Jenn Musing Finale

Well, bloggy friends, it's been real. It's been fun. And it's been real fun. But I think I've known for a while my heart wasn't in this blog anymore. My heart really isn't into writing young adult fiction anymore. I haven't even read a YA book since....well I can't even remember when.

I think I'll get back into writing at some point, but my heart is for my children right now who both have special needs and need a lot of extra time, appointments, and love. And so, that means it's time to stop blogging here at Jenn Musing. I've got a new blog over at www.embracing.life, so please do consider checking it out, where I'll be blogging about faith, special needs parenting, and praying Scripture.

Whether I know you in real life, or only in the blogosphere, I have truly appreciated you following me here. Thank you for the friendships, the conversations, the encouragement.  I'll still be on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  I'll still be blogging, but about my faith and writing and special needs parenting. Gotta blog what you know, you know? Gotta blog what you love, right bloggy friends?

Hope we still get to stay in touch!
Jenn

Cheesecake and Writing Organically

Image source: www.girlinthemini.com

Cheesecake Cupcakes: Writing Organically

Good ol' Wikipedia taught me the history of cheesecake.  Cheesecake has been around for about 4,000 years.  It was originally made using flour, wheat, cheese and honey.  It was believed to have made its debut at the first Olympic games and became such a favorite that it was served at Greek weddings.  Over the centuries, the recipe has been changed, using different varieties of cheese and adding different ingredients, such as eggs and butter.  In 1872, an American farmer was trying to reproduce his own version of a French cheese for his cheesecake and ended up making his own version of cream cheese.  He then decided to start selling the product in foil wrappers, much like we use today, which became the staple for cheesecakes sold in America.

When I hear the story about the origin and changes of one of my favorite cakes, I must admit it reminds me of my own manuscript.  I had a dream one night that inspired my story.  I wrote out the scene of my dream and planned the story around it.  But as the story took shape, characters began to do things differently then they did in my mind and my plans.  And as I revised the story, I realized more and more that the scene that had inspired the entire idea didn't even fit anymore.  I sadly had to cut it out.

We can brainstorm and plot and outline for a long time, but somehow, as we start writing and the words appear on the page, they seem to veer off in a different direction then we originally planned.  I think this is a good thing.  Organic.  It makes the story and the characters seem alive.  

Whether it was intentional or not, I'm glad for the changes to the recipe that helped cheesecake become the dessert we know and love.  I admire the farmer who tried to make a French cheese and ended up with something different.  Instead of tossing it out as a failure, he realized the value in it and made a new and improved product out of it.  It went on to become a bestseller.

How to Create Your Own Writing Conference

Any of you ever want to go to a writing conference, but other obligations or money or   (insert excuse here)     prevented you from going?  Yeah.  Me too.

Last weekend was She Speaks, a conference for Christian women writers and speakers.  I was so close to registering before I knew it just wasn't going to happen this year.  This weekend is the SCBWI Children's Writers' and Illustrators' conference.  I was on Twitter a lot, retweeting the stuff that inspired me, and just soaking in the little nuggets of the conference squeezed into a 140 character or less tweet.

And then it hit me.  I can be learning and growing right here in the comfort of my own home and my local Starbucks!

1)  Networking.  It seems a lot of people go to conferences to meet like minded people, maybe get to know the experts of the field in hopes they can help you succeed.  Since I couldn't meet them in person, I decided to do some online networking.  I started following on Twitter five new people I've admired for a while now, and started following two new blogs.  Plus I visited and commented on a few blogs I just haven't had time to check out in a while, but which I love.

2)  Learning About the Craft.  There's always a plethora of sessions you can attend at a conference to learn more, and so I decided to read some blog posts I've been meaning to for a long time anyway about writing, blogging, social media, etc.  I listened to Michael Hyatt's podcast Platform, which was pretty awesome, and made me feel kinda like I was at a conference.  Except I could pause to get some ice cream halfway through. ;)

3)  Working Time.  Some conferences leave time for working on your project.  Others do not, but you're so inspired you make the time.  Well, I made the time to brainstorm blog post ideas, which I've been meaning to do for a loooong time now.

I think it'd also be cool to get together with some of your writerly friends and create a conference together.  Each of you share a lesson you've learned about the craft, blogs you love, social media tips, etc.  And leave time for writing, brainstorming, critiquing together etc.

Anyone else ever created their own conference, or want to?

