I think blogging was at first really boring and I didn't like to do it at all. But now I actually kind of enjoy it. It's a good way to just talk about what you want to talk about and get your feeling off your chest. I probably won't continue to do it after this, but just because it will be summer and I don't really use the computer that often during the summer. During the summer I pretty much just stay outside constantly. Blogging really helps your writing, but in a way that it doesn't really feel like your learning. It's nice to just type out what is going on in your head and if other people read it that is kind of fun too.

So, tonight is the Going Out Concert for show choir. It's going to be really sad, because it's finally the end of the '08-'09 season and we have to say goodbye to around 30 seniors. That is so many! I have made friend with so many of the seniors and you really grow close during show choir, and it's going to be weird saying goodbye. Tonight, all three groups will perform their show one last time and then we recognize all the seniors and then it turns into a big cry fest. I was thinking about going out to the soccer game when we got done, but I don't think I will because my make-up will be all smeared and gross from crying.

On Friday is the end of the season party for show choir and it will be awesome. We are going to play the DVDs from our season and it will be fun to see how we looked at the beginning and at the end. We have improved so much and look so good now. After the party, I am going to a friend's birthday party with some show choir friends and that will be extremely fun. A bunch of my friends are going and he has an indoor pool. I haven't swam in forever! I don't know if I'm ready for swimsuit season though. It will be a good night, because his parties are always a blast. Then afterwards some show choir people are coming back to my house for a sleepover. Our sleepovers are always crazy and we turn psycho when we get together. We take crazy pictures and hilarious videos. I love them! The only bad part is I will be tired on Saturday and I can't be because I'll be running around till 4 in the morning on Sunday. Seriously, if I'm not at school on Monday it will be because I died from tiredness.

Prom :)

So this weekend is prom! It's gonna be super fun, but also super tiring. I am really excited, because I love dances and getting all dressed up for them. I'm not so excited for grand march, though, because I am kind of a clutz and could totally see myself taking a spill. Hopefully that won't happen, but it would be a funny story. Saturday I am going to be running around everywhere. I have to get my hair done and my make-up. Then I have pictures at 4 and dinner at 5:15. After that is grand march and then the best part, the dance! It's gonna be kind of weird at first, because I am not going to my own school's, but I know a lot of people at this school so it should be a good time. After the dance my whole group is going to post prom together. I was talking to my friend and she said that we are gonna stay at post prom the whole time; it goes until 4. Kill me! I think post prom will be fun, but also super draining I'm pretty sure after that we are just going to go back and crash at her house, because we will probably be so tired that we won't be able to do anything else. I was suppose to get up on Sunday and go out to eat with my family at 8, but I have a feeling that won't be happening. I am going to most likely end up sleeping the whole day. I am kind of sad to be missing my own school's grand march, because I was so excited to see how gorgeous all my friends were going to look, but at least there will be plenty of pictures. I will probably spend all of Sunday putting up pictures and looking through everyones. Everyone will look amazing in their pictures and it'll be a good way to spend a boring Sunday.

Schooool

Wow. school is stressful. The year is so close to being over, I can't concentrate, and yet I am still learning and getting homework and it's getting so hard to stay focused. So I'm going on a three week road trip vacation for the first part of July and I don't know how excited I am for that. It would so long and I love just staying here and chilling with my friends. Last year I didn't really go anywhere for summer and I got into this awesome routine. I went over to my friend from Linn-Mar's house everyday and just hung out, and then at night we went out and just found a bonfire to go to or just messed around. If you put your mind to it there is always something to do. We would always say "Only boring people get bored". It was amazing, because we were seriously never bored. If there wasn't anything to do in Cedar Rapids, we took a road trip to Mt. Vernon or Iowa City. No matter what there was always something to do. I can not wait for this summer because I hope it will be just like last summer.

It's Monday. Gross.

