5 things...I will blog about...

So, I'm a list-maker. I don't know why but while The Major was deployed I didn't write 1 measly list...except for a grocery list. I have no idea what came over me but I didn't have a to-do list anything like I usually do.

I have been so list-deprived that I am just in the mood to write lists about everything! So, with that, I am starting a series of lists for my blog. I will probably only be blogging every Monday. I know, I should do it more than that, but I am going to do what I can.

Here are the 5 things I will probably blog about...

Here's one of my little DIY projects.
Crayola Air Dry clay of my sweet, little family.

5-Random things I am learning about whatever. Okay, don't laugh. What might some of these topics be? Health. DIYing. Baking. Cooking. Mothering. Marriage. Military life. Goal setting. Random tips!

4-Homeschooling! Yes, I am a homeschooler. I love it and I'll post occasionally about it, I'm sure. My oldest is doing K5 right now and I'm excited to say her reading skills improve daily! I am amazed! I love watching her learn.

3-Books and Authors I love! To include, but not limited to: Allison Pittman, Lynn Austin, Nicholas Sparks, Tricia Goyer, Siri Mitchell, Susan Meissner, Ted Dekker...etc. There are many more!

2-My writing career and the direction I am heading...to include my spiritual journey as well! I finished a book these past few months and I'm very excited about it! I hope to share more with you soon.

1-Writing and publishing in general. The world of writing is constantly evolving. From ebooks to publishing houses shifting and merging. I am pretty new to this world but I hope to take you along for the ride!

I really don't know if these are in order of importance or frequency of what I'll post about...but listing them backwards gives so much more suspense and mystery...I am such a mystery, aren't I! Ha!

Do you have a blog? If so, tell me about it in the comments and what you like to blog about!

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Since my last blog...

This one didn't make the top 5 but
it is a REALLY good lesson.

Okay, so I am seriously behind on blogging. I really didn't take into account the enormity of the deployment and how it would affect real life. Wowzers! I don't know how Military Wives do it who have husbands gone for a year or more and numerous deployments! You are heroes in my book! 

I did learn a lot about myself and I was able to accomplish and experience some things since my last blog...

Here's my list...

5 Things I learned about myself since my last blog...

5-I'm an emotional eater! Yep...what's my poison? Tortialla chips with cheese melted all over...I'm not kidding when I say that my stomach audibly growled just now typing that. I'm totally eating some after this blog is written.

4-I still need my mama! Okay, so I already knew that, but it was more obvious to me when I made my 6 week trip "back home" into 4 1/2 months!   

3-I really love rural living! I thought I gave this up when I married into the military and have lived in subdivision after subdivision. Nope...for 4 1/2 months I returned to my country-girl roots. I miss it! My girls THRIVED in this environment and I hope someday we can have that rural life for our family.

2-I realized that while I am a SAHM (who writes-at-home, too) and I do about 95% of the cooking, laundry, schooling, diapering, bathing...etc...that my husband still does A LOT for me! I've always known that he's an amazing husband and father...but being away from him for 6 months...good grief. I just love that man! 

1-I need to depend on God way more than I do! Period! Exclamation Point!

And...how does this better me? 

I've always been a self-reflective person. I am always trying to figuring something out and learn something new about myself and my world. So for me this was like therapy...except I wasn't on a couch talking to anyone but myself...maybe I do need therapy? Well, I God taught me that without my whole heart dependent on Him...it's just barely surviving. When I leaned on Him to get me through my emotional eating, lonesomeness, and so many other things...He made me thrive! 

What have you been up to in the last few months!? Have you learned anything exciting about yourself?

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Life in Limericks: Week 10

Week 10:

This week we were so sick it hurt
And my husband's still far away in a yurt
We miss him something fierce
Poor Felicity cried buckets of tears
One/third down, sigh, I need more dessert.

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Life in Limericks: Week 9

Week 9


I'm lost for rhymes for this limerick
Have to say my Felicity is euphoric
Babushka the kitten is here
And she is cute and oh so dear
But as started to I this my Mercy is getting sick

...yes, as in vomit.

