Wyss Christmas and Cousins

It's really starting to get fun in the Wyss family. A lot of maturing has happened in the past few years and we all seem to be in the same stage. Troy, Trent and Tate hosted our second Cousins' Night last Saturday. We played games, ate food, and stayed up far too long.

Monday was the great Wyss Christmas. This day rivals as my favorite day of the year. One long day of food, presents, family, and fun. :)

waiting for presents...

for some reason everyone watched Ned open his gifts

game time :)

As always, it was a great day :)

For New Years, Matt and Lena invited the family over.  So, after church services we all headed over. Once again, we ate food, played games and generally had a wonderful time. :)
We played a few rounds of a game called psychiatrist. It was great fun. Poor Tate and Aaron had no clue why I was snorting like a pig. :) 

settlers 

I've really enjoyed the time spent with cousins. They're a pretty cool group of kids. :)

In Christ

~Michelle

A year to remember

This year has been a crazy year. 

• I got engaged
• I graduated from U of I
• I volunteered at a foster care agency
• I got married
• I got a job at the Children's Home

Here are some highlights in pictures:

Reynosa Mexico 

secret sister-in our moms' wedding dresses

engaged

Wyss vacation

wedding!

honeymoon

   

friends :)

tornado cleanup

  

eh...cheese.

Yes, 2013 will be a year to remember. Through it all I have learned many things.

God is good. God is faithful. God will provide. God will protect. Do not fear. God is Good. 

Happy New Year!

In Christ

~Michelle

Christmases

Last Saturday, Nathan and I spent the day with his family for Christmas.  It held all the necessary components a good Christmas gathering should: family, good food, Christmas cookies, pie, candy, presents, games and relaxing.  I had a headache through most of the day so I wasn’t able to enjoy it a much as I wanted to.  It was a wonderful time though. I got to hear Stephen play his bagpipes and watch Basil, the family kitten, tirelessly chase a laser. 

I worked Monday and Tuesday, Christmas eve.  They let us off work early so I made one final shopping trip, cleaned the house, unclogged a drain, and prepared Christmas-eve dinner. 

yah, ew. I know blame it on me.  

Most of my hair that comes out gets thrown in the trash, this is just all the little buggers that snuck by.

Anyway...
Everything was going as planned until Nathan called. 

He had run out of gas on the interstate.  So, I dropped everything I was doing, threw on some shoes, and drove to the farm.  Jake helped me fill a gas can and I headed off to find Nathan.  I ended up driving all the way to Tremont to get on the interstate going the right direction.

Supper was only an hour late and everything turned out fine. I wouldn’t recommend sparkling cranberry or sparkling pomegranate.  Neither are very good.

Our fancy table. 

When you can't burn candles- that's what you get. 

Here is our little Christmas tree with lots of gifts :)

Christmas day we went to Church and then over to my parent’s house.  We ate good food, played a few games, opened wonderful gifts, and sang our favorite selections from the Messiah and other Christmas songs. 

playing Village

Matt and Lena showing off the crowns that came in their Christmas poppers.

Cecily has one too :)

lots of presents 

what is it? :)

Dad in his strange new hat.

enjoying his gift of a motion activated candy dispenser. 

Poor Bob, everyone got him the same thing. 

Thursday evening we went to the Schlipf Christmas.  We ate the traditional potato soup and chili. I love soup. :)  We sang some  Christmas carols and then tried out Bethany and Jesse's new green-screen. 

We all got mittens from our California cousins. 

So,  here we are showing them off in some snowy mountains. :)

I worked Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, so between work and Christmases, I've been pretty busy. 
I did get some time to stop and think though. I was trying to decide what about Christmas would mean the most to my clients.  I think what would really mean the most to them is that Christ can understand their burden, their pain, and their rejection. While I tend to focus on the beautiful glorious part of Christmas, I tend to forget the comfort, healing, and sympathy that Christ brought. 

Isaiah 40:1-5

 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem,and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

In Christ

~Michelle

Rock Climbing!

I think it has always been something I've wanted to do. Crazy, I know. In Middle School we had a rock wall we climbed in PE and I always loved it.

This past Tuesday, Larissa invited me to go rock climbing. Nathan was busy driving about all evening so, I took the opportunity to have a bit of fun. :)
Larissa is pretty much an expert at rock climbing. Well, not really, but she's really good. She and her sister took me to Upper Limits in Bloomington. They converted old grain silos into climbing walls. It was so much fun. 

up and up and up :)

Almost there!

By the time I got to my third and fourth climbs, my arms and legs were shaking. I was pretty sore the next day. :) It was totally worth it though.

In Christ

~Michelle

Christmas Parties

We’ve been pretty busy in the evenings.  Between Christmas gatherings and work, I don’t get much time at home.

