Let me be transparent for a minute...

"God will provide." This is my mantra and how I get through a lot of my days.  I guess I will start at the beginning...or just November and catch you up in case you're not familiar with this chapter of our story.

November 30- We became home owners!! It was (and is) very exciting. We went from being forever renters, to thinking that maybe we should save to buy a house someday, to looking, to signing the papers to become first time home buyers within about three weeks.

December 5- We began renovating our new house! So far we have removed a wall, changed bathroom vanities, painted, layed new flooring, decorated, changed light fixtures, etc. It's a work in progress and I'm learning that it will never be done.

December 15- Alex said his good bye's at State Farm in order to start his own independant insurance agency, AW Insurance.

December 16- Alex signed a lease for an office space and began the grueling process of becoming a small business owner.

February 5- Alex's contracts all became effective so he could really begin selling insurance!!


Somewhere in there was Christmas... I believe on the 25th of December. Oh, and we went to Ikea and  I became the sole provider for our family of 2 + Moose.  Scary.

I know that we are living with plenty and that we are beyond blessed. We are more than making ends meet and as I write this my problems seem insignificant compared to the people in this world who live on less than $2 per day.

I'm a journaler and as I read through what I've written in the past, most of the content is about what's causing me to stress: the wedding, school, boards, finding a job, buying a house and now it's about growing up. But, one thing that remains constant throughout my journal entries is somewhere among the complaints/concerns/stresses/praises I've written  "God will provide" which He has, abundantly.

Thirty Thursday's {25}

If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be with?

Abby:
I would have dinner with Noah- of Noah and the Ark. Why? Because, he's Noah and he found favor with God and wasn't flooded like everyone else on Earth! And he built a ginormous boat for all of the animals that we see and know of today! I'd ask him a lot of questions, like: What did all of his peers say about him? What did the ark smell like? Were the lions nice? How long did it take to get back to "normal"? What about the dinosaurs? What did his wife think about everything and did she understand what he was doing? I'd ask him a lot of other things too...but, I'm not sure what right now, since I've got a little time until I get to meet him.


Alex:
I would have dinner with George Lucas.  I am a geek at heart and love Star Wars and Indiana Jones. I choose Lucas because he has extraordinary vision in both film and business. He is experienced in Hollywood and could impart some knowledge regarding many things: movies, stories, graphics, business, fame and much more.

Riggs goes to the dentist...

I'm famous!! I'm kidding, I'm really not. But, I was on the local St. Louis morning show, "Great Day St. Louis."  One of the anchor's brought her son into the office where I work to do an interactive interview for a child's first dental visit and what you need to know as a parent. It went well and the little boy, Riggs, did great. I'll add a few of my own tips, because I work with a lot of kids for their first visit and do most of the leg work.

1. Use good associative words when discussing the dentist. Even if you're reassuring them that it "won't hurt," the word "hurt" is in their mind and they then think that there is a possibility that it could hurt.

2. Bring your child with you to one of your routine dental visits. Even if they don't have an appointment, it's important that they see the dental office and can go into the room with you to see what the hygienist and dentist do. It will give them a better understanding for when it's their turn to get their teeth cleaned. (Please ask the dental office if this is ok before doing so, some offices have strict rules)

3. Let your child brush their own teeth. Tell them how good they've done and then follow behind them to make sure the plaque is all brushed away.

4. Prevention, Prevention, Prevention! Every parent wants what is best for their child so, if you can prevent a child from having a cavity with fluoride or sealants, do it. It's in the child's best interest!

5. Be nice to your hygienist and be on time to your appointments...we're type A and OCD :)

Thoughts for a Monday