Outro to 2015 Intro to 2016

Another year come and gone.

So this is my goodbye to the old, hello to the new. 

I started the year in my last year of the 20s,

January was mainly uneventful.

February I traveled and my life began to change.

By April I was in a relationship with a great guy, 3 great kids quite solidly in my life, and then in June I published my first book.

After that, my year was full of promoting my book, spending time with boyfriend and kids, spending the time I could with my mom... things like that.

and now at the end of 2015 I'm 30.

I had many goals for the year.

Traveling more, CHECK.
First kiss, CHECK
Reaching my 30 pound weight loss goal, CHECK
Becoming more confident, CHECK
Publishing a book, CHECK
...

So yeah, I'm starting 2016 with a new weight loss goal in mind, 10-30 more pounds.
Growing closer to the new people that are in my life, brought on by my relationship...
Working on and hopefully publishing book #2...
Becoming a woman that my boyfriend will be even more proud to be with, more confident, loving, straight forward... just improving in all the things he already sees in me. For me more than for him.

OH! Staying in contact with all the people in my life that I love and care for.
And reading more... sewing more, cleaning more... oh and getting all of my to do list tasks completed like my own new quilt, and the vhs to dvd project as well as my book trailer and a few other things.

2015 was amazing and I hope and pray that 2016 will be just as wonderful. Thank you my Lord and Savior for everything 2015 has brought, the good because I'm happy and the bad because it's helped me grow. I love you Lord.

I love you, all of you that read my blog. I pray for you and praise the Lord for you. May your 2016 be full of blessings and love!

Until next year...
-LYNNEA :)

I'm 30!!

It’s my birthday and I’ll be old if I… wait a second…

So Today I turn 30… or as I like to think of it 03! I’m 03 again!! YEP! … okay no. I’m 30. My 20’s are officially behind me and I’m in the age group with the likes of… well… everyone my age!

When I turned 29, I was dreading 30. Nothing was happening for me. Still single, still jobless, still trying to pay back student loans I don’t have a job to help me pay back, Nothing to show for my years on this earth besides debt and sadness.

Did I show this? Not often. In fact only a few of my closest friends knew how I was feeling about this. But the fact of the matter is I WAS feeling it.

Then this year I decided to take matters into my own hands. My best friend since college and I decided we weren’t going to hit 30 having never been kissed. Did either of us think we’d actually get kissed this year? I didn’t think I would at least. But I did. And that man is my boyfriend. He is a wonderful man that I’m very proud to be with.   That being said a few months after that took off, I decided once and for all, my book is done I’m going to self published and in June I did just that. Between interviews for one paper, book promotions, my book now being available in a local shop (The Sweet Boutique)… 30 isn’t seeming so bad anymore!

My life is finally made of several good somethings! It’s exciting, and I’m happy.

We all have those milestones we dread but instead of dreading them I think it’s up to us to make them worth while don’t you?

Keep on keeping on my pretties! We can do this thing! J

The Sweet Boutique

There are times in an authors life that ones are for the books (pun intended)

These times are:
When any book is published (but ESPECIALLY the first one),
When a fan base is established
When the book sales reach 100+
When someone says "I couldn't put it down. I finished it in one sitting"
 and there are SO many more.

My most recent "One for the books" Is when I went to a local shop and asked them to carry my book and they said YES.

The Sweet Boutique is a chocolate shop but more than that you can buy local artisans work, from paintings, jewelry and other things and now my book has been added to that list!

In The Sweet Boutique my book is $10, but more than that, what better place to get your Christmas shopping done than a store that has so much in it, AND you get a snack too!!

I strongly recommend going to check this store out! The chocolate is delicious and the artisans are talented. If you haven't bought my book yet there are copies available there and they are autographed!! It's just a SWEET DEAL and THE SWEET BOUTIQUE! :)

Enjoy the Holiday Season my dears! God bless!

That Time I finally Updated My Blog!

I know, I know! I'm horrible!!!!

Yeah, I've been slacking on my blog posts. No, I've not got a good excuse.

I got a new computer because the old one decided it was to tired to work anymore after 4 years... So I was all ready set go to get back to my blogging, and writing in general. Then the new one decided it just didn't like it's new owner and gave me trouble. Thankfully, I have a tech savvy boyfriend who keeps showing it who is boss!

