The Letter

This was a great book! I gave it 5 stars but felt myself very frustrated for Marie and the rest of the Tillman family. I was irritated with the way they needed to dig for answers to find out what really happened to Pat. Great book, but have a box of Kleenex handy.

Here is the synopsis from B&N:

In 2003, Pat Tillman, serving in the US Army, hastily wrote a "just in case" letter to his wife, Marie. When he returned on leave before his departure to Afghanistan, he placed the letter on top of their bedroom dresser. For months it sat there, sealed and ever-present, like a black hole through which Marie knew her stable life would be pulled if she ever had reason to open it. Then, in April 2004, Marie's worst nightmare came true. In the days following his death, it was Pat's letter that kept her going and, more than that, it was his words that would help her learn to navigate a world she could no longer share with her husband.

In THE LETTER, Marie's talks for the first time about her journey to remake her life after Pat's death. In it, she recalls meeting and falling in love with Pat when they were kids, his harrowing decision to join the army after 9/11, and the devastating day when she learned he'd been killed. She describes how she withdrew from the public spotlight to grieve, learning along the way the value of solitude, self-awareness and integrity in the healing process. And, finally, Marie recounts her work to rebuild her life, including founding The Pat Tillman Foundation, an organization established to carry forth Pat's legacy of leadership, and her decision to step back into the public eye in order to inspire people to live with meaning and purpose.

Filled with the lessons Marie learned and the wisdom she gained since Pat's death, THE LETTER is both a heartrending love story and an inspiring tale for anyone, young or old, whose life has taken an unexpected hard turn — and who struggles to get back on the right path.

Miss F- 3 months

These are some 3 month photos I took for a co-worker. Miss F was 3 months old did great for her pictures!

So Behind!!!

It's been a LONG time since I updated. Since then we've tried unsuccessfully to sell our home, bought a lot for our future home, found out we're expecting our second child, and have been running around with Miss A like crazy! I've been doing a lot more with my photography and am dreaming of starting a small business. Perhaps when I'm on maternity leave I can investigate more!

My Parents

I also took some shots of my parents the same day I took my Sis's photos with Oliver. Here are my favorites.

Sis and Oliver

School has started again so I'm behind with blogging. My sister got a puppy about 6 weeks ago now. Oliver is the most lovable puppy I've ever met. He's a sweet Australian Shephard. My sis asked if I'd take a few shots of her and Oliver. We went by Lake Michigan and got quite a few nice shots. Here are some of my favorites.

Catching Fire- Hunger Games Series

I just finished Catching Fire this afternoon while I was getting my "back to school" pedicure. Again, I highly recommend this book and give it 5 stars. The story continues following Katniss and Peeta. I have to say I want Katniss to give up on Gale and go for Peeta! I was a little surprised by this book. I wasn't expecting some of the events and the ending was a total cliffhanger! I have never read a series in its entirety at once. I typically need to take a little break and sneak in another book. I was thankful I had already downloaded the next book onto my Nook so I could start it immediately! Here's the B&N synopsis.

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.  

New Hat for Miss A

I made this hat for my daughter for this fall and winter. The hat was made out of Berroco Flicker yarn. It's baby alpaca and is irresistibly soft! There are silver sparkles throughout the yarn, but you can't tell from this picture. I decided to do some basic hats and make several different color flowers and attach them to an alligator clip so the hat can go with any coat she may have. I hated having so many hats to go with different coats last year. Much easier to change a flower. I'm also planning to make the same hat in cream for her. Although it was 81 degrees today she modeled well for me!