Happy blog anniversary Lisa! What a special time for you and your
readers.
Thank you
for having me here today to chat about a fantastic book I read over the summer
called Bloom by Kelle Hampton. But before I delve into why I love this
book so much, I want to give your readers a little background about our
relationship and who I am.
My
name is Amanda, and I am the writer behind our family's blog,
It's the Little Things, about this fantastic little thing called life! Our
tiny corner of the internet is your glimpse into ourendless giggles, yummy
meals, park excursions, bebe letters, colorful crafts, and heaps of love, with
bits and pieces of what inspires us along the way. Something parenthood has
taught us so far, is that the little things in life aren't so little after all;
they are, in fact, quite big and beautifully important. We invite you to our
neck of the woods to enjoy a peek at some of the treasured moments in our lives
as a itty-bitty family of four.
How do I know Lisa? Well, we are both middle school
teachers at the same school, and up until this year, have taught the same grade
right across the hall from each other. Those crazy 8th graders provided us with some unforgettable moments and
have bonded us into becoming friends. I admire her love for reading and am happy for her new
adventure as a communication arts teacher!
So
let’s talk about Bloom. I have been into memoirs of late, so Kelle’s book about
her family’s unexpected journey intrigued me from the start. At the moment of giving birth to her
second daughter Nella, Kelle learns that she has Down
syndrome.
From that
point on, her gripping and expressive memoir goes on a wild roller coaster ride
of emotions that ultimately reveals how this distraught mother overcame her
grief and watched life blossom, or bloom, right before her eyes as she uncovered
it’s beauty. This memoir is about growth in a time of pain, and how
honesty and optimism can help someone make the most of any difficult
situation.
From the first few sentences I was glued to Kelle’s
journey and I now hold her and her loved ones in a special place in my heart.
As a new mama myself, I could really connect to this story on many levels. What
has really stuck with me is Kelle’s positive outlook on life, and I know it is
one that I will refer to when I am faced with something unexpected or
difficult. I highly recommend this book to all parents, teachers, and anyone
that is in the process of overcoming ahardship in their
life.
This book sounds really good Amanda! I'm not sure about reading it, as with recent issues with my brother and sister-in-law and my first niece, don't know if I'm ready to read about this story. But some day I would like to read it, and so it is on my TBR list. I have loved working so closely with Amanda, and am a little sad to not be working across the hall from her this year. But I'm sure I'll still see her at school, especially when all the communication arts teachers in the building meet! And I'll keep up with her adorable daughter through Facebook, and of course her awesome blog!
