My Thanksgiving and a Tag!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! As cheesy as it might sound, I'm really thankful for you all and this blog. Having somewhere to write whatever I feel like is great, but knowing I have people who care reading it is ten times better :) I appreciate you all so much! God bless you guys!

Today was fun! I woke up a little after nine and watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, OF COURSE. Totally a family tradition. After a while I got dressed in nice(ish) clothes, and Kathleen came upstairs. (She's a late-sleeper :D) My aunt, uncle, and other cousin Garrett arrived at about noon. Garrett (will be 15 in December) is so tall :-/ I feel tiny next to him, which is never the case. He's 6'2" and I'm like 5'7". *shudder* :P

After dinner (turkey, ham, sweet potato pie, corn casserole, stuffing kind #1, stuffing kind #2, cranberry sauce, strawberry salad, rolls, pumpkin pie, gingerbread cake, and pound cake!), we cousins always just mess around for a while before everyone goes to visit my grandfather's grave and then my great uncle. My grandpa died in 2001 :( and my great uncle just...never comes out of his house except to play golf and go to the store. LOL. Some day I'll do a post about my dad's side of the family. It's...really something XD

Depending on what mood my great uncle is in, the visits range from short and stiff to really fun and engaging. But before I get into the visit itself, allow me a quick paragraph on his house.

It's really big and old and completely white on the outside. There's a porch, but it's just like an inch off the ground and, like, gray concrete. There are big white pillars that go from the ground to the top of the house. It's definitely not pretty.

Then you open the door. Right in front of you are steep, freaky stairs. All along the stairs are giant boxes and garbage bags filled with STUFF. To your left is a room with a fire place, two couches covered with the UGLIEST orange and brown pattern ever. Then there are about fifty boxes and twenty garbage bags full of STUFF. To your right is the dining room minus a table, chairs, and a china cabinet. And yet, it's completely full. OF BOXES AND GARBAGE BAGS OF STUFF. Don't even get me STARTED on the man's kitchen. You'd have to pay me a lot to attempt to find anything, and even more to eat anything that came out of it.

Basically, the guy's the world's biggest pack rat. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration. In the WHOLE WORLD, maybe he comes in more like...second. But maybe that's being too kind. My great uncle has...some of everything. He hits every sale Wal-Mart ever has and buys at least three of whatever it is. Yard sales are his thing. Basically anything kind of sale is his thing. The useless family heirlooms he's collected are crazy. I mean...I don't even want to get into it.

BUT, he did have a couple of items of considerable interest to me and Garrett: SWORDS.

Real swords!! From Thailand and India! A machete and...some other kind of way cooler sword. And several cool knives. Oh man, that was so awesome. I want a sword really bad(ly). Actually, I want a dagger. Well, I call it a dagger. My dad says what I want isn't called a "dagger" (excuuuuuuuse me, lol). I want something small (maybe a four or five inch blade) and sharp that comes in a little sheath. Is that not a dagger? Einar? Is that not a dagger?

Anyway, the sword part was freaking EPIC, and my great uncle was in a really awesome mood. We had tons of fun and took plenty of pictures to show my grandmother. *grins evilly* Maybe I'll upload them later.

Now, H--Gracie tagged me! The tag is fun, so read it if you feel like it. If you're leaving, HAPPY THANKSGIVING

TAG:

Do you like to write? YES.

Favorite books? Eragon, the Mortal Instruments Trilogy, the Farsala Trilogy and...I'm forgetting something...someone help me out...

Do you compose music/write songs? I haven't ever written the music down (I don't how), but I've written lots of lyrics and thought of some tunes.

Do you like poetry? Some.

Love someone so much who made you cry? Yeah :-/

Broken a bone? Nope. Maybe my pinkie toe a couple of summers ago, but it might have just been sprained. I never went to the doctor, so I'll never know...but I *can* move it by itself now >:D

Been in a police car? No.

Been on a boat? Are you kidding me?? I live next to a lake! I looooove boats. Good times, good times.

Fallen asleep in school? No, haha.

Did you sing today? Yep, in the car. I'm still figuring out the mystery of alto harmony...

KFC, Popeyes or Church's? Um, KFC. What kind of a choice is that?? Their mashed potatoes are especially excellent!

