LOVE THE BOOK!!! It arrived today!! Perfect timing--it was just Griffin and me hanging out today, so it was really fun! The 2 of us getting the mail, finding this package, and being able to sit peacefully together and share this book. He LOVES it more than I could have even imagined! And I am so impressed with the quality of it! Thank you again, Michelle!! Hope you are having a great day!

It was true! the book from @memoirofme did arrive! It is AWESOME. I love, love, love it!! Every kid needs one of these books!!!

@memoirofme Thanks again for the Memoir of Me book! After I read it to my son, I got a great big hug. I think we'll be reading it a lot!

We received our book for Ian this past weekend and it is great!  It is very high quality and I think he will love it.  I can't wait to place an order for Ashley and Andrew!   

The first book for 99 in33 goes to Kelly from 29 gifts!  Kelly says, “I saw your post on 29 gifts and since I have three children I knew there had to be a story that stuck out. I was thinking throughout the day of which story I could post, and one happened to present itself at exactly when my daughter came home from school. She came in the door and ran straight upstairs and grabbed her allowance that she has been saving. I asked her what she wanted to buy, and she replied "it's for the people in Haiti".  Her school is collecting brand new sanitary items to make into packages and send to Haiti. I asked Kara how much she wanted to use of her allowance, and she said, "all of it". Her class was collecting wash cloths and her brother's class was collecting towels. Kara even bought a towel for Chris to bring into school. I have never been more proud of my little six year old than I was today.  What a special girl you are raising, Kelly!

The next one goes to Kerrymy BFF, who nominated her friend Janelle’s daughter Anna!  Kerry says, “Anna is VERY energetic, athletic, sweet. Reminds me a bit of Ava at that age. Lots of dimples and super long eyelashes. She's a little peanut but starting to catch up to her peers in size. She loves her family, cousin's especially, and all things/toys girly. Pink, red and blue are her favorite colors. Her birthday is January 23rd when she will turn 5. She goes to Fraser to school and takes swim lessons at Foss. She almost lost a front tooth last year due to a fall off the bed...5 stitches, but all is ok now.”  Anna sounds adorable and we will be so pleased to share your memories in a Memoir of Me book.

The last three of day 30 in 33 days goes to Michelle and Tyler’s son Josh.  Tyler writes “Josh is a great 3 year old boy who will be turning 4 in April. He is very smart and always looking for the reason something happens, or the name of that person. This past Christmas we went to see Santa at the 8^th floor in Macys and we made quite a big deal out of it. We arrived in downtown Minneapolis and he had fallen asleep on the car ride there. As we pulled into the parking ramp and started to get out of the car, we woke him up, and as he was realizing that we were going to see Santa, he asked “Mom, are we at the North Pole?” We both looked at each other and laughed, thinking “how cute is that.” We told him that we were not at the North Pole, but Santa had come from there to visit us and ask him what he wanted for Christmas.”  Can’t wait to share your special memories, Josh!

Josh and Santa!

Today’s 99 books in 33 days goes to two more from the @MckMama community.  I so appreciate all of your support in sharing your stories with Memoir of Me.  Jeannine says, “I wanted to nominate my daughter Maddie. She is 9 months and received a life saving bone marrow transplant at 4 months old. Thank you.”  You bet, yay!  Maddie!  You are amazing!

The next nomination is from Josanna.  She says, “Although he is still quite young, he loves to cuddle and hear stories.  Currently, my husband is finishing his degree, so I am working full-time outside the home.  My job requires me to travel about 75% of the time.  This is what needs to happen for our family right now, but it is still hard.  It is hard for my husband because he knows how much I want to be home full time, and it is hard for me because I miss my family.  I’d love to have a book that tells the story of all the fun times we have together.  I love the personalized letters that you put at the end of each book.  What a special book for a child to have and definitely cherish! Plus, it is so hard to find books in the US that refer to the mom as Mum, so a personalized book would be fabulous.  If I won, here is my letter that I would love to have in the book.”

