This is the last blog entry for a whole year!!! Have a safe and Happy New Year!
Thanks for all the laughs.

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So an idea was tossed my way this holiday season that we needed a wall where everyone could submit some things the kids say at random. This is a great idea and also allows for some funny things to be shared. So below our normal “Message Box” I have added a new one, for “Kids Quotes” so please start submitting some past and present quotes the kids say. Thanks!

I think this Christmas Season was one of our best yet. Having all families together was wonderful and thats what it is really all about. We are all one family in God’s eyes. The highlights of Christmas 2006 have been posted. I think this Christmas was a wonderful success. I enjoyed spending time with everyone, and sharing some good quality time with you all. Thanks for everything! Enjoy the photos.

Top 10 things I learned this Christmas.
10. Being a host, and Irish Coffee’s go hand in hand.
9. Sometimes it safer not to say BINGO!
8. Scruffy needs GPS tracking cause I fear he may get stolen.
7. My dad needs an XBOX so he can save the world.
6. My Nana will fight to the death for a Hershey’s Bar.
5. Mama, Juicy, J-Lo and All Dried Up formed a sentence, who knew!
4. My sister has a big heart and loves her brother.
3. My wife takes good care of her husband every Christmas.
2. Be careful when you ask for Pepper at the McDow house.
1. No more “Draw Back a Nub” for at least a year!

Merry Christmas Everyone!
I love you all!
Greg

Here is the Video for a My Christmas Song “Draw Back a Nub”
Enjoy. I think it was a hit this holiday season, but now it will be retired until next season. Thanks for the laughs.

As with every child, growing up and going to see Santa is a big deal! It was very important to tell him EXACTLY what was needed, plus he always gave a little “hold me over” present every visit, so that was always nice. I was able to dig these photos up and thought I would share them. In the 1986 picture I think it is apparent that I was getting to tall for Santa’s lap. This was my last visit to the big guy. Now I just write a letter.

I love action movies, I love boxing movies, I love martial art fighting, anything that involves the underdog giving the bad guy exactly what he deserves. I like seeing a good punch being delivered. That might sound weird, but it got me thinking. I have never once in my entire life thrown a punch directly at a person. I have been in fights as a kid, but it never involved fists, it was more pulling of the hair or tackling to the ground or being bit in the arm pit (who bites the arm pit!?). I have had plenty of opportunity to throw a punch, but always in my mind right before I would go throw it, I thought “ok, this is going to hurt the person I am about to deliver this too, and it is supposed to, but am I really ready to receive what is going to come back my way?” I have never been in a fight since leaving Ireland, avoiding a fight was a daily thing over there, for some reason I was a good target. People say you never really know yourself unless you get in a good fight, part of me believes that, but part of me does not want to, because I do not see getting into any fights in my future, I am about as non-violent as one can get, I will avoid a fight, and avoid confrontation, is that being weak? I don’t think so, sometimes its harder to walk away.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:38-42, NIV)

Growing up in school I was thought this passage and every time I heard the above passage I have had a hard time swallowing it, if anyone punched me in the face, I would unleash an Irish wrath that would make their ancestors quiver. However, I have unknowingly practiced the above passage in most cases, if I was treated wrongly, I would turn right back around and help them again if they asked for it. I have my Mom and Dad to thank for that, they were always there to help anyone, no matter how wrong they had been treated in the past by those same folks, a helping hand was always offered when it was needed.

Anyway…..those are my thoughts for today and a load off my mind.

So Sandy lived with us for a few years, she had a real bad habit of running off anytime a door opened, I have chased her up and down my neighborhood, Limerick City and countless other places. The one thing Sandy was good at was tricks, it started with the usual, sit, shake a paw, and stay. Dad however took it to a whole new level, roll over, play dead, and arithmetic. Yes you heard right, arithmetic. 1+1=2 barks, 2+3=5 barks and so on. It was the 1st thing we showed everyone when they came over to visit, she still pee’d all over the place, but she could do her math. When the time came to move to America it was time to find Sandy a home, this proved tricky. Sandy was hyper, very hyper, she needed space and attention. As it turned out my 5th grade teacher lived way out in the county and agreed to take her in, I would go spend a few days with her during the summer before I left and Sandy would be there too. The 1st thing Mrs. Mitchell wanted to do was let her outside, but I warned her, as soon as you open that door Sandy is going to bolt, but she insisted that the dog would do no such thing. What happened next I will never forget, Sandy bolted out the door, jumped a fence and started chasing cows, out runs Mrs. Mitchell screaming words no child should hear their 5th grade teacher say. I do remember how she was yelling at me to catch the dog, because the farmer would shoot her if he saw a dog chasing the cows. This of course scared me, but who was she kidding, there was no catching Sandy, how do you corner a dog in a field full of cows? She finally came home, but a big cage was built, and Sandy spent the rest of her days there with Mrs. Mitchell. That is the last I know of Sandy, I know she lived a happy life chasing cows and doing math, it seems fitting she ended up with a teacher in the end.

One Christmas morning after all the excitement of finding what Santa had left for Jenn and I under the tree had calmed down, it was time to start heading out to County Limerick to see Nana. Like every other year this was no different, Jenn and I brought one toy with us, mom set the turkey she prepared the night before on the kitchen table so she could help dad load Jenn and I into the car. As we all headed to the front door, Dad went to open it, all of a sudden there was a sudden push, and in bolted the skinniest dog I had ever seen, it was a golden brown in color, but it was moving so fast it was just a blur. It plows us over and into the kitchen it bolts, and lunges face first into the middle of the Christmas Turkey! “Holy Mary Mother of all that is Good and Holy!” mom yells! “Git out ofit!! She runs to save the turkey, but it is too late, the damage was done. There we stood in the kitchen, all four us with a look of shock and awe, as we watched this poor skinny pup standing on our kitchen table eating our Christmas Turkey. We started to laugh and enjoyed the moment. Merry Christmas, and welcome to your new home.

The trip out to Nana’s was about 40 minutes, during the trip there and back Jenn and I had already discussed the dog’s fate, she would be staying with us and her new name. Sandy because of her color. We were very excited to get home, it was like 2nd Christmas! We came inside and went right to the dog. What we saw was completely unexpected. Sandy had tripled in size! She was completely bloated, having not had any food in a few days, the Turkey had caused her to become very bloated and miserable. Sandy was a sandbag ready to pop!

Over the next few years Dad really took sandy in under his wing, she was by far the greatest Tee Tee Queen of the land. (As we all know Scooter is the Tee Tee fake Out) Sandy delivered every time! Sandy developed some abilities that to this day are well impressive. Part 2 will go into deeper detail.