Blessings Unlimited

A couple of months ago I mentioned that I was considering becoming a consultant for a faith-based direct sales company...  I signed up as an Independent Consultant with Blessings Unlimited today.  I am excited and hopeful that this is the "something" that I've needed lately.

It is part of the DaySpring company, which has been around for almost 40 years.  It is one of the largest christian gift & greeting card companies on the market.  I've used their greeting cards and given their products as gifts for many years.

Most of the Blessings Unlimited products have scripture on them...
And this is the verse I'm going to try to live by over the next few months:

 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God.” Philippians 4:6

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Post Holiday Quiz

This made me laugh.


Do you suffer from UHES?

Read the Post Holiday Success Quiz to find out!











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Christmas 2010

I love our little, quiet family Christmas's.
I fear this year was our last one.
Does that sound terribly rotten to say out loud?

We spend all day in our jammies.
We don't leave the house.
Nobody comes over.
We do our own thing.
It's so relaxing.
Perfect.

We open our presents.  And then we go our separate ways... someone puts a new puzzle together, someone plays a new video game, someone reads a new book from Santa, someone takes a nap.  It's peaceful.  Enjoyable.  Calm.  Perfect.

Later in the day, we sit down together and play games, or play wii together, or watch a new movie that Santa brought.  We laugh, we argue, we enjoy each other.  Perfect.

This year, it started snowing on Christmas night... and it snowed for almost 24 hours straight.  A beautiful way to end Christmas day.  And the day after Christmas we ended up with over 14 inches of snow... we shoveled, we played, we threw snowballs, we made snow angels, we looked on in wonder as it continued to snow.  And then friends came over, and we ended the day with some game time... we laughed, we argued, we enjoyed each other.  Perfect.




Perfect.

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As time goes by...

Dave is officially eligible to retire today... 20 years of active duty service is on the books.

I seriously can not believe it's been 20 years.

TWENTY.

In that time we got married, had two kids, survived one open-heart surgery, owned 7 cars, been stationed on four different bases (been shuffled back and forth between two of those bases numerous times), driven coast to coast four times, and we've had 11 different addresses. We've learned to celebrate Christmas while wearing shorts and with the A/C running, the kids have grown up playing in both oceans, we've survived a hurricane, an earthquake, and a wildfire.  And then there was 9/11.  We've met a lot of wonderful people, some not-so-wonderful people, and we've made life long friends.  We've celebrated a lot, mourned a lot, laughed a lot, cried a lot, and loved a lot.  We've been so blessed.  It's been an amazing twenty years.

And six months from today is Dave's retirement ceremony.  It's going to be a life changing event... 

I'm nervous, anxious, excited, and scared.  I'm not sure what the future holds for my little family, but I pray the Lord continues to bless us, and that we're able to look back in another 20 years and say it's been even more amazing.

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I'm dreaming of a White Christmas....

A couple of weeks ago I was excited that we had temperatures in the low 30's...
                         ....today I woke up at 5:30am to 25*, with a windchill in the TEENS!  Sweet.

And, thanks to the "Heroes at Home" program sponsored by Sears, we received a $50 Sears gift card.  We went out to Sears, and got Megan a pink winter coat & a pink hoodie.  **She likes pink**  Thank you Sears... it is greatly appreciated.

For the very first time in our 18 years of marriage, we bought a *REAL* Christmas tree this year.  It is beautiful and smells so good.  I can smell it throughout the whole house.  I've always been a colored light person, but we've switched over to white lights the past two years.  It looks so serene... it's very calming.  The outdoor lights are also white, and it looks so crisp and clean.  I didn't think I'd ever be a white-lights person, but I really love them.

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Food addiction

I have said for years that I am a food addict.... I am addicted to food.
It's like a drug to me.
I can not control myself when it comes to food.
I will keep eating even if I'm not hungry... even if I'm uncomfortably full.

Finally, scientific proof that backs me up.

Overeating, Like Drug Use, Rewards And Alters Brain




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Nov 30

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)

I'm thankful today is the last day of November.






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Nov 29

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)

I am thankful and happy about the 33* temperature we had this morning.  The ground was all covered in frost and Megan insisted that it had snowed.  The grass "crunched" when you walked on it.  It was awesome!

                      ... which reminds me, I have to buy Megan a winter coat.








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Nov 28

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)

I am thankful for my children's excitement.  I've had no interest or motivation to decorate for Christmas... but their energy and excitement put me in the spirit today.  










