Foto (and video) Friday

Here it is again... another Friday, and I'm playing along with Tracy for a Foto Friday. Today's challenge is Kissy Faces. Babies always make the sweetest kissy faces, so here's two of mine and a video to boot!


Kissy Faithy!


Andrew's kissy face

This is a video of Faith running to give Daddy 'nite 'nite sugars!

Texas trip and Virginia visitor

So, after a phone call and several discussions on Saturday, we decided on Sunday morning to make a whirlwind trip to Dallas, Texas. Straight there, straight back. That's right, it's a 7-hour trip, but Dennis had to be back in time to get rest and be at work on Monday morning, so it left us with little choice. So we loaded up the kids in the van and headed down the road.

Why, you ask? Well, let me answer...

Checking out the web, the two Big D's!

Dennis' dad, "PawPaw Danny" is from Virginia, but a job transfer landed him in Dallas, where he's been for quite some time. He's laid off work for a few days or so and we felt like it would be a good opportunity to have him come spend some time with us and the kids. Having no vehicle and all other modes of transportation ruled out, the only option was to drive there and pick him up. We arrived about 4:30pm, ate some dinner with him and headed back on the road to arrive back home at 1am, Monday morning.

The kids are certainly eating up the attention PawPaw's offered and I'm thinking he's rather enjoying himself as well.

Charis decided to help Pawpaw rake up leaves and dump them in the burn pile. When you don't have a wheelbarrow, a trash can works wonders!

Just hangin' out with Pawpaw!

Andrew's buddy.... Pawpaw Danny.

Matthew and Faith spoilin' Pawpaw.

Books of the Bible and Silver Eagles

On Sunday, Charis and Matthew were presented with a Silver Eagle Award. This award is given by Bro. Bob Wright, a man in our church who started this program in 2004 for any child of East Side who could recite the books of the Bible in order. Charis and Matthew were the 37th and 38th recipients of the Silver Eagle award.

In the summer, we had started working on helping Charis to learn them, so she would find it easier to follow along in her Bible during preaching. One night, we noticed Matthew trying to say them before she did. So, we switched gears and worked with him as well. Knowing how easily embarrassed Matthew gets, I decided to let them go together to quote the books and receive the award. So, they both went to Bro. Wright on Sunday, November 30th and quoted the books of the Bible. As you can see, I was correct in my assumption, as Matthew kept inching closer and closer behind the pulpit while Charis stood in confidence.



I am so proud of both of them. And still enjoy listening to them recite the books.

Not to be outdone, Andrew loves to "recite" the books of the Bible too. So, sit back (pause the music) and get a kick out of the smilebox videos as each one says the books of the Bible!

Make a Smilebox postcard

In the second video of Matthew, toward the end, he's trying to see me behind the camera. I still get a good laugh when I watch it! As for Andrew, well, nearly anything he does (good, of course) is cute! I had finished recording the first video, trying to keep him somewhat in order and he decided he wanted me to record him doing "Matthew, Mark, Luke and John." Hence, the second video... how many "First and Seconds" did you pick out?

*~Foto Friday~*

Today's Foto Friday theme is "Special Friends" per Tracy and so I am going to have to post a couple of pictures.


The first ones are the Andrzejewski's, our dear friends and missionaries to Portugal. They left a year ago with assurances to our children and theirs that it would be 5 years before they could come back for furlough. Charis is counting down the years (only 4 more to go) and keeping up with who will be how old (the kids, not the adults)when that time finally comes!



And the next ones are the Lanham's, who moved away 3 years ago to a far away coast called King Cove, Alaska. Charis doesn't think it's too far away and that we should be able to get there quickly (if we could travel as fast as her finger does across the United States wall map!)







It would fill quite a page for me to upload all the pictures of all my friends who hold a special place in my heart, but these two will have to do for now...