Happy Halloween!

Ya know what is scary? A big huge bumblebee in your own front yard!



Okay, maybe it's not scary. It's downright cute and cuddly! :)

V-O-T-E

Please read/sing this to the tune of Nat King Cole's L-O-V-E...

V is for a big fat Vic-tory
Obama, is the Only one I see
T is truly hoping he becomes the president
E is Even more than anything I could ask for...
VOTE it's all I that I can ask, of you.
Vote...it's more than just a thing to do.
America, we need to change it, cast your vote, please don't delay it.
Vote for Obama today!

You guessed it! Zac and I voted today and I was on a high all afternoon. :) This was my second presidentional election to vote in (although two seperate Poll Officials asked me today if this was my first time to vote...maybe I look young?), and I was sad that I have not gotten to use a booth, curtain, or electronic voting either time! We just got a paper and a pen and had to sit at a table in bubble in our choices, like a standardized test. It was very anti-climactic, in fact I told Zac that I almost wished I had waited until election day so I would have that exciting buzz. Except that we had to wait in a long line today, so I can not imagine how it will be on Tuesday! I was excited to get an "I Voted Today" sticker, but annoyed when I got to cheerleading that afternoon wearing it. Alot of girls asked who I voted for (I did not tell them), and several had really harsh remarks. Here are a few things I heard in the hour span I was with them:
-I hope you voted "NO-bama."
-If you voted for Obama, I'm gonna kill you. Like, really...murder you!
-Hey, did y'all know that Obama is a terrorist AND he hates white people!
Needless to say, it got really old, and I was not about to go there, so instead we just started stretching, but I really wanted to scream "yall are brainwashed! Do any of you watch CNN or read factual information, or do you just trust your parents and bogus emails?" Anyways, it was kind of bothersome, but I didn't let it bring me down! I just hope that next Tuesday I am not dissappointed! :) Oh, and if you have not voted yet, I reccomend you watch this video: (that happens to have like 5 ba-jillion celebs in it, though Borat might be my fave in this clip!)

Matt, thanks for putting a link to THIS amazing story on your blog!

Pride and Glory vs. Body of Lies

In the past two weeks, Zac and I have seen two great movies. I liked Pride and Glory most, but Zac liked Body of Lies most. Funny huh? We both love the actors Edward Norton, Collin Farrel, Russell Crowe, and Leonardo DiCaprio, so that helped make both movies even better! :) Pride and Glory is more of an action, but while Body of Lies has action, it's actually more of a Drama. I have attached the two trailers, so you can see for yourself what they are about...
While they have some of the same themes, such as lying, deceit, tough decisions, etc, Pride and Glory is more about corrupt cops, and family, while Body of Lies is more about international affairs, and war games.






Have you seen either or both of them? What did you think? I am really searching for someone who has seen both, so I can prove to Zac that Pride and Glory is better...better script, better acting, better filmography, better everything! :)


Other movies I want to see... Max Payne because I love Mark Walhberg, The Secret Life of Bees with Dakota Fanning, Changling with Angelina Jolie, The Express looks kinda like Remember the Titans, and I loved that movie, and last but not least, some of my cheerleaders told me I must see Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.

Makes Me Sick!

Elections are a week away, which is good news, but seing something like this...is just disturbing!

My Heart Hurts

I started this post months ago, and then decided not to post it. Today, I changed my mind.

August 17, 2008
I know I usually try to be in a good mood when I blog, but today, that is impossible. Today, I am not writing for y'all. I am writing for myself...hoping for some therapy. If you would rather not hear bad news, I understand, but I'm just warning you, I don't know how you could read this and NOT be effected. So if you don't want to, do not read the following:

Last night, Ramsi asked me if I got the email about the boy from MHS that is dying of cancer. I told her no and (sadly) didn't think much of it, and then I heard her say his name. Michael Ybarra. A name I have said many time when I was calling roll for the class I subbed more than any class last year. I have talked to this kid (really talked, deep talks) more times than I can count or remember. This kid made a huge impression on me. At one point, I even started writing an article about him for the school paper and District Newsletter. Boy, am I mad at myself for not finishing up on that one.

This kid had a hard life from day one. His biological parents gave him up and he bounced around from one foster home to the next. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and had to have multiple surgeries. Click HERE to see the news story.

10/23/08 This morning I got this email from Zac: I'm sorry to have to be the one to forward this to you, but I knew you wanted to know. I love you.....
"Michael Ybarra passed away last night at 10:40 pm. He woke up out of a coma to hug us and tell us he loved us. Please keep his family and friends in your prayers. I will relay funeral arrangements when I speak to his foster mom today. "

I'm just devastated. Words can't describe it.

I want to close with a few of my favorite Michael moments...

1. The day he came to school with pictures of him and Tony Romo and Jerry Jones! He got to meet them for the Make-A-Wish foundation, and he had pics of him wearing Jerry Jones' super bowl ring, and a picture of Tony Romo hugging him. It was priceless. He was thrilled, and the other kids at school could not hear enough about it...they thought it was cool too!
2. Michael used to get lost alot (due to the brain tumor), and sometimes he would forget how to read. This was usually humiliating for him (duh!), but he always had a smile on his face when he would ask for help. He had the BEST attitude and outlook on life. If the world was filled with people how have Michael's spirit, I imagine it would be a much better place!
3. One day some kids were picking on Chris (another of my favorites...the one with Asperger's) and Michael told this big senior "If you're in the mood to be a bully, pick on me! Leave Chris alone!" Michael and Chris both have social problems that the other couldn't understand, yet they stood up for each other. The day that Michael stood up for Chris, I remember I got a little lump in my throat and thought that was the sweetest thing. I was so proud of him!

