diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index e66b725..efb68c4 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -7,6 +7,18 @@
     <groupId>io.zipcoder</groupId>
     <artifactId>collections</artifactId>
     <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <build>
+        <plugins>
+            <plugin>
+                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+                <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
+                <configuration>
+                    <source>1.8</source>
+                    <target>1.8</target>
+                </configuration>
+            </plugin>
+        </plugins>
+    </build>
 
     <dependencies>
         <dependency>
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/zipcoder/ParenChecker.java b/src/main/java/io/zipcoder/ParenChecker.java
index caee675..171b2d7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/zipcoder/ParenChecker.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/zipcoder/ParenChecker.java
@@ -1,4 +1,61 @@
 package io.zipcoder;
 
+import java.util.Stack;
+
 public class ParenChecker {
+
+    public Stack<Character> stack = new Stack<Character>();
+
+    public ParenChecker() {
+    }
+
+    public ParenChecker(Stack<Character> stack) {
+        this.stack = stack;
+    }
+
+    public boolean checkParen(String str)
+    {
+        Stack<Character> stack = new Stack<Character>();
+        for (int i = 0; i < str.length(); i++)
+        {
+            char current = str.charAt(i);
+            if (current == '{' || current == '(' || current == '[' || current == '<' || current == '"' || current == '\'')
+            {
+                stack.push(current);
+            }
+
+            if (current == '}' || current == ')' || current == ']' || current == '>' || current == '"' || current == '\'')
+            {
+                if (stack.isEmpty())
+                    return false;
+
+                char last = stack.peek();
+                if (current == '}' && last == '{' || current == ')' && last == '(' || current == ']' && last == '[' || current == '>' && last == '<' || current == '"' && last == '"' || current == '\'' && last == '\'')
+                    stack.pop();
+                else
+                    return false;
+            }
+        }
+        return stack.isEmpty();
+    }
+
 }
+//    public boolean checkParen(String str) {
+//        int opening = 0;
+//        int closing = 0;
+//        int total;
+//        for (int i = 0; i < str.length(); i++) {
+//            char current = str.charAt(i);
+//            if (current == '(') {
+//                opening++;
+//            }
+//            if (current == ')') {
+//                closing++;
+//            }
+//            total = opening - closing;
+//            if (total == 0) {
+//                return true;
+//            }
+//        }
+//        return false;
+//    }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/zipcoder/WC.java b/src/main/java/io/zipcoder/WC.java
index babb68c..bacad29 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/zipcoder/WC.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/zipcoder/WC.java
@@ -2,11 +2,15 @@
 
 import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
 import java.io.FileReader;
-import java.util.Iterator;
-import java.util.Scanner;
+import java.util.*;
+
+import static java.util.stream.Collectors.toMap;
+
 
 public class WC {
     private Iterator<String> si;
+    public Map<String, Integer> wordMap = new LinkedHashMap<String, Integer>();
+
 
     public WC(String fileName) {
         try {
@@ -20,4 +24,33 @@ public WC(String fileName) {
     public WC(Iterator<String> si) {
         this.si = si;
     }
+
+    public Map<String, Integer> wordCountStorage() {
+
+        while (si.hasNext()) {
+            String current = si.next().toLowerCase().replaceAll("[^a-z0-9]", "");
+            if (!wordMap.containsKey(current)) {
+                wordMap.put(current, 1);
+            } else {
+                wordMap.put(current, wordMap.get(current) + 1);
+            }
+        }
+        return wordMap;
+    }
+
+    public Map<String, Integer> sortInDescOrderByValue() {
+        Map<String, Integer> sortByDesc = wordCountStorage().entrySet()
+                .stream()
+                .sorted(Map.Entry.<String, Integer>comparingByValue().reversed())
+                .collect(toMap(Map.Entry::getKey,
+                        Map.Entry::getValue, (e1, e2) -> e1, LinkedHashMap::new));
+
+        return sortByDesc;
+    }
 }
+
+
+
+
+
+//TreeMap<String, Integer> uniqueWordCount = new TreeMap<String, Integer>();
diff --git a/src/main/resources/robertFrost.txt b/src/main/resources/robertFrost.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..50132fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/resources/robertFrost.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
+And sorry I could not travel both
+And be one traveler, long I stood
+And looked down one as far as I could
+To where it bent in the undergrowth;
+
+Then took the other, as just as fair,
+And having perhaps the better claim,
+Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
+Though as for that the passing there
+Had worn them really about the same,
+
+And both that morning equally lay
+In leaves no step had trodden black.
+Oh, I kept the first for another day!
+Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
+I doubted if I should ever come back.
+
+I shall be telling this with a sigh
+Somewhere ages and ages hence:
+Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
+I took the one less traveled by,
+And that has made all the difference.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/resources/someTextFile.txt b/src/main/resources/someTextFile.txt
index e69de29..4e95490 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/someTextFile.txt
+++ b/src/main/resources/someTextFile.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Hello my name is Keith. I am a person. I am 26.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/zipcoder/ParenCheckerTest.java b/src/test/java/io/zipcoder/ParenCheckerTest.java
index 76aa3b6..3228269 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/zipcoder/ParenCheckerTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/zipcoder/ParenCheckerTest.java
@@ -5,4 +5,66 @@
 
