Crossed.

It's the sequel to Matched by Ally Condie. And if you haven't read Matched I highly recommend it! The second wasn't quite as good as the first but it was still good! It sort of just set the pieces up for the last book. As I was reading it felt very much like watching the first part of the last Harry Potter movie. ...It just kept going and going and nothing really interesting was happening. I mean I enjoyed reading Crossed, but I sort of wished that.. I don't know.. I can't think of what she could have changed to make it better. Everything was important and all. Maybe that was it. It was all very serious. Practically no comic relief. Anyway, if you've read it I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Clockwork Angel.

So, I kept seeing this book on Amazon and all over Wal-Mart and I had heard that it was very good. So I finally got it! It was given as a present while I was recovering. Clockwork Angel is the first book in a series called The Infernal Devices which also happens to be the prequel set to a series called The Mortal Instruments both by Cassandra Clare. Anyways. I sort of have mixed feelings about this book.. On the whole I really liked it. I'd probably describe it best by saying the seventeenth century mixed with fantasy. Take the proper way of life back then and throw in warlock here and a vampire there and maybe a couple of dashing men and then you have Clockwork Angel. My mixed feelings come only from the language. It's a story with a lot of superstitious ideas and those generally (at least when you're talking about warding off witches and fighting off demons) have something to do with more delicate matters such as religion. So anyway, I feel like I'm making justifications for this book and I'm really not trying to. Mostly. Anyway. There's a lot of using the Lord's name in vain and such and I don't care for it. I guess I'll just have to break out a permanent marker or something and do a little editing.

Sometimes You Fall.

We have apple trees in our backyard. Lots of them. And on Saturday a family in our ward had asked if they could come over and pick some apples. Of course, we agreed and at about noon they came over. They brought all six of their kids along with a cute boy in the ward. I think we must have been out there for half an hour when I decided to climb up one of the trees and pick from the tall branches. I soon spotted one that was nice and big and round and green and perfect. So, naturally, I climbed up to get it.

And then I was on the ground... I can't describe it in any other way than that it felt like I was dreaming. The characters in my dream were fuzzy and their voices sounded far away. I opened my eyes, saw the fuzzy tree and the fuzzy outlines of two people, one on either side of me. I thought that I had dreamed that my roommate and that the said cute boy had come to my rescue. Although I couldn't remember why I needed to be rescued. I mean, nothing had happened. At least, not that I could remember.. But, nonetheless, my rescuers helped me to my feet and I quickly found that didn't have any strength in my legs and promptly fell to my knees.

It took me way too long to realize that I wasn't dreaming and that I had actually fallen from the tree. My back had taken the brunt of the fall but my head had also crashed to the ground and my roommate, who was also a nurse, told me that I had had a concussion. She said that I had fallen about seven feet or so and that one of my legs had gotten caught between some branches at the base of the tree which sort of made it impossible for me to land on my feet. So instead I landed on my back and she had to revive me by hitting my sternum. She told me that she had been in the truck when I fell and that she had the engine running and she STILL heard me fall.

When I made it inside everything hit me and I sort of went into hysterics and couldn't stop crying. Anyway. I think mostly, that the only thing that hurt worse than my head was my pride. I felt so embarrassed! All my friends were there and my roommate and the cute boy and what do I do?? I fall out of a tree!

After a short while and after stupidly trying to apologize to the mother about stupidly falling out of the tree and ruining the day, (which by the way, she told me wasn't allowed. "No! You're not allowed to apologize for falling out of trees!") I made a comment about my headache, trying to lighten the mood. "Well.. I don't know what it really feels like but I think this is probably what a hangover feels like."

Anyhow.. I'm fine now. I didn't have to go to the hospital or anything and now the only thing that hurts is my neck. And even that just feels as if I slept on it wrong. So yeah.. Moral of the story: Sometimes the best looking apples aren't worth falling for. But even if you do, you'll have a cool story to tell!

I Suppose It's About Time...

Someday my prince will come. Someday I'll find my love. How amazing that moment will be when the prince of my dreams comes to me. Somewhere he waits for me. Someone I long to see. Though he's far away I'll find him someday. Someday when my dreams come true.

