Peek-a-Boo!

Luke loved climbing through the tunnels on the playground! No peeking!

Tree Time

No, they're not "tree huggers" but it's a tradition to take pictures of all the kids that have climbed the tree in Mom's front yard. I even have a few pictures of my 38 year old sister in the tree......I need to find those! Here, Andrew climbs high with his cousin, Emily.

I don't want to share!

Brothers who love each other but have a difficult time sharing.

Traveling

Luke is such a good rider. He often falls asleep best when riding in the car...especially long distances like the trips we take at Christmas. SNORE!

Attempt to take THE PICTURE

This is the attempt Mitch's parents made to have their picture taken with their four grandchildren. It makes me laugh.

If Jesus Hadn't Been Born

If Jesus had not been born:

• This would not be the year of our Lord 2006.
• We would never hear a single Christmas carol or Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus.
• No city would be named St. Paul or St. Petersburg or Corpus Christi.
• We would have never heard of William Tyndale, John Wycliffe, John Knox, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, John Hus, Billy Graham, Elizabeth Elliot, Amy Carmichael, Corrie Ten Boom, Fanny Crosby, Alexander Solzenitzen, C.S. Lewis, Chuck Swindoll, C.J. Mahaney, John Piper, or… make a list of your own.
• There would be no organizations such as Wycliffe Bible Translators, Campus Crusade for Christ, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Navigators, Bethel University, KTIS, The Red Cross, Methodist Hospital, The Salvation Army, Christian Book Sellers Association, National Association of Evangelicals, Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Purdue, and countless others.
• We would have no such books as Tale of Two Cities, Dickens’s Christmas Carol, or even The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.
• We have no movies such as Ben Hur, The Cross and the Switchblade, Chariots of Fire, Narnia, and scores of others.
• We would never ever had heard such songs as “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name,” “Fairest Lord Jesus,” “Joy to the World.”
• Idioms would never have been brought into our language such as the Good Samaritan, the prodigal son, lost sheep, or any of Jesus’ other parables.
• We would not have teachings that have entered our every day speech such as turn the other cheek, go the second mile, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and love your enemies.
• It’s unlikely that this continent would have seen the arrival of the Pilgrims, and if they had come by some other name, years later President Washington could have been King George instead.
• It could be easily argued that the United States Founding documents would not be what they are.
• The Wuaorani Indians of Ecuador would still kill white men instead of baptizing their children.
• The Arawakan Indians of the Caribbean would still be cannibals.
• Descendents of the Mayans in Chiapas, Mexico, would still sacrifice their children instead of teaching them to praise the true Creator.
• Prophecies would remain unfulfilled, the serpent would not be crushed, we would not be delivered, and God would be a liar. Death would not be conquered.
• The New Testament would never have been written.
• There would be no mediator between God and man, for the man Christ Jesus would not have been born. We would remain dead in our trespasses and sins, the veil not yet rent.

HT: desiringgod.org

Haircuts for the boys

Both boys were long overdue for a haircut. It was Luke's first cut in his life and he did extremely well. He started out in Daddy's lap and then moved to mine. Andrew is a pro...this was his fifth cut, I think. Aren't they handsome?

Wish I had a Harley....

Luke and Andrew's Christmas wish....to each have their own motorcycle.

Ten Great Questions to Ask During Christmas meals

Ever have that moment of awkward silence among family (and sometimes strangers) during a meal...especially during the holidays? Here are a few great thinking questions to ask during those times.

1. What's the best thing that's happened to you since last Christmas?
2. What was your best Christmas ever? Why?
3. What's the most meaningful Christmas gift you've ever received?
4. What was the most appreciated Christmas gift you've ever given?
5. What was your favorite Christmas tradition as a child?
6. What is your favorite Christmas tradition now?
7. What do you do to try to keep Christ in Christmas?
8. Why do you think people started celebrating the birth of Jesus?
9. Do you think the birth of Jesus deserves such a nearly worldwide celebration?
10. Why do you think Jesus came to earth?