Chick-fil-a or What-a-burger? I have no clue what What-A-Burger is and Chick-fil-a fries in peanut oil, so it makes my throat hurt. *sigh* The injustices of life :)

Starbucks or McCafe? Starbucks. McCafe is good, and I love McDonald's, but nothing's quite like Starbucks.

What's your favorite time of year? SUMMER. Do you even have to ask!

Do you ever talk to yourself? No, never. But I do have several, um...*imaginary* friends that keep me great company ;)

Do you have a favorite treat you like to buy on occasion? Anything sour, and atomic fireballs :D

Do you believe the Bible is the literal Word of God and is infallible? Absolutely. Whether it's literal in the way we think of it in some places (mainly Genesis), I'm not sure about.

What's your favorite sport? Definitely dance. But if you insist on ball sports, SOCCER. I'm also dying to do fencing and archery though.

What color is your iPod? Silver

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? In THIS world? ;) Ireland.

If you could go to any fictional place, where would you go? TOUGH CHOICES. Alagaesia probably. Unless my own worlds count, and then it's a tie between Sorayoni and Jeolotoe.

Do you love to write or do you just like writing? Love it. When you like to write as much as I do, it stops being a "gift" and becomes a mental disease.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Lawyer-writer-mom-teacher. Don't you dare tell me I can't do it all >:D

Favorite animal? Puppies and anything adorable. I'm a sucker for those big eyes, lol :)

Favorite song? Hmm, it changes. Right now, Orchard of the Mines. AMAZING.

Do you like school? Eh, yeah, I guess. I love learning with everything in me, so I guess I have to. I do not like math and science at all, though.

Are you a people person? Yes. People are my coke. Lols, that sounds even weirder than I planned >:D

Do you like to talk? I will quote a Facebook flare: "Telling me to stop talking is like telling anyone else to stop breathing."

Favorite food? Ugh, seriously? Um, I love my mom's corn casserole. Also love M&Ms, Cadburry mini eggs and tomato soup.

Hobbies? Reading, writing...um...arguing, goofing off on the computer, reading, writing, hanging out with friends, languages, writing, music, reading.

Favorite author? Hilari Bell is definitely one of the most brilliant writers I've ever read. Cassandra Clare is extremely talented, too, though. (This is not including obvious ones like Tolkien and all the famous people XD)

Favorite weapon? My mind. But if it has to be concrete, I'll definitely side with Gracie and say a bow and arrow.

Is this a fun tag, or are you getting bored? Fun, but I really should be with my family on Thanksgiving, so it's getting kinda long...

Do you like Hannah Montana and all those girly people and movies like High school Musical? Shoot me, no.

What are you scared of? Forgetting, losing people I love, and crane flies.

Favorite flowers? I do not know...

What is the expression on your face? Glazed and bored-looking, even though I'm not really.

Color of your eyes? Blue and green. Kinda like THIS.

Who are you going to tag and why?

1. Kyle Hendricks, because he says he never gets tagged.
2. Chris Kolmorgen, because he's proof that good Christians can still accept Twilight :)
3. Lady Brainsample, because she wrote older brothers into her stories, too.
4. KnightWing, because he's my internet older brother :D
5. Bleah, because she's my newest awesome follower!

Thanks!!

Kathleen!

My awesome cousin Kathleen is home from college and staying with us over Thanksgiving!! She's amazing and I love her so much. I can talk to her about anything. If I don't have an older brother (in real life, I do have an "internet" one, though :D), at least I can have an older sister!

<3

Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth...

Hell, or biology final tomorrow?

Take a wild guess.

Note: "Same thing" will also be an accepted answer.

The Question You've Always Wanted Me to Answer...

Why Do I Want an Older Brother?

Those of you who have been following my blog for a while know what my number one wish is.

Yes, you groaned correctly: an older brother.

*sigh* The subject seems old, tired, and dusty to me. It's such a part of me and the way I think, that every time I have to think about it, it feels overdone. Wanting an older brother is like breathing to me. I want one, and that desire sits at the back on my mind 24/7.

