Summer Reading - Heaven is Here

Inspired by Jen at Epbot - a wonderfully clever blog by the author of Cake Wrecks who never fails to inspire me, I thought it might be fun to share some of my summer reads.  There's just something about summer and a good book, don't you think?  Before we delve in, if you haven't checked out Epbot, what are you waiting for?  I am always amazed by her craftiness and eye for detail.  A table decorated with pennies?  A jewelery holder made from soda bottles?  Where does she come up with these ideas?  And you have to love the sense of humor that has made Cake Wrecks such a hit. Once you can tear yourself away from Epbot, get that cold glass of lemonade and your lounge chair ready.

On to book #1, Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson.  Another one of my favorite bloggers!  I've been following Nie Nie Dialogues for a number of years.  Stephanie and her husband Christian live in Utah with their five beautiful children.  Stephanie blogs about their daily life, crafts and projects she and the kids are working on, the latest antics her children are up to and her strong faith.  Everything changed in 2008 when she and Christian were in a horrific plane crash.  With burns over 80% of her body, she fought just to survive.  Her sister posted updates on her blog, letting everyone know how Stephanie was doing.  Stephanie has since chronicled her daily struggles on her blog, sharing her recovery with us all.  The pain, the surgeries, the frustration of not being able to do the things she wanted to.  In some small way, I felt like I was with her as she healed and grew stronger.  That is one of the most wonderful things about the internet, being able to "meet" people I otherwise never would have.  Looking for updates after she went in for yet another surgery.  Laughing as she shared some goofy story about one of her kids.  Smiling as she posted pictures of her lovely daughter, Charlotte, remembering when she spoke about her fear of not being able to have any more children due to her injuries. 

Her book is naturally written with the same uplifting sense of joy and wonder about the world. I'm not done with it yet, but love it so far.  Its so interesting to hear about their life pre-crash.  They used to live in New Jersey!  I cracked up when I read about how strange the people seemed to her, cold and unfriendly.  Its also so interesting to read about her strong religious beliefs and how that influences how she lives her life. 

Anyone else reading Heaven is Here too?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.  If not, what book do you have your nose in right now?