HT: Girltalk

Callaway Gardens

We took the boys to Callaway Gardens to enjoy Fantasy in Lights this past Monday night. They both liked riding the trolley but Luke fell asleep halfway through the five mile journey. Andrew liked singing the Christmas carols along the way but was ready to get out on the last leg of the path. We went with our small group from church so we took up half the front trolley car. If you haven't experienced Fantasy in Lights, you should before you die.

Candy, candy, candy

Does anyone else have a child that constantly begs for candy? Andrew thinks that he can have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We're good at saying no but it drives me crazy! Of course, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups do provide a little bit of protein....Frosted Flakes never did that.

Luke's Day

Even though we celebrated two weeks ago so family could all be present, tomorrow is actually Luke's first birthday. We plan on giving him a cupcake with lots of icing for him to dig into and smear all over his face. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and share them soon. He's feeling much better than he did the weekend of his party so I'm hoping that he'll enjoy tomorrow.

I can't believe that it's already been a year since he came into this world. What a wonderful year it has been. I was thinking the other day that I've been pregnant the past three out of four Christmas seasons. I wonder what next year will hold (stop holding your breath, Mom!).

Pope's Farm with our small group

Tonight, we took the boys to Pope's Farm to partake in the hayride along with our friends in our small group from church. It wasn't terribly cold and the boys really seemed to enjoy it, despite the fact that they were up way past their bedtime. We sat around the bonfire and chatted while sipping on some hot chocolate. Andrew especially loved seeing the Christmas characters such as Frosty, The Gingerbread Man, and Santa.

Top left to right: Seth, Elizabeth, Santa with Andrew, Chad and Chrissy.
Bottom left to right: Ira, Jennifer with Amelia, me with Luke, and Mitch.

Hot, Hot, Hot - Hot Chocolate!

Thanks to my sweet friends, Erick and Christy, for this delicious recipe!

1 14oz. can of sweetened condensed milk (never evaporated)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
6 1/2 cups skim milk, heated

Whisk together the first four over medium heat until thoroughly blended. Add the milk. Whisk together well. Pour. Drink. Enjoy.

Andrew's Christmas program

Here's a picture of Andrew participating in his school's Christmas program last Thursday night. He's the one in the middle at the top without his hat on. He was very excited to be singing, shaking his noise maker, and wearing his hat.... even though this picture isn't the best in the world. We were very proud of him!

Gift ideas for kids

In need of some good gospel-soaked gifts for a child in your life? Click here to read about some good ideas, suggested by Nicole Whitaker on the GIRLTALK blog. You can click on any item description title to read more about the item.

Luke's first birthday celebration

The party was short and sweet. Wish I had known that he wasn't feeling good. His birthday isn't actually for ten more days but we chose to celebrate early since it falls so close to Christmas and other committments. Can you tell how red his eyes are? Poor baby. He didn't really enjoy digging in and eating his first cake. We'll do it again on his actual birthday, just for the fun of it (and for better pictures!).

4:15 a.m.

I've been up for two hours....so has Mitch. Listening to a baby cry is not fun. I turned the monitors off but still felt like Luke was screaming in my ear. After Mitch tried to comfort him for over an hour, I finally relented. We're now in the high chair eating some cheese grits and cereal. Anyway, here's a more pleasant picture of our lives here on the "ranch". Andrew loves climbing high and looking down at the valley below.

Need a hand? I'm here to help!

Brother to brother. Luke ventured over to the climbing wall in our backyard and Andrew decided to help him "get a leg up". Luke wasn't very happy with the help but it made for a cute picture.

Crazy Siblings

We can't help it....everytime I get together with my sister and brother we about pee in our pants. We have such fun together. I love you, Angela and Stuart!

Thanksgiving Day yardwork

We love raking the leaves in the front yard and then jumping into them. This was Luke's first experience rolling around in the crunchy leaves. He enjoyed it for a short while. Andrew enjoyed raking them into small piles.....or at least trying. He was a super helper!

Yuck-y

Ahhhhhh.....how many more weeks until my first trimester is over?!?!?!?!? I've never felt this sick. Yuck! Ick! Every smell grosses me out. The thought of food disgusts me. All I crave is water. I can't get enough of it. Oh yeah...I crave my pillow, too. I don't know how much I'll be able to eat this Thanksgiving.

