Thirteen Things about That Man Since I still haven't found a gift for him other than my presence (which really, should be present enough), this week's Thursday Thirteen is in honor of his birthday. 1. He's a brilliant designer... if you need something built, he can figure it out and create it. 2. One of the things I found attractive in him was his motto: Why be normal? 3. He's addicted to James Bond. 4. We have a don't ask/don't tell policy... don't ask about his tools, I don't tell about my books. 5. I also found the fact that he's a doting father attractive. 6. He's a history nerd like me- we spent our honeymoon on a road trip examining historical sites of interest. 7. He's got the second most gorgeous blue eyes I've ever seen. The first belong to our daughter, whose beautiful blues are an answered prayer. 8. He's really cute in his pajama pants. 9. His mission statement, even though it's not totally accurate for today, completely inspires me. We're talking Jerry Maguire here. 10. He thinks I'm the sexiest woman alive, which makes him the sexiest man alive. 11. He gets a cheesecake every year for his birthday. I still owe him this year's. 12. He's only got one facial expression. After ten years, I'm starting to be able to decipher it. 13. He loves me more than any other human being I've ever met. And isn't that just the best thing about anyone?

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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The thing that's hard about promo-ing my friends' books is that it tends to sound like, "great writer, great friend, go buy the book." But truth is, all of those things are true. Cheryl's a great writer with a great voice. You know how you'll read a book by an author, think, "wow, this is fabulous, I want the rest of this author's books," and discover it's a New York Times bestseller with a huge backlist? Well, that'll be Cheryl in a few years.

Cheryl's got a love for military heroes, and I love her glimpse into the world of pararescue jumpers. I had no idea what a PJ was until I met Cheryl and read her stories. They are true heroes, and not just in Cheryl's books. If you like a good romance with a military hero, then definitely check out her Wings of Refuge series. If you missed her first book, it's still on sale on the eHarlequin.com website. You don't want to miss a single story.



About the book:

On A Crash Course With Love

She was the woman of pararescue jumper Manny Péna's dreams. But he'd stuck his foot in his mouth the last time he met Celia Munez. Now, grounded after a parachuting accident, he was desperate to make amends with the beautiful widow. But Celia wasn't having it. The last thing she needed was another man with a dangerous job—even if he had given his life to God. Yet Manny's growing commitment to her and her troubled son began to convince her that perhaps she should take her own leap of faith.


About the Author:

Cheryl Wyatt's closest friends would never dream the mayhem she plots during announcements at church. An RN-turned-SAHM, joyful chaos rules her home, and she delights in the stealth moments God gives her to write. She's convinced that having been born on a Naval base on Valentine's Day destined her to write military romance. She stays active in her church and in her laundry room. Both of her debut novels (Books 1 and 2 in her Wings of Refuge Series from Steeple Hill) have received Romantic Times Top Picks.
Visit Cheryl Wyatt on the Web : www.CherylWyatt.com
Or her blog www.Scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com

Thirteen Things about Vacation!! Last week, I posted a happy blog about Spring. And then March, the snowiest month in Colorado, arrived. I can no longer see my backyard. I am depressed. So I thought what better way to forget the depressing weather that awaits than to blog about going on Vacation!!! Starting with planned vacations and ending with hoped-for vacations... 1. Silent Retreat. In just one more week, I'll be up in the mountains, enjoying a retreat with our church. Sadly, it won't involve sun, warm weather, massages, or anything remotely tropical, but it'll be a nice break. 2. Writer's Retreat. Our local ACFW chapter is planning a retreat for the end of April. Very much hoping to attend. That one's in the mountains, too. 3. May writer's conferences. Actually, I'm undecided on this. I want to go, but not sure I have the $$. There's a couple I'm looking at, so we'll see. 4. South Dakota. One of my dear friends lives up there and I'm thinking about going up for a long weekend with the family in July. 5. Illinois. Another trip I'd like to take to visit some friends- we've talked about this summer, but haven't set a date. 6. RWA San Francisco. End of July, first of August. That one's already reserved and mostly paid for. Just need the plane tickets. 7. ACFW Minneapolis. End of September. 8. Florida. Going to see my dad in January. 9. CRUISE!! January. It's a writer's conference. I'm teaching. Huh... most of this is work-related, isn't it? Not a lot of vacationing going on. But that's what's on my calendar already. So here's what I'd like to put on my calendar. 10. Pennsylvania. I really want (and need!) to visit my grandma. It'd also be a good chance to catch up with other family I haven't seen in a long time. 11. Someplace warm and sunny. Like NOW. At least I'll be doing that next January when it's super cold and yucky here. 12. Mexico. I've been there once, to build a church in a dusty town far away from anything resembling a beach. Some friends are there now, doing mission work in Puerta Vallarta, and I think I'd like to check it out. 13. Israel. Totally not happening this year, or probably any time real soon, but wanted to get it on my list, since I keep running into folks who are going in the near future. I miss that place. I lived there for a summer and loved it. Missed a lot of things I'm learning about now and need to go back and reconnect. So where are you escaping to this year? Or where would you like to escape to? ** Special thanks this week goes out to Hootin' Anni for her lovely header.

