The wrist warmers my sister made me for Christmas! Now I’m hooked on knitting too and can’t stop!

But Aha! Now I have created an awesome visualization to answer that question using Google Maps! Now anyone who is curious to know where I’ve been applying for jobs can look at my map and see it all before them on a handy map of the U.S. It actually really helps me keep track of it all too, and I really like to see all the different places we might be living soon! Here is a link to the map: Jobs Around the Country. I also put it there on my sidebar so everyone can stay up-to-date as I apply for new jobs. I think it’s pretty awesome to have a visualization like this and isn’t Google Maps just such a handy tool?

My little sister Maddy is the one who taught me how to knit. She is so crazy talented at all things arts and crafty. Just really super creative and crafty. I love it and wish I was more like her! She made me some beautiful hand warmers/finger-less gloves for my Christmas present! I will have to put a picture up soon, they are gorgeous. So Maddy taught me how while I was down there, and as soon as I got back home I bought my own gear, checked out a book from the library, and I was good to go. I am actually just finishing up my first project now — a very, very, very simple gift for my good friend Katie, who just had a beautiful baby girl a few days ago!

So, I have many reasons why knitting is the perfect hobby.

#1 It just makes me feel so cool! Holding those knitting needles in my hands, ball of yarn in my lap, I feel awesome, like I could be Madame Defarge from A Tale of Two Cities, hiding the names of my enemies in my seemingly innocent knitting.

#2 Knitting is not just for old ladies and French revolutionaries anymore! There are so many cool things they can do with yarn now, so many different types of yarn that are now available, that you can make really cool stuff. Because of this, knitting is becoming a trendy again, and there are some really cool-looking patterns out there now!

#3 It can be really relaxing to do the repetitive motions of knitting and I think for me it could even be a good stress release. Also, this is the best part, it’s really easy to do while also doing something else like talking to friends or watching TV or listening to an audiobook. So I can totally feel like I’m doing something productive while I spend hours a day watching Big Bang Theory or Doctor Who.

#4 It’s really easy! I think the biggest thing is to start really simple, which I am being sure to do, because I don’t want to attempt a pattern that is too complicated and end up getting frustrated and giving up. So if you’re thinking about starting to knit also, remember to keep it simple and gradually work up to more complicated things. There are still really cool things you can make even at a Beginner’s level!

The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee. Adult Scientific Nonfiction.

I am really fascinated by medical/scientific nonfiction books for some reason.  This book is a history or ‘biography’ of cancer. It is a fascinating history! I really loved that the author tied the history in with his own stories and experiences working as an oncologist to make it more readable.  Mukherjee has a wonderful way of making even the most technical details easy for the average reader to understand. I am so glad I read this book and I came away with a much greater awe for science and also for the mysterious and scary thing that is cancer.

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt. Ages 9-12. (I listened to the audiobook read by Lincoln Hoppe).

I really hope this book wins a Newbery! I think it totally deserves it. This book tells the story of 14-year-old  Doug Swieteck. He recently moved with his parents and brother to Marysville, New York. And he doesn’t like it. But with the help of a new friend, Lil Spicer and a book of Audubon prints Doug comes to love this new town as well as learn how to grow into the type of person he wants to be. There is a ton going on in this book but Gary Schmidt weaves it all together into a story that will have you crying and laughing and in the end, cheering.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. Ages 10 and up.

This is a book that stays with you. This is a book that left me speechless. Conor is a young boy dealing with the fact that his mother has cancer. Dealing with the fact that his mother is dying. But it is also a book about hope, and about the power of stories in our lives. There is a monster who comes to visit Conor. The monster will tell Conor three stories, and then it will be Conor’s turn to tell his own story. The writing in this book is amazing, and so are the darkly beautiful illustrations. I will never forget this book.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thannha Lai. Ages 9-12.

A story told in verse. A 10-year-old Vietnamese girl immigrating to the United States with her family after the Vietnam War. Ha relates her travels her new home and her difficulty adjusting to the new life and surroundings. I was so impressed with how well Lai is able to say with so few words through the voice of Ha and her poems. This is a moving book and one that is filled with hope.

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok. Adult Fiction. (I listened to the audiobook read by Grayce Wey).

This is another immigrant story, though a very different one. Kimberly Chang immigrates to the United States with her mother as a young girl from Hong Kong. They live in heartbreaking poverty as Kimberly’s mother works in a Chinatown clothing factory and Kimberly becomes a star pupil at school with her bright intelligence. They must work hard for everything they have, but Kimberly is determined to make a better life for herself and for her mother.

