September 5th - and we're off!!

In less that 2 1/2 weeks we will be flying off to our first world trip destination.   Of course we don't want to tell anyone where that will be - then it would spoil the fun and give away the answers to our contest! 

Following E3 All over the World 

As soon as we leave, we will begin the contest for all interested in guessing our next destination.  The first 2 to guess where we are, will receive their own official E3 traveling t-shirt! 
Wow - who wouldn't want that!! :)


So yup - it is crazy in our home/offices these days. The buzz is fun and all are engaged in pulling everything together.


A few new fun things - our "E3 Connects" programs. As we travel and meet and shot and enlarge, enlighten and expand, we are going to share ALL of that fun info. with school kids in the US.


We have been visiting school kids in Arizona and asking them what they would really like to learn from kids all over the world.  They have come up with some fantastic questions that we now get to pose to the kids we meet and find out all of their fun answers.  Questions relating to food, schools, likes, fears, weather and on and on.  We certainly have some super smart kids out there, and we are excited to share and help school kids all over the world learn more about each other - first hand.  I am SUPER excited about that!!


Last week we had the fun of sharing with the school kids all about what E3 stands for - 
    As we all begin to learn and grow - like a caterpillar - we are confined to our own little worlds. Experiencing important essentials, but still confined to the small areas of our existence.  Soon we get to go to school and begin to learn more unique lessons about life and our circumstances, (like the caterpillar climbing his first flower to munch on its leaves!) but then, like the butterfly if we work hard and are prepared, soon we can take on new perspectives as we expand our wings and fly.  It was super cool to teach those principles to the kids.  

Mikki holding up my butterfly that we got in Costa Rica our very first trip stop!

I guess it always helps our own understanding when we have to dig deep and formulate those concepts so that we can teach others.  But it was such a fun experience to be able to teach kids - how the world is theirs! It is their future and it is up to them to make of it what they will.  Like the butterflies - we all can soar and fly and share our insights.  As we all enlarge, enlighten and expand - we learn what all of the children of the earth have to offer  - really is that not the coolest thing ever!!!


I think so!!

E3 Everyday All Day!

These days (and I am sure for many to come) we eat, breath and sleep E3. The magical question of the day - "If I had known how hard it would be to start a new company, and take that company to its fullest capacity as fast as we can physically, and mentally do, would I do it all over again?"  YES!  
I love that understanding that the most rewarding things in life, come at a cost, or at a great sacrifice.  Denver was telling me last night about a study that had been done on being a genius. That if we were to focus on something for 10,000 hours we would be constituted as a genius in that field. That means working on something for 40 hrs a week for 5 years straight, you would become a genius in that one thing you have been working on. So. . . . with that being said, if I can condense that to working over 80 hours a week on E3, it will only take me 21/2 years to become an expert at it!! Whew!! (the ironic part - I know I will probably never be a "genius" but atlas I will be able to learn some amazing and great things!)
So every morning I put on my "running shoes" and start running. I am really learning to love "running" although at times it is very exhausting, and probably most of the time, more mentally exhausting than physically, very hard, but learning to love it.
One of my most favorite quotes is "Work as if everything depends on you, and pray as if everything depends on the Lord" I guess it would be hard to go to wrong if that is our motto and our standard of living. Even with all the work and prayer, it still doesn't mean that it will be easy! 
Easy to me, means no sacrifice, and hence no reward. Rewards are only rewards when something is difficult and takes stretching outside of our comfort zone.


So here I am, stretching, working, praying and running! 

Logistics, logistics, logistics!

Never a dull moment around here!
We thought we would be on our way traveling half way around the world shooting some more amazing photos of kids for our books! BUT things don't always go like we think they should! Which is really okay and always good in the end.  
Logistics - one of the small details :o) of taking 6 people traveling around the world to meet up with over 200 kids and many many adults, and translators and coordinators! Wish it was as easy as a wiggle of the nose, or a blink of the eyes! oh well -  


Soooo - onward and upward as we work through the details, booking flights, cars, hotels, and people lined up and ready to go. Organizing equipment, camera's, hard drives, computers, forms, lists, and layouts. 
For sure it is all fun and makes it even better when we have to work a little bit harder to go, and remember who's timeframe we are really on!!