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Nov 26 & 27

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)

Nov 27

I'm thankful for friends who call to check up on me.

Nov 26
I'm thankful that I don't feel the need to participate in Black Friday shopping.
(Can you say **crazy-ness**???)







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Nov 25

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)

Today is Thanksgiving.
And I am so Thankful.
For all of it.

The good.
And the bad.

The happy.
And the sad.

The highs.
And the lows.

My family.
My friends.

This.

And that.

I am thankful for all of it.







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Nov 24

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)

I'm thankful that there is no CCD tonight.  :)

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A Mother's Prayer

Tonight was a rough night in our house...  


     Yelling.  


               Fist pounding.  


                         Crying.  




Lord, please give me the tools I need to raise this child.
Please give me the STRENGTH to remain calm.  
Please give me the WISDOM to find the right words to say.  
Please fill me with the KNOWLEDGE of the best way help him.
Please give me PERSISTENCE to follow through.
Please, Lord, give me PATIENCE.


I beg you.... Guide me as a parent.... 
to mold this child into a 
happy, 
sane, 
productive, 
responsible, 
respectable
adult.  


But most of all.... please, let me not kill him.












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Nov 23

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)

I am thankful for friends of years past.  


Chit chatting, catching up, remembering days gone by...
                                                   .... it was really nice.  


....I thoroughly enjoyed it....


I hope it doesn't take us another 20 years to do it again.












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Nov 22

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)

Today is the feast day of musicians.... St. Cecilia.

She is also my patron saint.

Toady I am thankful for my musical ability.

"But now bring me a musician."

And it came about, when the musician played, 

that the hand of the LORD came upon him.

~2 Kings 3:15

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Jesse Tree for Advent

This year, instead of the usual Advent calendar, we are going to make and use a Jesse Tree.  We have a beautiful one every year at church... with white and gold ornaments that were very lovingly handmade by some of the Ladies of the Altar Guild.  But ours will be a little more "homespun".    :)   I found one I like at this website. 










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Nov 21

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)

Today I am thankful that my WI family all seem to have had a successful Opening Weekend deer hunting.  As my sister said.... Deer = Food.  One deer = nutritious and filling meals for the first half of the winter.  There are seven days left to the season, so it is possible they will each get another deer or two, which will stock their freezers well into Spring.


                                      Thank you, Lord, for the bounty you have provided my family... these animals
                                             did not die in vain, but rather gave their lives so that my family can live.  





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Nov 20

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)

Today I am thankful for being sick in my *own* home and my *own* bed.  

The last time I was sick like this, we were on the road traveling.  

It's much better to be sick on your own turf.

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Nov 19

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)




Today I am thankful for freshly laundered bedding.
           
                                                     Ahhhhhhh...   :)

Nov 18

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)




I am thankful that my baby girl still likes to snuggle.
She doesn't realize that, at 14 yrs old, it's no longer cool to snuggle with your mom.
        
                                        And for that, I am so grateful.




Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.
                                                   ~Matthew 19:14















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Nov 17

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)

                               

Today I am thankful that my husband can make me laugh when I am angry or having a bad day and always finds a way to lighten the mood.

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Nov 16

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)

Today I am thankful for air conditioning.

(...even though it's the middle of November.  *sigh*)

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Nov 15

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)

Today I am thankful it's Payday!

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Nov 14

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)

Dave was gone for the past week.
I'm thankful my family is back together 

and everybody is back under one roof.

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Nov 13

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)

Today I give thanks for my baby sister.  :)

Love you Heather.  :)

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Nov 12

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)

Today I'm thankful for my girlfriends and impromptu get-togethers.  It wasn't a Girls Night Out, it was a

Laughter, movie night at home, and chit chat.

Doesn't get much better than that.

I love my girlz.  :)

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Nov 11

Today I am thankful for all the men and women who have served and defended this great country of ours... and for those who continue to serve.

We are truly the land of the FREE because of the BRAVE.

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Nov 10

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)

Today I'm thankful for Houseparty.com

I received my party pack for the wii "Just Dance 2" party I'm hosting on Nov 20th.  They included a surprise bonus game, "Just Dance Kids".  There are a number of songs for little kids, but there are also just as many songs for older kids and adults.  FUN FUN FUN.  :)

http://www.houseparty.com/party/388520

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Nov 9

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)




I am thankful for quiet time with my 15 year old son.  


It usually happens after his sister goes to bed...


 And we sit quietly and just talk...  


And hang out...  


And re-connect.








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