Dear Augustus,

You rocked my world the day you were born.  For the first 3 weeks, you lived in the NICU... You were so content to be held and rocked.  All of the nurses and doctors loved hanging out with you - “the picky eater” of the NICU.   We were with you as much as possible, constantly encouraging you to grow strong, sleep lots and learn to eat - we wanted you home as soon as possible!  Once you came home - the partying began! You and I had a wonderful summer traveling all over. You loved to sleep in the middle of hot, loud swim meets.  You loved watching the kids swim fast and you loved the loud noises.  It was so much fun to look down at you in the sling and see your happy, sweet face smiling back at me!  We went swimming in the lake, and tubing in the river.  You are a natural fish!  When your daddy was off work, he came to play with us as well.  In the fall, I had to go back to work. Sometimes, you and your daddy fly out to see me.  You are such a good flier!  On your first flight, the flight attendants gave you an award for being so good!  You didn’t even make a sound.  Which made your Daddy really happy, since you two were traveling alone!

Sometimes, when I am away for work, you go to Camp Mimi or Camp Jinon.  You are such a good sport!  I wish I could be with you all of the time, but my work has me travel a lot.  When I am away, your Daddy reminds you how much your Mummy loves you. Knowing you are at home waiting for me, helps my week go by so quickly.  You are the light of my every day!  I am so grateful that God placed you in my life! 

I love you past Pluto and back...

Mummy

Thank you Josanna.  Daddy can read your special book "Dear Augustus, Love, Mummy" while your away and share all your special memories.  Love, Michelle

We have three more books for 99 in 33 gift-giving frenzy!  This is for Heather, “I would like to nominate my cousin, Susie Lewis.  She is expecting her first child on June 17th.  On June 15th of 2009 Susie very suddenly lost her 27 year old brother, Ryan, to a clot in his lungs while he was playing on the floor with his nieces.  Ryan had just found a direction for his life and was going to graduate from college this fall.  Susie is going to name her baby (girl or boy) Ryan in honor of her brother.  Their entire family is really struggling to get through each day.  This will be a special baby that I pray brings healing to their family and something to shine about in the middle of this rain.  A book from you would be a very special and meaningful gift.  Thank you so much for what you are doing.”  Yay Susie, I think a Memoir of Me book will carry on the story of Ryan in your letter to your little girl or boy.

The next three books go to Shannon’s triplets!  Nicholas, Delaney and Alannah.  Shannon says, “My kids are 2 year old triplets, they were born 10 weeks premature and spent 3 months in the NICU...and always wanted a book or story to tell them when they are a bit older about the long and amazing story they went through to be here today. It’s not as medically shocking as some blogs I have read...but it is my miracle. 2 had heart operations at only a few weeks old...Nicholas was 2lb 15oz...Delaney was 1lb 15oz and Alannah was 2lb 9 oz.

I spent 3 months on bedrest...and I know there is so much more to write but I just want to make sure they knew they were amazing miracles who should always love each other because the only constant they will have in the far future is each other...even if they beat each other up now haha...no matter what people say about multiples...they do not do better at sharing!!  Thanks...even though it’s not very spectacular…they weren't planned...and very spontaneous...but no one could love them more than me. Shannon, I think triplets sound super spectacular! Thank you for sharing their story.  We will be so happy for each of them to have their very own Memoir of Me book.

