ThE SwArTyS

Random Thoughts

2012-01-31T23:24:00.002-06:00

As a parent have you ever had those crazy random thoughts about what your child is actually thinking about when the sleep? I certainly have, if my kids imagination is anywhere on track with mine....watch out. But as I was taking time to pray for them at the top of the stairs. I asked God to bless their dreams, may they have really great dreams. Ones about how awesome their mom and dad are or how much fun they will have playing basketball when they are older! Love my girls, love these days, love praying for them, challenged knowing that I play a huge part in who they are becoming. I am grateful for a God who gives us dreams, allows us to have them, our imaginations....way cool. May you have fun praying for your kids and may they have great dreams.

Good Gracious!!

2011-12-10T23:21:00.003-06:00

Well the title says it. Good intentions, I should do that, I am gonna do it then, did I just waist 10 minutes on facebook (ya, nobody says that right?). Anyway, I hope you guys are doing great and you are ready for Christmas, cause here it comes.

There has been just so much goin on with fam and the church since I last wrote and not nearly enough time to get it all in this blog. We had a great time with my side of the family in Minnnesota for Thanksgiving. Thanks Pearl and everyone who made it a great day. We took the week and did a number of things with my folks. Mom had the week off of work, so that was a real treat for the girls. My dad and I were able to take a trip to the Nebraska/Iowa game in Lincoln. We had a great time, even with my dad having to wear a Nebraska sweatshirt. One of my friends is an offensive lineman for the Huskers, Brent Qvale is his name. We got to hang out with him and his folks for an hour or so after the game.

The girls are keeping us active and that is just in elementary school years (should be more like dog years than human years), it goes crazy fast. Rach and I are doin our best to keep in the mix with the girls and know like you know, it only gets busier. The best part is the girls keep it interesting, hilarious, stressful and totally original for us. Have a great week.

Pumpkintastic

2011-11-01T21:59:00.002-05:00

Well in true Swarthout fashion we waited till 8:15 PM on the night of Halloween to carve our pumpkins, how neat is that! The girls picked their designs and then left me sitting at the table to get to work. It was a great night of the girls hanging out, heading to some friends houses for mounds of candy, handing out candy which the girls love to do and just being together.
On that note I am grateful we can now focus on Thanksgiving!!!

Music to Share, with Love

2011-10-18T12:54:00.002-05:00

I was privileged to get to hear these guys in Atlanta and got to meet them real quick while milling around outside the conference. Enjoy!

Leaving a Conference

2011-10-08T03:09:00.003-05:00

I am getting ready to head home this morning from a conference, Catalyst to be exact. It's been a phenominal time and I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have had to be here, learn, be stretched and just hang with our team. There is always a danger when you leave a conference, will anything be different? What will you change? What can you not get around or out of your head? And you get home and you are still the same person you were before you left. I for sure don't want to be that, as a pastor, dad, leader, father, guy, there have been things that have struck a chord in me and I must move. But one of the things that really spoke to me this week has been the continued idea to 'Be Present' in the everyday, ordinary places of life. I thank God, how cool is life that we get to be a part of all that is in front of us. Have an amazing day!

Christmas Music?!?!

2011-09-14T09:44:00.004-05:00

When is the right time? Should there be a right time? Should there be a Presidential mandate? I say yes, yes and yes. Today as I was sitting in my office, the office next to me was rockin out to, "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas." I had to quickly open my I Tunes and begin rocking out to anything but that and at just a tad louder volume then what I was picking up in my ear lobes a few seconds sooner.

I don't want to come off sounding like a grinch and I am sure I just hit that mark. But..this would be a good place to insert a 'like momma always says' quote but I dont' have one of those.

Either way, I look forward to some tuneage, but I am not ready to dive in. Call it holding onto summer, fall fever, but until the snow flies I believe that tuneage will be left unplayed. Have a great September 14 everyone!

On a side note, yes all is well at this time with the Swartys, the girls are growin and school is underway. This is my mid September pledge to write more faithfully here, I blame Facebook for my lack of output, lame right?!?!?

Later, Swarty

Father's Day

2011-06-14T14:01:00.002-05:00

It's crazy, Father's Day is right around the corner. Life is full of so many different experiences, but being a dad is truly so beyond words. This is a picture of my friend Mike Macneil and I, right before we headed to Guatemala last year. He's a pretty good dad I would have to say.

There are days I can't believe that I am a dad of 3 going on 4 girls, it's unreal! I am so blessed, thankful and over joyed at the reality of being their dad and all that goes along with it. Each one of them is so unique and full of their own amazing personality. I am so thankful that I had a great role model in my dad. I want to be a great dad (I know this is not always the case) for my girls. I am excited, anxious and curious with all that is in front of us, trusting God's leading and guiding in their lives.

Most of all I am thankful to my heavenly Father for all that I have and the opportunity I have been given to be a dad. I know He is watching over me and helping me become the dad and husband that I need to be. I hope you have a great Father's day!

Ready

2011-03-31T10:33:00.002-05:00

Ya I know what I will hear, months after going underground and neglecting my blog this is what I choose to blog about. Well take it or leave it, maybe I will become more regular, but like my workout routine, it takes time to get in the groove (my blog and body can testify to that). Anywho, I am really excited for opening day and can't wait to take in some games this summer. It remains to be seen how it will all work with the arrival of Swarty girl #4 right in the heat of the summer, but we shall see.
Things are beginning to thaw out here but there is always rumors of snow and more snow. So until it reaches down and gets serious, we live in expectation of summer and all it's going to bring. Hope this blog post finds you well and GO TWINS!

No Pictures This Time

2011-01-12T08:48:00.002-06:00

I just thought I would get that off my chest so that I would not feel guilty for those of you that only check the blog for photos of people in my family other than me, haha. I have been however wanting to write about the New Year and the reality of what a great year we had in 2010.

Rach and the girls are doing great, as am I (at least no one has told me any different). It's crazy how old I feel at times being a dad of 3 girls, but what amazing joy. They are growing so fast, learning so much, making us laugh, shake our heads and realize how blessed we really are. It's unreal that we have a 2nd grader, preschooler and one that never stops moving (just dessert by my mother's standards).

I am still at New Hope and but am no longer in youth ministry. I serve as one of the Assistant Pastors at the church, we have been without a senior pastor for over a year now. We have a great team here at the church and I enjoy working with them. Rach works part time for a lawyer out of the house (dictation and other tasks) which has been great for flexibility and life.

We spent time with family this summer and had some amazing times at the Holidays with family (Thanksgiving in Minnesota/Christmas in South Dakota) as well. I have to admit when summer comes my way and not heading to youth camp, I am not sure how that will all play out, but all good things must come to an end.

God has been good and He is so faithful. What a blessing to have friends, family and new people that have been brought into our lives this last year. We look forward to what is in store for 2011, trusting and relying on the one who holds the future. We pray you guys are doing well and hope to see you this next year.

Thanksgiving and Thankful We Don't Have a Cat

2010-12-14T10:06:00.004-06:00

Ya I know that Thanksgiving has come and gone and I am fine with that, plopping right in my Title bar. It was a great Thanksgiving! We got to spend some time with a lot of family, who doesn't love Pearl's cooking (for those that know), Ale81 (Kentucky pop) and a ton of family?!?!

Since were with my folks for Turkey Day, we also took the opportunity for the girls to open their gifts from Grandma and Grandpa. It also allows us to fill an already full car with more items, good days. It was a very Zhu Zhu Christmas, how I would love to thank the guy that came up with that joyus invention.

It was also cool that Rach and I got to take in the Gopher/Hawkeye game. Even though they lost we had a great time together. The stadium is not bad at all, except for the amazingly small concourse. Before the game had a few minutes to grab a quick bite and landed at Punch Neapolitan Pizza, it was delicious! They fly through the pizzas and the wood burning oven just makes tasty pies.

During the summer, Rach picked up some skates for the girls. So after school one day we headed over the the rink for some skating and daddy time, which always rocks. Both girls did great and I pray that the idea of taking lessons for figure skating never goes to either of their heads.

The reason I put thankful we don't have a cat. When we were younger we had a cat that cut it's leg on the Christmas tree stand and bled all over the floor of our house. It was crazy days, at least it didn't pull a Griswold 'cat'astrophe and chew on the lights, but it did make for interesting times. Merry Christmas from the Swartys.

Road Trippin

2010-11-17T11:14:00.004-06:00

A couple of weeks ago Rach and I headed out on a quick and much needed road trip to catch a football game. We dropped the girls off at her folks house and headed for Iowa, which is one of my favorite places to head. Now enroute to our destination we stopped by for some Steve's Pizza with our friends the Bothuns which is always a great time and never long enough. We had tickets for the Iowa State vs Nebraska football game in Ames. Now, as most of you know I am a die hard Hawkeye fan, so heading to Ames was no easy task. The cool part about it is that one of the guys from our church plays for Nebraska as an offensive lineman, Brent Qvale is his name. It was a sweet experience to be able to be there, sitting among parents of the players, watch an intense game and see him in the trenches. It will for sure be exciting to watch him over the next few years.

