The McGuire Family

Fall 2011

2011-10-29T22:31:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's already Halloween. Time flies when you're having fun. The start of school has been fast and furious.

Faith has been participating in color guard. It's been fun to watch her during the half-time performances during the football games.

Sofia loves kindergarten. She is learning new stuff everyday. We love her teacher. Sofia is growing up more and more each day. She has started demonstrating her own fashion sense. Her sense of style is something we are still trying to get used to.

Andy is loving baseball. He plays on a youth recreation league and loves playing catcher or second base. He's done really well this year.

Jake is loving the 5th grade. He's doing very well in school and is enjoying being the big man on campus. He's getting ready for basketball season and is planning on playing baseball with Andy in the spring. One of Jake's favorite restaurants is Steak and Shake. You would think it's Christmas, the way his face lights up when we pull in the parking lot. I love his enthusiasm for food.

Lazy Days

2011-06-09T00:18:00.002-05:00

Summer is upon us. These lazy days should be relaxing and carefree; however, they are jammed packed with laundry, getting kids to appointments, some pool time, laundry, and did I mention laundry? (Seriously, you can't imagine the amount of laundry generated by six people.) Anyway, although my days of summer are anything but lazy, I relish the extra time I get to spend with my kiddos. This is one of the reasons I became a teacher, to hang out with four of the most important people in my world. So, in between driving them to practice and folding clothes, I remind myself to enjoy every day I get to spend time with them. Because one day they will grow up and leave and I don't want to wonder if I spent enough time just being with them.

March 25, 2011

2011-03-24T19:51:00.000-05:00

I can't believe the boys are already 10 years old. It seems like just yesterday they were crawling around in their superman pajamas. This year we went to a "party ranch" where the boys and all their friends got to feed donkeys, fish, play video games, ride a zip-line, have a camp fire, and go on a scavenger hunt. Overall, they had a great time. We are very thankful to have these two young men as our sons.

Snow Day

2011-02-04T22:45:00.000-06:00

Once again the Texas weather surprised us with snow. School was closed for four days this week as the ice and snow made driving conditions hazardous. The kids were so excited about missing school; however, by day four, the natives were restless.

Fortunately, today we were able to get out of the house. We've decided that we love the occasional snow; however, we won't be moving to Alaska anytime soon!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-31T11:12:00.000-06:00

2010 was a great year. It brought us the wonderful addition of 16 year old, Faith. We've been blessed and we are confident that God has great things planned for our family.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Louisiana Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T21:51:00.000-06:00

Grandma McGuire and her great grandkids

Emma and Sofia

Joey and his mom, Shirley

More fun on the 4-wheelers

Faith, Sofia, and Jake

Sofia loves the swing

Faith, Sofia, Jake

Faith giving Jake the "stink eye"

Sofia, Jake, and Andy enjoying the 4 wheelers

Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T10:39:00.002-06:00

Over and over, God reminds me and whispers, "I've got this under control." This is a chaotic season in our lives. The ups and downs of foster-to-adopting, the business of our normal routine, and internal need to try and make everyone happy can be overwhelming. But just when I start to sink, I hear God whisper, "I've got this under control." So, as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I can't help but be thankful for a God that has it under control. I'm thankful that He doesn't need me to fix all the problems, make everyone happy, or be perfect. He just wants me to relax and love him. Love leads to action. So, by loving God, I will love others. That sounds easier than it is. Loving others in spite of their faults, even when they are unlovely. But God does it for me, so how can I deny others? Anyway, as I start to get stressed out with all the to-do lists, travel arrangements, packing, baking, and scheduling that needs to get done, I am relieved to know that God has it under control. I'm trying hard to refocus on others. The other stuff will work itself out. So, today I re-worked my to-do list. Mopping and cleaning the bathroom got bumped for some quality "nail painting" time with Faith and Sofia.

The adventure begins

2010-11-02T21:16:00.000-05:00

It has been four weeks since Faith moved in. The past four weeks have been a dizzying combination of appointments, school, baseball, and adjustments. I'm very impressed with the three younger kids for handling the transition with patience and grace. The past four weeks have been busy, fun, and at times painful. Tonight, I was reminded how painful this whole process can be. We knew going into this that foster care and adoption is difficult, especially with older children; however, nothing can prepare you for that actual experience. That's to say, you can read tons of books and listen to the finest experts, but nothing exposes you to truth like the reality of having a 15 year old move in and join the family. The past several weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions and I'm sure that we are only beginning in our journey. Today, I got an e-mail that quoted a well known writer, Oswald Chambers, "If through a broken heart God can bring His purpose to pass in the world, then thank Him for breaking your heart." Sometimes, God has to rearrange some things and this process is painful. But I wouldn't miss this adventure for anything.

