What's going on?

I have not felt much like blogging lately. No reason in particular, just not enough hours in the day, and too many things going to write about. So, without further adieu, here is a little of what's been going on:

• A few weekends ago, it was a shower weekend! A baby shower for Sarah and Gracie on Saturday, and a wedding shower for David and Sarah on Sunday. (For clarification, those are two different Sarah's...) It was a fun, though busy, weekend, and I enjoyed seeing and hanging out with several different friends throughout the events.
• We started our Financial Peace University class on Sunday nights, and so far, it has been good. We just met our small group last weekend, and I think there are a few couples in there we will "click" with. Yea!
• My mom celebrated her birthday last weekend, so there was family in town, and a fun day was had by all. Unfortunately, it was so fun that Ryleigh refused to nap all day, and so when we sat down for a yummy dinner of steak, salad, rice, and mushrooms, she realized she was tired. Not a fun moment. BUT over all, the day was fun, and Mom is officially another year older.
• My father-in-law turned 60! Big milestone. Sadly, he was sick on his birthday (he has not been well for awhile), so we did not get to celebrate. They are trying to plan something extra special for this weekend, but Ryleigh and I will be out of town and will miss the occasion. I'm sure it will be fun for the rest of the family though.
• We had our first OB appointment yesterday, and saw the little blob that will become Baby Shulse #2 on the big screen. Everything is measuring accurately, according to our original dates, so our due date remains October 6.

Ryleigh and I leave this afternoon, with my mom, to go to Minnesota for the weekend and hang out with Susan! We get to help her look at linens and place settings for the wedding reception, taste different cakes, and go with her for her first dress fitting! It is going to be a fun girl's weekend for sure. I'm nervous about the weather-- we leave Texas in 80 degree weather and arrive in Minnesota in a snow storm, with average temperature for the weekend in the single digits or something crazy. We are going to bundle up and brave it though-- I'll be sure to update with pictures when I get back.

Love yall!

Heavy heart

It is with a heavy heart that I tell you Shelley had to be induced yesterday, at only 23 weeks along in her pregnancy.

Baby Ava Lynn Cruz was born, weighing 1 lb 3 oz. Sadly, she is now with Jesus.

Dear Lord, I genuinely have no words. I'm shocked. Please wrap your arms around Mike and Shelley and hold them to yourself. Comfort them as only you can.

Services will be held on Sunday afternoon in Wharton. Please be praying for the entire family during this difficult time.

Update

Shelley has been moved to the hospital for the remainder of her pregnancy. Wow. I cannot imagine all the emotions and stress they are feeling right now. I believe Shelley has started having contractions, so we need to pray that the medication can help those stop and let baby stay safe in her Mama a little longer.

Please, please be in prayer for this family. Feel free to stop by their blog and let them know you are praying for them.

Please pray

My friends Mike and Shelley have wanted a baby for as long as I have known them. They have had a traumatic road to parenthood thus far, losing two babies. Now, Shelley is approximately 22 weeks along, carrying a little girl they have named Ava, and as of yesterday, Shelley is on complete bed rest.

The details of her complications are not mine to discuss, but I want to ask you all to please pray.

• Pray that God gives Shelley peace and patience during this confusing and emotional time. Beg Him to use her body to bring another miracle baby into this world, helping her body to maintain the pregnancy long enough to produce a healthy baby girl.
• Pray for Mike- for endurance during this time of trial with his wife in bed. Pray for his own fears regarding the health of his wife and baby girl.
• Pray for baby Ava, that God will keep her nestled inside her Mama for awhile longer, growing healthy and strong.

My friends, please pray.

Dear Lord, I admit that I do not always understand your ways. I do not understand why you have chosen this path for Mike for Shelley, but I know that you have a plan and a reason. I ask that you wrap your arms of peace and protection around them and love on them as only you can. I pray that their friends and family are able to help out where necessary, to be the arms and legs of Christ for them. And for those who are not physically able to help, I ask that you keep them at the forefront of our prayers. Lord, you can take this situation and show us a miracle. I have faith that no matter the result, you are sovereign, and you will remain the same. Please encourage Mike and Shelley to lean on you and each other during this time. We ask all this in the blessed name of Jesus. Amen.

