2012 In All It's Greatness

Well...
It's New Years Eve... huh.
Okay.
I don't exactly know where my year went. At times it seemed like time was going sooooo slow. And at other times, I couldn't slow it down. This year was crazy, and fun. It was also sad, and trying at times.
Who wants to see my year in rewind?
Probably no one, but too bad. You're on my blog. Haha :)

Okay, so the year started off... with me getting a new camera. Yup. So, first things first:
Me on Christmas Day last year:

Me on Christmas Day this year:

Yeah, I grew up a little bit.

So, this year in rewind:
*January 2012- Rang in the New Year at the Levine's house.

*February 2012- Dyed my hair for the first (and not the last by any means) time. I fell in love.

*March 2012- Adopted Zac. We adopted the little foster baby we had since he was 7 days old, officially making him my brother. Woo-hoo!

(At the courthouse)
*April 2012- I went to the Casting Crowns concert at First Baptist Church of Woodstock. I included this in this post, because I had so much fun that night. It was one of my favorite nights of the whole year, I would even venture to say.

*May 2012- We booked it to Florida, going on vacation to Disney for the first time ever. At least for me. My parents had been before I was born (so selfish!). This was one of my best memories of this year. And yes, there are so many better pictures than this one... but I felt like this cpatured the vacation. Crazy, but yet fun. Confusing, but together.

*June 2012- We went on our second "vacation" to AnnaMaria Island, where my dad performed a wedding, and I videoed it. And almost passed out from heatstroke, but that's another story. And coincidentally, almost passing out was not one of my best memories of this year.

*June 2012- I turned 14. We celebrated at a hotel with three of my greatest friends. There was quite a bit of coke and food, and no sleep involved as well.

*July 2012- Played Messy Twister with my best friend in my yard. Got some freaking amazing pictures. Crossed something off my bucket list. Had fun getting paint all over ourselves. And, ya know, the yard too.

*August 2012- Went to my first ever (that I can remember anyways) Braves game with my daddy. We had a ton of fun, and even though I'm not a baseball girl (Football all the way, baby!) I actually sort of understood what was going on. It's a miracle!

*September 2012- I said a temporary goodbye to some of the best friends God has blessed me with, at the CFT Yearbook Party.

*October 2012- My mom and I trekked across a deserted field and walked across a busy street to photograph Zac for the first time since his adoption.
The cutie.

*November 2012- We took a wall down in our house that's been there since we've lived here. Bittersweet.

*November 2012- We celebrated Thanksgiving at my grandparents with football, food, family, food, naps, and more food.

*December 2012- I developed an eccentric taste in music. All I asked for for Christmas was Itunes gift cards. And that, that is what I got. (Not all of them pictured here)

Oh, yeah. Somewhere in there I finished writing two books, and started 11 others.
And this happened: And yeah, that number's still climbing.

Holy snap.
Crazy year, huh?
I thought so. :)

Book Review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Theif

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is written by Rick Riordan and is the first in the series.

Summary:
Percy has always thought there was something wrong with him. He was never as talented as other kids, never as good at reading, and strange things seemed to happen to him.
All of this is explained however the summer Percy discovers who hsi father is, and the whole other world of Greek gods and goddesses.
Oh yes, they exist.
And Percy is special.

Language:
Nothing really :)

Romance:
Again, nothing much.

Suggested Age:
10+

My Opinion:
People have been telling me for months that I needed to start this series. You know what I did? I ignored them. I knew it started off with Percy being 12 years old, and I thought it would be beneath me. So I ignored the persistent people trying to tell me what an amazing book this was.
I was a moron.
This book was so incredibly awesome. I love Greek mythology, and so I was enthralled with that aspect of it. I also loved her characters a lot. I had problems connecting with Percy and his decisions at times, but I thought overall the book was fantastic and I will definitely be reading the next book.

Book Review: City of Bones

City of Bones is written by Cassandra Clare, and is the first in the Mortal Instruments series.

Summary:
Clary Fray lives a totally normal life, until the night she witnesses a murder at a club with he best friend. The problem? Her best friend didn't see it, and neither did anyone else. Follow Clary on a journey as she discovers a totally different world that was right under her nose, and as she discovers he heritage... and who she really is.

Language:
B word, A word.

Romance:
Characters kiss. A few are homosexual.

Suggested Age: 
13+

My Opinion:
Heck yes. This book was so flipping amazing. Cassandra Clare has an incredible way of writing that draws you in, and you find yourself rooting for the characters in your head. Or out loud, depending on the situation. City of Bones was so incredibly awesome, even though I'm not a paranormal fan. It's amazing because it's not a paranormal book. It doesn't revolve around that, but it is in there. She wove it into the story without overdoing it, and I give her huge props for writing the first book I've ever read that did that.
Brava.
Go read the book.

"Lulu" Jones

I wanted a little sister. Really badly.
So, when my mom told me she was pregnant, I automatically had hoped it was a girl. I hoped so much in fact, that I had deemed the baby in my mama's tummy "Lulu".
Oh yes, in the first 9 months of Holt's life he was known as "Lulu".
*snicker*
I wanted a little sister so badly....
And then I found out that it was a boy...
It was different than I imagined it being.
I had envisioned dolls and dress up clothes. And while there was a great deal of that, there were also trucks and baseballs.
I was four and a half when he was born. I put on a show in the hospital for everyone that lasted for hours and consisted of the same story line sung over and over again. We have it on video. Not my finest moment.
He was born on the 12th of December in 2002. And on the 12th of December, more than baseballs and trucks entered my life.
Holt Reid Jones did.
He and I were close from the moment he was born. He looked up to me, and I adored him. He went everywhere with me, and we played all the time. His nickname for me was "Nina" and he would yell across the house for me when he wanted me. I would laugh at his jokes, and he would laugh at mine. We were close.

I don't exactly know when it happened, but I think it was somewhere when I was about 11 and he was 7. We went through a rough patch of arguing and fighting.
It lasted a looonnnnggg time.
About six months ago, he gained a sense of humor (much like mine) and we are extremely close again.
I love him.
And I know he loves me, even if I mess up his hair, call him "Lulu" and poke him in the forehead from time to time.
The moment he made me a big sister, my life changed. And I love every minute of it.

KillJoy

I'm not feeling it this year.
This has always been my favorite holiday, my favorite time of year. I've always been in the Christmas spirit, singing songs of cheer, baking cookies, decorating my room...
But I don't know what happened.
I think the fact that we very literally can't decorate my house is responsible for part of the problem. With the renovation on the upstairs, we can't decorate. I mean a tree would look pretty weird in a totally empty room with the floor halfway done.
But I also blame the weather. I don't think Christmas should be able to come when I can walk outside in short sleeves. I'm sorry; but that just seems rude.
I went to a Christmas parade tonight, and just sat there wishing I was at home.
It's sad really.
You know; when we're little we count down the days until Christmas. We make charts to cross the days off with. We update lists and reupdate lists.
And this year: Today I realized with a start it was December 6th, I help the littles make the charts, and I don't have any clue what I want this year.
It seems as though it has somehow crept up on me, like it isn't as big of a deal as it once was.
And that's really annoying.
Like, I'm very annoyed that no matter how many times I smack myself in the head I can't seem to get with the program this year.
Christmas songs get on my nerves for some reason this year. I don't know why.
Lights are annoying since they aren't up in my home.
There's no baking happening over here.
It's the 6th of December.
Where's the Christmas cheer?
I'm afraid it might have been inside that wall that got torn down...
(I knew we shouldn't have taken it down!)