Are you kidding me?!?!?!

I finally came on here to write about something, and wouldn't you know it, I forgot what I was going to write about!!  I did notice that I had 1 post thru the entire month of September (excluding this one obviously!).  I guess I was kinda busy.  Here's a recap of my September....

Mariah was in an accident on September 4, one of her friends was driving and in a hurry.  She was blinded by the sun and missed a stop sign, putting them in a ditch.  The good news was that everyone was ok.  Mariah and 1 friend were taken by ambulance to the hospital to be looked over and get a few stitches.  The driver was able to walk away with no injuries.  There were a few lessons to be learned that morning:
Slow Down
Wear Your Seatbelt
I think there may have been a few more, and I think they were learned.  There are a few lingering injuries with Ry that we are keeping an eye on.  Just this morning, she was complaining of blurry vision and she continues to get migraines.  Hopefully, a visit to the Dr will get some answers. 

Brittany in the hospital, takin it like a champ.  She said it made her look Bad A$$



Ry, after her stitches, I spared you the nasty of the before pic!

So then, after this happened, Deron and I went on a lovely Salmon fishing expedition in Kenosha, WI. 


Deron caught a biggun

  


So did Jamer




And we got to see the Nina and Pinta replicas, that was pretty awesome!



Just a few pics from our trip.  It was great!  The weather was cold and windy and nasty and we were the only fools from our harbor who went out on either day.  There were times when I was certain that the boat was going to overturn...I learned quick that as long as the Captain wasn't freaking out, I shouldn't either.  By the end of our second session out on the mass that is Lake Michigan, my arms were like jello.  Not sure if anyone else knows that I have absolutely NO arm strength, like really, NONE.  So, reeling in these giant fish out of 200 feet of wicked water, was a chore.  Don't get me wrong, it was awesome, just really hard!

The following week was followed by long hours at work and lots and lots of practice for my Project Presentation.  Lots and lots of long hours, and a brutal presentation.  I have never been so nervous to give any kind of presentation like I was for this one!!  I had the shakes, sweats, butterflies (aka dragons), all the usual stuff, but when it was my turn, they all went away.  It was wierd!!  But I did get compliments, and some good feedback, so I was relieved.  Now, to finish out the month strong at work...September 30 marks my departments end of year.  My department of 3.  Needless to say, September is a crazy month (and probably not the best time for vacation!!)

The Next week was spent tying up loose ends for the Walk to Defeat ALS on Sunday, September 25.  Final numbers are not in yet, but we are close to our goal.  This year seemed to go much smoother than in the past, it was a great day!  As in the past, we had nasty weather all week, and on Sunday, the skies parted and the sunshine was upon us.  Thanks Dad!! 



For the 2nd year in a row, Addie got to play with Sheltered Reality (who by the way are amazing, you should book them for your next event!!)...except this year, there were also some other special guests




Just 1 of the many raffle baskets, Hand Painted Amazingness from my cousin Casie Kastner, hand painted ceramic frame and the other ALS Awareness loot was a huge hit.  The raffle baskets and quilt auction (I can't get the quilt photo to upload which is really a shame because it is pretty awesome!) brought in over $1000 on Walk Day!!

The Walk is always a great time, we had a larger number of teams this year also which was incredible.  And Addie's Girl Scout troop was on hand to help out.  Addie actually did a little presentation of her own, telling her troop about what ALS is and why it's important for us to Walk and why it's important to help out.  She also did AWESOME!!

So, this will bring us to this week.  Well, last night I kicked off my new business Thirty~One with an Open House.  We had a larger turnout than expected, and it went pretty well.  I still need to spend some time working on my "Organization Skills" (hahahaha, I know everyone who has known me will laugh at that!!)  But for real, I've been so busy with everything else in my life that this kinda crept up on me!  Tonight, after I get the grocery shopping (that I haven't done in weeks) done, and after I mow (last time for the summer, but also the first time this month!) and after I finish up the laundry (that I started last Friday) and after I shave my Dog (because I thought I could cut her hair...just FYI...I have no future as a groomer!!)...I will spend some time getting this new business organized.  I have a little time before my first party, so I'm not stressed about it...YET!

So, there you have it, September in a nutshell.  I'll do better in October.

My New Venture - Thirty-One

Because I didn't have enough in my life to keep me busy, I have also decided to branch out and try another adventure.  Please welcome your Soon To Be Certified and Official - Thirty-One Consultant. 

