Come on Down! (Or at least sit in the audience...)

So my plan today was to remind you all that my mom and I were going to be on an episode of The Price is Right tomorrow... But after I checked The Price is Right Facebook page, I discovered that the episode we were in (which was filmed in August) aired on Tuesday, the 19th! They had told us the 22nd, but I guess those dates they give aren't always set in stone. (Bummer!)

Even though that means our plans of picking up some sort of chocolate dessert and watching the episode on TV tomorrow have gone by the wayside, all is not lost! At least for now, they do have the full episode online:

The Price is Right S42 Ep6505

And chocolate can always be enjoyed, whether you're watching an episode online or on TV, right?

Now, we haven't watched the episode all the way through yet, so here's hoping there's not something embarrassing that we didn't realize they had filmed, LOL. And to be honest, I have no idea if any of you will be able to pick us out of the crowd, as we never got called down. But if you want to play "Where's Waldo?" - Amber & Brenda style! - feel free to check out the link above. The picture at the top of this post shows the shirts we were wearing, and we were a few rows back on the right side (when you're facing the audience). There was someone who got called down right in front of us, so I know for sure you can catch a glimpse of us then. And the winners sat a couple of rows in front of us, so maybe we have a little more screen time. It's a pretty exciting episode (with an especially awesome win!), so I hope you enjoy it regardless!

As for the shirts (in case you were wondering), my mom designed them herself! They read:

Not responsible for what I say or do...

...I'm under the spell of George and Drew!

(If you're not familiar with the show, George is the announcer and Drew Carey is the current host.)

Isn't that clever? My mom is awesome! And she wanted to give everyone a warning in case we did get called down and then completely spaced on everything we knew about prices and speaking in front of people while being filmed. ;)

Have you ever had the chance to "come on down" for this game show or another? Or which show would you like to participate in if you could? 

Hope you all have a great, chocolate-filled weekend!

On My Way!

Well, tomorrow my family and I should be off on our summer vacation! Virginia City, Disneyland, and possibly The Price is Right (my mom and I got tickets to be in the audience!)... Should be an adventure. *wink* Virginia City is one of the settings in Bleeding Heart, so I hope to take pictures for a guest post for the blog tour, and maybe pick up an item for the tour-wide giveaway. Love that place! And of course I love Disneyland!

I also have an editing project I've got to get done during the trip, and some other projects coming up... Plus, here's hoping I can get some reading done so I can get some more reviews up!

As for Bleeding Heart, even though the blog tour doesn't officially start until the 18th of August, the publicity campaign, if you will, is on its way! Here's where it starts - an interview on Melissa's awesome blog for "Welcome Mat Wednesday" (click the image below):

I'd love for you to stop by and say "hello," and maybe share about a character you'd love to spend a day with!

Speaking of blog tours, the winners from May the K9 Spy's blog tour will be posted today on her Facebook page! And I'm still planning on sharing the conclusion of the Songstone blog tour on Friday!

While things are going to be rather hectic on Friday, I'll also be sharing a guest post on Seekerville titled "Blog Tours, Cover Reveals, and Giveaways - Publicity 101." I'll be in off and on, hopefully (when I'm not out exploring the Wild West), to respond to comments! So, I hope to see you here and there!

How about you? Have you all had some fun adventures so far this summer - even if it's just through the pages of a book?

Road Trip and Coming Attractions!

I'm so excited to be off on my first solo road trip!! I'll be making the one-day drive (about 7 hours) up to Oregon tomorrow to attend my first roommate's wedding on Saturday and to spend close to a week with my second roommate and her husband. So blessed to have this chance to celebrate and make new memories with these wonderful friends!

Don't worry, though - I've heard all the warnings and cautions and tips from my parents, so I'm set! *wink* (But seriously, I wouldn't mind any prayers for safety, and for my parents' peace of mind. I'm grateful they're allowing me to take one of the cars and giving me this chance to test my independence a bit, and I don't want them to worry too much about me.)

