A Day at the Fair.... or 6!

Every year the Western Montana Fair and Carnival rolls into town and the Sprys set up a Scentsy booth in the heat, dust and usually rain. Actually... usually thunderstorms. But this year, it was all heat and dust. The past couple of years, during the week of the fair and our crazy busy schedule, the big girls went up to bible camp for the week. Not this year. This mama, in all our chaos and travels this spring, totally forgot to register the girls for camp.... so they went to 'Camp: Sell Some Scentsy' instead. #momfail

Arly & Alyn took separate shifts helping me work the booth while the other stayed home and helped Joel keep his eye on our busy little. They helped dust the merchandise, pass out wax samples and even watched the booth while I had to use the girls' room. 

We work our business as a family and feel it's important that our girls know what we do for a living and what it means to have good working skills: showing up on time for shifts, taking care of your products and providing excellent customer service and a smile to everyone that walks through the booth. 

After 3 shifts each, these girls earned a night at the carnival! They met up with some of their sweet friends. They were all smiles and excited to experience the rides, games and delicious fair food together!

One of the most desired games to play was none other than the infamous 'toss the ping pong ball into the skinny necked vase of water and win a goldfish' game. Before they spent their hard earned money on this game, I reminded them that if they did win, having a goldfish as a pet is a big responsibility. Purchasing all the necessary supplies that is required for housing & feeding a fish.... and cleaning it's home. Because I know I'm not going to be the one cleaning out those nasty bowls! #eeuhhh (ew!)

And you'll never believe it..... after 60 balls (and $13 later!) they each WON a goldfish! (more on this story later!)

We have two different kinds of riders in the family. Arly is extremely courageous and somewhat crazy! She loves the upside down, spin you backwards and flip you around kind of rides. Alyn, on the other hand, is extremely cautious about what she puts her little bottom on. (A lot like her mama!) 

Alyn showed her bravery by getting on the Ferris wheel for the very first time this year. I love the Ferris wheel. It's so beautiful, slow, steady and the view are breathtaking with the mountains and city below.

Arly showed her courage this year by letting go of her fear of the Sky Master & Kamikaze! She loved them and rode them multiple times.... without vomiting! I'm a proud mom!

Little Bear, Avin, had a fun time on the carousel with her GIRL, Jacinda! Jacinda is a family friend and she helped make Avin's night memorable! It was the sweetest sight to see the two of them go round and round on the carousel.

(Avin at the beginning of our 7 hour fair adventure)

(Avin towards the end of our 7 hour fair adventure... and maybe a little too much cotton candy!)

Joel and I had thoughts during the night about how lame the rides were and how expensive it is to spend time getting your feet completely filthy and eating lots of unhealthy rood. (Delicious but unhealthy)

But when we ended the night at 11:30pm, our little girls (minus Avin) were smiling ear to ear, chatting the whole way home about how much fun they had at the fair. Deliriously talking, in a half sleepy voices, about each detail; their giggles and excitement even after they left were contagious. 

I resented my thoughts from earlier. I looked beyond the 'adult' experience and put it all into a children's view. It was pretty magical looking back now. Careless, free, exciting. Showing bravery, building relationships, and laughing wildly all night long. Absolutely worth it. Absolutely magical. 

To live with childlike wonder. That's what we need to do more as adults. Or at least I know I do.

Random Acts of Kindness (Coupon Book)

Joel and I wrapped up a super busy week at the Western Montana Fair tonight. I'm pretty sure it was the HOTTEST week of the whole year and when you're dripping as bad as your little wax bars in the blazing sun, YOU ARE TIRED after 6 days.

It only took about an hour after closing time to have all of our goodies loaded up and ready to cruise back home.

After a little pit stop for some of the best hot wings ever and a refreshing beer after the longest week of the year, we went home to our girls.

When we walked into the door, tired, sore feet & flat out exhausted, we were greeted by the sweetest little nine year old smile and this precious gift.

Seriously, I melted.

It's a 'mom and dad coupon book!' I know that she has misspelled a few big words... (masoush = massage, Wendsday = Wednesday  {but seriously that's exactly how it sounds!}) But that's half the reason this book is so precious. (We'll work on the spelling this school year, but not yet. It's summer!... and cute!!!)

Every week this past school year, we talked about random acts of kindness. It could mean so many different things.... opening doors for others, sending an extra/special letter or gift to someone you love (Happy Mail!) or even a phone call to a loved one.

It absolutely melted my heart to see that what we model to our children actually help shape and mold them into the little beings they are becoming. They are watching. They are listening.

Honestly, they make me want to give more. My girls are so generous. I want to give more to them, to Joel, to our family and friend. Give more to our favorite non-profits and to strangers.

What about you? Do you make it a point to do kind things for other people? What's your favorite act or service that you've done for others?

