Ornaments

I wanted to take a minute to post the girls' ornaments over the years. I've never thought to take photos of them, and I thought my blog would be a good place to document them. This year the girls chose their ornaments at the Festival of Lights. This is the same place that Dave and I ended up arguing over the amount of time it took for them to choose theirs!Amelia 2007 (Photo isn't good, but it says "Cheer" on it.)Mikayla 2007Amelia 2006Mikayla 2006Amelia 2005Mikayla 2005Amelia 2004Mikayla 2004 Amelia 2003 Mikayla 2003 (First Christmas)

Amelia 2002

Amelia 2001 (First Christmas)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVE!

Dave is 36 today! Wahoo! I am so grateful for him and for all he does for our family. We have been married eleven years, and for eleven years I have felt like the luckiest girl in the world to be married to him....even during the hard times, the good times are so good that they overshadow the difficult. There is no one on earth I would rather be with.

I love that he is crazy, even though sometimes it drives me crazy.

I love that when I met him there wasn't a "girly" thing about him and now I watch him do the best ponytails ever, explain to his mom exactly what High School Musical is and who is in it, and even play Barbies.

I love that he never gets mad at me over things that I would come un-glued over...like denting the car for example.

I love how much he is respected at work. Dave is not a "bossy boss" and everyone loves him so much. He does everything he can for his people to get "exposure" to those above, even if it puts him in the shadow a bit. He puts in extra time so a lady who works for him could go home to India for the holidays; he has helped another lady battle cancer, divorce and still trying to hang on to her job. He is never flamboyant, and as a result it has gained him respect that I am amazed by every time I meet someone he works with.

I love that when he cleans out his closet he carefully makes a pile for the five boys across the street of anything "cool." Then I love that he gets excited when he sees them wearing them (which is all the time!)

I love the way he loves me and our kids.

I love the way he makes breakfast when we are camping.

I love that he makes the bed every day.

I love that he knows so much about everything. He can talk to anyone, in any position and make them feel completely comfortable.

I love that when I don't understand something (usually history, investing or politics) and he can explain it so that I understand it.

I love that he trusts me with all the finances and never questions or second-guesses my decisions.

I love that he works hard so I don't have to and I can be home to raise my kids.

I married my best friend, and I am so blessed to have found him.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVEY!

More December Fun

I guess since I've started, I better just document the whole month! Tonight we went to the lights at Lanier Island. It ended with a carnival and Amelia riding every crazy ride with Dave while Mik and I stuck to the little ones. The rain made it very interesting. The girls chose this year's ornaments (more to come on that) and Dave and I ended up in a fight over the importance of this tradition and why we need to be able to spend as much time in the store as needed to pick out the PERFECT ornament. No, it's not easy being this cool...I mean, from the pink cowgirl boots (Mom, we are totally ready for the next size) to D's hand-knitted scarf that is so stretched out from Amelia insisting on wearing it every day and then sharing it with all the girls in her class at recess to carrying the sparkly pink purse while wearing a Halloween headband.

"DO YOU WANT ME TO HAVE A BAD DAY???? BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO HAVE A GOOD DAY BUT YOU KEEP RUINING IT FOR ME!!!!" This is what she says approximately ten times a day lately.

So, I love to shop early, but the problem with that is I usually end up shopping some more....so this year I've tried to keep busy with other projects, like painting my windows. I'm not sure how the neighbors feel about that...

Amelia's class party...yes, she is that tall. But man, when you are that tall and still wear two-inch boots, now that puts her over the top!At least we know she doesn't cheat!
I took my fifteen Daisies bowling for our Christmas party. It was crazy but so much fun!

And finally, Mikayla's class party. She showed her cookie decorating skills very nicely. This time she didn't eat it though. I think because they used Skittles and not M&M's...smart teachers.

'Twas the Night...

'Twas the week before Christmas and all through the Marsh home, two little girls were fighting so their mom started writing a poem.

The days have been filled with Santa visits, parties, cookies, "Annie" and loads of fun. But the children have been left tired, whiny and wishing the day was done. To bed they will go, around seven o'clock, so the mom can nestle in her bed, shut the door, and turn the lock.

