Merry Christmas to All...

First of all... let me apologize for my lameness. This is the first time in 20 years that I have not sent out Christmas cards, and the first time in 18 years that I have not made my Christmas cards. It was just something that did not get done this year. This is what they would have looked like. Please accept this as my card to all of you.

For the past couple of years I have also included in my cards a link to this blog, where I post our family newsletter. So, in keeping with that tradition, here is what our family has been up to this year...

We have had a very busy and full year this year. We have also been blessed, and we are truly thankful for all of our blessings. Our kids are all strong and healthy, we have plenty of food on our table, clothes to wear, a roof over our heads. While many around us have suffered because of job cuts and lay-offs, we have mercifully been able to escape that. Not that Barry's job has not produced plenty of stress this year (especially with them undergoing a major software conversion), but we are still thankful for it.

Megan started 2009 off with a bang... at the stroke of Midnight on New Year's Eve to be exact... she sliced up her arm on a plate of glass and ended up in the Emergency Room, 50 miles from home (not a fun trip for mom to make in the middle of the night by myself as daddy was at work). She needed 13 stitches to close up her arm, and now has bragging rights to having more stitches than anyone else in the family. Megan turned 12 this year, and started middle school. She is doing very well in school, and works hard to make all A's. She is growing taller every minute, and is almost as tall as I am. She loves to cook and isn't afraid to experiment in the kitchen. She played goalie again this year on her soccer team, and despite the fact that she didn't have the best year, she played her hardest. She has had a few illnesses this year that have caused us concern... bronchitis bordering on pneumonia, hearing loss due to non-draining sinuses, and flare ups with her asthma. We are thankful that each of these were able to be treated fairly easily, though, and she is a strong and healthy kid. She has developed a real love of photography this year, and thinks that just maybe she will continue to study it and develop her talent.


Kyle just turned 14. He has had a great year, too. He started the 8th grade this fall, taking several honor's courses. He is almost as tall as his brother, and is down-right giddy about that fact! This year he has made lots of new friends at school... most of the girls. He still enjoys playing soccer, and his team came in 2nd place in their regional tournament. He was able to play several different positions, and (much to my relief) has decided that he likes playing out in the field rather than in the goalie box. Kyle has had the opportunity to serve in leadership positions in his church youth group. He has had to learn to extend himself at times when he would rather not, and that has been really good for him. He is working hard to get finished up with all his scouting requirements so he can earn his Eagle. He is a very goal-oriented kid, and I love that about him. We have had lots of hair issues this past year... he has wanted to grow it longer, I want it shorter. We found a bit of a compromise... he grows it longer during the winter, and then buzzes it pretty short in the summer.


Josh just turned 16, and can't wait to get his license. He has to, though, because he first has to take Driver's Ed at school next semester. Josh is almost as tall as his dad now, and reminds him of that every chance he gets. I'm sure it won't be too much longer before he is eye-to-eye with him. Josh did very well in school this past year, and was moved up to the high school in August. He was really nervous about heading into such a big school, but he has adjusted well. He has made lots of new friends as well... and just like his brother, lost of them are girls. He has yet to go on his first date, but he has a list of the girls he wants to ask out. Josh's soccer team did very well this year, winning the state championship... the first hometown team to do so. He has also served in leadership positions in his youth group at church. One of Josh's favorite school subjects is Drama, and he was able to take that class this past semester. He participated in a local drama competition, and won a superior rating, allowing him to travel on to state competition. He earned an excellent rating there... one point away from a superior, and came home feeling very proud of his accomplishment. He loves acting, and he is really very good at it. We tease him a lot because he is a "mumbler" at home, but when he is on the stage he is a completely different kid.


Kayti turned 17 this year, and started her senior year of high school. I CAN'T stand it!! How did I get old enough to have a senior? She is a great student, and ranked in the top 1/3rd of her class (there are over 700 seniors in her high school). She is busy making college plans, and dreaming of leaving home. Actually, she is going to stay local to get her GE's out of the way, then when she has saved up enough money she will strike out on her own. Her chosen profession has somewhat changed over the past few months. She still, first and foremost, wants to be a writer, but how she plans on supporting herself until she is making her millions being published has changed. She thought she wanted to be a high school English teacher, but lately has decided that she wants to be a book editor. I have informed her that there is NO way under the Sun that she is moving to New York City to do that, and as long as she can find a job no more than 4 hours away from me, I can live with that! ;)


Our family has had a fun time this year playing together. We have made several day trips to North Carolina and the beach, and had outings to greenways, bowling, and the farm. We also made a big trip to Idaho this year. Barry drove out with us, then flew home. Then my sister and her son made the return trip with me and the kids. We had so much fun! We made several stops along the way home, including Temple Square in Salt Lake City, and Church History sites in Missouri.