I am sad he is gone, yet I am comforted, because I know he is in a better place now, with no pain or sickness. I do not mourn his death, as I know he is better off now, but I have angera nd sadness that any child would have experience life with so many trials and tribulations. I know "life's not fair" but why does it have to be SO unfair for some!?!

"Polls are just a fancy way of systematically predicting what's gonna happen..."

-quote by the Tina Fey version of Sarah Palin, on Saturday Night Live.

Voting has closed on my Presidential Election Poll. In case you were wandering, here is the breakdown: Obama won with 10 votes (66%), and McCain had 4 votes (26%). One person (6%), did not like either candidate. Very interesting! I wonder if my little mock-election will be similar to the real one? I read that "globally speaking," for every ONE person that likes McCain , there are FOUR that like Obama! Kinda crazy huh? That is a BIG difference!

PS-Can November 4th please get here soon, so I can quit being worried/obsessed/consumed by this election stuff? Oh yeah, and one more thing...

Rihanna's Covered...

According to the internet, the most covered song of all time is The Beatle's Yesterday. I LOVE covers! If you love a song, isn't it cool when you get to hear someone else's perspcitve on that song? I think so! There are a series of CD's Zac and I enjoy called Punk Goes ____ (Pop, Acoustic, Crunk, 90's...they are all fun! Click on the name if you're interested and it will take you to a site where you can scroll down and listen to each song. They're songs you recognize, just redone with a "punk/pop" flair.) You MUST check out Further Seems Forever's version of Bye Bye Bye (originally sung by N*SYNC). Excuse the wierd intro and fuzziness, THIS is the only version I could find online.
Here are two Rihanna songs I love, being covered by non-pop artists...Taylor Swift singing Rihanna's "Take A Bow,"

...and Mandy Moore covering Rihanna's "Umbrella."

I know sometimes a song is better left along, but usually I love hearing different interpretations of a song I love. Music makes me so happy. Life would really SUCK without some good tunes!

17 Again

Ever wandered what the opposite of the movie BIG would be like? Did you like 13 Going on 30? Then you might want to see the movie "17 Again!" I can not wait to see it! Doesn't hurt that is has cutie Zac Efron, either! :)I think that both adults and teens would enjoy this movie! Anyone wanna go with me?

PSA = Pretty Smart Ad

Being around teenagers on a daily basis, I hear the phrases "that's gay!" "you're gay" and "quit being gay" on a regular basis. Never does it have anything to do with sexuality. They just use it as an insult, almost as if it is a synonym for stupid or dumb or lame. It frustrates the heck out of me, and I usually try to reply by saying something like (for example...) what does the curfew your parents give you have anything to do with sexual preference? They have grown so accustomed to this phrase, they really do not even realize it is hurtful. It's ignorant. I saw this commercial the other day on TV, and was happy to see that someone decided to address this issue.

Then today, on CNN, I saw this video:


When searching for the commercial on YouTube, I also came across this one, that I thought was worth posting...

In the Spirit of Spooks

With Halloween just around the corner, I thought I would share with yall a video that always makes me laugh, and then an extra, in case you didn't get enough...

Absentminded Me

Just a few little things I have caught myself doing lately. Maybe I am sleep deprived, or maybe you do this kind of stuff too...

Two different times last week, I sat at a flashing red light, waiting for it to turn green. After sitting, and sitting, and sitting, with no one around, I thought "this is rediculous!" and then in perfect timing, my brain started working again and I realized I was the one who was an idiot!

Sometimes when I am really tired (or distracted because I read all the time now, every chance I get...I cant put these darn Twilight books down), when I get ready to brush my teeth at night, I open the cap to the toothpaste, turn on the water, and then hold the tube of Colgate under the running water, instead of my toothbrush. Brilliant, right? This has happened more that once!

The worst is when I want a glass of juice. I open the fridge and get it out, open the cabinet and get out a glass, and pour the juice. Then I put the lid back on the juice, and put it away...securely in the glass cabinet.

And people think that blondes are dumb...I think I'm more "checked out" when I'm brunette!

Jobs, Walls, Pink Paradise

Sometimes I am kinda weird (or maybe you do this too?) and I like to go to websites of the places of my past employers. I just like to see what they are up to, and see how their business is growing and changing.

I have been blessed to have some really cool jobs. The ones I loved most had to do with creativity. In high school, I worked at David Neuse Photography and was paid to learn the "in's and out's" of Adobe Photoshop, digital retouching, and of course...photography! I LOVED working there, and got lots of portraits I never would have been able to afford! :) I used to be featured on the website, but I guess they took my picture down...haha, maybe it was outdated! (sniff, sniff...) Just a warning if you do check out the website, he takes lots of "fine art nude" pics, and they are on there, so just watch out for some skin! :) I had alot of neat opportunities there, including taking my cousin Robin's senior portraits! If you click on her name, it will take you to her IMDB page (yeah, she's an actress!) and I took the picture that comes up. I had lots of fun there and miss it often.

