Last week Shaye attended the very first Roughneck Cheer Camp for Winkler County. For those not around here, the Roughnecks are our peewee football team.

This year the cheerleaders seem really organized and have some good coaches. I’m used to a little more coming from the Odessa peewee system, but considering Ector county has been doing it a lot longer, its understandable. So far we have already had 2 fundraisers and will be having one more in September, uniforms have been ordered and we’ve attended cheer camp.

The camp was cute, they had a different spirit day every day (even though I forgot about most of them) & learned cheers and a dance.  It was cute being able to see the little girls try to participate in the camp. I’m not going to lie and say my kid was the best out there cause frankly, she wasn’t lol.  Her memory isn’t the best so she really doesn’t have the cheers down, she gets distracted easily so she didn’t really learn everything she could but over all she had fun, she made more friends and she’s coming out of her shell more and thats all I could ask for. She’s an introvert, plain and simple, but when she told me she wanted to cheer, I was so happy because this kid never wants to do any sports. I hate the idea of ‘making’ her do something, so I’m glad she brought this up.. Hopefully this will be one of the things that breaks her from her shyness.. Here’s to hoping.

[link to video 1]

[link to video2]

Cheer Certificate

The Poser

Roughneck Cheerleaders

Shaye's sign

For those of you who use the Flylady system, you might really enjoy the app as well. It focuses on the same zones that Flylady works with, and they happen to coincide with the same weeks.

It comes with already made Routines such as Morning, Evening and Weekly Tasks. You can change the names and add other routines to fit your needs.

You can rearrange the routines, and what are in each certain routines. And it even has a handy dandy 15 minute timer on almost every page.

Since you have certain things you only do on certain days, (trash on Mondays, Shopping on Thursdays, etc) you have Notes you can make for every Monday so you remember to do that task.

There are a few things that I would probably want to change but they are really small and its just because I’m trying to be a perfectionist.  

All in all though, it’s really helped me stay organized and I probably would give it 4 out of 5 stars. You should check it out. Especially if you are living in C.h.a.o.s. like I am!

For all the Mortal Instrument readers out there, Cassandra Clare made a promise to her twitter followers that when she reached 10,000 followers she would post the short story about Jocelyn’s early years.

OF COURSE I cannot keep this too myself. I have to spread it around.

Congrats to Cassandra and thank you so much for sharing Jocelyn’s story with us! I loved it!

the link:  http://bit.ly/bXFyh3

We had Shaye’s birthday party on Saturday in Kermit. It was hot out (114° F) but I think everyone had a good time.  As soon as the kids got there, they ran straight for the slip ‘n slide while the adults tried to stay cool in the shade. We opened presents, had cake and ice cream and busted alot of water balloons. I don’t think I can think of a better time than that!

Shaye 33 days old

Six years ago today at 9:46am, I gave birth to my little angel baby, Shaye.

Everyday I look at that child and sometimes still can’t believe she’s here with me. She’s my little angel, my miracle. There are alot of days that I think I’m going to strangle her, but thats just because she is a LOT like me. Even though I try to deny it, she’s pretty much the spitting image of me. I think she has a little bit more flare for the dramatics, but it’s pretty close.

Shaye 5/28/10

On Friday she graduated from Kindergarten. Yesterday she started summer school to help her with the transition to 1st grade and today she turns 6. That’s a lot to take in that short amount of time. lol

We aren’t going to do anything really big today since not everyone is with us today, so instead we are having a party on Saturday with slip n slides and water balloons and tons of fun

I hope everyone has a wonderful day. I’m pretty sure we will.

Since today is a work day, I had no problem with getting dressed to shoes. I just did it first thing in the morning instead of waiting until right before I leave the house. The shining the sink last night didn’t get completely done but it does look better.

Here is the ‘Getting dressed to shoes’ FLYing Lesson from Flylady’s website:

Why shoes? Especially lace-up shoes?