We've cheered for each other at soccer games and drama productions. We have encouraged each other in scouting and YW projects. We just generally have thoroughly enjoyed being together, and we are looking forward to what the new year brings.


We hope that each of you have had a wonderful year as well, and wish you a happy and prosperous new year!

Much love ~

The Mayfield Family

Happy Birthday, Kyle

Today is Kyle's birthday. I can't believe that he is already 14 years old. Where did the time go? He entered our family a few weeks early, and we were blessed to be able to bring him home from the hospital on Christmas Eve. I've always called him my "angel baby"... partly because he was our Christmas baby, and partly because he was such an angel as a baby. Here are some fun things to know about Kyle:

He is a very mild mannered kid. He really only gets really upset about 2 things: Losing video games, and his brother tormenting him.

He is a great soccer player, and loves to play all over the field. He was once only a "goalie" man, but he had the opportunity this year to play several different positions, including forward. He almost scored a left-footed goal twice (which is a big accomplishment!).

He loves his younger sister. His first real word was "baby" and he repeated it over and over the night that Megan came home from the hospital.

He is a brainiac. He is a smart kid, and able to think things through and come up with conclusions that sometimes blow you away.

Since he was a little kid, he has always had more girl friends than guy-friends. If there was a group of girls and a group of guys in the same place, he could always be found in the middle of the girls. He is a real "ladies man"... oh heaven help me!

He is one of the most tender-hearted kids I know.

He has a desire to be a good listener, and be able to help his friends through their trials, and he is always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need.

He is a wonderful poet.

He is very loyal... he is a good keeper of secrets.

He is a die-hard Atlanta Falcon's football fan! I thought he was going to pass out with pure excitement the day we surprised him with a tour of the Georgia Dome.

He loves to play basketball.

He enjoys cooking... and eating! His favorite foods are pb&j, tacos and hotdogs. (There is a new restaurant in town that serves burgers and tacos. He commented the other day that if they served hotdogs and tacos it would be his all time favorite place... even though he has never eaten there!) Oh yeah... and steak... he LOVES steak!

If there is any kind of gadget in the house, expect him to have it figured out before anyone else. He is our gadget guru.

He loves music... Lincoln Park is his favorite band at the moment, and he would love to learn to play guitar.

He gives the best hugs around. He was always my snuggler as a baby, and even though he is now taller than I am, he loves to come and give me big hugs.

When he was little we used to call him "mini-me" because he looked just like his Uncle James... same crooked smile and all. Nowadays people tell me that he looks just like me... poor kid!

I love this kid! I'm very thankful that I was chosen to be his mother. I can't imagine a life without him in it.


Happy birthday, Munster!!

Wha haad happen was...

So today I am experiencing a first in my life... JURY DUTY! I have not been put on a jury, but I can't help but wonder if I will hear the above phrase if I do happen to get picked!  So far it has not been too bad. They gave us a lunch break right before 11:00 and told us to be back at the courthouse by 1:30. I ran home to get a few things done around here.

This is not the first time that I have been summoned for jury duty, just the first time that I didn't have a really good excuse to get out of it! :) The first time I was 19 and had just moved from the county where I was summoned. The next 2 times I had the excuse of being the primary care giver for my 4 small (and small-ish) children. I have to admit that I thought about trying to come up with some excuse, but I decided just to grin and bear it and perform my civic duty. Hopefully most of the cases pending this week will either be dismissed or resolved and I won't have to actually sit on a jury. That would be a bit scary I think.

Oh well... I will let you know how it goes this week. Wish me luck!!

Happy Birthday, Josh!!