I feel like this is my theme song right now. Yeah I know. I'm young. I've got time. No hurry here. But still. I'm getting a little impatient. Especially when I see those younger than me getting married.. And having kids.. BUT! I'm trying to be patient and doing my best to stay busy. As you may know I am on my off-track right now and so I have nothing to do, or at least, I have no set obligations. I spend a LOT of time happily babysitting and I going to institute once a week and I also started a sort-of-job (the kind where it's like 'hey, would you like to do this for me?') with a doctor in my ward. He has a beautiful cottage (with an awesome front door that looks like you just pulled it off of an medieval castle!) and I clean it for him. It's actually really nice! It's almost like working early morning custodial again. ..Except it's not early morning.. But yeah. I get to listen to really loud music and sing and dance and clean. All the best things in life right? ;)

So yeah.. I don't have much going on in my life at the moment. And so that pretty much makes for a super boring blog. But. I'll do what I can. For my sake anyway. It'll be interesting to take the boring things in life and make them interesting and fun to read.

I'm Thinking...

I keep thinking about my blog.. and trying to figure out WHAT to blog. And after all this time have I figured something out?

Nope. Not yet.

Award Winning Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Yesterday my roommates visiting teacher brought some cookies and, no joke, they were the BEST chocolate-chip cookies I have EVER had! She said she found them on allrecipes.com, but for convenience I'll just post the recipe here. I can't wait to make them!

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside. Then, in a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven (edges should be golden brown).

I Know it's a Mouthfull..

"The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship of Her Own Making." Wheew! Yeah, definitely a mouthful. But it's a really good book. My friend recommended it to me, well, actually, this friend just handed it to me and said I should read it and so I did and it was quite good. A bit confusing at first, I'll admit. I mean, Wind is a person, wyvern's not only exist they are the offspring of libraries (you know, with books?), leopards fly, dragons cannot, lanterns have arms and talk, furniture is alive, the queen is Stumbled, and the protagonist is Ravished.

...So. If you have any spare time and can somehow get ahold of this book (I've no idea where you'd find it but on Amazon) you should read it. It reminded me a lot of Alice in Wonderland, and since I have never actually read that book but have only seen the movies I thought this book was much, MUCH stranger than the simple tale of Wonderland versus Fairyland. But yes, if you have a chance it's by Catherynne M. Valente. And be sure to keep your head about you at all times, as well as both shoes!

Thoughts of a Mommy.

I've noticed in my time of babysitting some thoughts that come and go throughout the day. So, for all you mommies out there, are these thoughts not true? or are there thoughts more true than these that you would like to share?

Thought one: Do they really NOT know how to sleep in??
Thought two: Is that really the ONLY option for breakfast?
Thought three: Why am I so cranky?? I've only been awake for two hours!
Thought four: Thank goodness for television!
Thought five: Oookay. Who is stinky this time?
Thought six: Child, you have the strangest ideas of entertainment.
Thought seven: How in the world did you figure that out??
Thought eight: Only one more hour 'til bed time!
Thought nine: Yes! Finally. Peace and quiet.
Thought ten: ..Dang kids, go to sleep!
Thought eleven: NOW for some peace and quiet.
Thought twelve: You know, I sure love those kids!

Wives and Daughters.

So, my sister Jessica and I have been babysitting all week and a few days ago we decided to find one of those four hour 18th century movies on instant Netflix that neither of us had seen before. (Oh and don't worry, the kids were all in bed by this time!) And so, after checking the reviews online and all that jazz we decided to watch "Wives and Daughters." The synopsis is as follows: The daughter of a country doctor copes with an unwanted stepmother, an impetuous stepsister, burdensome secrets, the town gossips, and the tug on her own heartstrings for a man who thinks of her only as a friend. (And keep an eye out for Lady Harriet. She's my favorite!) Well, we sat and watched all four hours in order with no breaks. We were sure that when we checked the time halfway through that it would be about one in the morning, but it was only eleven! Hooray for putting kids to bed early! Anyways, the movie was awesome! We both got sucked in during the first hour and we loved every bit of it! The story was great and the characters were very well developed. So yeah. All I'm saying is that if you have four extra hours in your day (perhaps after you put the kids to bed) you should watch this!

Back to Missouri.

So, I know I just got back to Missouri and all, but I am SO ready to go back to school! My schedule is so completely opposite of what it was before. I had a job, fifteen credits, homework for those credits, a social life, a calling, and a lot of other things to do! Now.. I have no job, hardly any social life, no calling, and very few things to do. Of course I read and, I shamefully say, I've taken up playing a lot of Plants vs. Zombies. I don't watch too many movies as we have no TV and I've started cross stitching again, along with making an occasional sketch or two. I feel like I've been babysitting a lot too although I don't think I really have.. Anyhow. My life is pretty dull right now and I'm not sure why I felt like blogging. But I did. ..Maybe soon I'll actually have something worth reading..