While I Have a Few Minutes....

I thought I'd fill you in on the new book obsession. It looks like I have a full day devoted to laundry and football.... Yay for me!  

At the end of the last post, I told you that I had started a new book series. Well, if you are one of the very few like me who hasn't already read it, I'm gonna tell you why I started. I've now read the first two books of the Twilight series, by Stephanie Meyers. I assumed it was just another fad like the Harry Potter books, but for a little bit older crowd. It got to the point that every time I got on the computer, more and more adults were reading these things too. Then I was at home, and I found out my aunt and my cousin were reading them together. When E told me she liked them, that did it for me. She and I have similar tastes in books and authors. I knew that I couldn't hold out any longer. My biggest problem is knowing that if I like one book, I will become obsessed until I finish them all. Knowing that there were already four of them, I was really hesitant to begin. I'm also not very fond of things that Hollywood gets involved in. I can not name one movie based on a book that was as good as the book. I can come up with a couple that were close, but no movie can capture all the emotions and detail that an author can convey. I have come to that same conclusion about Twilight, but we'll get to that in a moment.

First, I got the first book, Twilight, still skeptical on how I would respond. Now, I do love vampire stories. I was interested to see how someone could write a good vampire book for a younger crowd. I must say I was impressed. Meyers took a legend as old as time and adapted it beautifully for a new age group in a very new time. This book is a wonderful, first-love, story without the inappropriate issues. Very clean, and as innocent as possible when a vampire is involved.  I finished in less that 24 hours. Sometimes I hate how fast I read. I immediately had to have the rest. However, when I got to Barnes and Noble the next day, they only had the second one, New Moon, in paper back. I got it, but I knew it would take me about the same amount of time to finish that one, and I'm not really a very patient person. It did actually take me two days because of the packing and traveling. I'm not going to say much about this one, except that it is, to me, better than the first, and dives more into the complex emotions of the main character. It's more suspenseful than the first, with a much more interesting plot line, and leaves you hanging at the end. I can not wait to find the next two. 

As for the movie, I think I will see it, but I'll wait until DVD release. I just cannot imagine any way that a movie could capture the emotional turmoil that constantly exists in the thoughts of the main character. But, so many people are raving about the movie as much as the book, so I'll reserve judgement until I actually see it. 

If you've read these, seen the movie, or plan to do both, let me know what you think. I love comparing the different perceptions. 

We're Back!

So we're back, and honestly, we kinda wish we weren't. We got home yesterday afternoon, and were welcomed by about 4 inches of snow with it still coming down. The projected highs for Thursday and Friday are somewhere around 11 degrees with a low of 0. Fun stuff.  I'm just absolutely thrilled. Anyway, it is good to be back in our place. It was great to unpack all the bags and put things up for the first time in over three weeks. Emma seems glad to be back too. She has fallen back into her sleep schedule, but we are going to have a time getting her accustomed to doing what we want her to do again. Three weeks with grandparents spoiled her just a little....

The trip itself, was wonderful. It was so great to be home and relax. We did a lot of bouncing around between families, but I honestly didn't mind. I told more than one person that I relaxed more the entire time I was home than I have since I moved here. We ate so much amazing food, that my scale today is hitting a number I didn't expect to see quite yet. I bet my doctor will be thrilled when she sees me on Tuesday.  Channing and I didn't do any of the eating out when had planned on because everyone made sure that they had all our favorite meals every time we sat down at the table. I think we were really spoiled too. 

Even Hannah Grace had a party while we were there. Channing's family surprised with sweet little girl gifts and a beautiful cake. Santa himself came to see the rest of the kids at the end of the night. It was a great night all around. 

The time went by much too quickly. Neither of us was ready to leave, but we were ready to unpack. We took way too much stuff with us, and came back with about three times what we took. We had to rent a U-Haul to come home. I am definitely not kidding.  The food wasn't the only thing they spoiled us with.  

I'll post later about the books I read while gone, and the enlightenment we had about Miss Emma's understanding of complex concepts. Here's a clue to both: Twilight and Revenge....

All I'll say now is that I bought into the madness, and my child is far more advanced than we thought.....  Some of the family is already familiar with the latter issue, so for the rest of you, stay tuned; it's worth the wait!

Merry Christmas!

Good morning and Merry Christmas to everyone! 

We are home, currently at #3 of the 4 places we get to celebrate. Even with the rush to see everyone, and be at all the different family gatherings, we are really, really enjoying our time home. The only problem we have is wondering how in the world we're gonna get all this stuff home. Santa must have really put in a good word for us, because I really think we've gotten WAY more than we deserve. Even Hannah has already had her first surprise party!  