Threats have been heard such as, "Watch it or Santa won't come this year! Your stockings will be full of coal, and Yes, you better fear!" The girls start to cry but immediately become good. They write letters to Santa so they aren't misunderstood.

We had big plans tonight to go see the lights, but Mom is tired because of all of the fights. Plus, this weekend we can go and Dad can make it too, but it's okay for the girls to think that it was put off because of the feud.

So they better watch out, and they better not cry, because Santa is watching and that is no lie. He's watching them shout and take toys from each other. He's watching them pout and how mad it's making their mother.

But when all is said and done, they are so good at heart. And Santa knows they could never live apart. So, the good outweighs the bad, and only five days remain, until their eyes are lit up, and the toy room has its gain.

So tomorrow comes the Kindergarten Polar Express, and the weekend will bring the long-awaited lights. And I think there will be an end to the fights. Because when all is said and done, this season is magical and so full of peace. That the yelling, fighting and bickering will cease.

We will focus on Jesus and all He has taught us, about being kind and not making a fuss. We will rearrange the Nativity and steal the Baby Jesuses to bring to bed, to keep the focus on this joyous day that is just ahead. Five short days and His birthday is here, and Santa will bring gifts, as he does each year. So the Marsh girls will remember that love is around, and joy and peace will once again be found.

Random December Happenings

First, here are our entries into the Stout Family Gingerbread House Contest...although, I'm not sure we're doing it this year. I guess that just makes our chances a lot greater of taking home the blue ribbon. (A side note: we compete during every holiday, but everyone wins...like, "Reddest egg award," "Most Colorful gingerbread house," etc. However, secretly we all hope for the top-prize. So here it goes:The beautiful Amelia is showing her AB and ABB patterns she has learned in Kindergarten. Her favorite part of her house is the roof...the stripe of pink and purple. She did her house ALL by herself, with just a little help constructing it. This is the first year she did all her own frosting!Mikayla is showing promising skills. This is the first year she got to do her own house, although I had to do most of the frosting. Her favorite part by far was eating the candy. Sometimes she even sucked on them and then still used them on her house. The peppermint candy on the window is an example of that. She says the colorful candies represent the colorful Christmas lights....smart girl.This brings us to Mikayla's Preschool Christmas program. She cried through the whole thing. I'm serious, the whole thing. However, she still didn't run off the stage. Look closely, you can see her crying.This brings us to Bailey's "Nutcracker Tea." How cute is that idea? All the moms and daughters got together and decorated cookies and then watched the Barbie Nutcracker. It was SUPER FUN!Mikayla showed off her skills decorating AND eating it all before I even got a good picture. Saturday we went to our friend's party at the clubhouse. The Jolly Fellow Himself was in attendance. You can see all the kids that were there, but for some reason when it was my kids' turn, they took about three times longer on Santa's lap than everyone else. I found out later that Amelia had A LOT of questions for him....like, "how exactly do those reindeer fly? Do you fit down everyone's chimney? I told you my list already, but now I really want a Hannah Montana doll...can I add it on there?" She also told him all about her kindergarten program and how they sing songs about him and what kinds of food we are leaving him on Christmas Eve.

The coolest part of everything that I don't have pictures for is after the party I TOTALLY SURPRISED the family and had bought tickets to see "Annie" at the Holly Theater in Dahlonega. We drove up there and it wasn't until Dave saw the billboard that he even knew where we were going. It was SO FUN! After the show, the girls got to get autographs from Annie and some of the orphans, and Lilly and Miss Hannigan. Miss Hannigan was played by the mom of a girl in Mik's preschool class last year. I knew that going into it, so it wouldn't be scary for my hyper-sensitive girls. Anyway, it was a blast! I think I will continue the tradition every year!

On a final note, this morning my neighbor called because her Sunday paper didn't come and she really wanted the ads. So I sent my girls over with ours and Mik was complaining that her boots hurt. Well, I basically told her to suck it up, and it was her footy pajamas. After coming home, she took her boots off and approximately 15 rocks and a doll hair brush fell out of them. Maybe I should have checked that....

First Lost Tooth!

