Rhea Lana's Blog

Leah Wants Bekah to Stay Home!

2008-08-20T20:13:00.000-07:00

The Riner girls are here with Mimi. We are busy packing all of Bekah's stuff so that we can head to Tulsa to get her moved into the college dorm at the University of Tulsa. She is moving in 2 weeks early so that she can begin preseason with the Golden Hurricane Women's Soccer Team.
Leah REALLY doesn't want Bekah to move. They are 4 years apart, but best friends. I am so blessed to have two girls who truly love each other and would rather hang out with each other, than anyone else. But it's time for Bekah to spread her wings. I really don't think Leah will be able to hold back the car.....
Well, I guess Leah has resorted to a new tactic..... By the way, the beautiful new vehicle Bekah is driving is her gift for earning her full tuition, room and board to college for 4 years. Pretty sweet!
Bekah and Mimi..... Mimi is our family's greatest cheerleader, encourager, decorator and spiritual rock. She always looks like a million dollars, too! I can only hope to have a small portion of her beauty when I am 66 years old. Bekah is her oldest grandchild so she just had to come be a part of the big send off! We were all in tears by the end of the afternoon when it was time to pull out. But they were good tears. One chapter in our lives is closing, another is beginning....

Lady Cat Soccer Senior Night

2008-08-10T21:33:00.000-07:00

This was a very special night in May. It was senior night for the Conway Lady Cat Soccer team. Each graduating senior is announced, along with her accomplishments and her college plans. We were playing Mount St. Mary's that night. After the game, Bekah got to take a party pic with 3 of her best soccer buddies whom she has played club soccer with since she was very young. Julie, Katy and Annie are all going to play college soccer like Bekah. This was the night when Bekah began to dream about playing college soccer at the University of Tulsa. We owe the Hardins a huge thank you for sending Bekah's letter of recommendation to Coach Cussins and helping her to believe in herself!

This was also the night that Bekah broke the school record for assists. She is now the all time leader in career assists in the history of Lady Cat Soccer. She and Jenny Higgs connected one last time on a corner kick to score! What wonderful high school memories....

Catching Up!

2008-08-09T13:53:00.000-07:00

After stepping out of the blogging world for several months, I am finally back. So much has happened, the most important is that we just took our oldest daughter to college. This picture captures the moments before Rebekah went to her final prom. She is pictured here with younger brother, Ben. He was such a good sport! He was dead asleep when Bekah ran into his room begging to come take a picture - since it was her final prom! I'm so proud of both of them. Bekah went to prom with her boyfriend, Nathan, and they had a wonderful time with lots of good friends. We began the evening with a huge picture taking session and then the kids went to dinner in Little Rock. Then it was back into town for the dance and then several late night get togethers where the kids just hung out, ate breakfast and played games.

Rebekah has a special relationship with her dad. Recently, when filling out a college application, one of the questions was, "Who is the one person that you respect the most in your life?" Her answer was easily, her dad.

Rhea Lana's and Chick Fil A

2008-03-19T07:52:00.000-07:00

We're finishing up our last children's consignment event of the season. It was in Conway, Arkansas. It's been a fabulous event! One of my favorite moments was on opening day when we had a visit from the Chick Fil A Cow. The kids love him and we all love Chick Fil A! They are one of our corporate sponsors and we are honored to be partnering with them.

Our Conway Children's Consignment Event has become a regional event with consignors and shoppers coming from all over Arkanasas and surrounding states. We have hundreds of consignors and thousands of shoppers. Thankfully, several local television and radio stations cover our event since we are a service to so many families. One of my favorite aspects of our company is that we are able to give back to the community in so many ways, from donating clothing to needy families, to raising money for our local school district.

As we wrap up our Spring Events, I am anxiously looking forward to the rest of the year. In the fall of 2008 we will be opening several new Rhea Lana's Franchises. I love helping young women in business and this will be a great opportunity to share this wonderful business opportunity to women around the country.

Recent Little Rock Event

2008-03-05T10:09:00.000-08:00

We've just had the most amazing Children's Consignment Event in North Little Rock, Arkansas! This is my Security Team - aren't they awesome? Barbi is the boss, but these guys are incredible. There aren't many dads who would give up their time to help so many women in need. They do it all, from providing door security, to loading furniture and large toys, to also providing some comic relief at times. I really appreciate this team and they are vital to the success of our events.

