O Mod Tannenbaum Christmas
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Thursday, December 16, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Joyful Noise, Take 2
Location, location, location. What a difference a seat can make at a concert. Back in April I blogged about the Skillet and TobyMac concert at Liberty University (see "Joyful Noise"). I was disappointed about the seats we got (General Admission + not arriving early enough = FAIL), and also that Rebecca couldn't come along. But last night, lo and behold... God gave me a second chance. The tour ended last night in our hometown. My brother-in-law and I went to the Salem Civic Center a couple months back to get tickets and make sure we had decent seats. Boy, did we pick out some decent seats.
I don't necessarily want to recap everything the way I did for the previous concert, but man, as good as it was back in April... last night was infinitely greater. No exaggeration here... I think it was the best concert experience of my life. Please re-read. Okay, I did not say it was the greatest concert ever. What was? I don't know. Not qualified. But last night was the greatest concert experience ever... for me.
After "Shonlock" (Desean Bullock) warmed things up a bit, Skillet set the place on fire... almost literally with a nice touch of pyrotechnics. They are a band worthy of their own headlining tours. Lead singer and bass player John Cooper is a rockstar/performer/screamer/vocalist that I think tries to lose his voice during every show. His wife, Korey Cooper, jams along side him on rhythm guitar and keyboard. Ben Kasica is their well-qualified lead guitarist (meaning he can play the guitar behind his head... really well). And if you don't love their back-up vocalist and drummer chick extraordinaire, Jen Ledger, by the end of the night... leave your man card at the door. Anyway, big props to Skillet... again the best band out there with the worst name. And I recently read that John Cooper would agree with me about the name.
To quote some of his Funky Jesus Music lyrics, TobyMac and the Diverse City Band brought "that hip, that rock, that funky soul" and we watched that tour finale party grow! Yes, the night got better (as you should expect). Toby did his thing, and while I didn't document the entire night because I was just trying to take it all in, enjoy it, and worship God in the most exciting way for me, here's what else I want to remember and share about this concert: (a) God was in it -- I'm not a Christian hand-raiser (you know who you are and what I mean), but I was last night, and I wanted to show God not just with my heart, but publicly with my hands that I am His, and in some of those moments of true worship it almost seemed quiet in there; there's my touchy-feely thought for the day; (b) it felt like my wife and I were actually on a date, which there aren't enough of these days; (c) again... GREAT seats; (d) Toby's participation in the crowd -- Toby popped up at one point in the stands, and this teeny-bopper girl is freaked out next to him, and as he made his way back to the stage climbing across the chairs directly in front of us... OMG, I touched him with a manly slap on the back! You're jealous; (e) the acoustic set with Toby, Gabe Patillo (beat-boxing fool) and Tim Rosenau (guitar) -- happened right in front of us (see pic below -- no zoom, iPhone pic) and Toby gave us some scripture from 1 John 1;
(f) although Toby sported a green and black Houston Astros cap during his performance, he originally came out with a St. Louis Cardinals cap on -- and my "man crush" was official; (g) jammed some of my favorites: Tonight (tour/album title track), Extreme Days, Lose My Soul, Made to Love, City On Our Knees (with God of This City finish on it), and of course, J Train to name a few; and (h) the Winter Wonder Slam finale complete with white paper confetti snow and during which the Burger King Bandit (yes, that one) busted in and "shared" some Whoppers. Silly...
Enough said. It was a good night. Another memorable night of joyful noise.
Today's Good Read: Psalm 33:3
I don't necessarily want to recap everything the way I did for the previous concert, but man, as good as it was back in April... last night was infinitely greater. No exaggeration here... I think it was the best concert experience of my life. Please re-read. Okay, I did not say it was the greatest concert ever. What was? I don't know. Not qualified. But last night was the greatest concert experience ever... for me.
After "Shonlock" (Desean Bullock) warmed things up a bit, Skillet set the place on fire... almost literally with a nice touch of pyrotechnics. They are a band worthy of their own headlining tours. Lead singer and bass player John Cooper is a rockstar/performer/screamer/vocalist that I think tries to lose his voice during every show. His wife, Korey Cooper, jams along side him on rhythm guitar and keyboard. Ben Kasica is their well-qualified lead guitarist (meaning he can play the guitar behind his head... really well). And if you don't love their back-up vocalist and drummer chick extraordinaire, Jen Ledger, by the end of the night... leave your man card at the door. Anyway, big props to Skillet... again the best band out there with the worst name. And I recently read that John Cooper would agree with me about the name.
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| John Cooper of Skillet. |
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| Toby, Gabe, T-Rose. |
Enough said. It was a good night. Another memorable night of joyful noise.
Today's Good Read: Psalm 33:3
Friday, November 26, 2010
Say What?!
I'm experiencing more and more every day the truth that "kids say the darndest things." I've not documented enough of the hilarious things that I've heard come out of Isaac's almost-three-year-old mouth. So I'm starting today a new series of blog posts that will from here on out fall under the "Say What?!" label. Not to mention, Ella is only 6 and a half months old and has already uttered her name and "kitty" (which was Isaac's first word at 6 months old, too!) Anyway, without writing them down I'll forget these moments much too soon, and so... here we are.
Isaac has recently become an expert navigating his way to some computer game sites. This afternoon he was playing some Sesame Street games on pbskids.org. He got to Cookie Monster's "Color Me Hungry" where Grover asks that you help Cookie Monster match certain fruits and vegetables with the box they belong in based on what color they are. He proceeds to tell you some facts about the foods as they are correctly matched. This is the dialogue that took place after Isaac correctly matched the honeydew to the green box...
Grover: What a wonderful melon! It helps you grow and it is good for your blood and for your digestion. Not only that, but it is sweet and delicious.
Isaac: Yeah, and it's good for diarrhea, too.
Haha! Say What?!
As an encore, this evening Isaac asked me if I wanted to play in his room....
Me: Sure, but I've got to pee first... I'll be there in a minute.
Isaac (opening the door while I'm "midstream"): Good job, daddy... Tell me when you're done and I'll wipe you.
Me: Uh, I'm good.
Haha! Say What?!
Today's Good Read: Psalm 8:2
Isaac has recently become an expert navigating his way to some computer game sites. This afternoon he was playing some Sesame Street games on pbskids.org. He got to Cookie Monster's "Color Me Hungry" where Grover asks that you help Cookie Monster match certain fruits and vegetables with the box they belong in based on what color they are. He proceeds to tell you some facts about the foods as they are correctly matched. This is the dialogue that took place after Isaac correctly matched the honeydew to the green box...
Grover: What a wonderful melon! It helps you grow and it is good for your blood and for your digestion. Not only that, but it is sweet and delicious.
Isaac: Yeah, and it's good for diarrhea, too.
Haha! Say What?!
As an encore, this evening Isaac asked me if I wanted to play in his room....
Me: Sure, but I've got to pee first... I'll be there in a minute.
Isaac (opening the door while I'm "midstream"): Good job, daddy... Tell me when you're done and I'll wipe you.
Me: Uh, I'm good.
Haha! Say What?!