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Today, we've got a special guest blogger, my good friend, Camy Tang. And really, there's no better way to introduce her and her latest book, Only Uni, than her post about our friendship. I love Camy's books and their wonderful glimpses into ties that bond friends together. As a friend, she's got the formula figured out, and it definitely comes through in her writing.

***

I’m really excited to be guest blogging for Danica today. She was one of the first people to welcome me to the world of writing.

I’m totally serious (for once). When I first started writing again, I ended up on the Steeple Hill discussion boards because Steeple Hill was the first publisher I thought of when I thought of Christian romances. I’ve enjoyed Love Inspired romances for years and years.

The discussion boards were fabulously new to me. Suddenly there were all these Christian romance readers, writers, and even better, published authors chatting away. I lurked for a few days, then registered and introduced myself.

Danica is the board hostess and immediately made me feel welcome. So did everyone else, but Danica was the one who explained things to me (techno-ignorant as I was) and told me about discussion board etiquette.

I can’t begin to count the number of friends I made and the immense amount of information about writing that I learned. I would not be published today if not for those boards and those ladies and Danica.

I got to know her better when I went to Denver for ICRS a couple years ago. We had a BLAST hanging out with other friends late one night, singing bad karaoke in an almost unbelievably seedy bar and eating bland Mexican food.

(Yes, women can bond even over bland Mexican food.)

What was more, she actually seemed to LIKE me after spending several hours in my company. Imagine that! And her husband didn’t run screaming in the other direction when she introduced us (he obviously thought I was some OTHER Camy who was infinitely nicer and more sane than that loud, weird Camy who was on Danica’s online boards).

We have gotten closer in the past year (proven by her letting me run amok on her blog, here), and I hope we will always be good friends. She knows my bad habits and likes me anyway. And isn’t that the best sort of friend?

***

Danica again... Yes friends, that is the best sort of friend. And I'm so thankful that I've got a friend like Camy, especially given that I was a total airhead friend today. Insert embarrassed grin here... Got busy with work and stuff (had to work all day, you know!), and was just toodling along, checking email and realized... I'm a bad friend!! Camy was scheduled to blog today, and I forgot. Technically, it's still March 1st, but I'd hoped to get it up sooner. Maybe that's why we're such good friends. That whole, loving each other anyway. Love her, love her books, so do take the time to pick them up. You won't regret it. Also, she's got a great contest going on right now, so stop by her website and check it out!

Thirteen Things about SPRING Okay, I know, it's only February, headed into March. But it's been nearly 60 here for the past few days and I can't help but Think SPRING!! 1. Since we're in a new house, I get to re-plan my landscaping. Start fresh. Anything goes. Ugh. I'm sorta nervous about this. I have a black thumb and have no idea what's going to work. But still... it'll be a grand adventure. 2. We'll get to finally dig a sprinkler system. Really, when I say "we", I mean "he" as in That Man. 3. We'll get to finally pull out those ugly evergreen hedges. Why, oh why, does every house have to have those nasty spider home things? Again, when I say "we", I mean "he". 4. We'll get to start another garden. This time, I really do mean "we". The kiddos love growing tomatoes and snacking on them all summer. Once "he" gets it plotted out, tilled, and whatever else one does to a garden, I'll start planting. 5. We'll finally be able to see the back yard to pick up the dog poop. Here, I say "we", mean that I'll try to make the kiddos and hubby do it, but end up doing it myself because I'm the only one who cares about dog poop in the yard. 6. We'll get to take walks. Or at least think about it. We moved away from the nature preserve, so now I'll have to walk through the neighborhood. Not so much fun, but good exercise. 7. We'll get to walk to DQ and Starbucks again. Both within walking distance of the new house. 8. I'll get to make the kids stay outside more. YAY!! No more running and screaming in the house. 9. I'll get to sit on my nice new patio set I bought specifically for sitting on the front porch, sipping iced tea, and waving at the neighbors. 10. I'll get to say "YES!" next time the kids want to go to the zoo. 11. I finally won't have to live in sweaters. 12. We can get the rest of our stuff out of storage and finish moving in. Yes, I mean "we" as in "he" except that I'll be pointing and bossing him around. 13. Tax season is almost over and I can have a life again.

