catch up part 1

Today is the first time I have blogged this year.  I have found that between running after my kids and all their activities and between my own activities, blogging has taken a backseat.  But, it is also my form of journal these days, so it is finally time that I make some time to catch up.

Lately, I have been on a crocheting kick making bags.  Nearly every single night, Brian and I would watch an episode or two of The X-Files (on Amazon Prime) and I would crochet.  It's been a lot of fun.  The larger bag in the picture below is going to be my new temple bag.  It is the perfect size to fit my temple things in and keep things safe and nice.

Lizzy was recovering from her bout with pneumonia when this picture was taken.  Despite not feeling well, she still made a beautiful model for my bag.

The other thing that has taken a lot of my personal time (when I manage to find some, that is), is reading.  Sometimes my eyes are too big for my time, in that when I go to the library I check out more books than I can possibly read in a reasonable amount of time.  The other problem is that I tend to place a lot of books on hold (one time recently, I got a message when I tried to place a book on hold that I had reached the maximum number of items to place on hold...which is apparently 20 for my library), and then invariably, they all come in at once.  So, I'm in even more trouble.  

The first picture is when I was feeling slightly overwhelmed with my reading material.  I had just picked up Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings from the library and about died when I saw how huge it was.  At 1007 pages or 3 pounds of reading (yes, I weighed it), it was daunting.  And, I had to read it because I had been on hold for it for three months and I couldn't renew it because someone else had a hold on it after me. 

First, I had to read Unbroken for my book group, which also had a hold on it (it was very good, btw).  Then I got to The Way of Kings, which I read in two weeks.  I proudly returned it to the library on the day it was due.  Since I place holds on books so often, I feel it my duty to make sure that I respect other people's holds since I'd like the favor to be returned.  It was a fantastic book, and...I am only the second person in line for the sequel - Words of Radiance - that comes out this coming week. 

While I was still reading The Way of Kings, the library came in with the first two volumes of a manhwa series, Chocolat.  Those volumes were marked as missing, so the library replaced them.  Once they came in, of course I had to not only check those two volumes out, but also volumes three through eight to complete the series.  I don't want to risk having one of the other volumes go missing before I can read them.  A few other books came in as well so that my stack was just getting bigger and bigger.

So, I was drowning in books.  I love it, but I have to say, once I got through the Sanderson tome and was able to get through some of the backlog, I feel a little lighter.  I still have a huge stack of books, but it's not nearly as daunting as it was even a week ago.

That's enough on books, though.  It's just what's taken precedence to blogging.  But, without further ado, here is the first round of catching up.  

Happy New Year 2014
daily adventures
Gilbert Temple Open House
cub scouts
is this really fourth grade?


Stay tuned for our visit to the Hopi Nation, Daniel's birthday, and Elizabeth's first hair cut!