Today's Good Read: Psalm 8:2
Sunday, October 31, 2010
A Halloween Masterpiece
Whew. Definitely the most tiring Halloween yet. And only the third since Isaac was born. Guess we better suck it up and enjoy these moments while they last, though right? And so we did.
And this year we add a six-month-old baby sister to the costume equation. I suppose we didn't have to dress her up, but we figured she was going trick-or-treating with Isaac, so we might as well figure something out. So building on an idea Rebecca found in a magazine we created our Halloween masterpiece... Isaac as the artist and his baby sister Ella as his masterpiece.
Rebecca is the Halloween costume mastermind in the family, and isn't it funny the pressure you put on yourself to find the perfect costumes for your kids? Then again, maybe that wears off after the first few years. You seasoned Halloween parents know better than I do. Regardless, my wife came through in 2008 with an adorable golfer costume for Isaac, and she... delivered (pun intended) again last year with Isaac's UPS-man costume. How do you follow that cuteness?
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| Last year's UPS man costume (2009) |
And this year we add a six-month-old baby sister to the costume equation. I suppose we didn't have to dress her up, but we figured she was going trick-or-treating with Isaac, so we might as well figure something out. So building on an idea Rebecca found in a magazine we created our Halloween masterpiece... Isaac as the artist and his baby sister Ella as his masterpiece.
Happy Halloween!
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| The Artist and his Masterpiece |
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| The Artist and a portrait of his Mom |
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| The Artist and another beautiful portrait |
Friday, October 1, 2010
The Christian Atheist
I am by no means a book critic. More accurately, I am an aspiring bookworm. That is, I really enjoy reading, but I have to learn to stay awake long enough to finish books in a timely fashion. I actually end up reading the same pages and paragraphs and two or three times because I nod off, twitch back into alert mode, re-read, and repeat as necessary until I give up and turn off the light. I'm sure some of you can relate.
Anyway, I recently managed to finish a new book that I thought I would recommend to anyone who claims Jesus as their Lord, Savior, et al., but whose faith could easily be challenged or "called out" (with regard to their "un-Christian" behavior) by friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and in this day and age... Facebook friends -- yup, you see it all the time in status updates... "Praise God!" one day, and "I got hammered" the next. Heck, I'd be willing to bet you've seen, "Praise God, I got hammered!"
So the book is perfectly titled The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel (pastor, LifeChurch.tv). It's about "believing in God but living as if He doesn't exist." It's a book for the self-proclaimed Christ follower that: doesn't really take the time to get to know God; doesn't pray as often as he should; doesn't always think God is fair; doesn't always forgive on the level he has been forgiven; doesn't think God can change his ways; continues to worry all the time; doesn't share his faith; wants to claim Christ but not be a part of His church; and more.
On levels fortunately much lower than they were ten years ago, I still wrestle with my newly defined "Christian Atheism" daily, but I believe God can change me, has changed me, and is changing me. This book actually helped me identify some specific areas I can improve on and better represent Christ to the people around me.
Today's Good Read: Titus 1:16
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Summer Vacation 2010: Hilton Head - Day 7
8/26/2010 - The End
After finally having a night of sleep without Darren's snoring, we all slept in to prepare for our last day in Hilton Head. I guess "slept in" is relative... for me/us, we got up about 9am and Rebecca hooked us up with some yummy pancakes. We debated on whether we should hit the beach or the pool and decided the pool was more fun for Isaac. No qualms here... I'd gotten enough of a workout getting to the beach other days. As you may have already read, the pool was much more accessible and much easier. We figured if we had time, we would hit the beach that evening for an after-dinner stroll and kiss it good-bye.
So it was a quiet morning at the pool, then the usual lunch and naps. Since we didn't get much shopping time in the night before, we headed back to the outlets. We sat through one last torrential down-pour in the parking lot before attempting to unload kids and stroller. After hitting a few of our targeted shops, we landed in a Crocs store that smelled like a Goodyear factory. How anyone could stand to work 8 hours or more amongst that horrendous odor is beyond me. I had a headache after 5 minutes and felt the need to get my 4-month-old-unable-to-express-her-opinion daughter out of there. I wouldn't have been surprised to see her unbuckle herself and learn to crawl out of sheer life-saving necessity.
After the outlets we scored some Chic-fil-a for dinner and rushed back to squeeze in both that last walk on the beach I mentioned earlier, as well as a final evening swim for Isaac. We capped the evening with some ice cream and watched a little of The Barnyard before Isaac crashed. Rebecca soon followed and I stayed up packing, then blogging, and packing some more with SportsCenter providing some atmosphere -- significant because Albert Pujols hit the 400th homerun of his career that night. Nice work, Albert!
I hit the sack around 1:00am. Vacation was over. I think we all had fun.
p.s. - I was just kidding about Darren snoring. I never heard him once at night. Kaitlin will testify otherwise. :-)
Today's Good Read: John 16:31-33
After finally having a night of sleep without Darren's snoring, we all slept in to prepare for our last day in Hilton Head. I guess "slept in" is relative... for me/us, we got up about 9am and Rebecca hooked us up with some yummy pancakes. We debated on whether we should hit the beach or the pool and decided the pool was more fun for Isaac. No qualms here... I'd gotten enough of a workout getting to the beach other days. As you may have already read, the pool was much more accessible and much easier. We figured if we had time, we would hit the beach that evening for an after-dinner stroll and kiss it good-bye.
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| How you doin'? |
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| Water buddies all week long. |
So it was a quiet morning at the pool, then the usual lunch and naps. Since we didn't get much shopping time in the night before, we headed back to the outlets. We sat through one last torrential down-pour in the parking lot before attempting to unload kids and stroller. After hitting a few of our targeted shops, we landed in a Crocs store that smelled like a Goodyear factory. How anyone could stand to work 8 hours or more amongst that horrendous odor is beyond me. I had a headache after 5 minutes and felt the need to get my 4-month-old-unable-to-express-her-opinion daughter out of there. I wouldn't have been surprised to see her unbuckle herself and learn to crawl out of sheer life-saving necessity.
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| Me and my Ella. |
After the outlets we scored some Chic-fil-a for dinner and rushed back to squeeze in both that last walk on the beach I mentioned earlier, as well as a final evening swim for Isaac. We capped the evening with some ice cream and watched a little of The Barnyard before Isaac crashed. Rebecca soon followed and I stayed up packing, then blogging, and packing some more with SportsCenter providing some atmosphere -- significant because Albert Pujols hit the 400th homerun of his career that night. Nice work, Albert!
I hit the sack around 1:00am. Vacation was over. I think we all had fun.
p.s. - I was just kidding about Darren snoring. I never heard him once at night. Kaitlin will testify otherwise. :-)
Today's Good Read: John 16:31-33
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| The End. |
Summer Vacation 2010: Hilton Head - Day 6
8/25/2010: I Think We're Alone Now
Well, at this point, typing this is fairly anti-climactic, but I started this report, and so I'm going to finish it. Wednesday morning the Potters packed up and headed back to Roanoke. Before they did, we had a quick photo shoot at a nearby resort gazebo, since we didn't have any pictures of us all together thus far. After striking our poses, the Potters were off.
