learning to tell the truth

Adelle is my favorite girl in the whole world. Sometimes I think that even if she wasn't mine, she would still be my favorite. She is so completely original. You never know what to expect with this girl and she has really taught me the value of patience in learning. She is a good girl and I am in love.

On Tuesday (see last post) she had a Halloween party at her school. Filled with pumpkins, costumes, candy...All of her favorite things as of late.

After school she was showing me her art. It was a pumpkin drawn on a piece of paper that she got to decorate by gluing on candy corn. I was telling her what a good job she had done when she innocently said, "oh, and mom. These things taste really good (referring to the candy corn)." I wanted her to expand on that statement so I said, "Oh really sis. Did you get to have some?" My statement was very friendly, non threatening. I said it in a calm, nice, tone. Adelle looked at me and simply said, "no mom, my friends just told me they were good." At this point I knew the truth was not being told but I was fascinated and a little scared and her innocent, sweet way of lying to my face! I continued, "oh sis. It's ok if you had some of those it's just really important that we always tell the truth," to which she looked at me, gave me a smirk and giggled, "mom, how did you know that I had some?"

I guess I can take the eyes in the back of my head statement to a new level. I've got eyes a mile away in her preschool class! And I know my little girl better than she thinks!

Always a curve ball with this girl. The truth is she does want to be honest she is just learning how. I am glad to be her teacher. I am glad for the tender moments we share that strengthen both of us.

He he he he

Here is our little witchy-poo!

Cutie patootie, stinky feet, funny girl.

Today was costume day at Preschool and let's just say she was stoked! This isn't her actual costume (that's top secret until I get the rest of it done) but my sister found this at the clearance store and new Adelle had to have it.

I do love Halloween!

Happy Birthday Braxton

It seriously floors me that this little guy will be 6 tomorrow!!!

Looking through pictures caused me to do a lot of reminiscing about this sweet boy. I remember him in a lot of different ages and going through a lot of different stages. Braxton will always be my little cuddle bug. He is getting pretty big and it's difficult for me to lift him up these days but at bed time he still sits on my lap and cuddles me and I hope this lasts for a long time.
Here are some things that come to mind about Brax:

Age 0-1: Braxton loved to be swaddled. Actually this wasn't an option, it was a requirement for him to sleep! He also never napped in his crib, always with me on the couch or in my bed. Went to his first basketball game at MHS to watch my brother play at age 3 weeks. Very alert. Happy as long as he was full! Braxton loved to drink out of a straw like a bird we would hold one end of the straw with our finger tip and he would suck on the other end. He was a hard baby to burp so we learned to really whap his back to the point where people thought we were being a bit violent, but it worked and made him feel better. Braxton sat up super early. I didn't write it in my journal but I remember going on a playdate with a bunch of other moms and he was the youngest and the only one who could sit up. He loved to crawl but never climbed up onto things.

Age 1-2: After months of me fretting that my bright, strong baby would never walk, he finally walked at 15 months. The relief! I remember at this age he loved to blow raspberries on me and Jeff. Any exposed skin and we would be smothered in wet sloppy raspberries. This is when I went back to school for a semester to finish my sociology degree at WWU. My mom and my sister took turns watching Braxton so that I could take the last 15 credits I needed. This was so hard but I'm glad I did it. Total personality already; flirty eyes, ladies man. This boy loved his pacifier and we had to wean him off it of slowly. Whenever I do anything in the kitchen he is sitting on the counter helping me.

Age 2-3: Loves going on trips but gets car sick in the car at this age. Loves Bonz and Buster (dogs that belong to his grandparents). Loves to go on the boat and go fishing. I think his earliest memory is when he was almost 2 and we were on our boat and he watched me crash water skiing. He seriously still talks about it. That's a pretty good memory! At this age Braxton became a big brother for the first time. He called Adelle "baby girl" until she was almost 1 and when anyone would call her, "Adelle" he could correct them and say, "I don't like that name." He has always been the kindest big brother ever! At this point he still didn't know how to nap by himself so eventually by age 3 I stopped napping with him and he napped in his own car bed. Braxton is the best eater at a really young age. He is not picky at all and he loves fruits and veggies.

