Shoes, Riley, and Grilled Cheese

Could life get any better?

What a beautiful day! I traded my STINKY winter slippers for my peep toe shoes! AND my slippers STINK! Any day in which that happens IS truly a GREAT day! I admit I have about 2 pair of shoes that I wear all winter long. I can't justify mucking up a CUTE pair of shoes with snow, sand, and salt, so I stick to a dressy brown or black boot. BORING! But once the temp gets above 45 degrees, I am breaking out my summer shoe wardrobe! I am a SUCKER for peep toe! LOVE THEM!

I also BRING on the color! Red, green, blue, brown, black, gold, silver, buttons, embellishments, bling, stripes, plaid, etc... at least one of those details is in some shoe in my closet. It is like Christmas in March when I am able to dive deep into the depths, blow off the dust, and match them up to a great pedicure! O! mama!

Today was even more of a delight with 73 degree temperatures. People start coming out hibernation. Suddenly you see them walking, running, playing basketball, and hanging out at the park. We too came out of to enjoy the day, breaking free of the confines of our walls. While Madison was at dance we took advantage of a great park just minutes from the dance studio to walk and talk for an hour. Riley of course was in tow. Who knows just how many miles SHE put in running and running and running.

My philosophical question of the day was....Do you think that dogs get sore muscles?

Being cooped up all winter long with only may be a walk on occasion and a quick run around the house, how could she go from NO EXERCISE for 4 months to running for an hour continuously? Heck, if I did that I would probably be bed ridden for the next week! Then again she is lying on my office floor stretched out, snoring, with an occasional moan and groan. Latic Acid?

Mr. Milo made my ALL TIME favorite tonight...grilled cheese! Seriously I could eat grilled cheese for EVERY MEAL! May be I ate too may grilled cheese during my hibernation months? That's it! The hot melting cheese backed up with the ice cold ketchup! YUM! We coupled that with some left-over corn chowder from last night. It was a bit hard having soup on such a warm day, but that was about the extent of my desire to 'make' anything. So my kind and wonderful husband took care of me while I finished up the last of my office work and phone calls for the day. He is about as YUMMY as a grilled cheese! He is the grilled cheese and I am the ketchup, you just can't have one without the other! We make the PERFECT combination!

My house is in desperate need of a 10 second tidy! My house always needs a 10 second tidy! Madison needs some encouragement to get her school project complete, along with ABD order spelling, and a shower. I believe summer break is more for parents than it is for the kids. NO HOMEWORK! And I am thinking lala land may come early this evening, so I can fall asleep with a smile, knowing tomorrow brings more choices of peep toes, Riley got her exercise in for the day, and my husband is the grilled cheese to my ketchup!

Honestly...does life get ANY better than that?

On Your Marks, Get Set, GO!!!!

Well, it is official.....REVEAL is sponsoring a RACE CAR this upcoming racing season! I am VERY excited! One of my awesome customers asked me about considering the opportunity and I met with her today and decided to GO FOR IT!

Reveal, Unveiling The Beauty Within will be plastered all over her white race car this racing season. I do believe, I will need to attend my FIRST car race at Hawkeye Downs to cheer on MY racer!

Kandi has battled and over come 2 bouts of cancer and LOVES racing. She doesn't even race with the 'women' any more and takes on the BIG BOYS and their BIG boy toys! She placed #4 in last years racing season. Kandi races every Friday and some Saturday nights from March to October.

I am donating a full REVEAL day mid-season and taking a 'well known' race car driver's wife for a complete Reveal Day. She will be debuted at intermission of a race night, with her before and then after flashed on the BIG screen, plus be there live and in person. And I am donating some Mary Kay products to keep Kandi looking her best all season and a little cash money on the side for you, know gas and may be some tires! I think it sound VERY FUN!

AND a new local, weekly magazine, Hoopla has asked to do a story on Reveal late April.

Reveal had a GREAT day today!

New DU and a Spacer!

The girls had haircuts tonight after Madison got her 'spacer' placed! I have had 3 trips to the dentist in the last 3 weeks. At last, I believe we are done until the 6 month check up. Madison also got about 6 inches cut off and a VERY CUTE new DU!

It was poor man's dinner tonight....Cream Peas on Toast, doesn't get much cheaper that a few cups of milk, a little bit of margarine and flour, a can of peas, and a few slices of bread. Who in the world by the way created such a thing? Must have been some concoction made up on the wagon trail years ago. Afterall, with this 'failing' economy...a family has to pinch and save at every turn! Pretty soon, I think my money will be better off stuffed up in a hole in my matress!

Work, Abundance, and Blessings

'O, My Gosh! It needs to be fed AGAIN!' was a phrase heard frequently last night as Kennedy multi-tasked taking care of Fiameta and trying to do homework. Fiameta 'came alive' at exactly 4:00 PM as predicted! You could here her coo, CRY, breathing, and eating. Feeding of course was followed up by burping and diaper changing. Madison even came to the rescue a few times to coddle and sooth. Kennedy was fortunate that Fiameta decided to sleep from 10:00 PM until 5:00 AM this morning. Fiameta then promptly, as promised 'shut off' at 7:00 AM this morning. Really? If babies were really that easy!

My simple statement before heading to bed last night checking in on Kennedy feeding the baby while trying to do her homework was, 'What have you learned from this experience?'