Summer in a Nut Shell

Hello bloggy friends!  Sorry I've been a little MIA, just got back from a trip to DC for the kiddo's week long speech camp.  It was a great, but exhausting week, and I'm so proud of E for working so hard to learn new words and learning how to put them into phrases.  Here's the kiddo after his graduation where he received a medal for all his hard work, with his speech therapist and the creator of the camp, Jodi Kumar.

Before that, I was participating in Camp NaNoWriMo.  This is the summertime version of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), where you can set your own writing count goals for the month of July.  I wrote a whole 5,746 words before camp.  Didn't have time to write during camp and haven't hit my writing groove yet, so I don't think I'll make the minimum goal of 10,000 words, but it's all good.  I knew realistically I couldn't make 10,000 words and was shooting for between 5-7,000 words.  I'm 5,746 words closer than I was, and I still have a few days to go... :)


Anyway, for my writerly bloggy friends, I wanted to make sure you are informed about WriteOnCon.  It's an awesome online conference for writers that'll take place August 13-14.  Check it out. :)


Oh, and anyone else excited about seeing Catching Fire?  The trailer is pretty awesome!!

So, how's your summer going?

Spiritual Victory

The last couple of years, rather than making a list of New Years Resolutions I know I won’t be able to keep longer than a week or so, I instead seek God about a word, or theme He wants me to focus on for that year. The first year I did this the word He gave me was ‘intentional’. I learned more about what it meant to be an intentional wife, mother, woman of God, housewife, etc. But for the last three years in a row, when I seek God about my word for the year, it’s always the same.

‘Victory’.

Victory.  Noun. 1: the overcoming of an enemy or antagonist 2: achievement of mastery or success in a struggle or endeavor against odds or difficulties
 -Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Passion Fruit Cupcakes & Writing

Image from Our Best Holiday

Passion Fruit Cupcakes: Why Write?

I'll admit I've never tried a passion fruit cupcake, but I've had the fruit before.  It is purple or yellow and filled with seeds and juice that runs down your chin when you bite into it.  It makes me think of us, as human beings.  You see their outside shell, but you have no idea what is inside of them until you get to know them.  You have no idea what their dreams are, their hurts, their struggles and triumphs, but once you get to know them, the essence of who they are spills out. 

Sometimes it can be scary to share the essence of who we are.  It's easier to keep our dreams to ourselves in case they never come true.  It's easier to put on a mask of "all is well in my life" when really inside we're struggling. 

Ender's Game

By Orson Scott Card

Genre: sci-fi

My rating: 3 1/2 stars

I don't know why I put off reading this book for so long.  I've had it sitting on my bookshelf for years.  I've heard rave things about it.  But what finally led me to crack the book open and settle down to read it was when I saw they were making this:

Yeah.  And I'm a big fan of reading the book before seeing the movie.

So anyway, what I thought of the book:

Fun Things You Can Do With Pinterest

Ok, so I'll admit, there are times I'm on Pinterest for a looooong period of time.  It's kind of addicting.  And then there are times I'm not on Pinterest for a loong time.  (Notice, not so long.)  I have a love/hate relationship with the thing.  I love the ideas, the creativity, the inspiration.  But those are the same things I don't like it, because I realize I don't have much of it.  I have to steal it from others. ;)

For those of you that don't know anything about Pinterest, it's "A content sharing service that allows members to "pin" images, videos and other objects to their pinboard."  That's what Pinterest says about it, anyway.  I'll give you a better idea of what it's about by showing you a screenshot of some of my boards and pins.  You can find all my boards and pins here.

Goodness that Starts with B

Birthday Goodness:

E just turned three and we celebrated with my parents and sister with Thomas the Train inspired goodies. It was so much fun! He loved blowing out the candles, eating his cake with a spoon and his ice cream with a fork (simultaneously), opening his presents, and playing with his Thomas balloons and party hat.  Little A had fun with the party hats and balloons too!

Blogging Goodness:

I spent about two hours finally getting around to what I've been wanting to do with the blog since March.  Check out the side bar and the first person to comment with the difference wins one of these virtual cupcakes, in honor of the b-day festitivies.  Don't worry, this kind won't go straight to your thighs. ;)

Bible Study Goodness:

I have officially put my YA manuscript aside for a while.  It needs a lot more revision which I don't have time for right now.  But I can't put my writing completely aside: I'm writing a Bible study on spiritual victory that I'm very excited about.  Whenever I put it aside for too long, I run across someone else in my life that tells me something they're struggling with.  They have no idea I'm writing a Bible study that addresses the very theme they're sharing with me, and it reminds me this is a message that needs to be written.  So, I'm currently working on it once or twice a week and loving every minute of it.

