Some Bunny That I Used to Know: A MUST SEE!

Happy Easter Ya'll! 

I'm "hopping" you guys love to laugh as much as I do. Check out this funny Easter Themed Spoof made by some great friends of mine, and talented musicians, Matt & Joanna Black! When you get a chance, stop by Matt & Joanna's page...they are INCREDIBLE people making AMAZING music!!

Beating the Easter Blues: What to Do While Your Honey's Away



It's difficult to celebrate Special Occasions and Holidays when your spouse is deployed, or away for training. It's hard to feel like celebrating when the one you love can't be there to join in on the traditions, fun and laughter.

picture from www.dreamstime.com

With Easter next week, I can't stop from wondering what our family would be doing this year if my husband were home. Where would we have went for Easter dinner? Together, we would have taken the kids to see the Passion Play at our church, and together we would talk to them about the importance of Easter in our Christian faith. I wonder how many ugly eggs my hubby and the kids would insist on coloring? Where could we hide the eggs that would keep the kids busy long enough for he and I to raid their Easter baskets, lol....we would NEVER do that.

The memories keep me going through times like this; I'd say they keep most of us going during the deployment. My memories equal hope. I think of the good times, how they make me feel, the laughs that were shared, and those memories allow me to hope for the future--that there will be even more good times to come. Easter is a good time to be filled with hope; after all, Easter is all about hope.

There are many Military families missing their loved ones this year, I just want to take a minute and encourage you. Hang in there. In the words of my Momma, "Paste that smile on, and go on." Acknowledge that you don't feel like celebrating. Cry about it if you must over a bag of those awesome Hershey candy coated eggs and a glass of milk (I may or may not have done that, lol). Once you've acknowledged these feelings, go on and get your celebrate on! Make yourself if you have to, because you need to, because your children need you to, because the others going through the same battle need you to.

Think of the good times and know more are on their way.

Beat the Easter Blues: Tips for Making this a Memorable Easter Even With Your Spouse Afar:

1.  Find a church to attend for Easter Sunday: If you haven't heard about the hope Easter is about, it's about time you heard it. :)
2.  If you're close to family, go home and hang out with them.
3.  If you're far from family, get together with friends and play games, talk, eat, laugh, hunt for eggs!
4. Color Easter Eggs with your family, or start a new Easter Deployment Tradition; maybe it's making a special breakfast, or playing bunny freeze tag where everyone hops around like bunnies---it's a blast and a calorie blaster! Be creative, and have fun.
5. Talk openly with your kids about the deployment, and how they feel about their parent missing Easter and other special occasions. Have them think of things they will do next year when their soldier is home.
6. Remember that traveling any road alone is lonely; if you're feeling down or need to share some exciting news, there's nothing like a good friend to do life with. If you don't already have someone you can confide in while your hubby/spouse is gone, and even when they're home, I would highly suggest you pray God sends you one.
7. HAVE FUN! Whatever you do this Easter, and while your soldier is deployed, try to have fun and laugh. Anytime your soldier is away, is just plain stressful. Laughter is a good prescription for stress.

A Tale of Forgiveness via the Deaths of Sea Monkeys

Ugh. I'm a sea monkey killer. Admitting is the first step to healing. lol.  



picture from wordpress.com

What a week my friends! I'm looking at a pile of clothes that need to be folded, game pieces tossed about in the floor. Nice. My house looks lived in right now. Inviting, but lived in. Maybe I should light an apple scented candle? It's nap time here at the Conway house--Thank you JESUS for naptime! Though the house is quiet, I can't seem to shake the thought that on my table, swimming about in a make shift tiny tank, are several tiny sea monkeys on the verge of death because I threw away their food by mistake. A few have already perished from starvation...ugh...I'm drenched in guilt. Did you know that not even Walmart sells Sea Monkey food?? I've been all over the place trying to find what these critters need to survive and NO ONE sells it. By the time I've ordered special sea monkey food, they will have all died. I might as well go ahead and give myself a new title to accompany Christian, Army Wife & Mother: Sea Monkey killer.

It was an honest accident. Not like the time I "accidentally" broke my son's flute, or the time I "accidentally" ripped a larger hole in my husband's favorite Khaki shorts he had been wearing since high school--those things HAD to go. I honestly did not mean to throw away the sea monkey food.

My son will be heartbroken to know there are only five little monkeys left--no they're not jumping on the bed. Stop smiling, it's not funny. :)

I'm going to have to ask for his forgiveness. Though it's trivial, and these little critters are just some  microscopic floating specks, I feel terrible that they are going to die, and even more terrible at how upset my son will be. It seems lately I've had to ask his forgiveness a lot.

• I'm sorry I raised my voice at you. Please forgive me.
• I'm sorry I kissed you in front of your friends. Please forgive me.
• I'm sorry I wasn't listening well when you were trying to tell me something. Please forgive me.
• I'm sorry I ate your Popsicle when you went to the bathroom. It was staring at me. Please for forgive me.
• I'm sorry I lost your reading book list; I'll make another one. Please forgive me.