Kennedy, 'That this is A LOT of work!'

In route to home last night following a marketing gig I did to promote Reveal, I received a VERY happy phone call, from a VERY happy husband. Thinking he had sold some financial products at his 4:30 appointment, I quickly returned his phone call to celebrate with him. Instead Madison picked up and after giving me the low down on Fiameta she also added, 'Dad has some really exciting news!' That made me, extra curious!

He proceeded to share that our accountant had called to let us know our taxes were complete. The amount we were getting back was close to 5Xs more than any other year! In fact, it was only $600 short of being the EXACT amount we need to complete our short term savings goal set at the beginning of 2009. A goal we were hoping to hit by July, in order to provide a buffer as we transition to a 100% commission family! He then followed up the good news with 'God IS Good!' In 2008 we gave our final contribution to our churches' debt reduction campaign. This accompanied by all of the other donations given last year nearly matched the amount that we were getting back.

In believe that our willingness to give abundantly in 2008 coupled with our discipline in 2009 to be better stewards of our resources, while still maintaining our giving, resulted in God's provision for us and a BLESSING indeed!

When YOU abundantly GIVE, you will abundantly RECEIVE!

Meet Fiameta!

Meet Fiameta, the latest edition to the Japenga family. Fiameta will be spending the evening and over-night hours with us. We hope she plans to sleep through the night. I don't anticipate that 'grandma and grandpa' will be doing the NIGHT SHIFT!



Aunt Madison and Fiameta


Proud Grandpa

A Fresh Start

I have almost made it to Monday! Last Thursday night I wondered if it would be possible. A home filled someone coughing or sneezing at every turn, by Friday morning I had simply reached my limit! Kennedy over slept, which meant needing a ride to school. Madison was whining about breakfast, Milo was deep in lala land, and I was feeling completely overwhelmed. I was 1/2 way down the drive way, when I put the van in park and said to Kennedy, 'I just need you to stay home today. I just can't do this by myself.'

By 12:00 PM every bed sheet had been changed and the house cleaned from top to bottom. The goal was to disinfected everything, so when we arrived home late Saturday night with ailing symptoms nearly gone, we would be ready to tackle the next week with a fresh start.

Little did I know, exactly how great of a FRESH start that would be.

I will admit I was not looking forward to this weekend. Family dynamics, old sibling 'roles', and being reunited with 'family' not seen in 15+ years stirs up feelings and emotions one often wants to keep laid to rest. My final words before walking out the door Friday at noon were 'Let's get going, so we can get this over with!' Little did I know, all that I had been praying for in past months God was ready answer and work some incredible transformations in a short 48 hour period of time.

My grandmother came from a generation known as 'traditionalist'. A generation having survived the Great Depression. Her generation was rich in Swedish heritage. A group of people known for not easily expressing their feelings. A generation for some, that was quick to make sure all looked good on the outside, out of fear of what some would think if the inside was revealed. God stated in the Old Testament that the sins of our fore fathers would be carried down from generation to generation and my family is no different.

I recently have been doing a lot of reflecting on Lazarus's life as told in the book of John. When Jesus called Lazarus out of the grave he had been dead for 4 days. Wrapped in his grave clothes, his stench was offensive as he cautiously and carefully shuffled back into the land of the living. Jesus did not help Lazarus remove his grave clothes, instead he asked Mary and Martha, a task not very appealing.

I stated in an early post entitled 'Reader Discretion Advised' that we all carry a stench deep within our souls. It is the stench of our grave clothes, not wanting to be unwrapped that holds us back from experiencing a full life. Hurt feelings build up an infection in our heart. We wonder how to get rid of those past hurts and feelings that hold us back. Everyone wears grave clothes, some more than others, and no one can unwrap their own. When we begin to identify and share that stench with others, an understanding and improved communication happens, resulting in a growth of love and trust. That is when we can carefully and gently help each other remove the grave clothes that prevent us from living a life to it's fullest capactiy.

As a result of the ability to be vulnerable, exposing the nakedness of my soul a conversation was had into the wee hours of the morning on Saturday. A conversation that modeled a life-giving balance of both grace and truth. Stephen Smith in the Lazarus Life states, 'Too much grace might allow grave clothes to remain on too long. Too much truth can create even deeper wounds.' The conversation was one that bridged gaps and mis-understandings. A conversation of truth and love allowing the souls of myself and others to find compassion and a deeper connection.

I came home from our short visit to NW Iowa lighter and happier. I had left some grave clothes behind and had allowed others to help me remove them. A trip that I expected to take out of respect for my grandmother, resulted in a trip full of transformation, forgiveness, truth and love.

While the distant relationship I had with her will never be restored, the relationships left here on this earth took a giant leap forward. Although those relationships will continue to need mending, nurturing, and love, a new foundation as been laid on which they can grow.

I believe THIS was the best tribute I could have left to honor her.

Sin is the steadfast refusal to be your true self. As I mentioned earlier, the sins of our fore fathers would be passed down from generation to generation. Today I can confidently share that the cycle has been broken and it will only continue to improve with a continued balance of grace and truth. When we help each other get rid of the grave clothes that hold us back, there will be no end to the work we can do for God's kingdom in order to live a life of love and truth to it's richest capacity.

Here is to a FRESH start!

FAMILY

LYU MOM