After the game we headed out from Ames, drove to Denison to eat at the local DQ, which is still my favorite DQ. After grabbing our food, we jumped back in the car and headed toward Aberdeen for our destination that night arriving at 2am. We took in church at Richland Wesleyan, getting to see my friend Jason and be a part of the Sunday mix there at the church he works at.

We ended our trip arriving home around 10pm. We were thankful for great road conditions and safe travel. Even with some amazing long hours in the car and Rachel having to spend all that time with me and no breaks, we had a great time experiencing, sharing and just being with one another.

Attending to Attend

2010-11-03T14:56:00.002-05:00

My wife and I were on top of our fashion game on Sunday as we both showed up with very similar sweaters on. Neither she or I were willing to go back to the house and change so we went with it (I did have mine on first and yes she obviously looked better). What better way to go with it then to take a picture, so here ya go.

Since I am not the youth pastor at the church anymore, it's a bit strange going to events just to go. It's strange in the regard that you go to events for over 10 years as a youth pastor, then you make a change. We for sure love being out in the mix and we still love to connect with people. Kudos to the lady Coyotes for a good victory last night!

We are getting the opportunity to do some road tripping here soon, so hope to share some pics with you in the days ahead of our adventures. Pray you guys are doing great.

It's Fall, but This Weather is Amazing

2010-09-29T08:47:00.002-05:00

The weather around here has been great this last week. On Sunday night we headed on a long bike ride, coupled with time at the park and a picnic. Taylor must have been enjoying herself as she stated, 'this is the best day ever!'

It's crazy that October is almost here. The picture is of last year and the girls are anxious to recreate this moment, for them the leaves aren't falling fast enough.

On a very cool note, my sister Andrea got great news(no cancer) from her last check up. We pray that will continue to be the trend, thank you to those that have been praying for her.

PS, Pastor Matt and I were having a discussion about how crazy it is that sitcoms continue to fix all major problems in 30 minutes.

Cool Web Site

2010-09-14T15:20:00.003-05:00

One of the guys on staff found this site, via some sermon prep and thought it was worthy to pass on the link. Here ya go: www.wordle.net, it's got some great ways to prep some words and use for talking points. If you knew about this 3 years ago, just let me be excited, if not enjoy.

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Some of My Favorite Places

2010-09-13T09:58:00.003-05:00

The more places I go, the more places I like to add to this list. Let's be honest, for me there are different categories: breakfast places, hiking, lunch spots, views, sporting events. I like being on the move and Rach and I continue to find the balance of what that looks like as a family. We are great for each other in that regard, that's why being with her is one of my favorite places. I say that not to earn brownie points as most of you are thinking right now, but because I am that sweet, haha.

One of my favorite things to do is just chill with our girls wherever that be) and it's a rare moment that they just all sit like this long enough to take a picture with Rach or I. How fun though to have moments like this, it reminds me that each day is a blessing to actually have them in our lives. The girls are doing great, growing so fast (each day getting faster it seems), learning so much and on the move!

Thought I would plug one of my favorite places to get some grub for breakfast, 'The Corner Bakery'. If you have eaten there you know, but they have some great food and a good mix of things to choose from in the am. I have only frequented them in the Denver area but know they are all over the place.

Well adios for now, have a great week and see ya guys later.

The other day...and yes I am alive

2010-09-01T12:00:00.003-05:00

Have you ever watched someone in the rain and said, "what are they doing out there, they're getting soaked?" You wonder why it is so important for them to be out there when they could easily invoke a self declared rain delay, but no they stay. That was me the other day as I was out with some friends for a golf day sponsored by a local funeral home.

We were in the middle of playing and the rain rolled in. At first is was not to bad and we hoped it would subside, but it quickly began to escalate. The more it rained, the more fun we had, the more we laughed and to top it all off we pared all 5 holes we played in that crazy rain. It was good days and one of the memories that you hope you can make when you are out with friends. To top it all off I never once heard that voice in my head of the on-looker, "come in, you're getting soaked and it's just golf."

2010-07-03T16:31:00.001-05:00

So we were down in Rapid this last week for Family camp and had a good week. Camp went well, Wayne got ordained, got to golf, we spent some time with fam, and i took the girls putt putting which we had a great time. We made sure we hit up Armadillos for some ice cream, as much as we could. Jeremy and I actually won shirts at their anniversary shindig. Its hard to get back in the office and blogging mix but i think we will manage. Big Happy Birthday to Rachel today! See you guys later.

Rachel Day..Whirlawhip and Band Day!

2010-05-31T17:12:00.002-05:00

As most of you know, the end of April brings Rachel Day. It was a great day and then some. We headed to Minot, but on the way stopped at the only Whirlawhip stand in the United States. It's like a old style blizzard machine, well worth the experience.

From there we headed to Minot, I surprised Rach with a massage at a local salon. She had a great time, while the girls and I headed to a park. The best part was she had no idea until we pulled into the drive way of the Salon and I showed her where to go.
The beginning of May always brings band day to our fair town. You might be askin yourself, "band day?" and yup you heard right. It's good days indeed! Thankfully it was also Mother's Day weekend and both sets of grandparents were here for the festivities. My mom also spoke at church for the day and did a great job.

Well thought I would let you know we were still alive, hope you are doing well, chat with ya later.
Swarty

2010-05-09T20:53:00.001-05:00

Every now and then you get to be a part of something really fun, interesting and hilarious in the moment. Thought we would share with you the grandparents chorus line. They shared with up a great rendition of Lord's army. What a treat indeed.

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Spring with Swartys....almost

2010-03-27T16:39:00.004-05:00

Well we are all anxiously waiting for warmer temps around here like most of the midwest. We have had some nice days that is for sure but this mix of warm, cold, warm, cold needs to be nixed for just warm and warmer....just my opinion.

We had our first attempt at a snowman early in March, the snow was not quite ready but it was a great day to be outside.

Rachel and I traded in a date night with just us for a family date night this last week. We headed to the bowling alley to get our bowling groove on and had a great time. Tay was feeling pretty big being able to carry the 8lb ball from the return to the rack. Morgan's competitive nature came out in the first game as she was focused on making sure she did not lose to Tay. I love the pic of Morgan throwing the ball, good stuff and she learned that great form from her dad!

Today was a good day, we headed out of town a bit for an egg hunt put on by the confluence. It was a chilly morning so we bundled up and headed out to get the girls some eggs. I have to say I looked pretty good holding the pretty orange bag for Tay as she picked up her eggs.

It's crazy to see how much our fam changes from pic to pic. We are so thankful for time together as we know it is a blessing each day we have. The girls keep us laughing, entertained and on our toes, but it's good days indeed. See ya guys soon.

The Gnome

2010-03-08T17:12:00.000-06:00

So about 4 years ago when I went to New Orleans for the first time on a mission trip after Katrina struck. We found this gnome in the yard of some peoples house we were working on gutting out. Everything was going to be thrown go we decided to adopt the gnome and give him a good home, so back he came with us.

At the time I was in Rapid City, but the group I went with was the church I am at now, very crazy cool. He has become our announcement gnome for youth group and interestingly enough he has a french/mexican accent. He is a very cool conversation piece and just traveled with us on our ski retreat back down to Rapid.

So last March when Rach and I went out to Oregon for the wedding, he tagged along with us and get a couple chances for photo opportunities. He was a big fan of the ocean! Rach was a bit embarrased to have him along but it was good days for sure.

Ok so I was out of ideas and have not had a chance to organize pics for a new blog. Chat with you soon.

Swarty

2010-02-25T22:37:00.001-06:00

Morgan has been gracing my phone with some great pics lately so i thought i would give you a taste of the amazing art work. My folks have been hear watching the girls while we were gone so they have been having a blast.

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Randomness

2010-02-01T11:43:00.003-06:00

Hey I had a quick second at the office so I thought I would throw a few pics on the blog to change it up a bit. Hope you guys are having a great week. The Love Mercy youth convention is still on my mind so thought I would share a few of the abundant pics I have on my comp.

Denver is a great city and the downtown is a great way to spend an afternoon. The teens had a great time while they were down there. It's always fun to be able to show teens a bit more of the world than what they see everyday.

Ya I love taking random pics and sometimes I get home and wonder what in the world I took that one for. Anywho, it was good days and was fun to catch up with some friends that I only get to see on such occasions. The guy in the pic is Matt Leroy a pastor in Chapel Hill, NC. He has an amazing heart and is actually going to be our speaker for youth camp in the Dakotas next year.