So it's Monday, ugh! I hate mondays, they are so hard to get through. You have a fun weekend and a relaxing Sunday then it's back to school and it is so hard to get up! I got up real late today even though I went to bed at nine. But, fortunately, school is almost over. Only 21 more days left. It's four weeks and then the two half days I have for finals. I am so happy I only have three finals and they are all my easy classes; Pre-Calc, Perspectives, and U.S. History. I am so excited for school to be getting out, but as I have said a lot, I don't want to be a senior!

So today in Perspectives, some people and I were talking about college and the future. We were saying how we really don't want to move out of Cedar Rapids. I moved here from Seattle, Washington and my whole life I have wanted to move back, but now that I think about it I don't want to leave at all. I have though about going to Washington State for a long time, but as the time gets closer and closer, I realize I want to stay right where I am. I love the atmosphere of Iowa. It's not a big state and not a lot goes on here, but that's what is so great about it. Cedar Rapids is my home and is such a great place for kids to grow up. For now, I definitely want to stay in Iowa. Now I'm thinking of going to Iowa for college. I've been up to Iowa City, on the Iowa campus, to see concerts and stuff and the atmosphere is so great. It's a fun-loving city and is a pretty cool place for college life. I also know a lot of my friends are going to Iowa as well. This is another thing I'm scared about. I'm afraid if I go too far from here, I won't stay in touch with all the wonderful friends I've made. People say that's life and that just happens in college and you get to meet a whole new group of people, but I don't want to lose the people that got me through my whole childhood. Some of these people I have known since first grade and a lot since middle school. Even the ones that I just met when I came to high school have become so close to me. It'll be sad to see any of that disappear. But who knows. Maybe it will all turn out for the best. I sure hope it does.

The year is finally coming to an end..

I am really starting to be able to tell that the year is coming to an end. We're kind of wrapping things up in classes and there are a lot of final things going on. Last night we had our final choir concert, it was kind of sad to see the seniors get their roses and walk across the stage. It'll be weird next year not having them in choir and seeing them everyday. This saturday we have a competition for choir and it will be the last time they will sing with the kennedy choir. Graduation is creeping towards us and I am having to start thinking about when all the graduation parties are, and which ones I am going to attend. Next thursday is the going out concert for show choir and it will be really sad to see the seniors go the. You get so close to everyone in show choir, because you are always with them during the season. You spend a lot of time with them. At competitions you are with them all day, because we arrive at school at about 4 in the morning and get back at 1 the next morning. You constantly see each other and you grow as a family and it will be so sad to see them "graduate" from show choir and know next year won't be the same. It will also be sad, because it will be all of our last time performing our show. In some ways, though, it's kind of exciting to see one season end and to know that soon another one will begin. The next season starts with camp in July so I will be really excited for that.

I am really relieved that the summer is getting really close. School really starts to become a drag and I really need a break. It is showing in my school work and in my attitude towards school. I really need summer to be here. All I think about now a days is what summer activities are in store for me and I can not wait!!

Almost a senior!

I have mixed feelings on being a senior next year. Part of me, a little part, is excited to be the top of the school and to do all the fun senior stuff, but a bigger part of me is not so happy. I have a lot of senior friends this year and I will be extremely sad to see them leave. I also don't want high school to end, and by becoming a senior this means that it is getting closer to the end. All of my friends say they can't wait to be done with high school and go on to college. I am the complete opposite. I don't want to go to college, because that means a lot of new responsibilities. I am not ready to take on that responsibilities. My opinion might be different considering right now I pretty much get to do the things that I want to do. My parents let me go to all school sports that I want to go to and I get to hang out with my friends. Yes, you get more freedom in college, but that's not always a good thing. I don't know if I would use my freedom responsibly so I think I need a little bit of control from my parents. There are those stressful days that I wish I didn't live with my parents, but when I sit back and think about the things that they pay for and stuff I am glad I'm not doing that on my own. I definitely don't think I'm ready. If I could have it my way. This year would never end, because I don't want to be a senior and see all my friends leave. Junior year is pretty much the perfect year. On one hand you are an upperclassmen, but on the other you aren't at the top and having to think of all the upcoming responsibilities.

Darius Rucker turned a lot of heads when he made the transition last year from pop/rock frontman to country solo singer, but he’s hardly alone in his shift of genres. In fact, he’s not even the only person who got an initial break on the same label.

