Cars, Contentment and Change

Hello!  Thanks for stopping by my blog!  My name is Jeanette Paradis.  I am a mom and wife who works from home as a health coach.  I have found myself chuckling over something these past 24 hours and wanted to share the story here...

 

So, the photo above?  Those who know me are probably surprised to see me with a 2016 BMW SUV here in my own driveway??  Hmm - what is up with that?  Our car of the past year is a 2014 Honda Insight... a little hybrid that gets 50 mpg!  We are a single car family and we are planning to pay off this car and save before purchasing another car.  With my husband working close to home and me working from home, it is doable to share one vehicle.  Is it always convenient?  Nope!  Is it that hard?  Not really.  We have found a way to make it work.

 

Last month, we had driven down to see my family!  Through a miscommunication and a lot of confusion in my sister's driveway - aunts, cousins, grandparents, a family birthday and getting ready to go to the Elk County fair, something happened.  My dad backed into my car!  No one was hurt.  In retrospect, I was in a bad spot when it happened.  I have wished soooooooo many times that I could go back and change it!  My dad kept it together and SO GENEROUSLY offered to take care of all of the damages by filing an at-fault claim through his insurance.  I don't know if he has ever even had one of those??  Oh dear.  It took a while to get the car on the schedule at our nearby body shop but it is finally there this week!  We will have a new driver's door and repair work will take place on other parts of the vehicle as well.  

 

 

Yesterday I dropped off our car and through some turn of events, our "loaner vehicle" is this BMW!?!  It is an SUV.  The kids had asked me OVER and OVER what sort of car I would have when I picked them up from school yesterday?  I told them it would probably be something similar to what we own... they kept laughing and remembered the LAST time we had a loner car.  More on that in bit!  When I picked them up yesterday, my 6 year old nonchalantly stated, "We should just keep this car.  I like it better".  Hmm... discussion on value and how this car is worth like THREE of our car.  Driving the BMW X3 actually reminds me quite a bit of our Honda Pilot.  We had the Pilot before the Insight Hybrid.  

 

Side note - why on earth did we go from our special edition loaded Pilot down to our little base package Insight?  My husband is 6'2", after all!  To be honest, the mpg of the Pilot (we averaged 16-17 mpg) was KILLING me!  But I did love driving that thing.  The 3rd row seating and built in entertainment system were great for when we had friends riding with us.  When I was working with a 50 mile round trip commute to the barn where I taught riding lessons, there was MANY a drive on 90 where I encountered some awful weather and the Lord used that vehicle to keep me securely on the road.  Unfortunately, just going to work and back cost $12 in gas at that time.  Going down to see my family for the weekend cost $60 round trip!  I wanted to be able to go and see my family more often this past year - and we certainly have!!!!  We bought our Insight in September of 2014 and I LOVE being able to visit my family for about $12 in gas, rather than $60!  Are we "cozy" in those quarters?  For sure!  Is it worth it?  Yes.  I like being able to go and see my family often and not have to feel badly about it!

 

 

Before the Pilot, we had an older CR-V and that was a great vehicle for us as well.  So, back to the last time we had a loaner??  The Pilot was in to get the timing belt replaced and Bianchi Honda was going to keep it for a full day.  They gave us the most teeny-tiny vehicle EVER to drive around town that day!!!!  The kids and I looked at the thing and the tires looked less substantial than what was on their bicycles!  We got into it and felt like we were inches from the pavement!  We started it up and vibrated so much that we were dying laughing!  We began to drive and felt like we were in a go-kart or something!  It was SUCH a contrast from the Pilot and that was what we were accustomed to at that point in time.

So, what is the point of all of this?  Contentment has been on my mind lately.  Going from driving our banged-up little Insight hybrid into the unexpected BMW SUV loaner was quite a switch yesterday!  18 months ago, switching from our bells-and-whistles Pilot to the munchkin loaner was another contrast.  Part of it depends upon what we are accustomed to and our perspective on that.  Part of it depends on what we think we "should have" and where we are with attaining it.

