This weekend, the McCarthy family laid low. Unfortunately Liesel, Nathan and Joshua all came down with a bug during the week, with Nathan becoming the latest victim on Saturday night. So we spent most of the weekend at home. On Sunday, Liesel stayed at home with the boys as I was playing in the worship team. Since there is not much to report on, I have posted the McCarthy 2009 Christmas letter below!
Wishing all my readers and joyous and peaceful Christmas on Friday, and may 2010 be your best year yet!
God bless!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
McCarthy's Christmas Letter 2009
As 2010 creeps ever closer, slowly nudging 2009 into the history books, what better time is there to reflect on God's goodness and faithfulness over the last 12 months. I recently heard a spiritual lesson that I would like to share with you. When going to sleep at night, we should not be counting sheep to aid in the slumber process. Rather, we should count our blessings and thank God for everything we have. How much better would it be to fall asleep with thoughts of gratitude than thinking of four legged wooly creatures!
So, here are some of the blessings that the McCarthy's have received in 2009:
For us, there is nothing better spending time with our beloved family. These opportunities are so few and far between, so we cherish every minute together with our loved ones! This year, we were doubly blessed!
Firstly, we were blessed to see the New Year in with Norman and Gabi! It was wonderful to have them spend a number of days with us, as they got to know their month old grandson more initimately. Of course, Nathan also loves every moment with his Opa and Gogo! Many precious memories we made together, indoors and outdoors. Some of his fondest memories are going sledding with his Gogo! We were also honored to have Norman and Gabi attend Joshua's dedication at our Church in January.
Then, God gave Gabi another opportunity to visit in July and August. Liesel was scheduled for some minor hand surgery. After the surgery, Liesel was not allowed to lift anything heavier than 2 pounds (1kg) for at least 6 weeks. We clearly had a problem, since I had full time job and Joshua was at least 10 pounds and immobile! So we put out a distress call, which Gabi answered! Within a few weeks, she was making her way westward across the Atlantic again. It was the first time Gabi had visited us in the summer. She got to see Nathan at his swimming lessons, go on a family cruise on Lake Erie, have fun at a kiddies' amusement park, enjoy backyard barbecues, and even spend TWO nights outside in a tent with Nathan!!! To this day, he still gazes admiringly at the photo of him and his Gogo in the tent, that now has its permanent place on our fridge.
Little Joshua, who is just over a year old now, has been thriving. With his attentive mom taking care of all his needs, and keeping him well nourished, he is a very happy boy! Currently he is in the 90th percentile for his height, so it appears he is taking after his Uncle Craig. Today, we affectionately call him Hurricane Josh, because of the destruction that he leaves in the wake of his explorations of the play room and his bedroom! He is also developing an affinity for books (like his older brother), and can often be found paging through a book, in the middle of a lake of literature that he has liberated from his bookshelf!
Nathan has been loving having a new playmate, even though there is a four year difference between the two. Josh has a special place in his heart for Nathan. This is evident every time Nathan walks into the room, or climbs into the car after school, Josh's face lights up with joy! And Nathan knows just how to get Josh to laugh, which soon turns into a non-stop chuckle-fest between the two of them!
Nathan is now attending preschool four days a week and is loving every minute of it! He has a driving desire to learn, which is why he loves trips to the library with Liesel. There, he'll pick out many non-fiction books and DVDs to feed his insatiable appetite for information! We are so very proud of him and Liesel does all she can to nurture his desire for knowledge!
The wonderful qualities that our boys possess can mainly be attributed to all the hard work that Liesel puts in into raising the two boys! We are so blessed to be in a situation where Liesel is able to be a stay-at-home mom, and the benefits are obvious. Besides being a full-time homemaker, Liesel has served in the leadership of our Church's MOPS (Mothers-of-PreSchoolers) ministry, and has also recently joined the Avon PTA. In July, she underwent some minor surgery to relieve carpal tunnel syndrome in her right wrist, which she had since being pregnant with Josh. As mentioned earlier, Gabi cleared her busy schedule and flew out here to assist us in so many ways. Liesel really cherished every minute with her mom, and some wonderful memories were made!
As for me, God has also blessed me in so many ways this year. Besides giving me a loving, healthy and happy family, I was blessed to be offered a job just 6 miles from our house! In this economic climate, it is undeniable that God's hand was involved in my getting this new job. This new position has me working closely with Google, and developing applications that take advantage of existing Google products. Because of this, I have had the privilege of visiting the legendary Googleplex in California, twice this year. What an enlightening experience it was to walk around the grounds of one of America's most admired companies!
My office environment in Westlake, is completely different to the huge corporate bank that I used to work for, especially when it comes to flexibility. I also now am blessed to come home for lunch on most days, and often am able to take Nathan to his afternoon preschool. God is good!
During my time away from work, I am blessed to belong to our church's very talented worship band, and love serving God in this ministry, with my fellow musicians!
