Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Christmas 2013

I love Christmas! I have my nativities up on November 1st, I start listening to Christmas music as soon as Chris will let me! I love the smell of a real Christmas tree, I love giving to others. This year, as I sit here at the end of Christmas day 2013, I'm happy!

I wasn't really feeling the Christmas feeling this year until about a week ago. I was driving into Lethbridge listening to some of my favourite Christmas carols. My favourite carols are the Forgotten Carols. I love the message each song has and they remind me of those people we often don't think about, like the inn keeper, Joseph, and those that weren't there, but heard about His birth and still believed. As I listened to the songs I was struck by gratitude for my Saviour and His sacrifice for me. I love that we can celebrate His birth and His life, not just in December, but all year long!

We've started a tradition in our family of having Santa Claus come a few days early. That way the kids can open their presents and enjoy the gifts they receive. That leaves Christmas day a day we can focus on the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

This morning we started with stockings and had a great Christmas morning breakfast:
Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole
4 cups of shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
10 eggs
8 pieces of cooked bacon,chopped
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/3 milk
4or 5 green onions, chopped
Hot sauce to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of additional shredded cheese for top of casserole
Mix all the ingredients together except the 1/2 cup of cheese. Pour into a greased 9×13″ pan. Top with the shredded cheese. Cover and put into refrigerator overnight. Let sit on counter for 5 to 10 minutes and then bake uncovered at 325* for about 45 minutes or until the eggs are cooked.
(I actually cooked it for about 1hour and 15 min), It was great, even Ryker, who "doesn't like eggs" ate it!
Then we acted out the nativity. We don't have enough in our little family to fill all the parts, so we enlisted the help of some "buddies"





This Christmas has been a little different than most, we started renovations on our bathroom last week Friday and we've been slowing working on it since then! so today we kept working on that, I'll post pictures of the final project when it's done (soon I hope!)

We had the missionaries come over this evening. I remember being a missionary at Christmas time, and I appreciated the members that allowed us to be a part of their Christmas and I wanted to return the favour. It was the beginning of a new tradition, Velata for Christmas dinner. Everyone loved it! Raclette to grill up the meats, Cheese fondue, and Chocolate fondue! One Elder was very adventurous and dipped everything in the chocolate! I mean EVERYTHING, including pickles, cheese, carrots and shrimp!


After dinner we tried a new program from the Friend magazine...

Elder Jones played piano for us and Kayla and Blakelee held up all the letters for us! It was a great way to end the day and remember again the true reason for the season!



It's been a fabulous day! It is my hope and prayer that all of my friends and family had as good a day as I did! MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and yours!!

(I'll admit I love my Scentsy buddies and I did my own nativity when the kids were done)

















Sunday, December 15, 2013

Raclette. Serving up Memories

(check out even more great raclette ideas at www.createthosememories.ca)

I love traditions. I love doing things that bring my family together. As Christmas comes I start to think about traditions that I have...
I loved fondue. I don't really remember when we would do it as a family, but I remember my mom pulling out the fondue set and we'd sit around and enjoy the food and fun and family. It could have been just once or twice that we did it, but I remember it and remember loving it. As a young adult my favourite group date was fondue! When we got married I loved it so much that we made it a yearly tradition for new year's eve. Some of the best times were when we shared the tradition with friends! The prep was fun, the clean up wasn't, but it was all worth it!
I do remember New Year's Eve as a kid, it would be one of the few occasions when the fine china came out and we got to have a "fancy" meal. The one thing I do remember eating was cream corn. I always thought it was such a special food that we only got it once a year. I later learned that my mom hates cream corn and my dad loves it, so she would let him have it once a year! :)
I remember visiting my Grossmutti and Grossvati (Grandma and Grandpa, Dad's parents). They came from Switzerland and my favourite meal was when the raclette came out (I didn't know that's what it was called at the time). We'd start with a vinegar/lettuce salad (I don't know the exact recipe, but I found something close below) then fry our potatoes on top and melt swiss cheese underneath. I loved being able to melt my own cheese and fry my own potatoes! As I started my own family, I searched for something that would recreate this experience. A few years ago I finally found one, it was cheap and didn't work perfectly. Then, Velata introduced their own Raclette this past October. I am in love!! I love being able to cook at the table and share this tradition with my children. As well as introduce many more traditions (we made french toast, turkey bacon and fried eggs last night for dinner on the Raclette)
This is why I am in love with VELATA! I love that it brings family together (even when I don't really want to share, as soon as my Velata warmer is going (with either cheese or chocolate) I am guaranteed to have someone wanting to share :)










