The One with the End in Sight

The end is coming! I can see it, and I can't wait!

Not morbid, people, just an end to the crazy hectic business that has been the Marshall family's life for the past three months. The end is coming, and I can almost taste it, too bad the end also signifies the end of the summer. Is it insane that we have been doing nothing but running since MAY!?!?!?!? Yes, I'd say it is.

Somehow, with a little help from the man upstairs I am sure, we have been making it through, and we even find a little time, or rather MAKE a little time, here and there to do a few random things.

So it's been a million birthday parties, a missionary homecoming, mother's day, father's day, two family reunions and scout camp and what do we have left? A family reunion this weekend in McCall, another reunionish in two weeks in Utah for a baby blessing/baptism, Parker's birthday, my birthday, my brother's birthday, finals, an anniversary . . . . uh ya, I think I got them all in there somewhere.

Every Monday I keep thinking, is this it? Is this the week that can kind of return to some sense of normalcy? Where I can do homework and house cleaning and projects and mix it in with my work and church schedule. And sadly, every week I am disappointed!!!! It is almost here though.

Next on the docket - we are actually going to be in Utah over Parker and my birthdays, which is kind of lame, but it's for a good cause, so we can suck it up . . . . . just this once. Kidding. Parker has decided he wants a pirate birthday party . . . . again. Is it totally lame to do the same thing twice in a row? I feel like it's a cop out to do it this year since he just had one last year. And then again I'm kind of digging this "my interests don't change much" attitude he has apparently adopted. So somehow we will pull this off.

Other good news - Eric and I FINALLY have 99% of the medical bills from Preslie paid off, it is a wonderful feeling, let me tell you. Hospitals are mostly nice to work with, but man it's a load off the whole monthly budget to not be throwing money at them forever. AWESOME.

More good news - Eric and I have our sixth anniversary in September. The other day a Train song came on the radio and I was blabbing to Eric about how they are coming in September and he said, "Who's Train?" I almost had a heart attack, and we had a long discussion that ended something like this, "I know who Train is, obviously . . . . I bought tickets for you already." Oh this hubby of mine is sure good to me. I'm excited for my uh second concert ever. It should be good.

BAD NEWS - before we can surmount the sixth anniversary I must first survive my 25th birthday. Yes I know, get over it, right? But seriously, a quarter of a century old? It's all downhill from here . . . . at least in the age department. I keep forgetting as I stare at my kids and think, "I can't wait until Paxton is 18months old (thus begins my favorite age)" but I forget that for them to get that old, I have to get older too, and then it doesn't STOP once they get that old, they just continue to get old. I already sound like a 40 year-old complaining about this. But man, who ever decided they were going to start lying about their age at 30? I'm thinking I'm gonna lie about my age at 25 . . . .  it might not be so believable when Parker gets to be 10, but for a few more years it should last.

BAD NEWS - truning 25 is hard for me because I have ALWAYS been the "young one". I've always been the person who is way too young, young for my class, young for my grade, young for my job title, young to be married, young to have kids, etc etc etc. The other day in church a new couple sat behind us . . . . and that was it, they were just a COUPLE. No kids. I love my kids, so I'm not saying I'd like to trade them in or anything, at least not most days, but seriously, when did Eric and I become the old married couple with the three kids that go nuts the entire way through church? It seems unfair to me . . . . . aren't I supposed to stay young forever???? I tell you what, it will be a weird day for me when I start being the "old one" in groups.

Quick update on the kiddos:
PARKER - is trying to learn how to ride a bike. Right about now I'm regretting that we bought a house with a hugely slanted driveway right in front of a busier street. I've never felt comfortable just letting him hang out in teh driveway ride a trike. I'm paying for that now since my 4, almost 5 year-old, doesn't know how to ride a bike. He's still strongly obsessed with pirates, he has learned how to spell the name of everyone in the family and writes them down on anything he can find. He says he wants pirate clothes and a balance bike for his birthday, but I'm thinking he would be just dandy happy with a set of markers. He's a helpful big brother for suer.

PRESLIE - is attempting potty training. We went to a GI specialist about a month ago now that told us she has a crick in her intestines that will make it really hard for her to be potty trained. Awesome. We always heard that girls would be so much easier to train than boys, so it makes sense that something has to come along to anihilate that one. But she's working on it. She is on a regimen of Miralax to try and help her intestines and supposedly it will help us get her potty trained easier. So far it has just about tripled the amount of diapers and wipes and loads of laundry we have to get. She has decided to become obsessed with princesses, about time! I actually love it, I want a girly little princess who isn't afraid to play with pirates occasionally. She is sassy, which is cute now, but we're trying to get a hold on it since it will be trouble later.

PAXTON - is almost 7 months old! It is crazy to me. I can't believe how big he is getting. He has been referred to a speech therapist - you know because none of our kids can go without seeing a specialist - because he doesn't like eating anything BUT formula. We're trying to work on it before they call for the appointment, and he is slowly getting better. He has two teeth on the bottom, and I keep thinking his top teeth look like they're going to pop through any day now. He's a tiny little man, for being the biggest at birth he is by far the smallest now. He is only 14 pounds, but he's pretty tall. He has WAY more hair than Parker did at this age, and it's pretty red, especially out in the sun. I guess I should clarify, he's not like flaming pumpkin red, he's just a little strawberry blonde, I think it's adorable and I love his gummy little smiles.

ERIC - just survived a round of lay-offs at work. It's weird to be in the position where you are supposed to HOPE that someone else loses their job instead of you. At this point, we are glad he dodged that bullet and that it appears the company sees what an asset he is. He has lost about 20 pounds - men hold weight so weird, I never would have looked at him and thought he had 20 pounds to lose - doing cross fit every day at lunch with a buddy. He and Brian now want to open up their own gym - me I need more stability in my life than that one. He is about a quarter of the way through is last year of his masters program, I'm sure one of these days we will be ecstatic that he chose such a prestigious program, but right now it is just LONG.

ME - I'm just working and plugging away at our hectic schedules. I'm about two months away from finishing my first degree, but I'm thinking I'll dive right in to the next one. Currently I have a 4.0, but I get nervous at the beginning of every block of classes, and this block is no different - Pathos of Pathology and Financial Management for health care professionals. I have to write so many papers, although I am starting to become a pro at that one. I love that Eric and I have such similar degrees that I can bounce my papers and ideas off of him and vice versa. I'm still working, done a couple projects around the house, and trying to keep this family somewhat grounded so we don't blow away in all this business.

That's all for now. I'm sure I will have more fun pictures and updates soon. But if you miss me for the next month or so, you know why, our busy summer isn't over yet!

The One With The Family Pictures

So back in May (yes, I know this posting is extremely over due . . . . as in TWO months late) my friend Katie Grant Hardy took some WONDERFUL pictures of our little family. She was asked to take pictures at another friend's wedding in July and said she wanted all the practice she could get beforehand. Well clearly, as you all will see below, she needs no further practice. She took amazing pictures!!! I couldn't be happier with them, except for the fact that this is only a few months after having Pax which means I was not all the way back into tip top shape yet. . . . . but really that isn't her fault at all. SOO if you are having family pictures and you want someone amazing to do them, and you aren't wanting to spend a fortune, head on over to katiehardyphotography.blogspot.com.

I HIGHLY recommend her! :)