These are just a few hand-picked blessings of the many we've experienced in 2009. We want to give God all the praise and glory for everything He has done, and continues to do for our family! We especially want to give Him thanks for the gift of His Son, who came to earth in the form of a baby, 2 000 years ago! We also give thanks for each and every one of you who have impacted (directly or indirectly) our lives over the past year. May you all experience the true joy of Christmas.
Until we meet again,
Grant, Liesel, Nathan and Joshua
So, here are some of the blessings that the McCarthy's have received in 2009:
For us, there is nothing better spending time with our beloved family. These opportunities are so few and far between, so we cherish every minute together with our loved ones! This year, we were doubly blessed!
Firstly, we were blessed to see the New Year in with Norman and Gabi! It was wonderful to have them spend a number of days with us, as they got to know their month old grandson more initimately. Of course, Nathan also loves every moment with his Opa and Gogo! Many precious memories we made together, indoors and outdoors. Some of his fondest memories are going sledding with his Gogo! We were also honored to have Norman and Gabi attend Joshua's dedication at our Church in January.
Then, God gave Gabi another opportunity to visit in July and August. Liesel was scheduled for some minor hand surgery. After the surgery, Liesel was not allowed to lift anything heavier than 2 pounds (1kg) for at least 6 weeks. We clearly had a problem, since I had full time job and Joshua was at least 10 pounds and immobile! So we put out a distress call, which Gabi answered! Within a few weeks, she was making her way westward across the Atlantic again. It was the first time Gabi had visited us in the summer. She got to see Nathan at his swimming lessons, go on a family cruise on Lake Erie, have fun at a kiddies' amusement park, enjoy backyard barbecues, and even spend TWO nights outside in a tent with Nathan!!! To this day, he still gazes admiringly at the photo of him and his Gogo in the tent, that now has its permanent place on our fridge.
Little Joshua, who is just over a year old now, has been thriving. With his attentive mom taking care of all his needs, and keeping him well nourished, he is a very happy boy! Currently he is in the 90th percentile for his height, so it appears he is taking after his Uncle Craig. Today, we affectionately call him Hurricane Josh, because of the destruction that he leaves in the wake of his explorations of the play room and his bedroom! He is also developing an affinity for books (like his older brother), and can often be found paging through a book, in the middle of a lake of literature that he has liberated from his bookshelf!
Nathan has been loving having a new playmate, even though there is a four year difference between the two. Josh has a special place in his heart for Nathan. This is evident every time Nathan walks into the room, or climbs into the car after school, Josh's face lights up with joy! And Nathan knows just how to get Josh to laugh, which soon turns into a non-stop chuckle-fest between the two of them!
Nathan is now attending preschool four days a week and is loving every minute of it! He has a driving desire to learn, which is why he loves trips to the library with Liesel. There, he'll pick out many non-fiction books and DVDs to feed his insatiable appetite for information! We are so very proud of him and Liesel does all she can to nurture his desire for knowledge!
The wonderful qualities that our boys possess can mainly be attributed to all the hard work that Liesel puts in into raising the two boys! We are so blessed to be in a situation where Liesel is able to be a stay-at-home mom, and the benefits are obvious. Besides being a full-time homemaker, Liesel has served in the leadership of our Church's MOPS (Mothers-of-PreSchoolers) ministry, and has also recently joined the Avon PTA. In July, she underwent some minor surgery to relieve carpal tunnel syndrome in her right wrist, which she had since being pregnant with Josh. As mentioned earlier, Gabi cleared her busy schedule and flew out here to assist us in so many ways. Liesel really cherished every minute with her mom, and some wonderful memories were made!
As for me, God has also blessed me in so many ways this year. Besides giving me a loving, healthy and happy family, I was blessed to be offered a job just 6 miles from our house! In this economic climate, it is undeniable that God's hand was involved in my getting this new job. This new position has me working closely with Google, and developing applications that take advantage of existing Google products. Because of this, I have had the privilege of visiting the legendary Googleplex in California, twice this year. What an enlightening experience it was to walk around the grounds of one of America's most admired companies!
My office environment in Westlake, is completely different to the huge corporate bank that I used to work for, especially when it comes to flexibility. I also now am blessed to come home for lunch on most days, and often am able to take Nathan to his afternoon preschool. God is good!
During my time away from work, I am blessed to belong to our church's very talented worship band, and love serving God in this ministry, with my fellow musicians!
These are just a few hand-picked blessings of the many we've experienced in 2009. We want to give God all the praise and glory for everything He has done, and continues to do for our family! We especially want to give Him thanks for the gift of His Son, who came to earth in the form of a baby, 2 000 years ago! We also give thanks for each and every one of you who have impacted (directly or indirectly) our lives over the past year. May you all experience the true joy of Christmas.
Until we meet again,
Grant, Liesel, Nathan and Joshua
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Sights and Sounds of Christmas
Just 50 hours ago, I was stepping off my plane after the four hour flight from San Francisco! I had spent a week at Google, learning some very cool new stuff, that I won't bore any of you here with! I had a good time out west, but nothing beats being at home with the family! This weekend, we didn't celebrate Family Fun Night on just one night, in fact it was more like a family fun weekend!