Us McMahons grieved momentarily for our loss. For the Potters were a good people... to have along on vacation: Darren, always a good conversationalist, full of fun stories, a loving brother-in-law and uncle; Melanie, my beautiful sister-in-law, always incredibly cheerful and honest, kind enough to laugh at most if not all of my jokes; and their wonderful twin daughters Kristen and Kaitlin, servants at heart, care-takers of their cousins, 10-year-olds extraordinaire. Ah yes, good peeps. Rebecca, Isaac, Ella and I dwelled on this for at least 4 minutes before heading over to the pool.
I'm kidding, the truth is that there probably wasn't a single time over the next two days that we returned to our unit from the pool or beach or wherever that Isaac didn't ask, "Are the girls here? Are the girls back yet?" Safe to say the Potters were missed dearly.
That evening we returned to a restaurant we visited two years ago called Hudson's. It's a great low-country restaurant with very good food and a view, if you're ever in the area. After eating we hit the Tanger Outlets for a little shopping -- Isaac and Rebecca got some new kicks. The shoe-shopping provided us a huge laugh as I noted on Facebook that day... after finding and eventually settling on a pair of Lightning McQueen (Cars movie) shoes that light up when you walk/run, I noticed Isaac eye-balling some Toy Story-themed shoes. I quickly interjected his thoughts and said, "Isaac, those are just ugly." From his rather calm, yet matter-of-fact tone, he seemed quite offended that I would say this about anything bearing the graven images of his beloved Toy Story friends. His response... "Well I think you two are ugly." I guess he figured Rebecca felt the same way about the shoes that I did. Well, she did, and we laughed.
Today's Good Read: Exodus 20:4-6
Well, at this point, typing this is fairly anti-climactic, but I started this report, and so I'm going to finish it. Wednesday morning the Potters packed up and headed back to Roanoke. Before they did, we had a quick photo shoot at a nearby resort gazebo, since we didn't have any pictures of us all together thus far. After striking our poses, the Potters were off.
Us McMahons grieved momentarily for our loss. For the Potters were a good people... to have along on vacation: Darren, always a good conversationalist, full of fun stories, a loving brother-in-law and uncle; Melanie, my beautiful sister-in-law, always incredibly cheerful and honest, kind enough to laugh at most if not all of my jokes; and their wonderful twin daughters Kristen and Kaitlin, servants at heart, care-takers of their cousins, 10-year-olds extraordinaire. Ah yes, good peeps. Rebecca, Isaac, Ella and I dwelled on this for at least 4 minutes before heading over to the pool.
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| A wink and a smile. |
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| When it got too deep, Isaac just hitched a ride. |
I'm kidding, the truth is that there probably wasn't a single time over the next two days that we returned to our unit from the pool or beach or wherever that Isaac didn't ask, "Are the girls here? Are the girls back yet?" Safe to say the Potters were missed dearly.
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| Back Row (left to right): Darren, Melanie Front Row (left to right): Kristen, Kaitlin |
That evening we returned to a restaurant we visited two years ago called Hudson's. It's a great low-country restaurant with very good food and a view, if you're ever in the area. After eating we hit the Tanger Outlets for a little shopping -- Isaac and Rebecca got some new kicks. The shoe-shopping provided us a huge laugh as I noted on Facebook that day... after finding and eventually settling on a pair of Lightning McQueen (Cars movie) shoes that light up when you walk/run, I noticed Isaac eye-balling some Toy Story-themed shoes. I quickly interjected his thoughts and said, "Isaac, those are just ugly." From his rather calm, yet matter-of-fact tone, he seemed quite offended that I would say this about anything bearing the graven images of his beloved Toy Story friends. His response... "Well I think you two are ugly." I guess he figured Rebecca felt the same way about the shoes that I did. Well, she did, and we laughed.
Today's Good Read: Exodus 20:4-6
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| Just plain ugly. |
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Summer Vacation 2010: Hilton Head - Day 5
8/24/2010: Potters' Last Sand
Wednesday was the Potters' last full day with us this week. Of course, we knew they weren't able to stay all week when they accepted our invitation. Melanie had to get back and prepare her room for a new Kindergarten class and attend some school meetings.
So we decided to spend the morning at the beach. The twins were catching some waves on their boogie boards, Melanie practiced her beautiful free-style stroke, Rebecca ventured out knee-deep with Ella briefly, but was nervous about getting knocked over by a wave so they eventually retreated to the umbrella and chairs, while Darren and I threw frisbee and avoided injury (if you know this family's history of beach vacations, this is significant), and Isaac busily dug, moved and threw sand. As Darren and I lost accuracy with the frisbee, we took a break and went to be with the kids. He caught some good video of his girls and I built arguably the most pitiful sand castle ever. What can I say? My heart just wasn't in that one, and do you ever get the feeling while you're building a sand castle that your back is on fire?
So I went and got Ella and Rebecca so we could all cool off. Certainly the little baby would be safe with daddy... he strong like bull. Rebecca ventured out with Isaac and hung with Darren and the girls and we were all rather entertained by a flock (?) of pelicans diving for lunch. I stayed fairly shallow with Ella and dipped her in the water oh so carefully in front of me as we both faced the ocean, you know, so I could watch out for those little waves that sneak up on you and crash on your head and your baby's face as you lean over to look at how cute she is. Yep, I missed that one. No catastrophe though, I think daddy's head took the brunt of that wave. Ella was rather unfazed. And mom wasn't looking. Way to go, dad... dumb like bull, too.
We got back to the resort for a late lunch, and then the Potter ladies hit the pool while Rebecca, Darren and Isaac napped and read, not necessarily in that order. I tried to catch up on my blog, but as I type this, I'm still trying to catch up. So yada, yada, yada... we relaxed, then the ladies cooked fixin's while Darren grilled Bubba Burgers. Everything was delicious, the kids wanted to watch Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, so we queued it up and watched that while we ate Key Lime Pie -- not bad -- and Strawberry Rhubarb Pie -- barf should be descriptive enough for the taste, not to mention it looked like what I imagine Celery in Red Goo Pie might look like. See for yourself. Bleh.
Today's Good Read: Matthew 7:24-29
Wednesday was the Potters' last full day with us this week. Of course, we knew they weren't able to stay all week when they accepted our invitation. Melanie had to get back and prepare her room for a new Kindergarten class and attend some school meetings.
So we decided to spend the morning at the beach. The twins were catching some waves on their boogie boards, Melanie practiced her beautiful free-style stroke, Rebecca ventured out knee-deep with Ella briefly, but was nervous about getting knocked over by a wave so they eventually retreated to the umbrella and chairs, while Darren and I threw frisbee and avoided injury (if you know this family's history of beach vacations, this is significant), and Isaac busily dug, moved and threw sand. As Darren and I lost accuracy with the frisbee, we took a break and went to be with the kids. He caught some good video of his girls and I built arguably the most pitiful sand castle ever. What can I say? My heart just wasn't in that one, and do you ever get the feeling while you're building a sand castle that your back is on fire?
