Two More Days Until NaNoWriMo Begins!

I am so, so, so, so, so, so, so excited! National Novel Writing Month begins in just TWO MORE DAYS!

In two more days, I'll be glued to my computer either typing until my fingers bleed or beating my head against my desk because my characters have blocked my MoJo flow. And I'll keep doing that every single day of November with the goal that I will end the month with 50,000 words written.

Why?

Cause I'm a writer and apparently a glutton for punishment. Thankfully, I have a whole slew of friends who are going to torture themselves, too. So we can all moan (I mean cheer) each other on.

Go NaNoWriMos!!!!!

Keeping Up with 1st Graders

Today I accompanied my first grader on his very first field trip. We went to a farm/orchard. It was totally fun and quite the work out. We were almost constantly walking for about four hours. My Fitness Pal chart better be liking my exercise today!  =)

Here are a few of our favorite pics:

 We saw lots of gourds of all different colors and sizes.

 We just might use some of these for our yearbook!

 Rob and I both laughed about this sign at the piglets pen!

 Rob's favorite animals we visited - this very loud, opinionated gaggle of geese!

 Me and my favorite first grader!

After we all got on the bus to head back to the school, Rob and I snuggled up. Then I fell asleep until we arrived back at our school - a little over an hour away!  Those first graders really know how to wear a mom out! 

Rome Italy Temple

This is a gorgeous and inspiring video about the Rome, Italy LDS Temple. The groundbreaking for construction was yesterday, October 23rd, 2010.

Donations Needed for Upcoming Autism Auction

The non-profit I co-founded - Friends of Giant Steps - is collecting donations for our annual auction. All of the proceeds support the GIANT Steps Autism Preschool in Orem, UT. Our son (the really handsome kid in the picture over there) attended GIANT Steps, and I can honestly say it's what helped him to progress, come out of his little world, and discover how to learn. The two years he spent attended GIANT Steps became the foundation for the rest of his life.

If anyone would like to donate autographed books, services (editing, massages, etc), or anything else (gift certificates, baby blankets, electronics, etc), please let me know. All donations are tax deductible, as Friends of Giant Steps is a 501c3. You can send your donations before November 15th directly to Crystal Hendrix at the following address:

Crystal Hendrix
467 North 360 East
Orem, Ut 84057


For anyone interested in attending the auction - or posting the information on your blogs - here's the event information:

GIANT Steps Autism Preschool Charity Auction
Friday, November 19th, 2010
6:30-9:00 pm

Wasatch House
605 E. 600 S.
Provo, UT

Thank you!

Caution - Sexy Fat Chick Coming Through!

I had a super funny experience at the gym today. I got hit on by a super buff guy. Now, let me preface this story by telling you I do NOT look like some of these chicks who work out at my gym:

See the toned arms and legs, the flat tummy, the smile? Nope not me at all. Not to mention the fact that she's hardly even sweating (if she is at all!).

No, I look more like this:

Notice the flabby thighs, padded butt, and jiggly arms. Now add a pony tail, a super red splotchy face (thanks to my Black Foot Indian & English descent), mega sweat pouring all over my face, soaking through my XL Jared Coones Run shirt, and yes, stinky, nasty smell (cause I haven't showered since Saturday night) - and you've got me today. Hey, what can I say - I have a very realistic view of my body.  =)

Which brings us back to my story. I've been working out at the gym a lot for my weight loss challenge. There's a super buff guy there, who I see just about every time I'm there. He always smiles and says hi. I always assumed he was one of the personal trainers I didn't know. So, being the polite person I am, I nod or say hello as I pass by too. That's it.

Until today.

About thirty minutes into my running &weight training workout (which was totally kicking my butt - hence the red face and mega sweat), I ran into this guy again while running one of my laps. I had to slow down and walk around some ladies blocking the path & this guy (walking the opposite direction) stops me.

He motions for me to take off my headphones (cause I like to blast Bon Jovi and try to forget the torture I'm putting myself through).

I pulled out the ear buds. "Hi," I said, panting and trying to catch my breath.

"Hi, I'm Steve. What's your name?" Buff Guy said back.

"Danyelle," I reply. Hey, I'm nice like that!

"I see you here a lot, working out and pushing yourself. I just wanted to say I think you're doing a great job. Keep it up," he said.

