My Majic Family

Yesterday Jayden went with his class to the pumpkin patch in Porter Oklahoma. I, unfortunatly couldn't go b/c I had already taken off too much time this week (more on why later). But Jayden wanted us to go so bad and for those of us who know Jayden he is hard to resist. Just ask Martin and Betsy. Anyway, Brian was able to go and hang with him for a couple of hours and took some pics. I have to share. This kid is so stinkin' cute.


Here he is arriving at the patch

I am so cute, aren't I?

Milkin' the cow

Time to go, see you later!

Posted by The Mac Fam at 6:47 PM | Permalink | Comments

J is for Joyous in every way,
E is for Eloquent in all you say.
A is for Affection which you show,
N is for Nightowl but to bed you should go.
E is for Eggs that we share once a week,
T is for Tea and the accent I speak.
T is for Thank you for always being there,
E is for Endless like the friendship we share!!

There really aren't enough words to describe how great a friend Jeanette is but this was a start. She has been through so much with me and come out the other side still my friend. What a testimony of God's blessings in my life to send me someone as amazing as she is. I am so truly blessed to have such a godly best friend. I pray you can all experience this kind of friendship in your life. I love you Jeanette. Thanks for always being there and never giving up.

Posted by The Mac Fam at 10:30 PM | Permalink | Comments

Ok so this can't be real, can it?? Someone sent this to me and I don't even know where to start to look up this one. HELP!!

Posted by The Mac Fam at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments

I work for Integrity Lighting and Sound and I have the greatest boss and a no stress atmosphere in which to work. I also am able to attend any or all of the concerts that we do lighting and sound for. Anyway, last July I found out that we were doing lights for a benefit concert given by the Simon Estes Foundation and featuring Aaron Neville and his brother Charles. Anyway, I happened to mention this to Jeanette (my best friend) and she starts going on and on about how her and Ronnie just love Aaron Neville. Well, the concert was in August and Jeanette's birthday was September 4th. How perfect. So, not only did I surprise her with tickets to the concert but backstage passes so she could meet him, courtesy of Hollie Constien. THANK YOU SO MUCH HOLLIE!! It was very fun and the reason for the delay in bringing it up is because I only got the picture sent to me yesterday. Jeanette hasn't even seen it yet. Surprise again.

Yes it was a very hot night!

Posted by The Mac Fam at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments

I want to take this opportunity to wish my Uncle a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY from all of us in the Maciaszek family. We love you and hope you enjoy this day which is all about *you!!




*I think it should be noted that this is a man who cannot stand it to be all about him. These pictures were taken at his surprise 50th birthday last year and as you can see he hates attention. So, I am hoping I will not be disowned. I love you Uncle Delton! HEE HEE ;)

Posted by The Mac Fam at 9:39 AM | Permalink | Comments

Last November, the 17th to be exact we decided we had had enough of the carpet in the master bathroom. So, we pulled it up to reveal pink ceramic tile. Who puts carpet over tile, even if it is pink? We pulled that up. All we were going to do was replace the tile and paint the walls. Or so I thought. I went to my Aunt's later that weekend and came home Monday to find that Brian had gutted the bathroom. Oh my gosh. No vanity, no mirror, no doors, no toilet, no tile, no nothing. I guess he felt he needed more of a challenge. Here is what it looked like.
Anyway, not pretty or functional. And so it sat and sat and sat for almost one year. What can I say. We got lazy. But I am pleased to announce I picked up tile this week and today, even though he already worked 80 hours this week Brian, with Ronnie's instruction started to lay tile. I am so excited. In just a few shorts weeks I will have a bathroom again. I will update regularly to show the progress we are making. Here is a start.

Posted by The Mac Fam at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments

i think the people at photobucket.com must hate me. this is the second time all of my pics have been erased from my account. so, for those of you seeing lots of blank space this is why. anyway, i am currently exploring other options so i will be back soon and so will all those photos. very frustrating. if anyone has any suggestions on another photo hosting site, please share. it's very time consuming to keep re-loading all my pics again and again. thank you in advance for your help...betsy, hee hee.
2:52 pm I retract that photobucket hate me. The problem is fixed, permanently, I hope.

Posted by The Mac Fam at 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments

Like an Angel
Beautiful and Blessing
You have been watching over me
For quite some time now
Your smile gives me peace
And your words beyond remarkable
The power and will
that you have within you
is so strong and pure in every way
You sit and hope
and pray with all your heart
Only for the best to happen to everyone
It is someone like you that makes the world worth living
And makes me a poor love sick puppy
go on to survive just one more day!
And it is someone like you that gives me strength
to go out and understand the reality
And understand my mistakes
You want me to only strive for my best
And never sell myself short
You are the type of person that would save anothers life
And you have saved mine from much heartache and anxiety many times
You are truely a blessing
And I need to thank you before it went unsaid
You are truely remarkable and I can never live without you!
I LOVE YOU!

