Errr...umm..Merry Christmas?

So, on my four day weekend I spent it all just trying to make sure we had gotten all the presents for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, some friends came over and at some point I became inebriated. Beyond inebriated. Then for the first half of Christmas Day I spent it with my head in the toilet or trying to suck it up for Emery. Then, I took a nap and was all better. My chest still hurts though. That afternoon we went to my husband’s grandmother’s house to celebrate with his side of the family.

Lots of food, good conversation, and we headed back home to just take it easy. And take it easy we did. So easy that I still have about 3 loads of laundry to do. My house was a disaster zone. Emery’s room looked like a toy bomb exploded in it, and our room needed some serious attention. So yesterday afternoon, I had my mother watch Emery while I cleaned up as much as I could. I still have dishes to wash, and the bathroom to clean. But my house smells wonderful, and you can see the floor now!!! You have no idea how awesome that is! Ha!

I do have pictures from Christmas, but nothing really great. Like I said I wasn’t up to doing much and apparently no one else knows how to work a camera but me. Still, as soon as I get them uploaded to my computer I’ll spam the crap out of this blog with pictures! I promise. This week was/is a short one for me at work. My bosses are the best! So we get another four day weekend! Woo woo!! Except this one will probably not involve liquor. Maybe some painting, more cleaning, and finally a haircut! Maybe go see a movie with some friends too. Who knows?

That’s about all I got for ya. Things have been keeping us pretty busy, my diet took a brief hiatus (but I’m getting back on track), and New Years is right around the corner. My, how time flies. Hope you all had a Merry Christmas! 

Book Review- The Hunger Games

Overview

Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don't live to see the morning?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

My Review

First, I just want to say that I LOVED this book. I could not put it down. The overview pretty much explains the basics. Except for the “love” part. See, during these games, each tribute has sponsors that can help them out with food, and supplies during the game. These are based on how much each tribute is loved by the audience and if they can appeal to “big spenders” for help. Unfortunately, Katniss is kind of blunt. Not very appealing to the audience because of her attitude. So, the guy from her district that was also picked as a tribute decides to help her out, by creating a type of romantic relationship between the two for the camera’s. And as much as she appreciates it, it starts to get in the way of her emotions, and suddenly she can’t tell what’s for the camera’s and what’s not. She can't tell what are real feelings, or if she's just going along with everything to survive. Only one person can come out of the games, and even with the "fake relationship" and short alliances, she feels as if she can’t be attached. In the end she ends up causing quite a bit of trouble, and people are hurt in the process. 

I had seen this book at our local bookstore so many times, but always put it back as something I would read later. Well, recently I saw a trailer for a movie and before the title flashed on the screen I knew it was this book. It looked like it was going to be amazing. Then, my brother said he had read the book and actually liked it so I figured I’d read it before going to see the movie in March... Wow. I'm so glad that I did! I found myself completely attached from the very first chapter. I think what I found so appealing about this book, is how it wasn't supernatural. These were ordinary people. Yes, technology is way advanced in the books, but there wasn’t anything superhuman about anyone. And the way the book is written, you could easily be thinking those same thoughts. Feeling the same things. And I absolutely loved it! Once I finished it, I went straight to the bookstore to get the second book. 

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

A Rough Monday

So here I sit with a nice, steaming cup of coffee. My head kind of hurts, and I’m fighting the urge to curl up on the couch at work and go to sleep. Why so tired? Well, I became pretty hooked on these books, and last night I stayed up really...really late, finishing the last one. I’m not going to lie, I’m actually feeling a little sad today. But, more on that later.

This past weekend, my husband opted to do some shopping instead of getting each other gifts for Christmas. I know it kind of defeats the purpose, but I’d much rather go out and pick something out that I want instead of trying to come up with ideas that he can “surprise me” with. Some people may not like this way of doing things, and I’m sure every Christmas won’t be like this, but for this year I’m completely satisfied.

So needless to say, this week is going to be a busy one. I get another four day weekend, but on Friday I’ll be making another trip to the city because we still don’t have any presents under the tree. Cutting it a little close, huh? So, with having so much to do, I’ll just be posting another book review this week. Then a few little things here and there before finally coming back on Monday or Tuesday with a nice update and more than likely a lengthy photo spam. :-)

Now, excuse me while I go hook myself up to a coffee IV.

Going Meatless

A loose vegetarian? This is the term my friends Olivia & Kim used when talking about their recent (well, actually it’s been awhile) eating habit changes. They sticks to mainly a vegetarian lifestyle, but every once in awhile they’ll allow themselves to eat meat. Now, I don’t think that their change came from feeling sorry for animals (although I’m sure it did strike a cord), but more from them wanting to make healthy decisions about what they put into their bodies.