I smile. "Thanks."

He smiles back, then turns back to head wherever he was going and I put my headphones back on and continue my lap. About ten minutes later, Buff Guy comes up to me again. This time while I'm lifting weights.

"Hey," he said. "I was wondering how often you come in. I thought maybe we could plan some days to work out together."

At this point, I was trying to figure out if that's a business question and he's trying to drum up some more personal training clients or if he's actually asking me a personal question. So, I figured being honest is the best route to go.

"Well, it just depends on my kids schedules."

A surprised look crosses his face. "Oh. You have kids. How many?"

"Four," I reply.

His eyes bug out. "You have four kids?"

"Yes." Just imagine the smile on my face.

"So, I assume you're, uh, married?" Buff Guy asks.

"Yes, my hubby and I have been married for twelve years." I probably looked like a dork, all sweaty with a cheesy grin on my face.

"Oh. Well, uh, have a great work out." And man, he was outta there lickety split!

So, I guess that means he wasn't a personal trainer for the gym, huh? I made sure to stop by the personal trainer board after my work out, and guess what? No Steve's.

I came home, told my hubby about Buff Guy and just couldn't stop laughing! Man, why do these things have t happen when I don't have a friend around to say, "Holy smokes! Did you see that???"

This brings me to a question - Why would a guy try to pick up a nasty-smelling-sweaty-obviously-overweight chick at the gym? Is my allure just that magnetic?  (Yeah, you can peel your laughing behind off the ground now . . . )

I did learn one important lesson today. Apparently it doesn't matter how much we chickies weigh or even how good we smell. If we just keep working hard to be the best chicks we can be, we're always attractive, sexy, beautiful, gorgeous women.

Even if we are red-faced, sweaty, and stinky.

Speed Bumps Ahead

This past month has been full of great big huge speed bumps. It seemed like each time I thought I had cleared one, another came up even bumpier than the last. It's been a tumultuous time. There were many days when I was so exhausted by the stress, I ended up with chunks of time in bed or on the couch with my preschooler trying to recover.

While I really dislike speed bumps, they do bring the important things back into focus. I've re-learned something very important - my family is the most important thing in my life. Sometimes everything else in life has to be put on hold so I can just concentrate on them. I also renewed my testimony of just how comforting reading the scriptures with my children can be. Sometimes when life gets hard, I am tempted to put the scriptures aside and just work my way through my problems. I'm grateful my kids were so insistent that we continue with our routine of reading the scriptures together before school - even if they did have to drag Mom out of bed.  =)

It seems that as of this moment, life is back on track - or at least as on track as it can be. But even though we're functioning smoothly again, I know I'll eventually hit more speed bumps. I'll just keep my fingers crossed that it will be a while before they spring up.  =) 

I Belong



The musical group, Mercy River, at a Time Out for Women event.

An Update & a Book Review: The Stone Traveler by Kathi Oram Peterson

Wow. It's seriously been forever since I've posted on my blog. Not just a video, but a real update. So, here's a brief blurb about what's been happening at the Ferguson house.

My oldest son started Cross Country this week. He absolutely LOVES it! I saw him out running around his school with his team earlier this week and just thought, "Wow! Is that really my kid out there, running and running, and actually liking it?" I mean, this kid has always loved to run - but he most definitely does not get that from his Mama. I tolerate running. It's great cardio and burns a lot of calories, but I'd rather be in a Zumba class burning calories than running on a treadmill (or outside where there are - gasp - hills!!!). But not my son. He can run, run, run, and at the finish line has a huge smile on his face and says, "That was awesome!"

My oldest daughter found out she's going to be a Munchkin in The Wiz for her acting class. She's super excited. And so am I! I was a munchkin in that same play when I was about her age. Only I lived in Pennsylvania and my acting class was during the summer at the Millbrook Playhouse. It's fun to see how excited my daughter is about the play, her lines, and dance. Super cute!

My youngest son is taking swimming lessons - and once again, is an excited kid. He's also my goof ball. He gets so excited and does goofy things to show off. It's hard to describe, but he makes silly faces, does silly dances and is just, well, silly!