But...why? We all know how much I want one, just judging by the posts that talk about it:
My Biggest Wish
Sunny Sundays and Protocol
Questioning God
Challenge and Update
Top Five
Lost: One Beautiful, Red LG Shine Cell Phone
Jace Wayland
Observing the Male Specimen
Another Amazing Day!
Post 200: The Mission Trip and Him
*mutters and moans*
Change
Mary and Martha: God's Custom-Made Love
Character Day: Taking Sibling Rivalry To a Whole 'Nother Level

That is 14 posts, folks. All have at least SOMETHING to do with my desire for an older brother.

But the question remains:

WHYYYYYY?????????

I was a pretty happy little kid, but from the time I could talk (literally), I've asked for only one thing consistently: an older brother.

When I was two, my parents calmly explained to me that that was impossible. God had given me to them first, not a boy.

Even at that young age I was nobody's idiot. I remember staring back at my parents, wondering if they were really that slow.

"ADOPT."

I mean, really? This is not rocket science, folks. Of course, my parents told me that adopting wasn't possible at the time. We weren't rich by any stretch of the imagination, and they didn't feel like God was calling them to do that right then.

So, whatever. I decided to take matters into my own hands. If I couldn't have a real brother, I would have to fake it. All my imaginary games began to incorporate a "big brother". Then I started claiming these two teenaged twin boys at my old church: Jeremy and Jason. They were fifteen years older than me, but I figured they'd do. I liked them, so I started telling everyone that they were my brothers. I guess people thought a sweet little two year old wouldn't lie, so they started believing me. That left my parents in an interesting position when word got around to them about their extra kids...

When I was five, we left our old church and started the awesome one I go to now. Wh--

Oh, DANG IT. I just let the cat out of the bag. *sigh* Yes, my Daddy's a pastor. Don't judge me XD

When we left our old church, I was brother-less for a while, but not for too long. I was going to find a brother, that was for sure. Every older guy that I met I mentally auditioned. I met a few, even asked one if he'd be my older brother when I was about seven, but that didn't go over well.

Even though I knew it was useless, I prayed for an older brother all the time. It was what I wished for on every single birthday cake and every time I saw a first star, I wished for an older brother. I was just so lonely without one. Nothing was good without one. It seemed like the world's largest injustice.

When I was eight, Gabrielle and her older brother started coming to our church. They were nice, and after a while, I became best friends with Gabrielle. She was into the same pretend-games I was, and we had all the same weird interests. One of the coolest parts was that her brother (let's call him Him) would play with us!

It took me a whole year before I started realizing that He was the brother I'd always wanted. I mean, I was still begging my parents to adopt. Of course, by this time, my dad insisted that he did not want to bring a strange teen-aged boy into the house with me and my sister.

So, GREAT, Dad, you've MISSED THE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY. You could have adopted YEARS ago, but you waited until I was too old???

Anyway, "He" was absolutely everything I'd ever thought of, plus so much more. He treated me just like a sister, I treated him like a brother. He would play with me, talk to me, protect me, make me laugh, explain things to me. I loved him and trusted him more than any other guy in the world (Daddy excluded).

He played imaginary games with us every night after Wednesday night Bible study. Me, Lizzy, Gabrielle, Matt ("little brother") and Katie ("little sister") would all run outside to the swing-set in the summertime and wait for him to come play with us. Our games were not your normal ones; no tag or hide-'n'-go-seek. We played one of three things: Orphans, Slaves or Orphan Slaves. Chiefly the latter.

In the wintertime when it was too dark to play outside after Bible study, we'd play a different version in the preschool Sunday school room.

I have tons of memories that include Him, most of them good, although there are a few times I wish hadn't happen, haha. Mainly the time he rolled over on my leg while we were on the trampoline when I refused to get off.

Still, he was the most amazing "brother" in the world. I was finally "happy" for the first time in eight years. God had finally heard me! I had a brother! I was so happy I'd lie in bed at night and just smile. God was awesome, everything was good.

I didn't appreciate "Him" as much as I should have. I figured that was fine. I mean, he wasn't going anywhere. He'd always be around. I figured I had my whole life to love him and live around him. Who cared about carpe diem? I would always have cras (tomorrow)!

Unfortunately, I was wrong.

The February I turned thirteen, He and Gabrielle stopped coming to our church.
They stopped coming to Bible study.
I stopped seeing Him altogether.

