Blessings, Blessings, and more Blessings during the weekend and at Midwest Pilot Convention in IOWA

I had a wonderful weekend with my friends and sisters in Pilot this weekend in Coralville, IOWA at the Pilot  Midwest Convention.

It was a very special occasion for me because we had most of our Pilot Club of West central Illinois  Members attending, except for Diane Grimble one of our newest one who was going to join us but had a last minute emergency. Her sister had an stroke and  Diane's plan had to be changed. We missed Diane but she was present in our prayers and heart all the time. I haven't been able to get a hold of Diane yet, to check on her sister's health but, we all know that she has been taken care by the Best of the Best Doctors in the entire world, this Doctor is our Lord. He is our Shepherd Shaw we not want.

My heart is always filled with joy when I attend the Pilot Midwest or the Pilot International Convention because I enjoy hugging each one of the Pilot Members.  I enjoy seeing the smile on their face, and the desire to be a better human being.

As I had warned our First Timers Members before our trip that they were going to meet the best group of people this weekend. The group of people who has always a smile on their face, the group of people who will always be ready to give you a hug. This Convention has gotten the desire in my heart to increase our membership stronger and I am pretty sure that the more member the better we will be able to do more in our community. 

This morning, I feel a little bit tired but, my wonderful husband just called me inviting to go out for lunch since he can tell I look tired LOL

Chantel, Brian and Isabella

I want to say a special "Thank you" to my husband who has taken care of our daughter and dog so that I could make it to the Convention. Without his help, I couldn't do anything.  He is my wonderful husband, Best Friend, and my helper recruiting New Members to our Pilot Club.

Last Friday, while we drove to IOWA there was the Dance with Dads and daughter going on. My husband not only took our daughter to the dance but, also took one of our daughter's best friend who doesn't have a daddy. He acted as the Daddy for the two of them. My Hat is off to my wonderful husband for this beautiful act of love.

 What a lucky woman I am. No money in this world could buy all the things that I appreciate the most in this life, my wonderful little family and friends.

Sometimes I stop everything I am doing and ask myself: "How in the world did I get so luck?" I don't  have the answer for that question but if our Lord thinks that it is something that I deserve, I will always say "THANK YOU LORD" for all the blessings in my life. 

Thank you my friends and sisters in Pilot and hope to see each one of you soon.

If you are reading this post and have no idea who Pilot International is about. Please, ask me and I will be so glad to tell you a little bit of what Mission is about.

Blessings

Zee Giddings

I am thankful for having happy moments to share with the ones I love :)

Good morning my dear kids :)

What a beautiful sunny day huh?!  And we are alive :) Praise our Lord...

Some people don't understand the difference about "bragging" and being "thankful"  that is really sad... Some people ask me if I dont have problems, how can I be happy all the time? 

I will tell you what. I do have things that happens to me that are not worth of mentioning... What for example? Well, dang, I will have to mention now...How about the fact that the holidays are coming and most of you will celebrate close to your family while mnie is miles and miles away? How about the fact that I have to take blood thinner for the rest of my life and keep often testing my blood to always be "in range"  between 2.5 and 3.5. Today for example my test result was 1.9, not good huh!? LOL Most of you dont know the fact that last Friday, due to my web hosting incompetence and misunderstanding, I got both of my website, the Embroidea and the First Birthday Dress ones totally deleted from the server.

My wonderful husband has been working on the Embroidea one but the First Birthday Dress according to the web hosting will take between seven and ten days to be back online. I already know the consequences of those mistakes, Google might punish me for that and I might have to start from ground zero again. Does that bother me? Yes it does. Do I let those "small" problems TOP the fact that I woke up and got out of bed today and I am ready to spend one more day in this earth with my USA Family? Hell NO!!! Do I blame on the "poor satan" for all the shit that happens? Hell NO LOL  That "poor horned guy" is blamed for everything bad that happens LOL I believe in "free will"  I let that satan cooking marshmallow and hot chocolate right there in hell where he lives, cuddling with is "satan wife" LOL

Nothing in this world will be more important and worth of "bragging" about than the fact that I am ALIVE!!! :)

All the other stuff I can start from scratch. It wont be the first time I have to do this :) With any bad thing that happens to me, I learn precious life lessons that makes it all worth. 

