S10BL: Twilight Saga's: Eclipse

Well, we didn't dress up like we wanted to, but Ashley, Emily, Katie, and I did go to the midnight premier of Eclipse last night.

The movie was amazing! It is the best movie yet of the saga. Eclipse stayed truer to the book then the others did. It also had a smoother flow and feel.

Kristen, Rob, and Taylor did an exceptional job playing their roles. Their love triangle had just the right amount of intensity and the dynamics of the group was dead on. Jackson Rathbone (Jasper) finally came into his own in this sequel. He was adorable; especially the way he was with Ashley Greene (Alice). Nikki Reed (Rosalie) also did a fantastic job. She really is the perfect Rosalie. Both Jasper and Rosalie got to share their past to Bella. The viewers who haven't read the books got to know a little more about these vampires and their stories are quite interesting... even more so in the book, though. (I suggest you read them if you haven't already :D) Dakota Fanning played Jane flawlessly. She was dark, terse, and unforgiving - just as Jane should be.

The movie brought back all the feelings I had when I read the book for the first time. Director David Slade knows how to capture attention and emotion and he was, by far, the best director of this saga.

The last book, Breaking Dawn, will be split into two movies and I cannot wait to see how they portray everything that happens. I won't give anything away for those who have not read it, but you will be thoroughly surprised. The first installment of the final book will not be released until November 2011, so we have to wait about a year and a half - bummer.

The next movie to immensely look forward to is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Part I comes out November 2010; Part II - July 2011. I know we will not be disappointed.

What did you think of Twilight Saga's: Eclipse?

I double dog dare you.

I've decided that I want to start being challenged. I am doing so well these days with opening up and being myself that I would like for you guys to start challenging me to do things that are out of my comfort zone. It can be ANYTHING. You can comment on here with challenges, tell me in person, on Facebook, send it to my email (cbsmartt@yahoo.com), text it to me (if you have my number, of course), or however you want to do it. I will select from the challenges and do the ones that are within reason and will document it whichever way is best (pictures or videos) and post them on here so I can share it with you guys. I may even get one of my friends to select from the list just to make sure I don't go cheat and go with the easiest challenge. And keep the suggestions coming... I want to keep this a regular occurrence. This will be a great way to be interactive with my blog readers and hopefully gain some new ones. :) 

Can't wait to see what challenges come my way!

Vacation.

It is so depressing not having Brandy here anymore. She came to Chattanooga for a short vacation. We only got five awesome days with her. But we had so much fun!

Day 1 (Friday): Ashley and I picked up our sister from the Chattanooga airport at 9AM. We went back to my house to get ready then headed to Atlanta with Emily. We went to one of the malls (Perimeter I think it was) and met up with Shelly and one of B's best friends since childhood - Kate. We all spent the afternoon hanging out, catching up, and having a little retail therapy. By the end of our shopping spree, we decided it was time for dinner.

We went to put our new purchases in Ashley's car and someone noticed that one of her back tires was completely flat. We got out the spare and I jacked up the car. With the help of a very nice lady, we changed the tire and drove Ash's car to the closest GoodYear to get a new tire put on.

While it was being fixed, we ate at the Cheesecake Factory. YUM :) I had "macaroni balls" and they were delicious.

We then went to pick up the car and we parted ways with Shelly and Kate. Exhausted, we headed home to get in bed for our early rise the next day.

Day 2 (Saturday): Ash, B, and I got up early to get ready so we could meet up with Cody (our brother) and Dad. We headed to the Ocoee Inn to go white water rafting. It was Ashley's first time rafting so we kept telling her things to make her nervous. We even tried to get her to sit in the front, but she was too smart to take the bait. Cody and I ended up sitting in the front. Dad and Ash were behind us and B was in the back with guide (Matt B.) and the trainee. On the first rapid, the boat tipped on Cody/Dad's side and they both fell out, and I fell on top of them. It was hilarious. Cody was pretty sure he only fell out because my dad pulled him in when Dad fell in. And then, he pulled Cody out of the way so he could get back in the raft first. It was hilarious. Cody was second in. They pulled me (a girl!) in last! Such gentlemen. :P From that point on, Dad "hit the deck" (sat in the floor of the raft) whenever we went over a rapid. He was cracking us up.

A couple rapids after the first, I fell out again! Besides this trip, I have been rafting two other times and have never fallen out before, but I just couldn't seem to keep myself in. HA! It was actually fun falling out. I didn't feel in danger or anything, but the way the guides frantically pulled me in both times, I guess I should have been.. there were large, pointy rocks all around.

I loved it when our guide would explain the rapid we were about to go on. He would tell us the name (i.e. Broken Nose, Double Suck, Tablesaw, Witches Hole, Diamond Splitter, Powerhouse, etc) and describe what would and could happen.. the look on my dad's face was hilarious! You could see that he was nervous. It made the trip. :D

Ashley got to "ride the bull" for the picture taken by the company we were with. Riding the bull means sitting on the very front of the raft. The pictures are hilarious. If you would like to see them, they are on my Facebook. Cody and I rode the bull together later on the last rapid. It was a blast!