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Life in Limericks: Week 8

Week 8:

It's rare that I sleep through the night
Since Mercy's eye teeth are putting up quite a fight,
Felicity's learning to read
And she had a bike injury bleed,
Oh boy, we're missing our Major with all our might.

Cheers,
Elizabeth

PS: My Tuesday & Thursday postings will likely be postponed until my life slows down a little. I will keep posting my Friday limericks and I really hope you continue to tune in! ...and share them!

PPS: I just finished "Reinventing Leona" by Lynne Gentry. I loved it! You can read my Amazon review here.

My Favorite Skype Picture

Good Morning...Good Night...Living 11 hours and 7,000 miles apart.

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Life in Limericks: Week 7

Week 7:

My dad came to help drive on Sunday
All packed & ready to go by Monday
12 plus hours go by
Our new apartment in FLY
Mom & Dad are getting lots of grandgirlie play

Cheers,
Elizabeth

PS: I just finished listening to audiobook A Heart Most Worthy by Siri Mitchell...SOOOOOOO very good! I am reading Reinventing Leona by Lynne Gentry & REALLY enjoying it!

Life in Limericks: Week 6

Week 6:

This week we lost a Monkee named Davy.
The weather is making my hair pathetically wavy.
Felicity's ear ached without remorse,
Mercy's eating like a horse,
Thank goodness for biscuits and gravy.

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Life in Limericks: Week 5

Week 5:

Got home and back to our lives
Don't feel as tough as those other military wives
Because both girls got sick
And that was the trick
To make me break out with some hives

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Bettering My Skin

So, I'm sticking to my focus goal of healthier me...

I had a chemical peel last week for my skin. I have a lot of scarring from years of acne issues...from puberty all the way until, like, last week. {grin} Okay, I'm exaggerating a little.

I bought new products that are amazing from the Aesthetician that she created herself. She was so amazing with my skin and may as well be a nutritionist. I've always had a dairy issue and in the past 2 years or so have been off and on again on a low-gluten diet...knowing that I feel better with less gluten & wheat in my system. She was so knowledgable I left with better skin & more wisdom!

I met the Aesthetician through my sister (who has a great website on fitness: http://embodyfitness.wordpress.com/...it's awesome) and she's also going through a similar skin issue as me...she has also experienced amazing improvements. I wouldn't recommend just any aesthetician, but if you find one that works with as natural products as possible, might be worth a shot!

I also bought an exfoliation brush. My skin seriously is already looking WORLDS better.

My running slipped a bit while I was away and then the kids were sick, delaying our trip home for 2 days. But got back on the treadmill today and ran...and let me tell you, it wasn't pretty.

I'm now searching for the right natural makeups that will enhance my skin rather than re-clog it all...will let you know what I find. ;-)

BUT...I am already starting to become a BETTER ME! ;-)

Some of you may ask why all the focus on "skin-deep beauty" perhaps. Maybe some would even consider me vain? Well, all I can say is that I've lived with major acne or acne scarring for over 20 years and I've just had enough of it. When you've lived with it for that long, I think it's okay to try to see what can help. And, a lot of skin issues have to do with the health of your body & system...including sticking to a healthy diet. I want to improve it all. And, rest assured, God is working on the deeper stuff, too. ;-)

Cheers,
Elizabeth

A Better ME????

So, it's been nearly a month since The Major left for Kyrgyzstan. It's been a month of tears but also some really sweet moments cuddled up with my girlies. We took our first road trip to see my sister and her family (3 action packed girls)...yes, 5 girls in 1 house. Consider our super-hero-mom strength being ears of steel...sometimes the house was so loud I think our brains were ready to bleed out our ears. haha Though the trip was only 5 hours one-way, that was an accomplishment for me with a 4 1/2 year old and 17 month old (who doesn't sleep in her carseat & doesn't enjoy it either!).