Amelia came home from school and said, "Mom, my tooth is so loose now!" She has been saying that for about a year now, so I just asked her if she wanted me to pull it out, not really thinking it was any looser than it was a year ago. But to my surprise, one little tug, and it was in my hand. We were so excited. I even cried a little....I mean, that is a BIG girl.

We had a little problem that night though. Amelia did NOT want some strange fairy coming into her bedroom in the middle of the night, and she really wanted to keep her tooth to show her friends. We came up with a plan to just leave the Tooth Fairy a note on the front door to tell her what we wanted her to do:

We also had some really good discussions on the life of the Tooth Fairy. Amelia said to me in the car that night, "Mom, I think I finally decided what I want to be when I grow up....I want to be the Tooth Fairy." Then she asked me how she gets small to become a fairy because the Tooth Fairy that came to her preschool was the size of a mom. Then she asked me if the Tooth Fairy was friends with Santa and the Easter Bunny. Then she asked me if the Tooth Fairy had a mom and dad.

THEN she said to me after a long, thoughtful silence, "Mom, I think I know why the Tooth Fairy doesn't live in the North Pole." "Why's that?" I asked. "Because the Tooth Fairy's castle is made of teeth and it would blend in too much with the snow."

I'm sure she's right.

Health

This is a picture of Mikayla with her dear friend Kristen. Kristen and her mom came and spoke to my Daisies about her battle with Leukemia. The girls were working on their "Caring and Considerate" Patch, so they focused on all the things that people have done for them to make their experience a little easier. I am amazed by their faith and strength.

Tonight Mikayla's preschool sponsored a Parents' Night Out, so I dropped the kids off at the church and picked up some food for Dave and me and got on the phone with one of my Girl Scout moms. Our troop had sponsored a girl for Christmas, but no one had done the younger brothers. This mom wanted to get going on the brothers. To make a long story short, she told me that her husband has been battling cancer and so many people had helped them and even though medical bill collectors were making daily calls, she just couldn't let these boys go without Christmas. Then she said, "I guess you realize how much money doesn't matter when you have your health."

Today when I was volunteering at Amelia's school's Santa Shop a mom there was telling me about her husband. They spent Thanksgiving at the Mayo Clinic, but they were together. I could tell she was SO tired, but so hopeful.

I think I take it for granted. I wish I could make every sick kid and adult well. I wish no family had to go through the pain of having someone sick. It breaks my heart. I'll never forget the day that we found out Dave's mom had cancer. I was teaching my 2nd period 8th grade English class when I got the call. I just started crying....and those sweet teenagers in my class dropped everything. They were so worried and concerned. She came out of it strong and healthy, and I just hope the same happens for all of these people that are suffering so much now.

She Did It!

My sweet, shy Mikayla managed to make it through the dress rehearsal AND the show. I was 95% sure that she would either not come on stage or run off once she got on there, but she did it! It was a big deal in the Marsh Family. We are very proud of her!

The True Meaning of Christmas

It doesn't matter how often I put up the nativity scene. I put the stable in the background with Mary and Jesus standing in back of Baby Jesus in the manger. I put the three wisemen to one side and the shepherds and lamb on the other side. I put the angel on top... and it all looks beautiful. But then, something happens. My kids see it and immediately go and arrange it THEIR way. They put Baby Jesus in the middle and surround Him by everyone.

And you know what? I think that's how it should be. We should surround ourselves around Jesus. He is the perfect example of how to live our lives. It is because of Him that I have anything and everything that I have. If only I could always remember that. Life is easier when everything is focused on Him. So, maybe that's how the Nativity should be set up. Maybe it's okay to have everyone surrounding Jesus. It's a good reminder to me of the importance of letting Him be the focus of this approaching season. He WILL be at the center of my home this holiday, and always.

Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for:

My kids that I adore

That my kids are healthy and happy

My family, even though I miss them terribly

My house and neighborhood

My friends

That I get to be so involved with my kids

A few hours of peace a week where I can get things done!

My car

My kids' teachers

Books

Christmas shopping

Santa and the magic of it all

Turkey and all the fixin's

No more school this week

And most of all, that my sweet husband is home and we can finally spend time together!

