My Rebirth

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Let’s chat about hormones!

In my latter 30’s, something switched in me… and not in a good way 😬.

My family could see me changing. 😔

My skin was breaking out, and I didn’t have the energy or confidence that I had before. I also struggled with feelings of frustration, distractibility, fatigue, and bloating… I just didn’t feel or look like myself.

I talked to my general practitioner, who chalked it up to just getting older. Then I talked to my gynecologist, who recommended a hysterectomy 😔. If you know me and my struggle with infertility… I just wasn’t/am not ready to close that chapter.

I researched and found some homeopathic products. Some helped a little, but I had to layer so many to see any results. That cost us lots of money!

Fast-forward to about 10 months ago! I started testing a new homeopathic product that’s turned out to be a God-send 🙏🙌

I have consistent energy, I’m sleeping sound, waking up refreshed, my water retention has reduced, my pms symptoms decreased significantly, I no longer need my menstrual cramp/pain prescription, AND I’m experiencing the honeymoon and connection I desired with my husband.

It’s been a re-birth for me. 💪

I’m so grateful to not have given up on finding MY answers. It’s been a long road and not enough women or men talk about the affects of age-related hormone decline, OR the fact that we can and should do something about it. 🙌

I wanted to share this because I think a lot of women and men suffer silently without finding solutions, and may be tempted to accept their fate of “Oh, I’m just getting older.” 👵🏼

I also think some people get mis-diagnosis that could otherwise be corrected by balancing hormones safely. So many people work so hard to reach their goals by eating right and exercising, and still can’t get there. Hormones are so powerful, and they control so much!

Knowing this a private topic, I’m happy to lend an ear, and if you desire to know more, I can share resources that have helped me! Just email me!

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The Blessings of Comradery

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If you have never checked out Minute with Maxwell, John Maxwell that is, I highly recommend it!

 

John Maxwell is a best-selling author, professional speaker, and ordained pastor, who often focuses on the topic of leadership.

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To learn more about him, check out the link below…

John Maxwell Biography

 

Anyway, Minute with Maxwell is a one-minute video with Maxwell discussing an inspirational word, and the clip usually ends with a challenge of some sort.  I love that you can sign up to receive these videos via email daily. To do that, here’s a link!…

 

Minute with Maxwell free sign up

 

Last week, the Minute with Maxwell focusing on “comradery” really resonated with me when I experienced an unexpected level of comradery a few days ago.

 

However, before I get to the “unexpected comradery,” I have to give props to my husband, Billy. Ever since our move from CA, I feel a heightened level of comradery with him.  Our support system has naturally decreased due to our move, but we are leaning in to each other even more. Our communication is improving as we problem solve and re-establish our new normal. I have a greater appreciation for his loyalty, optimism, humor, ability to multi-task, and generate creative solutions.

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I also want to recognize my comrades back in California. This week was extra special as I reconnected by phone with a few girlfriends. I soaked up the nuances in their voices and joined them in laughter. In addition to this, I have made a new friend, and enjoyed my first girlfriend outing in Salado yesterday!

Now, for the “unexpected comradery”: a few days ago, I posted on Facebook that it was my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary that day. The headline was for people who knew them or didn’t know them, to post a well-wish.

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Multiple Facebook friends commented, but I couldn’t help but notice that MANY of the commenters were business partners within my direct sales company, who have become friends of mine and Billy’s! It truly warmed my heart that they took time to congratulate my parents- even though they don’t know my parents personally. I know it warmed my parents’ hearts as well!

 

Network marketing has gotten a bad wrap over the years, mainly for the lack of professionalism within the industry. However, this is an example of things going right…

 

An example of love, support, and comradery!

 

It’s a blessing to be a part of this community within our company, to encourage, and to lock arms with each of them!

 

I’ve included the link to the Minute with Maxwell on Comradery below. Make sure to key in on his challenge! Comment and let us know if you accept this challenge!

What Now?

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Not sure if anyone will relate to this week’s blog post topic, but I thought I would be transparent on where I am right now…

 

Billy is getting settled into his new job, and Liam has acclimated to his new school here in Texas.

 

Once we had settled from our move, I had planned to start substitute teaching. However, just this week I learned that I missed our school district’s last hiring phase of substitute teachers.

 

So, here I am sitting here at my computer- in my robe, and it’s after 10 a.m.  LOL

 

This feels VERY foreign to me after nearly 20 years of teaching, much of it spent as an intern, taking classes to earn my 3 teaching credentials, managing a full-time work, and a family.

 

Prior to leaving California, I was talking to a co-worker, and she said something like, “It will be kind of cool to reinvent yourself (in Texas).”

 

My initial thought was,”I’m not going to do that.”  I don’t want to change who I am…

 

Guess what? I kind of don’t have a choice LOL.

