Some stores that you can find us...

Many thanks to the Montana Historical Society for being the first retail store to carry our book.  They have just placed their second order and we are so pleased to have it there.  Watch for it in Real Foods Market and Deli soon.

The Teaser!

"An eagle builds her nest nearby, cars whiz past on the way to visit friends and the Missouri River cuts through the landscape...all while the giant sleeps.  In this delightful tale, author Alycia Holston and illustrator Suzi Stranahan introduce you to the Sleeping Giant of Helena, Montana who slumbers while the world continues to grow and change around him."

I hope you enjoy this book as much as Suzi and I enjoyed creating it for you!

We're having a baby!!

I have heard that publishing a book was like giving birth.  This could not be more true for my amazing illustrator and myself.  The thrill of discovering we were 'pregnant' or someone would publish our little book led to nine months of sleepless nights, raw emotions and many 'doctor' visits.  Recently, we began stocking up on supplies as THE day gets closer and closer.  We are now in the throes of labor pains...we had a due date only to discover we were experiencing false labor.
We are also faced with the knowledge that very soon, our lives are about to change.  How very exciting to know that somebody believed in your vision, you stuck together through the long, learning process and at the end of the line, you get the chance to hold your new baby.
It also compares in the respect that you enter into it as a first time parent and you are sooo smart.  You have all the answers, have outlined the perfect parenting plan and will surely put all the other parents to shame.  In reality, the learning process means that you begin in one place and end in an entirely new one.  You didn't know as much as you thought but if you paid attention to those that had walked this journey before, you are a much better prepared parent when the actual baby is born.  Perhaps, once all the stress wears off, you may even want to do it again some day.
We are waiting to announce our delivery date until the new proofs arrive next week, so stay tuned and perhaps all of you will be allowed in the waiting room.  Thanks for the support and encouragement.  We can't wait to introduce you to While The Giant Is Sleeping.

A Mother's First Time Experience

While I realize this weekend will not be the last time that I feel my heart broken in two over a disappointment for my children, this was certainly the first time I felt it.  My sweetest little monkey worked her little heart out for an entire nine months leading up to the big day--her first dance recital.  We had the costume, skyped with the grandparents to show them off and I even figured out how to get the little bit of hair on her head up into a cutsie little bun.  She was so pretty and excited that one of the grandmas flew on a plane to come and see her and her sister show off their new found skills.  The night before, for the first time in nearly 18 months, the stomach flu attacked my sweetheart.  She was so sick that she was too weak to even raise her head to hit the bucket after a whole night of wave after wave of the wretched illness. 
Her Daddy got the first performance shift and stayed home while the rest of us went and cheered on her sister, grandma stood in for the second one.  She was so very brave and incredibly more grown-up than I ever could have imagined.  She just cried a little when we told her she would not be joining her class on stage and then asked for a movie day.  You can imagine that ALL of us were ready to give her just about anything her little heart desired seeing how well she was accepting this sad turn of events. 
I sat in the audience waiting, enjoying the performance when her little class pranced out.  I absolutely could not control the amount of tears that flowed during that tiny little two minute routine.  My heart glowed for my beautiful angel that DID get to perform but ached for the one home wrapped up in her blankie.  During the drive home, I realized in all the years of motherhood, I simply had not ever felt anything so heartwrenching or disappointing for any one of them.  I tell them that there's always another birthday party, field trip, movie, play date, etc but I just didn't have the words to make this one better.  There was only this one recital with this one dance and one costume and a year until the next one feels like an eternity. 
Thankfully, her energy is returning and she is feeling better.  As with everything in my life, I'm able to have enough perspective to know this truly is not the end of the world and the earth will continue to spin and life will continue to move.  It just seemed fitting that this first time experience would coincide with Mother's Day.  A day that I was so very blessed to have the honor and privelege to be allowed to celebrate.  I adore those monkeys with every ounce of life the Lord gives me and for the rest of that life, I will walk beside them through those heart breaking experiences, hold their hands and try to make it better.  In the mean time, we will rejoice over our victories and be thankful for all that we handle together.
To the amazing mother's around the world today, may your rejoicing outweigh your heartbreak.

Be encouraged today!
Aly