We went to Ft. Benning today to watch the SILVER WINGS jump out of an airplane and parachute to earth. Andrew loved watching the red smoke come out of their boots while dropping at fast speeds. Wish I had gotten a picture of the event.

Stike a pose, there's nothing to it...

Woozy

I don't remember feeling this tired during pregnancies 1 & 2....probably because I wasn't having to keep up with two little ones during those times like I am now. I'm usually a night owl but now I'm longing for my mattress and pillow at 10:00 instead of midnight. I'm only up now because I'm working on school stuff for the office, which I get paid to do. Andrew has been getting up one to two times during the night (usually between 2-4 a.m.) and coming to the side of our bed. We have been sticking to our procedure (although it's tough on us and breaks my heart) of not talking to him and putting him back into his bed. Between the two sessions this past Saturday night, I picked him up and put him back in his bed 154 times before he finally got the idea and gave up. It seems my 11 month old is a better sleeper than my 2.5 year old here lately. Please tell me this is normal and that things get better!

Things I've Done

My friend Amy posted this on her blog so I thought I'd join the club. Here are just a few things I've done (in red):

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside outside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree (to keep from falling out!)
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raising children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Just a Swangan'

HELP!

Andrew

Andrew reminds me of my college roommate, Heather. Heather and I shared a room for a year. One thing that Heather loved to do was to play with masking tape...especially when on the phone or in a deep conversation. It's like the tape helped her to focus on what she was talking about. Well, Andrew likes to play with tape, too....of course, he's only two so he's not trying to concentrate too deeply on anything except for having a good time at whatever he's doing. He found my roll of masking tape and started tearing it apart, sticking it all over his face and fingers. Just wanted you to know, Heather, that you were thought of this week as I spent time with my son.



Andrew loves the camera....I snapped this picture of us while outside playing together in our backyard on the swingset. Yes, Luke was with us during both the tape adventure and our backyard play time but he didn't want to say "CHEESE" for the camera.

What an awesome day!

Today has been grand. I've received many birthday blessings, cards, presents, and hugs. After a morning to myself (besides standing in the long line at the polling station), Mitch surprised me with a babysitter (thanks, Chrissy!) so we could go out to eat and spend some time together. Also, a friend bought me a one hour massage so I'm REALLY looking forward to that appointment next week! Today is also the first day I've felt a little sick due to the pregnancy. It seems the small amount of sickness I have in my pregnancies always occurs in the evening. I think I'm going to bed now....night!

Big News

For those of you who haven't heard, Baby McGinnis #3 will make his/her arrival in early July. We are very excited! Thanks for rejoicing with us over our good news.

Costume Cuteness

Hope you enjoy these pictures of Andrew and Luke. We attended the fall festival tonight at our school and church. Andrew loved wearing his monkey suit but Luke only cared for the sweet chocolate cake.





Hope you enjoy these pictures of Andrew and Luke. We attended the fall festival tonight at our school and church. Andrew loved wearing his monkey suit but Luke only cared for the sweet chocolate cake.

Opposition

I had to delete a comment from my last post because an anonymous person accused me of being a Devil Worshiper. "Devil worshiping" to one = "loving your neighbor" to another!

Trick or Treat....or Reformation?

We took the boys trick-or-treating tonight. It was a first for them both. Andrew seemed to enjoy it but stuck really close to Mitch's side as we walked up and down the street. I pushed Luke in the stroller while he sucked on a lollipop. I really liked getting to meet my neighbors that I've never met before. Kelly just moved in across the street with her two small daughters. She stays at home, too, so we will probably start visiting with one another during the day when we're home. We also invited her and her family to church. The only reason we ventured out (and opened our front porch to strangers to receive candy) was to meet our neighbors. We hope Christ was glorified in our smiles, kind words, and laughter. I like what Tim Challies has to say about Halloween. God is to be glorified in ALL things so why not take the opportunity of Halloween to do so? I wonder if I'd get strange looks when at people's doors declaring what I really want to say; HAPPY REFORMATION DAY!