 public class ParenCheckerTest {
 
+    @Test
+    public void testCheckParenOne(){
+        ParenChecker parenChecker = new ParenChecker();
+        String str = "(This is a test) string with some (parenthesis)";
+
+        boolean expected = true;
+        boolean actual = parenChecker.checkParen(str);
+        Assert.assertEquals(expected, actual);
+    }
+
+
+    @Test
+    public void testCheckParenTwo(){
+        ParenChecker parenChecker = new ParenChecker();
+        String str = ")This is a test( string with some (parenthesis)";
+
+        boolean expected = false;
+        boolean actual = parenChecker.checkParen(str);
+        Assert.assertEquals(expected, actual);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testCheckParenThree(){
+        ParenChecker parenChecker = new ParenChecker();
+        String str = "(This is( a test (string with some parenthesis)";
+
+        boolean expected = false;
+        boolean actual = parenChecker.checkParen(str);
+        Assert.assertEquals(expected, actual);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testCheckParenFour(){
+        ParenChecker parenChecker = new ParenChecker();
+        String str = "<This {[is( a test string with} some parenthesis)>]";
+
+        boolean expected = false;
+        boolean actual = parenChecker.checkParen(str);
+        Assert.assertEquals(expected, actual);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testCheckParenFive(){
+        ParenChecker parenChecker = new ParenChecker();
+        String str = " <{[( )]} >";
+
+        boolean expected = true;
+        boolean actual = parenChecker.checkParen(str);
+        Assert.assertEquals(expected, actual);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testCheckParenSix(){
+        ParenChecker parenChecker = new ParenChecker();
+        String str = "< This ' is a ' test \"String\" with some parenthesis>";
+
+        boolean expected = true;
+        boolean actual = parenChecker.checkParen(str);
+        Assert.assertEquals(expected, actual);
+    }
+
+
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/zipcoder/WCTest.java b/src/test/java/io/zipcoder/WCTest.java
index 895e831..52da0f5 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/zipcoder/WCTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/zipcoder/WCTest.java
@@ -5,7 +5,39 @@
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.TreeMap;
 
 public class WCTest {
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+    @Test
+    public void testWordCounter() {
+
+        WC testWC = new WC(WC.class.getResource("/someTextFile.txt").getFile());
+        String expected = "{26=1, a=1, am=2, hello=1, i=2, is=1, keith=1, my=1, name=1, person=1}";
+        String actual = testWC.wordCountStorage().toString();
+
+        Assert.assertEquals(expected, actual);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testWordCounterTwo() {
+
+        WC testWC = new WC(WC.class.getResource("/robertFrost.txt").getFile());
+        String expected = "{two=2, roads=2, diverged=2, in=4, a=3, yellow=1, wood=2, and=9, sorry=1, i=9, could=2, not=1, travel=1, both=2, be=2, one=3, traveler=1, long=1, stood=1, looked=1, down=1, as=5, far=1, to=2, where=1, it=2, bent=1, the=8, undergrowth=1, then=1, took=2, other=1, just=1, fair=1, having=1, perhaps=1, better=1, claim=1, because=1, was=1, grassy=1, wanted=1, wear=1, though=1, for=2, that=3, passing=1, there=1, had=2, worn=1, them=1, really=1, about=1, same=1, morning=1, equally=1, lay=1, leaves=1, no=1, step=1, trodden=1, black=1, oh=1, kept=1, first=1, another=1, day=1, yet=1, knowing=1, how=1, way=2, leads=1, on=1, doubted=1, if=1, should=1, ever=1, come=1, back=1, shall=1, telling=1, this=1, with=1, sigh=1, somewhere=1, ages=2, hence=1, less=1, traveled=1, by=1, has=1, made=1, all=1, difference=1}";
+
+        String actual = testWC.wordCountStorage().toString();
+
+        Assert.assertEquals(expected, actual);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testSortedWordCount(){
+        WC testWC = new WC(WC.class.getResource("/someTextFile.txt").getFile());
+        String expected = "{i=2, am=2, hello=1, my=1, name=1, is=1, keith=1, a=1, person=1, 26=1}";
+        String actual = testWC.sortInDescOrderByValue().toString();
+
+        Assert.assertEquals(expected, actual);
+
+    }
+
+}