Remembering the Past

As I waited on my laundry today, I took the time to look back through all my photo albums on Facebook. It was great to look back on the people and memories I have had since graduating high school.

With recently making a list of life goals, I have been spending a lot more time thinking about what the future holds and the activities I wish to eventually do. However, it's good to look back every once in a while, taking the time to be thankful for where you came from.

When I was in Junior High, a friend gave me a bookmark with a quote on it that I have grown to appreciate. It said, "It's the friends we meet along life's road that help us to appreciate the journey." I am very thankful for the friends I have made, memories I have created, and experiences I have encountered. I am also thankful for cameras that can capture those moments along the way.

Take some time to remember the past and be thankful for what the Lord has allowed you to experience in life.

Mistaken Identity

I accomplised another goal as I finished book #10 yesterday! I read Mistaken Identity, by the Van Ryn and Cerak families along with Mark Tabb. I had borrowed this book from my grandparents 2 summers ago and read it on the plane to visit my friend, Kimberly, in California. I was almost in tears as I sat on the plane reading it - I would HIGHLY recommend this book!

Mistaken Identity is about real life events that happened in April 2006. There was a bad car accident that involved students from Taylor University in Indiana. Five individuals were pronounced dead at the scene, and I think three were taken to the hospital. The student who was said to be Laura Van Ryn was air lifted to the hospital and spent the first few weeks after the accident in a coma. Mean while, the Cerak family had a funeral for their daughter, Whitney. However, 5 weeks after the accident, when Laura began to function more on her own, she was asked to write her name - she wrote out WHITNEY. The two girls had been misidentified at the time of the crash! Dental records confirmed that it was infact Whitney Cerak, and it was Laura who had died in the crash. What a shock that was to both families!

Whitney's family came to the hospital to continue to care for their daughter. She made a good recovery and was able to attend classes at Taylor that fall. However, a brain injury left her with a different personality than before, and she struggled to find her place back at school. After many tearful phone conversations with her father, she made it through her sophomore year of college.

I would have to say this is one of my favorite books. I love the example the two families showed of their love for Christ and their trust in Him throughout this time. Mistaken Identity - read it if you get the chance!

Day Off

I had a wonderful day off! It started with sleeping in - so wonderful! Then I got up and ran. I made myself eggs and toast for breakfast and got ready to head out shopping. I bought a couple things for myself as well as a wedding present for a friend. I also stopped and got a free caramel frappe from McDonalds - thanks, Grandma! Then I did some grocery shopping at Wegmans. Once I got back to the dorm, I cleaned up my room and read for a while - I finished another book that I will post about soon! For dinner, I met my friend, Rachel, at DogTown - a hotdog place I have blogged about before. After eating my Pit Bull we headed to Cobbs Hill Park. We walked around for while, played some Blokus, and enjoyed the sunset over the city - notice the picture above. Our night did not end there though! Another park plays movies on a big screen for free every Thursday night, so we decided to check it out. The movie didn't end up being that great, but it was something fun to do. Overall, a great day off!

Swimming

For my half marathon training I have to do some cross training. My cross training includes rollerblading, biking, and swimming. On Wednesdays, I have to either run 2 miles or cross train for 20 minutes - that's the perfect amount of time for a swim! Every other Wednesday I head to the indoor pool on campus and swim laps. I do 4 different laps down the length of the pool and back a total of 3 times.

I enjoy my swims, and it's made me think about doing a triathlon in the future - we'll see about that one...

Answered Prayer

Part of the team hiking Pacaya - an active volcano!

Two summers ago I went to Guatemala - my first time out of the country and my first missions trip. When the trip was first discussed at a SIFE meeting, I through away the paperwork thinking, "I don't know any of these people well enough to travel to another country with them! Maybe another year." Well, for some reason, a couple months later, that trip came back to my mind, and I was prompted to e-mail another student who I knew had been on the trip before. I asked if there was still room on the trip and who I should contact for more information. She gave me the name of someone in the business department, and I got in touch. Next thing I knew I was calling my mom 3 times a day to discuss the idea and figuring out a passport, etc. I prayed a lot about it, but the deadline was coming up so I had to decide fast. Not knowing what I was getting into I signed up for the trip and handed in my deposit! That week there was a meeting with the team to discuss shots, paperwork, and to get to know each other. I went to the meeting, and practically everybody was Roberts alumni! There was only one other student going on the trip - he was a sophomore, and I was a freshman. This was going to be an experience! We saw very little of each other before heading separate ways for the summer. I raised money and gathered donated items to take on the trip. Mid-August I drove up to Rochester and met with the team once again as we prepared to head out.