Since starting this group, I have continually harped on putting your shoes on your feet each morning. I want you to do this and you are not the exception to the rule. Here is why. Several years ago I worked for a direct sales cosmetics company. One main rule for that company was that you could not make a single phone call in the morning unless you were totally dressed, and I mean really dressed! All the way to dress shoes. The reason behind this duty was that you act different when you have clothes and shoes on. You are more professional. The customer can tell when you don’t feel good about the way you look. Even when you think you do. So if getting dressed makes that big of an impression on someone that can’t even see you, then what is going to happen to those that can see you. Mainly yourself. Putting shoes on your feet that lace up are better than slip-ons or sandals, because they are harder to take off. Instead of kicking your shoes off for a quick snooze on the couch, you actually have to go to a bit more trouble. Maybe in that short instant you will realize that there is something more that you can do. With shoes on those feet of yours, your mind says “OK”, it’s time to go to work. You have no excuse for not taking the trash out or putting that box of give-away stuff into the car. You are literally ready for anything. Believe me, when you get that call from school that your child needs you, or that dear friend calls up and says that she needs to talk “can we have lunch?” you are ready! Including shoes.

I see this problem more in the SAHM (Stay At Home Moms) because often they don’t have to leave the house and it is not necessary to get dressed every morning. Only their children are going to see them. I want you to listen very close. You have the most important job of all, raising productive adults. NOW, do you want your children to remember that Mom didn’t get dressed until it was time for Dad to get home? Or do you want your children to have to answer the door because you are still in your gown tail and bathrobe? If you would look at your day just like the Payroll SHE and realize that the jobs around the house will take as long as you let it (all day in most cases because you allow it) and get off your “Franny” and get dressed all the way to shoes. Because it is time to go to work.

There is one other great benefit to wearing shoes. Two summers ago was the first time I successfully did this for more than a week or two. It was the first summer time I didn’t have cracked and bleeding heels. Many rewards are waiting. Now put those shoes on. I don’t want to hear, “Well I don’t wear shoes in my house”. Well you do now, sister! Buy or clean up a pair just for that reason. It’s not going to be that you track in the dirt anyway. You are still boss and you can require your children to remove their shoes. What is the problem here? In most homes you have had trouble even finding the floor, much less keeping the carpet clean. Do you even know what color it is supposed to be? And when you vacuum once or twice a week the dirt goes away. Teach your children to not track in stuff. Have a mat outside the door for them to remove unwanted dirt and mud. I bet you have 10 pairs of shoes at the door right now. What does that do to your vacuuming schedule? Make the kids take their shoes outside to clean them up and then take the shoes to their rooms. If they had to pay for those expensive tennis shoes they would take better care of them. – FlyLady [link]

Flylady

I see today as a new beginning. I have re-enrolled (for like the 5th time) in Flylady’s program because I am tired of living in C.H.A.O.S.  (Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome).

Today I start baby step #1:

I don’t know how many people actually notice how good you feel when your sink is nice, shiny and free of dishes. The sink is almost the first thing I see when I come out of my bedroom and whenever I see a load of dirty dishes in the sink or around it on the counter tops, I just get… depressed. It makes my day start out so rotten because either we are late because I have to stop and wash dishes just to eat breakfast, or I try to ignore it just go without breakfast for the day. Which you know, is a very bad thing to do.

This is the first thing you learn on Flylady’s program. SHINE YOUR SINK.  It doesn’t matter if you never got that laundry done or the trash taken out, make sure you shine your sink, because a clean sink can do wonders to your attitude. So tonight before I go to bed, I am cleaning all those dishes, getting out my windex and shining my sink.

I am going to try and post everyday while I do my babysteps. I should have started yesterday because there are 31 babysteps and only 30 days in June, but oh well, atleast I’m doing it now I hope you all have a wonderful day, and hopefully by the end of the month, I will be able to FLY (Finally Loving Yourself)

All About Shining Your Sink

Beginner Baby Steps

Flylady

The protagonist is a 16 year old girl, Jess Parker. She’s an outsider and a big target for bullies.  One day she gets an invitation for The Cinderella Society, a secret society of the most popular girls in school. Finally, when joining TCS, Jess has the chance to have friends and to just fit in. Being in TCS, you get to reinvent yourself, with a makeover and all. You go to classes to learn who you really are, how to make yourself better and into the person you want to be and, at the same time, to learn what the Cindys are all about.

Unfortunately, for every ‘good guy’ there has to be a ‘bad guy’. Where there are The Cinderella Society, there is also The Wickeds. The Wickeds target innocent girls to do their biddings for them. They are also the ones who were bullying Jess since she started school.

Upon joining TCS, “Jess discovers there’s more to being a Cindy than reinventing yourself on the outside.  She has unknowingly become part of a centuries-old battle of good vs. evil, and now the Cindys in charge need Jess for a mission that could change everything.