On Saturday, Nathan's Pre-school presented their annual Christmas program. Liesel volunteered to assist with the food for the other "grades", so she got there at 11am. Nathan's "grade" (aka Extended Pre-K) was performing at 1:15pm, and I made sure I got him and Josh there with plenty of time to spare. Soon it was time for the show, and it was so cute. Nathan was adorable, singing and acting to the songs! See the video's below to prove that I am not overly biased :P Everybody had a great time, and Nathan thoroughly enjoyed putting on the show for us. After a couple of cookies afterwards, it was back home, to put Josh down for a power nap.
And a power nap it was, since 60 minutes later we were on our way to drop Josh off at our friend's place, as Liesel, Nathan and I had tickets to the Lake Metro Park's Country Lights festival! We had previously visited the lake Metro Park (about an hour east of us) in the Spring, and saw many farm animals (pigs, sheep, goats, llamas and alpacas), horses, and even a dog show! But this time the farm had decorated for Christmas! Upon our arrival, we boarded a horse-drawn wagon, and we were taken on a trip around their fields. The fields were lit up with thousands and thousands of Christmas lights. Most displays had a nursery rhyme theme, some of which were even animated! We saw, jack and the Bean Stalk, Little Boy Blue, Hey Diddle Diddle, Little Bo Peep, and Humpty Dumpty. Our favorite, was definitely the animated lights of the three little pigs, with their houses being huffed at by the big bad wolf!
After the wagon ride, we stood in line to enter Santa's Toy Workshop. Here each child can choose their own wooden toy from a huge variety of different models. There were planes, trains, automobiles, fire trucks, tractors and boats (to name a few) for boys, and just as many options that appeal to the girls. They are given a bag with all the parts for their selected toy, which they are to hand over to the "elf". So Nathan chose the airplane and soon an "elf" called him over to his workbench. Nathan sat beside him and was handed some protective goggles. Then the assembly of the airplane began. Nathan got to hold the trigger of the drill while the elf carefully made the necessary holes. The ever-so-trusting elf then handed Nathan a hammer, and got him to hit the nails into the airplane to secure the wings, wheels and propeller to the body of the plane. Nathan absolutely loved this!! Once he had assembled we could move to the next table where Nathan could paint his newly assembled toy! He painted the plane blue and red, and added some glitter for the finishing touches! He was so proud of his plane, and we were proud of him. We left the toy behind to dry, and made our way to see Santa Claus! After sharing his desires with Santa, we made our way to an indoor arena where a "Cowboy Christmas" was being enacted, along with their horses. Afterward we headed back to collect Nathan's airplane, and climbed into the car to find a restaurant - and then head back west to fetch Josh and then finally home!
On Sunday, we all headed to the 9am Church service. Liesel was on Nursery duty all day, which was unfortunate, as she missed the annual Cantata! The Cantata was absolutely spectacular, with full orchestra, forty voice choir, and hand bells! There is something special when singing your favorite carols accompanied by a brass section, strings, wind and percussion, not to mention the harmonies of the choir! This was a slice of what heaven will be like, I am sure!
(Photo taken by Dave Ercegovic)
On Sunday evening, Liesel had prepared a delicious roast of beef for us, along with her addictive Yorkshire puddings! Another taste of heaven :) After the boys had bathed, and Josh put to bed, Liesel myself and Nathan snuggled up together under a blanket and enjoyed the DVD, Up!
Oh yes! It's good being back with family!
On Saturday, Nathan's Pre-school presented their annual Christmas program. Liesel volunteered to assist with the food for the other "grades", so she got there at 11am. Nathan's "grade" (aka Extended Pre-K) was performing at 1:15pm, and I made sure I got him and Josh there with plenty of time to spare. Soon it was time for the show, and it was so cute. Nathan was adorable, singing and acting to the songs! See the video's below to prove that I am not overly biased :P Everybody had a great time, and Nathan thoroughly enjoyed putting on the show for us. After a couple of cookies afterwards, it was back home, to put Josh down for a power nap.
And a power nap it was, since 60 minutes later we were on our way to drop Josh off at our friend's place, as Liesel, Nathan and I had tickets to the Lake Metro Park's Country Lights festival! We had previously visited the lake Metro Park (about an hour east of us) in the Spring, and saw many farm animals (pigs, sheep, goats, llamas and alpacas), horses, and even a dog show! But this time the farm had decorated for Christmas! Upon our arrival, we boarded a horse-drawn wagon, and we were taken on a trip around their fields. The fields were lit up with thousands and thousands of Christmas lights. Most displays had a nursery rhyme theme, some of which were even animated! We saw, jack and the Bean Stalk, Little Boy Blue, Hey Diddle Diddle, Little Bo Peep, and Humpty Dumpty. Our favorite, was definitely the animated lights of the three little pigs, with their houses being huffed at by the big bad wolf!