When I was a kid, there was a day that I made my parents laugh and cringe at the same time!  I had been all over the place and was making everyone weary.  I quoted Philippians 4:12 and said that I "have learned" to be content in all circumstances.  Umm.... that has been a work in progress ever since!  We still laugh about that day and my announcement (in the midst of restless angst and pestering them for something!) that lo and behold, I had learned to be content gave us all reason to pause.  Thank God my parents have prayed for me my entire life!  Who can say where I would be without God's grace to me and their example over the years??

I can say NOW (at age 37) that I am really content with whatever I am driving, as long as it reliably gets me from Point A to Point B.  We are sooooo not mechanical here in my immediate household so we need a vehicle that runs well and doesn't require much beyond routine maintenance!  BMW or Honda hybrid or something in between... It is just not very important to me!

In the bigger picture?  In life itself?  I am learning more and more contentment.  For me, a LOT of it comes down to TRUST.  I trust God's plan for my life.  I trust that He is faithful to lead us.  I trust that he will provide for our family. I trust that He will draw my children to know Him more and more each day as we build our lives upon HIM as our foundation.

I posted these words on FB earlier this morning, along with the image below...

I woke up and thought of this favorite song.

The melody is just so perfect to me!

And the words are very much from scripture which just makes any song more significant to me!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RRZgr7wNDs

Red Balloon

Good morning!  Welcome to my blog.  Today is a Tuesday in September.  There is something that took place on Sunday that I have been wanting to share. 

First, a bit of background.  I am a wife and mom of two elementary age kids.  My husband and I have been married for 10 years.  We moved from CT to Erie, PA nine years ago.  I could be described as a determined, enthusiastic, outgoing go-getter.  Whatever I do, I tend to be all-in with it.  Most of my jobs in life involved working as a riding instructor, show groom, rider, lesson program manager.  I also spent quite a few years as a restaurant server.  Right after Bible college graduation in '01, I did spend two years working with administration, events and communications.  These days I am a team leader for women's ministry at our church and I am also a health coach with my own business.  After making my own health a priority 2 years ago, I began coaching 18 months ago and love being able to share with others how to make the same changes that led to me losing 60 pounds (so far!) and being able to transform my life. 
 

My family of origin (as opposed to my own current household!) involves my two younger sisters and our amazing parents.  They live a couple of hours from here.  My paternal Grandma is my last living grandparent and she has always been so special to me.

 

It can be tricky sometimes being the person that I am and being married to a guy who is my opposite.  I do NOT want to be the wife who takes over and just drives the bus herself.  I do want to have him lead our family.  The hardest part is that I like to do things quickly - like yesterday.  And if things don't go quite as planned, I figure out the next steps as I am hiking through them.  He likes to take his time and looks carefully at so many factors before even thinking of the least bit of change.  

This summer has been exciting with a return to my roots.  More on that here - with "Once a Horse Girl..."  But this has come with a price.  You know what I mean - when your heart wants to be two places at once.  When you feel torn.  When you ask questions that do not have an easy answer.  At age 37, I continue to seek the balance of who I am and who others need me to be.  MOST OF ALL, I want to honor the Lord and walk closely with him.  As I do that, other things do come into place.  God is faithful.

Sunday morning I opened my Bible Gateway app as is my habit.  I do this before I get out of bed so that the day does not begin to get away from me without first HALTING it all and seeking the Lord through His Word to us.  I woke up that morning and my first thought was missing my family as we had just come back from spending a day with them.  I thought of how my husband is so different in his background and personality and how it is a balancing act.  I LOVE him and and committed to our marriage.  Anyone who has partnered with someone just plain different from you knows this dynamic.  Anyways, I opened up my Bible and the "verse of the day" came from this vicinity and I began my reading here...

^"The same goes for you wives: Be good wives to your husbands, responsive to their needs. There are husbands who, indifferent as they are to any words about God, will be captivated by your life of holy beauty. What matters is not your outer appearance — the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes — but your inner disposition.
Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in. The holy women of old were beautiful before God that way, and were good, loyal wives to their husbands. Sarah, for instance, taking care of Abraham, would address him as “my dear husband.” You’ll be true daughters of Sarah if you do the same, unanxious and unintimidated.
The same goes for you husbands: Be good husbands to your wives. Honor them, delight in them. As women they lack some of your advantages. But in the new life of God’s grace, you’re equals. Treat your wives, then, as equals so your prayers don’t run aground."  ~ I Peter 3:1-7 from The Message paraphrase

First, my husband is NOT "indifferent to words about God".  For that I am thankful.  When we met, we were at very different places in our spiritual journeys but we were headed in the same direction and we have continued to grow together.  