Also, I must add two more books: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray and Delirium by Lauren Oliver. They both receive honorable mention.

I was actually lucky enough to be home for the holidays in more way than one this year!

For the first time in over a year I was able to go back to Idaho to see my family! I saw my mom and sisters when they came to Indiana to visit us over the summer, but I hadn’t seen my dad since August 2010. That’s a long time! I am so grateful that I was able to make this trip back home. I was in Idaho for about five days. I left on Sunday the 19th and I flew back on Friday the 23rd, but I didn’t actually get back to Bloomington until early, early on Christmas Eve morning.

It was a perfect trip. It felt so good to be back home. Emmett and Boise haven’t really changed a bit. But I could tell that I have changed a lot. After being in Indiana, everything in Idaho felt so far apart and there was so much open space! I had so much fun with my sisters having sleepovers and other girl stuff and spending time with my dad and seeing all the people I miss. I was able to see Andrea, my best childhood/high school friend, and almost all of the Hunters who are like my second family, and then I also got to see both Sally and Suzanne’s families (my in-laws, my real second family) and Michael’s parents were even in town too because Sally had just had a new baby! So I got to meet baby Sammy and it was a very fun time.

It was good to be able to see for myself how my dad is doing so for a few days at least I wasn’t imagining the worst from far away where I couldn’t do anything to help. We were able to play a super fun game of Risk! And one day I also got to take my dad to a couple doctor’s appointments in Boise so it was nice to spend that time together too. For now because of all these health complications, my dad isn’t moving to Alaska. But he is going to re-apply for the job and keep trying to get better so he can make the move.

We celebrated Christmas as a family on Thursday. It was a fun time with so many presents! My bag was a very tight fit for the way home. My mom made an amazing peppermint red velvet cake! We also had some family pictures taken while I was there because it was the first time we had all been together in so long. It was a really, really great trip and I am so happy I was able to go. Michael had to stay in Bloomington for work and we really missed each other, but we Skyped every morning and I was able to make it back to Indiana in time for us to celebrate Christmas just the two of us. I’ll share more about that in another post.

I hope everyone was also able to spend time with loved ones this year and had a wonderful holiday season. And welcome to 2012!!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy. I loved this book way more than I thought I would. When I heard the book was about angels and demons (chimera) I didn’t think it was really my thing. But so many people were raving about it so I decided to give it a try. I’m so glad I did! Karou is a young woman with bright blue hair studying at an art school in Prague. She also has a secret life – she was raised by chimera and these demon-like creatures are the only family she has ever known. She doesn’t know who or what she is, but when an angel named Akiva shows up and tries to kill her, she is on her way to finding out. The thing that really sold me on this book is how vivid and imaginative Karou’s world is. It was like nothing I had ever read, but it also felt so real and so alive. I recommend this book to anyone with an imagination who likes to think there might be a little bit more to life.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman. Adult Literary Fantasy. (I listened to this on audiobook read by Mark Bramhall). I’ve talked about this one on my blog previously, so I’ll just give a quick synopsis now. Also, you should know I am almost done listening to the second book in the series now (The Magician King) and I have to say I may like it even better than the first. But we’ll have to wait and see how it ends. So, The Magicians is about Quentin Coldwater, a highly intelligent young man who feels restless and unsatisfied with his life. Then he discovers that magic is real and is admitted into Brakebills, a college for magicians. And then he also discovers that Fillory is real, the land he loved and read about as a child (think Narnia) and gets to go there, but it isn’t quite as fun and rosy as it was in the books. This book is so perfect for anyone who loves Harry Potter and Narnia and Middle Earth and all things fantasy/nerdy. A beautiful, if sometimes dark and gritty, homage to the great fantasy stories I love.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. Ages 9 and up Illustrated Historical Fiction. This is a new book by the author of The Invention of Hugo Cabret. You’ve probably heard of the movie Hugo, out just this year. I haven’t actually read the book yet (I know, it’s on my list!) but I can tell you that Wonderstruck was amazing. The book interweaves the stories of two characters, Rose and Ben. Rose’s story is told only through full-page illustrations. You have to see these to believe them. They are so realistic and Selznick’s ability to tell a story without any words is amazing. Rose and Ben live in two different eras and their stories tell of two different quests but the ways they are connected will just leave you in awe.

