Adventures in Entrepreneurship

Here's a link to my latest adventure!

https://www.facebook.com/TKingsCreations?ref=bookmarks#

Come take a look and enjoy!

I need a time machine. Seriously!

Is it just me, or is time seriously speeding up?!

I've neglected this awesome outlet for 18 months, but seems like only a matter of weeks.  My kiddos can ride bikes, draw legitimate pictures, recognize all the letters of the alphabet and send me from Caroline Ingalls to a raging Roseanne Conner in .5 seconds. 

Quick catch up so my future posts can be up to date...

We're beginning a lot around this house, a furniture rehab and home decor business for me, soft start to homeschool for B&B, and Hubster has a ton of good stuff happening for him in the banking world.

We're planning our first vacation since our honeymoon 10 years ago- we're going to DISNEY WORLD!  Sometime late winter or early spring (whenever airfare is cheapest!)

We're in the sad transition from Sesame Street to a (highly guarded) Super Hero pastime.  Luckily, there's still Curious George.  I love that monkey.

Babies are growing, life is changing and I'm just trying to keep up with the dishes and laundry while spinning the typical mom plates!

Stay tuned for some actual interesting posts in the near future.  Hopefully less than 18 months from now...

My Beautiful Nieces...

To my beautiful nieces. I know I may not be in your lives on a daily basis, but that doesn't make me love you or care less for you. You are amazing creations of God that are living in a scary world at a scary age.
Be strong. Be courageous. Be confident enough to make the right choices. You don't need anyone or anything to make you better.
You are smart, important people going women who have to power to change this world for good. Don't give in to the pressures of society. Be a light for God. You are princesses. Daughters of a Heavenly King and he wants more for you than what this earthly world pushes on you.
Stand out for the good things in this life. Be an example of who all your friends wish they were strong enough to be like.
I love you both. I want more for you in this life than you can ever conceive. Be strong. Be courageous. Be a true princess.
...and in true Aunt Theresa verbage...tell anyone who pressures you otherwise to screw off.  :)

Rise up, rise up.

Give them ears to hear, Father. There are so many who need to know You now. Let them hear Your voice through my feeble words. 

There's no doubt that evil exists in this world and that there is a spiritual war going on everyday in every place we look. So how do we win? How do we protect our families? How do we restore peace within our world?

We start in our homes. We start by disciplining out children. By teaching them that they can't have everything. That there is right and wrong. That we reap what we sow. That manners are important and the basic rule of "Treat others the way you want to be treated." is worthy of being followed. 

We start by being the example of a committed marriage and equal partners in relationships. When we take vows that say "for better or worse", we actually work through the "worst" and not give up  or get bitter, resentful or let out hearts, minds and bodies look for something "better".

We stop being overly indulged, entitled brats that think the world owes us something. We owe us something. We owe us integrity, honesty and accountability. We're not children anymore.

But first we start by knowing who we are through Christ. We are the children of a mighty and powerful God who loves us more than we could ever begin to understand.  He is mercy. He is grace. He is forgiveness. He is with us in the hurt, the confusion, the pain, the joy, the miracles and the unexplained. He is the Healer. He is what YOU are looking for.  

It's time to rise up. It's time to grow up. It's time to win this world back. 

There are many who will see these as empty words of just another christian. My prayer is for you. It's time to believe in something. 

2,555 days. Memoir to my Angel Momma

7
God's perfect number.
7 days to create the Earth
7 Wonders of the World
7 Seals of Revelation
Jacob took 7 years to build the temple
There are 7 Feast days
Job had 7 sons
...ok, you get it.
For God, 7 is perfect and means completion in many cases.
For me, however, 7 has a completely different meaning today. Today, 7 means the number of years since my momma became my angel momma. 2,555 days since I've heard her voice. Felt her skin. Smelled her. Heard her. Seen her smile.
Somedays, 7 years feels like an eternity. And some days it hurts exactly the same as the first day.
It's really strange how my perception of reality can sometimes be altered. When you lose someone so close and time begins to pass, your mind begins to wonder which "life" is reality. Was it real when she was here and I could talk to her anytime I wanted? Or did she really exist at all?  Was that part of my story real? I know that sounds odd, but if you've been in these shoes, perhaps it makes sense to you.
My mom was an incredibly strong woman with a sweet smile, a stubborn streak that was a mile long and a heart for her children. She made spaghetti on rainy days (which I do now because I crave it!) She loved to spend rainy Saturday morning wandering Walmart and Big Lots (which I crave to do as well!) She was a Girl Scout leader with a kitchen filled with cookie boxes each year. She made our dance uniforms for our Brownie Dance Troop. She made my Junior year Sweetheart dress and all the bridesmaids dresses for my wedding. She could redo an entire room in the house in 2 weeks (always while dad was away during the summer with the Army Reserves). She loved to watch Rugrats with us and had a decent addiction to the NES game Snake,Rattle and Roll for about a month. She loved to do family history with Aunt Pat and take the occasional trip to the casino.
She taught me to be strong and stubborn. She taught me that if I want something do, to just do it myself. She taught me that money isn't everything. She taught me to live for my children. She taught me to cook. She taught me to appreciate a good yard sale and flea market find :)
And losing her has taught me to stand strong in my faith. When one foundation is removed from your life, you either replace it or fall apart.  It has taught me not to take anything for granted. To slow down and soak up every moment with my children. To make sure, without a doubt, that they know how much I love them. It has taught me that God is bigger than any challenge I could ever face. And there have been some challenges for sure.
Today, I miss her. My memory is flooded with childhood pictures of birthday parties, Saturday mornings, my backyard, the sound of her walking down the hall, watching her cook dinner, seeing her on the sidelines during performances, walking down the aisle with DJ at my wedding, and so many other moments I wish I could recreate. And some I wish I'd never experienced.
I'm so thankful for the woman she was. The example of a strong mother and a safe place to land.
I'm thankful for her "Make it happen" spirit and don't take 'No' for an answer mentality.
I wish my babies could know her, but I know there is a lot of her in me. I know she's with me all the time from music that plays on the radio to the hummingbird that flies around my front porch, and especially when I hear her shooting from my mouth!
7. God's perfect number sure has a lot of meaning today.