Age 3-4: Braxton got really into working construction and riding motorcycles. Jeff made his his own motorcycle helmet. He was constantly wearing a helmet of some sort, work helmet (hard hat) or motorcycle helmet. I remember going to get the oil changed in my car and he wore a helmet there and everyone in the shop thought he was so funny. He was also really into basketball and loved to go watch Bryce at college. Braxton got up and sang all by himself at church during Sacrament, "I hope they call me on a mission" at age 3 when my brother got his mission call. Seriously awesome kid. Personality galore. Always in costume of some sort. This is when it all started with him changing his clothes 5 million times a day. When he went out to work in the dirt he put on his work clothes. When he went to play basketball in his own little hoop he would have to change into his ball clothes. When the missionaries came over he would put on his suit and his tag to be a missionary...a police man, a cowboy...

Age 4-5: Braxton starts preschool and enjoys the structure and routine. He continues to be very animated and enthusiastic about life. He wanted me to have a boy the whole time I was pregnant with Emmett and was very happy when he was born a boy. He loves his sister and his baby brother. He is so much help at this age either distracting Adelle so I could take care of Emmett or playing with Emmett so I could take care of Adelle. He goes through a crazy stage of hating water. Scared to take a bath, doesn't want to swim in the pool... He practices his razor scooter and gets really good. Gets to play in his first Turkey Bowl football game and loves it. Starts playing soccer...

Age 5-6: Continues to grow and learn. Starts to become a bit egotistical. I would tell him, "wow, you were so kind to your friend," and he would say, "I know." He has gotten a lot better at this the past few months. He is very sweet and kind and very much a leader in all settings. He loves those who teach him. He is always telling those he loves how much he loves them. Tonight at his birthday he was so polite in thanking everyone for coming and for all of his gifts and he is very sentimental. At one point tonight I heard him exclaim, "oh, that is so sweet," in reference to a card my sister gave him. He is very in tune with others' feelings and wants to be a good friend. He is a very creative thinker. I got him a Halloween costume, Gorilla, and the next thing I know he had constructed a vine in his room out of bandanas linked together, hanging from his bunk. He said this is where he can swing in the trees like a gorilla. He is very artistic. He draws pictures every day with detail and accuracy and loves to write and read and do homework. He knows the first 10 articles of faith and loves to learn the Gospel. He loves playing football and soccer and basketball and walking to school. He's a bit into "bad guys" and "monsters" and pirates and swords. His favorite cereal is Wheat Chex and he loves pumpkin pie and chocolate ice cream. He can snap his fingers and he can tie his own neck tie; I cannot even do that!! His dad showed him like once and now he totally does it himself on Sunday mornings. Oh, and last but not least, he still takes a nap on the weekends. I am all about good sleep for these little brains/bodies and this boy is so worn out from school that he takes a nap on Saturdays and Sundays. You are never too old for a nap!

Well you get the hint. I could go on and on but I have to get some sleep too. This whole birthday thing is a lot of work.
I love this little boy.
Happy Birthday!

daddy day care

I often tell Jeff that if all else fails, we could always open up our very own day care. You may think this is a funny idea but if you know Jeff at all you know that this could actually be an option for our family. THE GUY LOVES KIDS. And not just our own kids, but most kids he really does enjoy.

Last Saturday a bunch of my girlfriends and I had a breakfast planned. It was a morning that we'd planned for a while and we all looked forward to getting away and talking together without our little ones. At the last minute my one friend texted me that she wouldn't be able to make it because she didn't have a sitter. From the bathroom where I was getting ready I hollered for my husband to come in. I then explained the scenario and without a second thought he said exactly what I expected him to say, "tell her to bring em over!" I texted her back and a few minutes later we were on our way. She said something to me like, "I think Jeff is the only dad I know who would be up for watching other kids." At breakfast the rest of my friends there agreed that Jeff was awesome and they would all leave their kids with him.