Life is good.  Busy, stressful at times, but oh so very good.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Book 2 in The Lunar Chronicles

By Marissa Meyer

Genre: sci-fi, steampunk, fantasy, fairy tale retelling

My rating: 4 stars

Summary, taken from goodreads.com: "Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner."


If you haven't read Cinder, you should most def read that before reading this review.  Cinder was mind-blowingly awesome.  You can read my review of it here.

But anyway:

Frappuccino Cupcakes and Taking a Writing Break

Image from  food.allwomenstalk.com

Frappuccino Cupcakes: Taking a Writing Break

I love frappes.  Starbucks frappuccinos are no exception.  I go to Starbucks and get a frappe while I read my Bible or write, or revise, or blog.  Or I meet a friend at Starbucks and while we catch up on life I sip on my frappe.  Or when I've feeling stressed, I may stop by a Starbucks and pick up a frappe.  So, I was beyond excited to come across these adorable cupcakes.  They make me want to just sit back, relax, and savor life.

Those cupcakes look awesome!  And writing breaks can be too.  I have to admit, I'm on a major writing hiatus.  There are times I miss writing.  There are times I feel guilty I'm not writing.  But I've learned there are three reasons to take a break from writing, guilt-free.  

Three Reasons to Take A Break From Writing:

1) To let your writing breathe.

Put your manuscript away for at least a month, and then approach it again with fresh eyes.  When you work on it every single day you lose your objectivity along with your love for the story.  By putting the story aside, you'll come up with new ideas, and when you dig it out again you'll see new things, especially plot holes, and have a renewed desire to spiff up your manuscript and make it much stronger than had you kept plodding along.  Let your story relax.

2) To let yourself breathe.

Whether it's taking a day off from writing each week, or enjoying some time off after completing a manuscript, or whatever works for you, everyone needs a break to recharge.  And oftentimes, it's when we're not working on our stories, that's when the ideas come.  I can't tell you the number of times I've had ideas for my manuscripts while in the shower, driving, or on a walk.  Breaks are good and necessary for everyone.  Go read a good book, watch your favorite TV show, go on vacation, have a family game night, the sky is the limit.  You don't have to write every day.  Life is busy enough.  Let yourself relax. 

3) To pursue another project.

Whether it's another hobby, furthering your education, having a baby, etc, there are other things in life that are important to us and have every right to take a front seat for a while.  This is what I'm experiencing right now: putting my family first.  My children need me right now, and I don't want to miss out on time with them because my writing is competing with them.  There will come a day when they are more independent and that will be my opportunity to pick up my writing again.  Until then, I'm going to cherish time with my little blessings.  And when I have time, write a blog post or two.  Don't feel guilty about life getting in the way of your writing.  Relax and savor life.

Whatever reason you take a break from writing, know that in the long run, it'll give you fresh inspiration and energy when it does come time to dust off that manuscript.  Let go of the guilt, relax, and savor life.

Apraxia Awareness Day

My son loves trains!

Occasionally I mention in my posts that my oldest son has difficulty speaking and that he speaks mainly through sign language.  It's not something I talk about a lot here simply because the point of this blog was to focus on the things I enjoy: writing, reading, blogging, etc, and to connect with people online with similar interests.  But, as today is the first annual Apraxia Awareness Day, I figured why not share with you what it is my son and my entire family struggle with each day.  

My son has apraxia.  Here are a few facts about it, taken from apraxiadventures.com:

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder.  Children with CAS have problems saying sounds, syllables, and words. This is not because of muscle weakness or paralysis. The brain has problems planning to move the body parts (e.g., lips, jaw, tongue) needed for speech. The child knows what he or she wants to say, but his/her brain has difficulty coordinating the muscle movements necessary to say those words. 

CAS is a low incidence disorder.  Best estimates suggest that about 1 in 1000 children (0.1%) of children are affected by CAS.