Hootie and The Blowfish’s pop success came with the Atlantic Records label. The band was signed by the company the very same year as a couple of other artists who are now in country music: Jewel and Sugarland’s Kristian Bush, who was with Billy Pilgrim when he joined the Atlantic roster in the ‘90s.

Darius’ sound is different from what he’s done with Hootie, but it’s not a drastic change of pace. There’s simply not much room anymore in pop radio for bands with a melodic mentality.

"There's U2, there's Nickelback, and a couple other bands when you look in the top 10 records of the week," he said. "The only place in music for the singer-songwriter right now is country music. That sounds rude, because, you know, you can't say that Kanye West is not a singer-songwriter. But if you're the guy who wants to stand up and play the guitar, you gotta be a country singer."

Darius is doing that in a big way. His first two singles hit No. 1, and now he’s ready to tour with Rascal Flatts beginning June 5 in St. Louis. He’ll also be at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville June 11, and he’s set to play the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., June 8 in a benefit concert for wounded veterans. Also on the bill that night: Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Alison Krauss, Mac McAnally and Michael McDonald.

Rain, Rain Go Away.

So let's look at last week compared to this weekend.. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were all perfectly sunny and gorgeous outside then we got to the weekend and it got all rainy and freezing. What is up with that? I would rather it be the other way around!! Friday I was getting really excited for the weekend, because I was thinking about how I had to be outside all day Saturday and I was gonna get a tan, but no. Instead the day I was outside all day, it was rainy and really cold. I pretty much froze out on the soccer field on saturday. There were two soccer games and two baseball games that I went to watch and it was cold. The good news is that the boy's soccer team won both games :). Both games were really exciting. The first game was against Cedar Falls and they beat them 3-2 in over time. The second was against Xavier. That game went into sudden death PK shootout. The boys definitely pulled through and beat the Saints, so in a small way it was worth it to be out in the cold. 

This week it looks like it is gonna be raining some more, unfortunately, but this weekend is suppose to be sunny and beautiful out. Let's just hope the weather people don't get it wrong. We need a sunny, warm weekend!!

Females Are Taking Over :)

At the ACM Awards, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift took home the most honorable awards of the night. Carrie Underwood walked away with Entertainer of the Year. She is the first female to take home this award since 2000, when the Dixie Chicks won it. Taylor Swift took home Album of the Year for her newest album "Fearless". This album was the highest selling album in February and March of this year. This was a fan-voted event and Carrie Underwood was speechless when it came to her acceptance speech. She literally didn't know what to say. 

Taylor was shocked as well when she won, as were many others. Taylor went up against fan favorites such as George Strait, Carrie Underwood, and everyone's love, Keith Urban. Taylor has sold more albums this year than any artists. Many have noticed that Taylor is bringing so much more to country music and she is starting to attract a younger audience to country music. That is really good to hear for me, because I think everyone should listen to country. It is fascinating.

Trace Atkins, Julianne Hough, Jamey Johnson, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, and Brad Paisley also won awards during the ACM Awards. Trace won a top single award for "You're Gonna Miss This" and Julianne won an award for top new artist. Julianne was discovered as a pro dancer on Dancing with the Stars and then decided to start a singing career. Rascal Flatts and Sugarland both won awards for top vocals. Brad Paisley won top male vocalist and was also recognized for his music video of the year honors for "Waitin' On a Woman" and also his song "Start a Band", a duet done with his good friend Keith Urban.

I think this year's ACM Awards went really well and I'm really glad Carrie Underwood won an award and Brad Paisley. They both have worked real hard this past year. I am excited to see the new artists coming into play and can't wait to see where they stand next year. It is going to be an interesting competition next year with all the great new artists coming up.

What's Hot on the Charts

Rodney Atkins' "It's America" has finally reached it's deserved spot of #1 on the Billboard Country Singles Chart. I am so happy for this, because this is seriously an amazing song. For the second week in a row, Rascal Flatts' "Unstoppable" has been #1 for Top Country Albums Chart. Rascal Flatts has really stepped up their sound and come out with something great, and as the results show, everyone else agrees with me. 

