2018 Books

The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny (8)

Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown (8)

Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith (7)

Still Me by Jojo Moyes (8)

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid (8)

Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend (8)

Church of the Small Things by Melanie Shankle (8)

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith (7)

Happy Again (novella) by Jennifer E. Smith (6)

What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum (7)

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith (7)

Half the Church by Carolyn Custis James (8)

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (7)

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas (8)

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (8)

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas (8)

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas (8)

Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis (6)

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas (7)

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller (6)

Circe by Madeline Miller (8)

As Good As True by Cheryl Reid (6)

Drop the Stones by Carlos A. Rodriguez (8)

Paris for One by Jojo Moyes (7)

The Third Reconstruction by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II (8)

That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam (7)

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan (7)

Emmy and Oliver by Robin Benway (7)

Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan (7)

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas (8)

A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny (8)

Inspired by Rachel Held Evans (9)

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan (8)

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer (with the boys) (8)

The Very Worst Missionary by Jamie Wright (8)

Belleweather by Susanna Kearsley (7)

Jesus, My Father, The CIA and Me by Ian Morgan Cron (7)

Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams (7)

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (7)

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (8)

I'd Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel (8)

Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George (with the boys) (8)

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (8)

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen (8)

Learning to Speak God From Scratch by Jonathan Merritt (7)

First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen (8)

September by Rosamunde Pilcher (8)

The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile (9)

The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton (8)

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (8)

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien (8) (with the boys)

The Antelope in the Living Room by Melanie Shankle (7)

Windfallen by Jojo Moyes (6)

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult (7)

The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer (with the boys) (8)

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by RicK Riordan (with Ethan)

The Wondering Years by Knox McCoy (7)

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (with the boys) (8)

Comfort and Joy by Kristin Hannah (7)

Glass Houses by Louise Penny (8)

Broken Throne by Victoria Aveyard (6)

2016 Books

The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon (7)

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (9)

The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey (6)

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson (7)

Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher (7)

The High Divide by Lin Enger (6)

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (8)

Pavilion of Women by Pearl S. Buck (7)

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer (8)

The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny (8)

Ross Poldark by Winston Graham (8)

Demelza by Winston Graham (8)

Trail of Broken Wings by Sejal Hadani (8)

Jeremy Polkark by Winston Graham (7)

Warleggan by Winston Graham (8)

The Black Moon by Winston Graham (7)

The Four Swans by Winston Graham (7)

Peace Like A River by Leif Enger (8)

The Angry Tide by Winston Graham (8)

The Stranger From The Sea by Winston Graham (7)

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger (8)

The Miller's Dance by Winston Graham (7)

The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (6)

The Loving Cup by Winston Graham (7)

The Twisted Sword by Winston Graham (8)

Bella Poldark by Winston Graham (8)

Out of Sorts by Sarah Bessey (10)

Mariana by Susanna Kearsley (6)

Matched by Ally Condie (6)

Legend by Marie Lu (7)

Prodigy by Marie Lu (7)

Champion by Marie Lu (8)

Gap Creek by Robert Morgan (7)

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein (8)

The BFG by Roald Dahl (with the boys) (6)

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (7)

Virgins (novella) by Diana Gabaldon (7)

The Splendour Falls by Susanna Kearsley (7)

A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny (8)

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling (9)

Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani (6)

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (8)

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen (8)

Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead (7)

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (7)

The Green Ember by S.D. Smith (with the boys) (8)

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse (7)

Named of the Dragon by Susanna Kearsley (6)

Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton (8)

Red Rising by Pierce Brown (7)

Golden Son by Pierce Brown (8)

Disney U by Doug Lipp (7)

Morning Star by Pierce Brown (8)

Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics, and Pesky Poltergeists by J.K. Rowling

Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship, and Dangerous Hobbies by J.K. Rowling

Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide by J.K. Rowling

Very Married by Katherine Willis Pershey (7)

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley (7)

The Sin of Certainty by Peter Enns (9)

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance (8)

Heartless by Marissa Meyer (8)

Endurance by Alfred Lansing (8)

Ember Falls by S.D. Smith (with the boys) (8)

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Steadman (8)

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCollough (8)

2015 Book List

East of Eden by John Steinbeck (7)

Paper Towns by John Green (6)

A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows (novella)  by Diana Gabaldon (6)

Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes (7)

Far From the Maddening Crowd by Thomas Hardy (7)

God Loves Haiti by Dimitri Elias Legar (5)

Sacred Marriage by Gary L. Thomas (7)

