Things I've Learned this Winter

Linking up with Emily P Freeman for things i have learned this Winter. you can find my other posts through the the seasons here.

1. God things still amaze me.

His connections in life are just my favorite. On December 1st I started the She Reads Truth Advent study A Thrill of Hope. There was a reading called A liturgy to Mark the Start of the Christmas Season from Douglas McKelvey. I had no basis for where this was from. Some friends of ours invited us to attend the Andrews Peterson Behold the Lamb of God  20th anniversary tour. Not only did i hear a story that i have heard before on the That Sounds Fun podcast with Annie F Downs but i also recited with 100s of other people this Beautiful liturgy by Douglas McKelvey. I love how God connects the start and the end of the day with glimpsed of Him.

2. goals are good

resolutions are good

sometimes we make them and they bog us down

we can make them and keep them

i have also learned that they can be made and if they aren't kept, it is all ok

one of my 2019 goals was to read the Bible in the year. I came up 11 days short. Reading the Bible in a year is a good goal. some may even say a great one. i can choose to be disappointing that i didn't complete it, or brush it off, finish those 11 days and be thrilled that i completed reading the Bible, growing closer to God and learning new thing

3. watching archery is my new favorite.

4. making One Second Everyday videos, are my new favorite. 

5. finding things that my daughter writes is the best

I don't remember being an overly confidant child. I knew I was loved but was shy.
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I am so thankful for our church and the lessons and truths that they instill in my child. I saw this and wasn't 100% sure when or where she did it. I asked her about it this morning and she said at church, last week. I asked her if they had a mirror to look into. She said yeah and that it was fun.
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I just love this.

Books I read in December:

Noel Street-Richard Paul Evans

Books I read in January: 

Olive Kitteridge-Elizabeth Strout

Ramona's World-Beverly Clearly

The Most Fun We Ever Had-Clare Lombardo

The Noel Stranger-Richard Paul Evans

Child of Grace-Dr Chris Brown

Risen Motherhood-Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler

Mr Popper's Penguins-Richard Atwater and Florence Atwater

A Season of Grace-Lauraine Snelling

Books I read in February: 

Beholding and Becoming-Ruth Chou Simons

The Last Romantics-Tara Conklin

The Tattooist of Auschwitz-Heather Morris

The Dearly Beloved-Cara Wall

Books I'm Reading this Month

As always you can find me on goodreads here

It is not the very end of the month but I don't forsee reading anything newer than this, this month...….

And for a list of books that I am still working through this month, here goes:

I heard about this one last year and it has been on my to read list. I went into the library to pick up another book that I had on hold and saw this one on the shelf, so of course I grabbed it.

this would be the book that i went to get on hold from the library. for some reason i started reading Ask Again, Yes first and now i have a week to read this one before it is due back to the library on March 1st. Lets see if i can do it.

I was reacquainted with Andrew Peterson this December when I went to my very first Behold the Lamb tour. it was excellent. He spoke of this book on the tour and then I saw that it came out so of course I ordered it and have been slowly going through it in the evenings, sees appropriate, right?!?

I am blessed to be on the launch team for this book. What i have read so far has been wonderful. I can't wait to get the actual copy in my hands and go through this book with my family. There will be more on this book as i complete the e-version (for the launch team) and when the books hits the shelves. for now you can go to any place where books are sold or the link here to pre-order your copy.

there are some from last month that we are still working through, read alouds and devotions but these are the new ones that I am in the process of reading.

Books I'm Reading this Month

I have been using Goodreads for a few years now and i love it for helping me track what i am reading, keeping up with books i want to read and finding new books to read. They occasionally have book giveaways for books you've shelved and i will usually enter them. I recently won an e-book version of one that i had shelved which i didn't realize at first and quickly brought it to the top of my to read list. I am listing the books that i am actively reading right now. i have a lot that i have started and need to finish but only a few that i am currently working on.
The Last Romantics is the ebook that i won on Goodreads


 my mom bought me this book and i have had it for a few months and decided to start reading it to my kids. this month. somedays they sit and listen others they struggle with arguing, i am hoping that they soak in most of the goodness of this read.