In college, I worked at a place called Maggie-N-Me, which was located in Buffalo Gap, Texas. Isn't that a name? Maggie-n-Me made custom pillows and panties and bags and whatnot. I was a seamstress there, and learned how to operate a sewing machine. They still have a picture of Molly on their website. Molly was just a pup when I worked there, and Abby (Maggie's sister) used her photo on several samples. I don't blame her...that was one cute little puppy! :) Okay, so as I started out...I like to go to these websites every now and then and check things out. When I went to Maggie-n-Me's website today, I could not leave it! I was so entranced by the beautiful design work they do. I started to not admit this, because, yet again, it makes me look like a teenager, but I would LOVE for my room to look like any of these...

Ya know what? I decided that it is NOT a crime to like color. I know that alot of people would think that these are teenage rooms because they are so busy and bright and colorful, but why can't an adult's room be all those things? I mean, I don't think Zac would ever let me do OUR bedroom like this, but I really enjoy the burst of color! How could you ever be in a bad mood in that room, or ever have anything but the sweetest dreams? This is just one more reason I need to have a daughter! She will have the coolest and cutest room, out of all her friends! Haha, even if adults don't appreciate my taste in design, one day there will be a lucky little 9 year old, whose friends tell her "your mom is sooo cool!"

Up for discussion...which room do yall like best? Is it inappropriate for a grown-woman's room to look like this? Is it weird that I love it?

Twilight Delight!

WARNING: If you have not read Twilight and have no interest in it, you might want to skip this post...it is strictly devoted to the Twilight Saga, and it's characters! :) However, you might just see how gorgeous and interesting the characters are and become interested! :) haha!

Last night, out with several friends, I saw a man and got so excited! I screamed "Look! It's Jacob Black!" but Zac looked at me like I was crazy, so one by one I kept turning people in our group around to see if that meant anything to them. I finally figured out that not one person in our group of like 10 people had read Twilight, so of course they did not know why I was so excited! When I explained to Zac that the man looks JUST LIKE a character from my book, he replied "how do you know...you've never seen a picture of him!" I had to explain that Stephenie Meyer is the most descriptive author I have ever read, and I have seen a picture of Jacob...in my mind!! Zac told me I was a dork, but I handed him my camera and then politely tapped "Jacob" on the shoulder and asked if he would take a picture with me. This made his face light up, and made me want to hug him. I never explained my reasoning, I just posed for the picture and then graciously thanked him. He kept looking at me the rest of the night, probably wondering what that was all about. Anyways, that really got me thinking about how I envision all the characters. I already mentioned that I did not like the Twilight movie poster because I don't think that the actor who plays Edward is handsome enough (to match what the author describes in the book), and I think that the actress portraying Bella does not look "common" enough or vulnerable enough...just not how I imagined her. So, having an afternoon with not much to do, I decided to use good ole Google Images to put together my "dream cast" for Twilight. This is how I envision it...
Bella would be Ellen Page (girl-next-door pretty, but not stunning), or Mandy Moore, who can play the helpless, clumsy teenager quite well.

Esme would be Rachel McAdams...beautiful, classy, young but mature looking.

Alice has to be Allison Lohman (as a brunette). I love Alison Lohman...and she is spunky and small, just like Alice!

Edward would be played by Orlando Bloom. Pale skin, dark hair and eyes, and distinctively beautiful features!

Emmett, the big, buff, handsome brother would be none other than Tom Brady! :)

Carlisle...the dad of the group, and a gorgeous doctor...how could you NOT pick Patrick Dempsey, a.k.a. McDreamy?!?

Okay, those are the only characters that I really cared about that much. :) But I think that Charlie could be played by Mike Delfino, from Desperate Housewives, can you see that?

Update: I have finished the third book, Eclipse, and I am just starting the last and final book, Breaking Dawn. This makes me a little bit sad, because what in the world am I going to do when I finish this one? Oh...I know! I will blog all about it...I have so much to say when I am finished with the entire Saga! :)

Advice from Princess Leia & Karen from "The Office"

See more Natalie Portman videos at Funny or Die

***It was brought to my attention by my sweet little brother, that Natalie Portman was NOT Princess Leia. Oops. Haha, I don't think I have seen Star Wars (or is it Star Trek? I dont know, I get them confused!), so I just thought she was the Princess. Oops! :) I hate to change the title of the post now, but if I had it to do over again, I would name it "Advice from Garden State's Sam, and The Office's Karen..."

Billie Jean...at my door!

This past week was kinda crazy. Both Thursday night and Friday night, Zac and I each had to go to Waco (seperatly, him with football, me with cheerleaders, of course) for football games, via School Bus. Fun times! We lost both nights, and got home really late both nights. It was not much fun! The light at the end of the tunnel was that we had plans to do something fun on Saturday night! Yay! We picked up our friend Chad, who coaches with Zac and headed up to Grapevine to meet Stacy and eat at Uncle Julio's. You might remember that I went there a few weeks ago when "The Boys" were in town. This was a different location, but the margaritas were just as wonderful! :) After dinner, we went and met up with a bunch of Stacy's friends at Duke's Roadhouse in Bedford. I had never been there, but it was a really cool place. Walking up was deceiving, because it's just a huge patio with lots of picnic-style tables, so you think its just going to be a chilled out, sit and visit type place. Once you got close enough though, you hear the music! The DJ played one awesome song after another, all night long. I think at the beginning of every single song Stacy and I looked at each other (or hit the other person's arm) and squeeled "Oh my gosh, I love this song!" We are such teenagers. Whatever...adults can like music too...right? Haha, Zac is saying "Yeah, they can like music, its just not supposed to be Teeny-Pop!" Anyways, the music was great, the friends were great...we had ALOT of fun! The night flew by. There is a whole section of the night that I chose not to discuss tonight, but I will share that with you later...maybe closer to Halloween!?! (Does that give you any hints?)Here are some of the pics we took...

