My Whys for Starting a Business with Plexus

I am a feelings girl, not a business woman. I care about things that I'm passionate about. Starting a network marketing business isn't really my style. So, why am I doing it?

Really, my story starts with my mom. When I was a little girl, I remember my mom baking cookies, working in the yard, visiting with the neighbors, swimming, and having picnics with us in the front yard under our beautiful magnolia tree. Mom seemed pretty happy. When I was around 10 years old, Mom started getting really tired. She was just tired all the time. She took naps, and she took us out of school to home school us. Getting up in the morning and driving us to school was getting to be too much for her. That year she home schooled us was amazing. We spent so much time together. Mom made it so special, and my little brother and I did very well. We went back to school the next year, and mom started getting really stressed. She would break down more and more frequently, and it just got worse as time went on. After a few years of this, she was finally diagnosed with depression and started taking an antidepressant. That started bringing our mom back to us. Whenever she would forget to take her medication or try to go off of it, the darkness would take over again. My mom and I have been through a lot, and I am proud of the relationship we have today despite the dark times we went through together.

I got married when I was 22 years old. We were pregnant with our first child a few months after our wedding, but spent our first Christmas in the hospital because I miscarried at 8.5 weeks. After a few more months, I was pregnant again, and we had our firstborn in February 2004, second in February 2006, third in December 2007, fourth in November 2009, fifth in September 2011, sixth in August 2013, and seventh in November 2015. I've breastfed each of these children between 15 months and almost 4 years. Postpartum depression has gotten worse with each one.  I started seeing myself go through what I had lived through with my mom, and it scared me. After our sixth child, I finally saw a doctor and started an antidepressant. In a few weeks, I started feeling like myself again! It was amazing. When I got pregnant with our seventh, I stopped my medication immediately. I was afraid it would hurt my baby. That pregnancy was the hardest pregnancy I've ever had emotionally. After I had her, I got back on my medication, and that's where I am now: 37 years old with 7 children ages 13, 11, 9, 7, 5, 3, and 1.

When my friend (also Sarah) started talking to me about Plexus, she invited me to learn more by joining a 7 day challenge group. In this group, I tried a 7 day sample pack of their signature product called Slim. Slim is a blood sugar stabilizer, and it's delicious! I watched the videos they posted everyday, and was so inspired to hear other moms like me who found themselves again after taking Plexus. They got their energy back and were able to be the happy wives and mamas they wanted to be! That's what really sold me, and I made the decision to join Plexus as an ambassador, and start my journey to a healthy gut. I cannot wait to see the healing this could bring! I want what these other people have.

The initial reason I joined as an ambassador was cost. If I paid the $35 membership fee, I would get a nice discount on my products. 2 weeks in, I am getting quickly inspired by my very energetic team to go for it with the business.

As a family of 9, money is always tight, and if I can bring in an income from this, that would really help! Here are my goals/dreams for my Plexus business:

1. I want my mom to find true healing and have a happier life because of better health.

2. I want to become my healthiest self, and be a better wife and mom than ever before. I would love to not need my antidepressant!

3. I want my husband to be his healthiest self and have more energy.

4. I want my business to completely pay for our Plexus products, and soon earn over and above that to help with our finances.

5. I never want to be defined as a "business woman". I want to help people, and if these products are going to bring physical and emotional health to me and my friends and family, that's something I can be passionate about!

Making the Journey Mine

Okay. Here it goes...

Last year was great. Last year, I started seeing that I could be stronger and more fit than I thought I could be. I started weight training. I started learning about macros. All of my progress came to an abrupt halt due to circumstances beyond my control. Then, I just slowly quit. I quit calculating my macros. I quit working out. I quit blogging. I just got so discouraged.

Well, I'm ready to move on now and make my health and fitness journey my own. It's very good to give credit where credit is due, but as one of my midwives taught me, the greatest coaches teach you that it's all about you, and you don't really need them to succeed. The greatest coaches empower you; they don't use you to promote themselves.

So, I've gained 15lbs over the last 9 months, and I've lost any muscle development I'd gained. All the kids are odd numbered ages now:13, 11, 9, 7, 5, 3, and 1.5; and we recently joined the YMCA as a family. It's nice. Free childcare makes a huge difference!

I have to do this. I will do this. I put too much stock in a person and I gave that person way too much credit for my success. The truth is that I worked my butt off last year. I pushed myself. I dedicated myself to following a meal plan. I am grateful for the tools that were given to me to succeed, but I did the work. It is important for me to remember that.