A child with CAS may also present with other motor planning deficits.  Oral apraxia indicates that a person has difficulty with volitional control of non-speech movement; ie, sticking out the tongue, puckering, smiling, blowing, licking. Limb apraxia refers to motor planning deficits relating to arms, legs, fingers, etc.  (It is suspected that my son has verbal, oral and limb apraxia and therefore goes to speech, physical and occupational therapy). 

Appropriate speech therapy for CAS is three times per week for 30-minute individual sessions.  As children improve and develop speech motor control over volitional utterances, frequency can be reduced accordingly, as long as they maintain and generalize improvements. 

Although appropriate treatment is intensive and takes place over a number of years, children with CAS are capable of making many gains and many are capable of developing intelligible speech.  Some children may have some minor differences in their speech, their intonation may not be perfect, or others may perceive some sort of accent. However, most children will speak in a way that others understand.

Hope you learned something today!  If you are interested in knowing more about my son's journey, our struggles and victories as he learns to speak, please check out my other blog: http://sweetapplesofgold.blogspot.com/

Happy Speech and Hearing Awareness Month!

Apple Cupcakes & Writing From the Heart

Apple Cupcakes: Writing From the Heart

Green, red or yellow?  Sweet or tart?  If you decide you want to make an apple cupcake, you have an array of recipes to choose from: with spice, as a streusel, with caramel, and the list goes on.  

I think as writers it's far too easy to fall into what I call an "I don't know what to write that others will like to read" freak out phase.  But just like all apples have a core, all writers have a heart.  If you write from the heart, that's where the seeds are.  It's vulnerable, yes, but if you want your writing to bear any fruit, you have to be willing to dig deep and share what you are with the world.   Doesn't matter what you think others will want to read.  Just write what matters to you.  And maybe, just maybe, it'll matter to others too.

Mark Twain says to "Write what you know."  I don't know if I agree completely with the man.  I've had to do quite a bit of research on creativity and neuroscience for one of the books I was writing, and I loved every minute of it.  I didn't know much about neuroscience, but I was fascinated with the concept and so I was willing to research it, willing to spend years of my life crafting what I found into a story.  It mattered to me, and that's what made me sit down and write and write, and then then rewrite and rewrite.  It was a story in my heart that needed to come out.  

What story is hidden in your heart?

The Fairest Beauty

By Melanie Dickerson

Genre: YA, Christian, historical, fairy tale retelling

My rating: 4 stars

Summary: "Sophie desperately wants to get away from her stepmother's jealousy, and believes escape is her only chance to be happy. Then a young man named Gabe arrives from Hagenheim Castle, claiming she is betrothed to his older brother, and everything twists upside down. This could be Sophie's one chance at freedom—but can she trust another person to keep her safe? 

Gabe defied his parents Rose and Wilhelm by going to find Sophie, and now he believes they had a right to worry: the girl's inner and outer beauty has enchanted him. Though romance is impossible—she is his brother's future wife, and Gabe himself is betrothed to someone else—he promises himself he will see the mission through, no matter what. 

When the pair flee to the Cottage of the Seven, they find help—but also find their feelings for each other have grown. Now both must not only protect each other from the dangers around them—they must also protect their hearts." (Summary taken from goodreads.com)

I have LOVED Melanie Dickerson's previous books, The Healer's Apprentice (a retelling of Sleeping Beauty) and The Merchant's Daughter (think Beauty and the Beast.)  So I was very excited about her newest book, a retelling of Snow White with a Christian twist.  I enjoyed it, but not as much as the first two.  I loved Sophie's character, the story was cute, the themes amazing, but it just seemed too predictable, no real twists, so that I found it hard to stay glued to the pages like I was with the first two.

What I did enjoy, however, was how Dickerson intertwined the story with Christian themes.  The evil stepmother was so much like Satan, planting lies in the heads and hearts of Sophie and Gabe that these two had to overcome the lies with God's truth and accept healing from God alone.  Beautifully done.

Overall, an enjoyable read. :)

Happy Birthday Shakespeare!

Today marks the 449th b-day of this literary genius.  Whenever anyone asks me which author I'd like to meet, I always say this guy.  Why?  I'd ask him where he got his inspiration for all his plays. I'd ask how long it took him to write each play. I'd ask him if he really wrote all of them (ya know, 'cuz there's all that controversy he didn't.) I'd ask him if he would want to keep writing feather quill on paper, or if he'd want to try his hand at writing on the computer. I'd ask him if/how he revises since he can't really copy and paste like I do. I'd see what writing tips he'd like to share with me.  I'd take him to see a play and see what he thinks of theater now (with women acting, whoa!). Or I'd go back into his time and see him perform in his own play in the Globe Theater.