But the reminders here to think not just about myself and to be responsive to who my husband is and his perspective... to be gentle (which is NOT my nature when I am on a mission!) and to be mindful of my inner disposition (which tends to run hot at times!) and to be holy in what I do.  How am I going to bring myself into alignment with this?  Only by the grace of God and living life with Him as my constant Guide.  I do want to honor him in my life.  

There is a song that has been on repeat in my heart and I was singing it again Sunday morning.  I did a couple of things here and then got ready to head over to the church to handle a few details that needed to be covered before my family headed there with me for the morning.

So I got into the car alone and was singing the song above.  I had left my phone here and was just making the 5 minute drive to be there a little while, check some things off of my to-do list and then return.

As I drove along on Old Zuck, I felt the Lord speaking to my heart to just "let it go".  To lay down the things that have weighed so much on me this week.  It is a long story but my attention was on something that just wasn't working out as I had hoped.

The sky Sunday morning was beautiful, the way it is after a day of storms.  There were white clouds with the sun shining so brightly behind them and giving them that glow, interspersed with a few dark gray clouds as well.  It was striking.  As I responded to the tug on my heart to let it go, I saw a single red balloon that may have been temporarily caught in a tree along the road and it was released in the breeze.  It began to float upward into that beautiful sky.  To me, it was symbolic of "letting go" and trusting the Lord to carry me where He will.  I did not have my phone with me but found this image online.  The sky on Sunday was more of a contrast. 

It was just one of those landmark moments.  A stake in the ground of my faith walk.  It is a daily thing to set aside my own hopes and plans when prompted.  I am determined (aka stubborn) and I am a planner!  God sees the bigger picture.  He knows the desires of our hearts.  He will guide us in the way that we should ultimately take if we will just wait for Him.  

In the past two days, I have thought of that red balloon many times.  It was symbolic as I was right within the moment of responding to the prompting to "let go" of my own plans and hoped-for timeframe with the potential next chapter in the life of my family.

And what did I find yesterday morning when opening up my Bible?  

"Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too." ~ Philippians 2:1-4 New Living Translation

I read these words after a night of just a few hours sleep.  My husband and I had both been restless in the night and had been talking through many things.  

God speaks to us through His Word.  We just have to position ourselves to hear from Him.

 

Over the weekend, I was working on a logo for my business.  There was just something about this that I really liked!  To me, GROWTH is so important.  Growth as a person in our many roles in life.  I never want to wither.  Growth takes exposure to the things that will help us grow - whether they are comfortable or not!  Progress often comes out of times of friction in our lives.  There has to be something that prompts and feeds change. It is also important to SHINE from within.  To take things on with sparkle and excellence.  

 

In closing, here is another song which is a prayer of mine... Truly HE is the only one who can change what we see and what we seek. 

 

The Dreaded T-Shirt Order...

Good afternoon!  Thanks for visiting my blog!  My name is Jeanette Paradis and I am a mom of two who lives in Erie, PA.  This blog entry is going to be one of those times that I sit down as if I am writing in a journal and I am sharing it with you.  Why share??  Because I know that many of you can relate!  I really enjoy the conversations we have have following blog entries like this one.

This morning I was getting ready for our first MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting of the year!  Happy Day!!!  I LOVE MOPS!!!  I am personally a MOPS graduate, after having begun there in March 2007 when my daughter was an infant.  My son is now off to kindergarten himself and this prompts "graduation" from the group as you are no longer a mother of a preschooler!  So why am I still there at MOPS this year?  Well, the room of 60+ women is divided into tables of 8 women who spend the year together.  Each table has a table mentor who has made it through the preschool years herself - we range from women in our late 30's up through women in their 70's!  I am seated at a table in this role and am thankful to also have another mentor at our table - a mom of many kids who now range into young adulthood.  All of the other tables just have one mentor...  Two mentors at my table suits me well as I am typically one to be circulating the room and building for various needs that relate to my role as the Women's Ministry Team Leader at our church.  