Yesterday we celebrated Josh's 16th birthday. I spent the morning thinking back over his life, and had to marvel at the fact that the kid is still alive! He has been my adventerous kid... the one you would find on top of the refrigerator if you took your eyes off of him for 2 seconds. He has had more trips to the emergency room than any of the other kids combined (although Megan still hold the record for number of stitches, and would be upset with me if I didn't mention that fact!).

Here are some other fun facts about this kid I love so much:

He loves sports... and has since he was a little kid. He used to be a left-handed pitcher, probably something that we should have tried to develop a little more.

He loves to laugh and smile. I LOVE to hear him laugh... his laughs are contagious, and you just can't help but laugh yourself when you hear him laugh.

He is a hugger... he loves to give me hugs, and I love to get hugs from him.

He was not one of those kids who was embarrassed to hug or kiss or tell me he loves me in front of his school mates. I started subbing in his school when he was in 3rd grade, and I was around a lot. He would always come up and hug or kiss me when he saw me at school. That trend continued through middle school, when I started working there full time when he was in 7th grade.

He loves little kids, and is really good with them. He misses his younger cousins when he doesn't get to see them for a while.

He loves animals. He always wanted a kitten or a puppy, but I'm allergic, so that won't happen.

He is very creative.

He is determined... whether it's finishing a video game, or finding the chocolate you have hidden, he does not want to stop until he finishes his task. (Unless it's doing his chores, then we have a whole nother story on our hands!)

He loves acting, and is a total ham.

He loves to sleep... and falls asleep almost every time we are in the car over 5 minutes!

He is VERY tickle-ish. When he was a baby he would tickle the insides of his own hands and just laugh and laugh!

He is a smart kid... one of those who never really studies but still makes good grades (most of the time... his Spanish could use some help ;) )

He kind of marches to the beat of his own drum. He is not afraid to do/wear/say what he wants, even if it's not the norm.

While it hasn't always been this way, I love his energy. When he was little he was diagnosed with at risk/borderline behaviors for ADHD. He was always bouncing off the walls (and beds, and couch and anything else he could find to jump or bounce off of!), and we worried about him starting school and behaving. He took meds for a while, but we took him off of them right before he started Kindergarten to see how he would do. Thankfully he has never needed them again. He can be wild and crazy when needed, but he can also be calm and quiet when he needs to be.

It can drive me crazy, but he HATES having his picture made. I've had to learn to just have fun with him and let him be as crazy as he wants to be, then maybe I can get one or two decent shots of him. Here are a few of him that will be good blackmail pictures in years to come:


Josh is looking forward to getting his license soon. He has to take Driver's Ed first, and that will happen the first quarter of next semester. He is a pretty good driver, and is begging us to buy him a Mustang... yeah, right! I bought him a Mustang Hot Wheels and told him he would have to buy the real thing for himself.

He is also looking forward to getting his first job (he has been wanting to find a job for a while now), and earning his own money. He is very money-conscious, and is looking forward to saving for his mission.

He is kind of nervous to start dating. He does happen to have a crush at the moment, but nothing serious. Several of the older girls at church have told him that he has to take them out when he turns 16, so I guess that he had better start planning something.

I love this kid... he tries my patience to the limits, but he is such a fun guy. I'm thankful that he is my son, and Heavenly Father allowed me to raise him. Happy birthday, kiddo!

more favorites

December is just so full of favorites... I had to share some more!


Waking up to snow!


My new wreath that smells so good!

These are a few of my favorite things...

I have really been in a festive Christmas mood this week. I will admit to being a real Scrooge over the past weekend, but this week has been a completely different story. I've had Christmas music playing, and yesterday I even started decorating the office at work. One of my co-workers told that I needed to knock it off because I was annoying her, but I didn't let that ruin my mood.

I'm not sure why I'm feeling so cheery. The past couple of years I have been very depressed and not at all excited for Christmas. I don't know why I was feeling that way, either, because Christmas in my favorite time of year. At any rate, though, I am thankful to be feeling so merry and cheery. I've been able to get several presents wrapped and put under the tree... a few even by candle-light the other night while we had a power outage!

I thought that I would share with you just a couple of my favorite decorations.


I got six of these beauties last year, 4 light blue ones and 2 silver ones. I LOVE them!!


These are my outside "Charley Brown" trees. I've had them for several years, but they always make me smile to see them lit up every night.

So... what are some of your favorite Christmas things?