Zac and I got dressed in different rooms and walked into the living room at the same time and laughed. Apparently, it was a black shirt and jeans kind of night.

Just three ex-Sailors having a good time! ;)

Weird angle, but I still like it for some reason.

Girl shot! It was a Julia Sandwich! :)

My new friends were amazing dancers!

WHY do I keep running into Brides in places they should obviously not be on their wedding night!? (bars, casinos, etc)

My new blogging buddy Rachel, as is "Zack and Rach"

Chad with the matching married couple. Haha, you know Zac is having fun when he starts pointing in the pictures!

Laura and I matched too!

My BEST FRIEND!!!!! :) I Love you Stacy!

Happy Saturday Friends!

Hope y'all are having a wonderful weekend! :) Here is a little something to make ya smile...

Tag, You're It!

As I mentioned earlier, when my cousin Ellen started her adoption process, I started following several blogs, and have a newfound connection with these families that I get to read about and see pictures of! One of the families is the Silvestri's and they have a PRECIOUS little boy, that honestly should be model! Tara also makes beautiful leather cuffs. Both Nati and Claire have some...they are so unique, I love them! Well, Tara was tagged in this little blogging chain, and she tagged me, so here we go...

7 Random/Weird Facts About Me

1. Some of you know this, but some of you might not...I do not have a Large Intestine! I had my colon removed when I was 16, because it was very sick due to my Ulcerative Colitis! So, if you ever want to impress your friends, just tell them that it is possible to live without a colon! :) One of the only major organs you can do without! I feel very blessed for the world of science and medicine and the amazing doctors that have been in my life. This January will be 9 years since my surgery, which BLOWS my mind!

2. Haha, no one knows this, but I have been into really heavy music lately. For our last pep rally, one of my cheerleaders made me a mix of music to play throughout the pep rally to keep people pumped up. Alot of it was rap (Jump Around, T.I., etc) but then there was some "heavy metal-ish" stuff. Kindof the screaming music that makes you get so pumped up. As one boy put it "Satan's music" but lets please clarify that I am a Christian and none of the music is anti-Christ! It's just...I dont know "heavy!" If you are wandering what I am talking about, its songs like "Stupefied" by Disturbed, "Last Resort" by Papa Roach, or "Let the Bodies Hit the Floor" by Drowning Pool. Too bad I don't work out, because these would be great workout songs! :) The funny thing about this is I am such a girly girl, I love my Pop and Dance music, so this is so outside my character. :) It's fun though!

3. Molly has a really bad ear infection right now. It is practically breaking my heart. We have cleanser that we wash it out with, and then we put drops in it, but its not healing. :( This morning there was a little blood on the sheets and when I looked at her ear, I could see it was from there. She must have been scratching it so much in the night that she made it bleed. Bless her Heart! She has almost always had problems with her left ear since we got her! We take her to the vet, btu there isn't much they can do, they tell us to keep cleaning it and putting drops in it, but it just makes me sad. She has a little bit of a fever (which feels like alot of fever, since a dogs "normal" temp is 101!), and she is quite clingy. I hate that I have to go to Waco the next two nights in a row. I will leave the house at 2pm and not get home until around midnight. I wish I could take Molly with me!!! (But I don't want her to have to sit out in the cold, either! I guess I should just say that I wish I could stay home and cuddle with her!)

4. I'm not preggers or anything, but I already have my baby names picked out. I know it's not that weird, but it might be interesting? For a boy I like "William Andrew" but I want to call him Drew. I also like the name Will though. If we have a boy and name him William Andrew, and then we have another boy, what will I name him, if I used both of my favorite boy names on the first kid? Sheesh...so much to think about, haha! For a girl I like "Emily Katherine" but we would probably call her Emma, which is the name of Zac's grandma! I like Katherine because my middle name is Kate, which is Katherine Hepburn's nickname, and so this would be kinda like that, but not completely. And, I think Emily Katherine rolls off the tongue nicely. The other girl's name is "Allison Jane." I love the name Ally, but I would want to name her Allison. (Can you tell that I like regular length names shortened to nicknames?) I like Jane because I think it's a cute little hippy name, but it is also the middle name of my best friend Stacy. Wouldn't that be an honor to name my daughter after her? If any of you want to name your daughter's Julia, or Kate, I give you permission and my full support and encouragement, haha!

5. Hmm...I talk about so much already on this blog, what else can I say? Oh! Did y'all know that I love Bullfighting? I KNOW it is mean and cruel, but I can't help it...I have loved the idea of Bullfighting since I saw a video about it in fifth grade! All the art in our bedroom is bullfighting. Is that weird? It's not that I love that they hurt/kill an animal, I just love the culture and tradition of it. I am obsessed with Spain and going there, and I must go to a Bullfight at a stadium. I might not think as highly of it after I see it in person, but I have to at least go. I have been dreaming about it since I was in high school!