Later,
swarty

2010-01-18T16:57:00.001-06:00

Hey took the day off today and we headed to Minot. We did a little shoppin, went to a water park and now we are gonna grab some of our favorite Mexican. This dad was crazy proud of his girls as they went down some real deal slides. Morgan was going to town all by herself after a few times. It was a great day together just chillin and bein out and about.

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Before you knock it, try it!

2010-01-08T11:14:00.002-06:00

I showed this video to my teens the other night as we started youth. Ya I know, it's a Miley Cyrus song, it may be a bit corny, but the guy does an amazing with the sign language and just watching his facial expressions is worth the watch. Not to mention that this song will for sure get caught in your mind and you will be moving your hips the rest of the day, haha. Enjoy

2010-01-02T19:33:00.001-06:00

We are back in the mix at home after a great holiday season. After supper morgan and i tackled some legos. I thought we had a great house here and would share it with you. You know this beats playin with Barbies any day for this dad.

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2009-12-25T12:07:00.001-06:00

Had a great Christmas Eve service last night. We came home and had some amazing fondue. Then the girls opened their gifts from up and had a ball. We wolf up this morning and the girls opened Santa gifts. For breakfast we had this amazing monkey bread. Merry Christmas to you all.

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Never met a sucker I didn't like

2009-12-21T19:27:00.002-06:00

Since getting back from Minnesota for Thanksgiving we have been in high gear. We hope things are going well for you guys and that you are not to behind the eight ball as Christmas is almost here.
I love this picture of Tay, she is for sure the kid with the sweet tooth, she is like Elf. When it comes to sweets, 'does it have sugar in it, then yes, I love it."

We definitely have a smiley baby and it has been a lot of fun watching her personality develop. She continues to grow and it's been a lot of fun watching the girls interact and have a great time being big sister. There are for sure moments when the out pouring of love is a bit intense for baby and she lets mom and dad know.

The girls love when Kinzi comes over. For their birthday's she gave them some nail polish for when she baby sat. They were looking forward to this time very much and had a blast painting up their nails. Whether at supper or for bed Tay in her prayers, mentions her baby sitters, it is very cute.

Finally it's unreal to think that Rach and I have been married for 10 years. At this time 10 years ago we were in Snowmass Village loving the fact were husband and wife. I am so thankful and blessed! Rachel's parents brought us the top of our wedding cake which has been in their freezer, it made for a not so tasty looking cake. Have a wonderful Christmas and amazing time with friends and family! 'For unto us a Savior has been born!'

Had a great time!

2009-12-04T16:47:00.002-06:00

We really did have a great time while we were in Minnesota for Thanksgiving. I hope that your time was great whether you were with family or friends. We have tons of pics and I only have a few minutes before I have to head out so this will be more brief than I had hoped.

I know my sister was excited to spend some time with the girls and meet the newest Swarty. We headed to the Mall of America, crazy right? But oddly enough it was not nearly that busy a few days before Turkey Day.

We headed to the Aquarium which is the first time I have been through it. I think there is a really good deal for going on Tuesday so check that out if you are in the market to see fish. The girls had a great time seeing the numerous amounts of different types of sea creatures.

Ya I know the Songe Bob pic is a bit redonkalous but man it was fun. We also took in a few rides in the park as the girls were crazy excited about the Merry-go-round. Also rode the Go Diego Go van and I took a couple spins on the roller coaster, a bit tame but I think I got my fix.

One of the things we saw was a 20 lb Lobster, it was huge! Strangely enough I was very hungry just looking at him, ok not so strange.

2009-11-24T18:24:00.001-06:00

Tonight the fam ate at Brasa. What a cool little place to eat. Saw it on Man vs Food and it was worth it.

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Drive-Ins

2009-11-19T20:20:00.002-06:00

The Swartys are doing good.
The girls are growing so crazy fast.
We are looking forward to spending time with family this Thanksgiving.
Saw the Oscar Meyer Weiner mobile tonight, I know, how cool is that!?!?

One of my favorite shows is 'Diner's, Drive-Ins and Dives' with Guy Fieri.
Tonight I ate at The Varsity in Atlanta. It's been around since 1928, they yell 'what'ya have' till you order, it's a huge place, they have great onion rings and it was good days hanging with Clint and Allison for a bit.

More things to come.
Have a great Thanksgiving!

Some great events

2009-10-23T11:02:00.003-05:00

Over the last week we have had a couple great events in the youth group. Just recently we had our annual 'Tailgate Party' before the Wednesday night Coyote football game (not usually on a Wed). WE had a great night with almost 60 youth come out for the event, grilling up some 40 burgers, 30 hotdogs and other having other various items like cookies, chips-n-dip, and brownies to much on. I have such an amazing group of sponsors that help me out on Wednesday nights, they are fantastic!

It's a lot of fun to break up the norm a bit and have a fun night of just food and football. Thankfully God help off the rain for our event, it was a weird day of weather before the party that is for sure.

The Larsen's and Ferrells hosted our annual haymaze for the church. We have the youth haymaze event on Saturday night and then the church family haymaze on Sunday night. The youth night we had some great weather, it was unreal compared to what we had to brave last year. The family haymaze gave us some pretty gusty wind which is why Tay looks a bit worn out, but the girls had a blast.

2009-10-12T19:41:00.002-05:00

Here is that pic of Kate I was talkin about. Workin on sendin from my phone, not a busy night at the Swartys.

Hawkeyes, Homerdomes and Haircuts

2009-10-12T10:51:00.002-05:00

Hey there guys, it's great days in the Hawkeye Nation as the hawks are currently ranked outside the top 10! Ya, I know most of you don't really care about that but wow good stuff and it's fun to hear the girls say, 'Go Hawks' on Saturdays in the Swarty house. For those of you really concerned, this is not brainwashing, it's just giving great guidance to my girls!

The Twins played their last game in the Metrodome last night and although it means a closing of season and an era in the Homerdome. It gives way to the opportunity to bring outdoor baseball back to Minnesota and this guy is very happy about that. I can't wait to take the fam to our first Twins game in the new stadium...no more depressurization.

The picture of me is my poor attempt to make the blog a bit more personal as I have the other general pics. I always love Rach's glances after I give myself a short haircut, priceless.

My dad flys out to Japan today to spend a week with my sister, I am a bit jealous even though I had the chance to go already. I love experiencing new cultures and had a great time while I was over there. I am sure my dad will have a great time with Andrea and seeing her life on the field.

I will include some pics of the girls in my next blog, it's crazy how fast they are all growing up and this dad is not at all ready for that. Things are going well for us here. As most of you know our pastor resigned a few Sunday's ago so we are not really sure how the next year will play out, but we are trusting God and His leading. Hope this blog finds you well and will chat with you sooner than later.

Hey Kids

2009-09-27T21:45:00.002-05:00

Hey there, hope the end of this week finds you guys doing really well. Can't say it's been all that bad here, did get crazy windy here today so that's always fun, when you make Kansas wind seem like a slight breeze.

Last weekend we had the chance to get away and head to Bismark for a quick trip. I took in a concert of a few bands that I really like. For those of you that like some good tunes: alla - the wedding, abandon kansas, and house of heros. The girls chilled at the hotel and swam a bit.

Then Saturday morning we hit the pool again, then headed out for some shopping around town. After that we found ourselves at Olive Garden, oh so tasty as always. We ended up staying for a bit longer than we thought but it was a great chance to relax and have a little fun, which we did.

The sun provided for some great views on our trip back to town. The camera seriously does not do it justice, but thought we would share one with you.

Ready, Set, Go

2009-09-15T22:37:00.003-05:00

As with anything you know that when you add another one to the mix (not heading the way of the Duggars), grandparents flock like seaguls to the house, in a good way that is. But it has been good to have the folks on both sides here to see Kate and spend time with the fam. Hey getting to go out to eat a few extra times is not that bad either.

Morgan is loving school and has a great time with her class. It is a great size and she is wanting to read so much with us, it's very cool! It will be fun to have her read to Taylor soon and will actually be reading the story as opposed to making one up, although that is really good times with the imagination flowin.

One cool thing lately is that I got to drive my first Mini Cooper a few weeks ago. Some people in church have one and have offered a few times to let me take it out, I know very trusting. Well I took it for a quick spin and man just loved it all the more and yes I do fit and yes I will be taking it out again...Italian Job here I come.

It's good days being parents and at times it's hard to believe that we actually have another one around the house. Rachel is doing so well and she is wonderful, our girls are amazing and a true blessing, it's so much fun watching them grow up..most of the time, other's it just moves way to fast.

10 Minutes till Noon

2009-09-09T11:50:00.005-05:00

So ya I've got 10 minutes till noon and thought I would finally try to get back into the mix of blogging. It has seemed to have taken a back seat to life lately and I miss it.

