Cooper Todd ~ Forever in our hearts

Cooper Todd crawled into our hearts when he joined our family in 2007 at only about 7 weeks old.  He and his brother and sister were dumped on the road near the animal control officer's home in Clay Center, Kansas and when we heard that they were to be put down within a day or two, we just couldn't let that happen.  Cooper, his brother Brody and their sister Felicity crawled right into our hearts and made themselves right at home.  Cooper was always shy and timid and didn't trust easily, but once he finally placed his trust in you, he was ever loyal and faithful.  He loved the kids and was always trying to round them up ~ the border collie traits in him were deeply rooted.  Last Sunday, we put the dogs out into the dog run (the backside of our home that is about 25x50 feet long).  Within about 20 minutes we realized that they'd escaped through a small hole they'd chewed in the fence.  Within a couple of hours we'd rounded up Brody and Felicity but Cooper kept evading our rescue efforts.  He'd never been without his brother and sister by his side his entire life and didn't seem to know what to do while he was all by himself.

We searched for nearly 5 hours Sunday in sub-freezing tempuratures to no avail.  We nearly had him several times but then someone he didn't know would come up behind us and he'd get spooked and run again.  We continued to search for Cooper each day.  All our neighbors searched as well.  Every time anyone spotted him, they'd call and we'd run out to search.  By Wednesday we thought we would get him... we saw him across a field; so very close.  The first blizzard of the year was rolling in; it was raining then turned to sleet, then the snow began to fall heavy and wet.  We continued to search and call Cooper.  We walked Brody down every trail we could think of between our home and every place we'd spotted Coops, to leave a scent for him to follow home.  By Thursday morning there was a pure white blanket of snow covering everything.  We worried about him staying warm and dry, and getting something to eat, but we knew that he would stay holed up if we went searching in the snow.  By Friday we were still looking, hoping, and praying... but nothing.  Then at about 3:30 Friday afternoon, we got a call from animal control.  My excitement at the thought that they'd caught him, instantly turned to heart break as they told me that he was gone.  He never felt anything they said and some very kind people stayed with him until the officer could get there.

We made cremation arrangements this morning and came home with only his red collar and tags.  We will finally bring Cooper home after the holidays... not in the way we had prayed for, but home with us none the less.  We told the girls the truth ~ God knew that Cooper had no intention of letting us catch him and the only way He could keep him safe was to take him to Heaven.  Sweet Gracie quietly said "Mamo is taking care of him now that he's in Heaven".  Then began the questions of what's Heaven like and why didn't God just pick Cooper up and bring him back home.  I don't have the answers really other than to say that God had Cooper's life planned out, including how and when He would take him home to Heaven, before He even created Coops... just like He planned each of our lives.  And, just like He gave each of us the mixed blessing of free choice, He also gave Cooper a choice.  Cooper chose to stay away from us as we searched for him because he was so afraid of other people.  There really is no other answer.  God showed our family tremendous mercy and gave us a closure; we aren't left with questions and worry, we aren't left to continue searching every day and worrying about driving down the street to find him hurt.  There is a certain comfort and peace in that.  What we are left with is 5 years of memories and the joy Cooper brought our family.  Cooper Todd Schroeder 2/14/07-12/21/12  

(This is a video I made several years ago, when Cooper and his siblings were pups.  Happy times)

Thanksgiving 2012

The start of the holiday season is officially upon us.  We just celebrated Thanksgiving and realized how very much we have to be thankful for.  It was a quiet Thanksgiving for our family as well celebrated together at The Lodge at Wilderness Ridge.  No leftovers to enjoy, but no clean up and dishes either ;)  Then, Santa made his grand enterance into Lincoln on Saturday night, complete with a couple of his reindeer, several elves, and Mrs. Claus.  The next several weeks will be full of special activities, family time, and remembering why we have the eternal hope that we are blessed to have... as it all leads up to the birthday of our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  

Boy, if this isn't classic for my girls ;)

Waiting for Santa to arrive.  That's the last shot you will see of Miss Hannah... She spent the rest of the night hiding from Santa and his entire crew.  She is still terrofied of things like this.

