The Season of Tears

Today was no different than the first six months of 2019- filled with laughter, tears, and prayer.   I woke early to exercise and spend time with the Lord.  He is all that holds me together.  Today he reminded me to not fear- through His Word, a testimony from a friend, and music on the way to work.  As I left the house for work, Tom was putting on his dress uniform to attend a funeral for a fallen deputy in the next county.  That started today’s tears as I reminded him, this better not ever be him.  I pulled it all together just in time for Trey to come bopping out in his ARMY shirt ready to get his morning run in.  This reminded me that we only have him for 10 more days and out came the tears. 

We are still in a hard season.  I find myself crying more and more.  I’ve never been a crier, something my kids have been annoyed by.  But this year my kids have finally gotten their wish.  Mom sheds tears!

We’ve sent one off to Italy for the summer.  We’ve sent one off to Air Force Basic Training and she’s now stuck in med hold due to an injured muscle.  One is starting his senior year of High School and the other about to leave for Army Boot Camp.

In addition to all of that, my mom, our Honey, passed away.  AND then, there’s been a major dental surgery, air-conditioning repairs, plumbing repairs, teen drama, and job stress. 

But through it all, God has been faithful.  He’s provided friends and strangers to support us and encourage us in each of these little fires.  He has given us a sense of peace amidst all the tears.  We know that He is with us.  We know that none of this caught Him by surprise.  He has collected our tears and heard our cries. 

At the very minimum, one could say we are having a hard year.  We hope one will say, “those Hagertys have walked right through their fires this year because their God has been right by their side.“  We hope you don’t smell the smoke of what we’ve been through but only see the hope of our Deliverer.   

Are you in a fire?  Do you know our Deliverer?  We’d love the opportunity to tell you about Him.

When my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  Psalm 61:2

Prayer Changes Things

The first part of 2019 was a bit rough for the Hagerty Clan.  It just seemed like a series of unfavorable events unfolded with no end in sight.  To be honest, we felt we were under attack.

As you can only imagine, there is no shortage of drama in a house full of upper teens.  Dreams were crashing, poor decisions were being made, and attitudes were tanking.

I reached out to my small groups and requested prayer from all my praying Facebook friends.

What happened?  Things turned around.  Other doors opened, attitudes improved, and one situation in particular did a 180 in a way that only God could have worked out.  Someone even commented, "Man, prayer really can change things!"  God didn’t need our help to fix these situations, but prayer is the means God has ordained for some things to happen.  Prayer is part of His plan for accomplishing His will in the world.

You see, Christians are not promised that everything will always be rosy.  Hard times will come and prayer is always the answer to any situation.  It may not be answered in the way we wanted, but He hears our prayers and answers according to His will. 

We are so thankful for everyone that joined us in prayer and ask that you continue to pray for our family.  Do you have a prayer request?  We’d love to pray for you!

Super Ambie is off to Basic Training in May.

Savanna is climbing every obstacle with graceful courage.

Tommy is finishing up his automotive certificate and will begin welding in the fall.

Trey is off to Boot Camp in July.

The Beginning of a New Chapter

It’s been a long, challenging yet rewarding journey raising our little Hagertys.  We have poured everything we have into raising them to keep first things first, to love God, and to live for Him.  The end of that chapter came rushing in without warning.  In December, we realized our lives were drastically changing sooner than we had planned.  

We are thrilled that each is confident in whom God made them to be and in going where God sends them.  Thankful that even though they don’t know all the details of their futures, they are brave enough to step out in obedience.  Even when doing so may same strange to others.

This past Christmas break was probably the last time we will have all four kids together for a while. 

Savanna is finishing up her junior year of college and is making plans for an exciting summer (away from home).  She’ll graduate next spring and then she’s off to where ever the Lord leads.  We’ll be trekking out to Minnesota for a spring and fall recital this year and graduation next year.

AmberLynn has sworn in to the United States Air Force and is anxiously awaiting her job assignment and date for basic training.  At last check, she’s looking to go at the end of March.  We look forward to going to her graduation later this year in Texas.

Tommy is a junior in High School, looking forward to his senior year to be followed up with doing something in the automotive field. 