I found another mom of 7 on Instagram named Jessica Enslow. She is in amazing shape, and since she's a little older than I am, a little shorter than I am, and has had as many babies, I feel like what she does is something I could do too. I am going to start here.

I also signed up with Plexus today. I hope these health products help me have more energy and maybe I'll be able to even get off my antidepressant. Who knows. I just know that my body needs some recuperation after 14.5 years of pregnancies and breastfeeding for almost all that time.

I have to prove this to myself, and I will. I hope you're all doing well. It's really nice to be back.

Here are some pics from this evening. I did legs and abs with Isaiah. Selah got in on it too!

Baby Fist Bump! Let's do this!

In Defense of The Messy Housewife

Luke 10:38-42  

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary,who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

For me, it's easy to be Mary. I see people. I see moments. I see memories. I see emotion and hurt feelings. When something is spilled or broken, my first thought and words out of my mouth are: "Is everyone okay?! Is anyone hurt?", not about the thing broken or the mess made. I see the truth in Ms Frizzle's quote, "Get messy! Make mistakes!"

My hero: Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus

The problem is that we housewives are not judged by how well adjusted our children are, how kind they are to other kids, or how they look out for each other. We are not judged by how well we have supported our husband's goals and dreams over the years. We are not judged by how much sleep we've lost to comfort and care for children, how we take the time to listen to their long accounts of their bad (or good) dreams, or how we breastfeed a baby through the whole night constantly sacrificing personal space. We are not judged by our smile, our hugs, or our patience.

No, I am judged by one thing more than anything else: the state of my house. If the house is clean and organized, laundry and dishes kept up, and meals planned; I am a success! If the house is a mess, I have dozens of loads of laundry to do, a sink overflowing with dishes, and I beg for takeout just so I don't have to add cooking to my list of things to do; I am a failure. My house is either my pride or my shame.

I want to speak out against this shaming. I want to stand up for myself, and hopefully help other messy housewives find the strength to stand up for themselves.

I am worth more than the state of my house. It's not fair to judge someone on their weaknesses. Why not see each other for our strengths? We "Marys" often feel extremely intimidated by "Marthas". Honestly, Marthas make me feel like a total screw up. I have so much respect for them and their beautiful welcoming homes. Often, they are very loving women that work hard to use their homes as a way to love others. Ugh!! I want to be like that so much!!! I feel like I should be able to be strong in all the Mary things and the Martha things too.


Is that realistic, though? I really don't think it is in this stage of my life, and "this stage of my life" has lasted over a dozen years now. One day, I won't have babies to hold and nurse or toddlers at my feet, but for the last 12 1/2 years, that has been my life constantly. Pregnant one year, infant the next, toddler and pregnant the next year, infant and toddler, pregnant and toddlers, on and on and on for 7 children. I am indeed a rich RICH woman, but all these growing little ones demand a lot of time and attention, and they make a lot of messes. I think it's reasonable to extend a little grace my way. 

Please, see my strengths when you see me, and understand that I want desperately to be better at keeping up with my housework. Maybe we need a new title. "Housewife" implies that our primary job is the house. Someone once told me that caring for the house was my calling and my ministry. No, friend. The house is just a part of it. My "ministry" is contained in the hearts and spirits of my husband and children. Yes, caring for them includes housework. I just don't want to be judged solely on how I stink at housekeeping. I am much more than that.

When Matt fell in love with me, he saw my people skills. He saw my love and care I have for people. Please don't reduce my worth to a messy house or even occasionally a clean one. There was a time when I would've accepted that shame and let it break me down, but I am seeing the fruit of my strengths as a wife and mom now. I have supported my husband through finishing his college degree, many job changes, a major career change, nursing school, and continuing his education to this day. Our children are kind and smart and strong, and we have developed a good open line of communication.

Don't look at me and see a messy house. I am in the business of heartkeeping more than housekeeping. I will get better at the housekeeping part, and I truly need to get better at it. However, judge me by my strengths, and I'll judge you by yours. 

Love and peace to you all. I'll sign off with a picture of Selah in the sock basket.

Joy on a Crazy Monday Morning (Mom, you're gonna love this one)

Right now, Selah is in her pack n play right next to me screaming. I just nursed her and changed her. She just wants me, and that's okay, but sometimes Mommy needs a break!  ---Just as I was writing that, Silas came in, put a little drum and little drumstick in the pack n play for Selah, and she's happy now. Praise Jesus for thoughtful siblings!!

