Yeah, so it’s been a while . . .

Well, I suppose it’s been a while since I posted. I really am the worst person ever when it comes to blogging or twittering or updating my status on facebook. The only thing I’m consistent with is email and that’s because of work really. But seriously, twittering every time I step outside of my house or turn on the TV is just not that appealing. My life is not that interesting.

Anyway, so what’s going on over here? Well, we took a quick trip to Texas, which was fantastic except that it was about 104 degrees every day. Seriously. I think for those of us who grew up with that sort of humidity and heat, it may be just slightly more bearable. But I really can’t imagine growing up somewhere like Colorado and then moving to Texas. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a loyal Texan. But the humidity and heat can be overwhelming. So it was fun, just hot. And now we’re back. We’re never there long enough to do all the things we’d like to do, which is unfortunate. But seeing my family is always my priority and that’s what we were able to do this time and it was great. Of course, Ashtyn was the primary attraction. Everyone adored her, naturally. I mean, come on, she’s adorable.

Sara wasn’t there this time around since she’s married and everything and living in Virginia. So I really missed seeing her. Laura and I were able to spend time together scrapbooking, which is something I like but never seem to have enough time to do. So having sister time and scrapbooking was extra fun.  I like photo albums and scrapbooks because I’m just not that great at remembering stuff. Jeff and I were in Europe the year before we got married, and I made myself write down what we did everyday. I’m so glad now because I wouldn’t remember anything by this point. Despite this fact about me, I’ve never been one for consistent journaling. I had maybe two journals from when I was younger and I threw them both away right before I got married. I scanned through them and realized that nothing I’d written was anything I really needed to remember.

I read this great quote today from Pride and Prejudice. “Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure.” That’s great advice. But for some reason, it’s those unpleasant things that often stick with us, which is also unfortunate. But I think it’s true that as time goes by and the distance between you and those memories gets larger–they become easier to ignore and sometimes even easier to forget. At least, that’s how it is for me.

Anyway, next week we’ve got ICRS in Denver and I’m super excited about that. And what else is going on next week? How can you not know this? Harry Potter releases!! Yay! I cannot wait. So I’ll be in touch after and let you know how much I loved it.

Blog Tour! Love’s Pursuit by Siri Mitchell

In the small Puritan community of Stoneybrooke, Massachusetts, Susannah Phillips stands out both for her character and beauty. She wants only a simple life but soon finds herself pursued by the town’s wealthiest bachelor and by a roguish military captain sent to protect them. One is not what he seems and one is more than he seems.

In trying to discover true love’s path, Susannah is helped by the most unlikely of allies, a wounded woman who lives invisible and ignored in their town. As the depth, passion, and sacrifice of love is revealed to Susannah, she begins to question the rules and regulations of her childhood faith. In a community where grace is unknown, what price will she pay for embracing love?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764204327/

Baby kicks

So I have two close friends who are both having babies this summer, about three weeks apart actually. We had a baby shower for one of the girls today. Shopping for baby stuff and watching Tammy open all kinds of fun baby presents and the seeing the adorable baby bellies in the room just took me back to last summer, when I was expanding at an abnormally rapid pace and feeling a little monster kick up a storm inside of me. Gosh, time goes by fast. I remember trying to sleep at night while Ashtyn was flipping like a gymnast and now here she is–and life has changed in so many good ways. And she’s growing so fast! Wow. She’s already so different from the tiny infant we brought home. But having her all to myself for nine months is something I’ll forever cherish.

Well, it looks like there will be more changes in the Bruce home soon. Jeff is beginning a new job this month. We’re pretty excited about it, but it’s a little intimidating, too. I guess that’s to be expected. But still–I’m glad. I rather like change. I think it’s from growing up with a mother who rearranged the furniture pretty regularly.

But really, I don’t think I’d like feeling as though we were so settled that we didn’t feel the freedom to do something different. It’s not that I don’t think familiar is great and comfortable–it’s just that I want to feel that ten years from now my life can look very different and that’s okay. One year from now my life will probably look different and that’s okay too. I think about when I left Texas and went to Virginia–and how people like Laurie and Leah came into my life. And then leaving Virginia and coming to Colorado was just so fun and exciting. Jeff and I watched movies on my laptop and slept on an air mattress for a week while we waited for our belongings to arrive. Plastic forks and paper plates–I felt like we were camping. It was great. And meeting Kelsey and Melanie and Brent. Those were good times. . . . Except for the whole living-in-an-apartment-and-having-to-scrape tons of snow off my car every morning. That’s not the coolest. But then moving into our house was really great. We slept in the guestroom for the first week, and painted the entire interior of our house, and ordered lots of delivery pizza. (And we swore we’d never paint again.)