New songs that are making their appearance on the charts are Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me, Miranda Lambert's "Dead Flowers", and Joe Nichols' "Believers". These are all real good songs. What makes me laugh about the Taylor Swift song coming to the charts is that this song has been out for a while. It was on her "Fearless" album that came out back in February. I think it is showing that people are finally getting passed listening to her top songs ("Love Story" and "White Horse") over and over, and finally listening to the rest of the CD. 

Jason Aldean's new album, "Wide Open", is finally making it's way to it's well earned spot of #2 on the Top Country Albums Chart. Followed by Taylor Swift's "Fearless", Keith Urban's "Defying Gravity", and Carrie Underwood's "Carnival Ride". All these albums are really great and what is really cool about all of them is it is showing a new side to all of these artists. This is Aldean's first full album and he is really starting to make some real progress. This is Swift's second album and her sound is really starting to mature and starting to sound a lot better. Keith Urban has always been absolutely amazing and so has Carrie Underwood, but their new albums are even better and shows that they are true country legends.

Darius Rucker is the new guy in town and, boy, is he sure coming in with a bang. Already out with two major hot singles, he is just making his way. He's almost making it look easy. His soothing voice is winning the heart's of the ladies and he is said to be working on an album. If you haven't heard any of his work yet, I suggest you get on that :)

New Favorite Songs

I'm Still A Guy by Brad Paisley

This is an awesome song. It's one of Brad Paisley's new songs and it is pretty funny. It's about guys being guys and how there's nothing girls can do about it, no matter how much they wish. It is really good and there are some really funny parts. He talks about how now days there are guys that go tanning, or get botox, or something feminine like that and how he is still a guy and doesn't do that. 

It Won't Be Like This For Long by Darius Rucker

This song is so cute. It's about how parents need to appreciate time with their kids, because time will fly by really fast. It feels like it goes right by, so appreciate every moment with them. The beginning starts out with a guy that can't sleep because he has a new born baby that is crying, but the song is saying that he needs to appreciate it because the time will pass him by and he'll actually miss it when it's gone. Darius Rucker is kind of a new singer, but he is doing very well. He has come out with a couple top songs and they are all on my list of good songs. He really has a great voice and write about some interesting things. The way he views situations is really neat.

It's America by Rodney Atkins

If you want a good look at what America is all about, this is the song to listen to. It is really cute and a cool look at America.

"It's a high school prom

It's a Springstein song

It's a ride in a Chevrolet

It's a man on the moon

And fireflies in June

Kids sellin' lemonade

It's cities and farms

And open arms

One nation under God

It's America"

To me, I think that is a good understanding of what America is. It's a fun song to listen to and the words send out a good meaning. It creates a good picture in my mind. I love songs about America and this song definitely shows what goes on.

Why does everyone hate on country?

I love country music. I was raise in a country family, so I was always listening to country music. In the car, my parents would only ever turn the radio to 98.1 (the country station). I've been to a lot of country concerts and I have actually had the opportunity of meeting Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, and Faith Hill. My extended family mainly lives in the south, so growing up I gained the southern manners and got most of my life values from them. I love country music, because it tells a story. It actually has meaning to the singer and most country singers (the true country singers) write their own music. If you look at today's rap and pop music, it's all about drugs, sex, and violence. It doesn't have any meaning to the singer and the singer was most likely given a sheet of music and told to sing it. They took no part in the writing process and don't even really know what they are singing about. Every country song you listen to has a story behind it that the artist can relate to. Right now I'm listening to How Can I Help You Say Goodbye by Patty Loveless. This song is about a girl's journey through life, learning how to say goodbye. You say goodbye a lot through out your life and it never gets easier, but you learn how to deal with it. This song is about Patty Loveless' life. She wrote it and it has sentimental meaning to her. This is what I love about country. You learn about the artist when you hear their songs, not just that they are singing about sex or something pointless like that.

