Looking up

2016 has been a year filled with transformations for our family: houses, cars, kids, schools, jobs, bodies, minds, finances. I've experienced what author and business coach Jim Rohn was referring to when he said, "Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change." And change, we have.

Our new neighborhood is amazing. My lawn mower wouldn't start the other day. My next door neighbor Vince wouldn't leave my side until he had done absolutely everything he could think of to fix it. One neighbor helped me build in all the shelving in my garage. One lent me his tools so I could edge properly without hurting myself. One neighbor brought me flowers on my birthday. One dropped by caramel popcorn for no reason at all. One gave me a pro grill for free. One brought my daughters some toys she knew they would enjoy. I loved the pastoral life we lived on the lake surrounded by cow fields. As much as I loved the lake and the cows I wouldn't trade them for Vince and the rest of my new neighbors.

Our new car is awesome. We were commuting in a 1992 Buick, now a 2007 Mercedes. Solid improvement. I love driving it every chance I get.

Our kids are fantastic. They're making new friends, learning new things and taking baby steps towards self-reliance and personal satisfaction.

Our institutions of learning are challenging, supportive and inspiring. Our kids were homeschooled last year, it was great, but required more of me than I was willing to give after a solid 15-month stretch. So this year we re-enrolled the kids in public school. A well-educated, happy, talented team of folks made sure my kids can read, write, dance, run, draw, type, talk, be silent, deal with stress, sing, and enjoy their peers. Summer vacation starts in two weeks and then I'll have eight weeks to get my fill of homeschooling. God bless homeschoolers, I'm all for it. But I need a team.

My job is blowing my mind on a daily basis. I had no intention of "working." I loved my 2015 job of raising my kids, creating my home and supporting my husband. Those plans quickly changed when I lost 25 pounds in 6 weeks and decided to pay it forward and help others do the same as a professional health coach. I have a nearly full roster of clients who are looking to transform their health in one way or another. I have clients who are sleeping better, shedding extra weight, clearing up their foggy minds and transforming their lives. One of my clients no longer needs a heart bypass surgery that she was preparing for when she met me. I have one client who comes home from a nine-hour day at work and is energized to plan trips, remodel his home and serve more at his church instead of sitting on the couch each night watching TV. Working with these people inspires me. My job brings a new joy and satisfaction to my life that did not exist six months ago.

My mind has never been so clear and active. The fog has lifted. I have insights, ideas and dreams that never occurred to me before. I'm setting and reaching "impossible" goals. I'm planning weekly, monthly, yearly and 5-year goals for all major areas of my life. Have you read the book Oola Moola? Great book. It outlines the seven areas of your life that need your attention in order to be successful in a harmonious way. They are referred to in the book as the 7 F's: Faith, Family, Friends, Field (as in career field), Fitness, Finance, Fun. Taking a look at my life through that lens has really helped me progress in many areas of my life at once. Why not? Who says you can only progress in one area at a time? Why not all seven? Bam. You can. I am.

Our financial picture is personal. Lets just say, it's good and transitioning to even better...just like the rest of my life.

I hope 2016 is bringing you closer to the life you envision!

Adam and Lindsey tell their tale of Optimal Health

If you missed the national video conference that Adam Shumway and I did about our ongoing health transformation, you can watch it anytime! Here is the link:https://vimeo.com/152521624 
We're featured about 25 minutes in for roughly 10 minutes. Reach out to me if you're ready to start a transformation of your own! I could show you a million before and after pictures, but I'd rather show you yours!

We've lost 55 pounds together! We've been so thrilled and inspired ourselves that we've decided to pay it forward and become health coaches! I love helping others transform their lives in ways they never imagined! My job is rewarding, confined to David's nap time from my home office, and fun! I'd love to share more if you are interested! We're on a mission to restore hope and health, join us!

Journey to Optimal Health Video Conference

It's been eight weeks since Adam and I began a new Optimal Health Program and our results are exciting! We have created an atmosphere of healthy awareness in our home that did not exist before. We have learned and implimented a variety of new habits. And we've dropped 55 pounds as a couple!

We will be featured on a National Video Conference tonight at 7 PM PST.  We plan to discuss our transformation and how this program has changed us and our family. You are all invited!

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/8054320201
Or join by phone: 

+1 415 762 9988 (US Toll) or +1 646 568 7788 (US Toll)
Meeting ID: 805 432 0201

Cheerful

My darling 13-month-old son David is sick. He's had a 102+ degree temperature for the better part of the past three days. He is whiney and needy and miserable. He also laid in my lap for a solid hour just to be held. I'm pretty sure that's never happened before.

This sudden spike in David's needs has made managing my homeschool schedule taxing. In fact lots of things have happened suddenly to tax me.

I woke up this morning dreading how this 12-hour stretch might go. Then I had an idea. Why don't we start this day with a prayer?

