How much wood DOES a woodchuck chuck???

Greetings,

Hello all. Once again, I finally muster the stength to compose a long overdue blog update. Well, here it is: Keely is GREAT, Brad is GREAT, Caleb and Jeremiah are GREAT, Greenville is GREAT, Life is GREAT, Everything is GREAT, GREAT, GREAT..... That's all for now. Take care and God Bless.....

Sike.

We are doing very well, though. We've settled nicely into our new illustrious estate here in Greenville. For those of you who have seen the house then you've recognized the sarcasm. There are about to be five people living in a 1200 sq. ft. 2 bedroom home. Yikes. We are seriously hoping that our house in Bluffton sells real soon so that we can look for a permanent abode. I am going to try and sneak some candid 'preggy' shots of Keely and post them on the next blog. She'll kill me if she catches me in the act. She's finally starting to show. I think that the baby is going to be small.

Oh yeah..... We're having a little girl. Did I mention that? Yep, my life is over. Let the manipulation begin. I am about to be reduced to a bumbling idiot who can't say NO. Robert and Nick, please instruct.

Caleb is adjusting. He secured his spot as the starting quarterback on his football team his first day at practice! He is really stepping up and learning to be a leader. He will also be starting at outside linebacker on defense, and he is also the team kicker. I've stepped in this year as an assistant coach. I'm really getting into it. I love yelling and making the kids hit harder and run sprints when they don't pay attention...I think something is wrong with me. Seriously though, I really love doing it. A lot of the kids in this area come from rough homes in rough neighborhoods. Football is a chance for them to escape all of that for a couple of hours each day. They can come let out their aggression and learn some teamwork and discipline at the same time. Am I starting to sound like a public service announcement? Sorry.

Lastly, summer is over and that can only mean one thing: Spurrier and the boys are back. That's right. Although Saturday's game wasn't a gridiron opus, I still think that we are in for a good season. Spurrier was being conservative offensively so the poopoo-head Bulldogs won't see what's coming. We hope to see you all at some point this football season for some good tailgate action (umm.... maybe I should rephrase that). Remember: 1) Clemson has, does, and will always suck, and 2) as my good friend Donna Bailey has so elegantly stated, "Georgia smells like Dookie". GO COCKS!!!

Here's my wife.....

Wow...I cannot believe that summer is almost over and we are headed into fall. So much has happened this year! The Summer wrap up: we moved, found out we were having a baby, started new jobs and are adjusting to a child in middle school, one learning to destroy everything in his path and one due in 15 weeks (but who is counting)!

A big thanks to all those who helped us make this adjustment. My mom kept Caleb for almost the entire summer (see pics), Aunt Karla let Jeremiah & I crash at her house; Judy, Leah, Virginia, Lillian, Niah & Samuel came and watched Jeremiah for me until I could get him into daycare. Thank you, thank you and thank you!

The move to Greenville has been so positive in many areas. I feel like we have been able to start reconnecting with friends and family. Living in Bluffton felt like the end of the earth. I know this is a long entry so I will end with a list of congratulations, salutations and lamentations: Marc on his new job w/ Michelin but he and Erin are moving; Nick on his new job but he and Leah and kids are moving to SEATTLE; Janna on going to school in Redding, California, Leah & David Moody on their pregnancy and a great big greeting to all those loved ones who put up with us. (Sorry, if I left out someone's big news; feel free to leave a complaint on the comment section.)

Take care and God bless!

Hello all,

I'm here to give you a HUGE update in the McCoy household. Kid #3 is on the way! We found out a few weeks ago that Keely is pregnant yet again. A couple months ago, Keely had a nasty stomach virus. She got over it, but it seemed to come back again. She finally went to the doctor and they did some tests. The doctor said that all of the tests came back negative except one....her pregnancy test. So, here we are in the middle of a big move a job changes and now we have another blessing on our hands. We ask that you pray for our little clan as this baby changes everything. In 5 months, our income will be cut in half. On top of that, we have a house to sell. Currently we are paying rent in Greenville and mortgage in Bluffton. We've got five months to sell this thing or we are in a very sticky situation. Right now, things are exciting and nerve racking all at the same time. None the less, this is an awesome blessing and we give nothing but thanks and praise. I have included the first ultrasound of the new baby. The doctor couldn't confirm the sex yet, but she said if she had to guess, she would say its a girl. We need some extra estrogen in the house to balance all the testosterone. Stay tuned, we'll be updating this as more develops. Take care and God bless.

Brad, Keely, Caleb, Jeremiah, and yet named newbie.

Finally, we're back.

First of all, sorry for not having updated this thing in a LONG time. Life has been unbelievably busy. I guess the biggest news is that Keely and I both have gotten new jobs....in Greenville, SC. That's right, the McCoy's are headed down yet another new path in life. We've felt for a while that Bluffton was not going to offer us the opportunities that we want for our professional lives and our family. We have both gotten significantly better jobs. Also, Greenville is way more affordable than Bluffton and the schools are really good. Keely's first day of work is June 11th. I plan on moving her up the weekend before. I will stay behind and get our house ready to sale. I plan on making my last day of work July 3rd. I'll be starting my new job on July 8th. Please pray for us during this exciting yet stressful time.

