Back to School

It's that time of year again -- BACK TO SCHOOL. (Though I could swear that August was still summer when I was growing up.) I'm realizing it's a whole new schedule now for all of us. So time to restructure our lives yet again. Alex is in 3rd grade this year and Hayden in 2nd. Aubrey misses the Kindergarten cut-off by 2 days!! I have her signed up for a Preschool at a local church. She'll be excited to have a place to go just like the boys. She is SO ready for something. She told me the other day "Mom, I know you will be angry at this, but I just have to say I am a fan of Hannah Montana." Okay, we've never even SEEN the show. What is it about girls needing to be older than they are and guys never really growing up?! She is 4 going on 16. YIKES. Am I glad that I have 4 boys? YES, one girl is going to kill me!!!

Stories About Rachel...Our First Date

We have shared this story with many people and it makes me laugh so much that I wanted to add it for Rachel. (This is Steve typing.) I remember seeing this beautiful, spiritually mature woman entering a committee meeting where I was serving with other men. This woman sits down and begins to question everything we were doing...gosh, I was in love. So I cozied up to her, got to know her then popped the question..."Rachel, I really like you and I'd like to get to know you better. Would you like to go on a date with me some time?" Of course, I was looking for a yes or a no, instead she said, "Thank you!" What was I supposed to do with thank you? Is that a yes? Is it a no? I had no idea! So I clarified if that meant yes, and she confirmed it did.

Being a graduate of the California Public Schools (interesting it has the same initials as the California Penal System...coincidence?) I was well edumicated on geography and I knew Rach had go to the Orient on her mission. Wanting to make a lasting impression I endeavored to take her to Benihana's on our first date. There we were, enjoying the fun environment, flipping shrimp tails, etc, and I glance down at the menu. I ask, "Rachel, can you read these characters on the menu?" She says she might be able to figure them out. I smile, smugly, and then ask, "Isn't this nice?" She says it is fine. "You know, a Japanese Steakhouse?" Her smile fades ever so slightly...I am losing her, so I point out the obvious, "You know, because of your mission to Hong Kong?" Her face goes blank, then it sets in..."Steve, Hong Kong is in China, not Japan."

We didn't go out again for over a month!

I am glad she gave me another chance, I am the luckiest guy on earth. I remember my dad telling me, "Son, it looks like you are marrying up!" I smiled. Then I shared that story with Rachel's parents just before we were married, and her mother said, "You dad was right, you are marrying up!" Well, they were both right. And I have been blessed every day since.

I love you, Rach.

Share a memory

My sister-in-law (that sounds so formal - I just think of her as Rodi) did this on her blog and I loved the idea.
1. As a comment on this post, leave one memory that you and I have together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Grandma Bait

Here are some picts of Jakey-Bo-Bakey 'BF' and 'AF' ("Before Feeding" and "After Feeding") I would like to take credit for the pruney mess on him but he is the grabbiest baby. He did most of that all by himself. So Grandmas what is more adorable than a messy little baby?! Seeing him in person!! Come visit!

Choo Choo Chattanooga...Here we come!

The 4th of July holiday we took the clan to Chattanooga Tennessee. We heard that they have a great aquarium there and being the lovers of fish that we are, we decided it was time for a Marshall 'vacation' (an over-nighter in a hotel). Chattanooga is only 2 hours away so it was a decent little trip that our family could handle in the car. We really had fun! Thursday, the 3rd we went to the Tennessee Aquarium. They have 2 different buildings there; one with ocean fish and the other with river varieties. I think Ty's favorite were the sharks. He was going crazy yelling 'shark, shark' every time he saw one. They were swimming right up to the glass. One of them glided right past my face and couldn't have been more than 5 inches away, including the 3 inches of glass. YIKES! That night I took AHA (Alex, Hayden and Aubrey) swimming in the hotel pool where, of course, Aubrey makes a little friend who is almost twice her age and half her size. She does love people. The morning of the 4th we made our way back downtown to go to the Children's Discovery Museum. Unfortunately (and I'm still angry at myself for this) I left the camera in the car. It was really a great children's museum, probably the best one we've visited, except Boston, but Steve and I went there before we had any children so it is hard to compare. Steve and I joined in the fun playing with their water channels stream, the art room and on the kiddie stage (complete with costumes, lights and sound effects). I think the other parents there realized why we have so many kids -- we are still kids ourselves. Probably the most memorable part of the trip though (and the other activities were hard to beat) was the game that we played on the ride there and back. Steve used to play the 'ABC' game with his grandmother on trips to the desert, so we started with that one, but Steve is so dang fast at it, it is hardly fun to play (especially while I am driving and trying NOT to kill us) So Aubrey suggested let's do numbers! At first blush we were placating her but then we realized we could continue into double digits and beyond. The rules are you have to find the numbers in readable order but they can be separated by letters. Most times we found them on the side of big semis in their registration numbers or on billboards in telephone numbers. We often slowed down next to the semis to read the numbers. I'm sure they thought we were nuts! It was a BLAST! We even took a different exit home so that we could find 99 and 100 before we arrived at our house and as a bonus found 101! All-in-all an excellent adventure! (no telephone booth required)

Cone Head

Typical day at the Marshall household. Some kind of food-stuff is hurled across the room and imbedded into someone's cranium. Okay, truth is, Steve was just acting like a crazy man and the kids were eating it up (pun intended).

Superhero Revealed

It is about this time of year that my mild-mannered self evolves into a brutal evil-fighter. I transform into "Raid Girl". Armed with bug spray, silicone caulk and a fly-swatter I attempt to wage war against Georgia's most sinister crew -- the ant. I can hardly put a complete thought together without thinking "Where are they now?" "What is their next move?" I hunt them, pursue them, destroy them. I wish I could say I was completely victorious but given the fact that I have 5 very talented crumb-spreaders at my house (no, make that 7) and given the sneakiness that embodies the evil enemy I am left to daily wage this war. So if you are black, 6-legged and have a thorax -- BE AFRAID! BE VERY, VERY AFRAID.