 I have this memory from when I was probably around seven years old. My family had just built a house in Conroe, Texas. I think it was the first night–or close to it–I remember camping out on the living room floor with my mom and dad and Sara, and loving it. There’s just something about being somewhere new that makes life feel like an adventure.

Because, let’s be real, it doesn’t always feel like an adventure. But you’ve got to have those moments where it does or life just starts to feel like an endless cycle of the same thing. Maybe that’s okay for some people, but for me, you need a little rearranging of the furniture every now and then, so to speak.

And I know that by the end of this summer, the furniture will definitely have moved for me and Jeff. I’ll let you know where it all ends up.  

So to get back to the beginning–I’ve been thinking a lot about the changes I experienced last summer and over the past year–and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. Seriously–Ashtyn’s pretty much the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.  She’s trying to say mama these days. It’s funny, though, that it really only comes out when she’s super mad or frustrated.I guess she knows it gets my attention.

Questions about questioning faith

So I read this blog post yesterday that really stuck with me. Go here to check it out: Losingmyreligion

Here’s a quote to get the general idea: “Last fall, I finally moved past guilt and admitted to myself that I no longer believe in Jesus or the god of the Bible. Surprisingly it was a relief. Not because I wanted to run wild and sin freely, but because I no longer felt the weight a Christian carries. The weight of guilt, unworthiness and fear of god’s judgement. I continue to spend my days striving to be a good husband, father and son. I help others in need around me as often as I can. The big difference is I do these things today because it brings me joy, not because I believe it brings an imaginary god joy.”

Wow. I read that and felt–I’m not sure what. I appreciate his honesty. I think for people who’ve been “in the faith” for so long, that kind of honesty isn’t so easy. Maybe that’s a small part of what he’s getting at when he talks about the weight a Christian carries. Here’s the thing, I wonder how many people–Christians–experience these exact feelings but feel too much guilt or fear to say them out loud. I know there’s supposed to be freedom in Christ–but, and I’m just being honest here, sometimes it doesn’t feel that way. There’s fear too. And reaching that place where you are truly honest with yourself (and everyone else, another tough one for some Christians) is a difficult journey. The guy who wrote this post included 20 reasons for why he’s abandoned his faith. I can tell you that more than one of those reasons are a part of that unspoken-avoidance section of Christianity.

I know I’ve asked a few of those questions to different people before and the answer is usually something like “We can never understand God. His ways are not our ways. We just have to trust Him. He sees the big picture.”

And that’s true. It has to be. Because I don’t understand all 20 of the reasons (and more) that I just read. Most of them are really disturbing. And I don’t think anyone can rationally give me explanations for things like reason #3. But the fact alone that He’s God means He sees everything–and that includes the small picture, right? Not just the big one. The small, everyday picture of our everyday life.  

Then there’s that fear factor. Maybe it’s ingrained in us, I don’t know. Maybe it’s just a healthy fear of God. To me, His existence is not a question at all. And that means He’s bigger and stronger than me and everyone else and I really don’t want to upset Him. But does questioning the basics of faith upset Him? I hope not.  I think the usual answer to this is that He’s big enough to handle our questions and He wants us to ask Him. But then there’s that other fact that in Scripture, He’s not always totally cool with people questioning Him. So which is it?  

Hmm. Hard to know. I think for some people, taking a hard look at these kinds of questions leads to a really uncomfortable place that they just don’t want to go to. So they avoid it, and seriously, I can’t blame them. And I’m not saying they’re wrong.

Then there are people like this guy, who wrestle with the hardest questions. He’s come through this and decided he doesn’t believe anymore. So would it have been better if he’d never even gone there to begin with? Or would that level of faith (for him) have been shallow and based on only thinking of God in ways that he’s comfortable with? I don’t think there’s a right and wrong answer here; but for some of us, never questioning, never admitting that sometimes everything doesn’t add up–these things don’t go hand in hand with having an authentic relationship with God. And I do believe that there are people (Philip Yancey and Brennan Manning, for a couple of examples) who have truly wrestled with the most unattractive and scary parts of who God just might be–and have come through it with more faith than before. It can happen. And that’s so comforting to me. 

