Leave it to Tricia Goyer to come up with a fun and unique way to do a book blog tour! Her latest novel, Whispers of Freedom,

I’m playing. How about you?

1. List three things you would do with a chest full of gold (assuming you got to keep it!)

1) Find out how much it’s worth

2) See if there’s anyway I could invest it.

3) Buy a new home and take a trip around the world!

2. List three charities/missions/organizations you support (and why).

Compassion International: We started supporting Samuel when he was about six. A little over ten years later he’s graduated from the program. It’s been very rewarding to know we have helped to change this young man’s life and give him hope for a future with very little sacrifice to us!

Missionary friends in Niger.

Local outreach to the homeless

3. List three ways you have volunteered your time/services.

Helping at my children’s school with various projects. It’s one of the reasons I’ve been interrupted in my writing.

Subbing at my children’s school.

Hey, everything I do IS volunteer work!!!

4. List three things you keep “hidden” when company comes over.

Company? It’s been so long… My bedroom

Stakes of papers

My kids rooms

5. List the last three things you’ve lost.

I’m really stumped on this one!

Keys?

Pair of pants (we’re in my son’s closet!)

6. List the last three things you’ve found.

Just as stumped!

Keys?

Pants

Three brave “players” will be selected at random to win their own lost gold (Gourmet chocolate coins and all three books in the Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War series). To enter all you have to do is answer the MEME on your blog and then leave a comment on Tricia’s blog tour post here http://triciagoyer.blogspot.com/2008/03/whisper-of-freedom-meme-sticky-post.html that you’ve posted your MEME. Easy.

Now for the tag…

Bev 

Kathleen 

Tonya

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I’m giving free books to the one who has the most comments (related to the post!) from Friday the 9th to Saturday the 17th. So start reading and commenting. Seems like May’s been a big month for book releases so I’ve had to post multiple times a day. That gives you more chances to enter!

I’ve added Fatal Deduction by Gayle Roper to the list!

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Sorry, for some reason the graphic is not working.

http://ginaconroy.com/groupblog/wordpress/?p=928 

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During Grace’s Birthday month I’m going to post some reflections of my spunky little firecracker!

June 7, 2005

I can’t believe my baby is now 3 years old. Everyday I seem to enjoy her more. I think that’s because she’s getting a little easier to handle. Though she tries my patience and pushes limits many, many times each day, it’s less that it was a year ago. And the things she does is so cute, I can’t help but smile at my little “Hunny face.” That’s what she calls me and anyone else she’s loving on. She used to call me “Hunny” which I know she picked up from me, but I don’t know how or when she added the “Hunny face” to it. It’s simply darling though.

Grace is now a star in the making. She’s officially joined this family of singers with her love of the Sound of Music. While on our three and a half week trip up the east coast she was first introduced to that movie classic. I don’t know what it is about the movie, but young children love it. Chris first fell in live with the movie at age two. Well, Grace just loves the “Good Bye” song and can sing it very well. She does the “coo coo’s” and “I fit, I foat…” as well as Kurt’s high pitch “goodbye.” We have the CD and she always asks for that song when we’re driving in the car. Just today when she was walking up the stairs to change into her princess dress for the umteenth time, she sang “goodbye” and waved her little hand above the railing. “Look, mommy look,” she said not wanting me to miss her performance. Then tonight when we were playing Cherades ( Timmy’s favorite family game) she pretended to be DASH by running around and then dressed in her Snow White gown, she layed on the floor waiting to be kissed by Prince Charming aka mommy. When it was time for bed I started to sing the “goodbye” song and when I came to the end she said, “That’s my part” and we sang together, “The sun has gone to bed and so must I.” I stared down at Grace who had closed her eyes and was pretending to sleep. I knew she was waiting for me to carry her to bed…just like in the movie.

Ahhhh….moments like these. What a great way to end a day filled with constant correcting, redirecting, discipline, more correction and reminders and yelling and frustration and stress ahhhh….the perfect end to a not so perfect day.

