2016 EOY Wrap Up

At the end of every year and the beginning of the next, I go into contemplative mode. I think about the past year. What happened? What changed in my life? What were the big things that I accomplished? What did I spend my time doing or thinking about? And then I think about the upcoming one as well. What do I want to see happen? What do I want to change in my life? What big things do I want to accomplish? What do I want to spend my time doing and thinking about? What things about last year do I really want to see change in the upcoming one?

2016 has been almost entirely focused upon me finding my groove as a mother. While that was a change that started in 2015, this is the first entire year that I've had as such. As Little Girl has gotten bigger and bigger, I'm finding myself enjoying motherhood more and more. Don't get me wrong, tiny babies are adorable, and I love that stage where all you do is cuddle basically, but now she's becoming more independent which is easier on me. Not to mention that I adore seeing her learn new things.

The earlier months of 2016 were focused on naps and feedings. My year was broken down by days which were broken into 3 hour segments. Eat, wake, sleep. Repeat. And while we are still heavy on "the schedule," life has gotten so much easier in all of these areas as the year has passed. Little Girl and I made it to my goal of one year breastfeeding. We actually made it to almost 14 months due to her getting a cold and me not being in a huge rush to wean. December 15th was our last time nursing. She still doesn't nap well if we're not at home, but I've learned that she can go without a nap or two every so often if necessary.

This has also been my first year not working a normal job. Being able to stay at home with Little Girl has been the best. I love being the one who gets all of her smiles every day. And it hurts my heart to think about all the things I'd miss if she were in daycare or with her grandmother. All of the new things she does and learns. But I haven't had as much free time as I thought I would. Little Girl is a cat-napper so even though she still naps multiple times per day, those naps aren't very long. And it's surprisingly hard to get housework (or reading) done while she's awake. During those waking times, I try hard to work with her on learning new skills or words.

I finally feel like I can breathe a little bit, and life feels like it is getting back to a relatively normal state. Of course, we hope to have more kids so I know in the coming years that we'll be essentially repeating this year of craziness and sleeplessness. But for now, I'm eating up every minute I have where she completely adores me while I can. Reading and blogging have taken a backseat, and that's completely okay with me.

EOM Wrap Up Posts for 2016

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Blogging Highlights from 2016

Holly and I successfully hosted the 2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge. This was our third year. We are returning for 2017 also.

I participated in the March Take Control of Your TBR Pile and read 5 books from my TBR pile.

Celebrated my 5th Blogoversary.

October was my 4th annual All Things Halloween event of Halloween-ish book reviews and such.

I continued features created in previous years: Cover Doubles and Discussions Only We Know. Although, I didn't get any Series DNF, Upon Further Review, or From the Ashes posts done. But I'm excited to announce that I'm starting a new featuring in 2017.

I did a commentary on one movie: Me Before You.

I didn't listen to any audiobooks because I haven't figured out how to do so with my new day to day.

I also didn't do any re-reads this year.

Books Read in 2016

*These qualify for the 2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge.

Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist (review coming soon)
A Lady of Esteem (Hawthrone House, # 0.5) by Kristi Ann Hunter (review coming soon)
A Noble Masquerade (Hawthrone House, # 1) by Kristi Ann Hunter
An Uncommon Courtship (Hawthorne House, # 3) by Kristi Ann Hunter
Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass, # 5) by Sarah J Maas (review coming soon)
Chaos (Mayhem, # 3) by Jamie Shaw (review coming soon)
Shaken: Discovering Your True Identity in the Midst of Life's Storms by Tim Tebow
*Opposition (Lux, # 5) by Jennfer L Armentrout
*November Snow (Bad Bloods, # 2) by Shannon A Thompson
Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, # 4) by Sarah J Maas (review coming soon)
Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, # 3) by Sarah J Maas (review coming soon)
Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, # 2) by Sarah J Maas (review coming soon)
By Your Side by Kasie West (review coming soon)
Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, # 1) by Sarah J Maas
*Finding It (Losing It, # 3) by Cora Carmack
Faking It (Losing It, # 2) by Cora Carmack
Losing It (Losing It, # 1) by Cora Carmack
November Rain (Bad Bloods, # 1) by Shannon A Thompson
Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan
The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep
Under the Lights (The Field Party, # 2) by Abbi Glines
*Winter (Lunar Chronicles, # 4) by Marissa Meyer
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
*Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry, # 3) by Simone Elkeles
Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, # 2) by Simone Elkeles
Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, # 1) by Simone Elkeles
*The Crown (The Selection, # 5) by Kiera Cass
Me Before You (Me Before You, # 1) by Jojo Moyes
Racing Savannah (Hundred Oaks, # 4) by Miranda Kenneally
*Return to Paradise (Leaving Paradise, # 2) by Simone Elkeles
Leaving Paradise (Leaving Paradise, # 1) by Simone Elkeles
*The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy, # 3) by Marie Rutkoski
The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Trilogy, # 2) by Marie Rutkoski
The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, # 1) by Marie Rutkoski
The 5 Love Languages of Children: The Secret to Loving Children Effectively by Gary Chapman
The Heir (The Selection, # 4) by Kiera Cass
Too Late by Colleen Hoover
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows
Dreamology by Lucy Keating
Flamecaster (Shattered Realms, # 1) by Cinda Williams Chima
*The Natural History of Us (The Fine Art of Pretending, # 2) by Rachel Harris
*Their Fractured Light (Starbound, # 3) by Aime Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
*Morning Star (Red Rising Trilogy, # 3) by Pierce Brown
Defending Taylor (Hundred Oaks, # 7) by Miranda Kenneally
*Split Second (Pivot Point, # 2) by Kasie West
Autofocus by Lauren Gibaldi
A Walk in the Sun by Michelle Zink
*Very Twisted Things (Briarcrest Academy, # 3) by Ilsa Madden Mills
Beautiful Me: Believing God's Truth About You by Stasi Eldredge
Very Wicked Things (Briarcrest Academy, # 2) by Ilsa Madden Mills
Beautiful Burn (The Maddox Brothers, # 4) by Jamie McGuire
Very Wicked Beginnings (Briarcrest Academy, # 1.5) by Ilsa Madden Mills
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League International
On Becoming Babywise by Gary Ezzo & Robert Bucknam
He Will Be My Ruin by KA Tucker
Walk the Edge (Thunder Road, # 2) by Katie McGarry
The Distance from A to Z by Natalie Blitt
*Forever Summer (Summer, # 4) by CJ Duggan

Books DNF'D

Banished (Forbidden, # 2) by Kimberley Griffiths-Little (DNF @ 54%)
Night Speed by Chris Howard (DNF @ 10%)
Winging It (Corrigan Falls Raiders, # 3) by Cate Cameron (DNF @ 9%)

How was your 2016? Are you exciting about moving on to 2017? Let me know!