Happy February

Yay! It's February! My least favorite month is over! Poor January. It really does get the short end of the stick. It's not like February is much better. It has Valentine's Day, if you're into that sort of thing, but it's still not a month I particularly jump for joy about. The best thing it has going for it is that it is shorter than January. (Though it is an entire day longer this year, which seems unnecessary. If you're going to add a day to a month every four years, could you at least pick a fun month?) 

It's not January's fault. January tries. The problem is, when you come after a month like December, you have a hard act to follow. Some people love the month, especially after the non-stop holidays, celebrations, parties, and planning of the weeks leading up to it, but I've never enjoyed the severe let down of January after weeks of good music, food, decorations, and family. I feel like there should be a step down program or something. I don't do well quitting cold turkey. You go from joy to the world and bright lights to considerably duller decor and everyone and their mother messaging you about how fat you must have gotten over the holidays. 

Anyways, poor January is over now, and February is here. One month into 2016, and where am I? I go between really enjoying being here and being ready for orders. I truly love Colorado Springs. I could see putting roots down here, but we're in a horrible limbo right now where we know change is coming but not when we'll know or where we might be going, and it's hard to feel like I can even hang up a picture much less plant sturdy roots. I feel isolated and alone many days. I love going out and doing stuff with my family. I love being home with my family. I miss my people though, the people who loved me for all I am, (even the warty parts) and wish that I could invite them all over like we used to.

Speaking of my people, our best friend is coming to visit! The tickets have officially been bought and everything, and Jonathan and his son, Trenton, will be here in April. I am so excited. It will be just shy of three years since we've been able to see them by the time they get here, and we just can't wait. Jonathan is family. Our brother from another mother. Our babies call his mama "Mimi", and he's "Uncle Ivy", and I can't wait for the busy days and long nights we'll have when they are here.

Two months and counting...Tick, tock. Tick, tock.

School is closed tomorrow, and Parker is so bummed out. I wish they'd stop doing snow days on Tuesdays.

Anyone want to come over to the blanket fort and color? I'll have wine. (And, yes, I am excited enough about this warmer that I'm blogging about it! It's going to be so much fun!)

I'm A Winner!

That's right! I am winner! And I have the internet bling to prove it!

Not that I am trying to brag or anything, but I'm bragging. :) Two years in a row, and one day I might even get published! Just like last year, I'm not done, but I did it! (And I will finish it one day. Promise!) 50,000+ words in the month of November. (I'll be writing tomorrow too, because the challenge is to write every day of November, not just to 50,000 words.)

Yay!

Here We Go Again: NaNoWriMo 2013

Though I have known about NaNoWriMo for several years, last year was the first time that I participated in the writing challenge, a challenge to write every day during the month of November, totaling at least 50,000 words in those 30 days. Last year I "won" the challenge, writing 50,207 words towards my first complete novel. (I didn't finish it, and I still haven't finished it, but I plan to in the next few months. We'll see.)

Here we are, November 1st again, and I am still completely clueless as to what I want to write. I have a few ideas, but I am not sure which way I am going to go in, which is very different from last year, when I knew the story I wanted to tell. At least I knew how I wanted to start it, and it went beautifully. I truly love my story from last year. This year I am pretty close to a panic, but I am going to start and see where it takes me. 

Wish me luck! I need it!

I DID IT!

And it was hard! Some days I didn't meet my planned word count, some days I exceeded it, some days I had complete writers block and drove my husband crazy bemoaning my complete and total ignorance and inability to finish even this simple task. But here we are, the end of 30 long days, and I am an official NaNoWriMo Winner!

I even have proof!

See that? Only winners get that! Apparently I can even buy a shirt. I just might do that. You never know. 

I came in at 50,207 words. My novel isn't done yet. In fact, I am at a very detailed and exciting part of the story. I wrote 50,207 words in 30 days though, and I am pretty proud of that fact. It is raw, unedited, probably filled with misspellings and incorrect punctuation, but I have 50,207 words of a novel written. I did that! (A ton of other people did too, but I am tooting my own horn right now. Sorry.) 

It's a raw and imperfect little thing, my new novel, but I am proud of it. I might even finish it one day and let someone other than myself read it. Who knows? Right now I am just happy that I did it and completed this thing that I started out to do back on November 1st. 

I look forward to next year.

NaNoWriMo

Perhaps you have heard of this little thing called NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month. The idea is, in the month of November, to write a novel. Whatever comes to mind. Any subject matter is accepted just so long as you are writing. The goal is to write at least 50,000 words during the month of November. If you do that you are declared a NaNoWriMo winner. You don't really win anything outside of the satisfaction of having written a 50,000 word novel, but isn't that enough?

Both my cousin and my sister have participated in this in years past. I absolutely meant to do it last year, but between a new baby and health issues related to my gallbladder and pancreas, the month of November passed by without me having written a word. I was disappointed, but vowed that it wouldn't happen next year. Next year I would write something great!

And here we are! This year is upon me. In just a few minutes I will close my blog and start writing my NaNoWriMo novel. I have a vague idea of where I am going to start, no idea where I am going to finish, and a goal of at least 50,000 words. Let's see where this adventure takes me! Wish me luck. :)