Wise Guys, eh?

The Wise Guys winners of the Walking with the Wise CD giveaway were selected using a tried and true method of random number selection:  Bath toy numbers and no-look/no-knowledge-of-commenters selection by my two littlest helpers!

Using a trusty empty wipe box  (Walking with the Wipes, anyone?  I couldn't resist.) and one bath number per person to match the order of commenters.

Mama mixes it up a little.

Anna proceeds with the shaking...

No peeking, sweet girl!

Closing the eyes and pulling out a number...

And the first WiseGuy winner is....

Commenter #5  Betsy!

Now it's Abby's turn.  First, to coax her to stick her hand in there...

Lemme check this out first...

And our second winner is....

a very slobbery Commenter #7, Steph!... (sorry about that!)

(Anna is trying not to get slobbered on!)

So, Betsy and Steph, please email me at aggiemcdonalds [at] gmail [dot] com with the address you want to send it to!

I really wish I could have given out 5 additional copies so that each of you could have one!  This cd would be well worth getting if you have the chance!  You can find it at sovereigngracemusic.com

I bet I can get your feet a tappin'

*I was going to use an online random number generator, but I've decided to do it in a fun photography way. Check Friday for the results!*
****Giveaway is now closed.  Please check back soon for the winners' names to be announced! Thanks for participating!****

I was so excited when Sovereign Grace Music announced their next Kids release.  If you remember, I listed their previous one, To Be Like Jesus, as one of my McFavorites.

Here's where having a husband who is obsessed with having a smartphone comes in handy:

1. I get cool phone hand-me-downs.
2. When I'm stuck in the car between locations (like during a piano lesson), I can check email/google reader/etc.
3. About a month ago, I just happened to see a just-posted Facebook post by the gals of GirlTalk, announcing the CD's availability and that they were giving away 10 copies of the new album!
4. Even though I NEVER win ANYTHING, I can now eat my words, because I was fortunate due to timing and technology  to be one of the winners!!!

The Sovereign Grace Music site offers song previews and has this to say about the newest album:

The book of Proverbs tells us what it means to be wise. Being wise is more than just knowing a lot or being smart. It involves things like fearing the Lord, listening to others, loving God’s Word, having a joyful heart, being generous, not hiding our sin, working hard, and telling the truth.

One of the ways we become wise is by spending time with people who are wiser than us. That’s what it means to “walk with the wise”.

Most of all, wisdom is believing that Jesus is the Son of God who died for our sins and rose from the dead so that we could be forgiven and follow Him. That kind of wisdom is more important than anything in the world.

“For wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.” (Proverbs 8:11)

When we got the album in the mail, both kids begged to listen over and over.  Best of all, however, was that Caleb (who likes to commandeer the lyrics like his mama) read through as he listened eagerly to the lively songs.  He proceeded to interject with some very introspective comments like, "Mama, this song talks about how because of Jesus, we don't have to hide because of our sin.  But I feel like hiding my sin sometimes."  Then later, "This song is All Ears.  Sometimes I'm not 'all ears' when I should be listening to you and Daddy."

I love when my kids hear Truth and learn about/show their need to apply it!  I get to see the Holy Spirit working on their hearts.  That also leads to great discipleship moments.  The intended audience is kids 6 yrs and up, but Anna and Abby are loving it as well!  The songs are well done, and I even find myself singing them when we're not listening to the CD.

Are you still reading?  Bear with me just a moment longer:
We loved To Be Like Jesus so much that we got 2 copies... one for each of our oldest kiddos.  We love Walking with the Wise now as well!  Since I won my copy, I thought I'd give some away!

 I have two brand new copies of Walking with the Wise to give away! 

All you have to do to be eligible is to leave me a comment below with your favorite wise saying/Bible verse. Two commenters will be chosen randomly (not based on the substance of the comment or any other factor), and I'll announce the winners Thursday evening, August 5!

The giveaway will close Thursday, August 5, at 4 p.m. Central Time.
(one comment per reader, please.  It would not be wise to try to gain extra entries...ahem.  This contest is open to all readers, new or established, and does not discriminate based on whether or not you are a parent!)

Please know that Sovereign Grace Music has no idea who I am, nor have I been asked to review or promote their album!  I'm giving these away because we're so excited about the album!

These are not the droids you're looking for...

Caleb decided a week before his 7th birthday that having our normal family party would not be sufficient. :)  So, I organized a quick Star Wars party with the help of some ideas from my friend Tonya and the willing participation of a handful of Caleb's school friends.  