www.nataliezuidhof.velata.ca

Lettuce Salad

1 head iceberg lettuce (I like it shredded)
1 cup vinegar
sugar (enough to make a thick syrup consistency)

wash and cut lettuce, set aside.
put the vinegar in a bowl, add sugar to desired consistency and mix well so sugar is dissolved.
spoon the syrup onto the lettuce and mix lightly.


Sunday, November 3, 2013

I might be a little crazy


At least that's what people might think as I run past talking to myself with my earphones in, or singing, or dancing...Ya, I'm a little crazy! I do talk to myself and sing along with the music, I have even been known to dance a little if the music is right :) I guess it's a good thing that it's getting cold and most people are inside, so they can't see how crazy I am!

Going for a run tomorrow! Watch out for crazy lady :)

Christmas is coming

How do I know?? Because everyday I have someone message me about ordering Scentsy, Grace Adele or Velata! They make great gifts and I love that this time of year I am so busy "working", more like partying, for a living! I really do love my job, I love making people happy when I drop off orders, I love making Christmas shopping so easy for people! I love seeing my team do well and reap the harvest!

That being said, it's going to be a crazy month, but I promise to get a few more blog posts in this month!

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Do things that SCARE you!

So, my last post was about doing things that are HARD. Today, my post is about doing things that SCARE you. There is a difference...my last triathlon (in Fort Macleod) was hard. I wasn't scared or really concerned, I knew it would be hard, but it didn't really scare me. My next triathlon, Banff, scares me!!!! It's an open water swim, in Banff, the mountains, in September, it's going to be COLD!! The bike course will not be closed to traffic (crazy, unpredictable tourists!) and we are to beware of wildlife on the road (specifically big horn sheep!) that could be interesting. The run is the only thing that doesn't scare me! But it's a HUGE event, there will be olympic athletes, it's a qualifying race for other big time races. There's going to be tons of people. I'm not going to let me fear take over, I will succeed and I will be so happy when I cross the finish line!

What are YOU going to do that scares you?

Once you do that thing, you'll realize that it didn't kill you and that you can do AMAZING things!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Hard things

Two years ago I was in charge of our family reunion (my dad's family). It was a very hard thing to do, with 10 siblings, the Michel Family has grown to be a very large family! We do the reunion every three years. I made the theme of the reunion We Can Do Hard Things. Planning the reunion and trying to make it a great experience for so many people was a hard thing for me, but when everyone had a great time, it was worth the stress and hard work I had to do.

This summer I have been training for a triathlon. My first triathlon was 4 years ago and I loved it. I've wanted to do it again and this year was a great time. I signed up for the Fort Macleod triathlon, sprint distance. (This was my first full triathlon ever, supersprint distance). I've since added a Stirling triathlon (completed 2 weeks ago), and Banff (Sept 7)! But Fort Macleod was still that one I wanted to do! Then I got sick!!! I was home in bed with strep throat for 3 days! I was finally feeling better on Friday, but still not 100%. Saturday I felt good, but I knew I had no reserves (no food for a week will drain any stores you have)!

Through the entire event I struggled with myself. In the pool I stuggled to breathe and had to go slow. On the bike the wind was blowing against me and I had to go up the worst hill I've ever seen!, on the run I felt like puking on the side of the road. But then, in the pool I felt smooth with my stroke, after the turnaround the hill wasn't so bad and the wind was at my back, on the run...I knew I was almost done (I did walk most of the 5 k, but it was all I could do)!

I've never cried when I finished a race, but I did that day. It was HARD, but I DID it! I could have not done it, or I could have quit, but I pushed through and I did it! Banff is going to be a cakewalk now! (not really, but I'm excited for it).

I really think that doing hard things is something we should always be striving for. To try hard things and then accomplish them brings a feeling better than trying something you know you'll be good at. So go and do something HARD!


please note, my hard things aren't nearly as hard as others, but we all need to dig deep to get through the hard things in our lives!

