Some Saturday Fun!

My girlfriend, Nichole, nominated me for the Over the Top award. She's such a sweetheart. I love her vibrant personality and the wicked sparkle in her eyes. She makes me smile and laugh - and I'm always so excited to see her every year at the LDStorymakers conference. I'm grateful she's part of my life and a great friend.

So, part of the award is to answer the following questions. This is a little Danyelle Q&A for ya.

1. Where is your cell phone? Sitting on my desk beside my elbow as I type.

2. Your hair? Dark Golden Brown - or at least that's what my L'Oreal box says.


3. My mother? Absolutely adored her. She's one of my role models of how to live life and be an incredible mom. She passed away when I was 19.


4. Your father? Works for the railroad. Nope, I'm not kidding, and no, he doesn't ride in the caboose. He's the head of an engine for his company.


5. Favorite food? Chocolate, mexican, thai, chinese, italian, and sonic drinks.


6. Your dream last night? My daughter fell out of bed last night & woke me up from an awesome dream . . . unfortunately, I can't remember it.

7. Favorite drink? Sonic Cherry Vanilla Coke or a Lemon-Berry Slush.


8. Your dream/goal? To be loved and remembered.


9. What room are you in? My office/kitchen.


10. Your hobby? Besides writing? Reading, singing in the kitchen, dancing with my kids, monthly craft club with the girls . . . there's more, but I'll stop there.


11. Your fear? Something happening to my hubby or kids.


12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Debt-free and enjoying life with my family. Having a few more books out would be nice too.


13. Where were you last night? Home with my awesome family.


14. Something you aren't. A good housekeeper. My poor hubby is a neat freak and I'm a sloppy person. We've both had to make adjustments to meet in the middle. Now we're both just slightly messy.


15. Muffins? Yum! I love chocolate chocolate chip!


16. Wish list item? A week long vacation with my main squeeze - and I'm not talking orange juice.


17. Where did you grow up? Pennsylvania.


18. Last thing you did? Read an email from my publisher.


19. What are you wearing? Jeans, a Bambi shirt, and socks.

20. Your TV? It's downstairs and the kids are watching PBS.


21. Your pet? None, currently. My hubby is allergic. When he proposed, I had to choose between him and my dog. Guess who won? (The dog went to live with my sister)


22. Your friends? I have lots of awesome friends spread throughout the world. What an incredible blessing they are.


23. Your life? Is like a roller-coaster - but who's isn't? It makes everything interesting, and definitely much better.


24. Your mood? Rushed and anxious - getting ready to go out of town.

25. Missing someone? Always.


26. Vehicle? 2000-something Town & Country.

27. Something you're not wearing? Shoes


28. Your favorite store? There are definitely WAY too many to choose from. Depends on where the best sales are. I love NY&Company, Old Navy, Gap, and Christopher & Banks.

29. Your favorite color? Pink, brown, green, blue . . .


30. When was the last time you laughed? This morning.

31. Last time you cried? Last night.


32. Your best friend? My husband. No contest.


33. One place that I go over and over? School, the grocery store, and Costco.


34. One person who e-mails me regularly? I have to echo Nichole here - my writers groups (Super Edits, Authors Incognito, & Olathe Writers Group).

35. Favorite place to eat? Anywhere, as long as the food is delish & I'm sharing dessert with my hubby. :)


Now I get to nominate five people for this award. Nichole actually told why she nominated each person, but I'm already on the weepy side so I'm just going to tell you each of the people I nominate are very special to me. They have each been there during very important times in my life, supporting me, laughing with me, and yes, sometimes letting me soak their shirts while I cried. I thank Heavenly Father that they are my friend each and every day.

1. Heather Justesen

2. Laura Marion

3. Amy Marble

4. Robin Thomas

5. Tristi Pinkston

A Little Trip

Today, I'm on my way to Utah. I'm flying out to attend my friend, Heather Justesen's book launch. (More info here!) While I'm there, I'll even get to meet with my publisher! Wohoo!