Santa did find us this morning. He came to see Emma and William here at Granny's house. Miss Emma decided 6:30 was the time she needed to be to check things out. Needless to say, an early nap will take place. It was so awesome to have the two cousins together, and to be able to be here for William's first Christmas. I have some great pictures, but they are gonna have to wait.  

So for now,  Merry Christmas from the Hodges! We hope you have a wonderful day!

Oh Boy....

It's  a Girl! 

Hahaha, yes, I'm a little shocked. I was convinced this baby was a boy, but she is very active and healthy little girl! Everything appears to be fine and normal. She's a little bigger than the average, weighing 11 oz. right now. (Normal avg. is 8 oz) The doctor has put me on some medicine to stop the contractions, but he says that there is no indication of preterm labor. The meds are just a precaution to make sure a problem does not come up. 

Oh, we do have a name, and the credit goes to Channing for this one.... Hannah Grace Hodges. He did good didn't he? Emma can say it, and she does seem excited about her new baby sister. But, she always makes sure to tell me that she is a big girl, and this is a baby.

Channing and I are little nervous about the future with two teenage girls. But, I think there is a great age difference between them, and hopefully, the conflict with be minimal. Most of all though, we are just thrilled that she is healthy, and that there are no problems. We can't wait to get home and share the pictures with everyone. We have 3D pictures of her, which is something we didn't get for Emma. To me, she already looks like her sister! They have the exact same nose! And, I must say, it is a very cute nose! I would post the pictures on here if I knew how to scan them. Family, y'all are just gonna have to wait until we get home, but I promise you it will be worth it! 

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us and for a good report. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted, and now I can focus all the good things and the preparations for our new addition. We are so excited, and so ready to get home and enjoy our break and the holidays. I'm not sure how often, if at all, that I get to post, so to everyone, Merry Christmas!, and Happy New Year! We hope you all have a wonderful holiday with all your families, and safe travels anywhere you may go!

The Update and a Book Review

I promised an update, so here you go. 

First, everything seems fine. I've gained weight, and I'm noticeably growing. The baby's heartbeat is strong and illusive, because this child is never still. We have a very, very active little one on our hands....

Second, the ultrasound has been moved up to Monday morning. There is a slight cause for concern and she wants to have things checked out before we head home. Here's the deal: I've been experiencing what seem to be contractions for about two weeks. They started out very slight and not painful at all. However, the last two days they have become painful and accompanied by constant back pain. I really haven't thought much of it because I had alot of back trouble with Emma when I started gaining weight, and I feel this baby move all the time. The doctor is referring me to someone else Monday for his opinion, but she said this most likely just a case of me doing too much. I have been instructed not pick up Emma and keep my activity level down. She said going home should be fine, especially since we're gonna to take two days to get there.  She said the trip home may be just what I need, as long as I take it easy and let other people help with Emma as much as possible. I told her I didn't think that would be a problem. 

So, don't worry. If she was really concerned, they would have admitted me today and forced an ultrasound. Just pray that everything is fine, and all we see Monday is a healthy baby. With that said, we should be home sometime Wednesday afternoon. 

Now, for the book you all must read. I'm sure you've seen the commercials for the movie Marley and Me. I've heard about this book off and on for a couple of years, but never got around to getting it. I got it yesterday, and just finished it. This book is wonderful! In case you don't know, it's the story of a young couple and their highly rambunctious, non obedient lab. Even if you aren't a dog lover, you should read this book. I have laughed and cried all at once. So much of it reminds me of my many years with a canine companion.  This is an easy, relaxing read, perfect for the holiday break. I always like to read books before the movie comes out. That way you know how the story is supposed to go, and not how Hollywood thinks it should go. I can't imagine the movie being any better than this, but I would like to see it, just to see what they did with it. If you read it, or have already read it, let me know!

One more quick thing... My friend Nikki and her husband Nate are in the Philippines right now on a vision trip for Mission To the World. She will be updating her blog while there, so check it out, and keep them in your prayers as well. This trip has been in the making for two years, and they feel that this is the place they are called to serve. 

Official countdown...6 days!

The Cure for a Bad Day

I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did! Channing forwarded that to me this morning and I had to share it with you! I hope it made you smile!

I have a checkup today, so I'll try to post later and let you know the updates!

Pictures...

I've totally been slacking in the picture department these days. Because I have so many new ones, I put them all in albums on my Facebook page. Here are the links:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2142636&id=26501265&ref=mf

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2142634&id=26501265

One album is from our trip to the zoo the night after Thanksgiving, and the other is from Louisville. I hope you enjoy them!