After the wagon ride, we stood in line to enter Santa's Toy Workshop. Here each child can choose their own wooden toy from a huge variety of different models. There were planes, trains, automobiles, fire trucks, tractors and boats (to name a few) for boys, and just as many options that appeal to the girls. They are given a bag with all the parts for their selected toy, which they are to hand over to the "elf". So Nathan chose the airplane and soon an "elf" called him over to his workbench. Nathan sat beside him and was handed some protective goggles. Then the assembly of the airplane began. Nathan got to hold the trigger of the drill while the elf carefully made the necessary holes. The ever-so-trusting elf then handed Nathan a hammer, and got him to hit the nails into the airplane to secure the wings, wheels and propeller to the body of the plane. Nathan absolutely loved this!! Once he had assembled we could move to the next table where Nathan could paint his newly assembled toy! He painted the plane blue and red, and added some glitter for the finishing touches! He was so proud of his plane, and we were proud of him. We left the toy behind to dry, and made our way to see Santa Claus! After sharing his desires with Santa, we made our way to an indoor arena where a "Cowboy Christmas" was being enacted, along with their horses. Afterward we headed back to collect Nathan's airplane, and climbed into the car to find a restaurant - and then head back west to fetch Josh and then finally home!
On Sunday, we all headed to the 9am Church service. Liesel was on Nursery duty all day, which was unfortunate, as she missed the annual Cantata! The Cantata was absolutely spectacular, with full orchestra, forty voice choir, and hand bells! There is something special when singing your favorite carols accompanied by a brass section, strings, wind and percussion, not to mention the harmonies of the choir! This was a slice of what heaven will be like, I am sure!
(Photo taken by Dave Ercegovic)
On Sunday evening, Liesel had prepared a delicious roast of beef for us, along with her addictive Yorkshire puddings! Another taste of heaven :) After the boys had bathed, and Josh put to bed, Liesel myself and Nathan snuggled up together under a blanket and enjoyed the DVD, Up!
Oh yes! It's good being back with family!
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Winter is starting to bare its teeth!
I am so thankful that I could complete my house's Christmas lights last week while the temperatures were in the 50s (10 C)! This entire week, there were only a couple of occasions when the mercury was brave enough to venture above freezing! So needless to say, we spent most of the weekend indoors!
On Saturday morning, Liesel attended the Providence Annual Women's Christmas Brunch, and had a wonderful time with friends! I spent the morning at home with the two boys, having plenty of fun. That afternoon, I headed out to one of our favorite stores to pick up some white fudge covered gingerbread men, and my personal favorite, chocolate truffles imported from France! Hmmmmmmmm........ Saturday was also our family fun night. We thought that it was a great evening to head out into Avon and look at some of the Christmas lights and decorations that people have put up. So we bundled into my car, turned the heat up and took a leisurely drive through some of the neighborhoods, and were pleasantly surprised by some people's efforts. We returned to the warmth of our house and began to watch Ice Age 3 - the Dawn of the Dinosaurs! Nathan chose to watch 30 minutes and then go to bed and have Liesel read some books to him instead. She happily obliged and then came back downstairs and the two of us finished watching the movie together.
On Sunday morning, it was all hands on deck from 7:30am onwards, as our church was having their annual Children's Christmas Program, featuring our very own Nathan. We made it to the church with plenty of time to spare, and even managed to secure some of the best "real estate" available (second row from the front - with no one in front of us). Nathan and the 5 year olds made their very cute, albeit brief, appearance! But he had fun, and that's what counts! Scroll to the bottom to see the video of his performance......
Once home, we had a delicious roast chicken for lunch, and then Nathan and Liesel went to the library, while I entertained Josh. When Josh's "sell by date" was surpassed, I put him down for a nap, and I started packing my bags for California! Tomorrow I am flying out to Google for some more training, leaving Liesel and the boys here to brace the first big winter storm :( I am disappointed that I won't be there to fire up my trusty snow thrower, so I had to show Liesel how to use "the beast".
And now I lay me down to sleep, as tomorrow morning I am being picked up at 7am and heading to the airport! I am also trying something completely new. I have signed up for a paperless boarding pass, which means that I have a special barcode that was sent to my iPhone. When I get to the check-in counter, I will place my phone (displaying the barcode) under the scanners, which should work as well as paper! Let's hope that works as well as it's advertised to.........
On Saturday morning, Liesel attended the Providence Annual Women's Christmas Brunch, and had a wonderful time with friends! I spent the morning at home with the two boys, having plenty of fun. That afternoon, I headed out to one of our favorite stores to pick up some white fudge covered gingerbread men, and my personal favorite, chocolate truffles imported from France! Hmmmmmmmm........ Saturday was also our family fun night. We thought that it was a great evening to head out into Avon and look at some of the Christmas lights and decorations that people have put up. So we bundled into my car, turned the heat up and took a leisurely drive through some of the neighborhoods, and were pleasantly surprised by some people's efforts. We returned to the warmth of our house and began to watch Ice Age 3 - the Dawn of the Dinosaurs! Nathan chose to watch 30 minutes and then go to bed and have Liesel read some books to him instead. She happily obliged and then came back downstairs and the two of us finished watching the movie together.
