The Hunger Games. Times 2

Book Review: The Hunger Games.

I already read this book once, but I re-read it the week before the second movie was released. Me and Bo both re-read this book, then we watched the movie. I have to say, don’t read a book and then watch the movie based on the book and not expect to be disappointed. We were pointing out all kinds of flaws. They left out so much that was so important throughout all three of the book series. They didn’t focus on the more important moments that hang throughout the other books, they minimized key points. The book is definitely way better than the movie!!

It's September already

Wow- it’s the middle of September already.  I remember just the other day it was early Spring and I was delaying wedding planning til August, because I didn’t want to get too ahead of myself. August came and went, and I didn’t accomplish all that I needed.  I’ve been busting my butt on the weekends lately, and Hobby Lobby employees know me on a first name basis.

 

There’s so much to do, yet I’ve done so much already.  Most of my projects are half-done which makes it harder to pick up where I left off on so much.

 

I’m so glad that Bo is willing to help me out some as well. So much would not have been completed already if he wasn’t there to help make some decisions, and do some of the grunt work along with me.

 

We decided on our first dance song! YAY!!! I started out with a long list, maybe 30 songs. I listened to them, crossed a few out.  2 weeks later I listened to the ones I didn’t cross out, and then crossed a few more out.  This weekend I took the songs home and Sunday night me and Bo listened to each song on the list that he didn’t already cross out.  We narrowed it down to 3 songs.  How do you decide from there?  Well, we wrote the names on a piece of paper, and tossed the paper into the other room.  Whatever one we picked up would be our song.  Sunshine took joy in selecting the song for us.   So, there we have it. Our first dance song forever will be credited to Sunshine. 

 

 

Wedding Nightmares

I have to keep a record of my crazy dreams.  This isn’t my first one, but I didn’t write the others down and now I have forgotten.

 

WEDDING NIGHTMARES!!!! Oh lordy….

 

I had a dream this week that I was at my wedding and my wedding dress fit me like a box. It was too big and I had to actually hold it up with my hands the entire time.  The caterer, photographer, DJ and cake did not show up, even though I have signed contracts and paid them.  Only FIVE guests showed up, and none of them included the groom.  His friend from the Army asked him to go bowling, and so he agreed forgetting that it was the same day as our wedding.  So he was at the bowling alley while I’m standing at the alter crying my eyes out. 

 

I woke up all upset, and even woke Bo up to get on to him about forgetting about our wedding.  Then I started panicking thinking the wedding really IS off, since our honeymoon is (at least temporarily).  So the next day I decided to start doing some hard-core wedding planning so I can feel back in the groove of things. 

 

Have you seen her?

I haven’t read anything in a while – summer got pretty busy with learning how to me a [step]mom and [almost]wife all at the same time!! I had very little downtime to read, but I did some.

 I have finished the book, HAVE YOU SEEN HER by Rich Silvers.

 Everyone keeps secrets from those closest to you. Do you ever REALLY know your spouse? When Susan and her unborn child, Alison, die in a car wreck on the way to a doctor’s appointment, Jack Logan gives up everything he has worked hard for in life and just gives up trying to succeed. 3 months later, he comes across a letter his late wife had written to someone named A. He assumes it is written to her former lover, Allan. As he digs deeper, along with the help of her manipulative sister, he uncovers a world of secrets about his wife he never knew existed. Have You Seen her depicts a missing 15-year old girl that Jack has never met, nor ever heard of, but he insists on finding Alyson because she resembles his late wife. He feels this is doing something good for her, since it is his fault his wife is dead. 

I have to admit, this book was interesting with the twists and the “AH-HA” moments, but in the very end, I was left confused. Is this story real, or was I reading a story within a story? And why does the editor want to find her now? You decide for yourself.

It's baby time!

I love babies.I also love buying baby stuff.  Two of my awesome friends have had babies in May and I went to their baby showers. I always give the same general gifts, and then I have to incorporate some special 'home made' stuff as well. It's more personal I suppose.

One of my friends, Kari and her husband are huge Bearkat fans.  They go to all the Sam Houston State football games as well as baseball games.  They also are huge into comics.  Their baby, Logan, is the Wolverine's real name, so I wanted to go with a Wolverine theme.  I couldn't find Wolverine fabric anywhere locally, so I couldn't stick with it.

I made this awesome blanket for them in Sam Houston colors.  This way, they can take it to games and keep the baby boy warm. I made a blue one for Jeanette. but forgot to get a picture of it.

I took a regular paper box, covered it with fabric that went with their theme, and used that as my gift box. Turned out pretty great.

Lunch with the big dawgs

It’s not a really big deal, but it’s unique for a company and unique for me as well. A week ago my boss told me that he chose me from our department to have “Snacks with Steph”, to be scheduled June 24. Steph is our CEO/President for my company. She tries to be down to earth and relate to the employees. She does a monthly blog (sometimes bi-monthly) to keep us informed if what’s going on. My company employees 680 people currently, in about 15 different cities, some 3 hours away, so it’s nice for her to do this to keep all informed. Anyway- She extends this offer to several departments each month to select 1-2 people to have lunch with her. This was the first time my department got the offer, and I was chosen. I didn’t ask to have lunch with her. It made me feel honored that my boss thought of me first. It was 1-1/2 hour lunch where about 15 of us sat in a conference room and just got to talk with her. It was pretty neat to be a part of that. The culture of my company is really genuine for the most-part, and we stick out. We were even voted one of the top work places in the Houston – area.


 

Independence Day

A serious post here.  This past holiday event, Independence Day, got me to think a different way than I ever have before.  I want to open your eyes as well. Everyone needs to be aware, and considerate, and think about it some. 

July 4 every year our nation celebrates our Independence Day with BBQ and beer and fireworks.  If nothing else, Fireworks is the one thing almost everyone participates in. The cities spend lots of money and put on great fireworks shows.  It's beautiful to watch them light up the sky.

Something we need to realize is, the fireworks are loud. They make loud BOOM noises.  The noises sounds like guns and bombs going off if you might be living in another country that you hear that noise often.  For me, it sounds like fireworks.  For the one I love, it gave him flashbacks to the war he has been fighting since he joined the Army in 2002.  I never thought about the affects our fireworks, our normal traditions on American Soil affect our military men and woman.  I looked into it a little, and found this article:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/4th-july-fireworks-nightmare-shell-shocked-war-veterans/story?id=19554318#.UdmXZ9iXuSo


 Once I realized that the noises I was taking for granted, enjoying, made him feel the way it did, it put the fireworks in a whole new perspective.  I was no longer enjoying this beautiful site, yet having my own 'flashbacks' of what it might be like for our men and women who are in the middle of this 10-year war and what they may be dealing with.  As someone who will never go to war, I will never fully understand, but this can put it in some perspective...