The Oswalt Shawas

Hello!

Two recent pics of all 4 kiddos!!!

Jason and Bo were outside being manly and changing the belt on the car. Thank you Jason for your help!!!

Charlene and I were inside with the little ones...

None of them obviously posed...maybe Spencer...

Here I appreciate Emily's look...and Benjamin "pretending" to drink so I would not ask him to pose....ridiculous!

Yesterday was good. We had fun at LeBonheur with everyone. It is always wonderful to visit and not have to be inpatient!!! What a blast to be involved in a small part of Walmart/Sam's Club day. Bo did an excellent job speaking and letting them know how important their fundraising is to the Children's Miracle Network and especially Le Bonheur.

There was a small time frame where someone was running late...so somehow (Kavenaugh) both Oswalt children ended up on the stage in front of everyone...Carter didn't care...had his own agenda. Spencer however took the time to entertain. First there was some of his dry sarcasm...then his show ended with him doing his white boy dancing...bless him. The more the crowd laughed and clapped the more he did... It was funny to say the least!!! I am not sure what I am going to do with these 2 when they are teens!!!

I am home today. I feel as if my sinuses are going to explode in my face!!! I hate using all my days, even if I just have a few months left to work. I never know when I am really going to need them. Bo is doing well. He is almost 1 week down on the Southbeach diet. He is a trooper. It is REALLY helping is diabetes...this is something we are all thankful for. The last year of stress and hospital eating has not made it easy for him to control his diabetes. Maggie has been his dieting partner this week. I can safely join them in week 3.

We purchased a digital video camcorder yesterday. We have been wanting one since we started Carter's website 2 years ago, but just now have been able to afford it/work it into the budget. So soon there should be some cute videos of the boys on here.

We are about to go pick up the Lookout as Spencer calls it and return the rental car. We will spend some time with Maggie this afternoon and then Bo and I are having adult dinner with Jason and Charlene. I am secretly hoping they hang out a bit and let Maggie teach them to play Canasta...I love a good card game!

Okay...hope you all have a great weekend. We are heading to Grenada in the morning so we will be in town for Sally Saulters and Brian Ray's engagement party. We will get to worship at FBC Grenada on Sunday and just enjoy being with family for a bit. I am hoping we get to love on Baby Rilee some...

Weekend pics and videos to come...
Lindy

Chillin in G-town

Hey guys,

We boys have been hanging in Grenada for the past couple of days. It has been nice to visit with family here. The boys have ate it up, of course. I think that it has been about three weeks since we were here last. Carter has been showing off his new found energy to everyone. Spencer has regressed in age at least two years since he has been here. He and Momma Mack are NO GOOD for each other. (just kidding, but not really) Carter has eaten everything in site much to Nanna and Momma Mack's delight! We will leave in the morning headed back to Oxford to pick up Lindy Lou and then head to Memphis. We will spend the day with the LeBonheur Foundation at a thank you celebration for WalMart for their generous support of the hospital. I will speak to them tomorrow afternoon; it should be a lot of fun. We are back in Grenada this weekend for Sally and Brian's Engagement Party! We are really looking forward to that.

For those interested, I am starting to hear more and more chatter about Haley Barbour being on McCain's shortlist for VP. Should be interesting to see how things turn out! Regardless if Haley is the pick or not I think that McCain MUST look for three things in a potential running mate to address his main weaknesses. This is to help "balance" the ticket.

1. He needs solid executive experience (i.e. a successful governor or big time mayor) because McCain doesn't have any.
2. He ABSOLUTELY has got to be someone that conservatives can totally trust on social and economic issues. (because of distrust among conservatives about McCain)
3. He needs to be several years younger than the 71 year old McCain who will be the oldest first term President ever elected should he win in November.

Several up and coming Republicans fit these criteria, as does Gov Barbour. Whoever McCain picks will most likely fit into this mold. It also wouldn't hurt if the VP nominee was NOT a white man. Unfortunately, the party of Reagan is not overflowing with those types of candidates.