This isn't a company that I just found out about either, so this was not a rash decision.  I've been "collecting" Thirty-One products for over a year.  I've given them as gifts, I've bought pretty much the entire catalog.  And I use the products every day.  I am a walking advertisement for my friend, Kristi, who I am signing up under.  Seriously, I give out her business cards like you wouldn't believe. 

So, I figured, why not hand out my own business cards.  Walking around with my purchases sparks all kinds of conversations in the oddest places - grocery store, bank, school, zoo.  Seriously, people stop me and ask where I got my purse or cooler or suitcase.  And I would tell them and hand out Kristi's card.  I think it's high time I start sending out my own cards!  Especially to the lady in the Hy-Vee parking lot who asked me about the cooler, and then proceeded to stick her hands in my trunk and fondle all the other bags and totes I had in there.  She is the kind of people I'm talking about!

My official Debut will be on Tuesday, September 27 (2 days after the ALS Walk, cause I work best under pressure).  Within the first 45 days, I will need to hold 4 parties in order to earn my starter kit money back and get the other amazing sign up bonuses. 

So my question is....who's comin with me?  Who wants to help me get started on the right foot, but hosting a party.  There are 4 kinds of parties and all are very low key, no pressure shopping opportunities.

-In-Home Demo - this is the style most common.  I will come to your house and show the products, talk about them and give you ideas of what you can use the items for.  This is the best style if you want to have high sales and earn more free product as a hostess. 
-In-Home Open House - I will come and set up shop on your table, put your snacks somewhere else :)  This is great if you are new to your home, what a great way to show off that new house!  All the items are out to see, feel, and ask questions about.  I'll offer suggestions and talk about products asked, no big long spiel.
-In-Home DIY (Do It Yourself) - I won't come to your house for your party, but your guests will!  I'll ship you a package with some demonstration products, catalogs and order forms.  You invite your friends over for a Girls Night In and do the work for me!  Inside the original package is a box to ship the products and your orders back to me, pre-paid, no cost to you. 
- Catalog Party - also very common, and super easy to do.  Take a few books, hand them out, get some orders and earn free product. 

You know when you are at an in home party and the consultant has you play a game.  And wham, suddenly you are the lucky duck who has to have a party next, even if you have no interest.  I don't ever play the games where someone is forced to book a show.  I don't ever play the recruiting games either.  Why...because as a guest, I hated them. 

I believe that if I am doing my job, you will see how great the products are and want to book your own show to earn them for free.  I believe that if you are at a point in your life where you are looking for something else, and you think Thirty-One might be for you, then we can have that chat.  So there seriously is NO pressure.  I will however sing the praises of the products and the company until my face turns blue. 

You can access the catalog here: http://www.thirtyonegifts.com/catalog to check out these items that have me so excited; but don't order anything from there....at least not yet!  If there is something you see that your mom / sister / boyfriend / grandma / best friend / cousin / nephew / etc can't live without, contact me, we'll get it ordered at my debut.  And if you see something you just can't live without, contact me to set up your show to get your stuff for FREE. 

I do want to share a few of my favorite products real quick:

This would be the Hang Up Home Organizer - LIFE SAVER!  Pockets for everything, the "windows" can easily double as a white board. Since I can't get the pic to upload, I will just tell you that the pockets are very versitile and functional!   Use them to hold mail, coupons, school papers, church papers, bills, calendar, menus, school schedules, pretty much everything that is clogging up your counter space or kitchen table, gather it up and stick it in here.  Still accessible, but organized and out of sight.  This thing is awesome.  And an organized persons dream come true! 



Rolling Tote - Hostess Exclusive Item - Comes with a telescoping handle that hides inside a zippered pocket when not in use.  The bag itself is HUGE.  And the nice thing is, it doesn't look huge.  Addie and I took this on our Zoo trip and fit both of our clothes, our bathroom bag, a pillow and 2 pairs of tennis shoes.  Oh and did I mention it's on wheels!

These are just a few of the items I'm in love with.  I'll show you more later.  

The Best Twice Baked Potatoes You Will Ever Eat Recipe:

Dear Mandra~
I am going to share with the world the basics of your famous recipe...only because those were the BEST twice baked potatoes that I ever had in my entire freaking life!!

The Best Twice Baked Potatoes You Will Ever Eat Recipe:

9 medium size baking potatoes
1 container Top The Tater
1 C shredded cheddar jack cheese
1/4 C half & half
Huge Scoop Butter
8 green onions, chopped
1/2 lb bacon, cut into tiny pieces and cooked
(don't use the Oscar Meyer bag o bacon bits, it's not the same!)