So I'll be bringing the GPS, clothes and necessities, a wedding gift, etc.... But even though I'm new to this sort of thing, I believe a road trip also requires:

Music

I love listening and singing along to music while I'm driving! Here are the CDs I'm bringing with me:

• Red by Taylor Swift
• Paper Airplane by Alison Krauss & Union Station
• Tornado by Little Big Town

That last one is assuming that it arrives today... Don't let me down now, Amazon Prime 2-day shipping! **Update: It came! I love you, UPS!

I'm also bringing along Heist Society by Ally Carter on CD (audiobook), which I've been saving for this occasion, so there's that, too!

Books

How can you go on a vacation without one...or two...or a ton of these?? I'm planning on bringing Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson, as well as Falk's Claim by Jon Humboldt Gates (research for Bleeding Heart!) and my Kindle (which has a nice variety of reading options on it).

I realize I probably won't have a lot of time for reading... But it's better to make like a Boy Scout and be prepared than to be left hanging somewhere with no reading options!! (At least, that's my opinion on the subject. You all agree, right?)

Coming Attractions

In the meantime, I still plan to share a book review next Tuesday (Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade, for the Litfuse Publicity blog tour), and the Love's Miracles blog tour will still be in full swing. Don't forget to follow along and check out all of the fun interviews, giveaways, and reviews! You can keep up-to-date by visiting the blog tour page.While I might not be around on social media sites quite as often as I generally am, I'm still planning on checking in on things while I'm gone and spreading the word about the blog tour and all that jazz!

And when I get back? The winner(s) from the blog tour will be announced on May 31st, and I'll wrap up the tour then. And on the following Monday, June 3rd, I'll be revealing the cover for my debut novel, Bleeding Heart, along with a new blog especially for the book!!! So excited!!! (Huge thanks to all those who are helping me with the cover reveal!)

Well, that's it for now! Just be sure to stay off the sidewalks tomorrow - and don't mind the girl rocking out to her tunes as she travels the highways and Interstates. ;)

(Disclaimer: Despite the pictures of Cars Land, I'm not actually going to Disneyland...at this point in time, anyway! Still holding out hope for a family vacation there later this summer. Maybe! Regardless, I thought the pictures from last year's trip were fitting for a road-trip post, don't you think?)

Back to Business - and Maybe Starting a New One

Here I am once again!

I had a lovely time on vacation, emphasis on lovely:

Paulina Falls

Obsidian Flow

View from Mt. Bachelor at Sunset

Delicious Breakfast at the Sunriver Lodge

 

Crater Lake

Aren't those sights just breathtaking? Yes, even the breakfast! (Seriously, I feel like a lot of my memories this trip include some great food that I ate - from a loaded Kobe burger with candied bacon and some delicious sorbet at a restaurant on Mt. Bachelor, to a barbecue at our rental home complete with fruit salad and some brownies and vanilla bean ice cream. And much more! Good thing we did some biking and hiking along with all that eating...)

But it was more than just beautiful views and great food - I had a fabulous time with family and friends. While sometimes it felt a little stressful with all the goings-on and keeping up with younger cousins, I really made such wonderful memories! I am truly blessed!!

There will probably be some more pictures and vacation stories in the coming days, but before I conclude this post I wanted to address the second part of the title. You see, I'm considering starting my own free-lance editing business - hence the poll in the sidebar. Hopefully I will have more to share on this soon, but it would mean a lot to me as I send out some feelers if you would honestly let me know if you (if you're a writer) or someone you know might consider using the services of a free-lance editor. And it would especially mean a lot to me if you could pray for God's guidance as I test the waters!

If it is God's will, I would love to use my passion for stories, my experience with editing/proofreading, and my education (Bachelor's degree in English) to encourage and assist authors in their writing. We'll see where God leads!

For now, I'm back to blogging - and I look forward to interacting with you all again!

Gone on Vacation

Today I'm heading up to Oregon with my family for our annual Sunriver summer vacation! I'm going to take the next 10-ish days off from blogging (and Twitter) so I can focus on the time away with God and family. However, I'm planning on checking my e-mail off and on, so if you need to reach me, just drop me a line in my inbox. =)

When I come back, hopefully I'll have some pictures and new posts to share with you! May God bless you and keep you until we meet again in the blogosphere!