Sincerely and Grateful to pass along these special stories!  Michelle

Today, we give away books to the niece and nephew of Cami – who inspired our 99 books in 33 days.  Here is her letter to them.  “Dear Taylor and Thomas, You are two very special kids and the best niece and nephew anyone could ask for. I hope you will always remember the trip we took with your mom to Disneyland. We all had such a blast on the rides and eating junk food. But Mickey Mouse evaded us all day. We were on a mission to get your photo taken with him, but he was just too busy elsewhere to grace us with his presence. And then, just as we were about to give up, there he was, standing about ten feet away and there was nobody in line to take pictures. We got that great shot of you guys and your mom wearing your new, personalized mouse ears. It was perfect. You are both growing up so fast and turning into smart and loving young people. Remember that I will always love you and be here for you both. Love, Aunt Cami

The next two books go to Cerriah and Alexis, two amazing and spirited girls.  Their mom Gina writes, “Hello! I read your post about the 99 books and I would love to nominate both my girls. Both of my girls were diagnosed with Type I diabetes at a very young age. My oldest, Cerriah was 3 and my middle child, Alexis, was 4 years old. In their lifetime they have endure 6 shots a day and 10 finger pricks a day. That may not seem bad, but when you do the math you see that they have had thousands of shots and finger pricks in their short lives. Cerriah has almost lost her battle numerous times. In 2008 we had the ambulance at our house every month. My neighbors already knew to come and take care of my other kids when they saw the flashing lights. Cerriah had strep on her blood stream and nearly passed away. Her temperature when we got to the hospital was 106.8 . That's not a typo.  Life is never dull in this household!   Both girls take their diabetes like champs. They never complain, take shots and blood draws better than most adults, and are always watching their carbohydrate intakes.  

Although life is tough for them, they never take life for granted. Both girls have over 900 hours of community service and have raised thousands of dollars for various charities. Alexis won a national award in 2008 for her community service and Cerriah won a national academic and volunteer award in 2009!  They have their own organization where they collect books and bears for hospitalized children. Being on the receiving end of books and bears has made their hospital stay a little brighter, so they wanted to make sure they extended that same experience to other kids.I thank you for the opportunity to share our stories. I am sure you have thousands of emails, but it felt good just getting this all off my chest. I have amazing girls that never let their "dis" ability affect their perception of this world.

Thank you Cami and Gina for your nominations for 99 in 33.  We are praying for little Cerriah and Alexis.  We hope your Memoir of Me books bring you special moments to share together.  Love, Michelle

3 more in 33.  I share two more stories today of the three.  These are nominations from MckMama community.  This is from Jessie.  She says “I saw you linked from MckMama's Facebook. Thank you for what you're doing for these families!  The family I think would truly appreciate a book is the family of Jonah.  You can read about their story at his mom Patrice's blog.  I've known Patrice since I was a teenager from Bible camp.  Patrice and Matt's first son, Gabe, was stillborn, and their almost-one-year-old, Jonah, has a very rare skin disease, Epidermolysis Bullosa.  Basasically, if anything causes friction on his skin, his skin blisters and comes off.  As of right now, there is no cure.  Patrice stays home to care for Jonah 100%, and is the most selfless mom I know.  A book like this would mean so much to the Williams family.  Please consider giving one to them.

Laura Bower, Executive Director & Child Passenger Safety Technician, nominated Kyle David Miller’s family.  Kyle was born March 13, 2002 and from the moment he was born he filled our lives with such joy and sense of completion. His big sister Katie was so happy to have a little brother, she had been talking about him for months before he was born,  Kyle was a blessing, perfect in every way.  In 2005, Kyle was killed in a car accident.  He had had his seat belt on, but a 5-point harness secured and tethered to the car is the safest way to keep your child in a car until they are 80 pounds.  Please visit the Kyle David Miller Foundation and help put a child into a safe car seat - thank you!  If you want to buy a 5-point harness, please visit http://www.hipmonkey.com - all proceeds go to the foundation!

Thank you to the families for sharing your heartfelt and touching stories.  Love, Michelle

I nominated the first three kids for 99 books in 33 days.  Yay!  Memoir of Me lives for cute kids stories told from the ones who love them most.  I have an uncanny memory for cute stories shared by parents.  The three books went to three of my high school friends that I've reconnected with through Facebook. 