Love

According to Merriam-Webster:

love (noun)

1. strong affection
2. warm attachment
3. attraction based on sexual desire
4. a beloved person
5. unselfish, loyal, and benevolent concern for others

love, loved, loving (verb)

1. cherish
2. to feel a passion, devotion, or tenderness for
3. caress
4. to take pleasure in

I have to admit, I went to the dictionary for help because I wanted a definition. I was trying to think of a good explanation of what love IS to me, and I keep falling short. How you can properly put into words what all love encompasses? Yes, it is a feeling, but as Merriam-Webster pointed out, it is also an action. A verb. Something you DO.

So to me, here is how I define love. Or at least a list of examples of love in my own life:

• Love is finding a genuine smile to give, even if the day has been sad.
• Love is sitting on the floor, struggling to put together a new toy, simply to see my daughter's face light up when its done.
• Love is going through the motions- the same motions, day after day after day- to take care of my family. (Sweeping the floor, fixing the food, putting away the laundry, paying the bills...you get the picture.)
• Love is the butterfly in my stomach when I hear my husband's car in the driveway.
• Love is the excited shriek my daughter lets out when she sees her daddy is home.
• Love is the hug I get at the end of a long week, from an equally exhausted husband.
• Love is preparing a healthy dinner for my family, even when you are tired and Whataburger sounds good and easy.
• Love is listening to my husband's heart.
• Love is caring about a friend's life.
• Love is when I hear my daughter call out for me when she needs me.
• Love is handing over the remote--even though you were watching something of your own.
• Love is bringing a pot of homemade soup to a sick relative.
• Love is a good night-- make that good morning-- kiss.

Yes, Love is a something you can feel. The excited feelings, the nervous jitters, the butterflies, or the jumps you feel in your heart, as if it is going to burst any minute- those feelings are true. But they may or may not last.

Real, lifetime love is an action. An action that you DO, day in and day out. Love, that way, has the power to transform people, marriages, families.

So, though the commercialism and expectations of Valentine's Day has ruined this holiday for many, take it back. Tomorrow LOVE someone. Yes, tell the people you love that you love them. But do more than that. Make them a sandwich. Fix them a cold drink when they have been working hard. Give them a genuine smile and a kiss to knock their socks off. LOVE them.

And if you are lucky...they will love you back.

I'm not good at keeping secrets

Yes, it is true. We were slightly shocked at first, as this is earlier than we anticipated getting pregnant. However, now that we have begun to believe the results, we are getting excited.

Especially big sister, Ryleigh.

Just kidding. She has no idea what is going on. She will say "big sister," and smile, but that's about as far as it goes. We pretend when she is playing with her baby dolls that she is the big sister and she must be "seet" (aka: sweet). Ryleigh will rock the baby, give her hugs and kisses, and then promptly drop her on the hardwood floor. Yeah, she wont be holding the real baby on her own for quite awhile...!!

So, how did we find out? Well, my sister was in town and while we were all eating dinner at my parent's house, she kept ragging on me about me being pregnant. My mom even chimed in, as if they both were trying to catch me in a secret. Jesse and I both assured them that we were NOT pregnant, and when we knew we were, they would know! It was dismissed. That was on a Saturday. The following Tuesday morning I somehow thought back to the conversation. I then started thinking about the calendar and trying to remember when was the last time I had been on my period. It got me thinking pretty hard, so I finally pulled out a calendar. Sure enough, I was 5 days late. We have just been so stinkin' busy and our entire family has been sick all of January, so I had not paid attention. I had to go grocery shopping on my lunch break, so I casually picked up a test.

Now, let me make a side note here. We have only been off birth control for two months. It would not be weird for my cycle to just be "off" and adjusting to the lack of hormones. So, I got a test, but I truly was NOT thinking it would turn out positive. After coming home, putting away the groceries, feeding Ryleigh lunch and getting her down for her nap, I took the test.

