Now a professional speaker, author and coach, Deanna loves to look back to her roots and even further back to the settling of America.

Born and raised in the prairie state of North Dakota, Deanna learned the importance of hard work, fun, and friends.  Her social life was highest importance to her in high school and college, however, it also led down a path of bad habits and choices.

Partying and chasing boys in college led her to make poor relationship choices.  Deanna had a baby on her own at age 19 and chose to give her baby girl up for adoption to a family who could not have children.  The full story is in Chapter 2 of Cultivating Your Character.

After those months of hard choices, it took many years of more poor relationships before she would make some turnarounds.

She met Chris, future husband, after moving to the Black Hills of South Dakota in 1995.  They married in 1996 and choose to have children.  God blessed them with two a few years later.  When the kids with little, Deanna started reading growth and development books, listening to Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer, and attending Bible Study Fellowship.

When she and Chris chose to turn off the television after 9/11/01, her reading, learning, growing, and muturing intensified.  Without the TV, the quiet time quadrupled.  There was much more time to think, read, and read to the kids.

They chose to homeschool their children early on.  Deanna had the preschool registration completed and ready to hand in with a check, when she met another  mom who homeschooled  and noticed that she wanted that for her family.

Deanna prides herself in maintaining PEACE in her daily living:

• Peach in finances,
• in decisions,
• of mind,
• And peace in every part of life

It was a choice made to focus on for one year.  Now it is a lifestyle.

Her wish is for you to choose life.  Choose PEACE.  Seek and run after it until it overtakes you.