And now: "I'm sorry I starved your sea monkeys to death. Please forgive me."

My son is always very eager to forgive me. He may be sad about what's happened, but he's always ready to forgive when I ask. I love that quality about him, and I wish I were more like him in that regard.

Am I always so willing to forgive? No. Such a bummer. Sometimes I think it's because I don't know who my anger or frustration is towards. It's not always a person that offends me, but rather, it's the circumstances of life. It's when you find out your husband may be home early from deployment and then the plans change. It's when unexpected, inconvenient things happen that can cause an unforgiving attitude to take hold. In those instances, there is no one in particular that unforgiveness is directed towards, so is there still a need to ask for forgiveness?

Definitely.

Unforgiveness can lead to depression, rage, bitterness, resentment, negativity, stress and stress related illnesses, as well as a host of other emotional problems. Forgiving doesn't have to have a person involved. Forgiving is about letting go of the right to stay offended over a wrong committed against you in order to live a full life without some stormy cloud following you around. It took me awhile to learn this concept, and it's taken even longer to put it into practice. What can I say? I'm a work in progress.

My son's got this whole forgiveness thing down pat. I think I may take notes from him tonight when I ask for his forgiveness again.

Poor Sea Monkeys. Should I hold a funeral for them?

Author and Guest, Jessica R. Patch with Writing Tips for All!

Spring is just around the corner. Spring cleaning anyone? Well, I'd rather clean up my writing than my home, so that's why Jessica R. Patch is stopping by my blog today. She is a very special lady with a lot of valuable information on writing...the do's, the don'ts...the in's and outs. She will have your manuscript sparkling in no time!

Jessica, thank you for being on today!

Cleaning Out the Funk

by: Jessica R. Patch

Thank you, Hannah, for hosting me today!

When my house is clutter free and clean, a candle burning—the scent of apples and cinnamon lingering in the air—everything seems right. I can settle in on my couch and feel guilt-free for anything I want to do: read, watch a movie, take a nap etc…

Our manuscripts are much like our home. We spend a lot of time on them. We live through our characters. We smell what they smell, we live where they live. And we want our readers to do the same thing.

It’s important to de-clutter, dust, vacuum, and sweep away everything that doesn’t belong. We want our stories to be welcoming, inviting, and a place for readers to settle in—guilt-free—and enjoy the time they spend experiencing our “home” for however long it takes to read it cover to back.

Here are a few “cleaning” tips to help polish your manuscript:

The first thing I do when I clean my house is pick up the big things and put them where they go. Bags of chips and cereal boxes on the counter go in the pantry. Shoes, clothing, coats that the kids strung across the living room have to go!

1.      Remove and organize the big stuff first. Print your manuscript if you can. If not, maybe you have a Kindle. You can load it onto your Kindle or iPad (Kindle app needed) for free! Make the font bigger. (You can also zoom in and change the font for a fresh eye on your computer if the two above aren’t possible for you.) Read through just like you would someone else’s book and pull out plot slips, contradictions, discover plot holes and make notes. Does your character stay true to who they are? If not, de-clutter the manuscript. Do you realize you don’t need 4 POVs to tell the story? Delete! Cover the big stuff first.

I always dust before I vacuum.

2.      Dust away the –ly words and filler words. It’s important to make your writing tight. Powerful. Give your reader an experience not just a story to read. First do a search on “ly” and look at how many –ly words you have! Then see if you can find a powerful action verb to replace it. For example:

John softly crossed the room. He didn’t want to wake Annabeth.

We can turn this into something stronger by using a word that will help the reader experience the story better.

John tiptoed across the room. Annabeth still slept. (I also restructured the last sentence to go deeper in John’s POV—but that’s another post!) Tiptoed gives a better visual of what John is doing, doesn’t it?

Filler words are words that you don’t really need. Can you find the filler word in the sentence I just wrote? Yep, it’s “really.” If you can say a sentence and get your meaning across without words like: really, very, just, quite, etc…then delete the filler word.  

3.      Vacuum overused words and phrases.

Chances are you’ll get attached to certain words and phrases. I’m editing my latest manuscript and I’ve found that most of my characters want to shrug and turn the corner of their mouth up. Once you see a word or phrase two or three times, make a note. Then do a search of those words and phrases. Pull out the thesaurus, in print or online, and start looking for synonyms or have them do something else.

Your character might be a shrugger and he/she does it often. That’s fine. Just make sure not all your characters are shrugging, or biting their lip, or raising their brows. You get the picture.

There are a lot of things you can do to clean up your manuscript, but these are only a few. Happy cleaning! And if you need someone to partner with you to help you polish and shine your manuscript, see my critiquing & editing page at www.jessicarpatch.com I’d love to work with you!

BIO

Jessica R. Patch writes inspirational contemporary romance with plenty of mystery and suspense. A passion to draw women into intimacy with God keeps her motivated, along with heaping cups of caffeine in the form of coffee. When she’s not hunched over her laptop or teaching the new & growing believer's class at her church, you can find her sneaking off to movies with her husband, embarrassing her daughter in unique ways, beating her son at board games and contemplating how to get rid of her irksome dog (she hasn’t attempted any of them…yet). She is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary Agency.