6. I HATE scary movies. I know some people love the adrenaline rush of being scared, but I HATE it! I will not go see a movie if it looks too scary, or even too tense. (I did not see "The Happening" despite my mild obsession with Mark Wahlberg, because I thought it looked like too much for me!) A few weeks ago, Bez and Ramsi wanted me and Zac to go with them to a haunted house, and I was like "oh heck no!" I hate that feeling of suspense...I will cry and then have nightmares for weeks. When Zac and I first started dating I tried to be a good sport and go see those shows (The Ring stands out in my mind), but I was so miserable, and had so many bad dreams, he eventually gave up on me liking that stuff. Thank goodness!

7. I like long hair on guys. In fact, my sweet little husband (who had been growing his hair out...not long, just not clipped short) just called me on his lunch and told me I was going to be very dissapointed. He went and got it cut! And, he doesn't like the way she did it...serves him right! haha, I am not so controlling that I am going to tell him how to wear his hair, but I LOVE it long, and he looks so handsome! He could spike it, or he had just started kind of combing it to the side and it looked SO handsome!!! :( Sigh...I guess he will just have to start all over again!

Well, that was not so bad. Now for the hard part...I have to pick 7 people to "tag!" Think of it as an honor...please do not be upset if I picked you, or if I didn't pick you, for that matter! :) It's all in good fun!!!

(Click on each person's name, to be taken to their blog.)

1. Maci-college friend, and my TIP Pledge Mistress

2. Ellen-cousin, sister, best friend

3. Stacy-best friend, bridesmaid, Gemini Twin, soulmate if I was a lesbian! ;)

4. Rachel-Stacy's BFF from childhood/high school, my friend through Stace

5. Kayla-friend and wife of Zac's cousin Luke

6. Katie-college friend, TIP President, she is 9 months preggers, so Katie, we understand if you don't get to participate! :)

7. Mark-Zac's cousin, who lives in Paris (This might not be your thing...no pressure if you don't want to!)

Dennis Quaid is here!

Tonight, after Zac went to bed I was catching up on my Ellen. Since I had class last night until late, I had to watch yesterday's episode tonight. Dennis Quaid was on the show and had a lovely interview. I truly believe that Ellen brings out the best in people...I know I become a fan of a lot of the people she has on her show! Anyways, after their interview, she sent him to the Starbucks on the Warner Bros. lot and made him do a little prank. I think it was so funny because he is such a humble and modest seeming person, so for him to do this was a riot! I laughed so hard that I woke Zac up! I had tears streaming down the sides of my face. Molly woke up and started looking around. I hope I am not saying so much that you won't think it's funny. Just watch...


Isn't she a hoot? Gosh I love her! If any of you win the lottery, will you send me to California to see a live taping of Ellen!? I wish for that to happen every day! She is amazing!

Sad, Disgusting, Disturbing...

Let me first say that I know that not all Palin/McCain supporters are like this! I have several friends who are Republicans, and we are all entitled to our own beliefs, that is fine. What is not fine, is hatred and ignorance! Have these people been brainwashed? Where do they get thier "facts"? It shocks me, that in 2008, there are still people who see race as such a problem. As a white, Christian, American person, I am embarressed and ashamed by these people. I know we all have different views on "hot topics" (such as gay marriage, abortion, etc...) but there is this thing called TOLERENCE! It might not be what you believe, or what you think is best, but be tolerable of others! We CAN all get along, if people would stop HATING!

And because I never want to end a post on an upsetting note, here is a video that I LOVE. It isn't new, but it inspires me and gives me hope, not to mention that I think it was very well done. I would like to challenge you to actually listen to the words that are spoken and sung. It gives me goosebumps...in a GOOD way! :)

And for the real Obama fans out there (ahem, Stacy) watch THIS video. It gets me pumped up, and its interesting to see which celebs are supporting and promoting him. It is another song, very pretty! When I started this post, I felt very icky and upset...now I feel better! :)

My Newest Obsession...

I can hardly even write about my newest obsession, because none of my words will do it justice. I started the book Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer last Sunday, and I am already finishing the second book in the series. The Twilight Saga consists of four big, thick books called (in order) Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. I can not explain to you how amazing they are. You just have to read them. As LeVar Burton would say on Reading Rainbow..."Don't take my word for it!" aww...remember that show? Here is the song, I can sing it like it was just yesterday! Memories...sigh...

Okay, back to the real stuff...Seriously, I have friends who have already read the entire series (ahem, Ramsi) and my sister has read the first two so far. I gave my mom the first book, last weekend, with instructions to read it asap. People (Zac) may say that the books are designed for teenagers, but people said the same things about Harry Potter. (Not that I read any of the Harry Potter books, but) I know plenty of adults who enjoyed them, so who cares if the book is marketed to someone else, if you love it, right?
My goal is to finish the next two books by November 21st, which is when the movie comes out. The movie is just over the first book, so if I do not finish them, I will still be okay, but considering how obsessed I become about reading them, I do not think it will be a problem at all! I have stayed up til like 2am the past few nights just reading away. I literally (and I say that word with a British accent, like my cousin Matt...lit-trull-lee) can not put it down...it's amazing! I highly reccomend you read at least the first one, but then I know you will get hooked (like everyone else who reads them!) and read the next ones too! I cant wait to talk about this with y'all. Please comment me if you have read any of them! I talk to Zac about Bella and Edward and he gets annoyed, but they are a part of me now, haha! Oh my gosh, I have not felt this obsessed about something since a few years ago when I was super gung-ho Ashlee Simpson! like, the year I went to four of her concerts in a 12 month span. That is the kind of obsession we are dealing with here! (I know, I know...I'm 25 going on 13, right?)

