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Extreme Home Makeover Winner Speaks Out

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6a00d83451bb0b69e20120a586ac36970c pi Extreme Home Makeover Winner Speaks Out
Win a FREE copy of Kimberley's book. Read on to find out how…

As we come to a close on this fantastic month of August, I've got a special message for you from a phenomenal woman, Kimberley Woodhouse. She's a wife, mother, author, and musician with a quick wit and positive outlook despite difficult circumstances. Her family was chosen for Extreme Home Makeover and she has a special message for you today…

Let me just say, I love this blog. Wow, what a wealth of fun, information, and knowledge. Great job, Tasra. (Thanks Kimberley!)

As I type this, I’m surrounded by book endorsement requests, foreword requests, TV and radio interview requests, blog tour interviews, fall tour speaking engagement requests, and my kids’ lesson plans for next week. Yes, I homeschool my children, and love it. But as I was reading Tasra’s blog posts and settling in to write this, what do you think has popped into my head? My next scrapping layout. What pictures I want to use, what pictures I still want to take, colors, themes, etc. I’m itching to scrapbook.

You see, my life isn’t normal. And I’m guessing that yours isn’t either. My daughter has a really rare nerve disorder that only about thirty people in the world have. We were chosen for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition two years ago, and I have a new book releasing September 1. But what do we pass on? All this busy-ness and craziness that is the whirlwind of the world around us?

No. It‚Äôs the memories of family time, the savoring of precious people and moments, the capturing of one breath, one smile, one tear, one touch. Those are the things I want to pass on to my family and friends for generations to come.

Tasra‚Äôs One Month to Live campaign is amazing. That‚Äôs what it‚Äôs all about. Taking the time for what is truly important and living it. Our story is a joyful journey, yet it‚Äôs a difficult one. But one fact remains, it‚Äôs about our family sticking together, encouraging one another, and realizing that all the stuff around us doesn‚Äôt really matter.

I pray that you join me on the journey and check out, Welcome Home: Our Family's Journey to Extreme Joy Extreme Home Makeover Winner Speaks Out.
And that on the way, you can laugh, cry, and rejoice with us through the overwhelming trials and be encouraged. Savor those memories, keep them close to your heart, and remember that God‚Äôs joy is always there.

About Real Woman… Kimberley Woodhouse

Kimberley Woodhouse is a popular speaker, she‚Äôs shared at more than 600 venues across the country. Kimberley and her family's story have garnered national media attention for many years, but most recently her family was chosen for ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Montel Williams Show, and Discovery Health channel‚Äôs Mystery ER. Welcome Home: Our Family‚Äôs Journey to Extreme Joy, releases from Tyndale House Publishers September first. In addition to her non-fiction, she also writes romantic suspense and children‚Äôs books. Kimberley lives, writes, and homeschools in Colorado with her husband and two children in their truly ‚Äúextreme‚Äù home. 

About Welcome Home…

6a00d83451bb0b69e20120a52fe5df970b 800wi Extreme Home Makeover Winner Speaks Out Overwhelming trials . . . met with overcoming joy.  ‚Ä®Kayla Woodhouse is not your typical twelve-year-old. Due to a rare medical disorder, she feels no pain, doesn‚Äôt sweat, and needs protective cooling gear just to go outside. With her restrictive lifestyle; countless hospitalizations, including brain surgery; and the resulting mountain of hospital bills, what‚Äôs a family to do? ‚Ä® 

‚Ä®How the Woodhouse family has faced seemingly impossible challenges is a story that has captured the hearts of America. Millions of people have experienced glimpses of their lives on Discovery‚Äôs Mystery ER, The Montel Williams Show, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (recently voted one of the show‚Äôs all-time best episodes!).  ‚Ä® ‚Ä®

Now Kayla’s mom, Kimberley, takes readers behind the cameras to reveal their family’s journey as never before told. From medical sleuthing to cross-country moves, from freak fires to battles with insurance companies, Welcome Home proves that truth really is stranger than fiction. This candid life story reveals both success and failure and demonstrates how, even during tough circumstances, to shift your life from heartbreak to extreme joy.

WIN A FREE COPY…

Special thanks to Kimberley for sharing her story and her heart with us today! She's also sharing a copy of the book to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment on this post about what memories you'll savor from this month and you're entered!

August 29, 2009
Filed Under: reviews, RWS blog
  • http://profile.typepad.com/life_as_me Debbie Willson

    Hi Tasra
    Not only am I thoroughly enjoying your site but my daughter (13) and I love Extreme Makeover, the hours we watch and cry and laugh and get all excited at the finished results and what it means to the families touches us deeply. We look around our home and are so thankful that our small, rented place is in good repair, functional and home! I have to say that I am not one of those people where things come easy, not even basic stuff, but I accept that and just get on with it…so when my Bishop called by just to give us a financial token made my heart stop. NOONE knew we were about to be without electric till my net payday, noone knew my exhaust had fallen off my car and noone knew that days before my car was vandalised and its the only means I have of transport to see my older children who live 90 miles away. The money did not cover all the mentioned challenges but it got us through. Most of all, my 2 younger kids sat on our stairs hugging each other feeling so blessed and grateful that we cried. My attempt at building a small home/internet business is slow, but as i said, nothing comes easy anyway, thats just life, but knowing i can use my experience to inspire others to not give up may be small but its real.
    Now to find those tissues!!! :)

  • http://www.diapersanddiecuts.blogspot.com Michelle

    Thanks for the chance to win! This month has brought a lot of memories…my daughters first camping trip, my husband graduating from college. Seeing a concert at the fair, my son getting to go on rides at the fair for the first time, my sister starting high school. I guess you could say there has been a lot of firsts! (And Im getting really behind on scrapbooking them all!)

  • Erin

    This month my daughter turned 15 month old. Weekly it seems children change so much, my highlight is that she came up to me and said ” Hey, I love You!”… priceless!

  • http://susanbyrd.blogspot.com Susan

    This month my oldest daughter started her senior year in high school. Time really flies. She seems to be savoring each day knowing that next year this time she will be headed to college. We are savoring the memories also. Trying to make every minute count.

  • http://bunny-trails.blogspot.com Dianne

    Savoring the time with my boys as they’ve both reached high school age. I’m grateful that God has allowed me to homeschool them, so we have a lot of time together, which is a huge blessing. The time goes by so quickly, but I am treasuring our school time even more this year.
    I would love to read this book – we went out and saw this house during the build. My sister was also a Starbucks volunteer on the site.

  • Karen G

    I homeschool my two boys and they are in 8th and 5th grades. It is going by so quickly. we started in Aug and have had such a wonderful first month of school. I am savoring sitting next to them as we read together.
    Karen G

  • http://www.rachellewrites.blogspot.com Rachelle

    What an amazing story! I will savor the memories of watching my children squeal over picking raspberries, smile as they go to school, and cheer just because the sky is blue today.