Cancer, Death, and Pain

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. Our family had a rough Summer and I think I did myself a disservice by forcing myself to bounce back too quickly. I didn't want to burden anybody with my pain, fear. or anger. I spent a lot of time focusing on my family and my business but ended up burnt out and exhausted. I've slowed down a lot and my husband and I have spent a lot of time praying about where to go from here. 

All of these decisions became crystal clear when a friend of ours lost his 13 month battle to Brain Cancer, he was three. Our family drove to Dallas and attended the Celebration of Life Service. I sat in the church pew and cried as we sang some of the little boy's favorite songs. I hurt for this family and the fact that they won't see their sweet little boy this side of Heaven ever again. However, I am so happy that he is no longer in pain. There will be no more radiation, chemo, surgeries, or other treatments.

God spoke very clearly to me during that service. He called me on the carpet for my easy peasy life. I balk when the pain comes. I try to find a way out of it. I really dislike pain. Yet, with the pain comes the refining so that I am a newer image; a Kelli 2.0. I am not promised a life of ease on this Earth and I need to quit trying to find the easy pain free way of life. 

Detoxing the Junk

I (Kelli) have lately realized that our family has accumulated too much stuff. I'm struggling to organize and get things put away because stuff is EVERYWHERE! I complain to my husband that I have no clothes to wear and yet there are clothes hanging in my closet, they just don't fit because they are too big or too small. Does this ever happen to you?

After much discussion and debate my husband and I have decided to detox our junk. Basically we are getting rid of anything that we don't use, don't have a home for, or just don't need. We are starting with our closets because it's in the bottom corner and from there we are doing our whole downstairs and then we will go upstairs to the kids rooms.

The more we discuss how we want to live and raise our family the more we have come to realize that our stuff can rule us. This is not how Team Freese wants to live. We want to be out living life not working to live. Adventures are out there waiting to be had; not dusted, sorted, organized, and then sent off in a bag to a donation site.

Through this detox I want to focus on what's important in life. What do we need? In January the word Simplicity kept coming to mind when I was praying about a word for the year. I really felt like I needed to live simply and somehow in the busyness of life I realized that this has been pushed away and I have let life become way more chaotic than I ever wanted. I'm back to focusing on simplicity and enjoying the pleasures of what that looks like.

I can't wait to share my journey with all of you!

The Graduation

A little over a year ago, I (Kelli) decided to become a Certified Holistic Health Coach. 

I signed up with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and started my courses in February. 

I studied, read, took tests, had a baby, got to start seeing clients, and passed my final test. 

Last night was graduation!

I am officially a Certified Holistic Health Coach. 

It feels somewhat surreal. 

However, I am enjoying not doing any schoolwork!

Last week I even read a book that had nothing to do with health and nutrition.

 (If you want a great book check out Home Front by Kristin Hannah).

I have been asked by a lot of people what my plans are now. 

I am currently working with seven clients and my goal is to have ten in the next month or so. 

I also want to start speaking more, I did a few speaking engagements in January and LOVED it. 

There are some other ideas rolling around in the back of my head that I am slowly starting to outline. 

However, right now, I am content and happy. 

If you would like to take advantage of my complimentary Breakthrough Sessions you can contact me at kelli.freese@yahoo.com or visit www.kellifreese.com to set up your appointment. 

Farm Life

Farm life has been keeping me busy.  

Besides chores, I'm not really sure what I've been doing.  But somehow, the days go by faster than I can explain =)

We've welcomed 2 litters of rabbits (5 and 6) which brings the total up to 14 now.  But when they're this cute...

You can't help but wanting more =)

Our chickens we hatched this spring are getting so big.  I caught a couple of the new roosters trying to crow the other day- they sound so funny at this point.

And we had a hen hatch out another 6 chicks.  That brings our total up to 33 chickens.  With our ducks, we have 36 birds and more eggs than we know what to do with.

We had to build a new goat pen.  With 5 goats, they were crowding out the chickens in the chicken yard.  

No, we haven't gotten horses (Girly keeps hoping).  These are our neighbors horses.  They have a habit of getting out of their pasture and going around the neighborhood seeing who will feed them.

As the days start getting cooler (ok, not really, but I can hope!) we're starting to plan our fall garden.  We're going to plant mostly cool weather crops and try to winter them over as long as possible.

And with fall fast approaching, we're focusing on the kids lessons again- which they are thrilled about ;)  With the routine of school again, I'm hoping to get more time to write.  That should mean that this blog isn't ignored any more lol!

My Little Business

It all started simply enough, I decided to get certified as a Holistic Health Coach.  This would enable me to reach more people and I could really feel the LORD leading me through the door.  The timing made no sense to me whatsoever; we had just moved, I was pregnant, Rusty was no longer working from home, the list goes on and on.  However, I enrolled in school and I LOVE it!  

