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Anybody out there in blog land wanna give this chick a little help? See that header up there? Why can't I get it to be smaller? This chick is about to fly the coop with frustration at this!

The Last Few Years In Pictures

Living Recklessly

Reckless. 

What does that word conjure up in you? 

When I first here that word I think of boys riding their bikes off of makeshift ramps on top of old asphalt roads. 

I think of cars swerving in and out of traffic. Or cliff diving.

What do you think of?

Dreaming; the stuff life is made of. 

BUT......Dreaming and Reckless?

Never thought I would think of those two words together.

My little, secure, trying to be balanced, well thought-out world is being rocked!

I've never been accused of dreaming too big. Probably because I don't usually share too many of my dreams with others. However, this current DREAM is SO BIG it's scary. And I have yet to share with too many people.

I am reading a book right now called Rhinoceros Success. It's all about charging after your dreams. 

The author of that book also has a blog, and from time to time I check in on it. He has some very insightful articles. 

I am posting it here to give you a paradigm shift on that word reckless.

I have been reconsidering the supposed wisdom of leading a balanced life.  I think that “everything in moderation” is a fallacy that will keep you from rising to the top.  There is an aerodynamic law that says in order for a flying rhino to rise, thrust must exceed drag!Moderation just isn’t going to do it.  If you want to get ahead in any endeavor, you are going to have to turn on your engines full-blast and develop some thrust.

Jesus said,  “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”   Be hot or cold, but never in the bland, indifferent and average stage between the two.  Charge hot, heavy and hard!!

As long as you are leading an imbalanced life, live it recklessly! Yeah. Get reckless!   You and I can change the world if we want to.  Are you willing to go over life’s speed limit?  Or, do you want to live for safety and security?  Most people do not like to extend themselves financially, physically or emotionally.  You’ve heard the sayings, “Don’t work too hard” and “Take it easy.”  That is how loser cows encourage each other.

To start living recklessly, you need a dream.  Why are people afraid to dream?  For the same reason that they are afraid to attempt anything that is not required of them – fear of failure.  Living recklessly requires you to laugh at failure.  It is a process of success.  If you never fail, you will never succeed.

Quitting your job is not a big enough dream.  Anyone can quit their job. (And I highly recommend it!)  But how is that going to improve the world?  A million dollars is not enough of a dream either.  Money is the effect of a dream.  If money is all you want, your best bet is probably smuggling heroin.  Or, if you want to get a lot of money and see the country, you could rob convenience stores along the way.  Extortion, kidnapping, forgery and blackmail are other ways of making big bucks fast.

See, money is not a good dream.  How about building the world’s most advanced hospital for cancer patients?  Or, how about starting a college that teaches free enterprise and starts young people out on entrepreneurial careers?  How about building the world’s largest church?  Why not become a famous musician and sell more records than the Beatles?  Invent a new car and start a brand new industry.

I know you don’t have any money!  That’s what qualifies it as a dream.  If you had the money, it wouldn’t be a dream.  It would be a project!  Whatever your dream is, it does not need money to be launched.  All it takes is desire.  And desire if free!!  You can get as much of it as you want to!  The Obama administration has not figured out how to regulate and tax desire.  Get reckless while you still can!  Keep charging!!    Scott Alexander

Check out Scott's book and his blog....you won't be disappointed.

Now, go RECKLESSLY charge after your DREAMS!

Smile....Life is good

Summer is coming to it's glorious end. Popsicles, splashing in the pond, sweating in the heat, and fire flies.

And lizards....

Enter....Fall. That wonderful feeling of orange, red and yellow hues.

Smells that melt in your mouth. Baking. Candles.  Canning, freezing and storing up for winter.

Harvest. Pumpkins. Gourds. Kiddo's smiles.

I smell it coming. I feel it in the air.

Don't you?

Are you dreaming?

Mine and Steve's dream is so BIG it makes me want to shout and dance and crawl under the covers all at the same time! Some people are rolling their eyes, looking at us as though we have 3 heads, laughing out loud....and yet some are in awe, encouraging and all together excited for us. It really doesn't matter to us how people respond, except to say that when they laugh...we get excited. It means that our dream is BIG...GOD size BIG! And that tells us that we are on the right path!  This dream will take a God size faith, but we have that!

Are you dreaming? Are you dreaming so big that others laugh? GREAT! Keep it up! And don't let anyone steal that DREAM. Go after it, put prayer to it, feet to it, and all your heart and soul, and watch BIG things happen!

 "Set a goal to achieve something that is so big, so exhilarating that it excites you and scares you at the same time. It must be a goal that is so appealing, so much in line with your spiritual core, that you can't get it out of your mind. If you do not get chills when you set a goal, your not setting big enough goals."
Bob Proctor

Mother/Daughter Retreat

Remember the days of ~

                  tire swings
                  dirty jeans
                  sticky marshmellows
                  and all things camping?

I remember days on my Aunt's mountain..... the days of camping by the stream, bathing in the stream, and eating marshmallows until it was stuck in our hair, on our clothes and on the dog!

It's gonna be that kind of weekend here at Camp Still Waters.