So for a few people that might think that I am always bragging about my "perfect life" the fact that I post pictures of my new "satellite looking puppy" my opportunity to see one of my favorites singers, etc. I am not "bragging" at all. I am sharing my moments of happiness with my family in Brazil and with all of you my dear friends love me and whom I love so dearly.

I do have "shit" happens to me all the time BUT,  I would rather talk about the happy things that are the biggest and most important ones to me.

I am normal LOL Yes I am like everybody else here, I have bad and good moments but no matter what happens I will always praise the Lord for the good ones and dont waste my precious energy with those things that are not so good.

Today, I am so THANKFUL that, I am alive, the sun is shinning and I can work from home having our home thermostat on 73 degrees and a space heater right in front of me :)) ah, and yes I am thankful for our beautiful "satellite ears puppy" coming all the time and kissing me :))

Let's count our blessings and dont focus on those not so good things dear kids. Life is short enough, let's use our energy to be happy no matter what comes our way :)

God bless and be with us always...\

Love you all

Zee

www.myfirstbirthdaydress

Decisions...decisions...decisions...



The day I bought my first embroidery Machine

Wow...Hi there :) It feels like a while since I've posted here. So many things going on, lots of work, me being sick and so many decisions to take, what should I do?

I have a dream and I wont give up on my dream, I have always been cautious about taking decisions I'd rather to take it slow. Just like when I started Embroidea Custom Embroidery. I was so afraid of getting in debt when I bought my first embroidery machine, I was afraid of not having enough work to even pay for it, I am not the kind of person who decides about something and then cry about it later. If I take a decision, that is it. I need to be sure about it.

So, when I first started my business, I was for 6 months without work to do at all. I was new in this Country, I had not too many friends, didn't know what to do. I remember being so scared of not bringing a pay check home and helping my husband. So, I decided to go back and work a little more while I was still building my clientele. I would work all day at another embroidery place, would come home after work and would work some more for myself, embroidering the few things I had to get done, relatives and friends of my husband who would ask me to get some embroidery done for them. So many people helped me at the beginning... I will never forget all the people who helped me.

Soon I started embroidering Red Hat Society t-shirts and would sell them on EBay. I am very thankful for EBay, it helped me a lot, I used to sell my First Birthday dresses and Red Hat Society apparel online. I started getting really busy, there were days that I worked 20 hours a day. I had no small kids so, it was fine with me... We can build nothing in this work with no sacrifice...

After Isabella was born, when she was five weeks old I started leaving her at the Daycare and go to work. It was a very nice Home Daycare, I am still friends with Deb from the Little Shadows Daycare. I love them all but, but Isabella was always getting sick, she had ear infection constantly and  I hardly had time for my baby girl, didn't see her first steps, first words...Until the day I told myself: - What is the purpose of having a child if I cant spend time with her? I had to choose in between bringing the pay check home at the end of the week and watching my daughter grow up.

I had to take this decision, I trusted that God has a purpose for me in this world and He will never leave me alone. I took the plunge, I quit my job.

I am so glad I did it! I haven't made tons of money, not even close to what I used to make while I worked at the other place but, it's enough. I have many Customers now, I have three embroidery machines and thinking about buying another one, I am growing my website, Isabella is 7 years old now and  I have another decision to take. I need to hire some help.

I have had an open heart surgery two years ago and a week after my surgery, I was working to meet my deadlines. Sometimes after I am done working at the end of the day, I look around and wonder where did I find the strength to do everything by myself. Embroidery, digitizing, invoices, phone, family, sales, taxes...

I think that time has come when I have to take a bigger step and hire some help. I feel all the old worries hunting me again Will I have enough money to pay for my helper every week? I don't even pay myself a salary!

I guess if I don't try it, I will never know... I have someone I know in mind and I have already gotten the phone to call her and offer her the job, but, how much to pay? How much can I afford? Will it work out ok having a friend as an employee? Will she accept my offer? Will I be able to separate friendship and employee? So many concerns....

I guess sometimes I just need to remind myself that I am not that young no more, it comes a time in life that we have to let our fears go and just trust that everything is going to be all right.

Well my friends, I guess this is what we call life. Isn't it?

"Miracles happen to those who believe" and I DO, I DO, I DO!!! :))))))))

Decisions... decisions.. decisions...  Here I go again :)