Interesting and Thought Provoking? Not today.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is spring break for our school district here in Utah, so I'm taking this week off from blogging, and writing, and, well, from every day life, actually.

You'll probably notice that I do this every few months for a few days. I think it's because being creative (aka writing novels) while also running a household can be exhausting, and when my brain is too full and overwhelmed, the creativity just stops flowing. It severely hiders my ability to produce quality work--or any work at all sometimes.

So when I vacation, I leave my computer behind. (Or, more accurately, I leave it in my suitcase where I can get to it if I absolutely need it--let's be real, here.)

In lieu of an interesting / thought provoking post to read, please accept this as my contribution to livening your spirits.

Happy spring! 

*PS I'm participating in a blog tour on Monday where readers will have an opportunity to enter to win an Amazon gift card. Be sure to stop by!

Star Spangled Summer Adventure

I have a certain fascination with American History. Actually, all history, but since I'm American, and I live here, the stories of our colorful past just really interest me. 

A few years ago, I was with my family in Washington D.C., and I had the opportunity to see the flag that flew over Fort McHenry on the night it was bombarded by British war ships during the war of 1812. The same flag which, that very night, inspired Francis Scott Key to pen The Star Spangled Banner. 

During that same trip, I took a walking tour of Fort McHenry, for the first time understanding the full magnitude of what the song means. And since then, our national anthem continues to be a touching reminder to me of how much was sacrificed to build this country. 

So when I heard about the summer adventure challenge being issued by author L.C. Lewis, I HAD to jump on board. Because no matter where you are in America, we are all surrounded by history. 

I'm going to take this challenge, and drag my family along with me--not because of the prizes offered, but because these are the kind of activities that stick with us and shape us into better people. And hey, if we win some prizes along the way, it only makes it that much more fun! 

The details from L.C. Lewis:  

This summer marks the anniversaries of some profound American history. The sesquicentennial of the Civil War continues this summer, and August and September mark the 200th of anniversary of significant historical events from the War of 1812.

August 14th will mark the 200th anniversary of the British burning of America's capital, Washington D.C., including the torching of the White House, known then as The President's House, and the Capitol, which then housed the original Library of Congress. Along with these American architectural treasures, thousands of irreplaceable volumes were lost from our nation's library.

September 12-13 will mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Baltimore, the birth of The Star-Spangled Banner, and the moment America began its love affair with the red, white, and blue,.

Sadly, economic issues and budget cuts have forced the cancellation of many public celebrations planned to mark these poignant events.

So families, it’s time to hit the road and create your own Star-Spangled Summer Adventure!

Laurie L.C. Lewis, author of the “Freemen and Dreamers” series, which covers this period of history, and some of her author friends, are hosting this Star-Spangled Summer Celebration to encourage families to rediscover America and her history. You visit local, state, or federal landmarks with your family, and we’ll provide some added incentive.

Here’s how you enter:

          1.       Visit five American historical landmarks, (even your local landmarks count), between Flag Day, June 14th, and Defender’s Day, September 12th.

          2.       Email photos of your family standing in front of a sign or building indicating where you went. Use this email address: starspangledsummeradventure@gmail.com

That’s it!

Additional entries will be awarded for those who promote the SSSA by posting the official badge and link on their blog, and link to it via their Facebook page, or on Twitter.  Just send an email with the corresponding link to starspangledsummeradventure@gmail.com

Additional entries can also be earned by submitting a brief, (250 words or less), testimonial recounting your experience on a leg of your “Star-Spangled Adventure.” These will be posted on my blog over the summer.

One family will be selected to win the prize package on September 13th. Visit the official Star-Spangled Summer Adventure page at  http://www.laurielclewis.com/summer-adventure.htm.

Prizes are still coming in, but the package now includes a Vivitar Digital Video Recorder; a $50 gift card to Bed, Bath, and Beyond; a commemorative set of the Charters of Freedom, suitable for framing; and a family-worthy collection of autographed books from authors in a variety of genres. (From Nichole: Also, this package includes a print first edition copy of DESCENDANT.)

So hit the road, and let us see what great American history you find!

Warmly,

Laurie L. C. Lewis

Nichole Giles

Waving from Afar

Hello there!

Remember the spring break vacation I mentioned last week? Well, it's here, and I'm on it. By the time this posts, I'll be somewhere far in the Caribbean soaking up the sun and refilling my well of inspiration in order to write more books. And more books. And...you get it. Right?

Anyway, please accept this snapshot in place of a real blog post. I'll be back next Wednesday. Expect contests. And updates. And other fun posts.

Have a great week!

While I'm Away...

That's right. I'm leaving. Not forever, mind you. But for a while.

See, here's what happened.

