A DECADE AGO……

Philippians 3:13-14
No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God  is calling us up to heaven.

As I wake this morning on the 1st day of the year 2010- I cant help but REFLECT.

Reflect on where we were 10 years ago

AND

where we are today.

WOW!!!!

10 years ago on New Years Eve Jay and I were in Costa Rica(alone..no kids YET).

We were so happy and READY to start our life.

We were on our way.

We were STARTING our journey.

We had FOUGHT so hard for “us”.

We had FOUGHT so hard for our LOVE

and our LIFE.

When we met I was “spoken for”…so to say.

I was already in a relationship….

(Lets just say I was already TIED DOWN)

My life was a MESS.

I was living in a world of UNCERTAINTY and SHAME.

THEN…

I met Jay and THIS HAPPENED!!!!!!!

My life changes and THAT WAS IT!!!!!!!!!

I never even TURNED AROUND to look back.

And as I sit here this morning at my sis-in-LIFE’s house with ALL the kids sleeping sweetly(ONLY bcs they stayed up PAST 12 LAST NIGHT!)

I cant HELP but reflect on the past 10 years and all the blessings that have entered my life.

Whata difference a DECADE can make.

10 years ago  I was laying under a palm tree with Jay in CR.

I remember laying there and DREAMING of what our life would be like….

THIS LIFE.

I wondered what the faces of my children would look like??????

I wondered what there voices would sound like??????

I wondered if our LOVE would still be so STRONG??????????

I wondered WHO my true friends were???????????

I wondered if my family would ever understand????????

I wondered WHO I would be?????????

 

NOW….10 years later.

I can see the answers to ALL those questions……

And what AWESOME answers they are!!!!!!!!!!

I pray for a NEW YEAR filled with HOPE, LOVE, LAUGHTER, and FAITH.

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope

A "Lifetime" away...........lol

Today was a crazy day...
Our "show" aired on Lifetime....AGAIN.
Its crazy how ....all the sudden this AM- I was TAKEN BACK to THERE.
That place 2 yeares ago when I was READY to do a reality TV show.
Show me the MONEY...That was my thought.
That was the ONLY reason FOR ME to do it.
I was pretty sure at the time that I was going to be "TRADED" with a CRAZY CLOWN mom, or a NAZI RACIST.
Someone who was going to PISS ME OFF...for sure.

I was NOT prepared for what actually happened.
I was not prepared to MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
And ...I think I did.

Everytime I see the episode or hear that it has been on ...I REALLY CRINGE.
It makes my heart beat fast and my throat go dry...actually.

I ALWAYS KNOW when someone is aproaching me BECAUSE OF THE SHOW.
They have THAT look.
The look that says..."There is that RASTA LADY with that CRAZY man!"
LOL...no LMAO
I alwys KNOW what they are going to say.
Its always nice.
I HAVE learned that people dont GENERALLY go out of their way to say something AWFUL.

Its usually something like .....
"I loved you on that show!"
or
"Your kids are soooo cute!"
or
"Are you THAT lady that was on THAT show?"

Usually I answer them BEFORE they ask.

Well today I woke up and found out that "THE SHOW" was on at 1pm.

And there it was...the fast beating heart and the dry throat.

UUUgggghhhhhhhh...........

And then it came and went ....1:00 to 2:00.

And throughout the whole thing...I LAUGHED.

It is quite COMICAL now!

The shitty editing, my sentences cut in HALF, Jay saying WOMAN every 5 minutes.

It was RATHER FUNNY!

And then it happened again.
The SAME thing that has happened since October 31...2 years ago.
People were supportive.
I got emails from people I dont know.
AND people I know.
ALL NICE.
ALL ENCOURAGING.

THAT is what I didnt expect out of the WHOLE THING........
to EFFECT PEOPLE.

Here are just SOME of the AWESOME THINGS people had to say:

From Julie:
Just watching this show far for 30 minutes is eye opening to me. I have been struggling with issues lately and have needed some guidance and am finding it in unexpected places. Jana you have such a good heart and it comes through in your show no ma...tter what they edit out. Unfortunately I am seeing myself in the other parents with too much structure and not enough spontaneous fun and adventure. I am thrilled that I just came across this randomly. Thank you for your experiences. Just a small glimpes of your good hearted family is giving me ideas for change in my life.

I am glad I got to finally see it. I think you are a blessed family and it shows. Your kids are amazing. They were so sweet to James in the pool at Cindy's this summer and the love shows through in them. You totally healed that father/daughter relationship and that is a huge deal. No amount of editing can take that part of the show away :)


From Kim:
I think you made a huge impact on the other family.

From Ali:
Ali Almasy September 29 at 2:22pm Report
Hi Jana, my name is Ali.. I'm almost 18 years old and I just saw your family on an episode of wife swap. i could not believe that finally a terrific family who believes in things i believe in was on that show! i got teary eyed whenever that one dad said he would double what his daughters put in that donation jar. it was so sweet so see something had gotten through to him. i live in a suburb and my family is definitely not like yours and they don't understand things that i believe in. its too foreign to them i guess. i just wana tell you though that i totally look up to you and i hope one day that if im ever a mother i can bring up my children with the same amazing beliefs that you raise your children under. my peers at my public school just drive me insane because they are all so materialistic and haven't got one clue about actual problems in the world. i do conservational work and have gone on month long camping and trail repairing trips including my favorite which was all over the Alaskan Range. I want to work with unfortunate children one day as my job and maybe be a therapeutic camp counselor or something and teach them how beautiful nature is and to be thankful for simplicity or show them that being self sufficient and simplistic is the way to live happily.

well, i hope to get some sort of response from you! if not, i just wana say one more time it made me so happy to see your wonderful family and how great of a person & mother you are.


I am soooo grateful for an opportunity to effect ANYONE by just BEING US!

I feel soooo blessed tonight......I bet I fall asleep smiling.