Monday, July 22, 2013

Bucket list

I have decided i need a bucket list...here goes

1. complete an Ironman triathlon
2. complete Escape from Alcatraz triathlon
3. become a Scentsy Family SuperStar Director
4. go to Jerusalem
5. go to Switzerland
6. go to Australia and New Zealand
7. Run a Marathon
8. go up in a hot air balloon
9. go to Mt. Everest base camp
10. return to the Philippines

Is that a good enough start? I can always add to it, can't I.

Scentsy Family Reunion 2013 part 2

The thing that I love about the Scentsy Family, they love to have consultants share what they know, and all those consultants are willing to share what they know to help everyone grow and improve. This year at reunion we had several consultants speak to us. Here are a few of the points I enjoyed the most...

Sarah Matanane: she talked about booking blitzes (calling/texting/messaging as many people as  you can in a short period of time with the sole purpose of booking parties). one quote she used was by Mark Victor Hansen  Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.

Danette Kroll said "it's not the gift that matters, it's the value YOU leave"

Teri Newman said "if you have the will to achieve your goals, you will WIN"

Jenae Sexton quoted Hank Aaron  “The pitcher has got only a ball. I've got a bat. So the percentage in weapons is in my favour and I let the fellow with the ball do the fretting."  I've got the bat, the weapon is in my favour! I will not fret. It's about loving what you do and sharing it with the world, build those relationships so that they know why you want to share it with them.

Maurita Tollestrup was my favourite consultant speaker of the week, not only because I know her, but I really did love the message she had to share. She talked about beginning with an end in mind, then map it out. If you plot where you are going, you are more likely to make it there as our actions will lead to the results we want! 
Here's part of my map, though not the end, just some steps along the way, these goals will guide me to the end I'm aiming for!




quick weekend getaway

Last week Monday Chris suggested we go camping on the weekend! We quickly checked out Waterton Springs Campground (a great campground just outside Waterton Park). They had 1 spot available and we snatched it up! We packed everything up on Thursday, then Chris and I worked Friday and headed out after work. We didn't have time to do anything Friday night, but Saturday was filled with all kinds of Waterton traditions...


We all made it up Bear's Hump! (those stairs they added are HUGE, poor little Blakelee could barely make it up some of them!)

Then we headed over to the Prince of Wales Hotel. The last time we were in Waterton the kids wanted to know what that big house was, so we told them, Kayla asked where the wales were :) then this weekend Blake said, it's the dolphin house! 

We stopped by the cabin to see Grandpa Ted (my grandpa) and he invited us to go fishing. We spent the afternoon on the boat enjoying the sunshine and beautiful scenery. We didn't catch any fish, but it was still lots of fun.



We stopped by the big scoop for the traditional icecream cone and Kayla had chocolate, can you tell?


S'mores by the campfire made even better with Velata caramel milk chocolate!! YUM



Sunday morning before church we stopped by Cameron Falls and climbed up to the lookout. Kayla wanted to stay all day long!



Goodbye Waterton, but only for a few weeks, we'll be back!!


Sunday, July 21, 2013

Slump

After almost 5 months of running, adding in swimming and biking. Training for races along the way. I hit a wall! a little over a week ago I ran a 5k fun run (Scentsy Family Reunion 1st ever) in Indianapolis, Indiana. WOW! The humidity was something I wasn't ready for. I knew it would be hot and humid, but I never thought it would affect my running so much...it did. It was the first time I've ever felt like puking while running (I have a friend that pukes everytime she runs!!) and I had to walk part of it just to finish. I did finish and felt good about it (though not happy with my time). The rest of the week was filled with tons of walking while I attended the Reunion (aka convention). I did run 5k the saturday morning before I left, but since then I've been fighting to keep training! I've had to force myself to get out and struggled to finish even 5k training runs!

Now begins a new week, I will focus on the triathlon that I have coming up August 17th! Bike on Monday, Run on Tuesday/Wednesday, Swim on Thursday, Bike on Friday, Run on Saturday morning (aiming for 8k) and a bike ride with the family! There, it's out there and I'm accountable (if only to my computer, I can do it!)

Create your look!

I love this video about how to create 20 different looks with just one bag, 2 clutches and 2 accessories! This is also a sneak peak at what will be available August 1st!! So excited about the new catalog, eeeekkkk!