When I tell you I sat there absolutely stunned, I am not lying. I was blown away. Shocked. A deer in the headlights. Frozen.

Jesse and I had just started talking about baby #2 and neither of us were "ready" per say. When he came home from work, I did not have any fancy introduction or cute gift to give him like last time. I said, "honey, we have to talk," and held up the stick. He said, "are you serious?" I nodded. (Not exactly smiling....still stunned.) But he smiled. Big. And gave me a huge hug. Then said, "okay!" And that was that.

I went to the doctor to confirm that Friday, and we told our families the following weekend. We have leaked the news to a couple of friends, but are just now starting to really share the news. It is still early. I'm only about 7 weeks along, though the doctor is not sure of my timeline. We go back at the end of this month to have an ultrasound to confirm dates/measurements.

So, there ya have it. My secret is out. Baby Shulse #2 is due approximately October 6, 2009. And we ARE excited. We are praying for a healthy baby, and so far praising God for an easy pregnancy. Did you catch that?! I have not hardly felt pregnant AT ALL. I was nauseous yesterday for all of 20 minutes and that is it. By this point with Ryleigh, I had already thrown up for 2 weeks straight. I'm so thankful that I have felt good so far.

Thanks in advance for your prayers during this time. =)

WOW!

According to my blogger dashboard, I have 310 posts on this blog! As much as I am slacker in this area, apparently, I have posted more than I realized. Granted, this is over a two-and-a-half-year period...but STILL! Go me!

(Yes, I know that some people post every day, and therefore have more posts in a single year than I have over the entire course of my blogging life...to each his own.)

Goodbye old friend-- I'm heart-broken and will miss you more than you know...

This morning I had to make a quick run to the grocery store. In route, I glanced across the busy street, and felt my heart drop.

TCBY has officially closed.

I know that the only reason I survived my pregnancy with Ryleigh was because of TCBY. Seriously- the people knew me (and Jesse!) during that time, and knew my two favorite combinations. I would drive up to the window, they would smile and ask, "Hi! Chocolate parfait or Reeses Shiver?" It was no wonder that Ryleigh came out of the womb loving chocolate.

We had heard that TCBY was struggling financially. I made extra effort to go more and more (of course, not because I have a sick addiction...I just want to help others...), but recently, more and more, we would go and it would be closed. Like, on a Friday night!! Weird. And I would sit at home wondering if they were open, drive up there, only to find they were (still) closed. At least, I could see that there was still "stuff" inside, and signs on the drive-through window. I thought perhaps the old couple who owns it had been sick.

Today, all signs were gone. TCBY was officially gone. And I'm heart-broken. What am I going to do without my parfaits?? NO ONE makes frozen yogurt like them. Goodbye dear, friend. I will sincerely miss you more than you know.

Hilarious

Last month, my mom, sister, and I were out shopping for bridal shower/bachelorette party invitations. We went to several different party stores, with lots of cute stuff. Being January, the stores were of course already planning for the next big holiday, Valentine's Day.

I saw these napkins and literally started laughing so hard I gave myself the hiccups. I could not stop laughing. My mom could not resist, and bought them for me! They have since sat on my kitchen counter bar, and seriously, every single time I look at them, I laugh! No joke!

Now, I am NOT ragging on Jesse here. I just think it is hilarious that some wise marketing person finally realized that though Valentine's Day is supposed to be all lovey, hearts, and flowers....the reality might be slightly different for some. And therefore, they must appeal to the masses! HAHA! Hysterical.

Updates, updates, updates!! I think I am finally caught up. At least I'm done trying to catch up, how about that? (wink, wink)

There are new posts all the way back to December 17. Lots of pictures, a few stories, and plenty of "thoughts by Melody."

I'm sorry life has been so incredibly hectic lately, and I truly thought I would never catch back up. I hope to start posting more regularly again now. In the meantime, feel free to scroll through some of my new entries and see what has been going on in the Shulse family!

It's good to be back, blogland. It's good to be back.