Giving Thanks

I have had a hard time sleeping in the past few days that I have been off work for Thanksgiving Break. It kind of ticked me off yesterday, but this morning I am thankful for the quiet. It gives me a few minutes to reflect on my many blessings, and offer a prayer of gratitide for them. I'm so blessed with a wonderful family; husband, children, parents, siblings, inlaws, nieces and nephews. I'm blessed that they are all healthy and safe. I'm blessed to have a roof over my head, food on my table, clothes to wear, a vehicle to take me where I need to go. I have a great job that allows me to be home when the kids are home, and provides the extra that we need. I'm blessed with a testimony of my Savior, and to be a member of His church.

I love Thanksgiving, and the opportunity that it gives us to reflect on all of our blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Hope you have a wonderful day!

Woohoo!!

Our 2009 Fall Soccer Season is now over, and it ended with a bang... we are State Champs!!

Great season, boys! Congratulations on a well played season!

Sounds of Saturday Morning

Dishwasher running because child assigned to do it last night was too tired to do it 

Dad watching Sports Center

Snoring coming from my oldest

Son getting ready for his State Soccer Tournament

And me... clicking away on the computer.

I LOVE lazy Saturday mornings!!

Host and Soccer

We have laughed around here that we are experiencing a soccer season that never ends... it just keeps going and going and going! A couple of weekends ago, Josh's team placed second in their Regional tournament, qualifying them to move on to Area, which was played this weekend. After going up against some stiff competition, Josh's team won the tournament, advancing them on to State this coming weekend! We are really proud of him, but we are also really ready for this season to be over! Josh is thrilled, since an injury last year kept him benched during both Regional and Area (his team didn't make it past area). Thankfully we had beautiful weather last weekend, and we are hoping for more of that this weekend!


While Josh was playing soccer on Saturday, the other kids and I headed up to Fayetteville for the annual "Host of Christmas Past" festival. We enjoyed yummy food, good music, Christmas decorations, family, and laughs to boot! We love this festival... it's the perfect way to get into the Christmas mood.

Drama, Soccer, Halloween, Hair

Our lives have been really busy the past 3 weeks. I guess with 4 kids all involved in so many different things, that is bound to happen.

First of all, soccer tournaments have been keeping all of us running. Both of the boys won second place in their regional tournaments, and moved on to area. Kyle's was played this weekend, and while his team played their hearts out, they didn't get very far. They won the first game, but lost the second, eliminating them from the tournament. Josh will play his games this coming weekend in Huntsville. If they manage to place then, they will go on to state next weekend. Then, finally, this soccer season will be over.

Josh has not only been busy with soccer, he also has had several drama performances/competitions that he has been involved in. A few weeks ago both he and Kayti performed one act plays that their classes have been working on, then this past weekend they had a regional competition at their high school. They were both very nervous about the whole thing, and really wanted to receive a rating of "Superior" which meant that they qualified to go on to state at Troy University next month. They were both little sneaky devils when they got home and told me that they lost, and when I asked them what their scores were, they replied, "Superior... we are going to state, baby!!" So proud of them!!

In between all the soccer and drama, we celebrated Halloween. We made a quick trip up to Fayetteville on Halloween afternoon so we could visit my sister's Chocolate Shop party. Then we had to hurry home so Kayti and Josh could get ready to go to a party, and Meg could go trick-or-treating with a friend. Kyle got the short end of the stick and had to hang with me that night. Of course, he got to go to a party the night before, so don't feel too sorry for him!

Megan decided that she needed a change, so she cut off her hair, and dyed it red! She loves it, and it matches her sassy attitude pretty well! :)


I couldn't stand to let the beautiful weather waste away yesterday, so I grabbed the kids and we headed out to the new greenway in town. The kids were not all too happy with me, because of course I grabbed the camera, but I did manage to get one great shot of all of them together (despite their best efforts to the contrary!!)


Barry has been crazy busy with work. He finally had this weekend off, and we enjoyed having him home. His job really bugs us lots of times, but I am very thankful that he at least has a job right now!

So, that is our crazy life in a nutshell. We are really looking forward to a day off of school this week, and then Thanksgiving break in 2 more weeks. Ahh... the Holidays are coming!!

