To catch up...

I haven't blogged in a year and a half. WOW! That's a long time and I can honestly tell you that a LOT has changed since my last post.

Perhaps the biggest news is that both JoeDel and I have BOTH changed jobs! JoeDel is now at Watco Companies and I'm the Executive Director at the Girard Area Chamber of Commerce. Both of these moves have been good for us, but not without the struggles of leaving behind friends and co-workers.

It's hard to believe that in my last post, I was just returning home from my 1st Scentsy convention! Since that August, my Scentsy business has gone crazy. I became a director is Sept. 2010, earned a free trip to Disney for my family, and headed to my second convention in Ft. Worth, Tx this past July. I have a team of 42 (currently) girls who have made my Scentsy journey absolutely fun and rewarding!!!!!

Our Disney trip was in June...and JoeDels mom, sister and nephew all joined us! We went to Daytona Beach for a couple of nights before spending 5 amazing nights at Disney. Amazing trip with my family and a few hundred Scentsy friends!



Avery started school in August. She's in Preschool at Haderlein Elementary School. She loves it and it's been really good for her. She's made lots and lots of friends. I can't believe how fast she's growing up but she sure is a sweetheart!



My mom started having a lot of health issues last fall. She ended up with a pacemaker and was recovering really well when she fell in August and broke her hip! After a complete replacement and lots of therapy, she's getting along pretty well. Still not really getting out and about on her own, but I'm thankful she's able to live in her own home still.

Thats our last year and a half in a nutshell. Hopefully I'll get this thing updated more often now...but no promises!!!!

Been a long time....

Looks like its been forever since I last blogged...

Things are going good in the Smith house. It's so hard to believe that another summer is almost over! Here are a few highlights of our lives in the recent months.

I had a BIG Birthday in July. Big as in the "Big 3-0" It was a hard one for me...but I lived through it and keep chugging on. JoeDel, Avery, Mom and I went to Nashville for the weekend to celebrate. It was great to spend my birthday weekend in my favorite city with my favorite people!!!

A couple of weeks after Nashville, I headed off for my first trip to Colorado and my first Scentsy convention. It was a GREAT trip...I made some new friends and learned a ton about my business. I know Scentsy was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I love the products, I love sharing them with others and I love building my team. I have some big goals for this venture!!! :)

JoeDel is doing well. He's keeping busy of course.

Avery is just growing and growing and I swear she gets cuter by the day. I can't imagine my life without this little angel. :)

Julie who?

a bad, bad blogger. I am also a bad, bad dieter. I haven't update because I hate to admit to all of the world that Thanksgiving came and my diet went to HELL.

That's right. I stopped.

HOWEVER, the holidays are over and I'm back on the ball. While I appreciate the help that my dr gave me in regards to a diet, I just couldnt get excited about it. No carbs - ever. Not my thing.

So, I rejoined weight watchers. So far it is so dang easy. I can really eat anything as long as I count it. I have been around people doing WW lately and they refer to EVERYTHING in regard to points and I want to tell them to stick their points you know where...but really, it does make you aware of everything that you are eating. Last time I did WW I was very successful so hopefully this will work too.

Nothing else is new around here. Avery will soon be turning 3 years old and I am sure I will revisit the blog to talk about her life and how fast the time has gone. She is such a joy to me and I just love her so much. She always tells me "you're the best mommy EVER" and I have to sit back and think about my life before her. While I still enjoy (AND NEED) my breaks from her, it sure is hard to remember life before her!!!!

I suppose I will log off here now to do my "biggest loser" wii game. Oh boy. I will reward myself with a yogurt when I am done (2 points). :)

A new me!

After looking at my family pictures this weekend, I decided I must do something about this hippo body I have created. I am getting serious, folks, and I need all the support I can get.

I am under the care of a wonderful physician who has put me on a very strict diet (ouch) and I am going to do my best not to cheat! My goal is to lose 100 lbs hopefully within a year! You guys are going to have to push me and get on my butt but I know that I can do it!

My new adventure!

