February/March in a flash!

This is my shameless attempt to get caught up on posting so that I'm not in some limbo-stage between past and present! Bear with me!

In early February, we journeyed to good ole Springfield MO for the wedding of two great friends of ours. Scott performed the ceremony, and Anna was the flower girl. Caleb helped with favors at the reception, and I did my best to keep things running for our family so that we did our roles smoothly and without a hitch. :) We treasured time with friends after the rehearsal dinner and were blessed by the hospitality of dear friends Harold and Jane. Would you believe that with all the reunions of that weekend, the ONLY picture I managed to snap was one (a fuzzy one at that) of the groom's face while seeing the bride come down the aisle? Here it is!
Ok, I confess that there was more than one, but they were all of this scene. I laughed, though, because Betsy's brother (on the right) was taking pictures with his camera phone while she was coming down the aisle! This was the only one without that taking place. I'll point you to their website and to some pics (when they're available) so you can see how cute Anna ended up! I am so proud of Betsy and Barron and the way they sought to bring God glory in the way they dated, the structure of the wedding ceremony, and in so many other ways!



Then came Valentine's day. We had a fun, lazy day to celebrate, and I made a whoppingly huge breakfast for everyone. Waffles, eggs, bacon, fruit. Mmmmm. And excessive, but cute plates/napkin arrangements.




A good friend at church had a birthday, and we celebrated by surprising her at On the Border. Happy Birthday Miss Quel!

By the way, thanks, Tyler, for teaching Anna to do this...

The staff wives at our church came together to throw a shower for Kati in anticipation of baby Layton. Here are some pics. (Kati, I didn't post all of the ones with funny facial expressions. You owe me. Hee hee)

Made by Theresa... the cake genius.

That's February and March in a flash! I have one more post for March, and then we should be caught up! Wahoo!

BabyMac is a...

mango by now...

Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

You didn't forget that we won't find out for another week and a half, did you? :) I like these measurements. Mind you, they're measuring Crown-to-Rump (that's top of head to bottom of bottom), so leg length is not included. That's half a foot and half a pound!

Don't forget to vote in the boy/girl poll on the right! ----------------->

BabyMac Update

We're having.............

a sweet potato!

No, we don't know what we're having yet. Any guesses? Answer the poll on the right!

Actually, I came across a cute site that lists baby's developmental stages by week in comparison to common fruits and vegetables to help make things easier to picture. Sweet, huh? Look for more updates each Friday!

The big day for finding out McBoy or McGirl will be April 15 (tax day). The poll will be open until that morning, then stay tuned for an announcement!!

Friday Funnies

No explanation needed. :)


HT: Josh Harris

Celebrate!

On the forefront of my mind right now is sharing in the joy of friends for a common reason: Adoption!

Recently, our pastor's family adopted and brought home a precious son from Ghana. We have several dear friends who were, themselves, blessed by being adopted or adopting children into their families.

Also, our very dear friends we served with back in Missouri are at this very moment PACKING -- for they have received word that after months and months and months of waiting, they are cleared to book flights and prepare to traverse the globe to bring home baby Micah!

Below is the video Alisa made showing all they've had to hold on to for the time being: pictures of precious baby Micah and their faith in Sovereign God and His plans for them and for Micah.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Most of you know me as someone who doesn't get overly emotional, but I will tell you that I cry tears of joy EVERY time I watch this. Check their blog for ways you can pray for their journey!

It's a wonderful thing, and it is also a wonderful example of just what God desires for us! Russell Moore has great points about Names and Adoption. Al Mohler also puts it eloquently:

In the New Testament, adoption serves as a primary analogy of salvation. The sinner, who prior to faith in Christ is a rebel headed for destruction, is now adopted as a child of God. This new status is further defined as that of a joint-heir with Christ. By grace, the rebel child of the enemy is adopted as a child of the King. The former slave to sin is now a son or daughter of the heavenly Father.

As the Apostle Paul explains:

In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. [Galatians 4:3-7, esv]

Mohler closed his post with this comment: "For Christians, this is thus a matter of adoption by the adopted. Such is the Kingdom of God."

Celebrate with me -- for friends, for families everywhere, and for what God has made possible for us by sending His Son for the purpose of paying the price for our sin (which separates us from God), allowing us to be reconciled to God when we believe, and bringing us all into one family -- His own!

His grace has planned it all,
'Tis mine but to believe,

And recognize His work of love and Christ receive.
read this week at desiringgod.org

Product Testing, aka How to Remove Sharpie from Solid Surfaces

So after this morning's Artwalk, as it were, I immediately began to try to remove the marks. Being a teacher, I had learned that Nail Polish Remover works surprisingly well to get permanent marker off of plastics and lamination. I picked the most decorated piano key (not ivory, thank goodness) and tried it. It succeeded in smudging the marks well, but I was concerned that the surface of the key was affected. Then, I googled "how to remove Sharpie." Surprisingly (or maybe not so) there were quite a few suggestions on the internet.