The big guy finally arrived :)

 

We ended our evening by snuggling up with some snacks and sparkling cider and watching Santa and the Three Bears (my personal favorite Christmas Cartoon:)  Poor Miss Gracie couldn't make it through the whole movie.  When it was over, he daddy carried her off to bed and she never even woke up :)

My fun find...

Anyone who knows me at all, knows I LOVE to create. I love all different mediums, and it really just depends on my mood what you might find me working on at any given time.

I don't know what I'd do without my Cricut Cutter. I seriously use it all the time. If you have one, you know how much you can do with it. Consequently, there's a ton to learn about all that it does. I have some wonderful dvd's that teach me some of the amazing things this machine does and how I can get professional results with mine too. However, there are just times I want to look something up quickly without watching a video. Today, my wish came true:). I stumbled upon this book in the magazine section at Hobby Lobby. It has tons of information, it's full of tricks and tips, and it has some great projects with step by step instructions.

If you have a Cricut, check this book out. I think you might find that it helps you take your projects to the next level. Oh yeah... Don't forget to use your weekly 40% off coupon too, that makes this book at steal at only $12.00:)

It's so nice to hear....

I was shopping with one of my daughters last night and as we were checking out, the cashier commented to her that she was lucky to find so many things in a small size; that it seems all this particular store ever has is sizes for bigger people.  I commented to them "Hey Hey Hey... watch it now:)"  The cashier looked up and said, "What?  You're not very big"  WOW!  That was something I haven't heard in a long time and it rang so sweetly in my ears:)  I have Plexus Slim and Accelerator to thank for that compliment.

In the past 2 1/2 months, I've lost 25 lbs and gone down 2 sizes in my jeans without dieting or exercising.  I'm still enjoying normal foods and even a little treat each day, but Plexus keeps me in check and I don't over indulge; I'm not hungry anymore and it's impossible to over eat.  Beyond that, Plexus Slim actually burns real fat... hence the reason I've gone down 2 whole sizes in my jeans.  As we are heading into the holiday season, I'm actually looking forward to all the festive foods that we enjoy as we spend time with our family and friends.  I'm not dreading starting the New Year with even more pounds to lose after the holidays; I've already gotten a jump start on that particular resolution:)  Would you like to enjoy everything the holiday season offers without fear of paying the price on the scale come January 2nd?  How about having extra energy to get through all the extra activities the holidays have in store for you?  Try the 30 day Plexus Slim challenge... you've got nothing to lose but those extra pounds.  www.getslimLiveWell.com    

Planning....

I'm betting I'm not the only one who's already thinking about the upcoming New Year and my resolutions.  The older I get, the sooner I try to get a jump start on them because I'm realistic enough to know that they'll all be out the window by February anyway;)  Can you relate?  There's 2 things on my resolution list: lose weight and simplify life.  

I've already lost 25 pounds; that's a pretty good start, right?  It's my goal to be at my goal weight/size by spring this coming year.  Thanks to Plexus, I'm positive that I can reach that goal.  Not only am I getting smaller but I'm also getting healthier and that is a HUGE blessing:)  I actually enjoy getting on my treadmill these days... did you just faint?:)  It's true.  Without that extra weight, I don't have such a hard time with my asthma and my joints aren't bothering me as much.  It makes it easier and more desirable to workout, play with the kids, chase the dogs, whatever the day throws at me.  

As for simplifying our life, I'm getting a jump start on that too.  Cleaning out the closets for starters and donating everything rather than storing it till spring for a yard sale.  It's a freeing exercise actually, to shed all your excess "stuff".  It feels just as good as shedding all your extra weight:)  I'm tackling the toys before the holidays hit too, then it's on to all the household stuff that we save, thinking we'll use it one day, but that day never seems to come.  Simplifying life is more than cleaning out though; it's also about putting things into their proper perspective.  I'm spending more time in Scripture and seeking God's guidance in everything.  With God as my true central focus, my life will be in it's proper order and will automatically simplify.  This is the message I want to get through to my children as well.  This world is so full of excess and along with all that it offers comes a ton of stress.  Focus on God, not the world, and the worldly stresses will begin to shed away. 