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| The boogie board pros. |
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| Kaitlin's so good, she can ride waves with her eyes closed! |
So I went and got Ella and Rebecca so we could all cool off. Certainly the little baby would be safe with daddy... he strong like bull. Rebecca ventured out with Isaac and hung with Darren and the girls and we were all rather entertained by a flock (?) of pelicans diving for lunch. I stayed fairly shallow with Ella and dipped her in the water oh so carefully in front of me as we both faced the ocean, you know, so I could watch out for those little waves that sneak up on you and crash on your head and your baby's face as you lean over to look at how cute she is. Yep, I missed that one. No catastrophe though, I think daddy's head took the brunt of that wave. Ella was rather unfazed. And mom wasn't looking. Way to go, dad... dumb like bull, too.
We got back to the resort for a late lunch, and then the Potter ladies hit the pool while Rebecca, Darren and Isaac napped and read, not necessarily in that order. I tried to catch up on my blog, but as I type this, I'm still trying to catch up. So yada, yada, yada... we relaxed, then the ladies cooked fixin's while Darren grilled Bubba Burgers. Everything was delicious, the kids wanted to watch Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, so we queued it up and watched that while we ate Key Lime Pie -- not bad -- and Strawberry Rhubarb Pie -- barf should be descriptive enough for the taste, not to mention it looked like what I imagine Celery in Red Goo Pie might look like. See for yourself. Bleh.
Today's Good Read: Matthew 7:24-29
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| With all the wonderful pies in the world, people eat this? |
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| An intense moment in Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. |
Summer Vacation 2010: Hilton Head - Day 4
8/23/2010: Trying to Keep Up!
Okay, so I've already fallen behind on the vacation blog, but things get busy and the only time I have to do it is when everyone is napping (or reading... speaking of which, I brought two books that I have yet to open since I decided to blog instead).
So here's the skinny on Day 4... the kids got breakfast kicked by making everyone biscuits. The twins did an awesome job, not only handling the important parts of the baking, but also including Isaac in the process. Impressively, the biscuits were really tasty!
After breakfast, some of us headed off for another morning at the pool. Ella slept the whole time we were at the pool on Day 2, but this time we managed to go while she was awake... at least for a little while. After playing with her Aunt Melanie, she didn't have much left in her by the time I got to her and she nodded off right there in water.
After lunch, Darren took the twins shoe shopping (and they scored some nice socks, too!) while Isaac and Ella napped, Rebecca and Melanie read, and I blogged and waited for a guy -- eventually two guys -- to come and fix our DVD player. Eventually, Tales of Desperaux provided the backdrop of a lazy, dreary afternoon.
Melanie headed up a delicious chicken and rice dinner, and we enjoyed an evening stroll... well, Ella strolled... Kristen pushed, the adults walked, and Kaitlin and Isaac piggy-backed and eventually ran. Darren managed to keep pace with them. He's faster than he looks!
The kids played for a bit and then invited me for a game of Hide & Seek. Not to brag, but not only can I hide better than you, I actually put most chameleons to shame. But then I take it that one step further and scare the crap out of you when you get too close to finding me. It would actually be cool if chameleons did that, too, wouldn't it? Anyway, we played teams for a couple of rounds, and eventually I just started hiding each of the kids one at a time while the rest did the seeking. Wow, the places you can hide when you're 3 to 5 ft. tall and weigh 30 to 70 lbs.
We got the kids in bed around 9pm and decided we'd have an adult movie night... that is, a night of adults watching a movie... as opposed to a night of adult movies. But we took it to a "ho' nuva lebol" (a Mad TV / Eugene Struthers reference) and ordered up a late evening pizza like we did back in the college years. We -- Darren, Melanie and I -- watched the critically acclaimed and award-winning (I think) film, Slumdog Millionaire, and we were not disappointed. Rebecca managed to stay awake as long as we fed her pizza, but slept for most of the movie and woke up for the last ten minutes, just in time to spoil the ending if she ever wanted to watch what she missed. This is pretty standard movie-watching procedure for her, and I'm okay with that. Good movie, good night.
Today's Good Read: Psalm 40:10
Okay, so I've already fallen behind on the vacation blog, but things get busy and the only time I have to do it is when everyone is napping (or reading... speaking of which, I brought two books that I have yet to open since I decided to blog instead).
So here's the skinny on Day 4... the kids got breakfast kicked by making everyone biscuits. The twins did an awesome job, not only handling the important parts of the baking, but also including Isaac in the process. Impressively, the biscuits were really tasty!
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| The twins schooled Isaac on the art of Bisquick. |
After breakfast, some of us headed off for another morning at the pool. Ella slept the whole time we were at the pool on Day 2, but this time we managed to go while she was awake... at least for a little while. After playing with her Aunt Melanie, she didn't have much left in her by the time I got to her and she nodded off right there in water.
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| Ahh, water feels good... |
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| ... and I'm spent. |
After lunch, Darren took the twins shoe shopping (and they scored some nice socks, too!) while Isaac and Ella napped, Rebecca and Melanie read, and I blogged and waited for a guy -- eventually two guys -- to come and fix our DVD player. Eventually, Tales of Desperaux provided the backdrop of a lazy, dreary afternoon.
Melanie headed up a delicious chicken and rice dinner, and we enjoyed an evening stroll... well, Ella strolled... Kristen pushed, the adults walked, and Kaitlin and Isaac piggy-backed and eventually ran. Darren managed to keep pace with them. He's faster than he looks!
The kids played for a bit and then invited me for a game of Hide & Seek. Not to brag, but not only can I hide better than you, I actually put most chameleons to shame. But then I take it that one step further and scare the crap out of you when you get too close to finding me. It would actually be cool if chameleons did that, too, wouldn't it? Anyway, we played teams for a couple of rounds, and eventually I just started hiding each of the kids one at a time while the rest did the seeking. Wow, the places you can hide when you're 3 to 5 ft. tall and weigh 30 to 70 lbs.
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| The twins had searched everywhere. I yelled out, "Isaac, you're doing great! Keep being quiet!" From inside the stereo cabinet we hear a happy, "I am!" Then the girls found him. :-) |
We got the kids in bed around 9pm and decided we'd have an adult movie night... that is, a night of adults watching a movie... as opposed to a night of adult movies. But we took it to a "ho' nuva lebol" (a Mad TV / Eugene Struthers reference) and ordered up a late evening pizza like we did back in the college years. We -- Darren, Melanie and I -- watched the critically acclaimed and award-winning (I think) film, Slumdog Millionaire, and we were not disappointed. Rebecca managed to stay awake as long as we fed her pizza, but slept for most of the movie and woke up for the last ten minutes, just in time to spoil the ending if she ever wanted to watch what she missed. This is pretty standard movie-watching procedure for her, and I'm okay with that. Good movie, good night.
Today's Good Read: Psalm 40:10
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Summer Vacation 2010: Hilton Head - Day 3
8/22/2010: Starfish & Sea Pines & Games, Oh Mel!
