Danger Will Robinson!

Robot must have been talking about the movie Land of the Lost, staring Will Farrell. Too bad the screenplay didn’t stay lost. Check out my review on ChristianCinema.com

-Lynne

The kids are out of school and it’s time to jump into Summer fun! Ice Cream, Swimming, Sleepovers, Camping, Staying up late and sleeping in, ah I can hardly wait.

Of course if left to ourselves the fun runs out and irritations can run high, so I’ve asked both of my children to set some Summer goals. David is planning to finish a series of books and Cassie is going to donate more time at the rest home, and prepare for a California exit exam, that by coincidence shares her name “the CASSIE exam.” I have goals too. I’m tying to be less structured and more fun. Strange that doesn’t come natural anymore? I’m also finishing a novel I’ve been penning for some time.

Be sure and visit my website. There’s a new article about Dads for this month, of course a new audio devotional each week, and I’ve added a Radio page, featuring my interviews with Dr. Bill Meier at Focus on the Family.

Let the Watermelon Festival Begin!!!

Blessings,

Lynne

Click here for the latest interview with Dr. Meier and me on Focus Weekend. Also, click here to read posted articles on the Focus site for how to get your child into the B-I-B-L-E, BIBLE!! (I love that song).

Blessings,

Lynne

Wow! What a whirlwind week. On Thursday I hung out with Carleigh and Dave on radio station KAMB-Celebration Radio 101.5 and offered some Mother’s Day package ideas. It was a blast. I was able to give away three of my books to winning callers, very fun. Saturday my family took my mom and I out for our Mother’s Day dinner at Japanese Kitchen. Then on Sunday I delivered the morning message at Celebration Chrisitan Fellowship Church in Clovis, California. Since I’m originally from Clovis I was able to connect with some great friends from my youthful, silly days. Below are some of the photos from those events.

Also my interview with Dr. Bill Meier ran on the Focus on the Family Weekend radio show. You can click here to listen. (I’m about 16 minutes in).

I hope your Mother’s Day was just as fun. Today it’s back to the daily gifts that God pours upon my life and the lives of my family. Keep your hands open as God rains down his blessings upon YOU!

-Lynne

One of the Mothers Day Hawaii at home package ideas includes SPAM

Dave Benton, Me, Carleigh Arnold (who has a blow up jacuzzi at home)

Lynne presents Mothers Day message at Celebration Christian Fellowship

Daryl Austin, Me, and Kelly Austin, He took my brother and me to see Alien, our first scary movie

Yes, that's Me with Joe Lavagnino, Senior Pastor at Celebration Christian Fellowship. There are just too many childhood stories to tell: The Pinto, Cookie the Car, Ditching me in a parking lot... the list just goes on.

Pam Lavagnino, the Saint who married my strange friend.

My hubby, Pete, and Mike Colvard. I dont even want to know what they did as kids.

Jona Cook, Me, and Barry Younkin. I don't think Barry's ever recovered from the TP job we did on his house as kids. Barry This Ones For You.

Me and Carol Cook. Shes the sane one.

Me and Marty Blackwell. Can you say musical genius?

Listen in on KAMB 101.5 tomorrow morning (Thursday, May 7) at 7AM and hear Carleigh and I chat about “all things mom.” I have some cool Mother’s Day gift ideas to share, and will give away some books to winning callers. If you’re not in the Merced/Modesto area you can listen online at

http://www.celebrationradio.com/pages/page.asp?page_id=32178

Be sure and email me after the show. I love feedback. For instance–What would you like to hear on the radio about mom life?

Blessings, Lynne

Congratulations to Dee and Melany for winning my “Best Mother’s Day” story contest. Melany won because her story made me laugh, and Dee won because anyone who survived that kind of a Mother’s Day without a permanent twitch deserves something. Both women will be receiving a signed copy of my book, The Official Soccer Mom Devotional, an e-copy of my teen book, Wag the Mouth, and a Starbucks card. Happy Mother’s Day ladies and thanks for sharing! Here are the winning stories below:

Mother’s Day Memory

by Melany

One year when the kids were little my husband allowed each of the kids to select a gift for me on Mother’s Day. Zach chose a blue necklace and Josh chose weiner dog earrings. I can’t say why – I don’t like weiner dogs.  Of course I wore the ugly little dogs on my ears every so often. This past year, I went to my son Josh’s high school group Mother’s Day celebration. The MC asked who had received the worst Mother’s Day gift. There was a dead silence as all the ‘good moms’ would never say they’d received a ‘bad’ gift. Josh whispered into my ear, “Weiner dog” and I raised my hand and told about my earrings. We won the prize – a lovely spa kit. Josh was bragging about how he had given me the best gift. I still had the earrings – so I wore them to church the following Sunday.

Mother’s Day Memory

by Dee

My most memorable Mother’s Day was celebrated in 2004.  A seemingly spur-of-the-moment idea, Mark and the kids decided I needed a nice picnic lunch up in the mountains.  Great idea!  Very me and very wonderful.  I was all for it.  I should have gotten a clue as too how unplanned this event was when we got home and leftover pretzels, potato chips, a package of lunch meat, a chunk of cheese, and water bottles were slung into the back of the SUV.  Included in the packing list were a smelly tarp, an old blanket and some guns for squirrel hunting.  Remember, this is supposed to be Mother’s Day…my day.  We head out to the canyon a few miles from the house and begin winding our way toward Lake Isabella next to the foaming Kern River .

My husband being my husband, we had to find the most remote, least populated place on the planet, so we took a dirt path called “ Cow Flat Road .”  After a few wrong turns – which included carefully backing the 4-Runner off a foot path scaling the side of a mountain – we set up our “picnic” in a mountain meadow.  Out came the guns and the squirrel shoot began.  Across a small ravine a group of cows gathered to watch our progress.  I guess they wanted to spend their Mother’s Day uniquely, as well.