Overwhelmed, Jess wonders if The Cinderella Society made a mistake in choosing her.  Is it a coincidence her new boyfriend doesn’t want to be seen with her in public?  And is this glamorous, secret life even what she wants, or will she risk her own happy ending to live up to the expectations of her new sisters?”

For me, this book was really inspirational. For someone who never wears the ‘right’ clothes and was never really in the “in-crowd”, it sort of makes me want to go back and try high school all over again. (I said, sort of.) It’s learning to use the positive things in your life for the good. Don’t focus on the bad things about you, focus on the things you are wonderful at and go with those.

I said that this was a wonderful book for teenage girls, but I take that back. There is a message for anyone, no matter what age you are. Anyone can learn from this book. Even though this isn’t really what I usually read; it doesn’t have any faeries, werewolves, vampires, etc. anywhere in the book, but I fully recommend you read it. It’s a very easy read and you won’t be disappointed.

On Friday, our little girl graduated from kindergarten. I told myself that morning to keep it together and not to cry. I was very proud of myself because the only tears I shed were earlier this morning when Shaye and I were looking at old baby pictures of her.

She looked so big (yet small at the same time) sitting up there on stage. They sang us songs of everything they had learned. Counting by 10s, counting to 30, colors, months, & alphabet.

I can’t believe how fast time flies. Just yesterday she was starting Kindergarten. Tomorrow, she is starting summer school and before I know it, she’s going to be in junior high.

Mac and I have been following Kina Grannis‘s music for the last couple of years. Some might remember that she won the Doritos: Crash the Super Bowl in 2007.

By winning this contest she was awarded a record deal and her first album is finally out. It’s been a long couple of years but it’s finally here. You can purchase it from iTunes or Amazon. Here are some of the original versions of the songs on her album. I have to admit, some I didn’t like when she posted on youtube, but listening to the studio recorded versions, I’m liking them much more.  I hope to get more people on to Kina. She has a good sound and is very likable.

Her new single, Valentine.

The song that won the contest, Message from your Heart

Cambridge

Heart and Mind

Synopsis for Wake:

Not all dreams are sweet.
For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people’s dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie’s seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.

She can’t tell anybody about what she does — they’d never believe her, or worse, they’d think she’s a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn’t want and can’t control.

Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else’s twisted psyche. She is a participant….

If you are looking for some very quick reads, you should pick up Lisa’s series. Wake is a very good introduction to Janie and later on a character named Cabel (whom I love) and Fade continues on with their story. By the time Fade comes around, a few people know about Janie’s ‘gift’ and she’s getting better at controlling it. Cabe is there along Janie trying to help her and work on his own problems.

I can’t wait to see what awaits Janie & Cabe in the next book. So help me! Tell me if you go out and get the books, let me know that my spreading the word really worked! lol..

from wikipedia:

Parachute cord (also paracord or 550 cord) is a lightweight nylon kernmantle rope originally used in the suspension lines of US parachutes during World War II. Once in the field, paratroopers found this cord useful for many other tasks. It is now used as a general purpose utility cord by both military personnel and civilians. This versatile cord was even used by astronauts during STS-82, the second Space Shuttle mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.

The same properties which soldiers appreciate in paracord are also useful in civilian applications. After World War II parachute cord became available to civilians, first as military surplus and then as a common retail product. While some commercially available paracord is made to specification, even when labeled as such a given product may not correspond exactly to a specific military type and can be of differing construction, quality, color, or strength. Particularly poor quality examples may have significantly fewer strands in the sheath or core, cores constructed of bulk fiber rather than individual yarns, or include materials other than nylon.

Paracord has also been used by many since the 1970s for whipmaking. The durability & versatility of this material has proved beneficial for performing whip crackers & enthusiasts. Since nylon doesn’t rot or mildew, it has become known as an all-weather material for whipmaking. Nylon whips have grown in popularity over the last few decades, more so in the last several years

There are many places on the internet where you can find these bracelets, but I of course, choose to buy from Alpha Zulu. I’ve found some on the net that cost around $25 but I don’t think I’m willing to pay that much for them. Anyway, AlphaZulu has decided to start picking a charity to donate one weeks profit to. For a week, started Monday, Novemer 9th, they will donate 100% of their profits to the Breast Cancert Research Foundation. For information about sizing and colors check out their  facebook page.