Many kids that say they don't like country are only saying it because they think it is "uncool" to like it. Some people say it is depressing, because country singers only sing about the depressing part of life. Well, this is incorrect. They sing about life in general and if you haven't figured it out yet.. Life isn't perfect! There's depressing things that everyone goes through. Rap is all about sex, drugs, and violence. I don't know about you, but that sounds kind of depressing to me. Country singers sing about real things and real stories that are beneficial to their listeners, not about pointless stuff just to have a good up-beat song. They write and sing music, because it is their passion and they want their stories to be heard, not just to make millions of dollars and be able to call themselves "celebrities".

Show Choir Tryouts

Last week were the voice auditions for next years' show choir groups. It is so extremely nerve racking to go in, knowing that is your formal audition for making a group next year, and sing your best in front of the two directors. You walk in to the tiny practice room in the choir hallway and the directors are just there staring at you, ready to judge you. It's hard to sing and concentrate on that when they are sitting there writing stuff down while you are singing your song. You don't know whether it is good stuff or bad stuff, but you do know that it is all about you and whether you are going to be in the group you want to be in or not. We lined up in the hall outside the tryout room, and one by one you saw people go in and do their tryout. Some came out really happy and proud of how their tryout had just gone, but on the other hand, some come out saying how they were so nervous that they definitely did not sing their best. All you are thinking about is how your turn is creeping closer and closer. Also, you are thinking about how this is your only chance to prove yourself and how it's now or never. It is so stressful. Even though show choir is so rewarding to be in, the process to get into it is really scary. It is a way to kind of live up to your fears of going for something you want and only having that one opportunity and it takes guts. 

Next week are the dance tryouts and I'm pretty nervous for that. Dancing is definitely not my strong point and it's even worse that instead of auditioning in front of two people, you are in front of four. The Happiness choreographer is one of those four. Scaaarrrry! The dances are always super fast and it's hard to get it all down before your group is called and you have to go perform it. There is so much to think about when you are performing it for them, because they want you to do the dance and have your facials turned on. It's so much to concentrate on! It's insane and extremely stressful.

Summer Plans :)

It's April 23 and there are only... 30 more days of school and 2 half days :):). Yessssss! I am so extremely excited for summer you have no idea! So I am just gonna share my summer plans, because that is all I can honestly think of right now. Okay, so this summer is going to be amazing. One of my favorite summer activities are going to all of the bonfires that take place, getting super tan, going on road trips with friends, camping and boating, going to cabins, going to concerts, and just being free from school! My friends and I are talking about all of the camping trips we are going to take and those are so amazing. It's fun to get away from all the modern junk and just take a nice old fashion camping trip. One of my best friends is moving to Texas this summer, which is extremely sad, and we don't know how much of the summer she is going to be here for. Last summer we literally hung out every single day of the summer. So, this summer, after she moves me and some other people are planning to take a road trip down to Texas and spend a couple weeks down there. It will be so cool and a really good experience. My longest road trip, just with friends, was to Des Moines for the basketball state tournament. So I'm really excited to take this road trip. I am kind of scared, though, because I can definitely see something going wrong and we break down in a remote place or something. I was just thinking about this movie I saw. It is call Hitcher. It's about this couple who go on a road trip and on the trip they almost hit this guy. Later, they are asked to give him a ride to the next town and he tries to kill them. They escape, but the whole movie is about that guy tracking them down and in the end the boyfriend dies and the girlfriend lives. It's a pretty creepy movie to think about when you are trying to plan a road trip with your buds. 

3rd Term Sucks.