Similarly yesterday my sister texted me and told me her husband was working late and she wanted to get the kids together to entertain each other. I told her to bring them over. Then Jeff insisted that us girls go out so we left all the cousins with him and fled to the consignment store to look around.

On both occasions the kids had a blast. I came home to a disastrous house. On the first occasion I asked Jeff, "did you play with the kids the whole time?" He said yes and then I knew why everything was out of order. Instead of cleaning up after their every mess he was just gettin' down and dirty with them. The way a dad should.

What an awesome dad, uncle, playmate...

Here is a video from last night while he was in charge. Try to listen over Emmett and Kate yelling, "cheese" and catch the dynamics of Braxton's conversation with Adelle and Carson. This is my kids personalities to a tee. I can't believe he got it all on one short video!!

http://youtu.be/CgCnDd9CQuQ

The Mom Club

I am so blessed to have so many sisters in my life. Other women, all daughters of Heavenly Father. Sisters. This past week really hit me with the realization of the blessing that it is to not be in this world alone. There are so many sisters in my life that I get to associate with and it fills my heart with love and gratitude.

My sweet Grandma (thanks to marriage) gave me a copy of this article a few months ago. I could so relate. I love the commonalities that I share with other women. There are some that I can take my healthy treats too and some that I can talk too about life. There are some that I can talk to about nutrition and dreams and goals....There are some that come over and drop off their kids with my husband and kids so that we can go out and do whatever, girl stuff. There are some that I walk with and some that I eat junk food with. Some that I trade kids with and some with whom I swap clothes. There are some that I never really see but who have had tremendous impacts on my life and my thinking process. And still some who I don't even know their name but I connect with them walking side by side in a grocery store kids in tow. Oh and not to mention some who I've, again never met, but we blog and so I feel like I know they am love them! There is really something special about being a woman.

Here is the short little article:

"Mom, do you know that lady?"

"No, why?"

"Then why are you chatting together like you're bestest friends?"

My 6-year-old daughter asked me this question at least three times while we ran errands.

My mother used to do this too: strike up conversations with complete strangers in the store, in line at the post office and in doctors’ waiting rooms. To my young mind, I couldn't comprehend how two strangers could be giggling together like old college roomies after only two lines of dialogue. Now I know. They're all fellow mommies: members of Club Mom.

You see, we're all part of the same sorority. When I see another mom with her shopping cart weighed down with more kids than groceries, I feel like I already know her. We need no introductions. I can just blurt out, "Hey, have you tried these yet?" or, "How much do you think these will shrink in the wash?" and before we know it, we're swapping laundry tips and recipes and potty training horror stories. That's when my daughter looks on and can't believe we're perfect strangers.

Being a member of Club Mom has other benefits too.

"What do you do if you get lost?" I ask my kids each time we go someplace large and crowded.

"Find another mommy!" is their hardy reply. "We look for someone with a stroller and kids to help us!" I teach them this because I know I can trust my fellow mommies more than any other group of people on earth.

I know a fellow sister in the trenches will help my little one find his way back to me no matter how many obstacles stand in her way. She'll probably even have a wet wipe for his nose and a few fruit snacks in her purse. I know this because these are my people. This is my club. Millions join our ranks daily.

But I'll tell you, whew, — Club Mom has one heck of an initiation rite!

A member of 'Club Mom'

Published: Wednesday, March 9, 2011 4:30 a.m. MST

Margaret Anderson

simple truths

I found this on my friends blog and I LOVE IT! I am tired. I think I will take this advice from this wise little 8 year old and use my down time to rest rather than waste time on the computer.

I have not laid down during nap since Brax started Kindergarten. I'm afraid I will sleep through picking him up from school. Then someone smart, I don't remember who, suggested I set my alarm. Duh.

DON'T YOU DARE COME OVER AND RING MY DOORBELL!!