First Visit

2010-09-26T16:12:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, we got to visit Salha for the first time. Joey and I drove to Houston to meet her for lunch on Friday afternoon. We anticipated an awkward first encounter, but we were pleasantly surprised. When we walked into Chuck E. Cheese, we saw her sitting at the table talking to her caseworker. She was very shy, but she talked to us and we played lots of games. After eating pizza and playing games, we made plans to meet the following day. We got a picture before we left and Salha surprised both of us by putting her arms around us. It was a simple gesture that meant a lot.

On Saturday, we met Salha and her brother, Rami at Dave and Busters. We bowled, ate lunch, and played more games. We had a fun time. It was great opportunity to get to know the kids better. We enjoyed every second we got to spend with them. Salha gets to visit us in Fort Worth this weekend. Andy, Jake, and Sofia are very excited. I can't wait to have everyone under one roof. We are very thankful God has brought Salha into our lives. We're looking forward to the plans he has for us.

5 years ago

2010-08-28T22:22:00.000-05:00

On August 30th, Sofia will be five years old. Time has flown by. Our little girl is growing up way too fast. To celebrate her birthday, we went to the movies and then to Chuck E. Cheese. She was very excited about having a "5 candle" and getting to open presents (can you tell she loves Toy Story?). By the end of the night, she was exhausted. She had a great birthday. Joey and I are very blessed to have such a special little girl in our lives. We love you, Sofia!

For the sake of the call...

2010-08-24T17:27:00.000-05:00

Recently I was driving in my car. I was headed home and thinking about the whole adoption process. I'm not going to lie, it can be very frustrating. We are constantly waiting. Hurry up and wait, hurry up and wait. Just when I think we are getting close to the end, the time frame stretches longer and longer. Anyway, I was driving in my car and one of my favorite songs came on, "For the Sake of the Call" by Steven Curtis Chapman. There is a part in the song that says,

We will abandon it all for the sake of the call

No other reason at all but the sake of the call

Wholly devoted to live and to die

Not for the sake of a creed or a cause

Not for a dream or a promise

Simply because it is Jesus who called

And if we believe we'll obey

It hit me how hard this whole journey is going to be. But we didn't do it for a dream or a promise that we would have a perfect little family. Being foster/adoptive parents, we have to abandon everything (my comfort level, my fears, my time plan, my convenience, my perception of a perfect family, even the approval of our friends and family). We abandon everything simply because he called. No other reason. If you're like me then lots of people will say, "Well, if God is calling you to do this, then I'm sure everything will be fine." I'm learning that is not true. We don't do things on the promise that situations will be easy or "fine"... we are simply doing this because he called us to. I'd like to think that we are brave for doing that. No, things will definitely be hard. Just like the disciples faced a hard life by following Christ, our lives are changed significantly by making that same choice. Our choice will affect our close friends and our family. But like the song says,

Nobody stood and applauded them

So they knew from the start

This road would not lead to fame

All they really knew for sure

Was Jesus had called to them

He said "come follow Me" and they came

With reckless abandon, they came

Empty nets lying there at the water's edge

Told a story that few could believe

And none could explain

How some crazy fisherman agreed to go where Jesus went

With no thought to what they would gain

For Jesus had called them by name

And they answered...

We will abandon it all for the sake of the call

No other reason at all but the sake of the call

Wholly devoted to live and to die for the sake of the call

The sake of the call

Drawn like the rivers are drawn to the sea

There's no turning back, for the water cannot help but flow

Once we hear the Savior's call, we'll follow wherever He leads

Because of the love He has shown

And because He has called us to go

We will answer...

Adoption Update

2010-08-04T07:51:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we received some great news. Our family was selected for Salha (pronounced Saul with an 'a' at the end). Joey and I are thrilled that we will soon have a 15 year old daughter. We are hoping to get to Houston within the next two weeks to visit with Salha. The kids are very excited and from what the case worker said yesterday, Salha is most excited about having Jake, Andy, and Sofia as brothers and sister. Who knew that the kids would be the biggest selling point for us? God is good and he knows the plans he has for our family. I can't wait to see what the next month brings. Thanks for all your prayers. Please continue to pray for our family as we are united.