Happy birthday Will!!

Image from westerlylibrary.com

How well do you know your Shakespearean plays?  Take this quiz to find out.  I scored an 8/10.

What do you like/dislike about Shakespeare?  What's your favorite or least favorite play?  

The Faerie Prince Cover Reveal!

My blogging buddy Rachel Morgan is celebrating her big cover reveal today, and I'm honored to be able to help her out.  Drum roll please....

Isn't it purdy?  I can't wait to read it!  I'm not a huge paranormal fantasy fan, but I found Rachel's first book, The Faerie Guardian, a fun and intriguing story with charming characters.  Anyway, here's all the cool details about The Faerie Prince:   

Title: The Faerie Prince
Author: Rachel Morgan
Publication Date: May 30th 2013
Description:  Guardian trainee Violet Fairdale is just weeks away from one of the most important occasions of her life: graduation. After messing up big time by bringing a human into the fae realm, Vi needs to step up her game and forget about Nate if she hopes to graduate as the top guardian of her year. Everything would be fine if she wasn’t forced to partner with Ryn, her ex-friend, ex-enemy, current ‘sort of friend’. They might be trying to patch up their relationship, but does she really want to spend a week undercover with him for their final assignment? On top of that, the possibly-insane Unseelie Prince is still on the loose, free to ‘collect’ as many specially talented faeries as he can find—and Vi is still at the top of his list. Add in faerie queens, enchanted storms, complicated not-just-friends feelings, and a murder within the Guild itself, and graduation is about to become the least of Vi’s problems.

Add THE FAERIE PRINCE to your to-read list on Goodreads.

If you haven't yet read the first book in the Creepy Hollow series, THE FAERIE GUARDIAN, you can find it at the following places:
Amazon, B&N, Apple iBookstore, SmashwordsTo connect with the author, visit Rachel Morgan's blog.

Rachel, this is going on my to-read list! ;)

The "E" Word

Americans everywhere are sharing their views on the marriage equality issue and rightly so.  It's an issue where peoples' beliefs, emotions, and lives are involved. But what I find interesting is that while many Americans are clamoring for equal rights, there's one issue that seems to not receive as much outcry.  I doubt many people even know about this, which I found posted on Fox News:

"The war on Easter has begun! The principal of Heritage Elementary School in Madison, Alabama has banned the use of the word Easter in the school saying that it infringes on the rights of students."

You can read the full article here.

Am I only one who finds this a complete violation of equal rights?  Here was my immediate response:  "Uh, if she doesn't want me using the "E" word, I'll just go back to calling it Resurrection Sunday like the early church called it before eggs and bunnies and candy somehow got involved.  See how she feels about that."  

Definitely not a very loving response, but don't we all have the right to tell people what religious holiday we happen to celebrate?

What are your thoughts?

Red Velvet Cupcakes and Character Transformation

Red Velvet: Character Growth

I must admit, red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting is up there as one of my fave cupcake flavors.   I remember one time I determined to make a batch myself.  Before I knew it, I had cupcakes baking in the oven, but my fingers and my counter were stained red.  But whoa, those cupcakes sure tasted good!  And with that cream cheese frosting (I must confess, it was from a can, I wasn't brave motivated enough to make my own) it seemed like perfection.  I was so proud. 

Same thing with the characters in my current WIP.  I must admit, I am a little protective of them, since I love them and created them and all.  But I've known for a while there was something missing with one of my characters.  He seemed almost like a jerk because his life seemed too perfect.  Nothing was really missing in his life.  I did everything I could to make him seem like less like a jerk.  I tried to give him more of a motivation for doing what he does in the story.  But it seems flat.  Jerk-like.  And I tried to up the stakes, but that also fell flat.  And then, I realized what my problem was.

He didn't have a dark moment to stain his life and help shape who he is.  You see, every person has something that happens in their life that affected them negatively.  It makes them believe a lie about themselves: maybe that they're not good enough, or that they aren't worth loving, or that they'll always be a failure.  Their thoughts and their actions are tainted by that lie, just as my fingers and my counters were tainted by that red food coloring.