Sunday Dinner

Jeff's creation: Fresh local salmon smothered in brown sugar and topped with apple slices

Here is the chef. Happily chopping away.

Jeff is pretty clever. Because of a tight budget we haven't been going out to eat for a while. He knows me well enough to know that as much as I love being in the kitchen, my favorite date is a yummy dinner that I don't have to think about, prep. for, make, or clean up after. So basically, I like to go out to eat or I like him to make dinner once in a while.

A while back he decided that he was going to cook dinner one night a week. Then he cleverly decided that his night to cook would be Sunday. The reason this was so tricky was because we almost always eat Sunday dinner at my mom and dad's. So he cleverly picked this night, knowing that 9 times out of 10 he would be off the hook. And for his benefit this night really makes the most sense since he is working the other days and Saturdays we usually have leftovers.

Well yesterday was one of those few times when we had Sunday dinner at home which meant Jeff was in charge. He was on it. Before church he took the salmon out of the freezer (I know I said it was fresh, because it was a few weeks ago when my aunt brought it over but I had a full fridge so I had to throw it in the freezer). Then at dinner time he got it out, filleted it, and without me knowing he concocted a delicious topping of brown sugar, butter, and apples. He also went out to the garden and dug up the potatoes to oven roast. Went to the tomato plant and picked the last of the fresh tomatoes for the salad. And at 6:00pm we were all treated to a beautiful Sunday dinner. It was a win, win, win, because he even did all the dishes afterwards!

Sundays are my favorite day of the week for many reasons. One of them being that I rarely have to cook dinner. It's my favorite thing to do 5 nights of the week but even favorites get old!

And the best part of this meal was how happy Jeff was with himself. Seriously so proud of his creation and how much we all enjoyed it. This is what he said at the end of the meal, "I think we've got ourselves a new family favorite."

pease

All big and grown up looking with his haircut. Braxton's old hoodie...one of my all time favorites!

Walking brother to school. Sportin' brother's hat.

This is him saying, "pease." It's pretty irresistible.

notice the awesome 1/2 haircut. I cut his hair myself and it's a bit of a process. This last hair cut took about 3 weeks to complete but I actually liked it when only 1/2 of it was cut so I wasn't in a hurry to do the other 1/2.

Already he looks so big compared to this picture from summer. Maybe it's the hair?

If anyone wants to tell me how to put my pictures side by side like a collage with blogger that would be awesome!! I can't seem to figure it out....

Emmett is growing up. I really love this fun stage he is in. He is so expressive and we are really noticing his little personality.
He is funny: If he does something and someone laughs he will do it over and over and over
He is stubborn: If he wants something he will get it!
He is sweet: The sweetest thing in the world is hearing him ask, "pease." We taught him how to say please and now we can't resist giving in to whatever he asks for. This could be a problem.
He loves nap and bed time: Adelle is still our best sleeper but this little boy loves nap and bed (for the most part). When I say nappy time he runs to his crib and says "nigh nigh."
He is tough: Definitely our toughest kid so far. He could fall, konk his head, get stung by a bee, and we never know until his big brother or sister tell us.
He is very handsome: Love his green eyes and perfect eye brows and the fact that they look like mine :)
He loves to dance: Whenever he hears anything close to music he gets his groove on and smiles big.
He likes to apologize: He is in a hitting stage where he hits when he can't say what he wants/needs. So frustrating for all of us! But he is always sorry and gives hugs afterwards.

