February...in March :)

Okay, so I'm a work in progress. LOL

February was an eventful month! On Friday the third, I packed all of my LuLaRoe into the Toyota and headed out for Houston for a party with my sister-in-law. Partway there my GPS suggested turning off the freeway onto some backroads to save a few minutes. I jumped at the chance to bypass some of the Houston traffic! It was a beautiful drive until my temperature light came on and steam started billowing from under the hood. Luckily I had just gotten to a little town, so I pulled over in a grocery store parking lot. After consulting with some helpful locals (including an older gentlemen from the auto parts store) it was decided that I should NOT drive any farther.

Thanks to an understanding supervisor and a very responsible teenage daughter, Ben was able to come rescue me. He showed up, we transferred everything into the Excursion, and we traveled the rest of the way to his brother's house in Houston. I was "on the road" for approximately 10 hours!!! I missed dinner with the in-laws, and my nephews' soccer games, but we got there.

The next morning was Kim's party and it was AWESOME! I met a bunch of great ladies, there was good food, and sales-wise it was my best ever. I was on such a high!! Then came the trailer rental...and gas...and food...and the mechanic. My radiator was cracked all the way down the underside. By the time everything was paid for, ALL the money from the party was gone. I was so disheartened. I had sacrificed time with my kids and driven all the way there for NOTHING!

In the midst of my pity party, though, I realized something. The radiator was going to crack anyway (looking back, there were warning signs) and if I hadn't had that party in Houston, we wouldn't have had the money to get the Toyota fixed right away. We would have had to wait until our tax return came. Also, I wouldn't have known how much I LOVE a great in-home party! (Seriously, hit me up! It's so much fun AND you can get free clothes!!)

The biggest thing to happen last month, though, was my baby girl turning eight and being baptized. On the same day! She was soo excited!! Ben, unfortunately, couldn't get the time off work, so his dad stepped in and performed the baptism. Being that Keri is their youngest grandchild, it was pretty special for him to be able to do that. Grandma Texas (Ben's mom) made her dress and it's beautiful.

After the baptism, we came home to change and grab the party supplies. We had her birthday party at a local park because how often can you do that with a February birthday. :) Everyone had a lot of fun. We ate Little Caesars pizza and cupcakes (triple chocolate fudge cake with homemade strawberry frosting, and strawberry cake with homemade chocolate fudge frosting). It was a glorious day!!! Of course, the only picture I managed to get at the park was of her presents. LOL

We also had New Beginnings (for the teenage girls at church) that weekend, and the Blue and Gold Banquet (Cub Scouts) the following Wednesday. I was wiped out by the time it was all done.

Goodbye 2016!

One of my goals this year is to be better about updating this blog. I know I've said that before, but I'm really going to try to post once a month. :)  I've got quite a few goals for 2017 because I am going to ROCK this year!

First I need to fill you in on the second half of 2016. I officially became a LuLaRoe consultant on June 22, one day before Ben and my 15th wedding anniversary. I was so excited! Let's get back to that though. FIFTEEN YEARS!!! I can't believe how quickly the time has gone by. I feel so blessed to be married to Ben; he truly is my best friend. There's so much more that I could say, but it's all jumbled up and mushy in my head.  Despite making big plans (or having big dreams anyway), we didn't do anything extraordinary to celebrate. We have had a lot more dates in the last year then we've had in the past, so it all works out. :D

Back to LuLaRoe...in the middle of July, just after receiving my inventory and launching my business, I was able to fly out to California (my first time there) for the annual convention. It was a weekend full of learning, inspiration, and fun with friends and fellow consultants. I loved it! This year I'm hoping to take Ben with me to share the fun.  Ben has been my biggest supporter in this whole adventure. I've been selling for almost 6 months now, and it's been such a blessing.  I have not had the instant success that I first envisioned, but I have made enough to pay some bills and buy school supplies. I'm also enjoying the feeling I get from helping others find clothing that they love. Just when I start doubting myself, I'll get a message from a customer telling me that the piece they bought is the most comfortable skirt/shirt/leggings ever.  Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me so far!!! I plan on making my business even more successful in the coming year.

Ben has decided that he will not be re-enlisting when his current contract is up, so we are in the process of figuring out what our next big adventure will be.  It's scary, but we're certain that the Lord will lead us where we need to go.

Lizzy started high school last fall. She's involved in the theater program, and worked tech and lights for their presentation of  "In the Heights". It was very well done! 

Alex is in middle school now, but keeps begging to be pulled out and home-schooled. Ben and I aren't convinced that it's the best thing for him.  We're doing everything we can to help him adjust.

Garret is doing really well at school. He's a smarty pants and a brutal boardgame player.

Keri is getting more and more personality all the time. She's excited to turn eight, and get baptized, in February.

So, that's us in a nutshell. Happy New Year!!!