BUT, and this is important, something major has to happen in the story to bring that lie back to the surface.  They have to choose if they're going to continue down the path they've been going, or if they're going to accept the truth about themselves.  Hopefully, your character grows from this experience.  That, my bloggy friends, is the cream cheese frosting.  It covers over the lies they've been believing.  It creates all things new.  It provides healing.  Redemption.

You need both the dark moment from the past, the lie surfacing in the present, and overcoming the lie with truth to have a beautiful character transformation.  

That character I mentioned before?  He was just a plain chocolate cupcake, no red coloring and no frosting.  No wonder agents were rejecting this manuscript!  But I'm going through and adding in touches of his dark moment.  I'm rewriting the climax to show him dealing with his demons.  And I'm showing him learning the truth and experiencing victory over the lie he's been believing for so long.

Healing and redemption.  It's beautiful.  It's poignant.  It's something to savor.  

Is it something you have in your story?

Finding My Blogging Niche

This July will mark my third year of blogging.  Yep.  But, instead of being all excited about my upcoming blogoversary I've been musing (lame pun intended) on how I really felt about my blog.  I'll admit, I don't have much time to do a lot of writing or blogging.  But when both kiddos are asleep and the dishes are loaded I may have some time to sit down and write.  So I go to my blog and prepare to write a new post except I don't know what I want to write about.  I seemed to have lost my focus and passion for blogging.  I had gotten to the point where I was lucky to write a post once a week, and even then I'd wonder:
"Who in their right mind will want to read this?"
"What should I be blogging about?"

I was having a blogger identity crisis.  So I talked to the hubster about it.  And he basically told me, 'You're overthinking everything.  Just blog about what you want.  Don't worry about what others think about it or about what other bloggers are doing.'  Ok.  Easier said than done.

Then I read an awesome post by Amanda Medlin that reinforced what hubster said, but which for some reason was much more motivating for me (sorry hubster).  The post "When You Struggle to Find Your Niche" was exactly what I needed to read and get me inspired.

Here's her three main points:
1) Stop overthinking and just write.  (Yeah, exactly what the hubster said).
2) Stop looking to other blogs to define yours. (Sounds like what hubster was saying).
3) Break some rules!

Fine.  I can take a hint.  I'm finding my niche and making my blog reflect it.  Here's what it looked like before:

I'm resolved to boldly blog and post about the things I care about.  And if you happen to care about it too, then awesome.  If not, well, at least I had fun writing the post.  :)

www.bloggiesta.com

Luckily for me, this all coincides with Bloggiesta-an awesome weekend long blogging event where you focus on improving your blog and finally crossing off all those 'to-do' items on your blog goal's list.  The bloggiesta kicks off March 22nd and ends March 24th.


So, here's my goals for the Bloggiesta fiesta:

Continue blog renovations
Create an About page
Brainstorm 5+ blog post ideas
Update social media icons
Write and schedule at least 2 blog posts  One down, one to go!
Learn about/find alternate feed readers  Thanks to everyone's suggestions, I've decided to go with Bloglovin.
Participate in at least 3 Bloggiesta mini-challenges  So far, two done.  Check out Amanda's mini-challenge on making your blog look awesome and easy to navigate Through Your Visitor's Eyes.  Also read another Jenn's mini-challenge on Google Reader Replacement Options.  
Comment on at least 10 blogs

I'm not expecting to accomplish them all this weekend, but they will all get done.  And I'll be sure to have plenty of chips and salsa during the festivities.  Con queso.

Anyone else participating in the blogging festivities? Or have experience with blogging renovations and finding blogging niches and have advice to share?

Strengths and Weaknesses

A friend of mine sent me this video to encourage me.  As I've mentioned a few times before, my oldest son (who is almost three) struggles with speech.  It's an area that will be difficult for him for quite some time, and so in the meantime, we are working on teaching him sign language.  He picks up on new signs so quickly!  Before I had no idea what went on in that little head of his, but every day I'm getting a glimpse of the things he thinks about and notices, and it's awesome.

Anyway, this video really did inspire me and I hope you watch it and find inspiration as well.  When my son gets older I will definitely share it with him and hopefully it will encourage and inspire him as well. 

What a beautiful reminder that we all have weaknesses and areas where we struggle, but we also have strengths, areas where we can bless others with our gifts and talents!  

Some people have indicated they couldn't play the video.  If that's you, then here's the link to the video on youtube:       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLdg9FMp7f8