The Magnificent Post of UPDATES!

I was thinking I should update you all on my life, because I know you are just dying to know all about it (ha). And I was also thinking I should do a handy mid-year update on the challenges in which I am (attempting) to participate. Then I thought, perhaps I shall combine all these lovely things together. Et voila. This post.

Personal updates: This has been a crazy summer for The Husband and me. I have been working hard to   finish my nursing degree, doing crazy things like working night shifts and working three twelve-hour shifts in a row and other madnesses (I know many of you do the same thing. I admire and respect you). Fortunately I am on a floor that I love (children's oncology) and I hope to work in a similar field once I graduate and get my first real job. The Husband left me for Officer Basic Training Camp and has been gone for the last month. He has just over two weeks left before he returns. Unfortunately, while we have been able to talk on the phone every day up to this point, he may not have good cell phone service for the next couple of weeks. Le sigh. At least we are past the halfway point.

Also, we have been preparing to move to Los Angeles. We were lucky enough to get the apartment in their student housing that we most coveted, and we are getting really excited to leave this desert and live by the sea. I have lived in suburbs and small cities my entire life, excepting the 5 week adventure I had in Paris, so I am very intrigued to see what this new lifestyle is like. I think I'll be ready to leave by the end of our 4-year time there, but for now I am very excited. 

And finally... there will be three of us living together in LA. We are expecting a baby boy in mid-November, and so far everything has been great, minus a month of morning sickness and the mass amounts of exhaustion I have been experiencing (whoever said you are less tired in the second trimester apparently didn't have the same pregnancy I am having). I'm excited to meet the little creature that is currently doing acrobatics inside of me.

So those are the life updates. On to the challenge updates...

Challenge Updates:

In the Chunkster Challenge I have read 3/8 books. I need to read two more books that are over 750 pages and three more that are over 450 pages. I am feeling confident about this challenge because I am currently in the middle of three chunksters. Now if I can only prod myself to finish I will be almost done with the challenge.

I have read 0/2 books for the Victorian Celebration, and as the end of the challenge is drawing near, I probably won't finish. I would have loved to participate, but with the way that school has been this semester I suppose some things had to fall by the wayside.

As of yet, 0/50 books in the Classics Club challenge. Fortunately, I have 4.5 years to finish this one. :)

Finally, a challenge in which I am doing well! I have completed my goal for the European Reading Challenge, reading 3 books that take place in 3 different European countries. I've honestly probably surpassed this goal, but I stopped keeping track after I completed the challenge.

In the South Asian Challenge I have completed 1/5 books. I am planning on reading more later in the year, so hopefully I will have time to get to those and complete this challenge.

I've read 1/7 in the Award Winning Reads Challenge. I am hoping to get to more this year, but this one might end up falling by the wayside for me. I want to complete all these challenges but it is looking as though that probably isn't a reality. We will see.

I've read 3/7 books in the Harry Potter Reading Challenge and almost finished with the fourth book. I know I am going to finish this one because I have all the audiobooks lined up, just waiting for me. 

I've read 5/9 books in the Mixing It Up challenge. I am pretty sure I will be able to finish this one by the end of the year -- one of the joys of being an eclectic reader.

I've read 1/3 books in the New Adult Challenge. While of course I will be thrilled to finish the challenge, this is another one that might fall by the wayside this year.

Only 2/10 in the Alex Awards Challenge, which is shameful because it is my challenge. I am in the middle of an Alex Award book and have big plans to read others by the end of the summer, so hopefully I will pull through. 

Only 1/9. *Buries head in shame*

1/7 here. I am sad because I've forgotten about the monthly prompts the last couple of months. I will have to do one this month!

Honestly, I had completely forgotten about this challenge and haven't been keeping track. Perhaps that will have to change soon. 

Whew, that is all. I always get a little too enthusiastic when I sign up for challenges. However, I think it is a good thing because I add books to my TBR that I never would have thought to read otherwise. We'll see how it all went come December.