32 days until Breaking Dawn

"Thank you," Edward said, and his voice throbbed with the depth of his sincerity. "I will never be able to tell you how grateful I am. I will owe you for the rest of my... existance."

Jacob stared at him blankly, his shudders stilled by surprise. He exchanged a quick glance with me, but my face was just as mystified.

"For keeping Bella alive," Edward clarified, his voice rough and fervent. "When I... didn't."


New Moon

33 days until Breaking Dawn

"Oh!"

"Bella?"

"Oh. Okay. I see."

"Your epiphany?" he asked, his voice uneven and strained.

"You love me," I marveled. The sense of conviction and rightness washed through me again.

Though his eyes were still anxious, the crooked smile I loved best flashed across his face. "Truly, I do."


New Moon

toe ring tattoos

34 days until Breaking Dawn

"But how could you believe me? After all the thousand times I've told you that I love you, how could you let one word break your faith in me?"

I didn't answer. I was too shocked to form a rational response.

"I could see it in your eyes, that you honestly believed that I didn't want you anymore. The most absurd, ridiculous concept- as if there were any way I could exist without needing you!"


New Moon

35 days until Breaking Dawn

"Well Alice," Edward said conversationally as we walked. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see you here."

"It was my mistake," Alice answered in the same tone. "It was my job to set it right."

"What happened?" His voice was polite as if he were barely interested. I imagined this was due to the listening ears behind us.

"It's a long story." Alice's eyes flicked toward me and away. "In summary, she did jump off a cliff, but she wasn't trying to kill herself. Bella's all about extreme sports these days."


New Moon

Here’s hoping for 99 years.

On April 23, 1996, 19 year-old Stacey Stites was found murdered on the side of the road in Bastrop county. Stacey’s fiancé, Giddings Police officer Jimmy Fennell was briefly a suspect in her murder.

When Stacey Stites was found, her fingernails were cut to the quick, roughly and not filed, which prevented the medical examiner from collecting any trace evidence. She was strangled with her own belt which left no finger prints.

Investigators never requested a search warrant for the apartment Stacey Stites shared with Jimmy Fennell, the last place she had been seen alive.

The truck apparently used to transport Stacey’s body, which contained fingerprints from only Jimmy Fennell and Stacy Stites, was returned to Fennell six days after the murder (before DPS had even completed all of the necessary forensic testing). Fennell sold the truck the next day.

Fresh beer cans found at the crime scene contained DNA from Stacey Stites and police officers David Hall (who was also a good friend of Fennell’s) and Ed Salmela.

Ed Salmela was originally assigned as lead investigator of Stites' murder. Three months after Samela began investigating the case, he committed suicide.

Dallas police sergeant Mary Blackwell told investigators that she overheard Fennell during an officer training course in 1995. "He said that if he ever found out that his girlfriend was cheating on him that he'd strangle her."

In two polygraph tests, Jimmy Fennell failed the question: "Did you strangle Stacy Stites?"

In 1998, Rodney Reed, a black man who claimed to have been having a secret affair with Stacey Stites (as an explanation for why his DNA was found on her body), was convicted of her murder and sentenced to death. He maintains his innocence and is currently awaiting a ruling on whether he can be retried due to the evidence (including the DNA evidence on the beer cans) that was not released at his trial.

_________________________________________________

In February 2007, Jimmy Fennell, now a Georgetown police officer, was charged with sexually assaulting a woman at gunpoint while he was on the job. He was subsequently fired by the Georgetown Police Department.

Under a deal reached in May 2008, between prosecutors and Fennell’s attorney, Fennell pleaded guilty to felony charges of kidnapping and sexual misconduct.

On June 24, 2008 District Judge Burt Carnes denied the plea agreement that would have given Fennell a two-year prison sentence, 10 years probation and a $5,000 fine. The case will go to trial on Sept. 8.

Fennell is charged with aggravated sexual assault, aggravated kidnapping, improper sexual activity with a person in custody and official oppression — all of which could exceed two 99-year terms if he is convicted by a jury.

36 days until Breaking Dawn

"But he... he left! He didn't want me anymore! What difference does it make now? He knew I would die sometime!"

"I don't think he ever meant to outlive you by long," Alice said quietly.


New Moon

37 days until Breaking Dawn

"You look like hell, Bella."

"I drowned today," I reminded her.

"It goes deeper than that. You're a mess."

I flinched. "Look, I'm doing my best."

"What do you mean?"

"It hasn't been easy. I'm working on it."

She frowned. "I told him," she said to herself.

"Alice," I sighed. "What did you think you were going to find? I mean, besides me dead? Did you expect to find me skipping around and whistling show tunes? You know me better than that."

"I do. But I hoped."

"Then I guess I don't have the corner on the idiocy market."

New Moon

38 days until Breaking Dawn

"It hurts to think about them," I whispered. "It's like I can't breathe... like I'm breaking into pieces..." It was bizarre how much I could tell Jacob now. We had no more secrets.

He smoothed my hair. "It's okay, Bella, it's okay. I won't bring it up again. I'm sorry."

"I'm fine," I gasped. "Happens all the time. Not your fault."