In 2013 I want to focus on and count all the simple joys... the ones we tend to miss because we are too busy with life's excess to see them.  I'm asking the girls to also keep a blessing journal this new year, so that they can also see the joy in all the little things and not always focus on what they don't have (which honestly, isn't much.  They are incredibly blessed:)  Would you consider joining me on this journey to simplicity?  Look for the little joys and blessings and acknowledge those, even admidst the chaos of daily life.  

National Adoption Month

As a mom blessed through adoption, I just want to encourage everyone to consider adoption ~ There are so many sweet young ones all over this world waiting for their forever families and so many ways you can help.  Even if you don't personally feel called to add to your family through adoption, you can still raise awarness and help in so many ways.  Maybe there's a family that is in the process of adopting that you can help out.  Maybe there's a young woman facing a hard choice, encourage her to know that there are good, loving families that already love her child and would love to add him/her to their family.    There are children in the USA as well as other countries around this world that need sponsors to help them find their forever families, you could be their HERO by sponsoring them and helping raise funds for their adoption funds to help their forever family bring them home sooner.

Personally, my family loves and supports Reese's Rainbow, an organization that specializes in helping Downs Syndrome children in other countries to find their forever families.  They help children with other disabilities as well, especially children who are HIV+.  They do amazing work.  I encourage you to check them out and choose to be a warrior for one of these precious children.  

Being an adoptive mom doesn't make me anything other than "just a mom".  She may not have grown in my womb, but I assure you, she grew in my heart.  I adore and love her more than life itself.  I'm proud to call her my daughter and am blessed that she calls me MOM:)

One year ago we got the best treat EVER!

It was a year ago, at midnight, after all the girls were bathed, in fresh pjs, and crashed from all their halloween fun, sound asleep, that I got the BEST EMAIL EVER... Max William was selected for Gracie and would be coming home in less than 2 weeks.  I was so excited that I was squealing, tears streaming, doing a happy dance, and trying desparately not to give into the desire to wake up Gracie to tell her.  Wow!  What a year it's been!  I adore that goofy boy of ours and he does such a great job taking care of his girl Gracie:)

Look at how much they've both grown:)

Don't give up...

Milestone day :)  After my weight being on what felt like a never ending plateau, the scale moved this morning.  I am down 3 pounds when I stepped on that scale this morning!!!!  WOW!  So very excited :)  Now, even though my scale seemed to be stuck for the past couple of weeks, it doesn't mean I wasn't still noticing that I was losing weight.  I've gone down 2 sizes in my jeans and even my newest pair, which I'm wearing today, is really loose and it won't be long before I can go down one more size :)  Yesterday I ran into a neighbor that I haven't seen other than from across the street  in several months.  She looked at me and said, "You look great!  You've really lost a lot of weight."  Her words were music to my ears :)

I just want to reinforce what you all already know... Don't give up because the reward is too great.  It gets discouraging, I know, when it seems like you're not ever going to see that scale move again.  But, if you keep using your Plexus Slim and maybe even Accelerator, it will start moving again.  Also, remember that Plexus Slim BURNS FAT, so even if that scale isn't moving for awhile, you're probably still going down.  Fat takes up a lot of room, but doesn't weigh as much as you think.  If you saw what the 24 pounds of fat that I've lost since August 30, 2012 looks like, it might take a wagon to hold (who knows;).  All I know is that I feel GREAT :)

If you're using Plexus products... AWESOME!  I know that you're enjoying success like I am.  If you've been thinking about trying it... Now is as good a time as any.  Wouldn't you like to look great in the family snapshots everyone will be snapping over the next few months during all the holiday gatherings?  With a 60 day money back guaranee, you have nothing to lose but unwanted weight.

www.getslimLiveWell.com

A peek at financial freedom

How many months have you wished the same wish?.... "I wish there was more money than month"

Trust me, as a stay at home mom with four children, that refrain has echoed in my mind on a regular basis.  We've prayed for years for God to provide an answer to our monthly shortfall and I've tried many things that I had hoped would help bring in some added income, all to no avail.  But true to His promise, God has provided an answer when He dropped Plexus into our lap:)

