I couldn't make as much money working hourly anywhere else. Although I'd rather be home with my kids full-time, I'm still truly blessed by God's favor.

Top 10 Things About Lisa

1. I'm a server at Abbey Gardens tea house now.
2. I'm writing a Genesis Bible Study to teach at church this fall.
3. I play drums, but I'm self-taught and still learning.
4. I'm an avid scrapbooker.
5. I love homeschooling my 3 kids - I believe it's my true "calling".
6. I love building my Monavie business (www.the-team.biz/mv909588)
7. I love to cook but hate to bake.
8. I've gone as organic as possible on our budget, also no white flour, sugar or corn syrup in our home.
9. I love living in Arizona, although we could use a bigger house in a real "neighborhood".
10. My favorite subject to study and teach is American History.

What a busy week!

This has been a busy week and it's not over yet. My Tuesdays are always busy anyway, then Jordan and I went to spend some time with a dear friend on Wed. We used to see her and her daughter all the time, but since summer came, and everyone's busy and gone, it's been pretty near impossible. It did me good to be around her, she's like me: she has every reason to claim "I'm a victim" yet she goes through life with a positive, loving attitude, always the first one to help, and never asking for anything in return. She's always so happy. When I don't get spend time with her for a while, I find myself getting too serious. She reminds me that you can't control life anyway, so have fun with it.

Thursday I got to see another friend I've missed, along with her step-daughter. We spent time talking about everything we've been dealing with lately, and stuff that we need answers for. We're able to be honest with one another - what you see is what you get - no pretenses - and encourage one another to grow and become better. Afterwards, we spent about 2 hours in and around the pool. It was perfect because it forced me to get fresh air when I probably would've spent most of the day writing on the computer, otherwise.

Friday was Adam's 8th grade graduation, so it was a little crazy...we (us and Tim's parents) drove downtown, dropped Adam off for practice, drove to 2 car dealerships, picked up Tim, picked up Adam, ate supper at a slow-paced restaurant, then the ceremony itself - all in the same 6 hours.

Today was okay, we had a small celebration for Jordan's 10th bday (Sunday), and I had to run Adam to a friend's on the other side of town. Oh yeah, and I had about 4 loads of laundry to do!

Sunday we try out a new church. It's one of the ones on TV, so I'm already skeptical. Then I have to practice my drums and spend the rest of the day writing my Genesis curriculum so I'll be done before Sept. 8th.

Monday I take Jordan to the tea house for her real bday celebration: The 2 of us, 2 of my friends, and their 2 daughters, Jordan's friends. We only get with them once a year, so we really look forward to the quality time we get with them.

Tuesday - the week starts all over again - busy!

Only a few weeks left...

This summer has flown by. What have I done? Well, let's see...I found a fun place to hang out called As You Wish. They have pottery there and you paint it, they fire it in the kiln and you pick it up 3 days later. So far I made Jordan a fairy, a gift soup bowl for my father-in-law, and then a decorative dessert plate for my friend's birthday.

I didn't swim every day this summer like I normally do. It seems like I've had other stuff to do, appointments, stuff that took up my summer.

I spent a few hours today swimming and talking with a friend of mine, but I haven't done that at all this whole summer until today.

School starts back up in just about 6 weeks, so I better figure out what it is I want to do before it's too late and I'm too busy...

I'll go to a movie tonight, and the tea house on Monday, and spend time with a friend tomorrow. Maybe that's enough. Maybe it's a summer to rest, stay indoor where it's air conditioned, and just write.

Latest on our Monavie Business

Well, it's been 4 months, just about 120 days or so, and we've made it to the levels of Star, Star 500, Star 1000, and we'll be at the Bronze level soon. We started with nothing but the help of Tim's parents and our own few contacts, and now we've got around 109 people in our group. This is the easiest thing we've ever done - and the most fun! We're making money consistently and let me tell you, people are LOOKING for something!

Our oldest just signed up and made his own contacts that we'll be meeting with this week. Imagine, by the time he's done high school, he could be making thousands of dollars a week, own his own house, pay cash for his car and toys (motorcycles, 4-wheelers), and never have to work for anyone else his entire life. He's faithful at giving to charity too, so I know his heart's in the right place and his focus is right.

Where else can you sign up to own a business for just $39, order just 4 bottles of juice that makes you healthier, and within 30 days, you've recouped ALL your cost, plus made enough to pay for your NEXT month's supply too!?! The money is absolutely crazy, it doesn't take hundreds of people to make a few bucks, the product actually tastes great, and the only risk is cheaper than a tank of gas or one dinner out for two?!

Everyone should at least TRY this!

End of June already?!

This month flew by! I got some things accomplished from my To Do List, but others didn't quite get finished as I'd hoped. I guess it's time for my July list to be compiled. Here's what'll be important to me so far:

July bdays posted on my Family blog, send bday and anniversary cards to family and friends, rest on the 4th, play drums more than once a week, swim more, eat better, reach the next level in our business (made it through the first 3 already! Yeah!),
attend a seminar, finish Phase I of my Genesis project, donate another bag of my clothes that are too big or too small, have tea with my daughter for her birthday at our favorite tea parlour with 2 of her friends she otherwise doesn't see for months at a time, drop 10 more pounds, go to my son's 8th grade graduation, and enjoy a 2 week break from my 2 youngest as they visit their grandparents up in the mountains.