Ahhh... the beach. As a man, I dare equate it to childbirth. It is SO wonderful, it is worth the associated pain. The pain: the time drained applying a half-gallon of sunblock to yourselves and your children (not babies, I know, settle down); making sure you have extra swimmy diapers and a hat for each child; packing up a cooler full of water and snacks; making sure you have enough toys not only to play with, but to choose from; packing books to read and crossword puzzles to make you feel dumb; loading everything and everyone up in the car, driving to the beach access, unloading your stuff -- which I can't even remember how we managed, but I remember at one point having a baby carrier on my arm (with baby installed), Isaac in my other arm because he apparently couldn't recall how to walk in sand, and our "green box o' fun" in my hands, and walking like this for about 50 yards (I don't know how far it was, but it was heavy for any distance worth measuring) while Darren dragged the remaining cargo (umbrella, chairs, beach bag, etc.) from the drop zone and Rebecca stayed with the vehicle, only to have to walk back to the car and go park it somewhere legal which is usually far enough away that you actually consider just resting there until everyone is ready to be picked up... but wait, you can't... because you are the family photographer and videographer and you have work to do. But like I said in the beginning, it's worth "the pain." And over time you forget the pain, and good Lord willing, you do it all over again... just like childbirth, right? Because the truth is... it's awesome, and I am totally grateful for a change of scenery and time with my wife and children.
Ahhh, yes... the beach. Finally. And a great beach morning it was. Slightly overcast, not too hot. Good beach weather for a baby. And baby Ella seemed to have a great first experience of the beach. She chilled in her tent for a while, woke up happy, and enjoyed her first time in the ocean.
The water was pretty calm and Isaac spent most of his time digging around in the sand while Kristen and Kaitlin wasted no time finding sea shells and living sea creatures. I don't know about you, but until this trip I had only seen the dead and bleached sand dollars people use for interior decor -- usually found in a basket on the back of a toilet along with shell-shaped soaps that no one ever uses. Well Kristen and Kaitlin found both a living sand dollar and a living, yet battle-worn, starfish!
The afternoon was quiet... naps, book-reading, the twins taking care of Ella and watching a movie. We rested up, and since we were all showered after a salty and sandy morning at the beach, we decided to take a ride down to Sea Pines, specifically the "Wreck of the Salty Dog" area and had some dinner at The Salty Dog Cafe. We took in some shops and face painting... well... arm painting as it turned out... and headed home. Isaac found an "Austin" plush toy (Backyardigans character) and a really cool alligator tattoo.
The evening was filled with another round of thunderstorms and a game of Would You Rather...? which Rebecca got for me last Christmas. Oh my... the potential for blackmail in this game is limitless. We had the cameras rolling and the pictures below are harmless, but God forbid my break-dancing and Melanie's... umm... I'm not even sure I can say it... so I won't... but God forbid those videos ever make it to YouTube. The things people will do to win a challenge in a dumb game. But man, did we laugh and have a great time.
Today's Good Read: Acts 2
Ahhh... the beach. As a man, I dare equate it to childbirth. It is SO wonderful, it is worth the associated pain. The pain: the time drained applying a half-gallon of sunblock to yourselves and your children (not babies, I know, settle down); making sure you have extra swimmy diapers and a hat for each child; packing up a cooler full of water and snacks; making sure you have enough toys not only to play with, but to choose from; packing books to read and crossword puzzles to make you feel dumb; loading everything and everyone up in the car, driving to the beach access, unloading your stuff -- which I can't even remember how we managed, but I remember at one point having a baby carrier on my arm (with baby installed), Isaac in my other arm because he apparently couldn't recall how to walk in sand, and our "green box o' fun" in my hands, and walking like this for about 50 yards (I don't know how far it was, but it was heavy for any distance worth measuring) while Darren dragged the remaining cargo (umbrella, chairs, beach bag, etc.) from the drop zone and Rebecca stayed with the vehicle, only to have to walk back to the car and go park it somewhere legal which is usually far enough away that you actually consider just resting there until everyone is ready to be picked up... but wait, you can't... because you are the family photographer and videographer and you have work to do. But like I said in the beginning, it's worth "the pain." And over time you forget the pain, and good Lord willing, you do it all over again... just like childbirth, right? Because the truth is... it's awesome, and I am totally grateful for a change of scenery and time with my wife and children.
Ahhh, yes... the beach. Finally. And a great beach morning it was. Slightly overcast, not too hot. Good beach weather for a baby. And baby Ella seemed to have a great first experience of the beach. She chilled in her tent for a while, woke up happy, and enjoyed her first time in the ocean.
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| Ella's first trip to the beach. Worth it, am I right? |
The water was pretty calm and Isaac spent most of his time digging around in the sand while Kristen and Kaitlin wasted no time finding sea shells and living sea creatures. I don't know about you, but until this trip I had only seen the dead and bleached sand dollars people use for interior decor -- usually found in a basket on the back of a toilet along with shell-shaped soaps that no one ever uses. Well Kristen and Kaitlin found both a living sand dollar and a living, yet battle-worn, starfish!
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| Kristen with her prized sand dollar, which was released back into the wild shortly thereafter. |
The afternoon was quiet... naps, book-reading, the twins taking care of Ella and watching a movie. We rested up, and since we were all showered after a salty and sandy morning at the beach, we decided to take a ride down to Sea Pines, specifically the "Wreck of the Salty Dog" area and had some dinner at The Salty Dog Cafe. We took in some shops and face painting... well... arm painting as it turned out... and headed home. Isaac found an "Austin" plush toy (Backyardigans character) and a really cool alligator tattoo.
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| Isaac, Austin and the alligator. |
The evening was filled with another round of thunderstorms and a game of Would You Rather...? which Rebecca got for me last Christmas. Oh my... the potential for blackmail in this game is limitless. We had the cameras rolling and the pictures below are harmless, but God forbid my break-dancing and Melanie's... umm... I'm not even sure I can say it... so I won't... but God forbid those videos ever make it to YouTube. The things people will do to win a challenge in a dumb game. But man, did we laugh and have a great time.
Today's Good Read: Acts 2
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| Ever had to hold your tongue to win a challenge? |
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| Like father, like son. |
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Summer Vacation 2010: Hilton Head - Day 2
8/21/2010: The Beach Will Have to Wait
After an extended travel day on Friday, we all decided Saturday was going to be pretty low key. We got a good night's rest and decided it would be a pool day. Island Links has an awesome pool and our unit, like quite a few others, is conveniently located nearby. We all swam in the morning and the kids and women went back for more after lunch. Isaac seems to have figured out how to go under the water without getting it up his nose... sort of. Regardless, he was like a fish by the end of the afternoon.
We also got a good look at the resident turtles and alligators, who seem gracious enough to stay in or close to the resort's... pond(?)... or lagoon... or marsh... or whatever it's really called.
Anyway, it was a pretty relaxing day topped off with taco night and Ben & Jerry's. Mmmm... Ben & Jerry's. Phish Food. Half Baked. Chunky Monkey. Cinnamon Buns. Yes, I am a Weight Watcher... and I'm on vacation from that, too. Man, we killed some ice cream last night, and as some reading this may have assumed, Darren is still the champion. We also caught an interesting episode of River Monsters that featured the Snakehead fish. Scary fish with lots of teeth that seem to kill other fish for the fun of it (as opposed to just being hungry). And they seem to be able to move across small land masses. Okay, I've already written too much about River Monsters. We digress.