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Many believers see themselves as sinners covered by the blood of Jesus. Or as Dwight Edwards puts it many believers see themselves like “costume jewelry. Worthless metal covered with an attractive coating.” But he goes on to explain that we’re more like tarnished silver.

“While we’re covered by the infinite righteousness of Christ, we’re also new creations in Christ (silver) clothed in an earth suit that is sin-saturated (tarnished.) The new you isn’t a sinner but rather a saint who struggles with the tarnish of sin. We’re golden eagles with prairie-chicken tendencies still hanging on.”

This lesson from Edwards had a profound impact on me. I had always heard the phrases “covered by the blood of Jesus” and “sinner saved by Grace” which held a “hopelessness” for real transformation. If I’m covered by the blood of Jesus (which I believe I am) I’m still the same old person underneath. A sinner saved by Grace gives the same image. Yucky ol’sinful me under neath the Grace of God.

What a different picture Edwards paints. Sure, I am covered by the blood and saved by Grace, but I’m also a new creation through the blood. No longer am I worthless metal, but silver still tarnished with the pull of sin. By seeing myself as a saint who struggles with sin instead of a sinner saved by Grace, it gives me hope of true transformation.

Read the rest here.

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Angela brought up a good question! “How many times can you comment on a post?”

As long as the comment is relative to the post, I’ll count it. And remember you can go back to last Sat/Sun??? I forget when I started the contest.

If you want to know what books I’m giving away, read the initial post. I will be adding more as I receive those I’m willing to part with. Some will be brand spanking new, others gently read! So go ahead and comment away!

Since I post every day and sometimes twice a day, there’s lots to post on!

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ICRS. The International Christian Retail Show. This huge gathering of authors and publishers had been an enigma to me. Something I’ve wondered about but never experienced. This year I had three different opportunities to attend. Two would be out of our budget and would entail attending a mini conference. One other opportunity won’t cost me a dime. I could go as media and set up interviews with people like Terri Blackstock, Brandilyn Collins, James Scott Bell, etc.

Before I recieved the list of interviewees I had resolved not to go. Though I have family living in Orlando and thought about making it a family vacation, that would mean two days of driving and with the gas being so high, I didn’t want to do it. Plus, we just went to Disney World last year. So I was resigned to skip this event and vacation closer to home.

Then I got the list of attendees and I started to drool! What an incredible opportunity to meet authors, pick their brains, and bring back their answers to my Writer…Interrupted readers. It’s so tempting. And there’s still time. But I’m not sure what to do.

What do you think? If you had this opportunity, what would you do?

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This interview was done before Cara had her baby girl Saturday night. I just wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS and give everyone a sneak peak at baby Rebecca!

Cara Putman is back with two more books! And one of them is the very first book she came to my critique book with! It just goes to show you what hard work, discipline and talent can get you! You can read my first interview with her here!

Has your writing schedule changed since your first contract?
Not really. The way that the schedule has changed is that I now do 90% of my writing under contract. The rest of the time is spent on new proposals. So that means I now have deadlines, some of which collide, that I have to hit. Fortunately, I’ve always worked well under deadline, but it can get crazy!

I’m afraid of writing under a deadline. Afraid I’ll loose the joy of writing. Afraid my work won’t be as good because it will be rushed, and afraid my priorities will be skewed. Do you ever feel this way and how do you handle this?
Writing under deadline is different from when you can do it with as much lead time as you want to give it. Since I’ve been focused on publication from the beginning, I often gave myself artificial deadlines to keep me moving. The change now that I have “real” deadlines is that I have to write whether or not I feel like it. My latest book, Captive Dreams, was work for the first month. For some reason, I struggled to get into the characters’ heads and enjoy the plot. I was afraid the book was terrible. Fortunately, I sent it to my first readers, and they really liked it, so I kept moving forward. Then as I read back through it, I realized how much I liked it. But it definitely felt like work occasionally.

Do you have any more books under contract or in front of an editor?
I do! I just signed a contract to write The Complete Idiots Guide to Business Law, my first non-fiction book. I still laugh when I think about the title, but because I teach this class at Purdue, think it should be fun, if different, to write. I also have a commitment for a three book contract for another World War Two series and am starting to work on the first book in that series. I’ve set myself up with colliding deadlines again, since the CIG is due September 15^th, and the next novel is due October 1. I must be crazy!

