Friday's Feature...

My favorite blogger Soundtrack to I do  had a great post last week in which she writes a letter to her future boyfriend/husband that I really loved so I wanted to direct your attention to it.

Dear Mr. Someday,

Since you are a male, and I am a female, there is one thing I know for sure: I am going to confuse you sometimes. Probably a lot. So, I thought I’d give you some pointers, now, ahead of time, to help a brother out. Because it would probably be pretty annoying if I was giving you pointers once we were dating. Plus I won’t want to, because I’m going to want you to magically know how to deal with treat me. Amiright, ladies? Oh sorry Mr. Someday, back to you. So, here’s my list of handy dandy tips, which I may casually print and leave lying around somewhere for you to find one day, when you’re mine. (These are not in order of importance, or any order at all, really.)

to read more click here.

Birthday Love

I love my birthday,  I know that sounds selfish when I say that because many people think when I say it is because I like gifts but that is not the case. I love it because I know it means I get a lot of my friends around me.

Over the years I have had great birthdays...

The day after 21st birthday I got baptized. 

Then on my 22nd birthday I went to my first Red Sox game.

It had just happened to be Lester's no hitter.

Two days before my 23rd birthday I graduated college.

My 24th birthday was not that big...

My bible study went to Rochester, New York the week before. 

I know it was not for my birthday but I still remember it as part of my birthday celebration.

We discovered the love of a jumping pillow,

probably our favorite memory from the trip. 

Then on my 25th birthday I did something I have always wanted to do...

Karaoke. 

My friend told me my 25th birthday was the last "big" birthday I get before I turn 30, I didn't like that thinking because I love my birthday and I can make them big if I want to. Well last night I had an early celebration to my birthday that was just as big and memorable as the others. As most of you know I have been raising funds for my Honduras trip in August. In March I wrote a post about what my birthday wish was.... "For my birthday I want people to give to Living Water International click here for the Donation page and if you want to learn more about Living Water click here. If you want to support me and my trip to Honduras please contact me, but as I am not 100% certain I will go I would like it more if you guys would directly give money to Living Water International." 

At that time I was not sure I could go on a trip with Living Water. But now that I am going I have asked people for my birthday to give me funds for my trip. Well there as been an out pouring of generosity. My birthday party last night was in order to raise support for my trip, I did I raised 585 dollars making my new total of support at $1,885, meaning I only need 115 dollars left to raise. WOOHOO!!!

Me with my fundraising poster

Outside the money raised it was a great success. As my place is too small to host a party my friend let me use her place to host a party, and my best friend made and bought all the food for the party. Then about 20 people showed up and every one had a good time. So I will put this birthday in the book as another "big" birthday. 

Some of my friends
sorry it is blurry

The cake my best friend made
in the shape of a water drop.

For more on my trip to Honduras follow my Blaire goes to Honduras Blog thanks for all the love, memories, and support. It has meant the world to me.

Slowly moving on

This is really part two of Moving on from Mockingjay

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From the post-apocalyptic novel to the 1880s my reading range is wide. I have always wanted to read a Henry James novel. My co-worker, who I have mentioned a few times while writing about the Hunger Games, and I were thinking of what to read next as we both face the fact that we have to move beyond the Hunger Game Trilogy and look for other book. She thought about reading books like the Hunger Games but I thought that if I read a book like the Hunger Games all I would do is compare and contrast. So I took some books off my shelf I have yet to read and played
eenie meenie miney mo, okay it is not that sophisticated but I have found some good books just by chance. So far I gotten lost in some of Henry James' long paragraphs but I will give it my usual 100 pages. If I don't like it by 100 pages I will put it down and move onto another book.

We read to know we are not alone.
-C.S. Lewis
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So I am slowly moving on from The Hunger Games but I will never forget Katniss, Peeta and Gale, I think they will live within me for awhile. 

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Moving on from Mockingjay

I don't know where this picture comes from but this was my
favorite quote in Catching Fire.
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I have finished Mockingjay the final book of The Hunger Games trilogy. I really can't write a book review with out giving something away so I won't even try.

"Finishing a great book is like leaving a good friend"
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Have you ever walked away from a book sad by the fact it was over? 

I am not sad with the ending but I am sad I am done with the books and I can't keep living in their world. I know Panem was not a great place to live in but I got lost in the world Suzanne Collins created and I really don't want to leave. My co-worker said it is kind of like leaving a good relationship, you know has to end but you don't want it to. I don't feel that strongly about these book but I do feel a little bit of loss. I have a long list of books I want to read this summer before summer school but right now I don't know which book I want to read and to be honest any book I read right now would just be a like a "rebound" book. Is that sad?

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During these last two weeks I have been so wrapped up in these books I feel like I haven't had any really good writing time. So I think until I am ready to move on I am going to get some writing in. The Hunger Games is nothing like what I write, but Suzanne Collins writing pushes me to be a better writer because I want people love my stories so much they don't want to let the book end.

Okay here is my one spoiler.... so look away.

I loved the end of this book. I finished it at 1:30 AM and I was so happy I cried. 

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