A Surprising Addict

I may not be the first to admit it but I can eventually admit it when I am an addict. I am hopelessly addicted to Twilight now. I know a little behind the times right. Well let's start at the beginning...when Twilight first came out I just heard a few things about Vampires and was like huh?! And dismissed it then the movie came out along with the other books and people were pushing me to read them or watch the movie. I don't like to be pushed as my mother can attest I take things at my pace and there's not much you can do about it.

I don't ever recall seeing a trailer for Twilight and maybe that would have helped to move me towards it sooner. But when people said they would disown me for not watching or reading it I figured ya know what threaten me all ya like it's just a book and I don't have to do what you tell me to do. I was being my stubborn defiant little self that I can be. (Shocked?!!)

So on the way to Germany in April with my cousin Theresa we watched a lot of movies. I avoided Twilight and Theresa watched it (no surprise there). On the way home the plan had a few other movie choices but most of them I had already watched and watched again just because I didn't want to watch Twilight. We got down to the last 2 hours roughly and I finally relented after debating and discussing it with Theresa and she was like just watch it!

We were flying in closer to Seattle and they turned the movies off. I got so upset the movie wasn't over yet and I was sucked in. Bella was in the hospital and arguing with Edward. I started the movie up again and got it to my area and watched for a few more minutes and it got shut off again. I couldn't believe it so close to the end! I started it yet again and watched a few more minutes and what do you know it shut off yet again. I tried about 3-5 times to watch the last bit of the show. It eventually shut down completely and I was stuck not knowing what happened between Bella and Edward. I was frustrated beyond belief! Not only had I watch Twilight, I had liked it and I couldn't even finish it. Theresa was cracking up and would not tell me anything!

Later that week or maybe the next week at work I researched the end of the movie online and got an idea of what I missed but it wasn't the same quality. I finally told my friend Heather what happened and she just seemed so pleased and laughed at me because I didn't want to tell anyone that I had watched Twilight and liked it. I asked my friend Heather if I could borrow her copy of the movie.

I am impatient though sometimes and wound up buying it after a week or so of asking Heather. :( Jared was working late one day and so I went to the store to kill time and found Twilight and bought it (had to go to 2 stores). I climbed into my back seat at Jared's work and set myself up all cozy on my work laptop to watch Twilight. I was really enjoying myself when Jared came over and said he was done. I was upset again I couldn't finish my movie. On the way home though Jared showed me how I could have been using the car's stereo system to play my movie. Love it! It's my back up plan now for when I am stuck waiting around for him at work. Surround sound is awesome! I wound up finishing the movie in the car in the garage with my surround sound (strange seeing how I had my flat screen with surround sound so close by).

So I totally enjoyed the movie and I am so in rapture with Bella's lullaby and that whole scene of Edward playing the piano (I've got the piano music and am working on mastering it with the proper fingering!). But of course I only have so much time to watch the movie right. I started getting antsy and decided to google (I mean bing) Twilight info online. I wanted to know what happened next.

My cousin Theresa was going to let me borrow her books but we kept forgetting to grab them. So I found the first chapters of the books online and was addicted! I had to have the books and again my not being patient self went out to amazon.com and bought the series in hardback for myself.

After my books showed up last Monday night I believe I started reading almost immediately. Olga had opened the books for me, she is excited to read them too. She has watched Twilight a lot since she got here. Maybe tonight Olga and I will be watching Twilight!

Anyways since I've had my books last Monday I've been doing almost nothing but reading in my spare moments and not so spare moments. It's been driving Jared absolutely up the wall as I read until 12:30 or 2am, on the way to work, at work, anywhere I can. I'm pretty sleep deprived but it is so hard to put the books down. I want to know what happens next and the books are an easy read and they suck you in. Props to the author! I'm less than a quarter of the way through book 3 of the 4 and am a little sad because I know I am coming to the end but I still can't stop myself.

What I love the most about these books and reading them is how lost I get in their world. I see and feel things. I feel like their world is on pause when I am not fully immersed in it. I just love being lost in their world! These are definitely books to re-read. I can see myself this winter wrapped up in a quilt on my couch with a cup of hot chocolate reading a little slower but still enjoying every minute of it.

So of course I can't get enough so I keep looking online at Trailers and things on youtube.com and finding fun stuff. I ran across a new trailer yesterday that showed images from what I had just finished reading yesterday at this link... http://twilightthemovie.com/

So all of this to say I am surprisingly addicted to Twilight. My sister Megan said today "I knew you would!" But alas she also knows I take my time and it was well worth the wait. I can't wait until 11/20/09 when I will be going to the movies with Olga and my cousin's and anyone else who wants to join me to watch New Moon!

Deception Pass...I mean Falls

On the way home from a family adventure last Saturday almost exactly a week ago now as I am writing this I was given the assignment from my husband Jared to blog about this trip.

My sister in-law Leslie has been in town from Germany with her kids (Jeffrey, Talia & Coral). They came to stay with us for a few days on Friday. Jared and I had driven up Hwy 2 a few months ago and found a place I wanted to take some family with us to enjoy it more. It is Deception Falls (not Deception Pass as several people think that's what I am talking about)!

Last Saturday we planned to take Leslie and the kids and others with us up to Deception Falls. It was a great day! The morning started off with making breakfast for everyone (8-12 people). We had pancakes, and a fresh batch of a creamy maple syrup, eggs and bacon. I of course can't keep things simple as Jared constantly reminds me (which that is a rant for another day). We were running behind schedule of course due to sleeping in and feeding so many that Jacki, Terence, Connor & Corey were able to join us for breakfast too.