On Sunday morning, it was all hands on deck from 7:30am onwards, as our church was having their annual Children's Christmas Program, featuring our very own Nathan. We made it to the church with plenty of time to spare, and even managed to secure some of the best "real estate" available (second row from the front - with no one in front of us). Nathan and the 5 year olds made their very cute, albeit brief, appearance! But he had fun, and that's what counts! Scroll to the bottom to see the video of his performance......
Once home, we had a delicious roast chicken for lunch, and then Nathan and Liesel went to the library, while I entertained Josh. When Josh's "sell by date" was surpassed, I put him down for a nap, and I started packing my bags for California! Tomorrow I am flying out to Google for some more training, leaving Liesel and the boys here to brace the first big winter storm :( I am disappointed that I won't be there to fire up my trusty snow thrower, so I had to show Liesel how to use "the beast".
And now I lay me down to sleep, as tomorrow morning I am being picked up at 7am and heading to the airport! I am also trying something completely new. I have signed up for a paperless boarding pass, which means that I have a special barcode that was sent to my iPhone. When I get to the check-in counter, I will place my phone (displaying the barcode) under the scanners, which should work as well as paper! Let's hope that works as well as it's advertised to.........
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Give thanks to the Lord for He is good - Psa 107:1a
Thanksgiving is one of Liesel's and my favorite holidays here in the USA! It's a time for us to reflect back on the past year and appreciate God's faithfulness, and providence that He has lavished upon us. It's also a perfect opportunity for some quality time with the family, since I had the Thursday, Friday and weekend off.
For our Thanksgiving, we were invited to some friends who are originally from Texas. Since neither our friends, nor us, have family nearby to celebrate with, it was a great idea for our families to celebrate together! Nathan loved playing with Max, Owen and Sam (their three boys) while Josh entertained himself with books and cars on the carpet. Soon it was time for the Thanksgiving meal, and it was without a shadow of a doubt, the best Thanksgiving meal we have ever had! Our Texan friends, thankfully, do not follow the Thanksgiving tradition of preparing a huge turkey. Instead, we feasted on delicious steaks that were grilled to perfection by Jeremy! Restaurants should come to him to learn the art of perfecting the steak! The meat was so tender that it hardly needed a knife to cut it. Absolutely divine!! After the second helping of steak, dessert was readied in the kitchen. This consisted of Banana Cream pie, Pumpkin pie and chocolate brownies! This was a Thanksgiving of Note!
On Friday, we were awakened to a thin layer of snow covering our yard. This was our first snowfall of the season, and a gentle reminder of what we will be used to seeing within a few weeks! Unlike last year, I did not venture out to the stores before the sun rose, to take advantage of the store's Black Friday sales.... and spent most of the time at home. Later that day I did head out to get some more LED Christmas lights to decorate our house, and found that most of the crowds of bargain hunters had dissipated. That evening was Family Fun Night, and Nathan's choice was to play some board games, which is always a great family bonding activity!
By the time Saturday rolled around, the snow had melted and was long forgotten, as the sun shone brightly in the blue northeast Ohio sky! Liesel went out for breakfast with a friend and enjoyed some rare quality shopping time. I had the boys all to myself and kept them entertained for a few hours. Once Liesel returned home, I took my mower for its last spin around the yard, mainly to pick up the leaves that were covering the grass. Once that task was done, I moved the mower to the back of the garage, and parked my snow thrower in the premium spot that the mower occupied during the last 3 seasons! Inside, Nathan and I put up our Christmas tree, and started the process of decorating it! Once it was erected, and the lights tested, I headed up onto our roof to finish hanging the lights. It is quite a nerve-wracking experience hanging lights at the extreme edges of the roof, but at least the weather was dry and warm this time!
Another gorgeous day greeted us on Sunday, and we headed to the early church service. Later that afternoon, we headed out to Crocker Park to get some hot chocolate and walk around in the unseasonal weather. Nathan got to play with the train set at Barnes and Noble, and we got to see all the beautiful Christmas decorations, including the giant Christmas tree in the center. Can't believe December is a couple of days away!!!!
Finally, I want to wish my nephew a happy 7th Birthday today! I hope you have a great day Caleb!
Thanksgiving is one of Liesel's and my favorite holidays here in the USA! It's a time for us to reflect back on the past year and appreciate God's faithfulness, and providence that He has lavished upon us. It's also a perfect opportunity for some quality time with the family, since I had the Thursday, Friday and weekend off.