The pic is of our theme for this year in the youth ministry. My good friend Ryan put in some good work to make this a reality, so thanks man.

Things are good on the Swarty front, mom and dad were just here and had their first time with Kate. She is now 21 1/2 inches and 10lbs! It's crazy how this last month has flown by for us, but she has been a great baby. Morgan is doing great in 1st grade and is loving it which has been fun to watch. Taylor I think for the most part is loving having the run of the house during the day, but seriously enjoys when sister gets home. Rach is doing good and is feeling so much better than she was folllowing the C-section, she is amazing.

Last week we brought in a few bands to the church and we had a great time with it. Willet and John Reuben (pictured above) rocked out our worship center last Wed. We had a 125 people come out, which was great when I really didn't know what to expect.

Hey have a great day, chat with you guys soon, my 10 minutes is up.

New Arrival

2009-08-18T10:07:00.003-05:00

As most of you know, we now have a new Swarty! This last Wednesday, Katelyn Olivia arrived on the scene and we couldn't be more excited. Mom and baby are doing great the girls are crazy excited about having a new sister. I admit the thought of three girls is a bit much to imagine, especially in about 10 years, ufda!

Sorry for the lack of blogs and yes I will try to update you on the lives of the swartys here in the next few weeks. There have been some good days for sure and hope you out there are all doing so well.

Campin

2009-07-19T10:22:00.003-05:00

It's nice to be back home for a couple days as we just got back this week from Jr High Camp and I am getting geared up for Sr High Camp. It was good days in the Black Hills and seeing what God is doing in the lives of youth across our district.
This summer is going so fast it is really hard to believe, hope your's is going well.

It's True

2009-07-07T11:35:00.003-05:00

It is true today I turn 34, good golly that is nuts! I don't ever remember as a kid wondering about this moment, not that I remember at least. An outstanding God, blessed with an amazing wife, 2 girls with another on the way, an awesome family (no use hiding you know who you are), fantastic friends and the list goes on. So now being 34, I am excited about a few things: I still have my original hair, my body finally caught up to my huge noggin, I have traveled more than I ever thought, I still never owned a kenny g or micheal jackson album (sweet), and I'm still not ashamed to be so uncool knowing that very soon I will hear that from my girls.

Thanks to all of you that have wished me a happy birthday, it's been a great day!

Miles, smiles and family

2009-06-27T11:57:00.005-05:00

Ya I know it has been way to long and I am more aware of that then I have ever been. It's been a great summer so far and it's not even half over yet, so make sure you have a good pair of flip flops and for those of you not used to sun exposure a good spf (nutragena has a new spf 70 - wowza!).

I will start with the most recent for us as we just this last Monday got back from Mitchell. We headed down there for the weekend as Rachel's folk are finishing up almost 20 some years of ministry there to take a new position with the district. It was definitely bitter sweet for all involved, but a great time of celebration! Wayne did not know that we were coming, so that was a great surprise indeed to have all the fam there and thankfully to Judy we have picture documentation(haha).

A week earlier my dad made an amazing whirl wind trip to say the least to come visit and bring us some items for the house. He left Minnesota on a Tuesday morning, drove to Mitchell, drove through tornado warning..flooding...fear of hail to bring us a new couch and bed, he is now officially the man or just crazy like we always knew. Actually got to spend time close to father's day with my dad in a long time, so got to take him out to lunch. The girls had a great time with grandpa for the quick time he was here, thanks again!

The girls have been asking to go putt putt golfing for quite a long time. So we could not ignore the pleas any longer and headed out on a beautiful Saturday for some family time. Needless to say, Taylor has not really grasped the idea of putt putt but was crazy enthusiastic, I know big surprise. Morgan had a blast and we had a great time laughing, yelling at Taylor to not pick up the golf balls, laughing some more and consoling Taylor after the ball disappeared on the 18th hole.

See ya soon.

If two's company, then three's well three

2009-06-12T10:27:00.002-05:00

Was going to put a pic of the baby's ultrasound on today but totally left it on the fridge, so i thought this pic would work. I can imagine this being a future view in our world. The end of August feels so long away but I know it will be here before we know it. The summer schedule is heating up, so here we go. Rach is doing great looking good as a pregnant woman and the girls are super excited to meet their sister asap. At times it's crazy thinking about adding another one to the mix but we are ready and excited for her arrival. We might have to find some kinds of masculine animal to have in the house, but out side of a dog which we will not have it's kind of hard to justify a wolverine, badger, or buffalo. So for now the Swarty house will continue to be animal free. Well just thought I would give an update on the progress and so there you go.

Date Night

2009-06-04T20:34:00.003-05:00

Hey gang, had a great date night tonight with the mrs. We headed to TJ's for some slightly awesome taco salads, oles and sopapilla bites, got to love a good coupon. After the fact we learned that a place we like to go to in town had a great special, what can ya do? Mark it down for next time I guess.

Oh ya, you know what is coming next! We headed to Wal-Mart for your after supper stroll and tonight we actually spent about 20 minutes in a swing in the garden area. It's crazy how relaxing it actually was, even though we got a couple great looks from employees.

While we were in there we heard about some amazing driving by someone in a truck but that was about all we were told. When we went outside this is what we found, isn't it great?! How is the world are you going to explain that one to the boss, I am sure that was not a fun phone call.

Anyway you look at it we had a great time on our date tonight. Later

A New Look, Same Excitement

2009-05-30T10:45:00.004-05:00

The University of Iowa unveiled a new look to Kinnick Stadium with the addition of new turf. It just gets me that much more in the mood for August to roll around so that we can get the college football season in full gear. If you have never been to a college football game, make it happen, put in on your bucket list, either way get movin.

One of my best memories was with my dad at Kinnick in Iowa City as a teen. It was so cold that day for the game and we must have had 3 hot chocolates by the middle of the 2nd quarter. Great memories for sure and I look forward to the first time I can take the girls the the U for a football or hoops game. I'm a bit partial to the U of I as I grew up cheering them on and look forward to the year ahead.....Fight, fight for Iowa....till the game is won! Go Hawks!

The girls are back!

2009-05-28T10:54:00.002-05:00

The girls got back last night from being in Mitchell about a week and Rach since Friday!! It was great to have them back, the house just does not have the same energy when they are not here, I know big surprise.

On another note it's nuts to believe that we have had 14,000 hits on the blog. I know for some blogs this is a daily hit count but for our little blog I was totally surprised.

Have a great rest of the week.

My Ankle

2009-05-21T12:07:00.001-05:00

Hey just thought I would share a picture of what my ankle looks like a few days after the softball hit I took. It's just puffy from all the walking around but does not really hurt. Have had a few moments of discomfort this morning but just looking forward to it getting back to normal. It happened when I was pitching and the ball went right off the bat to my ankle, Rach said it sounded horrific.
Later,
Swarty

Almost a weekly thought....

2009-05-19T14:11:00.001-05:00

Got this off Josh G's blog and Tim Hawkins is hilarious!

Wind Power

2009-05-18T16:56:00.002-05:00

Up in North Dakota one thing we do not have a shortage of is wind. Morgan has been dyin to get out and fly her kite, so yesterday was that day (even though they had a little stint the day before)! She had a great time and even caught the attention of the neighbors who got a good kick out of our time of Mary Poppinseque fun. I even got the nod as the 'best kite flyer' Morgan has ever seen, ya I know, how many kite flyers does she know? Enough, that's all I have to say about that.
So go fly a kite, you're gonna love it!

Seriously

2009-05-10T18:56:00.002-05:00

Happy Mother's Day! I was trying to think about what in the world I could blog about this time and thought how crazy it is that we are going to be coming up on our year since our move here soon.

I saw some of the pics from last year May and 'seriously' it's nuts to see how the girls have changed in that time and how amazing my wife looks still (not that I expect that to change anytime soon). It has been so fun to watch the changes as they grow, I know our parents always comment on how they see it. When you are here everyday you aren't as shocked by it I guess, although we are well aware.

Seriously, we almost have a first grader on our hands. Seriously, Tay is potty trained! Seriously, we have been blessed so much in the last year and God continues to reaffirm our move here.

PS, Just a quick shout out to our mom's, love ya!

A few of my favorite things

2009-05-01T19:11:00.004-05:00

Ok so maybe the thought of Sound of Music and Julie Andrews is going through your head right about now, ok maybe not. Either way you look at it I was anxious to share one more post about our trip to the Northwest. We had a great time, it was very special for us get back out there for Matt and Mandee's wedding and to just go back to where we had our first ministry experience. We were so thankful for amazing travel weather and how the weather cooperated when we tried to do some sight seeing throughout the week.