For the record...I dont think the movie looks anywhere as good as the book, which I will explore more in depth after I see the movie, but it still looks good. And I am a die-hard fan, so how could I NOT see it? ha! This widget can show you movie trailers (click on Videos), photos, and more...check it out:

Move over, Regina George!

In case you do not know who "Regina George" is...she's the main "Plastic" from the movie Mean Girls. Shame on you, if you didn't already know that...every person in the America should see that movie, as it has a universal message, not to mention it is hilarious. (It's not just for teenagers!)

Anyways, as I said...forget about Regina! If you know me well, you know that people with special needs (both children and adults alike)have always been near and dear to my heart! (After all, I want to teach Special Education!) I have an extra special connection and love for those with Down Syndrome, Autism, and Asperger's Syndrome. You can imagine how happy I was to see the following video about a girl with DS from Texas, actually just up the road from me!

Click HERE to read the rest of the story about Kristen.

***Every time I say/hear "the rest of the story" I think about Paul Harvey, and my mom picking me up from school every day in high school and listening to him in the car on the radio, during the drive home! Do y'all know what I'm talking about? My parents love him! He closes every segment with "Now you know...The REST of the Story!" haha

Christmas Perspective

When my cousin Ellen began her adoption process, I started following several Ethiopian Adoption blogs. There is one inparticular that always seems to amaze me. Although I have never met, I think she is probably alot like myself, often getting caught up in what society wants us to do, rather than what we know is best. She just posted a blog about Christmas, and I do not think I could have said better many of the things that she said. You should read it, if you would like a refreshing perspective.

Sidenote: This year for Christmas with Zac's family, we are drawing names and giving a gift to one person instead of giving gifts to each of the 8 people in our family. Since we are saving money in that sense, we are each picking a favorite charity and donating to each other's charity of choice. It was my brother-in-law Eli's idea, and I am so proud of him and our family. I know which charity I am selecting, but I will be anxious to see what other charities our family ends up donating to. There are so many good organizations and wonderful causes out there...its so hard to pick just one!

Womanizer, Womanizer, Womanizer, Womanizer...

It's not quite Toxic (Britney's best video EVER, in my opinion) but Womanizer is a good one! It reminds me of Toxic, since she portrays several different personalities. Ch-check it out...

• Britney Spears
• New Music

Boy don't try to front, I-I know just, just what you are-re-re.
Boy don't try to front, I-I know just, just what you are-re-re.
You say I'm crazy? I got your crazy!
You're nothing but a womanizer!

PS-Do you think I'm gonna watch this?

• Celebrity News

The 90-minute documentary, tentatively titled "For the Record," is set to air November 30 at 10 p.m. on MTV.

And since we are on the topic of fun new pop music, check out these new songs/videos. The first one is called "Single Ladies" by Beyonce...

This new song "Keeps Getting Better" is off of Christina Aguilera's new CD of greatest hits...

I am also loving THIS song by Lady Gaga, and THIS "I'm a bad@$$" diddy by Pink.

Three Generations of Fun

My Mom and grandmother Baw decided to take a trip to go see my cousin Amy, who is in school in Abilene at McMurry (holla!) and then come see Zac and I. They got here late Wednesday night and left this morning, so they got to stay for a nice length of time. Thursday we met Zac for lunch and went to the Freshmen football game that night. The Panthers lost, so it was kinda sad, but my cheerleaders did well and I got several compliments on them, so that was fun. It was cold though...the first offical cold game of the year! Brr... Friday morning we got up and went to the new shopping area in Cedar Hill. I bought Mom a beautiful pink shirt from Coldwater Creek (her favorite store!) for her birthday, and she got herself an orange shirt, both absolutely beautiful! We had a tasty lunch at TGI Friday's. I really like that restaurant alot, but Zac isn't a big fan of it, so I never get to eat there. I highly reccomend the Jack Daniel's Chicken...yum yum, so delish! After lunch we hurried back to Midlo so I could go get ready for the pep rally. It was Camo Day this week so lots of people dressed up and had LOTS of school spirit! (Finally!) Students were doing "the wave" in the stands, it was awesome! We had some football players play tug-of-war, which was quite a hit, and then we had an obstacle course (military theme: The Few, The Proud, The Panthers) which proved to be very entertaining. It was the best pep rally so far, which is funny, because Ramsi and I thought it might be the worst one. Haha, goes to show you never know. mom came to the pep rally, but Baw and Papa stayed home. Friday night we all went to the Varsity game. It was fun, but a little chilly, and we did NOT win. :( It was still a really fun day though, and I always love having family with me at the games. Saturday was all about the UT/OU game. We got up and watched the game, and ordered in Pizza for lunch, so we wouldn't even have to leave the house. It was so exciting to see Zac's family friend Jordan Shipley do so well, and his former athlete Blake Gideon too! Made the victory that much more sweet! Go Horns! After the game, Mom and I went back to Cedar Hill so I could buy the next book in the series I am reading (I plan on writing a post ALL ABOUT that, so I wont get into it here...too much to say!), and because I got an email that Bath and Body Works was having a sale. I love their "Wallflowers," which are scented oils that you plug into the wall. I always get compliments that my house smells good, and I have to give the Wallflowers all the credit! When Mom and I got home from shopping, the rest of the group had napped and we were all ready to go eat. Since we were not sure if we would see her again before her birthday, we wanted to celebrate her birthday. We went to a mexican restaurant in Arlington called Gloria's. It was mighty tasty! I casually asked the waitress for a dessert menu and mentioned it was Mom's birthday, and this is what she brought...