I'm thrilled at how the party turned out, and I think Caleb had a blast as well!


The kids built Lego droids/robots as they arrived.  Then, we went outside with their lightsabers and played some games.


First was the Help R2D2 beanbag toss.  (washers board and an awesome R2 courtesy of my brother)

Then, the boys practiced their pilot skills and tried to successfully make the Kessel Run with some Millenium Falcon frisbees I whipped up (thanks to Google Images and a trusty Sharpie)

We followed that game with a timed relay that mixed Star Wars and Star Wars: Clone Wars elements to make them all-around Jedi Masters.


1.  Safely disable the thermal detonators.

2.  Use your lightsaber to take out all of the training orbs.

3.  Rescue the baby Hutt (aka Stinky), avoid the obstacles, and safely deposit him on a pedestal without letting him fall.  (personal sized watermelon covered in shaving cream)

We retreated into the air conditioning for some Pin the Ammo Belt on Chewbacca.  (kudos to Uncle Bryan again!)

All that activity made for hungry Jedis, so they refueled with hotdogs and some dee-lish cookie cake.  

(what a ham!)

Gifts and more fun followed, as Pawpaw led training runs on the 4-wheeler Republic Attack Shuttle, and the Jedis climbed trees.  Even our two little Padawan Learners had a blast.

(Thanks to C, B, and D's Dad, Jeff, for helping me with photography.  I think with two cameras ready, we got some great shots!)





We're so proud of our big Seven Year Old!

• He has a clever sense of humor.
• We love to watch his tender heart around Abby (Anna, too, but she's close enough in age for him to really pick on... hee hee)
• Caleb has learned all of 1 Corinthians 13 this year, as well as Ephesians 6:10-18.  Caleb, keep hiding God's Word in your heart!
• He loved playing soccer in the fall and learning Upward Basketball in the spring!
• He has learned to have a love of reading and was one of the high point earners for first grade in their school's Accelerated Reader program.
• Caleb will gladly tell you anything you ever never wanted to know about Star Wars, Super Mario Brothers, or Penguins of Madagascar. 
• We crack up when Caleb watches one of Anna's favorite tv shows and comments, "Can't they stop singing and solve the mystery already?"
• His self-proclaimed favorites this year were:  Food = Salmon, Color = Red, and Subject at school = Computers.

Tap Tap Tap... Is this thing ON?

I wish I could say our summer has been slow and easy.  I wish I could say I'd been able to catch you up to date on our lives.  If wishes were fishes...


I'd have an ocean full! :)

But, please, readers, friends, and family, don't give up on me!  I have some good posts in the works!  Check back often, and please leave a little shout out when you do in the comments. 

Here is a collage of hints to wet your whistle:

in a galaxy far far away...there was a crafty tutorial....when family visited...eieio...surprising birthday...and a new grade...with a giveaway all of my own...so solve the puzzle for a surprise.

Fee fi FO(UR) Fum

Look out family, here I come!

Our sweet big girl turned four about a month ago!  

We donned party hats

Set the table for the birthday girl (and her Big Monkey)

Opened some presents

Played some "Feed the Monkey"

Pulled the Strings on a Pull-string Pinata

Pinned the tail on the Monkey

and had some delish Monkey cookies from Sue B Sweets

Here are some things I'll remember about our sweet Monkey in the year leading up to her fourth birthday:

• How she loves to eat grilled cheese and also to get "hangabers with Cheese, with pickles on the side" at Whataburger  (not to be confused with cheeseburgers)
• Her love for school (Mother's Day Out)
• her sweet voice singing along with scripture songs in the car
• Made up songs with nonsense words
• Conversations between her toys and all the times I answer a "Maamaaaa" call only to find that it was one of her toys calling its mama.
• Her mastery of the tricycle (man, she's fast!)
• Proclaiming which character "she is" in a story or tv show/video, then repeating "I'm [insert Character's name here]" over and over throughout
• the many sweet ways she helps us be cautious:  "Careful mama!"  "Abby just got my toy!"  "That could be dangerous!"  "Uh oh Daddy!!"
• Smothering (almost literally) baby Abby with sweet (but invasive) coos and oohs and ahhs, and trying to hug her.
• falling asleep or calming herself to the softness of her well loved, well worn Big Monkey's plush tail, and the times she's offered to share it with us.   "You wanna feel how soft?"
• saying fun words like "wollipop" and "goor"(girl, rhymes with poor), aunt Wicia, Mr. Wee, and Mrs. Awicia. 
• pre-emptive bloody-murder screams to warn that Caleb must be about to do something to her.
• hearing "Mama..."  or "Daddy... I like you!"
• sweet dinnertime prayers that would not possibly be complete if every person at the table was not included by name in her grateful "thank yous" to God.
• her love of the outdoors and willingness to pick up (just about) any bug! spiders not included
• how well she has done coming into the service time with the grownups on Saturday nights at church.