After cleaning up from breakfast and getting everyone ready we piled into 3 cars and caravan'd up Hwy 2 to Deception Falls. It was a perfect day for going out in nature. The morning started overcast but as we were driving the sun broke through and we enjoyed a most beautiful and serene drive (at least in my car, no kids!).

After making it to our destination we piled out and walked down the easy cool trail to the falls. We didn't exactly stay together which is nice about trips like this with family. Everyone can take their time and go at their own pace enjoying the beauty of the world around us. We walked across the river on the bridge and up the stairs across a path under the Hwy to a platform on the other side that overlooks the falls. There is a lot of different falls, it's a simple set of falls to get to which is why I wanted to share it with family. It's not at all like the hike I did with the youth on switch backs or with Jared several years ago on Twin Falls off I-90. Nice and easy does it for me!

We wandered back towards the cars and then moved down to the river and hung out. We set up all the kids on this giant bolder over the river and let them throw rocks into the river. They were highly entertained by doing this which I find amusing what kids are entertained by (not expensive toys). There were a few minor injuries, me being the first to sustain one I believe. Connor was throwing rocks and you have to be careful when he throws (he doesn't quite have his aim down yet). He threw a rock and it landed nicely on my head with a surprise thud. I whined for a minute but got over it. Talia I believe was not so easily subdued later when Corey threw a rock and got her in the head.

I had wondered off to get pictures of Jared and Terence crossing the river and walking up to the falls and of everyone sitting together. When I heard Talia crying I quickly moved to distract and get her to stop crying (not because I can't stand crying but because I have to comfort again another point of discussion later). I took her with me back to where I was and had fun dipping her feet lightly in the water and holding onto her as she bent to put her fingers gingerly in the cool water. I made my mom come and take our picture (which I need to get from her) as I was definitely having an Auntie Em moment.

Connor and Jeffrey were totally bonding over throwing rocks down closer to the river with Rudy. It was nerve racking with their aim and their inability to sense they shouldn't go to far in the river to throw but fun to watch nonetheless. Rudy would every once in a while grab a large rock and chuck it into the river and splash everyone around in a good 10-15 foot circumference. After some of the kids were starting to get restless we packed up and moved back up towards the parking lot. I had packed a lunch for everyone to enjoy together to end the trip. We had fruit, meat, cheese, crackers and juice (thanks to Jared). It was a nice time to sit, fill our hunger and thirst again, and enjoy each other's company. After everyone had their fill the kids played, had diapers changed and loaded up to head home for awhile.

It was really a wonderful day! One that I would love to repeat again. We were going to go back today with swimsuits and towels so we could swim in the falls but that turned out to not be doable due to the lovely weather that likes to rain on my parade (thoughts of Hello Dolly come to mind). Coral

Talia

Connor & Jeffrey

Olga and Talia

Documenting Dinner

Okay I am so overdue in so many ways. Why did I do this to myself? I like reading blogs, I enjoy writing mine but it's something else to commit to. I need to not worry so much if I don't blog on a regular basis. But I have a lot of catching up to do and the point of this was to use it to vent or to journal things for my scrapbooking which I am massively behind and me being the rapid picture taker I am it keeps piling up.

Tonight it is about my garden. This is especially for my friends at work who are my gardening buddies! I still owe you pico de gallo. We have our meeting Tuesday (which I will be there) so don't let me forget!

I made salad and pizza for dinner tonight. The lettuce is not from my garden and either is the pizza.

But the bell peppers and tomatoes for the salad were. I was amusing myself as I was preparing dinner and taking pictures of the step by step when Mom and Olga pulled up and could see me because the door was open.

Olga said to me that she could see me in the kitchen chopping with my camera and said oh Emily is documenting dinner. I laughed! She is learning to know me so well so quickly already.

It was a delicious meal! Very light and refreshing! I need to start canning! Mom and I are planning on doing some Saturday morning while Olga works on finishing the top of her quilt! Way to go Olga! I'm excited to can with my mother. I've never done it with her. I told her tonight that I will be taking notes...notes of my Inspiring Mom!...maybe a book someday Mom!

Nostalgia and Tears

Okay I am the first to admit that I am very sentimental. I don't even fully understand it sometimes but I can cry so easily over things that most people probably think are ridiculous. A few weeks ago I saw a preview of a new movie coming out. I saw it again tonight and new I had to write about it. When I saw it the first time not even 5 seconds into it something within me burned and said I know what this is! My cousin Theresa was with me and we both got so excited and acted like 5 year old girls giggling over nothing. It was "Where The Wild Things Are".

I read this book as a child growing up and loved it. I remember reading it in school which grade I can't be sure now but I remember it. While all the details are a little foggy I knew it and know I have to see that movie when it comes out. As memories from my childhood flooded my mind tears floated to the surface and I felt again a bit odd. Why is that I cry when I think about things from my childhood? I think I had a pretty good childhood, I think I have a pretty good life now. For some reason the nostalgia seems to bring me to tears. Does this happen to anyone else? Is this odd? I know Jared probably thinks it is very odd and like a woman of me to cry.

If you haven't seen the trailer for this movie yet here you go http://wherethewildthingsare.warnerbros.com/ check it out. It looks like a good family movie!