This month has given me some time to consider my goals...I want this time to mean something. I don't want to just X out a bunch of calendar squares without thinking to myself "Yep, I did it today!"...not just survived. I know there will be many days of pure survival & that's okay...but without a goal in mind the only goal then is ONLY survival. I don't want not live that way...not for 6 months, not for any length of time.

So, do you want to see what my focus will be?

1-Spiritual health. The Major and I are reading through a Psalm daily and then Proverbs. That will bring us within days or weeks of his arrival home. I am also doing an online Ephesian's study with "Good Morning Girls" (google it). I also, especially when I'm discouraged, I pick up the following books:

Faith Deployed by Jocelyn Green
40 Ways to Get Closer to God by Jerry MacGregor (or Chip MacGregor as many know him as)
Fighting Fear, Winning the War at Home by Edie Melson
Faith Deployed...Again by Jocelyn Green...again. ;-)

Those books are so helpful in getting my focus on my heart and God and where HE has me in the moment.

2-Physical Health. I have started running! I am running on average of about 20 mins a day on a treadmill, which is about 2 miles for me. Yes, I'm being pretty real with you all. I HATE working out but this little trick is working...what's the "trick?" I listen to great audio books when I run...and won't let myself listen to them unless I'm running. ;-) Right now I'm listening to "A Heart Most Worthy" by Siri Mitchell. Soooo good.

I am also working on finding more natural ways to eat (which we mostly do already anyway), dye my hair, and take care of my skin. I have LOTS of gray and I'm only 34 so going gray gracefully is not in the short-term timeline...but I want to find a less chemical way to do this. I know they are out there...it's time to do some research. And when I was in H.S. and college I had AWFUL skin and this carried over into my young wifehood & early motherhood. Even now I can get some seriously teenage looking breakouts. But I have some bad scarring and I really want to work toward a fix. So I started with a consultation with an amazing Aesthetician who does things naturally & works with your whole body's health...that means right eating & everything...it ALL affects your skin & hair. Today I had a chemical peel among other treatments & bought some amazing products. My skin feels like it is actually BREATHING!!!! We're on a roll!

3-Writing Health. I am in the middle of a manuscript that I LOVE! I have a deadline and I'm super excited about finishing it. I'm learning the craft through a variety of ways and working on being the best fiction writer I can. Finishing this current manuscript is the simplest goal I can lay out for my writing...and one of the hardest things to do when your hubby is over 7000 miles away & you're a single mama for the time being. BUT, I'm determined. I will be traveling to my parents for about 6 wks very soon & it seems when I'm away from home I really get "inspired" and I can get some words out. Since I've visited my sister I was able to get quite a bit done, inspiring myself to keep at it.

Those are the 3 main focuses that I have. I wouldn't consider them full-fledged goals b/c I didn't lay out the way to measure success...but they are focuses and I'm excited about each of them.

Check back & see how I'm doing. I will blog about the aspects of each of them as I feel led. So...beware...one day you might get a diatribe of info on why you should consider going on a low-diary (or NO-dairy) or low/no gluten diet...to another day where I talk about what my characters are putting me through...or why I was discouraged & what verse or book got me out of my funk.

I hope you come back!

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Week 4: Life in Limericks

A five hour road trip to start

A Valentines 7,000 miles apart

Ice cream & cookies are keepin' it real

Big sis and I had a chemical peel

Oh, this trip has been good for my heart!

Cheers,

Elizabeth

Celebrating Daily

This is not the first Valentine's Day I've celebrated without my husband. I think the 2nd or 3rd.

I am I'd say fairly typical that I appreciate getting something for Valentine's Day...but I am not very high maintenance about it. I'd rather want something thoughtful than something expensive. I'd rather get that deep sense of romantic love (even the squishy, college sweetheart, starry-eyed kind) from time spent together than a gift that was clearly a quick drive-by online grab.

