Back from Riviera Maya!

We had such a blast in Mexico...again!!! this has been our 2nd trip in 4 months and we are just loving the life traveling is providing us. this was also Grace's first trip out of the country and first vacation anywhere! she was the MOST AMAZING little traveler! not one peep on the plane and had a wonderful time playing at the resort! we are almost of the thinking now it's easier to be on vacation b/c of all the wonderful things they have to do there for kids! it was unbelievable! The memories we created are priceless and the open door it provided for us to know we can travel with her is so special. We look forward to her growing up with a life of blessed vacations, memories and true freedom to know that life can be abundant and full of freedom!

First Trip to Mexico

Grace is ready and willing. We leave for the Rivera Maya in 2 weeks and we could not be more excited and nervous all at the same time! I'm so excited to be taking Grace on this trip with us to create some amazing memories for her, but also wondering how will she do? what's the plane ride gonna be like? Will I have the screaming toddler? will she sleep in the resort room? all I can say is we'll never find out if we don't try and with our upcoming lifestyle of traveling a lot more in the future and showing ourselves and our children the world, we have to start somewhere!

So we are making it fun for her. We went out and got a new suitcase just for her and we are gonna pack fun stuff for her to do while on the plane. She is already loving the suitcase and rolls it around all over the house! something tells me things are going to be just fine....and maybe even great!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone~

While Grace and I are a bit under the weather this Thanksgiving season, we are ironically enough thankful for our health. And Richard has been a huge blessing in taking care of us, although he has grown a bit tired from all the care taking. We enjoyed a nice family dinner at the Bonds this afternoon and are very thankful to have family close to us. Thanksgiving is a time to count our blessings and be grateful for what we have. we live in a country so full of wealth and "stuff", it's hard to imagine anything different. it's hard to imagine children and families around the world than may not eat tonight. So I am so thankful that we even have the opportunity to have seconds! I'm also proud to say that Richard and I did our first act of giving this season by participating in Tony Robbins basket brigade. We donated 10 baskets to feed those in need. We look forward to the day that we can give more. So here's to one more piece of pie as long as no one is counting! :)

The Cleanse!

Well, in all effort to preform an amazing cleanse last week, I consider myself to have not done up to my best. I'm a pretty disciplined person but in every challenge is a learning lesson and my learning lesson is that I like to eat!!! And I'm a pretty good eater- i just like to do it with healthy food. The process has been 2 shakes a day with 1 400-600 calorie meal in between. and 2 days of just liquid. that is the day I sadly gave in to my hunger! I drove to Houston that day and stopped at a gas station and picked up a bag of gardettos!!! Awe man, and I felt so guilty. Traveling while cleansing is a challenge!! So anyways, fall off track and just get back up and start again!

Richard and I are doing well, but definitely not perfect! I guess the point is to always try...success is just one failure after another until you achieve the desired result. Here's to failing!!! ;0

Pure Happiness and New boots!

Being Groomed

Well, I have to say it's a win this year for Cat's team. The Longhorns beat the Sooners this year. Poor Bradford - out early in the game. As a competitor myself and someone who loves to win, I can only imagine what it was like for him to have to sit out that game. I guess given Grace really could care less until she gets a little older, the winning parent gets to dress her in the winning team attire!! So enjoy this year's win and Hook Em Horns!

New posts are coming!!

It's been a little busy lately so be patient with me as I update the blog soon!

The Lemur!

Going to see the Wizard!

Richard and I were invited to an exclusive event at one of the top leaders homes in Kansas this past weekend! So we thought what better opportunity than to attend this event and allow Grace to experience a little traveling. So we took a road trip to Kansas- a 5 1/2 hour trip north! And boy, was I impressed with Grace's traveling skills. After a long and hard thought process of where does she sleep, we bought a porta crib mattress that fit perfectly in the pack n play and packed that up to take along with us. We stayed in a suite like hotel that had a bedroom and kitchen and it was great. She did so well on the road and we loved traveling with our little munchkin. she loved riding the elevators! And dont' think for a moment that Grace slept in while on vacation. not a chance. up at 7 am every morning! But the best part of the trip was going to the Safari park they had about 20 miles from where we were staying. followed by a special event with our company leaders. Here are a few pics from visiting the animals on Sat morning. We were allowed to feed the animals and even walk around in their area. it was really cool!