Confessions of a Busy Mom

If you're anything like me, you know what it's like to forget things constantly. I simply forget to water my plants, buy dog food for Caesar (our little Japanese Chin dog) and I even forgot diapers and milk for little Avin.... just to name a few. Don't even get me started on remembering to wash the bedding every week or harvest the rhubarb!

Does your mind just spin out of control with thoughts running to and fro all day and at the end of the day, you feel like you've accomplished nothing? Sometimes I'll constantly remind myself to remember something only to walk out the door or end my day with forgetting that very thing.

I used to beat myself up about not crossing everything off my list or not having every thing I feel like we absolutely need. I would even send Joel to the store late at night to make sure we had EXACTLY what we were out of.  But I've learned to let some things go.

Today I have two confessions of a being a busy mom.

1. Since you're drinking wine anyway, why not use that empty wine bottle to help you remember to water your flowers? Oh yes! My friend Erin told me this trick a few weeks ago and it's GENIUS! But now is it bad that I'm counting all my pots and even bushes around the house to figure out how many bottles I need to consume?!? <--- Kidding. kinda.

2. If you run out of the organic whole milk that you ONLY feed to your baby and you get home late working a booth for your business at the local fair, you opt for the chocolate milk as her bed time snack. Hey... whatev... she chugged it, smiled and that made it all worth it.

What about you? What things have you learned to give up? To let go? What kind of tricks or ideas do you use to help your every day run a little smoother? Believe me... I need to know!

Ok.. time for bed. But first.... another list.

Milk ✔️
Dogfood✔️
Diapers✔️
Wine✔️

XO.
Jari

Because.... what if?

A few weeks ago, my sweet friend Amy called me and told me this quote she saw floating around on facebook....

It made my heart sing. 

So, what if?

What if you were able to pay off debt.... school loans, cars, credit cards? What if you were able to buy your husband the gift he's always dreamed of? What if you were able to take your family on a dream vacation? I'm thankful that I took a chance on Scentsy Family and the growth I've seen through it is too great to mention it all. Personal growth, new relationships with so many amazing people... customers, hostesses, team members and other Scentsy Family. We've paid off our credit card debt, school loans and were able to buy a new home. I've been able to not only take my husband and children on dream vacations but in May I was able to take my sister to Greece.... a vacation of a lifetime.

I'd be the first to tell you, because I felt it all.... 'what if I fail?' 'What if I fall flat on my face like I have in every other area of my life?' 'I've tried something like this before and it never worked.'.... But I'm living proof that when you set your mind to something, when you choose not to give up and start watering your own grass, when you give credit where due (all glory to God), when you truly care about each person you come into contact with... your dreams will come true.

So my question is this...."What if you fly?" "What if you succeed?" What if you took the chance?" "How big is your why?" "What if you caught your dreams?"

If you've ever considered if the Scentsy Family opportunity (Scentsy Fragrance or Velata) would be something you'd want to try, I'm inviting you to chat with me so I can share with you this very thing... the opportunity. The blessing. Wherever you're at.... working full time, full time mama, businessman, near us or half a world away... we want nothing more than for you to experience this blessing like we have and hundreds other that we know.  Because you're worth it... and so are your dreams.

Comment here if you'd like more info. Or a phone chat. Or skype date. Or a coffee date. What better time than now?

To read another story about being brave, click here.  "Go ahead.... Be brave!"

XO.

Jari

EVERY.DAY..... ME.

For a while now, I've been wanting to write... but not knowing what to say. My every day life seems to be a little boring, mundane if you will. But what I've missed the most is sitting down at the keyboard, just me and my thoughts. Some nights I have something good to share. Something that might make someone laugh or make some one smile at least. But MOST nights, I feel like what I have to share isn't worth sharing at all.

But what makes us think that way? Isn't every part of our lives significant? Doesn't everything we do, every experience that we have, make our lives that very thing... OUR LIVES? I don't want to forget any of it any more.

Last year, around this same time, I committed to writing every day for a whole year. EVERY. DAY. Hence the name EVERY DAY JARI.  I only made it about 6-7 months before I started feeling inadequate: boring. I've always struggled with consistency. I've never let myself finish ANYTHING... except childbirth... that's too hard to NOT finish! Ha!

There is nothing boring about our lives. Nothing. Every moment... every circumstance... every experience. Whatever it is, it's not boring. OR INADEQUATE.

What I've missed the most in these last 5-6 months of not writing is that I can't go back and look at my personal experiences. I don't have that daily log of our every day life. The good times, the celebrations, the heartache through the tears. I miss that.

I'm grateful to have a friend that understands exactly what I mean. She understands my thoughts and feelings. I swear we are twins.... (well not really but seriously, we are identical on the inside.) After a long chat this evening, it was very clear that it's time to start writing every day. Not for a challenge. Not for selfish reasons. But with the only goal of glorifying Christ in my every day. Every day diaper changing. Every day children peacemaking. Every day business building. Every day spouse loving. Every day chaos. Every day bravery. Every day meals. Every day struggles. Every day celebrations.