New Addition

2010-07-28T15:00:00.000-05:00

Next week we find out if our family is selected to adopt a 15 year old girl. For the past month, our family has been praying for this precious young lady. We began this process in March. Joey and I are confident that this is what God is calling our family to do. Did you know that there are over 6,000 children in the state of Texas that need homes? James 1:27 made it very clear what we were to do. The process getting here has been full of ups and downs. In addition to praying for her, we have prepared her bedroom, and made a family scrapbook to send her. I hope that very soon, we will be able to post some happy news as our family is completed.

In the meantime, our family recently went bowling. Sofia thought she was hilarious while performing something she calls her "Madagascar trick"

God has been good and blessed us with some incredibly cute and funny kids.

Summertime

2010-07-22T17:04:00.000-05:00

The past few days have been filled with swimming. The kids and I are enjoying the community pool. We found that in the mornings, we have the entire place to ourselves.

Summer 2010

2010-07-12T23:53:00.000-05:00

The boys left on Sunday for their first camp experience. They are traveling to Sherman, Texas and attending Student Life: Kids Camp at Austin College. They are very excited about getting to stay in the college dorms.

Meanwhile, Sofia gets to experience life without other kids in the home. She is already bored and misses her brothers.

Potentiality

2010-05-28T16:49:00.000-05:00

Sofia State Song

2010-05-28T16:47:00.000-05:00

Fort Worth Zoo - May 2010

2010-05-25T07:29:00.002-05:00

Family Photos

2010-05-01T11:39:00.000-05:00

Baseball Season

2010-04-04T23:25:00.000-05:00

This is Andy's first year playing baseball. He has learned so much and is a natural. This past Saturday he got two base hits. We're really proud of him. He's trying hard and having a blast.

Time "March"es on...

2010-03-18T08:37:00.003-05:00

The boys when they were 4

This month, the boys turned nine! I can't believe how fast the past nine years has flown by. Andrew and Jacob are special boys and we are so blessed to have them for sons.

Earlier in the month, we took Sofia to see Seasame Street Live. She was so excited to see Elmo and Big Bird. She danced the entire time. It's fun to see her face light up when she gets excited.

Neighborhood Wildlife

2010-02-17T19:44:00.000-06:00

During the recent snow, we had the opportunity to hang out at the house for several days. On one day, we got to see some wildlife right out our backdoor. We took these pictures in a hurry, so they aren't that good. However, you can see a couple wild hogs and a coyote. Our neighbor, Larry got the picture of the coyote. It's kind of cool to look out past the back yard and see some natural neighborhood wildlife.

More snow in Fort Worth

2010-02-12T09:07:00.015-06:00

On February 12, 2010, Fort Worth received somewhere around 11 inches of snow. This snowfall marked an historic record for Fort Worth. The McGuire family (especially the kids) were very happy for the snow day.

2010-02-10T16:27:00.005-06:00

Sofia and Kailee (my niece) getting ready for church on Sunday morning. Sofia was very excited that Kailee got to stay the night with us. Sofia now wants a "big sister".

Snow!

2009-12-24T16:35:00.009-06:00

Merry Christmas

2009-12-21T14:48:00.006-06:00

Christmas is such a special time. Besides getting out of school for two weeks, opening presents, and visiting with family; Christmas reminds us how much God loves us.

When I see my kids playing together (and not fighting), I realize that I could never give one of them up. I can't completely wrap my head around the vastness of God's love to sacrifice his only son for a bunch of selfish, thankless people. But I'm so glad he did.

Andy, Jake, and Sofia love opening presents and enjoy getting to see Nana and Grandpa and Grandma in Louisiana. We are very fortunate to have a great family. We wish you a wonderful holiday season and pray that you never forget how much God loves you.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T21:22:00.004-06:00

We are thankful for...

family... children... good food... parents who love crazy grandkids... the great outdoors... four wheelers... Yahtzee... Macaroni-N-Cheese... Pecan Pies... fluffy kittens... Caffeine... big, comfortable beds... sleep... forgiveness... Jesus

Halloween

2009-11-01T08:57:00.008-06:00

Halloween is always a fun time for the kids. This year, Andy wanted to be a robot. Fortunatly, Joey was able to make him a great robot costume. Jake just wanted to be anything that would carry a sword or a gun. Sofia's choice seemed cute at first, until she started making this meowing-hissing noise. I asked her why she sounded so mean and she informed me that she was a "mean kitty cat". The new neighborhood proved to be a lots of fun and full of kids. Everyone had a great time. According to Jake, it was the best Halloween ever!