We love you sweet Anna!

Giveaway is closed... and there's a winner!

Hope you've enjoyed your Father's Day!  I closed the giveaway just now a little later than I planned to allow maximum participation considering this is a "holiday" weekend.  I will be using a Random Number Generator to select one of the five commenters...



drumroll please:

Enter a lower limit:	1
Enter an upper limit:	5
Random Number:	4

 So, the winner is.... Annie!  Annie, if you'll email me (aggiemcdonalds at gmail dot com) the email address you'd like your gift card/code to be sent to, I'll pass it along to CSN stores. 

By the way, I tried out the generator yesterday as a test run, and I can assure you that after many successive clicks of Enter, every number from 1 to 5 was accounted for eventually... :)  in the spirit of fairness....

Give it up for Summer!

It's another Giveaway at the McDonaldSpot! The kind folks over at CSNStores.com
have given us the chance to host another giveaway: a $40 gift card toward any purchase in their over 200 online stores, from brand-name cookware to outdoor grills to platform beds. Consider it a Thank You from me to you for being a blog reader!

I don't receive anything in return for this opportunity, and all you have to do to for a chance to win the gift card is comment on this post by answering this question:

What do you most look forward to about summertime?

Next Sunday (June 20) I will randomly choose a number that will determine a winner; the numbering corresponds to the order in which the comments occur.  Don't wait!  You're allowed one comment apiece.


Use this for an upcoming wedding/baby gift, or splurge for someone you love!  Surprise someone with thank you gift!  (I know I'm personally always feeling the tug between at least giving something at showers/birthdays but would still like to find the money to donate toward Gospel missions, adoption efforts, and relief funds! This kind of thing would be so helpful toward that end!)

Well, here's a sampling of a just few of the things that you might find on some of their sites:

Half-liter Stainless Steel thermal beverage bottle

 

Lenox Chirp coffee mug

cute Daisy chip and dip set on cookware.com

Boon Frog Pod bath toy storage

from toysandgamesonline.com

(I've been secretly wanting one of these

since Anna was born, and NO, you
don't have to give me one if you win.  Ha!)

A fun outdoor Washers game set from 
everygameroom.com






You can find all kinds of items:  baby, gift, cooking, outdoors, decor, toys, pet products, etc!

Tickling the Ivories in the Spring

I love Mrs. Karen, Caleb's teacher! I also love that while she encourages her students to participate in semiannual recitals, she holds them in a local nursing home/retirement village so that it's also an encouraging ministry to the residents. Caleb did well again this year, and he's learning to function well under pressure. Though he initially balked, Caleb decided to surprise Aunt Licia and Uncle Travis (who were visiting) by introducing himself and his songs all by himself for the first time!

Mensiversary

Old McAbby had a month, e.i.g.h.t...

Sweet baby girl had Mensiversary Oct(if Latin annum is year...anniversary, then Latin mensis for month would be month anniversary, right?)

Over the course of the prior month, Abby Grace had fully mastered rolling (quickly) in either direction and became a sturdy sitter on her own instead of needing constant support. 

She said goodbye to this:


We began to hear some intentional babbles, beginning with a sort of /thuh/ and morphing into /duh/.  There were occasional /nnn/ sounds, and a scant few /muh/s (only when she was crying to be picked up, of course). 

Abby would turn immediately to find a family member when named by one of us:  Daddy, Caleb, Anna, Mama.

Baby cereal with fruit was becoming a hit, and stage 1 foods were all the rage... except when she didn't feel like it, and there was no chance that even prying her jaws open gently with a spoon would work. We had no progress with introducing a cup, yet she'd take water from a an elevated straw if I let it drip into her mouth. (me holding it with a finger over the upper end)

Then with two days left to go in the month, as though some inner deadline just had to be met, sweet Abigail Grace clapped, waved, army-creeped, and wore her first real hair bow in the span of those two days.  What an overachiever! :)