I have a habit...

I have a habit of saying I hate things and then turning around at some point and loving them. It's true.

 And you know when you first start dating someone, you'll do those things that you hate, just because they want to, and relatively bite your tongue? (I say relatively, because I am opinionated and need people to know I did something that I didn't want to, JUST FOR THEM. I'm a good friend that way.)

Anyway, Harry Potter was one of those things. 

You see, the first Harry Potter movie came out when I was a senior in HS. I refused to get on that bandwagon. It was stupid. It was about magic. And who cared about THAT? Not this girl.. don't worry. I made my opinion known to all that would hear.

Fall of 2002, the second Harry Potter flick came out. And I went to see it with John. I hated it. It was stupid. (To this day, The Chamber of Secrets is my least favorite.) Then the third flick came out and during the summer, I may or may not have made fun of John for reading the book on the beach. Still didn't care for it.

Then.. I remember this very well. The Fall of 2005 rolled around. We had been married a couple of months. And went to see the Goblet of Fire before heading down for the Iron Bowl- it was in Auburn and Jay was working there at the time and it was one of the worst college football/tailgating experiences of my life- anyway. 

Enter Cedric Diggory.

He sold me. After the disgusting game against Auburn- which John and I left at half-time we were getting our butts kicked so bad- I declared that I MUST read all the books because now I was a Harry Potter fan! I am not exaggerating when I say, John ran to Books A Million.. (okay. He drove a car.) to purchase the entire set. 

I will admit, the first 3 books are thin and look easy to read. At the time? The last 3 books were out and looked like small Harry Potter bibles they are so thick. 

I started reading and fell in love. There is really nothing like falling in love with a character and following his journey into something so magical. 

The last book was set to come out the summer of 2007, I believe. I became uber nerdy. Getting on message boards, speaking my thoughts on what was the fate of "The Boy Who Lived".. and let me tell you, I was right. I have cried numerous times while reading and have never once spilled any info about different characters fate unless tortured.. or begged. 

Yep. I stood in line to get the Deathly Hallows book at midnight. Yes, John was driving in the rain and I read the first chapter aloud so I wouldn't get to read anything before he did and we even had a small competition to see who would finish the book first (It was me.). I can still remember my heart beating as I read that first chapter aloud. 

And I certainly can't wait to start reading the books to the girls.

So, here are my thoughts. If you love to read. You should read this series. 

If you remotely like Twilight, you should read this series.

Because it's not all about magic, it's about a battle for good vs evil. 

It's about watching a boy, with odds stacked against him, prevail. 

Plus. You can go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and have a butterbeer. 

Kara Goucher's Running for Women

 This book was so inspiring. Even though I don't run marathons, there was a TON of advice for training for halfs or even 5K's. I always love hearing how people got started in running and her story didn't disappoint me. 

She talks of her struggles with injury and it's inspiring to know how HARD she works for what she does. It isn't easy, but because she loves running so much, she works for what she has. 

She has an awesome support system, as well. I really cannot say enough about this book. It is a breath of fresh air when maybe you are having some struggles with running. 

She even said something that has really stuck with me personally. She talks about how people will comment to runners about how hard it is on your knees and joints.

" The fact is, running is good for your bones and joints- including your knees! Research has shown that among other things, regular movement such as running speeds the rate at which your body naturally replaces cartilidge, which makes it stronger."

I got the idea from someone's blog ( if you know the answer, please let me know and I will credit them!) to send a book that you read and loved to someone who would love to read it and then when they are done with it, they send it to someone who would love to read it, and you create this circle. 

I thought it was a fantastic idea, so that's what I am doing. I bought the book and have sent it to Lindsey to read and she will send it to someone. All I ask is that, you write your blog name and your blog address in the inside cover. That way, we will know who has read it! 

And So The Lion Fell In Love With The Lamb...

Anyone who knows me, knows I have a slight obsession with the Twilight series. Who am I kidding? It totally takes over my life. If any man ever needed a manual, he should channel Edward Cullen. He is the best there is. I love all the cheesiness of it.

The movie comes out on DVD this month. In fact, it comes out in 16 days. I cannot wait. I can sit and watch Bella and Edward all day long. Just like I used to do with Harry Potter. Harry deserves his own post too. I cannot wait for all of the extended scenes and deleted scenes and interviews with the director. Yay!!! If you haven't read the books, they are fabulous and you should. Just beware, they will take over your life. You will not be able to put them down. And you will wish Edward Cullen were real. Who cares if he is a vampire?