Bake the Potatoes, cut in half, cool slightly and scoop out insides.
Put the shells directly onto a foiled baking sheet.

Add to potato guts:
Top The Tater
half & half
Butter
mix with hand mixer to smooth out the lumpy-bumpy-ness

Fold in:
Bacon
Green Onions
Cheese

Mix with spatula until well mixed. 
Salt, pepper, garlic salt to taste.
Scoop potato guts mixutre into Potato Shells.
Top with additional shredded cheese. 
Bake in a 325 oven for about 20 minutes, til heated thru and cheese melts. 

I only modified this just a slight bit, so if you really like it, thank my BFF Mandra. 
Loved these when she made them and had a hankerin last night.  Even ate some leftovers for breakfast this morning.  Twas Amazing.  Ohhh, yeah, and it's only 162 calories.  So, eat a few, you'll need to bulk up for winter, might as well do it with something that tastes like this :)

How I Spent My Saturday

Last Saturday was an eventful day.  I will spare you the minor details, and only fill you in on the highlites. 
Honestly, one of the best funnest days I've had in a super long time!

Woke up and was going to go to work, decided not to.  I cleaned the house instead.  And then I hung up some pictures.  And worked in the garden and burned some yard waste and trimmed some branches.  And went thru the shopping ads and made my grocery list comparing sales and coupons and all that good stuff.  After that I ventrued out to the stores...

I did pretty good.  I think that I am going to start putting my "coupon savings" amount into a jar.  I could possibly finance a new car by next year! 

And I refilled the wine rack.  This is where the story "really" starts :)

So, I open the first bottle.  I'm home alone.  And cutting up the fruit and veggies I bought at the store.  Me and the dogs are singing along to the tune in my head and we're having a gay old time. 

Before I know it, Mariah comes home with a new friend.  I like this girl, she seems nice, I hope she comes back.  They hang out a bit, and then leave again. 

And I'm all alone again, me, and the dogs, and my wine.  So, I crack another bottle. 

Then Deron comes home.  He's been working all day and made plans for us to go 4-wheeling with some friends.  This sounds like fun.  I'm excited.  He tells me to get ready, they'll be here soon. 

I decided that this would be the best time to clean the pool.  And I do.  I spent quite a bit of time out there, vacuuming, and scrubbing, and just plain old lolly-gagging and swimming and having a great time.  Before I know it, I have splashed out quite a bit of water and Deron is hollering that I need to get my butt ready or they will leave without me.

I place the hose in the pool to top it off and head inside to prepare myself.  I put on a skirt, tank top and flip flops.  Yes, this is the appropriate gear to go 4-wheeling in.  Usually.  Not so much today.

We stop down by the river and do a little fishing.  We caught a couple of turtles.  And 1 bit me.  No fish though, they weren't biting.  The bait or me.  We hang out instead.

see, it's fun and relaxing

The river is pretty low.  Like....super low.... and there is alot of mud.  This is fun.  Yes. 
We cruise along a ways and find a nice spot where we can actually get to the island.  It's great, we tootle around a bit out there and start to make our way back to shore. 

"First one to get stuck is a rotten egg"

Man, we stink!  We got stuck first.  Tried to get out the right way, I even offered to get my "extra weight" off  so it might glide over the mud.  No such luck.  Stuck like a pig.  So we get off and look to the left for assistance...and wouldn't ya know it....they are stuck too.  Well, Shit!

Luckily there is a wench attached to Deron's wheeler.  I crawl to shore, and by crawl, I literally mean crawl.  Sinking in mud up to my thighs, my arms and legs take turns sinking and getting pulled out as I crawl out of the mud bank.  Got the wench hook thingie all hooked up and here they come out of the mud.  Huh, that almost looked easy!  Oh, but guess what, some parts have melted, can't turn it back on.  Damn. 

So, those strong, manly men push this wheeler over to the other, hook up the wench hook thingie and pray there is enough juice left to pull the other one out.  There is.  We're all good.  Tow Rope, check.  Hook 'er up, we're outta here!

We get towed home and after a quick rinse and install of better parts, we are off again.  This time, to dinner.  Can I just tell you how much I love that we can ride the 4-wheeler "out to eat".  Ahhhh, country livin!

Oh and remember how I stuck the hose in the pool to refill....yeah, I forgot about it until Sunday morning.  So, I might be holding a fundraiser soon for a new well pump since I am trying to wreck the one we have!