Now, I’m not sure how 100% vegetarian’s/vegan’s feel about this term, but I feel like it’s the right word(s) for what I’m aiming for in my life. I’ve talked about how I love meat before, and I know that a lot of our meat gets pretty mistreated when it’s in animal form. It’s pumped full of hormones/chemicals, which can be really bad for us humans. But even with that, I love meat.

But for my health and my family’s health, I want us to make a change. I want our diet to be mainly vegetarian, with only small portions of meat/poultry from time to time. I know this isn’t something that can happen overnight. My husband refuses to go vegetarian at all, unless I can find some good substitutes. So, I still buy chicken breasts and ground beef. Which makes the temptation that much harder to resist.

I recently discovered the vegetarian section at our local Wal-Mart (don’t judge, I’m limited on store choices) though. They carry this brand called Morningstar Farms, which has several vegetarian/vegan products! I tried out their Chik’n nuggets a few weeks ago and I loved them! So did Emery. So I went and bought some more, along with some meatless meat crumbles. Last week I decided to make our Velveeta Cheeseburger Skillet with the crumbles as a substitute for the ground beef and I thought it tasted really good.

My husband on the other hand, didn’t. Emery was more into playing with her food that evening instead of actually eating it so her reaction doesn’t count, lol! But, the week before last I made meatless burgers from a different brand called Boca and my husband enjoyed those. So, it’s a work in progress and we’ll eventually get there! It’s all about making them taste good. And since I’m a “first timer” in the kitchen, it might take a little while. Here’s hoping it won’t take too long though!  

Book Review- The Vampire Diaries Vol. II

Overview

Elena: transformed, the golden girl has become what she once feared and desired.

Stefan: tormented by losing Elena, he's determined to end his feud with Damon once and for all—whatever the cost. But slowly he begins to realize that his brother is not his only enemy.

Damon: at last, he possesses Elena. But will his thirst for revenge against Stefan poison his triumph? Or can they come together to face one final battle?

Collected here in one edition are the third and fourth volumes of The Vampire Diaries, a riveting conclusion to the tale of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.

My Review

This book pretty much starts off exactly where the first volume left off. Again, a lot was covered in very limited pages. We still have the two vampire brothers, and a big bad evil that no one can figure out. Only, Elena was turned. Yea, it happened a lot faster than most of these vampire love stories usually allow. The only problem that comes from this is that she thinks she’s in love with Damon, not Stefan. Something affected her when she turned that kind of has her feelings all screwy. But no worries, after some hard facts she realizes who she really loves. Still, as she’s getting used to her new vampy self, they find out some bad mojo is floating around Fell’s Church. A lot of bad stuff starts happening, and it’s their duty to figure out what/who is behind it. Surprisingly, it’s not who they think it is. And once the final showdown has settled, Elena is dead. For real this time.

The second book is from Bonnie’s point of view. Damon and Stefan are gone, and it’s been six months since Elena died. While trying to have some “normalcy” in her life, Bonnie allows Caroline to throw a birthday party for her friend Meredith. Only, this party ends in the death of another student. And its leaves Bonnie with dreams which allow her to communicate with Elena. This brings back the Salvatore brothers, reveals a “mythical” creature, and another murder. So, the hunt is on. The group starts trying to figure out who is behind everything and why. But what they find is quite a surprise. Alas, the good guys win, and for their efforts they get a gift.

Bonnie is smart, and due to her “psychic/witchy powers” she’s able to put together a lot of different pieces to the puzzles they’re presented with. But, that’s about as much appeal as her character gets. She’s whiny, hardly uses any kind of magic, and she’s a bit of a coward. When bad stuff starts to happen, or when the final throw-down comes into play, she kind of just sits there. Screaming. At least in Elena’s point of view, although sometimes I felt it was all stupidity, it at least held my interest more.

Again, these are pretty fast-paced books. The characters are nothing like the TV series. But, I liked it because it still was a lot different than most vampire books today. And Elena actually dying, was a bit of a shocker. I guess the ending makes up for it though. And it leaves it open for what eventually was the return series. As much as the last part of the volume, in Bonnie’s point of view, kind of annoyed me I was still satisfied. I recommend reading it, if you can make your way through that last half, knowing that it will get better.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥

Where Do I Begin?

Well, as of tomorrow, Christmas break will finally commence. Which means, 5 1/2 weeks of no school!! No homework, no stress. And one week of that break, we will be back in beautiful California. I’m. So. EXCITED! I have one more final tomorrow, which has me in a nervous state, and then some peace.