Yep, call me crazy, call me adventurous, just don't call me unmotivated!

I love an adventure, but I love mom's and daughters and their relationships more.

When's the last time you spent a weekend with just you and your daughter camping, hiking, swimming,  praying, journaling, team building and just getting to know each other?

30 mom's and daughters. 30 personalities. 30 hugs. 30 new ways to look at life together.

Ahhhh....my kinda weekend.

How will you spend your weekend?

Yes and No.....

One of my most favorite sites to go on is this one: Oneand2

When you go to the site....look at the most recent article.

It's all about your Yes.

This year has been about yes's for me.

• Yes to my children. That I will swing with them, sit and talk with them, read their imaginative reports, help edit their blogs, and hold them with intent. 

• Yes to my husband. Yes to doing all the tasks he asks of me, (before he gets home), yes to investing in our children over house, friends, business. Yes to letting him cook! (No problems there!) Yes to dreaming with him again.

• Yes to more time with God. Yes to learning what it means to wrestle in prayer.

• Yes to our future. Yes to being alive. Yes to success. Yes to being more and learning more. Yes to personal development. Yes to a BIGGER dream. 

But to say yes to these things I had to say no to some others. 

• No to always having a spotless house.
• No to always having a clean school room.
• No to the garden without weeds.
• No to sleeping later than I want to.
• No to anything that deters me from my yes.

The potential to move forward is in our hands. The potential to change our lives is in our hands. The buck stops with us. The responsibility lies with us to change our own world. If you can't change your current circumstances you can at least change your response to them, and you'd be surprised how fast your circumstances will change. 

What are you saying yes to?

Martha Stewart was in my kitchen

Ever have one of those moments when 6 o'clock rolls around and you realize you forgot to prepare for dinner and you have 12 hungry eyeballs staring you down?

Yeah..that was me.

Refrigerator soup to the rescue! You know...the empty the fridge and don't' tell anyone you did it kinda soup.

Wanna know what I did? It comes out GREAT every.time.

If you have left over veggies, meat and spagetti sauce...then it's Martha Stewart like nobody's business.

I had some small containers of:

~wild rice
~corn
~potatoes
~3 hamburgers
~spagetti
~cubed chicken

I tossed them all into the pot. Added some water. 2T garlic and herb seasonings. 1 T salt. 1/2 bulb crushed garlic. 1 can of diced tomatoes. And viola! We had soup!

It was amazing!

A little garlic bread, salad and our refrigerator soup and I became Martha Stewart!

Now...shhhh...the family thinks this is some pre-planned, well thought out soup that just seems to appear once a month.

It's our secret...don't disappoint me and tell!

What kind of creations do you come up with?

It was unpopular, but she did it anyway

I sit here reflecting on the upcoming Mother's Day and I am overwhelmed by gratitude.

I am a product of the 60's...nuf said.

When it was unpopular and uncomfortable to be different, and many girls were aborting their unwanted pregnancies, a young lady, at age 17, decided to take responsibility for her actions and carry the child in her womb. Frightened, facing an unknown future....she chose to nurture the one in her womb. That child was me. I am ever so thankful that she chose to "keep" me in a day and age when freedom of choice was prevalent.

Barely outside of childhood herself she nurtured, she wept, she laughed, she prayed that this child would be healthy, vibrant and destined for greatness.

Mom~this is for you.

You have been a force in my life that has had ripple effects into many future generations.

Thank you for life.

Thank you for your nurturing spirit.

Thank you for the years of sacrifice as I drained your bank account with my gymnastics.

Thank you for TV dinners and Hormel Chili.

Thank you for always believing that I could be ANYTHING I put my heart and soul to.

Thank you for challenging me to always become more and never settle for the status quo.

Thank you for always displaying what a lady should inspire to.

Thank you for teaching me to be resilient in the face of struggle.

Thank you for teaching me that sometimes you have to give up to go up.

I am so glad God decided to give you to me. I couldn't have EVER asked for a better mother, friend, and confidant.

I am who I am today because of who you have always been.

May this year bring you peace and serenity that sings like a sweet and soft jazz song.

Love you mom and Happy Mother's Days~San

Growing up in a blogging world

Blogging has become a way of life around here. Farmhouse Fashionista and Farmhouse Baker have added pen to their thoughts. Some rambling, some convictions, some just plain 'ole country life with a tire swing and 4-wheeler.

Swing on over to their side of the world and leave them some love.

Farmhouse Fashionista has her own blog

My own Farmhouse Fashionista has begun her own blog.

Check it out here: Fashionable Inspirations ~where modesty and fashion become friends

I want dirt!

Dirt, worms, earth, soil, seed catalogs spread all over the floor. It's been one of those kinda afternoons....you know that kind that has you hunkering to get out in the dirt and get, well, dirty.

I spent last week, in my walking boot and short sleeves digging around in my friend's garden. We staked and raked, planned and planted. We (okay, she) started her seeds in her seedling pots. She even made me one flat of heirloom tomatoes! We scratched our heads as we fussed and moaned over crop rotation.

But, really...it was divine. I love having my hands in the dirt. Almost as much as I love dancing....almost.

