Ozark Weddings by Janice Thompson & Anita Higman

This delightful three-in-one collection is sure to appeal to lovers of Christian fiction, particularly those who enjoy inspirational romance.

Three Stories in One Great Collection: Ozark Weddings

Larkspur Dreams is a lighthearted, whimsical tale that will appeal to inspirational romance readers, particularly those with artistic leanings. The Love Song reaches into the depths of the reader's soul, dealing with the topic of overcoming past hurts. Castles in the Air provides a humorous look at the way we are perceived by others, and teaches us that our prejudices (comical as they might be) often keep us from the very thing God has planned for us.

All three stories are set in Arkansas: Eureka Springs, Little Rock, and Hot Springs. Larkspur Dreams and Castles in the Air are romantic comedy, while the middle story, The Love Song, is more dramatic in tone
About the Authors:

Anita Higman: Award-winning author, Anita Higman, has twenty-four books published (several co-authored) for adults and children, and she has been honored in the past as a Barnes & Noble "Author of the Month" for Houston. Some of Ms. Higman's publishers are Bethany House, Summerside Press, Barbour Publishing, McGraw-Hill, Lillenas Drama, Roman & Littlefield, and Howard Publishing. Anita Higman has also written for radio, television, ezine, and advertising. She has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art from SNU, and she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Anita has lived in Texas for the past twenty-five years, but was born and raised on a wheat and cattle farm in western Oklahoma. Besides writing, Anita's other interests are reading great books, going to the movies, and cooking brunch for her friends. She lives with her husband near Houston, Texas.

Janice Thompson: Award-winning author Janice Thompson also writes under the pseudonym Janice Hanna. She got her start in the industry writing screenplays and musical comedies for the stage. Janice has published over sixty books for the Christian market, crossing genre lines to write cozy mysteries, historicals, romances, nonfiction books, devotionals, children's books and more. In addition, she enjoys editing, ghost-writing, public speaking, and mentoring young writers. Janice currently serves as Vice-President of CAN (Christian Authors Network) and was named the 2008 Mentor of the year for ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). She was thrilled to be named the 2010 Barbour/Heartsong Author of the Year, with three books on the top ten list for that house. Janice is active in her local writing group, where she regularly teaches on the craft of writing.

What Readers are Saying about Ozark Weddings

An enjoyable collection of three stories set in Arkansas, I felt propelled back to the land of my childhood. With sensitivity, master of lyrical writing, the authors take the readers deep into the hearts of three wonderful couples, where romance is pure and sweet. So grab your favorite drink, curl up in your favorite chair, and spend a summer day immersed in the beauty that is the Ozarks. - Cynthia Hickey

Wedding photos for those who missed it.

The really happy groom:-D


Here is my oldest with me moments before his vows.


The exchange of rings! Doesn't she look beautiful in a white Sleeping Beauty styled dress?



And moments after he took his vows! Wow, it was such a gorgeous ceremony.



This in my pretty daughter as a bridesmaid. I think she was surprised at how many people thought she was so beautiful!



Check out this cool idea! The bride's mom is just so creative. She saw this on T.V. years ago and recreated it. Both the bride and the groom had photos of them growing up tucked in between criss-crossed ribbons. No holes or tape in the photos. Loved this idea! I had a hard time helping with the decorating for the reception because I was reliving my son's life!




How would you like to have an ice cream cake for your wedding? It's kept cold with dry ice inside a plexiglass box. You take it off 15 minutes or so before cutting the cake.

This lovely confection was made by Cold Stone Ice Cream Company. It sits on a plastic rack above the dry ice.



Well, 2 sons married and only one kiddo left at home. Holy Cow! Life moves so quickly. I am loving every breath, every moment, every chance to make this life great! The kids had sparklers for the guests as they ran to the car. Life is kind of like that too. It takes a second to get started, blazes hot and sparkles, and then sputters out. I'm glad that after the sputter, I have something even better to look forward to with Christ in Heaven. I don't think I could handle this roller coaster life without knowing there's a terrific prize at the end!

Thanks for sharing a moment of my happiness today,
Angie

He's Married!

This is my oldest son and my new daughter-in-law at the rehearsal dinner. The wedding was so beautiful yesterday!

She had the neatest idea of an informal jeans and pizza party for the rehearsal dinner. So to make it a little more special, we ordered gourmet pizza from the McKenzie River Pizza Co. (a special Montana chain.)

Then I made the couple's favorite dessert-Strawberry Short Cake. They are huge fans of it. So we made it up HUGE :-)

If you'd like the recipe that we tossed together to make this waterfall confection, check the next post. I'll put a picture up with the simple instructions on how to create your own fun & simple dessert that's both casual & elegant.