Connect with Jessica at her website, facebook, and twitter @jessicarpatch!

Healthy from the Inside Out--Minus the Parasites

Taking time for yourself is a must. We all need rest and rejuvenation. I decided to take time for myself by spending a rest filled and rejuvenating spa weekend with my best gal pals in the world at Retreat in the Country in Frankfort, Indiana.  A big shout out to the Morgan's for the best weekend ever--well, best weekend ever until Stephen gets back home. Another big shout out to my Mom and Dad who watched my kiddos for the entire weekend! My family is amazing!


This was no ordinary spa. Oh yes I detoxed, and learned what it means to eat clean, but to be completely honest, this past weekend was more like spiritual retreat. Where do I even begin? Let's start with the blood!
The owner of the spa, Mrs. Kim Dunn, took a sample of my blood and was able to tell me things about my health that was...well...terrifying....incredible...and all together enlightening. Scripture says that life is in the blood. I'm even more convinced!

 The needle stung more than I thought it would. No judging. 

Check out the computer screen. Yup. That's my blood frolicking around. Did you know red blood cells glow! It was so amazing to see!

What did my blood reveal about my health? Ugh. I really don't want to tell you but I have to. Embarrassment aside for the good of all those reading, I learned that I have heavy metals in my blood/body. How did they get there? Yeah, I asked that too. Well, the environment, canned foods (tomatoes are the worse), tap water, any vaccines or flu shots I may have had, hair coloring, skin and hair products, and painting. I use Shaklee all natural cleaners, so I know that no metals or chemicals were in my blood from cleaners. These metals need to come out A: for my brain health and prevention of Alzheimer's, and B: to get rid of my fat cells. These metals are hanging around in my fat cells living it up, making me jiggle, and I've had it with them! So I'm getting rid of those bad boys with ionic foot baths, infra red saunas, and a heavy metal detox spray . Children with Autism often have high amounts of heavy metals in their blood. A heavy metal detox is often beneficial for children with Autism. 

What else did my blood tell me? 

"You're healthy!" She tells me, and then dives into a list of not so good things about my blood that made my skin crawl...

• She could tell that I have been under stress for a very long time. Um, yes, aren't we all? Stress is such a killer! It leads to 80% or more of diseases. SO...I have to work on deep breathing and making sure I'm getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night.
• My body really likes and needs more vitamin B, which I knew. 
• I have distress in my right lung more than likely from air pollution and being around second hand smoke. Nice. 
• I have undigested fat floating around in my blood like they're having a block party or something! This means I'm having a digestive issue and should take a digestive enzyme. Will do.
• I need to cut my carbs. I thought eating multi-grain stuff was okay...guess I eat too much of it.
• And um...I have parasites. UGH! I'm so disgusted with myself. Apparently most people have them. Most, if not all pet owners have them. Cat people are worse, lol. You get parasites from shaking hands, sharing drinks/food, touch shopping carts, letting your pets lick you and basically anywhere people are gathered. Yes, even church. No one wants bugs, and these parasites take joy in sucking the nutrients from our body. Click here for symptoms of parasites. I say, death to them all! How to get rid of them? Up your raw garlic and onion intake. There is also an herbal remedy by Pure Herbs, Ltc. called W.-W, that I'm giving to the kiddos right now and putting in the dog's water.  
• On a positive note, she really liked the vitamins I take....

 Gross stuff coming out of my body during the detoxing ionic foot bath

Me getting ready for the best massage in the world!

I'm not new to natural health and wellness, by any means. I've been a Shaklee distributor for awhile and have had the privilege of helping others create a healthy and happy home the natural way. However, what I learned this this weekend was like adding a new dimension to what it really means to be healthy, and I have been left even more in awe at the intricate way in which God designed our bodies and intended them to function. It's difficult for me to try to cram everything I learned this weekend  into a blog post. To help summarize I think I'm gonna use those oh so trustworthy bullet points. 