All that to say, I signed up for this trip not knowing who was going to be on the team. Just before leaving for Rochester, my youth pastor's wife from church asked if there was anything specific she could be praying for while I was on the trip. I asked that she pray I would quickly feel comfortable around the team, as they were older than me, and I did not know any of them.

Well, the Lord sure answers prayer! At the end of the week, our team was having a discussion and I shared the concern I had come into the trip with, ending with how thankful I was that I had quickly gotten to know the team and really appreciated being part of it. One team member later mentioned to me how much he thought I was one of the most outgoing of the group - always trying to include others and get to know them. What an encouragement that was!

Overall, the trip gave me more confidence in new situations. I am thankful I had the opportunity to go with a team I hardly knew. I have kept in touch - somewhat - with a handful of the members, and the trip will always hold a special place in my heart.

Forgiven

I first heard the song, Forgiven, by Sanctus Real, when I was on my way home from the hospital last November. I liked the song and really appreciated it. The next month it was used in the baptism service I was part of. Our youth pastor put a slideshow together of all those getting baptized that went along with the song - what a perfect song for the occasion! It was neat to be able to hear the song again and to have it personalized.

Here are the lyrics, and you can click here to hear the song.

Well, the past is playing with my head
And failure knocks me down again
I'm reminded of the wrong that I have said and done
And that devil just won't let me forget

And in this life I know what I've been
But here in your arms I know what I am
You are forgiven, yeah, I'm forgiven
And I don't have to carry the weight of who I've been
'Cause I'm forgiven

My mistakes are running through my mind
And I'll relive my days in the middle of the night
When I struggle with my pain, wrestle with my pride
Sometimes I feel alone and I cry

And in this life I know what I've been
But here in Your arms I know what I am
You are forgiven, yeah, I'm forgiven
And I don't have to carry the weight of who I've been
'Cause I'm forgiven

When I don't fit in and I don't feel like I belong anywhere
What I don't measure up to much in this life
Oh, I'm a treasure in the arms of Christ

'Cause I'm forgiven, I'm forgiven
And I don't have to carry the weight of who I've been
'Cause I'm fogiven

Taughannock Falls

This is the waterfall at Taughannock Falls - in the past, our family would quite often have family get togethers at this park and hike the gorge to the waterfall, so it was the perfect place to have the 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration for my grandparents. We had a nice meal served to us at the restaurant/bed and breakfast and enjoyed looking at pictures, letters, and drawings from over the years. After our meal, we hiked the gorge. I had a little mishap and slipped and fell into the water early on! Other than that, it was a nice day and a wonderful event to celebrate.

Trailblazer - Nate Saint

I finished another Trailblazer book. This one was called The Fate of the Yellow Woodbee and was about Nate Saint. I have recently read End of the Spear, which is the same story as this one - about the 5 missionaries in Ecuador who go to meet the Auca Indians, but end of being speared to death. However, their wives continue to try and make contact with the Aucas and successfully meet them, eventually living with them in their village.

In this book, Dave and Neta Jackson mostly focus on the method the men use to make contact with the Aucas - their yellow plane. They send gifts down from the plane in a bucket to show they are friendly. An Auca sends his pet parrot back up one day, and the men know they are one step closer to making full contact. They find a place to set up camp and wait for the Aucas to show up. A man and 2 Auca women show up, and the missionaries use what few Auca phrases they know to show they are friendly. They share some food, and the man takes a ride up in the plane.

Even though the initial contact seemed to go well, other Aucas come later on and spear the 5 men right by their plane. Eventually, Nate Saint's children meet the man who speared their father. His children and some Aucas are baptized in the same waters the men were killed in as the truth of God's Word was able to come to the village. What a powerful story of fogiveness!

Finally Friday!

This was me almost exactly this week! When I was leaving work on Tuesday, I almost said, "Have a good weekend!" to my supervisor! This was just a long week, and not for any reason in particular - the days at work just seemed to drag.

But Friday is finally here, and I have the weekend to look forward to!