LtoR:The Chief (1-4 colors),The Nova (1-2 colors),The Wave (1-2) and The Mini (1-2)

November is Prematurity Awareness Month.

For Prematurity Awareness Month, I have created a band in honor of Shaye. Many of you know her story, if you are new here, click here to read about our Shaye baby.

Now for some facts about prematurity and what the March of Dimes is doing to help prevent premature labor:

Prematurity has been escalating steadily and alarmingly over the past two decades. One out of eight babies is born prematurely in the United States. Preterm delivery can happen to any pregnant woman.

Today more than 1,400 babies in the U.S. ( 1 in 8 ) will be born prematurely. Many will be too small and too sick to go home. Instead, they face weeks or even months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). These babies face an increased risk of serious medical complications and death; however, most, eventually, will go home.

But what does the future hold for these babies? Many survivors grow up healthy; others aren’t so lucky. Even the best of care cannot always spare a premature baby from lasting disabilities such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation and learning problems, chronic lung disease, and vision and hearing problems. Half of all neurological disabilities in children are related to premature birth.

Although doctors have made tremendous advances in caring for babies born too small and too soon, we need to find out how to prevent preterm birth from happening in the first place. Despite decades of research, scientists have not yet developed effective ways to help prevent premature delivery.
 
In fact, the rate of premature birth increased by 36 percent between the early 1980s and 2006. This trend and the dynamics underlying it underscore the critical importance and timeliness of the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign. In 2007, a small but statistically significant decrease occurred: to 12.7 percent.

The March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign

The March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign was launched on January 30, 2003. The Campaign has two goals: (1) to raise public awareness of the problems of prematurity and (2) to decrease the rate of preterm birth in the U.S. The campaign:

• Funds research to find the causes of premature birth
• Encourages investment of public and private research dollars to identify causes and to identify and test promising interventions
• Educates women about risk-reduction strategies and the signs and symptoms of premature labor
• Provides information and emotional support to families affected by prematurity
• Advocates to expand access to health care coverage to improve maternity care and infant health outcomes
• Helps health care providers to improve risk detection and address risk factors
• Generates concern and action around the problem

Important Milestones in the Campaign

• Creation of the Prematurity Research Initiative in 2004, which funds promising, innovative research into the causes of prematurity. Nearly $11 million has been awarded to 30 grantees over the past four years, and the program has already produced promising discoveries.
• Publication of the Institute of Medicine report Preterm Birth: Causes, Consequences, and Prevention (2005). Funded in part by the March of Dimes, this report thoroughly documented the impact of premature birth on families, the health care system and business; it also provided the first cost estimates.
• The March of Dimes initiated the PREEMIE Act (“Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers Who Deliver Infants Early”) in 2005. This act became law in 2006. It authorizes increased federal support for research and education on prematurity. Work continues on appropriation of funding to implement the act’s provisions.
• The PREEMIE Act also called for the first Surgeon General’s Conference on the Prevention of Preterm Birth, which was held in June 2008. The conference brought together experts from the public and private sectors. March of Dimes staff and volunteers were key participants in each of the six work groups that developed goals for an action plan. The goals were presented to the Surgeon General at the conclusion of the conference. Achieving the goals of this plan will require both private and public resources for broad-based research, capacity building, data systems, creation of interventions, quality initiatives and a comprehensive communications strategy.
• In March 2008, a strategic review of the Campaign was completed. It resulted in a March of Dimes board resolution that extended the Campaign to 2020 and established prematurity prevention as a global campaign. Publication of the first global report on preterm birth by the March of Dimes and the World Health Organization is planned to take place in October 2009 in New Delhi, India.

To learn more about what the campaign has achieved, read Progress and Impact.

The Hunger Games From School Library Journal:

In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districs, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss’s young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district’s female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting alliances and friendships in the face of overwhelming odds; the plot is tense, dramatic, and engrossing.

 
When I picked up The Hunger Games, I could not put it down for anything. Probably from the very beginning of the book, it had me captured. Seeing all the things that Katniss and her family have to deal with on a daily basis, and then the feeling what she feels when she has to leave everyone she loves to go compete in sick, sadistic games that the government force them to participate in. Suzanne Collins knows how to get you into the story. There were times where I actually felt scared when she was having to fight for her life or triumphant when things went her way.

