Introducing.....a NY Bestseller Author!

Our daughter Brittany has just signed with Cedar Fort Publishing to publish a book!



To help pay for college, Brittany worked for about two years for Brother Jeffrey Marsh who is a religion professor at BYU Provo. Last year, he approached her and asked her if she would be interested in writing a book. Cedar Fort was looking for someone to write an updated version of an old book that they had. They wanted a new, fresh book on games to play with your family. Well, Brittany's major is Recreational Therapy/Youth Leadership and Brother Marsh thought she would be perfect for the job.

So she started on her book about 6 months ago. This week she found out that her book has been accepted and she already has her contract!

Something that makes her book a little different than just a book of games is that after each game, she has added a "So What?" paragraph. Part of what she has learned in being in recreational therapy is how to process after you have played a certain game or participated in an activity. Right now Brittany is finishing her internship at a facility for girls with eating disorders. Recently they took the girls rock climbing. After that activity they asked the girls what they learned. One response was, that, as other people were cheering her, she needed to believe in herself. And that if someone else thinks that she can do something, then she needs to know that she really can. Brittany also just took some of these girls to help with the Special Olympics that were just held in Salt Lake City. Some of the things that the girls felt they learned was that there were more important things than how you looked, which was huge coming from girls with eating disorders where image plays a major role, and that there were other people who had more serious challenges than what they were dealing with in their lives.

I think we all have moments like these and we have the same fleeting thoughts, but when really discussed in a more clinical setting, the lesson tends to sink in a little deeper into our souls. That's the true benefit of recreational therapy.

So back to the "So What?" paragraph. After each game, Brittany suggests some ideas of how to apply this to our family life in an effort to strengthen family relationships. Some games are just plain fun, some games require family cooperation and some games improve family communication. The "So What?" paragraph offers ideas on what to discuss with our family afterwards.

Needless to say, we are beyond proud of her. To be published period is an amazing accomplishment, but to also be published in your field of work is incredible.

Brittany, we love you! YOU GO GIRL!!!!!