For our Thanksgiving, we were invited to some friends who are originally from Texas. Since neither our friends, nor us, have family nearby to celebrate with, it was a great idea for our families to celebrate together! Nathan loved playing with Max, Owen and Sam (their three boys) while Josh entertained himself with books and cars on the carpet. Soon it was time for the Thanksgiving meal, and it was without a shadow of a doubt, the best Thanksgiving meal we have ever had! Our Texan friends, thankfully, do not follow the Thanksgiving tradition of preparing a huge turkey. Instead, we feasted on delicious steaks that were grilled to perfection by Jeremy! Restaurants should come to him to learn the art of perfecting the steak! The meat was so tender that it hardly needed a knife to cut it. Absolutely divine!! After the second helping of steak, dessert was readied in the kitchen. This consisted of Banana Cream pie, Pumpkin pie and chocolate brownies! This was a Thanksgiving of Note!
On Friday, we were awakened to a thin layer of snow covering our yard. This was our first snowfall of the season, and a gentle reminder of what we will be used to seeing within a few weeks! Unlike last year, I did not venture out to the stores before the sun rose, to take advantage of the store's Black Friday sales.... and spent most of the time at home. Later that day I did head out to get some more LED Christmas lights to decorate our house, and found that most of the crowds of bargain hunters had dissipated. That evening was Family Fun Night, and Nathan's choice was to play some board games, which is always a great family bonding activity!
By the time Saturday rolled around, the snow had melted and was long forgotten, as the sun shone brightly in the blue northeast Ohio sky! Liesel went out for breakfast with a friend and enjoyed some rare quality shopping time. I had the boys all to myself and kept them entertained for a few hours. Once Liesel returned home, I took my mower for its last spin around the yard, mainly to pick up the leaves that were covering the grass. Once that task was done, I moved the mower to the back of the garage, and parked my snow thrower in the premium spot that the mower occupied during the last 3 seasons! Inside, Nathan and I put up our Christmas tree, and started the process of decorating it! Once it was erected, and the lights tested, I headed up onto our roof to finish hanging the lights. It is quite a nerve-wracking experience hanging lights at the extreme edges of the roof, but at least the weather was dry and warm this time!
Another gorgeous day greeted us on Sunday, and we headed to the early church service. Later that afternoon, we headed out to Crocker Park to get some hot chocolate and walk around in the unseasonal weather. Nathan got to play with the train set at Barnes and Noble, and we got to see all the beautiful Christmas decorations, including the giant Christmas tree in the center. Can't believe December is a couple of days away!!!!
Finally, I want to wish my nephew a happy 7th Birthday today! I hope you have a great day Caleb!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Happy first birthday, Josh!!!
One year ago, I was getting Nathan, with his overnight bag, into my car and heading out into Cleveland's first snow storm of the season, after a frantic phone call from Liesel, informing me that Joshua was about to come into our world! This weekend, we celebrate a year of an adventurous, care-free, loving,and energetic life with our little hurricane, Josh!
Saturday was Josh's big day, and he was the first to wake up. Once all of us were awake, we moved to the living room and handed him his first birthday gifts to open. Of course, his older brother was on hand to demonstrate the proper paper ripping techniques! He seemed to enjoy his gifts, and was moving from toy to toy, trying to determine which was most fun. Being one year old, he could now enjoy certain privileges, such as a pancake for breakfast and his very first, birthday cupcake! Being his first cupcake ever, his dessert etiquette leaves much to be desired, as is evident in the photos!
Later that day as Josh took a nap to recuperate from all the excitement, I took advantage of the above average temperatures we have been experiencing, and started to put up our Christmas lights! I will not, however, be following local shopping complexes' example, by turning the lights on so early in the season. It will only be after Thanksgiving before I flip the switch to turn the festive lights on. We also had a chance to catch up with our families in South Africa using Skype! It's so much better for the grandparents and aunts to be able to see Joshua and wish him happy birthday"face to face"!
That evening, after supper, it was Family Fun Night, and Liesel chose to play board games as our activity! Liesel and Nathan shared the victories this time round......
On Sunday, it was a rare occurrence, that I was awake before everyone else, including Josh! The reason for that was that my alarm woke me up at 6:30am as I had to be at the church at 7:30 for worship team rehearsal. This Sunday was the first time that I played lead "electric" guitar for the team. The reason I put electric in quotes, was that I still played my regular Fender accoustic guitar, but this time I had an effects pedal which converted my guitar's sounds to that of an electric! I really enjoyed this new role, and loved seeing the face of the people in the congregation who were trying so hard to find out who was playing the electric guitar! After church, Liesel prepared another delicious roast for us, and then it was all hands on deck for getting the house ready for Josh's party at 3pm! Liesel catered and as always, served up a delicious array of dishes! She had everything from mini-quiches to a spicy buffalo hot sauce dip that accompanied tortilla chips. For the sweet tooth, she had cupcakes, her signature double chocolate chip cookies,and éclairs filled with custard to name a few!