Do you have and agent? If so, who?
I do. I have Karen Solem for my fiction projects. She is fantastic and the perfect foil for an over-achiever like me. I have a second agent for the CIG project, since she approached me about the book.

Did you get your agent before or after you sold your first book?
I had been talking to Karen through a good friend before I got the first contract, but did not sign anything with her until a couple months after. One thing I really appreciate about Karen is she is looking at the long term picture of my career…where I want to go, what I want to write, and she’ll call me back to that vision when I get excited about something that doesn’t necessarily fit that plan.

What would you tell writing moms and dads looking for that agent who will sell their first book?
Attend writer’s conferences. Nine times out of ten that is how you will find an agent and be able to determine if your personality and vision meshes with theirs. I met Karen through one of her clients, but actually met her in person before we signed. There were other agents I was interested in, but once I met Karen face-to-face, I knew we would be a good fit. And don’t forget to pray for the right match.

What will do if the next contract never comes?
Panic. Seriously, God put me in a position for about six weeks earlier this spring where I didn’t have a contract. There was lots in the works, but no contract. I floundered and had to come back to a point of relinquishing my writing to him. I tried to learn from the last period like that and relax and enjoy the break. With my personality, I think God wanted to ask me if I was relying on Him or me. Honestly, I needed that time to work on some proposals. But it was still very hard. However, that’s writing. It is cyclical, and if I truly want to make this a career I need to accept that there will be time periods without a contract and trust God in those times, too.

You definitely fit the Writer…Interrupted model. Can you list off some of the things that take you away from the computer?
Let’s see, the list is kind of crazy…

1) Kid’s activities

2) Homeschooling Abigail, and in the fall adding Jonathan to that mix

3) Leading Bible studies at church

4) Serving on the ACFW board

5) Marketing books as they release

6) Reading

7) Spending time with my husband and kids

Sleep LOL

9) Email. Trying hard to control this rather than let it control me.

You’re expecting a baby anytime and have two little ones at home whom you homeschool. How do you think this new little one will affect your writing, volunteer work, lawyering and teaching, did I miss anything else :)? Or maybe a better question to ask is how do you plan on balancing it all?

I’m not sure yet. I start teaching at Purdue again, during the baby’s due week. Since we’ve already spent a few hours at the hospital, I’m really hoping the baby comes soon! But one of the keys is that I’m learning to ask for help. I already have a gal lined up to come watch the kids at our house two mornings a week during the summer while I teach. I’ll try to write a couple hours those mornings, too, since the oldest two will be having fun with her.

The hard part for me is keeping a focus on my kids and making them a priority when I have deadlines looming. I pray I’m getting better, but keep that foremost in my mind. I’m also asking God what I should step away from…that’s a hard one because I enjoy everything I do. But reality is something will probably have to change. And I want to hear from Him first.

I know my third child pushed me over the edge, productivity wise. I was someone who always showed up 15 minutes early, but with my third I was lucky to make it on time. And with four kids, I’m lucky if I remember an appointment. 15 minutes early has now turned into 15 minutes late. Have you considered how an extra person to dress, feed and care for may affect your routine and writing? Is this something you’re planning for or are you just going to take it one day at a time?

Because I’m under double deadline this summer, I’ll have to stay disciplined. Fortunately, I’ve usually been good at that. So yes, I have an eye on the changes adding a person to the mix will bring, but I’m counting on the fact that my 7 and 4 year old can do many things themselves.

Thanks so much for doing this interview! I know my questions are rarely about books, but they’re questions I’m searching for answers in my own life!

Thanks for having me! Great questions as usual. And right where I’m at right now

A MURDER AT INTERMISSION

How could a killer have struck in a crowded theater? That was the question plaguing TV news reporter Dani Richards. She’d been in the box next to the victim — and hadn’t heard or seen a thing. Now the very man who broke Dani’s heart years ago is investigating the murder. And when her coverage of the story led the killer to stalk her, police officer and former flame Caleb Jamison insisted on protecting her. Dani was afraid to let Caleb close again. Yet she had no choice. The killer’s sinister phone calls left no doubt that he’d come for Dani next.