Some suggested toothpaste or Soft Scrub. (abrasive, maybe?)
Others suggested WD 40 or a pink eraser (pencil or gum variety).

Most swore by Hand Sanitizer! (All I can figure is that its high isopropyl alcohol content, like polish remover and hairspray, has an effect.)

I had goo gone already (no help) and had some hand sanitizer (didn't wait long enough, evidently). Funny, but I didn't think to try plain shaving cream, which is a WONDERFUL carpet cleaner and is great for kids to play with and clean table tops at the same time. I'll try that if Anna ever has a relapse. ;)

Worried, I tried my last resort:
I hesitated to try because I have witnessed firsthand how it had removed flat paint from the walls of our home in Missouri with only light pressure. I was afraid it would do worse damage than the polish remover or other abrasives might have done. But, I couldn't imagine leaving all of those marks, so I pulled out the Magic Eraser, took a deep breath, and got to work.


Here is the before of the piano keys:

Here is the AFTER once I used the Magic Eraser. Seriously.

So, I ventured over to the blinds and the bookshelf and the half-moon table. Success! No scratches or compromised surfaces were observed. The only things that didn't respond absolutely well were plastics like the Lego storage. I haven't tried my trusty nail polish remover on them yet.

As you saw in the picture of her hands, the polish remover had smudged her henna Sharpie body art, but no removal was happening. Guess what erased it completely?

No, not Magic Eraser. (Ha) ;)
A baby wipe. Yessiree Bob. ONE baby wipe cleaned it all.


Crisis averted. We didn't even have to do much disciplining, as she was so visibly upset by my reaction and concern from the beginning, that it was obvious she was punishing herself. She would even go point to the spots and say "Here. I sowwy."

Sweet girl!

The McDonaldSpot Art Gallery

Milk and Cookies available during normal artwork viewing hours...

We know that Anna loves crayons and pens. She has been honing her fine motor skills lately at home and at school! She has always been hesitant about paint (mess!) and smocks (made her claustrophobic?) until recently. We were so proud to get her snowman sponge painting from Mother's Day Out recently, when she volunteered to wear a smock for the first time! Perhaps she'll love art after all!

This morning I awoke early to her calls to change her diaper, and afterward I had her play in her room while I caught a few more winks of a power nap. I woke up about 20 min later and walked into our piano/formal dining room where Caleb has been working on a science fair project with Legos.

Our artist met me at the doorway with her latest pièce de résistance. Medium? Broad tip Sharpie.

This was taken later after a cleanup attempt with fingernail polish remover.

Then I saw my camera, which had the screen colored on. Great. Fortunately it wiped right off using the hem of my t-shirt.

Then I saw this work of art.



Naturally, I had interest in her work...and perspective...so I began to seek out more by considering the whole span of the gallery (with perspective in mind, if you know what I mean). There was Caleb's science fair project:


And her mixed media musical offering....

This is just the upper range. The last 5 keys on the opposite end were quite a sight to behold, and I don't know how I didn't get a photo of them.

And the blinds...




The bookshelf was an interesting study in both horizontal plane and vertical plane art. Amazingly, no books were harmed in the production of this art.

looking down on the horizontal piece

Her best work yet... Actually, we've been working on drawing faces....
Do I smile proudly or cry?

Then there was the storage tub and Caleb's Lego storage (for his project)...

And what was probably the scariest, er, I mean most moving work of all was the one that bridged the gap from that room into the living room: the demilune table. I was certain that finding this one meant the borders of the McDonaldspot gallery had expanded...

Whew. It hadn't. This was the final piece.

Thankfully, the light colored couch, chair, and carpet were spared. So were the leather couch and the walls. Does that make her a discriminating artist?
Tune in for the next post... Now what?

Winter Break Capers, part τρία

(OK, that's supposed to be Greek for 3, according to Google Translate-- It's definitely Greek to me...)

A few more shots of the family fun...

Mandi is one of the holders (is that the right term?) for her cheer leading competition squad. We got to see a video of one of her competitions... They're good!


New Year's Eve

Trust me, there's a safe distance between Scott and the sparkler Caleb is holding.

HOWEVER, I must say that danger did strike...
The guys thought they'd buy a rolling firework novelty... a Hummer that was billed as driving and then shooting out fireworks. (That's all that the description said.)
We assumed (logically) that for it to drive, the fireworks must be pointed out the back end (propulsion) and if anything shot out, it must be like sparklers out of the headlights, right? So, they guys set it up and lit the fuse... mind you, it was facing us at a distance. Thanks, guys.

Next thing we knew, it wasn't just rolling; it was rocketing toward us with the distance closing fast and the imminent threat of fireworks (what if they were mini roman candles???). I scooped Anna up from my lap and ran to the left, and Nanny pulled Ashley (or was it Mandi? My pregnancy brain fails me) off to the right-- all of us screaming.

