Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

What a crew! Special appearance by Lexi, who loves her Aunt Merfa & Uncle Cory, as well as her cousins, very much!

Can you believe that 2015 is almost over?! What a year of changes it has been for our family! We give all the glory and praise to God for his provision, blessings, and guidance this year. You, friends, are our greatest blessings!! Your support of our family, whether you've blessed us with time, love, friendship, or purchased Mary Kay, has kept us going through some difficult trials this year and provided for our needs. Read on to see what each of us has been up to this year and learn some of the ways your Mary Kay purchases have made a difference this year!

   Morgan is now officially an adult!! After graduating homeschool in May, she moved to Tulsa for the summer to complete an internship with Life.Church Jenks. She lived with her Grammy and Papa (Cory's parents) all summer, spent lots of time with them and with her baby cousin, Lexi, learned a lot about ministry and Jesus, and her mom and dad missed her VERY much! She did a fantastic job and is considering applying for an internship again next summer at another campus or pursuing opportunities with other church internship programs. She's now back in Stillwater, working at Starbucks and Old School Bagel Cafe, leading youth in a small group at Life.Church Stillwater, and spreading the love of Jesus wherever she goes. She's considering attending NOC or OSU next fall if that's where God leads her next. For now, she's waiting on His call and preparing for her next steps. We are so very proud of her for having the courage to wait for him and for being productive in the meantime. She has grown up so much this year, and I'm amazed daily by the woman she has become!

KayLynn is about to turn 17 and is growing into a lovely young lady. She started the Graphic Design program at our local technical school this fall and is thriving! She loves her schoolwork and has made new friends, and she enjoys getting to dress up and put on makeup for school. During therapy sessions this summer, she was diagnosed with high-functioning autism in addition to her severe ADHD. What a blessing her diagnosis has been! While there is no medical treatment, it has been incredibly productive just to know what we are facing and why she's continued to struggle with certain issues. Her therapist is experienced and works very well with her, and knowing her limits has allowed all of us to help her make plans for the future as she transitions into adulthood. She's looking forward to where God and her graphic design certification will take her!

Aaron is 14 and already over 6' tall!! At the rate he's growing, his doctors estimate that he will be 6'4" or 6'5" when fully grown, and he will probably continue growing until he's 18 or 19. He's thriving in homeschool, and his favorite subjects are algebra and science. Because he loves to cook and experiment in the kitchen, he makes dinner for the family most nights, and we love his servant heart and yummy meals! Earlier this year, he was diagnosed with a factor 7 blood clotting deficiency, which basically means that his blood doesn't clot as quickly as it should. It's a genetic condition, and the bad nosebleeds he's always had were the clue that led to his diagnosis. While we can't treat or cure the deficiency, we can manage some of the side effects and take precautions to prevent complications. His hematologist monitors him regularly, and he will have the first of two surgeries this month to cauterize the blood vessels in his nose. This should alleviate the nosebleeds and help stabilize his iron levels. We've learned this year what a HUGE blessing it is to have good health insurance and caring, dedicated health care professionals in our lives!

Cory has had some big changes this year, too. He got a job at Oklahoma State University, as a TV engineer in the ITLE department - now he's required to bleed orange! He is really enjoying his work and his co-workers, and this new career has given him the opportunity to go back to college this fall and work on finishing his degree. He's majoring in studio art and we've all enjoyed watching him rediscover his love and talent for design and drawing. More than school or work, though, Cory is absolutely smitten with his role as Uncle Cory! Lexi has stolen his heart with those beautiful blue eyes that are so much like his, and we are all loving every minute of watching her grow up.

As for me, I've made many changes this year as well. When Cory told me he was going back to school, I gave in to my inner nerd and decided to enroll myself. I completed my first full semester of college last night! While I wish I'd had the fortitude and maturity to do it 20 years ago, I'm still very proud of myself for succeeding this time around. I just celebrated my third year with SMC and love it, and in August I started my own Mary Kay business. I never imagined I'd enjoy it so much, but it has been such a bright spot in my busy, not always fun, schedule! Since I've begun using exclusively Mary Kay for my skin care and makeup, I can tell an amazing difference in my face. My complexion is more even, brighter, and blemishes stay away; I've been able to confidently go out in public with no foundation for the first time in my life. Well, I'm sure I was confident when I was two, but that doesn't really count. I have LOVED the opportunity to share these products with the women (and men!) I meet and those I already know and love. Every woman has something she'd change about her skin, and I get to help her do that! In addition, the financial benefits to our family have been very much appreciated. With my Mary Kay profit, I've donated to worthy causes, provided Christmas gifts for adopted families, taken Mom out to dinner with all of us, put gas in the car many times over, provided my family with healthier skin, purchased a high-quality, well-fitting bra, bought groceries, treated the kids to pizza, and SO much more. ALL of those things would have been impossible without my business and YOUR purchases! I'm going to be real and vulnerable with you for a minute: I stress a LOT about money. I'm very good at giving God worries about health, relationships, etc, but I struggle greatly with giving him my financial burdens. I second-guess every discretionary purchase I make - whether it's an extra box of cereal, a haircut, or that bag of Ghirardelli chocolates I really, really want. Because of you, these decisions have been a little easier lately. Aaron's upcoming surgeries will mean significant financial strain for our family, but because of you and Mary Kay, I feel less helpless and more prepared. It won't be easy, but you, my friends, give me hope. Aaron WILL have successful surgeries and better health, KayLynn WILL have the therapy sessions she needs, and we WILL have our needs met!

Thank you, from all of us, for another wonderful year. We pray blessings and peace to you this Christmas season and throughout 2016. We love you!!

We'd love to hear from you! Email us at meredithb@marykay.com or find us on Facebook.