Hello, Hi. Hi, Hello. Yes... Yes... I'm New Here.

Well, I spotted this blog on my friends list and thought I'd poke in, then I realized I might be able to catch a chance at posting in a group setting. I was excited and immediately took the opportunity.

I love, love, love to write. For years I avoided it and then one day I realized that I had taken part of my soul and buried it in the ground like the parable of the talents. That's the day I started writing my first manuscript, which I kept hidden from my husband for about a year and a half. Finally he discovered it and has been encouraging me ever since. I must admit that I find many other things, as a mom, to do besides write stories and blogging has begun to fill that writing need.

So, I've got my own blog as well as this one... cannwin.blogspot.com. I am a mother of three and a half children (four in July) and my belly is already to the point where a doctor the other day said I looked like I had about two months left, I could have lunged across the room at her. In reality I guess if I sucked in it would go away, but that takes sooo much effort. :)

We currently live in spectacular South Dakota. A national secret that has yet to be discovered by those prolific Californians that everyone seems to blame rising house prices on. My husband did his undergrad in Civil Engineering at Arizona State University and then after working for a year or so realized that he wanted to do something more productive for society.

So he decided to go to Law School.

And in August of 2008 we moved here.

In the midst of all that he was also an Officer in the Army National Guard and served a tour of duty in Iraq when my oldest two were 10 months and 22 months. He was gone for 18 months and that experience has forever altered our marriage, in some ways (many ways) for the good and in others (not as many) we struggle more than we used to. Our idealistic perception of a relationship was pretty much forced from us at an early stage.

Some other oddities about my family are as follows:

1. We've been married 8 1/2 years.

2. Our two oldest children are what is known as "Irish Twins," meaning they are a year apart (actually a year and two days).

3. My husband wants very badly to name our next son Barnabas so I'm, naturally, praying for a girl.

4. My hatred of laundry is second only to my desire to avoid toilet cleaning and I have been known to pay my children to do these chores for me.

5. I'm known online as Cannwin but if you must know my name is really Charity.

I hope everyone enjoys my style and comments freely (and frequently). If you have any questions or curiosities feel free to ask I'm sure I've left something out. Have a great day.