At 3pm, our friends started arriving, and Nathan was thrilled to have four of his best friends spend the afternoon with him! Everybody had a great time, from enjoying the food, watching (but not enjoying) the Cleveland football team snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, and just hanging out and enjoying each other's company! Ah yes, it was a great weekend! Can't wait for Josh's second birthday :)
Saturday was Josh's big day, and he was the first to wake up. Once all of us were awake, we moved to the living room and handed him his first birthday gifts to open. Of course, his older brother was on hand to demonstrate the proper paper ripping techniques! He seemed to enjoy his gifts, and was moving from toy to toy, trying to determine which was most fun. Being one year old, he could now enjoy certain privileges, such as a pancake for breakfast and his very first, birthday cupcake! Being his first cupcake ever, his dessert etiquette leaves much to be desired, as is evident in the photos!
Later that day as Josh took a nap to recuperate from all the excitement, I took advantage of the above average temperatures we have been experiencing, and started to put up our Christmas lights! I will not, however, be following local shopping complexes' example, by turning the lights on so early in the season. It will only be after Thanksgiving before I flip the switch to turn the festive lights on. We also had a chance to catch up with our families in South Africa using Skype! It's so much better for the grandparents and aunts to be able to see Joshua and wish him happy birthday"face to face"!
That evening, after supper, it was Family Fun Night, and Liesel chose to play board games as our activity! Liesel and Nathan shared the victories this time round......
On Sunday, it was a rare occurrence, that I was awake before everyone else, including Josh! The reason for that was that my alarm woke me up at 6:30am as I had to be at the church at 7:30 for worship team rehearsal. This Sunday was the first time that I played lead "electric" guitar for the team. The reason I put electric in quotes, was that I still played my regular Fender accoustic guitar, but this time I had an effects pedal which converted my guitar's sounds to that of an electric! I really enjoyed this new role, and loved seeing the face of the people in the congregation who were trying so hard to find out who was playing the electric guitar! After church, Liesel prepared another delicious roast for us, and then it was all hands on deck for getting the house ready for Josh's party at 3pm! Liesel catered and as always, served up a delicious array of dishes! She had everything from mini-quiches to a spicy buffalo hot sauce dip that accompanied tortilla chips. For the sweet tooth, she had cupcakes, her signature double chocolate chip cookies,and éclairs filled with custard to name a few!
At 3pm, our friends started arriving, and Nathan was thrilled to have four of his best friends spend the afternoon with him! Everybody had a great time, from enjoying the food, watching (but not enjoying) the Cleveland football team snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, and just hanging out and enjoying each other's company! Ah yes, it was a great weekend! Can't wait for Josh's second birthday :)
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Enjoying it while it lasts!
After taking the garbage out onto our driveway tonight at 9pm, I realized that the days when I can do that barefoot and wearing a T-shirt are very, very few! There is a definite chill in the night air, but the day time temperatures that we are enjoying at the moment, are well above average for this time of year!
On Saturday morning, the McCarthy family went to explore the Westside Market in Cleveland for the first time. This quote from the Westside Market page at About.com sums it up perfectly: "The West Side Market, at the edge of Ohio City in Cleveland, is a cultural and culinary gem. Opened in 1912, the market combines graceful Neo-Classical/Byzantine architecture with a vibrant produce and meat, poultry, and dairy market. Not only is the West Side Market an interesting and fun place to visit, it's a great place to find quality groceries at affordable prices."
It truly does cater for every culinary taste, as some of the food was very "interesting". We saw ox tongue (which brings back memories of Christmas in South Africa), lamb tongue, lamb livers, lamb hearts, and pig's feet! There was also the entire body of a slaughtered pig in one of the butcher's display fridges. I wanted to take a photo, but I thought to myself, if they could proudly display what they did to that pig, then they probably could do something similar to a curious photographer with an accent! But fear not, for I have scoured the internet and found a photo of someone who was brave enough to take a photo at the Westside market!
The market also had dozens of bakeries, boasting baked treats, delicious breads and exquisite cakes. There were stores selling different varieties of cheeses, Chinese specialties, nuts and spices! In another building, as far as the eye could see, vendors were selling fresh produce, and offering free samples of their goods. Some vendors displayed their fruit and veggies artistically, while other vendors shouted out their specials as you walked past. This venue was packed with people purchasing produce, even at 9am when we arrived there. It's doors officially open at 7am, so that could explain why it was bustling 2 hours later! We did not buy anything exotic, but Nathan got a doughnut, and Liesel and I treated ourselves to giant crepe each, covered in sugar and lemon juice! It was about the size of a large pizza, but it was delicious, with everyone in the family, including Nathan and Josh, getting a taste of the mega-pancake!
As I mentioned earlier the weather was fantastic, and when we got home, we changed into short sleeved tees, and I started up the mower to pick up the leaves that were covering the grass. While I mowed, Liesel, Josh, and Nathan came outside and kicked a soccer ball around and just loved being outdoors! After I got done with the mowing, Nathan and I played with his radio control helicopter on the driveway. Mental Note: Don't play with a radio control helicopter on a driveway, because if it falls and hits the concrete, little, yet important (ie. tail rotor), pieces will break off!