With a stalker closing in, will television journalist Dani Richards trust her former love and police investigator Caleb Jamison to help her and God to rescue her?

With her dreams shattered, will Lainie Gardner allow God and a soldier at Fort Robinson to breathe life into new dreams that will bring her more joy than she imagined?

Lainie has no dreams left

Lainie Gardner dreamed of becoming a nurse. Of serving her country. Of doing something important in the war. But rheumatic fever changed all that, and instead of running home, Lainie is determined to find a job at Fort Robinson in Nebraska’s sandhills.

Tom Hamilton had dreams, too. Dreams of preparing the horses at Fort Robinson for duty on the warfront. Instead, he is assigned to train war dogs and their handlers, meaning that each day he must face the fear he’s had of dogs since he was bitten as a child.

Lainie and Tom wonder why God seems to have denied them their dreams. But is it possible new dreams will bring them more joy than they ever imagined?

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For the last few Sundays I’ve been blogging about The Vow. In chapter ten, Gungor talks about the anatomy of a vow. In our society vows seem to be a foreign thing, except in the context of marriage, but even then I doubt most marriages actually realizing what they’re vowing into. The traditional marriage vows seem to have lost their meaning or power or stickability. Just look at the divorce rate even among Christians if you don’t believe me.

Though vows are foreign in our society, in the early church they were common place. Gungor says, “making vows was as popular as prayer and worship gatherings. Scholars claim the making of vows was practiced by ordinary people all through biblical history, as well as in most religions in the societies surrounding them…I am convinced that the ancient practice of vowing can really help tether our twenty-first-century, helter-skelter lives to the eternal.”

He goes on to examine twelve things you should keep in mind as you approach the practice of vowing. Here are a few that resonated with me.

Number One: “A vow is an act of generosity toward God.” I’ve said before how it would be hard for me to vow into anything at this point in my life because I fear I’d be doing it to change a behavior of mine. Gungor says, ” The point of vowing is love for God, not altering your behavior…If you enter the arena of vowing for the wrong reason…you will make your life and faith harder instead of sweeter.”

Vowing is not about us. It’s not about trying to get God to love us more or to make us better Christians. And here’s the clincher that vowing is not for me right now…”If you cannot consistently do what it is you want to vow to do out of a simple love for God, you have no business trying to vow into the behavior in the first place.” One day I wish to be in that place where I am able to vow for my love of God.

Number Four: “Vows are weighty enterprise. Count the cost.” Gungor explains, “The instant we use the word ‘vow’ there should be a little note of dread in us.” What he’s saying here is vows shouldn’t be entered into lightly. (Isn’t that what the minister says during a wedding ceremony?) But in marriages today, too many people give up when things get tough. In vow making, we don’t give up when it gets tough, but we don’t despair when we fall. We get right back up and continue on. Gungor ends on an interesting note. Justifying that we really were trying isn’t good enough. Trying isn’t enough for the vow maker, only doing counts.”

There is so much to this chapter that’s it’s impossible for me to cover it all. So if vow making sparks an interest in you, pick up copy at my bookstore in the sidebar. Or if you’re a mom, leave a comment and I’ll draw one winner at the end of the day!

Happy Mother’s Day!

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Is God Really in Control?

Mr. Inside serves up suspense and a study of suffering

From the Publicist:

On the heels of his award-winning first novel, An Opened Grave: Sherlock Holmes Investigates His Ultimate Case is Mr. Inside. The book presents an opening scenario that challenges the reader to question the fairness and goodness of God. James uses the fictional vehicle to fearlessly bring us face to face with our feelings about personal tragedy of great magnitude.

Mr. Inside is a suspense documentary of how one man, through circumstances beyond his control, comes face to face with his interior enemy. In 1947, brothers Gustov and Andy Miller witness the traumatic event of their missionary/pastor parents being brutally slaughtered by a Kenyan witchdoctor. The young boys return to America, drift apart, and each enters adulthood carrying the memories and scars of that fateful event.

