Happy New Year!

As we move into 2010, I just wanted to let my readers know that I appreciate you. Every comment with a kind word or a gentle word of advice really means a lot to me.

2010 will be a year filled with many changes for me and my family. I'll be graduating in June and going to college in August and I'm asking you to come along with me on my journey. I started this blog my freshman year in high school and I hope to continue it for many years to come.

In honor of my Polish heritage, I'd like to share with you a Polish blessing for the new year.

May your heart be as patient as the earth your love as warm as harvest gold. May your days be full, as the city is full Your nights as joyful as dancers. May your arms be as welcoming as home. May your faith be as enduring as God's love. Your spirit as valiant as your heritage. May your hand be as sure as a friend. Your dreams as hopeful as a child. May your soul be as brave as your people. AND MAY YOU BE BLESSED.

Happy New Year to you and your family. Thank you thank you thank you for everything you do.

I love you more than words can express
-Mere

Snow :)

December 4. The day the great city of Houston recieved snow.

I'm sure this is NOTHING to my cold-weather friends like Geri and while I've seen snow several times (twice while skiing in Utah and once while skiing in Canada), it was still really exciting to see snow without having to step foot on an airplane. It was a huge event in our city. I even skipped school to have fun....shhhhh....don't tell anyone!

Brent (my brother) and I in our backyard in the snow
Brent and his best friend, Erica, "tasting" snow...SERIOUSLY?!

Even Heloise, enjoyed the snow for a little while before deciding to go in the garage because it was "too cold"

Our backyard during the snow

Snowing on our gate

Love, Mere

Christ the Savior is born

Christmas 2009 was eventful to say the least. It started out as everything that defines normal and turned into the epitomy of dysfunctional. Oh well. Thank God it's behind our family for 363 more days. Aunt Liz's children, Luc and Landry, were at their dad's house, so my best friend, Jessica and I are going back to my Grammy and Popey's tomorrow to hopefully see them. I would be forever grateful if I got to see them. They are just precious.

Family tradition states we eat seafood, open presents and eat the candy tray on Christmas Eve. With Luc and Landry at their dad's, we broke the present-opening tradition but still ate seafood and the candy tray. Brent is allergic to seafood, so he ate cheese quesidillas from Taco Cabana.

I didn't get too much for Christmas. What do you get the girl that has everything? She buys herself things she wants throughout the year. Who needs a stinkin' Christmas list anyway?! lol

My beloved Aunt Liz
Popey awake

Popey asleep

The amazing and coveted candy tray created by Grammy

Uncle Mark putting out the shrimp, corn and potatoes

Love, Mere

Christmas Cards

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is Christmas cards. Roy usually takes our pictures and I create the cards myself using Snapfish. It shows people who we don't regularly see how much we've changed over the course of a year and also gives us a chance to do the same for them.

But take a look at this years pics in comparison to last years.....

2008

2009

Weight Watchers has worked wonders for me! I am proud to be 28 lbs. lighter and counting. My ultimate goal is 120 lbs. I've been doing it slowly because it's really unhealthy to loose massive amounts of weight rapidly. I want to wear a 2-piece swimsuit this summer. That's something I've never been comfortable enough to do.

Love, Mere

Finals and other Tidbits

I am proud to say that this week I completed my last set of Fall Finals! I will be exempt from all finals in the Spring, so like last year, I will be enjoying an "exemption activity" and going home :) I got good Final Exam grades, making my all my class averages an A. YAY!

I'm off Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and will be traveling the 3 hours to see my amazing grandparents and fabulous Aunt Liz. I'm coming home Christmas day so I can work the "After Christmas Sale" and chill for a while. Luc and Landry come home from their dad's house (My Aunt Liz's kids from a previous relationship) on December 29, so we're waiting to celebrate Christmas as a family until Luc and Landry get home and I'm traveling back to my Grammy's with my best friend, Jessica, on December 28 and staying through December 30.

We were also invited to attend a New Years Get Together on December 31 at my brother's (Brent) best friend's (Erica) beach house with her parents and ours. We aren't sure if we're going yet....who knows....I'd like to though.

One of my brother's best friends (Sydney) is in the hospital in Austin. It's not something her family wants publicized, so I'm not able to post it here, but if you could be in prayer for Sydney, Erica, Brent and Sydney's family, I'm sure they would be grateful, and I know I would.

Please watch the video below. It's "Christmas Like a Child" by Third Day. It's a couple years old, but it makes my heart smile. <3

Love, Mere

P.S. I changed back my commenting system to Blogger's system instead of Disqus. Hope this helps y'all out :)

Deb's Christmas

This time every year, I usually celebrate Christmas with Deb and her family. This was my excitement 2 years ago. This year is the first year in the past 5 years that I am not feeling that excitement. I have no desire to go over there and celebrate this year.

Why??.....GREAT QUESTION!

Deb and her family aren't really involved in my life anymore. They make no effort to be involved and when I make an effort, I am brushed to the side as their horses are now more important. This isn't true for everyone in their family...mainly just Deb and Claire. They have an unhealthy obsession with horses, in my opinion. Loving the animals is one thing...but ignoring people and expecting them to love the animals as you do is another. Horses are great, fine and dandy...just not for me. I do not have the time or the energy to devote to such an animal right now, therefore I will not become emotionally attached as they have.

Do I miss Deb and her family? No...I don't miss the people they are today. I miss the way things used to be. They were my world. I spent all my free time with them. They were and actually still are HUGE parts of my life. I adore them. However, I cannot handle this horse thing anymore. It drives me nuts.

I will not hang out at the barn with them.
I will not go horse accessory shopping with them.
I will not buy anything horse related for them.
I will not engage in horse discussions.
I will not hang out with "barn friends.":

Period. End of discussion.

I will laugh until I cry with them.
I will sing silly songs with them.
I will blare the Dixie Chicks and Rascal Flatts in the car and sing at the top of my lungs with them.
I will shop at Hobby Lobby with them.
I will shop at Target with them.
I will go look at Christmas lights with them in our favorite spots.
I will eat at our favorite Mexican food restaurant, Bravo's, with them.
I will enjoy the quality time I used to LOVE with them...just me and the 5 of them.

Period. End of discussion.

Love, Mere