That evening we headed to the shops to do some grocery shopping, and get some items needed for Josh's party next week. Then we returned home, had dinner, bathed Josh and cut his hair, put Josh in bed and then sat down to watch Disney's Earth movie for Family Fun Night. This is more of a documentary about animals on the earth, and about the circle of life. Needless to say, it wasn't Nathan's favorite, and when I took him to bed afterwards, his words to me were: "That wasn't very fun!". Documentaries have that reputation......
On Sunday, Josh had a runny nose as a result of his teething, so Liesel stayed at home with him, and Nathan and I went to Church. While at church, Liesel and Josh went for a brisk walk around the neighborhood. We enjoyed our time at the church, and when we came home, Liesel had prepared a delicious pork roast for us for lunch, and her famous hot, chocolate pudding!! Later that day, Liesel and Nathan headed off to the library, and left me at home with a sleeping Josh. This was the perfect opportunity for me to practice on my guitar piece for church next week! When Liesel and Nathan returned an hour later, I played with the boys in the basement, before dinner time. Then it was soon time to eat, bath and into bed :)
Josh sporting his new haircut, and Nathan posing behind his "Lego City"
... and now for one of my favorite photo's: Josh fully engrossed in a volleyball match on the TV! He stood there for about 10 minutes watching :) That's my boy!
On Saturday morning, the McCarthy family went to explore the Westside Market in Cleveland for the first time. This quote from the Westside Market page at About.com sums it up perfectly: "The West Side Market, at the edge of Ohio City in Cleveland, is a cultural and culinary gem. Opened in 1912, the market combines graceful Neo-Classical/Byzantine architecture with a vibrant produce and meat, poultry, and dairy market. Not only is the West Side Market an interesting and fun place to visit, it's a great place to find quality groceries at affordable prices."
It truly does cater for every culinary taste, as some of the food was very "interesting". We saw ox tongue (which brings back memories of Christmas in South Africa), lamb tongue, lamb livers, lamb hearts, and pig's feet! There was also the entire body of a slaughtered pig in one of the butcher's display fridges. I wanted to take a photo, but I thought to myself, if they could proudly display what they did to that pig, then they probably could do something similar to a curious photographer with an accent! But fear not, for I have scoured the internet and found a photo of someone who was brave enough to take a photo at the Westside market!
The market also had dozens of bakeries, boasting baked treats, delicious breads and exquisite cakes. There were stores selling different varieties of cheeses, Chinese specialties, nuts and spices! In another building, as far as the eye could see, vendors were selling fresh produce, and offering free samples of their goods. Some vendors displayed their fruit and veggies artistically, while other vendors shouted out their specials as you walked past. This venue was packed with people purchasing produce, even at 9am when we arrived there. It's doors officially open at 7am, so that could explain why it was bustling 2 hours later! We did not buy anything exotic, but Nathan got a doughnut, and Liesel and I treated ourselves to giant crepe each, covered in sugar and lemon juice! It was about the size of a large pizza, but it was delicious, with everyone in the family, including Nathan and Josh, getting a taste of the mega-pancake!
As I mentioned earlier the weather was fantastic, and when we got home, we changed into short sleeved tees, and I started up the mower to pick up the leaves that were covering the grass. While I mowed, Liesel, Josh, and Nathan came outside and kicked a soccer ball around and just loved being outdoors! After I got done with the mowing, Nathan and I played with his radio control helicopter on the driveway. Mental Note: Don't play with a radio control helicopter on a driveway, because if it falls and hits the concrete, little, yet important (ie. tail rotor), pieces will break off!
That evening we headed to the shops to do some grocery shopping, and get some items needed for Josh's party next week. Then we returned home, had dinner, bathed Josh and cut his hair, put Josh in bed and then sat down to watch Disney's Earth movie for Family Fun Night. This is more of a documentary about animals on the earth, and about the circle of life. Needless to say, it wasn't Nathan's favorite, and when I took him to bed afterwards, his words to me were: "That wasn't very fun!". Documentaries have that reputation......
On Sunday, Josh had a runny nose as a result of his teething, so Liesel stayed at home with him, and Nathan and I went to Church. While at church, Liesel and Josh went for a brisk walk around the neighborhood. We enjoyed our time at the church, and when we came home, Liesel had prepared a delicious pork roast for us for lunch, and her famous hot, chocolate pudding!! Later that day, Liesel and Nathan headed off to the library, and left me at home with a sleeping Josh. This was the perfect opportunity for me to practice on my guitar piece for church next week! When Liesel and Nathan returned an hour later, I played with the boys in the basement, before dinner time. Then it was soon time to eat, bath and into bed :)
Josh sporting his new haircut, and Nathan posing behind his "Lego City"
... and now for one of my favorite photo's: Josh fully engrossed in a volleyball match on the TV! He stood there for about 10 minutes watching :) That's my boy!
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