Year end - Finally!

Wow! I'm really glad that 2009 is finally coming to an end! It's been a very difficult year! The death of several family members and friends, as well as several illnesses will make 2009 a sad year to look back on. Life can change in the blink of an eye, and this past year was full of life changes.

Overall, we have so much to be thankful for as we say goodbye to 2009! AJ & I are in good health and despite Keith's health, he was able to keep his job for another year. We've been lucky to have the support of a wonderful group of doctors at the VA as well as our family and friends. We've made some wonderful new friendships this year and found a great Masonic family and we're looking forward to all that the new year has in store for us with the Lodge and Chapter.

After 14 years of selling Avon, I switched this summer to Arbonne...a pure, botanically based line of skin care, cosmetics, and health products. With all the research we did when we started making our soy candles, I found that a lot of the skin care products on the market contain petroleum and numerous other ingredients that are not only harmful to the environment, but also harmful to our bodies! The changes we've made have already made a big difference in our lives and we're looking forward to sharing these products with more people!

The response this year to our candles and ceramic products has been astounding. After having a retail location during the late summer and fall, we realized that we could offer our products at much better prices without the overhead of keeping a store-front open. Orders continue to roll in on our website and we're working on our show outline for next year. We'll be exhibiting in several local shows and markets, and with a little luck, we'll even be exhibiting in some shows in Wyoming, Texas, and maybe even North Carolina!

We begin a new year with lots of hopes and plans, but really have no idea what the next 12 months hold for us. 2009 was proof of that! But, the excitement and hopefulness that comes with turning the page on a brand new calendar is unmatched.

Happy New Year, everyone.