We are FREEEEEE!!!

Do you know what I did yesterday? I went to the bank, and got a massive cashier's check, signed it, and put it in the mailbox.

We are officially DEBT FREE!

We have paid off our car (last year), and yesterday, we paid off my school loans. ALL of them. They are gone, and we are free.

To be honest, I never felt strapped by it, though we had chosen to make huge monthly payments, trying to speed the process along in the past two years. I wont get into numbers, but let's just say that between the car and loans, we were about 55,000 in the hole. And now, we are out.

As much as I have whined and complained about Jesse having this Elfa job, it has truly been a blessing. We have been very careful, to not spend the money- putting it all aside, building our savings, and paying off chunks as we could. This week, after Dave Ramsey, we decided it was dumb to continue to pay interest on a loan, when we have the money sitting in savings. So, we bit the bullet. And now, it's GONE.

We are going to Perry's on Friday to celebrate.

Which is good, considering it will be January 30...come February 1, we are officially on a new budget! =) Haha. Life might be tight now, but one day, we'll be millionaires. Just watch.

Here's to hoping, anyway!

Time to look in the mirror

We are going to Dave Ramsey tomorrow!!

I'm excited...but really nervous. As the main handler of our money and finances, I hope I don't get a huge guilt trip. Time to look in the mirror and decide to make a change! I hope it goes well...

A historic day

Today, the first African American took the oath of office to become our 44th President.

As most of you know, I'm not a fan of President Obama's policies. In all honesty, there is not much I agree with him on a doctrinal level. But today, as broadcasters everywhere filmed his historic inauguration, I could not help but watch. And watch. And watch.

I'm intrigued. Everyone kept referring to the new first family as the new Kennedy family. Young. Fashionable. Personable. Smart. Likeable. Smooth. I would be lying if I said I have not had moments of obsession with the Kennedy family. But at the end of the day, I did not agree with his policy either.

So, I'm in limbo. I'm happy that America has come so far to elect, with vigor, a black man, to the highest office in the land. I think it shows a lot of growth. I'm still scared to see what the future is going to hold, and I will be praying for our leaders. After all, the decisions they make today will not only effect me- but also my children and grandchildren. I pray the world that they grow up in is better than today. (Of course, "better" is an objective term.)

Dear Lord,
Please keep your hand on President Obama and his new cabinet. I pray for the minds and hearts of all our elected leaders. I pray that they remember who they are representing, and who holds the ultimate authority. Please hold our nation together during this time of transition and fear. I ask all these things in Jesus' name.
Amen

The only constant in our house IS change

So, I have been organizing pictures lately, and ran across several older pictures of our house. It helped that we have completed a few new projects lately, which inspired this post. Thought you might enjoy the transition.

The old owner's "lounge" room

Became our office, and then joint guest room when we made room for the nursery

Now, it still serves double-duty, but as an office and a playroom!

Another massive transformation has taken place in the guest bathroom:

The old owner added the metal wall on the left-- we left it in place when we first moved in, scared of what laid behind the wall.

Our version of their same bathroom
Time for an update!

We tore out the metal wall, scraped & painted the ceiling, painted the walls, added new trim, sanded and stained (dark) the cabinets, tore down the old mirror and light fixture and replaced with new, got a new toilet, and of course, fixed all the new decor. What do you think?

I am sooooo lucky to have a handy, talented husband!!

Just had to share...!!

I just received an email from my mother-in-law, Carol. She finally made it to the liver transplant list!! This is a blessing and answered prayer.

She suffers from genetic liver disease (hardly drank a drop in her entire life, and yet her liver looks like one of a raging alcoholic), and has been going through testing for as long as I have known her. In fact, five years ago, they sat the entire family down at the doctor's office and told us that if she did not receive a new liver soon she would not live another five years.

That was five years ago. And things have worsened. My MIL started the process up again last fall, but it is quite a process. There are tests and evaluations and more tests and more doctors....I think they hope the patient gets annoyed and finally gives up, which is exactly what happened with her five years ago.

