Stuff & Things: Currently

Linking up again this week with Kristin and Joey for Stuff & Things.

And let's be honest, if I didn't do this these days, I probably wouldn't blog about anything besides books....

Currently...

Watching: Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath on A&E.  If you haven't seen this, I highly recommend it.  I had listened to the audio version of Leah's book Troublemaker in February last year, and apparently, I somehow forgot to share it in my monthly book review:

Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I LOVED this book. I've always liked Leah Remini, and I really enjoyed hearing her story. I listened to this on Audible, and it was to great to literally hear her read her book.

I did not know that Leah Remini was a Scientologist, nor did I know a whole lot about Scientology. It was fascinating and horrifying to hear all of the things that Leah went through, as well as to hear about her successes in show business.

The show includes interviews with people who have left Scientology, including many people who were high up and in some type of leadership within the organization.  It's just fascinating.  And infuriating.

Feeling: The baby move!  I've been feeling him or her hopping around for a couple of weeks, and it's seriously the weirdest (but coolest) thing.  Words can't even accurately describe what it's like, but I will just say that I have officially learned the difference between Baby moving and gas bubbles....

Listening to: The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton thanks to Kristin's recommendation!

Looking forward to: Monday.  Normally, I hate Mondays, but THIS Monday, Scott and I will be going to my next doctor's appointment, and if Baby cooperates, we'll find out if we've got a boy or a girl growing in there!

Recovering from: The plague a cold and the stomach bug I was fortunate enough to have over the weekend.  It was a quick hit, and it didn't last long, but I am SO bad at being sick.  My stomach is back to normal, but the cold thinks it's cool to hang out.

Wishing: That we hadn't had a snow day today.  We had some icy conditions, but I actually feel pretty confident that our original 2 hour delay would've been sufficient.  Now, we've lost a day from our break in February.

Reading: The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers  I borrowed this on eBook from my local library, and I suppose I should probably get back to it because it's due back on the 17th, and I haven't gotten very far!

What stuff and things are currently happening with you?

1st Stuff & Things of 2017

So the "thing" to do in the blogging world is to have a "word of the year."  I've always admired bloggers who are committed to finding their word and working on it throughout the year.  As a sort of blogger, I find myself wanting to take part in this, procrastinating, not being able to think of something, and then moving on.

But THIS YEAR...

I think I've got it.

And I've actually totally stolen it from someone else.  But whatever.

I don't know if any of you have ever seen the TLC show Little People Big World.  I started watching it years ago when I would just put TLC on in the background while I did whatever, and it caught my attention.  For a very brief rundown of the show, it is the story of Matt and Amy Roloff who are little people with four children (who are all grown up now).  Three of their children are average height, and one of them is also a little person.  Jeremy and Zach are twins, but Zach is an LP.  They also have a daughter, Molly, and a son, Jacob.  Currently, Molly and Jacob are not really active on the show (although Molly does pop in from time to time), but Jeremy and Zach are both married.  (They are the two girls at the top of the picture.  Tori is on the left and Audrey is on the right.)

So why am I telling you all of this, and what does it have to do with my word for the year?

I'm so glad you asked.

Through the show, I started following Audrey's blog.  A slogan she has lived by since she was a teenager is "always more."  As I was watching last night's new episode, it hit me.

And that's when I stole it.

This year, my word of the year (even though it's actually two words) will be "Always More."  This isn't about greed or gaining more wealth or worldly possessions.  I went back to Audrey's blog, and she actually adopted this from Ephesians 3:20 "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine..."

When I went through having an ectopic pregnancy this summer, it was hard.  The timing was great for both the school year and my cousin's wedding in May.  It was perfect.  Except that it wasn't.  There was MORE.  God had a different plan.  He had something else in store.  And here I am, 20 weeks pregnant today.

I want to get more out of my relationships with my husband, family, and friends.

I want to get more out of this amazing experience of being pregnant.

I want to get more from becoming a mother for the first time and building a relationship with this new little life we have created.

I want to be more present.

I want to pray more.

I want to put more of myself into the things that I love and am passionate about.

That is what Always More will mean for me this year.

(and maybe I'll get a piece of Always More merchandise from Audrey's shop....who knows?)

December Books

Ah, December.  The last month of the year, and the last chance to finish my goal of 40 books for 2016.  Here's how it turned out:


At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I had listened to Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants on Audible, and as I was looking for eBooks to borrow from my local public library, I came across this one. I really loved how the relationships changed and developed throughout the story, and I grew to really love Maddie the more that the story went on.


Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I LOVE Lauren Graham. This book was a quick and fun listen. I really enjoyed hearing her perspective about working in on Gilmore Girls, Parenthood, and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. She tells her story with just the right amount of sarcasm and humor, and I loved it!


The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I've been struggling with what I want to read. I just haven't been in the mood for most books. SO I picked up an old favorite. I LOVE this book. I'm a huge fan of time travel stories, and I love the characters of Clare and Henry. This book is always worth another read, and I'm glad I picked it up again.


Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


An interesting perspective of how Brian's winter would have gone if he had remained stranded in the Canadian North Woods. I will definitely be recommending this one to my students after they've read Hatchet!



View all my reviews

I did it!  I read 40/40 books in 2016!

Somehow, I've also become a person who doesn't finish books.  It's possibly because of the mood I'm in where I don't know exactly what I want to be reading.  So if something doesn't capture my attention, I'm more willing to stop reading (particularly if it's an audio book from Audible, since they have a great return policy).

Books I didn't finish this month:

Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella 
I will actually go back to this book.  I got it from Audible, and I could not STAND the narrator.  Her voice was bad enough as Becky (this was not the same narrator as the Shopaholic book I "read" last month), but when she altered her voice to speak for Luke, I threw in the towel.  I'll get this book in paper or eBook form.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
My local library recently connected with other libraries in my area to offer eBooks and audio books for borrowing (as I mentioned in my review about At the Water's Edge).  I thought I'd give this one a go since I loved Gone Girl, but I just couldn't get into it.  I may come back to it in the future, but with the end of the year approaching, I needed books I could get into and read pretty quickly to meet my reading goal!

I've signed up for the Goodreads challenge again for 2017.  This year, I decided it was necessary to cut my goal from 2016 in half.  My goal for 2017 is to read 20 books. I have to be realistic.  I have a baby coming.  In May, my life is going to change drastically, and I really don't know how much time I will have for reading.  I decided that 20 was pretty reasonable.  If I end up doing better than that...great!  But I'd rather play it safe and surpass than to be too ambitious and miss the mark.

What are your reading goals for 2017?  Any book recommendations from 2016?