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (7)

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (8)

Cress by Marissa Meyer (8)

Fairest by Marissa Meyer (7)

Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner (8)

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (7)

Glittering Images by Susan Howatch (8)

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes (7)

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown (6)

The Space Between (novella) by Diana Gabaldon (6)

Glamorous Powers by Susan Howatch (7)

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (7)

Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans (8)

Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos (7)

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith (7)

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (6)

Looking for Alaska by John Green (7)

The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy (8)

The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick (7)

The Martian by Andy Weir (8)

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (9)

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo (9)

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo (9)

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (6)

The Life List by Lori Nelson Spielman (7)

The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley (8)

The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks (7)

Dead Wake by Erik Larson (7)

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (9)

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell (7)

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (6)

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple (6)

84, Charring Cross Road by Helene Hanff (6)

In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson (7)

Frenchman's Creek by Daphne Du Maurier (6)

Fortune's Children by Arthur T. Vanderbilt II (6)

Against the Tide by Elizabeth Camden (6)

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (7)

For The Love by Jen Hatmaker (9)

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson (8)

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (6)

Still Life by Louise Penny (8)

In This Moment by Autumn Doughton (7)

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (7)

Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson (6)

After You by Jojo Moyes (7)

The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz (7)

Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson (7)

A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny (8)

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (7)

First Impressions by Mark Waltz (8)

The Lake House by Kate Morton (8)

The Good, The Bad, and The Grace of God by Jep and Jessica Robertson (5)

Winter by Marissa Meyer (8)

Call The Nurse by Mary J. MacLeod (8)

Below Stairs by Margaret Powell (7)

Servant's Hall by Margaret Powell (6)

Eve by W.M. Paul Young (7)

The Winter Crown by Elizabeth Chadwick (7)

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (7)

2014 Book List

Sparkly Green Earrings by Melanie Shankle (6)

Allegiant by Veronica Roth (7)

Pastrix by Nadia Bolz-Weber (9)

Rena's Promise by Rena Kornreich Gelissen and Heather Dune Macadam (8)

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom (8)

War Brides by Helen Bryan (7)

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (7)

Notes from a Blue Bike by Tsh Oxenreider (7)

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky (8)

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker (8)

Memories: Out of Africa by Ian A. Fair (my grandfather's memoir, part 1)

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (8)

The Fault in our Stars by John Green (8)

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty (7)

Girl at the End of the World by Elizabeth Esther (8)

The Whiskey Rebels by David Liss (7)

The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles (8)

Booked by Karen Swallow Prior (9)

The Nazi Officer's Wife by Edith Hahn Beer (7)

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (7)

China Dolls by Lisa See (6)

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (9)

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty (8)

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (7)

The Time in Between by Maria Duenas (8)

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay (9)

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (6)

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (8)

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (9)

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon (9)

Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon (9)

The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon (9)

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes (8)

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon (9)

An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon (9)

One Plus One by Jojo Moyes (7)

Defending Jacob by William Landay (5)

Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon (9)

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton (8)

Lord John and The Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon (7)

I Am Hutterite by Mary-Ann Kirby (6)

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline (8)

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (8)

Lord John and The Brotherhood of the Blade by Diana Gabaldon (7)

Lord John and the Hand of Devils by Diana Gabaldon (6)

The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons (9)

The Custom of the Army by Diana Gabaldon (7)

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (5)

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (8)

The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah Ladd (6)

The Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon (7)

The Orchid House by Lucinda Riley (8)

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery (9)

A Plague of Zombies by Diana Gabaldon (6)

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce (8)

2013 Book List

The Kill Order by James Dashner (6)

A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans (7)

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant (7)

Torn by Justin Lee (9)

Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson (7)

Eighty Days by Matthew Goodman (7)

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain (9)

Carry On, Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton (9)

Scarred Faith by Josh Ross (8)

Introverts in the Church by Adam McHugh (7)

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver (7)

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (7)

Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (9)

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin (9)

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin (9)

Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan (7)

The Wealth of the Poor by Larry James (7)

A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin (9)

Love Does by Bob Goff (7)

A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin (9)

Divergent by Veronica Roth (8, reread)

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (8)

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton (8)

Insurgent by Veronica Roth (8, reread)

Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey (8)

Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres (6)

2012 Books

11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King (9)

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory (7)

The Tennis Partner by Abraham Verghese (7)

Directed Verdict by Randy Singer (6)

1984 by George Orwell (7)

A Separate Peace by John Knowles (8)