While I'm out of town, you may want to check out the new information posted for the upcoming LDStorymakers Conference (April 2010). They have some MAJOR authors coming to teach classes - Brandon Sanderson, Jessica Day George, David Wolverton (aka David Farland), Rick Walton, James Dashner, and more!!! This is the BEST writers conference I have ever attended and it most definitely worth putting on your calendar. Be sure to sign up as soon as registration opens. This awesome conference fills up FAST!

Have a fabulous weekend & I'll update you on my trip when I get back!

Book Review: The Ball's in Her Court by Heather Justesen

The Ball's in Her Court by Heather Justesen

From the back of the book:

She's got a great job, a loving group of family and friends and basketball skills like you wouldn't believe, but Denise DeWalt's life is far from perfect, and she's about to come face-to-face with a past she hoped to leave behind forever.

Twenty-six-year-old Denise thinks she's come to terms with her childhood in the foster care system, but when her old nightmares return, Denise realizes that she must deal with her past once and for all if she ever wants to move on to a brighter future with Rich, the only man who can see past her former life. As Denise's search leads her closer and closer to the one person she hoped she'd never have to face again, she begins to realize that her future depends on just one person--herself.

This emotional and inspirational love story proves that life is full of unexpected twists and turns--especially when it comes to facing your demons, fighting for love, and finding happiness for the future.


I had the opportunity to read The Ball's in Her Court when it was still in it's infancy (manuscript editing mode). Even in the early stages, Denise's story was so vibrant and real that I was caught up and had to go back to re-read the manuscript to put in my editing suggestions. As the story evolved and underwent multiple rounds of editing and re-writing, it became even more real, emotional, and gripping. Heather Justesen's personal experiences with the foster care system and adoption truly shine through and make this an incredible book you won't be able to put down. I am so excited to see it finally ready to hit the book stores, and to have a copy on my bookshelf. I know it won't be long before I have the spine well-worn from reading The Ball's in Her Court over and over again.

You can read the first chapter of The Ball's in Her Court here.

You can purchase an autographed copy here.

Or come to one of Heather Justesen's book signings and meet the author!

Saturday, October 24th
Fillmore Public Library
Fillmore, UT
10 am - 1 pm
(I'm flying in from Kansas to attend this signing!)

Saturday, November 7th
Barnes & Noble Book Store
South Town Center
Sandy, UT
2-4 pm

Saturday, November 14th
Girls Day Out Boutique
West Valley, UT
9 am - 5 pm

Friday, November 20th
Confetti Books & Antiques
Spanish Fork, UT

Saturday, December 5th
Barnes & Noble Book Store
Orem, UT
2-4 pm

Cub Scout with Autism Saves His Teacher's Life

On Thursday, October 15th, ABC news ran this awesome story about a ten-year-old boy who learned the Heimlich maneuver in Cub Scouts. Through practice with his dad at home, this boy was able to quickly react and save his art teacher's life when she began choking in class. Get out your tissues!

Mormon Times Article

Oh my gosh! I'm in shock!!! I've been spotlighted by Mormon Times (Deseret News) on the announcement of my book! Holy guacamole!!!! Here's the link:

http://www.mormontimes.com/mormon_voices/today_bloggernacle/?id=11203&preview=1

It's their "Today in the Bloggernacle" daily column & I'm the first one spotlighted for Thursday, October 15th, with the Great News title. I'm still wowed and have so much adrenaline, I want to go run around the block about a hundred times!

Book Tour: Am I Not a Man? The Dred Scott Story by Mark L. Shurtleff

From the back of the book:

An illiterate slave, Dred Scott trusted in an all-white, slave-owning jury to declare him free. But after briefly experiencing the glory of freedom and manhood, a new state Supreme Court ordered the cold steel of the shackles to be closed again around his wrists and ankles. Falling to his knees, Dred cried, "Ain't I a man?" Dred answered his own question by rising and taking his fight to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Dred ultimately lost his epic battle when the Chief Justice declared that a black man was so inferior that he had "no rights a white man was bound to respect."