I wanted to write this morning because my heart has been just overflowing with joy and gratitude and love.  I've been very stressed about getting our house refinanced because it means a guy has to come do a walk through. I just wanted the house to look it's best. Well, it's not going to look how I want it to look, and I will be hiding the dirty laundry in black trash bags in the shed...

Okay, but listen. Even though the house is messy, dishes are mounting high in the sink, and we are in the middle of repainting the dining room, we had Matt's brothers over last night for poker night.  It was so fun! Instead of letting the messy house control our plans, we chose to enjoy our brothers. We needed that time catching up, laughing, and just being together. It had been way too long. That sink full of dishes didn't even matter.

This morning, I wanted to get up early, take a very needed shower, and finally get some clean clothes on myself.  Instead, Matt and I overslept, the milk was almost gone, Isaiah missed his bus, and we couldn't find Matt's coffee cup... just to name a few mishaps!

Normally, I would've been a total wreck, in tears, probably shouting, and everyone would be miserable, but not this morning. When we overslept, Matt came over and just held me. He told me how he loved me so much and snuggled his face in my cheek. For some reason, my spirit remained joyful as we ushered our kids through getting ready for school. I got the coffee made, helped them find their shoes, and made time to sit with Matt and tell him how I wish he knew how much I loved him and how I wished time would just stop so I could just stare at his face and hold him all day. Even though he had to get to work, he got Eli's prophy treatment done.

We were running too late for the kids to walk to school. Isaiah missed his bus. Ana was a little grumpy because Daisy had kept her up last night. However, we just laughed about it. Happy Monday, Reeves family!!

I believe God was showing me something. He was showing me all the joy I miss when I let my circumstances control me. I would've missed out on that fun time with Matt's brothers last night. I would've missed out on Matt's affection this morning. I would've missed those little smiles; in fact, I would've snuffed them out. I would've missed seeing the principal give my Ana a look to match her grumpy face and make her smile on her way into school. I would've missed Daisy dancing to the music on the radio. I would've missed teasing Isaiah about our being his bus today and enjoying that extra time with him on the 15 minute ride to his school. I would've missed that sassy preteen look he gives me, and feeling that tug in my heart as I watched him walk into the school and down the hall. Yes, I sat there and watched him! Don't judge me! ;)

There is much freedom in this lesson. I am not a prisoner to my circumstances. I can be happy when life is a mess. I can be free! I have been living in an unlocked prison cell; but wow, it sure feels locked when my postpartum depression kicks in.

In the process of writing this, Selah has had more episodes of crankiness, I have picked her up and nursed her 2 or 3 times. Daisy and Silas just got in a fight over applesauce. I confess, I did yell, but when I'm nursing the baby in the next room, it's not easy to get over to them and physically break up the fight. Oh well. Onward in this joy journey on this crazy Monday! Circumstances do not control me. I can choose joy. Yes, Mom. I said it. You've waited 36 years for this. ;) I hope this encourages someone else to courageously choose joy in the midst of chaos today.

. . .Now, about that shower. . .

Quick Update With Pics

I have to go to bed because I'm getting up and going to the gym super early tomorrow, but I'm not tired yet. So, here's a little update while I hopefully get sleepy. 

Yesterday, I did my new home workout routine. It took me almost 3 hours, but next time, I'll pace it better so it doesn't take so long! When he says we're stepping it up, he's not kidding!! Holy cow! It was pretty fun, though. I love this new road I'm on, building and building on my progress. Here's some pictures with captions from yesterday's workout:

My sweaty face after doing a million and a half step ups

My Plie' squats were on point!! Pretty proud of them. :)

New weightlifting exercise! Stiff legged deadlift 20lb dumbbells

Side Plank. Look at my leg muscles!!! Yay!!

Multitasking: Breastfeeding while doing lying leg lifts. ;)

Selah held my finger while I finished my workout with "Superwomans"
It was very sweet.

Also, I totally forgot to blog about lifting the barbell a couple weeks ago! It was awesome. It made me feel weak, but strong at the same time. Here's some pictures from that day:

I was looking at my reflection, and thinking,
"Wow, I look so strong. I can't believe I am doing this!"

The faces I made in these crack me up. Super heavy for me,
but he wanted me to feel what heavy weight felt like. 
We will work up to this. I think it was 105 lbs total.

Okay, I really need to go to bed and get some sleep!! 6:45am training session tomorrow!! I will leave you with this video Matt made of me jumping today. This is significant because I thought I couldn't do it at all. Well, I guess I can.