In school, 3rd term is the hardest term of the whole year. All we want is for it to be summer and to be out of school. Everyone is so preoccupied with it finally starting to get warm out again and thinking of our summer plans. It is really hard to concentrate during this time of the year. The first term of school is easy, because we actually start to miss school in the end of summer. The second term is okay, considering we can't go outside cause it's -50 out and there's nothing to do but sit and do our homework. But third term, however, is horrible. Like today it's suppose to be 78 degrees, so what am I going to want to do? Go out and enjoy it! So, of course, my homework won't get done and then I have another problem. It's a lose-lose situation for us kids. For me, especially, spring is my favorite because my favorite school sports are finally starting up. I love going and watching boys and girls soccer (mainly boys, they are cuter). Also, I am in love with the baseball games. The school season doesn't officially begin until the end of May, but Kennedy does a spring league and so I always go and watch those. I love being outside and getting fresh air, so it's really hard when you are sitting in school and you see the sun shining outside. Your mind starts to wander and you start planning out your entire summer and next you know you are thinking .. "Wait, what did the teacher just say?" "We have a test tomorrow? Over what?" and "What's our homework over? When did we learn about that?" It's impossible!!! Seriously, it is so frustrating just ask any kid. Right now, the only reason I am writing this blog is because I have a laptop and can sit outside and write. If I didn't have a laptop I could honestly say that this blog would not be written until the next time it is cold or raining outside. 

Lollapalooza :)

I got my Lollapalooza ticket a couple days ago and I am really excited. Lollapalooza is a music festival in Chicago that happens every year. This year there is a really good line-up and there are a lot of bands that I really want to hear. Some bands that I'm really looking forward to are Jane's Addiction, The Killers, Kings of Leon, Beastie Boys, Arctic Monkeys, and Crystal Castles. It's a three day music festival and it is during the summer. Some of my friends are going to it too which will be a lot of fun.

Some other concerts that I'm going to this summer are Summerfest in Michigan, Keith Urban ft Taylor Swift in Des Moines, along with Coldplay in Des Moines. I'm really excited about all of these, especially Coldplay. I like a wide variety of genres so I'm happy that I'm going to get to see a little of all of them. I'll see some country, some rap, some indie, and some pop. It'll be a really good summer. I just wish Cedar Rapids held more concerts, but you wants to come here? Nobody. The last concert was Taylor Swift last summer and she only came because of the flood and was donating a bunch of money to our city.

This summer, I might also be going down to Nashville, Tennessee which will be awesome, because Nashville is our music capitol. There will be a lot of amazing country concerts and it'll just be a music filled vacation. The Grand Ole Opry House has held many shows and hopefully I will get to go there to see some people.

Incomplete.

So, show choir is coming to an end for this year and I am seriously starting to feel like my life has no meaning to it. It sounds ridiculous, but to show choir people it makes sense. You put all your time and energy into it that when it's over you have so much time it's weird. It's an incomplete feeling.

This year has been an exceptional year and I am sad to see it end, but next year will bring new beginnings. I can not wait to start in on next year! The feeling of performing for an audience and working so hard to pull off a great show is one of the most amazing feelings I have ever experienced in my entire life. There is not a lot that compares to it. Taking a step back from it all, I realize how thankful I am to be able to go up and do that. To look into the eyes of your audience and see the smile on their face and to hear them cheer wildly at you is truly rewarding. You learn a lot from show choir. Just like any sport, you learn where hard work can get you, you go through ups and most definitely downs, you learn about improvement and how no matter how good you think you are, you can always be better. You can see this improvement in the difference of shows and you think to yourself "Wow, I am apart of that! I am a factor in this show choir getting even better!" This year has been wonderful and I am grateful for the friends I've met and the memories I've made. Most importantly, I am grateful for the lessons it has taught me and will continue to teach me. 

Just A Little Update..

Before I go on with my thoughts on Eclipse, there are announcements..

The official DVD release date is March 21st! Yay! I am so excited and can not wait to get it. It will become one of my few prize possessions. On the opening midnight show of Twilight I went with my friends Caitlin, Maddi, and Cathy. During complete random parts of the movie, like every time Edward would say something, people would clap or cheer or say "Awwww, so cute!". SOOO, because of this I am excited to watch the movie...alone...in silence! The special edition DVD comes with interviews and never before seen deleted scenes.

Another good news announcement is that Taylor Lautner will be coming back to play Jacob Black once again. It was rumored that he was not going to continue the role, but it is official that he will be showing his adorable face once again. The cast is on their way, working hard to finish another Twilight Series film and it will be exciting to see how it turns out in comparison to the first movie.

The Characters.

