On Our Way, Home

Registration will be opened on Friday, and I am delighted to praise the Lord publicly over His provision in both large and small details. I like to share with you each year how God really pushes the conference theme into the corners for me, so to speak. Last year with Living & Active, it was the year I got myself back into the gym. I hit forty years old and realized that with my baby turning 5, it was finally reasonable for me to add a gym routine into my life. It has now become habit. But actually such a habit that I finally have experienced my first injury, ha! My trainer told me that after you’ve been in the gym long enough, an injury is ultimately unavoidable as some point. Well, I hit that point yesterday. And what was me being very “living and active” so to speak has now ended up with me being very “stuck at home” as I threw my back out and have been lying on ice for the last 30 hours so far. I have had to clear my schedule and ask for assistance from my parents and my husband to get the kids to some commitments that could not reasonably be missed. But here I am, once again really diving into the year’s conference theme, because I am quite literally at home for the foreseeable future. Hopefully within a couple of days I can return to being simply home-centric rather than home-bound. 😉 But you see my point. I always enjoy seeing how the Lord makes me experience the conference theme in new ways, both building up to the event and afterward (which is my favorite part, because then I have all of the wonderful speakers’ sessions to chew on, revisit, and ponder).

So that’s the comic relief for you for the moment.

In other news, being relegated to my bed and the couch this week is giving me ample opportunity to get busy work done for the conference. All sorts of swag has been designed and ordered, menus finalized, invoices processed, and the website updated. Registration is ready to go with just a toggle of a button! And I can not wait to see what you all think of the mugs, and magnets, and shirts (oh my!) this year. I loved designing this year’s graphic (I usually do, so it’s not that surprising), and then hired someone at Amphibian Co to tighten it up for me and make it look exactly right. I had asked each of the speakers for a couple of items that really connected with the word “home” for them, and tried to incorporate each one into the design. Although Mystie suggested a smiley face and I couldn’t quite pull that off. Ha! Books, plants, a table, an actual home entryway… and then creating the word HOME out of homey items… and it all wraps together very nicely. So I hope you love seeing various iterations of that graphic on shirts, stickers, magnets, and a travel mug. The travel mug might be my personal favorite offering this year… but I only purchased a limited number, since I have to get them made before orders ever happen. So I hope you order yours early because they won’t last long 🙂

I have also been able to gather some really fun giveaway items, which I am super excited to share with you all. Books of various types, stickers and artwork, a handmade apron, hand poured candles… and I have some Thanksgiving and Advent themed things in the works as well, because the timing is just too on point not to pursue that avenue.

In addition to the companies I have contacted regarding giveaways, I have also been curating the vendor hall. Since space is limited, we are trying to focus our vendor invitations on products we’ve heard you love and companies with mission statements we are proud to get behind. If you have any companies you really want to see in the vendor hall, just send me a message and let me know. I am getting ready to send out another round of invitations, but already have sixteen confirmed vendors so only have space for a few more. Giveaways, on the other hand, I’ve got about 25 so far and would be completely happy to double that number if there were enough generous donors to accommodate that. Feel free to send your ideas my way! Or if you have a product or book you want to donate for a giveaway, send me a line.

My heart is so encouraged by the Christian folks and their small businesses I’ve been able to work alongside in all of this. Erin for all the yummy coffee, Josiah for his GF cookies, Anne for the luncheon, Susie with the screen printing, Beatrice on the logo, and lots of encouraging emails sent back and forth for gifts and vendors. What a treasure to know so many people who are working for the glory of Christ and the blessing of His people.

Stay tuned for more updates as time goes on. From my home to yours, I wish you a beautiful close to summertime and a blessed beginning to a new school year. See you on Friday for Home registration!