I knew this was a book that i was going to start on January 1st and then I saw Annie's Instagram post about posting about it with the hashtag #100daystobrave2020
It has been a good and fun one


 i have posted about this book before and this is the third time that i have read through it. It is so good and filled with so many wonderful truths and encouragement. The artwork is gorgeous. Just like Annie's challenge, Ruth has one going with this book on Instagram and the hashtag #bb32days we are

I read the first two in this series last year and have had this one for awhile now. A friend sent me Jessica Turner's post on her Book Snobbery Instagram page. She challenges us to Read Your Books. That is what I have been implementing into my 2020 reading. Out of the 7 that i have already read this year, you can find them here, 3 of them were my own and of the 6 i have in this post, 4 of them are my own and one borrowed and one a library book.


and finally this one. this is what i am reading to my daughter. we just picked it up so it probably will not be finished until February, possibly March depending on how fast we can read it.

you can find me on Instagram here.

Books Read in 2019...

My 2019 list of 65 books

One of the goals I had this year was reading though the alphabet. I almost completed it. The letters that I missed were K, V and X.

The Black Moon-Winston Graham

A Proper Proposal-Lynn Austin

The Four Swans-Winston Graham

The Angry Tide-Winston Graham

Legacy of Mercy-Lynn Austin

The Great Alone-Kristin Hannah

Four Winds-Lisa Tawn Bergren

I Capture the Castle-Dodie Smith

I'd Rather be Reading-Anne Bogel

Court of Thorns and Roses-Sarah Maas

Disenchanted-Heide Goody and Iain Grant

Saving Lucas Biggs-Marisa de los Santos and David Teague

When We Were Young-Karen Kingsbury

The Next Right Thing-Emily P Freeman

In Conclusion, Don't Worry About It-Lauren Graham

Ready Player One-Ernest Cline

The Ensemble-Aja Gabel

Every Breath-Nicholas Sparks

Autumn-Ali Smith

Best Family Ever-Karen Kingsbury

The Next Right Thing-Emily P Freeman (AGAIN)

Ballet Shoes-Noel Streatfiell

The Promise of Dawn-Lauraine Snelling

Point of View-Elizabeth Hasslebeck

A Breath of Hop-Lauraine Snelling

Becoming Us-Robin Jones Gunn

Daisy Jones and The Six-Taylor Jenkins Reid

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour-Morgan Matson

Little Fires Everywhere-Celeste Ng

Once Upon a River-Dianne Setterfield

You are Free-Rebekah Lyons

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day-Winifred Watson

Two Weeks-Karen Kingsbury

Winter Garden-Kristin Hannah

The Forgotten Road-Richard Paul Evans

To All the Boys I've Loved Before-Jenny Han

P.S. I Still Love You-Jenny Han

Reading People-Anne Bogel

Beholding and Becoming-Ruth Chou Simons 

The River-Peter Heller

Class Mom-Laurie Gelman

The Road Home-Richard Paul Evans

Field Notes on Love-Jennifer E Smith

The Sugar Queen-Sarah Addison Allen

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise-Dan Gemeinhart (this one i started reading to Little girl in July and we finished it this month)

A Love Letter Life-Jeremy and Audrey Roloff

Things You Save in a Fire- Katherine Center

Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, Deborah Biancotti 

Catching Christmas-Terri Blackstock

The Library Book-Susan Orlean

Parkland-Dave Cullen

Garden Spells-Sarah Addison Allen

Against All Grain-Danielle Walker

The Art of Racing in the Rain-Garth Stein

The Lager Queen of Minnesota-J. Ryan Stradal

A Fish in a Tree-Lynda Mullaly

Cinder-Marissa Meyer

Where the Crawdads Sing-Deila Owens

Unmarriagable-Soniah Kamal

Inheritance-Dani Shapiro

Educated-Tara Westover

I Think You're Wrong (but I'm Listening)-Sarah Steward Holland and Beth A Silvers

The Starless Sea-Erin Morganstern

Garden of Truth-Ruth Chou Simons

How Reading Changed My Life-Anna Quindlen
Noel Street-Richard Paul Evans

you can see last years book list here and at the bottom of this post, there is a link to all the previous years lists as well.