• Drinking hot lemon water 20 minutes before breakfast not only helps with digestion but it helps to cleanse the liver and gallbladder. 
• Ice cold water helps you lose weight, but should be consumed in the afternoon. Drinking too much ice water over stimulates your body and can weaken it.
• Room temperature water is good for hydrating the body
• Drink purified water. This place had a filter that would put back in the important minerals we needed. It rocked! Literally, it had rocks in it.
• Use Sea Salt when cooking. It has the minerals our body needs and table salt does not.
• Whole milk is better for our body than skim or 2 %. Taking the fat out of milk just makes it like drinking sugar and sugar is the anti-nutrient. She buys her milk from the Amish.
• We should eat foods as close to the way God made them. Raw veggies, raw fruits. She said that if milk naturally has fat in it, then that's the way we should drink it. Everything in moderation of course.
• Some veggies, like broccoli, unlock more nutrients when steamed that we couldn't get if we ate them raw.
• Most, if not all American's should take a digestive enzyme. I can hook you guys up with that, click here.
• Chewing your food thoroughly is the first process of digestion. Enzymes in our saliva start the digestion process, so busy Mom's like me, HAVE to remember to slow down and chew!
• Everything is made of energy. With that said, negative emotions can be stored in our body and cause health problems. When the Bible talks about unforgiveness being a bad thing, that goes for our health too. 
• Positive emotions are also stored in our bodies. A good thing. When the Bible talks about thinking on good, pure, noble things, there's a health benefit that goes with thinking positive. 
• Our blood type actually gives us a HUGE clue as to how we should eat. I dare you to google "Eat right for your blood type." 
• No one should ever eat pork. Sigh. I miss bacon already. When God gave strict food laws to the Jewish people there were medical reasons behind everything He said NOT to eat. Pork happens to be an animal infested with parasites. Yes, the parasites die when the meat is cooked, but their bodies still remain and so do all of the toxins from their little parasite poo poo.  
• Anything fried is toxic to the body and you are literally eating cancer causing agents. Ugh. Huff. Goodbye my deep fried fatty filled foods.

My brain hurts from revisiting all of this information! I highly encourage you to check out the Retreat in the Country and the services they offer, and if you lovely people ever have any health and wellness questions, shoot'em my way. I'm happy to help.  I hope you are able to take away something that will help to make you and your family healthy from the inside out ---minus the parasites. :) 

Me and The Morgan's rested up, rejuvenated and ready to take on the world! 

Meal Planning Can Save Your Life

image from momables.com

I feel the need to apologize for falling off the grid for a couple of weeks. My family and I were viciously assaulted by the flu! Oh, you don't want details. Just know that it was super ugly and I will never, EVER,  roll my eyes at cheesy flu commercials again. On a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst experience ever, one being the best, I'm gonna go with a big fat twenty. I would rather be in labor again than have the flu.

Thank heavens for freezer meals, and the love of friends, or my poor kids would have starved if they could have kept anything down in the first place. God is so good to surround me with amazing friends who have helped fill in the gaps while Stephen is deployed.

SO! Let's talk about meal planning for a moment since we left off with freezer meals last time. I've menu planned for a very long time, but will admit, have fallen off that bandwagon with a thud since Stephen deployed. I've used menu planning time to wallow around in my sorrow, but NO MORE! (I'm smashing my fist on a pillow so you know it's serious).  A great friend of mine, Army Wife, former soldier, and stay at home mother of four, Katy Burns is the go-to person for menu planning.This woman is who I want to be when I grow up. She has so graciously given me tips to share with you AND she has even supplied me with months of awesomely detailed menu plans to help organize your life and fatten your wallet! Win win!

Katy's Menu Planning Tips:
*Know your busy days and prepare quick meals for those days, ie: which day the kids have extracurricular  church, etc.; peanut butter sandwiches, and many sandwiches can be made in advanced. Peanut butter sandwiches freeze and un-thaw well. Homemade freezer meals are great to have on hand too.
*Build in a left over day. No one ever died from eating leftovers--did they? This de-clutters your fridge, teaches the kids not to waste, and it's a built in meal day with little prep for you.
*Have theme days ex: Mexican Monday, Italian Tuesdays; you don't have to eat tacos and spaghetti every Monday and Tuesday but on those days you know you will be having something Mexican and something Italian.
*The key to saving money is to make your meals at home. It doesn't take much time to plan.
*Plan how many days a month/week you will eat for lunch and dinner. This really does help you save.
*You can menu plan according to your pay check, like meals for the next 2 weeks or meals for the next month depending on when you get paid.
*Get meal ideas from Pinterest, your favorite magazines etc. and then organize them in a folder or on pinterest you can create a meal board or menu planning board. You can keep reusing the meals that work best for your family when menu planning so you're not having to come up with new stuff all of the time.
*Keep your pantry stocked with the following:
-All purpose flour
-Granulated sugar
-Fruit Snacks: Great to grab and Go
-Elbow Macaroni: very versatile; use in goulash, soups, mac and cheese, pasta salads, marinara and noodles
-Mustard: Can be used in barbecue, rubs, pasta salads
-Chocolate Chips: Keep at least 3 bags; you never know when you have to whip up some cookies, muffins, pancakes, pies etc.

Here are a few Monthly Menu Plans from Katy's Collection to Get You Started!
February 2012 Menu
March 2012 Menu
July 2012 Menu

Thanks Katy for sharing this helpful information!

Freeing Up Dinner Time with Freezer Meals

Picture take from
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/
Cooking-Style/Freezer-Meal-Recipes?keycode=ZPIN1012

There's a slew of info on freezer meals floating on the web. Geez-o-pete--like A TON of info! Just type in Freezer meals as a Pinterest search and your computer may or may not break down from all of the recipes cluttering the screen. Just warning you.

