I love linking up to a wonderful celebratory community, inspired by Ruth Ayres, every Saturday!
You read 211 out of 250 books.
84%
Better luck in 2016!
Sigh. This is the first time in the five years I set reading goals on Goodreads that I didn't make my goal. At first, I was disappointed. I'll have to tell my students that I didn't reach my reading goals, and I'll need to figure out what goal I want to make for next year. Do I adjust it down just so I can reach the magic number, or do I keep it the same? Do I increase it back to where it was a couple years ago? I need to re-evaluate my reading life for 2016.
After the initial disappointment, however, I looked back at 2015. I reviewed all that happened in a year's time. It dawned on me why I might not have spent a ton of time reading.
January
Ed's company holiday party, choosing the menu for Libby's and Jamie's wedding, and a trip to Florida to see Mom and Dad
February
Attended three literacy conferences and presented at each one (Ohio Middle Level Association, Dublin Literacy Conference, and OCTELA) - we also made another trip to Florida to visit Ed's parents
March
Celebrated Libby's 22nd birthday at Miami U. with her friends, traveled to Aruba for spring break with Ed, and challenged my students to the Slice of Life Classroom Challenge and wrote all 31 days in March
April
Libby had her first bridal shower (put on by her future mother-in-law and sister-in-law) and we started renovating a condo we bought in March for future downsizing (the picture is from shopping for granite)
May
Libby and Jamie graduated from Miami University, I said goodbye to my first class at Kings (I taught them for three years, and it was heartbreaking to see them go), and my best friends threw Libby a bridal shower at my house
June
The wedding!! It included friends and family arriving and staying at our house, rehearsal dinner, the wedding, and the post-wedding brunch. The wedding was followed up by my father-in-law's 80th birthday celebration. Attended Ed's company's annual summer outing. We also started purging and organizing the house to put it on the market.
July
Our 27th anniversary, attending NerdCampMI and presenting with Megan, celebrating Mom and Dad's 50th anniversary at Anna Maria Island. We also moved Libby and Jamie into their apartment at OSU, where Libby started a job at Nationwide and Jamie started law school. The house went up for sale.
August
Went to a couple concerts with Ed, moved Katie into her off-campus house at OSU, and started school
September
Went to a friend's wedding over Labor Day, helped plan our church's annual fall kick-off pancake breakfast, and attended Libby's sister-in-law's baby shower
October
Had a girls' weekend in Pittsburgh, planned and held a Family Book Club night at school (over Out of My Mind), and attended a fundraiser for Make-a-Wish at OSU's The Shoe, sponsored by Katie's sorority, Chi Omega
November
Helped plan our 3rd annual #ReadWalkWater event, which raised close to $16,000 for Water for South Sudan this year, hosted the 28th Friends' Thanksgiving weekend, and attended NCTE in Minneapolis - presented for the first time there with an awesome panel. Visited Ed's Mom and Dad in Florida for Thanksgiving.
December
Attended Lebanon's Horse-Drawn Carriage Christmas parade and had dinner with Libby and Jamie's Columbus friends, had a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner and church service and went to Waffle House (tradition) and my sister-in-law's for Christmas day, and headed back to Florida for the week after with the kids, celebrated my birthday on the 26th, spent time with both sets of parents, Ed's sister's family, and my aunt. Rang in 2016 with Ed's sister and her husband and his parents.
Whew! While I know some of you did more than I did AND managed to meet your reading goals, reflecting over the year's events made me realize why I might have fallen short. I will celebrate anyway and will share this with my students (they don't always meet their reading goals because of life circumstances). Sometimes we fall short of some goals, while exceeding others. Also, sometimes a year is full of difficult circumstances so certain goals can't be met. I used my 2015 OLW, FOCUS, and focused on spending time with and celebrating family and friends. I'm thankful for 2015's blessings and will figure out a new goal for reading in 2016. Who knows what this year will bring! Maybe more reading?
Life is about all the moments. Congrats on a busy and successful 2015! Here's to even more celebrated memories along with reading some amazing books in 2016.
ReplyDeleteYou might not have made your goal, but you read 211 books! That's amazing.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think you had quite a busy, busy year, and I loved the way you captured all the major pieces here in pics and a few words. It makes me remember too, Holly. It was a special year, wasn't it? Happy New Year 2016, hoping for more excitement and quiet time for reading, too!
ReplyDeleteThat was some year. The books enhance our lives but our lives are the center of it all.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful celebration of a wonderful year for you. There will always be books, but only one today. I think your pictures certainly show that.
ReplyDeleteWhat a year for you and your (growing) family, Holly! Such joy in the photographs. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteGiven so many things happening in 2015, it amazes me that you were able to keep your FOCUS enough to read 211 books! So what's the OLW for 2016?
ReplyDeleteWow! What an amazing year you had, Holly! So many wonderful celebrations. Out of My Mind is one of my most favorite books EVER! I just finished it as a read aloud and my students were begging for a sequel. Here's wishing you a wonderful 2016 full of many more celebrations and a few books too! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a year you've had, Holly!! I love how you reviewed it here. Mostly I LOVE celebrating your progress on your goal...even if you didn't achieve what you planned...you still READ...a lot!!! I think that's an amazing model for your students. Happy New Year and I hope 2016 brings an opportunity for us to meet in real life!
ReplyDeleteYes, I think you were busy!
ReplyDeleteI don't do a goal on Goodreads because it's not about the number, it's about reading and enjoying the stories.
Looks like you had a wonderful year. Thanks for sharing it with us!
What a joyous year! And all that reading too?!?!? Thank you for sharing all these highlights. There is much to celebrate here. Here is to more reading in 2016 and more time with friends and family.
ReplyDeleteI love this post, so full of great moments. You accomplished much by not reading. I wish we could count all the blog posts we read in our Goodreads goal. I'd make it for sure, then. I haven't set any goals for 2016. I figure I need to give myself a break. There's a wedding in the midst. Ha!
ReplyDeleteWow! What a great year in review. So many wonderful events and memories. And you did read a lot. Here's to a new year of reading and to more wonderful events and memories.
ReplyDeleteWow - what a colorful and memorable year you had. You may not have reached your reading goal but the number of books read is impressive. I second to Carrie's comment.
ReplyDeleteWhat a year! So many fabulous things to celebrate. No need to feel disappointed. I'm embracing relaxed accountability. You should too!
ReplyDeleteHolly, this is an impressive monthly calendar of wonderful celebrations. Enjoy another set in 2016.
ReplyDelete