Blessed beyond measure....and income.

I'm 2 months into my best career move ever. I've been home with Brady and Brooklyn for 9 weeks now and just like when they were born, I can't imagine living life any differently. I love the complete freedom of being home and not having my brain owned by the pressures of a job. It took a few weeks for me to stop worrying about that job though! I was so conflicted for a while thinking about whether or not things were going ok for everyone else, all while trying to adjust to being home 24/7. As time has passed, my thoughts are focusing and our new routine is establishing itself. I relish the moments when Brady and Brooklyn are playing together laughing and jabbering to each other. I know these moments are fleeting and passing very quickly. I love the challenge of keeping up with laundry and overcoming my natural laziness when it's time to cook- AGAIN. (There's only so much you can do with hamburger and chicken!) Now that I'm settling into the full-time mom role, I'm picking up a new outlet. Tonight, I'm beginning a new kickboxing class at a local gym (Lead by the awesome Christy Ragsdale Hempen herself!) and I'm really excited to have something that is just for me. I've gotten back to pre-baby weight; not SHAPE mind you. I'm looking to this class as an outlet, a refresher for my brain and the opportunity to make me proud of myself. This has always been an area of great challenge for me, but I'm doing it with a different focus. Bring it on! All in all, this leap of faith has been a fabulous one. As only God himself could do. Thank you Heavenly Father for blessings more numerous than I know!

Wow. The last 7 years...

I'm having a real moment of reflection.  I am approaching another major life change and my heart and head are in a whirlwind.

In less than a month, I will be leaving my "career life" behind and embracing the challenge of being a "work at home mom" (I like the term WORK better than STAY, because I'm not just sitting around watching Soaps all day)

I am ecstatic at the blessing of being able to give up my income to raise my children and run my home; but I'm also very apprehensive about closing this chapter in my life.  I know this is right and the timing is His, but my flesh is panicking a little.  I've been through a lot of change, I'll roll with this one too.

7 years ago, I was newly married.  I was an elementary teacher.  I had a mother.  I had a brother.  I didn't have children.  I lived in Farmington.  I knew no challenge.

In 7 years, I have changed careers. I have known pain and tragedy.  I have left my hometown.  I have grown.  I have been blessed with the 2 most amazing gifts.  I have bought a house.  I have become a "minivan" mom.  I plan meals.  I grocery shop at Aldi's to stay on budget.  I put my childrens' needs before my own.  I've seen my body stretch and grow.  I've felt my babies inside me.  I've planned nurseries.  I've nursed illnesses.  I've run a business.  I've managed women (that's a feat in itself!) I've spun plates to keep everything moving forward.  I've been stressed.  I've been blessed.  I've been stretched.  I've been happy.  I've been TIRED.  I've loved this crazy life.  And now a new door opens as one is closing behind me.

This job has been so integral in growing who I am today.  I came to this center to keep my mind occupied during the hardest, most miserable moments of my life.  This job has saved my life.  (this is scary to put in writing) I was struggling with wanting to stay on this earth when I found this job.  I had never felt so much overwhelming pain before and I didn't know how to handle it.  I didn't want to handle it.  Then came St. Philips.  This job has been difficult and challenging, but it has introduced me to some of my best friends.  It has made me laugh.  It has made me cuss.  It has brought me joy and purpose.  It has been a huge part of my life and most importantly a part of my heart.  I guess that's why it's so emotional to leave it behind and take the next step of faith forward.

I know God is in the unknown, and that He has a master plan for my life and the lives of my children.  I welcome His guidance, His vision and His peace as I move forward.

Here's to the next 7 years!