Ok so I have decided to start selling something new! I am still doing the bows...however the company is not really in existence anymore and the bowmaker is just making the bows for me as I order. So, I'm not going to be marketing quite as much as before.

HOWEVER, I found a new addiction! This one is something I will use at home, at work, in the car, and when I travel...what is it????

SCENTSY!!!



So they are wickless candles which means they are SAFER! They operate on a low watt lightbulb that melts the wax and smells oohhhhh so good. The wax is hot enough to melt but will not burn little fingers if they find their way in. They also carry car candles (similar to yankee), room sprays, plug ins and more!

Visit my brand new site for details...you can order online or let me know if there's something you like. Also, the first 5 people to book parties will get DOUBLE hostess rewards! :)

It's Bristol, baby!

Well our trip to Tennessee has come and gone..

I haven't even uploaded the pictures yet so if that is what you came looking for I am sorry. Let me give you a rundown of the trip..

Thursday: Left around noon, picked up a rental car in Joplin, drove to Popular Bluff, MO and went to visit BJ & Regina Mense and their family. Had dinner with them...then headed to Metropolis, IL to Harrah's casino. We lost a lot of money there, tried to get some beer at a gas station - no luck - I drove the boys to Kentucky (about 3 miles away) so they could get beer then we went back to Ill. to our motel.

Friday: Got up and around early to head to NASHVILLE! First stop - Pancake Pantry. Waited for about 30 min but it sure was worth it, yum yum! We then went to Centennial Park and visited the Parthanon. Next we headed down south for a quick drive by of Alan Jackson's house or uh mansion. Next stop: Grand Ole Opry, went to the Opry house and then on to Gaylord Opryland. There we walked around and had a drink. Next we headed to WHITE CASTLE! Loaded up on burgers and checked into our room downtown. After relaxing for a bit, we started out visiting the bars on broadway then around 2nd Ave and up to Demos. I LOVE THAT PLACE. Yummy food. Next we went back to the bars, specifically Coyote Ugly, until I finally retired back to the hotel around midnight. Not sure what time Fred and JoeDel came in! :)

Saturday: Headed to Bristol!!! We had a brief stop in Knoxville due to a not so nice Police officer. Yes, JoeDel got a ticket and I will not tell you how fast he was going! We finally made it to Bristol though and it was a wonderful time. The race was pretty good but the atmohsphere was WONDERFUL. I have never experienced something like this but would do it again in a heartbeat! Following the Kyle Busch show, we headed back to Knoxville. We got to our hotel around 3am (yuck) then left again early Sunday for an all day drive (and a stop at white castle) back home.

It was a LONG trip but it was a really good trip. We sure were excited to see Avery!

It's back to work this week and next but then we are headed to Florida for the cruise! Yippie! I'm not sure if my old body can handle this many vacays right in a row!

Southern Fried

It's been so long since I blogged that I honestly forgot my password! oops!

Anyway, here I am. It's Tuesday and in just 3 (hopefully short) days, I will be in NASHVILLE, TN!!!!! I am really excited about this trip b/c #1) JoeDel has never been there and I think he's gonna love it and #2) I haven't been there in a REALLY LONG TIME...I'm thinking like the Mohawk Colorcenter convention before I met JoeDel...that was 4 1/2 years ago. Good grief that is a long time!

We are leaving on Thursday afternoon and driving to Metropolis, Il where we will visit the Harrah's casino (that is joedels idea). THEN, we are leaving EARLY Friday morning for breakfast at the Pancake Pantry in NASHVILLE! We're spending the day there seeing the sites then staying the night downtown and bar hoping.

On Sat. morning, bright and early, we are headed to BRISTOL, TN for the Sprint Cup race in which we have seats on the Start/Finish line! Here's what my view will be...



We have three ticket so you will never guess who is going with us...Uncle Freddy! That's right Fred Geier (aka Mr. Geier to some) is going to be on this adventure with us and I can't wait. He's in for a real thrill!

Watch out Tennessee, here we come!