Friends, Crafts, and a Mystery!

Today is a super fun day, because I have so much I get to show all of you! Let's start with an extra special blessing I received at the very beginning of my last vacation:

That's right! I got to meet our very own Casey from Writing for Christ!!!

Casey came and spent a couple of days with me and my family at a home we rented in Sunriver, Oregon. We had such a blast! It was almost unreal--getting to meet a dear friend I had known online for over a year in person!! I even got to have lunch with her family one day, which was a real treat, as well. Casey is a beautiful person inside and out, and I consider myself very blessed indeed to call her my friend!

Here's us at the park! We put together a picnic lunch and bicycled to the park, sat on the grass, and talked forever! ;) Loved it!

Of course, we had to get a picture of us together with books! ;) Forget snail mail when you can swap books in person!!

We packed a lot of wonderful memories into one weekend. Casey's friendship, as well as the friendships of all my dear blogging friends, are blessings I'll be forever grateful for!

Also, while I was on vacation, I finished this:

The hummingbird counted cross-stitch piece for my grandma is complete!

For those of you who attended Camp Humility 2011 here on the blog, you might recall me showing you this piece as a work-in-progress during our craft time. Well, my grandma and I spent some time cross-stitching together during our vacation. So my "hummingbirds" didn't turn out to be a complete surprise after all, but we had fun working on cross-stitching together, and the memories were even better than the surprise!

My sister was sweet enough to take a picture of me with my completed project!

As for the mystery? The mystery is what the schedule will be like for "Mystery Week." ;)

First, here are the results of the "Mystery Week Poll":

Do you enjoy reading mysteries? 19 votes

• 14 Yes, very much!
  
• 5 Once in a while.
• 1 Nope.

(Amber's Note: Good to know!)

Do you watch the PBS Masterpiece Mystery season? 19 votes

• 2 Yes, I love it!
• 6 Sometimes.
• 7 No.
• 5 What's PBS Masterpiece?

(Amber's Note: Oh, dear! Ya'll are missing out! I do hope this upcoming week might help some of you discover the wonders of PBS Masterpiece. Remember, you can watch some of these shows online for free for a limited time!) ;)

Which of these books would you be interested in discussing this week? 21 votes

• 9 Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
  
• 6 Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
  
• 7 A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  

Which of these movies would you be interested in discussing this week? 18 votes

• 7 PBS Masterpiece: Sherlock, A Study in Pink (2010)
• 4 PBS Masterpiece: Poirot, Hallowe'en Party (2011)
• 5 PBS Masterpiece: Miss Marple, The Pale Horse (2011)
• 1 PBS Masterpiece: Zen, Vendetta (2011)
• 2 Other (Inspector Lewis, and a voter noting that they hadn't seen PBS Masterpiece)
  

~ ~ ~

Thank you to all of you who voted! So, here's the game plan for "Mystery Week" (July 18th-22nd):

• Monday: Special Book/Author Feature (Who's the author? Well, it's a mystery that you'll have to solve by checking in on Monday!)
  

• Tuesday: Miss Marple, "The Pale Horse" (Movie review and discussion)
  

• Wednesday: Death on the Nile (Book review and discussion)
  

• Thursday: Sherlock Double Feature--Review/discussion of the 2010 episode "A Study in Pink" and the book A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  

• Friday: Murder on the Orient Express (Book review and discussion)

• Saturday: I might throw in a review of "Hallowe'en Party" or "Vendetta" if I find time!

~ ~ ~

"Mystery Week" is no longer a mystery! I hope that this overview helps you--now you can get a start on reading these books and/or watching these movies that we'll be discussing.

Yesterday I should have included a link to the PBS Masterpiece website, and I should have let you know that some of the movies I listed are available to watch online for free! So, here's that info in case you're interested:

• Visit the PBS Masterpiece website to learn all about this summer's Mystery season!