That was hard. That was...really, really hard.

You know the phrase "You never know what you've got until it's gone"? Well, I understand that so much more now.

It felt like God had dangled joy in front of me, gotten me accustomed to it, and then snatched it back. Why would God give my an older brother and then just take him away again?? Wasn't it enough not to have one in the first place??

I used to cry all the time, every night. My journals were filling up with Him Memories, trying to salvage what I could. I didn't want to talk about Him anymore. If anyone said his name, I would leave the conversation. I didn't want to forget about him, but remembering him made me want to cry. I was mad at Him, I was mad at God, I was made at His and Gabrielle's mom for taking Him and Gabrielle away. (I could always see Gabby at parties and have her over, but I'd never have a reason to see Him ever again.)

I know this is going to sound really melodramatic, but it felt like there was a Hole in My Heart.

So, there's a brief history of my brother problems, but it still doesn't explain WHY I crave an older brother.

As I think about it, I almost wonder if it's been bred into me or something. Not by a parent or anything, but by ME. Was it just a childish whim that I nourished until it's become this overwhelming desire? Is the hole in my heart just...manufactured?

The need for an older brother is very present in the way I think. I feel lonely, like I used to have something that was taken away, or I'm supposed to have something I don't. Like there's a piece of my life missing. It honestly feels like I'm living a mistake.

I also know my dad would really like a boy, too. I mean, he has a half brother, but he had all girls, too. This is the generation my family name dies. If I had had an older brother, "Logan" could have lived on. I know Daddy wishes he had a boy, but not instead of me or anything. I know he wouldn't trade me or Lizzy for ANYTHING, but I still sort of feel bad sometimes, you know? Like I should have been the boy or something, and that would have fixed everything. Daddy would have a son. He wouldn't have to show his daughter all the stuff about tools and yard work just because he has no one else to tell. Lizzy would have an older brother at least.

I also feel kind of lonely a lot. Not for lack of friends, but for lack of...a brother. I don't like being the oldest, and I want someone to look up to, to help me out, to talk to, to protect me if I were ever in trouble.

In a lot of ways, I feel like I'm the older brother. I'm the one who kills the spiders, looks into the weird noises Lizzy hears in the basement, checks behind the closet doors, likes the gory movies, enjoys trekking through the woods, and annoys my little sister. I don't like being the "older brother", I wish I had someone else to do it.

Does any of this make any sense? I probably seem like a complete psycho, don't I?

*sigh*

Maybe there *is* something wrong with me. But whatever. I want an older brother, and this was my attempt at figuring out why.

Opposites

My sister Lizzy and I are complete opposites. Everything about us is different and opposite. We still get along (mostly, haha), but we're completely different.

Me:
I have brown hair and blue-green eyes.
My favorite color is green, and I hate purple.
If I had one wish, it'd be for an older brother.
I like soup because I don't like to eat, and I'm good in every subject but math and science.
I'd rather be hot than cold, and summer is my season.
I'd rather read and write than just about anything, but if I'm watching a movie it'll be action-packed and full of suspense and clever dialogue.
When it comes to cleaning, I'm a big believer in "Let's don't and say we did".
My room is organized chaos: it's messy, but I know EXACTLY where everything is.
I'm sort of OCD, though, and if something isn't symmetrical, it irritates me to no end.
I'm terrible about procrastinating.
I'm persuasive and mischievous and enjoy getting around the rules.
If a rule is stupid, I will break it just to bother you.
You can yell at me all day, I don't mind, and the whole guilt-trip thing is lost on me.
Overall I'm a green-loving, persuasive, tom-boy-rebel who should have been born in Florida with an older brother.

Lizzy:
She has blue eyes and blonde hair, but darker eyebrows which she worries about all the time.
She loves blue and likes purple, and she likes to cook, too.
She likes to eat, but she's still skinny.
Where I would kill for an older brother, she'd like to have a little sister.
Reading and writing are basically the bane of her existence, and she works herself up every time she has to do either.
She hates being hot and would probably thrive in Alaska.
She's an absolute neat-freak and if something isn't SPOTLESS, she'll scrub it for half an hour (I wish I were kidding).
When relaxing she likes hanging out with the family and is a lover of chick-flicks.
She okay with word play if you explain it to her, but it's really not her thing.
She's very helpful and kind and easy to guilt-trip and if you yell at her she'll cry.
She's huge on rules, she'll follow them even if they make no sense. If the dentist tells her not to eat for two hours, she won't eat after it's been an hour and fifty-minutes seconds. She might even wait an EXTRA hour just to be on the safe side.
Overall she's a very sweet and fun neat-freak who believes in following the letter AND the spirit of the law.