I read this guy’s post and can understand where he’s coming from. And I can understand where he ended up. But for me, it all starts with truly believing in the existence of God. That’s the starting point. If I believe in God (which I do), then I want to have more of an opinion of Him than just ”the Force” in the sky. That’s where the journey can get tricky. Because knowing someone personally who absolutely never speaks audibly to you (at least not to me) can sometimes feel really one-sided. But that’s just how it is. I think faith involves crossing that barrier and being okay with it. But I also think questioning the role of faith in our world is inevitable for some of us. And while God may not be thrilled with the questioning (I really can’t say how He feels)–I do think He’s not someone who writes people off because they feel unsure or afraid or really, really frustrated. And I think there’s plenty of evidence in Scripture for that. I know He’s more patient than we are and more tolerant (and if you think He isn’t it, then mercy and grace means something different to me than it does to you). So I don’t think He runs when we feel like we’ve hit a wall with our beliefs. There’s a beautiful hymn by Fanny Crosby that says “Help my unbelief.” That part of the song has always been my favorite, because even a woman of faith like Fanny Crosby had to pray about her unbelief. And hearing that tells me that she wasn’t afraid to be real with others and real with God.

And for me, that’s what it’s all about.

vampire fans

Okay, so I watched the MTV movie awards–unfortunately. Other than seeing the HP and Twilight clips, I seriously feel that watching the show was a waste of time. I’m wondering if people actually find all of that funny? It was so over-the-top. I was getting a little sick of all the bleeped words. Are none of those people capable of speaking in public without cursing every other word? And what would usually be fun to watch–Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds for example–was just stupid and confusing rather than funny. Kiefer Sutherland crying for half an hour, Sacha Baron Cohen’s tragic entrance, Hayden Panettiere’s f*** word rant–it just wasn’t enjoyable. OK, I will admit that the spoof of stars walking away from blasting infernos was pretty good. But not enough of a reason to watch the show.

Kristen Stewart dropping her award seemed like a very real moment (unlike anything else that night). She never seems too impressed with all the attention she’s getting and that’s kind of refreshing to see. Zac Efron did a good job of receiving his award after the most ridiculous stunt of the night. The only worthwhile fact of the show is that Twilight won so many awards. And that the New Moon clip was fantastic (probably the reason most people even suffered through watching the show).

Seriously, though, I hope MTV does a better job next year.

Not so much

I really don’t have all that much to say at the moment. But Ash is asleep and I seem to have a few quiet moments to myself–and I’m tired of reading and tired of emailing and tired of TV, so writing sounded like a good idea. It’s raining outside, which I appreciate, and Ashtyn’s lullaby CD is playing, which I know by heart. I really need to find another baby CD.

I keep thinking about Sara–out in Virginia and working and being married and all that. LB called last night and it was so great (and hilarious–she’s just so funny!) to talk with her and hear all the latest news on her life. And I love that even as my family changes, some things stay the same. My dad is coming home soon from Afghanistan permanently. That’s going to be a change. And some days I just feel restless for change in my own life, other days I feel like the idea of change is too overwhelming at the moment. I think Jeff and I both go through these cycles. It’s nice to be with someone who understands really unstable mood changes. (And sort of expects them from me by this point.)  I think I need a vacation. But I’m not sure how to go about that now that we’ve got Ash. Jeff and I are going to have to define what that looks like for us now.

I also think I need chocolate. Soon. But here is something to know about me, I’ve recently decided that marshmallows are one of my favorite snacks. Marshmallow is also my favorite word. So that’s not the most fascinating personal characteristic–I told you I just don’t have much to say! You’ll have to settle for learning crazy things about me.

I’m currently reading The Subtle Knife, by Philip Pullman. So far so good. I liked the Golden Compass more than I thought I would. I’m just such a fan of YA (young adult) fiction. Of course, I grew up loving to read; but it was during an adolescent lit class in college that I realized how much I love YA fiction. And I’ve been thinking lately that I should spend some time working on a YA book project. Doesn’t that sound so fun? I’ll tell you a secret, my sister and I are thinking about co-writing a YA fantasy series. So we’re trying to read lots of books in that genre to get a feel for what we like and what we don’t like. I think Sara’s reading Blue Bloods at the moment. I’m also such a fan of getting kids to read. Do you know how many people go an entire year and never read one whole book?  I probably read more than anyone should, since it’s part of my job and everything. But I can’t imagine missing out on what it’s like to enjoy a great book. It’s like watching a great movie, except getting more details.