Yes, I've been annoyed that we've spent Valentine's apart before...because of "the job." I'm pretty sure I've even complained about it. {clears throat}

Goodbye Kiss
January 24th, 2012

But this year...yes, we are apart, but something I feel so strongly about is that I cannot complain about being away from him for Valentine's Day. Sure, I'd LOVE to have a romantic date with him and celebrate our love. I'd love to watch a fun romantic comedy or Pride & Prejudice for the millionth time & bask in the glory that is all things chocolate sans guilt day.

BUT...I have the distinct feeling that this might be the most memorable of Valentine's Days from previous years & for many years to come. We are apart...but I have never felt such a strong love for The Major as I do now.

I can see that I've been taking for granted his love, his presence, his help, his playfulness with the girls, his hotness (ooolala), his strength of character, his forearm where I love to lean, his hand that I love to hold...you get the picture...I've realized these first few weeks of the deployment that I haven't been giving enough credence, enough time, enough weight, enough thought toward my amazing husband.

No, I wasn't mean, not annoyed with him, not callous or unloving...but I wasn't intentional enough.

It is SO EASY to get caught up in the drama of life, the action of busy-ness, the animation of little girls, the complete comedy of life in in a mini-van, even...that the ROMANCE can be a little rushed & lost. I mean the romance that happens with two connecting souls...when your hands touch, your eyes meet, your voices fill the space of each other is all that matters.

I think I've missed reminding myself not just that HE picked me but...

I. PICKED. HIM! I didn't want anyone else but HIM. 

That is something I should be celebrating daily...

I think Valentine's day is going to be great this year...because the value of my LOVE for my husband has been multiplied in my heart.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

Elizabeth

Change of Thinking by Judi Folmsbee

On Sunday, April 15^th, 2007, my husband, Rick and I received a phone from our son, Heath. He was a member of the Virginia National Guard, and he had called to inform us that he would be going to Iraq.

This kind of news was no stranger to us, because Heath already had served a tour of duty in Afghanistan. At the time of his first deployment in March of 2004, he was a Virginia Tech senior majoring in mechanical engineering. Heath had been dating a wonderful Virginia Tech graduate for seven years.  Heath and Chelsea were married two weeks before he left for Afghanistan.

That Sunday, April 15^th, 2007, my mind did an instant replay of many things that recently occurred. A few months before, in December of 2006, Heath, who had returned from Afghanistan, graduated from Virginia Tech with his mechanical engineering degree.

Shortly after he graduated, he landed a wonderful job. He and Chelsea bought a home. The news of April 15^th, turned tranquility and happiness into feelings of dread. I was so angry! In less than three years of married life, Heath and Chelsea were separated again. I know it happens to many military families. When he enlisted in the Virginia National Guard in 2001, he didn’t expect to become in the “International Guard”, as we called it.

On Monday, April 16^th, 2007, I got up feeling tired and emotional. I had a hard time concentrating on my way to work at 7:15 that morning. As the day developed, I heard as everyone did, about the horrible tragedy that occurred at Virginia Tech.

I called Heath as soon as I could. He was distraught, as he too, heard the Virginia Tech news. As the days unfolded, he found out that a few former classmates as well as one of his favorite professors were listed among the dead. I realized that, had Heath decided to stay in college and get his master’s degree, he could have been in one of those classes.

I learned something from all of this. God reminded me that I am not here on the earth by myself and that I needed to stop being so self-centered. I learned that God uses tragedies like that of Virginia Tech to teach us to be mindful of others and to reach out to those who truly are in need of help.

God reminded me of the importance of prayer. He let me know that my bad news of April 15^th was just a pebble on the road of life compared to the boulder that hit so many innocent lives that fateful April 16^th. I soon began to realize that Heath didn’t have to go to Iraq to be killed.

Heath completed his National Guard commitment. Now he works at the same job and lives in the same house they bought before he was deployed. Heath and Chelsea are grateful he came back uninjured. They are very happy and have realized those experiences have made them stronger individuals and stronger as a couple. They try to live each day as best they can and savor the moments they have together. They don’t take what they have for granted.