But today, she was given new hope, as she left the doctor's office with a number and a pager in hand. It is official. She is on the list for a chance at a better life.

Please join me in praying for her. Pray that she continues to "stay on top of it all" and does not get discouraged with all the appointments, tests, and doctors. Pray that she is able to lose some weight and increase her chances of a healthy transplant. And pray now for the donor and donor's family- there is never an easy way to let go of someone you love, but I pray that they may know that they are giving someone else life, and feel comforted.

Hooray for good news!

Tagged!

I have been tagged by Shelley and Sarah, so I guess I better play up!

The rules are:
Go to your pictures folder on your computer.
Go to the 4th folder.
Go to the 4th picture in that folder.
Tell us about it.
This picture was taken last August at an Astros game with my parents. We wanted to take my dad to a game for Father's Day, but had to wait until we could buy tickets! I tried to catch my parents and Jesse covertly, but as you can tell from the grin on Mom's face, she noticed, and then tried to pretend like she didnt. Ha! Dad is kind of half-way looking at me, while explaining something to Jesse, which must have been important, considering he is using his hand to demonstrate. I think Jesse is the only one who was oblivious to the camera, and that's because he is getting good at blocking me out...especially when I have a camera in hand.

It was a fun night. =)


Now I tag...anyone who wants to play along!!

Trying to catch up

I cannot even begin to tell you how busy we have been. Last night, I finally uploaded all the pictures from our camera from the past 3 weeks. I had over 220 pictures and almost 10 videos! Needless to say, it has been a time full of activity with family. Lots of fun and memories. I promise I am working on it, and once I finally hit "post," you will have TONS to read and catch up on. =)

In the meantime, I sincerely hope you all had a very special Christmas and a great start to 2009!

Practice makes perfect!

Ryleigh's new obsession? "Yo-Gi? Yo-Gi??"

AKA: Yogurt

Seriously, she must have it every meal. But, the plus is that she is getting much better with the spoon. Though she still drops half of it on herself in the process.

And for the record, YES, I love a nakie baby. =)

New Year

I cannot believe it is 2009. I still remember when 2000 rolled around, and everyone was so scared of Y2K...the end of the world as we knew it. Ha! To think it has already been 9 years. Where did that time go?

I know most of the time, people list their new year resolutions. I probably should make some resolutions, but what's the point? Most of the time they inspire me to "better myself" for about a month. Then life resumes as normal.

This year, I don't want to be normal. But I know that no resolution is going to help me be a better me. It is time for me to start taking some action to fix me. I know that most of these sound stereotypical, but they are all areas I genuinely want to work on. I'm going to take a hard look in the mirror, ask friends to hold me accountable, and pray hard for God to help transform my heart.

• Find more balance in my life. Quit worrying about work so much, when they clearly do not worry about me. Relax more. Spend more time in the sun and less time at the computer. Play on the floor with my daughter and worry less about the dishes in the sink. Love on my husband when he is home rather than tackling the never-ending "to do" list. Life is a balancing act, and I want to get better.
• Hang out with people more. Be a better friend to the friends I have. Maybe make some new friends. Put myself out there, and hopefully click with someone amazing.
• Patience, patience, patience. Since having a toddler, I have seen more than ever how quick-tempered I am. I hate it. Time to let the little things roll and learn to not get upset over a little spilled milk.
• Time to get healthy. Eat better. Exercise more. Self-explanatory.
• Get on top of our finances and make smart money decisions for our future.

So, no new resolutions for me. LIFE changes. I have high hopes for 2009, and I expect it to be a year of great joy and change. Happy new year to you all!

Goodbye Grandma Gertie

We laid Grandma Gertie to rest in Alamogordo, New Mexico on Tuesday.

It was an all day event, with the memorial service that morning, a lunch reception (with more memorial events), and then the graveside service that afternoon. Emotions were high and many tears were shed. You are never ready to say goodbye to someone you love. And as "ready" as thought I was, the day was still emotionally draining.

All in all, it was a sweet day full of cherished memories from family and friends. I'm thankful, in a sense, that this portion is complete, so the family can begin to move on.

