T’ville

I am very disappointed that I didn’t take many pictures during our Christmas visit to Thomasville. I am usually snapping photos left and right. It didn’t help that I left my battery charger at home. You’d think that with all the trips I made to Walmart that I would have thought to pick up a few Energizers! Anyway, the kids got way TOO much stuff but now I have more of a reason to purge all the old toys and rotate in the new. I ate way too much and slept less. What else is new? Oh yeah, happy new year!

Here’s Luke and Andrew with their cousin, Emily (my sister’s youngest). Emily and Andrew share the exact same birth date but four years apart. Crazy!

Time with friends

We ate dinner last night with our friends, the Gysen family. The kids gathered around the small table in the den while the adults ate at the “grown-up table”. Afterward, Andrew and Lee enjoyed being silly boys!

Asleep in the car seat

All three kids fell asleep in the car on our way home last night from MeMe and Pop’s house. So sweet (and peaceful!).

The boys enjoyed their stocking stuffers alongside their cousins.

Abigail just wanted a lap to sit on all night. HA!

Haircut for Luke

Luke has NEVER cooperated for a haircut. Because of that reason, we decided to splurg and try the new salon that caters only to children, Pigtails and Crewcuts. Instead of the typical hair salon chair, the children sit in either an airplane, race car, cab, police vehicle, or a fire engine. Luke decided he wanted the fire engine because of its ringing bell. However, as soon as the buzzer started, he began arching his back and fighting. It took four adults to get his seat belt on, drape the cape, and hold him still. At one point, the stylist had to put him in a gentle headlock to keep from cutting him. Believe me, she was a great woman and very patient. I’m sure Luke wasn’t their first screaming customer. Some say to take him more often so he’ll get used to it while others say to let his hair grow as long as he can stand it before cutting it again. I know it will get easier….right?

This picture was taken before he saw the buzzer and clippers.

This is the result of determination.

Merry Christmas!

The McGinnis Family

December 2007
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Luke dances with Elmo

Luke has disco fever! Notice that his gum flies out of his mouth when he grunts at the end of the video. Of course, he picks it right back up and pops it into his mouth – that gum is important!

A Baker’s Secret

Here are my “No bake goodies” that I’m going to give to a few teachers at Andrew’s school this Christmas. I decided to keep it easy this year and only use the microwave rather than bake all afternoon in a hot house with the oven on. I got these two recipes from the Kraft website (thanks for the reminder, Kirstin!). They are scrumpdillyupmcious!

I also made my favorite peanut butter-graham-honey balls. Yummy!

Kraft Foods Mint Thins

Kraft Foods Marbled Graham Bars

Sugarland

The boys and I decided to do what many of our friends are doing this Christmas season – make sugar cookies with our Christmas cutouts. Hopefully this fun task will develop into a tradition as well as an event that, as the children grow older, I won’t have to be so “hands on”. All the little guys wanted to do was lick the mixer sticks, dig the dough out of the bowl, lick the bowl, make holes in the cookies, and drown them in sprinkles. I promise that no one licked any fingers during the process!

The Gift of the Magi

Another listen for your heart (ears). I got this link from the gals at GirlTalk. We can learn a lot about what makes good gifts good by looking to Jesus. As the website suggests, gather your family around to listen to this fifteen minute story and then reflect upon our Savior and how blessed his birth was to the hearts of men.

Free Max Lucado reading download

Chick-Fil-A is sponsoring a free download of a reading by author Max Lucado’s of his book, You Are Special here. Andrew received this book as a gift a few years ago. I’m excited to read it with him and watch him turn the pages as we listen.