Garbage Plates

Once a week I go out to lunch with a friend who works at the church on campus. We go to a different place each week, and this week was Garbage Plates! Now, for those of you not from the Rochester area, a garbage plate is something we are known for (kind of like spiedies in Binghamton). Basically, a garbage plate is 2 cheeseburgers, home fries, and macaroni salad mixed together with a hot meat sauce, onions, and ketchup - delicous! Haha! There are variations of the plate, but this is the one I prefer.

I had my first garbage plate during my freshman year. Two friends and I went with a youth pastor of theirs who had attended Roberts and knew all about garbage plates. He taught us the proper way to order and eat them. You get 2 slices of bread to use at the end of your meal to pick up all the leftover goodness. I finished my whole plate and enjoyed it! I've gotten a few more since then, and have had fun sharing them with friends.

If it sounds good, come visit me in Rochester - we'll go get some plates!

Nicholas Sparks

I finished book number 8 over the weekend. I read a Nicholas Sparks book, lent to me by my friend, Danielle. Her and another friend of mine are always reading Nicholas Sparks books, so I figured I should get in on the action. I have acutally read two other books of his. This time I read True Believer.

True Believer is about a man named Jeremy who is a writer in New York City. He gets called to do a job down in Boone Creek, North Carolina - to debunk a legend about ghostly lights in a cemetary in town. Of course, while he is there, he meets a girl named Lexie. She works in the library and helps him with his research.

In the end, as Jeremy solves the mystery of the lights, he must decide if he is going to go back to life as he knew it or spend his life in Boone Creek with the one he has fallen in love with.

It was definitely a page turner at the end while you wait to find out what the lights are all about and what will become of Jeremy and Lexie's relationship. Now I have another Nicholas Sparks book waiting to be read!

Life Goals

Back at the end of April I wrote down a list of about 20 goals that I wanted to accomplish by the end of 2010. I have done a pretty good job making it through that list, and it has been fun to see what I have accomplished.

At the beginning of the summer I joined a small group that decided to do a study on success. Of course, we talk a lot about goals, and we eventually decided to take the time to make a list of Life Goals. It was fun to think larger than just one year, and I now have a list of over 50 goals that I want to accomplish in my lifetime. The plan is to evaluate these goals at the end of each year. I will choose some to strive to accomplish in the coming year, and add more to the list if needed.

I challenge you to think about those tasks you desire to accomlish and write them down! I am much more likely to do something if it's written down.

I'll keep you posted on how I'm coming on my list of goals!

Blueberry Cream Dessert

I went blueberry picking with my friend, Rachel, yesterday. We didn't have much time, so it was a quick trip for just a few blueberries. Blueberries are one of my favorite fruits to pick - they are easy to pick, so yummy, and you can make Blueberry Cream Dessert when you're done!

Blueberry Cream Dessert is one of my favorite desserts. It's so light, and the blueberries are so sweet. I had it at my graduation party instead of a regular cake with frosting. Here is the recipe for it if you are interested:

Blueberry Cream Dessert

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup sugar
-1 envelope of unflavored gelatin
-3/4 cup cold water
-8 oz. sour cream
-8 oz. blueberry yogurt
-1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
-1 and 1/4 cup graham crackers crumbs (1 package, crushed)
-1/3 cup melted butter
-1/4 cup sugar
-4 oz. cool whip
-1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:

-In medium sauce pan heat and stir 1/2 cup sugar, gelatin, and water until dissolved. Combine sour cream, yogurt, and vanilla and stir into saucepan. Chill about 40 minutes until partially set.
-Combine graham crackers, margarine, and 1/4 cup sugar. Set aside 1/4 cup of crumbs for top. Press into a 10x6x2 inch or a 9x9 inch pan.
-Fold cool whip into yogurt/sour cream mixture. Stir in blueberries and place in pan on top of graham crackers. Sprinkle remaining crumbs on top. Chill 6 hours.

I made this for myself the other day and have been enjoying it! However, I only used half the cool whip, part of the graham crackers, etc. I had enough ingredients left over to make another one! I am bringing that one to Bible Study tomorrow.

I thought this recipe might also be good with different fruits. You could do strawberries with strawberry yogurt, or cherries with cherry yogurt. Whatever you end up using, enjoy!