• You can watch "Hallowe'en Party" (Poirot) now through August 2nd, "The Pale Horse" (Miss Marple) now through August 10th, and "Vendetta" (Zen) starting Monday, July 18th, online! (As you can see from the schedule above, we'll be discussing "The Pale Horse" on Tuesday, so you can watch it online before then!)
  

I know this is a lot to take in, so please feel free to share any and all thoughts (or questions!) on Mystery Week, crafts, blogging friends, or whatever! ;)

Gone on Vacation

Tomorrow my family and I are heading for Sunriver, Oregon for a relaxing vacation! I love our family vacations, and this year my great-aunt and my cousin will be joining us in Oregon for a few days, which will be great! =)

Like last year, I'm planning on spending the following 10 days or so away from the blogosphere, so I can enjoy the undivided time with God and my family. (I'm planning on checking my e-mail occasionally, though, if you need to get a hold of me!) I love blogging, but it's amazing how time-consuming it can be, as you all know. ;) However, I will miss you all, and I look forward to catching up that first week of July!

Before I go, there are some loose ends I need to tie-up and some announcements I need to make:

First, I want to thank Beth from Beth's Thoughts for passing on "The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award" to me and this blog! Thank you, Beth, for your support and kindness!

I'm supposed to share some random facts about me, so here goes nothing!

• I have a cat named Mr. Murphy who stays at my grandparents' house. He's a brown tabby--a sweet purring machine and a dear friend!
  

• I'm listening to bluegrass music as I write this. Are you surprised? ;)

• I love to dance, even if I'm not very good at it!
  

• I also love to sing, even if I'm not very good at it! ;)

OK, enough about me! Here are the super sweet bloggers I'm passing this award on to:

• Renee at Black 'n Gold Girl's Book Spot

• Laura at LauraFrantz.net

• Casey at Writing for Christ

• Joy at Edgy Inspirational Romance

• Kav at Best Reads (2010-2011)

• Bluerose at Bluerose's Heart

Second, I wanted to let ya'll know that even though I'll be gone for the next week-ish, I still have a couple of posts pre-scheduled, including a cool giveaway! So feel free to comment while I'm gone, and I'll check in with you when I get back.

Also, I have posts scheduled for Monday, June 27th and Monday, July 4th over at The Borrowed Book, so I'd love to have you stop by there, as well, if you get a chance! As with this blog, I'll plan on checking the comments when I return. =)

Third, the weekend after I get back is the Christian Fiction Book Club discussion of Pompeii: City on Fire, which I'll be hosting right here at this blog (Saturday, July 9th)! Be sure to mark your calendars!

I hope you all are having a great summer so far! God bless!

A Magical Vacation

I love Disneyland! It's a place full of hope, excitement, and beauty. You can visit Tomorrowland, Adventureland, and Fantasyland--all just a short walk away from each other. And now you can celebrate the unique grandeur of California in the California Adventure park! It's all so, so much fun!!

My family and I have a ton of pictures from our trip a couple of weeks ago, so I'll just share a few of them here. I hope you enjoy this glimpse at our magical vacation!

Carnation Cafe on Main Street--it's the place to go for breakfast! Their Mickey waffles are so light, sweet, and delicious! And while you eat, you can plot out the day's adventure like I'm doing here.

Can you tell my sister and I are excited? ;) (Yes, she's the tall one. And my family affectionately calls me the "cling-on.") Tom Sawyer's Island has now been taken over by pirates, so you can see some of their influence while you walk on the trails and through the caves on the island...

Or you can just ride the Mark Twain like my daddy did later on and enjoy the island from afar!

OK, seriously, I hope I turn out to be a better driver in a real car than in the cars on the Autopia ride in Tomorrowland! I think my dad would have been scared for his life...if it wasn't for the fact that we were on a track. ;)

This summer they have the Soundsational parade, which is worth taking a break from the rides to watch. Great music, great floats, and great dancing!

Couldn't resist getting a picture with this sign! ;) It reads, "Smaller guests enter first."

And here's the ride the sign was referring to! This is me and my daddy on the Dumbo ride.

