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Chris Fabry
Married to Andrea since 1982. We have 9 children together and none apart. Our dog's name is Tebow.
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Where We Are Now

After finding and remediating mold twice in our Colorado home, we abandoned ship in October 2008. Because of the high levels of exposure, our entire family was affected. After months of seeing different specialists for all of the problems, we came to Arizona to begin comprehensive treatment to rid our bodies of the toxic buildup. In August 2009 we moved into a larger home, four bedrooms, south of Tucson, north of Mexico. I am doing my daily radio program/ writing from that location. Thanks for praying for us. We really feel it.

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Friday, May 15, 2009

It’s been 100 degrees here just about every day. One of the reasons we moved to AZ from Colorado a few months ago was so the kids could be outside. Exercise is part of the regimen of detoxing. Our fear was when it hit 100 that the kids would want to stay inside near a fan or the air conditioner (if I had the guts to turn it on and watch the electric bill skyrocket). So it hits 100 the first day and the kids stay inside. And they’re reading and playing and doing things kids do.

I think it was that day that Colin and Kaitlyn came to us with the idea of a lemonade stand. The kids used to do this back in CO in July. They’d go to the bottom of the driveway and bring a jug of lemonade and a few people would stop. There wasn’t much traffic. Here we live by a pretty busy street where the cars are doing at least 45, and sometimes more. I discouraged the idea.

They said, "But we want to meet people in the neighborhood and this is a good way." (They also wanted to start a dog-sitting, babysitting, yard cleaning business for the same reason.) They showed me their business plan, which included plastic cups and lemons and sugar. They decided they were going to go organic. Finally I relented. I couldn't put up with the pressure.

On the first day they made $20. There are nice people around here, I guess. Yesterday I heard two young guys with tattoos and pierced lips stopped. One said, "I haven't seen anyone doing this out here for a long time." He gave them $3 for two cups of lemonade.

I put a little sign up under theirs that said, stock tips, -.25. I was also thinking I could sell signed copies of Dogwood, and if I had any I would have put them out there.

All the while, in the background, the other kids were watching. And one came the next day and said, "If I buy some freeze pops, can I put up a stand next to theirs?"

Another said, "What if I make tea? And if we stick some water bottles in the freezer, we could sell them, too."

A week later a neighbor who lives on a farm allowed her daughter sit with them and sell eggs from the chickens. Organic again.

There has been some consternation about profits and where to put those and who gets what percentage. And with the wisdom of Kevin Leman, I backed off and said, "You guys work that out yourselves."

They did.

So every afternoon, without us telling them they need to GO OUTSIDE, my kids are out at the end of the little driveway with a card table and some folding chairs, and their scooters, and they’re sitting in the 100 degree heat, sunscreen of course, and hats, and they’re laughing and talking and meeting people who drive up and down the road. We are monitoring the situation, of course, but you wouldn’t know by looking at them that they’re sick, and every day it feels like we’re taking another step toward health.

One cup of organic lemonade at a time.

2 comments:

Sandee61 said...

Hi Chris,
I enjoyed your blog about your children and their lemonade stand.
I recently finished your book, "Dogwood" and wanted to tell you that I really loved it. Quite the twist at the end, and thats what makes a good read too me.
Thank you!

Sandra Greathouse

Muzzley56[at]aol[dot]com

Anonymous said...

Hey Chris,
How this brings back wonderful memories for me....a long time ago, in 1984, I was having a yard sale and my three kids, 5-8yrs.old wanted to sell lemonade....of course,I said OK....the mailman came by and wanted a cup of lemonade...he talked of how good it tasted but was stunned when they requested that he give his cup back to them!!!! He didn't stop on the way back up the street for more...hummm...guess he wasn't still thristy....we love talking about that 25 years later....I am praying for Andrea....I can't help but ask God how much more....but I am reminded of what Paul endured and how he proclaimed that God's grace is sufficient....May God cause your hearts to agree with Paul's words....Our Savior was a man of sorrows, aquainted with grief....He most asurredly knows...May the Lord pour out showers of mercy upon each of you...Blessings, Sandy Pettus