Cousin Camp 2016

We had such a blast at Cousin Camp last month. It was so fun to be able to host this year! As always my sister worked so hard and planned a fantastic few days packed full of fun!  And Mama got to come this time too!  Yay!!!

I am so grateful God chose this girl to be my sister.  And these kids just make my heart happy.

This year we did something a little different and did video recaps of each day. Garrison went through my phone and deleted all the videos last week because he thought we didn't need them anymore. Sometimes I wonder about hat boy. Haha. But I went back and recreated the videos...and he's not allowed on my phone anymore for the record. :)

Wednesday night we just hung out at the house and Garrett let the big boys shoot the bee bee gun.

Thursday we went hiking in the state park right behind our house. We had lunch in town and then went to an awesome little water park at a local dude ranch. You read that right.

Friday we went to the Alamo, had lunch and a boat tour of the Riverwalk and even made it to the Wildlife Park.

Saturday we went to a creek near the house, watched a fantastic thunderstorm from the house and then went to dinner.

Sunday we went to church, had lunch and said goodbye.

Another successful Cousin Camp in the books with lots of laughs and memories made!  So grateful for my family!

~Jewels*

City Family Gone Country

Oh my gracious! I cannot believe it has been five months since my last post. Let me fill y'all in on the recent changes for the Thomas family.

We sold our house in Wylie that we had lived in for TEN years! I was offered an incredible opportunity to work from home and took that job at the end of March. My husband was offered a transfer to the San Antonio office and he is loving it there. All of these things allowed us to fulfill a lifelong dream...we made the move to Bandera and got a house on 5 acres with a breath taking view of the hill country. 

I have gotten so many questions about our recent decisions so let me just answer those here. 

1. Why?

You laugh but I have seriously gotten this question so many times. 

We have always loved the hill country. Most of our weekend getaways have been to Wimberly, San Marcos, Fredericksburg or Bandera. 

We have been wanting land for a long time and couldn't afford it in Wylie. 

We were oh so tired of the 1 1/2 hour commute (for 20 miles) to Dallas for work. 

We desperately wanted our boys to grow up in a small town with a more simple way of life. 

And why not? Why wait until our boys were grown and gone to fulfill one of our dreams? Why not let them experience this with us and see how possible it is to follow your dreams? 

2. How are y'all going to move away from your family?

When we got married 13 years ago I left my family and moved 3,000 miles away to start  a life with Garrett. It was hard. Very hard. And I knew it would be hard again this time, especially having kids now. But we truly felt like God was calling us out here. For what reason I still don't know. Dallas is less than 6 hours from here though and in the last  (les than) month of being here we have seen my dad once, mom twice, sister and family twice and my in-laws are here this weekend. And we are going back to Dallas in three weeks. We are blessed to have family who supports us, loves us and even helped encourage us to follow this dream.

3. How do you stand being so far away from everything?

I love it! We are 15 minutes outside of town. There is a higher priced grocery store in town, a few restaurants, shops, salons, etc. and I truly don't mind driving 40 minutes to HEB for my weekly grocery trip. After all, that's half of my old commute to get to work and that was five days a week! 

4. What about all your friends?

The good friends I have are friends for life and me living six hours away won't change that. And I know as soon as we get plugged into a church and baseball we will make even more friends. 

Speaking of church we tried a cowboy church...yes I said cowboy church last weekend and loved it. We tried two other churches before that and they were okay but finding a church like we are used to in a town this small is not an easy feat. We are excited about getting plugged in there.

I have so much more to say - some of my (hilarious) experiences about transitioning to life in the country and of course our amazing cousin camp but I will save those for separate posts.

I wanted to share some recent pictures with y'all.

Our first dinner out as Bandera residents

My parents came the weekend we moved in and helped A TON!

Beyond grateful for them.

Sweet moments

A little back porch sing-a-long session.  I had no idea these two knew SO many songs...from the 70's!  Haha!

Our sweet neighbors brought us flowers from their own garden to welcome us to the neighborhood.  I am loving this country hospitality!

The boys on one of our afternoon walks (before it got too hot to take afternoon walks).

We finally have a flag!  Love it!

Where we do all of our front porch sittin'!

My sister came in town and helped me decorate the house.  She did an AH-mazing job!  It's not all completely finished yet but I am loving the way it's coming along!  We got this entry table at a cute little store in Fredericksburg and it's one of my favorite pieces in the house!  It now holds a really cool record player - my husband's Father's Day gift.

Our dining table we got from the same store in Fredericksburg!  Love it!

Open concept and I love it.  The kitchen is most definitely my favorite part of the house with the chef's gas range/oven setup.