Top 10 book of 2019

Book posts may be my favorite 

My favorite to post about 

My favorite to read of others

Since 2004 I have recorded the books I've read in a small notebook.

In 2006 I started posting my book lists here on the blog.

Last year i made a post about what I planned on read the next year.

This year I am adding my top 10 for 2019 and will start posting that yearly, why, because I think it will be fun.

What I plan to read in 2020...

2018 had me creating my very first post like this. you can find it here.
2019 i made another list and added the ones from 2018 that i never got around to reading. I'm not doing that this year. I am just planning on choosing the ones that i would like to read and of course there are more that will be added into them over the next 52 weeks. 
Here are my 2020, "would like to read" books

This is the third in the Janie's series and i enjoyed the other two so very much. This one comes out in June of 2020 so it is for sure one that i want to get my hands on this year.

The first book that i ever read by Maris de los Sanots was "Love Walked in" and it was my far one of my favorite books. This one was written with her husband and i read "Saving Lucas Briggs " last year.

Then i have a list of bookish books to read. you know, books about books.
  


Having a son on the brink of getting more into the digital world has me wanting to read these books, that have been on my to read list for a while.
 

A book to read with my daughter. there will probably be many more but this one is a definite.


Humorous book. there is nothing like laughing when you are reading. it is one of my favorite things. here are the books that i am hoping do just that.
  

Book i plan on starting in January
 

Books recommended by people i know. I asked for some recommendations on facebook and these were some of the ones that i got
      

Things I've Learned this Fall

want to participate in what you have learned this fall? hop on over to Emily P Freeman's blog and link up there.

1. Podcasts are my new favorite
some that i have been listening too this fall are:
The Next Right thing by Emily P Freemen
That Sounds Fun by Annie F Downs
Correct Options by Trey Kennedy

Which ones do you listen to?

2. Tea and Downton Abbey with friends is fabulous
My friend Kelly and I decided to host a tea before a group of us went to see the movie. It was such a fun time of treat and chatting with these ladies about all kinds of things. I am so glad we did this. 

3. Sunsets have become my favorite.
There has been so many amazing skies this fall. 
Here are a few:

4. my kids say the best and sweetest stuff. usually right after we had some rough moments. i don't have a for instance but just know that it does happen and it is the sweetest.

5. I'm not the only one who doesn't buy school pictures.

I posted this photo on my Instagram with the caption: Just curious....does anyone acutually order school pictures? 
There was alot of talk about school pictures and two people admitted to me now being alone in the NOT ordering school picture. Most of the time my kids are still pretty cute in the picture, it's just that the picture quality itself is awful. the one time i decided to buy the CD of the photo was when my oldest had a special photo taken in 5th grade because the next year he was going to be in 6th, new school, middle school. It was like a "graduation" type picture. It was terrible. not just the quality but my typically cute kid looked bad and the photographer didn't fix his collar. 

6.Sometimes days don't go as expected and that's ok. they can still be beautiful.

This was on my Instagram from this season: Today didn't go anything like I expected. Honestly I didn't have to many expectations but get the tiny humans to school, get to work, get them home safely and go on a date with my hubby.
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An hour after her lunch period I realized that today was thanksgiving lunch at the school. This is the second to last year that I will get to have lunch with her for Thanksgiving or really any time and I missed it. 
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I cried a few tears for sure. Tonight we chatted about the day. She didn't seem as torn up about me missing as much as I was, only that she was one of the final three standing in the spelling bee and only the final 2 get to advance, she was the 3rd to last.
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I could have cried even more tears for her. Tears of sadness that she didn't advance as much as she had hoped, even though we didn't practice a single one, even though I had high hopes of practicing some with her, And tears of joy that my girl, was THE THIRD PERSON STANDING and had not studied one single word.
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Best laid plans. Sometimes not #andyschoolthanksgivinglunch NOT #butjustassweet