Though I've never liked the thought of freezer meals...ugh, anything frozen and not fresh upsets my pallet, I have to admit freezer meals, WHEN MADE, are rather tasty, healthy (can be), and convenient. Life is busy. I don't have to tell you that. With Stephen being deployed, life seems to be a bit busier. It's difficult admitting I need help, and even more difficult to ask for help, but if I don't want to turn into a tyrannical-crazy-haired-lunatic mom, I need to just admit I cannot do it all, and do things that will lighten my load--even if that means embracing freezer meals. Hey, it works!

I've menu planned for years! It makes life easier, and you really do save money. CHA CHING!  I'm hoping to share some great info on menu planning soon. Stay tuned! Anyway, I just add freezer meals to our family menu on the days they would be most convenient ie. if Wednesdays are hectic, or I know we a school play Monday night, etc.   Most of these meals  can be split into two or even three meals (we eat less when Stephen is gone). I can use those meals for another night of the month, the next month, 3 months later,  or give those meals away to someone who just had a baby or another family going through a deployment. Freezer meals can bless your belly and bless others! Who knew a freezer meal could be so spiritual? lol.

Great blog on all things freezer meals, recipes included! Click here!

A great friend of mine, fellow Army Wife and Freezer Meal Guru (That's my title for her), Lindsey Carl  has some great tips on Freezer Cooking. Check out what she has to say below:


 Freezer Meal Cooking is not a one-size-fits all! There are many ways to freezer cook!

• Double duty – easiest and most painless way to fill your freezer is to double tonight’s dinner and freeze the extra!
• Short by Sweet – mini sessions are short cooking sessions focused on a certain protein or main ingredient. This is typically done once a week. 
• “Once a Month” Cooking- with careful planning, 4-6 hours one day can result in a month’s work of meals, the key is to have a great cooking plan! The key is to at least tripling a recipe. It really doesn’t save you anytime if you make 1 of 12 different meals rather than 3 of 4 different meals!

Plan for success – Steps for a Successful Freezer Meal Session

• Choose the Freezer Meal cooking method that works best for you and your family! If you are brand new, start small and grow to being a “once a month” mom. Start by doubling your recipes and gradually grow as you feel more confident.
• Get organized! Every session begins with a plan, which includes a shopping list and a prep list.
• Consolidate ingredients common to several recipes.  Be sure you know exactly what you need and where to find everything before you go shopping. 
• For example, your grocery shopping list might look something like: 

                        Onions llll …meaning you need to buy 4 onions
                        Cheddar Cheese Illll ll …meaning you need enough for 7 cups of shredded cheese
                        Ground Beef lll …meaning you need 3 pounds of ground beef
                        Garlic l …meaning you need 1 head of garlic (I personally like minced garlic the best)

• Go shopping! Take you list and buy your groceries!
• Follow your prep list to chop dice, and otherwise organize your ingredients. 
• Your master prep list might look like this:

                    — cook 4 cups beans
                    — cook & chop 6-8 cups chicken
                    — cook 1 cup rice
                    — shred blocks of cheddar cheese
                    — chop 3 onions
                    — chop 5 cloves of garlic
                    — make pizza dough
                    — thaw ground beef for meatloaf
                    — brown 4 lbs. ground beef
                    — boil noodles for lasagna

• Label bags, assemble recipes, and freeze. 
• Your master cook list might look something like this:

                      — Do all prep work
                     — Mix up pancake batter/butterhorns
                     — Make broccoli & double cheese calzones
                     — Make lasagnas
                     — Make chicken & red bean burritos & brown bag burritos
                     — Make white bean & chicken chili
                     — Make cheesburger meatloaf
                     —Make taco meat
                     — Make lemon chicken

***Helpful Tips for Packing and Freezing***

• Freezer bags are key! Make sure you remove as much air as possible from the food in order to prevent ice crystals!
• Glad Bakeware is awesome! It can be put in the freezer and oven!
• Heat & Eat! Thaw entrees as you need weeknight meals. Once defrosted, you can quickly prepare home-cooked meals for your family – even on the busiest nights!

Common Questions

• What if I have limited freezer space?
• Choose recipes for dishes that are easily stored in plastic freezer bags tahter than making dishes. Freeze these entrees flat, and once they are frozen, line them up vertically like you would books on a bookshelf. 
• Make only 1 or 2 recipes at a time
• Pick recipes with lower yields. 
• Consider trading with a friend to maximize variety while conserving freezer space
• What can I freeze?
• Short answer. A lot! There are countless recipes on Pinterest, cookbooks, and the web for freezer cooking, but most of your favorite meals can be frozen. Meatloaf, meatballs, hamburger patties, marinated meat & poultry, casseroles, lasagna, enchiladas, stews, soups, and chili to name a few!
• What can’t you freeze?
• Here are a few things better left unfrozen: uncooked potatoes, anything with mayonnaise (including dips, chicken salad, casseroles, etc.), lettuce greens, and other raw veggies, block & sliced cheese
• Will my food taste funny? 
• Often people worry that their frozen foods will have a funny taste or develop unsightly ice crystals. These problems are easily avoided if the food is cooled, packaged, and stored correctly. The cooler the food is before it goes in the freezer, the faster it will freeze and prevent the crystals, therefore putting your meal in the fridge before the freezer is always a good idea!