So when a series such as Twilight takes off, I think it’s fantastic that so many teens are actually reading and enjoying it. (Being forced to read Silas Marner for school does not count. Well, maybe I’m being too picky. Okay, it counts.) Anyway, I’ll let you know the progression on the Sara&Brandy writings. 

Well, the lullaby CD is making ocean sounds, which means it’s nearing the end. I should probably do something constructive for a few minutes. And for someone who didn’t have a lot to say, this has turned out to be a really long post!

 

http://alphainventions.com/books.xml

Blog Tour! Taking Tuscany by Renee Riva

A. J. Degulio loved the idea of a visit to the Old Country… until her family decided to stay. It’s 1972 and she’s turning fourteen in a crumbling castle on a hill in Tuscany, wishing she were back in Idaho with her beloved dog, Sailor. In Italy, her blonde hair makes her stick out like a vanilla wafer in a box of chocolate biscotti, and she’s so lonely her best friend is a nun from the local convent.

The challenges of roots and relatives are nothing new to A. J., but she’s going to need more than the famous Degulio sense of humor to survive. Can’t anyone see that Italy isn’t really home? It will take a catastrophe – and a few wise words from a friend – for A. J. to understand that sometimes the only thing you can change is your perspective.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1434767779/

Sick Sick Sick

So let me tell you about last week in the Bruce home. I was surrounded by sick people. Jeff started coming down with a cold last weekend and it only got worse, and Ashtyn started feeling sick on Sunday and that only got worse too.  Let me just share the highlights of this awful week with you. Things weren’t looking so good on Tuesday. I took Ashtyn to the pediatrician because she’d been throwing up nonstop and I was worried about her getting dehydrated. Jeff was sounding more and more like a frog, so he went to see our doctor on Tuesday.

I’ll just tell you a little character-quality regarding my husband. He’s kind of a germ-freak. Really. He’s all about using antibactierial gel as often as humanly possible and cleaning everything with clorox and such. And the moment things like “swine flu” start being talked about, the antibacterial gel doubles in our house.

So he goes to our doctor and the women at the desk hand him a mask and ask him to please wear that while he’s waiting. Jeff notices that absolutely no one else has been asked this. He alone is wearing a mask. So he’s sitting there and every person who comes into the office looks at him with terror. People sit as far from him as possible, as though he’s stricken with the plague. He coughs, since that is why he’s there, and this older man jumps from his seat, rushes to the front desk and loudly asks the women there, “Have there been any cases of swine flu in our area?”

Hmm. Like the lone guy in the mask? Poor Jeff. If they only knew that he’s more careful than most. Still, I couldn’t help laughing out loud at the thought of my masked husband scaring everyone at the doctor’s office.

Later, Jeff and I take Ash to see the pediatrician. Apparently a stomach virus is going around and lots of kids have been sick. We just need to keep her drinking fluids and she’ll be fine. Great.

The only problem is that she’s worse. By Wednesday she’s not throwing up anymore, but she’s not quite herself yet either. And then Thursday morning she wakes up with a 102 fever. Now I’m panicked and I call Jeff and try to tell him this calmly. Because another quality of my husband is severe paranoia when it comes to Ashtyn. I tell him that she’s got a fever and I’m leaving to take her back to the pediatrician.

We get there right before they close for lunch, so they send us back to see the doctor. Her fever hasn’t changed so the doctor is checking her out and trying to see down her throat. Obviously Ashtyn hates this and is wiggling and screaming. So while he’s trying to check her throat, she gags and vomits EVERYWHERE. That is not an exaggeration. It’s all over the table, the floor, me, her–you get the idea. The doctor has to recruit help to clean the tiny room–because I really do need help. So there are three nurses and myself trying to clean up the mess. One of the cute nurses (and they really are nice and helpful) starts yelling at another cute nurse not to step in it, it’s everywhere! Right. Glad we’re ALL freaked out. So after I’ve tried to wipe off my arms and Ashtyn’s entire body–the nurses send me to a clean room. The doctor comes in to finish the exam and tries to talk to me about Ashtyn while she’s screaming as loud as she can. I’m trying to understand but having to nod and just guess on some things because having a conversation at that moment really is impossible. And since Ashtyn will not calm down, the inevitable happens. She decides to throw up again, all over me. The doctor visit is coming to an end quickly.