Eagle Mountain Park

2009-09-08T21:17:00.012-05:00

To celebrate Labor Day, the kids and I decided to hike the trails at Eagle Mountain Park. The afternoon started off with a nice picnic with a special guest. This little buck decided to hang out for a while while kids petted him. Anytime Jake got close to him, he tried to rub his antlers against Jake.

After disinfecting every one's hands, we began our trek to the lake. The way there wasn't too bad. It got warm and the kids wanted to cool off in the lake. The trip back to the car was the most difficult. Sofia kept asking if we were almost there. She informed me that it was a "horrible idea" and I should never bring her back there again.

Besides Sofia's lack of enthusiasm, we had a good workout and it was nice to be outdoors. The kids took a little dip in the lake and they got to pet a real deer. All in all, it was a good day.

Super September

2009-09-06T19:36:00.009-05:00

This weekend we celebrated Sofia's 4th birthday. We went to Trinity Park in Fort Worth and rode the minature train. Sofia and the kids loved the train. Sofia was very excited about Zoey (Nancy's new puppy) joining us. She had a great day.

The house is coming along. It looks like they should be finished sometime this month. The outside is almost complete. Hopefully, by the end of next month we will be in the new house.

Our House 3.3

2009-08-19T21:36:00.009-05:00

Here we are again with out me keeping up with the weekly updates. I am having a hard time finding the motivation to post these to Facebook and to our Blog. When we last left you with pictures the Second Floor was framed. Well that was 3 entire weeks ago. The roof is on, electrical, HVAC, and Plumbing is roughed in; insulation up; second floor completely sheet rocked; and 2/3 of the brick is up. I did not want to post all of the pictures taken in the last three week, but here are the highlights this week.

Master Bedroom

Game Room

Our House 2.4

2009-07-27T15:20:00.005-05:00

This has been a busy week. The framer started on Wednesday July 22 about 3:00 in the afternoon and finished by Saturday July 25 around lunch. Here are the pictures.

Our House 2.3

2009-07-16T12:00:00.010-05:00

So we have been either getting ready for vacation, on vacation, or recovering from vacation for that last couple of weeks. While we were on Vacation last week the builder started all of the underground work on our house. They poured concrete yesterday so we are getting ready for the big push in progress. Here are the Pictures for the last three weeks.

Underground plumbing from across the street

Into the garage

From the Back Yard

Concrete from cross the street

from the garage

from the back yard

bay window to master bedroom

Now, I really hope to post some framing pictures next week. Keep your fingers crossed. Until then I pray that God watches over you all.

Our House 1.4

2009-06-25T22:02:00.004-05:00

Well we are at week 4 with no real progress. We did have our meeting with the builder this week to go over our plans to make sure all of our upgrades and changes have been incorporated correctly. The permit should be ready soon... We leave on vacation next Friday, so I am really hoping the slab will be ready to pour by the time we get back. The superintendent thinks they will be finished by late September... We shall see.

Our House 1.3

2009-06-25T21:53:00.006-05:00

I am running behind with my posts. No progress on the house this week. O'well I like driving by every day just in case. Of Coarse my next door neighbor IMs me if there is anybody there working...

Our House 1.2

2009-06-15T09:22:00.007-05:00

We had some progress last week. They got the slab Formed up and the temporary power pole up.

Our House 1.1

2009-06-05T09:43:00.018-05:00

On May 16th we signed a contract with Cheldan Homes to build our home. Cindy and I have done a lot of praying since we put our too small house on Ivyhill Court up for sale in February of 2007. We just wanted to test the market... There were two other homes for sale on our little street, so we were dumb struck when the third person to walk the home offered us our asking price. Now we had to move, but to where... That will have to be a story for Cindy to tell; so we will fast forward to the present.... We have finally found the home we starting looking for two and a half years ago and God has truly blessed us with the kind of neighborhood you only really see on the old TV shows where neighbors are helping each other with yard work or other projects...

My plan is to take a lot of pictures, so keep your fingers cross that I don't get board keeping this updated. Here are the first round of pictures.