Dred died not knowing that his undying courage led directly to the election of President Abraham Lincoln and the emancipation proclamation.

Dred Scott's inspiring and compelling true story of adventure, courage, love, hatred, and friendship parallels the history of this nation from the long night of slavery to the narrow crack in the door that would ultimately lead to freedom and equality for all men.

Am I Not a Man? is a fantastic book that brings the early history of our nation to life. Mark L. Shurtleff did an incredible job not only creating believable Dred Scott, his family, friends, and foes - but made them so vibrant and real, I often felt like I was right there, experiencing the same trials and triumphs right along with Dred and his family. Early in the book, Dred is cherishing his freedom and reflecting on what an incredible thing it was for a former slave to be set free. But soon, he is faced with a judge who over-turned the jury's ruling and orders Dred and his family to be returned to their former owners. Despair washed over me as Dred realized the consequences this new ruling would bring upon his family.

Shurtleff hops back and forth in time to fully show the life of a slave and the long journey Dred endured as he sought freedom for his family, his daughters, and yes, even himself. This is a heart-wrenching and inspiring story. I think it should be on every high school and college required reading list. I know I would much preferred reading this book during my college government and law classes. I would have certainly connected more with the history of some of our laws and rights by reading more books like Am I Not a Man?

To read the first two chapters of Am I Not a Man? The Dred Scott Story, click here.

To order a copy on Amazon, click here.

To read a review of Am I Not a Man by Nichole Giles, click here.

To read a review of Am I Not a Man by Heather Justesen, click here.

*FTC Disclaimer: The publisher provided me with a free soft-bound, unedited advanced reader edition for this review.

Signed, Sealed, and Delivered

I've been holding this news in for two weeks and it's been killing me! I've almost burst several times wanting to tell everyone . . . well, now I finally can!

Two weeks ago, Valor Publishing offered Lynn Parson & I a contract for Teaching Special Spirits!!! Yes, that means it's finally going to see the light of day (or at least the fluorescent lighting of a book store!).

I emailed our revised submission to Valor on September 28th at 10:41 am. That evening at 5:42 pm, I received an incredible phone call from Tristi Pinkston (Valor's Acquisitions Editor) offering us a contract! Seven hours after the submission!

The moment: My friend Kelly and I had just walked out of Hobby Lobby craft store and were crossing the parking lot when my cell phone started to ring. I looked at the display and saw Tristi Pinkston's name. My first thought was, Hmm . . . Tristi doesn't normally call me. I wonder???

So I answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, Danyelle," Tristi said.

"Hey Tristi," I replied back. Then I cut right to the chase. "So, what's up? You don't usually call me on my cell."

"Well, I was just wondering if you were busy in June - you know, for some book signings and things."

"Really? Are you serious? Really?" Then I couldn't speak. I started sobbing like a baby. Right in the middle of the Hobby Lobby parking lot. Kelly caught onto what was happening really quick, and pulled me into a hug. I still don't know if her poor coat has dried off from all those tears. When I could talk again, Kelly led me around to her car and shoved me into the passenger seat, while I continued plying Tristi with question after question about what happens next.

It was truly an incredible moment. One of those Wow experiences you never forget.


Lynn's Call: Next, Tristi called my co-author Lynn, who was at a protest rally in front of her city hall. I'm absolutely totally serious people. She was holding signs and everything. Her phone started to ring and she saw a Utah area code. She knew it wasn't my cell phone. But she does have kids who go to BYU, so she answered. And was absolutely floored to hear Tristi on the other end of the line, introducing herself and telling Lynn how much she looked forward to working with her on Teaching Special Spirits. Of course, Tristi was also wondering about all the noise in the background. Lynn explained she was at a protest rally, but not to worry because they were out there protesting a group who wanted their city hall to stop having prayer before their meetings. They both laughed and soon ended the call. When Lynn hung up, she started jumping up and down, telling her hubby and friends about her new contract. Another incredible moment, this time etched in Lynn's life.