A retired teacher, Judi attends Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown, Delaware. She is a member of the Delmarva Christian Writers’ Fellowship. She has written three children’s books; Bubba the Busy Beaver, Preposterous Pebbles, and the Bird Roller Coaster.  She has been recently published in the new Chicken Soup for the Soul: Devotionals for Tough Times. I n addition, she is a contributor to a recently published book called: Fighting Fear Winning the War at Home (When your soldier Leaves for Battle) by Edie Melson. 

Peas in the Army Pod by Mary C. Findley

My father and uncle, Donald and Clarence Campagna, served in WWII. I have fond memories of them fooling us as children by standing side by side and making us guess which was which. Uncle Clarence was left-handed and so he had to hide the watch on the right wrist. He also had some gold-capped teeth, so they had to keep their moths shut. It was very hard, for many years, for even their own children to tell the difference.

Donald & Clarence Campagna

Dad and Uncle Clarence made the news after getting their "greetings" (called-up into service notices) December 5, 1942. They joined the 398th Color Guard. The article describes the slight differences in height and weight, their "gunboat" shoe sizes of 14 and 14 1/2, and the fact that dad was a Pfc and Uncle Clarence was a Corporal. The article also mentioned that their first separation occurred during a 3 weeks assignment to the 100th Division.

Dad didn't often tell stories about his war experiences, but he did like to tell one about that brief first separation. The details are a little hazy now, and I never have known he proper military terminology, but I think it went something like this. He said that a visiting General went around inspecting troops and stopped when he came to my dad.

"Didn't I already see you today, when I was with -- ?" and he named the group Uncle Clarence was with. Dad tried to maintain proper military discipline, I'm sure, but he told the General his brother was in that group. The General had to question him a little further, as I understand, to learn that they were identical twins and that this was the first time they had been separated. The General replied that the separation was at an end, and got them assigned to the same unit.

My dad, in all his handsomeness, from a photo taken with Uncle Clarence in their dress uniforms, graces the cover of my Young Adult Medieval Suspense Hope and the Knight of the Black Lion.

http://amzn.to/vY9Wt6 Link to Hope and the Knight of the Black Lion

http://amzn.to/vOxpEI Link to the Illuminated Hope and the Knight of hte Black Lion, illustrated in the style of a medieval manuscript.


http:elkjerkyforthesoul.wordpress.com is our blog

About Mary:

I grew up in rural NY and Michael is a "city boy" from AZ. We met at college, taught school in AZ, MO and PA, homeschooled, and created curriculum and videos for church and commercial productions. We have three 20-something children, and now travel the 48 states together in a tractor trailer.

http://elkjerkyforthesoul.wordpress.com (our blog)

You Get to Miss Your Husband

There’s this thing that happens when your soldier deploys.  It’s one of the great things about being a soldier’s wife.  It’s something that civilian wives don’t get to do and, truthfully, I feel a little sorry for them because of it.

You get to miss your husband.

There is something to be said for missing the other half of you.  After 9/11, I thought the worst thing that could ever personally happen to me would be for my husband to deploy.  As it turned out, it was the greatest thing ever. 

Oh, don’t read me wrong, I missed him.  Half of me was ripped out and sent to the other side of the world.  It hurt.  There were days I cried, screamed and--during a particularly hairy time for them over there—refused to speak to God for two days. 

When your husband is gone, you learn to appreciate things.  Dirty socks on the floor are a blessing, because they mean he’s home.  Three times the laundry isn’t such a chore. (How does that happen anyway?  Add one person to the mix and triple the laundry?)  The things you took for granted become priceless. During his first deployment, I really missed his forearm.  Think I’m crazy?  That’s the spot I lay my hand on when we sit together in church.  And yes, I missed that most of all.

At the time he left, I’d been his wife for ten years.  While he was gone, God took me through a pretty intense personal time.  I started to remember who I was.  Because my husband wasn’t here for me to share things with, I shared more with God.  I listened more.  And I learned things about me that I’d forgotten or maybe never even knew.  It was then that He told me He wanted me to be a writer and proceeded to beat me against a rock until I was ready to do it His way.  With my husband here, that time wouldn’t have happened.