View from the back deck.  Who knows what we will have in the cross fenced section some day...goats, chickens, donkeys?! :)

I thank God every morning for allowing this to be my drive to Ethan's daycare.  I feel so blessed to be able to enjoy His beauty every single day like this!

Garrett installing back porch lights.  This guy works SO hard all day in the heat and has been coming home every night to work on something at the house.  So grateful!

Lovin' this final result!

A little checkers at Cracker Barrel

Right before our tour of the Natural Bridge Caverns in San Antonio.  It was 99% humidity in the caves so trust me when I say you do not want to see the after photo.  ;)

This is what my buggy (yes, I said buggy) looks like after a weekly trip to HEB.  Loaded down.  And this crazy kid is licking a bag of chips.  Whatever keeps him entertained! :)

I can't wait to share more of our adventures with y'all.  Ethan is loving his daycare and making lots of new friends there.  His favorite thing to do is some front porch sittin' and enjoying the "biew" (view).  Garrison goes to camp (for the first time ever) in a week.  We go to Dallas in three weeks and then Garrison will get to go to Houston with my sister and her family for a week.  Prayers are much appreciated as we continue to adjust to this new way of life! I am soaking up His truths!

~Jewels*

You need to hear this...Just Do It!!!

Once again it has been far too long since I have posted.  I went back to glance at my last post and found it ironic that the theme carries over into this one.  But not really.  I know God has been putting some things on my heart over the last several months and each seed He has planted has carried me to different phases of following dreams.

Go ahead and breathe a big sigh of relief because this is not a Plexus post.  Ha!

People used to talk about dreams.  I would often ponder the idea of my dreams and....nada.  Nothing.  Zip.  Zilch.  Some would say they always dreamed of being a teacher.  Or a singer.  Or a missionary.  Or whatever.  Seriously, I felt like something was wrong with me for not having a big dream I was striving for.

I always knew I wanted to be a wife.  And I'll be honest...the first 7 years or so of our marriage was far from what I had pictured in my dreams.  Anyone with me?  Anyone?!  Good thing we have learned A LOT and are in a great season in our marriage right now.  I truly am married to my best friend.  And we are now working toward big dreams together!

Being a mom did come very naturally to me and I was so blessed with a great first baby.  Garrison changed my life.  He made me grow up very quickly.  He made me much more selfless, patient and nurturing.  I am forever grateful to him for that.

My "dream" was to have another biological child.  Little did I know God would be planting seeds in mine and Garrett's hearts for the next several years about adoption.  The truth is I never could have dreamed of something as precious and dear as adopting.  Ethan was truly a dream come true.

I don't know if it was a matter of not thinking I was worthy of more or if God just knew I could only handle so much at once (fighting for my marriage, becoming a new mom, going through the adoption process).  I don't really need to understand why I didn't dream big earlier in life though.  Because I have seen time and time again that God's timing is perfect.  Always.  Perfect.

I don't have a big announcement or purpose of this post really.  I simply want to encourage every single one of you to follow your dreams.  Life is ENTIRELY too short to sit back and watch other people live life to the fullest.  YOU live it to the fullest.  Enjoy being in the moment with those you love.  Take that trip that may break the bank this one time.  Go on that mission you have always wanted to go on.  Want to adopt?  DO IT!  Want to foster?  DO IT!  Shoot, do you want a dog?  Get one!

I fully believe I am on this earth to serve Jesus and bring glory to Him.  And I also know that He wants to fulfill the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4).  I kept encountering the scripture Psalm 46:5 for the longest time.  So much so that I decided to get the phone cover.

I absolutely love another version I saw of this verse.
"God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns."
How comforting to know that we will NOT fail with God by our side.  We will NOT be moved or shaken when God is in us.

Read that back to yourself and let it soak in.  And go follow that dream.

~Jewels*

Stop Living in Fear...Take the First Step

You know those people who have big dreams but always settle?  Those who may seem confident on the outside but inside have the fear of failure?  I used to be one of those people.

Let me preface this post with this.  I have been so very grateful for every job I have ever had.  I have met amazing people along the way, learned new skills, worked my way up to a salary that someone without a college degree can be proud of and have been able to substantially contribute to my family.  But...

Sitting behind a desk all day is not my dream.  Thinking about the things I could be getting done at home or the extra time I could have with my kids on slow days is not my dream.  I dream of so much more.