One of the first books of the 99 goes to Griffin.  Griffin is the cutest little fun guy on the PNW coast!  He can multiply at age three!  This is amazing.  He also remembers the 12 days of Christmas song because of the gift he has with numbers.  He will definitely use his cute words and say thoughtful phrases when his brother and sister, who he loves a ton, needs a boost.  Mom is a writer who will have fun sharing her memories on Griffin's Binky in a Memoir of Me book.

The second book goes to Grace, who told her dad that she knows what they both don’t like -- “Walmart and the Green Bay Packers.”  Grace is a super candid and bright little girl and is her dad's most favorite side kick.  Grace loves rock music and sitting on her Dad's Harley Davidson.  The Memoir of Me book "Dear Grace, Love Dad" will be a special shared keepsake for some of dad and daughter memories. 

And the third book goes to Maddie who, in a sweet persuasive attempt to get her mom in the swimming pool, said, “Mom, you’ll feel like a feather floating in the water.”  Maddie is a dancer and also definitely has her own sense of style.  She's spunky and keeps her family laughing.  Mom and daughter will have fun sharing their Memoir of Me story together before bedtime.

So these are the first three Memoir of Me book recipients for our Gift-Giving Frenzy of 99 books in 33 days!  Love, Michelle

ps Excited to connect with 96 more kids and create Memoir of Me keepsake books!

One purse was too small.  One was too slouchy.  One was just right!   UrbanJunket holds a Memoir of Me book and a Go-Girl perfectly organized!

I have three people I regularly kiss.  Eric.  Tucker.  Alyssa.   

Alyssa’s spirited kissing, so genuine and true, has awakened my thoughts on the topic.  Alyssa kisses me in such a way that we, together, become the kiss.  She kisses, enveloping me in her robust, full-lipped abandon.  She kisses, embracing me in her naked certainty and raw sureness.  She kisses, lacking all reservation or hesitation, wanting for nothing but the kiss itself, and basking in the beauty of oblivity to the sting of love’s pain.  I savor and cherish each time Alyssa’s lips share a kiss with me.

I don’t remember when Tucker’s kiss changed from embarking on an experience of pure sweetness into tedious obligation.   It happened, like the way September steals the primal heat of the summer sun.  Sneaky yet stealthily.  Tucker‘s sincere and generous love for me conflicts with his acute desire to minimize his display of affection for me.  Particularly kissing affection.  When I kiss Tucker, he avoids my lips altogether.  Instead, he brushes his lips across my cheek, only.  If I stick my lips out, he grazes them or my chin, hastily.  Now, Tucker kisses me out of obligation, with complete hesitation, and absolutely no elation.  I still relish each time Tucker’s lips come in proximity of any of my facial parts.

As for kissing Eric, I have one sharable kiss story out of several thousand kisses.  Our first kiss.  In high school.  At Hamlet Park in Cottage Grove.   I wore my nylon green, girl’s track, warm-up suit.  Lying in the night grass, Eric was on top of me.   He held me close, his body sliding against the slippery fabric of my warm-up.  He blew a bubble with his gum.  I popped it with my teeth.  He kissed me, twice.  One right after the other.  Eric said, “I’m going to marry you.”  He looked at me.  I kissed him, this time. 

Eric responded, kissing me again, open mouthed.  He inhaled deeply, his lips still attached to my mine.  Exhaling, he blew my cheeks full of his lung air, and with that same breath, blew his bubble gum into the back of my throat.  His gum lodged itself at the top of my esophagus.  Choking, I pushed him off me and sat up.  He patted my back.  I hacked the gum out of my throat onto my tongue.  I spit the pink wad on the ground.  Standing up, I walked away.  Eric followed behind the soft swishing of my nylon suit and asked, “So, you don’t like Hubba Bubba?”

Kiss.  More complex than a sensuous noun.  Kissing.  Not always a sensual verb.  Memoir of Me -- Personalized Books.  What about you?

 This is a pic of Eric not blowing his gum down my throat.