Save those receipts!

Richard and I are so excited about the tax return we are getting this year simply by having a home based business!! We never knew all the normal expenses that we are using anyways could be a tax deductible expense just b/c we operate a business out of our home! wow!!! Cell phone, utilities, housekeeping, travel, tons of stuff! We are so excited, I just had to share! 

Say "Treat"

Before we had children, the dogs were our children!! So here's a quick pic as to not forget our first kids, the twins, Cassie and Kylie Bond! This is the head tilt when we say "treat" or anything else that woudl get a dogs attention such as "car", "walk", or "eat".

Quality time

It is more often than not that I hear so many parents say "they were born just yesterday! I can't believe how fast they grow up!!!"  Is it possible that the years seem to slip between our fingers because we are all so busy with other things that seem important but in the big picture, they are not important at all? I heard a mentor say this weekend that there is no such thing as multi tasking. I've come to believe this is true. I've made it a point to make choices that will affect my daughter and future children forever. Over the past 4 years, I have learned so much about how we speak to our kids, the words we use, the healthcare system, the education system, and wealth building. Those may seem a bit unrelated, but what we teach our children will development into their belief systems and can affect their entire life!!!! Spending quality time with our children is so important - this means being present, not just sitting in the same room with the tv on or typing on our phones. True presence is what our children crave. simply time with us. Perhaps spending quality time with our kids on a daily and weekly basis will make the years not go by so quickly!

I feel I've truly enjoyed every day, week, month, and year with Grace. she is growing up quickly but not to the point that I wish it would slow down or that I've missed out. Richard and I have made choices that might not be the status quo or what "everyone else is doing," but quite frankly, we dont' want an ordinary life, we want a little bit "extra"- an extraordinary life. I read in a book that good is the enemy of great. So here's to a great life and spending more quality time with our family. Here's Grace having some frozen yogurt today and simply enjoying the time together. 

The Cow goes Moooooo!

Getting Vocal!

Grace is becoming quite the vocal queen! what seems like chinese most of the time to us makes complete sense to her! we know in that little brain of hers she is trying to get something out! whether it's a request for juice, help with getting a blanket out of her basket, or a pat on the couch saying "come sit next to me", we know full sentences are just around the corner! the funny part is I pretty much know what she's saying when she speaks "chinese"!! She is absorbing so much more and understanding commands so much as well. Like, please give me your cup or finish eating your dinner please or let's get in your chair to read a book, or even it's time for night night. She goes right to her crib, gets her blanket and lays her head down. She is definitely the love of our life right now and we are enjoying spending time with her watching her grow and learn. 

Trip to Austin

Last weekend, I went to the TX / Tech game and caught up with some old girlfriends! Some from sorority and others that I just haven't seen in awhile! it was good times and best of all, we won! 

Hook Em Horns! 

What a difference 6 months makes!

Just a little under 6 mos ago, we were introduced to Rovia/Worldventures, the fastest growing travel company in the U.S. and now the #1 travel company in the industry. We are doing business with companies such as American Airlines, FunJet Vacations, RCI-Wyndam, Disney, and just recently Southwest Airlines. Southwest has never been on any search engine website, but they have changed that philosophy b/c of the growth we are experiencing. What would I call that? A CLUE! This past weekend, Richard and I were recognized on stage with 8 other people for another milestone in the business. There were 1,100 people at this event and there were only 8 of us on stage for this particular level! WOW!!! We are so blessed to be hooked up with some of the best in the industry, mulit millionaire mentors who work with people like Tony Robbins, Bob Proctor, and Robert Kiyosaki! So here we are: 1 step away from residual income!!! Residual income is such a blessing...it's money coming in every month whether you are working or not! This is a huge milestone in our business and we are so excited about what the future holds!!! 