We called it an early night. I, for one, dozed multiple times while sitting with the computer in my lap. I awoke for the third time to the sound of Darren and Melanie snickering at me. You know, it is funny to watch someone doze off and wake up and try to remember what they were doing and try to function like a normal human being, only to have it happen again within the next thirty seconds... and the next thirty seconds... and then the next sixty seconds, until they realize how dumb they look and go to bed. So I went to bed.
Today's Good Read: Mark 6:30-44
After an extended travel day on Friday, we all decided Saturday was going to be pretty low key. We got a good night's rest and decided it would be a pool day. Island Links has an awesome pool and our unit, like quite a few others, is conveniently located nearby. We all swam in the morning and the kids and women went back for more after lunch. Isaac seems to have figured out how to go under the water without getting it up his nose... sort of. Regardless, he was like a fish by the end of the afternoon.
We also got a good look at the resident turtles and alligators, who seem gracious enough to stay in or close to the resort's... pond(?)... or lagoon... or marsh... or whatever it's really called.
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| Luckily for Isaac, Uncle Darren thought twice and decided to save his $10,000 for a rainy day. |
Anyway, it was a pretty relaxing day topped off with taco night and Ben & Jerry's. Mmmm... Ben & Jerry's. Phish Food. Half Baked. Chunky Monkey. Cinnamon Buns. Yes, I am a Weight Watcher... and I'm on vacation from that, too. Man, we killed some ice cream last night, and as some reading this may have assumed, Darren is still the champion. We also caught an interesting episode of River Monsters that featured the Snakehead fish. Scary fish with lots of teeth that seem to kill other fish for the fun of it (as opposed to just being hungry). And they seem to be able to move across small land masses. Okay, I've already written too much about River Monsters. We digress.
We called it an early night. I, for one, dozed multiple times while sitting with the computer in my lap. I awoke for the third time to the sound of Darren and Melanie snickering at me. You know, it is funny to watch someone doze off and wake up and try to remember what they were doing and try to function like a normal human being, only to have it happen again within the next thirty seconds... and the next thirty seconds... and then the next sixty seconds, until they realize how dumb they look and go to bed. So I went to bed.
Today's Good Read: Mark 6:30-44
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Summer Vacation 2010: Hilton Head or Bust!
The McMahons (Me, Rebecca, Isaac (2-1/2 years old), Ella (almost 4 months old)) and Potters (Darren, Melanie, Kristen, Kaitlin (both 10 years old)) are vacationing to Hilton Head! I haven't blogged about much lately, but thought this might be something worth chronicling if I can keep up. I welcome all comments from parties involved if any of you would like to contribute to the memories. That's why McMahonhood exists!
8/20/2010: Travel Day
Wow. Let me first just say... Praise God that we are here and looking forward to a great week! But I will say that travel day was a little rough. It started out fine... after taking Lucy to Sleepy Hollow (the kennel), I finished loading up the [new, freaking awesome] Pilot just as the Potters showed up to the house. Bless their hearts, they got extra biscuits at Bojangles, and all a brother-in-law had for breakfast was coffee... score on the Bacon, Egg & Cheese biscuit! Not to mention the cinnamon raisin biscuits (?) that Rebecca and Isaac shared - they looked... and were confirmed... delicious.
We plugged addresses into the GPS devices and hit the road around 9:30am. Travel began peacefully -- the sun was shining, music was jamming, Isaac was enjoying a movie in the back seat and Ella was sleeping. All was well through our lunch stop at noon. Assuming we got back on the road about 12:45, the next six hours... yes, SIX hours (for a total of 9+ hours)... remains a blur of one gas, potty, and nursing break, three typhoon-like torrential downpours (the last of which lasted about the final 45 minutes of our trip and caused us to pull off into a car dealership), slow traffic (from rain and one tractor trailer accident), an insane amount of crying, a wife about to lose her mind, and the smell of poop. And for being the one who reeked of poop in his pull-up, Isaac was remarkable for the whole trip.
After managing to miss a turn on the GPS (the whole reason I bought the thing) and adding another 2 miles to a trip that had already been long enough, we made it to Island Links Resort and checked in around 6:45pm.
We were starving like Marvin (...I don't know) and quickly unloaded vehicles and ordered up some delicious pizzas from Bella Italia. The ladies unpacked and made a grocery list while Darren and I picked up the pizza. Dude that hit the spot after a LONG day. We were all exhausted, but sleep would have to wait until groceries had been bought. Darren and I hit the Bi-Lo (not to be confused with "Buy Low"... expensive!). And even after all our exhaustion, we stayed up chatting (not the kids) until about 12:30am before we dragged ourselves to bed. After all, it is vacation, right?
Today's Good Read: Matthew 8:23-27
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| The McMahons and Potters in Hilton Head, SC |
8/20/2010: Travel Day
Wow. Let me first just say... Praise God that we are here and looking forward to a great week! But I will say that travel day was a little rough. It started out fine... after taking Lucy to Sleepy Hollow (the kennel), I finished loading up the [new, freaking awesome] Pilot just as the Potters showed up to the house. Bless their hearts, they got extra biscuits at Bojangles, and all a brother-in-law had for breakfast was coffee... score on the Bacon, Egg & Cheese biscuit! Not to mention the cinnamon raisin biscuits (?) that Rebecca and Isaac shared - they looked... and were confirmed... delicious.
We plugged addresses into the GPS devices and hit the road around 9:30am. Travel began peacefully -- the sun was shining, music was jamming, Isaac was enjoying a movie in the back seat and Ella was sleeping. All was well through our lunch stop at noon. Assuming we got back on the road about 12:45, the next six hours... yes, SIX hours (for a total of 9+ hours)... remains a blur of one gas, potty, and nursing break, three typhoon-like torrential downpours (the last of which lasted about the final 45 minutes of our trip and caused us to pull off into a car dealership), slow traffic (from rain and one tractor trailer accident), an insane amount of crying, a wife about to lose her mind, and the smell of poop. And for being the one who reeked of poop in his pull-up, Isaac was remarkable for the whole trip.
After managing to miss a turn on the GPS (the whole reason I bought the thing) and adding another 2 miles to a trip that had already been long enough, we made it to Island Links Resort and checked in around 6:45pm.
We were starving like Marvin (...I don't know) and quickly unloaded vehicles and ordered up some delicious pizzas from Bella Italia. The ladies unpacked and made a grocery list while Darren and I picked up the pizza. Dude that hit the spot after a LONG day. We were all exhausted, but sleep would have to wait until groceries had been bought. Darren and I hit the Bi-Lo (not to be confused with "Buy Low"... expensive!). And even after all our exhaustion, we stayed up chatting (not the kids) until about 12:30am before we dragged ourselves to bed. After all, it is vacation, right?
Today's Good Read: Matthew 8:23-27
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Ella Riley McMahon
Baby Ella has arrived! Okay, so it was nine days ago. Fair to say I've had a few moments of time when I could have probably published a quick blog entry; however, energy has been at a premium over the last week, and I've been waiting for the dazed and confused fog to pass. So this is it!
