So we've been back from the conference for a few weeks now and it's been a complete and total whirlwind. Life has been so busy I haven't had a chance to really decompress.
To be honest it was really hard coming back to real life after being surrounded by such awesome people and getting a perspective shift.
Was just a very needed and good reminder that there is so much more to life than our little daily life shows and that relationships and other people are so worth investing in and all that matters!
One of the things that I walked away from the conference with was a boost in confidence that this journey we are on is making a difference and people are impacted by the boys' lives.
This has caused Nick and I to really take a look inward at how we can continue to use this journey for good and make an impact.
One of the ways we feel we can do that is to raise money for the foundation. The Joubert Syndrome and Related Disorders Foundation was responsible for putting on the conference as well as a multitude of other things. The foundations focus is on providing support, education and research for people affected with JS. And Nick and I felt so much support and education from attending the conference that we feel it is really important for others walking this road to continue to have this opportunity.
So when we got home and talked about what we wanted our next steps to be, we decided to go big and take a huge scary leap of faith and commit to raising $10k for the foundation in 2 years.
This is probably one of the scariest commitments I have ever made in my life. But I feel so strongly about the cause and the impact that I am willing to step out of my comfort zone to reach this goal.
Being a stay at home mom of 3 small kids with crazy therapy, appointment, and activity schedules, I am not really at a place where I can get a job outside of the home. Just would not be fair to my kids or my employer....at least during this phase of life.
So while brainstorming ways I could contribute to this sum of money while still staying home with my kids, I decided to sell Stella & Dot jewelry and donate my proceeds to the foundation. I have been loving their trendy jewelry for a while now and thought this would be a great opportunity for me to give back.
This is also a really scary thing for me to do. I am really not a fan of multi-level marketing companies and the constant inundation of requests to buy things all over my social media sites, but I do feel like a lot of these companies really do have great products to offer. And it fits into my current lifestyle and phase of life I am at. I actually really do miss a lot of aspects of working, but being home is where I need to be right now.
I LOVE Stella & Dot jewelry and it has actually made me really helped me feel more put together and feminine. I know that sounds weird, but when you stay home all day and are constantly in doctor offices and therapy centers, being able to put on a cute necklace or bracelet to pull together an outfit helps you to feel better about yourself.
I really feel like this is something that I can do during nap time, at night and on the weekends and be able to work a little and have an outlet there as well as make a difference and contribute to the JS foundation.
I feel like it's a win-win situation, but is really requiring me to step out of my comfort zone. Ahh!
So if you have any great fundraising ideas or good ways to help raise money or would like to purchase any jewelry or host a truck show and get free jewelry with Stella & Dot and help support the foundation, I would love to help!! I will send you an image with the amount that was donated to the foundation as a result of your trunk show :) It can be online or in person as well!
If I have learned anything since we first found out Parker's diagnosis, it is that this journey will grow you and refine you in ways you never imagined. I'm excited for this new chapter of our journey on this special needs path and can't wait to see what the foundation does in the future!!
So here goes, I'm *trying* to be brave and jump in head first to this huge commitment and new job. Should be a fun journey :)
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