Fly away date?? hmmm the million dollar question!? BUT - it will definitely be in the near future, how's that for specifics!


In the mean time:
We have first pages of almost all of our books finished - thanks to amazing Amanda and terrific Tara! The layouts are as cute as ever, and I'm sure everyone will LOVE the books! 


We have blogs up and running, twitters flying through the air waves, instagrams showing off the photographic beauty of kids in Jamaica, Ecuador, Boston, Arizona & Costa Rica, Facebook sharing links and making new friends, Google plus's seeking out new friendships,and the awesome website up, running and being changed by the hour. (thanks to deligentLee)


Life is good here in the e3 offices AND the Porter residence.


Love the commotion everyday! the buzz as the busy E3bee's are making it happen! and the anticipation of what is yet to come!


We have had some super exciting news as we are in communication with one Bob Barboza- www.BobBarboza.com  who is located in the Long Beach, Calif. area. Bob is excited to do some collaboration with E3 as we  continue on our travels and developing some worldwide content for his KidsTalkRadio show, among other things! Great news for E3!!! AND hopefully great things to come for Bob as well. 




On a side note: Catie is dancing and singing to her hearts content at Young Ambassador camp in Utah. Miss her but happy that she is in happy singing/dancing heaven for the week! 

Choosing to be Happy One day at a time!

Getting ready for our next trip in a week has given me cause to remember again the incredible time we had during our first shoot, which took us to Costa Rica, Ecuador, Jamaica and Boston. Great people living great lives! 
Leaving the U.S. is always humbling, and always life changing.  I LOVE meeting new people and seeing new things. Experiencing for a brief moment what their lives entail and although so very different, people are happy no matter the circumstances - If they CHOOSE to be!  Good lessons for all of us.


Happiness is something worth working for.  Praying for.  Living and Looking for.  I CHOOSE who I am and how I will be. AND many times that can be an exceptionally hard task.  AND some days maybe even briefly impossible. . . . BUT add a little faith, and a little gratitude and - yup happiness comes again.


I love being with people who live this principle and are a tremendous example to me! And there are many!!


I was especially impressed with the families in Jamaica.  Happy cute families, living very difficult lives, (at least as we know it), but truly loving life.


This cute picture of the Dennis family - is evidence of who they are inside! You can see it in their eyes and their whole being! I think of them often, and hope to see them again some day!


Thanks Dennis' for making a difference in my life!!


I CHOOSE to be happy!!

Joining the ranks of bloggers!

How does one ever begin - blogging? Living in the world of journal writing my whole life and then making that big change into blogger heaven -  a huge leap! Fun, easier, faster, adding pictures, and all the fun gadgets, why has it taken me so long to even start -   old age, laziness, slow brain, technology block, whatever the reason . . . 
I'm finally here!  If for nothing else maybe someday, my kids or grandkids or great grandkids will be a little interested in cool things that I get to be a part of!


So here I go. 


Life is spectacular to put it bluntly.  A wonderful husband that supports, adds too, makes me look good, compliments, takes me on great adventures, and loves me, that's Mr. Steve! 5 amazing kids, 2 wonderful kid-in-law's, and 2 gorgeous babies due in February (of course they will be gorgeous). Super parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, aunts & uncles, cousins, so many amazing friends and tons of wonderful neighbors.  One would wonder what came about to bring such grandness to one individual life?!  Whatever the reason . . . this one person is eternally grateful. 


Life has been grand in many ways, extremely hard in other ways, trying, adventurous, rewarding and educational.  Now life is at a new point. With all the kids but Catie gone (well almost gone :) and living their lives as productive amazing adults, Steve and I have been able to search and hope and pray and dream and start the next big phase.  It's called E3 Imagine!