The other day Emmett put himself on time out. It was so cute I can't get over it. I have been counting to 3 with him and it's totally working. When he doesn't obey by #3 I have been setting him in the time out chair. He kindof gets it. Well the other day I counted to three and he didn't obey. I said, "Emmett that's no, no" to which he walked himself over and sat down in the time out chair. Without me even directing him there. It was so sweet and cute and smart!!

rain

the rain is out bouncing on our trampoline
literally, hitting it hard and then splattering up
the kids are tucked in
snoozing to a rainy lullaby
the dog laying beside me
her on the floor
me on the couch
pitter pat
pitter pat
i really love the sound of the rain
i'm trying to read my book
the rain is putting me to sleep
softly
now the rain is making me have to go to the bathroom
i could listen to this sound all day
what?
all of that and now
done
we may still be able to walk to school to pick up Brax without drowning

Jog-a-Thon

Cooling off with a pop sickle after the run

getting nice and sweaty

smiling ear to ear

making sure his fans were still there cheering him on

Braxton was able to participate in his first Jog-a-thon on Friday. He has been talking about this event for the last 3 weeks. Just couldn't wait for it!!

The day was perfect. It didn't rain but it wasn't too cold either. All the Kindergartners wore tye-dye shirts so that they would stand out. They were so cute!

I got to volunteer at the event so as the kids ran around I punched holes in their cards to track their laps.

Braxton was an all star. He totally dominated! They ran for 30 minutes and he ran the whole time making it around a total of 38 times!

It was so fun to watch. Umpa came to watch as well as Lesha, Carson, Kate, and Jeff and the kids. Braxton had the biggest cheering section. As usual!

I loved watching him. He was so determined and smiled the whole entire time. We are already anticipating next years Jog-a-thon!

Featured Mom

I was totally featured on Dancing with the Stars!!

No I wasn't. If you believed that for half a minute you need to get to know me better. I've never even seen the show, nor do I dance well. So, ha. That was a joke.

But I was featured here!

Thanks Jess for recommending me and thanks Bonnie for the blog space and nice write up.

It was fun. Check it out!

Pumpkin Patch Take II

These kids are too much. In looking through my photos for this blog I discovered that in most of them the kids are making crazy, silly, faces!

The corn maze was long and frustrating. Not really fit for the preschoolers.

The kids got to bring home a miniature pumpkin of their choice.

Adelle wore jeans for the first time in her life. Seriously she always wears leggings or dresses. We all wore jeans and vests to the farm.

Here is my sweet girl on the hayride.

Moo Moo

There were lots of animals

and lots of cute little backsides!

We all had a really good time. The weather was perfect and the kids were all excited. It was a fun day.

While posting this my brother called me from school so I am multi-tasking. Just a heads up in case this post doesn't really make sense.

note to self

I want to always remember my life right now. The powerful, unwavering love I have for my husband. The feelings of strength, not of my own. The testimony I've gained. The lessons I'm learning. The little ones who love me more than I can handle sometimes. The experiences. The support of a wonderful family. The joy. The giggles. The poop everywhere in my life (literally; kids, diapers, dog, neighbors cat...). I want to seal it in a bottle.

I've kept a journal since I was old enough to write. It is my treasure. I remember writing about what my life would be like when I "grew up." I imagined graduating from college. Being a wife and a mother. I anticipated it would be good. I would be happy. I had no idea it would be wonderful. That I would be bursting with joy. I didn't even really think about it being hard. Hey, is being hard part of what makes it wonderful??? I think I am onto something here.

Life is so stinkin' hard! Just when I think I've learned the lesson of a life time three more are thrown into my face without warning. But it's all so glorious. It's all so perfectly planned by a loving Father who knows us so well and who prepares us for the trials we will face before we even know we will face them. Wow.

I am one busy mom. I wouldn't want to be anything else in the whole world. I love my life. I love waking up early in the morning and kissing my husband and praying for help and strength to get through the day. I love getting up and putting on my slippers and making my morning brew to warm my innards and get me going. I love reading my scriptures and making my husband and kids' lunches and concocting something fun/healthy/fast/tasty for breakfast.

I love it when Emmett wakes up and we race in to get him before he wakes up the rest of the house. I love letting the dog in and having her jump up and give me kisses and the run laps around the kitchen where I am trying to get things done. I love it when I sit down at the computer and read an email from an old friend. I love it when another friend calls me because she lives to far to come over and we talk on the phone for an hour and don't even realize it because we could talk for 4 more hours and still have more to talk about. I love it when the little ones come out all sleepy eyed and plop down on the couch and ask to watch a movie while they finish waking up.