Within a few hours, BJ Rowley had our contracts in our inboxes. Lynn and I spent an hour on the phone, reading through it, laughing (ok - giggling like teenagers getting ready for their first prom), and ready to celebrate.

I signed the first set of contracts, mailed them to Lynn . . . who signed the contracts and mailed them to Valor . . . who signed the contracts and they are now back in the mail to us. Yippee! Life is happy, wonderful, and exciting! Teaching Special Spirits will be out on June 15th, 2010.

And two weeks later, I still get all teary-eyed and just think, "Wow. This is so unreal."

But it is real. That's the really incredible part.

Come check out my author website. www.DanyelleFerguson.com

Jared Coones 5K Pumpkin Run 2009

This past Saturday, our family participated in the Jared Coones Pumpkin Run. Jared was a boy who attended our elementary school who passed away from leukemia. Later, his mother, Jayne, died from breast cancer. Jared's family and friends put together this run/walk to honor both Jared & Jayne's lives, as well as to raise money to help other families who are dealing with cancer. This year, there were over 3,200 race participants! The biggest turn out so far in it's 11 year history.

The Black Bob Blazers
(Rob is on the far left bottom row,
MJ is four in from the left on the bottom row,
Isaac is in the center of the second row with the camo hat,
John and I are the two on the right end on the last row)

Our family has been preparing for the Jared Coones Run since August. First, we became members of the Black Bob Blazers - our elementary school running club. John and I were parent assistant coaches. It was such a blast! I'm so not a runner. In fact, I'm of the opinion that exercise is a necessary evil and only participate if it's with a friend and there's at least a modicum of fun. Well, let me tell you, running with about thirty Kindergarten through 3rd graders, it's TOTALLY fun! I had the honor of being the caboose during practices. I had my two year old in a stroller and ran behind all the other kids. If some of the kids needed to walk, then I *gratefully* walked with them. =)

Aside from the running club, our family also participates with the Black Bob Presidential Service Committee. The week of the run, we volunteered our time to help get the packets ready for the runners. One day, we put the safety pins in groups of four. We dumped a bunch of pins in the middle of the table, then our five-year-old counted them into groups of four and the rest of us pinned them together. Except for our two-year-old who just played and looked cute. Then another day that week, we met with the Jared Coones committee to put the packets together. I was impressed how much we were able to accomplish in such a small period of time. Serving truly makes a difference!

Rob & Anna during warm-ups.

Finally, race day arrived. It was a very chilly 31 degrees, warming up to about 36 degrees by the end of the race. It was most definitely a day I'd rather be sitting inside with a nice hot mug of cocoa, rather than getting up at 6 am to get everyone ready to walk to the school by 7 am. Did I mention the race is held at our elementary school each year? Our neighborhoods were packed with cars from runners who traveled much further distances than the 1/2 mile from our house to the school.

We met up with the rest of the Blazers, stretched, and warmed up (as much as we could in the frosty weather!).

My hubby, me, Isaac, Rob, & Anna
(MJ ran to use the bathroom one last time!)


MJ & Alina before the race

At 8 am, we sang the national anthem, had a prayer, then the runners were off! I ran with a group of run/walkers - which included my five-year-old, my two-year-old in a stroller, and three eight-year-old girls (one of whom was my daughter). We started out running and mostly ran for the first mile. Then we got into hilly territory. We walked the uphills and ran the downhills for the last two miles. Just before we rounded the last corner, I told the kids it was time for the very last stretch of the race and that just around that corner they'd see the balloon arch and finish line. I reminded them to run their best all the way until they crossed through the line. Once we rounded the corner, the three girls took off and ran together the last couple blocks and across the finish line - earning an awesome time of 50 minutes!