And if I'm lucky, maybe I can get away for 2 days at the end of July to the mountains too.

More Memories Gone

This morning I read online that the China Tea House in the town I grew up in, burned down. This was a favorite hangout for me and my friend Michelle. It seems like we must've eaten there almost every week for years once I got my driver's license. We spent hours there laughing and sharing. They used to have Chinese lanterns over each table and although I'm not proud of it today, it used to be a challenge to take a tassel off the lamp and leave with it, without getting caught. By the time we'd spent a year or two going there, most table lanterns were missing quite a few. I don't even know what I did with all of them. We also took a napkin and a coconut shaped drink cup...yeah, we were young and stupid, and not yet Christians.

You know, we also lost our wedding location a few years ago when the property was sold and knocked down for something else. It just goes to show, you need to get pictures of meaningful places and things - not just people - because nothing lasts forever, and later on, that photo will be all you have to remember it, and share it with your loved ones in stories of fond memories.

Summer Plans

What a great summer this is going to be. Although I won't get to do everything I'd like to do, like attending my sister's wedding and visiting family/Boston, or getting to San Diego, it's still going to be great.

My oldest and youngest will be spending 3 weeks at their grandparents' house both visiting and earning money doing odd jobs. That'll give me some time to spend with my "middle child" to try to calm his angry spirit. He's been so quick to lose his temper for so long, I hope some one-on-one time will help calm him down. He gets a lot of attention, but if his siblings do too, it's like his didn't count.

After that, he'll get to spend 2 weeks up there where he loves it so much. I don't know yet if the other 2 will come home at that time, or if one will come home, or if all 3 will be there - and I may be child-less for 2 weeks - wouldn't that be amazing?!

In any case, I'll get to relax, spend time by the pool, sleep til 8 or 9, read stuff "for me" for a change, and who knows what else! It's just what I need before we start up our new curriculum in August.

Although I love to travel, with gas being over $4/gallon soon, and maybe even up to $5/gallon before summer's over, I'm glad our major business convention is right here in the city. Last year we had to go all the way to Utah, but this year, we'll save money, don't need to stay in a hotel or eat out that weekend, so we can spend less than usual.

I'm really looking forward to this summer.

School's over (sort of)

Well, we did it. We finished this year's assignments, but we'll have to carry Spanish through the summer. Adam needs it for a high school credit next year. We missed a few weeks of school during the year:

2 Wks. of Drama Dress Rehearsals and performances
1 Wk. of Adam's Teen Pact government experience
2 Wks. when public schools were out so the kids could play w/their friends
2 Wks. we take off around Christmas & New Year's

So now we've made up almost all of it, except Spanish.

I also instituted a reading contest for the kids. If they read 5 books in the next 8 weeks, they'll go to a pizza/arcade place and can bring a friend. Jordan already read the first Narnia book, The Magician's Nephew and she's half-way through the book Sounder (about a dog). Logan's reading a fiction book about Silas, a scribe hired to write things Jesus said. His dilemma is that he's trying to decide if he believes Jesus was the true Messiah sent to save the world - or just a nice guy who seems wise. Adam has told me he's not interested in participating. Last summer he read 5 books or more with no contest or reward. I may do something nice for him anyway.

I'm excited about teaching next year. I've got the new curriculum I'm using, got all the schedules figured out, the kids' notebooks are all set up, I've got the library books I'll need for the first month already in my "wishlist" cart online with the local library, I've ordered all the school supplies I'll need, and I'm now ready to take the summer off.

If things go well, I'll go to lunch and a movie for my anniversary, take a trip to a lake with the kids (we have quite a few to pick from), get 2 days with adults at a Summer Convention for our business - no travelling this year - it's right in Phoenix - how cool is that?! I'll try to get with friends for lunch once in a while, spend the 4th of July with friends, go to Adam's 8th grade Arizona state graduation in July after the Homeschool Convention in Phoenix. I'll read, swim, sleep in (that means til 8:30), get caught up on writing, studying and scrapbooking, and with a little hard work, raise our Monavie business income from an extra $100/week to an extra 2 or 3 hundred a week. We've got over 90 people in our business now and I'm making more than I would if I went out and got a job for 20 hours a week.

Yes, I think it's going to be a nice, relaxing summer.

Summer's almost here!

School's finally wrapping up for the year. I think the only class that'll have to run through the summer is Spanish I. We need to finish it all so Adam will do well in Spanish II, and it'll set the grammar solidly for Logan even though he wants to take French I and II in high school.