My youngest daughter is a not so happy story. She's having the hardest time having the older kids gone at school all day. It almost makes me wish I had signed her up for preschool through the school district so she could go 4 days a week instead of just 2 days a week at the private preschool where she currently attends. It's been a difficult adjustment for her - and for mom. I really don't like all the crying and melt downs as she tries to get more and more attention. I'm hoping that we'll find a good routine that will work for both of us soon.

As for me, I spent a couple of days in bed, not feeling well. There are some advantages to not feeling well. The best one is all the books I got to read! One of which is today's review, The Stone Traveler by Kathi Oram Peterson.

I was first introduced to Kathi's writing when her first book, The Forgotton Warrior, came out - which I totally loved and am STILL waiting for the sequel! (hint, hint - Kathi!) Kathi also has a Christmas themed book called, An Angel on Main Street, which is honestly one of my favorite Christmas books ever. It's a beautiful story. So, you can bet that when I was asked to participate in this blog tour, I responded super fast with a huge YES!!!!!

Here's more about The Stone Traveler:

Sixteen year old Tag can't believe he's in this much trouble. He's not actually a member of the gang known as the Primes, all he did was spray paint some graffiti that caught their attention. In all honesty, ever since his dad and brother left, Tag just wants to be alone. And it's certainly not his fault that the Primes nearly beat up his goofy cousin, Ethan. But his mom is furious about these gang-related activities and insists that Tag send the whole summer at his grandpa's lakeside cabin, which is not Tag's idea of a good time. So he does what any self-respecting teenager would do: run away. But he doesn't get far before he encounters three strange men carrying an even stranger object, a stone that glows with radiant light as bright as a thousand sparklers. Tag doesn't steal the stone, not exactly. He feels like he is supposed to take it. But he doesn't expect the stone to transport him through space and time to a place he's never seen before, a place that looks an awful lot like the ancient lands described in the Book of Mormon. And he definitely doesn't expect to join Sabirah, the entrancing daughter of Samuel the Lamanite, on a quest to rescue her father and brother from the evil King Jacob. And he absolutely doesn't expect to be captured by Jacob's minions and prepared as a sacrifice to the evil idol of the city. But just as Tag faces his death, a terrible storm begins to break, and the ground cracks into jagged pieces. And he's not sure which event will impact his life more: his captor's knife coming at his body, the violent tempest sweeping the land... or the men who later appear, glowing even more brightly than the traveler's stone. 

My Review

There are very few writers outside of the romance/chick lit genres that I just really truly enjoy and can't wait to get my hands on their books. Kathi Oram Peterson's book are one of those few. Kathi has a gift for bringing to life complex, down-to-earth characters that I connect with. She sets up a story in today's world that pulls me in, and then BAM! There's a twist on reality as the character is sent back in time and immediately put in the middle of great conflict. The Stone Traveler was a great read and one I'm excited to share with my oldest daughter who has been digging through my LDS Fiction bookshelves all summer. You can find out more about Kathi's books at her blog or her website. You can also purchase The Stone Traveler at your local bookstore or online at Amazon through the link below.



Now don't run off! Check out Kathi's CONTEST!

Kathi is giving away some awesome weekly prizes during her blog tour . . . as well as one huge prize at the end - a Kindle! So be sure to go check out this post on Kathi's blog and start entering right away! I know I am (I would LOVE a Kindle!)

Finding Hope

Video Madness!

Last night, I was destressing by watching some seriously funny Mormon Spoof videos on You Tube. They all involve singing and some even include fun dancing, too. There were some (okay, several!) that I had to share! If you need a bit of cheering up or just love to laugh, pull up a chair and watch all of the following . . .

Miley Cyrus Mormon Spoof



Spice Girls Spoof - If You Wanna Be An Elder


Notice that the top two videos have the same group of dancers. I love the guy in the pink tie! He can really dance!

Pepsi Commercial Spoof - Book of Mormon Excitement!



And the most surprising of all (at least for me) - I had no idea there were so many spoofs to Hey Delilah! Here are THREE different spoofs to the same song. I just laughed and laughed!

Hey EFY Girl 
(For those who don't know what EFY is - it stands for a summer camp called Especially For Youth)



Hey There Delilah, I'm at the MTC
(MTC stands for Missionary Training Center)



Hey BYU Girl

American Girl Open House & Preschool

American Girl opened a store here in Overland Park over Labor Day weekend. MJ and I were so excited to go with my friend Lisa and her daughter, Ksenya, to the open house. There was face painting, balloon artists, give aways, and all the wonder of wandering around an awesome doll store!