Birds of a Lesser Paradise by Megan Mayhew Bergman (6)

Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis (7)

Bossypants by Tina Fey (7)

Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks (7)

The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad (6)

7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker (9)

The Eighty Dollar Champion by Elizabeth Letts (6)

No Greater Love by Mother Teresa (9)

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (9) (reread)

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom (6)

Divergent by Veronica Roth (8)

Insurgent by Veronica Roth (8)

I Love Dr. Seuss

I loved Dr. Seuss as a kid, and now I love reading those same books to my boys. Logan is at the age where he loves "The Foot Book" and "Dr. Seuss's ABC's." Ethan loves the longer Dr. Seuss books like "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish." This year, he is loving "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." too. We've read the book and watched the movie several times already. That Dr. Seuss is brilliant. I just love the rhymes and the whimsical words he uses. He tells seriously good stories but doesn't take them too seriously. You know what I mean? He plays with words in such a wonderful, imaginative way. And I have a fondness for him since I played The Cat in the Hat in a skit for Odyssey of the Mind when I was in 5th grade.

Here's a bit of those brilliant "lyrics" from his Grinchy story about Christmas:

(click the photo to download the quote graphic)

2011 Books

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson (7)

Paramedic to the Prince by Patrick (Tom) Notestine (5)

Evolving in Monkey Town by Rachel Held Evans (9)

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford (8)

I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb (9)

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom (8)

The Maze Runner by James Dashner (8)

Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin (7)

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner (8)

Radical by David Platt (8)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (reread)

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (reread)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (reread)

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (7)

Megan's Secrets by Mike Cope (8)

Juliet by Anne Fortier (8)

The Death Cure by James Dashner (9)

Room by  Emma Donoghue (7)

A Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers (8)

The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzsch (7)

The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory (8)

Gifts for Bibliophiles

Besides actual books and bookstore gift cards, here are some things I've run across lately that I think anyone who loves reading and books would love:

Quote Book Bag from Barnes & Noble. This bag is sturdy. I saw it in the store. and it would hold a lot of weight from books. On the back there is another quote...this one from Erasmus: "When I get a little money, I buy books; and if any is left, I buy food and clothes." Love it.

Personalized Book Stamp from the Etsy Store, Sweet Paperie . This one doesn't say it but the stamp could be customized to say, "from the library of..." or something similar. I love the clean and simple single letter in the middle.

Mr. Darcy Proposal Mug from the Etsy Store, Brookish Handmade Goods. I'd love to drink my tea out of this mug. The shop has some mugs with other Austen quotes that are also fun. (By the way, the back says..."how ardently I admire and love you.")

2010 Books

The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose (7)

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall (6)

An Assembly Such as This by Pamela Aidan (8)

These Three Remain by Pamela Aidan (9)

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (5)

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (7)

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld (7)

Specials by Scott Westerfeld (6)

Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas (6)

Peony in Love by Lisa See (7)

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (9)

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (6)

The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey (7)

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See (7)

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (8)

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (6)

The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (7)

The Girl in the Orange Dress by Margot Starbuck (5)

The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo by Stieg Larsson (7)

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson (7)

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson (6)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (9)

Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel (8)

The Road by Cormac McCarthy (7)

The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory (8)

The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory (8)

The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore (7)

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (7)

The Thieves of Manhattan by Adam Langer (6)

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater (6)

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (7)

A New Experience

I love it when I have a new experience reading. It doesn't happen that often to me. Most books bring some kind of new experience, but I mean a totally different way of reading, if that makes sense. I recently finished the first book in the science fiction series, Dune. I'll just say that if you resist reading science fiction (or fantasy, for that matter) for whatever reason ("I don't like reading about things that can't actually happen.") then you are missing SO much. Give it a try. And frankly, Dune is widely considered to be one of the best sci-fi novels so if you're looking to get your feet wet in the genre, it's not a bad place to start.

Anyway...my new experience. I love reading about fantastical things. I love being immersed in a world that is not my own whether it be another time, another place, or even a particular slice of history. When you read a book like that - especially a work of fantasy or science fiction - the author has to introduce you to that world in some way. In Harry Potter and the Scorcerer's Stone we learn about the parallel wizarding world at the same time Harry does. A brilliant way to lead the reader (and the main character) into this new realm. In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Tolkien does a similar thing. The reader briefly learns of the Shire and then follows Frodo as he sees and learns about Middle Earth.