Early on the morning of May 2nd, Rebecca spent most of the morning sick with a stomach bug and became very dehydrated. We all know what causes dehydration, so I'll leave it at that. Rebecca felt awful and began to have mild contractions, so we decided to go ahead and get to the hospital, figuring she was due May 8th, so this might be magic time. Turned out that the dehydration can cause contractions, and after a bag and a half of fluids and a little rest, the doctor sent us home to spread news of a false alarm. She could have induced (one was scheduled for May 4th anyway), but preferred to not make Rebecca go into labor feeling the way she had for the previous 12 hours.
So we got home around 10:30am and Rebecca headed back to bed. I knew she really felt drained because (a) she didn't want to vacuum anything, and (b) she killed a 32 oz. Gatorade and loved it -- she hates Gatorade (but I've told her that Gatorade only tastes good when you need it and she's not the jock/sweaty-type that has ever much needed Gatorade... you follow me? Anyhoo...) She spent the next 10 hours in bed, quite literally, other than to pee and finally get a shower around 9pm. And then, the real labor began. I called my mom -- and aren't moms especially great in times like these?! -- and she came over and sat with Rebecca as I got Isaac ready for bed. We began timing contractions around 9:45pm and at 10:30pm decided that this was no false alarm. It was time to go! Mom spent the night at our house with Isaac, though obviously didn't plan to sleep much.
We got back to the hospital around 11pm and told them we were there to stay this time! The details of the next four hours are a little fuzzy, but they involved breaking her water, getting an epidural, and me nodding off on a bedside stool (I did eventually move to the uncomfortable dad's chair, because when I start nodding off I twitch hard enough to kick a 40-yard field goal and didn't want to destroy any nearby medical equipment). We both rested through the early phase of contractions, but eventually the nurses came in, I half-woke up, and it was time to have a baby. Don't worry, I eventually gathered my wits and did an outstanding coaching job. Rebecca was awesome, breezing through the [no-doubt painful] "hard part." After only 35 minutes of pushing, out came our baby girl. And yes, I cut the umbilical cord... without realizing I had grabbed it with my left hand to help stabilize it. It seemed incredibly strong... and slimy.
So while big brother Isaac slept, Rebecca and I excitedly welcomed Ella Riley at 3:08am on Monday, May 3, 2010. Only a half-ounce separated her from her big brother's size at birth -- 8 pounds, 6.5 ounces and 20.5 inches long. She has a full head of dark brown hair and seems to favor the McMahon side of the family... she looks like my dad and brother Kyle! What?! Scary, I know! :-) No, really she is absolutely beautiful, and we are blessed beyond measure. Praise God!
Today's Good Read: Psalm 139:13-16
Early on the morning of May 2nd, Rebecca spent most of the morning sick with a stomach bug and became very dehydrated. We all know what causes dehydration, so I'll leave it at that. Rebecca felt awful and began to have mild contractions, so we decided to go ahead and get to the hospital, figuring she was due May 8th, so this might be magic time. Turned out that the dehydration can cause contractions, and after a bag and a half of fluids and a little rest, the doctor sent us home to spread news of a false alarm. She could have induced (one was scheduled for May 4th anyway), but preferred to not make Rebecca go into labor feeling the way she had for the previous 12 hours.
So we got home around 10:30am and Rebecca headed back to bed. I knew she really felt drained because (a) she didn't want to vacuum anything, and (b) she killed a 32 oz. Gatorade and loved it -- she hates Gatorade (but I've told her that Gatorade only tastes good when you need it and she's not the jock/sweaty-type that has ever much needed Gatorade... you follow me? Anyhoo...) She spent the next 10 hours in bed, quite literally, other than to pee and finally get a shower around 9pm. And then, the real labor began. I called my mom -- and aren't moms especially great in times like these?! -- and she came over and sat with Rebecca as I got Isaac ready for bed. We began timing contractions around 9:45pm and at 10:30pm decided that this was no false alarm. It was time to go! Mom spent the night at our house with Isaac, though obviously didn't plan to sleep much.
We got back to the hospital around 11pm and told them we were there to stay this time! The details of the next four hours are a little fuzzy, but they involved breaking her water, getting an epidural, and me nodding off on a bedside stool (I did eventually move to the uncomfortable dad's chair, because when I start nodding off I twitch hard enough to kick a 40-yard field goal and didn't want to destroy any nearby medical equipment). We both rested through the early phase of contractions, but eventually the nurses came in, I half-woke up, and it was time to have a baby. Don't worry, I eventually gathered my wits and did an outstanding coaching job. Rebecca was awesome, breezing through the [no-doubt painful] "hard part." After only 35 minutes of pushing, out came our baby girl. And yes, I cut the umbilical cord... without realizing I had grabbed it with my left hand to help stabilize it. It seemed incredibly strong... and slimy.
So while big brother Isaac slept, Rebecca and I excitedly welcomed Ella Riley at 3:08am on Monday, May 3, 2010. Only a half-ounce separated her from her big brother's size at birth -- 8 pounds, 6.5 ounces and 20.5 inches long. She has a full head of dark brown hair and seems to favor the McMahon side of the family... she looks like my dad and brother Kyle! What?! Scary, I know! :-) No, really she is absolutely beautiful, and we are blessed beyond measure. Praise God!
Today's Good Read: Psalm 139:13-16
A few pictures... see more on Facebook!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Joyful Noise
I expressed to my church family yesterday that the concert my friends and I attended Saturday night was filled with music that many would likely consider "just a bunch of noise." I am here to testify that Skillet and TobyMac make incredibly joyful noise. The Vines Center at Liberty University has officially been rocked.
The concert was great and I left only wishing (a) that Rebecca could've come, (b) that we got there sooner because (c) our seats left much to be desired (vision, sound... oy!), and (d) that Kirk Franklin was there to sing his part of Lose My Soul. A concert like this is not meant to be experienced in general admission seats. I mean, I could still hear when I left. That won't happen again.
What was awesome was (a) the company (Wilson, Matt, Catherine, and thousands of others); (b) Skillet busted out the pyrotechnics... yes, enormous burst of flames that may have claimed a few eyebrows before the night was over; (c) Tobymac opened on a small platform at the back end of the floor (right where my seats for his previous concert were... doh!) and then proceeded through the crowd, eventually body surfing to the stage; (d) Skillet's girl drummer/back-up singer -- who banged out a solid solo at one point; (e) Toby's participation in the crowd; (f) the acoustic set also done from the small platform; (g) that we were able to move over to some better seats for the last 4 songs, including the Jesus Freak finale; (h) Skillet playing Monster; (i) TobyMac mixing in some familiar secular sounds (i.e. We Are Family by Sister Sledge and Imma Be by the Black Eyed Peas) and medleys of tracks from prior albums including... (j) J? J Train, of course.
There is likely much more that I'm leaving out that I might have caught if I had better seats. Regardless, it was a good time, and in the end I realized that there were a bunch of young people there (college students, high school students that were also there for Liberty's "College for a Weekend" program, and kids even younger than that) that all likely also listen to a lot of music/noise that isn't as good for the soul as Skillet and TobyMac. And I praise God that there are some solids artists out there looking to praise Him with a bunch of really cool noise.