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Scentsy Family Reunion 2013 part 1

As some of you may know, I just returned from Indianapolis, Indiana for the annual Scentsy Family Reunion (aka convention, but we're a big family, so now we call it a family reunion!) I had a fabulous time! Indianapolis is a cool city with a beautiful state park right outside my hotel. I got to participate in the first ever Scentsy Family 5k Fun Run (it was tough, only because it was soooooo humid there)! I got to see all kinds of new stuff from Scentsy, Velata and Grace Adele (I'm ready for some awesome parties this fall)! I got to go to Heidi's birthday bash (Heidi and Orville Thompson are the president and CEO of Scentsy Family), and Kelly Clarkson did a private concert for us (very cool)! But the best part was the inspiration from so many speakers and leaders. I learned so much that I can apply in my business and my life.
Today, I want to share just a little bit about what I learned this week...

Meghann and Ryan Clements are great leaders. Meghann is my sponsor in Scentsy and has been a shining star for me since I joined 2.5 years ago. They are SuperStar Directors (the highest rank in our business) and had a meeting for everyone under them on the first day of reunion. I just want to share a few of the things I took from this meeting.

Meghann--start a new chapter in your life. use the next 3 days to decide how you want to start that chapter. She challenged us to each write down 1 goal each night and date stamp it. A goal without a date you want to achieve it by is just a dream! My goals for this year are HUGE, but I'm excited...1) Director by November 2013. 2) Lose 20 lbs by December 2013 (40 lbs by July 2014). 3) Grace Adele Trendsetter by December 2013. I'm so excited to aim for these goals!

Ryan--he gave us 5 ways to strengthen our "why" 1) gain strength from your community (the scentsy family, not just our team/group, but others we meet). 2) activities (things like the 5k and incentive trips and reunion), engage in these activities. 3) relationships (develop and maintain one-on-one relationships with each other). 4) strengthen relationships with your directors (all TWW directors). 5) look for constant A-HA moments!

It's going to be a fabulous end to 2013!! I can't wait!!

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Running

April 1:
It's been 3 weeks since I started "running". I am not a runner at all, I've never liked running even in high school! I prefer swimming, biking, hiking, anything but running. But I've signed up for 2 5k runs this year (so far) and decided I needed to actually train this year (instead of not and killing myself to even finish!). I started out with a couch to 5k program on my iPhone and went from there. If you know me, you might know that when I start something new, I'm all in! Well, I'm all in on running! I know that if I don't run every day (except Sunday) that I'll find an excuse not to run and procrastinate it all week long, so, I decided that I had to run every day. And I've done very well! The hardest day is Monday, because I've had that day off and I'm not in the "groove", but I do it and I feel great and I love that I did it!
 

May 25:
Since I started this post (and didn't finish) I have added an 8k run (ladiesfest), a 19k bike race (southern alberta summer games) and a sprint triathlon (fort macleod)! I've added swimming once a week and riding my bike twice a week. Some days I feel like I have to force myself out the door, others it's easy to go out. But it's always the same result after...I feel fabulous!!

I've also been trying to eat healthy and make smarter choices. I don't always make the right choices, but now I'm recognizing the results of those choices (gassy, bloated feeling) and it makes me want to make better choices the next time! The result? I've lost 19 lbs!! I really do feel great!

What are YOU doing to improve? Do you have a goal?? Who wants to join me (in any of the races??) (or just for a workout?)

Monday, April 15, 2013

Scentsy goes BIG! Washington DC

When I started with Scentsy just over 2 years ago, I never thought that I would do anything with it, except support my own addiction to a great product! Now, I've just returned from an all expenses paid trip to Washington DC (one of 6 that I had to choose from). I seriously LOVE my job! I worked hard and earned this trip and it was worth the effort! The choices were Washington DC, Hawaii, Costa Rica, New York, Whistler BC and Charleston South Carolina. So, why did I choose DC? I wanted to go somewhere I would never go, I just earned the trip for myself and I wanted to do Hawaii or Costa Rica with Chris. I knew DC was going to be one of the smaller groups and I wanted the opportunity to rub shoulders with Heidi and Orville Thompson (the founders/owners of Scentsy). I picked right! with just over 40 consultants (about 60 people in total), it was a great opportunity to get to know other consultants and spend time with Heidi and Orville (and Chuck Thompson, Orville's brother). 