I love getting everyone ready and putting Adelle and Emmett into the stroller to walk Braxton to school. I love the neighborhood friends we meet up with and the friendly old lady who sits in her car and watches and smiles at me everyday when I walk to the school with my posse. I love Braxton's teacher and the fact that she is getting to really know him and appreciate him for the good boy that he is. I love Heidi, the volunteer in Braxton's class who is not a parent. Not a teacher. Not being paid. She just loves kids and she doesn't have her own so she volunteers her time in my child's classroom 20 hours a week. I love people like that who teach me to be a better person. I love the Principal at Braxton's school. She is a firecracker and I love that she knows my name and the names of my young ones because she recognizes us there. I love the diversity. I love saying "good morning" to everyone I see. I feel at home there. Like I am part of one big happy family.

I love my home. I love that today I had two crock-pots on and filled with food at the same time. One was reheating my chili from last night for lunch today and one was cooking pork roasts to make pulled pork sandwiches for dinner. I am blessed and thankful for friends who are kind and charitable and who cleaned out their freezers before they moved and gave me the remains. I love my home. I love the patio in the back that is covered where my kids can still play outside without getting wet in the rain.

I love my mantle. I love that all three of my children have at one time or another worn the same cow costume for Halloween. I love that! I love how I framed each of them in their little cow costume and adorned my mantle with the pictures for the season. I am o.k that I don't have a little cow this year. One day there will be more little cows but not as of now. I love the squash that Emmett wants to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and that Adelle says she doesn't like but continues to gobble up the pancakes that I hide it in.

I love that I am surrounded by family who loves me and thinks about me and my family and serves us willingly. They support my husband and have helped him get business up and running. I have babysitters pounding on my door insisting that Jeff and I go out and it's a blessing because I know that they love my kids and love being with them. I love going to my parent's on Sunday for dinner and no matter what it is it tastes like home and there is a ton and everyone is comfortable and happy and content just being together.

I love the budget we are currently on. It is plenty tight but it encourages me to be creative and to think ahead and plan and make time for little things like birthday presents that I would otherwise just go to the store and thoughtlessly buy. I love that. I love that last night I thought about a project, started the project, and finished the project all while talking business with my husband. Now I am ready for my niece's birthday coming up this weekend.

I love that I have friends and a sister who are moms and who are in the same season that I am in. We get each other. We share kids and recipes and books and talents and cars and tips and stop by each others houses' without being invited and use each others toilets even if they aren't clean. I love that. We get each other.

I love coming home from a busy morning with my little ones either from story time at the library or preschool or the park and eating lunch with them. I love that they love their fish oil and they seriously think it is dessert. I love that Emmett still nurses, just because he wants to and I'm o.k with it because he is still my baby. I love that Adelle sleeps in my bed without the blanket, just the sheet. I love that I get a bit of time to myself to study, read, blog, clean, peel carrots, laundry, whatever. It's nice and I look forward to it. I also love the days when Emmett wakes up but is still tired and I get to rock him back to sleep or lay down with him. He likes our cheeks to be touching.

I love going to get Braxton at school and waiting for Fisher and Charly and Jayden so we can all walk home together. I love how Adelle thinks all the big boys are her friends too and how I can listen to Braxton interact with his friends. I love coming home and having him empty the contents of his backpack and tell me about what he worked on. I love how the kids play together for the next hour so that I can do dinner. Today it was play dough and cars/motorcycles. Braxton makes the little kids laugh. They idolize him.

I love it when my husband comes home and he's tired and excited and has so much to tell me but he can't because everyone wants his attention, even the dog. I love that we eat dinner all together and Braxton and Adelle set the table and Emmett starts to eat if the prayer goes too long. I love that the dog lays under the table while we eat just to be a part of the family time. I love listening to my kids savor a soup I made up that is good for them and that they can't get enough of. I love that!!

