I am so, so upset right now.

I've had to close the legacy. Why?

I opened up my game, fully intent on playing my legacy enough to update because there wasn't an update in a while.

Well guess what? I had lost all my save files. Everything, gone. Poof! Vanished. Panicking, I quit the game to check for the .backup file in the Saves folder. There was nothing there at all. I have no idea what happened, and I'm gutted. I'm nearly crying right now because I had a really awesome storyline planned out for Bellamy, and now I'll never get to play that out.

If you want, I could tell you the storyline. But I'm too upset right now.

I am so sorry to everyone who followed this legacy, but apparently it just wasn't meant to be.

I may try another legacy but probably not in the near future.

Once again, I am so, so sorry.

Oh, look! I have a banner!

It's too small, though. Oh well, I love it anyway! Hope you guys do too. I spent quite a while thinking of ideas and then I had a few size issues, but I've decided that I can't be bothered doing any more resizing, so this is the final product. XD

To explain my recent absence...

Yeah, sorry about that. It wasn't my fault though, I promise! I've had to revise for exams that are next week and I'm not even finished yet. I also had some friendship issues though those have blown over now.

Oh, I also now have a bloggeh for all my random crap that isn't related to the Sims! Here it is:

a-truth-universally-acknowledged.blogspot.com

I think there's going to be a lot of rants there.

KTHXBAI!

And the winner is...

After a day of voting, Bellamy won the heir poll and will be the Houston girl to inherit the house and money. How will her life go? Will there be many bumps in the road? I'm sure you'll find out soon enough but for now, happy Simming!

Heir Poll!

Hooray! I'm so excited for this generation, I have a really brilliant scheme - er, story - to do with whoever gets chosen to be the heiress. Here are the girls all aged up with MC:

Here's the thread where you can vote:
http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/369884.page
You'll find all the information you need there. Have a great day!

A Few Changes to the Blog

You may or may not have noticed but I made a couple of changes to the blog, the most drastic being the background. I changed it to something else because we're nearing Gen. 2! Excitement! I've got some great plans for this generation, and an heir poll should be up soon. Back on topic, I also changed a couple of colours of things. Hope you like it! Tell me which one you preferred in the comments :D

A Tribute to Hal Houston

(This is the song I had in mind for this post)

I always needed time on my own
I never thought I'd need you there when I cry
And the days feel like years when I'm alone
And the bed where you lie is made up on your side

When you walk away I count the steps that you take
Do you see how much I need you right now?

When you're gone
The pieces of my heart are missing you
When you're gone
The face I came to know is missing too
When you're gone
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day, and make it OK,
I miss you

I've never felt this way before

Everything that I do reminds me of you
And the clothes you left, they lie on the floor
And they smell just like you, I love the things that you do

When you walk away I count the steps that you take
Do you see how much I need you right now

When you're gone
The pieces of my heart are missing you
When you're gone
The face I came to know is missing too
When you're gone
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it ok
I miss you

We were made for each other
Out here forever
I know we were, yeah
All I ever wanted was for you to know
Everything I'd do, I'd give my heart and soul
I can hardly breathe I need to feel you here with me, yeah

When you're gone
The pieces of my heart are missing you
When you're gone
The face I came to know is missing too
When you're gone
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it ok
I miss you

R.I.P Hal Houston

You will be missed

Generation 1: Chapter 9

My baby bump was starting to show, if only a tiny bit. Yes, I was happy, but at the same time I was sinking into my own little world, closed off from everyone else. And with every kick that baby made, I sank deeper into that world, because they were a constant reminder of Hal.

But as depressed as I was, life goes on. It was Pandora's birthday, and she would be aging into a teen! As usual, we had a small party with only our family, and kept it quiet so as not to disturb the neighbors.

...Interesting. However, she did age up in her pyjamas so the underwear is acceptable. Even so, she desperately required a makeover.

Much better. She's a good mixture of Hal and I - she got the shape of his eyes. She was really excited to become a teenager and finally see more of the world. She did promise me that she wouldn't stay out after curfew, though.