I want to be a stay at home mom.  Hear me out on this.  I don't want to be a stay at home mom so I can be involved in the PTA, the Booster Club or be a room mom.  (No offense to you moms who take on these duties.  It's just not part of my "why.")  I want to be a stay at home mom so I have time to work with my kids on their homework while it's still fresh on their minds.  When the nurse calls telling me my son is sick... actually, the exact words were "he is miserable and just wants to come home"... I don't want to get the voicemail after a meeting and have my son wait an hour for me to make the commute to his school.  I want my face to be the first one they see after school.  I want to be able to take them for frozen yogurt and have a real conversation about their day - not a rushed, "How was your day?  Okay, we need to hurry and get dressed for baseball and we'll pick up something for dinner on the way."

I want to foster or adopt again.  I don't want to take a couple weeks off and go back to work.  I want to be present for this child, whether it be an infant or a troubled 3 year old who has suffered unimaginable circumstances and only wants to be loved and nurtured.  I want to do everything I can to make this child feel welcomed into our family and surrounded by love and security.

I want to travel the world with my family.  I want my family to do mission work in other countries.  I want our family to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  To serve the orphans.  To love the unloved.

I want to bless others financially.  I want to be able to give without worry.  To give school supplies, clothes, fresh water and food to those here and abroad.

These are my dreams.  And I am sick of saying:
"They are too far fetched."
"That's not reality."
"That won't work with my finances."
"Maybe one day..."

Why not today?!

God tells us to not fear because He is always with us (Isaiah 41:10).  God tells us He has big plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11).  The time has finally come where I can see truth in those scriptures.

I love this quote I saw the other day and I love it!

So, how do I plan to make this possible?  I am certain God brought Plexus into my life for several reasons.  I know y'all think I'm just a crazy Plexus lady with all my posts but let me tell you a few things about Plexus.

1.  These products have changed my life.  Food no longer controls me.  I no longer plan my day around meals.  I have the energy I need to keep up with my kids.  I no longer NEED naps.  I have gotten rid of my coke addiction that I have had for years and years.  I no longer have to take allergy medicine.  I no longer have pain (endometriosis pain or plantar fascitis).  I have lost 20 lbs and 30 inches.  Although I am far from my goals I feel better than I have ever felt!

2.  We have found the answer to my youngest son's chronic constipation.  Any of you who have ever had to give your toddler an enema or take them to the ER for constipation knows how miserable that is, for you and them.  Truly an answer to prayer for him.

3.  I have watched my sister find relief from her chronic, daily pain as a result of her spina bifida.  This alone has been a huge answer to prayer for many of us.  I have watched her attitude and demeanor change drastically due to being pain free.

4.  I have been able to contribute even more to my family financially.  We are not living paycheck to paycheck.  We had Christmas completely covered this year without putting any of it on charge cards.  I have covered my ENTIRE mortgage payment every month with my Plexus check alone!

5.  I have watched SO many people I personally know transform their lives with the generous compensation plan Plexus offers.  From a newly single mom being able to support herself and her daughter (above and beyond what she hoped for) to a teacher who was able to retire and stay home with her son (making twice as much as she did as a teacher).

I unashamedly say that I sell Plexus.  Because these products work.  They are changing peoples' lives.  This company has a compensation plan that is transforming peoples' lives.  They are fulfilling their dreams they used to think were unrealistic.

I used to watch my best friend's sister post about Plexus all the time.  This went on for two years.  At one point I was so annoyed I almost defriended her.  And then, one day, I realized she was obviously on to something.  These products really were changing peoples' lives.  This company really had brought her financial freedom.  So, I jumped in with both feet.  And every month since I started I have completely covered my mortgage, plus some - simply by sharing with others how great these products are.

Here are some of my before/after pics.  I still can't get over the difference in my face alone since starting these products.

We have a special going on right now where you can join as an ambassador for only $22.95.  I would LOVE to have you join my team and fulfill your dreams.  I am here to coach you every step of the way.  I promise you won't regret it.  Don't wait 2 years like I did.
www.jewelsplexus.com

~Jewels*

Mom Life Humor...and the REAL Supermoms!

Okay, y'all.  Let's get real for a minute.  Being a mom is hard.  So freakn' hard!  Getting slapped in the face by your 3 year old, cleaning poop off the toilet seat, grinding your teeth in frustration while patiently waiting on your son to figure out a math problem, playing the same song for the two hundredth time to appease your son, trying to answer a question (one you've been asked four times that night) in your sweetest and most patient mommy voice when you really want to just hide in your bathroom and drink your glass of wine in peace... and that was all just this week.  Aaaaaand it's only Tuesday.