Monday evening we went to Nathan’s Homeway Homes Christmas party.  It was fun. Nathan works with a lot of people that Matt and Jenny went to High School with so I felt slightly out of place hanging out with legends from the past.  Not really, they’re a lot of fun. It is awkward though, when you can only remember someone by the nickname your sibling called them in high school.

Thursday evening was Wahington Secret Sis. Christmas party.  That was a great evening.  Washington girls are just solid. :) 

Sunday, Nathan and I went to one of his family Christmases. I survived. :) Actually, it was fine.  I think the awkwardness of going to the in-laws is exaggerated.  Well, I guess when you have a family like the Wyss’s, it’s hard to be shocked or overwhelmed by anything. :)

Work is going well.  I feel like a case worker now- whatever that means.  People always ask me what I do and I don’t even know where to start. I do a lot of random things and I love it. 

In Christ

~Michelle

Entering the Christmas Season

Yet another week has past. 
It is absolutely crazy to me how fast time is flying. My job is going really well. I love what I do and I'm starting to get to know my clients pretty well. 

I failed to mention a few things in my last post. Last week on my break, I took Kandace and Carli shopping. I don't like to shop alone and they are great companions. I managed to buy a tree on sale and some Christmas decorations. 

:) just the right size.

greenery goes well in a lantern :)

The Thanksgiving/Christmas season always brings a lot of friends into the area. Last Saturday, I went out for lunch with some good friends. Breana was in town for the weekend, so she, Wendi, and I went out to eat in Washington. I seriously am so blessed to have such amazing friends.  :) We were so engrossed in catching up, an hour later,  we barely realized our waitress had forgotten to take our order. 

Friday evening, Nathan and I went to my work Christmas party. It was an ugly Christmas sweater party, which was hilarious.  It went pretty well and I think Nathan was able to  enjoy himself. 

We left around 8:00 and went shopping. The cold weather had reminded me- I didn't have a decent winter coat. I've been wearing a really lightweight fleece peacoat, and it just wasn't going to keep me warm enough this winter.  Thankfully we were able to find a decent one and I will now be much warmer. 

Tonight, I made a batch of sugar cookies. I didn't have any Christmas cookie cutters so I just used a doughnut cutter. They didn't keep their shape very well though. I think I may need to add more flour next time. 

We have Christmas lights up all around the apartment and I love to curl up on the couch with a book and look at the lights. Ah. :) I like Christmas season. 

And, as of December 1st, I began listening to Christmas music. Not a moment sooner. :)

In Christ
~Michelle

The Week of Thanksgiving

Two weekends ago, Nathan and I decided to visit Aaron and Kendra in Morton.  We spent the day with them in church, hung out in Kendra's future home, and went out to eat.  Nathan and I both went home very excited about how awesome Aaron is and how much fun it will be to hang out as couples. 

Last week was a short week at work. The CEO let us all off at 2:30 on Wednesday as a Thanksgiving gift. It was wonderful.

We spent Thanksgiving with Nathan's family.  I took pies. I got a lot of pie baking things at my showers, a pie cookbook, pie pans, a pie crust protector etc., and so it became know that I like to make pies. Nathan's family put me to the test. :) They said I passed, so that's good.

I realized recently that I've had Grandpa, Grandma, Pearline, Scott, Joy, Kacie, Alyssa, and all the local Wyss cousins to our apartment, but not my dad. So, I decided to have my parents and Jake over Sunday night. I was feeling lazy so we ordered pizza and had leftover pie. It was a good evening though and I feel less like a terrible daughter. :)

On Thanksgiving:
I could list all of the things I'm thankful for with the obligatory (and truthful) number one being my salvation, I could post a poem, a Bible verse or a song that fits well, but above my thankfulness there has been a sense of conviction, a nagging, a frustration that maybe I enjoy Thanksgiving too much. That maybe, I too easily give thanks for what I have, and stop there. That part of giving thanks, being truly grateful, is wanting others to have the same.

It truly has been an eyeopening and convicting experience so far at work, and I am amazed by what God has already taught me.

On Wednesday at my job, I talked with my clients, asked them about their plans, and told them to have a good thanksgiving. And, as I drove home, as I spent Thanksgiving with family, I was reminded- my clients didn't have plans. They didn't have any family to go to, no home to return to, no grandmother cooking the turkey. Instead, they were bused with all the other clients to a restaurant for dinner.  

I was frustrated because I, in all of my social-workiness (save the world! :) tehe), legally can't do anything because it would be stepping over the client-worker boundary. 
It just hurts to hear my clients try to hide their anger and disappointment that they are alone during one of the biggest family days of the year. 
I have been convicted that my thankfulness shouldn't stop at 'thanks'. 

In Christ
~Michelle