April 8th-arrival day. It was a long day, I was up at 4:30am (awake at 2:30 because I couldn't sleep). I flew from Lethbridge to Calgary to Montreal to DC. It was snowing in Lethbridge, the little plane (20 people including the pilot and copilot) was delayed due to weather (the copilot was our "flight attendant" giving us the schpeal). When I got to Calgary I ran to my next flight and I was the last one on the plane! From Calgary to Montreal was a bigger plane, with a small screen in front of me where I could choose my own movie, very cool. I had a chat with the guy next to me and told him all about Scentsy, he was on his way to PEI for work (I even gave him a catalog). Because of snow in Calgary, we were delayed getting to Montreal. I had a minute to see Meghann Clements (my friend and Scentsy sponsor, also my director), take a pic, give her a hug and she showed me which way to go. I had to go through customs and security again, then just made it on my flight, last one again.
  Montreal to DC was uneventful. I finally had a chance to eat some of the snacks I brought. I also had time to think about where I was going, and the journey to get there! It all started with Meghann asking me (through a facebook message) if I wanted to join Scentsy. Each day I am grateful to Meghann for thinking of me and giving me the opportunity to be part of such a great company! It's unlike any other direct sales company. The owners think of the consultants as family! We really are a family! Once I arrived in DC, there was someone waiting for me at baggage claim to call a car for me (not just any car, a fancy town car!) The car took me to the hotel (Washington Marriot Wardman Park) and I checked in. My roommate had flight delays due to weather, so I went to the gym before the meet and great that evening. The meet and great was just that, a chance for the consultants (and guests) to get to know each other and enjoy some appetizers. The food was delicious! the company was awesome! We met a couple from Texas, they were amazing (he'd been in a train accident a few years ago and lost his arm and both legs). Their positive attitudes were contagious. We also sat with Chuck and his wife. Chuck is the funniest person I know! we were all roaring with laughter all night! I also met Heidi and Orville. I have been told that they are very down to earth people. I never imagined how down to earth they really are! They joined to meet and great and talked to us, took pictures with us, and spent the night getting to know as many as they could. They said that this trip was more like the early trips, with less people and the opportunity to spend time with each consultant and get to know them. They couldn't do that last year with 1500 people each week (2 weeks), or even with the Hawaii trip this year, there will be 900 people. The day was long, but it was an amazing start to an amazing week!
  This is Amberly, my new friend from Texas, we had the same t-shirt, but different prices, we were comparing Canada and USA.
 the lobby of our hotel
 Me and Chuck Thompson Me with Heidi and Orville Thompson
 our ride from the airport to the hotel
 this was what we got when we arrived, name badge, t-shirt, wrist band (to wear when we didn't wear the name badge) and a backpack (which was the most used item I got all week!)

April 9th- It started with breakfast (let me just say, ALL the food we had this week was delicious!) where Chuck welcomed us, and Heidi and Orville spoke to us. Each place had a pin congratulating us on earning the DC incentive trip. Then they recognized those that were top earners. Each person that this was their first trip earned, got a pillow case (pick, pack, play). That was ME! then each person that got the most recruits/front line promotions at each rank (lead/star/superstar/director, etc) got a passport holder. I got one too! (for top frontline promotions as star consultant). After that, we were on our own to explore the city. My best friend, Michelle, lives 3 hours from DC. She and her hubby drove up the night before and spent the morning with us! It was so fabulous to see her and get to spend some time with her. (she also bought me a prepaid phone and minutes so I could text Chris while I was in the US without having to pay an arm and a leg!! she rocks!). We spent hours in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. For those that don't know, the Smithsonian isn't just one museum, it's many all in the area called the Mall (no shopping, just a huge area of buildings holding all the different museums with an open grass area in the middle. the Washington Monument/lincoln memorial at one end, the capitol building at the other end). All the museums are FREE and you can spend HOURS in each one. Before saying goodbye to Ryan and Michelle, we took a few pictures by the cherry blossoms in the park. Dayna (my roommate) and I heading towards the washington monument and ended up in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. A few more hours and we didn't even see it all! Highlights here were the gems exhibit. I was amazed at the colours that come out of the earth! we also saw the Hope diamond! HUGE! We then made our way back to the hotel (via the metro) to meet up with some of the girls we'd "met" online before the trip (a facebook group for consultants going on this trip). Robin had made a reservation for us at a restaurant called Ooohs and Aaahs. This place was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. We took the metro and when we came up at the correct stop we were a little shocked, it wasn't a great part of town. We almost missed it because it was a tiny place across the street. we walked in, past the counter (barely enough room to get passed others that were in there) to the back and up the stairs. It was a dive! some of the girls were very concerned, and wanted to leave (no way they were going to eat in such a place!) but I was up for an adventure! they brought us samplers of the sides (everything was delicious) and we all ordered. the food seemed to take forever, but we were all chatting and having a great time. When the food arrived, it was so worth the wait! I had chicken, sweet potatoe mash and mac and cheese, with a piece of cornbread. AWESOME! if you ever go to DC, you HAVE to eat there! the cornbread was like cake, the mac and cheese was the best I've ever had!




