Yes, Jayda, There is a Santa Claus...

Whoa! It's been a while since I've updated. I'm still here...LOL! We survived Christmas and due to the fact I have a spunky four year old running the house (yes, I do mean 'running' the house, literally), it was a great one! Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, but it has gotten so much better now that Jayda is old enough to 'get it'. I love that she knows the meaning of Christmas (the Birth of Christ) and I also love the fact that she is in total belief of Santa! Boy did we use that to our advantage! HA!

Well, enough of my chit chat... here are the pictures...

Here she is at her school performance...if you know Jayda, you know she LOVES to be on a stage...so she cherished this moment!







This is in the church lobby after her performance...

With mommy...



With mommy and daddy...



With cousin Lily...



It was a great little Christmas program. We are so blessed to have Jayda at Mid Valley Christian School. It is nice to know she is being taught the 'true' meaning of Christmas.

Then on Christmas Eve Santa had to make an early delivery because this first gift was way too big and it needed it's own delivery time (so nice that she totally buys into all this...ha!)...

Seeing the Cinderella Carriage bed for the first time...PRICELESS (even Grandma's look was priceless)





Then we needed to prepare for Santa's stop later on...of course we need the cookies and milk and we can't forget the reindeer!




Then Santa's final delivery...

As you can tell, she did not lack for anything this Christmas (heck, she never lacks for anything, EVER...thank you Lord). We all had a great Christmas and we are very blessed.

This was our 2009 Christmas card...



And even mommy got a visit from Santa...



Michael said he wanted to 'outdo' me this Christmas...well, if you think a diamond ring beats Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate... he won...hands down...HA!

Hope everyone had a blessed Holiday and wishing you the best in 2010! Thank you for sharing in my life!

Christmas Traditions

This is the first year we have started our two 'traditions'. The first one is Elf on the Shelf... Meet Ernie...




Ernie was sent to us by Santa to keep an eye on Jayda...every night he heads back to the North Pole to 'report' Jayda's behavior... IT WORKS!!!

Click here to adopt yours!

Our other tradition is 'Key for Santa'...since we do not have a chimney, we have a magical key that only works for Santa on Christmas Eve!





We do the usual leave cookies by the tree and read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" as well. Christmas is our absolute favorite holiday! Oh and we can't forget our letter to Santa!

Thank You

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice.

~Meister Eckhart

So, here it is, THANK YOU...

Thank you for it ALL Lord!

May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving and don't forget to just say 'thank you'.

My Greatest Blessing

A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart.
~ Author Unknown





I thank God daily for my greatest blessing, Jayda. I can only hope that I never let Him down and waste a single second with her.

Words to Live By...

Found this on one of my facebook friend's page... I LOVED it! Makes so much sense.

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone...
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and
parents will. Stay in touch
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36.. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood..
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time.. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

A 'New' Me...

I'm doing less of this...





And a WHOLE lot of this...






I came to the realization that I was 'all talk' when I'd say...'I will do ANYTHING for Jayda'...I mean really... by NOT taking care of myself was I really doing what I needed to be doing for her? She needs ME... and I have been neglecting ME! But, not anymore...I have made a commitment to her and to myself to get healthy and get stronger...I have let myself go completely... but the time has come for the 'new' me! Stay tuned!!!

You're Just too Good to Be True...

You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off you.
You'd be like Heaven to touch.
I wanna hold you so much.
At long last love has arrived
And I thank God I'm alive.
You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off you.

This has become Jayda's favorite song. She sounds hilarious singing it. Ever since she heard it for my mom and dad's anniversary she was hooked!

Here she is singing...

Then some 'just because' pictures...







I LOVE you baby... and if it's quite alright I will ALWAYS need you baby!

With God's Grace...

I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.

Rita Rudner

October 11, 2009 will mark our 6th year wedding anniversary. Although it has been far from the 'perfect' marriage, we've made it. We still have our struggles, but along with that we have our good times, our love, and most importantly, our Jayda. We have been through a lot these past 6 yrs... but it has only made 'us' stronger.

We have made it because of our faith in the Lord. Although, we are not frequent 'church go-ers' (like we really should be) our faith is just as strong as those who are. We pray, we believe and we know that, with the Lord, our marriage and our love will only get stronger. The struggles will always be there, but together with our Lord -- we will prevail.

If many only knew what Michael went through to 'give' me Jayda...you would know the most incredibly unselfish man ever (and I don't mean the surgeries). For that, I am forever grateful!

I love you Michael and thank you!

Here are some God 'billboards' that I LOVE and are oh so true!

"Loved The Wedding, Invite Me To The Marriage" - God

"Need a Marriage Counselor? I'm Available." - God

Life...Obstacles...Success...FAITH...

ob•sta•cle : something that impedes progress or achievement


Every difficulty in life presents us with an opportunity to turn inward and to invoke our own submerged inner resources. The trials we endure can and should introduce us to our strengths.
--Epictetus, Greek Stoic philosopher (55AD–135AD)

My life has revolved around obstacles; small ones, and some not-so-small ones. Did some knock me down? Definitely! I am thankful I worship a God who doesn’t mind my questions; He is even patient with me when I get angry at Him. That in itself has been therapeutical.

