I'm trying my best to keep up with Lorelei! She's changing so quickly!

Imagine, for a moment, a blog that actually had posts by the blogger! Ha! What a novel idea!

Why don't we just catch up with some of latest goings-on in photos?! Yes, let's!

Ethan had a birthday!

He has reached 11 years and had a wonderful celebration at the park!

Blue and Orange...what else?

Party guests!

Karissa and Grandma Donna

A couple of the the buds...Timmy and Glen.

Ethan and his buddy, Ryan.

Danny(as he likes to be called nowadays) and Bari's husband,

Tommy, led an awesome football game.

Bari and Aleena!

Aleena and her Aunt Karissa!

Time for some playground fun!

Presents!!

A watch to time his sprints around the block!

Yes!! A big stack of Wishbone books to add to the collection!

Beef Jerky from Mom.

Ratatouille!

Tampa Bay Bucs!

No birthday is complete without a new football or two!

Karissa gave Ethan tons of seeds and he got home and immediately got to work.

Back at the house, a rousing game of Apples to Apples was in order!

The usual pose.

Year at a Glance

Create a digital scrapbook

What to do about Christmas?

Lately in the Gandee house we have been pondering all the commercialism and materialism surrounding this thing we call Christmas. It's not as if we have never pondered it before...it just seems like a different kind of pondering this time.

We may have pondered it in years past because the bank account was a bit low in many a late November or perhaps it was the "Company Christmas Party" that we dreaded. It might even have something to do with all those Christmas cards that I've felt somehow obligated to send to people that I hardly know anymore because the only time we speak is in a signature on a card!

This is my official notice...I'm quitting Christmas cards. There, I said it.

Why this pressure?! Why do I fear the questions and comments from family and friends? Over Christmas cards?! Hard to believe, but I will be asked to explain myself in a few short weeks.

Here's the thing. 24,000 children died today from starvation or preventable disease. People are starving, homeless, lonely, scared, sick, poor and lost and for some reason that's putting a damper on my Christmas shopping plans. I feel like I'm going crazy sometimes. Up to this point, the only thing I have bought is a gorgeous teddy bear that I found in the thrift store for a buck or two. My sweet Lorelei will take this bear in her arms and pour out her love on it and she wouldn't want anything more. She wouldn't need anything more. She has a family that loves and adores her and a no amount of toys could ever match that.

What about my boys? I am amazed at the level of maturity that they have displayed leading up to this Christmas. The talk around the house has been different. Oh sure, they still put that word in my ear about that XBox game or special something they've had their eye on, but they are beginning to see the truth. They are opening up their eyes to the world around them and the ME Monster is getting smaller by the second. He's a tough one.

So, what then do we do? I guess it would be a good idea to try to tear down all the idols and get back to the basics and that is to worship our Savior. Is it possible? I mean really? Can we savor the meaning and joy of Christmas and not get sucked in to the craziness of "Xmas"? I have to be honest. Christmas for me as a kid was the best day of the year. A big family reunion of sorts, continual feasting, and a ridiculous amount of gifts. It was just normal. That's what we did. It was Christmas. But Jesus had no place at our table.

Well, today, that just won't do. We can't do much, but we can do something to make a difference in someone's life, whether it's locally or globally. There are needs in right in our back yard and desperate situations all around the world Are we called to give people what they want or what they need?

Proverbs 19:17 
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.

Proverbs 22:9
Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.

Galatians 6:2
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Hebrews 13:16
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

 
James 2:14-17 
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

The needs are all around. We've just had our eyes closed for so long.

Gospel for Asia Christmas Catalog

The Hole in our Gospel

Merry Christmas

The Gospel of Jesus Christ - Paul Washer from HeartCry Missionary Society on Vimeo.

Lorelei's starting to fly!

This is an amazing picture taken by an artist friend of Karissa's, Tom Sawyer.


And check her out; walking all over the place!! She really gets moving somewhere around 3 minutes!