Again, I had a diet of watermelons, ice cream and spaghetti, much like when I was pregnant with Pandora. I wasn't sure if it was healthy to be eating so many watermelons, but at least I wasn't gorging on chocolate instead. That really would be unhealthy!

The next couple of weeks went by in a flurry of funeral arrangements. It was a small funeral, just us. Poor Lilith and Denver had no idea what was going on, or why everyone was so sad, but they weren't a problem. They didn't cry, or ask for attention, they just sat there quietly, holding each other's hands.

Soon afterwards, it was the twins' birthday. Denver went first, because he was born the first, and so he aged up...

...into a handsome young man! He looked so much like his father, it made me kind of sad just to look at him, even though I hate to say it. He took a big slice of cake and set it down in front of where he wanted to sit, then waited for his sister to age up.

And so, I brought Lilith to the cake and blew out the candles for her, with her making feeble puffs at the candles herself.

Hmm. Not bad, but a change of hairstyle and clothing is still required.

And so, here she is! She has Hal's eye shape, too. It seems like that's a dominant gene!

The decorators did a really good job on their rooms. The top one is Denver's, in his favourite colours - green and blue! The bottom is Lilith's, and since her favourite colour is aqua, she loved her room.

Denver seemed to have a real knack for all things artistic. I got him this easel for his birthday, and he nearly wet himself when he saw it! He usually stays in his room and paints nowadays, but he makes sure he doesn't neglect his studies - well, I make sure, anyway!

Lilith is a good soul, so instead of asking for a "proper" present she just asked for money so she could donate it to charity. I gave her 100 Simoleans, which she donated to the Veronaville Community Chest straight away, giving me a hug as she ran outside to the mailbox.

This baby was really stressing me out. It was long overdue, and it was kicking more than the other kids had, as if it was trying to get out - but it just wouldn't. I threw myself into my gardening in the hope that the exercise would help get the baby out.

And for the love of Plumbob I certainly needed to throw myself into gardening! Since Hal died I just couldn't muster up the spirit to tend to my garden, and the crops suffered for it.

It was when I was heading to the trash can to dispose of a dead plant that I felt fluid running down my leg. My water had broken, and the contractions had started! It was finally time for the baby to get out into the world.

It was a beautiful baby girl! As I welcomed Bellamy into the world, I was glad the doctor had been right and I was having a girl - the decorators I had hired to do up Denver and Lilith's rooms had also decorated the new baby's room perfectly for a little girl.

As I brought Bellamy into the nursery, I felt another contraction! I hurriedly placed her in her crib, and prepared for giving birth...again! I just couldn't believe I was having twins - again! Well, at least I hope it's twins...I don't think I can deal with triplets right now!

This one was a lot more painful that the first, and that's saying something! Right then, I made a vow to myself to never have another child.

A few minutes after I had that thought, I welcomed Bayleigh into the world - my sixth and final child.

Hey guys! Just a mini update...

Okay, first of all I'm sorry for not updating in so long! I have exams to revise for and CC issues to sort out, and even then I still have the vampire shirt and the Collection Blondes thing. Argh!

The annoying thing is, I was going to do it last night, but I only got as far as the second picture when my mum walked in and said it was dinner time. We were also going somewhere after dinner, which sucked. I was gonna do it earlier in the day but my brother asked me to play Halo with him and y'know...Xbox is addictive!

So, sorry guys, but I will get the next chapter up today.

Generation 1: Chapter 8

There are so many birthdays around this house, it's not even funny. I was going to mature, and I was nervous...very nervous. I decided there would be a change in me, that I wouldn't be so...conspicuous now that I was going to gain a few wrinkles here and there.

...Oh crap. Wrinkles.

Oh dear. That can't be right.

Ahh...much better. Hal kissed me gently, showing me that he didn't care about my new-found wrinkliness. I loved him so much, and I was glad that hadn't changed as I aged. I looked at my kids, clapping and cheering, and was truly happy for this moment.

But, of course, sickness had to ruin everything. I was pretty sure I knew what was happening...I mean, I had expressed my desire for a fifth child to Hal on the night of my aging, but I was worried that I might be too old. Of course, a quick hospital check-up was the right way to go.