Elmo is in the House!

Grace and I went to My Gym last Saturday for an open house that had a very special guest- ELMO!!!!! she was so in awe of him and loved every minute. We had a really great time playing on and with everything there. I really thought she would cry or fuss when I put her in Elmo's lap, but she didn't!! She just sat there cool as a cucumber and held his hand! it was great. Needless to say we took a really great nap that day!!

Fun day at the mall

For all those moms out there, I never thought I would see the day that I went to the mall with the intention NOT to shop. The malls have some of the best entertainment for the little ones and we have such a great time at the play centers. Here's a pic of Grace at the carousel the other afternoon waving every time she went by. She had a blast!!! 

The Path of MOST resistance!

Well it is with great excitement and a little fear that I announce Richard has officially decided to sell his part of Legal Elements and go full time with me in Worldventures. Although this can be a scary decision sometimes, we are of the mindset that the greatest rewards are given to those who take the greatest risks. I heard a multi millionaire put it best last night "Leap and the net will appear." And indeed that is what's happening. There are so many amazing things going on in our life that I can't even explain in one post. God is so good and we are truly being blessed by his grace. It is so great to have Richard home during some days and me home during others. We go to fun toddler events such as storytime at the library or just a simple stroll at the mall on a Tuesday afternoon. It's amazing how dead the malls are during the day on a weekday. 

We anticipate more exciting news in the future and are definitley "leaping" into life! 

Back From Cabo!

We are back from Cabo and loving it! Grace did extremely well with both Grandma's. We appreciate everything they do! I don't know what we woudl do without them here! 

It was a nice break for us, but we will be taking Grace on the next one. we are leaning towards an amazing dreamtrip to Cancun in December. There were so many kids in Cabo and to see the fun they were all having we want Grace to experience that as well. While on the trip, we made amazing new friendships, had life changing conversations, and created belief in this company beyond imagine. we are so excited about our future! 

Toddler's Best Friend

Grace officially has a new love!! The dogs! Cassie is much more tolerate of Grace's tail pulling, bear hugs, and kisses that often come out as licks from Grace. We don't have the "keep your mouth shut" part down yet. Kylie just kind of gets up and walks away. That's okay. They are so good around her and just put up with everything. I know one day they will have so much fun and I can't imagine the day that they go to doggie heaven b/c Grace will have grown up with them all her life!!! Dogs really are healers and every time she sees a dog now, she goes crazy and says "woof woof" with all her might. it's so funny. She's getting really good at other animal sounds as well. We have cows and horses down really well- thanks to Pops and Honey. Whenever we listen to our Wiggly Music CD in the car, those are her favorite animal sounds. She's starting to get down birds, chickens, and there's even a mosquito on there!! just a little buzz sound but it's cute to hear her try and do it. My goal is to keep my eyes on the road b/c I want to turn around so much and just laugh with her...That's where the awesome rear view mirrors I bought at Babies r us come into play. we'll see how well they pan out. In the meantime, we'll keep mooing and nahing along!!!

Cabo bound

We are very excited about Cabo this week!! Little Grace will not be coming with us as this will be our first dreamtrip to go on. so we wanted to be able to have the freedom that being childless provides!! there are 1000 people going on this Dreamtrip that our team created with the awesome travel experts at Rovia so we are very excited to see what's in store. One of the nights in funny hat or wig night (pics will come for that for sure!) and then we have an all white night where we will be taking the group photo!!  we are so grateful to Honey and Pops and Grams for taking over for the week. We truly appreciate it. We will come back well rested and ready to go on our next vacation WITH Grace! 

balloon watching!!! LOVES ballons

feeding ducks at the park

Getting back in the swing!

