Andrea's getting PUBLISHED!!!! And other li'l updates

Okay I realize it's been FOREVER since I blogged! Okay not forever, that was a slight exaggeration! I figured since some time has passed that I might as well update y'all on our little lives!
So to address the main title of this particular blogging of mine I'll let you all know that my little sister Andrea Pearson has officially signed with a publishing company and her young adult fantasy book called The Key of Kilenya will be published NATIONWIDE on July 6th 2010!!!!!!!
It will be available at all the major bookstores and online! I am SO SO SO SO SO SO SO happy for her! It's been an emotional roller-coaster for me as well for many reasons but mostly because I'm just so happy for her, so happy actually that I cried my eyeballs out today after hearing the great news!!
Andrea had several great publishing companies offer to publish her book, but being the Spiritual giant that she is she completely and entirely relied on that to know which would be the best to go. You can't argue with that!! lol She chose Valor Publishing Group LLC
She'll be starting a book-signing tour arranged and managed by her publisher in July when her book comes out traveling all across the States to Barnes & Noble bookstores. Wow I wish I could go with her! What an adventure!!
This woman is just amazing. Whoever gets to have her for their Eternal Companion is one incredibly lucky dude and he better know that or I'll have to block him one!! lol

Now the family update!
Tyler is getting more nervous and more excited every day to get to Basic Training next month! I'm getting more nervous, period! I am very excited for what he's going to be learning there and all the experience he'll get, and I am even just slightly envious of it, but I know that if I ever let the thought penetrate too deeply into my head and heart about him being gone I start to sob so I stop that thought IMMEDIATELY cuz I hate crying! And I don't want to look like a big, weak baby!! lol

We have been making important goals and changes in our lives, too. I just have felt greatly impressed that these changes must be made to help our family and to help each of us individually. Such changes include being more selective of what types of entertainment material is allowed into our home, more strict and consistent with having regular Family Home Evening, and scripture study and prayers, and working on personal things as well for each of us. It's a lot of work, you know, when deciding to make changes that require effort and dedication, diligence, and real strength. But I know it's right.
Since starting these changes the Adversary is paying us extra attention lately, and as I will not get into the details of that, we are realizing that his influences are just as real as God's are and if we do not stop him short then we will lose. Bit by bit, piece by piece, he slithers softly and subtly into our lives until we've gone so far that we're past-feeling and do not even recognize that he has become a regular guest, maybe even taking up a more permanent residence, in our own homes and in our own hearts.
We've had blessings and prayers and temple-going and other things to help us keep our chins up, our faith strong, and our attitudes more on the positive side.

I have been thoroughly enjoying Institute! My teacher is a riot and I totally love him! Brother Peterson. Wow, he's really fun, intelligent, educated, entertaining, and loving and caring. I love the Orem Institute! Those who choose not to go are not only totally missing out but are making it harder on themselves. Trust me on that one, even if you don't agree.
I have been feeling the Spirit so much more lately, so clearly, and IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE. To know when something is true, the Spirit speaks to both your mind AND your heart, not to just one of them. IT MAKES SENSE. That is, if you let it in and you really want to know the truth. Of course if you're angry, stubborn, prideful, spiteful, rebellious and selfish then he cannot penetrate your heart and mind thus making it nearly impossible for you to feel these feelings of knowledge and surety and peace that come with the Spirit speaking and teaching truth to you. I'm sorry you're missing out. It is your choice.

I also have started reading No Doubt About It by Sheri Dew. Can I say WOW enough?? I don't think so!! A dear friend of mine recommended it to me and I am SO grateful to her for following promptings from the Spirit and telling me to read this book!! It's helping me SO very much right now and has been like perfect medicine for my heart and soul. And I literally mean that! So go read it if you want to know more of what I'm talking about.

Lacie's getting better in school! She was struggling for a bit there, but jumped over that hurdle and is now spelling words for us and writing and reading!!!!! She's incredibly brilliant. I've noticed with Lacie since she was brand new that if you carefully show her how to do something exactly, she can take it from there and master it, sometimes even the second time she tries it. She's really amazing. She's such a sweetheart, too! She got up on Valentine's Day on Sunday and drew a "card" for Tyler and I each! She drew cute pictures, hearts, and To Mom From Lacie, etc on them. They were DARLING!! Brought tears to my eyes! My baby girl is growing up SO fast and she's such a special girl and I'm super lucky to be her mother!! I just hope I can be what she deserves!!

Sophie's such a funny girl, and so cute. She's always checking in with mommy needing hugs and kisses and cuddles, then goes back to destroying the house/toys/clothes/makeup/food she was previously working on. She's a very independent little girl and insists on doing everything by herself! lol. She changes her clothes several times a day and she demands dresses and dresses only, no matter the weather! She sings in perfect pitch, matching whatever's on the radio in the bathroom (usually classical music or church music) or what's on in the car (daddy's old country or oldies or whatever). It's so sweet! She dances and prances, being a princess, and if given a chance will tell you the funniest stories! Usually she's pretty quiet, keeping to herself, but don't let that silence deceive you!! She's a very strong-willed, stubborn, and determined little girl!

Also, last of all, we sold our truck!!! We now own no vehicles and we have to return my in-laws car that they were gracious enough to let us borrow for a couple of days tomorrow so we'll be taking the bus and walking everywhere unless we can find ourselves a decent car! We've been madly searching for cars the last week or so and even more intensely searching since we sold the truck! We've driven as far as to Ogden from Orem! It blows me away how dishonest and misleading people can be, and it really is a hurtful disappointment for me every time. When someone advertises that there are NO PROBLEMS with a car just know right away that they are LYING THROUGH THEIR TEETH!!! lol. Seriously!!! I swear I was the ONLY one telling the truth when I was advertising our truck!! I did forget to put one thing down on the ad which I feel so so so bad about, but I simply forgot! It wasn't an issue, at least not a serious one, so I'd forgotten about it entirely. But at least I wasn't purposely deceiving people and trying to con them!! We go look at a "perfect" car and it has broken lights, shorted out electrical, torn out stereo, missing seat belts, broken struts, leaking oil, bald tires, no oil, you name it! And they even go as far as to say that these same cars can pass emissions and inspections! Either they're lying out-right about that or they're taking them to some underground or black market car inspection place to pass the E&I!! Come on people! How can you live with yourselves???

Anyway, we will continue the search for a reliable and easy-on-gasoline cheap car, and meantime I must FORCE myself to concentrate on writing my play and two papers due this week, and study for 2 tests (or 3?), and clean the horribly messy house, etc etc etc.

Wish us luck and hopefully I'll write sooner next time than I did this time cuz if I wait too long Tyler will already be gone and I'll be crying too hard to be able to even see what I'm typing!! LOL