So those of you who have been following this blog for a while are probably aware of the fact that I am a devoted bluegrass fan. Well, I just loved seeing Billy Hill and the Hillbillies at the Golden Horseshoe in Frontierland! They're awesome and super funny, not to mention talented!

Here's a glimpse at Paradise Pier in the California Adventure park. Now, if you get the opportunity to go to Disneyland this summer, I highly, highly recommend taking the time and effort to see the "World of Color" water show they do here in front of the Ferris Wheel at night. It was a special, amazing experience for me, and one of the highlights of the trip. Simply breathtaking!

I just love my family! I had a fabulous time with them in Disneyland--thank you Mom and Dad for the wonderful trip (and the pictures!)!

Now, dear readers, in the words of Tigger: "TTFN! Ta-ta for now!"

Back from the Happiest Place on Earth!

Hello, everyone! I just got back from a most wonderful vacation in Disneyland!! I'm sure I'll be posting more pictures and sharing some stories soon, but for now I simply wanted to let you know that I haven't dropped off the face of the planet. ;)

Next week I plan on sharing quite a few book reviews with you. And drum roll please...the next Contentment Reading Challenge Book Swap is headed your way soon!!

Hope you all are having a great summer so far!

P.S. If you would like to read my review of To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer, stop by the Radiant Lit website!

Blogoversary Day 2: Remembering Vacation Week

Welcome to the second day of my blogoversary extravaganza! Today we're looking back to "Vacation Week" (from last June), and in the process I say we should also look ahead to those warm summer days *hopefully* coming soon!

For those of you who are visiting or are new to the blog (or if you just want a blast from the past!), here are the links to the posts from Vacation Week:

• Vacation Week
• On Vacation with Laura Frantz
• On Vacation with Hannah
• My Review of Love Finds You in Lahaina, Hawaii
• Gone on Vacation
  

I may have just had spring break, but I'm definitely eager for summer vacation and our fun family trips!

As you can see from the second link above, last year I interviewed author Laura Frantz for Vacation Week. I'm thrilled to welcome her back to "Seasons of Humility" today!

Amber: It’s such a pleasure to host you here at “Seasons of Humility” again! Could you share with us what you’ve been up to in your writing career since Summer 2010?

Laura: Thanks so much for hosting me here, Amber – I love connecting with you, fellow writers, and reading friends whenever I can!

Hmmm….2010 was a bit of a blur with 2 books out, ACFW in Indianapolis, an agent-hosted retreat in Monterey, and then a family reunion/research trip to Kentucky and Tennessee in December. The writing life is never dull. =) I love every minute, however, and hope to do more starting with a book launch in Kentucky this August for The Colonel’s Lady where I’ll be in period dress. Some of us are planning to appear in period costume at the ACFW banquet in St. Louis this September, too. Guess I won’t have to wear my black skirt and blouse 3 years in a row. ;)

Amber: Sounds like fun! Wish I could be there for that ACFW banquet. ;) What’s on the agenda for this next year? We’d love to hear anything you can tell us about your next release, as well as that new series you’re working on!

Laura: *GASP* - Some of you won’t believe it, but I’m moving out of frontier Kentucky into Pennsylvania for the next 4 books in a series called The Ballantyne Legacy. It’s a rags to riches story involving a handsome Scots tradesman and two sisters who fall in love with him. He has to choose between them, of course, and the result is quite catastrophic, at least for their little village! The next 3 stories in the series revolve around a different generation in this same family. I’m busy working on book 1 now. It’s very different than anything I’ve ever done, much more dialogue-driven than my more narrative works. I hope readers like the story as much as I’m loving getting into the hearts and heads of these characters.

Amber: Laura, if you've written it, you've got a loyal fan club who will just love to read it!

Your first interview here was centered on vacations and settings. Have you gone on any exciting vacations since last summer? Do you have any plans for vacations this coming year?