Bo

The Weekend

Hello,

It has been a good weekend here in the Oswalt home. We visited with the Shawas on Friday. The men went to catch a movie and have some guy time. Char and I managed the 4 little ones! Wow what a loud time was had!!! Poor little Emily has been covered in hives from a cold she has had...we checked with Dr. Molly before our play date...she gave us the all clear (that is for the grandmothers reading the blog!!!).

We slept in some on Saturday and then headed to the Beacon here in Oxford for a late breakfast...Carter is so impatient. Here at the house I sing whenever something is missing "Where oh where could ____be?" or I say "If I were _____, where would I be?" Well, Carter sang the where oh where song until his food arrived!!! What a riot! Spencer however is very much my child. He wanted the rest of us to just talk! So we took turns talking about different topics. Carter only wanted to talk about where his food was when it was his turn.

We then headed to a few stores looking for me some tennis shoes and we stopped into Treehouse toys on the square. We then very quickly took a cranky Carter and a somewhat cranky Spencer home to get a nap.

We visited with Maggie the rest of the afternoon. She washed clothes and taught me to play Canasta. She grew up playing it and kicked my butt. By the time I caught on the game was over...she won like 7400 something to 24oo something....next time I will get her!!!

We slept in this morning. We are going to the Orchard Church here in Oxford. They have duplicate services at 10:30 and 6pm so we have opted for the 6pm service. Maggie works with youth at this church.

Well...I got sidetracked and just now got back here to finish this post. We had a great time at church. It is always so good to be in God's house fellowshipping and opening God's word. We are spoiled forever since we have been under Kevin Jackson's preaching and are very picky...but tonight was not bad at all!

The boys are quietly sleeping. Earlier they were carrying their "babies" - Spencer a bear in pajamas and Carter his new Tigger. They were sitting in the floor side by side rocking them. Good play therapy as we all prepare for a new little one. Poor Andrew has no idea what he is being born into!!!

Bo is currently researching the South Beach Diet. He convinced Maggie to join him. I am going to do a modified South Beach so cooking will be easy. Phase 2 is safe for me but not the first Phase.


Here is a pic of the boys from this morning. They play really well together with a few fights here and there. The fights are usually Carter not getting his way. Spencer is an amazing big brother. Depraved still, but amazing. Carter bit him this morning. Shocking behavior for Carter, but it was handled with a time out and a pop of the diaper. Followed by some great snuggling and family time in the bed. We listened to Andrew's heart beat. They are both so excited!!!

Okay, I need to go rest so I can get up and tackle tomorrow.

Please go to Carter's medical website and then go to Benjamin Shawa's website...we will have Emily in the morning so they can go for Benjamin's 6 month heart echo. Pray all works well for them.

Signing off...

Lindy

McCain and the NYT

Okay, I can't say that I am surprised that the NY Times unloaded on McCain now that he is the presumptive Republican nominee. It was bound to happen eventually! I actually think that it will help him tremendously with the conservative base, which has been a problem thus far. McCain and the conservatives now have a common enemy (ie. the liberal media) and they finally can lock arms and march hand in hand. I believe that this is exactly what McCain needs to move forward. I mean Rush Limbaugh has been defending Mac for the past 24 hours. That in itself is no small matter. The article was very sloppy and thin on evidence anyway. The McCain campaign did an outstanding job of responding to the hit job. I think that really impressed a lot of people how quick and agile they were in taking out the trash. I even got a fundraising email late yesterday from the campaign using the NYT article as means raise money. On a side note, it was extremely interesting to watch Mike Huckabee responding to the claims against Mac. It was almost like he was begging McCain to "pick me, pick me". I mean he scheduled a press conference to say what an upstanding guy McCain was. Good grief!

