Tubing at Deep Creek
Matt and his guide lying about the fish they missed
Playing at Otter Creek
Kaleb, Matt and Kyla at the top of theobservation tower at Wesser Lookout
Wesser Bald
Wesser Creek Trail
Matt and Kaleb rafting the Nantahala
Tubing at Deep Creek
One of the highest points on the Cheahola Skyway
the fam at the Nantahala Outdoor Center
in the hammock at the cabin
Silver Creek Cabin, North Carolina
Jared's Baby Dedication
Matt and Josh at the Ocoee Outdoor Center
rafting the Hiwassee River in Tennessee
the McDonald and Shaver children at the Ocoee Outdoor Center
Matt and Josh rafting the Ocoee
Pictures Texas Nana took at the museum
more pics that Texas Nana took in frontof the CG's house
Aunt Kristi and baby Jared
Jakob playing w/ Judah
Texas Nana and all the grands - well almostLayla will be here in October
Uncle Evan and Nana w/ Kaleb and Jared
Judah
Funny pic of Jared at 1 month old
Jared's first bottle
this is what happens when you playtug of war w/ a washrag and your
younger brother wins!
Easter Sunday
Sippi Nana and the kiddos
baby JaredWell, I know that it has been quite a while since the last post. I will try to catch everyone up on the goings on of the McDonald family. We have been busy, busy, busy. Jared is 2 months old now and Jakob will be turning 4 in five days. My how time flies. Matt has been pretty much in and out of the field (including one week in California) since Jared's birth. We did get a chance to meet our good friends, the Shaver's, in Tennessee for Memorial Day weekend. That was a lot of fun!! We finally got a chance to take leave last week and went to the mountains in North Carolina in the Nantahala Gorge. It was beautiful and a lot of fun. We hiked and tubed and played in the streams. Matt fished, mountain biked, and took Kaleb white water rafting. We are so grateful for the time the Lord allowed us to have as a family.
Matt is getting ready to head out again to NTC for a month. He will be gone all of July. Kaleb will attend his first church camp (and his first real trip away from Mom w/out family) the first week of July. We also still have the small matter of first grade to finish up. Lord willing, we will be done w/ that in July before Daddy gets home. We shall see. Kyla is talking more and more and is so funny! Little girls are so much more observant than boys and ask so many more questions. She keeps us laughing. Jared is adjusting to life as a McDonald. He is happy 90% of the time. He is a bit more fussy of a baby than the other three were, but he is still pretty easy over all. It could be way worse I know!
We are so thankful for the children God has given us. I know that I say that a lot, but it is so true. While they are a lot of work, the job is very rewarding and it is so neat to see their personalities emerge and their love for the Lord at such a young age. Our prayer is that they will all accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour early in life and allow the Holy Spirit to work in their lives and mold them into what God would have them to be. That being said, we had Jared's baby dedication last week at church. We as parents took vows before God and our church to raise him up in a Godly home and to teach him in the ways of the Lord (Deuteronomy 6). Our church family also made vows to assist us in that process any way they can. It was a very sweet service!
On another note, Kaleb has been having issues w/ his vision. We have been referred to Emory University in Atlanta for more testing. Please pray w/ us that his vision problems would not be anything serious and that God would give the doctors at Emory wisdom in diagnosing Kaleb's problem. We will be setting the appointment for that this week, so we will keep you posted.
Well, that is all for now. We have lots to get done this afternoon before church in the morning. We are also heading to Tennessee tomorrow afternoon to see Matt's mom. Hope everyone is having a great start to the summer. Happy Father's Day to everyone, especially to my Dad and to my wonderful husband!!