Dayna (left), me and Michelle (right)

4 of the 5 Canadians on the trip!












view from outside

our first "room drop" a water bottle, guide book and flag (candy in the stick)


April 10th- a little explaination of how we got around this week...we used the DC metro system (subway). It's a great system that will get you everywhere you need to go! it was fun to use too! even when you when the wrong way it was easy to get going in the right direction. We took the metro to the mall. then we waited in line to get into the Holocaust museum. It's free, but you have to line up to get tickets. after all the walking the day before, it was nice to sit and visit for a bit this morning. The Holocaust museum is amazing beyond words. it's 3 floors of displays. we spent 2 hours on the first floor! I learned so much and I was in awe of what I learned. What I already knew about the Holocaust was put into pictures, artifacts and made very real for me! this is a MUST DO if you are in DC. After that we made our way down to see the Washington Monument (the scaffolding is work they're doing to repair it after an earthquake in 2011, and we couldn't go near it), the Lincoln memorial (it's HUGE), and the WWII monument (there is a fountain in the center, but it was down for maintenance) and the Korean war memorial. The cherry blossoms were at peak today (that means 70% of the blossoms were open! they usually open a few weeks earlier, but because of the weather, they waited for Scentsy to get to DC!) It was gorgeous to see (and smell) all the cherry blossoms this week!





                                 WWII memorial



Korean war memorial

After a quick hotdog and water from the street vendor, we headed to the other end of the mall (via metro, because 2 miles is a long way to walk) to see the library of congress. My favourite part of the library was the Thomas Jefferson library, it's a collection of all the books he had in his personal library. Some are original from his library, some are copies of the actual books he had, and they are still trying to finish the collection. I couldn't take pictures, but here's a few from the internet I found.


 The entire library is amazing! but that was definitely my favourite! Then we headed to the corner to take pictures of the state capitol building (you can only go in if you make an appointment with your congressman, which we don't have) and the supreme court. (they must be doing some work on the supreme court because the front is a big canvas!)
















That evening was dinner for us at the Smithsonian Zoo! They booked the small mammal building, had this 3some playing beautiful music, and we got to eat among the animals. one zookeeper brought out a few animals after dinner, a naked mole rat (quite an interesting, though ugly, animal) and an armadillo! Then we got to hear from Orville's good friend Darryl Willard. It was totally by chance that we got to hear from him, but it was amazing! This man started working for Orville right out of High School (before Scentsy) and told us the great things he's learned from Orville. Then he decided he needed to fulfill his dream of serving his country. Getting into the army wasn't so simple. He was diagnosed with autism, had open heart surgery as a child, and was 28 years old instead of 18! It was a visit to Arlington Cemetery that kicked him into gear...he wanted to be a part of the Honor Guard that guards the tomb of the unknown soldiers (see here for more). He got his medical clearance, he memorized the location of over 200 soldiers, as well as much more information! After 2 years, he got in and was able to get directly onto the Honor Guard. Did you see that picture that went viral on facebook of the tomb during hurricaine Sandy? he was in that picture! He taught us some amazing things, but one that stands out, break the day into hours. if you have a bad hour, forget it and make the next better, don't let that hour make it a bad day! It was a very moving experience to hear him talk to us.