We had a great time EARLY this morning at the Beat the Sheriff 5k in Inverness. Daniel came in 2nd place overall out of 197 male runners and was 1st in his age group. I think that's just plain amazing. Jaret ran his very first 5k and came in at 22:18 and was 4th in his age group. This was fast enough to beat the sheriff AND his mother at 22:26(I got 1st in my age group). Big Dan ran a new PR  with 25:43 and was 6th in his age group! It was extremely HUMID but a great race. 366 runners came out to this one!

A couple of shots of Karissa goofing around with the boys...

Babies, Books, Biology, Baths, Bible and Ball

It's hard to believe that 4 weeks of school have passed by already! I'm starting to get the hang of our new curriculum, Tapestry of Grace. I've realized that the Teacher's Notes are a MUST. This means a lot of reading ahead for me. Since it's been quite a while since I've read about Napoleon and such, I need to study up. But mostly, the boys and I learn a great deal together...at the same time, it seems.

I've mastered the art of ordering my books from the library at the right time in order to have them in our hands at the right time. Since our library doesn't have many of the books we need, they come from all over. So I need to order them 2 weeks in advance. I've grown very fond of World Cat. We're almost inseparable. The occasional PBS Biography on Netflix has been a great treat as well!

Our topics of study for the first 4 weeks have been about John Adams, Napoleon, French Revolution, Constitution, Industrial Revolution, Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark, William Carey and Thomas Jefferson. We're hovering around 1800.

All is well in Math with Daniel in Algebra 2, Jaret in Pre-Algebra and Ethan working his way through multiplying fractions.

The Science notebooks are being kept up pretty well.  The new microscope this year is sometimes a distraction because Ethan just wants to put everything he finds on the glass. It is pretty cool. Later comes the dissections...eew. Daniel's the official Biology student at the moment and he watches Catie Frates online. So far, I love her style of teaching. She makes it very interesting and she keeps us on schedule.

Life outside of the books is a bustle as usual. Jaret's quarterbacking for the first time for the Storm. He loves it completely. The first two games didn't go as planned but he loves it nontheless. Daniel's running cross country again this year. He's a junior this year and a fellow captain. He's working hard and is feeling ok after his knee surgery back in May. He still needs to get stronger to bust through his best times, but he's getting there. He can't wait to get back on the track in the Spring. My Ethan is still content to sit and read in his spare time. Although he loves football and he's a beast like his brother, he's still a bit too shy to get out there. I'm not pushing him. One less thing for me to do right now! I have no doubts that he'll strap on the pads one day.

Dan has been working at BathFitter now for a while. All is well and God provides. He is good. Dan has been teaching a class on Wednesday nights at Cornerstone based on the book "Radical" by David Platt. We're on the 5th chapter already and the class has some wonderful discussions and great insights. He's really enjoying this first teaching gig. He's also taking classes with Liberty online. He's swamped, but happy.

Me, I'm mom and that's what they call me. I run around like a head without a chicken most days and lay my head down on my pillow thanking God that he gives me the daily strength to keep going. Still enjoying my runs and I'm working towards a half marathon in November.

The grandbabies are 11 months old and 6 months old now. Had them for a bit last week and I can't get enough.

 We did eventually let them out of the cage after they were done watching Veggie Tales! :)

Just plain worn out.

Secret Church

Dan and I are considering a drive to Birmingham, Alabama for 6 hours of focused Bible Study. This takes place at The Church at Brook Hills with David Platt. There are many "house churches" around the world who meet for hours at a time under severe persecution at times. The time they have to fellowship together in small gatherings to study the Word of God is precious and they take it seriously. "Secret Church" is a challenge to step away from our comfortable weekly church experience(music, big buildings, programs) and to spend time in God's Word and in prayer for the church around the globe. We are told it is not for the faint of heart, but for those who want to know God more deeply and to know His church more fully around the world. I can't wait.