To get the ball rolling, the builder has leveled off the lot...

and has started getting ready to lay out the slab...

Uninvited House Guest

2009-05-02T10:43:00.003-05:00

Lizards never bothered me before. In fact, my mother-in-law is scared of lizards and I never really understood until this past week. While Joey was at a meeting, the kids and I were home doing our normal routine. Andy starts screaming that there is a lizard in Sofia's room. I should have picked up on the fact that Andy didn't attempt to catch this lizard, because normally him and Jake will chase the lizards and give them a heart attach trying to catch them. Anyway, when I walked into the room and saw this lizard, I started freaking out! The thing was bigger than I anticipated and it looked very mean. I calmed myself down and tried to approach it, so I could pick it up and throw it outside, but I couldn't make myself touch the ugly thing. I ended up putting a Tupperware bowl on top of it until Joey got home to remove it. I took a couple pictures so I could find out what kind of lizard it was. It turned out to be a Texas Spiny Lizard and they are good for eating beetles and other insects. I'm glad we didn't kill it. I like the idea that it's eating bugs around the yard, but I would be a whole lot happier not seeing that ugly thing again.

Drama Queen

2009-04-27T18:48:00.004-05:00

It never fails. Every year when the picture people come to the daycare to take the all the children's photographs, Sofia turns into a three year old diva. For the past three years, she has been more than uncooperative with the photographers. This time around, I begged the front office to please make her have her picture done, no matter what kind of fit she decided to throw. When the pictures came back, I was expecting to see her crying or pouting. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised. Sofia has a cooperative side after all. Now, if we can just keep her from cutting her hair...

Four signs that your child might have "issues"

2009-03-31T20:14:00.009-05:00

#4- During a recent boy scout event, they were announcing what some of the scouts wanted to be when they grow up. There were the normal answers like a teacher, a pilot, a doctor, etc. When it was Jake's turn, the host announced to 300 people that he wanted to be a millionaire when he grew up.

#3- While hanging out with some friends, all the boys go upstairs and put on "princess dresses" for the princess birthday party. Andy decides on a purse for an accessory, Jake decides on a football helmet (I don't know which one is worse!)

#2 - While trying to get ready for work one morning, Sofia starts giggling and yells at me to get the camera. I think that it's a little odd for a three year old to request a camera, but I grab it anyway. Sofia (still in her PJ's) decides to wear daddy's boots and act like a model. She posed in a different position for each photo. I was laughing, but Daddy was a little irritated that we were "playing" instead of getting ready. He was only a little late for work :)

#1 - The number one sign that your child might have "issues" could be if he runs around the corner dressed in a mask, no shirt, a cape, and a toy gun and yells "Ta-Da-Da... Captain Stupid!"

Sojourners

2009-03-21T16:45:00.007-05:00

Sometimes the best family time is the kind that doesn't cost a thing. Saturday morning, we went walking on the trails at Eagle Mountain Park. The kids had a great time running ahead and pretended to be on a great "adventure."

Jake, "Hey, did you guys see that?!"

Andy, "No, what was it?"

Jake, "It looked like a mix between an armadillo and a rabbit..."

Andy, "It was a rabbadillo???!!!"

Baptism

2009-03-19T11:05:00.005-05:00

This past Sunday, the boys were baptized. Joey and I are very proud of them for making that decision. We are very fortunate to have a supportive family that came to church on Sunday to see the boys get baptized. In one week, the boys turned 8 years old and got baptized... they grow up so quick! Hopefully, their relationship with God will continue to grow.

8 year olds ROCK!

2009-03-14T21:28:00.004-05:00

Today we celebrated Andy and Jake's birthday. The plan was to have a party Survivor-style at the park. Joey had all these team relay games planned and we were really looking forward to it. But, the weather had other ideas... after four days of rain, the ground was a little too saturated for outdoor fun.

So, in true-Redneck-style... we decided to have the party in our garage. We hooked the Wii up to the overhead projector and the kids played games and rocked out on Guitar Hero. None of it would have happened if Grandma and Grandpa from Louisiana hadn't helped get everything ready. Shirley (Grandma from Louisiana) made the Monster Cupcakes.

All in all, it was a fun party. The kids had a great time and according to Jake, it was "The best day EVER."

Does God prefer Hoover?