Valentine's Day Gift from My Son

2008-02-14T15:28:00.000-08:00

My son, Ben, is 16 years old. I'm so proud of the young man he is and the man he is becoming. Today, Valentines Day, he came into the kitchen before school and gave me a box of chocolates. I love chocolates! The thing that made it the most special is that he had picked out the gift and bought it himself the day before.

He's really had a rough time lately with a horrible stomach virus. One night last week, he threw up for 7 straight hours and we finally ended up in the emergency room. A week later, he is beginning to feel a bit better. He plays for the high school soccer team and he was finally able to go back to practice. His other love is football. Last fall, as a sophomore, he was the starting kicker. He made 11 out of 12 extra points and 3 out 4 field goals. Awesome! He hopes to play on the field as a safety or receiver next year, too. He absolutely loves hitting and being hit - I definitely don't understand it. But I do understand that it's part of being a teenaged boy.

Ben is also working hard to learn to play the guitar. He is taking lessons from Brad, the community K-Life Leader. We love Brad and appreciate his influence in Ben's life. Since he was a little boy, Ben has been emotional and passionate about everything he does. He is the most tender hearted of anyone in our family. My prayer for Ben is that he will continue to grow into a tender hearted, yet strong leader who is committed to the Lord.

Valentine's Day is a wonderful day to appreciate those in our lives who are special!

Our Baby is Growing Up

2008-01-30T12:31:00.000-08:00

This weekend was a gentle reminder that our oldest baby is growing up. Rebekah is a senior this year. She is a member of a high school sorority called DBS. As an officer in the sorority, she was in charge of planning the annual Winter Formal held at Chenal Country Club in Little Rock. It was such a lovely evening with several hundred in attendance Bekah and her dad are definitely cut out of the same mold!

The theme was based on Phantom of the Opera. Each of the 80 girls were introduced on stage along with their date as they walked along the red carpet. Bekah's date is Nathan Farris, a wonderful young man.

I haven't been too emotional about my baby growing up, because it seems that she is ready to move on to this next stage of life and a bit more independence. But as I watched her dance with her daddy during the Father/Daughter dance to the song, "Butterfly Kisses", I did indeed shed some tears. I know that she is ready to spread her wings, but I am still not quite ready......

I Love Our Team!

2008-01-04T15:25:00.000-08:00

I am honored to work with the most incredible bunch of women! I pinch myself sometimes at just how blessed I am to be surrounded by gals who love me and love our company. They are hard working and loyal, and they never let me give in to mediocrity, when things need to keep improving. Many of these gals have been with me for a number of years and have seen our events grow and grow. As our events have grown, their job responsibilities have also increased! Before each of our events, we take a moment, catch our breath (and a yummy meal), and we share some fun "Rhea Lana Moments and Memories". Believe me, we've shared some crazy times! This is one of my most favorite times of the year, and I can't wait to keep making memories together.....

January is the time of year when I am working like crazy to get our Spring Events organized and the foundations laid regarding locations, dates, sponsors and more. Our Little Rock event has been forced to find a new location after University Mall was officially closed. Our sale has grown so large that our options are very limited. We want our event to be a place where moms feel safe bringing their kids and where they will find a very pleasant shopping experience. So, when I was able to secure the M.M.Cohn store at McCain Mall in North Little Rock, I was thrilled! I regret that some moms may have to drive a little further, but overall, it is an outstanding, safe facility with plenty of well-lit parking. Admission and Parking will continue to be free, as always! Our Little Rock Spring event dates are Wednesday, Feb. 27 - Saturday, March 1. We anticipate over 900 consignors and 85,000 items. I hope you will come and bring your family and friends!

Trip To India

2007-12-31T18:21:00.000-08:00

Dave and I had the most amazing trip to India! One day we visited the Taj Mahal which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. An Indian emperor had it built as a moseleum for his favorite wife after her death.

Walking to our car outside of the Taj Mahal we saw a very normal site in India.....cows. Cows are everywhere.... in the airport parking lot, in neighborhoods, in the middle of streets with cars either stopping for them or waiting while the cow crosses the street. Cows are sacred in India and it is against the law to kill them. Along with cows, you'll also find dogs and monkeys walking the streets of India. It's quite an interesting sight!

The above 2 pictures are some of my favorite! Can you believe that I let a monkey sit on my shoulder? Well, he was supposed to sit nicely and pose for a cute picture, but it didn't exactly work out that way. Dave kept wanting me to get closer to the snake climbing out of the basket as the snake charmer blew his horn, but I felt plenty close to the snakes!