Today's Good Read: Psalm 100
The concert was great and I left only wishing (a) that Rebecca could've come, (b) that we got there sooner because (c) our seats left much to be desired (vision, sound... oy!), and (d) that Kirk Franklin was there to sing his part of Lose My Soul. A concert like this is not meant to be experienced in general admission seats. I mean, I could still hear when I left. That won't happen again.
What was awesome was (a) the company (Wilson, Matt, Catherine, and thousands of others); (b) Skillet busted out the pyrotechnics... yes, enormous burst of flames that may have claimed a few eyebrows before the night was over; (c) Tobymac opened on a small platform at the back end of the floor (right where my seats for his previous concert were... doh!) and then proceeded through the crowd, eventually body surfing to the stage; (d) Skillet's girl drummer/back-up singer -- who banged out a solid solo at one point; (e) Toby's participation in the crowd; (f) the acoustic set also done from the small platform; (g) that we were able to move over to some better seats for the last 4 songs, including the Jesus Freak finale; (h) Skillet playing Monster; (i) TobyMac mixing in some familiar secular sounds (i.e. We Are Family by Sister Sledge and Imma Be by the Black Eyed Peas) and medleys of tracks from prior albums including... (j) J? J Train, of course.
There is likely much more that I'm leaving out that I might have caught if I had better seats. Regardless, it was a good time, and in the end I realized that there were a bunch of young people there (college students, high school students that were also there for Liberty's "College for a Weekend" program, and kids even younger than that) that all likely also listen to a lot of music/noise that isn't as good for the soul as Skillet and TobyMac. And I praise God that there are some solids artists out there looking to praise Him with a bunch of really cool noise.
Today's Good Read: Psalm 100
Monday, April 5, 2010
El Jardinero
El Jardinero. Spanish for... "The Jardinero." What better nickname for a guy that does as much "yard" work as Albert Pujols? Albert hit the Opening Day stage with not one, but TWO homeruns, sparking the Cards to an 11-4 victory. Not only did "The Gardener" (okay, it's cooler in Spanish) jack two out, he finished with an incredible line - 4 for 5 (2 HRs, 2 singles), 4 runs scored and 3 RBIs, putting him on pace for 326 HRs, 652 runs scored, 489 RBIs and an .800 batting average -- all of which would be single season records! I can hear them shouting his name in the streets of St. Louis... "Look! It's El Jardinero! El Jardinero, can I have your autograph?" I think it even sounds biblical, so I know Albert (also a Jesus freak) would be a fan. Who in baseball further epitomizes a man reaping the reward of what good seed he sows? Baseball has run out of things to say about him. So what now? We just make up more legendary nicknames for him? Like El Jardinero. And check it out... within the name lies yet another Spanish term so descriptive of Pujols... do you see it? Look closely. J-a-r-d-i-n-e-r-o. Oh yeah... dinero. Money. The guy is money. I think this one's going to stick. You'll be hearing this one on ESPN soon enough. It's fun to say, isn't it? El Jardinero. I can't stop myself.
What's almost as exciting to me about the nickname is perhaps the sign of things to come. The numbers I mentioned earlier may be a bit of a stretch, even if Albert stays healthy, but if the two homeruns on Opening Day are a sign of things to come, perhaps more team-oriented things -- which is more Albert's style -- then it's going to be a great year in St. Louis. Do you know what happened the last time he hit two long-balls on Opening Day? Hint: the year was 2006. Yup, the Cards won the World Series.
Here's a shout out to Yadier Molina for capping a great Cardinals Opening Day with his ninth inning grand slam - the first of his career.
One win in the books for 2010. It's going to be a good year. I can feel it. Look! It's El Jardinero!
Today's Good Read: Galatians 6:7
What's almost as exciting to me about the nickname is perhaps the sign of things to come. The numbers I mentioned earlier may be a bit of a stretch, even if Albert stays healthy, but if the two homeruns on Opening Day are a sign of things to come, perhaps more team-oriented things -- which is more Albert's style -- then it's going to be a great year in St. Louis. Do you know what happened the last time he hit two long-balls on Opening Day? Hint: the year was 2006. Yup, the Cards won the World Series.
Here's a shout out to Yadier Molina for capping a great Cardinals Opening Day with his ninth inning grand slam - the first of his career.
One win in the books for 2010. It's going to be a good year. I can feel it. Look! It's El Jardinero!
Today's Good Read: Galatians 6:7
Sunday, April 4, 2010
All Things New
Happy Easter! I couldn't have planned a better day to write my first blog entry on McMahonhood. If you're a Christian, this is the most celebrated day of the year, and it could not be more beautiful from where I sit and write. I even caught the sunrise around 7:15 this morning from my porch. I don't know why it is different for me (in a good way) this year, other than that I believe God can make any and every day new and special. This is without a doubt a special day. Our church service was filled with songs that felt like anthems and we sung them out, especially the Resurrection Hymn (and I'm not usually overwhelmed by "hymns"). Man, it can be really powerful if you allow it to be. Darren brought a great Easter message, too.
Certainly a lot of my excitement is about meeting my little girl in about a month. I totally remember the awe of Isaac's birth (I'm not sure it ever left) and I know it's going to be just as incredible the second time around. So I/we wait patiently, but with much anticipation for baby Ella.
I'm also jacked up about baseball starting up. Easter and baseball and a new baby - Spring has finally sprung for me. And I'm looking forward to and expecting a big year from Albert and the Cardinals. No one saw them coming when they got healthy late in 2006 just in time to put a beat down on the Tigers in the World Series, and this year they have a killer roster. It's really theirs to lose. So I'm excited to sit in my chair and watch some baseball with the fam... well... I know I can at least make Ella sit with me when she gets here. And I will give Rebecca some props - she's has become a Cardinals fan over the years and actually watched EVERY game of the 2006 playoffs (that was like 14 games!). That's my girl.
Anyway, take a deep breath yourself... God is good. Easter's for real. All things are being made new.
Happy Easter!
Today's Good Read: Revelation 21:5
Certainly a lot of my excitement is about meeting my little girl in about a month. I totally remember the awe of Isaac's birth (I'm not sure it ever left) and I know it's going to be just as incredible the second time around. So I/we wait patiently, but with much anticipation for baby Ella.
I'm also jacked up about baseball starting up. Easter and baseball and a new baby - Spring has finally sprung for me. And I'm looking forward to and expecting a big year from Albert and the Cardinals. No one saw them coming when they got healthy late in 2006 just in time to put a beat down on the Tigers in the World Series, and this year they have a killer roster. It's really theirs to lose. So I'm excited to sit in my chair and watch some baseball with the fam... well... I know I can at least make Ella sit with me when she gets here. And I will give Rebecca some props - she's has become a Cardinals fan over the years and actually watched EVERY game of the 2006 playoffs (that was like 14 games!). That's my girl.
Anyway, take a deep breath yourself... God is good. Easter's for real. All things are being made new.
Happy Easter!
Today's Good Read: Revelation 21:5
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