Posted by The Mac Fam at 4:43 PM | Permalink | Comments

Is anyone but me afraid of spiders?? Well, you need to check out this picture I just found, by accident I might add. This is just one of the "perks" our troops over in Iraq have to deal with.


FOUND IN IRAQ !They run 10 mph, jump three feet, and are a nocturnal spider, so they only come out at night unless they are in shade.When they bite you, you are injected with Novocain so you go numb instantly.You don't even know you are bitten when you are sleeping, so you wake up with part of your leg or arm missing because it has been gnawing on it all night long. If you are walking around and you bump something that is casting a shadow over it,and the sun makes contact with it, you better run. It will instantly run for your shadow, and scream the whole time it is chasing you.
PS.The one on the bottom is eating the one on the top. These are spiders found daily in IRAQ by troops.Imagine waking up and seeing one of these in your tent!!

Posted by The Mac Fam at 4:20 PM | Permalink | Comments

Here we grow again or something like that. Anyway, our restaurant in Owasso is starting to really look like something and I am getting excited.


This new restaurant will have a play area similar to Chuck E Cheese, you know with the sky tubes and stuff. On a much smaller scale of course. In addition we are having a stage built by Ronnie Fujikawa so we have a place to conduct the radio and T.V. shows we have started doing from time to time. We are supposed to open sometime in December, so pray the applicants start pouring in. I'll keep you posted.

Posted by The Mac Fam at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments

Well, last week was sort of draining. I thought I would honor mom's memory and then back to business as usual. I was so wrong. My friend Scott Hodge lost his father/mentor/best friend very suddenly last week. As I began to read all the things his father was to him I was so drawn to Scott because I know the horrific pain and loss he is feeling. My mother was also my best friend, mentor and confidant. I found myself reeling from my loss all over again. This is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Although they are gone and you will never "see" them again on this earth, the reality takes months to really sink in. Scott mentioned in a blog how he walked by his father's office to say Hi and he wasn't there. I remember those feelings of going to pick up the phone, even dialing the number and then suddenly realizing Oh my gosh, never again can I do this. This makes you feel like you can't breathe. You find yourself unable to fully comprehend or grasp the concept that your loved one is truly gone. It really is a mind-numbing experience. Although Scott (and his family) and I are not close at all this terrible tragedy gives you an instant connection that no one else could even possibly understand. It's comforting somehow. I really can't explain what I mean but I pray you never have to experience these overwhelming feelings.

This blog is not totally depressing. For my voice lessons I have begun work on a new song and I am sure you all know it. "It is Well with my Soul" As I have been working on getting it right (I just started yesterday) the words have really struck a chord in my heart. Especially since the author lost more than just one person at one time. His whole family was wiped out, yet he still managed to say "IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL." The reason, his faith in God. We have to know despite how things look that He always has a bigger plan and through our faith in Him He will help us through all these times that seem completely hopeless. Now, I am not saying that I got this one the first time. For those of you who have walked this road with me you know I am far from the end. However, I am better and each day I think I am one day closer to being with my mother again. And since we are on the subject of friends, I want to take this moment to publicly thank all of you who have been there on this journey with me. You know who you are. Scott will need alot of people on his journey too. I personally plan on being on that road with him, if to only pray. From someone who has been there, please remember once all the services are over and it's back to business as usual for you Scott and his family are still in great pain. And will be. Take a moment to ask, pick up the phone, send a card, whatever you feel in your heart. They will need all the encouragement they can get over the next few months.

Posted by The Mac Fam at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments

This post is dedicated to my mother, Nita. Today she would have celebrated 54 years. Since she went home to be with the Lord I guess you could say she has a new birthday and is in constant celebration mode. However, I wanted to honor her memory. She was the most courageous woman I have ever met and I am so proud I got to call her "mom." As I take time to reflect on how wonderful a time we had and then how quickly my time with her was over it makes me realize more and more how precious life is and that each day we have with our loved ones, whether that be family or close friends, we should treasure them. Take time to listen, to care, be selfless, don't watch the clock, slow down and just drink in every moment you have. I would give anything to have just 5 more minutes with mom. She was my everything. However, through my pain I learned one very important lesson HE really is a Father to the fatherless and if I would let HIM, HE would be my everything. I pray you will treasure every moment you have with the people you love and as the saying goes, never miss a chance to say "I LOVE YOU." Or "I appreciate you" or "You mean alot to me." I think you get the picture. Have a great day and "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!"