I picture a summer with lots of time to swim, sleep in, rest and read. Adam may be working at Chick-Fil-A in the mornings/afternoons, Logan & Jordan want to spend most of the summer at their grandparents' house up north. I think they'll go for 3 weeks from the end of June til the middle of July, but that's about it. During those 3 weeks, I can focus on throwing/storing away stuff from their rooms, getting the house really clean, going to lunch with my friends, reading all the non-school books I've been waiting to read, and relaxing by the pool and swimming.

I'm hoping to do a trip for a few days around the end of July. With gas and money being such a problem lately, we may only get to go to a lake nearby, but at least it'll be something to do together. I also want to try to make some of the fun stuff in our Backyard Ballistics book - especially the potato canons, match rockets, and the fire kite.

For Jordan's birthday, we'll probably skip the loud party and choose another day at Abbey Gardens Tea House for her and just her closest friends (and their Moms). Last year was great, just 6 of us. This time, maybe we'll choose Tina & Britani and Stephanie & Jessica...it's up to her, we'll see.

Maybe someday we'll get to San Diego for a vacation!

Tea Party for Grammie Cross

After years of not being able to leave the house, I decided that since Grammie was doing better and moving around now, I'd bring her a tea party to her. We enjoyed tea treats in the patio room with 4 generations. Yeah, I know the generation for me should be Tim, but Mom didn't have any girls! We even have 4 teacups we used marked "Grandmother, Mother, Daughter, and Granddaughter". I hope to see them passed on long after Jordan's using the Grandmother cup. By storing and keeping them together, hopefully it'll be a reminder to the future generations to make time to be together, even if it's just for an occassional cup of tea.

The Music Man

Well, we made it through 5 performances of The Music Man, the kids all did great. It was one of the hardest scores to learn (just my opinion) with all those tongue twisters and rhymes! I was so proud of my boys.

After the performance, we took a few days off to go up north and relax. We did everything from Tea Parties to riding 4-wheelers. Now it's time to buckle down and get our school year finished up.

A good scrapbooking convention!

This weekend I had fun at the Creating Keepsake's yearly Mesa Scrapbook Convention. I'm so fortunate that I only live about 5 minutes away. I took 8 classes, all in a 24 hr. period from Thurs. night to Friday night. I have a table full of my projects, not to mention I brought home extras, goodie bags, prizes and others stuff worth more than I spent to go - so it was a good time.

I also met a new friend named Serena. She lives just a few minutes from me and now I have someone I can scrapbook with. She's not married, has no kids, but she's older than me by a few years. She's a lot of fun and we have so much in common. I homeschool and she's working at a local community college while earning her degree to become a teacher. We even jumped out of our seats at the same time to teach others around us how to do a difficult project in one of our classes.

So here's what I made:
An accordion album, covered front & back with great paper and lots of the new velvet paper. A rolodex-type system scrapbook, 3 photo clip stands (made from binder clips), 3 solid, heavy, wood photo blocks I'll cover with photos, 5 great layout pages with photo matte cutouts, and even 2 with moving parts!, a travel tag mini book, a see-through acrylic mini album, a FRIENDS shaped album, and some other stuff I'm probably forgetting.

I only do this once a year, and the homeschool convention once a year. Those are my 2 to 4 days a year I take for me. The other 361+ are for others.

Monthly and Weekly Goals

How many of us have set yearly goals only to forget what they even were by the time March rolls around? I usually find forgotten lists around August and then scramble to see what I still have time to complete. I'm learning to break it into smaller pieces to get more done that's truly important.

I now set monthly goals in several areas: my work (can be your job, home business, even stuff to get done regarding housework if that's your daily job), my health, my mind (what I'm going to read to get better), my friends, my family, (who I'll connect with that month), my finances, my faith, my recreation, and my renewal (what I'll do for me).

After you figure out some things you'd like to get done, then break it into weekly goals - week 1, week 2, etc.

If you need to, you could even break it into daily bites, like to read 10 minutes, or 1 chapter every day.

Here's an imaginary list to get you started:

May:

1. Reach the next level in our company.
2. Order next year's Math curriculum.
3. Donate all outgrown and unwanted clothes to the Goodwill bins.
4. Drop 5 pounds by walking 3 times a week and eating healthier, smaller portions.
5. Read The Eighth Habit by Stephen Covey.
6. Call Elaine in CA.
7. Talk to Lynn on the phone again.
8. Take kids to a movie.
9. Date night with spouse.
10. Get started on Sharon's gift.
11. Stick to $100/week grocery budget.
12. Read Psalms 1 - 20.
13. Enjoy going to Scrapbooking Convention just for me.
14. Take a trip to a nearby lake.
15. Write the next chapter in my book.

Now 15 things may seem like a lot to work on in just 30 or 31 days, but if you break it down to Weeks 1 - 4, it's not so bad:

Wk 1: Find 2 new businesses, go through drawers for unwanted clothing, walk MWF, read first 1/4 of book, email Elaine to set up time to call her on the weekend, check out movie lists, plan date with spouse, buy items for gift-making, read psalms 1-5, attend convention, pick a lake to visit, write 5 pages this week in my book.

See, now it's manageable, not to hard, just break it down and get more done. Even if you don't get it all done, you'll get more done than if you hadn't planned, right?