And there you have it.
Opposite. Complete opposites.

I'm Evil where she's Good.
She's Clean where I'm Messy.
I'm Chill where she's Freaking Out.
She's Helpful where I'm Clueless.

Opposites, but sisters, and that's enough the same for me. I love her no matter how she is <3

~Kendra

My Temporary Insanity Manifested in Pictures

THIS IS NOT MY POST ON NEW MOON. PLEASE READ THE POST BEFORE THIS.

*sigh* No hatin' now, and don't think I've suddenly morphed into a shallow teenage girl. I'm still here, just as thoughtful and intelligent as ever, I'm just going through a brief SHALLOW TEENAGE GIRL PHASE, OKAY?

Lols.

I was Googling pictures of Alec Volturi (new favorite) and kept coming across such good pictures of him and the Volturi that I had to share. Scattered near the end are a couple of Jacob Black shots and a Jace Wayland or two...LOL...Ah, I do love Jace even though he has NOTHING to do with Twilight or New Moon.

**CLICK FOR FULL PICTURES**

THE VOLTURI


ALEC VOLTURI (NEWEST FAVORITE)


JACOB BLACK

JACE WAYLAND
I sincerely apologize for my...insanity.

Keep your eyes open for a REAL post later today!

New Moon Review

Thanks for following, the_blanch_is!!

...*tries to arrange thoughts*...

Before I go into my take on the New Moon movie, let's review my thoughts on the Twilight movie:

Overall, I gave it two out of five stars. It was not good. The acting was poor, the script was gosh-awful, and the special effects were something close to Power Rangers. On top of that, the storyline of the book was not respected and the directing was much too artsy for me (thank you, Catherine Hardwicke).

I went into New Moon fairly excited. I don't know what exactly I was expecting. I was mostly just trying to "carpe diem" and have a good time regardless. Cassie Roads and I got to the theater two and a half hours ahead of time, and that wait was an interesting experience in itself (stay tuned for elaboration in a later post). When the movie finally started, I felt that thrill that WE'RE FINALLY SEEING IT!! It was 12:01, but I was ready.

The first scene was awesome! I was immediately drawn in, but still had my guard up. I figured the movie would go south pretty quickly. Haha, guess what?

It didn't.

Half an hour into the movie, I forgot to be cynical. I was caught up in the story, even though I knew what was coming. Every scene fell into place, revealing a story almost exactly like the book. The acting was GOOD, the script was VERY GOOD, the special effects were GREAT. The scenes with the wolves were mind-boggling, and the vampire-speed was about a million times better than the puppet-theater quality of Twilight.

Taylor Lautner is officially Jacob-in-the-Flesh. He did an incredible job. I had my doubts from Twilight, his acting was pretty weak there. In the beginning of New Moon he was a bit shaky, too, but that may have been in the script. (To be honest, I think it was the wig he had to wear. I think it made him uncomfortable, LOL!)

It takes a lot to satisfy a cynic like me, but, boy, was I satisfied!!! I became so wrapped up in the story, I just forgot other stuff. It's an incredibly intriguing, intense film. There are hardly words to express it. I raved the entire way back from the theater, my eyes shining, my heart pounding, my brain working! I searched for things to find fault with, and couldn't come up with a thing! (One thing: Seth and Leah Clearwater do not appear. Hmm. Still, minor.) I was blown away, just really blown away.

I definitely think the new director, Chris Weitz, made all the difference in the world. I didn't like Catherine Hardwicke from the beginning, and apparently no one else did either. Weitz was officially chosen as the director of New Moon only twenty-three days after Twilight hit theaters.

Long story short, I WAS FREAKING BLOWN AWAY.

IT.

WAS.

AWESOME.