It was hilarious! If you listen closely, you can hear Zac say "GrossMama!" This is what Baw (my German grandmother called her Grandparents (GrossMama and GrossPapa, and I am probably spelling it wrong.) Zac thought this was really funny and told Mom that he was going to instruct our kids to call her GrossMama. It's a funny thought! We had so much fun at dinner and were all in a jovial mood on the way home. Mom had mentioned that Baw taught her a song from back in Baw's college days called Heart of My Heart. When we were stopped at a gas station, I asked them to sing it for us, and Baw laughed so hard for so long. I wish I had captured that on camera. They eventually sang it, which was also really funny to us. (This might not be entertaining to anyone else, especially if you do not know them, but I think its pretty funny, and I have lots of family who reads the blog, so I want them to see it...)


When we got home we played Farkle, which is a dice game. Baw usually speaks very quietly, but when she gets into a game, somehow her voice gets very strong and powerful! haha, Dont mess with her when she is in competition mode! :)
So anyways, as you can tell, I always have lots of fun when I am around my grandmother and mom. Zac makes Baw laugh the most...those two could have their own show if they wanted! We laugh alot, and I am one of those people who often steps out of the situation I am in, and thinks "this is such a special moment." I know its cheesy, but I do, and I do it alot when I am around Baw!

Say it ain't so Joe...

So we have established that I LOVE Ellen DeGeneres, and her show, and I watch it DAILY. (I literally have not and will not miss one episode!) Here was her opening monologue from the other day that I thought was hilarious... ENJOY!

Puppy Patrol

In the past week, I have saved two dogs! On two different occasions! How, you ask? Well, I found them, noticed they were alone, but had on a collar and tags and bothered to stop and call the number on the tags. I am certain that several people walked by, or drove by without thinking twice, but being the pet lover that I am, I knew those dogs had a home, and they were not there. Both pet owners were happy to hear from me, although I was sadly disappointed by both. Each "mom" told me that their pet got out frequently and kind of addressed the situation like it was a hassle. I really wanted to say "if you wont take care of it, give it to someone who will!" Not that I can afford to take in a dog, or that I want to right now, but it breaks my heart that a person could continue putting their dog in the same situation that they know is not working (the yard, no fence, whatever). I am glad I was able to help these people, I just wish that they were better pet owners, and it didn't happen in the first place. I mean I know a dog can get out every now and then, and accidents happen, but both of these ladies were like "ugh, this is so annoying." Grrr..

I am not asking for any praise or recognition...I was happy to help! I can just hope that if (Heaven Forbid!) something ever happens to Molly, my good karma will kick in, and someone will be so nice as to keep her safe and call me!

WinStar...LoseStar?

Yesterday Zac and I, and our friends Ramsi and Bez went to WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma. It is about an hour and a half away from where we live, north of Denton, and just across the border. Ramsi and Bez have been several times, and Zac wanted to do something "different" for his birthday, so we decided to take the trip. They picked us up around five and we ate at a Posados Mexican Restaurant in North Fort Worth, then headed the rest of the way there. Winstar was bigger than I thought it would be. It is really long...like it felt like about a mile from one end to the other. They have different rooms with different themes, as you will see in the pics. I know I risk sounding snobby or something when I say this, but I have never seen so many white trash people. Almost everyone smoked, and I honestly have not ever been in a place that so many morbidly obese people are. I am not exaggerating, these people had to use wheelchairs or cains to get around, and several of them had oxygen tanks. It was so bizarre. Haha, oh and I almost forgot to mention that there was an abundance of FANNY PACKS! Zac and I would smile and hit each other everytime we spotted one, which we eventually had to stop because they were everywhere!!!
Bez played poker the whole time, Zac played BlackJack, and Ramsi and I walked around, played Wheel of Fortune alot, and Red Hot once. Those are both "penny slots" and I put that in quotations because to win anything it actually does not cost a penny. It is pretty much 80 cents per turn, if you want to be able to win more than just chump change. I did not know that, and planned on only spending $20, but as you can imagine, at almost a dollar a turn, $20 goes pretty darn fast! Ramsi was really good at Wheel of Fortune, and by really good, I mean lucky. It is pushing buttons, so I am not sure if you can be "skilled" at it, but she did well. At one point she was up $200!! I would sit down at the same spot and do the exact same things she had just been doing, and NADA. I was not lucky last night. It was alot of fun, even though Zac and I didn't win anything. There were times that both of us were up, but being the inexperienced gamblers that we are, of course we walked away with less than we came with. Ramsi was the bigger winner of the night, leaving with all the money she brought, plus $30!!
I had two videos and lots of pictures I wanted to share, so I made a little collage...Enjoy the show, haha!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

If you can not view the video for some reason, Sorry! I will be posting the pics on my Picasa account soon. :)

Word Up!

My best friend Stacy is super creative and computer savvy. Well, I just learned where she gets it from...her father. Stacy's dad has worked forever in the field of semantics, which is "the study of how meaning in language is created by the use and interrelationships of words, phrases, and sentences." Well, he just made a video montage of Sarah Palin speaking and it is quite fun to watch. I am impressed that people can make 6 minute videos with a million different clips, and obvisouly it didn't take him long, since some of the footage is from the past few days! Here it is...