2009-03-09T20:10:00.006-05:00

God is good. It's an understatement. In our family, we seem to live life at 90 miles an hour. Between Boy scouts, school, work, and church it's not difficult to miss the amazing little miracles that some people call coincidence, but we know to be God's providence.

Recently, we were cleaning the house and I was looking for a way to clean out the window sill. There was about three inches of dirt and dust that accumulated between the screen and the window. I wanted to open the windows to enjoy to nice weather. Our vacuum works fine, but is an upright little dirt devil. It didn't have the attached hose that we needed. Joey and I discussed the need to save up some money so we could purchase a vacuum with a hose. Since it's not a high priority, it's low on the to-do list.

The next day, we were eating dinner at Mom and Dad's and as we were leaving, their neighbors put a vacuum out by their trash. Come to find out the vacuum works fine, they just wanted to upgrade to a bigger model, so they were getting rid of the perfectly good vacuum with a hose.

Even without praying for it, God provided a perfectly good vacuum for free! I know that some people might laugh and question God's involvement in such a small, insignificant aspect of our lives. But this experience has only reinforced my belief that God truly cares about us and he's looking out for us. It wasn't chance or coincidence... it was a modern day miracle that demonstrates how much God love us.

Twins Turn Eight

2009-03-09T05:54:00.003-05:00

I can't believe that the boys are eight years old today. Time flies when you're having fun :) It seems like just yesterday when they were wearing Superman pajamas and pretending to be puppy dogs. Andy and Jake are a special blessing from God. Joey and I are very lucky to have such wonderful, creative, entertaining boys.

Goodbye DJ

2009-03-01T14:59:00.000-06:00

This weekend, we had to say goodbye to "DJ-the fish". I still don't know why Jake named him, "DJ", but that is what he called his Pacu fish. The Pacu is cousins of the piranha. DJ has big teeth and was supposed to be a vegetarian. However, after eating our $30 Roseline Shark for breakfast and a $15 Clown Loach for lunch, we decided DJ would enjoy a different swimming environment. Jake asked if he could keep the fish on his wall, above his bed... Joey was against paying a taxidermist to "stuff" an aquarium fish.

Note to self: next time, don't get a fish with teeth, no matter what they tell you at the store.

Party of Six?

2009-02-22T20:26:00.000-06:00

We planned for five; however, the next time we take a picnic to Eagle Mountain Park, we will know to pack an extra sandwich.

While we were eating at the picnic tables, a small deer came up and wanted to share Sofia's peanut butter and jelly. Sofia did NOT want to share her sandwich. After she quit screaming... Jake telepathically had a conversation with the deer while Andy took pictures with his cell phone.

All in all, it was an interesting afternoon adventure. Luckily, there was plenty of hand sanitizer in the car. Yes, we made everyone "sanitize" before finishing their lunch.

Genetic Anomaly

2009-01-29T07:54:00.000-06:00

According to my parents, my daughter, Sofia, is just like me. And while most mothers would be thrilled to have a "mini-me," I have come to the realization that my parents deserve lifetime achievement medals for dealing with me as a child. I'm still not completely convinced that my daughter is very similar to me. Yesterday, school was cancelled due to the ice. So, the kids and I got to spend some quality time together at home. Please understand that I love my kids very much; however, by the end of the day, I was grateful that school would be in session the following day. Sofia wanted her finger nails and toenails painted. She picked out the color and we had a good time having our own little impromptu manicure. After we were finished, I was cleaning up and thinking how sweet and precious my little daughter is when I hear a terrible sound coming from the hallway. I wish I could describe the sound accurately enough to do it justice. It was a combination of a dying bird and squeak toy. Upon further investigation, I discovered Sofia sitting on the toilet and making very loud and very weird bird calls while interjecting a chorus of Jesus Loves Me every few seconds. After listening to her for several painful minutes, I gathered that she liked the way her voice echoed in the bathroom so she was using it as an amphitheater to explore her potential in the performing arts. Luckily, I was able to bribe her out of the restroom with Hershey Kisses. However, next time I doubt I will be so fortunate.

This whole experience had me thinking... was I really like this? I seriously doubt it. I was a shy and timid child. I would hide behind my parents and would cry if anyone looked directly at me. And although Sofia has those moments where she can be shy in public, she seems to think she's a rock-star-diva at home. I'm still not sure if this is a good thing or a bad one. All I know is my little girl has a personality of her own and I'm amazed that not only does God have a plan for it, but he must have a sense of humor. If you believe Psalm 139:13, then you believe that God "knitted" each of us as unique and special creations. Personally, I'm beginning to wonder if he was experimenting with a some different kind of yarn when he wove Sofia.