By the way, funny story for those of you who didn't see it on Facebook a while back.  I took Garrison to the ER (ya' know, one of our regular Mom/Son date locations these days) and while the tech was taking his x-rays she was making small talk.  She asked what his favorite Halloween candy was.
Garrison: "I love all candy, even licorice.  My mom HATES licorice, don't you Mom?  But she LOVES liquor."
All you could hear was laughter from outside the curtain from all of the other patients.  The only thing I could come up with in my defense was this.
Me: "I don't drink liquor, Garrison.  I drink wine."

My cousin sent me this picture the other day and I'm shocked something like this hasn't come home in Garrison's folder yet.

I've had several friends tell me how patient I am with my kids.
How do you NEVER yell at them?  
They obviously didn't see psycho mom come out the other morning when E slapped me in the face.
I've had friends tell me what a good wife I am.

You cook your husband dinner EVERY night? 
They don't realize that cooking is therapeutic for me and allows me to take a few uninterrupted sips of wine and dodge 4th grade math homework...albeit while dodging nerf gun bullets flying at me from the other room.

I've had friends ask me how I stay so organized.
How do you remember everything you have to get done?
If they sat with me more than 15 minutes they would hear an alarm going off in my phone with yet another reminder.  I literally have about 10-15 of those going off each day.

How do you have the energy to do it all?
PLEXUS, duh!  But really... since starting Plexus I have truly been able to at least keep up with the mad chaos that is our life.  So grateful to have that little bit of extra help.

I am not downing myself as a mom.  I do have my downfalls but I feel God has given me the patience, love and grace I need to be a patient, loving and nurturing mama.  That being said, I have encountered many moms lately who I feel deserve a HUGE shout out.  My friends who think I'm super mom should take a glimpse into the lives of women like these.

The Widow 
This is the mom who held it together for her kids when her husband unexpectedly passed.  The mom who stayed strong because she knew she needed to be.  The mom who has suddenly had to learn how to be a father and a mother.  The mom who, instead of giving up, pushed on with bravery like a soldier gearing up for battle.  She likely cried in peace and only allowed herself minutes each night to give into the grief.  And the next day she woke up to face the world again.  Alone.  Strong.  Brave.
"You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have." - Unknown

The Foster Mom
This is the mom who took in someone else's child who needed food, shelter and most importantly - love.  She struggled to find just the right balance of meeting the needs of her biological children as well as her foster children.  She prayed over these kids' hearts and futures.  When she wanted to be angry with these kids' parents she found it in her heart to have compassion for them and pray for them.  She may have even had to say goodbye to a child she had come to love as her own.
"How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." - Winnie the Pooh

The Unshakable Wife (and Mom)
This is the woman whose heart is bruised, damaged and broken almost beyond repair.  She has been hurt so deeply by her spouse that she has almost lost hope for the future.  While her family is falling apart she is rapidly trying to repair the cracks.  She is embarrassed by her situation and is sick of defending her stance to others.  She is hurt, angry, afraid and alone.  She realizes God is her only hope.  She seeks His wisdom and strength day and night.  She has grown closer to him now than ever before.  She keeps looking forward and continues to raise children who will know that no matter what their God will NEVER leave them or forsake them.
"Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.  Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.  Honor her for all her hands have done and let her works bring her praise at the city gate." -Proverbs 31:29-31

The Grieving Mom
This is the mom who has lived through hell on earth.  She faced extremely hard times but turned her life around.  She lost her daughter and had to raise her granddaughter.  Then she lost another granddaughter and had to relive unimaginable grief again.  Instead of sinking into a deep hole and turning from God she immersed herself in His word.  She accepted the strength God clothed her with to walk her own daughter through the same grief she had experienced just years earlier - the loss of a child.  Her strength is relentless.  Her faith is unwavering.  Her God is real and alive.
"Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress.  I will not be shaken." -Psalm 62:6


On the days where I am frustrated, annoyed and exhausted I need to remember that there are moms who would give their last breath to have their child back in their arms for just a few moments.  There are moms who don't have a husband to lean on and laugh with and cry to at night.  There are moms who are facing daily struggles far more difficult than my own.

Today, in the midst of our crazy and chaotic life, I choose to treasure this life God has given me.  I choose to use the gifts He has given me for His glory!  I choose to do the best job I can in raising these children He has entrusted me with - to be a more patient, loving, nurturing mom who actually lives IN the moment with my children.  And I will thank God for allowing me to be their mom for as long as He will let me.

DC Recap and More

I have not posted in forever.  It feels good to be back. 

Garrett and I just took a trip to Washington, DC.  I qualified for the Leaders Retreat with Plexus and they paid for our trip.  To say I’m grateful is an understatement.  We had SO.MUCH.FUN!  The weekend getaway was definitely needed.  I’ll try to sum up our time with a few photos and captions.

