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Showing posts from 2008

Herd Family Update Summer 2008

Hello, I thought I would briefly update you on our life. Brad still commutes 80 miles a day to work at LOCKHEED MARTIN. He was recently on 30 days . Our neighbor Matt is in this episode. He invited Brad to go shooting. They took Brad's M-16 to the gun range. You will see Brad's hat, gun and back as he is walking. The way I see it I am married to a tv star. ( : In March of 2008 I began teaching First Grade at the Life School Campus in Oak Cliff. I consider myself a pedia life coach. I moved my adult Life Coaching clients to the evening. It is a nice mix. Our daughter had a great year in Kindergarten. Here are some samples of her artwork. She gets this talent from her father. As well as her love of riding horses. This summer she has taken swim lessons too. I finally became an Aunt on my side of the family. My brother Joel and hi s wife Becky had a baby boy Tyler Ray Fulenwider. And so the Fulenwider name lives on. And we purchased a chocolate fountain rental business called Ch

Helpful Phrases

I have 2 phrases that I find very useful in a multitude of circumstances. The first phrase is said with an inquisitive tone. "Why do you ask?' My daughter who was five at the time starting asking this last fall . I find this insight baffling. Somehow she had discovered that the reason one has for asking the question may influence the way you need to answer the question. I have added this phrase to my responses which has resulted in my being better equipped to answer my friends' , clients' and family's questions. The second phrase is "We'll see." I use it all the time because it commits me to nothing while leaving the person on the other end of the conversation content. I then have time to think about what I want to do and revisit the item. This phrase was obtained while under the influence of the Batten family.

So you had a bad day.

Today has been a rough day for lots of reasons that I will not bother to list for you. It made my top 4 worst days ever. As I drove to an appointment this morning the following song came on. Dare you to move . God has used it repeatedly to move me. Hope it inspires you too.

See what the Marketing Twins did to my website!

Brad and I have a new business called Chocolate Finale. We went to Randy & Donny Vaughn to coach us through our marketing. Just look at what they did !

The Mother Load

For the third time in three weeks an ambulance showed up at my neighbor's home across the street. The other two times my neighbor was mysteriously taken to the hospital. But Sunday night the EMT called the police. It seems the woman was having a nervous breakdown and was very paranoid. The police made it clear she could go with or without handcuffs. All of her children were there watching. From my backyard I could hear my neighbor in her home screaming. It was a horrible sound. In an instant the screams of my neighbor took me back to the screams of my childhood. With amazing clarity I recalled Jon Jones arriving very early one morning at my home. Then the police came with a court order to put my mom in the mental hospital. She physically resisted and eventually I saw my mom handcuffed and taken away screaming. I remember how scared she looked. I knew I needed to take care of Jeana, Joel, and Jana. I hoped this time would be different and my mommy would come home fixed. For just a f

From Vanilla to Chai Latte

For the majority of my life my closest friendships were white upper middle class conservative christians . This homogeneous environment was mainly due to the school and the church I attended. It was not a conscience thing by myself or my family. In contrast my closest friendships today are spicy. My friends hail from Canada, Estonia, Africa, and Boston. Our common thread is the preschool we selected to put our children in. Through playdates , class parties, and fundraisers we have grown closer. Three years later we are closer than ever even though none of our children attend the same school. Three of the four moms are strong Christians and have their own ministries separate from their home congregation. (What a novel concept.) One is completely disconnected from any church. All are remarkable blessings. I have been stretched in faith, spices and parenting as our friendships have grown. I would like to take a minute to share a bit about each of them. Roman's mom- Elizabeth blows

Teachable Moments From WALL-E

When Katie Beth and I see a movie I look for life lessons that the movie can reinforce. I am listing the ones I "saw" in WALL-E. (click to see preview ) 1. One seed can save the world. (Jesus) 2. A good friend ignores your feelings and keeps you on course (directive.) 3. Own your mess. As my mom always said "If you make a mess then you clean it up." 4. Own your life. Quit giving others permission to define you. 5. If you are lonely than reach out. Stop floating down the conveyor belt and connect. 6. You can watch what others are doing and call it living or you can participate and feel alive.

Great Quotes from Great American Leaders

Benjamin Franklin" Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." "Words may show a man's wit but actions his meaning." "Take time for all things: great haste makes great waste." "Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today." "Well done is better than well said." Thomas Jefferson "The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first objective." "The boisterous sea of liberty is never without a wave." "It is neither wealth nor splendor, but tranquility and occupation which give happiness." "Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching." "When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on." Throughout history the words of great leaders have insp

Organic Versus Brand

In my minister’s recent e-mail he mentions his tremendous relief when his wife found an organic pizza. Seems they have gone totally organic. So I probably won't be inviting them over for dinner any time soon. What exactly is organic? The National Organic Standards Board Definition of "Organic" The following definition of "organic" was passed by the NOSB at its April 1995 meeting in Orlando, FL."Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony. Organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues; however, methods are used to minimize pollution from air, soil and water. Organic food handlers, processors and retailers adhere to standards that maintain the integrity of organic agricultural prod