2009

2009-01-04T15:55:00.000-06:00

I can't believe we are already starting 2009. Where does the time go? This past weekend, Joey was gone hunting, or as Sofia informed me, "Daddy is hunting Bambi". The kids and I decided to have our own adventure. We made a fort in the garage and pretended to eat at a fancy restaurant.

2008-12-27T16:30:00.000-06:00

'Tis the Season

2008-12-27T15:51:00.000-06:00

We hope everyone has a happy holiday season.

Lee Family Hunting Trip

2008-12-23T10:24:00.000-06:00

I have been meaning to post this since we got back from our trip in mid November. Cindy has been pressuring me to post some sort of update and since I promised to help keep this as current as possible, here we go with my first blog posting.

We, the men of the Lee family, have been planning this trip for a year. We decided to go visit my father-in-laws brother, Uncle Alan in Alliance, Nebraska to do a little Pheasant Hunting. We had a lot of fun in the planning; Kenny and Matt both went out and purchased new shotguns, which apparantly can be submersed in water for an extended period of time and still function as the fastest non-fully automatic shot gun on the market. I was not able to convince them to perform feild test while in NE.

Since nothing larger than a crop duster flies into the Alliance Airport, we decided to drive; there were four of us, so we could drive in 4 hour shifts and all still get some sleep during the 14 hour trek. On the way up there, Ken, my father-in-law, wanted to drive the way his mom and dad go up there which is up through the pan handle of Texas and Oklahoma, then through easthern Colorado, and finially into Nebraska ( I think they have some phobia of Kansas. Since he can be a bit of a whinner, no offense dad, we all agreed to take the back roads and left Fort Worth about 6:30 Friday Nov. 7th. Of Coarse much to Kenny's dismay no Lee family trip is complete without a stop at the local Wal-Mart, so we accomplished this on the way out of town. Ken drove to Childress, TX, then I drove my four hour shift. During the final hour of my shift we finially left the Lone Star State and after a breif 45 min. or so made it into Eastern Colorado where I handed off the driving duties to Matt (who will be referred to as Todd from this point, it is a long story that we should save for a future post or just get him to explain on their blog) The cool thing about Eastern Colorado is no light pollution at night, after living in the metroplex for so long you forget exactly how many stars are out there... At some point in the next 4 hours we diverted from our route " Ken's parents route" which greatly stressed Dad when he woke up at dawn and discovered this. Back to my point, I wake up to Todd and Kenny laughing at these two road workers who were directing traffic(us) through a construction zone (no working equipment or any sign of construction only these two flagmen). They were dressed in these coveralls that looked alot like Hazmat Suits. They made us come to a stop before letting us move on, (I half expected the space me to abduct us at that point) but it was funny at 3:00 am. Todd's four hours were occupied by things like this, his GPS was playing games with the directions so it seemed like we traversed Colorado in a "Figure Eight" pattern. Kenny's 4 hours were alot less eventful. He was preoccupied with acheiving the Highest Average Speed on the GPS. Dad awoke at this point to discover our route mishap and spent the next 30 min trying to talk us into taking a right to get back to the way his 'Daddy goes". After we convinced him that either way we would get to Alliance he settled down. Ken finished up the drive by getting us safely to Alan's apartment.

We hunted Saturday afternoon and baged 5 Pheasant. We also discovered that walking in waist high grass is alot harder when your main source of daily excersize is trips to the coffee machine or water cooler. Let me introduce our hunting party.. . Left front to back: Todd, Alan; Right front to back: Me, Kenny, Ken.Sunday the 9th was my 33rd Birthday. To Celebrate we went hunting and had another good day. We hunt at a reserve called Creasant Lake in the sand hills of Nebraska. We were blessed to see an abundance of wildlife from White Tail deer; Antelope; Mule deer; and on my birthday a Porcupine. Unfortunatly, I was following behind Alan when we noticed the porcupine and did not notice he stopped to show Todd and I ended up rear ending him. Luckily no one was hurt besides the bumpers on our vehicles.