As I was writing my last blog I realized that maybe some of you don't know who I am talking about. So, for those of you who haven't read these books (which is a shame on you! If you haven't, I expect you to go out and get the books immediately) I will briefly let you in on it.

The main character is Bella Swan. She is the most interesting character I have ever come across in my reading career. Bella moves to Forks, Washington to live with her dad, which is a self sacrifice toward her self. She is the type of person that puts everyone else before actually thinking of herself. Her mom wants to travel with her husband, but doesn't so she can stay with Bella and so she leaves to spend quality time with her dad and lets her mom travel. The way Bella's mind thinks is so different that it is very refreshing.

Edward is the another important character. Without him, Bella would have been smashed by the van in Twilight and this story would never have taken place (read Twilight to understand). Edward is a very deep person and has been waiting for 100 years for his true love. His true love comes in the form of none other than, Bella! Edward goes through many mental struggles between right and wrong throughout the series. These struggles are very interesting to follow.

The Vamps. Edward's family, created by Carlisle Cullen, is a group of "vegetarian" vampires. Carlisle made them and taught they from the beginning of their new lives to live off of only animal blood. From newest to oldest (counting from when they entered the Cullen family) are Jasper and Alice, Emmett, Rosalie, Esme, Edward, and Carlisle. Periodically throughout the books you get to hear each of their background stories. I think it is amazing how Stephenie Meyer came up with each unique background story.

"It will be as if I never existed.."

New Moon, the sequel to Twilight, was definitely not my favorite book in the series. After reading Twilight, I was hooked on it and basically spent all my time fantasizing about it. When I first started reading these books the first three books were already out. I was on vacation in Arizona visiting all of my family and was way too bored for my own good, so I went to the book store to pick out a book to get me through the weeks. Little did I know that I would be picking out the book that would become a part of my life! When I finished the first book (only two days later), I rushed back to the book store to get the second. I had to wait a whole day just to dig into it, because it was Thanksgiving and we do a lot of family games and cooking on that day. It felt like a million years! During the time that I was just dying to get started, I simply couldn't wait to find out what happened next. I wanted to find out where Edward and Bella's relationship was going and what they would do next...together. Well, unfortunately for me, this didn't happen.

The beginning of the book is great and picked right back up where it was left off. It is getting close to Bella's birthday, which is not an intriguing idea for Bella who doesn't want to get older than her 17 year old, immortal boyfriend. She doesn't let anyone give her any attention on her birthday, although Alice does intend on throwing a little get together that night. A little get together as in, the Cullens and Bella. Before the "party", Bella and Edward watch Romeo & Juliet, which is one of my favorite parts considering I have an unhealthy addiction for Romeo & Juliet. I watch the movies a lot and read it when I'm not reading anything else. I love when Edward whispers Romeo's lines into Bella's ears. At the party Bella accidentally gives herself a paper cut and that sets Jasper, Edward's brother, off in a vampire frenzy. Thinking that he is constantly putting Bella into life-threatening danger by being with her, he LEAVES HER! My mouth literally dropped at this pointed and I almost started crying. 

Because of Edward's absence, Bella grows a very close bond to Jacob. Jacob becomes Bella's best friend and pulls her out of her zombie presence. Jacob and Bella's relationship grows quite strong, but is looked at differently between the two of them. To Bella, Jacob is her best friend and she loves him like a brother. To Jacob, Bella is his best friend and the love of his life. Their friendship is tested when Jacob begins to ignore her, but it is later revived when Bella finally understands that Jacob is a werewolf. What a strange world! Bella is definitely not in Kansas anymore!

In the end, Bella saves Edward from a horrible ending and they are back together at last. But this isn't quite a fairytale ending yet.. When Edward left, he left Bella broken and Jacob was the one to fix her up again. Bella's needs for both Edward and Jacob are strong but she finds that she can not have the cake and eat it too seeing that Edward and Jacob are natural enemies. Bella is left to choose between her best friend, that she most desperately needs, and her boyfriend who she realizes she can't live without. This is all left for us to figure out in the third book, Eclipse..