"We're a pretty messed-up pair, aren't we?" Jacob said. "Neither one of can hold our shape together right."


New Moon

39 days until Breaking Dawn

He frowned at me in the darkness. "Try to sleep, Bella."

"No, I want you to kiss me again."

"You're overestimating my self-control."

"Which is tempting you more, my blood or my body?" I challenged.

"It's a tie." He grinned briefly in spite of himself, and was serious again. "Now why don't you stop pushing your luck and go to sleep?"

New Moon

40 days until Breaking Dawn

"You were deeply asleep; I didn't miss anything." His eyes gleamed. "The talking came earlier."

I groaned. "What did I say?"

"You said you love me."

"You knew that already," I reminded him, ducking my head.

"It was nice to hear just the same."

I hid my face against his shoulder.

"I love you," I whispered.

"You are my life now," he said simply.


Twilight

41 days until Breaking Dawn

"Don't be self-conscious," he whispered in my ear. "If I could dream at all, it would be about you. And I'm not ashamed of it."


Twilight

tattoos

Blue dragonfly - October 1997
Red daisy - March 2004
Black flaming chalice - April 2006
Black zodiac symbols (Libra, Leo, Aries) - June 2008

You, like Rob, might be wondering... isn't she done yet?

Since I don't have a toe ring tattoo, a pink crown, or a John Prine homage... nope, not done.

Excellent.

Alfred Hitchcock + Barbie = Awesome

42 days until Breaking Dawn

"How often?" I asked casually.

"Hmm?"

"How often did you come here?"

"I come here almost every night."


Twilight

flickr meme

1. Kandis BBQ flower(1), 2. Pepperoni Rolls, 3. Sidney Lanier High School, 4. i can taste summer! a.k.a. childhood summer! a.k.a. childhood reminiscence! a.k.a. those were the good times!, 5. My cousin George!, 6. Drink Dr. Pepper!, 7. Morton Castle, 8. 14th August 2007 / Day 226, 9. Back from my Méditerranée villa, 10. Cooper, 11. demanding, 12. Future Knitter?

You can play too.

corn dog air freshener

Why don't I have this??

43 days until Breaking Dawn

"Bella, I couldn't live with myself if I ever hurt you."

"You are the most important thing to me now. The most important thing to me ever."

Twilight

44 days until Breaking Dawn

"So what you're saying is, I'm your brand of heroin?" I teased, trying to lighten the mood.

He smiled swiftly, seeming to appreciate my effort.

"Yes, you are exactly my brand of heroin."

Twilight

45 days until Breaking Dawn

"Do you truly believe that you care for me more than I do for you?" he murmered.

"You're doing it again," I muttered.

"What?"

"Dazzling me," I admitted.

"Oh," he frowned.

"It's not your fault," I sighed. "You can't help it."

"Are you going to answer the question?"

"Yes I really think that."


Twilight

46 days until Breaking Dawn

"You're dangerous?" I guessed, my pulse quickening as I intuitively realized the truth of my own words. He was dangerous. He'd been trying to tell me that all along.

He looked at me, eyes full of some emotion I couldn't comprehend.

"But not bad," I whispered, shaking my head. "No, I don't believe that you're bad."

"You're wrong." His voice was almost inaudible.

Twilight

47 days until Breaking Dawn

"It would be more... prudent for you to be not my friend," he explained. "But I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Bella."
His eyes were gloriously intense as he uttered that last sentence, his voice smoldering. I couldn't remember how to breathe.

Twilight

48 days until Breaking Dawn

"Honestly , Edward." I felt a thrill go through me as I said his name, and I hated it. "I can't keep up with you. I thought you didn't want to be my friend."

"I said it was better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be."

Twilight

49 days until Breaking Dawn

That was the first night I dreamed of Edward Cullen.

Twilight

50 days until Breaking Dawn

"My name is Edward Cullen," he continued. "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan."

Twilight

Breaking Dawn Countdown

Breaking Dawn, book four in the Twilight Saga, will be released on August 2. To celebrate the most exciting thing to happen since the birth of my son, I'll be posting some of my favorite moments from the series leading up to the big day.

Wanted: Shallow, TV and junk food addicted BFF

• If you cry like a baby at episodes of "One Tree Hill"...
• If you are desperately in need of a pedicure...
• If you still love Hole...
• If you wonder why the kids on "Gossip Girl" disparage the '90's but then wear Alice bands without a hint of irony...
• If you consider Honey BBQ Fritos and a Slurpee to be a complete lunch...
• If you miss "My So-Called Life", "Veronica Mars", and "Deadwood" on an appallingly regular basis...
• If you have a "What would Buffy do?" bumpersticker...
• If you plan to be at the theater on Dec. 12 (possibly calling in sick to work) to see the premiere of Twilight with all the other 13 year-old fangirls...
• If you can eat your weight in chocolate chip cookies...
• If you have Robin Hood Prince of Thieves currently sitting on your DVR...
• If you have your next three tattoos picked out, but don't know where to put them...
• If you have a spare ticket to the New Kids on the Block show in San Antonio...

Then we should be best friends.