{Top 10 Books From 2014 & 2015 Reading Goal}

I've put off posting about my top ten books from 2014.  Honestly, I just didn't want to sit down and try to narrow it down.  I thought it would be too hard...and it was! I have read so many great books this past year.  

This are my top ten books from my 2014 reading list.  (in order of when I read them)

1. Longing for Home, Hope Springs, Sarah M. Eden

I know - this is technically two books, but it's a series.  And so they count as one, right?  Sarah M. Eden is one of my favorite authors.  She had another book that came out this year that I adored too.  I loved this series, and maybe I'll re-read it soon.  They are clean, enjoyable books.  I wish she could write her books faster, since I have read them all, and I would LOVE it if she would continue this series with one more book about some of the supporting characters.

2. Lions of Little Rock, Kristin Levine

I read this book in the spring and it was such a great book.  I'm not sure I would say "life-changing" but it really had me thinking for a long time.  The book takes place the year after Little Rock schools were segregated and is about an unlikely friendship that was formed.  I really loved this book.  I think if you read this, you should also read Warriors Don't Cry before you read it.  

3. Wonder, R.J. Palacio

Loved this book.  I think everyone should read it.  Gage's teacher read it to them in 4th grade last year and I would love to read it to my older kids.  It's such a great book with great lessons.  I'm not very good at describing this book - a young boy who was born with some birth defects, who has been home schooled his whole life, enters Jr. High.

4. Making it through the Middle, Emily Freeman

This is a tiny little book, but I've read it a couple times and think I'll keep reading it too.  It came at the right time of my life, just when I needed it.  This short little book talks about how to make it through the middle of a trial.  It offers great ideas, scriptures, and has good stories.  Everyone has trials - everyone has a time in their life that this book would be great for them.

5. Your Divine Purpose, Richard Paul Anderson.

This book was full of inspiration.  Two of my absolute favorites are: 

"Because when all is said and done, the value of your life will not be determined by your accomplishments, but by what your Heavenly FAther has been able to accomplish through you."

" Having now jumped into the sea of life, you shouldn't complain about the temperature of the water.  Better to see the distant shore and start swimming.  Such actions will warm you."

6. Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, Crystal Paine

I love Money Saving Mom blog and I love Cyrstal Paine and all her books.  I was so excited this year when I found a copy of her newest book at the library.  I would love to add this to my library someday.  It was a great book and I really learned a lot from it.  I always feel like I can accomplish more and do great things when I read her books.

7.  Dad is Fat, Jim Gaffigan

Ok...not my typical type of book.  But this book was so funny.  I was laughing out loud so many times. I've shared this book with so many people.  I think being a mom of five really makes me laugh even more at this book.  If you are not familiar with the comedian Jim Gaffigan, I strongly suggest you look him up!

8. The Running Dream, Wendelin Van Draanen

I happened across this book at the library one day this fall and thought I would pick it up.  I thought it was about running.  It was a little bit.  But it also really gave me something to think about and dream about.  The story tells about a teenage girl who loves to run, and what happens to her when she loses one of her legs in an accident.  I would love to read this one to my kids.  I think everyone could read this book and enjoy it and take something away from it.

9. The Rent Collector, Camron Wright

I read this in December and it was one of those books I think could be life-changing.  It is a fictional book but it really gave me something to think about and I thought about it...I am still thinking about it...for such a long time.  What would happen if the gift of literacy were given to a family who lives in a tent in a garbage dumb of Cambodia?  I've never even thought of literacy as a gift...reading was just something I've always had.

10. I have a tie for the 10th book(s) I couldn't really decide. 

The Forgotten Garden, Kate Morton

I've read two of Kate Morton's books and really loved them.  There are rich characters and wonderful stories and mysteries that are really developed in the books I've read by Morton.  I loved The Forgotten Garden, it was a longer book, but I couldn't put it down.

The Paper Magician and The Glass Magician, Charlie N. Holmberg

I also really loved this new series that came out this year, The Paper Magician and The Glass Magician.  I love finding and supporting a new local author.  These books really drew me in and had me sucked into the story.  I am really looking forward to the next book in the trilogy and any other books by Holmberg!

~~~

There you have it - my top 10 (or 13 depending on how you look at it).

I would love to hear what you think of these books, if you have read any of them.

I've really enjoyed finding new books and stretching my reading this past year to reach my goal of 100.  It was challenging.  I kinda feel like a party pooper...but I am setting a new goal for 2015, one that I think will be pretty easy for me.  

I would like to read 52 books.  

One book a week.

Maybe after January I'll get out of my cold-weather-winter-funk and feel inspired and change my goal to 100 again.  But for now, I'm sticking with 52.

I'll still post what I've read for the month, and start a new book list tab at the top of the blog.

{2014 Review, New Goals for 2015 & One Little Word}

I found a blog post draft the other day that had a rough draft of goals I'd made for 2014.  I had a good laugh when I opened it up and read it.  It's a post I never published.  Here's a copy:

~~~

My goals for 2014:

