OnStage Live 2016 in Salt Lake City

After being away for a year, attending OnStage Live with demonstrators from around the world was a special treat! I loved learning from them as they shared great projects, I was so proud to recognize and celebrate them for their accomplishments, and it did my heart good to hug and visit with them! To all of you who joined us in Salt Lake City, thank you! OnStage Live was an awesome event, and I think you’ll agree there’s nothing like attending in person! I heard all the OnStage Local events were wonderful too…wish we could have all been together!

Disney Family Cruise

We’ve been planning this once-in-a-lifetime trip for years, knowing it would probably be the last time we’re all together as a family before grandchildren go their separate ways (serve church missions, attend college, get married, etc.), and we had such a great time!

The fact that it was spring break meant that the ship was super crowded and the lines to see the Disney characters were long, but that didn’t seem to hinder cousins playing with and hanging out with each other. Watching their interaction was definitely the highlight for Sterling and me!

We had cabins with adjoining balconies, so if you wanted privacy, you had to draw the drapes. Otherwise, your cabin was an open house, so to speak. Each evening we all went to our family’s assigned dining room and rotated from table to table to mix it up and catch up on the day’s activities.

While the all-you-can-eat soft serve ice cream was probably one of the things the kids will remember most, the day at Disney’s island was everyone’s favorite day. The weather was perfect, and we all wished for one more beach day...so relaxing and fun!

After a wonderful week together, which hasn’t happened since Shanna and her family moved away, it was sweet—and sad—to see the cousins say goodbye to Liam and Abbie. It was special to be with one another and to feel the love and support that comes from family, and we’re already looking forward to our next reunion.

Florida Finally

I haven’t written since Monday because we’ve been preoccupied…with Liam and Abigail…and a few other odds and ends!

Instead of a quick trip to Florida when we arrived home a month ago, we opted to come for a longer trip to help Shanna finish moving out of her old house and organize her new home—the perfect size for these three.

Along with several trips to hardware stores, Sterling’s been working on a long list of projects like shelving and hanging light fixtures and pictures. And I’ve spent most of my time cleaning and organizing. We’ve both unpacked boxes and enjoyed being with Shanna and the kids.

We’ve fallen into bed late and exhausted each night, but the essential items are complete, and we can always do more the next trip! Now it’s time for some rest and a little bit of fun…along with a few more cuddles!

Congratulations Linda!

Linda Bauwin recently crossed the 1 Million-Dollar Milestone—a goal she hoped to achieve before Onstage. Not only did she meet her goal, she did it almost a month early. She also wanted to be the first “Linda” to be counted among the Million-Dollar Achievers. We’re so proud of her!

As is usual for this elite group, Sara and I sent a specially designed card to be delivered with a beautiful flower arrangement. Well, somehow her card got wet during delivery. Thankfully this photo was taken before the card was sent, because Linda said the card arrived “very wet but beautiful.” What a kind and understanding soul!

Linda’s had an incredibly difficult year since her husband’s sudden death, so this achievement is especially meaningful for her. Jay has always been Linda’s biggest support, and I’m pretty certain that hasn’t changed one bit! I can only imagine him cheering her across her milestone finish line. Congratulations and hugs Linda!

A Parent's Dream Come True

When Stampin’ Up! was young, I wondered how involved in the company our family would want to be as they got older. I sometimes worried that no one would love Stampin’ Up!—our employees and our demonstrators—as much as me. 

Thankfully everyone has had some involvement at one point or another in their life, and several are currently working for Stampin’ Up! It’s been a blessing to work with family and most recently to work so closely with Sara.

Sterling and I are especially pleased with how she’s stepped up this past year as Interim CEO and have felt for many months that making this transition sooner rather than later was the right thing for us, for Sara, and for the company.

I’m excited to let you know (it was announced yesterday) that Sara is now the official CEO! She is competent, creative, and committed to Stampin’ Up!, and I know she’ll be an incredible leader for many years to come!

I’m most excited about the opportunity to collaborate with Sara as well as have more flexibility in spending time with Sterling doing some of the things on our wish list. I feel like I get to enjoy the best of both worlds! And I’m so grateful to Sara and her family for loving Stampin’ Up! enough to carry on the vision that began 28 years ago—a parent’s dream come true.

Just a note: I'll still be posting on my blog regularly. If you'd like to connect with Sara, you can find her on Facebook and on Instagram, Twitter, and Periscope under the username @asarathing.