Scott swoops in to rescue us by charging it and kicking it over onto its side so that when the fireworks did start shooting out, we'd be safe. All this in the span of about 3.5 seconds, start to finish...


Crisis averted. Whew. Drama ended... and so did the fireworks for the night...with a bang!

Winter Break Capers, part deux

One of our favorite fun pastimes when we visit Nanny and Dandy is taking a little jaunt over to the neighborhood park. It's full of passageways, slides, swings, rock walls, and even its own "phone" system.

I tried out some different functions on my new digital camera (not a schmancy camera, nor schmancy pics) If you photography buffs out there have any suggestions or comments, I'm open to them!

Run!

Still, but only for a moment

Racing Daddy around the playground

YES! He conquered the rock wall with no help!

"C'mon Ash-ee!"

"Ready Mandi?"

Scott had no trouble fitting through the tire tunnel, but it was crazy-awkward trying to climb out. He opted to shimmy out the lower end instead.

Where are you, Daddy?

"I want come too! "
Look at both sets of those baby blues!

Look up here, Anna!

I see you Cayub!

hide and seek

the "phone system" of the playground... talk in one end, and the person across the playground at the other end can hear you clearly!

I love this picture because of the sunlight!

Winter Break Capers, part 1

Alright, I'm getting closer, but I still have a few more entries before we're caught up to the present. (Previous pregnancy/pro-life posts can be considered separate from flashbacks!)

We got to spend a great week after Christmas in North Texas with Nanny, Dandy, and the gang. Are you prepared for some pictures?

We had some quality family time. First, there was the Basketball Tourney that Uncle Drew coached. Dandy and Anna checking out the game.

Mandi, Ashley, and Nanny having fun

Shhhh! That buzzer is too loud!

Stealing a smooch from Daddy at halftime.


Aunt Debbie and Caleb at halftime... Caleb (at that point)
was completely inseparable from the DS.

Uncle Drew during watching a free-throw. He's a good coach!
I found myself missing my bball days!

Our kiddos did really well at the game! Drew's team did well, but unfortunately, a few weeks later, one of their guards got injured and had to miss the remainder of their season.

More to come...

Another reason why I'm Pro-Life...

For the non-ultrasound-aware, view the pic above with this in mind: imagine the baby lying on its back with the head on your right and feet on your left, looking up and to your left. The feet are not really visible in this shot, but the large semi-white oval at mid-left is the belly. The bright white portions of the face are (l-r) the facial bones of the jaw area, the nose, and the forehead.

We are blessed to announce (to the blogosphere, at least, since many of you already know) that God has given us an addition to our family! I am 14 weeks pregnant and am already planning ways to beat the heat of summer here as we eagerly await our end of August due date!

As early as 3 weeks after I officially found out we were expecting, our first ultrasound showed a tiny little heart beating. Many moms-to-be don't even realize they are pregnant at this point, and already the heart is pumping blood throughout the developing baby! At the time of the above ultrasound, our baby was 11 weeks old and already at least 1.5 inches from top of the head to rump, and baby's little fingers and toes were already fully formed. We actually caught BabyMac sucking on a thumb or finger.

We hope, if BabyMac isn't too modest, to find out what we're having in just a few weeks! Yippee!
I plan to add a cute ticker soon to the blog and will keep you informed as we have more info!

--------------------------------------------------

**Note, my laptop has met an untimely end! Thanks to our dear (and recently married) friend, Barron, I look forward to recuperating my files from it, but I've been away for too long. I'm commandeering Scott's work laptop for now, but I plan on catching up soon! Look forward to more pics, biopics, McDonaldSpot acoustics, perhaps some aesthetics, and only a little politics soon!

Life is Precious

This week is the Sanctity of Human Life week.

I find it convenient timing, as one of the first promises our new president made prior to his inauguration was to sign the Freedom of Choice Act, which would:

eradicate state and federal laws that the majority of Americans support, such as:

• Bans on Partial Birth Abortion
• Requirements that women be given information about the risks of getting an abortion
• Only licensed physicians can perform abortions
• Parents must be informed and give consent to their minor daughter's abortion

FOCA would erase these laws and prevent states from enacting similar protective measures in the future.

----------------------------------------

Watch this spot that's being aired on Black Entertainment Television:


No matter how inconvenient, every baby in the womb has value.

----------------------------------------

Here are some really good related links. Chew on these for a while:

The case for life, around the web by Justin Taylor

Why are we striving to make abortion unthinkable? John Ensor, guest post on Challies.com

Who is Jane Roe from the Roe v. Wade case? "Roe no more" by Justin Taylor

Being Pro-life Christians under a Pro-choice President by John Piper

Number of Abortions since 1973 by Justin Taylor

Here are two reasons I'm prolife:

Parenting is never easy, but I'd never trade the joy and blessings these two have brought me!

HT: JT, DG, TC