Easter . . . I think.

I love winter, and snow. I really do! But it's a bit discouraging when you pull out your sandals for Easter, and then get several inches of snow . . . 

Despite the weather, I love the Easter season. The reminder that Jesus sacrificed himself for us, but death couldn't keep Him!

 

And thankfully, this snow is just right for listening to Christmas music as I try to finish up Mayhem at the Mistletoe Morgue. :) 

 

Highlights!

So, a thing happened. . . 

My hair was in need of a trim . . .

My before pictures . . .

And if you're going to get a trim, why not highlights?

It always feels SO weird having someone else wash your hair . . .

And then the end result!

Just some subtle high-low lights . . .

Thanks for the day, Marie!!! I had a blast!!!!!!! <3 <3 <3

 

The Mystery Necklace

 It’s been several years now, and I still haven’t figured out who left this St. Patrick’s Day necklace in my mailbox… whoever you are, thank you!!! I love it!! 

Wildly enough, not only am I a St. Patrick’s Day baby, I’m also an Irish twin! 

Favorite Audios?

 When you're on the road, what's your go to audio choice?

I grew up on Patch the Pirate and Jonathan Park, and I still LOVE listening to those, but in later years, I've grown to really love the Lamplighter theater audio dramas as well, and even some basic non-dramatized audiobooks, but the problem with audiobooks, is that if you've read the book, you don't always like the voice actors.

When my publisher told me they were doing an audiobook of Mission of a Lifetime, I was both SUPER excited, and TERRIFIED at the same time. I mean it was exciting, but what if they 'ruined' it? What if it was so boring that it put people to sleep?

All my fears disappeared as soon as I listened to the audiobook sample, but not only did I end up liking it, I ended up LOVING it! My favorite character in that book had always been Alano, but when I listened to the audiobook, I couldn't believe how much more humor came through his voice in the audio than on the page. Alano's smile, and shrug, and raised eyebrow can all be heard through the voice actor and I can't help but smile along with his humor.

So this last week, when I ran out of things to listen to on the way to work in the mornings, I pulled up the audiobook and listened to Mission of a Lifetime again.

So, what do you listen to on the road?

Packing up!

 This is what my kitchen floor looks like when I’m heading off to be a book vendor! So excited to be heading to the ND homeschool convention! 

Cabin Fever Fest!

 I’d never been to the Middle River Cabin Fever Fest, so when I got the invite, I was excited to go! 

So Much to Say . . .

Somehow, time keeps slipping away, and when I sit down to post, I realize I have WAY too many things to say, and I have to pick and choose just a few. Well, here is a snippet of the last few months.

This year, I'm a sponsor for A.C.E. regional student convention, and have had the opportunity to work with this awesome group of young people on a one-act-play. The props are fun. I LOVE the fog machine, but I'm also really enjoying watching everyone's acting talents come out in fun ways.

This particular skit they're doing is special to me because it's based off an old Children's Bible Hour story I grew up listening too. I love the message, and reminder that we don't know how long we have on earth, and we need to live every for God.

I'm working full-time this winter at a coffee shop, and every morning when I head out, I look at the car thermometer and wonder if spring will ever come. It seems that nearly EVERY morning it's at least 20-30 below zero, and after a few really warm winters in a row, this feels especially brutal. Despite being completely ready for it to warm up, I really do love living in this cold place.

Miriam and I have been running a girl's Bible study this winter as well. During one of the meetings, we did a personality quiz to help each other understand the way God made us all different and we can use our differences to work together for His glory.

We've been going through the Bible study book called, The 21 Tenents of Biblical Femininity by Jerry Ross. I don't agree with everything in the book, but in a day and age where the world is constantly attacking Biblical feminity, I've been loving this study! There's been some fun discussions, great topics, and obscure Biblical women to study.

And when you go skating at negative twenty, your eyelashes turn to snow! Sadly, I haven't gotten out skating as much as I'd have liked to this winter, but I sure enjoyed the times I did get out!

Our town had a five-mile skate path on the river, and we got to do the whole thing a few times, but they finally had to close it because we had so much snow it was getting impossible to keep up on it.

Over Christmas, I got together with some cousins and played an escape-room-style game where you get to solve a mystery. I loved going through the police files and evidence and trying to solve it. If you ever get the chance to play one, it's a lot of fun!

Since I'm gone so much, I don't normally do much cooking, so when I do get to cook, I love going all out. Like with this shrimp dish that I kind of made up by combining several recipes. :)

In my 'free-time' I've been staying busy as ever. Things like babysitting, Bible study, play practice, snow camp, writer's conference, book conventions, writing weekly for the newspaper, etc. keep me busy.

One of the major things that happened in the end of November/early December that kept me from posting, was that my family and I all got Covid. Mom ended up getting a serious case and was life-flighted to a bigger hospital where she was put on a ventilator, and we weren't expecting her to make it. Many of you were praying for us, and it was honestly those prayers that kept us going. Mom shouldn't have made it, but she did. She shouldn't have gotten out of the hospital so fast, but she did. She shouldn't have gotten off the oxygen so fast, but she did. She shouldn't have been home for Christmas, but she was. We are so thankful and blessed for God's healing, and all of you who were praying for us.