Laura: I was just telling my husband I’d love to go to Scotland – or return to England. There’s a reunion coming up in April at the castle where I attended college. Wish I could go to both! As for recent, past vacations, it would have to be the Books&Such Literary retreat I attended in Monterey last October. Wow! We were so spoiled while there – sparkling water and chocolate-dipped strawberries upon arrival, amazing speakers and small groups, the beauty that is found along the California coast. I could go on and on. The hotel where we stayed has such a rich history. It rests upon the site of a beautiful villa a man built for his bride a hundred or so years ago. While on their honeymoon, he died! She then had his child… What a romantic, tragic story. It was in all the papers back then.

Amber: Did you say chocolate-dipped strawberries??? Yum! ;)

If we could celebrate this blogoversary in “real life” (as a tangible party and not just a cyber party) and you were asked to help come up with ideas for party decorations, what would you suggest?

Laura: I am just dying to have a vintage bash where everyone comes dressed as their favorite historical character. We would be the decorations! ;) Of course, we’d have to have paper lanterns, garlands of flowers, streamers, white twinkle lites, confetti… We’d play croquet! Eat tiny tea sandwiches and sip sparkling cider. I love a good party and a vintage-themed one would sure warm my historical-loving heart.

Amber: That sounds wonderful!

Do you have a funny memory you can share with us from a party/celebration that you attended or hosted this past year?

Laura: Oh, my life seems to be more about work than play at present. I love your question and wonder if we could turn it around and ask your blog readers? I’d so enjoy reading their responses! So, readers, can you share a funny memory from a party/celebration that you hosted or attended this past year?

Amber: Good idea, Laura! Before I turn it over to the readers I just want to thank you so much for visiting here once again--it's always a treat to host you!

The Giveaway

Readers, to help us celebrate Laura has offered to give away a copy of her book, Courting Morrow Little, to one lucky winner! (To read my review of this amazing book, click HERE!)

Just share a funny party memory in the comments section and include your e-mail address for a chance to win!

(And just like the last post from Vacation Week last year, I have the pleasure of announcing that author Julie Lessman will be our guest here soon--tomorrow, in fact! So be sure to join us tomorrow as we discuss reading retreats and Julie's upcoming release!)

A Variety of Smiles

I hope to give you at least a few different reasons to smile today! Of course, every day is a day to smile when you live in the awareness that you are loved by God. =)

• "If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you." ~Winnie the Pooh (A.A. Milne)

We have the quote above in a small frame we keep in our living room, and I think it is so precious. If Winnie the Pooh doesn't put a smile on your face, I don't know what will!

And for those of you who remember playing the Oregon Trail computer game, I highly recommend that you click HERE. This video on YouTube has a couple of crude moments, but it is ever so funny if you used to play the computer game, and if you remember having to choose your occupation, rafting down the river, and shooting your own food! I first saw this a few days ago embedded on a literary agent's blog, and it really made me laugh! The video is very well done and quite hilarious!

Finally, the following picture was taken on our last vacation, after we had played a round of miniature golf and we were looking at one of the of the other courses. If you watched the Oregon Trail clip above, then you could say I'm the kid who should have been more careful not to get a snakebite! ;) It's a good thing that's not a real snake, because 1) it's huge!!! and 2) my sister doesn't seem to care that I'm getting bit by a humongous rattlesnake! No worries, though--I would never look that happy if I saw a real snake like that!

Feel free to comment on anything and everything--even something completely random that made you smile recently! =)

My Adventures in Nevada

What a vacation this has been! My family and I have been keeping busy, going on adventure after adventure. I will attempt to chronicle some of these adventures for you. I hope you enjoy the pictures and stories, and may they inspire you to live your own adventure!

Nevada is a very dry state. On our way to Virginia City last Sunday, we saw a fire in the hills to the side of the road. (This could have either been in Eastern California or Nevada.) Actually, I should say that we saw smoke, because I didn't really see any flames. As shown by this helicopter, help was there to put out the fire, and I'm so glad! It's astounding how fast disaster can strike--we just never know what's going to happen from day to day. But God knows, and there is great comfort in that fact! We shouldn't let what's unknown to us keep us from living our lives to the full for the Lord.