Hereville: How Mirka Got her Sword by Barry Deutsch. Ages 9 and up Fantasy Graphic Novel. The subtitle of this book is seriously: “Yet another troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl.” I love it! Mirka doesn’t want to knit, she doesn’t want to spend all her time learning to become a good Orthodox Jewish wife. She just wants to be a dragon slayer! This lovely humorous graphic novel tells Mirka’s story. This book is cool for so many reasons. The illustrations and layout of the book were just really cool. I loved the strong-willed female protagonist. And it was a really cool glimpse into Orthodox Jewish life, which I really don’t know a lot about. Even though the story is clearly fiction with a lot of fantastical elements, I think it is great to see this culture represented in children’s literature. This book is great for anyone who craves a little more adventure.

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen. Ages 4-8 Picture Book. I gave a review of this book on my other blog, Lost in the Pages. Check it out. On here, let me just say, I’m so glad this book is getting a lot of love this year because it totally deserves it! If you like your picture books with a little bit of cheeky humor that appeals to both young children and adults, this is the perfect book. Even if you don’t have any children in your life you should read this book. It’s that good. Honestly. My favorite picture book of the year.

It all culminated in the painfully intense month of November. I don’t think a month of my life has ever gone by as fast as November just did. I don’t think a month of my life has ever been as busy either. I’m sure you can tell how crazy it was by how often I updated this blog. Not once during the whole month! Even with the Thanksgiving break I barely had a chance to catch my breath.

But now November is long behind me and as of yesterday  I am done with the semester! Joyous day! I can’t believe I now only have one semester left. A lot of my friends are already graduating. It is so sad to see them go. It feels like our time together was so short. I’m really excited to have a few weeks free of all the stress, and especially to go back to Idaho for a few days!! (I still can’t believe that’s happening!) But of course, even when there is nothing to stress out about, I always seem to be able to find something. Today I was working myself up with anxiety because I couldn’t decide what books to take with me on the flight next week. Now that I can read whatever I want to, there are just too many books, too many choices, and it is kind of freaky and overwhelming! But it is going to be a wonderful winter break and hopefully by the time Spring semester rolls around I am ready to tackle it with all my strength!

He was offered the position of Transportation Planner for the city of Fairbanks. He has been looking for a job for a long, long time so this is wonderful news. And don’t worry, he might be crazy but he does actually want to live in Alaska! So the job is perfect for him. His brother also lives in Alaska, though not in the same city. But he won’t be completely alone up there. I am just so, so happy for him.

He is still having some health complications after his surgery a while ago but his new employer has been great about it. They said they would wait until he is able to make the move, and they just want him to get the rest he needs to get better! So we aren’t quite sure when he’ll actually be moving, but at least we know he has the job!

Of course, Alaska is super far away from Indiana. Like twice as far away as he is in Idaho. But I know despite the distance we will always stay close. And now I have a great reason to visit Alaska someday! But don’t count on me visiting in the Winter any time soon. Alaska is the Northernmost city in Alaska, smack dab in the middle of the state. So yeah, it gets really, really cold there. It’s also the second largest city in Alaska. But then of course, you also get to see stuff like this:

For our anniversary weekend, we were a little bit naughty. We abandoned all responsibilities (in a responsible way of course) and so we had all day Saturday and Sunday to be together. Which hasn’t happened in a while because I have been working at my internship every Saturday this semester. So we took full advantage of this time together.

Saturday morning we went to the early showing of Moneyball. We were the only ones in the theater until a guy walked in halfway through the movie! We weren’t really sure why he was so late to the movie, it was pretty strange. We really enjoyed the movie. It’s a baseball movie so of course we did! And Michael has also read the book, so that was cool. After the movie we got ready for our big date in Indianapolis.

We drove up to Indy and did a little shopping, since I had been a bad wife and procrastinated buying Micheal’s gift. But then he got to pick it out so even better! And we went to a second movie! Because we finally found the dollar theater in Indy and it had been so long since we went to a dollar theater, we were so happy with how cheap it was! Not quite a dollar theater of course, but it was $1.75. We saw Captain America. Also a really good movie, and we were happy we didn’t have to wait to see it on DVD because it was so much better on the big screen! Finally it was time for dinner. We went to Ruby Tuesday because we had never been there before and wanted to try something new. It was actually better than we expected! For me the best part was the spaghetti squash they had as a side dish. You know I love squash! I rarely see it offered at restaurants. It was a very wonderful date.

On Sunday we took our annual anniversary pictures! Then we spent the rest of the day in glorious laziness as we watched a Friends marathon of half of season 10. Michael and I were so happy to be able to spend so much time together and we are so excited to spend even more time together in the years ahead. Sunday night as we went to bed, I mentioned to Michael that the weekend reminded me of the summer we were dating and how we always had to spend every second together. Michael said he still felt that way, and I look forward to feeling that way for years to come.