Crash Investigation Site

Cause of Crash (note: when I noticed said porcupine it was crossing the road)

Luckily the rest of the trip was pretty uneventful. We hunted until Wednesday and got up to drive home on Thursday Morning. One of the days Ken was riding with Alan we decided we could handle the whinning and chose to come home on the interstate which was more condusive to higher speeds. Overall we had a great trip and ended up taking 30 or so Pheasant. Todd was the only one of us to limit (3 birds) in a day. Below are some of the other pictures that we took.

These birds were on private land...

Hunting Party (Jessie Sticking her head out of the Kennel)

I hope everone ejoyed reading this. Needless to say we had a lot of fun, especially in the car you really get to know folks when you are stuck in a vehicle for 28 hours...

2008-11-02T01:52:00.001-05:00

It's a good thing Halloween only comes once a year. The rehearsal itself was a daunting task for Sofia. For about two weeks before the big day, Sofia would practice being a lion. It wouldn't matter if we were at Albertson's, Wal-Mart, or church. Whenever the inspiration struck her, she would start growling and crawling on 'all fours'. When the big day finally came, she got bored after a few houses. I guess growling at people is a lot more fun than walking around begging for candy.

The boys were a different story all together. They didn't really care what their Halloween costume was, along as they got to paint their face and have a sword. One day during dinner, I thought Joey was going to have an aneurysm. Jake indicated that he wanted to be a cowboy, then he quickly added that he wanted to be the bad guy so he could were a mask and carry a gun. After a few seconds, he added the suggestion that the "bad cowboy" should wear a mask, carry a gun and sword, and wear a cape. After watching Joey's face turn red with every new idea Jake had concerning his ideal costume, I was not prepared for Joey's reaction. He looked at Jake and said, "Son, there are very few cowboys that wore a cape, had a gun and a sword, and wore a mask... but you could be Zorro." I was very impressed with Joey that day. I would have been more impressed if Jake was Zorro for Halloween. But instead, the boys ended up being these freakish clowns (that even scared me). Sofia wouldn't go near them when their face was painted. But, the good news is that Jake compromised on the gun, sword, and cape. He was happy with a hula hoop, bed sheet, and face paint.

Confessions of a disappointed teacher

2008-11-01T21:54:00.000-05:00

Ghandi once said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Recently there was a blood drive at our school. This quote from Ghandi was all over the school stamped on tee-shirts. I think it's ironic how the basic concept of change or self improvement is not encouraged by most students in high school. Most of the students I get to know are amazing, interesting, smart, and funny. They have unique personalities that have unseen potential; however, most of them settle for mediocricy. There are a few exceptions. Those students who do their best regardless of what is expected. It is those quiet students who will end up becoming successful because they got in the habit of working hard early. I understand that the education system in general needs improvement, but what bothers me most is the fact that most people aren't willing to motivate themselves. I get it... your parents don't motivate you, your teacher doesn't motivate you, your friends don't motivate you... but what excuse can you possibly have for not motivating yourself?! Why is it so much to expect a 16 year old to demonstrate responsibility by completing a task on time? They call me crazy or mean because I expect the task to be detailed and accurate. Well, I must not let those mediocre opinions influence my motivation for doing my best. I'm far from perfect, but I would be very disappointed in myself if I didn't try to reach my potiential as a teacher, mom, wife, daughter, sister, and student. To try my best is to expect the best from those around me. So, to all those students who consistently work hard, hang in there. Your success will come. Until then, know that you make a positive difference in my life.

The McGuire Family

Fall 2011

Lazy Days

March 25, 2011

Snow Day

Christmas 2010

Louisiana Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

The adventure begins

First Visit

5 years ago

For the sake of the call...

Adoption Update

New Addition

Summertime

Summer 2010

Potentiality

Sofia State Song

Fort Worth Zoo - May 2010

Family Photos

Baseball Season

Time "March"es on...

Neighborhood Wildlife

More snow in Fort Worth

Snow!

Merry Christmas

Thanksgiving

Halloween

Eagle Mountain Park

Super September

Our House 3.3

Our House 2.4

Our House 2.3

Our House 1.4

Our House 1.3

Our House 1.2

Our House 1.1

Uninvited House Guest

Drama Queen

Four signs that your child might have "issues"

Sojourners

Baptism

8 year olds ROCK!

Does God prefer Hoover?

Twins Turn Eight

Goodbye DJ

Party of Six?

Genetic Anomaly

2009

'Tis the Season

Lee Family Hunting Trip

Tricking and treating

Confessions of a disappointed teacher