Birthdays! Birthdays! Birthdays!

I'm going to stop feeling guilty for not blogging so often. Mainly because:

I've been getting serious work done on my novel! And Erik, I've been thinking about what you told me...something along the lines of how journaling, though important, doesn't get me farther along in my novel. I think as often as I once wrote in my journal is now as often as I work on my book, which is progressing in the most satisfying of ways.

We celebrated Lochlan's birthday last week! He's 5 !!! Amazing! It was So much fun! There was this one toy he'd been asking me almost daily for since Christmas. He had a picture of it which he'd carry all around the house and hung on to and occasionally he'd point to it and say, "Mommy, I really want that one!" :) I was super excited to be able to actually find him that exact toy and he was perfectly surprised! We had a small family party and good cake and it was So fun! Lily's birthday is in two Tuesdays, we can't wait! :)

And that wasn't the only thing I celebrated last week!! Congrats to my bestest Boston friend Emily (not to be confused with the author Emily :) She had her birthday the day before Lochlan (I tried to have him on the same day, he just decided the day after was better...) Anyway, she invited me to this awesome birthday dinner party with her brother and his wife and their new baby who I got to meet for the first time and lots of other people, including her boyfriend... who decided the party was a perfect time to Propose to Emily!!! So long story shorter, Emily's now engaged!! WoW!! And I'm so super happy for her! She's been dating him forever, so it was a long time coming. I was able to go with her to attempt to pick out a wedding dress - they were so pretty! And she's so beautiful! They'll be having the wedding in MA in May it looks like - good good good excuse for me to fly back there again!! YaY!

Oh yeah, and one more thing!! I just had my second interview with this library that I really really really want to work at!! Talk about my Dream Job!!! Seriously! I'll let you know when I get it, I find out the end of this week! There are three branch libraries hiring up here, so if I don't get this one, they'll send me over to the other one for another interview. But I think I'll get it...I hope I hope I hope! :) Wish me luck, anyway!

So, back to work on my novel! Spring break is next week!! - No School! Exciting! (Though my kids, I'm pretty sure still have school...)

A few more words, A little closer!

So I didn't keep constant vigil over my blog at the Life the Universe and Everything conference (held at BYU) as I said I might. I was very busy surrounding myself with some of my favorite brilliant minds in literature, i.e. Tracy Hickman, Eric Swedin, Jessica Day George, James Dashner, Julie Wright, Brandon Sanderson, and so many more it would be impossible to list them all. It was so inspiring and exciting and Awesome!!

The panels I was on went very well, I thought, though I felt like I had to constantly remind myself of why I qualify to be a panelist. No, I haven't published a book - yet - but when it comes down to it, that's not truly what being a writer is about (though admittedly I have mixed feelings about this) Being a writer means seeing the world differently, hearing that voice describe the people and things happening around you as they're happening, making mental notes of things that would make great stories, being observant, albeit almost intrusive, on life. As Anna, and others, know, being an artist of any kind is very much like this.

And of course, the true benefit of any writer's conference, I have made significant progress already on my novel in the time that I was there! I worked on it periodically throughout the conference, and a lot last night after I got home. I finally wrote a new scene! I haven't written a new scene in far too long...I'm at the revising while writing stage, which is more difficult - and writers have their own takes on that process, but so far whatever it is I'm doing with it seems to be working very well. I'm excited about it, and when it comes down to it, isn't that what really counts?

Anyway, I'm really anxious to pick up where I left off with it last night. Just one thing, for those of you who attended the conference, it was awesome seeing you there and I'm interested in hearing your experience of it, so, as I say too often, leave a comment :) I look forward to the other upcoming conferences and seeing all of you there as well.

Until then, Write On!! :)