Finally it's up and running, so I've got to play catch up. I'm going to start a December Writing Challenge since I did one in October/November. Then I'll start doing my writing projects and working on book 2. I've still got a few things to finish for book one when I get the chance.

Right now though I'm busy busy getting Christmas presents made for some of my favorites. I have 3 quilts to finish. Hoping to get them done this and next week, but it means working non-stop.

In the last month I've patched up a quilt, mended part of another quilt, mended some of my own clothing, and made 7 pillows! So making three other quilts, patching up the quilt I started to mend and then mending my own quilt... yeah I'll be staying busy for the next few months. In addition to that I'm still doing my VHS to DVD project. That one is slow going but I'm working on it!

Thanksgiving was amazing, I was surround by a 4 year old, a two year old, and two babies who are both just a few months old. Got to spend some time with my boyfriend and his kiddos too. It was a blessing.

I'm going to try harder and harder to blog more though. Maybe once life calms down after the holiday rush! We'll see though. :) Well it's time for me to get working on one of those quilts again! Much love my sweeties!

MERRY CHRISTMAS and I hope your Thanksgiving was amazing.

That Time of Year Again

Hello Hello!

First and for most let me choose this November 5th to post something special:

Remember, remember!
The fifth of November,
The Gunpowder treason and plot;
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder treason ...
Should ever be forgot!
Guy Fawkes and his companions
Did the scheme contrive,
To blow the King and Parliament
All up alive.
Threescore barrels, laid below,
To prove old England's overthrow.
But, by God's providence, him they catch,
With a dark lantern, lighting a match!
A stick and a stake
For King James's sake!
If you won't give me one,
I'll take two,
The better for me,
And the worse for you.
A rope, a rope, to hang the Pope,
A penn'orth of cheese to choke him,
A pint of beer to wash it down,
And a jolly good fire to burn him.
Holloa, boys! holloa, boys! make the bells ring!
Holloa, boys! holloa boys! God save the King!
Hip, hip, hooor-r-r-ray!

______________________________________________

Now that that's over with, The coming events are Thanksgiving Day, my birthday, Christmas and New Years. The hustle and bustle of the season is just beginning and Christmas shopping is happening. Decorating has started, as have the holiday foods. It's beautiful.

I'm so excited about this time. I had the best Halloween this year, getting to spend it with my boyfriend and his kids. We carved pumpkins, went trick or treating and it was just an awesome time. I look forward to this holiday season having those 4 in my life.

Theres not much else to talk about in this post. I'm working on writing again and look forward to getting more done! But I will blog again later.

If You Are Happy and You Know It...Write a Blog

Sorry It has been so long. After my last blog I had a family reunion then went on a little, happiness time. I don't like to share a lot of details on my life so the details of that will be limited. Anyway, I'm still on my happiness time... With the exception of an up to par computer. Yes, my computer has been giving me trouble so my blogs have been scarce. I've been wanting to blog for a while though so I braved my computer, booted it up and here we are!

The month of September was actually less painful than Septembers past because I have a wonderful man in my life. One that I know my father would approve of. The reunion I usually dread wasn't half bad this year, minus a few misunderstandings. I got to spend some quality time with my brother, sister-in-law and their whole gang, and was able to step up and help quite a bit with our reunion. Then it was off to happy time. The man in my life is so special to me and his little family is just as special. I love my time with them and am so thankful for them being in my life. A level of contentment and happiness that I have never known has entered my life full force allowing me to open up a part of my heart to so many new people. I'm blessed and so thankful.

It's amazing how so many things can go wrong but because of the presence of God in your life, and the presence of those that God has put in your life... you feel nothing but joy.

I have also gotten to my healthiest weight since high school. I'm down to what I was while dad was sick, and a total of 40 pounds from my goal weight, according to my last weigh in! I cannot wait to continue this journey, knowing how much support I get from those I love the most. Winter time is harder to lose weight in but if I continue on this path, by next summer I hope to be at my goal if not just 20 pounds from it. The amusing thing is, I have been avoiding buying new clothes, until last month when family members pestered me, mainly because my pants were WAY too baggy. Shirts I have, they are easy to buy and pretty inexpensive if you know where to look... pants... different story so I usually wear those until they are falling off, even though I hate extremely baggy clothes. I hate shopping for new pants even more. Oh well, it's actually a blessing that I have to get new clothes so no complaints here. I'm really excited about it in the long run.