I love putting Emmett to bed, like we do, as a whole family we go into his room and sing I am a Child of God together and we kneel and pray together and Emmett gets kisses from everyone and the only one he puckers up for is his dad. I hate/love that. :) I love that Braxton and Adelle get one on one time with a parent to read or be read to and then off to bed they go with us to read one verse from the Book of Mormon and recite their articles of faith. They love this. I love that. Then we tuck them in and they take their time to giggle or talk or drive each other crazy...

I love that Jeff is my best friend and I am his. We prioritize each other. We don't have a perfect marriage but we are really in love and tolerant of each others flaws. We love being together, even just in the same room doing different things. We never go to bed without the other, unless the other is out of town. I hope we can stick to this forever. I love it when the kids are in bed and we can unwind. Do projects, talk without being interrupted, set goals, make lists, read together, study, do dishes...whatever.

And then it starts again the next day. It's all really good. It's really busy. I used to think that life was busy with three little ones running around here wanting me to entertain them. That seems easier now. We have a schedule we have to stick too. I have to get dressed every day. Seriously! This is an adjustment. I am a mom of a school kid now. My child is out in the real world. This is all really new and interesting and scary and great.

On a scale of most hard to least hard this past year would be the most hard. No question. It's been a roller coaster for me and I've learned to be comfortable outside of my comfort zone. It's not easy but it's doable. I've never loved more or felt more love. Love from my Savior. He's always been there and always loved me but finally, I really recognize it now. I let it strengthen me and lighten my burdens. Love for others. I don't judge as easily. I don't make assumptions. I don't hold grudges. It doesn't matter. Love for my family. They are everything to me. Near and far I feel so united to all of them and never alone. Love for life. It's supposed to be hard, I guess, because that is what makes it good.

Centsible Services

I have dreaded posting this post but I know you all are curious about the new business. So, I will do my best.

The dread comes only from the fact that there is so much feeling in my heart and so many words in my head and I don't know that I can fully express this whole thing in a blog post. So I am going to give you the business update without all the heart and soul and grime.

Jeff's business is up and running! It's been quite a process and it's a good thing he is a smart guy because there are a ton of little technicalities that I would have completely overlooked. Which is probably why he didn't put me in charge of getting this whole thing going.

Jeff is very business savvy and has always dreamed of running his own company. So now you are picturing some guy in a suit driving a nice car while talking into a blue tooth. Well, that's not exactly (at all) my husband. Amidst his dream of having a business and having the excel skills that he has he is a get down and work in the dirt kind of guy. He is handy and techy and wanted something in the middle. Come on, who really wants to sit in an office all day? In his efforts to come up with something in this lousy economy he found a nitch in roof cleaning and now... he has his own roof cleaning business. So he gets to do all the dirty paper work and record keeping, and he gets to use his manly skills to climb ladders and balance on roofs. It's the best of both worlds and we are learning the ends and outs. The name of his (actually I should say "our" because he likes it when I say "our", and it is "our") business is Centsible services. Get it, like cent (money).

The roof cleaning is just one of the services he offers but it is the one that he hopes to market the most because it is more profitable than the other services.

We bought into roof shampoo , which enables him to use their machine and their product but to have his own business name. He is not affiliated with them except that he orders their product. It's not a franchise, but because he was the first in this area to buy in, no-one else in this county can use their machine/product. So that is cool and eliminates some competition. There still is competition, obviously, but the other guys don't have the same products or machine that he has.

Jeff's website is here for you to check out! He is still tweaking it a bit.

All the products are green and eco-friendly. It really works! Look at my roof.

I'm so thankful for a good husband. He has never complained about any job that he has had and he has graciously done a lot of dirty work to get where he is at. I am thankful that he knows how to work hard and that he does all he can to allow me to be able to stay at home with our children. Jeff's priority has always been his family and it shows in all that he is.
This week he is booked solid! That is great news and the hope now is that he can continue to stay as busy as he possibly can before the real cold hits.