There is nothing boring or mundane about it. So here I am.

What you get is me..... are you ready?

Until tomorrow, 

XO. Jari

Tired

I've been wanting to write for a while now but when I sit down (who am I kidding?! I type every post from my phone while laying down in bed) I don't know where to even start. 

It feels like we haven't been still enough to process any thoughts for a while (let alone pull the 3 foot weeds in our back yard). 

Tonight I type this... So overly tired. Overly emotional. But I'm here. With little words. But lots of love. 

I'll fill you in on everything soon, but the next few days we'll be soaking in the hugs, tears, laughter and family time as we honor a very special man. My father in law - Jerry Spry. I'm going to miss your quiet humor and calmness. 

But tonight, I lay here remembering these sweet moments from last week. 

Until I can process and share in a way that will make sense... Goodnight friends. 

XO

Jari

We have NO Control...

Warning: this is a very detailed posting about my last month. 

Some of you were aware that we were expecting baby #4 in December. 

Few of you had heard about our first ultrasound. I went in at 9 weeks to meet our baby for the first time. I had felt great, almost 100% healthy minus being a little more tired than usual. I was hopeful that maybe it was finally a son. We took all the girls to the appointment with us but for some reason, I had explained to the girls that we never know when God decided to take people to heaven. Sometimes when we're really old, younger or even babies. 

The ultrasound gal came in and started a normal ultrasound. We saw the baby right away but there was no heartbeat. According to all my dates (we were trying so I knew every detail) I was 9 weeks 1 day. But little Spry was measuring just shy of 6 weeks. The expert ultrasound doctor came and checked too. He couldnt find a heartbeat either. He did mention that sometimes a pregnancy test would show positive during ovulation, which is rare but possible. 

I left that appointment sad but hopeful. I talked to my regular doctor and we discussed what to do next. We prayed. Knowing that we were taking our girls on a surprise vacation to Oklahoma the next day, we decided to wait 2 weeks and do another ultrasound to check again for growth. 

We spent a whole week with the sweetest friends in Oklahoma. We stayed super busy going to Women's College World Series games, Thunder game and doing fun activities with the kids. We also spent a good amount of time just hanging out and relaxing. It was really helpful to keep my mind off whether this pregnancy was viable or not. But I also had the constant reminder that I could miscarry at any moment every time I dug through Avin's diaper bag because I had an extra set of bottoms and super thick pads ready just in case. 

Our vacation was amazing and just what we needed. 

We flew home and went straight to a softball tournament for the girls which was another huge distraction for me. 

The next day, Monday June 9th, we went in for our second ultrasound. I had been praying for the past few weeks 'Lord God please let us see a live healthy baby.' We left the girls with our great friends and neighbors that morning. They chose not to come with us. I don't blame them. I really didn't want to go either. I wanted to know but I really just wanted to be ignorant and get to believe what I chose to believe. Everything will be just fine. 

But I went in. 

It was very obvious the moment we saw the screen that the baby hadn't changed size even though I was 11 weeks along now. I cried. I was angry at God. I was desperate for a little ticker... Just for one little beat. But nothing. 

I just held Joel's hand. And cried. I hadn't felt that kind of sadness before. I just wanted to leave that doctor office as fast I could. I didn't want to talk about 'We just don't understand Mother Nature sometimes'... What?! 'Tell me more about softball.' Excuse me. I was angry and I just wanted to go home! 

I got in the car and just cried. I cried for every woman who had gone through this loss before; many of whom are dear friends to me. I cried for their loss and for the constant trials of childbearing for them. 

I didn't even want to go with Joel to pick up the girls. But he made me go. He knew my friend Korinda would be able to give some comfort. When we got to the Luhmann's house to bring our kiddos home, Korinda could read my face. She and our other friend Deedria came up and hugged me. Let me share my feelings and also shared words and scriptures of peace and comfort with me. Now there is a special bond with me and these women who had felt this pain before.  Psalm 139:13-17 has been a saving grace for me. 

I went to bed cherishing the 3 littles we've been so graciously given. I went to bed next to my little one who just wanted to snuggle and put her little macaroni fingers in my face. I didn't want to fall asleep. I wanted to stay awake and thank God all night for our littles. 

Two days later, I talked to my doctor about our options now. We could wait and let my body do its thing and lose it naturally. Or we could use a medicine that would help make that process go faster. Or we could do a D and C surgery. 

I desperately didn't want to have a D and C because surgery is rough on my body. I get extremely sick from anesthetic so I chose not to have surgery. 