Then there’s the communication thing.  Our unit was in a super-remote area in Iraq.  No phones.  No internet. Sparse mail service.  When you only get one five-minute phone call every fourteen days, you learn how to weed out the mundane and get to the heart. We poured out thoughts in real, honest-to-goodness, handwritten letters.  It was amazing!  I learned more about my husband in that year than I had in the previous ten.  We learned to dream again, to talk of what we’d do when he got back and in the future beyond that.  When he returned, we were closer than we’d ever been.

Deployment.  It can be a four-letter-curse word or the most beautiful blessing in your life.  It all depends on how you look at it.  You can fight it the entire time and be completely miserable.  But, if you’re willing to see it through God’s eyes, you might just find blessings greater than you’ve ever dared to imagine.

Jodie Bailey is an avid reader, a life-long writer, and an aspiring beach bum.  When not tapping away at the keyboard, she watches NCIS reruns, eats too many chocolate chip cookies, and attempts to teach middle schoolers how to write coherent sentences.  She lives in North Carolina with her husband and daughter.  Her first military suspense, Freefall, will be released by Steeple Hill in November.


www.jodiebailey.com

Lucky Charms & Chocolate Cheesecake

So, we are on day 8 of my husband leaving for his deployment. Which means it'll probably be about another 180 days before he comes home.

Now...you understand the title, right? Comfort foods. Lucky Charms (hidden in the corner of the pantry so my daughters don't find it) and Chocolate Cheesecake...both are delish any time of day. Though it seems that cheese cake would be perfect for breakfast & Lucky Charms will work wonders around midnight.

Sign at Manas AFB where
my husband is stationed.

For weeks (okay, months) leading up to the deployment I have been thinking of ways to cut corners. That is NOT EASY for me. I'm not a perfectionist but I really like keeping a certain standard in my home...one of them is to make as healthy meals as possible (please forget everything I said about a certain marshmallow cereal & cake for breakfast)...I digress... So if I don't cut corners on what my kids eat on a regular basis...that means I don't do microwave dinners and rarely any pre-prepared meals out of the freezer section at all...pizza 1x a week at the most...rarely do we do anything out of a can...do you want me to continue?

So here's how I plan to make the time go by more quickly & cut corners...and it doesn't just involve food...

-Paper plates for pretty much everything

-Paper bowls for things that will drip off of paper plates

It's VERY cold & snowy in
Kyrgyzstan right now.

-increased hug length...if I hug the girls each more often and increase squeeze time from about 10-15 seconds to well over 20...that'll make the day just fly by...cutting corners on the "I'm bored" chatter around the house (come on, give your mama a hug or 3). [This does not include all the extra cuddling & middle-of-the-night visits that I know will be needed...my oldest is an excellent cuddler.]

-Let my youngest eat in a onsie instead of real clothes. You should see her eat & you'd understand. It'll cut my laundry by 1/3.

-Put 1/2 the toys in the garage (to rotate back in at a later date)...decreased pick-up toy time DRAMATICALLY.

-Accept (almost) all dinner invites...you know, a girl's still got a schedule to keep, so it's impossible to keep ALL invites.

-Eat out more. 'Nuf said.

-INCREASED PRAYER...surely that, out of this entire list, will make this time more bearable till the Hubster comes home...

This month, as much as possible, I am planning to focus on all things military in honor of my amazing husband The Major and to all the other men & women out there & their families who are serving bravely. I hope you enjoy the contributing posts by other writers. ;-)

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Your Turn: How do you cut corners or make the time pass quicker when you need to? I'd love to hear our ideas.

Interview: Pursuing your talents

I had the privilege of being on a podcast interview with Keri Mae Lamar about pursuing your passion while in the busy, busy (busy) season of motherhood.

Here's a little about Keri Mae from her blog: A Happy Home.