So for now, let’s catch up. Thanksgiving was pretty much like any other day. My family had made no plans so we went to my husband’s grandmother’s house. We had an early dinner, my husband stayed at his mothers to spend time with his cousin (I wasn’t all that thrilled), and Emery and I made our way home. We spent the rest of the day playing, watching movies, and eating junk food. Ok, I ate junk food. Emery was only allowed a few cookies and the rest was fruit. On black Friday, I opted out of the early morning chaos and instead we went later in the day with Kim to do a little bit of shopping. That afternoon Kim, my brother, my dad, and I went to go watch "Breaking Dawn Part I" and "Immortals". On Saturday, Emery and I went to have dinner with Kim and Olivia’s family. It was a vegan Thanksgiving! Very different, but still delicious! The rest of the weekend was lazy, amazingly slow, and filled with naps.

Emery is learning new words every day! Both English and Spanish! So, I’m pretty thrilled about this. But with more words, come more expressions. And boy can she be expressive. She stomps her feet, says “NO”, and she’ll shake her finger at you if you don’t “play” by her rules. She’s pretty much spoiled. No matter how much we try and correct it by disciplining her she just gets away with whatever at her babysitters (and at my parents) so she doesn’t really care. It’s been a bit of a battle, but hopefully with some consistence disciplining, her attitude will eventually calm down. Or, it’ll just get worse and we’ll really be the epitome of the phrase “You’ll pay for this when you become a parent.” Either way we’re in for it. But in all seriousness, I’m enjoying watching her grow. Even with the teenage attitude she seems to project at times. I’m completely in love with her.

My husband was “offered” another job. But it won’t start till February, if he wants it. For me, it would be awful. The money is a lot better, but he’d be leaving a lot early and getting home pretty late. Had this offer come up before Emery, I would have sucked it up because we need the money. But this job would mean less time spent with her. She already has two days out of the week that I barely get to spend time with her, and I just feel that having both parents gone a lot would really effect her in a negative way. So we decided to just think it over, see what changes his current workplace is going to be taking on (if they’ll benefit us or not), and then finally make a decision sometime in January. If the offer is still on the table.

My weight is holding steady at 159 lbs. As much as I feel like a damn failure, I’m also pleased that it hasn’t gone up. Especially with all of the food for Thanksgiving, at our office (everyone is bringing baked goodies at least twice a week), and with Christmas coming up too. I’ve been slowly letting go of red meat. I do really well for a few days and then all of a sudden I just crave meat. So I indulge, and then go back to poultry, veggies, and fruits. But, I’ve also discovered the vegetarian/vegan section at Wal-Mart (don’t judge) and I’ve found a couple of tasty “meatless meats” in that section that I’ve actually enjoyed. So even though the transition has been a slow one, I’m well on my way to becoming a “loose vegetarian”.

I started running again! After my little spill, I had to kind of ease back into running. I’m a bit frustrated because before I was doing 3 miles and not feeling very out of breath or tired. Now, I’m barely doing a mile and a half before I start to lose it. My breathing gets all out of whack, and I feel like I just have to stop. Sometimes I can push through it and reach two miles; others I barely make it passed one. So yea, I’ve been a bit annoyed, but so long as I don’t have anymore injuries I should be back up to speed in no time.

I didn’t take very many pictures in November. Maybe about 10-20 at most? Very disappointed in myself for that. I’m all about pictures and my camera is always with me. I guess I just got so caught up all of these finals, and trying to get all of my projects completed in time, that I haven’t had enough time to really go out and take pictures. But with this break, hopefully I’ll get myself back on track with that too. Ok, so that’s about it for me today. Hope everyone else has been doing well!  

Goodbye Little Man

Dear Keegan,

I’m so sorry that you had to go. I’m so sorry that we all failed you. You are such a beautiful soul, and I know that you’re in a better place. But that doesn’t stop us from wanting you back here. To be with your family where you belong. You will be so deeply missed little man. We love you to the moon, and back.

Dear Beth,

If you ever get to read this I just wanted to let you know that I am so, so very sorry. I’m so sorry that we failed you. I’m so sorry that you had to go through this. No mother should ever have to deal with the loss of their child. You have been so brave, and honest. So open, and I want to thank you for sharing Keegan with us. He is such a beautiful, beautiful little boy. It truly breaks my heart to see what you and you’re family have to go through now. Nothing I say could possibly ease you’re pain, but I hope that God brings you some comfort. You are all in my prayers.      

Lots of Love and My Deepest Condolences,

The Rosenbalm Family

Hi! Bye!

Whoa! It's already December 1st?!? Crazy stuff, huh? 

I’m a bit of a scrambled mess. This week, is my final week of actual classes, but I have 3 finals within the next two weeks. So, I’ve been trying to wrap everything up. Get caught up, study for finals, and turn in everything that I have. I’m also working on some last minute projects that are all due by the end of next week. Busy, Busy, Busy! 

So, to say the least, I’ll return to blogging as soon as things settle down. Wish me luck!!