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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The past week was crazy. Kiddos off school, work, life, blah blah blah.
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Because the kiddos were off school, I watched an inordinate amount of Scooby Doo. Almost every episode ends with the criminal exclaiming, "and I would've gotten away with it if it wasn't for those pesky kids." Or some version thereof.

I can relate to the criminals... I kept saying that over and over while the kiddos were off school. I'd start working on a project, and wham! "Mom, she bit me!" "Mom, she said I was ugly." "Mom, she won't help me clean." "Mom, I need some milk." "Mom, I'm hungry."

Needless to say, I've gotten little done over the past few days.

Recently, on the ACFW loop, people were discussing the idea of being a SAHM and trying to get writing done. A lot of folks talked about what they do to facilitate writing and kids.

I've shared a lot with you all about my Panera time, Starbucks visits, and my beloved Denny's. That's how I get my writing done. With the kiddos off school, I didn't get my two Panera days and I'm hurting for it. I didn't get the writing done I needed, and it's been driving me crazy. Those pesky kids!

I finally resorted to bribery. If they let me have my writing time, I'd bake cookies with them. It sort of worked. We baked cookies, but I didn't get as much writing done as I would have liked. But that's okay.

The reality of being a writing mom who also works the tax season is that I don't always get to write as much as I'd like. However, I'm learning to balance the realities of parenting with the realities of being me. It's important to set boundaries with my kids to let them know writing is important to me. I want them to know that dreams are important and require hard work. Just because I'm "mom" doesn't mean I don't have dreams. More importantly, as I model the behavior of what it takes to achieve dreams. How else will my kids learn that the things they want to do with their lives aren't going to just land in their laps? But I also want them to know that they are important to me. I've always got time for a cuddle, and some of my best stuff is written with a kiddo on my lap.

So what about you? How do you balance the demands of parenting and working towards your goals?

Thirteen Things about Valentine's Day Chocolate It's a VDay Standard... but do you know what's good? 1. Tim Tams. Technically only available in Australia (but really, how romantic would THAT be to have a guy go all the way there to get you chocolate), however, my good friend found them for sale at Cost Plus World Market under the name Arnott's biscuits. 2. Dagoba Organic Chocolate. YUM!! Not only is it good for the earth, but good for you, too! The lavender is my favorite. 3. Chocolate dipped fruit. Doubly good for you. 4. Godiva. Need I say more? 5. Chocolate Fondue. 6. Chocolate body paint. For the adventurous. Personally, I'd go with real melted chocolate, because the stuff you buy for the body tastes a little like plastic. 7. Hot chocolate. Made the real way, on the stove, with milk. None of that powder stuff, tyvm. Topped with whipped cream. 8. M&Ms... while not pure chocolate, I have a weakness for the peanut ones. 9. Chocolate covered pretzels. I love the chocolate/sweet/salty combo. 10. Ghirardelli. Again, I don't really need to say much more, except I'll be in San Fransisco in July, and you can bet that'll be one of my stops. 11. Chocolate covered espresso beans. There's a great place in SD that makes 'em. 12. Chocolate dipped biscotti. Goes great with tea. 13. Really, any good quality dark chocolate will do.

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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My first in three weeks. I am so happy. I slept in, cleaned house, and that's about it.

I've been thinking a lot about the idea of Sabbath, maybe because I haven't had the choice of one in a long time, and I've realized that there's a good reason for it. I am, by nature, an introvert. Now, those of you who know me in cyber-space or see me at the occasional writer's group meetings or conferences might argue that fact. There's a girl in my small group who insists I can't possibly be an introvert. Trust me. I am.

Today, That Man wanted to go to some home improvement place to buy shelving stuff to build some shelves for the playroom. I'm envisioning this really cool Pottery Barn Kids thing I saw with a little seat. I did not want to go. I wanted to stay inside my beautiful, almost clean house and not have to deal with another living human being. So there I am, looking at shelving things that look nothing like the Pottery Barn picture because they're all in pieces, and I just wanted to sit on the floor, put my hands over my ears and cry like a baby. I conned my kiddos into being mostly quiet by playing "the quiet game" and staying silent until I said they could talk again to win a prize. We finally went home, and I sent them off to buy drinks for tonight, and I just sat there, on the couch, enjoying being completely alone.