So, back to the title of this blog entry.  The dreaded t-shirt order??  What is that all about anyways??

You know how oftentimes when you are part of something you wind up wearing matching shirts?  It has been a couple of years since we last ordered new matching shirts at MOPS.  In the photo above, you can see me in my pink Summer of 2013 MOPS shirt which I actually still wear to this day, after a 60 pound weight loss!  But the first time I ever put on that shirt to be part of an event where we were supporting a member mom battling cancer, well that shirt had to be stretched and stretched in order to "fit".  This shirt is special to me and I do still wear it regularly.  Fresh from the dryer!  It does begin to lose shape and is a bit big but it is still a favorite.  

Fast forward to August 2015.  Our MOPS Coordinator was collecting sizes in order to place a t-shirt order.  This was a whole new world as I pondered the sizes.  I ended up going with a large and discovered when putting it on this morning that the cut was generous and I could have even considered a medium??  SHOCKER to me, still.  EVERY OTHER TIME in my life when I ordered the "group shirt", this would be a moment and then entire experience riddled with anxiety in my own world.  First, I would hope that size 2x would be an option.  1x was just usually not quite big enough.  And how would the t-shirt fit??  I have never been one for comparison and was not concerned with looking "worse" than others who were wearing the shirt.  I just knew that I was very careful with what I chose to wear within my own wardrobe in order to feel comfortable.  Not many things felt flattering to me.  So to have to just go ahead and blindly order a t-shirt, choose the biggest size available and then put it on and wear it in front of people in order to represent something was just not an enjoyable experience in my world!  It was honestly kind of painful.  The sleeves ended up being down past my elbow with the shoulders way too low but that was what happened in order to accommodate other parts of myself.

This morning I was getting ready for MOPS and put on my new shirt and I had to actually hold back the tears.  Yeah.... that isn't working so well as I type this.  I had put on mascara this morning and didn't want to wreck it - first day and all.  I distracted myself by snapping a couple of photos on my way out the door!

It is not about being a certain size.  It is about feeling comfortable in your own skin and liking where you are headed.  The healthy changes which I began to make two years ago are just how I live my life these days.  Did we enjoy ice cream over the weekend while out as a family?  We sure did!  We do take a balanced approach!  As I was thinking about what to take to MOPS to share this morning, I was happy to put together a favorite of mine: plain Greek yogurt layered with thawed berries and granola.  Simple and so pretty in a trifle bowl!  Healthy is still full of possibilities!

I had gotten up early this morning in order to do my PiYo workout and be ready for the day.  Home fitness is convenient and I do programs that I enjoy.  I honestly miss it dearly if for some reason I have not made a point to fit it into my day!

I became a Team Beachbody coach 18 months ago and cherish being able to help others find the same success that has made such a difference in my life!  Please get in touch with me if you would be interested in learning more about this.

The MOPS International theme for this year struck a chord in my heart from the first time I heard it... "a Fierce Flourishing" where we will take the time to "Celebrate Lavishly, Embrace Rest and Notice Goodness".  This is a very good place to be.  I am thankful for this time in my life and look forward to all that is yet to come!

 

 

"Hold the Sugar" Chewy Cookies

Hello!  Welcome to my blog!  It is HOT here today in Erie.  In fact, it has been unseasonably warm lately.  BUT, most of us are not complaining!  I am thankful for our central air to contrast with the temps and humidity out there.

So what compelled me to bake cookies when the kids came home from school today??  Hmm... I suppose that it is just something that I have been thinking that I wanted to do?  I had two ripe bananas and was eager to play around with creating a new recipe.  I have to say that this one is a keeper!  What can I say??  My weakness is a chewy cookie!  These are dense but not overly heavy.  They are soft but not too cake-like.  These cookies are reminiscent of a banana bread but are not crumbly.  I appreciate the natural sweetener of the bananas and a bit of honey.  With moderate amounts of butter and peanut butter, they are not out of control in the healthy fats department!  Have you ever baked with whole wheat pastry flour?  I LOVE using it here!  Enjoy!! 