My oldest son graduated. From high school. (Never mind telling me I'm not old enough to have an adult son—I already know.

And right before that.

My husband got his Master’s Degree.

Also.

My oldest daughter got her license to drive.
My younger daughter graduated from 8th grade.
My baby boy graduated from elementary school (which is 6th grade in our school district).

And I…well, I guess I raised them (including my husband).

*sniffles* I'm so proud!

All this is cause to celebrate in our family, so we’re taking a vacation, during which I will have zero internet access. Because of this, I will not be blogging for the last two weeks in June. (June 17-30.)

Please forgive me for my lack of new content and come back to read again in July.

In the meantime, here is something to inspire your creativity. (And yes, I did take this picture.) Have a happy June!

Road Trips and Dam Family Time

Today I’m taking off for Las Vegas with my family. It’s spring break for my kids, and we could all use some wonderful sunshine—which is clearly not happening in Utah right now. But really, the point is spending some time together as a family. Because no matter what happens in life, our family relationships are the most important ones we’ll ever build.

And as I’ve learned all too quickly, children only stay young for a very short while.

This is a road trip, and the plan is to stop off along the way for some hiking and a picnic in gorgeous Southern Utah—since we wanted to go to Moab and didn’t make reservations in time—and then at some point to pay a visit to the Hoover dam. My daughter is hoping to find a dam hamburger (remind me to tell you about Bill, the king of all hamburgers, whom she met—and then ate—in Hawaii). My sons want to see about getting some dam T-shirts, and the rest of us want to take some spectacular dam pictures.

And whatever we do, we’ll make sure to follow the dam rules. Wish us luck with that! (Yes, Mom, I’ll be sure to hold on to my shoes this time. I bet the fish that ate my flip-flop when I was three is long gone.)

The downside of staying in Las Vegas is that practically the whole city is blocked from wireless internet access—even on my awesome iPhone. **frowns** So I won’t be replying to comments until after Thursday. But it isn’t because I don’t love you, my dear readers. It’s just because I’m shopping, and sunning, and seeing a magic show. But whatever I’m doing, it’ll be with my family. My favorite thing in life. And that makes me oh-so-happy.

Have a great week, and happy spring.

The Ultimate Gift

The Ultimate Gift

This past week my family had the opportunity to go on a trip to a place I’ve always wanted to visit. As a young girl, I remember dreams of visiting a paradise where palm trees grew coconuts and everywhere you looked, the ocean was within view—or at the very least close enough to smell. I’ve always wanted to go to Hawai’i, but didn’t actually do it until my own kids are nearing adulthood.

My husband’s mother, Carol, had a similar dream. She always wanted to go to Hawai’i, and had big plans for her retirement. Unfortunately, she died before she got to make the trip she’d been dreaming of all her life.

One of the lessons I’ve learned through her untimely passing is that I should never put off the dreams that are most important to me. If you want something badly enough, generally you can find a way to get it, even if it requires some degree of sacrifice in other areas. Then, along the way, there are hundreds of other lessons to be learned, and other experiences to be had. This is what makes up our mortal life and the growth of our spiritual strength. Not to mention the creation of memories you’ll carry with you forever.

If you think about it, the same thinking applies to our personal dreams and aspirations as well. Like my dream of writing and becoming a bestselling author. But that’s another blog.

How can we deny ourselves this growth? These memories? I challenge you all to go after what you want most in life and to find a way to do that thing that so draws you. Never put off the things you love or desire, hoping that tomorrow opportunity will fall in your lap. Do the thing that drives you because sometimes, tomorrow doesn’t come.

This was the type of thinking that brought us to one of the islands I’ve always dreamed of visiting, and what made us decide to take the whole family as a Christmas gift. It was expensive, and the kids missed a week of school, and we came home to the depressing cold and snow and icky, yucky Utah inversion air. But the only thing we’ll ever regret is that our time there passed so quickly. And that we didn’t take two thousand pictures instead of one thousand.

The whole experience reminded me how important it is to give our children time, experience, and love. These are the gifts that will never break, wear out, or be forgotten. It is the ultimate gift of family.

Live for today, plan for tomorrow, learn from yesterday, then let it go. Now, go out and do something you’ve always wanted to do, but have been putting off. You won’t be sorry.

**By the way, though I had several entries to my current contest, no one actually guessed the right name. So…I’m extending the deadline until midnight, Friday, January 22nd, and giving everyone who already guessed the opportunity to guess again. If at some point in the past I happened to tell you my first name, go ahead and throw it out there, as long as I told you the answer before December, 2009. If you have that kind of memory, you should be rewarded. Please remember, close family members do not get to enter this contest. Sorry! (By the way, the prize is from Hawai’i.)