I have no pictures of the mud debacle, nor any pictures of the turtles that tried to take my fingers off.  Oh well, use your imagination.  However funny it is in your mind, is probably how funny it looked in real life!

Anyways, the reason I am sharing my last Saturday story with you today, is that tomorrow, we won't be doing that. 

ALS Season

This here may require some 'splainin. 

There really is no season for ALS.  But in my house there is.  And it's fall. 

In the fall of 2005, my Dad was diagnosed with ALS
In the fall of 2008, my Dad passed away from ALS
In the fall of 2009, the 1st Cedar Rapids Walk to Defeat ALS

And each fall following, we have the Walk and we also have the Anniversary. 

And also if you are familiar with my job, you will remember that end of year is also in the fall. 

STRESS CENTRAL

I am the Walk Committee Chair for the Cedar Rapids VOLUNTEER Walk to Defeat ALS.  I work with a wonderful group of women and 1 lonely but lovely man to put this shin dig together.  It is a lot of work.  There is absolutely no down time when it gets to be crunch time, and guess what time it is now!

The 2011 Walk is coming up on Sunday, September 25.  This will be a spectacular day!  It gets bigger and better every year and this year I am especially looking forward to the entertainment that has been lined up.  We have a fantastic logistics team that has really exploded us into a Fun Filled Family Entertainment Bash! 
Check out these links....
http://www.sheltered-reality.org/test/index.html - Sheltered Reality Drumline
http://www.christ-rocks.com/ - Bobby Colquhoun
and much much more!  We will also be welcoming Mr. Schucks, Ricochet, Linn County Royalty, and many more special guests and activities. 

Walk Day is a great time, and it's usually an emotional day, not gonna lie!

In 2009, for our first walk, it was A LOT of work.  Like seriously, we had no idea what we were doing.  As walk day approached, we started to get pretty nervous.  It had been raining all week.  My Grandma and Grandpa Kelly had come down to be a part of the walk started in honor of their son, and they had brought Eden with.  We had all of Dad's GrandGirls (well, at the time, there are 3 more now) there to cut the ribbon during the Opening Ceremony.  And wouldn't you know it, on Sunday morning, the skies parted and we had SUN!  It was chilly, don't get me wrong, it was October, it was definitely chilly.  But, we had sunshine all day long.  Thanks to Dad and another committee members Mom.  They were probably up there in Heaven hi-fiving each other over what awesome daughters they have.  Watching the families that were there and the people laughing and having a good time, it was pretty amazing.  But, I did spend a major part of the Walking Portion of the day curled up in Deron's armpit crying.  Couldn't help it.  It was a beautiful day.  And it was a beautiful occasion.  We had made it happen.  And know what, it rained the whole next week too.  We just got that 1 day of sunshine.  But it was a good day.  We were able to raise $25,000 that first year.  It was a pretty amazing feat to raise that much for the first year of a volunteer walk.  We're RockStars!

Last year, in 2010, the walk blossomed into something even bigger and better than 2009.  I guess everything gets better with practice...hmmm....wonder where I heard that before!  Again, we had an amazing day.  We moved the Pre-Walk Festivities inside the stadium and had all kinds of entertainment, vendors, guests all along the concourse.  We had live entertainment to watch, we had raffle baskets to peruse (including some pretty awesome contents - airplane and race car ride alongs, salsa dancing lessons, wine tasting parties, just to name a few!)  And as far as an emotional day, it was alright.  I was doing great, and then Dad's Video Tribute started playing on the big screen.  I said good bye to the friend I was chatting with and turned to walk back towards the main area of the concourse, stopping here and there to check out the big screen.  And then I saw Addie.  She was running towards me, full speed, tears streaming down her cheeks.  And then I couldn't hold it in anymore.  We sat down right there in the middle of the concourse and cried together.  And when it was over, we went and got some balloon animals, and all was right with the world again.  In 2010, we ended our fundraising season at just over $48,000!!!  Almost double the first year, it was a blessing to have that many people so dedicated to helping those living with ALS!  The CR Volunteer group played a part in a lot of great things that happened to the ALS Community in 2010.
*Support Group - was established and now meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.  It is a great place for anyone touched by ALS to go and just be ok with ALS, or mad at ALS, or get gardening tips or make friends.  This group has helped me cope tremendously.  And at first, I thought it would be hard to see other people as they progressed with the disease.  But it's not.  Well, it's hard in a way.  But it's not dragging me down to complete sadness about the fact that I was robbed of a Dad.  It's actually nice to meet these folks, and to be able to help them and just be there for them.  I have learned a lot from these folks about bravery and determination. 
*The ALS Association, Iowa Chapter - named Chapter of the Year!!  They are Awesome all on their own.  With our help, the Iowa Walks were a HUGE success and they earned this honor!
*The Assn, was also able to hire an additional Patient Services Coordinator.  Having another body on hand to go and meet with these families.  And advocate for them.  And help them understand what's coming.  And help them understand that there is help.  There are now 3 wonderful women who travel to meet these families.  And there could be no better thing!