Trey is super pumped to be on track to graduate High School this year- a year early!  That has completely thrown this mamma for a loop.  That was not in my plan for the year at all!  With his early graduation he is looking to enlist in the Army and be off to boot camp almost immediately.

 

Some tease us that we must have been terrible because our kids are all running off- far away.  I honestly know they are teasing.  Our kids are doing exactly what we have raised them to do.  Even still, I didn’t expect it to happen pretty much all at once!  But I have no doubt that God did.  I find comfort in knowing that where He has called them, He has already gone and will be with them. 

While this mamma is proud, I couldn’t help but want Christmas break to last forever.  So we made every day count with lots of laughter, reminiscing, family outings, and just hanging out together at home.

We acknowledged all the lasts (at least for awhile):

Last Birthday Together

Last Christmas Together 

Last Day to Attend Church Together

Last Sunday Lunch with Everyone at Honeys

And, we had lots of fun dreaming about how the future will be.  They even started teasing us with the most obnoxious grandparent names to be used one day.  We discussed how to remodel the house and heard concerns that Tommy will really be the favorite child next year when he’s the only one left at home.

So life was big and crazy for a short while (it only seemed long when we were in it) and it’s getting smaller by the day.  We are all excited about how our new normal will look and how God will use each of us individually and as a scattered family as we begin a new chapter.

“The Lord watch between you and me, when we are out of one another’s sight.” – Genesis 31:49

The Year We Tossed Traditions!

Well, some of them.  It all started with the decision to put the Christmas tree up earlier this year (see prior post).  The freedom that arrived with that idea gave birth to courage to change up other traditions. 

At Thanksgiving,after a family vote, we tossed the turkey in favor of ham. 

This Christmas, we cut back on the amount we spent on each other and used that extra cash to give even more to our favorite Christmas causes- Operation Christmas Child, Angel Tree, gift collections, and even adopted students for a teacher friend’s Christmas book project.  Such Fun!

We opted to not send cards this year.  It feels a little weird, but the breathing room has been amazing!

 

We tossed our annual gingerbread house contest.  We’ve opted instead for a new Hagertyville Grinch Night.  Grinch Themed Dinner, Watching The Grinch, Grinch Games and a Random Act of Kindness for our community.  We could all be a little more like Cindy Lou Who and be more intentional in loving the unlovely. 

We’re not hosting events and we’re not attending all events.  That alone has graced us with so much unrushed time. 

The cutting back on all the extras that we thought made the holidays so special has actually helped us to enjoy what truly makes the holidays special.  Time to just be.  Time to be together.  Time to be in the Word.  Time to breathe.  I actually feel like we are more in the Christmas Spirit without all the extras and  I hope we never catch Christmas fever again.

One thing we are still looking forward to is our family Christmas Eve traditions.   We enjoy attending worship on Christmas Eve.  After worship, we ride around looking at lights and singing carols.  Once we are home, we enjoy a crab leg dinner (the one time a year we serve crab legs) and follow that up with a special family talent show.  Once everyone has poured out the offering of their gifts, we read Luke 2 together. The kids all open new pajamas (we don’t do Christmasy ones because we are way too practical for that) Then all the Hagerty kids “sleep” in one room.  I love this part.  They are now 16, 16, 18, & 21- but they will watch movies and giggle like little kids for awhile. 

Then once Tom arrives home on Christmas morning (First Responder Life) we celebrate the birth of Jesus with our traditional Red Velvet Cake (they refuse to let me toss the cake) and open presents. 

With two going in the military in 2019, this is probably our last Christmas all together for a while.  We’ve always made room for Jesus and I’m thankful we finally found room for us this year. 

That Time I Tried to Cancel Christmas!

 I didn't really try to cancel Christmas.  My kids just think I did!

You see the last couple of years, decorating the tree has become more of an ordeal than a joy.  Last year was the worst!  Nobody wanted to help, one pouted because they toted more stuff in than the others, one pouted that they were decorating more than the others, one pouted about having to do any of it.  .

