Summer Vacation 2017

I know this post is about a month late, but August was super busy going on vacation, recovering from vacation (ha!), catching up on Plexus business-related activities, planning our homeschool year, organizing school materials, and keep up with normal life!

Here is our vacation in a pictorial nutshell! :)

Every other summer, we get together with Nathan’s parents, siblings, and their children for a fun week together. The location changes each time.  This year, it was in Branson, Missouri.

This is what church looked like on vacation! :)

All the grandkids picked the “balcony seating” while Grandma and Grandpa led us in some songs and a devotional thought for the day.

Isaac enjoyed going with Daddy on a special boating excursion on Table Rock Lake!

Visiting some shops and a bakery in the heart of Branson.

Peter enjoying the fountain.

Of course we had to get a family picture on the biggest rocking chair I’ve ever seen!

Checking out the fish at Bass Pro Shop.

Watching the musical fountains at Branson Landon after indulging in some local fudge.

First half day at Silver Dollar City theme park.  The tour of the beautiful Marvel cave made this guy hungry!

And this lovely lady!

It’s a trio of hungry siblings enjoying their pretzel hot dogs and brats on a stick!

Shooting water cannons at passing ships.

A carousel ride!

The children LOVED playing at the “tree house” which had this fun net maze behind it!

There they go!

These two cousins had a blast together!

Day Two at Silver Dollar City - getting ready to ride a moving chair lift.

Heave-ho!

Riding the hot air balloon in kiddie land.

We were buddies.

This ride was one the children did all by themselves! They loved it!

Cousin Luke wasn’t too thrilled about this ride, but little Hudson was thoroughly enjoying it!

Round 2

My “triplets”. :)

Going up!

First roller coaster ride!

My sidekick in the spectator’s section.

Time to ride the big guns!

Isaac got to watch a potter at work.

During one of the mornings on our trip, the children were invited to participate in “Grandma and Grandpa Games” at a nearby park. They enjoyed the water balloon games, a scavenger hunt...

...and time in the creek!

Others, meanwhile, enjoyed a nap. :)

Jane and Silas getting acquainted.

“Nice boy..."

Happy babies!

A view of Branson from the lookout tower on our hike one morning.

Isaac and Mommy

Family pictures morning!

17 Grandchildren, and counting!

Yes, it was a full house!

It is such a blessing to be part of this clan who love God and love each other!  We always have a wonderful time together.  Until next time...!

Grateful for Plexus

Just another Mama that decided to take a chance. She was tired of being sick and tired.

I wonder how many people I know that could relate to this story.....

.

"Hello everyone! Here is my story in a nutshell.
I have always been a fairly health conscious person.... but only when I felt like it. I LOVED desserts and because I'm very thin I didn't think it was important to limit my sugar/carb intake. That all changed when in May 2013 I found out that my 4 yr old son's severe health issues stemmed from poor gut health. He had been having some serious health issues since he was 2 and the Drs could find nothing wrong with him. So I went to a Naturopath in MN after my mother in law suggested it, I was desperate to help my son!

My son was put on a strict no sugar, no starch and no grain diet as well as some homeopathic meds. It didn't take long for me to notice a huge change in his moods and overall health. I was amazed and intrigued! So I became a researching fanatic and soon had my whole family tested by the same Naturopath. We all had poor gut health (to varying degrees) except my very non health conscious husband! Completely floored me! Until I learned that the issue we had is passed from a mother to her children. So I was the one guilty of passing it on to my children. Go figure! 

:P
It was 8 months later that I learned (on her 1st birthday) that my baby girl was very sensitive to many different foods, which explained why she cried almost nonstop for the first few months of her life. 

:(

I knew something was wrong by the time she was eating table food because she always had diarrhea, but I never thought of food sensitivities, because nobody in my large family had ever had any.

She got a lot better immediately, when I cut all of those foods out, but it was getting harder as she got older to keep her away from the foods she couldn't have. A year later she was able to tolerate some dairy and also eat eggs, but she still couldn't have peaches, apples, onions, gluten, wheat or any corn products without being doubled over in pain and having diarrhea for hrs after. 

At this point we were all eating much healthier! Rarely did we have sugar or any type of junk food. We ate almost all our meals from scratch....no canned foods or boxed food anymore. We all felt better...for a while.