2011 is looking like its shaping up to be quite a Rendavoux!  We have challenged walkers to raise an absurd amount of money, and have even bribed them with an iPad.  In the end, it will all be worth it.  With an official fundraising goal of $40,000, I think that southeastern Iowa is ready to blow the pants off that goal and surprise everyone with how much they are willing to help!!

2011 is also a great time to start attending if you haven't.  Think about it.  Join my team, or start your own, or just show up and volunteer.  I even have the Friday before and Monday after off, so come on down, make a vacation of it.  We can all do our part. 

First Day of School (yesterday)

The first day of school was yesterday.  It was very sad.  I was not allowed to take anyone to school.  I waited for the bus.  And I took the picture.  And then I went to work.

And then I brought some "forgotten" items to school so I could check in on my baby. 

Yep, I'm that mom!

5th Grade Band

So, a couple weeks ago, they had 5th Grade Band "Try-Outs".  All the kids who wanted to got to go try out the instruments and see what they all felt like and sounded like and all that good stuff. 

I made Addie go.  She didn't want to.  But I told her that at least we had to try them, then if she still didn't want to do band, then she didn't have to.  So, I signed her up; and she got mad at me. 

I told her all about our family's rich history in band, and how important music is to our every day lives, and how the band kids sometimes get to go on trips to really cool places, and how in the marching band you make so many friends and I won't make her get a summer job if she is in the summer marching band, and all that good stuff. 

So last night, at Open House, they handed out the Instrument Recommendations (what the teachers think would be your childs best bet based on what happened when they tried all the instruments).  Addie, well, she got the Tuba. 

And we thought she might.  At try-outs, this was pretty much the only instrument that she was able to make a sound with.  And at try-outs I was really sad for her.  I felt like it went too fast, maybe if I would have done this with her beforehand, she would have been able to make noise and she could have made beautiful music with the flute or clarinet.  But she didn't really seem to care.  And Deron talked me down.  And I let it go. 

But that still didn't change me trying to change her mind about Band being cool.  Honestly, I tried my darndest for 2 weeks to get her mind changed, in my not so subtle ways.  When watching TV, I would point out how the music in the background "really makes this show good, huh?".  And how in the car with the radio off, she actually had to listen to me speak, wouldn't it be nice to have music to listen to instead of a naggy old mom.  And even when we overheard the High School drumline practicing, her face lit up, and we watched a little bit.  And, wouldn't it be great to be a part of that. 

Yeah, not so much.  It's not that band isn't cool.  It is.  A lot of her friends are going to be in band.  And she says that isn't why she doesn't want to.  She just doesn't want to.  I ask her why.  Just because I don't want to.  You know me, that's not a legitimate answer, so I press.  Why, why don't you want to be in band.  And again...Just Because. 

And you know what, I have to accept that.  She doesn't want to.  She doesn't have the interest in music that I thought ran thru her veins.  She loves music on the radio and in movies and on YouTube and everywhere else.  She just doesn't want to be a part of it. 

I asked if it was because of the instrument try outs and the Tuba.  Because we can always get something else, the Tuba is just a suggestion.  Nope.  No interest. 

So then last night, again, I try.  And tell her how awesome it would be to play the Tuba in band.  Another kid in her class also had the Tuba recommended.  Nope.  Still no interest. 

I'm a pusher, obviously, so I keep pushing.  And finally she blows up.  She just doesn't want to be in band.  "And I went to the stupid try-outs like you wanted me to and tried them all out.  And I just don't like it mom.  I don't want to be in band.  Maybe I'll try choir next year.  But I don't want to be in band."

Damn.  I lost.  My only hope at a reason to go to a band concert....gone. 

I guess I'll just have to wait for 6th grade Choir.  I sure hope she doesn't change her mind before then.