What a difference one year has made..

Just wanted to take a moment and express my gratitude for all of the things I have been blessed with this past year. What an amazing year it has been! And although it has been such a blessing, 2013 started out how every year the past few years have started out. Broke. Scared. And back to the drawing board. We had big dreams of moving out of our studio basement apartment, running our own businesses one day and becoming the successful people we always believed we could be. But we were once again pushing our dreams aside because with nothing changing, why would our circumstances?

End of year party. We're in such a different position financially at this time last year!

My husband is the hardest worker I know and is willing to work any hours he possibly can for our family. But being in the construction industry, those hours are never promising and sometimes we would see weeks go by with no pay check. Without stable income, our dreams were seeming a lot more far fetched. I remember sitting down with him on January 1st and writing down our goals for the new year. We came up with some great things but they seemed a lot more like "wishes" then attainable goals. With money still being the main issue, we seriously talked about him joining the Navy Seal program and moving to California for a few years. We were so serious about it to the point Thomas had done everything he needed to do to join BESIDES sign his life away. After a week of seriously praying about it, we both felt that wasn't the answer for us. I remember crying because we needed SOMETHING else to happen for us! I was tired of the same routine we currently had and we just needed a change. 

My husband (on the right) after work. Seem's like fun, huh?!

Fast forwarding now to April. We celebrated our twins 1st birthday and one week later we found out we were expecting! No, this wasn't planned. But it was the best thing that could of happened to us, timing and all. With 1 year old twins and now expecting a new little one, I no longer "wanted" things to change, it now needed to. We needed to tackle this whole money thing! We needed to start bringing in income from another source. We both decided me getting a job wasn't the answer. Daycare for 2 babies would suck up almost everything I would earn and that wasn't worth it to either of us. 

Simon and Cohen on their 1st birthday!

Announcing our 3rd pregnancy

I remember praying a LOT for something to come along and bless our little family. Looking back now, I realize I was praying for something to fall into our laps. I wasn't praying for an opportunity for something to come along that I would have to work hard for. So I'm surprised my mind was open to the idea of joining a home-based business with It Works. 

To say It Works fell into my lap would be an understatement. The way I came across the business was completely random and if I had not come across it the day it did, I might not have ever been open to it. I believe with all my heart this was the answer to months and months of prayers. I joined without my husbands blessing (he thought it was a terrible idea) but I had an indescribable feeling about it and I just KNEW this was the answer for us.

Day 1 I remember looking at the pay scale chart and seeing the rank of Ruby. An average person at the rank of Ruby earns $599 a month in commission. I thought "WOW! If I could earn that, that would do wonders for our family!!" I believed It would take me a few months to get to Ruby and I hit it in my first 23 days. I wont lie and say I didn't do anything to hit that rank, because I worked my butt off. But I was able to do it from home! I was making real money all while being home with my kids 24/7! I couldn't have asked for anything better. I threw my first wrap party and I brought home $400 cash in ONE night. My husband would never admit this, but I will never forget the night I came in with a jar full of $20's. He got really choked up, gave me the biggest hug and thanked me for not listening to him. If anyone needed that money right then, it was us!!

My first party-$400 in one night!

Beginning to see a bright new future..

A few more months went by and I had the opportunity to earn a $10,000 bonus with the company. We had to hit the rank of Diamond by August 31st to earn it and never in my life have I ever been as focused as I was that month. The day before the deadline I was still really short of hitting that goal. I remember my husband saying "It's ok, you tried and that's all that matters!" But I wasn't taking no for an answer! A few hours before the cut-off I hit the rank of Diamond and earned that $10,000 bonus! I couldn't believe it!! Things like that don't happen to me. <---That was my mentality for the first 24 years of my life. After working extremely hard and earning the money I finally felt we deserved, I realized very quickly that YES great things can happen for me! If you're willing to do the work, anything is possible! Open your mind to other ideas. If you have only worked a 9-5 job and have never worked from home but need another income, why not try that?! put your efforts into something that YOU decide the hours and the pay. If you have been praying for something to come along and bless you and your families life, maybe this is the same answer it has been for me. The end of 2014 could look a lot different than it does this year if you're willing to make the change.

Earned my $10,000 bonus!!

Our little family was able to move out into a beautiful 100 year old historic home in the Eccles district after only working this business for 6 months. My husband no longer had to go to work after only 7 months of working and It Works is both of our full-time jobs! To be 25 and BOTH stay at home parents is more than a dream come true. For once in my life, our 2013 goals were not only accomplished but surpassed by a long shot! Retiring my husband was not one of my goals for this year. (Having a 3rd child was also not one of our goals) But it was achieved all because we took the risk, worked hard and changed our circumstances!

Our new home!!

With my husband no longer needing to work, he has been able to put his hobby of fighting into a potential career. Training every single day has never been an option for him. But now that he has so much more free time he has been able to take it more seriously and follow his dreams of becoming a world champion and opening up his own gym one day! He's had 5 fights since June of this year and is still undefeated!!

Not only has this allowed him to train daily, but he was also able to go be apart of the worlds very first MMA draft this past June!

We were blessed with our 3rd little boy on Thursday, December 12th. My how things have changed since the day we found out we were expecting him. 

Simon, Daddy, Cohen and daddy holding baby Miloh

Bottom line is.. If you want your current circumstances to change, YOU have to be the one to change them. You've got to do something different if you want things to be different. I don't know why we all have the mentality that "Oh yes, things will be different next year!" If we are un-willing to do something different. Hate to be the bearer of bad news but you are going to be in the exact same spot you're standing in today. Decide what it is you want out of life and don't let anything stand in the way of achieving your goals!!