I know Gods timing is perfect so I wanted to wait a couple weeks as we were planning to travel back to South Dakota to see Joel's dad who is very ill. If I hadn't miscarried naturally by the time we got back home, I would try the medicine to help it go faster. No D and C please. 

Our week went by with no progress. We went to Anaconda and cheered Joel and the girls to a championship victory in their 10U division. We then headed home on Sunday to unload the camper so we could start packing Monday to leave for SD that night after Alyn's Little League city championship game Monday night. 

As soon as we got in the car to drive back to the house after Alyn's game Monday night to load our stuff to hit the road, I started cramping and could feel blood. 

We decided to stay home through the night and leave Tuesday morning now instead. The cramps were getting more painful and the bleeding picked up. Now this was the first time I miscarried naturally (we did lose a baby before Arly but chose a D and C back in 2002) so I didn't know how much blood and clotting was normal. After passing a lot I started to feel like this was too much. 

I fell asleep around midnight with the big huge Boeing pad (I'm serious. Those pads were the thickest, longest pads with 2 sets of wings!) and a bath towel folded in fourths. I woke up just before 2am Tuesday morning soaked through, all the way to the couch cushion. Joel was sleeping in the couch next to me and he sleeps super hard. I don't remember waking him up but just made the comment 'That was a lot of blood.' 

I walked to the bathroom, stripped down because I was instantly extremely hot. I sat down on the toilet and the next thing I remember is waking up, on the toilet still with Joel on the phone holding my head in his hands. I vaguely remember seeing Alyn in the doorway. Joel was telling her to turn on the outside lights and wait for the firemen and ambulance. My sweet Alyn. So brave. And helpful. 

She woke up because when Joel came to the bathroom (so thankful he did before I fell)- and didn't have a phone to call for help. She heard his yells for the phone.. Thank goodness. 

The next thing I remember is Korinda coming into the bathroom and praying. I begged for clothes and to get off the toilet so I wouldn't feel ashamed when the emergency workers came. Joel was told to leave me right there but he did get me a tank top and panties. 

The firemen arrived first to check my vitals. They kept asking me questions and I just wanted to sleep. Next the EMTs were also huddled in our master bathroom. (Mind you, we were in the middle of packing so there were bags, overnight stuff and clothes everywhere!) 

They put me on the stretcher and took me outside into the rain (oh man those raindrops felt amazing!) and loaded me up into the ambulance. Joel road in the front and they started an IV on me in the back. Bumpy ride and needles equal NO FUN!

After arriving to the ER, the on call doctor checked me and said I needed an emergency D and C. I then had to mentally prepare myself for the one thing I didn't want. Once again, I'm realizing that I'm not in control. I never really was. 

Forty five minutes later I was in the OR. I remember glancing at my pink bracelet that I'm wearing for our bible study to remind us if Gods overwhelming love for us. As I was going under, I just kept thanking Jesus for unconditional love. I'll never understand but I know He does. 

To my ultimate surprise, I woke up in recovery with ZERO nausea. I just kept thanking the OR staff profusely and I couldn't wait to see Joel again. 

He stayed with me all night, morning and hasn't left me side except to get a ride home so he could bring our vehicle and extra clothes for me to come home in. Oh and the phone chargers. (We didn't know anyone's numbers because our phones were dead!) I'm so grateful for him. Without him, who knows what could have happened. He was scared but stayed calm and did exactly the right thing. 

We went home in the late afternoon and slept. It was such a long night and day. 

I'm so grateful for the Luhmann's.  For carin for our girls during this scary night, for cleaning up my mess that I was sure I would have to clean when I got home, for  feeding us dinner last night and sharing their stories and providing peace and comfort for us. 

Today, I'm sore. My throat from the breathing tube and my neck and shoulders from the surgery (or maybe head whip when I passed out) but I feel humbled. Knowing that it's not us who decides when we're going to have babies. We don't decide when we'll miscarry. Why would I think I could schedule everything out perfect? Only The Lords timing is perfect and His plan is orchestrated perfectly. We'll never understand the what/who/when of it all, but if we did, we wouldn't have a God worth worshipping. 

I'm thankful for the texts, treats and phone calls from family, friends and neighbors. 

Right now I'm sad. Really sad. But it's not a dark sadness. It's a sadness filled with HOPE. Hope and peace for our future. I feel loved. I'm not happy but I'm filled with joy. 

This is my sadness in the Light. I'm glad to share this personal story, praying that if you've been through this same pain, something close or are nursing a hurt; I pray that you know that God loves you. Always. Unconditionally. Even when we don't feel it or understand why. 

Sometimes it seems like our common enemy, the devil, is gaining ground in the world. But we must not forget that The Lord Jesus is the ultimate victor, and He has placed us on this earth as ambassadors. ... But we are children of the day who press back against the enemy's darkness. We'll let The Lord invade the shadowy places or our hearts... - Beth Moore (Children of the Day bible study)

XO.

Jari