Last fall I started showing symptoms of my old severe fatigue issues again as well as having some digestive and skin issues again. My (now 7 yrs old) son also started getting sore throats again, his tonsils were always huge and he couldn't focus well in school anymore. So in Nov. 2014 I took a ProBio5 capsule and a Slim stickpack to my Naturopath to get his thoughts on them. I really wanted to use the Probio 5 to help Kaylin with her food issues. He didn't think we should use them, so I left very disappointed! I had read so many stories of babies and toddlers having found relief from their food sensitivities so I had been praying that Plexus would be Kaylin's help too! So I tried other probiotics and natural supplements with limited/no success.

But in April 2015 I decided to become an Ambassador and got my first Triplex Combo! I had read soooooo many testimonies and seen the change in some of my own friends....so I knew there had to be something to this.

After 2 weeks.....Taylor (my 6 yr old) went from not focusing in school to getting a whole week of school done in ONE DAY! (I homeschool)
After 3 weeks....Taylor's swollen tonsils looked NORMAL!
After 3 weeks... Kaylin got into a cake and I realized she never got a tummy ache so I started slowly testing her on other "no no" foods. She can now eat anything with no ill effects!

After 3 months of using the Triplex....I NO LONGER HAD:
- Digestive problems
- Seasonal sneezing and sniffling
- Severe fatigue symptoms (I used to fall asleep while daytime driving, and reading out loud to my children.)
- Brain fog (I always had to use lists, but still forgot things! I hardly use lists anymore.)
- Lack of energy
- Exhaustion upon awakening
- Pain during my periods
- Body odor
- Sugar Cravings
- Bloating
- Severe Mood Swings
- Seasonal “blues"

STILL IMPROVING:
- Skin issues (90% better)
- Fungus toenail (50% better)

Before Plexus I had NO IDEA that it was possible to address so many of our health issues simply by addressing the root causes of most health issues...
1. Insulin Imbalance
2. Unhealthy Gut
3. Inflammation

Please take some time to learn as much as possible about these life changing, natural products. Your body will thank you! 

A New Phone

Well, people, it has finally happened. Thanks to a recent change in our cell phone program and the free Samsung Galaxy I accumulated as a result, I, Katrina Britton, now actually own a smart phone! I know, I know...I’m probably one of the only people you know who has resisted this long! For years, I have only wanted a phone that texts and calls (you know - the "old fashioned" kind!) in order to keep my screen time limited (my computer gets enough of me as it is) and because I just plain liked texting better on a slide-out keyboard rather than a screen. But the time has come when even I have admitted that having a smart phone would be beneficial for actually being able to read other people’s texts, conduct business-related activities, use money-saving apps, etc. Even so, I am determined to OWN my phone and not let IT own ME. I read this article three years ago and its message has stayed with me ever since. I share it again now as a reminder to myself to keep boundaries in this high-tech world we live in and in hopes that it will encourage you veteran smart-phone-owners to really LIVE your lives - outside of the screen. 

Adoniah Turns 2!

There are so many words I could use to describe our big 2 year old!

Busy.

Happy-go-lucky.

Tough.

An eating machine.

Mischievous.

Into EVERYTHING!

Curious.

Adventurous.

Sweet.

Loving.

Precocious.

A chatter-box. 

Our Sunshine-Boy.

Adoniah just has a way of bringing cheer to the world around him.  He’s always ready for fun with a big, contagious smile and a twinkle in his eye!  He makes me laugh at the things he says (or tries to say), and then makes me pull my hair out in exasperation at the things he gets into!  I have learned that I cannot turn my back on this mischievous little man for a minute!  He’s never still, except when he’s sleeping.  Addy Boy, as we like to call him, loves to eat, loves to snuggle with his precious green blankie, loves to ride on feet-propelled cars or tricycles, loves to swing, and loves to make messes.  His specialty is the bathroom where he can empty a cupboard or drawer in a few seconds flat and has been known to play in the toilet way more times than I would like to remember.  He also enjoys emptying drawers in the kitchen, knocking over towers his brothers build, and zooming cars or trains around the floor.  Adoniah can pitch a fit with gusto, but he is learning well to respond to correction.  He is brave and fun and ready for a good time all the time!  This past year, Addy has learned so many things that come with a child’s second year of life.  His speaking skills have taken off in recent weeks, and it’s the cutest thing to hear him sing “Jesus Loves Me” to himself as he plays.  He has a tender heart for prayer in one so young and enjoys the Bible stories we read on a regular basis.  As with all my children, I pray that Adoniah will continue to grow into a boy who loves Jesus and a man of Godly character who will serve Christ with his life!