This is something I have talked for two years about wanting to do and now I am over halfway through the year long program!  This is a fun and somewhat overwhelming time.  I am now able to take clients, real people that pay me to help them!  

In the past month I have: taken a test, set up a website, designed business cards, ordered business cards, designed brochures, ordered brochures, set up a newsletter, designed a business plan, and somehow planned part of the kids school. 

The biggest thing that has happened though is that I signed a lease and will be working out of my chiropractor's office.  It's a neat arrangement that I fell into and is also somewhat overwhelming!

I imagined working from home and meeting clients over the phone but this will allow me some freedom and the ability to meet local people in person.  Anyone that is not in the Austin area I will meet on the phone but I won't have to lock myself in my bedroom and my husband won't have to keep the kids quiet.  

I would love for all of you to take a minute and sign up for my newsletter, contact me for a free health consultation, or just check out my website.  Lynette and I have some fun stuff in the works and we can't wait to tell you about it! 

Changes

It's been a little over a year since Kelli and I launched Mom 4ce and in that time, we've gone through a lot of changes...

Sarge and I moved from TX to OK to help take care of my father in love.

Kelli found out she was expecting #5.

My father in love passed away.

Kelli and her family moved across the great state of TX.

And now Sarge is being released from active duty and starting school.

This change scares me the most.  See, I'm the type of person who likes to have everything laid out and know what's going to happen.  But I can't see how this change is going to affect us.  I know in the end the plan will produce a benefit for us, but it's the getting from point a to point b that I have no control over.

To help me through this, I'm adopting a new life verse(s).

Matthew 6:25, 34

"25: Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 34: Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

I know things will still be challenging.  I know I will still get stressed about things I can't control.  But, I'm going to take one day at a time and focus on what's important =)

February Rewind

Another month has come and gone.  Are you still on track with your goals?

For February, I committed to running 100 miles for the Taji 100 Challenge.

And I'm happy to say that I finished.  The last week was a bit rough (36 miles in 5 days).  Nothing like a little procrastination (and a mother- in- love who kicks you out of the car 10 miles from home) to motivate you =)

As March starts, I'm sitting down to figure out what I want to accomplish this month.  Running 100 miles or more is on the list- I've got 3 extra days this month!  

We need to get some of our seeds started for our garden.  We need to do some work on the Memorial garden.  We ordered the fence for it, so as soon as that comes in we'll be able to start that.  

The pad/ building area was cleared for the house.  

The next step is to figure out what type of house/ frame we want to go with.  Sarge is leaning towards a timber frame with cordwood in- fill.  

Of course the kids and I will be working on their school work.  Girly has been reading a lot lately, so more trips to the library will be happening.

I have a nice little stash of yarn built up and will be working on some more crochet projects.  Only 10 months to Christmas after all lol!  Maybe next month I'll have some pictures to share.

What are your goals for March?

A Sense of Humor

You've heard that laughter is the best medicine, right?

If that's the case, then Kelli and I are some of the healthiest people around.  Anytime we talk, we end up laughing about something.

Lately, it's been about my choice in fashion.

See, now that I'm living out in the middle of nowhere in a camper.  And starting to homestead and homeschooling, Kelli seems to think I need the stereotypical homeschool wardrobe.

Yup, a denim jumper.  And depending on what socks and shoes I wear with it, I can go from mucking out the chicken coop to church without having to change =)

I told her I was very excited to see a jumper in my size at the local consignment shop.

Vomit

Conversations with my husband.

Me: "I have to write the Monday post for tomorrow.  Give me a Miscellaneous Monday topic."

Hubs: "Write about vomit.  Everybody here is puking so write about it."

Anna: "Scream."  Pulls on my legs, throws self on floor.

Me: "Nobody wants to know all of our kids except Dylan are puking.  I need something funny, or inspirational, or something.  I know I'll write about Crossfit, that's something cool."

Theme song to Phineas and Ferb plays in the background.  Hubs is grinding coffee.  Anna runs into the kitchen with a toddler potty that I have stored in the bathroom cabinet and proceeds to start stacking the kids cups in it.

Hubs: "People want to know about you too, keep it real.  We woke up this morning and three out of four got sick, oh and we had the Berger boys here too.  Yeah, tell them about Kamron throwing up all over the walls; that's a great story.  Tell people how great I am and cleaned up most of the vomit because you gag at the thought of vomit." 

Me: "I think I should go for a run and get some good ideas."

Hubs: "If you leave me here alone to go for a run, I get to go to a coffee shop."

Me: "Okay, fine.  I think I will write about vomit."

Hubs: "Yeah, okay.  I look forward to seeing what you come up with." 

More Phineas and Ferb songs.  Anna is now twirling in circles.  

I sit down and write this dialogue out because my husband doesn't think I will.  

So yes, I have kept it real.  This was my Sunday morning that you get to read about on Monday...unless Lynette reads it and tells me, "No WAY!"  However, she's probably cracking up right now, because hey; we've ALL been there, right???