Astrological Signs

Okay, so something made me start thinking about astrological signs. Dave has been in India for ten days (I can say that now because no crazy stalker will realize my husband is gone and he finally comes home tonight (as if, but you can't be too careful!) Well, I haven't been able to play Bunko in the last few months because Amelia has had cheerleading. I wanted to go this month so bad, so I already arranged a babysitter because I knew Dave was gone. They ended up canceling it though, for the first time in five years...so I got together with a good friend and a neighbor of hers that I don't know very well. We had the best time ever! Then my friend was inviting us to Savannah for St. Patrick's Day, and I was like, "Ya, and we can celebrate my birthday!!!" And they said, "YOUR birthday???? MY birthday!!!!" at the same time! We are all Aries girls and we had just spent the last three hours talking and laughing and just had so much in common, even though there are quite a few years in age difference.

Now I know there is supposed to be "evil" or something that goes along with the signs. But, I really don't know enough about any of that to know ANYTHING. Does anyone want to explain it? I just thought that it all just goes along with the time of the year you are born and certain personality traits go along with that sign. When I read this thing (below) that I just pulled up, it does seem pretty right-on, but if I read the other signs, could I make those fit in to my personality too? I mean, do we just fit the things in because that's what are "sign" is? I really don't know. Meanwhile, watch out! This Aries Girl can be a real &^#&!

Photo courtesy of Amelia: Please ignore the Kroger stickers...dude, I'm such a nerd.

Aries live life head first; after all, those horns on your head are not just for fighting. Your headstrong nature can make you a "battering ram" and woe is the person who stands in your way.Aries are noted for courage and leadership qualities, primarily because you are nearly always ready for action. The need for excitement pushes you into new territory -- and as long as you are ahead of others while demonstrating confidence, chances are that they will follow you. As self-ordained leader of the pack, Aries fight for what you believe to be important. But it's not that Aries are fearless. Your courage is more of a commitment to face your fears and overcome them.Aries motto is "Ready, fire, aim!" It may be backwards for others, but you'd rather figure out what to do while you are doing it. Impulsive actions, however, can bring you your share of trouble. While others are gathering information to make informed decisions, you are already on your way. As such, you could suffer from false starts. In fact, you Aries are so good at starting things that you can be off onto your next project before completing the previous one. As you Aries mature, you learn to slow down your reaction time in order to think about the consequences of your actions.

Element: FireFire signs are naturally warm. A fire gives light and heat, but it doesn't get depleted as others feed on its warmth. One candle can bring light to a room and it won't burn any faster if ten people read from its light than if there was only one. Fire doesn't plan it next move; it isn't logical. It simply is in the moment and will burn what fuel is available without judgment or forethought. For this reason fire signs can successfully rely on their intuition and survival instincts.The fire of Aries is spontaneous and hot. It's like a pile of dry kindling that burns fast but cannot sustain itself for the long haul.

First House: SelfThe First House symbolizes our physical body and our personality -- how we appear to the outer world. It's not necessarily who we are; it's what we bring to a situation and how others see us. It represents our childhood, the beginning of any activity or even the start of a new relationship. It's not, however, about the other person; it's about how others see us. No doubt, everything starts with the First House.

Key Planet: Mars Mars is called the "Angry Red Planet." In Greek mythology, Mars was the God of War. But Mars isn't only about fighting; it's about going somewhere, going anywhere. If someone is in our path, then, perhaps we must fight with them in order to keep going. Mars is like the gas pedal of our bodies. It's represents how we move forward in life. In any chart, Mars offers clues as to how we express our basic energy. As the key planet of Aries, it reminds us to "just do it."

Aries Greatest Strength: Your courage to overcome fear

Aries Possible Weakness:Not finishing things you start

A Christmas Idea

I took the Girl Scouts on a serious shopping spree yesterday to buy Christmas for a little girl. So, now I'm totally in the Christmas Spirit. I read this idea a few years ago and never did anything about it until now:

Gather all the children's Christmas books you can find in your house and wrap them up individually and put them in a basket. Each night in December let the kids take turns picking one and opening it to read that night. I don't know about you, but it seems like all of my books don't get read and this will be such a fun new tradition to start!