Zink

We attended a marriage conference over the weekend presented by "the other" PCA church in our area. Dr. Dan Zink was the speaker.....very encouraging. I appreciated his consistent application of scripture to the glorious gift of marriage. Made me love my Mitch all the more.

cupcakes and bubbles

Andrew loves cupcakes and bubbles. He attended a costume party today where he dressed up as a cowboy. All he wanted to do was eat the cupcake icing and pour more bubble liquid into the machine....oh yeah, and he wanted to hit the pinata` over and over, to no avail. Enjoy the pictures!

Guess what Luke had for dinner last night?

Relaxing

Andrew likes taking a bubble bath, but he's never liked laying in the tub on his back...until now. He's found that it's fun to surround himself in the bubbles and try to guess what I'm saying while his ears are covered.

Mississippi

Haven't blogged in a week.....been super busy and out-of-town. We just returned from a four day journey to Mississippi (my home state) to attend my cousin, Lora's, wedding. While there, we stayed with my other cousin, Brian, and his sweet, hilarious, cute, and insane wife, Heidi. We had a blast. Lora was beautiful so we took a moment to get a family picture of those on her side in attendance. After we returned to Brian and Heidi's house, I geared up to take an evening ride on Brian's Harley Davidson. It was awesome! I wish it hadn't been so dark and cold but I enjoyed it, nonetheless. My friend Crissy once shared on her blog about a time she went for a motorcycle ride. I thought of her story as I was riding behind Brian, feeling the wind against my face. It was amazing! Anyway, the boys loved Mississippi and I enjoyed spending time with my mother, who rode with us.

Beautiful Fall

We love this fall weather. Seasons change....God is good. Luke certainly thinks so! Mitch and I celebrated seven wonderful years of marriage yesterday. He and the boys brought a dozen yellow roses to me and then Mitch took me out to eat last night while my sweet sister-in-law & brother-in-law babysat the boys for us. Thanks, Valerie, Emma, Ella, and Tyler!

Funny Face

I just couldn't resist. I had to share this picture.

He's such a HAM!

Saturday morning with Pooh

We went to Barnes & Noble this morning to get our picture taken with Pooh during his autograph session. Andrew loved seeing Pooh but Luke wasn't quite sure what to think of the large character.

Exhausted

So much to do....my TO DO list is long. I've been reading what the girls at GIRLTALK have to say on this matter and it's encouraging.

Roaches

People are hesitant to discuss roaches....but the truth is, we all see one from time to time in our houses (some more than others!). Andrew loves to hit them with his flip flops. Yes, we are teaching him that God created all things for HIS glory but I sometimes wonder about roaches (and snakes). So, here's a picture of the unlucky guy that crossed our path recently. Thought I would share....aren't you glad I did? By the way, if you click on the picture, it should come up in a second window - enlarged! The details are great! I can't wait to read your comments!

Saturday activity

Andrew loves to jump in those moonwalk things.....especially if it involves climbing. He went to a birthday party today which had a pirate theme; hence the inflatable pirate ship. Luke loves to be held. Daddy is good at that.

It's been a long time.....

Can't believe that I've gone this long without posting. It's mostly due to just returning from vacation and doing the usual such as unpacking, washing laundry, preparing lesson plans, and getting the boys back into their routine. We had a great time in Florida but it's always good to get home into the familiar.

It's the beginning of October, a month that makes people think of the cool crisp fall weather....but not here. It's still hot and humid. Mosquitoes everywhere. So, I sprayed down the boys and let them play outside in the pool after sweating on the swingset. Luke is tolerating Andrew a bit better. Andrew, being only two years old, still struggles with being gentle when playing with his baby brother....but he's improving. They enjoyed playing in the water together and Andrew thinks it's great that Luke has a swing right next to his.

Roller Coaster & Harleys

Luke rode his first Harley Davidson this past week when we were at Downtown Disney. He had fun! Also, can you spot Mitch on the roller coaster (top back with hand in the air on outside end)? I can't believe that I managed to take this photo at just the right moment!

Family, spiders, and faces

Just wanted to post a few more pictures of our vacation thus far. As I type, Mitch and I are in Orlando (going to SeaWorld tomorrow). The original plan was to let both boys stay at their aunt's house but we decided to bring the youngest one with us as not to 'cause distress on anyone (me included!). Look at that spider hanging in its web outside my sister's house in her backyard! WOW!