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
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