out with the old...

the coming of the end of a year is probably different for everyone. for me, it is very much a time of reflection but also anticipation. we got home from my parents on wednesday night. kyle and i spent all day yesterday cleaning up and cleaning out!!! i also got all of my christmas decorations put up. we got a lot done but are not near finished. we also made a new rule for the kids...no toys past the carpet which means they cannot come into the main living areas with any toys. surprisingly, they have done pretty well. might i add the front rooms look so much better without toys scattered everywhere :)

we had a great christmas and rylee was sad that i was taking down all of the decorations. she asked why i was "putting christmas up?" :) i had to explain it would come again next year :)

as i anticipate the new year...of course, i want some things to be different...as i'm sure you do:) i'm not making resolutions however, they don't stick with me. i'm making some decisions...(i'm not sure there is a difference)...

i'm going to start exercising again. i haven't in over a year...since we got the twins and i've also put on almost 30 pounds....yikes. time for that to go. the clencher...i'll be exercising at 5:30am with my friend kriste. ughhhh....i hate 5:30am unless i'm snoozing in my warm bed.

i would like to be more disciplined overall. (time with God, finances, eating habits, etc.)

i would like to get my photography up and going this year. i already have 4 appointments for january.....yeah :)

and as with every year...i would like to be a better wife, mother, friend, daughter, sister, youth minister's wife, mdo director and above all..............increase the likeness of Christ in all of those areas. of course, that means dying to me on a daily basis....easier said than done....i'm really a very selfish person......no really!!! :)

ok, enough babbling. i have to go do laundry and clean out toys. i still have all of the kids new toys in the van until i clean out their old ones. how cruel am i?

My Christmas wish for the ones I love...

This will be my last blog until after Christmas. I'm going to my parents tonight and will be there through next Wednesday. So, the following is a Christmas wish for anyone reading this post...even if I don't know you personally :)

I wish you joy....not happiness that comes with perfect circumstances, but true joy...the kind that exists beyond our circumstances. The kind that gives us a reason to rejoice...the kind that can only be found through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

I wish you peace....peace that passes all understanding. The kind of peace that when you lay your head down at night, you know without a doubt who holds you in His magnificent hands. The kind of peace that is there when life doesn't make sense and when our pain is so great...the kind of peace that can only be found in Him.

I wish you hope....hope that springs up and spreads throughout your heart and mind. Hope that goes beyond our most difficult circumstances, hope that defies logic and hope that gives birth to joy and peace.

I wish you love....love from family and friends....love from our Savior and Lord. I wish you the kind of love that is unconditional, unbending and forever.

These things I wish for you now and in the year to come. I'm so grateful for so many things...my family, my friends and most of all a God who continually blows my mind. He has shown me in more ways than one this year how much He loves me and just how big He is.

Merry Christmas!

pictures

creed and all of his cousins at his 1st birthday party...












children of all the cousins at kyle's aunt and uncle's house in frankston...

full enough to explode...

kyle took all of his youth workers to the cheesecake factory in dallas tonight. i'm still full and we ate almost two hours ago. ughhhh.... i ate way too much but it was sooooooooo good. i had shrimp w/angel hair pasta. the sauce was amazing. for dessert i shared some kind of chocolate heaven cake. it rocked!!!

we went to frankston on sat. and had a good time with kyle's family. then yesterday was my nephew's 1st bday. the kids and i drove down to saratoga for his party. he's such a cutie! i'm looking forward to spending time with faith and creed over the holidays.

we are spending christmas with my family this year. it's always fun times.....food, games, a lot of laughing etc. have i mentioned that i LOVE christmas???? i think the thing i love most is just hanging out with family.

ok...my full tummy is going to bed. blessings!

two week break..........

today was the last day of mother's day out for the year. woohoo!!! i'm ready for a two week break. i'm also ready for my family to be well. rylee had an ear infection beginning of the week, and now kade is fighting an ear infection. we need to take stock in CVS...that's where our money is going right now :) lily and kyle are good so far....knock on wood.

went to dinner tonight with my friend kriste. kind've funny......i actually met her while she was helping me deliver rylee. she was my favorite nurse. i've seen her over the past few years for area wide church events (she goes to Grace Community here in Corsicana). anyway, after i saw her at the last one we decided we needed to get together. we had a really great time tonight. we have a lot in common including the same goal weight :) so , we are going to start walking in jan. and keeping each other accountable in the food realm.


ok...going to bed...i have a full day of laundry tomorrow.

ughhhh........

went to the dr. today. i have a sinus infection and pink eye. spent $90 on medicine today. that was fun.... i'm hoping to wake up a new woman tomorrow.

don't really have a lot to say tonight. i could ramble on about nothing, but i'll spare you. have a great weekend!

allergies and pictures...

rylee throwing a fit...

lily in the leaves...

sweet brother and sister...

well, i have been miserable with allergies for a couple of weeks now. you can tell by looking at my house. i am zapped of energy, feel miserable, my face is swollen and my left eye looks like someone kicked me in the face. as one of my mdo teachers put it today, "mary-michele, i don't mean to be mean but you look horrible". yes...it's true...i look horrible. i called the doctor today and of course they were booked so my doctor called in a perscription decongestant. we'll see how that works. maybe i'll be able to breathe again.

still playing with my camera. :)

a few shots...loving my camera!!!

i went to a cemetary near our house this afternoon. i know that sounds kind've weird but there is some really pretty areas there...


my teachers and i sold cups for our mdo fundraiser today downtown. it was a little chilly!!!

amy and and her son ryan

our sad little table...

oh yes....it's here.......

as you probably guessed.....i got my camera :) i have been playing with it for the last two hours. ironically, there is not another human in the house with me right now to take pictures of. i say ironically, because i'm pretty sure this is the first time i have been home alone since we had rylee. anyway, the reason is because i have to run a booth downtown tomorrow for mother's day out and kyle is going to a hunt test. so, he loaded up the kids and they are all staying at my parents tonight.

needless to say, i have been trying to find something to take a picture of. i took several shots and have started reading through the manual. i have never seen so many buttons, menus and functions on anything in my entire life. it's a little daunting...but i just keep telling myself that it's like anything else. i have to get used to, learn it and use it.

i went christmas shopping today and got soooo much done. i left the kids with a sitter. i needed a break and frankly, they did too. it's good for all of us :) i had a fabulous afternoon. it is so rare that i am by myself. i'm not one of those people that wants that all the time, but it is nice occasionally.

i hope you enjoy my first photo. maybe it will help get you in the christmas spirit :)