There isn't much else going on. I'm TRYING to work on book two though it's a little more difficult with an annoying computer. I have a new writing technique that I'm trying though and I'm excited to get my series out and published, hopefully by next summer! I need to sign off now and get a few other things done before my computer decides it hates me again. So See ya later my bloggery do readers.

My September Jam

I'm honest about a lot in this life and one thing I'm most honest about is that September is not my month. From September 1st to about Sept 16th I completely shut down, am easily agitated, and just difficult. I try not to be, I fight it hard.

I know a lot of it comes from keeping everything in, I always have and probably always will. But I remember things during this month.

The death of my father placed a cloud on my moms and my life. With the recent book publish and wonderful and in my life I'm only just starting to see the sun again in that area of my life. It's been 14 years.

I posted something on facebook a few days ago that describes it the best for me:

Disclaimer before the post: I'm not posting this for sorrow or pity, or even to ask for prayer. I'm posting this because it's on my heart and I want to get it out. But also because I know there are others out there that will understand. More than that there are people out there that need this for their own situations. They haven't quite found the strength I've found, they need to hear someone else is struggling, but that because someone else has made it through, they can too. So, here it goes...

This is the time of year that I absolutely hate the calendar because no matter how much I fight it, I find myself counting the days until the 11th-13th of September, and not in a good way. People say it should get easier, and it does in a sense. 14 years ago I dreaded every day as my dad's health declined and dreaded them even more after he died. Now I only dread the days he was in a coma, died and the days leading up to his funeral. But I know they are coming and that's what makes it hard. The memories flood back and nearly drown me in the sorrow, as I fight to keep my head above water and swim for my life back to the safety and happiness of what my life has now become and more than that to the safety of my heavenly fathers arms. I know that once the "crap days" as I call them pass everything will be alright. Just as much as I don't want to remember the pain and sorrow I felt at 15, I do want to remember my fathers last words to me. I do want to remember how my family, HIS family came together after he died, how we held each other. I do not want to remember harsh words spoken to me by some family, or even by some peers.

So anyone going through loss, whether old or new, you are not alone. All loss is different, every person is different. But one truth holds firm, loss in any form is hard, it stinks, but somehow, some way, you get stronger, even when you don't want to. My love and prayers are with you and if you need someone to talk to, send me a message. For all the pain my dad's cancer and death caused, it's like a friend of mine told me once, my dad didn't survive cancer but my mom and I survived it as his caretakers. Because we survived we can now help others.

Why do I share this story, not to get attention but to spread the story of a man who once said to my mom and I "If one person comes to Christ through my story then it will have all been worth it." Isn't that profound? If we share the story of our struggles, think of the people we can help, the stories we can add to, the people that will see God through them.

____________________
Because of my September experience my September jam has been "Wake Me Up When September Ends" Then yesterday I started looking for September songs in the hopes to find one that will keep me out of this funk I get in... and I found one by Rosanne Cash, sang by her and her dad Johnny Cash. Lyrics of that are below:

There's a cross above the baby's bed,
A Savior in her dreams.
But she was not delivered then,
And the baby became me.
There's a light inside the darkened room,
A footstep on the stair.
A door that I forever close,
To leave those memories there.

So when the shadows link them,
Into an evening sun.
Well first there's summer, then I'll let you in.
September when it comes.

I plan to crawl outside these walls,
Close my eyes and see.
And fall into the heart and arms,

Of those who wait for me.
I cannot move a mountain now
I can no longer run.
I cannot be who I was then
In a way, I never was.

I watch the clouds go sailing
I watch the clock and sun.
Oh, I watch myself, depending on,
September when it comes.

So when the shadows link them,
And burn away the clouds.
They will fly me, like an angel,
To a place where I can rest.
When this begins, I'll let you know,
September when it comes.
_______________________

I can relate to this so much and just wow.... Now I've got two sad September Jams... I guess I'll have to listen to Say Geronimo all month instead. lol...