By the early 1970s, Dr. Gustov Miller has become not only an internationally renowned scholar with a keen sense for solving ancient mysteries but also the founder of his own company, Lost & Found International. He runs it with only two employees: his assistant Miss Beatrix Peeters, a lovely Christian woman, and James Morrison, his “Mr. Outside,” who finds himself in life-threatening situations while searching for lost or stolen artifacts under the remote direction of Dr. Miller. The action-packed storyline follows Gus and Jim as they are hounded by scoundrels, beaten, and thrown off of a moving passenger train—all while risking death in a race against time to solve the mystery of their lives.

Like the saga of Job, James’s stimulating narrative disarms his readers of all neat, convenient, Christian-cliché answers, securing instead their empathy with the characters’ anger and confusion regarding God and his sovereignty in the face of immense injustice. The story points to that bitter place in our hearts where we live in fear and anger, holding God responsible for life’s unjust events. The invisible hand of God is seen in riveting clarity as it affects the lives of the characters. Mr. Inside entertains, engages, and impacts the reader in unexpected ways.

James’s first novel, An Opened Grave, received international endorsements and awards from both Christian and general media alike. The Midwest Book Review, ForeWord Magazine, ChristianBookPreviews.com, ChristianFiction.com, NovelJourney.com, and Amazon.com all featured rave reviews of the work. Major endorsements were issued by best-selling authors representing a wide spectrum of the Christian publishing industry, including John Eldredge and Hugh Ross. The Sherlock Holmes Society of London praised the author, stating, “Like G.K. Chesterton and C.S. Lewis, Frank James is a fine storyteller and a great Christian apologist. Unusually well done.” In late 2006, USA Book News awarded An Opened Grave first place among the Best Books of 2006 for religious fiction. During the 2007 International Christian Retailing Show, Christian Retailing Magazine featured James and his book in a full-length article about the rise of Christian fiction and small publishing houses.

Tragically, while Mr. Inside was still in the process of being printed, L. Frank James died in an auto accident on September 2, 2007 on his way to church. In his place, his publisher, Robert Brekke, will be available to discuss the book and the author’s passion for Christianity and the creative arts.

My Thoughts:

While I was drawn to the concept and storyline of the book, it was evident that this story wasn’t as well crafted as I had hoped. (I’ve heard the same words in several rejection letters I received from editors!) Aside from the shocking opening which was really backstory, I didn’t connect with the characters on an emotional level. That aside, I’ve lost all objectivity to whether or not the things I noticed would actually bother a nonwriter. The story kept me interested enough to finish a book, though the ending was a little of a let down for me, a suspense, mystery lover. Still, it had a good message about letting fear consume us and trusting God again.

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I got rid of my mixer a loong time ago. Seemed I never used it. That was before kids and baking. I’m committed to baking more this summer. Grace is all for helping. In her Mother’s Day coupon book she gave me 10 (the highest) coupons for helping in the kitchen and 1 for taking out the trash!

Here’s a contest to help me (and you if you win) get on your way to baking more! I’ve really been wanting one of these

KITCHENAID STAND MIXER FROM THE GOOD PEOPLE AT FOOD CONNECT!!

Check out all the particulars HERE!

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It’s been a little quiet around here! I know, I know this blog has been book review heavy and such, but that’s because I’ve been living life, meeting deadlines, and LOVE to help promote fellow writers.

I just started Twittering, so my day to day activities are recorded there. But I’d love to honor my faithful readers and coax you to comment by offering a contest for FREE books!

So start commenting on NEXT WEEK’S posts including today and tomorrow! The person with the most comments at the end of next week will win a box of books. Contest starts on the 9th so don’t forget to comment on the post BEFORE this one and the contest ends Saturday, May 17th, and I’ll try and email the winner on the 18th or 19th!

The books will include but are not limited to:

Fiction:

Coming Unglued by Rebeca Seitz
The Penny by Joyce Meyer (currently reading and enjoying this one!)