We all got up early and arrived at the store at 8:30 am. They were supposed to open the doors at 9 am. We got in line and an employee came out to give out entrance tickets. That was when we discovered that we were in group 4. Group 0 was already in line and each group had 200 people in it!!! So there were 800 people in line ahead of us. We were allowed to go roam the mall. They had digital screens set up all over to display what group was lining up. We checked out the Disney store and had fun playing with all the dress up clothes, going through the stuffed animals, and talking about our favorite Disney characters. The girls rode the carousel and we munched on free bagels. A little over an hour later, we returned to see about how much longer it would be before it was our turn to line up. We were told it would be around 12:45 pm. Four more hours! So, we decided to ditch our mother/daughter dates and head back home. We'll try again next weekend, when hopefully it won't be as crazy busy. Another note, as we were leaving, they were handing out tickets for group 9. So in a little over an hour, another one thousand people came through to get tickets for the open house. Crazy! We gave our group tickets to a family of four who were in group 9. They were excited to get in earlier!  =)

Now, for some big girl news! My baby is now an official preschooler!!!

Anna has been so so excited about starting preschool this fall. She wasn't very happy when her older siblings all went back to school, but she still had to wait. Well, yesterday was her very first day. She was ready before all the other kids were dressed for school! Then she got mad at me because she didn't get dropped off at school with the other kids and had to wait another 45 minutes before her school started. Oh my! The drama!

Once we finally got to school, she was one super happy chick! She went right in, found her name for her Strawberry Shortcake backpack, hung it up, and went off to play. When pick-up time came two hours later, she skipped out of school with a huge smile on her face! I asked her about her first day - and instead of just telling me about it, she made up a song and sang all about the different things they did. It was totally cute! She kept singing things to me on and off as we ran errands together. It was such a fun day.

And Mom is still in shock that her little girl took a huge step towards becoming a big school girl. The years have been flying by way, way too quickly!

Contest and Book Review: Hometown Girl by Michele Ashman Bell

Last week was filled with long distance phone calls, prayers for my in-laws, temporarily single parenting, and helping some very emotional kids while they also missed their dad. Thank you to everyone for your prayers for my father-in-law. I sincerely appreciate them. He is home and recovering.

Another thank you to Michele Ashman Bell for asking me to be on her blog tour and allowing me to delay my review until life settled down enough to finish reading the book & actually write on my blog, too. Here's some more info about Hometown Girl.


Jocelyn Rogers’s life is in a rut. Maybe she should step outside her comfort zone and move to Milford Falls, where she has inherited her grandmother’s house. With the encouragement of the other Butterfly Girls, Jocelyn musters her courage and starts a new life.

However, when she arrives in the small town that holds both good and bad memories for her, she discovers the house in worse shape than she expected, and getting repairs done is anything but easy — especially when it comes to dealing with Jack Emerson, a man who seems to be agitated by Jocelyn and everyone else within a fifty-mile radius.

To make matters worse, she has begun to worry that moving back to the place where she once spent a troubled summer will expose the deep personal secret she has kept hidden for fourteen years. But Jack also has a hidden secret that has prevented him from getting close to anyone in a long time. And now it seems that interfering neighbors may prevent both Jack and Jocelyn from moving forward with their lives.

Join the Butterfly Girls in this charmingly romantic story that shows sometimes it takes a leap of faith to land on your feet. 


My Review:

Hometown Girl is the second book in The Butterfly Box series. I absolutely loved the first book - A Modest Proposal - and have been anxiously waiting for the next book to come out.  I am a huge Michele Ashman Bell fan. I love how much depth her characters have, their unique stories, and how real to life their choices and emotions are. All of this is once again in Michele's newest book, Hometown Girl.

I really like how Michele continued to show the bond between The Butterfly Box girls - Lauren, Chloe, Emma, Jocelyn, and Andrea. But it was particularly interesting to learn more about Jocelyn. I have to admit, she was the one person I was most curious about when I read A Modest Proposal. I thought we wouldn't get to her story until later in the series, so I was surprised when I found it book 2 was all about her - a happy surprised!