"Hold the Sugar" Chewy Cookies

              Makes 18 large cookies

2 Ripe Bananas - Mashed

1/4 Cup Butter

3 Tbsp. All-Natural PB

3 Tbsp. Raw Honey 

1 Egg

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

3/4 Cup Old Fashioned Oats

1 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1/3 Cup Chopped Walnuts or Pecans
1/3 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 375. Soften butter and raw honey.  Cream with PB. Add mashed banana, egg and vanilla.  Mix until combined.  Fold in your dry ingredients: salt, baking soda, oats and flour.  Mixture will be thick and sticky!  Mix in your nuts and chocolate chips.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a baking stone.  I use my "medium" stainless steel scoop from Pampered Chef.  No need to prepare this type of surface.  After dropping by tablespoons, flatten slightly.   Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.  DO NOT over-bake!  Cookies are "poofy" but will cook through quite well.  

Here is a blog entry with more details on some of my own favorite kitchen tools!

Now That the Kids Are In School...

Hello!  I am surviving the world of back to school!  My kids are currently on Day 8 of school!  After homeschooling for the past two years, this was quite a switch!  We were all nervous our first day.  And it was raining.  The photos above were ALL that I could get that morning.  I mean, it was rough.  My heart ached as I watched the bus pull away in the rain.  It felt like a movie.  Were we making the right choice?  Would the kids be okay?  Am I a selfish mom?  Were they ready??  I had a FULL day ahead that day with a couple of meetings and projects that relate to my role of leading women's ministry at our church.  The day passed quickly and before I knew it, it was time to go and get the kids!  Both of them had a good day.  What a relief to hear this!

Day 2 of school was QUITE A CONTRAST to our start of the first day!!  I mean, the difference between these two sets of photos is remarkable, right??  That first week involved just two days of school.  The next week was a five day week and that did begin to feel long by the end.  Overall, we are adjusting well.  My son is doing great in Kindergarten!  That has been a bit of a surprise to me, with how much he loves the outdoors and being in a routine of his own making.  My 3rd grade daughter is having a harder time due to some academic challenges brought on by her shortcomings with visual tracking.  We spent a ton of time with vision therapy this past year and she has come a LONG way.  But with entering school, she has become painfully aware that she is not in the same place as the other kids her age and she feels like it will be such a long road ahead of her.  We are working with the school on getting set up for some learning support.  I look forward to getting all of that in place.  

So what have I been up to these days???

Well, lots of things, of course!  You busy moms out there know how it goes!

A few highlights??

Well, my mom had told me about this homemade cleaner and I have been LOVING the way it works as I attempt to take back the chaos of my home during the "we love summer" days which had immediately followed the "we are a homeschooling family who also works from home" era... needless to say, my former perfectionist/neat freak tendencies HAD to give way or I would have completely lost my marbles a long time ago on this adventure of motherhood!  I made an image of the cleaner "recipe" and posted it on my page along with this bit of backstory... at 24 shares, I suppose that lots of us are on the lookout for a good shower cleaner and this one certainly does the trick!

When all else fails... try what your mom suggested!
My husband very rarely asks me to do anything around the house. Between the two of us, it just gets done! But last night he asked me if I could scrub out the tub/shower while the kids were at school today?
Hmm... about that. It was super soap scum land in there. What can I say? We ❤ summer!!!!! I wondered what was going to cut it?? So I found some Kaboom cleaner. Yikes! That stuff is strong. Three treatments later and I was seeing minimal progress and was feeling dismal.
THEN I remembered my mom mentioning this.
MAGIC!!
I picked up some original Dawn and whipped this up and WOW!!!!!!
I will be using this from now on and it got rid of a bunch of old residue as well!

A friend then shared this idea for a great way to store your cleaner in a way that it will also be easy to use while in your shower!  

18 months ago, I became a coach with Team Beachbody and now that the kids are in school, I am able to invest even more within my business and my team!  This past week it was pretty exciting to celebrate my best week yet within a certain category of my business!  