Rest in peace, Grandma Gertie. You are loved and will be missed.

On a side note, Jesse, his dad, and his brother made her urn themselves. They did not like any of the pre-made ones available, and so they decided it would be nice to make it and stain it themselves. I think it is one of the prettiest I have ever seen.

New Mexico

I have to admit- I was not too excited about going to New Mexico at first. I mean, only get one week off work, and I was giving it up. But, I have to say, it was fun. And most of the time, it was pretty relaxing.

Ryleigh had her first airplane ride. We anticipated a very busy toddler running up and down the aisles, so naturally, I brought some Benadryl to knock her out. But, the plane ride was during her nap time, and so within 5 minutes of us boarding the plane, she fell asleep on my lap- all on her own. Nice!

Once we arrived in New Mexico, we heard weather reports that they were expecting snow. Sure enough, Saturday morning, we woke up to a white wonderland. We headed to Ruidosa for the day, and spent the afternoon shopping the small town (I bought a LOT of homemade fudge- YUM!) and playing in the snow.

Sunday, we met up with Justin & Jenn's gang and went snow tubing! It was hysterical. Ryleigh definitely got the most bang for her buck, insisting that we go "a-gin?" every time she reached the bottom. Jesse and I took turns hauling her up the small slope. Poor Gina waited in the long lines, got all the way to top, they 'pushed' her down, and ended up flipping her completely over. She was embarrassed and slightly hurt, but kept a good face. The kids all loved it, though I think we were all frozen in the end. We are from Texas, ya know!

Monday, we laid around the hotel for awhile, relaxing. JD and Carol had to go finish up funeral arrangements, so the rest of us thought we would go explore. We had originally tried to go to White Sands, but they were closed. So, we went to the space museum. Carol's Dad was in the space program and actually holds the rights to some technology, so it was cool to see his work. While the gang went to the IMAX, Jesse, Ryleigh, and I enjoyed some family time in the museum.

Tuesday was the funeral. I'll dedicate another post to it.

Wednesday morning, Jesse, Ryleigh, and I came home. It was a nice trip, but we were happy to sleep in our own beds.

More pictures to enjoy!

Headed to New Mexico!

Just a typical travel day in the Shulse family...Ryleigh loves to take the wheel and give her parents a rest.

...not really. But, I thought you would enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas was celebrated with family...just a little different than normal.

My parents came over on Monday night to exchange presents with us. I cooked lasagna and bread, nothing special, and we celebrated Christmas together. My mom's present still had not arrived (yeah, I don't think I mentioned that yet-- I messed up everyone's presents this year. Micah and Sarah's Christmas present, Susan's birthday present, Mom's Christmas present, Jeremy and Gina's Christmas present-- ALL late. That's what I get for ordering online and procrastinating getting to the post office!!) so I ended up wrapping my own pampered chef stone to show her what she was getting. Classy, huh? She was a good sport, and we had a good evening. The highlight, of course, was watching Ryleigh with her presents. A new pink piano from "Gaga and Go" (don't ask me how that equates to Grandma and Grandad; I have no idea), a mermaid barbie for the bath, a jack-n-the-box, new clothes, and more! Again, she was not too thrilled to open the presents, but once they were open, she had a blast.

Christmas morning, Jesse and I got up and waited for Ryleigh to wake up. Finally, we woke her up! Then we kept her corralled in the kitchen and bedroom long enough to finish preparing the breakfast casserole and kolaches. We let her loose. And she walked right into the living room, and straight to her new table. She climbed right up in her new chair, and immediately wanted to open her stocking. We side-tracked her long enough to show her a few new toys. She kept going back to play with her pink piano! Ha! Eventually, we all opened our stockings. Ironically, Jesse and I each got one another the same Ray Lamontagne CD-- it was the only one left that we did not own, so I guess we both figured we needed it in our collection. =)

A little later, Jesse's parents came over. We had gotten them small stockings and we gave them our presents: Elfa drawers. Not too exciting, but since they want to re-do their closets, we figured we would help them out with a few drawers (especially since they were on sale!) We opened presents, ate breakfast and Ryleigh played her heart out. Jesse and I got her a potty, thinking we would slowly start to introduce the concept. Well, she sat on it right away! And tried to flush! A little later, she got a present from Aunt Susan that had a baby doll in it, and the first thing she did was sit that baby doll on the potty! Ha! She pushed the baby around in her new stroller and carried it in the baby carrier. Then would go back to the piano. Toys are fun! After awhile, JD and Carol left to head back to their house and begin cooking dinner. We stayed home and NAPPED. For AWHILE.