Lauren faces some very difficult memories while she's at her grandmother's house. Watching her face those memories and finally coming to a point where she could find forgiveness, feel whole again through the atonement and Heavenly Father's love was just incredible. There are a few quirky, funny moments (it just wouldn't be a Michele book without them!). And of course, the added romantic element between Jocelyn and Jack satisfied my romance-loving heart. Overall, I really enjoyed Hometown Girl. If you're an LDS drama/romance fiction lover - or just love good clean books - you'll want to pick up this one! I'm already looking forward to the next book!

Contest:

Michele is running an awesome contest in conjunction with her blog tour. She's giving away a $50 Visa Gift Card, which can be used anywhere. Now that's a prize I love! To find out more about the contest and enter for a chance to win, check out this post on Michele's blog.

The Bonds of Sisterhood



A great little spot from Time Out for Women, about how women need other women in their lives. 

Book Review & Prayers Request

Have you ever read a book and then had something happen to you that made you connect to it even more?

Saturday night, I finished reading Awakening Avery by Laurie Lewis. It's an incredibly deep book about a woman (Avery) whose husband died of a massive heart attack. She and her children deeply grieve his loss, in many different ways. I've been gradually working my way through this book for the last two weeks. I would read a chapter or two, then think about the characters - their thoughts and emotions. Awakening Avery has so much more depth than any other fiction book I've read for at least a year, possibly more. There are just layers upon layers of feelings, decisions, consequences, developing relationships, and rediscovering joy in the gospel. Awakening Avery was an engrossing read, which I appreciate even more now.

Sunday afternoon, my hubby's mom called to say his father had a major heart attack late Saturday night. He has major blockage in four arteries and will undergo a quad by-pass either today or tomorrow. Yesterday was very emotional for my hubby, myself, and our children. My hubby flew to Wisconsin to be with his parents for the next week or so. Our prayers here at home have been more frequent, and filled with more emotion, as well as gratitude for the atonement and the knowledge that families are forever.  While I know our family is very concerned and emotional, I cannot imagine if I were the spouse, sitting next to my husband. Thinking of Avery gives me a bit of insight to how stressful and topsy-turvy my mother-in-law's world is right now. Would you please pray for my father-in-law and his family? He, his wife, and their kids all need as many blessings and prayers coming their way as possible right now. Thank you!

As for Awakening Avery, if you enjoy engrossing books that make you think and feel - you would most definitely love this book. You can find out more about Awakening Avery on the author's website.

What Matters Most

Contemplations on Marriage

My hubby and I were married twelve years ago today. Our writers group, Authors Incognito, spotlighted us in their August newsletter. You can read more about our courtship & fun facts there.

I've been thinking a lot about those past twelve years in anticipation of today. Here are a few of my thoughts . . .

Laughter is the key to happiness. 

John and I laughed and enjoyed being together so much while we dated. Our sense of humors - John's way funnier than I am - have remained one of my very favorite parts of our relationship. There have been plenty of nights when we've just laid in bed, quietly chatting about the highlights of the day, laughing about funny things the kids said, their quirky perspectives on life. Some nights, we talk about things that are stressful or upsetting, which generally results in me crying. Yes, I'm a cry baby. During those moments, my sweetie just holds me close, runs his fingers through my hair while I get the majority of the tears out of the way. And then, he'll say something to make me laugh. And as we laugh, the tense knots in my shoulders and neck relax a bit, we snuggle closer, laugh a bit more, then drift off to sleep. Laughter has held us together through so many tough times. When I look back through the years, our mingled laughter comes to mind first and plays a prominent role in our relationship.


Be steadfast and immovable.

Just a few years ago, John and I hit a major marriage bump, one that just ripped my heart apart. John was hurt. I was hurt. And of course, we weren't communicating well at all. For months, we tipped back and forth like a boat in an angry storm. For the first time the rock I thought our marriage was sitting on turned into a sandy beach, not sure if we were going to slip and sink or climb back up on the rock again. When we were finally able to put aside the yelling, the accusations, and the bubbling emotions so we could truly talk and listen to each other, we finally found our rock again. It wasn't an easy climb and sometimes it hurt like heck to get back on top. But some really great things came from this storm - the greatest of which was a concrete solid reaffirmation of us as a couple. John is my sweetie, and I am his dear. No one else's opinions on our marriage, our personalities, our family, or anything else has any right or power to stand in our way. We are a team. We are "it" for each other. We will be steadfast and immovable. We will be each other's rock.


