365.234: Happy

{Twenty of them.}

365.233: NYE

Ever since Holden was 7 months old, my parents have always had the kids on New Years Eve. It was their tradition--one that was especially awesome for Ryan and me! Needless to say, we missed them like crazy this year. I was at a bit of a loss on what to actually do on NYE when you're at home, but it turned out really fun! In the afternoon we went to the zoo with our friends the Bissons, then out to a really fancy dinner at Cici's pizza. Turner was pretty wiped out from the day so he went to bed early, but Holden got the special treat of staying up late like an adult. We worked on an "grown-up puzzle" and snacked on yogurt-covered pretzels. (I had also bought sushi and brie and other fun snacks, but we were all too full from dinner!)


This is a shot of Holden carrying on the Turner family tradition of banging pots and pans to ring in the new year. (Actually, I guess it is a Clark family tradition, because my mom and her siblings did this when they were growing up just like my siblings and I did.) It wasn't quite midnight (9pm was the latest we could handle), but the tradition lives on.

365.232: The Highlights Reel

I've feel like I've been extra contemplative this year about the last 365 days. With kids it always seems like so much happens in a year, but this year has been especially huge for the McCormick family. In review...

• A year ago I was just learning to use my new camera that Ryan had gotten me for Christmas. Not that I'm anywhere close to a pro yet, but I've learned so much this past year!
• We started the year with a trip to Savannah to see our friends Holly and Katie who live in this house on Skidaway Island State Park:
• In February, we started upgrading our house in Woodstock to put it on the market.
• We took a trip to Birmingham to see Ryan's cousin Kate get married to John (who the boys now call Uncle John) -- Holden got to be the ringbearer!
• Our house sold in April, at which point we moved in with my parents for a few weeks, as Ryan's job didn't transfer until later.
• In May we got to go on a family vacation to Florida, celebrating a big birthday for my mom! Then met up with the Stanleys for a few more days on the sand.
• The rest of may was spent doing more amazing things like celebrating Ryan's and Holden's and my birthdays, visiting Newnan for an escape at a b&b and Ryan's cousin Alex's birthday party, seeing a play with my sister at the center for puppetry arts, taking a day trip to Rock City, and going to my cousin Carmen's wedding.
• June felt full of goodbyes. We were commissioned by our church (One Church) as official missionaries, and also commissioned by Fellowship Bible Church (my parents' church where I grew up).
  
• And then we hit the road for the big move! Waco started slow for me, up until the whirlwind of Elevate started with a retreat in August.
  
• We've had plenty of visitors: Mimi and PopPop, the Deuels and Morgans, Clark and Esther, and Cameron.
  
• We got involved in a Lifegroup, I started teaching the Turtles (3-yr-olds) on Sunday mornings at church, we made amazing new friends, and became apart of an amazing new church.
• In October, we went on an outreach to College Station and got to pray with three people who wanted a relationship with Jesus!
• November brought a trip to Jacksonville Beach Florida for yet another cousin's wedding (Chesley to Ashlee) and a wonderful Thanksgiving with 20 great friends.
• I got to finally visit Atlanta in December (hey, five months was a long time for this girl)! It was a wonderful time followed by a wonderful Christmas back in Waco with Ryan.
  

Whew! So maybe that was a little lot longer than a highlights real. But like I said, 2010 was jam packed. What doesn't fit into a chronological bullet point is how much the God has changed me over the past year. The past six months in Waco have been a season of refreshment; a fresh cool breeze in my spiritual life, my marriage, and parenting. I have felt so full and abundantly blessed that it seems ridiculous at times. I have fallen in love with Jesus in a whole new way, and subsequently have been able to better love my husband, children, and friends through the overflow of God's love for me. I am blessed among men and humbled by His goodness.

365.231: Painting

I finally got around to painting the white box of a room the boys have been living in! This week before school starts again is my one opportunity to get projects done--especially the time-consuming ones!

365.230: Phoebe's New Sweater

365.229: Turner and Woody

Turner got a new best friend for Christmas.