I absolutely love the Hunger Games and suggest it to everyone I know!

I’m not going to post the summary for Catching Fire here because it would have major spoilers in it but I wanted to make sure and post that there is a sequel to the Hunger Games. And I know once you read HG, you will want to turn right back around to the store and pick up Catching Fire.

I had a whole year between reading Hunger Games and Catching Fire and luckily, these are the type of books that you don’t have to reread to remember what happened. As soon as I started reading CF, the first book came right back to me and I was raptured into this book nearly as fast as I was in Hunger Games. In all actuality, I probably enjoyed Catching Fire better than Hunger Games but they are so close it’s hard to tell.

Synopsis:

In the model community of Candor, Florida, every teen wants to be like Oscar Banks. The son of the town’s founder, Oscar earns straight As, is student-body president, and is in demand for every club and cause.

But Oscar has a secret. He knows that parents bring their teens to Candor to make them respectful, compliant–perfect–through subliminal Messages that carefully correct and control their behavior. And Oscar’ s built a business sabotaging his father’s scheme with Messages of his own, getting his clients out before they’re turned. After all, who would ever suspect the perfect Oscar Banks?

Then he meets Nia, the girl he can’t stand to see changed. Saving Nia means losing her forever. Keeping her in Candor, Oscar risks exposure . . . and more

I absolutely loved this book. It’s completely different from any book I have ever posted about but is pretty high up on my list of favorites.  Candor brings you the Stepford-esque community. The adolescents in Candor do their chores, homework and work without complaining. The adults quit addictions and get the life they always wished for.

From the outside looking in, Candor looks like the perfect community. No backtalking from the kids, perfect grades and absolutely no rule breaking. Kid’s don’t vandalize property, they don’t steal. They are perfect.

Oscar Banks is the son of the town founder, Campbell. He has learned his dad’s secret ways of creating subliminal messages in music to control others’ minds. He has fought hard to control the messages in his own brain and helps other kids fight it too. For a small price, of course. Everything goes to plan, he has his rules. Everything happens in a specific way and if it doesn’t go as planned, it risks Oscar’s side business being discovered.

Enter Nia. She is THE girl for Oscar. She is wild, artistic, and everything that Candor is not. He has to decide, does he want to keep her in Candor and have her become one of the brainwashed girls or does he tell her goodbye so she won’t lose herself? 

Getting hooked into this book didn’t take long at all. If you’re looking for a good read and something a little different, check out Candor today!

Click Here for the original Spooktacular Giveaway post on Page Turners.

Page Turners is hosting a Halloween themed contest. The prize(s) will be a surprise, but they give you a few hints.

• A new book (one that has been released in the last 3 months) that deals with something paranormal/fantasy.
• a gift card of some kind
• Halloween movie
• lots and lots of treats

This contest is open to everyone. They will be using random.org to pick the winner. To enter, leave a comment letting them know one of your favorite things about Halloween.
~ Extra Entries ~
+1 for being or becoming a follower
+2 for guessing my Halloween ringtone
+1 for following us on twitter
+1 for posting about our contest somewhere(leave us a link).

Contest ends on Oct. 30th the winner will be announced on the 31st.

I don’t know how they manage it, but Kermit, for the past two years, have been able to put on a free concert for everyone at the celebration days. They put up a stage in front of the courthouse and everyone either stand in front of the stage or for the people who don’t want to stand for an hour and a half, you can bring chairs and sit on the courthouse lawn. I know there were so many more people there than there was last year. I heard there were cars backed up all they way outside of the city limits because so many people were trying to get in.

Even though there were so many people who showed up, almost every person I told that we were going to get to see Kevin Fower was like ‘Who’s that?’ and it shocked me that not many people know about Kevin. We’ve known about him for awhile now and he’s one of our favorite singers. He plays what people know as ‘Texas Country‘. He has had some nationally known hits but it still pretty small in the business.. Many might know him from his album ‘Beer, Bait and Ammo’ which is personally one of my favorite songs. I’m posting a playlist of some of my favorite Kevin songs.. including 100% Texan because it would be a sin for a Texan not to like that song

Anyway, we had a complete blast at the concert. Dani was a little upset because a friend of hers wasn’t able to join us and she didn’t want to spend the whole night hanging out with the parents but I think she got over it pretty quick.  He played a few new songs from his new album and one of them is so funny but is such a horrible song. It’s called ‘Knocked Up’ and includes the lyrics “Well you got knocked up, And I got locked up. I guess you’d say that we both got screwed. Well you got locked out, And I got knocked out. And I guess you’re gonna miss a lot of school.”   Isn’t that horrible? lol..

