Rhea Lana's and Chick Fil A

We're finishing up our last children's consignment event of the season. It was in Conway, Arkansas. It's been a fabulous event! One of my favorite moments was on opening day when we had a visit from the Chick Fil A Cow. The kids love him and we all love Chick Fil A! They are one of our corporate sponsors and we are honored to be partnering with them.

Our Conway Children's Consignment Event has become a regional event with consignors and shoppers coming from all over Arkanasas and surrounding states. We have hundreds of consignors and thousands of shoppers. Thankfully, several local television and radio stations cover our event since we are a service to so many families. One of my favorite aspects of our company is that we are able to give back to the community in so many ways, from donating clothing to needy families, to raising money for our local school district.

As we wrap up our Spring Events, I am anxiously looking forward to the rest of the year. In the fall of 2008 we will be opening several new Rhea Lana's Franchises. I love helping young women in business and this will be a great opportunity to share this wonderful business opportunity to women around the country.

Recent Little Rock Event

We've just had the most amazing Children's Consignment Event in North Little Rock, Arkansas! This is my Security Team - aren't they awesome? Barbi is the boss, but these guys are incredible. There aren't many dads who would give up their time to help so many women in need. They do it all, from providing door security, to loading furniture and large toys, to also providing some comic relief at times. I really appreciate this team and they are vital to the success of our events.

Valentine's Day Gift from My Son

My son, Ben, is 16 years old. I'm so proud of the young man he is and the man he is becoming. Today, Valentines Day, he came into the kitchen before school and gave me a box of chocolates. I love chocolates! The thing that made it the most special is that he had picked out the gift and bought it himself the day before.

He's really had a rough time lately with a horrible stomach virus. One night last week, he threw up for 7 straight hours and we finally ended up in the emergency room. A week later, he is beginning to feel a bit better. He plays for the high school soccer team and he was finally able to go back to practice. His other love is football. Last fall, as a sophomore, he was the starting kicker. He made 11 out of 12 extra points and 3 out 4 field goals. Awesome! He hopes to play on the field as a safety or receiver next year, too. He absolutely loves hitting and being hit - I definitely don't understand it. But I do understand that it's part of being a teenaged boy.

Ben is also working hard to learn to play the guitar. He is taking lessons from Brad, the community K-Life Leader. We love Brad and appreciate his influence in Ben's life. Since he was a little boy, Ben has been emotional and passionate about everything he does. He is the most tender hearted of anyone in our family. My prayer for Ben is that he will continue to grow into a tender hearted, yet strong leader who is committed to the Lord.

Valentine's Day is a wonderful day to appreciate those in our lives who are special!

Our Baby is Growing Up

This weekend was a gentle reminder that our oldest baby is growing up. Rebekah is a senior this year. She is a member of a high school sorority called DBS. As an officer in the sorority, she was in charge of planning the annual Winter Formal held at Chenal Country Club in Little Rock. It was such a lovely evening with several hundred in attendance Bekah and her dad are definitely cut out of the same mold!

The theme was based on Phantom of the Opera. Each of the 80 girls were introduced on stage along with their date as they walked along the red carpet. Bekah's date is Nathan Farris, a wonderful young man.

I haven't been too emotional about my baby growing up, because it seems that she is ready to move on to this next stage of life and a bit more independence. But as I watched her dance with her daddy during the Father/Daughter dance to the song, "Butterfly Kisses", I did indeed shed some tears. I know that she is ready to spread her wings, but I am still not quite ready......

I Love Our Team!

I am honored to work with the most incredible bunch of women! I pinch myself sometimes at just how blessed I am to be surrounded by gals who love me and love our company. They are hard working and loyal, and they never let me give in to mediocrity, when things need to keep improving. Many of these gals have been with me for a number of years and have seen our events grow and grow. As our events have grown, their job responsibilities have also increased! Before each of our events, we take a moment, catch our breath (and a yummy meal), and we share some fun "Rhea Lana Moments and Memories". Believe me, we've shared some crazy times! This is one of my most favorite times of the year, and I can't wait to keep making memories together.....