Caleb seems to be taking all of this in stride. I think that he's tired of Bluffton, too. He's been packing up his room and helping me load up our storage unit. He had his last day of school today. He also got his final report card of the year....straight A's! That makes 4 straight quarters with perfect grades. We are so proud of him. Make sure you post a comment for him. He will be attending Steve Spurrier's football camp next week. He's going to go ahead and let Spurrier know that he'll be expecting a spot on the roster for the 2015 season. After that he's headed to Florida for the remainder of the summer to hang with his kin while we get settled in our new envirement.

Little Jeremiah is changing so much so fast. He is officially 1 year old. He has begun the initial stages of walking. I think his record is somewhere around 10 steps. He loves standing up and pushing around his John Dear tractor that Captain and Judymom gave him for his birthday. He is also talking up a storm in his own little language. He says "nana" for banana (his favorite food), "buh-buh" for brother, "dat" for that (while he points) and of course "mama" and "da-da". He has also learned how to clap and wave bye-bye. Unfortunately he still has the same hairstyle as a monk. Hopefully some sideburns will kick in soon.

We would like to say how excited we are for the weddings of my cousin Marc and his wife Erin, and Keely's sister Mercy and her soon to be husband James. Also, congratulations to Gary and Angie Blight on the birth of their beautiful baby boy. Congratulations are also in order for our neighbors Kevin and Kim Smith who are expecting a boy and Geoff and Jennifer Coons who are expecting twins, one boy and one girl! We praise God for both of their pregnancies. The've both been through a lot of hard times and its awesome to see blessings poured out on two wonderful families and some damn good friends.

Well, that's all for now. Today is our third anniversery, so I'm going to go romance the old lady! We love you all and look forward to seeing you sometime in the near future. Enjoy the pictures and feel free to leave us a comment.

Happy New Year

Greetings,

First of all, I hope that everyone had a blessed Christmas and New Year. We had a great holiday in Greenville, however Robert and Ai were missed. Little JJ had his first taste of Christmas. He liked playing with the discarded wrapping paper more than the toys he got! Go figure, we spend all this money on the latest and greatest toys for our kids and all they want to do is play with the box that it came in. Caleb had a pretty good Christmas, too. The highlight was the basketball goal that Judymom and The Captain gave him and the pimped out lowrider bicycle that his Papa got him. The best part, by far, was just having the family together. We've included some holiday pics for your viewing enjoyment.

So here we are, waiting anxiously for the new arrival of the next McCoy family member. I'm talking about the yet to be named Princess McCoy, daughter of Robert and Ai. We are literally days away and Mom has got her bags packed and ready to go! Make sure that you pray for a safe and uncomplicated delivery. It looks like we'll be taking the 2007 McCoy family vacation out to L.A. in April to see the babv and all the sights. We can't wait.

We'd like to send out some congratulations to the following family members:
Mercy McComb is getting married!! That's right, Mercy. The lucky fellow is Mr. James Klonts. The big day is June 2nd in Chapin, SC. Also, my cousin Marc Mehagan is getting married to Erin Nelson in Greenville, SC on March 24th. I can't believe it, little Marky Poo all grown up and married. Only thing left is to pop out some little Mehagan babies!! Come on, you gotta keep up with me and Rob!! We also have two new graduates coming up. Virginia McComb will be graduating in May from the University of South Carolina with a degree in sociology. Janna McComb will be graduating in May as well from Leesburg High School. Janna has already been accepted to Florida State University and a small Bible college in Columbia, SC, but she has not made a decision yet on where she will attend.

As for us, we are still plugging away. We've been looking for possible job opportunities in the Charleston area. Bluffton has kind of lost its luster to us. The beach is great and the scenery is nice; it just doesn't feel like home. Really, any situation or relocation that would allow Keely to stay home with the baby for a couple of years would be ideal. Bottom line is this: God has a plan for us, we just need to be patient and trust His wisdom. Our life is blessed and we have no room to complain about anything.

Jeremiah is growing FAST! He's as big as a beast and he eats like one, too. He's been talking up a storm lately. He's already saying "dada" and "Cah-ya" (Caleb), but we can't get him to say Mama. He's also officailly mobile. He's crawling now and is starting to explore his parameters. His world has just gotten bigger!

Caleb has once again brought home straight A's. He has also made the paper several times since his football season ended. The local paper listed him as one of the local athletes to look out for next season. Quite an honor. He continues to make us proud.

One last note. We send our love and sincerest gratulations to our dear friends Geoff and Jennifer Coons. They are expecting..... Twins!! Anyone who knows Geoff and Jennifer knows that they been tested with their share of trials since getting married. This is such a blessing and answer to prayers and can't think of anyone who deserves it more. Keep us updated, guys!

That's all for this installment of "What the heck are the McCoy's up to?". Stay tuned next month, same bat time, same bat channel. Now enjoy the pictures. Love you all.