Branding Myself

At the suggestion of a sweet friend, I'm trying my hand at "author branding." 

Branding brings an image to mind of a red hot rod being jabbed onto the hind quarters of a cow. Nice. Now, I'm a cow. Great.  Author branding, so I'm learning, is basically all about turning myself into a logo. My readers should know what it is I write about. Ugh...that's hard for me, 'cause I write about all sorts of random things, lol. BUT after some soul searching, and many trips to my Keurig, I think I have found my author identity or my logo if you will. I'm a Christian...can't hide that. I'm also an Army Wife...can't get around that.  I'm an activist at heart. Injustice brings out the insane momma bear in me...can't tame that. All of these elements that make me who I am pop up in my Fiction writing and my blogging. So, without further adieu, I am Hannah Conway, Contemporary Fiction Author, Letting Freedom Ring~Galatians 5:13!!  Notice the dual meaning of letting freedom ring? The patriotic and spiritual connotations?

Ugh. I didn't hear any applause at my reveal, lol. No laughing, it's my first go at author branding. Now I just need to learn how to make my blog POP! I need more techy friends.
Thoughts??

The Deployment Ride

It's been right at three months since Stephen deployed--6 more to go! Six months sounds like a long time, but I won't complain, it could be worse. The last deployment ended up being 15 months--ugh--so 6 more months is so doable!

Since he has been gone, I've been working on my Deployment Bucket List that I created. :)  To read more on that, click here.  Meh, it's coming along. I have cleaned the garage, which ended up being a terrifying experience after I uncovered the world's last known prehistorically large centipede hanging out behind some boxes. Yeah, I totally screamed. Just like I wanted, I turned portions of the kitchen into chalkboards, YAY, and I have been slowly redecorating our bedroom. Still on the high priority end is to update the kiddo's rooms! 

On this deployment I have learned how to use a saw and drill without destroying my project. I have learned how to change air filters! I've learned the power of meal planning! I've also learned how to make a few mean freezer meals--I will totally share those recipes with you all soon! A lesson that I continue to learn is just how  "enough" God is for me when I'm laying in bed at night wishing Stephen was cuddled next to me, or when I'm drained from a day of chasing sticky, screaming kids...God is enough. He provides enough energy for me, enough rest, enough peace, enough protection. He provides me with enough of everything to get me through the next day, and the next, and the next.  There have been highs and lows on this deployment ride, and there will be more, but I know that God will always be enough and all that I need to get me through.  

I've also  learned that the greatest way to make the best of this crazy deployment ride is by sharing the journey. A portion of sharing that journey has opened up several windows of opportunity, to include the world of writing. Yep, I did it! I completed a novel and am working tirelessly to find a publisher to sweep me off my feet. My first interview went out recently, check it out by clicking here! :) 

Six more months to go...bring it! 

Guest & Author Pam Hillman, Claiming Mariah

Welcome Pam!! :) Thanks for joining us!

Shelf Life

By Pam Hillman

The men in my family are sticklers about the dates on canned goods. If the date is expired on a can of vegetables, they won’t eat them. Expired ketchup? Fuh-get-about-it! Mayonaise? You’ve GOT to be kidding?

But don’t expect them to actually open the oldest bottle first. Oh no! That would take way too much time and thought. No, they grab the newest one...unless I hide it. Just sayin’

Big ticket items like cars and homes kinda have a shelf life. I mean it’s not stamped on your house, “will expire in 40 years”, but eventually these material things will become run-down, decay, wear out. Even stone castles don’t last forever.

You would think that our very lives have a shelf life. I mean we’re born, we grow, learn, advance in age, then end up as senior citizens, and pass on from this life. But do we really have a shelf life? Can anybody put a stamp on us that says, “you’re done”?

No, not really. God is the only one who can put a time stamp on us, and even then, we’re not “done for”. As long as we put our trust in God, we’ll never, EVER be done for. We’ll spend the rest of eternity in Heaven with Him. Wow! Christians have a shelf life that extends into eternity and beyond. Now that a shelf life to get excited about, isn’t it?

While you savor that tidbit, let’s focus on books for a moment. Print books can have a long, healthy shelf life if properly taken care of, but they do age after time. The pages become brittle, the binding loose, spines stiff. So, yeah, sad to say, but books have a shelf life.

Ebooks have burst on the scene in the last few years, so it will be interesting to see what kind of shelf life they have. They won’t face the same decaying forces of humidity, or dry air, or neglect that cause print books to decay, but they might encounter changes in software and hardware that might make them obsolete over time. Looking at it from this side of the fence, it looks like ebooks will have a long and productive shelf life.

Purchase

My current novel, Claiming Mariah, is an ebook from Tyndale House. I definitely want it to have a long shelf life, as an ebook and as a print book someday. My debut novel, Stealing Jake, released in July, 2011, and it’s still clocking along nicely eighteen months later. With a click of a button, fans can download either book instantly.