Remembering Grandpa

Today I bought a gerber daisy - as close to the color orange as Wegmans had. I wanted to get an orange gerber diasy because that I what I had picked out at my Grandpa's funeral 9 years ago. My Grandpa died today in 2001 - the summer between 6th and 7th grade. At his funeral, each grandkid got to pick a flower to take home with us, and I chose an orange gerber daisy. A lady at the church helping with the lunch-in saw me with it and said, "That flower is perfect - tall and beautiful, just like you!" I dried that gerber daisy and had it sitting on my shelf for years. Recently I have had to get rid of it as the petals kept falling off over the years. Now, I will buy an orange gerber daisy every July 18th, in rememberance of my Grandpa. Gerber daisies are now my favorite flower, and I'm glad I have a wonderful memory attached to them.

This is me and my Grandpa mowing the lawn. I loved getting on his mower and going around the yard. He was always good to include you in whatever he was doing! This mower had two settings to go between - turtle and rabbit!

Here's my Grandpa and I taking a nap - with my favorite stuffed animal, Ellie!

I have so many great memories of my Grandpa! We were down in Maryland visiting the week or so before he died. We did all sorts of fun activites! We went water skiing and ate crabs - two of my favorite memories of him. He was the one who patiently taught me how to water ski, and he was out there doing it that week too! At the end of the week, one of the last things he said to me was, "There was so much we didn't get to do, but there's always next time." And there was no next time. You never know when it will be the last time you spend with someone, so be sure to make the most of it! My Grandpa not only taught me how to water ski, but also an important life lesson.

Sure, I miss my Grandpa. I wonder what it would have been like for him to be at my high school graduation. I wonder what he would say about what I'm studying in school. He never got to meet 3 of his grandkids, and he won't be there on my wedding day, where there will definitely be lots of gerber daisies! But I'm thankful for the man he was and the memories I have of him. I will smile and think of him as I glance at this gerber daisy I bought today!

3 New People

One goal I set for myself this year was to meet and really get to know 3 new people. This picture is of me and my friend, Rachel. I met Rachel back in May at a potluck/game night her small group from Browncroft was having. It was my first time at an event with this group, so I met a lot of new people. I enjoyed talking with Rachel, and even brought home some of her pasta salad! After that, I saw her at other GAP events (the young adult group at Browncroft) and on Sunday mornings. In the beginning of the summer, I had a day off, and I spent it with Rachel rollerblading, biking, and playing a game. We have also gone cherry picking together, and most recently went to the public market and did some hiking at Turning Point Park. I have enjoyed getting to know Rachel and spending time with her. She went to Roberts for a little while, so it's neat to share stories. I'm looking forward to getting to know Rachel even more as we continue to do things together.

Rollerblading

My friend, Danielle, and I love to go rollerblading together when we are home. There is a paved path by my house that gives us a good 4 mile workout. For my half marathon training, I have to do some cross training - and rollerblading is perfect for that! Since I will be busy most of the day tomorrow, I had to get my weekend workout in this morning at 6am! Thankfully it's pretty flat around campus, so I went through some streets by school and enjoyed my morning exercise.

My first experience with skates involved what is pictured below - skates from Fisher Price that go over your shoes. We used them a lot at my house when I was a kid! The length even adjusted, so you could use them as your feet grew.

I'm glad I learned to skate at a young age so I can enjoy it now while I'm older.

Greeting Cards

I spent almost $30 on greeting cards tonight! I love shopping for cards! I always have someone in mind, and I try to find the perfect card for them and the occasion. Tonight I was shopping for anniversaries, birthdays, and weddings. There are a lot of pretty terrible cards out there, but when I find just the one I get excited to send it!

I save cards too. I have bags and boxes full of cards that people have sent me over the years. On occasion I go back through and read them and think about what I was doing at the time - the event the card was for.

I have a few card boxes full of blank cards waiting to be sent - I guess I'm a bit of a collector! It's always fun to get snail mail, and I enjoy sending notes to my friends during the school year.

I have enough cards to get me through events until October, then I get to go card shopping again!

Count Downs

Everyone says that time goes by so fast, which can be a good thing if there are events coming up that you are looking forward to! Here are a few events that I am counting down for:

23 days until I can move into my townhouse - my housing for the fall! There will be 4 of us staying there with our own kitchen, dining area, and living room. There are also 2 bathrooms and 2 bedrooms. This will be all mine for 3 weeks until the other girls move in just before classes start.