1. Read the Book of Mormon

2. Establish early morning routine...get up early every day.

3. Develop work out habit

4. Drink more water (hahaha!)

5. Reading goal, 100 books

6. Create something homemade for each kid for Christmas

~~~

So I did ok.  

1. I would have to say I studied the Book of Mormon, but sadly, I am embarrassed to say I didn't finish the whole thing.  I read at it.

2. I did get in a habit of getting up early every morning.

3. I started running and ran just a little over 400 miles this year! 

4. I laughed at myself for making the water goal.  I laugh at myself again for making the water goal.

5. I did hit my reading goal for this year.

6. I laughed at the homemade Christmas gift goal.  Although I did make all the girls in Wade's family homemade earrings with some of Grandma's fabric...so they could each have a little bit of Grandma with them.  Maybe that counts?

~~

Last night for family home evening we sat down and talked about goals.  I opened the discussion by asking if anyone knew what a goal was.  Avery raised her hand enthusiastically and so I called on her...she then told me a goal was something you made in soccer when you kicked the ball in the net.

Ha!  good one....but not the same.

So after discussing what a goal/resolution was we talked about and thought about a few we would all like to have for 2015. If I write them down - if I blog them we will be held a little bit more accountable for them. We kept it very simple and only came up with a couple per person.  So here are what we came up with:

Wade: be more physically fit, read my scriptures, (and numerous other goals related to the practice)

Debbi: Read 52 books (more on this on a separate post), run 2 half marathons, run 4 times a week, be more frugal 

Gage: Read 50 books, memorize Articles of Faith, get better at the piano

Noah: go to 3rd grade, grow one inch, play basketball or soccer

Avery: Learn to tie shoes, go to first grade, read more

Eli: go to kindergarten, play soccer, stop sucking on fingers

Lucy: learn to go potty, learn ABC's, be nice and fly (because that is the only thing she would say when I asked her what she wanted to learn how to do this year)

Our family goals: go on a family vacation, read the Book of Mormon

~~

I like to pick a "one little word" every year.  A word, or theme that I can focus on. I started this in 2011 and must have skipped 2012 for some reason...In the past I've focused on enjoy, better, and last year I focused on gratitude.  I've been late posting this January, I've been trying to think of the right word.  I've been trying to think of the right goals for our family.  And then this word came to mind....

STRIVE.

{make great efforts to achieve or obtain something}

This year I never want to forget why we started.  
I want to strive.

I want to strive to be a better wife, mom, daughter, sister, reader, runner, Christian, missionary, visiting teacher, employee, listener, writer, blogger.

I think strive is a perfect little word for us this year.

2013 Goals

A couple weeks ago we sat down at family night and worked on making some goals for 2013.

I found these fun worksheets on Pinterest that each kid filled out.

As you can tell, we tried to make suggestions, but in the end we wrote down exactly what they came up with.  

It made for some interesting answers!

Gage

Age: 8

Favorite color: white

Favorite food: pizza

Favorite activity: Legos

Favorite book: The Hobbit

Highlights of 2012:

Greatest lesson learned: cursive

Hardest thing of the year: reading

Favorite memory: Christmas

What I loved most about 2012: Legos

Looking forward to 2013:

Want to learn: Multiplication

Want to get better at: Reading

Biggest Goal: Get the most legos, legos, legos

Noah

Age: 6

Favorite color: orange

Favorite food: fried chicken Legs

Favorite activity: legos

Favorite book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Highlights of 2012:

Greatest lesson learned: site words

Hardest thing of the year: moving to Utah

Favorite memory: finishing preschool!

What I loved most about 2012: getting a huge bean bag!

Looking forward to 2013:

What to learn: to read

Want to get better at: wrestling, learning articles of faith

Biggest Goal: Get Better at Angry Birds

Avery

Age: 3

Favorite color: purple

Favorite food: chicken legs

Favorite activity: playing house

Favorite book: Barbie books

Highlights of 2012

Greatest lesson learned: be nice

Hardest thing of the year: leaving Linkin

Favorite memory: Linkin

What I loved most about 2012: When Lucy was born!

Looking Forward to 2013:

Want to learn: ABC sounds and write my name

Want to get better at: being nice

Biggest Goal: Learn a sport!

Eli

Age: 2

Favorite color: blue

Favorite food: food and candy

Favorite activity: flips, cars and trains

Favorite book: anything anyone else is reading

Highlights of 2012: 

Greatest lesson learned: to like nursery class at church

Hardest thing of the year: moving

Favorite memory: Lucy

What I loved most about 2012: Playing in the splash pad

Looking forward to 2013:

Want to learn: to go potty!

Want to get better at: sharing and singing

Biggest Goal: ABC's

Lucy May

Age: 2 months

Favorite Color: pink (just a guess) 

Favorite food: milk

Favorite activity: being with mom

Favorite book: The Hunger Games and McGlamery's Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Surgery 

(just kidding, just seeing if anyone is paying attention)

Highlights of 2012:

Being born and coming home

Looking forward to 2013:

Want to learn: roll over, sit up, crawl and walk

Want to get better at: not crying

Biggest Goal: Be as cute as I can be!

one little word

Better | to make more tolerable or acceptable; to make more complete or perfect; to increase the good  qualities of

I've put a lot of thought into my one little word this year.
(see what inspired me to start choosing a one little word)

Better seems to fit in so many ways.

In 2012 I want to be Better.

A better...

Wife

Mother

Daughter

Sister

Friend

Example

Church member

Christian

Listener

Reader

Blogger

Choice maker

Teacher

Learner

I've been thinking about what goals I want to accomplish this year.  I can list a slue of items, but only a few really important ones that will help me accomplish this big goal of becoming better.  This year I am renewing the goal to read my scriptures more faithfully.  I want to not just read, but study and learn.  I truly believe that if I put this goal into action that the list above will become a little easier.

Choosing the word better wasn't just about the things I want to become better at either.  It's not about becoming better than anyone or anything else.  It is about becoming a better me.  And it is about looking forward to a few parts of our life that should be better because of it.

2012 is going to be a better year.  I can just feel it!