I finally updated our blog!

I have to thank Michelle for motivating me to finally update our blog. It has been a while!

For Thanksgiving we drove down to Kansas City, MO to spend the weekend with my brother, Dave, and his wife Elizabeth. We had a blast with them! They showed us around KC and my brother compared it to a ginormous Pocatello...and I agree! We ate at the famous Jack Stack restaurant and visited Dave's med school campus...and of course ate a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner! I must admit that Elizabeth and I pulled off a great meal!!...and the boys helped too. Here's a pic at one of the parks near their home. And we visited Liberty Jail...very cool!!


Emma tried chocolate pudding for the first time...and loved it as you can see here!

Emma is making a funny face in this picture! Ben makes the same expression sometimes...daddy and daughter connection :)

December has been an awesome month so far! On December 5th, Ben was officially cleared to work in the student clinic!...woohoo!! It was a huge mile marker!

We also had fun getting together with some friends to make gingerbread houses. A lot of them used actual homemade gingerbread...we used good old fashioned graham crackers. Ben basically put the whole thing together and I decorated it. I think we make a pretty good team. Our little house is 3 stories tall with a 1 car garage...complete with a lighted driveway! :)

On December 12th Ben and I enjoyed a Brian Regan perfomance...oh my goodness...I have never laughed that hard in my life. And I thought Ben was going to fall off his chair into the aisle a few times! We actually had 4th row seats right next to the middle aisle!! We scored awesome seats! One of the reasons why Brian Regan is such a great comic is because he makes fun of everyday things...like refridgerators, phone companies, dinner parties, airline flights...stuff like that.

December has also great for my business. I had to wrap about 45 Christmas gifts for customers! Pictured here there are about 30 of the gifts. It felt really good being able to help my customers with their Christmas shopping. And it was so fun picking out wrapping stuff...and I must thank Julie for helping me with that. Mary Kay has some great Holiday gift ideas and it is so satisfying to have friends and customers get excited about them! I made a good choice becoming part of the Mary Kay family!

Last, but not least, we had a great time at our branch christmas party....but Emma was not a fan of Santa...next year will be a different story I am sure!!

That has been our December so far! We have a ton to do before we leave for Idaho on Tuesday. Christmas break is actually going to be pretty busy!! Life is good!

Emma and her favorite things

I FINALLY started scrapbooking again...I havent done a thing since April! I made a page on Friday and have plans for at least 5 more already. Its been a while since I did a Katie's Creation's post. I actually missed scrapbooking...that might be kinda weird, but I do love anything creative. I like making stuff. So here is my page.

A Baby duck and her balloon

I posted most of these pics on facebook, but its fun to blog them, too. Last Wednesay there was a big trick-or-treat party at Palmer (Ben's school)...so its like an early Halloween for the kids. You go around campus picking up candy from various offices, etc. Some departments had way cool decorations...there was Gotham City, the Circus, Candyland, and the Yellow Brick road to name a few. It was so fun to see all the kids dressed up cute and just get together with everyone. Emma was a baby duck...some people called her a baby Big Bird or a baby chick, but she was and is a baby duck. And we get to dress her up again for our branch's trunk or treat bonanza next week.

Emma got a purple balloon at Palmer and it was her favorite thing when we got home from the party. She loved playing with it and dragging her pumpkin around with it. :)

Sour "Pumpkin" Patch Kid

Yesterday we spent the afternoon at the Pride of the Wapsi. The Pride of the Wapsi is a family-sponsored fair that happens every fall here in Iowa. We had a blast!...although Emma wasn't the happiest. At the fair there is tons to do...There are little rides for the kids to go on and they have shetland pony rides and you can pick your own raspberries, and feed the farm animals...goats, chickens, pigs, etc...and we walked through their corn maze (in pretty good time, too), and took a ride to the pumpkin patch and we picked out a few pumpkins for ourselves.

Emma is about 2 and a half feet tall. Last year we measured her at the Wapsi and she was almost 2 feet tall according to this big ol ruler.
The original painting of this farm couple was actually painted here in Iowa I guess. Can you see Ben and me living on a farm?
Here we are at the pumpkin patch.

Emma turned sad and "sour" in the pumpkin patch :(

Emma needed a hug...and to sit down...take a break

I am super excited about going to the Pride of the Wapsi next year...I think Miss E will have more fun, too!

They Built It, So We Came!

A few weeks ago we finally made it to the Field of Dreams movie site right outside of Dyersville, IA...we had been meaning to visit since even before we moved here! Ben was especially excited...anything that has to do with sports gets him all fired up! We had a ton of fun...we drove up with our friends, the Turners...here are some fun pics!!

Ben and Jeff pitched the ball to each other for at least an hour straight...they had so much fun!
I really like this pic with Emma way close, and Ben far away getting ready to pitch the ball.

