I’ve had grand plans for this week, and the weeks that are to follow, all semester long. In my grand imaginings, I saw myself taking (acing) my one final exam the first day of exam week, freeing up the rest of the week to enjoy and focus on the girls, work on those final projects before Christmas, and read. Read, read, read.

In reality, I still haven’t taken that exam. There are two days left in which I can take it and I’m hoping for tomorrow morning, but if I don’t feel prepared after studying tonight, then, well, it will be Tuesday. And as for acing that exam, well let’s just say that right now I will completely settle for passing.

Also in reality, I’ve not read anything yet this month. This one month in which I have no required reading to do. And I just got my two books in the mail for my Jan term class and decided the responsible thing to do would be to have at least one of them read before that class, so I’m seeing myself wave good-bye to my fiction stack, at least for another week or so.

More reality – I’ve had no motivation to do any writing either, which probably comes as no surprise to the few of you left who occasionally check in here. I’ve had several ideas lately, but the fulfillment of them would require more out of me than I was willing to give, so they’ve remained just that – ideas.

But, I don’t say all this to say that these days have been in vain. Our school schedule has not looked terribly structured lately, but I’ve been okay with that. Somehow in the shuffle, my 6 year old started reading chapter books and my 5 year old has been challenging other seminary students to games of chess – and sometimes winning. I’ve completed one more graduate level class which I feel fairly decent about and after tomorrow, for better or worse, will complete another.

Our Christmas shopping/creating is almost finished and I’m excited about the things we have to give this year, both for our own girls as well as our extended families. And I’ve sold about $150 in candles in the past couple of weeks which has been really encouraging!

So sorry you haven’t seen too much of me lately. That may change after tomorrow, or maybe it won’t. To find the Dunhams after our last final, you may well just have to come over to the apartment in your pajamas prepared to spend whole days watching movies and eating popcorn. Now *that* sounds like a pretty nice way to spend the break!