And then there's Frank Herbert and Dune. Herbert plops you down right smack in the middle of Caladan (and then Dune) and immerses you in the world with no previous background knowledge. You learn the language and ways of the world simply be being in it and continuing to read, much like going to Spain to immerse yourself in the language as a means of learning Spanish and the Spanish culture. Somewhere along the way you find yourself (through context clues, etc.) understanding the vernacular better and better. As a reader I did learn things about the planet Dune through the expereinces of the main character, but what was new and different (and something I never forgot) was how I was introduced to it.

Books, Books, Books

Ethan has always loved to flip through his books, but he is especially attached to them these days. He almost plays with them more than all his other toys. He has started climbing up in our laps with a book any time we are sitting down. We, of course, love this since he usually never sits still. But for a book, he will do it. And it's funny how one story never gets old to a 14 month old. No matter how many times we read it, he will want us to read it again.

Another Series

I love a good book series. More than just a single novel, they give you a chance to get really invested in the characters, the story, and the fictional world that's been created. I love that about a series. But they are bittersweet too. Because you're so invested, there's a bit of a let-down when you close the cover on the last book. The very same characters, story, and world that you spent more time with than just one book....they come to an end too. The best book series for me usually create a reading frenzy in which I am all wrapped up in the story...racing to the end and at the same time, not wanting to get there.

So that's where I am now. I just (as in 10 mintues ago) finished the Twilight series. From about 1/3 into the first book until now, I have been completely and utterly absorbed in those books. For the past 5 days, you would have had trouble using even a crow bar to pry me away from them. Four books in five days. Casey can attest to the fact that I've had a bit of a one-track mind. But this has happened before...Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Anne of Green Gables, and others. Love it while I'm reading. Hate it when it's over.

Baby Intuition

I'm beginning to think that Ethan knows the exact moment I situate myself on the couch, in front of the windows, and open my book to read. He has an uncanny knack for waking up at the precise moment I've read my first sentence. After I've done everything else I feel like I absolutely have to get done while he's sleeping, I've finally allowed myself to sit down and read for a few minutes. Inevitably, it only ends up being a few seconds before I hear that boy playing around in his crib. I think he has a gift. But seriously, if anyone ever needs an injection of joy in their day, just go borrow a 9-month old and go get him/her from their crib after a good nap. Oh, the smiles. There is nothing sweeter.

2009 Goals

I have been contemplating for a few weeks what I want to work on this year (not necessarily resolutions) and what I'd like to accomplish. There are several goals for myself that I've written down and placed in my goals section of my household notebook. I think where goals are concerned, it is valuable to actually write them down somewhere. And in reviewing my goals, I noticed a theme...better time management. This is something that I normally do well. I can get lots of things done in little time. And actually, that's not my problem now. It's the opposite.

I don't do well with things that are left undone. As Casey will tell you, I often say, "just let me get this done and then I'll sit down." Or something like that. But, hello, Rach...there's always going to be something else to do. Probably a lot of things. (Sometimes I have to address myself like that to get my attention.) I'm never going to have it all done. And I need to figure out how to reconcile with that simple fact so that I can spend my time more responsibly. This wasn't as much of an issue before Ethan because I was away from home much of the time and simply couldn't get stuff done.

So, here are the areas that I intend to improve upon in the realm of time management in hopes of becoming a better steward of the time I've been given. I've tried to come up with an actual plan of attack because I can't just wave a magic wand and make it happen. I have to actually take steps to make it happen.

1. Spend more time with Casey. When he's home at night (weeknights), other than making dinner and tidying up the kitchen afterwards, I am going to try not to do much else that can't be done on the couch (like reading) or in the same room with him. This is of the utmost importance to me (and him).

2. Spend more time reading. My goal this year is to read at the very least 2 books a month. That is how many I read in 2008. I'd like to read more and maybe I will, but this is my minimum for this year. This is important because it is something I love to do and I should make time for those things too.

3. Spend time cultivating my spirituality. I need to be intentional about carving out time to read the Word, pray or do something that helps me focus and grow spiritually. It doesn't have to be the same thing every day, but this is vital.

4. Streamline responsiblities for work and home. Like I discussed when I outlined my household notebook, I do certain things on certain days for my housework and other duties. It's time to add everything to this schedule. My plan is to have specific, attainable goals for each day. That way I only have a little bit each day to do and when I'm done with that, I can allow myself to relax and do something I want to do.

5. Spend time on my health (and the health of my family). Specifically, this means continuing to make time to work out. Also, I want to continue to take the time to plan menus that allow me to cook at home, which also takes more time but is healthier. This also has the added bonus of helping to keep us financially healthy.