Books Read in September:
Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, Deborah Biancotti 
Catching Christmas by Terri Blackstock
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
Parkland by Dave Cullen
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Against All Grain by Danielle Walker
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal
A Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly
Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Books Read in October:
Where the Crawdads Sing by Deila Owens
Unmarriagable by Soniah Kamal
Inheritance by Dani Shapiro
Educated by Tara Westover
I Think You're Wrong (but I'm Listening) by Sarah Steward Holland and Beth A Silvers
The Starless Sea by Erin Morganstern

Beholding and Becoming

I had the great privilege to be a part of Ruth Chou Simons book Beholding and Becoming. My Goodread, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Christian book review said this: "Beholding and Becoming is physically and spiritually beautiful. It is not only filled with lovely artwork but with beautiful words that speak life and hope, real and truth, love, honesty and depth. Ruth has a way of weaving a story and His story together that is spectacular." 


I read the book fully the first time through in an ebook version. It was beautiful on my phone but then i got the copy in my hands and i was wowed. There is so much gorgeous art work and truthfilled words withing the cover of this book. I am currently re-reading the actual copy and there is so much in it that speaks to my heard daily.

Here is just a little snippet of what i mean.... 

and here is another quote from the book that i jotted down in a notebook that i carry around with me: "...be trandformed, one everyday moment at a time."

Page 11

Things I've Learned this Summer

1. after listening to 10 Things to tell you podcast #15 and watching Jamie B Golden's instagram stories on skincare, i decided to add this little bottle to my beauty regmine. There is alot that i was doing right and some that i needed to tweak and add. this being one of them. June 11th; Flagship Vitamin C.

2. I can grow things. I mean we have blueberry bushes and they have been relatively easy and i have a few indoor plants but i planted some zinnias from seeds around our mail box and they grew and bloomed and are so pretty.

3. I really missed camping. our last camping trip was April of 2018. we took the kids in June and had the best time. we did another white water rafting trip with the kids. you can see our first one here.

4. going on vacation with friends is so fun. why have we not done this more often?

5. I learn new things about my kids every day.
Unknowns can be scary. Little Girl is usually ready for an adventure and excited about life. She was quite a bit more nervous that we expected her to be. New Grade, New Teacher (like brand new to the school) 

6. That I am a enneagram 6. I took a test that told me i was but took another test that told me i was a 2w1. Then a friend mentioned Annie F Downs Podcast, That Sounds Fun and then enneasummer that she was doing. If you haven't listened to them and want to start, scroll down to one that has Suzanne Stabile. They were so good. One thing Suzanne Stabile says is that she doesn't really like the tests. she would suggest you reading about all of the enneagram numbers and then seeing what resonates with you or even more importantly what makes you feel uncomfortable. I read about #2 and #6 a bunch and the more i did, the more i leaned towards #6 being correct. I think i am a 6 wing 5. I plan on reading the book, The Road Back to You and then The Path Between Us. I just know that i want to have the time to read them and no other non-fiction in my presence to do it.

7. to plan my summer reading. a completely different friend, than the one above who mentioned the enneasummer podcast, told me about The Lazy Genius Collective Podcast-Summer Stack (episode #110). Where she mentioned that she had to make sure to plan her reading. Mine started with going through some books on my Goodreads account and looking at my to read lists and then taking some recommendations from Anne Bogel's book lists. This is what i started out as what i wanted to read this summer.

Books read in June:
Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Once Upon a River by Dianne Setterfield
You are Free by Rebekah Lyons
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson

Books read in July:
Two Weeks by Karen Kingsbury
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
The Forgotten Road by Richard Paul Evans
To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
Reading People by Anne Bogel
Beholding and Becoming by Ruth Chou Simons


Books read in August:
The River by Peter Heller
Class Mom by Laurie Gelman
The Road Home by Richard Paul Evans
Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E Smith
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise-Dan Gemeinhart (this one i started reading to Little girl in July and we finished it this month)
A Love Letter Life-Jeremy and Audrey Roloff
Things You Save in a Fire- Katherine Center