The In-Laws' Visit

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Matt's family came and visited us last week and into the weekend. It was a short visit, but a good one, nonetheless. We didn't do a whole lot - just sat around and talked while the kids played Wii most of the time. We did go down to Centennial Park in the canyon, took turns shooting Matt's new gun, and visited with his Aunt JoAnn in Burley, though. We also took them to church with us on Sunday (they were really impressed). Again, the visit was mainly centered around Robby, which is great. Even though he won't remember any of it, he's still able to know this part of his family. We all can't wait for our trip to see them in May!

Here are a few highlights from this visit:
Everyone sitting around, waiting for Matt to get home.
The kids Wii-ing. They were having a blast.Sarah with Robby, as usual. She kept trying to shove toys in his mouth.
Matt finally getting to shoot his new toy.James shooting a gun for the first time.Nate shooting.Sarah shooting. A regular Annie Oakley!Dad and I also shot, but my batteries started dying, so I didn't get pictures.Philip exploring.The Marshall kids Wii-ing.Robby with Grandma and Grandpa.

Red Envelope Day

Monday, March 23, 2009

I'm not a political person by any means, but I know what I stand for and I know what I'm passionate about. The murder of our children definitely tops my list. Abortion is an incredibly hot topic these days and many people will argue until they're blue in the face. On that note, I just want to add that I am not posting this to stir up a debate. There are plenty of forums where you can do that - this not being one of them. I am merely posting for information and education purposes and my take on this project.

I first heard about Red Envelope Day earlier this month on Facebook. Reading further about it, I decided that I would think and pray about it. The more I prayed, the more the Spirit urged me on and I'm proud to say that today I purchased five envelopes to send - nothing incredible, but at least I know I can sleep well at night knowing that three small voices in Twin Falls, Idaho will be heard all the way in Washington D.C. on March 31st. I have never in my life took a stand on anything, but I felt that this was simple, yet profound - just like the little lives of the children the project is fighting to save. As Christians, we are called to pray for for those who have authority over us. I pray that this changes the president's mind and heart about this issue.

If you'd like to find out more information about Red Envelope Day and how you can participate, please visit these links:

Red Envelope Day's Website
redenvelopeday.com

Red Envelope Day FAQ's
belonginghouse.org

Enjoying the Warm Day

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Since it was so nice out today, I decided to let Robby venture out and expand his little world. I don't think he knew what to think! He was very serious during the whole ordeal, but deemed it as "enjoyable" when it came time to go back inside. He promptly voiced his opinion on the matter as soon as I set him down to play on the floor. It was nice getting some fresh air for a change!

"What...is this, Mother?"

"I'll take it out on this leaf..."

"Take that, leaf!"

"Mom, I killed the leaf. Aren't you proud?"

"Where can I find more leaves?"

"JACKPOT!!!"

I Pledge...

Eight Months Old

Eight months old. I can't believe it either. It's been an eventful eight months, yet it flew by like it was nothing. He continues to grow and blossom into the man he'll someday be. Being greeted by his sweet little smile every morning makes me glad to be alive and thankful to start another day.

He's not really interested in sitting up, but I know he's capable - I've seen him do it more than once. He's perfectly content to lay on his back and ponder a toy. He's kind of crawling, although it looks more like an army crawl/worm/interpretive dance kind of maneuver, but it gets him where he wants to go. No teeth, yet, although they bother him from time to time. He loves to stand up and is able to hold himself up if you prop him up against something his height. He thinks it's funny to see his feet so far down and will giggle at the sight. He's quite the charmer and has a following of ladies at church that fawn over him every Sunday. Understandable - he's getting his fathers deep, brown eyes.

Robby, the eight-month-old.

Overdue Update

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Yes, I'm still alive. As are Matt and Robby. Trying to juggle everything has been quite the chore. I don't have a whole lot to report. We're all doing well. Matt still has a job (thankfully). Robby's still growing like a weed. I'm still doing whatever I do.

Matt and I are still doing Biggest Loser. We have both lost about 11lbs each so far and are working hard on keeping consistent on our exercise and eating smart. It's been both tougher and easier this time around in different aspects, but it's still definitely worth it. We both don't really care about the competition. It's all about losing the weight and getting healthy, now. I still remain the underdog, but am okay with that. I'm living healthier and that's all that matters.

Church is going well. We're settling in very nicely and making lots of friends. Nothing like The River. I love it. I actually want to and look forward to hanging out with these guys outside of church. We're still attending the small group, The Truth Project. It's fascinating and we really do enjoy hanging out with some of the couples from church every other Friday night. Other than that, I'm still planning on helping out with the VBS this summer, with the added perk of being the "official" VBS photographer. I'm really excited about it! It should be really fun taking pictures of all the kids doing their crafts and such. I think I finally found my niche at this church.

Matt's been working hard as usual. No word on what's going to change with his job with the new owners coming in. They bused all the employees up to Boise to meet the new owners last week, but it was a complete waste of time. To every question asked they either answered "you'll know of any changes well in advance" or "it's still in review". God is faithful, though. He'll provide as He always does. Other than work, Matt's been working hard on his blog, as usual, getting more and more brave at witnessing (he's found a "fishing hole" at the laundromat), and trying his best to squeeze in time with Robby every night after he's worked out and before Robby has to go to bed. I foresee that getting worse and worse as the weather gets warmer. I have a feeling we won't see much of Daddy in the summer months, but that's what the weekends are for.

Robby's been doing really, really well. We did have a scare last week, however. His eyes started getting all goopy (technical term) and we thought he might be getting pink eye, but thankfully, his eyes cleared up within the next couple of days. He's just been eating, sleeping, playing, and growing. Basic baby stuff. STILL not crawling. I wonder if he ever will, but I'm not fretting about it too much. I don't want to be one of those moms who freaks out over him being late on a milestone. He's very much my kid and does things in his own time, on his own terms.

Still working on my photography. I snap photos whenever I can, but unfortunately there's always a lag this time of year, it seems. Everything's dead and gray. I can't wait for spring and summer, especially since I'll be updating my camera very soon (ordering it tomorrow, actually). I'm starting to outgrow my Fujifilm Finepix S700 and am ready to step up to something a little more advanced. I'm so excited! I'll probably be posting about it on my photography blog in the next few days. Thankfully, God has blessed us with a nice tax return this year, and all the necessities, including the monster hospital bill (yay!), have been taken care of, leaving us with some fun money - much to the dismay of my tax auditor mother. :) We're also planning on getting a couple of study Bibles we've been wanting, which we're also quite excited about. I promise all the important things are taken care of, Cher. Breathe.

Well, looky there. I did have something to update on. I surprised myself, even! I can't promise the next time I'll be posting - probably around the 18th for when Robby turns 8 months. Yes, 8 months. Can you believe it? Maybe I'll find something to ramble about before then, but I wouldn't hold your breath.

One last thing - I just wanted to mention that I do keep Robby's photo album updated for those of you who are interested:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mattnjenmarshall/RobertDeane#
 
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