You'll notice that spending time with Ethan is not up there. That's because I don't currently feel like I have a problem with that! And there are other goals that I've written down too that I'll keep to myself for now. I don't worry about not keeping these goals because they are just things I will try to work on gradually. Now is just a good time to get myself together and organized so I can get control of my time and not let my days just slip away.

2009 Books

The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby (10)

Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser (8)

Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson (10)

The Digital Photography Book, Volume 2 by Scott Kelby (8)

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling (8)

Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore (8)

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (6)

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (8)

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (9)

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (9)

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (9)

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer(8)

The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne (8)

The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer (10)

Middlemarch by George Eliot (8)

Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors (6)

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (8)

Dune by Frank Herbert (9)

The Help by Kathryn Stockett (8)

God Work by Randy Harris (9)

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (8)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (9)

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (7)

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (9)

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton (8)

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann (6)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (8)

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (7)

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (8)

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (8)

The Host by Stephanie Meyer (8)

The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan (6)

Christmas Reading

I plan to start a new tradition this year in our family on Christmas Eve. We're going to read Twas the Night Before Christmas because it is the night before Christmas and then we're going to read the story of Jesus's birth...probably from Luke. And here's my plan for several years down the road...I want Ethan (and whatever sibiling he might have) to draw or color depictions of the story of Jesus's birth. Then, I will scan and upload them to a photo book service and have a story book made with the scriptures of Jesus's birth along with their illustrations. Then, it can sit with the stack of other Christmas books we have. I think this would be such a neat keepsake. I've written my idea down in my household notebook (and here too, I guess) so with any luck, I won't forget about it!

And along those lines, my friend Mary did something so cute with her Christmas card this year. She had her oldest son, Charlie, who is just over two years old, color on a small picture of the nativity scene. She included his coloring page (probably about 4x5 in size) with their family Christmas card. I love this idea and I'm probably going to steal it as soon as Ethan can color!

The Seven-Year Project

I have accomplished something seven years in the making. I have finally published the letters I wrote almost daily to my friends, family, and Casey while I was studying abroad in Oxford, England in 2001. When I was writing these letters (emails, actually) I was not thinking that they'd be like a journal of my four months in England or of the traveling I did while I was there. I was just writing to let everyone know what a fabulous life I was living! When I got home and saw that both Casey and my mom had printed out all of my emails in chronological order, I realized that my emails were something I wanted to hold onto. And now, of course, I am so glad they saved the details of my experince for me.

Almost at once I knew I wanted to have these emails printed...and not just a binder of loose-leaf printed sheets as was their form at the time. I've kept this two-inch stack of paper clipped together since 2001 and have just put off the actual process of having it published. Soon, it became apparent that to do it the right way, I would have to retype every one of those emails. Thank goodness I paid attention in typing class in school.

Last year (2007), I finally began typing and finished much quicker than I'd thought I would. While typing, I realized I'd have to do some editing. My two biggest offenses were using a inexplicable amount of exclamation points (as if everything is worthy of exclamation) and dashes to seperate thoughts. At the time, of course, I was just writing emails, but for these to be bound in a book, it was clear that they'd need some mild revising. This took much longer than I thought it would.

While editing, it became clear that I needed some visual representation of the things I was writing about to capture the whole experience. Luckily, that semester, my dad had lent me his Nikon digital camera, which I carried around with me as diligently as I carried my umbrella and wallet. And if you've spent any time in England, you know how essential it is to carry your umbrella with you everywhere no matter how sunny the skies are. In any case, I got some great pictures. So, these needed to be sprinkled into the mix. This part was actually fun for me.

And now, thanks to blurb.com, yesterday I received my hot-off-the-press journal. It's a book by me, for me (because it's probably not that interesting to anyone else - well, maybe my great-great grandchildren will like it). I'm so proud it's done. Finally.

Lunch Break

I used to try to do as many errands as possible on my lunch breaks at work. I get home late enough as it is without having to run my errands on week nights. And weekends just shouldn't be all about running around...at least that's my theory. This system worked great until about a year ago when I apparently got lazy. I am not even sure when I do my errands now or if I just try really hard not to have to do any, but I very rarely do them at lunch anymore. Now, I just want to shut my office door, eat my lunch, and read the book I'm currently reading. The thought of going down to the parking garage, getting in my car, and doing something just doesn't appeal to me at all in the middle of the day. I can't blame this laziness on the pregnancy either because it started well before that happened. But somehow everything is working out so I'm sticking with my current lunch plans!