Booking It 2011

I struggled this year to come up with goals or resolutions.  Last year, I read through the Bible in 90 days two times.  It's tough to top that, in my mind at least.  But I hate to start the new year with no new things to work on. So a goal for most days, but also for the new year is of course to be a better mom - more specifically more patient, more engaged, more consistent.  But what mom doesn't have that goal?!
Also, I'm committing to read more.  In general I'm a reader.  I love a good novel and also get super into any nonfiction book that relates to my life at the moment - parenting books, cookbooks, etc.  But overall I haven't been very intentional about it lately.  If I happen to make it to the library, I read a book.  If not, I watch tv.  I think I'm ready for that to change.  
Not to mention that I have been absolutely amazed as I've watched Bennett learn to read.  He's reading whole books now and I think it's finally clicking how amazing the world of books can be (the Hot Wheels easy readers really helped him understand how fun books can be :-)).  So I want him to see me loving books, actually reading myself and then reading to him & Noah and allowing them to read to me.  We've been doing a lot of that since Christmas and I think we're all loving the experiences we're having together.  
So along with my favorite blog Life As Mom, I'm joining her book club called Booking It!  She has it set up so that we can either read the 11 books she suggests or read our own each month or a combination of both - which is the route I'm choosing.  So you can see her list of eleven here, I'll probably try to read most of these. I'm most excited about the first one, The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin & hoping that'll come up for me from the library (I had to request it since it was all checked out), The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan (I've never read it but wanted to for a while now) and Finding Your Purpose by Donna Otto.  I like the variety in her list between cookbooks, classics, fiction and more.
In addition I've made a list although I haven't exactly set a calendar on those.  I think life for me requires a little go with the flow on reading.  Here's my others so far, although I definitely plan to add to this.  Hoping these will fill up my first quarter:

• To Kill A Mockingbird (nearly done with that one)
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (reading this one to the kids, near the end but it takes a while with them) and maybe more of the series if the kids are interested after this one
• Power of a Praying Parent (trying to do this in conjunction with Praying Wife I studied in the fall)
• Parenting with Love and Logic (read part of this last year but just purchased it and want to read it more thoroughly & put more into practice)
• Invisible Kids by Holly Schlaak (about foster care)
• A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning by Karen Andreola
• The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer
• American Assassin by Vince Flynn (Brungard family favorite author!

Also, for a less rigorous but equally important Bible reading schedule, our church is reading through the New Testament in chronological order over about 3 months starting January 23.  I'm super excited about this since I've wanted to be in a live group with Bible in 90 Days and figure this is pretty close, especially since it's the entire church and will be the topic of discussion for our small group as well.  Praying God will changes lives in our congregation in a mighty way through this!!

Happy New Year and Happy Reading!  Would love to know what you're reading this year too!  I'm always looking for a great read!