One of the things that we for sure wanted to make sure happened on our trip was to make it out to Silver Falls State Park, which I think is a must if you are out in the Salem area. It was also one of our favorite areas when we were out there to take people when they came to visit. It has some amazing views, a great walking path and a peacefulness you really can't get anywhere else these days. The drive up to the fall is pretty cool as well since Oregon is one of the top producers of Christmas trees, there are fields of trees on the way.

Rach and I did not have as much time as we wanted to get all the way around the Falls path (about a 4 hour hike), but was great to fit in as much as we could. Most of the falls (which there are around 8) you can walk behind and it's amazing to see the force that is coming from these things.

We also got to again spend time with a different mix of friends while we were out there. Although we did not get to see everyone we might have liked, it worked to see a few and was so much fun to reconnect. Not pictured was time with my friend Tim who is a pastor out there and is still one of my very good friends. Also, we never took a pic of our time with the Larson's, which we felt terrible about and almost drove back for.

We were always fans of Gene's Meat Market, they have great jerky and beef sticks. It was on our way up to ski so when we lived out there it got quit a bit of business from the Swartys.

Wayne and Judy got to watch the girls on the front end of the trip. Mom and Pearl got to finish the last couple of days, all them had a great time with the girls and we were so thankful for them.

Drum Roll Please........

2009-04-24T16:25:00.003-05:00

We found out today that we are going to be having a girl!! Just thought we would let you know, thanks for praying, being excited and being a part of our lives.

The Swartys

Here's To You

2009-04-22T16:06:00.004-05:00

Here's a quick shout out to all you Administrative Assistants our there. Thanks for helping make countless lives and days go easier during the the 9 to 5 trek and for keeping your sanity when we have lost ours.

It's that week again!

2009-04-20T10:02:00.002-05:00

This week is 'National Turn the TV Off Week,' April 20-26. What a great event this is and one that I like to participate in as most of you know. This year we have added video games to the mix, so that means no Wii sports for a week as well and also only 10 minutes of online time ta boot.

The cool part this year is that Morgan got the challenge at school so she is really excited about it as well. We challenged the teens at youth to the same thing and many of them are taking part in it which is great. So what about you? Are you up to the challenge? Whether you do or you don't, have a great week!

Three Ring Fun

2009-04-11T08:27:00.002-05:00

Hey guys, yes for those of you wondering we are alive and things are going well. The other day Rach got some free tickets to the circus so we thought the girls might like it.....and they did.

They had a great time taking in the sights of the arena and I think we heard the word cool more than we could count. We gave the girls the option to either ride on the ponies or the elephant. Of course I was ready to hop on the elephant and rachel assured me that they more than likely had a weight limit, haha. Believe it or not the girls were just a bit afraid of the sight of that large gray beast, so they opted for the ponies.

One of the things they liked the best was the one thing I could not get a clear picture of. They had a little poodle show full of pink and green poodles, it was a sight to say the least. A couple of the dogs rode on scooters and the sad truth is that is was better than I can ride one of those things.

We had a great time as a family and it was nice to have a different option for at least one night. I think the girls are hooked on the circus, not sure if we will make this an annual event but we have done crazier things for sure.

For some reason Tay was into making fish faces this night so we went with it and had a good laugh. I am not sure if this is a talent or just plain silliness but she sure is not lacking for personality. They finished the night with a little dance number and it was hilarious to watch the motobike riders try to look like they really cared about what they were doing. Have a great easter!

Water and Marriage

2009-03-31T19:44:00.003-05:00

The main reason for going out to Oregon in the first place was to be able to share and perform the marriage for Matt and Mandee. We had a few times to hang out with them before it all went down and had a great time in Coldstone Creamery and Target. They make a great couple and it was fun to see them now and at the same time seeing remembering a bit of who they were when we were in ministry there.

We spent a good chunk of one day at the coast which was always one of our favorite things to do when we lived there. It was great to bum around, take it easy, walk hand in hand on the beach and eat some great food. It truly is one of the more amazing places I have been and the coast is just a great place to take in an amazing view. The sun shown most of the day and so we thought we might wait for the 'set' to go along with it, but it never came. We did though receive a gift from a woman and I will get a picture of that for the next post.

We got to see some other friends on our way into our trip in Portland. Brant and Martha and their family are amazing and they have been very good friends since we first moved out to Oregon. We shared a great supper at Red Robin (for sure head there sometime) and shared a ton of laughs much to the dismay of the other patrons.

It's funny as we look back at our pics at how much our excursions for the day were water oriented, good days. Well, have a great week and will share more later with you guys.

Wings, Wings and WIngs

2009-03-30T13:23:00.002-05:00

Maybe some of you were hoping for another Oregon post and I will for sure get to that. But this last Friday was my first time at a Buffalo Wild Wings, not something I am excited to admit, love wings, it has just not worked out. Anyway, my buddy Mike came up from Minnesota on Friday for a few days and after picking him up at the huge Minot airport we headed to the wings Mecca.

After a little discussion and some proding from Mike, we ordered what you see before you (50 wings) a dandy sight! We had some medium, mild, jerk, sweet and honey bbq wings all equaling a fantastic lunch. We finished them off in good time (I think since I have not attempted this feat before) and both thought we could have used a few more, but held off. If you have never been to a BWW I would suggest going, it was a good mix of sports overload and food (it's not just all wings...but mostly).

Oregon Trail

2009-03-20T09:20:00.002-05:00

So early this last week Rach and I headed out for our Oregon trip and what a great time it has been for us. It's been pretty much amazing to be back in this part of the country, a big fan. The trip out was great as we thought we might have some trouble in the pass, but that proved to not be the case and it could have not asked for better travel weather.

Some of the pics here were just of our drive out and will do my best to get more up for you before the end of the week. The first is one of western Montana which is one long stinkin state indeed. It's always great to try a new place to eat, atleast that's always my opinion. The funny thing is that my dad and I ate at this Zips when we moved out to Oregon in '99.

It has been great for Rach and I to be in the car, we love a good road trip and this is no small task as we covered a few miles to get here. The Columbia river gorge is always provides some great views around the different bends in the road, along with aoubt 8 bald eagles sightings and some big horn rams.

We took a quick stop at Multnomah Falls which I had not been to before but everyone else in my family had, ya I know long story. It was funny we stopped there with just a few spits of rain in the air but as we approached we thought we were going to get dumped on by the rain as it started coming down in buckets. Thankfully they had some loaner umbrellas and to top it off half way up the hill the rain stopped (which had been coming down at a good clip) and we had some great views of the falls. Needless to say if you want to do much in Oregon, you have to work with the rain, it's the way she goes.

Thankfully we made it safe and the week has gone fast indeed. It's been one of those things as we look around that it's a great reminder that one: God made some amazing creation in all this and second: we are really small in the grand scheme of it all. Look forward to sharing more with you guys soon.

PIckin and a grinnin

2009-03-14T19:39:00.000-05:00

So I had my guitar home a few weeks ago and Taylor found it very interesting as I played. I put it in her hands and she stated moving any part of her hands she could. It was pretty funny watching her get into it and could just imagine startin me a family group, haha, ok not really.

In Youth

2009-03-09T10:49:00.002-05:00

The last few weeks at youth we have been talking about love, relationships and God's love for us. It's always unreal to me how we live our lives with such chance when it comes to knowing anything about love. I am going to show this video at youth this week to start my talk, it's some good stuff.

Active House indeed

2009-03-01T20:08:00.004-06:00

Wow do we have an active house for sure, I know that is a shock to so many of you. I thought I would share one of our fantastic performances that we were blessed with recently. February brought a lot of time for the girls in the house so they made sure that we had a blast and we did.

Winter Retreat

2009-02-24T11:04:00.002-06:00

Wow, we braved the weather for over half of the trip down, with 30mph winds and lots of snow to have a great weekend! This weekend was our annual winter retreat weekend, good days indeed. We had 50 youth go, 15 leaders,and one baby making it one crazy convoy (9 vehicles in all), unfortunately I was not able to be 'rubber ducky.'

During the course of the weekend, we had some worship, 4 sessions and one question and answer time over the course of Friday and Saturday. On Saturday I had some time to ski which I have not been able to do in quite a long time, it was an amazing day on the hill. I got to spend sometime on some great snow, help teach my senior pastor's wife to ski with the help of my friend and some great time with students. The students had the choice to tube, ski/snowboard or shopping and a movie, I am thankful for my leaders and the amazing people they are.

We went to church in Rapid on Sunday morning and got to hang at a mall for a few more hours before heading home. It was a fast and fun filled weekend, no one got hurt seriously, lost or scarred for life that we are aware of. Thanks to all those that prayed for us while we were gone, you guys are awesome!

What if?