          


         


 my feet, I wore those sandals all week long!




 room drop wednesday night

April 11th-Wow! I can't believe I did all that already! and there's still more. DC is an amazing place to visit! so much to see and do, I want to bring my family back in a few years to share it with them and see the things I didn't get to this week. After breakfast (Scentsy provided breakfast for us every morning!) was our excursion (there were several that we got to choose from, and Scentsy provided the way). I got to go on the Mount Vernon tour. Mount Vernon is where George Washington lived. I didn't know much about George Washington, but I was amazed at the great man that he was. I texted my mom while I was there that I was embracing my American Heritage! I plan on learning more about him and others now that I'm home. Did you know that in his will he freed his slaves? that was a big deal back then! He was ahead of his time. At breakfast, Dayna and I met some gals from Alaska and learned that they were going to the LDS temple that evening. We tagged along as they rented a car and headed out that afternoon. We went to Arlington National Cemetery and visited the grave of a friend of one of the girls. It was a humbling experience to see all the graves and know that each one has a story of sacrifice and honour. we saw the tomb of the unknown soldiers and got to see the changing of the guard and a wreath laying ceremony. We then went to the temple. The DC temple is HUGE! It was nice to be able to go to the temple after visiting Arlington and appreciate the gospel and the atonement of Jesus Christ. I am grateful that I am sealed to my family forever!
the main house

George Washington planted this tree!

George, his wife and his grandchildren

His final resting place

the view from the house
a memorial at Mount Vernon for the slaves.

our awesome tour guide, told us all about DC on the way there and back!

changing of the guard (tomb of the unknown soldiers)

gravesites at Arlington National Cemetery





(left, our new Alaska friends. right, Dayna and I)


another room drop!


April 12th-Our last full day, this was our chance to see the things we hadn't seen yet. We headed to the Smithsonian Museum of American History, I really wanted to see Julia Child's kitchen (check) and the first wives dresses (check). Then we headed to Union station, it was cool, some great architecture and cool shops (best shopping we'd found). Then we met up with one of our Alaska girls and headed back to see the White house. It was cool to see, but I can't imagine how the president and his family feel with all those people coming to see where they live! Our final destination was the Old Post Office. This building has a clock tower you can go up in and it has the best view of the city! they also had the best prices on t-shirts!


 white house front and back 
the Old Post Office

 view of the capitol from the top

 this fondue pot was in the American History museum. Maybe one day Velata will be there next to it!

Scentsy treated us to a dinner cruise the last night. We got to ride this Yacht! and enjoy dinner. it usually holds 200-300 people,but we had it all to ourselves! It was a fabulous night to end this amazing trip! I can't thank Scentsy enough for everything they did for us this week! The bottom picture is dark, but that's the yacht we got to ride on!
The room drop tonight was the best, an online code to create and order a photo book to remember this trip! They really think of everything!







April 13th- It was sad to say goodbye, but I'm happy to go home to my family! It was a great way to spend my birthday :) going home after a fabulous week! I'll never forget the friends I made, the sites I saw, and the things I learned. It was great to rub shoulders with some great Scentsy consultants and be able to network my business. Meeting Heidi and Orville was amazing. I have such great admiration for those two and all they do for so many that they don't know, but still consider family. I love being a part of the Scentsy Family!
the journey home went DC to Toronto to Calgary to Lethbridge. It was a shock in Toronto with rain and cold, an even bigger shock in Calgary when I had to walk through snow to get to the airplane! The greatest sight was my kids at the airport in Lethbridge and the hugs I got from them!
some of my new friends!                                           all packed up and ready to go!    .

this is just some of the flowers outside our hotel.

ready to go home

final view of Washington DC (Lincoln Memorial)


my birthday "cake" 
(funny story here, I was next to a pilot flying home to Calgary from Toronto, the flight attendant offered him some ice cream and a cookie, he didn't want it and she didn't want to be rude, so she offered it to me :) Little did she know it was my birthday! I was in the right seat)
at least I put my jeans on, I just couldn't say goodbye to my sandals!

boarding the plane to Lethbridge, BRRRRRR

Final thoughts- My heart is full of gratitude for my Scentsy family! Not just Heidi and Orville (and everyone in the background) but the great friends I made this week! I will never miss another incentive trip. When they treat you so well, how can you? They provided airfare, travel to and from the hotel, meals (what wasn't provided, they gave us money for), hotel, all the fun room drops. Not to mention the experience! I will never forget this trip!! The great thing? YOU can come too! (I met a girl that joined less than 6 months ago and earned the trip!) Ask me how!