Honestly, I was skeptical ~ not only about the possibility of losing weight and improved health, but also about any income potential.  But, God has told us to test Him and see that He's true, so we did just that. WOW!  First off, yes I've lost weight... 22 pounds so far:)  But, beyond that, God went above and beyond in providing what I had hoped for financially.  I'd  hoped that I could work up to earning an extra $500/month, knowing that it would take a little while to get there based on my past experience with other business opportunities I've tried.  Well, God in all His AWESOME ways blew my mind with this new opportunity He's provided.  My first month as a Plexus ambassador I ended up earning a total of $780!!!!  That's nothing short of a miracle:)  

I would love to help you reach your goals, both financially and health-wise.  If you'd like to learn more about the opportunity available to you, please let me know.  Plexus is fairly new to the market and the field is wide open for you to grow your business and consequently your income.  You couldn't find a better time to become a Plexus Ambassador either; we are heading right into the holidays when everyone wants to lose weight before all the parties and family gatherings along with the family picture that they need to send out.  And, January is right around the corner... you know EVERYONE is going to be looking for the answer to their New Year Resolution of losing weight and increasing their health and fitness levels.  Starting your Plexus business now allows you to be prepared to handle all these new customers:) 

Call me at (402) 613-6204 or email me at dawn@getslimlivewell.com 

http://www.getslimLiveWell.com

I would love to share the opportunity of a lifetime with you:)

A short update on our unexpected visitor....

Well, after making several calls to a neighbor we thought our little visitor belonged to with no luck, I guess it's safe to say that our family has officially grown by 4 feet:)  The girls are thrilled and I have to admit, I love having a cat around once again.  Oh yeah, and after closer inspection we've decided that a more appropriate name is Benjamin;)

We have an unexpected house guest:)

Tess found this sweet little stray last night when she came home. We've dubbed her Princess Lacy. A "found" poster will be going up in the yard in a bit, but I'm not sure if we are hoping to find her family or not;)

The Well Planned Home....eventually;)

It's that time of year again... clean sweep time.  I know that most everyone seems to spring clean, but for me, autumn is the time of year I seem to nest.  After years of wondering why, my conclusion is that, like in every aspect of my life, I tend to do things backwards:)  Actually, I think it's because my family and I tuck in for the cold weather season and consequently I want a clutter-free home.

I've been cleaning out the two little girls room; cleaning out the out-grown shoes, boots, clothes, and pjs, and having Gracie organize all her baby stuff.  This week I'm targeting the dreaded playroom.  Half the toys in that room never get played with, they just get scattered around the floor and forgotten.  I'm meeting some serious resistence and there seems to be an opposition force rallying together to battle against my take over plan.  Rest assured, this battle weary mom still has some tricks up her sleeve and if need be will strike while the opposition forces are sleeping:)  I've also enlisted a very capable force of my own to help me wage this war... Grandma.  The marching orders have been posted, the troops may be dragging their feet, but this war will be won:)  Then, when we have taken back our home and claimed it back from the messies, we can tuck in, relax and enjoy being snowed in while enjoying games, movies, puzzles, art, and all the cold weather fun together as a family without worrying about the closet doors busting open from the excess stuffed within:)

Oh, and one more thing... just in case the opposition forces think that the garage isn't within the battle plan.  WRONG!  That is the next battle field, scheduled for this next weekend I hope;)

Pumpkin Patch

What a perfect day! We were blessed to spend time with our home school friends at the pumpkin patch this week. It was a gorgeous Fall day, perfect for a day in the country complete with a hay rack ride:) the girls chose pumpkins to decorate our home and had fun participating in all the fun with over 50 of their home school friends. The only down side was that Hannah started off by getting bit by a pig (no joke, she really did have a pig bite her wrist.). You will see the offending pig's picture below;).

Arbor Day Farm

 We are really blessed this year to be actively involved with a home school group in our area.  The girls are having a great time growing their friendships and I love spending time with other like-minded moms.  We've been enjoying monthly fields trips together and this week we went to Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City.  The kids all had a great time playing, exploring, and learning together.  What a perfect fall day:)