My pay is split into two basic categories - retail sales commissions and team bonus. My retail sales reflect everything that I do with my own customers as well as the customer leads assigned to me through the company. I work hard each day and it is rewarding to see people's lives being changed! It is exciting to hear from challengers who were down 6-8 pounds recently, wearing clothes they have not had on in years, experiencing energy like never before and turning a blind eye to junk food! I LOVE all of that!

The other part of my income is based on the success of my team. Talk about some hard workers who are going out and doing the same things that I am doing with my own challengers. As my team grows I spend a fair amount of time working to support them and I can not even describe how rewarding it is to be part of helping others to reach their own business goals in addition to their health goals!

So, about the extra $368 this week, based on my team's success?

First, I am celebrating them!!

Next, we tithe 10% and give that back to God, reminding ourselves that He is our provider and we choose to honor him with our finances.

Then - PERFECT timing! Annual insurance premium is due next week and this team bonus is within a few dollars of that total!

I coach to help support our family... paying down debt, paying off our single car before thinking of adding another, working to not take out our mortgage to the full extent. Buying groceries and new shoes for the kids and just the expenses of everyday life.

It really benefits our family to have me able to work. We also benefit from me having the flexibility of setting my own schedule and the reward of being able to build my own business and how I am a happy person when I can work without a "boss"!

If you are thinking of getting a part-time job, or are even looking to replace something full-time, please put this in mind as a valid option!

My team is just the nicest bunch of people and I invite you to consider joining us! This is very low risk as a business. You will improve your own health while being part of a bigger picture of others working to do the same! And you can contribute to your household at the same time! We can chat if you would like to learn more!

With the kids at school, I took some time one day last week to go for a pedicure!  I had been holding on to a local spa gift card for 2+ years and I was yet to use it!  Good thing it did not expire!  I have been out having coffee with friends and have held a couple of daytime meetings for things related to my role as a women's ministry leader.  In fact, I am planning for a local upcoming coffee with a BUNCH of friends!  If you are close to Erie, you should join us!

I completed 30 days of Cize and was surprised by how much I enjoyed this program!!!  I will DEFINITELY keep these dance routines in regular rotation around here!  Things I learned about myself with Cize?  I NEED to get better at "living in the moment" and Cize taught me a lot about that.  I had to challenge my own former beliefs that "I can't dance" and "I am just not a dancer".  Shaun T called me out on that one right from the start by saying, "You say that you can't dance but the truth is that you have never even tried."  OUCH.  That was me.  

I can not help but smile whenever I compare this recent Cize routine with where I began in Week 1.  SHOCKER that I actually enjoyed this soooooo much and would burn 400+ calories while spending 35 minutes dancing!  My daughter SO enjoyed doing this program with me and it was great that I began it while she was still on her summer vacation!  It will now be a weekend thing that we do together!  Although I have to admit that we sometimes put on a song using my phone hooked up to the kitchen radio and we put ourselves through the routine right there!  

I am not back to my FIRST LOVE - PiYo!  This program is honestly my favorite of them all!  We are coming up on my two year anniversary of making a life change of clean eating and beginning home workouts.  I have lost about 60 pounds and have kept it off and I become stronger each day!  I am just getting ready to begin my upcoming PiYo challenge group (via "secret" FB group!) and you are invited to learn more!

This new chapter has had ups and downs!  I am finding my way and I keep on leaning in to my walk with Christ through daily Bible time and frequent prayer!  I pray for my kids even more now that they are away from me!  No matter what this next phase brings, I know that God is faithful.  He is with us!  It is a good time in my business with record-breaking weeks and helping some of my coaches who are pushing for some big goals!  I also love seeing the success of my challengers!!!  It is an exciting time in Alliance Women with sold-out events, relationships being built and new Bible Study groups forming.  It is a memorable time personally as I completed Cize, return to PiYo and approach my 2 year health anniversary next week!  I am enjoying the structure of my days with having the kids at school and then when they come home, I am ready to be "fully present" with them instead of juggling everything all day long with constantly divided attention and feeling like I am not doing any of it well!  Wherever I find myself, my goal is to be "all in" and really live in the fullness of the moment while also taking steps to plan well for the future.  If you are interested in being part of my coaching team, a challenge group, an Alliance Women event or would just like to chat about life -- reach out and we will connect!  So many things are better when we work on them together!