In the above picture, we had the opportunity to visit a Sikh Temple. Our friend, Arjun, is a college student working on his MBA. He graciously allowed us to accompany him as he worshipped. Notice that we had to cover our heads and although you can't see, we also had to take off our shoes.

Here I am riding in a bicycled rickshaw down the streets of Delhi with 2 of my friends who live there. When you travel the streets of India, you are likely to see a BMW or Mercedes on one side of the street, and on the other side you are likely to see a camel, cow, elephant of some other sort of animal that in America, you would normally see in a zoo!

Family Times

2007-12-12T19:25:00.000-08:00

As I prepare to leave for our trip to India, I am reminded of just how special times with family are! Several weeks ago we all gathered at my parents home in Heber Springs, Arkansas for some great times overlooking the Little Red River.

One of my favorite pictures is the one above with Ben and my nephew, Justus! Ben is trying to catch a nap while entertaining Justus by letting him play with one of his most prized possessions, his cell phone.

Uncle Dave is always a favorite with the little ones! Audra and Sheridan love hanging out with Uncle Dave, also known as "Uncle Milk". (yes, there's an inside story there). It's fun watching all of the kids grow up. My kids are the oldest kids in the bunch, and I am so glad to not have babies anymore!

Today I received an email from my friend, Stephanie, whom I'm going to visit in India. We leave in less than 36 hours and I have so much to do! Stephanie wanted to make sure that I was preparing myself for the culture shock of beggars in the airport who might touch my arm, people staring at me because of my skin color, absolutely crazy traffic and more. Dave says we'll see cows and monkeys in the streets. I hope to visit the Taj Mahal. I've been so busy with my job, Christmas preparations and family, that I've hardly had time to think about India. So, Steph's email came at the right time. I hate to admit this, but my biggest concern has been whether my "Chi" (straight iron for hair) will work!! I'm sure you understand. Another friend who lives there emailed me this morning and told me she has one waiting for me. Yea!

Tomorrow will be such a full day with trying to get packed for the trip. We will be travelling for about 21 hours, so I need to find some good books to read. There is a nice young couple coming to stay with the kids, so I'll also be working on getting things prepared for them. My mom will be coming the last few days. Today we've also been working on insurance and a will. It is a bit sobering.....

I'm sure it will be a great adventure! I haven't been outside of the U.S. since I was a teenager when my father, who was a colonel in the US Army, was stationed in Germany. I appreciate your prayers for my family over these next 2 weeks.

My First Post

2007-11-30T07:52:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to finally be in the blogging world! I hope that this will be a way to continue to connect my family, friends and customers. I look forward to sharing my heart and also hope to hear from many friends around the world.

Besides my faith, my family is the most important priority in my life. My husband, Dave, and I have been married for 21 years and we have 3 incredible kids. Bekah is our oldest. She is 18 and graduating from high school this year. She's very smart and has worked hard on her academics. As a result, she has several wonderful college opportunities. She's also an outstanding soccer player and has earned All Conference Honors the past 3 years on the high school team. Our son, Ben, is 16. He plays receiver and kicker for the high school football team and is a defender on the high school soccer team. He loves life and loves hanging out with his friends. He's also learning to play the guitar. Our baby is Leah and she is 14. She enjoys her friends, and playing soccer, basketball and volleyball. She was recently voted "Most Athletic Girl" by her friends at school and it thrilled her. She is a strong leader with a compassionate heart. I admit that I am a proud wife and mom and I am so thankful for my family!

I own a business called Rhea Lana, Inc. It began 10 years ago in my living room. I had a desire for moms to be able to buy excellent quality children's clothing at affordable prices. I'm so thankful for the dream God placed in my heart many years ago and for how he has blessed my feeble attempts at building a business. We now have children's consignment sales in 3 different cities in Arkansas, 40 software customers around the country, and we are in the process of franchising our company. I can't wait to help moms across the country become owners of children's consignment events! It is the most fulfilling, flexible job with tremendous financial potential. I love holding children's consignment events because they bless so many families.

Finally, I am most excited about my upcoming trip. I am going to India with Dave! I will be visiting my good friend, Stephanie, who used to work for me. I can't wait to see new people, make new friends and see the beautiful sites of India, while learning more about the Indian culture.

During this busy holiday season, my hope and prayer for my family and your's is that we will not give in to the demands and stresses of the season. As women, wives, and moms, we juggle many responsibilities and we expect ourselves to do all of them excellently. May we focus on Christ and on blessing others. In return, we will truly experience the joy of this special season.