Ripley's aquarium

What a great fun time we had

Blake the harpist

From Wonderworks in Gatlinburg

2 jeeps and a car

Christmas through the years

Top 10 favorite sacred Christmas songs

OK when I say sacred I mean a song that speaks of the true meaning of Christmas - the coming of the Savior Jesus into the world in some way.

10. Silent Night - can you have Christmas without singing this?

9. Heirlooms by Amy Grant - I know I am a sentimental sap

8. Little Drummer Boy by Go Fish - modern and fun version

8. God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen by Reliant K - hard rockin Christmas!

7. Breath of Heaven by Amy Grant

6. The Gift by Jim Brickman and Susan Ashton

5. Christmas with a Capital C by Go fish - preach it brothers!

4. Happy Birthday Jesus - by the Brooklyn Tabernacle kids choir - so to the point

3. Who Would Imagine a King? - by Whitney Houston (her voice is 2nd to only my wife's)

2. Mary did You Know? by Michael English

1. Oh Holy Night - Patsy would prefer Josh Groban or Celine Dion by my favorite version is by Patsy Martin.

Sorry no winner on this contest!

Top 10 favorite secular Christmas songs

For a chance to win $5 Starbucks card guess my number one favorite secular Christmas song (sacred will follow later).

10. All I really want for Christmas by Steven Curtis Chapman. It will make you want to adopt a child today!

9. Sleigh Ride by Reliant K

8. Feliz Navidad by Jaci Velasquez

7. I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas by Galya Peevey (and the Jonas Brothers)

6. The Chimpunk Christmas Song by the Chipmunks "me I want a hula hoop" has a special family memory

5. The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole - what a vioice!

4. Santa Claus is Coming to Town - the Boss Bruce Springstein

3. Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley

2. All I want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey

1. Something about Christmas Time by Bryan Adams

Several guessed right but Rachle was the first! Do they have Starbucks in South Korea?

Word cloud

I created a word cloud based on all the words I have used so far in my blog this year. Kind of a fun thing to do. the bigger words represent the greatest usage. The smaller words represent lesser use. This word cloud is the top 250 words (out of several thousand used). You can make your own word cloud at http://www.wordle.net/!

Thankful

Sometimes our kids help us realize how important the love of family can be. Blake had an assignment to write a short essay on a a member of his family so he chose David: David

David is my little brother and some times naughty but loveable.

He’s not vary tall kind of round. His vocabulary is all ways growing. He has brown hair and brown eyes a bit of a brownie.

David is stubborn he just refuses to do what you tell him. After he had a sucker he feels sticky he taste sticky he looks sticky he smells sticky.

Although he is loud, chaotic and a bit of a pain I love him all the same.

What a fun and great thing to read as a dad.

top 10 favorite things about Thanksgiving

Here is your chance to win a $5 McDonalds gift certificate!! Can you guess my number one favorite thing about Thanksgiving

10. I'm off work

9. Sweet potato souffle

8. Macy's parade

7. Pumpkin pancakes

6. Green bean casserole

5. Are u ready for some football!?!

4. Pumpkin pie

3. Dark meat turkey

2. Family time

1.Tryptophan - The stuff in turkey that makes you sleepy - over 250 views since I put this up! Guess McDonalds isn't the popular place!

Bubba

This has been a difficult week for the Martin family as we found out that there is a very high chance that Brendan will be leaving us sometime in early 2009 to live with his biological mother's cousin who lives out of state. She is married and has some girls and they are a good Christian family, so we feel comforted on that level.
We have had Brendan in our home since last February, and we had secretly hoped and prayed my sister and her family would be able to adopt him. They really wanted to. In the end they still feel that God may be calling them to open their home to another child. We feel peace that God has Brendan in His perfect hands, but it is still sad to think we may not see him again this side of heaven!
BTW - Bubba is our nickname for him.