My five-year-old and I also started our slow run for the finish line. My little guy was definitely running out of steam though . . . until he saw Dad & Isaac on the sidelines, cheering us on. Then he dug in and burst into an awesome run, all the way through the finish line. I was so proud of him! We finished in 52 minutes! It was a 30 minute improvement for me from last year.

Isaac & his teacher, Mrs. Wittman


The Ferguson Family
After crossing the Finish Line!

My hubby and our ten-year-old, Isaac, ran the race and completed it in 31 minutes (a 16 minute improvement from last year!). I was totally wowed by what an incredible job they did! They ran straight through. Isaac's best mile was the 2nd mile, which he ran in 8 1/2 minutes. He's so awesome! He most certainly gets his running talent from his dad.

Delinda & a sleeping Sienna

Our family cooled off together, then headed out for breakfast with our friends, The Johnson Family. We all chowed down with HUGE breakfasts at Cracker Barrel. I still can't believe I finished the whole, entire Grandpa's Country Fried breakfast. I usually have at least half to take home!

We had such a great time running the 5K together as a family. We've decided to look for more runs we can do together. Although at this point in the season, it will probably be spring before there are more runs. But if anyone knows of other activities that would be fun to do together as a family, I'd love to hear your suggestions!

The Climb

I love the song, The Climb, by Miley Cyrus. In fact, I think it's my favorite out of all her songs.



We each lead such different and unique lives.

Some of us are mothers overwhelmed by raising children with special needs. Some are sleep deprived from walking the floors with colicky babies. Others are single moms desperately trying to balance work and family, while dealing with the stress of trying to put food on the table and paying medical bills.

Or perhaps you're a husband caught between the downfalls of the economic recession, worrying about possibly losing your job . . . or stressing because it's been months with no job leads in sight.

A few of us are writers, putting words on paper and bringing characters to life, but wondering if anyone else will ever have the opportunity to discover and connect with our stories, our message.

Perhaps you're recovering from an addiction--drinking, drugs, gambling, or pornography. The list of addictions today goes on and on. The road to recovery is long, complicated, and filled with many temptations.

Some of us are survivors of abuse still dealing with after-effects of fear, poor self-esteem, and anxiety; trying to pull ourselves out of the nightmare our lives once were and plant ourselves back onto a solid foundation.

Each one of us experiences the refiner's fire. We each have different struggles and trials. But we also have moments of incredible joy, happiness, and gratitude. Life is full of low valleys that humble us as we dig in, scramble, and continue climbing . . . climbing . . . and climbing until we finally reach the glorious mountain peak and find satisfaction and contentment.

And it's not just one climb. Instead life is a series of climbs - sometimes one right after another, and other times it seems like we're acrobats trying to find our way through multiple paths at once.

But here's the key - keep your dream in front of you. Keep moving. When everything seems hopeless, count all the incredible blessings you DO have, then dig in and keep climbing. And you will find that you are stronger than you imagined.

Have faith, my friends. I want to see you all on the mountain peak next to me.

A Bug's Life

My third-grader, MJ, made this absolutely incredible project for her insect studies in science. I love how she blends her creativity and her love for science together. She completely amazes me! I wish I would have taken pictures of her starting from the beginning. This starts towards the end, after she's put the bodies together using PVC and wire hangers, then paper mache-ing them. At this point, she's painting & sealing them, then attaching them to their habitats.

Painting the butterfly

Butterfly & Caterpillar drying

Creating the egg

The finished products:

Isn't she awesome? I'm so proud of her!

Is It Really Thursday?

Wow! I can't believe it's Thursday already. This week has seriously just been flying by!

After weeks of revisions and re-writing, my co-author and I turned in our revised Teaching Special Spirits manuscript Monday morning. Now we're just waiting for the final verdict from our publisher. Keep your fingers crossed everyone! Hopefully very soon I'll have some news to share.