Posted by The Mac Fam at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments

We went to a service yesterday that got me reading Genesis this morning and my wife got me pondering on the issue of friendship this weekend? Well in Genesis God said, 'it isn't good for... man to live alone.

I read an article once that said "I'm lonely and that saddens me. With 250 million people in the United States how could I not have enough friends? It seems as though everyone else's friendship quota is filled and no longer accepting new applicants. It's easy to fill your day with work, kids, spouse, but it's not enough." And if you think it's bad for women, I read that 90% of men report that they don't have one close friend! I know I feel this way at times.

Truth is though that many more people are accepting applications then we are led to believe!
Mother Theresa said, "Loneliness is modern-day leprosy and
people don't want others to know they're lepers." The shame of not admitting we don't have friends keeps us from being honest to the point of transparency allowing us to create a genuine bond with someone that might just be the best friend we ever met?
Throughout Genesis I read, "and God saw that it was good." It's a
recurring theme - that is, until God created Adam. Then He said "It
isn't good for...man to live alone." Think about it, even though the fall hadn't
yet happened and Adam was enjoying uninterrupted communion with His
Creator, because he was without friendship God said it wasn't good? Makes you think huh?
Inside every one of us there's a void that only God can fill. But since the Bible says we're all connected to each other, there's also a people-shaped void that God won't fill. And nothing else can either - not jobs, houses, cars, or money. God says do not be interested only in your own life...be interested in...others.
So whats the answer? The answer to loneliness can be found in reaching out. Finding an unmet need and pouring ourselves into it. Or as I think it was AT&T use to say, "Reach out and touch someone!" Go ahead, try it - you'll be glad you did!

Posted by The Mac Fam at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments

I found this really great stress reliever. Just keep
poking the penquin and watch what happens. I thought it was great.

Posted by The Mac Fam at 2:52 PM | Permalink | Comments

As most of you know, I have not grown up here and therefore had no idea what college football was all about. Well, I had my first college football experience this past Saturday. I went to Stillwater to work the Dippin' Dots cart at the OSU game. Now, let me say until this point I had never been to a college football game or tasted these Dippin' Dots. They told me the line for these things would be all the way to the gate and I thought there is no way. But once I got a look at the stands, which also took my breath away (I have never seen that much orange in my whole life) I realized we were gonna get slammed.

So, I stood from 12-4:30 taking money and some strange requests. Like banana split mixed with strawberry cheesecake and my personal favorite, orange sherbert and mint chocolate chip. All in all it was a really fun game and I look forward to the next time especially since it will be OSU/OU, I will definately have pics for that.

Posted by The Mac Fam at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments

For the past 9 years of marriage, Brian and I would sit at 10 or 1030 whenever it happened to come on and watch Seinfeld. It is safe to say we are somewhat obsessed with this "show about nothing." Pathetic as that may be, it is in my mind the last of the "good and decent" shows. Although, I admit it did get pretty raunchy at the end. Anyway, so Brian comes home last night and says guess who was in our restaurant last week?? Yes, that would be correct, JERRY SEINFELD!!!! Too which I reply ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Turns out he was in town doing his stand up thing. I knew that. Once I had regained my composure I found out that he ordered a 1/2 pound burger and drink. Based on the decor in Fudds this would have been the greatest picture to have hanging on our wall, but no, no one took a picture or got an autograph. Those darn polite employee's. We have trained them too well.

Posted by The Mac Fam at 3:27 PM | Permalink | Comments

Last night Brian and I had our last dinner with the Stokes family, Bryant, Amy, Paris, CiCi and Jashon. They are moving to North Carolina to help with a church. They will be missed. We had the best time serving with them while we were at Destiny in the youth dept. and from there they started a couples bible study called Biblical Lovers. It has been a fun road getting to know them and we are excited to see what God has for them. Here are a couple pics from last night.

Posted by The Mac Fam at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments

My Aunt sent me this and it is worth the read...

Subject: How God can change our lives if we only let him...
For many years Ben Stein has written a biweekly column for the online website called "Monday Night At Morton's". (Morton's is a famous chain of Steakhouses known to be frequented by movie stars and famous people from around the globe.) Now, Ben is terminating the column to move on to other things in his life. Reading his final column is worth a few minutes of your time.
Ben Stein's Last Column...
======================================================
How Can Someone Who Lives in Insane Luxury Be a Star in Today's World?