So my solution was to suggest that we not put up the big tree this year.  We could just do a small tree in the corner, easy peasy, done.  Here's how that went:

Everyone wanted the big tree with all the decorations.  They insisted they would all be more helpful this year...I just wasn't buying it.  I kept thinking about it and wondering what was causing this problem.  We've always enjoyed having a Hagerty tree trimming party.  What was happening?  Then it dawned on me one morning on my way to work.  I was listening to a radio show where people were calling in and discussing how early is too early to decorate for Christmas.  One caller said something that spoke to me.  The caller said she had already decorated because she didn't want to be rushed.  She wanted to have time to enjoy the decorating.  

Well duh.  There was my answer.  We are busy.  November and December are full of sports banquets, concerts, parades, games, parties, and more.  Squeezing in the tree trimming was too much.  So I decided to give the calendar a look and see where we could do it without having a ton of other things to do.  I could hardly believe my eyes!  The Saturday after Halloween was pretty much our best shot of having everyone at home (and we were still missing Dad and our college girl).  We've never done the tree before Thanksgiving before but I knew if I didn't want a repeat of last year we'd have to try something new.  Don't worry, we're not skipping over Thanksgiving! 

 We're thankful!

PYOP by me!

I'm happy to report that our tree trimming went great!  Everyone pitched in from beginning to end, I made everyone's choice of Christmas goodie and Honey came over to join the fun!  We had a nice relaxing morning together. 

So the  moral of this story- Do what works best for your family!  Who cares what the tradition is?  Who cares if others judge you or mom shame you?  I'd rather decorate early with a happy clan than when it's socially acceptable with any angry clan.  

How I Lost 70 lbs!!!

It’s been a crazy year since I started my gut health journey.  In August of 2017, I finally gave into my persistent friend that kept telling me that getting my gut healthy would address root causes of my inability to lose weight.  In my 40+ years of life, I have tried every weight loss fad, diet, program, pills/supplements, shakes, exercise routine- known to man.  They were hard.  They didn’t work.  If they did work, it was momentarily and only to a certain point.  I’d then gain it all back plus some because it wasn’t sustainable.  Since I’d tried everything else, I agreed to give her products a try.

Enter the Plexus Triplex.   This dynamo comb of three all natural, plant based supplements changed my world.  Was it easy?  YES.  Was it fast?  NO.  But they work.  They provide sustainable health changes.   The hardest part of Plexus is having patience.  There’s a lot of change taking place in my body.  That requires time, which none of us have.   In the last 13 months, I have lost 70 pounds.  I still have 70 more to go but I have faith that I will reach that next goal.

So How Do I Stay Motivated?  This is a question I’m asked a lot.  Especially from people who gave Plexus a try.  Maybe for a few weeks to a month and maybe didn’t take products consistently.  Here’s my top tips:

              

            Pray

I believe Plexus is an answer to prayer.  I’ve tried everything and this product unlocked all the reasons I couldn’t get healthy.

Take before and after pictures

The scale moves slow, but you WILL see and feel a difference.  Sometimes I just couldn’t see the change and  family members had to look at those same pictures and tell me they see a difference.

                Make your goals public

There’s some accountability that enters when others know you are working toward a goal. 

               

                Follow the right people

Who you follow on social media will play into your success.  Follow fitness trainers, healthy food bloggers, and anyone that will help shape your mental picture of the healthy lifestyle you are working toward.

So What Did You Eat?   This is another top question.  You can’t just eat whatever you want and expect Plexus to work its magic.  You have to make good food choices.  My favorite fitness trainer posts this comment all the time and it plays in my head when I’m faced with difficult choices:  “You can’t out exercise unhealthy eating habits!”

                Eat Clean

                                I am a busy mom of four teenage/adult kids.  Eating clean isn’t always easy but it is my goal.  I eat clean 75-80% of the time.  My biggest helpers are My Fitness Pal app, which helps me track calories; My Instant Pot, which stops drive-thru dinners; and My Meal Planning, which helps me stay on track during our busy weeks.

So Do You Exercise?  Yes.  At least 15 minutes a day is necessary.  Just pick something you can do to be active and do it.  No excuses.

               

                Walking

I chose fitness walking.  I love walking in my neighborhood, downtown, the city park, hiking trails, and at home.  Get some sort of fitness tracker and count your steps.  See what you can do and each week add 500 steps.  Find walking partners, walking is more fun with friends.  My kids take turns walking mom- I’m a scaredy cat.  There are also amazing fitness walking videos you can buy at Wal-Mart or find on YouTube.  For that matter, you can find almost any type of exercise video on YouTube.  The important thing is to find something and do it!