Ok, after being inspired by my friend Monda on her fabulous blog, I have initiated my blogging once again! It's such a great way to keep in touch with everyone, family and friends. so here we go...round three is it? I noticed I hadn't posted on here since Feb or May, something like that so since there is so much that has been going on since then, I'll start with the most important! 

Miss Grace is now 18 mos old. I can't believe it. she is walking, running, talking and having so much fun. We went to Toddler time at the library the other day and she just had a ball. Favorite new things are Dora the Explorer and Diego. the Backyardigans come in for a close 2nd. But in an attempt to limit TV time, we only watch these in the morning or evening, usually not both. I will admit, if I can get a moment of couch time, I will take it these days! She is loving new fruits and veggies that I introduce to her. Grace loves going to Whole Foods and the produce section. (we eat the samples that are out and she always gets a banana when we go ;)) Now that she is down to one nap a day, our daily activities are a bit more planned. Toddler time Mon's and Wed's, Mall play areas, pool at Lifetime, playground with the dogs, gym play area while mom works on those last 10 pounds!! UGH! and the usual errands during the day. 

All this to be said we leave for CABO next week and we are going to have a blast. Our traveling has definitely increased and will be increasing in the near future. we cannot wait to show Grace and future children the 7 wonders of the world! Why learn about our world in a textbook when we can learn from the real thing. our goal with our children and family has always been to create a wonderful life for our kids and give them our TIME. Because that's really all our kids ever want. toys and stuff are great, but they really just want YOU! We are not raising kids, but instead we are raising adults to go out into the world in 18 years and be successful contributors to our society. To say "our parents taught us how to dream, how to love life, how to have courage, believe in ourselves, and give more than we receive" would be the best gift to us. 

Not to mention, we are having so much fun that we are going to start trying for a 2nd! Stay tuned and God bless until next time!.....here's hoping it's not next year! 

Celebrating Grace's Great Grandmother's Birthday!

Gammy is 88 years old and it's so great to be able to spend time and get a snapshot of 4 generations! 

Go fish!

Grace loved going to the fish store this week. Want to get out of the house but not spend a lot of money? go to the fish store or a pet store, although I prefer to stay away from those these days with all the puppy mill controversy! 

Go Fish or as Grace says "go Ish!"

Living large at the Grocery Store!

Grace loves the grocery store! she helps me pick out all the fruit and veggies, well actually helps me grab the fruits and veggies. she loves riding in the cart and playing with everything. she also gets a lot of attention there! I feel like everyone at Central market is our friend!

I am proud to announce that everyone is back to normal! Grace is back to her naps and happy as a clam! she is definitely her old self again! We are all cleared out of infections. We were given an antibiotic for her ear, but we went the chiropractic route and it all cleared up. So the pink stuff is still sitting in the fridge. Grace is eating pretty independently at this point. we discovered she loves PB & J at central market yesterday and ate the whole thing! So needless to say we picked up some natural peanut butter (no sugar) and jelly and bread for her to make some this week. Hope mine are just as good as CM's!

Richard is on quite the workout binge lately! Be careful what you ask for- it just may come true....in spades! he's been known to be at the gym for 3 hrs. playing basketball with a group of guys there. I'm getting back into the workout swing myself and enjoying it. 

That's probably it for now. Everything still going well. Richard and I are looking forward to our trip to Vegas in April. I'm so ready for the weather!

Trapped at Home!

Well the Bonds have been a little sick this winter season. I think everything is starting to clear up and we should get back on this more regularly.  Grace is growing like a weed and getting more and more vocal everyday! She points at everything and says "GE!" We think it means Get! This doesn't go too well when we are at Target!!

NO walking yet! still crawling like a speeding champ. she stands well, but then drops and crawls when she wants to go. 

We are all doing better and hope to be back and "breathing" soon! 

Colds are bummers!

Bet I can make you laugh!