When we woke up, it was much later than we expected. We hurried and cleaned up and went to his parent's house. Jeremy, Gina, and Eli were already there. I must say: it was quiet. Without Grandma Gertie, Justin, Jenn, & their kids, no family friends, no aunts or uncles-- it was very untraditional Shulse holiday. We exchanged presents and the kids played some more. Carol gave each of us daughter-in-laws a spa day! Massages, facials, manicures, and haircuts/hairdos! A fun girls day at the galleria is on the horizon, for sure. Dinner was good, though everyone again was quiet. After the meal, we stayed for a little bit, but seeing as how we were leaving town for New Mexico the very next morning, everyone was quick to leave.

So, we were home early, and I began laundry and took down the incredibly dead Christmas tree. Jesse and I packed while Ryleigh played, played, played!

It was a different Christmas all around this year. Not bad, just different. I was tired. So, honestly I was thankful for the slower change of pace. I missed a lot of the skipped traditions.

• We never made it to see Santa this year-- I took Ryleigh twice, and both times the line was over 2 hours long...anyone with a toddler knows that there was NO way she was going to sit in her stroller for that long.
• I completely forgot to make cookies and milk for Santa. Completely. Forgot.
• My house was not AS decorated as usual.
• I never made it around to give goodies to all my friends.

But you know what? I survived. I'm no less of a Mom. Or a wife. Or a daughter. Or a sister. Yes, I'm too busy. But I did my best. And it still was a sweet Christmas. And you know what else? My "mess ups" this year did not alter the meaning of my Christmas at all. Because those things are not what this season is about. I still like them- I still hope to do better next year- but I'll be okay if, once again, I cant manage it all.

Alright, alright. Enough of my thoughts. I know you're ready for pictures! Enjoy!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is always a good night. A night to dress up. A night to be with family. A night to go to church and celebrate our Savior's birthday. A night to anticipate. A night to....I could go on and on.

This year, Christmas has been a little different. I have felt more like our own little family this year, which has been good, and weird. So, in keeping with the weirdness, I asked Jesse if we should attend church a day early, allowing more space on Christmas Eve for visitors. He looked at me like I was crazy, and said, "no! It just wouldnt feel like Christmas if we didnt go to church on Christmas Eve." And truthfully, he was right.

So we did. We dressed up in our new clothes from my parents, and kept Ryleigh up a little later than normal to go to church. And since she was with Daddy, she did not mind.
Did you know that Jesse proposed to me on Christmas Eve? Yep. Six years ago, after we left the church service, with both families in tow, he pulled me into the chapel of the church, gave me a bible with my "new" name on it, got down on his knee, and asked me to be his wife.

So Christmas Eve is kind of special to us.

And Ryleigh likes it too.

We got home from church, bathed little miss and put her in her Christmas pajamas. Then I finished wrapping presents and Santa put together Ryleigh's gifts. We were having fun until the instructions got confusing and then Santa was ready for bed. =)

But, by the end of the night, the tree was full of presents, the stockings were stuffed, breakfast was ready to be put together, and the night was at peace.

(Please do not notice how incredibly dead my tree was this year. Apparently, they need water, and I never stopped long enough to water it. My bad.)

The night, as a whole, was quiet. We were not with family. There were not kids running around, excited about Santa. No big celebrations. It was just us. And ya know what? I really enjoyed it.

Fun with flash

Without flash...
With flash...

Who knew a little light could make such a huge difference?