Teen Years

Once upon a time I thought I was a fairly decent parent...

and then my firstborn became a teen. 

Back to square one. 

Sometimes she talks to her Dad in the office like this!

Opportunity Call

It was time in my business to create a personal opportunity call....

and so I did!

This call is offered to people who are considering the business. 

It is intended for them to be able to hear someone else's experience and perspective. 

Plugging along, one task at a time!!

A Letter to Santa

Reese retrieved her alphabet puzzle to assist with composing a letter to Santa. 

I thought it was a fairly brilliant idea if I do say so myself!

She a smart little cookie and worked to sound out all of the letter BY HERSELF. 

I am sure that Santa will appreciate her letter...even if it's just a random combination of letters. 

It was really sweet to watch her trying so hard. 

Costa Rica 2016

The greatest perk of Cody's job is absolutely the medical conferences that we are able to attend!

With ALL of Cody's expenses paid for, including the room, this opportunity for travel is incredible.

This time around we celebrated our 15 year anniversary by going to a conference in Costa Rica!

It was absolutely wonderful!

The resort we stayed (El Mangrove) at was quaint and situated on a beautiful little beach cove. 

It was a quiet and peaceful oasis!

We rented a car so that we could explore our surroundings...and that we absolutely did!

Rock Climbing, check!

Zip lining through the rainforest, check!

Eating a variety of local foods and even making homemade tortillas, check!

A volcanic mud bath, check!

Jumping into a running river to wash off all the mud, check!

Time basking poolside, check!

Nature walks around the cove, check!

A beautiful room, check! No king? No problem, more room to sprawl!

Lounge time in hammocks and swings around the hotel, check!

Wave runner time discovering the ocean around us, check!

Discovering a big sea turtle swimming alongside us, check!

Finding this cute little island, check!

Driving DIRECTLY on the beach to get to a place where the sand is actually made up entirely of crushed sea shells, check!

Natural hot springs, check!

Local fruity delights, oh my goodness amazingness, check!

River Rafting, yup, you guessed it, check!

Exploring to find and jump into waterfalls, CHECK!

Learning about the local history, check!

A river cruise to find a variety of wild creatures, check!

Yes, crocodiles were absolutely everywhere during our boat ride. It was awesome!

As you can see, it was a heavenly escape for so MANY reasons! 

If only I had endless hours to write everything down we could remember all the details for years to come. Alas, my time is very minimal, so these pictures will have to suffice!

Caring for the Children

The girls were in HEAVEN with Grandma Ginger and Harlan 

holding down the fort while we were in Cost Rica!

 Their non-school time consisted of foot rubs, make believe stories, sparklers, game time, zoo trip, bath times, packed lunches, taxi service, late night talks with grandma and yummy meals.

It was a rough transition back to reality when Mom and Dad arrive back home. 

Our hearts sunk when we learned that Harlan had to leave early because his sweet daughter Kate was coming close to the end of her life. A young wife and mother of two lovely little girls, cancer stole her happily ever after. She passed away just one week after he left our home to fly to California to be by her side. Our hearts are aching for Harland and his entire family.

 This was the third child he has had to burry. 

6,500 People

My business marches on and sometimes it's a "pinch me is this real" kind of experience!

Is it a lot of work? Heck YES! Can in be exhausting at time? Holy crap YES! Is it the most incredibly fulfilling opportunity ever? Absolutely!

Last week I was asked to present LIVE, virtually,  to an audience of 6,500 people about why I said yes to this business and about why I am so committed to the experience. 

Talk about a natural high. It was awesome!

My team is now 98 consultants strong and counting. 

A Mother is ALWAYS making FOOD

I'm not a fan a prepackaged food in general, however, Costco has recently stepped up their game in this department and there are a few prepackaged options that save time when packing lunches. These mini Wontons rock!

Here are my personal prepackaged rules:

1- The fewer ingredients the better.

2- If you can't read it, don't eat it. Meaning the ingredients are words that you can read and you know what they are. And no, maltodextrin does not count, even if you know what it is.

I am encouraged by the undercurrent of awareness that has 

brought some of these options to the store shelves.

15 YEARS!

Four cross-country moves.

Four years of medical school.

Four daughters.

Six years of residency. 

Fifteen years of fitness.

Fifteen years together! 

Our lives have never been busier and our love has never been stronger! 

It's OKAY to FAIL

Avery has recently really enjoyed cooking in the kitchen alongside me, however, 

sometimes I allow her to try doing things entirely by herself.

 I've grown a LOT as a mother, because the thought of letting a child loose in the kitchen would have just about done me over a decade ago. Now?! Now I don't even give it a second thought. 

Recently Avery made cookies entirely alone and here is her finished product. It provided a wonderful laugh and a reminder that these "failures" are an important stepping stone for children. 

I am happy that I am more able to allow those failures to teach my children these days.

30 Days

We are officially 30 nights into the newest attempt at correcting a part of the ongoing club foot problems. When she was a baby an Achilles-cutting surgery was suppose to loosen the tightness and allow for more range of motion. 

The surgery was a fail. Daily stretching over years has likewise been ineffective. We are hopeful that this newest method produces results. She has been a champ and was able to get a new pack of earrings after her first 30 days!

Reese snapped this second picture of Aspen, the one where she is demonstrating how she REALLY feels about her nightly bracing experience. 

Thanksgiving 2016

A decade ago I lost count of how many holidays my husband spent working. We brought our fourth daughter home from the hospital two days before Christmas 2011. We were midway through year 10 of Cody's medical school/residency journey. On Christmas Day I found myself entirely alone, again, with three young children AND a four-day-old baby. The children and I Skyped for a few moments with my family. I smiled as I showed off our tiny fussy baby and children bounced around me in their hyperactive way. When we finished the call I cried. I wept tears of exhaustion and loneliness. 
I cried because of the weight we both had to carry for so long. His life devoted to medicine and mine to managing absolutely everything else that made our world spin.

Balance was a completely unrealistic ideal. A few nights a week I would pack dinner and load all the children in the car to go visit Daddy at work. The hospital atmosphere provided our backdrop for fleeting "family time." I would agonize as I tore the children away from Daddy and drove home to the hum of crying to tackle bedtime alone, again. The thought of our future kept me going throughout those years. The idea of stability and balance and having a husband home for the holidays.

Four years into post-residency reality this is Cody's Thanksgiving "feast." He sent me a text tonight saying "stuffing served with an ice cream scoop." I have come to accept that balance is still an ideal that may never be a reality. His alarm clock still goes off when most humans are fast asleep and yes, he still works weekends, nights and holidays.

Cody has diligently pressed on and we have fought together for his career. Daily he serves the most innocent and vulnerable among us. He is passionate and driven in his desire to lift where he stands, and that he does. Today I choose to be thankful for the stuffing served from an ice cream scoop. It represents the grit, the exhaustion, the triumph, the passion, the past and the future of our unique journey. It represents strength that has come through struggle and the ability to serve others that has come through sacrifice.