After we were done rafting, we went to the Ocoee Dam Deli for lunch. Delicious! They fried pickles were amazing.

Later that day, all five of us went to my Mawmaw's to hang out and have dinner. We then went to see A-Team. Awesome movie! It was SO FUNNY! I completely recommend it.

Day 3 (Sunday/Father's Day): B, Ash, and I skipped church (sinners, I know :P) and got our things packed for Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. We went to give our Father's Day presents and to say goodbye to my brother and dad, as they were leaving that morning to go home. Soon after, we left for Gatlinburg with our mom. 

After checking into the hotel, we made our way to the Tanger Outlet mall in Pigeon Forge for a little shopping until 6 or 7. It was a good day for shopping because EVERYONE had awesome sales going on. After shopping, we ate dinner at Tony Romas and talked about how much Ash and B wanted a candy apple and our plans for the next day. On our way back to the hotel, we stopped by The Three Bears gift shop to see if we could find a candy apple for my sweet-toothed sisters. Turns out they didn't have any so we looked around the shop for a while. This place has a creepy bear mascot walking around that would appear everywhere we were. I wasn't too fond of him. They also had live bears on the second floor. They really were all about bears. We left there and decided to go to the hotel so we could swim. Not too long after swimming, we went up to the room and layed down to watch whatever was on tv. Ash found a scary movie so we made my mom and B watch it with us. xD It was pretty creepy and had a great twist! And I don't even know the name of it... it was never said while being shown.

Day 4 (Monday): Still in Pigeon Forge, the Smartt ladies got up and got ready for the fabulous day we had planned. Our first stop of the day was the newly built Titanic museum. The outside of it is a replica of (most of) the ship. They even had a huge ice burg on the starboard side. Before you go in the museum, you get a boarding pass with the name and story of an actual passenger that was on board when it sank. I got Marian Thayer who was a 39 year old 1st class passenger from Haverford, PA. Everyone got a different person and as you were walking through the museum, you could look for things from or about your person. At then end of the tour, you would find out if you lived or died. All four of our people lived.

It was so amazing to see artifacts from the Titanic. There were letters, tools, silverware, plates, pictures, furniture, clothes, and so much more to look at. I absolutely loved learning more about it.

My favorite part was the collection of photos taken and owned by Father Frank Browne. He had the only collection of pictures taken of the Titanic during the passage from Southampton to Ireland. His photos are quite amazing. Very beautiful. He has the only picture of Captain Smith aboard the Titanic.

The Grand staircase was another favorite part of mine. It was an exact replica. It was gorgeous. In that room, they had the music from the movie Titanic playing... I felt like Rose. :D

One room we went in was the steering room (is that even the right term!?). There was a guy in there telling us all about what happened the night it sank. He explained what happened in every part of the ship and why it wasn't as unsinkable as the engineers thought. Brandy and I got to talk to him and ask a few questions also. When you leave this room, you walk out onto what looks like the deck of the ship at night with stars above. There was a huge ice burg that we got to touch and water that was 28 degrees.. the same temperature in which so many people died that night. The water was awful. It hurt to leave your hand in for only a few seconds. I couldn't even imagine what it would feel like to have your whole body thrown in for hours.

There was so much to do and see in this museum! It took us about an hour and a half to go through the whole thing. It was so worth it.

After the museum, we drove up to Gatlinburg. We ate at a place that I cannot even remember the name of right now. Then we walked up and down the street going into various shops. Ash and B finally got the candy apple they wanted. I got a caramel one drizzled in white and milk chocolate. Not as good as I thought it'd be. I'm not big on candied fruit - I like my fruit natural. After a little shopping and shade-sitting, we got in the car to head home. 

We stopped at the Bass Pro shop for my brother-in-law... B had to look at boats for him. Then we stopped at some mall so B could go to this specific shoe store to find a certain pair of shoes. It was her goal for the whole weekend. haha

When we finally got home, we layed down and had a Princess Diaries marathon until we fell asleep.

Day 5 (Tuesday/B's last full day): We slept in as long as we could and just lazed around until we went swimming. It was just a relaxing day, not having to keep to any kind of schedule. Ash and I then took B to McKay's so we could, of course buy movies, but also so Ash and I could find Titanic. Then we decided to have a National Treasure marathon at my house so naturally, we went to buy our favorite movie candy: Bunch-a-Crunch (or as Kate puts it - blobs of crunch. haha!). 

Day 6 (Wednesday/Brandy's departure): Ash and I had to go back to work :/ but B and mom came to eat lunch with me before Mom had to take Brandy to the airport. It was quite a depressing day.

Love and miss you, B!

You and Mat come home soon!!

Being the hands.

We, as human beings, are selfish by nature. We want the best of the best and expect nothing less, and for the most part, we usually get what we want. If we don't get what we want, we whine and nag until we either get it or no longer care enough about it to complain.

Doesn't that make you feel just horrible?