Now that I'm not tied to my desk forcing my bleeding fingers to keep typing away, I've taken a few deep breaths and looked around my house. Three weeks is a long time for Mom to be on hiatus. I'm still reeling from everything needs caught up on! House work never ends . . . but it most certainly gets worse very, very quickly. So that's what I've been doing this week, cleaning, catching up on kids' homework and projects, co-ordinating the family calendar, and putting life back into order. I'm looking forward to catching up on everyone's blogs, too. It seems like forever since I had time to really go out and enjoy all my friends' blogs.

As for my writing, well - I don't get to take too much of a break in that area either. Right now I'm trying to transition my head from non-fiction mode, back to fiction mode so I can continue working on Rebound. I've been reviewing my outline and notes. I'm so very excited to get back to Rachel and Graydon's story. I'm hoping to have it finished and ready to send out for editing in January. Yeah!

That's about it on my end. I sincerely hope you're all doing well and enjoying fall. And if you have a blog, be on the look out for my visit! Happy Thursday everyone!

Book Fair Love

Monday, we went to our school book fair. Each of the kids got to choose one book. Tuesday afternoon, I found Rob & Anna on my bed reading a Wow Wow Wubbzy book to each other. It's so totally cute!!!

Blog Tour: Alma by H.B. Moore

Today, I am reviewing Alma by award-winning author H.B. Moore

From Deseret Book:

King Noah is thundering with rage. The former high priest Alma has vanished from the city of Nephi, and every night more of his believers manage to escape. The king blames Amulon and threatens certain punishment unless Amulon recaptures Alma—a seemingly impossible task. But Amulon has a plan. An equally valuable prisoner is at his fingertips: Noah’s wife, Maia, whose newfound faith means bitter humiliation for the king and an opportunity for Amulon to seize power.

Amulon’s disavowed daughter Raquel has plans of her own. Despite her grief, she is determined to begin a new life in the colony Alma and his followers are building. When Lamanites plunder and burn her settlement, Raquel and her young son are forced to flee to the waters of Mormon.

Drama and danger escalate as Alma the Elder organizes the Lord’s Church and baptizes its members, bringing an outpouring of divine grace and power. But even as they rejoice, the believers have profound and perilous trials to face, from the outward threat of Amulon’s treachery to the inward threat of pride and disobedience. With poignant emotion, gripping suspense, and rich inspiration, this new epic story from H.B. Moore vividly brings the Book of Mormon to life.

After reading the first book in this series - Abinadi (which won a 2008 Whitney Award for Best Historical Fiction AND Best of State for Historical Fiction) - I was anxious for the next book to come out. H. B. Moore brought Abinadi and other Book of Mormon people to life for me. They were no longer flat people in the scriptures, but rather real people with full lives, interacting with others. It's amazing how an incredibly well researched and thought out fiction novel can make the scripture stories so much more meaningful.

Alma was just as incredible as Abinadi. I absolutely loved the visual description of the Waters of Mormon and the baptisms that took place there. Then was heartbroken when such righteous people came under the strict, terrible rule of King Amulon. Moore's description of their faith in Heavenly Father was inspiring. It reminded me that although we go through ups and downs here on Earth - some of the terrible trials - that our faith is was carries us through. And like Alma's people, our faith can allow miracles to occur in our own lives. When I reached the end of Alma, I was once again left wishing the next book was ready for me to pick up and devour.

Abinadi and Alma are both excellent books for youth and adults. In my opinion, they are absolute must-haves your for family bookshelf.

Click here to purchase Abinadi or Alma.

Writing, Writing, Writing

This week is the final stretch for Teaching Special Spirits. My co-author and I are almost completed with our editing and revisions. I have two chapters left to finish this week. The goal: To be completed, compiled, and off to our publisher by Saturday at 12 noon. I'm so excited to see more light at the end of the Revisions Tunnel.