Nonfiction:

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not by Trish Ryan
I’m starting to rethink my priorities and if readers aren’t connecting with me, then I’m not doing my job here. Hopefully now that my WIP is turned in I’ll have more creative energy to pour into this blog! Thanks for sticking with me!

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Like my new graphic? I’m going to use it every time I talk about my WIP. One of these days I’ll get to adding some words to it!

Earlier this week I SENT MY PROPOSAL OUT! That’s right. It’s in the  mail! This is really a HUGE thing since I haven’t had anything ready to send out in THREE years!

But I still can’t sit back and relax. I have to edit the last 60 pages in case the agents request a full.

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I just got my complimentary copy of Rattled in the mail and just in time. My sister is about to have a baby any day now! This looks like I book I needed 13 years ago! The back cover says it all:

“Clutter? Chaos? Exhaustion got you down? You must be a mom. And you’re not alone. Perhaps you thought you had it all together, then your baby was born and your world was turned upside down…”

 Rattled by mom blogger Trish Berg is an hilarious account of her own crazed moments of motherhood, and deliciously celebrates sweet moments with the babies that will grow up all too soon. It mixes practical advice while encouraging you to”keep it biblical.”

This book has it all! With chapters on becoming a mom, losing sleep, organizing your life, and taking care of YOU! It’s the perfect gift for a new mom and you can order it here ’cause this copy is already spoken for!

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During Grace’s birthday month I’m going to share posts of days long gone, but not forgotten.

November 2003

It’s hard to believe that Grace is 19 months old already. It seems like yesterday I was breaking the news to my husband that we were having another baby. I remember it so clearly because in his own mind he had settled on the fact and was satisfied with three boys. (But I really wanted a girl!) And he was letting me know he didn’t want any more, that very night BEFORE I shared me news. Well, I tried hard not to smile because I knew God had a different plan.

Through the months of waiting and wondering I was on a roller coaster ride of emotions. I prepared myself for another boy, and only rarely allowed my self to dream of a girl. But when one of my good friends found out she was having a girl, all my suppressed emotions just came pouring out. I really wanted a girl and I really wanted God to show his love for me in this way.

We weren’t planning on getting an ultrasound, but when the opportunity came up we wanted to know and the doctors told us twice, it was a girl. Still we didn’t run out and buy pink. Even in the delivery room I wasn’t positive we would get our girl. And even when they said she was a girl, at that point it didn’t really matter if the baby was a he or she. I was just glad to get her out.

Even in the first few months of her life, I sometimes forgot she was a girl. She looked just like the boys. Bald and blue eyed. I called her Timmy several times, especially when she was dressed in one of the boys’ sleepers.

Now that she is older, there really isn’t much difference in having my girl. She still doesn’t have enough hair to put a bow in and she loves to play with balls and throw things. The only perk is I get to put her in pretty dresses and shoes. I guess the ribbons and bows will come some day.

For us, this is a happy ending and I know that there are many of you out there wanting that “girl” or “boy”. But there’s one thing I think I learned through this whole experience. My three boys were all very well planned. And with Timmy, my mom even bought me the book on how to get a girl because she was afraid I might have a dozen children. But with Timmy we were impatient and it didn’t work. With Grace she was a total surprise!!! I wasn’t planning on getting pregnant for at least six more months when I found out we were expecting.

And now getting to what I learned: God wants to give us our heart’s desire. The Bible says that, “if you ask for bread, he will not give you a stone.” But before I was able to receive what God wanted to give me, I feel he wanted me to let go of my control and just trust him to give me what I wanted and needed. I also believe that is why he blessed us with Grace. I really had no control over the timing. I also believe that I had to come to terms with (and even delight in the fact) that I might never have a girl. And I believe it was when I was able to be happy with the prospect of four boys, that God was able to bless me with the desire of my heart.

Now I don’t always get what I want. Before I had any children at all I wanted five kids and twins at that!! But when I was pregnant with Grace I told God to give me only what I can handle (obviously twins were something God felt I couldn’t handle and I know He was right!) and when Grace was born I knew she would be the last. Although my heart desired more children, my head told me that four was my limit.