So Can’t You Just Do All of That Without Plexus?  Yes.  But I’ve done all of that without Plexus and didn’t get results.  Plus it was hard for me to do all of that without Plexus.   When our guts are balanced, our bodies respond by giving us more natural energy so we feel like exercising, a taste for healthy food, turning off our sweet -tooth or carb cravings so we can make healthy choices.   Plexus is definitely the missing key for me to unlock my weight loss. 

And Finally… So How Do You Afford That?  Easy.  I’ll admit, in the beginning I didn’t think I had the extra money to spend on supplements.  That’s what took me so long to get started.  I had to finally decide that I was spending that money each month and I didn’t really even know what I was spending it on.

                Be Intentional

Decide that you are going to spend some money on yourself to get healthy.  Intentionally spend the money on you.

                Sacrifice

The health change is worth any sacrifice you need to make.  For me, I stopped all take-out or drive-thru meals for the family.  I started taking my lunches to work.  I gave up one family meal out a month. 

The benefits I have received:  off blood pressure meds, off arthritis meds, off of a CPAP machine, I can wear my wedding band again, I can wear contacts again, better sleep, better digestion- no bloating, no more night sweats, sustainable weight loss, I can stay up past 8pm and I can get up feeling rested and so much more!

                Share With Others

I was able to cover my products just by the two steps above.  But, people started coming to me and asking what I was doing and I started sharing the products.  Before I knew it, I had unintentionally started working the business side of Plexus.  When I started getting commissions and bonuses, the business caught my attention.  I started being more intentional with the business side because I did need the extra income and I was 100% confident in the products.  I have a daughter that is in college 22 hours away from home.  This is her third year and I’ve never been able to just fly out for a visit.  Thanks to Plexus, I have two trips planned for this fall. 

If I can do this, anyone can do this.  I’m as busy a mom as it comes.  We can make time for what we want to.  So my challenge to you today is Make Time, Make Sacrifices, and Make a Life Changing Decision to try Plexus with me.  You WILL find health and happiness.

               

               

                  

Catching Up!

Catching Up!

The Hustle got away from the Hagertys but I can finally catch up!  It's been a LONG time since I've added to this blog.  My kids are practically grown.  The boys are still in High School and the girls are both in college.  Rather than catch you up on how we make our crazy family work, I'm going to start sharing how I take care of me and still keep up with Hustle of the Hagerty Four!

That picture on the left is of our family hike in August '17.  Hiking is a regular weekly event.  We live in the beautiful North Georgia Mountains, so there's no shortage of beautiful trails.  A friend snapped this pic for us and I remember being surprised at how I looked.  I knew I was tired all the time, but I thought I was in pretty good shape.  Like I said we hike regularly, we eat rather healthy with 2 diabetics in the house, and I thought I was pretty active.  

I had seen posts from a friend on Facebook who had been using Plexus.  I'd been watching her for nearly a year.  She had recommended these all natural supplements to me for gut health, as had a couple of other friends.  She was looking so good that I decided to give it a try.  It was absolutely the best decision I have ever made.  The 2017 Amanda was tired, on blood pressure meds, using a CPAP machine to sleep, taking arthritis meds for aching joints, and very overweight.  

The 2018 Amanda (picture on the right) has tons of energy, stays up late now with the kids, gets up at 5:30am to get in two aerobic miles before work, craves healthy choices and prefers to only drink water, and has increased her steps to 11,000 a day and walk/runs a weekly 5K!  BEST NEWS yet- OFF all those meds listed above!  

"Other people's opinions of you, is none of your business!"  RH

 I love sharing about Plexus because it has turned my life around!  I know it can turn anyone's life around.  So I don't worry about what people think of me sharing.  I want to help people who have struggled as I have.  I wish I'd have known about it sooner so I could have been sharing it longer. 

Plexus, specifically the Plexus Triplex, is designed for gut health.  An all natural, plant based system to help weed, seed, and feed your gut. It is not an overnight solution, as you can see in the timeline below.  It takes time and effort.  Obtaining a healthy gut has been the missing key for my weight loss journey.  If you'd like more information on how Plexus could help you, I would love to share with you.