Fall Afternoon with Megan

Megan got the itch to go out and take pictures today, so I took her to downtown Madison and let her go. Here are some of her favorite shots from the day.


And last, but not least... one of mine


As we were leaving, Meg turns to me and announces that she has a future career as a photographer. I think she may be right!

What I am listening to...

I think this one is going to have to grow on me. Kayti described it as "slow" but it really come across to me as very melancholy. But, considering that 3/4 of the book is Bella in a depression, I guess it fits.

Can't wait... 2 more weeks!!

Lifting my spirits... Halloween Style!

Monday was a pretty depressing day. I had to take the van in for some repairs, and it turned out to be more extensive than I thought. That left me feeling pretty bummed, so I decided to have some fun for FHE, and decorate our pumpkins. While at Wally-World getting pumpkins, I noticed a fun-looking Haunted House Gingerbread Kit, and had to get that, too. We had lots of fun making our "potato head pumpkins" and the kids thoroughly enjoyed making and eating the haunted house! Seeing them having so much fun and enjoying the family time together sure lifted my spirits!

Megan was in a baking mood on Sunday, so after church she made up a batch of sugar cookies. She had TONS of fun cutting out and decorating Halloween cookies. I thought I would share pictures of them, too, since she was so proud!

Woohoo! I'm a big fat loser!!

And I love it! It's been a bumpy 2 months, but I have lost enough weight to win the Mayfield Family Biggest Loser! Not nearly where I want to be, but I do weigh less than I did a year ago, and I am still working on losing more. I've learned that I love Yoga, and in the process helped my back as well.

Sorry to toot my own horn this morning, but I'm very excited, and thankful!

Day at the Greenway

It was so nice to see the sun shining today, so after church we loaded up the kids and headed out to the Greenway. I told the kids we were going out to take pictures, and got tons of static, but in the end they all cooperated... I told them they could wear their hoodies! :) It was a fun, although cool and breezy, afternoon. We went off the beaten path and followed a trail down by the creek for a little bit. I took around 180 pictures, but thought that I would just share my favorites with you!


Sorry this next one is blurry... but I still love it!


During our walk, we saw signs like this, identifying different trees:


We all got a chuckle, though, out of this sign, and had to take a picture of it!

Mourning...

I decorated the front porch for Fall a couple of weeks ago. I was so pleased with my cute white pumpkin:


Isn't it cute?? I thought so, and someone else must have, too, because when we got home from Destin, the pumpkin was GONE!! Someone stole it right off of my porch.

I did find these two wonderful huge pumpkins, though, at Scott's Orchard this past weekend... for only $5 each!


So, while I love my two new pumpkins, I still miss my little white one... and I am appalled and somewhat ticked that someone would take it right off my porch. Oh... and don't you just love that bumpy gourd in the first and second pictures? Kayti picked that out for us. If someone decides to take that off my porch, there may just be war!

BTW... stay tuned... we will be decorating pumpkins for Halloween soon, and can't wait for everyone to see them!

Last Day... :(

We did something totally different today for our last day of break... breakfast at IHOP, and bowling! This is actually the first time we have ever taken the kids bowling. I know... big shocker... but I am NOT a bowler. The last time I went with my husband I ending up in a puddle of tears because I was doing so horribly (ok... found out the next week that I was pregnant, so I am blaming pregnancy hormones on the meltdown!). So, believe it or not, it was actually my idea to go bowling. I thought that the kids would enjoy it, and it didn't bother me if I failed epically in front of them. Kayti hates bowling, but she was a good sport about the whole thing.


We all pretty much stunk it up our first game, so we called it our "practice round", but at one point and time I was actually winning, so I had to take a picture of the score board... that is my big "52 " up there!


We played 2 games, and I got 2 strikes and a couple of spares as well. We had a great time, and just love the shoes!


Since Kayti was such a good sport about the whole thing, her Daddy treated her to a trip to Booklegger, her favorite used book store.

We had a great day and we hate seeing fall break end. Barry is off work for a few more days, and then we probably won't see very much of him for the rest of the month. Things at his work are gearing up for a big project that is coming up the end of the month. The kids start their soccer tournaments next weekend, so life is going to be busy again. I've enjoyed this relaxing weekend, and loved spending it with my sweetheart and kiddos. They are the best!!