The Hodgepodge Hodges: May 2011

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Our first California Client

This morning I received the best call a person in my position can receive, "we have decided to move forward with ISN." Music to my ears!

That's right, we (ISN California) have our first Owner Client. Now, for those reading this (besides my work friends) I know many of you are still unsure as to what I do. :) No worries! I will tell you this, some clients come on board quickly and others can take years before moving forward....usually the latter.

Our 2011 goal for the California Team is 5 new clients. We've received verbal commitment from another prospect, they just need to present to their executive management team on their decision. I'm holding off on celebrating this one until everyone is on board. As we ISNers say - we are cautiously optimistic. :)

This reminds me of why I so much enjoy what I do. It is really tough making prospecting/cold calls all day and trying to think of creative ways to catch someone's attention - but when you do....it's such a thrill!

In college I thought I wanted to be a banker - I was dead set on this idea. I gave it a shot for awhile but it just wasn't enough. I stumbled upon ISN (God has a path and put me where I needed to be at the right time) in 2006 and it was the right fit at the right time. I've learned a lot with this company. Looking back, I can't help but laugh. I always used to say I would never travel and I would never do sales....guess one should "never say never".

Thank you to my wonderful husband for being so supportive and listening to me every night as I recap my days for him. :) We always joke that Greg could step right in and take over my position - I have no doubt that he could!

Now, I need to get back to work....I have at least 3 more new clients to bring on board this year!

Carson's Birthday Party!

We went back to Dallas last weekend to celebrate Carson's first birthday with the family! We had such a great time seeing everyone, including my family who hasn't seen Carson since Christmas - you know they were dying to get their hands on him! :)

Trey and Jen offered to host the big birthday bash! Jennifer is by far the most creative person I've ever met - and thank goodness. I needed all the help I could get! We decided to do a Hollywood theme. Since we are currently living in the LA area, it only made sense! Plus, when will we ever be able to pick this birthday theme again! :)

Thanks again Jen for all of your hard work and coordinating! I'm glad you finally got to shower once the party started. ;)

The decorations:

Let's be honest, it wouldn't be a Hodges' party if there wasn't a ton of food to eat!

Trey and Wyatt missed some of the party becuase Wyatt had a baseball game and pictures - what a handsome baseball player he is too! I wish I could get ready like this everyday! :)

And now.....Carson digging into his cake! We stripped him down to his diaper. To be honest, I didn't think he would really dig into it but Greg thought he would. Guess daddy was right! He sure loved his cake. I think he got my sweet tooth....oops!

I love this last picture. You can tell the sugar-high has definitely kicked in! Afterwards we gave him a quick bath and then it was time to open his presents. He got so many great gifts!!

I would say his first birthday party was a success!! Happy Birthday Carson!! Love you!

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Mother's Day

Where do I start - I had such a wonderful Mother's Day. My boys sure know how to take care of me! :)

To start the day - Carson slept in - woo hoo!! But, of course Greg and I were awake talking about Carson sleeping in, so I didn't really get more sleep, I just got to stay in bed longer! And, today is Carson's birthday so we had lots of celebrating to do! Poor Greg - the pressure he must have felt. ;)

We went to the Village for a Mother's Day Bruch at HT Grill (this great little restaurant/shopping area close by the house). We had a great time and discovered that Carson really likes french toast!

Overall, we had a great day of just hanging out as a family! And, to top it off, Carson fell asleep on my chest after his bedtime bottle. Pure Heaven....it honestly does not get any better than that. That was the best Mother's Day gift he could have given me.

I've only been a mom for a year now but...wow! I don't think I can even find words to explain what an amazing feeling it is. As we were walking to breakfast this morning, I had such a feeling of pride. I am a mom. A proud mom. This is my amazing husband and our amazing child. It meant so much to me to hear someone tell me Happy Mother's Day - the waitress, the people at the table next to us or a stranger on the street. It was crazy what a great feeling, and again, sense of pride it was to hear those words.

And to my mom - Happy Mother's Day to you. I can't imagine what it's like to see your child grown and having children of their own. But, do know that you are loved and I look up to you, listen to your advice and appreciate that you support me in whatever I do. I hope that I can do the same for my children.

I told Greg I wanted flowers planted in our empty pots in the backyard for Mother's Day. Here's a pic of what they picked out - gorgeous!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms out there!

Happy Birthday Carson!

One year ago today, my sweet little Carson came into the world. He had impeccable timing too! Friday was my last day of work before maternity leave (I was working from home) and I had my first contraction at 11:45pm that night. At 1:11pm on Saturday, May 8th, our little guy joined us!

Nobody could prepare us for what was to come - the good times and the bad times. I will say, the hardest part was the major lack of sleep in the beginning, but he caught on quickly and sleeps like a champ now! Greg can testify that no sleep for mommy = crazy mommy!

I love watching Carson grow, explore and learn something new everyday. He is always thinking and making connections. It is truly amazing to see it all come together.

We've been taking a picture of Carson every month and I thought it would be fun to post them on the blog....enjoy!