After my appointment I figured it would take a while for the doctors to call me back, so I did general useful stuff, such as pay the bills...

...and take out the trash. There were a few old newspapers lying around and they weren't exactly pleasant so something had to be done about them.

I then did a quick spot of gardening. Weeding the plants, picking the tomatoes, watering them...it was all very relaxing, and then I was finished and at a loose end. I had no idea whatsoever what to do. Something was nagging at the back of my mind, and I was impatient for the hospital to call me back. I had read recently about five new girls moving into town so I decided I would go for a quick visit to welcome them to Riverview.

I quickly called a babysitter to look after the twins, and set off on my journey. The trip was peaceful and unexciting, but the scenery was something to be admired as I cruised along. I'm sure the girls got a fright as I pulled up in a police cruiser, but they relaxed as I stepped out. I'll bet they thought they were about to be arrested or something!

They lived in a lovely modern house that was finished about two weeks ago. They certainly seemed nice and I got to know each one.

Claire O'Malley was Irish, and definitely the nice one of the bunch. She dressed casually, in simple jeans and a plain white T-Shirt.

Amelia-Rose Butler was chatting to an electrician when I arrived. When I met her, she seemed a little...uneasy, like she had taken something she wasn't meant to, but I thought nothing of it. She was very nice and had a good heart.

Ashleigh Rose Heart was definitely a flirt, you could see it in her eyes. She seemed to be a little bit insane, like me, so we got on well.

However, Ashleigh has tough competition in Jenny Samson. She expressed her hatred for settling down with someone but seemed to get a little bit awkward when I said I was married.

Lola Roux is a natural musician, who aspires to be a rock star someday. She played a few tunes on her guitar and I was amazed by how absorbed she became in it. I was pretty sure she would make it big.

When I got home I could hardly believe my eyes. Lilith was crying her little heart out, Denver needed his nappy changed and the babysitter was just standing there complaining about the wailing. And he had the nerve to ask for a tip! I think the death-ray glare I sent him made him scoot off before I kicked his ass. Unbelievable!

Jack and Pandora had brought friends home from school. When I arrived, Jack was merrily chatting about conspiracies to Susie Broke, while Pandora was involved in an enthusiastic game of tag with Marci Carnes. I was so glad they were both making friends, and they both seemed like nice people.

I had gone inside to bake some brownies when my cell phone rang.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hello, is this Mrs. Houston?"

"Yes," I replied. "Who is this, please?"

"This is Dr. Greeves from the hospital. We ran some tests and we're pleased to announce that you're pregnant!"

I couldn't believe it! I was so happy, I could jump for joy! I was so excited and I squealed a little bit and punched the air. I couldn't wait to tell Hal!

Just then, the phone rang again.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hello, are you AJ Houston, the wife of Hal Houston, formerly Breckenridge?"

"I am,"

"Well, ma'am, we are deeply unhappy to tell you that your husband has been shot."

With those few words, my world shattered. I just couldn't believe my ears. The man calling from the police station had told me that he had been taking down a criminal when said criminal pulled out a gun and shot him through the head, fatally wounding him. I broke down, and the man was extremely sympathetic. I called Jack and Pandora inside, telling them that it was time for their friends to go because we had important things to discuss.

"Jack, Pandora...I'm about to tell you something huge, and I need you to be strong."

"What is it, mom?" Jack asked.

"Well, your father...your father...your father is...well, he's...he's dead." My voice cracked on that last word. Pandora and Jack looked at me, willing me to say "April Fool's!". But I didn't. I watched their faces crumple, their hearts smashing into a million pieces.

"He was shot," I said. "He...he died bravely. I want you to remember that. I loved him more than you could ever know, and I...we'll...we will miss him."

I got up and hugged them tenderly.

"I have to go lie down," I said, and walked into our room in a daze. But when I say our...it's not really ours any more. I turned back and saw Pandora rub her hand across her cheek, and Jack's muscular frame seemed to disappear as he sighed heavily. I allowed a single tear to run down my face, then I closed the door, inhaling that musky man smell Hal had.

And so, I slept.