As I begin to write this, I "slug" it, as we writers say, which means I put a heading on top of the document to identify it. This heading is "eonlineFINAL," and it gives me a shiver to write it. I have been doing this column for so long that I cannot even recall when I started. I loved writing this column so much for so long I came to believe it would never end. It worked well for a long time, but gradually, my changing as a person and the world's change have overtaken it.

On a small scale, Morton's, while better than ever, no longer attracts as many stars as it used to. It still brings in the rich people in droves and definitely some stars. I saw Samuel L. Jackson there a few days ago, and we had a nice visit, and right before that, I saw and had a splendid talk with Warren Beatty in an elevator, in which we agreed that Splendor in the Grass was a super movie. But Morton's is not the star galaxy it once was, though it probably will be again.

Beyond that, a bigger change has happened. I no longer think Hollywood stars are terribly important. They are uniformly pleasant, friendly people, and they treat me better than I deserve to be treated. But a man or woman who makes a huge wage for memorizing lines and reciting them in front of a camera is no longer my idea of a shining star we should all look up to. How can a man or woman who makes an
eight-figure wage and lives in insane luxury really be a star in today's world, if by a "star" we mean someone bright and powerful an attractive as a role model? Real stars are not riding around in the backs of limousines or in Porsches or getting trained in yoga or Pilates and eating only raw fruit while they have Vietnamese girls do their nails. They can be interesting, nice people, but they are not heroes to me any longer.

A real star is the soldier of the 4th Infantry Division who poked his head into a hole on a farm near Tikrit, Iraq. He could have been met by a bomb or a hail of AK-47 bullets. Instead, he faced an abject Saddam Hussein and the gratitude of all of the decent people of the world. A real star is the U.S. soldier who was sent to disarm a bomb next to a road north of Baghdad. He approached it, and the bomb went off and killed him.

A real star, the kind who haunts my memory night and day, is the U.S. soldier in Baghdad who saw a little girl playing with a piece of unexploded ordnance on a street near where he was guarding a station. He pushed her aside and threw himself on it just as it exploded. He left a family desolate in California and a little girl alive in Baghdad.

The stars who deserve media attention are not the ones who have lavish weddings on TV but the ones who patrol the streets of Mosul even after two of their buddies were murdered and their bodies battered and stripped for the sin of trying to protect Iraqis from terrorists. We put couples with incomes of $100 million a year on the covers of our magazines. The noncoms and officers who barely scrape by on military pay but stand on guard in Afghanistan and Iraq and on
shipsand in submarines and near the Arctic Circle are anonymous as they live and die.

I am no longer comfortable being a part of the system that has such poor values, and I do not want to perpetuate those values by pretending that who is eating at Morton's is a big subject. There are plenty of other stars in the American firmament....the policemen and women who go off on patrol in South Central and have no idea if they will return alive; the orderlies and paramedics who bring in people who have been in terrible accidents and prepare them for surgery; the teachers and nurses who throw their whole spirits into
caring for autistic children; the kind men and women who work in hospices and in cancer wards. Think of each and every fireman who was running up the stairs at the World Trade Center as the towers began to collapse. Now you have my idea of a real hero.

We are not responsible for the operation of the universe, and what happens to us is not terribly important. God is real, not a fiction; and when we turn over our lives to Him, He takes far better care of us than we could ever do for ourselves. In a word, we make ourselves sane when we fire ourselves as the directors of the movie of our lives and turn the power over to Him. I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only
one that matters. This is my highest and best use as a human. I can put it another way.

Years ago, I realized I could never be as great an actor as Olivier or as good a comic as Steve Martin....or Martin Mull or
Fred Willard--or as good an economist as Samuelson or Friedman or as good a writer as Fitzgerald. Or even remotely close to any of them. But I could be a devoted father to my son, husband to my wife and, above all, a good son to the parents who had done so much for me.


This came to be my main task in life. I did it moderately well with my son, pretty well with my wife and well indeed with my parents (with my sister's help). I cared for and paid attention to them in their declining years. I stayed with my father as he got sick, went into extremis and then into a coma and then entered immortality with my sister and me reading him the Psalms.

This was the only point at which my life touched the lives of the soldiers in Iraq or the firefighters in New York. I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that matters and that it is my duty, in return for the lavish life God has devolved upon me, to help others He has placed in my path. This is my highest and best use as a human. Faith is not believing that God can. It is knowing that God
will.

By Ben Stein

Posted by The Mac Fam at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments