once upon a time...

I am going out on a limb here people and am going to
share pretty pictures and a story.

Remember this post?

I thought I would give you a little update...

4 days after Duane received his MBA on that beautiful Sat.

he got a phone call from his employer and they reconfigured his

district and he was laid off.

Now, I didn't share all of this before now because I knew

that it wasn't the end of our story.

Why only give you the part that put us into a tailspin?

You need to know the parts that are helping us dance out

of the tailspin!  

We put hope into our soap ;)

The way we looked at it, God gave Duane the tenacity and brains to get through

his MBA program and me the ability and creativity to make soap

and we put them together with His help.

 We are just using what we were given.

The markets that I have been going to and the shows that

we have been applying to are what we are pouring

ourselves into these days.

All of us... 

On Thursday as I sat behind my sewing machine

making 100 or so sachets,

I looked into the kitchen and my heart swelled with love

and pride and I watched Duane and Max fill 200 bottles of 

our linen water.  A little while later I walked into the room

where Hannah was filling bags of soap that her and Duane made,

 and when Danielle came home from shopping for supplies, 

she filled the sachets that I had sewn.

(That's right, I have Danielle home for a while!!)

John and Cam have been helping too, with marketing ideas, 

contacts, research and crazy amounts of support!

This photo is from our booth at the South Haven Blueberry Festival

this past weekend. 

(that's Danielle hiding behind our table)

 We got in on a last minute cancellation, so this past week was CRAZY!!

We had the best time at the show and will be

heading back to South Haven for the Labor Day show.

We have every weekend filled with a show or

festival until the middle of Sept. and are researching more for the upcoming

holiday markets.

Plus I am doing 2 markets during the week.

This weekend we are double booked!!

WOOHOO!

The fact that our entire family is helping in one way or another

has made this time in our life a more positive one than

I can ever remember.

I know that we are not alone in our employment

situation and I have met many people who have stories like ours.  

I met a man at the market that makes delicious

salsa.  Art was downsized from a job that he was very unhappy doing, but

it was a job.  He had been told for years that he should sell his salsa,

but waved away the idea until he decided that he really didn't 

want to look for another job that would make him just as unhappy.

So he made salsa.

That was 1 year ago and now he is in 24 stores and restaurants,

around the state and he is loving every minute of it!

Now that's a story!

I just know that we are only in the first few chapters of our story,

but I will keep turning the pages because I just know that 

our ending is a happy one.

Source: midnightlunacy.tumblr.com via Theresa on Pinterest

Isn't this perfect for the first chapter of our story?
Remove the word SHE and insert THEY.

Like I said, I didn't tell you about the page that
started this chapter of our life because I didn't want anyone
to feel bad for us.  I just knew that whatever came our
way, we would be fine.
We have made lemonade out of life's
lemons before and we are actually pretty good at it.
So stop on over, have a seat and I will pour you
one of the best glasses you have ever had.

Right after I turn this page...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit, I know that that
I have been MIA alot lately so I thought it was
time I stopped in with a bit of an explanation.

You support and love means the world to me,
along with our wonderful friends, and family around
here...
THANKS EVERYONE!

love,
Theresa
xoxoxoxoox

p.s. I will update you on the kids soon,
there are some great stories there too!