The weather was right up there with peanut butter and chocolate kisses.

The weather here at home isn't quite all peanut butter and chocolate kisses, but rather kinda more like mudpie. Sigh*

As I look out our living room window today I hear our 40x60 garden wooing me, telling me it's hungry for seed and I mentally go over what will go where. I spent the latter part of today going through seed catalogs, gardening books and my own country garden journal. Do you have a journal that you keep your last year's notes in?

I opened mine today and jumped with delight that I remembered to write down at the end of last season what we did, what worked and didn't, and what we needed more of. Really...I don't need anymore jalapeño peppers! One can only make so much salsa! Seriously!

This year I've decided that I really need to put a crop rotation into effect. This is no small task when you don't really want to move the large area of corn. Whaddya you think? Should I move it? It's about a 20x40 area. And really...it's in the best area of the land. 

Well, even if we don't move the corn we will still need to address the crops rotating. No need to invite the bugs back year after year.

We are toying with black cloth and straw in the walkways this year as well. Really tired of all the weeding. This worked really well in my friends garden last year...she said she had almost no weeds at all. That's what I'm talking' about!





Looks like potatoes, spinach, lettuce, peas, melons, onions, and garlic may hit the scene soon.

I can already smell the dirt.

Heavenly.

Our week on Huckelberry's Farm

It was a week to remember! It's actually been a winter to remember! Phew!

After 5 weeks of being away from my husband and son we were finally going to be together again. We headed north from our beachy winter wonderland of sand, sun and sea to one of our favorite places on earth.....Ranch Shekinah.

We had planned on just two days there with one overnight stay. We were really anxious to get home. However, God had other plans.

Read here to hear more about it......

Jumping off the moon!

I know you've been waiting to see the Hanukkah pics. I know that I said I would post them. But really....I don't have the patience to get them from the Baker's computer and transport them to here and then upload them all.

Sorry....can't do it. Way.too.painful.

So, if you wanna see them. Go here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=536122152 and look at the pics.

I know. Lame. Sorry.

Just the way it is....

Life has been way busy.

Coming back from Success School found me with a crazy focus on my business.

And...it's paid off.

We jumped.We shook.We took off.

When this pay period is over I will tell you how much it's paid off. It's quite the jump!

So...there you go.

Living full....

Farmhouse Chicks

Weekend of Hope and Freedom

What an AMAZING weekend! I spent 3 days in the warm state of Texas at our Advocare Success School.

Delivering hopes and dreams, freedom to families nationwide. This weekend was full of LEADERS AND CHAMPIONS in the world of hope and dreams.

This was our 4th time going. We spend a weekend being invested into by the top leaders in the world.  And we spend that time investing into those that we brought with us.

We heard from Rising Stars, Weight loss Testimonies, Double Diamonds, Sports Advisory Council, Research Docs, and more.

Each story built on the other. Each presenter brought value to the table to inspire us to become more.

For me this weekend represented hope. It was this weekend that I truly understood the promise God had given me and my husband 21 years ago. The promise that we would rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated. Isaiah 58:12. We know that God has called us to inspire and empower others to rebuild their lives. May we be found worthy of that call.

I was humbled by the leadership and their servants heart. I was humbled by the hearts of Richard and Sherry Wright, our CEO's. Everyone of them made you feel like you were a part of a very large family.

From the training to the fellowshipping with healthy people our lives were touched and transformed. We will never be the same.

This will be a year of Rebuilding, Restoring and Becoming More!

Farmhouse Chicks

Banners and chicofilia!

Honesty...someone help me figure out the whole banner picture thing...why am  I so confused on this?

Need a new banner..it'll be summer before I figure it out and then I will miss putting up all those cool winter pics!

Help!!

Gettin' 'er DONE!

 I know you want to know where that Hanukkah post is right?

Well, the pics are on the Baker's computer and there are a lot!!!

She says I can just use her mac to get 'er done...but I really wanna play on my mac! Just saying'!

Soon, really soon!

We have been so busy around here. Like a summer day in July!

Wanna here what's happening?

Revamping the Glorious Day Dance
Creating marketing material for Chavah Street
Booking churches in Florida for the Passover Tour
Looking for rental property so we can have that Passover Tour
Choreographing a new dance to Chris Tomlin's "I will rise"
Taking ballet and modern dance to freshen up our skills
Working on our face painting as we have been contracted by the Detroit Tigers, Parade Company, and possibly The Belle Isle Grand Prix...
Heading out this weekend to Texas for Advocare Success School
Changing people's lives everyday thru Advocare with phone calls, meetings, and such
Home-educating 3 amazing girls
Learning how to use this mac
Making new costumes for Sparkles...gotta be Jesse from Toy Story soon :)

There's probably a lot more that I'm missing...but you get the drift.

Baker says on our trip to Florida that she will show me how to use this awesome machine. We head down to do an event for Make a Wish Foundation and Trump plaza.

WOW! Love this life!

It's been a whirlwind of activity around the coop lately...such is the rushing winds that I haven't had time to post much.  Okay not.at.all.

So, friends and family, don't despair....a post is coming soon about Hanukkah and our MANY visitors!

Stay tuned....