Finally Caught Up :)

Oh.my.goodness! It is the last day of our break!

I should not be surprised that the time has flown, and I accomplished very little on my to do list. 

However, I did spend some great time with the kids and with the hubby and read some really awesome books, and for that I am grateful!

This weekend I took baby steps to get ready to face the real world again...

Look at that clean room.... yes, I can see my desk, ladies and gents! Whoo hoo...don't worry...by the end of the day Monday it will be lost in a sea of papers and books again, but Friday it was looking clean and organized. I spent the afternoon preparing for the next week. Plans and copies are ready to go!

I headed back to school Saturday afternoon to tackle this stack of papers that have desperately needed to be graded/edited. Crazy that I have to go to school to get it done, but I have carried these same papers back and forth between school and home for weeks now. I decided I would sit in the quiet of my room - no Facebook, no Instagram, no Twitter, no T.V. - just me and these papers. Well, me and that big ol' cup of coffee...I came prepared! 

These are the last of the December pics that I have been dying to share.

Mrs. Whitt had a parent come in and take these adorable Christmas pictures of all of our kiddos! I love how they turned out! Aren't they they cutest!

And here are a few of my own Christmas pics... 

Katie Byrd and Justin

Joshua and Katie Byrd

Christmas with my dad :)

Christmas at home :)

OK...with that I think I am all caught up on our December. LOL...now here is to keeping up in January ;)

I have a few books to share with you tonight...

...my new stack of books purchased with Christmas gift cards from my kiddos! I had entirely too much fun picking these out, hubby in tow. LOL Thank you to my generous kiddos and families...they know me so well!

 

I finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak yesterday. I had been working on this sad and beautiful story for a few days, and oh how I cried. I do love a book that makes me cry! Set in 1939 just outside of Munich, Germany, we are introduced Liesel Meminger and her amazing story by none other than death himself! I love that the character of death tells this story...such a powerful narrator he turns out to be. I just had to read this for myself before I watched the movie, and I am so glad that I did. This was such a terribly moving story in so many ways.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne was one of the books I just recently purchased. After finishing The Book Thief, I figured it was fitting since they are both Holocaust related. I did enjoy The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and although I am not sure what rock I have been living under having not already read it, I was surprised by the ending. No doubt that was exactly what Boyne was going for. After finishing it, I did a little research on this one and the reviews were as mixed as I feel. It was definitely worth the read, but for me, it certainly could not stand against The Book Thief.

Now one sweet picture book for you....

I feel in love with The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleischman. A very beautifully illustrated book of remembrance and family. Bagram Ibatoulline works the same magic he did in Crow Call by Lois Lowry. (See a previous post about Crow Call here: Currently Loving Fall Days. I knew his illustrations immediately, and I knew I had to have it! Great little purchase for sure!

Well...I definitely need to head to bed soon...that alarm will come all too soon after all of these days of sleeping in!

See you tomorrow :)

Happy Reading, friends!