Tomorrow, I'm reviewing Alma by H.B. Moore as part of her blog tour. Be sure to stop by!


Also, if anyone's interested in purchasing an Alphasmart Dana, I have one listed on ebay right now. You can check it out here.

The Winners Are . . .

The winners of Farm Girl & Uncut Diamonds by Karen Jones Gowen are . . .

Amy & Don!

Please send me your snail mail addresses and I'll get your books out to you!

Karen Jones Gowen Book Reviews & Give Aways

Today, I'm reviewing two books by Karen Jones Gowen - Farm Girl & Uncut Diamonds.

Farm Girl is a family history about Lucille Marker Jones (the author's mother) who lived in Nebraska during the 1920's. If you're a history or biography buff, you would truly enjoy this book. From Amazon.com:

Farm Girl, the heart-warming journey of a girl coming of age on a 1920's Nebraska farm, is an authentic account of that era. It is a story told with warmth, gentle humor and amazing detail. Many cherished remembrances helped to shape the young girl into an educated, gracious woman--one of the worst dust storms in history when people got lost in their own yards, a beloved cousin who came to a sad end, the father who carried a burning kerosene tank out of the house with his bare hands. Be transported to another time and place as you visit the Marker farm in western Nebraska. Where horses were back-up transportation for cars. Where children were educated in one-room schoolhouses. And when no one ever heard of television. If you like the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder or Willa Cather, you will enjoy Farm Girl. It is set in the locale of Willa Cather's Nebraska novels, and there is even a chapter in the book about the Marker Cather connections. Richly photographed throughout with over 60 authentic photos documenting the people and places of the story. This historical, easy-to-read small book is suitable for use in the classroom from fifth grade up.

Uncut Diamonds is a fictional tale of a couple living in Illinois during the 1970's. From Amazon.com:

Uncut Diamonds by Karen Jones Gowen is a breakthrough LDS novel, with everything you ever wanted in the genre, it's Steel Magnolias with LDS characters.

It is the late Seventies. Gold medallions and disco dancing, bell bottoms and bushy sideburns, Star Wars and Saturday Night Fever are all the rage. Jimmy Carter is President during a frightening recession, with mortgage interest rates at 13% and fuel bills higher than house payments. In the heartland of the nation, a young Mormon couple, Marcie and Shawn McGill, struggle to save their home, family and marriage, during these uncertain times. And they find help in unexpected places...

Follow the lives of Marcie and her two sisters as their lives intertwine. Beautiful Cindy who is single and dating, often the wrong guy. Linda who married rich and lives in Denver with her husband and young daughter. And their parents, the kindly Methodist minister and his cheerful wife, who do what they can to help everyone out.

When I read the book, I really didn't get much of the 70's disco generation feel & definitely not the Steel Magnolias (which I love). What I did find interesting was the economics. It was interesting to read what others did during the economic hardships then. I came away with some good ideas of things to try here at home.

Give Away

I have two sets of Farm Girl & Uncut Diamonds. If you would like to win a set, please leave a comment on this post. I will draw the winner on September 19th.

New Moon Trailer

Wow! My friend, Christine, sent me the link to the MTV version of the New Moon trailer. It looks so completely and totally AWESOME! I can't wait for it to come out!!!

My Son the Pilot

Please note: This post has tons of photographs and several videos. If you don't have time to peruse all the photos, be sure to at least scroll down towards the bottom and watch the videos of my son flying a Piper Cub airplane.

Saturday, Isaac - my 10 year old with autism - had the opportunity to learn how to fly a Piper Cub Airplane thanks to the Challenge Air program.

Here's a little tidbit of trivia for you - I actually grew up in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania where Mr. Piper designed and manufactured the first Piper Cub airplane. We had our own little Piper Cub airport and everything. I grew up seeing Piper Cub planes fly all over and never realized until much later in life what an incredible and historical opportunity that was for me. I also had no idea that my roots would come back and bless my very own son in such an incredible way.

Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day for flying. My hubby and my son traveled together to Kansas City, Missouri and arrived at the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport. (Did I mention I'm also extremely terrified of heights - so I opted to stay home and pray for their safety rather than melt to pieces watching my son take off into the sky!)


When Isaac arrived, he had to check in. First, he met with the fireman, then he was weighed and his information was documented. During check-in, Isaac a reporter from Wall Street Journal approached John & Isaac and asked if he could follow them around for the day and interview them for an article to appear this coming week (I can't believe my son is making the Wall Street Journal before his mom. Isn't he awesome?). During check-in, John also discovered I had requested Isaac to be a passenger rather than actually fly the plane. But that soon got changed and Isaac was listed as a co-pilot.

(Wall Street Journal reporter)

While Isaac waited for Ground School, he got to do some really awesome stuff. There were bounce houses galore for the kids, lots of awesome science experiments, and of course - food, food, food. One of Isaac's favorite parts was the hovercraft.




After enjoying all the fun stuff, Isaac was called in for Ground School where he learned the basics of airplane safety and the techniques of how to fly a Pipe Cub airplane.



Once Isaac graduated from Ground School, he got to learn about a lot of other really awesome stuff - like how to fly a helicopter! The helicopter pilot was awesome, taught Isaac all the buttons to push, how to hold the "steering wheel controller," and even let him try on his headset. Isaac had a great time exploring the helicopter.



Isaac also participated in some flying simulation games. The scary part was Isaac thought it was more fun to crash the planes, like on video games. Yeah. Totally good thing Dad was the one with him, rather than me!


After the flight simulation, Isaac was paired up with his safety guides - Tracie and Sam.

Then . . . the moment arrived. The very first meeting with his pilot!

Funny enough - Isaac kept looking around and saying, "Hey, where's my pilot? I'm supposed to meet him now." Then he figured out Gary was who he was looking for! Gotta love kids!

Gary & Isaac

Once they met and got to know each other, everyone headed outside to get in the plane. Can you tell Isaac was excited? To get into a Piper Cub, you have to climb up onto the wing and through the door. So, tell me - how many seats do you see in that plane? Me - I see three: two in the front and one in the back. That's one darn small plane! Whew!


And now, it's time for some more videos. The first one, is Isaac saying hello and getting the plane going. The second is Isaac going down the runway, and the third is him taking off into the sky. Watch closely, you'll see that the pilot removes his hands from the control wheel and let's Isaac do take off & fly the plane on his own. Very cool stuff!

At first, Isaac as nervous and didn't want to get too high. Once they were leveled out again, he enjoyed looking around and flying. They flew past some Kansas City landmarks, such as . . .

Worlds of Fun

The Royals Stadium and the Chief's Stadium


The Nelson-Atkins Art Museum

The Liberty World War I Memorial

A picture of Isaac super happy and lovin' the flight.


Here's another video where they are getting close to the airport again. If you listen closely, you can hear Gary telling Isaac to look over at the Army helicopter that flew over to say hello to them!

And now, it's time for the landing!




After they landed, Gary showed Isaac how to use the floor pedals to steer the plane.

Isaac was so excited when he figured it out and was steering the plane on the ground all by himself!





Once everyone was back on the ground and out of the plane, Isaac met back up with Tracie and Sam, his safety team. Pilot Gary signed Isaac's Flight certificate and presented him with his own set of pilot wings.


Challenge Air was such an awesome experience for Isaac. He came home and told me all about it - in detail! Then he spent the day making airplanes from various items such as Legos, cardboard tubes, and more, then piloting them around the house and outside. It was such an incredible day! Thank you, Challenge Air!

If you would like to donate to the Challenge Air program, please click on this link. With the economy, they are in need of more donations to continue running the program all over the United States. Even just $5 or $10 helps. Thank you!!!