We are doing well here in the Oswalt home. Jason (Shawa) and I went to see Vantage Point tonight; it is well worth watching. It was good to get out and relax for awhile also. If you are in the mood for some good food in Oxford, I had the shrimp and grits at Boure. I recommend it highly! The conversation on various theology related matters was good also. I have a lot to learn, I must admit! Okay, I am done rambling. This blogging thing is therapeutic, I think. Don't tell Lindy.

Bo

Andrew's Birthday!

Hey all,

Just a quick post to let you know that Lindy's OB appointment went well this morning. The big news is that we have an arrival date for baby Andrew. He will be born via C-section on Monday, July 7th, 2008. We are already more than half way there!

Bo

Random Thoughts

Hi, Bo here...

Thought that I would add my voice to this Blog. We have Emily Shawa with us today. She is staying here while Jason and Charlene take Benjamin to the doctor in Memphis. Surprisingly, she and Carter have gotten along really well so far. Spencer is at school. He had spring pictures today and class pictures also. He looked so handsome when he left this morning. They were also going to the Oxford Library today. I am sure that he will have plenty of interesting things to tell when he gets home around 1.

Okay, I can't decide whether Mike Huckabee is helping or hurting John McCain by staying in the race at this point. And for that matter, WHY is he staying in the race? I don't think that he is helping himself with the VP nod because it seems to be ticking ole Johnny Mac off a bit. I mean, there is absolutely NO chance for him to get enough delegates to secure the nomination. McCain has it pretty much in the bag at this point. On the other hand, it does help to keep McCain in the spotlight with the Democrat nomination still up in the air. But McCain could be focusing more on hitting the Democrats if he didn't have to play these silly games with Huckabee. Goodness knows, he has an uphill battle against whomever the Dem nominee is with the incredible turnout and fundraising that they have enjoyed this primary season. W really has damaged the Republican party in a pretty severe way. I can't see his legacy being too kind to him! Oh and by the way, I would like to remind everyone (as I will quite frequently) that I have consistantly been a McCain supporter since BEFORE Bush in 2000.

Thats all for now!

Bo

Two Days In a Row!

Hello,

Just about to start getting ready for work. Wanted to put some of my recent favorite pics on here! The one below is of Carter Mac sitting in one of the new chairs from Christmas. He and Spencer (mostly Spencer) were playing Vtech. Some of you know my dad's side of the fam. My grandfather was a tall skinny lanky man to say the least. During the war he was nicknamed Grasshopper. He was a welder by trade and when he squatted, his legs were so long they came up around his ears and he looked like a grasshopper. Grandpa was famous for always having his legs crossed...this picture here is a typical Grasshopper pic...I thought it was too cute. Carter is also famous for having his legs crossed...especially in a hospital bed. And of course there is the famous Harley D in the bottom of the pic! He is a funny strange little dog!



Here is precious Spencer with new cousin Rylee. He was too cute trying to piece together that she was no longer in T's belly and that a baby really came from there....When Andrew arrives it should be interesting!


Praying you all have a great day!

I need to show this to Bo today so he can come post a great political opinion! Maybe even a religious one too!


Tootles!

Lindy

Still trying to get the hang of this...

Hello,

I have not been successful in telling Bo about this or letting really anyone know about this blog. Still trying to get the hang of it for myself and see how it works. Nothing I dislike more than someone advertising and then not ever updating...we already have a rough time updating Carter's website.

We did find out this week that the next Oswalt baby is a boy. Andrew Hayes Oswalt. He will arrive sometime this summer. Haven't really talked that over with Dr. Hunt yet but he will arrive via c-section so we just need to set a date and roll with it.

Carter and I have spent a lovely weekend here at the house. Bo preached at Self Creek Baptist Church again this weekend. Spencer I am sure is getting very spoiled by the fam!

Until Later!

Lindy

Here we go

Okay,

I know we have Carter's website...but I thought this would be fun for Bo to post his political comments and to get some fun stuff that we are doing that has nothing to do with Carter being sick....so here we go...