 

I’m not going to re-invent the core of who I am, but here’s what I AM going to re-invent:

 

*Though I believe God has given me some talent in the area of teaching, I believe in being open to other day job options. Maybe God doesn’t want me to be a teacher anymore…I have applied for various job options in our local school district, and I plan to keep an ear open to other types of opportunities.

 

*I am going to take time to refocus on my purpose and my goals. I purchased this book to do some homework on me (below). I’m realizing this is necessary if I’m going to maintain a growth mindset. Otherwise I will continue to stay stagnate. I’ll let you know what I think of the book!

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*I WILL MOVE—this is closely tied to my previous point. I think I’m like a lot of people out there: I wait for inspiration and motivation to happen to me. Like it’s some spiritual great awakening. Truth be told—motivation comes from within. We have to take that first step!

 

*I will be more forgiving—when things don’t happen on my time table. I will extend grace to myself when I have a less productive day. I will trust God’s timing as He will bring the perfect opportunities to me. Oh, I will knock on doors. Multiple doors at once LOL. The anticipation of which door will open will spur me on to my next chapter. I can’t wait to see what the future holds!

 

*I will stop making excuses.

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Isn’t this the truth? Self-doubt, fear, anxiety, our past—all fan the flames of excuses in our mind.  I will work on not going there (the dark side LOL). However, if I do, I’ll work on capturing these thoughts much quicker and replacing them with daily affirmations. My favorite affirmations are promises from the Bible.  I know who I belong to, and I trust that His plans are bigger and greater than my plans.

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Though I  don’t have any hard leads for a teaching position, there are some other possibilities that are brewing. I’ll let you know what happens as this whole thing plays out. If this encouraged you in any way, please never hesitate to let me know!

 

 

 

 

Leaving California Finale: Random Things We Didn’t Consider

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When we considered our big move from California to Texas, we talked about the “big stuff”…..

 

*The sacrifice of leaving loved ones…

 

*The importance of securing jobs…

 

*The need for a new home….

 

BUT, there were a few things that never crossed our minds.  We want to share these with you, to give you a bit of an edge in case you’re thinking about a big move:

 

*Healthcare:

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You must start over with all your doctors.  This is a hassle, especially as you are trying to learn a new area, what doctors take your insurance, etc. God forbid you are injured or get sick before you have a general practitioner. That’s what happened with us! Liam became ill, and we had to default to an urgent care. Fortunately, the clinic doctor recommended a pediatrician to us, and she was accepting new patients. I highly recommend finding doctors, and having your records transferred as soon as possible.

 

* Allergies:

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Apparently, you can develop new allergies when you move? Billy, Liam, and I are all dealing with either a virus or allergies to something—possibly Cedar which is everywhere here. We are going on 3-4 weeks of sniffles and coughs. Here’s a great overview about why allergies may develop…

When Allergies Develop Suddenly

 

*Drivers License and Car Registration:

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Every state is different! Prior to moving, be aware of the time frame you have to change your drivers license, car registration, and check state car insurance requirements. We did some extra running around because Texas requires that you deal with your car registration PRIOR to changing your drivers’ license. Also, car registrations are dealt with at the Tax Assessor’s office not at the DMV.

 

*Proximity to Shopping:

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We knew we were moving to a more rural area, but what we didn’t fully comprehend is how spread out everything in Texas is—I mean, it’s a HUGE state. With that said, it’s easy to hop on the freeway and arrive in another town within 15+ minutes. Some of these towns/cities have GREAT dining and shopping selections, which was a very pleasant surprise!

 

Weather:

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Okay, so we knew about the humidity, extreme summer heat, and possible tornadoes, BUT, we didn’t know how bipolar Texas weather is! Within one day, weather can run the gamut! So, we dress in layers, and throw sweaters and jackets in the car LOL.

 

*Landscaping:

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If you want to improve the curb appeal of your new home, you need to know about weather, soil, and WILDLIFE. We planted gardenias only later to find out that deer supposedly love them. Thankfully this hasn’t been an issue yet even though deer are literally everywhere in Salado. We had also heard that plants bought from certain stores are native to the area, and survive better compared to non-native plants purchased at big box stores, which tend to die once planted.

 

*Social Etiquette:

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We knew about “yes, ma’am” and “no, sir.” In fact, we had started to teach Liam some Southern manners prior to our move. Fortunately, his great grandma had just bought him a HUGE Charles Schultz Peanuts book with comic strips from the 1980’s LOL. What we didn’t realize- how fast our speech patterns were, and our tendency to cut people off or finish their sentences! So, we have had to adjust that to avoid offending our new Texan friends.

 

 

***This concludes our four-part series, Leaving California! We hope you enjoyed tagging along with us on our big Texas adventure! Maybe you will decide it’s time for an adventure for you as well! Let us know if you feel inspired to make a big move or change! We’d love to hear about it!