2009-02-17T13:11:00.002-06:00

I was thinking about my house in Denison that I grew up in the other day and remember the phone we had in the kitchen, it was like the photo but only black. Granted we had an answering machine up in my folks room, don't know why it was there but it was hidden like a safe, almost like it was unholy and we didn't want people to see it! I made many a 5 digit calls from that phone, one memorable one was when I slit my hand open...good days indeed!

I got to thinking... what if we went back to that, how crazy would life be? We obviously survived right? It just got me thinking about that with all that we have to communicate with one another now, email, facebook, myspace, etc. I love being able to connect with people, it was just an interesting thought to me. Have a great week guys.

Heavy Heart

2009-02-09T16:24:00.002-06:00

My cousins Ali and Jon were expecting twins come this June (after losing EmmaLee in April)in which we were all very exctied for! On early Sunday morning there was a twist that we were not expecting with Ali going into labor and the boys (Owen and Cooper) coming 4 months to early, leaving us with more questions than answers. The boys were delivered and lived for a few minutes enough to say hi to their mom and day and then said goodbye to this world. I don't enjoy goodbyes all that much especially with those that I love. I don't always get why certain things take place in life and probably won't until I can ask God face to face. I do know that He is God and I am not and my heart is heavy for Jon and Ali as I know they are greiving for the loss that has taken place. I long for them to be parents, I believe when that day does come they will be of the utmost amazing parents that ever were. I do know their faith is rooted in the One that knows all things and they have a support of family and friends that is amazing. We love them so much and if the Lord brings them to mind please lift them up in prayer.

Craziness Indeed

2009-02-07T11:01:00.003-06:00

Just thought we start with a hello from the ND, it's been a pic long overdue. We were actually making good time back home after being gone for 4 days and I thought let's take a pic....so we stopped. The funny part is this was actually our 4th picturea attempt, the other three left the sign out, it was comical and a long way to run for a 10 second timer.

We have been in a french toast kick here in the Swarty home, oh so tasty indeed. You really can't go wrong with some good think french bread and mrs. butterworth's syrup. Last weekend the girls and I had some daddy time at the library and we came across this book about a cow that could fly and would come down to eat at all. It was a very good book and the girls liked it a lot, Morgan gives it two hooves up.

My folks were here this last week as Rach and I were at some meetings in South Dakota. They had a great time with Bob and Haha and were very busy all week with projects, bowling and a plethora of other things. It's so cool to have them to be able to come during this time every year, thanks again. We even got to have some early birthday cake for my dad, delicioso!

The pic of the teens are some girls from our youth group, we hung out at a recent hoops game here in town, they rock!

Another funny

2009-01-27T17:19:00.003-06:00

Does anyone else think it hilarious how many times when there is a meeting or conference on global warming, there is crazy snow or ice conditions.

Good laugh for the day.

2009-01-27T11:07:00.002-06:00

I am not a huge Star Wars fan but I have seen them all and enjoy them enough to watch them from time to time. My friend Ben W posted this and thought I would share it with you guys.

Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.

It's a.......

2009-01-19T12:03:00.002-06:00

Just to let you guys know as one of my friends put it the other day...'rachel went and got the pregnancy again!' We are crazy excited about the opportunity to have another Swarty join us and Morgan is looking forward to being a big sister again. Rachel is doing good, it's nuts how every pregnancy is different. We are looking forward to an arrival around the end of Aug, I know it's pretty much the same for all three, fun huh!?!?! Well, now you know so hope you are well and have a great Monday.

You're telling me

2009-01-17T11:08:00.002-06:00

So some of my photos have been on my laptop and I have just not gotten around to booting it up to blog for you guys. It's been a good couple weeks since and things seem to be flyin by in the New Year already, not that it should be any suprise.

We got into the spirit by making surgary goodness for the youth party and ultimately extras for the house. The girls have loved to be able to help mom any way they can and have become sprinkle queens.

After our Christmas Eve service we headed to Minnesota and spent time at my Aunt and Uncle's house for a few hours. It's a good time getting together, although not everyone in the extended family could be there, it's the way it goes. The girls had a good time and did a great job helping to hand out gifts to everyone. After a few hours there we headed back to my folks to open up gifts at their house, as if we hadn't been blessed enough already.

We had a great time with my side of the family as well. It was a good thing it worked out as it did as Andrea left this last Wednesday to head back to Japan. She will be gone for some 3+ years in ministry over there, so it was good for the girls to get some good time with their aunt.

We also had a great time getting to see the Bothuns, our good friens from Austin. It's always a treat when we are able to get together. Morgan and Maisy love being able to see one another and it is unreal to see how their kids have changed since we were last together. We spent sometime swimming and they spent some time over at my folks house with us just hanging out. We shared some good meals which is usually the case when we meet up, if you know our family...how true this is.

Thanks for being patient as I get back in the blog mix and hope your guys New Year is shapping up real nice!

I'm Coming Your Way

2009-01-09T09:21:00.004-06:00

Ya so I am plugging away at my desk, listening to ITunes, it's a good day. There is a song by Desperation Band called, "I'm Coming Your Way." It's a great song, nothing flashy, just a statement or maybe it's a good question for us to think about. There have been certain things as I have read blogs, viewed attitudes on facebook that have challenged me to think about this song in a new light today.

One of my good friends Grandfathers died this last week and my heart goes out to his family. I know his Grandfather has made amazing steps in his life to be where he was before he passed from this earth and it has been a blessing to my friend. To me it brings the thought of 'I'm coming Your way' into a refreshing light. As a follower of Christ do we live our lives in such a way that point to the fact that we are coming HIS way. Man I hope as a dad, father, pastor that is so true of me, I want my life to point to His way. As I spend time praying I want it to be reaffirmed in my life that I am coming His way. It is a way of freedom, joy, love, surrender and so many things that I fall short of on a daily basis.....but I am coming His way.

Christmas the 2nd

2009-01-06T12:48:00.004-06:00

Hope the holidays were good for you guys and that things are starting to click back to normal for you. It's been nuts, a lot of travel, really great and now strange as we get back into the regular routine of life. A lot went on on our trip for the Christmas season, visiting both our families and putting on around 1700 miles in the process. Thought I would share from some of the photos that I had here at the office.

While we were at Mitchell we got to visit Rachel's grandma, the girls call her 'great mueller' and they do such as good job as we go and spend time with her at her apartment.

The girls also got the treat of spending time with their cousin Bethany, what a great time they had with one another. They have all changed so much since they last saw one another and it was fun to see them interact. It was also interesting to see their different reactions to opening gifts at Christmas time.

After spending some time in Mitchell we headed to Rapid City to go mainly for a wedding of a former youth. It was a good time and we got to see a few that were in attendance at the wedding (you know who you are) and then take some time to visit other friends in Rapid. It's always one of those crazy times, you would like to visit more people but there is just not enough time to fit them all in.

We hit the mall and then headed home to the great white north, where we got 10 inches of snow while we were gone. It's actually almost to normal temps here this week, which is a nice change from sub-zeros. I'll do my best to get more up on our trip here in the next few days, we really did have a great Christmas, hope you did as well.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T14:42:00.002-06:00

The Swartys want to wish you guys a Merry Christmas! Whether you guys are traveling(may you be safe) or will be at home, may it be a great celebration. We celebrate the birth of the Savior and pray your time will be filled with great memories, family, friends and remembering the greatest gift of all time. Tonight at church I get to dress up as a Roman soldier(I know very intimidating), it should be good days.

We get to be with my family and Rachel's family so we are very thankful for that. Take care and look forward to updating you was we get the chance to.

It's been chilly to say the least

2008-12-20T09:08:00.002-06:00

It's been that time of year where the temps in the tundra get a bit chillier and this last week and now have been no slouch.

We had a few days where the highs were in the -20's last week and tomorrow is suppose to be a balmy -18 for the high. That is not exactly shorts and sandals weather, more like bundling up like the little brother on 'Christmas Carol.' The girls have been anxious to get out and play in the snow, but with the temps you can spend just a few minutes before your nose hears start to freeze.

Swarty Express, Snow Angels and Sunsets

2008-12-15T19:33:00.002-06:00

Before the crazy cold set in we got in a good hour or so of sledding at a local hill. It was the first time we were able to get out this year, but with current temps and the addition of new snow, I don't think we'll have a problem again.

It was a ton of fun and the girls had a great time as be headed down the hill very much exceeding the weight limit of our festive looking sled. We set up the swarty express and had a good amount of success with the distance. Although with that much weight going down the hill you probably better be getting some good length. Thankfully no one got hurt as in other kids trying to come up the hill as we were barreling down at full speed.

We also found some virgin snow to make some great snow angels. I think they turned out pretty good! It was funny watching the girls get into the act and come out with some good angels. We even got Rach into the act after a little coaxing, I thought she had very good form.