Clean room is no longer clean.   

End of story, we go home and keep giving her fluids and trying to keep her cool and by the next morning she’s doing a little better. Her fever is coming down. So we just keep doing what we’ve been doing. By Friday night her fever is gone–but now her temperature is around 96.5. Hmm. Is this normal?  I’m thinking. To go from really hot to abnormally cool? We call the nurse and she says that it’s probably just dropped because her fever finally broke–but to keep an eye on her because 96 really is too low for a baby. Later in the night she reaches a little over 95 and I’m trying not to panic. We keep adding clothes on her and checking her temperature even though she’s exhausted and just wants to be left alone.

And finally, by Saturday morning, her temperature is getting back to normal. Ashtyn was still exhausted though and slept as much as she could. Jeff’s taking antibiotics and is very slowly getting better. And I’m somehow untouched by the sickness. I hope it stays this way for me.

It could have something to do with the antibacterial gel in every room (that I’m strongly being encouraged to use).

 

http://alphainventions.com/opinion.xml

Weddings during snowstorms.

So! Sara and Nehemiah are now married. The wedding was beautiful, the bride looked gorgeous, and it all went off mostly as planned. I say mostly, because, well, no one really anticipated a snowstorm back when this thing was being planned. Sara had decided on a destination wedding to Colorado Springs so everyone could enjoy beautiful Colorado, they could get some awesome pictures, and so on.

And the day before the wedding . . . this happened.

Correct. A snowstorm. Lots of snow and super cold weather do not make for easy wedding conditions. Especially when all the guests are flying in from out of town. Still, I must say the wedding was still a monumental success. Because the weather came and we were all forced to just roll with it and at the end of April 18th, 2009, Sara was officially Mrs. Hanson, and everyone was smiling and happy and feeling blessed. And if I’ve learned anything, I’ve learned that it’s impossible to plan every detail of a wedding. Something unexpected (or dreaded!) always happens. And it rarely matters afterward.

The church where Sara and Nemo married is in downtown Colorado Springs, Shove Chapel. It’s amazing. And the reception had this Jane Austen-type theme going on that was fabulous. The bridal party even had to perform this Jane Austenish dance at the very beginning of the reception. Let me just say that I am not the world’s greatest dancer. And being coordinated in front of lots of people has never been my strong point. Still, despite these problems, everything was just so fun. It was one of those weddings where you sigh afterward and think, This was such a good day. And maybe part of the happiness and satisfaction comes from seeing a couple like Sara and Nemo receive blessings from heaven. It’s hard to find a couple with more integrity than these two. You can’t help but admire and respect them–and love how they truly admire and respect each other–and see the strength of their individual and combined faith. It’s easy to be happy at weddings where all of that is being celebrated.

And after crazy blizzard weather Friday and Saturday–during all of the driving and last minute details and rushing around and problem hair appointments and missing unity candles and taking the fastest family pictures ever because it was freezing–well, Sunday morning the weather was absolutely glorious. And that reminded me that some things are just out of our control. And it has to be that way, and it’s really okay. It doesn’t really matter. I think of seeing Sara and Nemo saying (and signing) I do–and I know that April 18th was a perfect day in every way that does matter.                                                                                                                                                                                               So the wedding has ended but the marriage has just begun!

The whole idea of what’s in our control and what’s not is something I’ve been wrestling with lately. Because at times it feels like no one is in control of anything, and that makes everything feel like chaos, and that makes me uneasy. I don’t think it’s so hard to surrender to the idea that God is in control–because with that belief comes the relief that someone really is in control of this messy world. But what if sometimes it just seems like no one is in control? I think that’s harder to accept because there is no relief that follows that concept. Maybe that’s where faith comes in.  Believing that there’s some sense of order even when there doesn’t seem to be any evidence of that. I’m not really sure.

Regardless, I’m reminded that there is indeed lots of good in this world, and that is a relief in itself. And a blessing.

Okay . . . let’s talk vampires

 

Well, I finally finished reading Breaking Dawn last night and I’m thinking it over. I have to admit that I’d heard so much about people loving/hating this book that I did a little digging beforehand. I didn’t want to read something I’d hate and that could potentially ruin the rest of the series for me.

