Happy New Year 2009!

ABOVE: Travis' sister, Lee Anna

Above: Travis' sister, Georgia

ABOVE: Travis' twin brother, Will

ABOVE: Travis' parents, John & Frances Lee Galey

ABOVE: Mizell family on boat ride in OKCY's Bricktown

ABOVE: Dallas friends, Brad & Wendy Moynihan

ABOVE: Uncle John and Aunt Betty

ABOVE: Mindy's parents, Don & Kathleen Mizell

ABOVE: Matt & Ashten (the newlyweds!)

ABOVE: on the field of the Cotton Bowl after Ole Miss beat TX Tech

ABOVE: Matt & Meg Wallace (Mindy's sister)

ABOVE: Galey family dinner (enjoying Mexican food!)

ABOVE: Matt & Asthen snow tubing in Bricktown

ABOVE: Mindy's nephew, 7 month old Kai with his adoring grandparents

ABOVE: going to the Cotton Bowl BALL for New Years Eve

ABOVE: Mindy's niece, 2.5 year old Kate...waiting for "Santa"

to finish filling the stockings
"HURRY UP GRANDMA!"

ABOVE: #1 Aunt Di with great nephew Kai

Happy New Year!

We just got back from a 10-day trip visiting both of our families for the holidays. On Christmas Eve, we flew into Dallas and spent a few days visiting Travis' family, including his parents, twin brother Will and his sisters Georgia and Lee Anna. We enjoyed sharing meals, opening stockings & presents, and watching football together. Travis enjoyed getting to eat good Mexican food again....several times! We also took a ton of professional Galey family photos (which we'll post a link for when we get it.)

Last weekend, we drove to Edmond, OK to see Aunt Di and Mindy's immediate family. Again, we celebrated a 2nd Christmas opening MORE presents, going snow tubing, babysitting our niece/nephew, and seeing lots of relatives!

The big news: Matt (Mindy's younger brother) got engaged on Christmas Eve to Ashten Pick! He proposed in Albuquerque by inviting her to go on a helicopter ride to see Christmas lights and surprising her with his own personalized Christmas light message on his backyard. The lights spelled out: "Ashten, will you marry me?" She couldn't see the ring in the dark, but she still said yes! We are so excited she will soon be our new sister.

This next year will definitey be the year of WEDDINGS as one of Mindy's cousins also got engaged New Years Eve! Both weddings are planned for this summer and we're so excited to see our family keep growing. (and if you didn't know.....Mindy's sister, Meg is pregnant with her 3rd!)

On New Year's Eve we drove back to Dallas and visited more of Mindy's relatives enroute. That evening, we attended the Cotton Bowl Ball and enjoyed eating delicious food, playing poker and watching the ball drop for 2009. We were also able to get media passes to go to the Cotton Bowl game 2 days later. Lots of fun!

We are so thankful to be blessed with such fun families and friends! We enjoyed our trip and wish you all a Happy New Year!
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P.S. Many of you have heard by now, but the week before Christmas Mindy badly dislocated her right arm while on her way to work. She had to have a doctor put it back in and was in a sling for a week (although it should be 3 weeks) but she is doing much better. To make a long story short....she tried to leap from a moving train when she realized she got on the wrong one....instead of the :11 minute train into DC she was headed 3 hrs south to VA Beach! A good samaritian helped her get to DC and to a clinic. The woman used her own scarf to wrap Mindy's arm in a makeshift sling....and when Mindy unwrapped it hours later it read: "Jesus". We think of her as Mindy's own angel! Mindy says her shoulder pain is nearly gone. She will likely start physical therapy in a few weeks. Thank you for the emails. We appreciate all of your concern!

P.S.S. As an update to our Christmas Newsletter: we went to the DC home auction and did NOT win the Annapolis home we'd hoped to get. We're trusting that the Lord has a plan and that He will help us get the home that He has planned for us. Thank you for your continued prayers!