Here is my annual round-up of pictures from his past year of life:

On his first birthday last summer.

Putting coins into his piggy bank with help from Grandmommy.

He really loves his Grandmommy!

Fun at the beach!

One cool little dude.

Too tuckered out to enjoy the boat ride.

Crawling through a tunnel is fun!

First day of school for the older brothers.

Our little tag-along couldn’t miss out!

Playing outside. Photo credit: Isaac

Dirt does not phase this kid.

Good thing he loves baths!

Driving cars is another of his specialties.

Playing in corn.

He LOVES to be outdoors!

Still a finger-sucking, blankie boy.

My grandfather, “Papa,” with his two great-grand children namesakes: Adoniah Wesley and Wesley. (My grandfather’s middle name is Wesley)

Farmer boy in his cute overalls!

Getting in some winter sunshine.

Dressing up is fun!

It’s a snow day!

More dress up.

A halo for Addy.

He loves to eat!  And he always gets super messy while doing so. :)

Playing with play dough and learning to not eat it.

Meeting his baby brother.

Adoniah Wesley, we love you!!!

Happy Birthday!

(Photo credit: Sarah Britton Robertson)

Reflections on Motherhood

A friend shared this graphic many weeks ago and it really resonated with me. So often, I feel pulled in many directions, and there is always a “to-do” list in my head that seems a mile long, which can result in feelings of being discouraged and overwhelmed if I let it. With 4 little children 4 and under, including a nursing baby, who all have MANY needs, with meals to crank out, dishes to then wash, laundry to keep on top of, spills to clean up, floors to vacuum and sweep, homeschooling lessons to teach, a toddler to keep out of mischief, a Plexus business to maintain, church ministries to prepare for, a husband to help, chickens to care for, flowers to water, and, oh yes - I must get some sleep too! ....it can be hard to take the time to SLOW down, put the tasks on hold, and just BE with my children. To simply delight in their delights. To have fun with them and not just dish out instructions, discipline, and lectures all day long. I am really trying to be intentional about savoring these little years. To let my toddler push the buttons on the washing machine and watch his little face light up with a grin. To push my oldest on the swing so his feet touch the branches of the tree and he feels exhilarated. To let my 3-year-old cook in the kitchen even when it means the job takes longer and will get messier. To slow down long enough to talk to my baby and watch him giggle. I really believe there is great truth in the words of this picture. Now, to live it out every day; that is my heart’s desire! All I can say is, praise God for His beautiful, wonderful grace, which gives strength and hope in the midst of the craziness of life!

Clear Skin is Rooted in Gut Health!

I wish I had known back during my teens and twenties when I struggled with pimples that it was an issue rooted in the gut! Instead, I tried lots of different things to treat only my skin. Everything from essential oils to colloidal silver to various cleansers. The only thing that ever worked to keep the problem somewhat under control was ProActive...but it never took it away, and now I shudder to think of the harsh chemicals I was putting on my face for all those years! What a wonderful thing it would have been to have had these fabulous Plexus gut health products to target the root issue instead!

This is Jennifer Maier's story:
"1 year ago I started my health journey. I was skeptical. After all, I tried everything, I would spend up to $500 a month on my face. I would get the microdermabrasion laser and chemical peel done to my face. Plus, I would buy acne products that would cost $100 a month. The dermatologist were in shock that nothing was working. It would help control it but it would not go away.

Knowing I had a hormonal problem I was so tired of spending so much money on my face and started seeing my friend post about gut health. Out of desperation I started taking the products she recommended. I wanted to quit the first 2 weeks of taking the product. I did not like the way it was making me feel. I realized I had a dirty gut and it was cleaning me out. It did take 3 months to notice my blemishes started going away.

I realized that the product had been working in other areas too. I did not take it for weight loss. I look at pictures from last year and notice I lost inches, it’s also helped me sleep throughout the night. It feels so good when people come up to me and tell me how beautiful my skin looks. You have to be consistent with the product. What will your journey be like? These are two pictures of me before and after being on the products!"