My Mom used to have a cross-stitched saying hanging in our kitchen that said, "If your day is hemmed with prayer it is less likely to unravel."

I usually pray with Adam, but this morning I prayed with the kids too.

Then I took a deep breath and read my scriptures. Doctrine and Covenants section 123, when I came to verse 17 I knew this message was just for me, "Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God and for his arm to be revealed."

Today this was my mantra, "Cheerfully do all things that lie in your power."

As a result, I have a new favorite scripture. I know God our Heavenly Father loves me. His arm has been revealed in my daily life. My faith is stronger. Now I just need to work on the "cheerfully" part.

A Virtuous Woman

The role of women is challenged constantly. Images, behaviors and laws can create confusion about what it means to be, raise or support a virtuous woman. In Proverbs 31:10 it says, “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.” Proverbs 31 describes in detail what virtuous women should strive for. The ideals found in Proverbs 31 are summarized as follows:

1. Faith - A virtuous woman serves God with all her heart, might, mind and strength. She seeks His will for her life and follows His ways.

2. Marriage – A virtuous woman respects her husband. She does him good all the days of her life. She is a trustworthy helpmeet.

3. Mothering - A virtuous woman teaches her children the ways of her Father in Heaven. She nurtures her children with the love of Christ, disciplines them with care and wisdom, and trains them in the way they should go.

4. Health – A virtuous woman cares for her body. She prepares healthy food for her family.

5. Service - A virtuous woman serves her husband, her family, her friends, and her neighbors with a gentle and loving spirit. She is charitable.

6. Finances - A virtuous woman spends money wisely. She is careful to purchase quality items, which her family needs.

7. Industry – A virtuous woman works willingly with her hands. She sings praises to God and does not grumble while completing her tasks.

8. Homemaking – A virtuous woman is a homemaker. She creates an inviting atmosphere of warmth and love for her family and guests. She uses hospitality to minister to those around her.

9. Time - A virtuous woman uses her time wisely. She works diligently to complete her daily tasks. She does not spend time dwelling on those things that do not please the Lord.

10. Beauty – A virtuous woman is a woman of worth and beauty. She has the inner beauty that only comes from Christ. She uses her creativity to create beauty.

As you read the summations consider how you may improve these areas in your life or encourage these ideals in the women you influence. 

These virtues have been further reinforced in The Family: A Proclamation to the World. 

When we become confused about where peace and happiness come from look to these areas and see if you can improve one area at a time.  

If you become discouraged because you aren't living up to your highest potential; know that with God all things are possible. You never have to run faster than you are able. Be generous in your estimation of yourself. Your price is far above rubies, right now. 

Do Your Research: 10 books you should read if you're thinking about homeschooling

When I was trying to decide if I was going to homeschool I read a lot of books. I feel like that process really prepared me for what was coming. I talked with a few people I know who are homeschooling, and read a few blogs, but I felt like I needed to know a lot more in order to make the best decision for me and my family. Each family is different, each child is different, and each homeschooling parent is different so coming to a conclusion is a very individual process.

If you want to understand more about homeschooling I recommend taking a look at the following books:

1. Dumbing us Down by John Taylor Gatto
2. To the Shore of a Child's Ocean series by Chris Manning
3. How Children Learn by John Caldwell Holt
4. The Homeschooling Handbook by Mary Griffith
5. Learning All the Time by John Holt
6. The Unschooling Handbook by Mary Griffith
7. Unschooling Rules by Clark Aldrich
8. The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook by Raymond S. Moore
9. Homegrown Kids by Raymond S. Moore
10. The Well-Adjusted Child: The Social Benefits of Homeschooling by Rachel Gathercole

First 30 Days of Homeschooling

I'm not going to lie, I'm loving homeschooling. In the first 30 days of this experiment our life and family have taken on a whole new rhythm. Here is what our typical homeschool day looks like.

Up at 7.
Breakfast and Religious Studies around 8.
Gym at 9:15, Mommy time and kids work on writing and french assignments
10:45 Home for Reading, Art and Lunch
12 Riding bikes and taking a walk together
1:30 Quiet reading time
2:30 Piano or Unit Studies (for example Jellyfish or Washington State or Yoga)

After that everyone kinda does their own thing for a while until it is time to make dinner, which the girls help me with so they can learn to cook.

Each day is a little different, but usually awesome. In the last 30 days my biggest challenge has been homeschooling in spite of my teething baby. But even that hasn't been too terrible.

For me, homeschooling rocks because:

My kids are gaining knowledge and experience in a variety of subject areas.
I've had more opportunities to shape their character than I did when they were gone for eight hours a day.
It feels like we're making the most of everyday.
We spend time doing things that we enjoy, activities that bring us joy everyday.

I'm not saying every minute of every day is blissful, but it is satisfying and fun. I'm adding a few highlight photos from our first month as home schoolers.