Mentorship

As I begin a new business venture, I have found once again that a mentor is vital.  I am so thankful for the many mentors I've had over the years.

It all started with my parents.  I found endless advice in my Mom and then a generous listening ear in my Dad.  They each gave me different types of mentorship and I learned to value and use both in my own life.

In college I had an internship at my Dad's office and I learned to listen to those older and wiser but to not be afraid to contribute my own ideas.  I am so thankful that I was treated like a smart individual.  I also learned that I was often wrong and needed to ask more questions in order to learn.

Later in life I struggled to find good mentors.  I had bosses who were distant or quick to tell me how to do everything - leaving me no input and a feeling of no value as well.

More recently I have experienced a great mix of people as mentors in my life.  I learned how to build relationships intentionally at our church and I enjoyed the mentorship of Wes, Amber, and Ashley in the Children's ministry.  I considered myself shy, introverted and unable to reach out and they taught me through encouragement and grace that I could be more than that.  I learned to push myself and to let the fear go - what's the worst thing that would happen?  A smile and an interest in someone's life is never a bad plan.

Molly, me and Becky.
Wonderful times at Weaving Influence!

I also grew through my most recent job.  My boss, Becky, was humble, gracious and kind but never failed to challenge me to work hard and produce results.  Her confidence in my skills and abilities translated into my own confidence, which was seriously lacking.  What a gift that was!

And now, as I start a new business venture, one where I am my own boss and try to help and mentor others, I am finding a personal mentor is vital.  This is someone to calm my newbie fears, push me a bit and also provide structure.  Joline has been a friend and someone I admired for so long, I'm so thankful to have her in this new role.

I find myself at 36 years old, happier to give than to receive and wanting to help others more than ever.

12 year old birthday

This year the request was a small party with a nice dinner out.  She recently fell in love with Indian food so we headed to the nearest Indian restaurant in town.  Anna invited one close friend and they had a movie/sleepover night after dinner.  The night reflected the in betweenness of the age of 12.  She wanted to be with her friend but wanted everyone else there too.  She's between so many different stages, sometimes I think she's not sure how to feel.

Anna is a fun person to celebrate.  She reacts perfectly to praise and adoration and we all enjoyed being with her on her special day.  The girls always have the choice to invite their sisters or not and I was glad that Anna chose to involve them.

My homemade cakes are getting better.  This one wasn't tipping too much in any direction.  Phew.

At the restaurant.  The biggest issue was the TV playing Bollywood style videos throughout the meal.  Some of them were a bit strange and we did some seat swapping to keep the peace.

Anna's been wearing her new watch a lot.

A cute hat for a cute girl.

This hat totally fits Anna's personality.  Just awesome.

A lot of candles!

Teeth woes

So - new town means a lot of new things.  New roads to figure out, new friends to make, and new doctors to find.

I tend to put this off until we are all desperately ill and I will say that nothing has changed with this move.  Except for our teeth.  I decided to find a new dentist right away.  So even if we all come down with the flu or some other terrible illness, we'll have great teeth.  Right.

Anyways,  so I picked the closest dentist that took our insurance.  I figure they are all pretty much the same, right?  The office is schnazzy.  iPads, Xbox, PS3, snacks, etc.  I mean the kids were pretty amazed.  Plus you can watch TV while the dentist cleans your teeth.  All these things point to a quality dentist.  Or not.

How could teeth this cute have cavities?

My first clue should have been the "Cavity Wall".  This is a wall where all the kids without cavities get their picture posted.  There were 6 pictures.  That's it.  I will say the dentist has only been there around a year, but still.

So, at our appointment, we received the news that our kids have a total of 5 cavities.  All this was discovered without consulting a single X-ray.  I guess I'm old school but I feel that X-rays do have some value to a dentist.

So, you'll be happy to know that we are seeking a second opinion.  And I'm just sending him the X-rays.  Cuz that's where you see cavities.

Okay - I'm done.  Now off to find a family Dr. before we are in urgent care for something minor.

Getting Fit - Thank you Beachbody

This October I decided that I was done with feeling tired, moody and just plain wasted most every day. So I came up with a plan.

Looking pretty good post-2010 CLX.

The last time I really committed to change myself in this way was back in 2010 and my primary reason was to try and combat my SAD symptoms.  I started a Beachbody workout program (Chalene Xtreme) with Matt.  It did wonders and I was able to see my body change in huge ways but life got crazy and I lost my motivation.

When we decided to move back to Colorado, all chances of getting back on track with exercise ended for me.  I was emotionally struggling and using all my energy to deal with the changing and stressful situations I was surrounded by.

Fast forward 6 months.  Here we are, settled in Colorado.  The kids are happy.  Matt is SO happy in his job.  I am volunteering at the school and teaching English part time.  I'm starting to think of my future and how to connect with other people.  I truly want to give to others as much as I can.  But, I have still been struggling with energy and moodiness.  I gained about 10+ pounds in the move and I just feel tired all the time.

That was, I did.  Until 3 weeks ago.

3 weeks ago I started something new.

And now I feel SO much better.  I have energy.  I have more joy.  I don't feel like taking a nap every afternoon. I lost 5 pounds.

And even more huge for me is that my cravings are gone.

I have waited these 3 weeks to say anything to be sure but I can honestly say that I feel different.

Thank you to Beachbody, Shakeology and the T25 workout program.  Structure, accountability, diet help and a plan are key for me to make any life changes.