Pure Craziness

2008-12-13T17:59:00.002-06:00

What do you get when you mix Salvation Army bell ringing and a North Dakota blizzard? Ya one crazy time that is for sure but it all went down today and a memorable one it was!

I have been planning to have the youth group ring bell for about a month now and I was really amped for them to have a great time. Wouldn't you know that today the snow rolled in along with the wind (25 to 30mph). On top of the fact that it was a balmy 0 degrees outstide ta boot.

They did have a hut with an old heater in it, but it was not the warmest place to be either. Morgan came with me for our time and did a great job in the hut ringing the bell for our hour. I was crazy proud of the youth and people that came out to ring before they shut us down for the night (2 1/2 hours early). On a funny note, last year in Rapid at about the same time, Morgan and I were ringing in 60 deg weather outstide of the Safeway, pretty crazy for sure.

If you have never rang the bell, here is a challenge for you to get out and do it. It's a great way to help Salvation Army, your community and to meet people and wish them a Merry Christmas.

Finally

2008-12-06T12:45:00.002-06:00

I know it has seemed like forever since I have had a post on here and thought it might be a good idea to let you know we're still alive. Not that you thought something might have happened to us and if that were the case, we're saddened by the lack of calls to see if we were okay, kidding.

The girls have been on a painting kick as of late, giving color to mostly anything we put in front of them. It has been fun to see their imaginations working overtime to paint the paper and pictures they have.

Rachel has been busy working to make sure the house is all ready for Christmas and she has done a great job! The house looks good inside and out with the lights and decorations she has put up around the house. On a sad note, a frosty globe that Taylor was having a good time with has been lost due to a 2 foot fall in which it will not be put back together again. Please note this is NOT a plea for another one, but there were a few tears shed in it's honor as we had to do some clean up.

The last couple of Saturdays, Morgan has been involved in the local hoops program. At first she was a bit hesitant, but since her first time on the court, she has done a great job and shown a bunch of enthusiasm for it. I don't know what this will amount to, but it is fun to think she might have an interest in hoops as she grows up. Have a great weekend you guys, adios from the Swartys.

Turkey Day

2008-11-26T13:44:00.003-06:00

It's the eve of Thanksgiving and I am getting ready for Sunday. The Swartys are going to be venturing out on our own this fine holiday and stayin in town. We would love nothing more than to be with our extended families, which has been our regular mix, but it did not work this year.

Lately my mind has gone back to a Thanksgiving we had with the Blakes one year in Oregon. We had a great day with them and were so thankful for our time with them in the great Northwest before they headed out to the Czech Republic. Also, I can still remember the first Thanksgiving I took Rachel to at my Aunt Pearl's house while we were dating (where my family will be), seems like forever ago. I have been so blessed and am so thankful for all that God has allowed me to have in my life. Have a great Thanksgiving my friends!

Old School

2008-11-24T19:37:00.000-06:00

Ya, so on our way back from Denver from the conference, the gang and I stopped in Cheyenne for church on Sunday. It worksed out great as one of my friends pastors a church there. Jeff Maness is the pastor of Element Church. It was good to see my friend and great to see how things are going for him. Jeff and I went to college in Oklahoma together and it has been a while since we have seen one another. Element meets at the mall at the Carmike Theatre and if you are ever in that part of Wyoming I would for sure check it out.

Sticky Situation

2008-11-22T17:16:00.002-06:00

Over the last week or so it has been busy with few different things and a lot of miles. We headed to Denver for a conference and in the middle of it all Rach and I, well as you can see for yourselves. We also headed to Casa Bonita, took in the Paramount Cafe, had a great conference and had an awesome time with the teens from our church.

I will do my best to get some more photos up in the next couple of days. My mom is here for a quick visit (her first time here), so have a great weekend you guys!

Stuff and more stuff

2008-11-13T09:25:00.003-06:00

We had some nice days not so long back, but since then it has gotten a bit colder. The girls took advantage of the day and played in the leaves for quite a while and mixing some work with play.

Morgan could hardly wait to get a pumpkin again this year and we had a great time picking what we were going to carve into it. Morgan picked what it was going to look like and Dad did the carving, I think she picked great! The funny part is that we did not get around to carving it until the Saturday following Halloween, better late than never.

This last Sunday we took some pics of the staff for our newsletter so we took advantage of that day and snapped a few family pics. Chances are pretty high you will see this one again as long as the Swartys don't slack and not put out a Christmas letter.

The other night I got a big surprise as a dad that was a very good night!!! I came home and was informed not to go in the dining room. So a little bit later I was led there and shown an amazing cake that you see. It also had a present (bag of postachios) and a card on it thanking me for being the best dad ever. Wow, what a great night it was and how blessed I am at being a dad to these girls and a husband to wife that helped make it all possible, she Rocks!

Could this be?

2008-11-11T11:44:00.002-06:00

The Obamas are searching for a new pet, one that is hypo-allergenic. Peru has so graciously offered to send a Peruvian Hairless dog and to that I say, you have got to be kidding me. I am not a dog person and I know that probably offends some of you, but so be it. The phrase not a dog person does not mean I hate dogs, but if all dogs looked like this, wow I might reconsider my stance. Anywho, I hope they chose more wisely and find a great pet for their girls.

Rare

2008-11-05T08:56:00.003-06:00

Rarely do I write serious thoughts, I know that may come as a surprise to many of you, ok maybe not. This morning as I was driving my daugther to school, I was letting her know that we had a new president. I told her Barack Obama was the new president, to which she responded, 'but only God tells us what to do, right.' We had some more conversation about what presidents do, that the old one would have to leave and if they were real persons or not, which was my favorite. As I took her into school I heard rumblings from kids that don't know any better and concern in their voices about what had happened in last nights election. I know there was a flood of different emotions last night in many houses across our great nation. I do believe we have to be careful about what is said in front of our kids, that song that Morgan mimics while we are driving in the care, 'oh be careful little ears what you hear. I have been guilty of not watching what I say at times, but I realize what a great responsibility I have as a parent. As I took Morgan to her locker, I looked her in the eye and said, no matter what anyone says about who the next president is or isn't, 'God is in control of everything,' or something to that effect. Anywho, just some thoughts that were going through my head. Have a great day!

Halloween,Friends and New Daddy Days

2008-11-01T10:05:00.004-05:00

There has been a lot going on in the last few days and thought I would drop a blog for you guys that mixed it all together. Much of our time has been centered around the girls loving to dress up and us taking advantage of some of the free safe stuff around town. We also had a great time with the harvest party we had at church with around 400 people coming out for that time. A lot of the youth were involved and did a great job serving for the night, it was lot of fun!!!

Morgan loved her costume and Taylor chose between two (the bee and the princess). They got more candy than any two girls should have, but it was fun to watch them interact and then give away some candy at our house.

Taylor and I started a new daddy day tradition on this last Thursday as we headed over to McDonalds for a quick breakfast of cinna rollas and then off to the library. We read a lot of books, put a lot back and ended up with a few movies to take home. It was a very good time and Taylor did a great job as we read books and just hung out together.

The leaves finally started falling in our yard and boy is that fun to think about getting those picked up. The girls had a quick second to take some pics before they headed out. We have to get Rach in some of the pictures as she is obviously the more photogenic of the two of us. Anywho, Turkey day is on it's way, what a dandy thought, have a great weekend.

Good Days

2008-10-27T21:20:00.003-05:00

Last week my dad and sister came to visit us for a few days. It was the first time any of my family has been able to come out since we made the move. They both got some good one on one time in with the girls, ranging from reading numerous books, giving annual baby check ups and playing dolls which grandpa was a big fan of. It was especially sweet for Andrea as she is trying hard to be able to head back to Japan as soon as she can, she is crazy anxious.

Over that weekend one of the families in our church had a pumpkin patch/games/kid's maze event at their house, so we loaded up the van and headed out for a bit. The girls had a great time with a the maze, did some coloring and Morgan picked out a great pumpkin for us to take home.

We even got to take advantage of the family photo opportunity, not a bad lookin family if I do say so. Anywho, it was a good time having them here and the girls loved the time they got to share.

Tailgating!

2008-10-22T11:23:00.002-05:00

Tonight we are going to throw it down and tailgate before the Coyote football game. Burgers, dogs, chips, pop and brownies are just a few items in the mix. It should be a cool, brisk and rockin good night for some tailgating. I will try to let you guys know how it goes, but thought this would be a great idea as the youth have an extra long weekend and something different to do on Wednesday night.

It's almost time!

2008-10-15T08:58:00.002-05:00

Most all of you know that I am an avid Hawkeye Fan. So with the start of the college basketball season almost upon us, I am so ready. No more having to wait and see if anything good is on television for the night, it will soon be all good, haha.

Go Hawks!

Hay and......snow?!?!?!