Is it bad, that sometimes when it's a quick picture, I can't tell whether it is Tina Fey or Sarah Palin? (Yes, you should not have admitted that Julia!) Haha, that's been happening to me for a few days now, and I have to think about which person it is. Ooops! In my defense, they really do look alot alike though!

Create-A-Pepper

Last week, while waiting for a table at Chili's, I noticed that the wait staff had on really cool shirts. They were black with a white logo on it, and it appeared that each person had colored their own design on the logo. I thought to myself "I wish I could have one of those, but I bet they are just for the employees!" When we were seated, there was a promotional flyer on our table advertising that they sell the shirts (WOOHOO!) and they were only $12 (WOOHOO!) and the entire proceeds goes to St Jude's Children's Hospital. (WOOHOO!) I was ecstatic. I asked the waitress about them and she let her manager know I was interested. The manager brought over a few different sizes, and I actually went into the bathroom and tried them on. (Zac made fun of me for this, repeatedly, but they are "fitted" shirts and not just t-shirts, so I wanted to make sure I got the best size!) I finally settled on one and I was so happy the rest of the meal. I really wanted to buy several to give to friends for Christmas...I should have! I remember being a little girl and decorating shirts at birthday parties and before talent shows (Lindsay and I would make matching shirts!) I did it all...puff paint, sponge paint, splatter paint, iron on transfers, etc. It was so fun to create them, and then I thought I was SO cool wearing a shirt that I had made! So naturally, I could not wait to get home and get busy. Except as an adult I realized that I was much more worried about the outcome. I wanted it to look good, or I might not want to wear it, ya know? I went to the create-a-pepper website to get ideas, but ultimately just made up my own design. I also realized that I only had blue and black sharpies, and obviously that was not going to fly! We went to Target tonight and I finally got to buy my markers, which I was also excited about. I have been wanting an excuse to buy the mega-pack of Sharpies for quite some time now, and this was the best reason ever! I actually didn't even get the biggest pack, because it was like $16 and let's face it, its not like I even use Sharpies that much, so I just got the Rainbow pack for $7. Anyways, tonight as soon as we got home from Tar-jay (Zac also teases me for pronouncing it Tar-zjay, but don't yall say it like that too?), I got down on the floor and got busy! It's not perfect, but I like it. I'm happy with my artwork, and I will wear my little charity shirt with pride! :) Do you like it?

Molly & The Golf Ball

As I was sitting on the floor, cleaning out my purse, I saw this little beggar inching towards me with a golf ball in her mouth. She started from the other side of the room and army crawled to me. Luckily, in my purse was my camera so I could get a quick snapshot. "Please play with me Mom. I already found a ball. Please?" How could I say no?

So we went outside and threw the ball around for 10 minutes or so. It turns out that I can throw a golf ball way farther than I can throw a tennis ball. It would land like two yards over, so she would run and get it and bring it back to me. We don't play with her enough (I know, we're bad) so she is pretty out of shape. When we came back inside, she got some water and then sprawled out, panting, on the cool kitchen floor. So cute! :)

Haha, I think she looks like a flying squirrel or something.

15-14

It is 12:30, so I should be in bed cuddling with my husband, but instead I am watching the VP debates on CNN.com and blogging. I avoid discussing too much politics on here, but I will say I am not a fan of Sarah Palin. BUT, I do think she did fairly well tonight. The interviews I have been watching of her and Katie Couric made me think she was going to bomb this debate (because, lets face it, she said some pretty ignorant things over the last week). I think she did pretty well though. I still like Biden better, and I'll go ahead and say it...I want Obama to win. I am scared to think what will happen if he doesn't. I think our nation needs a change and I am ready for the elections to be over. (As long as I get the result I want! haha!)
So you are like, what the heck is "15-14?" (the title of this post) Well, Zac's freshmen played today and they fought to the very last second, but lost by one point! It was heartbreaking. It was one of those games where everyone in the stands (on both sides) were on their feet and yelling, and the tension was high! Those are fun games, but moreso when you win! We were winning the whole game, and then the other team scored with only 4 minutes left in the game. We spent the entire last four minutes moving the ball, a few yards at a time, but the clock ran out. We tried to kick a 40 yard fieldgoal at the end of the game, but it didn't make it. We lost. It was sad. It was a very intense game, and at one point I thought Zac was going to get a Red Card (haha, I am such a soccer girl...I meant to say a techinical or penalty or whatever they call it in football) for yelling at the Refs. When we were driving for a touchdown at the very end, one of the boys was in the endzone and ALMOST caught it. Well, we all thought he had caught it, and Zac was jumping up and down, and I swear he was literally like 3 feet off the ground. Who said short white boys can't jump? haha.

PS- Check out these very informative and interesting videos about Breast Cancer...http://cms.komen.org/bse/

Pink October

Even though this year I am not officially raising any money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, for Breast Cancer Awareness month I still want to (guess what)...Raise Awareness! :)
Take this QUIZ to learn more about Breast Cancer, and Purina Cat Chow will donate a dollar to Komen for the Cure. It's easy, and interesting! You can also do it in honor or memory of someone. I did mine in honor of Mickey Little, my great aunt, who was the first person I knew to have breast cancer. Also, click on this SITE to help donate a free mammogram to someone in need!
If you did not follow my blog this time last year, I wore pink everyday in the month of October, and raised over $500 for the Komen Foundation. The blog I used is still online and can be found at http://pinkoctober.blog.com/ Please feel free to check it out, look around, etc...