Journal Jots – Blog

It’s such a grand thing to be a mother of a mother …

that’s why the world calls her grandmother.

~Author Unknown

WHOO-HOO, WELCOME TO OUR LIVES, AURORA GRACE (RORY) LESSMAN!!!

At 19-1/4″ and 6.8 lbs., she’s a little slip of a thing with lusty lungs!! It was touch-and-go for a while because our little girl had the cord wrapped around her neck three times (my OB/GYN daughter-in-law and proud mama says a cord wrapped around the neck once or twice is very common and not really a big deal, but three times is a little riskier, so they had to deliver Rory with a last-minute C-section. THANK YOU to each and every one of you who prayed for this delivery — we are SO grateful to God and to you!! We have plenty of pix below, so be sure to check them out …

Thursday night, Keith and I were celebrating 33 years of wedded bliss when we got the call that my son and daughter-in-law were on the way to the hospital!! Let me tell you, a little, pink bundle of joy sure says “Happy Anniversary” to me!! 🙂 As I mentioned before, I had planned to write a nice, long Journal Jot today with LOTS of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers Conference), but babies are one of the few things that can actually shut me up, apparently, so you are SPARED this week!!

Instead, I will just show you some highlight pix from my day yesterday and save the ACFW conference stories and pix for next week.

Anyway, here’s how my day was yesterday … how was yours??? 🙂

Here’s Aurora Grace (Rory) Lessman after 10 minutes of life!!

My son Matt, me and daughter Amy waiting for the big moment …

Then Grandma “JuJu” holds Rory for the first time, and YES, I am crying … so, what’s new??? 

Three generations of Lessmans … Grandpa Keith, Dad Matt and RORY!!!

Finally, we have mama and baby … a MOST unusual experience for my daughter-in-law Katie who delivers babies for a living, delivering on THIS side of the bed, I can tell you that … 🙂

Thanks SO much for sharing in my joy with me, and when my feet land back on the ground and things get back to normal, so will my Journal Jots … Of course, with me, “normal” is ALWAYS a relative term … 🙂

HAPPY OCTOBER!!

Hugs,

Julie

I am SO sorry that I am SO delinquent in posting after the ACFW Conference, but wanted to post one or two pix to let you know I am still alive, albeit BRAIN DEAD!!

It was a WONDERFUL conference, so thank you to all of you who prayed for me. Ruth Axtell Morren’s and my workshop, A Kiss is NOT Just a Kiss” was a rousing success and my Seeker dinner at my house was too, and meeting TONS of cherished friends at ACFW was SUCH a blessing as well. The ACFW Board did a FABULOUS job, as usual, and I will be posting LOTS more pix and stories in my Friday Journal Jot.

BUT … to tide you over, here’s a few pix from the dinner I had at my house for the Seekers who could come (and some of their hubbies). This pic is in my kitchen with some of the Seekers. A good friend of mine, Rel Mollet from Relz Review, wondered why I didn’t find a box to stand on since I look like such a shrimp. I told her the Seekers won’t let me get on my soapbox anymore, so that’s why I look like a little kid with wrinkles … 🙂

In order from left to right, the Seekers are: Mary Connealy, Myra Johnson, Janet Dean, Debby Giusti, Moi and my roomie at the conference, Audra Harders. Ruth Logan Herne, Sandra Leesmith and Cara Lynn James are obviously still down on the lower deck with their feet up …

BUT … here’s the whole group on my deck patio, where we sat around a fire pit after it got dark — SOOO FUN!! These are the Seekers who could attend and some of my FAVORITE people in the whole world!! From left to right they are:

Debby Giusti, Sandra Leesmith, Moi, Mary Connealy (in back), Cara Lynn James, Myra Johnson (in back), Ruth Logan Herne, Audra Harders and Janet Dean. GREAT ladies and GREAT authors, all. I HIGHLY recommend anything they’ve written!

After most of the Seekers went home, five precious ladies spent the night, including one of the MOST special online friends I have ever made — Casey Herringshaw. If Casey’s name sounds familiar, it might be because Casey won my newsletter contest last year for the most reviews posted on A Hope Undaunted (and my other books) and won a character named after her in A Heart Revealed. Another dear reader friend (and prayer partner!!), Michelle Tuller also won having a character named after her, but unfortunately, she wasn’t at my house (wish you had been, sweetie … maybe some day???). Anyway, I will be posting LOTS of pix in my Friday Journal Jot later this week, including some of Casey and the workshop, etc. LOTS of fun all around.

So … till then, have a great week and OH MY GOSH … I am FINALLY able to jump back in to A Cousins McClare out on my lower deck with my feet up again. Sigh.

I have a great new blog interview/giveaway that just went up today where I reveal my “bucket list,” so don’t miss out on a chance to win A Heart Revealed (or any of my signed books) at Joy Tamsin David’s blog, Edgy Inspirational Romance, so come see me at:

http://www.edgyinspirationalromance.com/2011/09/q-with-julie-lessman-and-giveaway.html

AND … only a few final days left on the rest of the blog giveaways as well:

NOW through OCTOBER 3, 2011

There’s a giveaway of my latest book, A Heart Revealed, at Our Crazy Life blog at:

http://mama2six.blogspot.com/2011/09/heart-revealed-book-review-giveaway.html?showComment=1316996072749#c5250119249316135409

AUGUST 29 to ?, 2011

Join me at OneDesertRose’s Blog for a Q&A session where a comment will enter you in a random pool giveaway for participants from several blogs to win a signed copy of any of my books including my upcoming release, A Heart Revealed at:

http://onedesertrose.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/julie-lessman-interviewa-heart-revealed-available-september-2011/

SEPTEMBER 3 to OCTOBER 1, 2011

Join me at The Owl Bookmark blog for a Q & A session and a chance to win a signed copy of any of my books including my upcoming release, A Heart Revealed at:

http://siobianthebookowl.blogspot.com/2011/09/author-q-with-julie-lessman-and.html

SEPTEMBER 9 to 30, 2011

Giveaway of A Heart Revealed at Radiant Light blog:

http://frommipov.blogspot.com/2011/09/giveaway-heart-revealed-by-julie.html

Hope to see you there … AND HERE … this Friday on a new Journal Jots!! Have a GREAT week!!

Hugs,

Julie

YIKES!!! I’m at the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference in St. Louis and literally have NO time to breathe, much less tackle a Journal Jot right now, but I PROMISE I will post in the next day or two, hopefully with LOTS of fun pix and happenings, so stay tuned …

HAPPY WEEKEND!!

Hugs, Julie