2008-10-12T20:14:00.003-05:00

Hey a couple weeks ago the youth group here had our annual 'haymaze' and cookout night at a couple houses out in the country. It was a great event and not just the teens had a great night. The girls had a great night watching, playing with friends, feeding cattle and checking out the farm. Morgan even got in some hopping on the hay bales and mom made sure some pictures were taken.

Taylor got the chance to check out the cat situation at the farm. It was good to get a quick cat fix, knowing it stayed there, since our cat had to find a new home in Rapid before we left.

This morning we woke up to a fresh blanket of snow, very wet and about 4 inches total. Morgan was crazy excited to get out there and some of the neighbor girls were already in the mix with snow fort and snowman. She had a great time and would have stayed out there forever, if it not for the lure of mac-n-cheese. It was a good a very good day, lost some power for an hour or so and wow what a great time to get the dust off the shovel, love it!

Chuckle for the day!!!

2008-10-07T09:44:00.003-05:00

I found this headline on relevantmagazine.com: Coffee retailer Starbucks has been accused of wasting 23 million liters of water a day by keeping water taps running in their stores. That figure is even higher if you count the water they use to make their terrible coffee. Hey-oh! ...

At Times....Good Times

2008-10-06T09:14:00.003-05:00

This morning I was googlin(I know serious work) and came across this picture of when the swartys took a day trip up to Spearfish Canyon. There was snow on the paths but it was a beautiful day and we had a great time trapsin through the snow and checkin out the waterfalls. I got to laughing about this picture because as I took it, Rachel was in the midst of a footing issue (in laymans terms, she was fallin). It was not stagged for the benefit of the shot and we had a good laugh at it or atleast I did, but not to much and after I made sure she was alright of course.

Good days for sure. If you are ever in Spearfish I highly recommend taking some time to hit up the canyon. Have a great week you guys.

King of the HIll

2008-10-02T20:07:00.000-05:00

Hey thought I would show you how we spend our spare time up here in the Northland. We seriously have to come up with a new game though as the girls are growing, dad's back is taking a beating. Ok it's not that bad.

Unreal to think we have been here over 2 months already, it seems as if we have been here in North Dakota for much longer (we know bob/haha and nana/papa). Anywho, it's been a good week and the weather has been great. Later guys!

On Sunday

2008-09-30T15:21:00.002-05:00

We used this video in service on Sunday, it was a hit and we have gotten a few chuckles out of it since then.

Do-Ray-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Don't - Classic

Do you ever want to...

2008-09-30T10:07:00.002-05:00

I am sure you have had one of those moments where getting away sounds like a great idea. My mind slipped to that this morning as I sat at my desk, minus the embarresing moment that Southwest advertises with.

It would be great to be jumping on a plane with my wife right about now to who knows where for a quick couple days. Nothing is wrong, nothing to stressful, just a moment where that sounds really nice for the two of us to be in the mix somewhere. Anywho, hope you are having a great day and if you are heading somewhere, dandy for you.

Beaver Believer

2008-09-25T23:28:00.003-05:00

What a good night, the Oregon State Beavers took down #1 USC 27-21 in Friday night college football!!!! Rach and I have been fans of OSU since living out in Oregon back in the day. Big shout out to Kenny Yee and the other OSU fans out there, Corvallis has got to be rockin tonight.

Also gotta love the Minnesota Twins takin down the White Sox tonight to take the division lead by 1/2 game.

Viva la shed

2008-09-25T09:08:00.003-05:00

We needed some more space at the house and were blessed to have someone give us some extra money so that we could put up a shed and well you know do some storin. It was a process to say the least, from the moment it arrived and had us shaking our heads and a bit of laughter.

When it comes to building things I would have to say that I am more like Tim the Tool man and not Bob Villa, minus the grunting and fancy tools. Anywho, we dove into the project, instructions in hand, maybe I'm more like Bob than I thought.

It was awesome, I had some great help from Morgan, Taylor and some other friends that came over from time to time to help and redo some areas. Also a big thanks to my neighbor Dan for the tool bonanza and expert advice or critique on our abilities which you can imagine was pretty comical.

Well it finally came together and we are now proud owners of a shed that actually stands on its own and holds things, ya I know that's what a shed is suppose to do. Good days for sure in the swarty house! Thanks to all those that made this shed possible, seriously.

On a side note, we went bowling on Sunday, wow that is always a good time. We had a lot of fun as a fam and Morgan bowled for the first time without bumpers and without using the rolling rack. I got to show her how to put the right fingerings in the ball, some technique and pass on a bit of my bowling prowess, haha.

The question everyone is asking?!?!

2008-09-22T16:38:00.001-05:00

Was goofing around with googling names and little did I know what I would find out about my father-in-law.
http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2008/04/has-wayne-muellers-cow-been-tested.html

The other day....

2008-09-22T09:20:00.002-05:00

The other night at youth one of my teens accused me of being obssesed with my girls. It stemed from my talk where I talked about defending my girls from future boys, me being their fortress, watching out for them and I guess I talked about them last week as well (I also talked about many more things). That being said I know the line of obssesed and over the top. I don't believe that I am obssessed with my girls, in living life they are a huge part of that and for that I am so thankful. I make no apologies about talking about my girls and my thought is, why don't more dads talk about their kids that way? Dad's should talk like this,as an encourager, protector, helper..it serves as a great reminder of what our heavenly Father is to us. I also realize that many kids don't have father's to talk to them in such a way, don't have fathers at all and I wish that was not the case. All the more the realization that regardless our situation we have a heavenly Father who loves us and in love with us and longs to tell us He loves us so. I know I have much to learn about being a dad but I am anxious, ready and willing to go their to let people know.

Just something that's been on my mind

ps - The same should be true as a husband and yes I have much to learn there as well.

Oh, the stache

2008-09-20T20:16:00.003-05:00

I saw this picture and challenge on a youth guys blog and thought I would throw my hat in the game.

Besides, it's for 5 days and the fun of sporting a classic all for kicks and giggles. Are you up to the challenge, ladies feel free to take a pass on this one. Have a great week of freedom for your chin and enjoy the comments you will get like my wife gave me....seriously?!?

Chips and Salsa

2008-09-16T21:21:00.002-05:00

A couple weekends ago we got to get out of Dodge for the evening. We headed to Minot for the night for some fun with friends, swimmin, shopping and just something different.

That night we took in some good Mexican food, which my wife is always in the mood for. I have to say the fajitas were pretty tasty that night and we are looking for a chance to get back and sample a bit more of the menu. The chips and salsa were pretty good, but if you have never ordered some of the white cheese dip, you should really give it a try.

We have really been blessed with some great friends already and had a great time eating, laughing together, swimming and playing some cards together. Rachel was thankful for a little 'Target' time as we got to get a few things for the girls, I got a new Twins hat and well who doesn't love Old Navy every now and then?!?!

Well hey things are going well in this neck of the woods, things are busy, the girls are growing and the house is feeling like home.

Good days!

2008-09-10T13:03:00.003-05:00

Let's get ready to rumble.

This Saturday the Hawkeyes take on the Cyclones in the always fun, frustrating, stellar interstate rivalry. I will hopefully be watching most of it now that we have the Big Ten Network! Someday I would love to be at Kinnick for this game in person. I would love to say I will be able to watch from start to finish, there always seems to be something on the calendar that is in the mix that might cause us to miss it. Either way, GO HAWKS!

What the dickens!?!

2008-09-05T10:28:00.002-05:00

Some of you are wondering what esle we did this summer, some of you are glad I am actually putting a new blog up and some of you just might not care (but I doubt it, ha ha). It like for all of you has been a bit busy, but life is good, I love it, it's the best.

We got to spend some time with our friends Jeff and Becky for a morning as they were getting ready to head back to school. I actually had Jeff in a small group I led while I was in college and Becky was one of my youth in Oregon. God brought them together and they are planning on enter ministry and that is rockin awesome.

We celebrated the girls birthday's with family and friends while we were in Minnesota. Aunt Annie made a great cake and we had some of the extended fam over for a great lunch. One of the treats of our time there was being able to go to 'benehana's' oh so tasty and wonderful. They even sang happy birthday to us and did some great tricks with the food prep that Morgan ate up. We also got to take in the ComoPark zoo, it's good stuff and free so that is rockin awesome.

When we finally got back to the mix of our home, a few weeks later Wayne and Judy came up and helped with house items. They had a great time with the girls and us and got to see the new digs and town. Needless to say with any visit it always goes so fast, but good when there are opportunities to do so.

Be The Church

2008-09-02T12:16:00.001-05:00

Our church's fall focus this year is 'Be The Church.' This video is a great representation of more and more of what we desire and are wanting to be: The eyes and heartbeat of Jesus to Williston and the surrounding areas.

This is a great video by Brandon Heath, hope you enjoy.