Personally, I really struggled through this time. I was sick myself, and had a lot of vertigo and brain-fog, as well as all the emotional ups and downs with mom, and I'm so thankful that God is a rock and a very present help in trouble. Thank you all for praying, and being there for us.

Since she's been home, she's back to planning the corn maze, and life has swung back into a crazy normal, and as I run from one thing to the next, I'm just thankful that God is with me every step. 

So yeah, that's a brief update on my life. Maybe I'll get back to posting more regularly now . . . or maybe not.

Getaway!

 So, during the corn maze, Miriam and I decided we were going to take a little getaway vacation. So I booked us a Vrbo cabin. The thing is, I made the reservation during the corn maze. As a general rule, I try not to make major decisions during the maze, and this is a great example of why I don’t!

I failed to read the fine print. I thought we’d be getting this great cabin to ourselves, but as our reservation neared, I looked closer, and realized that I had booked a lodge. As in a cabin with multiple rooms rented out and common living areas to share. 

It also happened to be opening hunting weekend and my plans crashed. I’d been planning to watch Pride and Prejudice on the big screen TV and drink coffee in the kitchen and run around like a maniac. Well okay, maybe not that last one but you know! 

At this point I was considering calling the owner and finding out who else would be staying there. Would we be alone with a bunch of hunters? Families? Serial killers? But seriously, who calls a hotel and asks about the people in the rooms down the hall? 

It was dark when we got there, and we quietly explored the place and discovered that we had it all to ourselves! I got to do everything I planned, and we LOVED it! The second night, there was another couple staying there as well, but in such a large lodge we barely saw them. 

Of course, being hunting weekend, the owner was in and out getting hunting supplies, but despite the people, and the roofing crew, we had such a relaxing time! 

I just love the kitchen stools!!! 

We went to the Brewed Awakenings Coffee shop in Grand Rapids, MN. We both tried something new. She got a lavender latte and I got a Tuscan truffle latte. They were… interesting. Definitely not becoming our favorites, but still good. 

We stopped by the Upper Red Lake and looked around the old abandoned fishery. 

Paul Bunyan’s chair! 

A few weeks ago I made pumpkin scones! 

We had a Christmas shoe box packing party at church. 

This is in the old school building in Grand Rapids with the craft shows inside. 

Longview Camp and a New Book Release!

 Once again . . . I'm sorry the pictures are all out of order! But here's a glimpse at the past several weeks. I haven't had my camera with me very much, so a huge thankyou to everyone who sent me pictures!

One of my most exciting moments of these past few weeks, was getting the call that my first Preacher Kid book is officially published!

Check it out at SwordBooks.

Book one, is The Clue in the Pulpit - Getting dragged out of church by your ear is never easy. Especially when you’re the preacher’s kid.

For thirteen-year-old Titus Rich, trouble seems inevitable, but when a broken chair leads to a mystery from the past, he strives to redeem himself. With his siblings’ help, Titus sets out to find answers, but someone in the church doesn’t want them finding the truth. How far is that someone willing to go to stop them? Can Titus establish the PK Detectives without getting kicked out of church for good?

A few weeks ago, Eli and I flew to NY where we'll be working all summer at Longview camp. I've spent a few summers working in the camp ministry, and I'm SO excited to see what God's going to do this summer!

I've been doing a variety of things, including jumping in the kitchen on occasion!

We have a GREAT summer staff!!! This is us on a grand tour of the property, which included an awesome hike through the woods. NY has WAY more hills than I'm used to, and it's SO beautiful! :)

It's always neat seeing how God brings together the right team for the right time. I love being surrounded by young people who want to serve God!

Re-wind to BEFORE I came to NY, and I was in FL with Pine Ridge Homeschool as a sponsor and judge for the International A.C.E. Student Convention. It was an awesome week of great preaching and fellowship, and here we are in a bit of 'dead time', playing a game of boggle.

It was a little different this year, but we still had a great group. It was a lot different being on the sponsor side of things, instead of competing, but I loved every minute of it!

And, as I go about doing housekeeping chores, I sometimes get pulled into the kitchen for a picture!

We do get a lot of work done, but in the evenings, we do have some fun too! I'd never played giant Uno, or Spicy Uno, so playing Spicy Uno with GIANT Uno cards was a blast!

We had the opportunity to serve in a local church by singing, and doing Sunday School and Children's Church. I love visiting local churches. No matter where I go, I always feel at home with fellow believers.

And one weekend, we went to 'The Caboose' for ice cream and a game of mini golf!

And I just had to share this one because I LOVE the illustrations that my publisher put in the book!!

I'm staying busy as ever, and am enjoying the new camp experiences, as well as the Spiritual encouragement. It's my first time being in New York state, so I've been enjoying the beauty of western New York country.

As I'm here serving, I'm reminded of just how special the camp ministry is. We have the opportunity to share Christ with children, and some of those children have never heard the gospel. If you ever get a chance to work at a Bible camp for even one summer, it's TOTALLY worth the experience.

Coming Soon!

 I’m so excited to be nearing the publication on my newest series!!!