Our first full day of our trip, we headed out to Fallon Naval Air Station, where we looked through the outdoor "museum" of military aircraft. It was incredible to see all of those planes, ranging from the United States' aircraft to Russian aircraft. And hearing my dad's stories and the facts that he knew about those planes was really neat. My dad's whole life has been quite the adventure!

After Fallon, we went to Grimes Point, where we walked for a little while along a trail of rocks with Native American petroglyphs. While the sights on the ground were intriguing, it was the sights in the air that really grabbed our attention. There was quite a storm heading towards us from both directions, it seemed! We saw lightning, heard thunder in the distance, and felt the rush of the wind. It sure added to the mysterious effect of the place, though!

And of course I had to share a picture of one of our favorite signs! Every time we went by this place, we had to say loudly, "Chocolate!" We stopped at this candy shop twice, which is located between Carson City and Virginia City. From sponge candy to taffy--this place had a great selection! Yummy!

Our second full day here, we got a tour of an archaeological dig up on Mount Davidson, above the town of Virginia City. The picture on the left shows some of the places where they had been digging, layer by layer, hoping to uncover artifacts from some of the Cornish miners who had lived up there during Virginia City's heyday. Everybody there was very patient and friendly! They wanted the public to be aware of what they were doing up there, in order to educate others. Isn't that a splendid idea?

Wednesday evening we went to a show, which you can read more about by clicking HERE. The show was called "Shake, Rattle & Roll," and what an exciting time that was! The picture on the right is of all of us (my mom, dad, sister, and me) sitting in anticipation for the show. My sister is holding a stuffed animal we had won at Circus Circus. Now that was an exciting time, too! My mom and I really got in a competitive mood for a while. We emerged victorious with several stuffed animals for my sister, including the one she really wanted. I call that successful! ;)

And I simply had to include a picture of the Red Hat Ladies I spoke of in the post linked to above. They were so cute, all dressed up and getting into the show! Everybody loves the "Oldies" music, right? (They're all sitting up near the front, so hopefully you can see their red and purple outfits in this picture!)

Thursday found us at Lake Tahoe, which is a really busy and crowded place! But the lake is beautiful, and so big! What a grand example of God's lovely creation. The water is very clear and very blue; it looks almost exotic in some places. We enjoyed just taking in the scenery, but we also enjoyed a little fun . . .

by playing miniature golf! There were three different courses at the place we went to, so of course we did the "Grizzly" course--the hardest one. ;) I confess that I didn't do so well, but at least it was entertaining! That's me to the left, getting ready to swing at the ball (and hope it would actually go in the hole eventually!). All of the courses were so cute, and the place was kept up nicely. Lots of fun for sure!

Today (Friday) we went on a train trip from Carson City to Virginia City (and then back again). Again, God's creation was a blessing to see as it went past the train window! And the history of these places--it's just amazing! This picture is one my daddy took of me as the train was rolling down the tracks. My dad was sitting behind me, and I confess it was getting a bit annoying to see a camera suddenly sneak into my view through the window, but oh, well. My dad got his picture!

While we were waiting in Virginia City, we saw the Wild West show (corny but cute) and we rode the TNT Stagelines for the third year in a row! We have so much fun with the stagecoach driver and his wife--they're very friendly and quite a hoot! ;) And what a ride! It's a thrill to sit in that stage and see the desert hills pass around you as you're being jostled and bounced like crazy! If you ever get a chance to ride the stagecoach, don't pass it up. Click HERE if you would like more information about the TNT Stagelines.

Now, we're still here for one more full day, much to my delight. But before I finish up this post, there's one more thing I have to share with you. The place we are staying is the Edith Palmer's Country Inn. The couple who owns it now is Pat and Leisa Findley. Leisa and her son have been feeding us breakfast everyday, and oh my goodness! These breakfasts have been fabulous!!! Take a look at the following pictures to see what I mean:




And Leisa (pictured with us above) has been so nice in answering our questions and taking the time to share some of the Inn's history with us. She's so sweet, and just sitting and talking with her on the beautiful patio area near the building we're staying in has been more than wonderful. I highly recommend this place!