Angie

Thailand's Karen Hill Tribes

We had a wonderful tour and hike about an hour outside of Chiang Mai, Thailand. This bridge is on the way to a tiny hill tribe village where we learned the background of the Hmong Peoples. Our guide shared their origination and customs. In fact, the girls in this tribe get to do the proposals! Then the chosen boy must work for her parents for 2 years. The hike was a tough one up a rigorous path for 45 minutes. Oh so worth the view and the new knowledge of the people that lived there! Oh yeah, and we did it in the warm rain! Our biggest surprise?


Mountain crabs. No, not river or ocean...Mountain! I thought it was a giant spider-took a leap back and slipped in the mud. It turned out to be crabs way up high on the mountain path!!!



This is my daughter on the top of the mountain in front of the huts that held the trinkets. We found wonderful woven water bottle carriers, silver jewelry, sarongs, and small trinkets like bracelets and amulets that were very interesting and well made.


This is a White Karen woman. She's weaving a scarf. She does this 8 hours a day on that table. The reason she is called White Karen (pronounced Kah-wren) is that all the women where white until they are married. That's how the unmarried boys know who to talk to at village events. Most of the young people meet at funerals or special ceremonies that don't happen that often. Then they have to be interesting to the girl so she'll pick the boy. Additionally, the girls are married between 13-17.


The young woman's family must have 3 pigs for every daughter for the bride to take into her marriage. The pigs live under the stilted house. Here's some other views of the village.





I plan on showing you our exciting elephant ride with the Karen Tribe elephant drivers tomorrow :-D And if you are planning a wedding, do you have your 3 pigs for your trouseau? They can be very useful tools, you know. The Biblical use in ancient days was as the original garbage men. Every night, pigs would be driven through town to clean the streets. So the Karen brides have a ready made garbage system! Pretty good tool for any bride :-)
Angie

Many Ways to Give

Last Saturday, as Mrs. Missoula 2008, I had the pleasure of giving my time to help raise funds for the Jadyn Fred Organization. But I found the beauty of giving in so many other people! There are so many ways to be a part of giving to charities and organizations. I love the behind-the-scenes people who really make things work. People never really hear much about the unsung heroes in the background. And I think you should!

The ladies at the Modern Beauty School showed up early, an hour and a half early on a Saturday morning, just to do my hair and make-up for the YWCA Secret Seconds modeling and my speech at the 2008 Women's Fair. They had to open early because I had to be done in time to rehearse for the YWCA fashion show and be prepared to speak shortly after the event opened. So although many other gals could go mid-day, I was already scheduled for the whole day.

Honestly, I'm not a morning person. That made all the ladies who came to the beauty school even more admirable to me. They came in expecting nothing in return. They didn't get paid to open early. They didn't have any other customers scheduled. Yet the smiles and friendliness were rampant and infectious! They all went way out of their way to treat me with such courtesy. I had coffee brought to me, a hello from everyone, and lots of sweet check-ins to see if I needed anything or if the ladies actually working on me needed anything. The teamwork was awesome!


Meet Kim. She opened the shop and supervised to make sure everything went like clockwork!


This is Nicole, she did my hair and figured out how to place my tiara for the personal appearance. We had tons of fun.


This is Kitty. She did my make-up :-)

For my son's wedding at the end of May, I plan to go to the Modern Beauty School for a Relax Pack! Basically, the students are learning the profession so you get to try new things to give them experience. I love the benefit of the less expensive services. I can have many spa type experiences on a lower budget. So I will be getting a manicure, pedicure, facial etc. I can try things like this to see how I like them. I'm finding I really, really like them:-D I think it's an excellent way for a bride or the bridal party to enjoy a little pampering for an affordable price.

Anyway, the commitment level of ladies like the ones above is second to none. They sponsored my beauty treatments for the women's event. The thing that stood out in all of this was their hearts. There was not only the desire to to a good job, but the enthusiasm to be involved in a worthwhile project like raising funds for the Jadyn Fred Foundation.

All the ladies were excited and joyful. And let me tell you that at 7:30 a.m., that is not an easy thing to be! They stunned me with such happy customer service. I will definitely be going back to the Modern Beauty School in Missoula!

Angie

Another Engagement in Our Family

I'm proud to announce the engagement of my oldest son, Forrest, to his long-time gal, Tristan.

[Check back in a day or so for engagement party photos. I'll be adding them to this post and a few others. It's just really, really late tonight.]

We had a surprise engagement party for them. Forrest took Tristan out to eat in a tux while she wore a long evening gown.

His younger (and newly married) brother suddenly showed up with his wife--and guitar.

Devan started playing. Forrest started singing..."What are you doing the rest of your life...?"

Then all the guests piled in.

Now Tristan knew it was probably THE night when she had to wear a gown to dinner. What she didn't know was that around 30 people were going to show up and celebrate with her.

Quite a lovely party :-D

So in less than six months, I will be a mother-in-law for the second time!

When did they grow up? I'm sure I don't remember time passing!

sigh. 4 more kids to go...

Stay tuned, I'll let you know as the ideas pour in...


Angie

Romantic Honeymoon Idea

Several of the groomsmen and the groom's uncle took off for an adventure during the photo time. These fellows are all romantics at heart.