Show me the love.

Something I tease John about is that while we were dating, he was very strict about morality - you know, no necking and certainly no fooling around before the wedding night. Very traditional. The closer we got to our wedding date, the pickier he became. We had to be out with a group of friends or out and about in public so that we wouldn't be too kissy-kissy - a challenge which brought out my frisky nature just to tempt him. (Yes, I know - I'm a brat!)  But John ended up being the one who surprised me. After we were married, I very quickly discovered John loves to snuggle and is the kissiest person I've ever met! Quite honestly, I love it! Now, before you say Yuck! TMI! TMI! - let's veer off a tad. Some of my favorite things about my sweetie is that he always holds my hand wherever we go - even at night when we go to sleep. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, and he's shifted with me, still holding my hand. I love that. I absolutely adore it that my hubby tells me every day that he loves me. I love the little kisses on my neck he gives me while I'm cooking, and that no matter if I'm in sweats, clingy jeans or have gained twenty or so pounds - he still says he thinks I'm sexy. Then nibbles on my ear. Ooh! Sorry, TMI again, eh?  =) 


Turn off the TV and enjoy the snuggles.

My sweetie and I rarely watch TV. We have one small TV in our playroom for the munchkins, and another for the Wii - also in the playroom - but that's it. No TV's in our bedroom, the living room, or anywhere else in the house. When the kids are in their rooms for the night, John and I will often snuggle up on the couch, chat, then read some books until we're ready for bed. Often, I will get sucked into a book, while John falls asleep holding my hand. As my anniversary gift, my honey hired artist Natalie Hunsaker to create a portrait of us and the things that represent us and our marriage. The painting isn't quite finished, but Natalie sent me a picture of it. I was totally delighted with how it's turning out.


After a photo shoot, Natalie chose to paint John and I relaxing in our nightly snuggle tradition. I love how it depicts a small slice of our life. John and I were so relaxed and comfortable, which I think really shows. You can see John holding my hand behind the book I'm holding. Everything in the painting had meaning to us. The book I'm reading is The Ball's in Her Court by Heather Justesen. Heather is one of my best writing buddies and friends. She and I shared many brain storming sessions about this book and I helped her edit it (many times) as well. Of the all books in my freelance editing career, this is the one I am most proud of because I know just how much work Heather put into it, how much fun we had bouncing ideas of each other, and how excited we BOTH were when she received her contract - which involved a middle of the night IM session around 1 am my time. Such great memories and feelings to have included. John is holding our friend James Dashner's book The 13th Reality (which I helped edit). In the stack of books (which is very subtle), but the books there are: Josi Kilpack's English Trifle (I am in her test kitchen & my blurb was published in her book), Daron Fraley's The Thorn (which I edited), a Brandon Sanderson book (one of John's favorite authors), Mormon Mishaps and Mischief by C.L. Beck & D.N. Giles (which has six of my short stories in it), and a mock up of my own book - (dis)Abilities and the Gospel - with the original Valor cover (which is no longer coming out through them, but was at that moment of my life). John and I love how this painting shows so much about us, our own friendship, and the interests we've developed together (writing).


Look ahead to forever.

I am grateful to know about Heavenly Father's eternal plan and that marriages are forever. I can't imagine living in Heaven without sharing it with the one person who completely gets me, loves me, and who fills me with happiness. I'm sure we'll share lots of laughter as we one day explore all the greatness that comes after this life. Until then, I will cherish every moment I get here on Earth with my sweetheart - including all the bumps, snuggles, and yes, the kissy kisses.

Happy Anniversary, Sweetie!

Choose This Day

Book Review: Leaning into the Curves by Nancy Anderson and Carroll H. Morris

Today, I'm reviewing Leaning into the Curves by Nancy Anderson and Carroll H. Morris. From the back cover blurb:

Molly is happy with her life the way it is, but everything changes when her husband, Hank, retires. When Hank brings home a Gold Wing motorcycle and joins the Temple Riders Association, a “Mormon motorcycle gang” that combines road trips with temple work, things go from bad to worse. Faced with the prospect of being left behind as Hank hits the road with his new group of friends, Molly starts making some changes of her own.A funny, often poignant, look at the challenges of reinventing life after sixty.