I flew in on Thursday around lunch time.  Can you tell I was excited?

I met a really great girl at the airport and her husband.  I learned that her husband was the lead singer of the Scooter Brown Band.  I knew I had heard some of their songs but I recently downloaded their albums on Spotify and I am loving their sound.  Y’all have to check them out!

We got to the Gaylord in National Harbor, Maryland and the area was so cool!  Restaurants, shops, bars and even a huge ferris wheel lined the streets leading up to the Gaylord.

I spent the evening with my amazing, incredible, fantastic…did I say awesome…upline, Rayne.  This girl is a jewel…literally, too – she’s a Diamond in Plexus which is the top level of the company and she has re-entered the company with me on her second leg.  How cool is this company that they let you re-enter to reach Diamond again?!  Pretty sweet!  Anyways, she took such great care of me introducing me to everyone and making me feel welcome.

They closed down the street, literally, for our Plexus street party!  SO cool!

Garrett flew in about midnight and I think I popped my head up from the pillow to say Hi!  I was exhausted.

Thursday we took a tour of DC and it was so cool.  I never thought I would have the chance to visit and I’m so glad we did.  We did lots and lots and lots of walking.  Lots.

We had dinner at a ridiculously yummy place (definitely a splurge) called Joe’s.  Delicious!

That night we did what any kid free couple would do.  We went to the local market, picked up a 6 pack and bottle of wine and headed back to the hotel to binge watch Blacklist.  Haha!  Seriously though…such a great night!

Friday we slept in, went to lunch and then Garrett went to the Plexus session with me.  I just loved seeing all of the winners of the contests. There were so many $2,000 check winners and $5,000 Bloomingdale’s shopping spree winners.  I told y’all this company was awesome.  And then just as we thought it was wrapping up they brought JEWEL out to sing for us.  WHAT?!?!  She is amazing!  I mean truly amazing!

That night we decided to try out the local restaurants so we had a drink and appetizer at each one.  Such a fun way to experience the atmosphere and food of these fun places.  We made a quick appearance at the Halloween party and then headed to bed.  I knew 3:45 am was going to come SUPER early…and it did.  Good thing I consistently took my Plexus while on vacation!

Y'all, I know I post about Plexus a lot but for those of you who really know me you know I have never done MLM.  I am not one of those who has tried it all to make a buck or two.  I signed up as an ambassador for this company because:

(1) I whole heartedly believe in the products

(2) This company has truly brought financial freedom to so many peoples' lives

(3) I WILL stay home with my boys because I know I will never get this time back

(4) I thoroughly enjoy helping people improve their health and finances

I am amazed at how quickly I have built my business.  In just my first two weeks of selling I covered by car payment, utility payment and had some extra money.  My first full month I was able to cover my mortgage and my husband's car payment.  My pay has been consistent since that point.  I am just getting started, y'all.  The sky is truly the limit with this company.  And I know, without a doubt, God brought this opportunity to my family so we could have freedom in our lives and eventually bless others with our finances. 

I watched Rayne post for TWO YEARS about this company.  I even got so annoyed with her posts I almost defriended her - no joke.  While I regret waiting so long to start I am SO glad I finally said YES!  If you really love sitting in traffic every day, working in an office watching the clock and being away from your kids then keep on doing what you're doing.  If you have bigger dreams and goals for yourself and your family I would love to be able to tell you how awesome this company is and how you, too, could be on your way to financial freedom. 

I also wanted to share another story with y'all.  On the plane ride back from DC I glanced over and saw a lady who, from the side, looked exactly like my Grandmama.  (For those of you who don’t know my Grandmama passed away in January of this year.  I miss her terribly.)  This lady had cotton white hair and even red glasses just like Grandmama.  I sat there and stared at her.  Just stared….for a good 10 minutes.  I have had many of these moments since my grandma passed – moments where the sadness just overwhelms me and I miss her so much it hurts.  But then I have other moments.  Moments where a saying or a scripture or a joke remind me so much of her.  And in those moments I am reminded of the legacy she has left behind.  A legacy of wisdom, truth, love, compassion, humor and faith.  She made me want to be a better person – a better soldier of God’s army, a better wife, a better mom, a better woman.  So while I miss her so much it physically hurts I am grateful to have loved someone like that.  And I am grateful that God put a woman in my life who had that much impact on me and those around me.  Today I encourage you to treasure the gifts and people God has given you.  Allow God to mold you into the woman or man He created you to be.  Ask Him what it is He wants for you and surrender yourself to Him.  His ways are far greater than ours (Isaiah 55:9).

~Jewels*