Obstacles are a part of life. We have two choices when faced with obstacles – fall to their mercy or overcome them. I have chosen the latter. People who really do not know me only see me from the outside, they see the limp, the slowness and they see it as a limitation, a weakness. I’ve dealt with the judgments many times—did they hurt? Absolutely. I've felt hurt. I've gotten angry. I've felt insulted. I’ve wanted to react. But I know that if I had just reacted, I woud have let myself down. That is not me. That is not who I want to be and I realized it’s human nature to have the doubts that they had – I don’t blame them for those thoughts- not at all. So, thankfully, I've just let it go (after much venting with family and friends). They are just more obstacles. They are just more incidents of people not knowing what I am all about and not taking the time to know me. But they have made me stronger.

They don’t know the Myra who has never known what a day without pain feels like, who has never known what it was like to just go for a walk, who has never known what it feels like to run and jump with my baby girl, who has never known what it felt like to NOT deal with stares from people wondering ‘what is wrong with her?’, who has never known how it felt to answer the question from a curious 5 year old ‘what happened to your leg?’, who has never known what it felt like to just pick up her little girl and swing her around and just carry her without having to sit down to do it, and most importantly who has never known how to accept someone telling me I can’t do it (I have to find out for myself if I can or can’t). They don’t know the Myra who has “never known” any of the things listed above, but still gets up every morning to enjoy the things that she can do.

I can get up and go to my job, I can get up and hug my baby girl, I can get up and say I carried that baby for nine months – I did it. I can get up and live a life that is “normal” for me. I can say that I have the BEST family in the world. And I can absolutely, without a doubt, without hesitation say I am BLESSED. I, to this day, have not let an obstacle BEAT me, and nobody should ever think that I will EVER allow something or someone to impede my progress.


I leave you with the following chorus to a song that is very dear to me:

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

~Bring the Rain~
(MercyMe)

Anniversary Video...

I know some family wanted to watch it and my other method was not cooperating...so here it is. Jessica, my sister-in-law, put this together... she did an awesome job! Enjoy!

PAUSE MY BLOG MUSIC AT THE BOTTOM OF SCREEN BEFORE PLAYING!!!

Mari & June ~ 40 Year Anniversary from Myra Hough on Vimeo.

40 Years of Love and Forgiveness...

September 7, 2009 my parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. It's been 40 years of great memories, some heartbreak, but most importantly 40 years of a lot of love and learning the value of forgiveness.

Last night, September 12, 2009 we celebrated with them and it was a beautiful evening. We enjoyed the night with family and close friends. Thank you all for sharing in the celebration with our family.

I can't even begin to describe my family, my parents. They are amazing. They taught me to never give up, to never say 'I can't'and the value of an education. Not to brag or anything, but in our family alone we have a combined- 12 degrees ;)... a lot of it is owed to the expectation that my parents set for us. We WERE getting a college education, no matter what! No excuses! I hope we can all pass that to our own children... and I am pretty confident that we are heading in the right direction with that.

It has not been a perfect 40 years, not by a long shot. But as a family and by the Grace of God we got through it, we survived. So, thank you mom and dad for EVERYTHING you have done for all of us and for EVERYTHING you still do for us. We could never, ever repay you for it all. Always know how much we appreciate it, how much we love you guys and how BLESSED we are to call you our parents. Happy Anniversary!

The music playing right now on the blog is a song my dad dedicated to my mom years back...enjoy!

Find Your Wings my baby...

In one week Jayda will be a PK-4 student, yikes! Where did the time go? I am incredibly grateful for the school we chose for her, it is the same school she attended last school year and we LOVE it! Mid Valley Christian...they have done an amazing job with my baby girl and I could never thank them enough. This year Jayda is with Ms. Blessington and I have heard great things about her and I can't wait!

I found this song recently and the words to it fit perfect for what I want Jayda to know... my prayer, for my baby girl:

It's only for a moment you are mine to hold
The plans that heaven has for you
Will all too soon unfold
So many different prayers I'll pray
For all that you might do
But most of all I'll want to know
You're walking in the truth
And If I never told you
I want you to know
As I watch you grow

Chorus:
I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage
To dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
And help you find your wings

May passion be the wind
That leads you through your days
And may conviction keep you strong
Guide you on your way
May there be many moments
That make your life so sweet
Oh, but more than memories

Chorus:

It's not living if you don't reach for the sky
I'll have tears as you take off
But I'll cheer as you fly


It's only for a moment you are mine to hold
The plans that heaven has for you
Will all too soon unfold
So many different prayers I'll pray
For all that you might do
But most of all I'll want to know
You're walking in the truth
And If I never told you
I want you to know
As I watch you grow

Chorus:
I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage
To dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
And help you find your wings

May passion be the wind
That leads you through your days
And may conviction keep you strong
Guide you on your way
May there be many moments
That make your life so sweet
Oh, but more than memories

Chorus:

It's not living if you don't reach for the sky
I'll have tears as you take off
But I'll cheer as you fly


PAUSE MY BLOG MUSIC AT THE BOTTOM TO LISTEN TO ACTUAL SONG!!!

Family

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.

~Jane Howard~

And I am blessed with one of the best in existence...

Our trip to Dallas..."Cowboy Stadium"

"Sisters"

Jayda asking for something...my guess...MONEY!

Jayda & Joe fishing

The Rodriguez Kids

March '09 at the most magical place on earth!

Jayda and her cousins!

The Wildcat Fan Club!

Jayda's 3rd Birthday!

The Rodriguez kids at one of their awesome vacations!

My handsome brothers!

My Beautiful Cousins!

The Hough Family

Victoria and Karissa!


Shhh.... I stole this from her FB account! My brother Gordie and sis-in-law Zeida!

I stole this too! My brother and my sis-in-law Jessica!

I am very blessed with an amazing family...Thank you Lord!