So I am blessed with Chris, Joey, Timmy and Grace. Even if Grace had been a Greg, I still would have been blessed. After all, ALL children ARE a blessing from the Lord!!

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I’m always interested in trying new products for my family. So when I was asked if I wanted to try the new Cranergy from Ocean Spray, I said, “bring it on!”

I’m not a huge fan of the cranberry, but to my surprise the Raspberry Cranberry energy drink was VERY smooth. According to the ingredients, cranberry is the third ingredient, good news if you’re not a fan of the tart fruit. I enjoyed my sample and it was perfect for a mid-afternoon pick me up especially since I recommitted to eating less! Each 12 oz. bottle contains 50 calories. Ocean Spray claims the juice helps to restore our natural energy and though I didn’t eat a large lunch, after I drank the energy drink I didn’t feel that late afternoon crash. So maybe there’s something to their claim.

I like the fact it has green tea extract, but my family has given up Splenda and artificial (Red Dye 40) colorings which this product contains. So if you don’t mind those things, then give it a shot. I do think kids would like the taste and it’s a nice alternative to water!

Here’s what they say:

• Cranberry juice and green tea extract: both contain high levels of antioxidants that help the body fight free radicals and stay healthy, and green tea extract offers a natural source of caffeine
• B-vitamins: support healthy energy production
• Vitamin C: helps boost your immune system

Cranergy is available in Cranberry Lift and Raspberry Cranberry Lift. For more information please visit www.oceanspray.com Online coupons are available at www.cranergy.com.

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My sister (half-sis whom I didn’t grow up with and hardly know) is having her first baby.

My other sis and I are going in on a gift and checked out her registry. There’s an item for $159 that’s rather high end for this particular item (swing.) It’s really cool(it swings both ways), but I saw another really cool 3 in 1 swing for $85 that doubles as an infant chair and bouncy chair. So I’m thinking…I want to get her THAT one. It’s more practical and I know a swing is really only used for 6 months. But is it alright to get something that’s not on the registry and then what happens if someone buys that $159 swing. Her shower is over. She lives out of state and is moving to another state after the baby is born, so I’d have to ship it there.

What would you do? Buy the one on the registry or the one not on the registry???

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Check out my post! It’s an oldie, but goodie!

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Myra tagged me with a meme! Here it is!

RULES:

a. Link to the person who tagged you.
b. Post the rules on your blog.
c. Write six random things about yourself.
d. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blog.
e. Let each person know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blog.
f. Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

I think I might have done this one at one point, but life changes so here are six random things about me:

1. I’m not a morning person but this year I’ve committed to waking up with my boys to send they off to school. I think I’ve done this 90% of the time!!!

2. I’m an introvert and enjoy small gathering or one on one instead of social events.

3. I’m not good at small talk . See #2 but I commuincate the best through words.

4. My 13 year old is taller than me and likes to SHOW me every other day!

5. I always wanted to have twins, but with four and no twins I’ve gladly given up the dream!

The Tag:

Amy Wallace

Tina Ann Forkner

Bev

L.L. Barkat

Tina Howard

Natarsha Wright

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I just love the scene in Bambi where Thumper (I think) talks about love. He calls it twitterpated. Well, this isn’t exactly what this post is about! I’ve been twittering…think brain dump to a minibloggy thing so that others can see what you’re doing.

This weekend and Monday has been crazy with science projects for two, sending off proposals to the agents who requested it (finally,) teaching three English classes today running home to rest for two hours while hubby took 3 kids to soccer award fun night and I then rushed son number one to a friend’s house so he could get a ride with him to play practice and then I zoomed off to science fair where Joey (11) got 2nd place in the 3rd - 5th grade category and Timmy (7) got honorable mention (4th place.) Then I ran them to play practice where I sat and listened to them run through the play and wondered why some kids made it and other kids who auditioned and were really good didn’t.

Finally got home where I wrote this post instead of going to bed!

It’s all recorded on Twitter! And that’s what being twitterpated is all about!

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