January is the time of year when I am working like crazy to get our Spring Events organized and the foundations laid regarding locations, dates, sponsors and more. Our Little Rock event has been forced to find a new location after University Mall was officially closed. Our sale has grown so large that our options are very limited. We want our event to be a place where moms feel safe bringing their kids and where they will find a very pleasant shopping experience. So, when I was able to secure the M.M.Cohn store at McCain Mall in North Little Rock, I was thrilled! I regret that some moms may have to drive a little further, but overall, it is an outstanding, safe facility with plenty of well-lit parking. Admission and Parking will continue to be free, as always! Our Little Rock Spring event dates are Wednesday, Feb. 27 - Saturday, March 1. We anticipate over 900 consignors and 85,000 items. I hope you will come and bring your family and friends!

Trip To India

Dave and I had the most amazing trip to India! One day we visited the Taj Mahal which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. An Indian emperor had it built as a moseleum for his favorite wife after her death.

Walking to our car outside of the Taj Mahal we saw a very normal site in India.....cows. Cows are everywhere.... in the airport parking lot, in neighborhoods, in the middle of streets with cars either stopping for them or waiting while the cow crosses the street. Cows are sacred in India and it is against the law to kill them. Along with cows, you'll also find dogs and monkeys walking the streets of India. It's quite an interesting sight!

The above 2 pictures are some of my favorite! Can you believe that I let a monkey sit on my shoulder? Well, he was supposed to sit nicely and pose for a cute picture, but it didn't exactly work out that way. Dave kept wanting me to get closer to the snake climbing out of the basket as the snake charmer blew his horn, but I felt plenty close to the snakes!

In the above picture, we had the opportunity to visit a Sikh Temple. Our friend, Arjun, is a college student working on his MBA. He graciously allowed us to accompany him as he worshipped. Notice that we had to cover our heads and although you can't see, we also had to take off our shoes.

Here I am riding in a bicycled rickshaw down the streets of Delhi with 2 of my friends who live there. When you travel the streets of India, you are likely to see a BMW or Mercedes on one side of the street, and on the other side you are likely to see a camel, cow, elephant of some other sort of animal that in America, you would normally see in a zoo!

Family Times

As I prepare to leave for our trip to India, I am reminded of just how special times with family are! Several weeks ago we all gathered at my parents home in Heber Springs, Arkansas for some great times overlooking the Little Red River.

One of my favorite pictures is the one above with Ben and my nephew, Justus! Ben is trying to catch a nap while entertaining Justus by letting him play with one of his most prized possessions, his cell phone.

Uncle Dave is always a favorite with the little ones! Audra and Sheridan love hanging out with Uncle Dave, also known as "Uncle Milk". (yes, there's an inside story there). It's fun watching all of the kids grow up. My kids are the oldest kids in the bunch, and I am so glad to not have babies anymore!

Today I received an email from my friend, Stephanie, whom I'm going to visit in India. We leave in less than 36 hours and I have so much to do! Stephanie wanted to make sure that I was preparing myself for the culture shock of beggars in the airport who might touch my arm, people staring at me because of my skin color, absolutely crazy traffic and more. Dave says we'll see cows and monkeys in the streets. I hope to visit the Taj Mahal. I've been so busy with my job, Christmas preparations and family, that I've hardly had time to think about India. So, Steph's email came at the right time. I hate to admit this, but my biggest concern has been whether my "Chi" (straight iron for hair) will work!! I'm sure you understand. Another friend who lives there emailed me this morning and told me she has one waiting for me. Yea!

Tomorrow will be such a full day with trying to get packed for the trip. We will be travelling for about 21 hours, so I need to find some good books to read. There is a nice young couple coming to stay with the kids, so I'll also be working on getting things prepared for them. My mom will be coming the last few days. Today we've also been working on insurance and a will. It is a bit sobering.....

I'm sure it will be a great adventure! I haven't been outside of the U.S. since I was a teenager when my father, who was a colonel in the US Army, was stationed in Germany. I appreciate your prayers for my family over these next 2 weeks.