However, regardless, I’m one of those people who just NEEDS closure. For instance, the end of Gone with the Wind killed me. I’ve had to watch the movie Scarlett numerous times to feel good about the way things were resolved. I like sequels and series and things like that, because I like finding out what happens next. A great ending to a series just seals the deal. I remember being so worried about reading The Deathly Hallows. Obviously, I had to, since I was beyond obsessed with finding out how it all went down. And to me, J.K. Rowling just wrapped everything up so great. It was such a satsifying ending. And after hearing some different reviews about Breaking Dawn, I was worried. (Despite the fact that I had a small idea of what was to come.)

So here are my thoughts. I very much enjoyed the beginning. (Spoiler Warning!! Do not read further if you haven’t finished the book!) The wedding and all that was so great–something we were all waiting for. My issues began when she suddenly began speaking from Jacob’s point of view. She’s stayed with Bella’s voice through the whole series, and then decides to give us Jacob’s perspective. I know he’s an important character, but really, I’d rather hear Edward’s voice–and still, I’d really rather she just stay consistent with Bella’s voice. I did think she strayed a bit from the original characters. In the sense that some of their choices and actions just seemed so inconsistent with their behavior throughout. Like Renee being totally fine with the wedding. Like Charlie taking about five minutes to adjust to the idea of wolves, and vampires, and Reneesme, and Bella becoming a vampire, etc. We’ve loved Bella’s clumsiness and vulnerability and deep-felt concern for others. She becomes superwoman–really supervampire-woman. In some ways, she didn’t seem like Bella anymore to me.

Apart from that, once we left Jacob and moved back into Bella’s perspective, I did enjoy much of the rest of the book. But it did seem as though we’d read hundreds of pages of build-up for basically everyone to walk away unscathed. And I’m hoping that was her original plan–and she didn’t write it that way because it was easier than making a battle scene and killing characters.

The whole idea of imprinting is creepy in so many ways. I didn’t like that aspect of the book at all. It’s just beyond weird for these guys/wolves to fall in love with toddlers and wait around for them to grow up so that then the girl can automatically fall back in love with them and live happily ever after. So Jacob imprinting on Reneesme was over-the-top for me. And Edward calling Jacob “son” at the end of the book! Unbelievable.

Here’s the thing–since Bella is such a super-strong vampire-woman, why didn’t she do anything when she felt rage about Jacob imprinting on her daughter? She just gets over it without a problem. Some of that just seemed out-of-character for her. Since she was now so powerful, I was hoping we’d at least see her display that strength when it came to protecting her daughter–even if she changed her mind or came around later. Just deciding to let Jacob make the shots by imprinting, bringing Charlie around, and basically moving in as the Cullen’s house-dog, was just really, really frustrating to me. Since when do they let Jacob run their family? I thought we’d see more protective/father from Edward too.

OK, once I’d moved past the frustration of Jacob’s role in practically every scene of the book, I have to say that I was so glad for the strength of the Bella/Edward relationship at the end. Their love and devotion to each other, and the idea that they really will love each other forever, was just so sweet. And the fact that they had a child was cool to me too–since we knew Bella couldn’t once she became a vampire.

Because of that aspect of the ending, I was glad I read the book. Really, it was all about Bella and Edward from the beginning. So finding their relationship come full circle was satisfying to me. And for some reason, I was glad that she threw in that other vampire/human character who was interested in Reneesme. Maybe because it indicates that Reneesme will have choices and experiences that aren’t all pre-determined for her by Jacob’s decision to imprint on her.

So when I closed the book, I was happy. I just went through a lot of frustration along the way. The happily ever after for everyone was less than I had hoped for–not that I’m not a happily-ever-after person. It’s just that there usually has to be some pain and sacrifice to reach that point. I think it was easier and safer to keep everyone happy and in love and together.

But as long as Bella and Edward are happy and in love, I can roll with it.

My overall thoughts on the series–I really appreciate Stephanie Meyer’s creativity. She came up with a great story. (I think she said it was actually a dream she had.) And I’d read it all over again to meet Bella and Edward. There were some super-interesting sidebars to the story–like Edward’s fear that they’ve lost their souls and Carlisle’s belief that there would be an afterlife for them. I would’ve enjoyed seeing this developed a bit. The histories of how the characters all became vampires were so interesting, especially Carlisle’s story. The decision for Bella and Edward to get married before she turned into a vampire was great. Characters like Alice and Jasper and Rosalie made the story so much more enjoyable.

I can’t wait for the next movie!