Brad, Keely, Caleb, and Jeremiah

Clemson Sucks

To All,

GO COCKS! Wow, what a game. I wasn't quite sure we were going to pull that one off. I proud of our boys. We really had a chance to have a magical season. Had four of the close games swung our way, we could have been booking rooms in Atlanta. I know, as a Gamecock fan, I've been saying this for years, but this time I mean it, "Wait till next year". Spurrier has got something good going on in Columbia.

As for the McCoy's, we've had better days. Our house has been filled with sickness lately. Jeremiah has had congestion and cold issues. I had Mono for about two weeks, followed by a sinus infection, and topped off with a nice juicy stomach virus. Keely is not feeling so hot either. She too caught Mono and has had an icky stomach lately. The only one seeming to dodge all of this is Caleb.

Speaking of Caleb, his football season ended 7-1 with a loss in the semifinals of the playoffs. He also made Beaufort county all-stars this year! They made it to the championship game but fell 12-6. I am so proud of him. He has improved 100% since last year and has found his inner toughness. He laid out some people this year as well as putting points on the board. We are saving up to send him to Steve Spurrier's football camp this coming summer. Hopefully the visored mastermind can mold my boy into an unparalleled football phenom.

Jeremiah is STILL GROWING. He's HUGE! He is so cute. His cooing is intinsifying as he is trying his hardest to communicate. I also think that he'll be crawling soon. When we lay him on the bed, he does this little "worm shuffle". Unfortunately, we were downstairs one night while he was napping and we heard this loud THUD. He had wiggled his big old fanny right off the side of the bed. Luckily after a little crying he was back to his old self. Needless to say, we are having to keep a closer eye on him these days.

Keely and I keep on keeping on. We are stretched extremely thin, but through the overwhelming joy of parenthood, our marriage has gotten that much stronger. It's funny how much retrospect you get as you age and mature. I've begun to realize just how special my childhood was. No responsibilities, no hardships, no worries. I only hope that I can give my boys the same thing.

We hope all of you are doing well. I can't wait for the holidays. I'm pretty bummed that I won't get to see Robert and Ai this Christmas, but if everything works out the way we plan, we'll be able to come visit in Febuary after the little McCoy princess is born. Take care, enjoy the pictures, and God bless.

With love,

Brad, Keely, Caleb, and Jeremiah

Babies, Babies, Babies....

To all,

First off, congratulations are in order. Leah and Nick Redmond (Keely's sister and brother-in-law) welcomed little Samuel Luke Redmond into this world recently in Blacksburg, VA. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to post yet, but as soon as I get some I'll be sure to post them. Leah is recovering well and the baby is healthy. Little Lillian, from what I hear, is excited about the arrival of her "baby bwutha". We continue to pray that Nick finds a nice balance between his studies and fatherhood and that Leah is able to make this new transition of caring for TWO little ones. Also, congratulations to my brother Robert and his wife Ai as they have recently found out that they are having a baby girl! This is BIG news for the McCoy family since we haven't had a girl in our family since our Aunt Debbie was born some 50+ years ago. I can't wait to meet my little niece. She is due in late January. Let us all pray for them as they prepare for this new change in their life. I also pray for them as they continue to search for a new home in California that will be suitable for raising their baby. Also of note, Keely's cousin Jennifer and her husband Andy are having another baby as well as our good friends Gary and Angie Blight.

Now to the really important stuff....Us! It has been four months and some change since our big fat baby was born and he is changing rapidly. What a blessing it is to have such a happy baby. He smiles and laughs constantly and is an absolute pleasure. He rolled himself over for the first time the other week. He has also figured out how to wiggle himself out of his chair, which means that we are having to take some extra precautions now! He is also starting to reach out and grab things like his toys, his mother's hair, and his daddy's big fat nose.

Keely is still adjusting to life as a working mother. She works her beautiful little tush off and still manages to find the energy to spend her precious time with the boys. I admire her so much and I wish she had the opportunity to spend more time with the kids. She takes Jeremiah to daycare in the morning, goes to work, goes back to daycare on her lunch break to feed the baby, goes back to work, picks JJ up after work, goes home and feeds Jeremiah, pumps milk for the next day, picks up Caleb from football practice, makes dinner, puts the boys to bed, and collapses. I've been working some longer hours at work. That, plus the commute, has made it harder for me to be able to help as much. But we can't complain. God has been good to us and we have a beautiful happy family.

Caleb has started football and is quite the little stud on the field. He has improved drastically since last season and is one of the coaches "go to" guys on the field. He has become quite the little Syvelle Newton. Depending on the situation, coach will play him at fullback, tailback, quarterback, reciever, and cornerback on defense. He had two touchdowns last game, but unfortunately, they were called back due to offensive holding calls. BOOO Ref! On top of his athletic achievements, he made straight A's on his last report card and got much praise from his teacher at our parent-teacher conference! I am so proud of him.

That's the "low-down" for this installment of "What the heck are the McCoy's up to?" Thanks for tuning in and feel free to leave us a comment about what's going on in everyone else's life. Take care and God bless. Enjoy the pictures!