Emma and Lily with the fence post sign.

Ben had some good hits that went all the way into the Corn Field...luckily, we were able to find the balls!! But we each got our chance to hit...and I actually enjoyed it...and I got to run around the bases. I sometimes forget that I am pretty athletic.

Here is Emma, the house, and our picinic stuff.


Emma was fascinated by the rocks and dirt on the field...she tried eating a few rocks...thankfully, they didn't taste too good and she spit them back out.

Another one of Emma and Daddy on the baseball field.

Here we are walking out of the corn...
Emma is notoriously sticking out her tongue.
I got kisses from Emma. :)

We had such a great time that day! I'm really glad we made it up there!!

My Affirmation Poem

Last Monday I directed my weekly Mary Kay meeting. To begin the meeting you introduce yourself then share an affimation poem. I guess there are a few generic ones you can just read to everyone, but I wanted to make up my own. So here is my poem...

I love to see the blessings flow,
as I see my business grow.
These both go hand in hand you see,
because the Lord knows whats important to me.
My faith first, and then my family,
I love the Lord, Ben, and Emma oh so gladly!
One of the next priorities on my list
is bringing home the dough, if you get my jist.
Mary Kay has helped me with that pursuit,
just check me out in my hot, red suit!
Sharing and caring have gotten my this far,
and someday I will be driving that car.
I know it will take faith, work, and time,
but in the end the reward will be mine.
And I know you can achieve YOUR goal,
just don't dig yourself into a hole.
Get out and breathe the fresh air in,
and then you'll know where to begin.
Take one step and then another,
your path will be unlike any others.
The Lord will lead you as you go,
and let the blessings in as He helps you grow!

I definitely believe in the power of positive thinking! I recommend that you write down at least 10 positive affirmations about You and put them somewhere you will see them everyday! Seriously, try it out for a week.

When you join the Berrey family...

When Ben and I were dating I remember him telling me that he wasn't that fond of golf. My first thoughts were, 'When we get married that is certainly going to change'...and so it has. When you join the Berrey (my maiden name) family, you inevitably learn to love golf. As soon as Ben got his own golf clubs (from my parents, of course) he was immediately hooked to the game. How hooked?...well, while I was in labor with Emma guess what he was watching on TV?...a golf tournament-the British Open. My sister-in-law Elizabeth has also taken up the game. And my neice Shayla asked my parents for her own golf clubs for her 8th birthday. So golf is just a way of life for the Berreys. So it will make sense when I tell you that we took Emma golfing with us when she was just 11 months old. Start em young...Well, actually, when I was ~6 months pregnant Ben and I went golfing...I carried my own clubs and everything.

Here are a few pics of our golf outing with Emma, while we were in Idaho/Utah...and a fun pic of my little family at BYU (you can see the Y way up on the Mountain)...go COUGARS!



My dad is showing Emma a golf ball and golf glove...lessons from Grandpa.

I really like this picture.
Emma loved riding on the golf cart...she loves anything that makes wind blow in her face.
Ya gotta wear a hat when golfing! Emma wasn't a fan of her sunglasses.

Red is my new favorite color!

I am officially a RED JACKET...woohoo. Most of you are probably wondering, what does that mean?...it means that I have 3 active team members and that my business is growing like crazy. Becoming a red jacket is a sign of hard work, happy customers, and a desire to do great things in Mary Kay. As a red jacket I have also been enveloped into a whole new level of sisterhood within MK...Amanda actually smacked my arse at the end of meeting because I was a part of the group...ha. I wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that...I think I laughed. But anyway, here are a few pics documenting my fun night!

Melissa is my team leader and my new director starting Sept 1st...she is holding the box. Melissa has been an awesome friend and mentor to me. I love that she can see my potential and isn't afraid to give me a challenge.

I love opening presents!

I got a new pin that says "Star Recruiter" and all us Reds said the Red Jacket oath or pledge...or whatever, I don't remember any of it.





All the other red jackets gave me gifts...and all the gifts had to be red. I got some fun stuff. In this pic is Amanda (she is the one laughing) and Mel.






A new red wallet...cool!





Gwen is my adopted director. Gwen is one of the nicest people in the world. She is always so happy to see me and she gives the best compliments! She thinks that Red is definitely my color!





Gwen put Ben on the spot by asking him a few questions, but he has some pretty good answers. I am so glad that he and Emma came to support me....rare are the meetings where spouses and kids are invited. But anyway, Ben has been supportive of my business since day 1 and I am so blessed to have a husband who cheers me on and encourages me to accomplish my goals.

Me and my cute family!

Two of my team members were able to come...Jerusha and Ruth. I am so grateful that they were able to come.


Me and my Red Jacket amigas! Amanda, Judy, me, Melissa, and Mel.