Dad & Shaye watching the concert

Kevin Fowler

Kevin signing Dani's shirt

Dani & Kevin Fowler

had to slip in a picture of Gager

It’s Kidd’s Kids Day! Kidd Kraddick founded Kidd’s Kids in 1991 with the hope of making a difference in the lives of terminally and chronically ill children. Each year, Kidd’s Kids offers five amazing days of suspended reality to children whose lives have been ravaged by disease. No hospital visits, no shots, no uncomfortable stares from strangers. Just five straight days of sheer joys and excitement at “the most magical place on earth,” Walt Disney World. Kidd’s Kids children and their families are given the chance to experience the exuberance of being “normal.” That is the gift that you and I can offer by supporting the Kidd’s Kids organization. Please visit Kiddskids.com or click on the link above to make a donation.

Thanks for your support!

My most recent read was Lament by Maggie Stifvater. I’ve stepped away from the vampires for now, but trust me, I will go back.  I’ve never really been that interested in fairies. Even less so than I was about vampires. But when someone tells you it’s a good book, you have to try it out right?

Lament summary from Maggie’s website:

“Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She’s about to find out she’s also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. When a mysterious boy enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of nowhere, Deirdre finds herself infatuated. Trouble is, the enigmatic and conflicted Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin—and Deirdre is meant to be his next mark. Deirdre has to decide if Luke’s feelings towards her are real, or only a way to lure her deeper into the world of Faerie.”

To purchase Lament from Amazon, click here.

Lament was the August Book of the Month over at Mundie Mom’s. And unfortunately for me, I received the book the day before the MundieMom chat with Maggie was supposed to take place, so I wasn’t able to join in. I probably wouldn’t have asked questions anyway, but I love hearing, or in this case seeing, the authors inspiration for the books and seeing what other people thought about the book as well.

I actually really enjoyed reading Lament. I’m not all that familiar with the fey, except for what I had read in The Mortal Instrument series so I was happy to read more about them. Maggie did a really good job writing this book.

It didn’t take me all that long to get hooked into the book and when I did, I didn’t get bored with the story. You learn more about Deirdre and her family history with the fey, then there is the mysterious Luke that you just can’t figure out.

I think if you enjoyed books like Twilight and the Mortal Instruments, you will really like Lament. Maggie also has another book out that I’m looking forward to reading but I’m going to have to add it to the to-read list for now, might get to it in a month or so. The book is called Shiver and goes in another direction, Werewolves. You can find out more about this book at Maggie’s website or purchase it here on Amazon. I think I read that both Lament and Shiver are the first books in their series. I’m not sure how big the series are going to be but I know I’ll definitely be on the lookout for the sequels.

Right now, I’m reading The Host by Stephenie Meyer. This book is not in the YA section like the Twilight Saga. It is a romantic Science Fiction novel. I’m just starting it so when I get done I’ll let you know what I think. Also, be on the look out for this month’s release of Catching Fire. It is Suzanne Collins’ sequel to Hunger Games and I plan on starting it right after I get done with The Host . I don’t think I ever blogged about the Hunger Games, but I really enjoyed it, and found it to be a very quick read. I think it is still in the works, but Hunger Games (IMDb) is supposed to be made into a movie, coming out somtime in 2011, so make sure you read the book before the movie. The books are always better

On Tuesday, July 27, 2009 at 5:23 p.m., we welcomed Gage Anthony into the world. I was really nervous that last hour waiting at the hospital before they took me back to the OR. All those ‘what ifs’ were going through my head and I was making my self freak out.  But, of course, everything went fine. I got into the OR a few minutes after 5. After some prep, Dr. Raja finally made it in and not even 10 minutes later, Gage was out and they were starting to close me up.

I started crying when they told me his weight. Just all those worries about him being small or having to go to the NICU, I guess. I don’t know why I thought he might be really small because I could tell by how big my tummy got, he was already way bigger than Shaye was. He came out weighing 5lbs 13.2oz and was 18 3/4 inches long. With some big feet and hands too