As a Christian (or really, a decent human being) I should give to the poor whenever I can. It is part of God's will for my life to help those in serious need. There are millions of people in this world who cannot provide food, water, shelter, and other necessities to themselves or their family. Sure, often times these people put themselves in that situation, but most of the time, it really is not something they can help. Whatever the case may be, it is still our duty to help them. We (and I am including you because apparently, you have access to a computer and internet) are so blessed and have more than enough to spare time, money, food, what-have-you. Adults and children die everyday from lack of nutrition, and what are we doing about it? Nothing. 

All the world needs is to be shown love and compassion (like our Lord shows us everyday). We are His disciples and hands. Each and every one of us needs to get out there and help those who cannot help themselves. Giving what you can, however big or small, has such an impact on those to whom you show God's love. It shows that someone out there loves and cares for them and that they are not alone in this world. 

How amazing to have this kind of ministering tool. There is nothing in this world that can equal the enormous amount of unconditional love that God has for us and shows through us. I cannot comprehend why anyone disregards such a love. He NEVER stops loving us. EVER. Even when we curse His name, go against His will, ignore Him, deny Him, or forget Him, He never stops loving us. We are His children. He yearns for a relationship with each one of us. And He longs that we all love one another and be brothers and sisters in Christ. 

It really does make me sad to see some of us so-called Christians feeling obligated to help the poor, treating it like a chore. We should all be excited to help without limits. Be generous. I mean, think about those on the receiving end. Of course they will be happy no matter what you give them, but doing more than you should as opposed to doing the bare minimum has more of an effect. It reaches more hearts... the hearts of those being served and the ones who see God's work being done from the outside.

So, lets all roll up our sleeves and do what we can to help God's children! They are, after all, our brothers and sisters.

Where are the days going?!

So sorry I started to slack again! I need someone to stay on my case when I go this long without updating! 

I am working on the hiking story still... it is actually turning out pretty good, but it may be a little too graphic or a tiny bit disturbing. Sorry if it is. I have a sick mind. I will try to get that story finished and posted within the next few days.

So, ping pong is one of my new favorite games to play. It is so much fun! (Even though I am terrible! ha) There was a party type deal tonight at a friend's house and we played Round Robin, doubles, and sting pong. We also played Spoons! Every time we play, it always seems to be down to the same three people: Ashley, Christine, and myself. We are the most competitive and therefore, the most violent. Cards fly everywhere and injuries occur. In our minds, losing is NOT an option. We ended the game in a "three way tie" because we were all so scared to lose to each other. It was quite humorous. :D

JFest was this weekend. It is a big outdoor concert that hosts of all kinds of Christian bands. Some of the artists were Barlow Girl, Matthew West, Brit Nicole, Aaron Shust, Jonny Diaz, Natalie Grant, and a bunch more. Emily used her concert magical powers to get her, Ash, and myself VIP passes. We met several artists and snapped a few pictures with a couple of them.

It's been a great weekend! There is so much going on these days that I don't feel like there are enough hours in the day... but I love it! I have a great life. :o)

Barlow Girl

Brit Nicole

Irony.

It's June! I can't believe five months have already come and gone for 2010.

My sister Brandy is coming down in a few weeks to visit for several days... I am thrilled! I miss her so much and haven't seen her in so long. We're planning to do some fun things while she's here, so that's exciting. I am positive that the fun we have will make it's way into my blog. :o)

The girls and I can check another activity off of our bucket list. We completed it yesterday, I just haven't gotten around to writing the blog yet. I'm actually turning it into a "scary" story, complete with pictures. We'll see how it turns out. We are having such a blast with this list. It keeps us busy and having fun in new, exciting ways. I definitely encourage everyone to make a bucket list... it makes it easier to complete the things you want to do.

Emily has actually had something crazy but ironic happen to her. (I hope she doesn't kill me for sharing this xD) Friday night, Emily, Ashley, Bubba, and I went to dinner and Starbucks. While at Starbucks, one of the guys working there starts talking to Emily; to us it seems like they know each other. When we sat down outside, she told us that this guy remembered her from months and months ago when her and Shelly went to this location to study. This guy (we'll just call him "Chase" for the purpose of the story ;D) came over and talked to them several times throughout the night, making witty comments and flirting a little. So, as she tells us this story, we encourage her to go back in and flirt becasue "flirting is so much fun!" She walks back in to "go to the restroom" but he was with a customer so nothing happened. Later, he came out on the patio and talked to us a little while he cleaned up. It wasn't really a big deal, just flirtation and small talk.
Then, on Sunday, Em, Ash, and I decided to visit a new church. As we're sitting down and looking around, at almost the exact same time, Ash and Em look at each other and freak out... Chase was on stage with the praise team. How random! We didn't even know he went there. We got to talk to him a little after church and told him we would probably be visiting again because we liked the church very much.

It's just crazy to me how things work out sometimes. I love it when things like this happen because I classify them as movie moments. Em and I had just been talking about movie moments a few days before this happened, so it was just so ironic that she had one. Oh, how I love motion pictures. :)

Have you had any "movie moments" that you would like to share?