The start of another busy year!

It seems just like yesterday that we were ringing in 2009!

Where does the time go?

We rang in the 2010 New Year with good friends and haven't stopped since. In January, we all went to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate Kyleigh being potty-trained, Billie got to cheer and dance at a junior high school basketball game, I enjoyed a fun girls' night at the Trace Adkins and Martina McBride concert in Little Rock, Billie turned 4 (she's going on 16, ha!), and God blessed us with a big snow (yes, I said "blessed"!!!! I love the snow, so while some were complaining, I was enjoying the beauty

and fun with my kids!)

Kyleigh and me at Chuck E. Cheese

Billie was a little distracted because of smiling so much at Michael and me, but she did a good job, nonetheless, on her cheer and dance at the basketball game. :)

Trace Adkins...Great Performance! I especially loved the song "Ladies Love Country Boys!" I'm so happy I married a "country boy"!

Talk about someone who can sing! Martina was even better live than recorded, if you can imagine that!

Ash Wednesday

The meaning of Ash Wednesday, as per www.umc.org...

What is the significance of ashes being placed on the forehead on Ash Wednesday?
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent. It is a day of penitence and remembrance of our sins of the past and our ultimate mortality. Palm branches are usually burned and the sign of the cross is placed on the forehead using the ashes. Sometimes a small card or piece of paper is distributed on which each person writes a sin he wishes to be rid of. The cards are then brought to the altar to be burned along with the palm branches. The ash cross is an outward sign of our sorrow and repentance for sins.

My plans for Ash Wednesday...joint candlelight service with other area Methodist church congregations held at Paris UMC. I was looking forward to hearing our former pastor, Judy, speak at this service, but my plans changed. My kids wanted to stay in the church nursery during the service, so I let them. Then, only a few minutes into the service, Ella was getting too "excited", so I took her out to the nursery. When I walked in, Kyleigh was standing there with only her shirt on, and the nursery keeper was putting a pull-up on her. I had not even thought about her not telling a "stranger" if she needed to go to the bathroom. I should have instructed her on what to do if she needed to go to the bathroom, but it did not even cross my mind. Luckily, I had a change of clothes for her in the truck, so by the time I went back to the sanctuary to get my keys, out to the parking lot to get the clothes, back to the nursery to clean her up, back to the truck with the sack of wet clothes, and finally back to the sanctuary, Judy was finished with her sermon. While I was walking out to the parking lot, I was surprised at the "calm" that set over me, though. Normally, I would have let this stress me out, but I just felt so thankful for my kids in that moment. So, I may not have been able to hear Judy's sermon, but God gave me His in the parking lot tonight.

I did make it in time to receive the ashes on my forehead. The kids were really wanting a cross on their head as well, so Cindy had the idea for us to press our heads to theirs. It was a sweet moment! They sang "Here I am to Worship" all the way home. I am so thankful for their little willing hearts! And I'm thankful for this unplanned, but very meaningful, Ash Wednesday.

Favorite Christmas 2009 Pics!

Mom, Dad, Ella, and Bella

Mom and Dad took us to ride the Christmas train at Creekmore Park and to look at Christmas lights.

Billie and Kyleigh liked the BIG rocking chair at Grand Village in Branson.


Daddy and his girls outside Bass Pro Shop at The Landing in Branson.

I love my girls!

This one's great! Michael told Billie to ask Santa for a new bow for him. The next day, she asked me, "Mama, why does Daddy want a new hairbow for Christmas? Boys don't wear bows!" I thought that was so cute, so we wrapped up a "bow" for the girls to give him. He didn't get it, and we had to explain. Once I explained, he said, "Oh, I thought you were trying to tell me something else!!!!!!"

Dad, Becky, and Derek with the bricks from the old Charleston High School that we gave them...Thanks to Lin for painting the tigers on them (I'm not that artistic).
I did write on them, though!

Michael and Me!


Drake looking oh so cute in his John Deere toboggan from Uncle Michael and Aunt Mandy!


Cousins Billie, Kyleigh, Drake, & Ella...Christmas at MaeMae & PawPaw's!

Now we can't wait till spring to play on the new teeter-totters from MaeMae & PawPaw!


Billie with the one thing she really wanted for Christmas...a pink Hannah Montana computer!

Mrs. Claus was forced to procrastinate (because of the car accident) on painting the girls' suitcases and train cases. They were finished up just in the nick of time on Christmas Eve and then filled with dress-up clothes and accessories. I thought they turned out so cute, and the girls' really loved them!

Wow! What could be better than snow on Christmas morning?

When we first got them up, Kyleigh glanced at the gifts under the tree, then went to the middle of the living room floor, rolled into a ball, and closed her eyes again! Such excitement!!!!! Ha!

Woo Hoo!!!! Hannah Montana Hair!!!

Kyleigh with Uncle Steven...

Here's just a few of the Murray clan awaiting presents from Grandma!

There's nothing like camping in the fall...

We went camping the first week of November 2009. I hated camping when I was a kid, but I've grown to LOVE it! No schedules, no to-do lists, no appointments, no work for Michael, etc. And the weather was perfect! The only problem we had with this trip was the dreaded stomach virus. Every other day one of us was puking! UGH!!! Other than that, we enjoyed our time at Lake Dardanelle. It is an absolutely beautiful park.

Little Monsters!

I finally had enough time to sit down and learn how to edit a black and white photo with a color splash! Here's my girls' little hands with a big, beautiful fall leaf!

Christmas 2009 Celebrations!

December is always such a busy month, but I love all the celebrations of Christmas. It is so special to make memories with my family that we can treasure always.

Billie and Kyleigh with cousins Drake and Ella awaiting the Charleston Christmas parade.

During the parade, we looked over to see Kyleigh holding her nose as the horses went by. How cute is that!!!

And here they are with cousin Bailey who froze her tail off in her dance costume for the parade.

I love to make a big deal out of the small things in life! I believe it helps our kids to appreciate the simple things in life...like spending an evening drinking hot chocolate and eating cookies, listening to Christmas music, and decorating our Christmas trees. The kids each decorated their own trees, and this year, we decorated the main tree with only Mickey Mouse decorations that Michael and I have bought each other since we got married.

"I want a pink Hannah Montana computer!"

"I want a pink Hannah Montana computer like Billie!" :)

"For unto us a child is born..."

The most important celebration of all...

The Angel Band...the preschoolers did such a good job performing their song for the program.