Overall, our adventures have been fantastic! And reading A Hopeful Heart this week was great timing. (If you'd like to read my review of this great book, click HERE.) It's wonderful to have the reminder that God has a plan for our lives and that He is working for our best throughout time and history. I love the saying that history is "His story" because it is so true! God is in control, and He has written His story for each of our lives. Learning about the past helps us remember how God has worked to bring about the present, and it gives us comfort to know He will work these present times into a hopeful and known future.

Thanks for joining me on my adventures!

Preparing for D.C.

Well, it's almost time! Tomorrow morning, my dad and I will be heading to the Arcata/Eureka airport (which is actually located in McKinleyville, interestingly enough!) to take a flight to L.A. From there, we'll be headed out to Washington D.C.!

This will be my first time on the East Coast, unless you count the time I landed at the Atlanta, Georgia airport on my way to Israel. =) In any case, I can tell you that I'm excited to see our nation's capital!

Now, I haven't yet explained why exactly I'm going to Washington D.C. with my dad. I could try to explain it to you, but I think this article will better answer your questions. It's a short piece, so I hope you don't mind taking a look at it--that way everything else I'm about to explain will make much more sense!

OK, now that you've read the article (hopefully!), Pvt. Robert L. Crane was my great-uncle (and my dad's uncle). Therefore, my dad was invited to go to the service, and he was allowed to bring one more person along (which is me!). Some of my other family members will be there; I haven't seen many of them in years. So it will be great to catch up with them!

While we'll only be in D.C. for a short time, we're also hoping to see some of the sights. I'm bringing my laptop with me, along with my camera, so I hope to share some of what we see and do with my readers!

It should be a memorable experience, and I'm happy to be able to share it with all of you! Thank you for taking the time to "travel" with me!

Beautiful Oregon

Looking back over the pictures my parents took during our vacation to Sunriver, Oregon, I feel immeasurably blessed. I would love to share some of these memories with you. May they remind you of the joys of family and the loveliness of God's creation!

This first picture is of the view from Cardinal Landing Bridge--a footbridge that sees traffic from pedestrians, bikes, and horses! Isn't the scenery gorgeous? I love the view from being on the bridge, but I also love the view of the bridge itself from a glider! The different views remind me of differing perspectives in life. God can see infinitely more than we can from where we are in one specific point in time and place--and He can see how this one point in our lives fits in with all of eternity. What a great comfort!

This next picture is from our glider ride. My dad and I went on a glider ride several years ago, and it was so much fun to go again! The people at Sunriver Soaring are so fun and sweet, and we had a blast! Although, I must warn you--this time I kind of wished I hadn't eaten breakfast right before I went. I held it together, but it was a close call for sure! However, overall it was thrilling, and I love the view of the mountains. (And you can see the reflection of our pilot in this picture!)

My mom and I had our own wonderful experience, canoeing on Sparks Lake, bordered by Mt. Bachelor, the South Sister, and Broken Top. We canoed with a great group at night, and when we stopped on the shore to enjoy a campfire and hot chocolate from a thermos, we were overjoyed to see the clouds start to move away, leaving us with a breathtaking view of the stars! It was a peaceful, majestic experience, and I love the name of the tour group: Wanderlust. I think the beauty of what God has made and the adventurous spirit He sets within us gives me a case of "wanderlust" sometimes, as well!

The next few pictures show some of the other fun things we did as a family: walking with my grandpa (and sitting with my dad and grandpa!), riding our bicycles, and eating at the Trout House for breakfast (yum, yum!).




And I simply have to include this video! We went to the High Desert Museum, and there were some people at the Settlers' Cabin that were dressed in period costume and talking about what life was like in the high desert back in 1880. Anyway, I got to learn how to play a game from back then, but I guess I got a bit carried away... Watch the following clip to see what I mean!



That poor young man. He was a good sport about it, though!

I could go on and on about the blessings God gave me through this trip! I hope that God might bless you through my memories, as well. Here's one last picture of us in the home we rented. What a wonderful vacation!


(Thank you to my parents for these pictures, this video, and for a grand vacation! I love you!)