And that kind of shelf life makes me smile.

~

Pam Hillman was born and raised on a dairy farm in Mississippi and spent her teenage years perched on the seat of a tractor raking hay. In those days, her daddy couldn’t afford two cab tractors with air conditioning and a radio, so Pam drove the Allis Chalmers 110. Even when her daddy asked her if she wanted to bale hay, she told him she didn’t mind raking. Raking hay doesn’t take much thought so Pam spent her time working on her tan and making up stories in her head. Now, that’s the kind of life every girl should dream of! Claiming Mariah is her second novel.

Pam is thrilled to announce the release of her second novel,

Claiming Mariah

To celebrate, Pam is giving away two eReaders

(choice of Kindle Wi-Fi, 6" Display, or Nook Simple Touch) to

Two Winners.

Two ways to win: Like Pam Hillman’s Author page on facebook and/or sign up for Pam’s newsletter.

Registering both places is not required but will double your chances of winning. Also keep in mind that you will receive updates more often being connected on facebook than through the newsletter. Just sayin’

Contest runs from January 1^st until March 31^st, 2013.

And....that’s not all! There will be prizes offered randomly during the tour. The best way to keep up with these is to check in regularly on the facebook page.

The Prize Vault is Open!

Like Pam’s facebook author page and click on Events to find out about current giveaways.

PREVIOUS STOPS ON TOUR – A Two-For-One

January 2^nd - http://southernwritersmagazine.blogspot.com/

January 2^nd: http://gingersolomon.blogspot.com/

NEXT STOP ON TOUR:

January 4^th: http://www.lorilynroberts.blogspot.com

Clickfor a Complete List of Stops Along the Tour

www.pamhillman.com

Keeping Your Kids Healthy Naturally: Interview with Lisa Smith

Today we welcome Lisa Smith, a Natural Health & Wellness Consultant with Shaklee for over 20 years. Lisa is here today to share with us about how she keeps her family healthy all year long naturally and provides a nice life for her family through Shaklee Health and Wellness Products. 

Lisa: That's right! First of all, thank you Hannah for inviting me on your blog! I know you love the Shaklee products as well and have had great results with your son who struggled with eczema. 
 

Yes, I love the products and my son doesn't struggle with eczema or earaches anymore. I could go on and on about Shaklee, but Lisa, I would love for you to share your story.  Would you begin by sharing with everyone what Shaklee is?
 



Lisa Smith and Family

Lisa: Well, Shaklee has been the nation's number one natural health and wellness company for over 50 years. The products are always safe, always natural and always guaranteed to work--we have the research from the nation's leading health professionals to prove it. Our products have even been featured on Oprah and Dr. Oz. 

                                         

  Click Here to See the Shaklee Difference

Thank you, Lisa. Can you tell us your story and how Shaklee has helped your family?

Lisa: Sure.  My father introduced me to Shaklee in 1985. He began using Shaklee Basic H which is a natural cleaning product, on his farmground as a soil enhancer. Shaklee nutrition made a big difference in the health of my parents as well.

I have been using Shaklee products for 25 years and have had great health benefits for myself and my family. We started our business with Shaklee along with my cosmetology career in 1984. I used the skincare and cosmetics on all of the clients in my salon. In 1992 I closed my hair salon and went full time in Shaklee. I have been a stay at home mom for the past 21 years enjoying a GREAT lifestyle along with our family.

We have 3 boys Joshua-21, Jacob-18, Noah-11. They have been raised on Shaklee products and have enjoyed great health. We have had only 2 antibiotics between the three boys in 21 years and only 1 of our sons has had an ear infection.

I have to interrupt here. Did you say in 21 years of parenting only one of your sons has had an ear infection and you have only had 2 antibiotic prescriptions.  That is unheard of!

Lisa: Yes, that's right. Just two antibiotics and one ear infection. You know, Hannah, God gave us awesome bodies and when we give them the nutrition they need, it's amazing what kind of healing can take place. 

How has Shaklee changed your family's life financially?

Lisa: Hannah, I can't even begin to tell you what a blessing this business has been. When my husband was laid off, our Shaklee income was all we had, and without it meant our family would have sunk. Right now I make over $100,000 every year and have made over a million dollars in this business since I started. I did all of this in the middle of a cornfield in Indiana all by just helping people out. When you share Shaklee, you change lives...you get to give health. I am the luckiest woman a live because I get to help others every single day and make a living doing it. So far,through Shaklee, we have been on 20 all expense paid trips from Shaklee including such beautiful places as: Maui, Hawaii, the Big Island of Hawaii, Hawaii, 5 Caribbean cruises, an Alaskan Cruise, Barcelona, Spain, San Diego, California, New Orleans, Louisianna, and Vancouver, Canada, and most recently Atlantis, Bahamas.

Our oldest son Joshua graduated with a Bachelors degree in animation from the Art Institute of Indianapolis. He recently became a FAST TRACK DIRECTOR and has decided to build a Shaklee business to help pay off his college debt! Our son Jacob also wants to build a Shaklee business when he turns 18 this summer! It is exciting when your children want to build a Shaklee career with you! 