I am a Christian, the wife of one incredible husband and a mother of six beautiful children. We are blessed and challenged with one child with Down Syndrome. I was saved as an adult and am, simply, an extremely grateful daughter of the King of Kings, and a Bible believer who loves the Lord and the life He gives. Our family homesteads and homeschools on five acres in the woods. The best days are when we are all together. We keep ducks, hens, rabbits, and dairy goats. I did a little beekeeping, which I loved. I like to write, quilt, garden, use herbs, and soak in the relatively short time I have with my babies.

My hope is to exhort Christian mothers to stay close to Jesus Christ, and to encourage them in their endeavors to glorify God with their everyday lives. It really matters!

Doesn't she just sound awesome! Because...SHE IS!!! And she and her husband are expecting baby #7! I admire her and feel humbled to be a part of her podcast for 2 episodes! I have listened to all of her podcasts & enjoy her tips and helpful hints so much. I know I'm a better mom an person because of it. 

While my interviewing skills need some work, phone interviewing is so not easy...but I hope, really hope, you are blessed by the podcast & enjoy the little tips.

Without further adieu...here's the podcast. 

 Pursuing your Passions

And the first interview on my book SEASONS.

I hope you take the time to listen...maybe while you are driving or cooking or cleaning? Come back and tell me what you think!

Cheers,

Elizabeth

My Self-Publishing Journey

Yes, I self-published my book SEASONS: A REAL STORY OF AN AMISH GIRL.

full spread of my book cover

This story started in my head over 20 years ago. Wow, that makes me sound old...I'm only 33. I loved my grandma's stories and I started memorizing them and learning everything I could about her young life. 

When I was an ambitious single in my 20s I didn't really give this story more than a "nod" at family events. While I really loved the idea of it and wanted to write it...I, quite honestly, had zero confidence that I could actually write it and write it well. It suddenly started to sound like a bunch of disjointed stories that didn't have any real "story" tying it together. 

Move ahead now, I'm 29 and pregnant with my first baby. I live in Colorado with my JAG husband. I have finished 3 manuscripts total...only 1 of which are worth anything and that 1 still needs a MILLION edits. This story started pricking my heart. So over the next few years I started & stopped writing this story several times. 

Fast forward, I'm 31 (almost 32) and finally I feel like it was time. The book voice of Liddy suddenly spoke to me...authors understand this phenomenon, and I wrote the first chapter long-hand sitting up in bed in 1 sitting. It finally felt right. I had been involved in a critique group for almost a year at this point that was filled with SERIOUS writers...and writers with SERIOUS TALENT. 

It was over a year later when it was fully written and edited and I started working on publishing options. I had always anticipated self-pubbing this book b/c I didn't think there was a market for an Amish memoir written by a granddaughter...so not a "true true" memoir. But my critique group encouraged me that while self-pubbing might have to happen b/c I did not have the time to wait (grandma was almost 85) that I should still market it well. 

So...a big reason I self-pub'd this is because my grandma was 84 when the book was complete and sick with pneumonia. I was petrified something would happen to her before I could hand her a copy. I didn't have a literary agent (and still don't) and definitely didn't have a House that was knocking my door down for this quaint book. So...since I didn't have a budget for this, I used CreateSpace.

Grandma reading the
proof copy of Seasons for
 the first time. She was
like a kid in a candy store.
**Yes, I snuck this picture
with my phone. Worth it.**

I did NOT self-pub because I thought I would be an instant success, a best-seller, or because of impatience. I didn't have any more years to put into this project because my grandma NEEDED this book in her hands. It was so very important to her and since in the publishing world there is no guarantee about anything I knew I had to do this myself. I am so glad I did. Just the look on her face when she was able to read through the proof copy of Seasons...priceless.

If someone had told me everything I'd have to do in order to self-pub this very well, I think I would've been extremely intimidated. But I honestly went a step at a time and just worked on the step I was on. I always considered the next step but until I got there I didn't worry my head over it. 