The blazing sun, late hour of the day and lack of water – our limited supply quickly ran out – forcing us back into the car to continue our trek.  Instead of heading back the way we came we decided to travel on because “the road has to come out somewhere…”  Actually, Mark knew where it came out.  He just misjudged the amount of time it would take to get there.  By hours. We rumbled slowly across the rocky, dry, narrow mountain road.  Excitement to be had in all facets of the trip, at one point we drove over a rattlesnake that wasn’t injured and had opportunity to climb up into our wheel well.

When it was dark, our snack food gone and we finally arrived in Bodfish. Mark told us we would have a nice meal in a little diner he knew of.  (First stopping off in the nearby park so the kids could play on the memorial tank and cannon displayed there…)  Upon arriving at said diner, not only was the restaurant about to close, it also didn’t take Visa.  I didn’t have my purse.  Mark’s wallet was about as bare as Mother Hubbard’s cupboard.  We scrounged together what change we could.  The four of us had shakes and a serving of fries to share.  We headed home – taking the FREEWAY this time and put two very happy children to bed.

Squirrel hunting, rattlesnakes, heat stroke and starvation are not my idea of the perfect Mother’s Day celebration.  But, I must say, I will never forget it.

We have experienced an unseasonably, record setting heatwave in California’s Central Valley. We sat at 98 degrees the other day and expect another scorcher today.

My home has become the “go to” house since we offer a swimming pool. I told my kids it was nice that we can offer something good for our friends and meet their needs. But, I encouraged my children to be ready to help people when they need something more long lasting then a fresh dip. The trials in life have hit: the economy is suffering, families are broken, and unemployment is high (17% in my area). We need to be ready to share God’s love that is available no matter what the climate. Jesus said it this way, “but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Now that’s refreshing!

Blessings,

Lynne

PS: Only 8 more days to share your favorite Mother’s Day memory and win a book and a Starbucks Card. No one has sent anything in yet, so if you tell me about the dog eating your gift last year you’ll probably win.

Well, I’ve finished reading the book,  I’ve rented the movie, and I have my opinions. But before I start, let me begin by stating it’s only my opinion. This is my disclaimer for all of the Robert Pattinson groupies out there. I don’t want mail. Don’t send the vampires to hunt me.

The book

Stephanie Meyer is a great writer. I aspire to write that well someday. She has a fabulous imagination, attention to details, and lays out fantastic settings. If you doubt her talent, just see the movie and you’ll run back to the novel faster than you can say, “I want a refund on my dvd purchase.”

However, I have a few conceptual “issues” with the book. Is it me, or does anyone else get the pervert chills when Edward, who is over 100 years old, has a romantic relationship with a 17 year old girl? I know, he looks 17, but seriously. If some miracle occurs and my plastic surgeon is able to make good on his promises to turn back my beauty clock,  I wouldn’t go running after a 17 year old boy. That’s just…WRONG.  I could picture Edward going for the 30-40 year old gorgeous woman, cuz that’s about how mature we get on this side anyhow. But seventeen??

Also, the relationship that Edward and Bella enjoy is very unhealthy. To say they are obsessed with each other is an understatement. It’s on the verge of worshiping each other.  To make matters more dangerous Bella’s parents are left in the dark (no genre pun intended) about their relationship. (Really people, kids can have a relationship with parents even if they are divorced. Shesh!) Bella’s good judgment is tossed out the window as she thrusts herself into the arms of her vampire boyfriend, who thinks she’s hot…or tastey, I get confused. I just don’t think she’s his type. (Sorry, couldn’t resist).

Did I like the book?  Well, yes. Due to excellent writing the novels (there are four of them) are more addicting than Dove chocolate dipped in peanut butter. My teen daughter, who struggles to get one chapter of “To Kill A Mockingbird” in each day, has polished off three of the books in less than a week.  But in order to enjoy the content I had to suspend my belief on the issues stated above, and disengage my homeland security parental threat level, which kept hovering between orange and red.  Parents I will give this warning–if your teen chooses to read Twilight, read it too. Then talk… a lot.

The Movie

It’s as though someone with limited funds decided to produce a movie. They spent their entire wad on location, cinematography, and Robert Pattinson. They skimped on the writing. Whereas it took Stephanie Meyers half the book to develop the relationship between Bella and Edward, the screenplay attempts this feat within the first 20 minutes. If you see the movie first, you’re good. Teen boys will oogle over Kristen Stewart, tween girls will collectively swoon over Robert Pattinson, and everyone will stare in awe at the lush Northwestern landscape. But after you finish the left over popcorn, you’ll want to drive over to your local bookstore and pick up the novel. If they sell the entire set packaged together, make the purchase. Then you’ll nod in understanding as you read what the “will-write-for-food-group” was attempting to accomplish.

Blessings to all my soccer mom readers. To the rest of you-stay out of the sun.

-Lynne

Mother’s Day is coming! I can already smell the flowers and taste the burnt pancakes. This year I thought it would be fun to have a Soccer Mom Contest.

Here are the rules:

1. Any one can win. Busy moms, busy dads, grandmas and grandpas, kids (except my own kids of course)
2. Share your favorite Mother’s Day story in 400 words or less, and send through my email link, or to Lynne@SoccerMomBook.com
3. Deadline: April 30, 2009.
4. The top two stories picked will be posted on my blog before Mother’s Day.
5. Prizes.  The two winners will receive a Starbucks gift card, a complete download of my book, Wag the Mouth, and a mailed and signed copy of my book, The Official Soccer Mom Devotional.

Blessings, and let the stories pour in-laugh or cry I can’t wait!

-Lynne

(submissions become the property of Lynne Thompson, SoccerMomBook.com)