We thank God everyday for our Shaklee business.

What advice would you give Momma's out there wanting to keep their family's healthy all year long the natural way?

Lisa: I would tell them to call you up right now Hannah and start their children out on the Shaklee products. Start with the cleaners. It's important to get the toxic things out of your home. Then move on the vitamins. I would love to talk with your viewers to share more info on Shaklee products.

Lisa, thank you for sharing with us today!

No problem!! Here's to your and your viewer's health! :) 

Lisa Would Love to Hear From You! Tell her Hannah says Hi!

Email: ljsmith9395@embarqmail.com 
Website: http://lsmith.myshaklee.com/us/en/about_our-shaklee-story.html

Sandy Hook Elementary Shootings

Picture taken from www.elmont.org

Our world is even more aware of the existence of evil, after the horrible tragedy on Friday that claimed the lives of 20 beautiful children and 6 brave adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Sending my son to school today was difficult. To see him get on the bus made me cringe.  I felt uneasy about sending my Second Grader to school. Was he going to be safe? I made myself nauseous mapping out ways that an intruder would be able to gain access to his room--it really would be all to easy. The truth is, it would be easy for someone to inflict damage on anyone of us if that was their intent. 

 As a nation, our hearts are broken for such devastating loss of innocence. Our children bring us such hope and joy. If adults could learn to harness the simple purity of a child's perspective on life, then the world would be a better place. Jesus knew what He was saying when He talked about having faith like a child. Children are what is good in this world, and worthy of our protection.

Many ask why God allows horrible things like this happen. They wonder where He was. I don't have the answers...I don't know why this happened. But I know that God is good and that people are not. 

Today, pray for the families of the victims. Pray that God surrounds them with His peace and comfort. Thank God that courage, and good still exists in this corrupt world and join me as I pray Psalm 91 over our children, our schools, our families, friends, and our country. 

Psalm 91

^1-13 You who sit down in the High God’s presence,
    spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow,
Say this: “God, you’re my refuge.
    I trust in you and I’m safe!”
That’s right—he rescues you from hidden traps,
    shields you from deadly hazards.
His huge outstretched arms protect you—
    under them you’re perfectly safe;
    his arms fend off all harm.
Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night,
    not flying arrows in the day,
Not disease that prowls through the darkness,
    not disaster that erupts at high noon.
Even though others succumb all around,
    drop like flies right and left,
    no harm will even graze you.
You’ll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance,
    watch the wicked turn into corpses.
Yes, because God’s your refuge,
    the High God your very own home,
Evil can’t get close to you,
    harm can’t get through the door.
He ordered his angels
    to guard you wherever you go.
If you stumble, they’ll catch you;
    their job is to keep you from falling.
You’ll walk unharmed among lions and snakes,
    and kick young lions and serpents from the path.

^14-16 “If you’ll hold on to me for dear life,” says God,
    “I’ll get you out of any trouble.
I’ll give you the best of care
    if you’ll only get to know and trust me.
Call me and I’ll answer, be at your side in bad times;
    I’ll rescue you, then throw you a party.
I’ll give you a long life,
    give you a long drink of salvation!”

Biblical UNICORNS!!

Taken from http://www.bbspot.com
/news/2005/01/tsunami_relief.html

What did I MOST want as a little girl?? A UNICORN!! I seriously begged God for a Unicorn!! Good grief those creatures are crazy beautiful! May I ask, what young girl wouldn't want one? My precious one horned stallion would have been named Bellerella,  after all of my two favorite Disney Princesses! Bellerella is a pretty amazingly clever name for a unicorn if I say so myself, and it pretty much oozes awesomeness!

While Unicorns are thought to be fictitious creatures found in fairy tales, the Bible actually says otherwise! No snickering! THIS IS FOR REAL! Don't be a Unicorn hater. In the King James Version of the Bible Unicorns are mentioned in Job, Psalms, and Isaiah.

"[...] the biblical unicorn was a real animal, not an imaginary creature. The Bible refers to the unicorn in the context of familiar animals, such as peacocks, lambs, lions, bullocks, goats, donkeys, horses, dogs, eagles, and calves (Job 39:9–12.¹) In Job 38–41, God reminded Job of the characteristics of a variety of impressive animals He had created, showing Job that God was far above man in power and strength.² Job had to be familiar with the animals on God’s list for the illustration to be effective [...]"

To read more of this article, click here.

The article goes on to burst my bubble and smash my dreams by saying that this Unicorn in the Bible isn't like the horse-like beauty we would think, but a more of a beastly, strong, horned animal. Boo. Some scholars think that the Biblical Unicorn could be a Rhino.

Taken from: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/
animals/mammals/black-rhinoceros/

 Nice. Whatever it is or was isn't something we will probably find out this side of heaven. Still, it's pretty cool to know that Unicorns are mentioned in the Bible. IT MADE MY DAY!