In the midst of this I also had another baby & I moved across the country. God was so faithful. Yes. Yes. Yes.

A friend of mine offered to do the book cover...didn't he do an AWESOME job! In paperback you can see what intricate work he did to wrap the scene around the back and then add a photo of my grandma, like she is now, in the back cover. It is gorgeous and so much of what I imagined. He didn't charge me a penny. 

Then I studied book trailers and made one of my own. You can view it here. It is a touch longer than it should be, but I love it and I've gotten a great response on it. I released the trailer about 2 months before the book. Set up a better website and created a fan page on FaceBook. 

The book released in early August and it's been a whirlwind ever since. We went up to my grandma's house for a release part over Labor Day weekend (also my youngest daughter's 1st birthday!) and I was BLOWN AWAY! There was well over 100 attendees (not including all the sweet little Amish kids) and we sold 250 books...I would've sold more if I'd brought more. I didn't think I needed more. Grandma and I signed and signed and signed...it was truly such a surreal moment to be signing my first books with my AMISH GRANDMA!!!!!! 

I cannot explain the amazement I have with all of this and how proud I was to be the ONE who got to write this story. It went from an obligation that I thought would be just a book that would distract me from my "real" writing (fiction) into pushing me into real writing for the first time. What a love I have for the written word and for the Writer of All Words who drew me into this amazing responsibility. Thank you, Lord.

That is why I self-pub'd. Am I going to self-pub again? I am hoping my next book that is 7 chapters deep right now will get a contract. BUT...I am overjoyed that this is the journey that I took. I absolutely love this story. I believe in it just as much as the fiction manuscript I'm working on now. I believe Seasons needed to be written and the sales we are experiencing far exceed any of my expectations, truly. I it such a joy to see my sweet almost 85 year old grandma (her birthday is in a few weeks) reflect back on her life with such joy and peace...and then share it with all of us with such grace.

I cannot tell you how truly humbled I am that I got to be the mouthpiece, the writer, of this story.

YOUR TURN: Is there a story in your family that you think should be written? If so, tell me about it in the comments section. I'd love to hear from you.

Cheers,

Elizabeth

See Elizabeth faint!

When I opened this box of books I felt complete excitement and then in the very next moment a strong sensation came over me. Was I going to cry? Get sick? No...it was just the feeling of unadulterated terror. Seriously.

I hesitated even picking one up. I barely flipped through it even. I was sure if I started reading at any point in the book I'd suddenly see

See Liddy run. She can run fast.

My brain jarred back into grammar school and all I could see were those yellowed pages (even when they were new) with cute cartoony illustrations on every page. Surely nothing I wrote could turn out better than an old look-see reader, right? For several long minutes that's exactly how I felt. The feeling did pass but I still haven't dared reading anything more than the dedication or the first line of the acknowledgements. I just am so afraid I'm going to see some glaring error or embarrassing typo.

I've read traditionally published books from authors widely read and loved by all and found errors. Little typos mostly. I don't think any less of the writer or even the editor, for that matter. Fingers & toes crossed for happy & gracious readers for Seasons!

For the past hour I've been wrapping up a few books to send to my first set of influencers. What a feeling. I can't really explain it. But what I can explain is how THRILLED I am to be at this point and not a year ago where I was still writing...still pregnant in my 3rd trimester...still naive at how much work self-pubbing would be. I'm just overjoyed that, while marketing is no easy job, I'm here! I feel very accomplished for having followed-through with this book and for the way it's turned out. I love the cover. I love the story. I believe in the story. I hope a lot of readers will too!  All praise to God's faithfulness. Truly. The dedicated and encouraging help of my mom, husband, a smattering of friends, and my AMAZING weekly writing group. {okay, I digress, this is starting to sound like an Emmy award speech...hahaha}

I hope those of you who are reading this blog will buy the book on Amazon, read & enjoy it, tell your friends, and write a review for me on Amazon and/or your blog.

I'll leave you with this:

Cheers,
Elizabeth