47 days until classes start - my last first day of school! I will be a senior in the fall with a full 18 credit course load and 10 hours of work each week.

60 days until the half marathon - I have been running since March and really training since mid-May. 13.1 miles - let's see what I can do!

86 days until my first break from school - this will be much needed by October! I don't have definite plans - perhaps a trip to Philly to visit Amy, or a trip to Virginia to visit Heather and Andrew's new place.

What are you looking forward to and counting down for?

Talent Show

Tonight was a service night for small group. We went to a nursing home by our church and had a little talent show for the residents. I brought my flute and played for them. The theme was patriotic, so I played a few patriotic songs from one of my old books, then I played along with some patriotic hymns while they sang. One of our members sang a couple songs by himself, then I played duet with my flute and the piano. It was great to get my flute out again! I took lessons 5th - 8th grade and played on and off in high school for church. I was also in the band and a flute choir at school. I did bring it to Roberts my sophomore year and played around in the practice rooms every so often. Then this past semester I took lessons once a week. I am glad I have stuck with it over the years and can now use it to bless others. Those in the nursing home sure enjoyed hearing from us tonight!

By Your Side

Last summer, my sister, Amy, sent me a CD by Tenth Avenue North. I listend to the first few songs, then this one, called By Your Side, came on, and I just started crying as I continued to listen. It just hit me right where I was at last summer, struggling to know where to go in life. I love the first verse where it talks about striving after something and trying to earn God's grace - but really we just have to strive after Him! Listen to the song here and read the words below:


Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run

And I'll be by your side
Whenever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and My side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life

Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, I love you
I'll never let you go

My Vacation

I'm pretty sure I picked the hottest week of the summer to go home! Good thing I did - we have an air conditioner in the back room, but we have nothing in the dorms! I definitely enjoyed my time at home and am thankful I had the opportunity to go.

Here's a recap of my week at home:

-went to a wedding
-got new tires
-ran on the rail trail
-went hiking
-had 3 medical appointments
-saw fireworks and played with sparklers
-first time at Sonic

-went mini golfing
-visited with friends
-went geocaching for the first time
-made breakfast with friends
-went shopping
-went swimming
-had lunch with friends
-picked blueberries
-watched movies
-got bubble tea
-played games
-ran my first race - a nice 5K
-went to Applebees with friends
-washed my car

Now it's back to work tomorrow...

5K Race

I ran my first race today! It was a 5K in Binghamton, NY. The youth pastor at church, Jonathan, ran it with me - it was his first race too. Here I am at the starting line. A 5K is 3.1 miles.
Here we both are ready to go. I am in the red, in the middle front, and Jon is next to me in dark green.

Here I am mid-way through. It was a nice morning for a race - not too hot!

The finish line! My time was 30:21 - only 21 seconds over my goal. Jon was number 24 with a time of 21 something minutes. We both had a good time running and a good race!

Night Watch

The past 2 nights I have visited my sister, Julie, and a friend, Kristen, at Arrowhead Bible Camp. They are both there doing night watch for the week. I worked at this camp in Junior High - it is for developmentally disabled adults, so they need someone on duty at all times. Julie and Kristen have to check on the cabins and bunks to make sure the campers are in their beds and help them with anything they need during the night.

I did nightwatch 2 summers ago. It's great for getting projects done, watching movies, and reading as you have 8 hours just about all to yourself. I decided to spend some time up at camp while these girls were on duty. Kristen told me about her recent trip to South Africa, and Julie and I played Blokus and watched a movie. Night watch was a good opportunity to spend some time with them!

Trailblazer Books

I just finished reading Flight of the Fugitives, a book by Dave and Neta Jackson about the life of Gladys Aylward. This book is part of a 40-book series called the Trailblazer Books. I acutally read this book for school in second grade, and my sister had the whole collection growing up. The Trailblazer Books are based on true stories of missionaries and great people of faith. Each book highlights one individual and is mostly fact with some fiction thrown in. However, the beginning of the book gives an overview of what is true and what is just for the story. I am looking forward to reading more of the easy-read books and learning about those who have helped to spread the Gospel.