    * From the co-authors of the popular series The Company of Good Women
    * The Temple Riders were featured in an October 2009 Footsteps of Faith documentary



My Review:

I first heard about The Temple Riders when I was about 16 years old. It may not have been the same group, but I do remember my home teacher telling my family about members of our church going on motorcycle trips with the goal of visiting all the LDS temples in the United States. I thought it was an interesting concept which prompted some of my own car trips to go to visit temples during some of my free time in college.

Leaning into the Curves is a unique book in the LDS market. 1st - we really don't have very many books out there with characters who are more mature. Even though I love the romance genre, most of the characters in that category are under the age of thirty. It's rather nice to have a book whose main characters are empty nesters, encountering a very different stage of their life and marriage than I usually read.  2nd - how often do we see LDS books where the characters are motorcycle lovin' Harley addicts? OK, well maybe not all of them are - Molly sure has a lot of reservations about her hubby's new interest. But it's quite a fun twist on book plots.

From a reader's perspective, it took me a little while before I really got into the book. But then it turned into a fun and interesting read. I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for something different than typical LDS romances.

Leaning into the Curves is available at Deseret Book and other LDS book stores.

Some Pennsylvania Love - Part One

It's been two years since I've been back home to Pennsylvania. Two years is way too long!

Each time I go home, I get all teary-eyed and feel so comforted as I drive through the Allegheny's thick green trees (or bright gold colors of the flaming foliage depending on the time of year). I have so many good memories of growing up there, exploring and hiking through the forests and mountain in my own back yard and all over the valley.

I got to take my munchkins to some of my childhood haunts, of which Flemington Park and Knobel's Amusement Park were their favorites!

I was surprised how many of the original playground equipment was still at Flemington park! The huge metal slides, the monkey bars, and the black horse merry-go round. The boys loved the diggers - which I still remember when they were new! We went across the way to the big wooden play area & climbed the metal "ship" ropes. Isaac even turned in super fast circles on the tire swing - at least until I told him the story of how my mom had taken my brother Harry and I to Burger King, then over to play at the park. The tire swing was my favorite! So I turned in circles as fast as I could - then ended up puking all over the ground! It was funny to laugh about with my kids. Here are some fun pics from Flemington Park:

 I totally remember playing on this exact same slide, the horse merry-go-round, and the older kid merry-go round a little further down - and quite a few other things as well. It was so fun to watch the kids enjoy them as much as I did!







 Both of my boys really enjoyed the diggers!

Monkey bars are a huge hit with my family. My kids were totally delighted to discover multiple sets of monkey bars of different sizes and shapes. Such fun!









After playing at the park, my sister said, "Who wants arritas?" The kids and I were all confused, trying to figure out what spanish word she was saying. Then we discover a Rita's is a restaurant that serves yummy ice cream and italian ices! It was the perfect thing to cool off!




I'm Back!

Hi everyone! I'm finally back from vacation. It's been a fantastic three weeks - and some away time I've not only needed, but most definitely enjoyed.

As a mom of a son with autism, there were some moments I worried how my son would react to being out of his routine and away from home for such an extended period of time. While there were definitely a few days he had a difficult time, I was super impressed that for the majority of the trip, he did a fabulous job! It took some extra patience, firm instructions and guidelines from Mom, but it all worked out surprisingly well. In fact, it went so well, I'm actually looking forward to another trip next summer!

I already posted about our Oklahoma trip. Over the next week, I will post some fun spotlights about our Pennsylvania trip and catch up on some book reviews. I had planned to post updates while I was in PA, but I didn't have much time to get to a computer that had internet access.

Aside from catching up with everything that's happened in blogland, I am getting ready for my two sons' birthday parties this weekend, preparing the final details for the munchkins to go back to school on Monday (woot!), and making plans for my upcoming wedding anniversary. Of course, I'm sliding all of that in between some freelance editing, my own writing, and a few house projects. Vacation is sincerely the only time life slows down around here!

So, what are y'all doing to get ready for school? And when do your munchkins go back? I'm excited to check out everyone's blogs and see what all has happened this past month!