Murphy

I am just going to start doing random posts because I am so behind and it is the end of the year.  So, there might not be any rhyme, reason, or order to the rest of the posts of 2009.

For Christmas this year, we got a new puppy! We wanted to do it on Christmas, but it just was going to be so complicated.  On Thanksgiving weekend, there was a breeder from Safford that was going to be in town that had a couple of different kinds of puppies I was interested in.  Brad said that if we go look, "you know we'll come home with one right?"  Well, he was right!  We were looking at a Maltipoo and a Schnoodle.  They were both adorable, but the Schnoodle just seemed to choose me!  He also had a lot more personality.  So, we came with the cutest puppy ever!  It took us a few days, but we finally decided on the name Murphy.  He was 8 weeks and weighed 3 pounds when we brought him home and now he 12 weeks and up to 6 pounds.  He is half Miniature Schnauzer and half Toy Poodle.  He should be around 10 pounds.  He is adorable and we love him to death already!

Best Christmas Present Ever!

I know that I am so behind on my blog - but I had to write a quick post because of the wonderful Christmas I had.  This was a really different Christmas for the McBride family.  We had a MUCH smaller Christmas but I felt it was still really good.  I think it was good for us to cut back.  Secondly, this was the first year ever to not be a complete family.  We were lucky that we still have Emily this year.  It is so nice to have her come home and she is such a wonderful help.  This was our first year without Taylor.  He has been in on his mission for 3 months now.  He is in a little village in the Domincan Republic.  Christmas wasn't complete until we were able to talk to him on the phone.  We got to talk to him for a whole hour!  It was so good to hear his voice.  He seems happy and so dedicated to the Lord's work.  I cried like a baby when I hung up the phone.  It is so hard to not be able to see one of your children for 2 YEARS - but I know that Heavenly Father is taking care of him for us and that he is doing wonderful things.  We are very proud of him!  He was a little sad because he had sent us all Christmas letters and we hadn't gotten them.  Well, we got them the next day and if felt like Christmas all over again!  He had individual letters for each of us and the one to me is the best gift he could give me.  Of course I cried again!  It was one amazing letter.  Here are a few pictures he was able to e-mail to us.

A nice little Christmas message

Taylor on a jungle path

The view from his bedroom window.  He says that they are one of the only ones to have running water in the village.  Their shower is a PVC pipe that sticks out of the wall (no hot water of course).  He said that they are lucky to be on the 2nd floor because then they don't have a rat problem.  I was pretty shocked by this picture, but Taylor sounds so positive about everything and says that he is having the kind of mission he always dreamed of.  He is an awesome missionary :)