Gladys Aylward was born in England in 1902, but desired to serve the Lord in China. She went through training with an organization, but in the end was told she would be be able to go. She ended up working her own way for a one way ticket to China. She served with a woman who owned an inn that mule drivers would stop at and get meals. The women would tell them stories from the Bible in the evenings. Eventually, Gladys become the Official Foot Inspector for the Mandarin. She unbound girls' feet and helped them to be able to walk properly again. This brought in some extra income for her and allowed her to interact with many of the people of China. Gladys became a Chinese citizen and even adopted several children. Then a war broke out and her children along with 100 others had to be taken to a new area - several days' journey away. Gladys successfully got all the children to the place that would care for them. At 55 she opened up her own orphanage to continue to care for children. She continued to serve the Lord in China until her death at 68.

I think Gladys Aylward's story is an encouragement that when you know what the Lord has for you, He will provide a way if you don't give up. She could have easily given up on her dream to serve in China after being told she would not be able to go, but she knew that's where she was being called and continued to look for a way to get there. May we be able to know what the Lord has for us and work hard to get there.

Geocaching

My sister, Julie, introduced me to geocaching tonight! She has been doing it with her friends this summer, and we went to a new location tonight. Basically, someone hides a container with goodies and/or a log sheet inside and posts the coordinates of the location on the geocaching website. A geocacher can look up the container online and find it using the coordinates. If you decide to take an item, you must replace it with something of your own. Here is me with the box we found tonight - my first geocache!

There were lots of goodies inside it! (Including those glasses Julie's wearing!)

We chose to take the crazy glasses and a troll.

Geocaching was a fun experience - maybe I'll try to find some around Rochester!

2 New Firsts

I experienced 2 new firsts today! We got a Sonic in the Binghamton area last summer, but I had never been to it. My sisters and I headed there for lunch today and had a good time! Here are Amy and Julie enjoying their sandwhiches.
The Caramel Java Chiller got two thumbs up!

My second first of the day was playing mini golf at a new place in the area called Chucksters. They have the longest hole for mini golf in the world! Here's Julie and I by the sign to prove it.

Dad got a hole in one and was the overall winner of the evening.

I'm definitely enjoying my time off as I am able to have fun with family and friends!

4th of July Festivities

My family went to Salt Springs today for some hiking in the water. Of course, we were all patriotic for the 4th of July as well! Above is Amy, me, my dad, and Julie. Below is the first waterfall we came to.

Here's Amy and myself about to climb up a waterfall. It was a great day to be in the water!

And, what's 4th of July without fireworks?! I headed over to Highland park with my mom, my sisters, and two friends. It was a great display - and we even brought some of our own sparklers!

Wedding Day

My sister, Amy's, best friend, Denise, got married today. It was a quick wedding - only 27 minutes! The girls looked great in their navy dresses with yellow flowers, and the bride was beautiful. The groom, Ben, was beaming with a smile while all the girls walked down the isle just waiting for his bride to arrive. What a fun event to celebrate! Congratulations, Denise and Ben Heebner!

Us girls all home for the weekend!

Cherry Picking

I went cherry picking with a friend from church today. I have never gone before, so it was a fun experience. We went to Whittier Fruit Farm, and I picked 3.8 pounds and brought them home to snack on this week. We are now thinking about delicious treats we can make with them! I am looking forward to picking blueberries later this week!

My Sister's Keeper

I finally finished another book - this was a long one! I borrowed My Sister's Keeper from a friend and really enjoyed reading it. This novel-turned-movie is about a family who has a daughter, Kate, that developes a form of cancer. It is suggested that a sibling may be the perfect match to donate cells, blood, and such. Kate's older brother, Jesse, is not a good match, so the parents, Brian and Sara, genetically have another daughter, Anna, to be a donor to Kate. Eventually, the procedures for the donations get out of hand and Anna decides to sue her parents for rights to her own body. This all happens at the same time doctors are suggesting Anna donate a kidney to Kate.

I had watched the movie before I read the book, and it really brings up lots of ethical questions. I referred to the story in a couple different papers I wrote this past semester. I touched on how far families should go to determine what their child will be like and how and when the parents should tell a child they were genetically created. Science has really developed and can do a lot of good, but we must be careful not to begin playing God.

The chapters in the book are each from a different character's perspective. Each character even has their own font, so it's easy to tell who is talking. It was a lengthy book, but still a good one. I like the ending in the book better than the ending in the movie. It does make me want to watch the movie again though!