Finish what you start...

Just got back from a great 2 week vacation with family and friends. What a great time we all had.

The first week was spent with Mark's family in the wonderful small town of Tillamook, Oregon (Yes, buy the cheese and support it!!). Always a great time there. My mother in law is an amazing cook.....with homemade pies (fruit picked from her garden) to her homemade chocolate cake (made with sour milk to keep it moist)....I'm surprised I didn't gain 5 lbs that week. My girls had a blast helping with the chickens (my in-laws have a chicken business), going to the beach, and playing with cousins. Very fun and relaxing.

From there we went to visit my side of the family. Once again, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. My mom is the LATINA Betty Crocker of all time. She knows how to "throw it down" when it comes to cooking and hospitality. The kids had so much fun with all the cousins and the NEW addition to the "Franco" family is one cutie of a baby. Congrats Elias Manuel Franco for being born!! You are a blessed baby with great parents, siblings, and extended family. Welcome to the family.

Being home with my parents brought back so many memories. I love it when we all gather (brothers, spouses, and children) and tell the amusing stories of "when we were young". They never get old.

I can still remember my dad saying, "If you're going to do something.....do it right!" Or my mom adding in, "Finish what you start, don't be lazy." My parents said a lot to me growing up, but it's hilarious how I find myself using the same words to my kids today. Why? Because it's TRUTH. No matter how busy one can get in a day....adding that 1 minute or sometimes 30 seconds to FINISH a task is so important. I want my kids to understand the importance of this....as did my parents when I was a kid.

When I settle for “good enough” consistently, I learn to live with mediocrity. And accepting mediocrity is "probably" far from where God wants me to be. Actually, I'm POSITIVE it's far from where God wants me to be. Finishing what we start is more than a good organizational or home management skill. It’s also a spiritual discipline. Lord, I knows I NEED this!

With all that said...TODAY'S A DAY I'M GONNA GET A TON DONE!!! School starts tomorrow for 3 of the kids. Gonna be a great year for them and we're "going to finish what we start."