I wonder what it would be like, to have a day, just like God did, where you could sit and do absolutely nothing. Not have to go chasing off to home improvement whatnots, pick up girl scout cookies (did that today too), make sure the bills get paid, scrub the toilets, figure out when we're going to buy valentines and make the silly little valentine box for school, and oh, yeah, since my Lent thing has been narrowed down to spending time in Scripture, get right on that one. The truth is, even if I had a real day off, I don't think I'd know what to do with myself. I've filled my life with so much busy-ness that as much as I crave calm, I go a little nuts when faced with the prospect. I have too much to do in too little time.

Today, my wonderful Man surprised me. As part of our church's Lenten experience, we're doing a silent retreat. Forty hours of not speaking. Of not having to worry about the laundry, what's for dinner, whether or not the kiddo wiped her butt, where the best price on lumber is, and how I'm going to get it all together to make sure every little thing is done just right. I asked him earlier in the week if I could go, and he did his usual "maybe" thing. Tonight, he said yes. I'm part excited, part freaked out. But mostly, craving that time for just me and God.

I don't know what your schedule looks like. For a lot of you, it's either as crazy as or even more crazy than mine. I hope you'll find a way to step back, take a deep breath, and give yourself a break. We all need one.

Yesterday, I posted a TT on Lent. Mostly because it was timely, but also because it's on my mind a lot. Our church is doing something called Project Forty in celebration of the Lenten season. I admit, I worked the night they launched it. In case you've been on the moon the past few weeks, this is the peak of tax season for me. I haven't had a day off in almost three weeks, and I've been pulling 40+ hour weeks. And that's just at the tax job. Some part time job, eh? Ah well, it's only a few weeks a year.

Anyway... I'm digressing. I do that a lot. Particularly when sleep deprived.

I've been in this frame of mind for a while now, beginning with the New Year. Everyone makes resolutions that statistics show end up being broken within a matter of weeks. I decided I didn't want to make any resolutions, but I did want to grow. I just didn't know what that meant for me.

Then, I saw a program on TV about the end of the world. Not that I believe in all these theories or anything, but I found myself asking, "what if?" What if the world did end when all these prophecies say it will? 12/21/12 (the latest doomsday) isn't all that far away. If the world ended on that day, am I okay with how I've lived my life? Can I face that end with confidence?

Now, I'm not talking about salvation here. I'm talking about my own integrity as a human being and follower of Christ. Have I lived my life in such a way that I can stand in front of God knowing that I made the most of the life I was given? Do I have regrets? Are they things I can do differently now?

So there I was, at Lent, and I started researching Lent to have something clever to post on TT other than how exhausted I am. What struck me the most was reading about Ash Wednesday, and how the ashes represent the sin and fallen condition of man. In Biblical times, people covered themselves in ashes when they fell into a deep state of sorrow for their transgressions. I did not attend a service or have ashes placed on my forehead. And yet, I feel the deep sorrow of knowing my sins. And hungrily desiring to be better.

Like with New Year's, I'm not focusing my Lenten season on some grand "giving up" or "adding a discipline." If that's your thing, that's great. But to me, there's something empty about having a little list to check off. I'm hungering for deep, spiritual fulfillment. I don't want to spend forty days doing something just to do it. I want to come through this season changed for the better. More importantly, I don't want it to end with the celebration of Our Savior's resurrection. I want to continually grow in who I am in Christ. I want to live my life mindful of the fact that not one of us knows the day or hour, and that when my hour comes, I want to be able to stand in front of the Lord unashamed.

Thirteen Things about Lent Since today (yesterday now) is the start of the Lenten season, I thought I'd share some things about Lent. 1. For most Christians, it the a season of 40 days of fasting and prayer before Easter. 2. In most western Christian traditions, Sundays don't count towards the 40 days because they celebrate the resurrection of Christ. 3. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, a day of reflection on what we need to do to change and grow as Christians. 4. Ash Wednesday got its name from the tradition of placing ashes on people's foreheads as a sign of mourning for sin. 5. Forty is an important symbolic number in the Bible: it often symbolizes discipline and preparation. 6. Many people will either give up something in observance of Lent or take on a new spiritual discipline. 7. Three important elements of celebrating Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, showing justice to God, ourselves, and others. 8. Roman Catholics see Lent as an important part of their tradition, while most Protestants see it as a choice. 9. Sundays are feast days, so there is no fasting on Sundays. 10. Palm Sunday is the last Sunday before Easter, celebrating Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the beginning of Holy Week. 11. The Thursday before Easter is known as Maundy Thursday, which is when Jesus and his disciples celebrated the last supper. 12. Some Christians will celebrate with a Seder meal, honoring the Passover, which is what Jesus and his disciples were celebrating with the last supper. 13. Good Friday is the next day, commemorating the crucifixion and burial of Jesus.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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