Here's what they did for the bride and groom. :-)



Tah Dah! Rose petals, a gift basket, and little notes to the bride and groom on their pillows.


Devan and Katie later reported that they were very surprised and happy with the fun decorating.

Note: No one did anything harmful or distasteful. All was intended to be loving and welcoming to the couple's first night together from people who loved them. No jokes or anything. Everything understated. That's elegance.

Angie

The Wedding Photos

With all the family and friends around the world, we hope you'll enjoy a few photos from the beautiful wedding of Devan and Katie.



I had no idea how beautiful an all white wedding could be!



My oldest son and his special gal sing for the Bride and Groom dance.



Mother/Son Dance. We just played and laughed the whole time.


Running the tunnel to the car.


It was truly a gorgeous wedding.

I hope you all enjoyed these photos too.

Angie

It's All Over

Christmas is past for another year. Our son was married yesterday. The bride and groom are off on their honeymoon. We're so happy for them! (I promise a picture or two very soon, but my camera decided to act up and I haven't been able to load the photos yet. Pending:-) )

The wedding was beautiful. All in white! The flowers stood out in jewel tones against the 8 bridesmaids dresses. Our beautiful red-headed daughter-in-law wore her mother's dress. She looked stunning! Our son glowed as he watched her come to him down the aisle.

Today, we are resting. After 3 days of wedding parties, whew!

Something you might enjoy doing for a wedding idea---

We had a music worship time of praise songs right between the rehearsal dinner and the rehearsal. What a nice time to bring our minds back to the real author of marriage!

Then the pastor gave a short talk to all that attended the music and worship just before the rehearsal. I loved it because he charged us all to be friends of Devan and Katie's marriage. He taught us NOT to commiserate with them during complaints. We are to point them back to their spouse. He gave specific common examples and even taught us what to respond to those examples. It was one of the best things I've ever heard or seen in a preparation for marriage.

Thank you, Lord, for our children's marriage and the fruit of that marriage. We hope for grandchildren, but the fruit of their marriage is to make a difference for Christ. They have already begun.

Angie
PS Wedding photos pending...

Announcing the Engagement

I'm proud to announce the engagement of my son, Devan, to his intended, Katie.

After dinner out and a round of miniature golf, Devan pulled her engagement ring out of the 18th hole.


Then he brought her home to a surprise party he'd planned with his family and roommates.


Happy me with the happy couple :-D


Her dad drove 6 hours just to be a part of it.


They definitely surprised her:-D


We toasted their future with sparkling apple cider.



Then made them practice cutting the cake for the big day to come:-)


My husband and I, with the newly engaged couple and her dad.

The pictures say it all:-)

I Spy With My Little Eye

Fire engine red! A completely different twist on site seeing. I've been on double decker buses, trains, plains, stage coaches, horseback, boats of many shapes and sizes, but I've never ridden a fire engine around town to see the area. Have you?



This is another one I can't wait to go do. I get to go twice more this summer to Virginia City. It's a good thing I couldn't see it all in the day I spent there beginning of July. I realized that one day was not enough!

So I plan to eat more ice cream, take the ghost walk, the stage coach, and the fire engine.



But if you are there on a Sunday, there's another old style experience waiting for you...



This church meets in a white canvas tent reminiscent of the Civil War era. Yes, they really do worship:-) I definitely want to talk my family into visiting. I love worshipping my Lord and I love learning about the way other people worship HIm too. I think it's really awesome that there are options available on vacation. The more formal church or a cowboy tent. Why not tuck that memory into your heart? It could be one of a kind that stands out in your life.

Besides the fun you'll have, the hidden beauty of the area is a must not miss natural attraction. You have to go exploring to find these gems. (Speaking of gems, I'll be showing you some tomorrow as we see the terrific shopping available. You will be stunned at the variety and quality in this tiny living ghost town.)



My son gets to live there all summer. Here's a shot of the Virginia City Players "Actor's Row."




All the actors live in little cabins by a large pond. I'll show you more as we get to their interviews. But here's a taste of what they do to entertain the crowds in the Virginia City Opera House.




True to my style, I love to travel. I'll see what interesting things I can find. So if you are as hooked on the Montana tour as I am:-D Please stay tuned... I'll post at least one more Virginia City post. See ya' real soon.

Angie

Oh Where to Stay in Virginia City?

The proprietress invited me in to snap a few modern digitals of her very Victorian place.



She runs a lovely hotel complete with antiques that create an aura of imagining you are living in the days of long dresses and a simpler life.



The rooms are very much like they would have been during the towns heyday. The woods are rich and warm. Well cared for linens adorn the rooms from quilts to hand done embrodery.






I'm looking forward to staying here soon. I do know you need to call in advance because the inn fills quickly. Just call the number at the top of the post and have a good time while you're there:-) Oh, what is there to do? Guess you'll have to tune in for tomorrow's post on the Ghost Walk and maybe a few other surprises coming up.

Angie