Thanksgiving

We drove to North Carolinia/Virginia tdown home this year. We drove to the Blue Ridge Mountian area and spent the weekend with Mindy's family. We had a great visit. It reminds me so much of how life is back home in Arkansas. Normal down home people.

MRI at 9:15 pm

Well last night I went to WRAMC and had my MRI done on my right knee. It will be a few days before I can get the results back, but I will keep everyone posted.

They have one machine down so the are booking appointment 24/7. i have never in my life had a 2115 (9:15 pm) appointment in my life. leave it to the military to come up with that.

A bottle thief.

Bottle theif 792, originally uploaded by marshallfamilywpets.

While I was babysitting Dakota was horrible about stealing Gabby's bottle. The girls had just left and I walked into the living room and Dakota had planted himself in the baby's bouncer and started drinking her bottle. I had to snap a picture it was just to funny. He had this look "What wrong? She let it behind."

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing. I was wondering how it worked. It was really easy.

Almost Fall and time for Halloween costumes.

It is almost fall. The leaves are just starting to turn. The kids are having to were sweaters or jackets in the morning. Fall is the time of year natures last show before the bleakness of winter. 

James thinks he wants to be a Knight, Lilli is going to be a cat, and Dakota is going to be a Lion. I am going to be a chauffeur.

How sweet he is....

As mothers we know that kids can very selfish at times. Then they have those moments that bring out their true selves. 

Lilli has (or I should say had) a small brown Ty beanie baby dragon. The Ty name is Scorch but Lilli calls him Dragon. Well she lost Dragon somewhere and we spent all weekend looking for him. 

I got the dragon and two others at the thrift store and well Daddy took one with him to the field (kind of like the monkey on the AT&T commercials). And I gave the other to James. 

Well this morning we looked for Dragon again with no luck. Then I hear James call Lilli, "I found Dragon, Lilli." I was wondering how Dragon got in his room, but he hands her his dragon. 

I was a wow moment.

So Dragon wings are shinny again and his neck stands up and he sports a bright red tag in his ear. 

Kids never stop amazing me.

Congratulation to The Smith Family

Haddash Olivia May Smith was born October 4, 2008 at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. She weighed 7 lb. and 4 oz. and was 20 inches long.

Jennifer and Robert Smith are the very proud parents. Joshua is the proud big brother and Harvest is now a very proud big sister. 

Lilli's First Day of Pre-K

Lilli got to start school today. She was so excited she almost pushed everyone out the door. She only had a "half" day today and came home at 10:30am. A normal day the get out at 11:45am. She looked so grown up. standing in line to go in her classroom.

Summers End.

Another summer has come to an end. I look back and marvel in all that has happened. I meet some great friends and discovered answers to some puzzling questions. I have not posted here for some time as no one seems to tell me as such. So I well check for time to time and see how thing progress.

Fourth Anniversary

David and I have been married for four years now. I can't believe how time flys.

So many changes.

We finally got to go out for the first time. We had a very nice dinner and got to see some NASCAR drivers. Then David gave me my flowers. A dozen roses and hydrangeas.

I am hoping for may more to come (years but the flowers would be nice too).

Marshall House of Ills

For the last two and a half months the Marshall household has been playing "Flu Tag" with each other. It usually starts with James and moves down the line in one form or another. The last two weeks thankfully no one has gotten sick. So there is really very little going on in our direction because we have all be too sick in one way to the other. My kids may not share their candy but they give their germs away freely.

James once again received an Academic Achievement Award from school this grading period. The kid is sometimes too smart for his own good.

Lilli is sweet and ornery as ever. And if the paper work gets processed and approve she may be able to go to head start at school.

Dakota is growing and starting to gabber he knows how to say "Hi" and for a Mama's boy we can't figure out why his second word was "Dada".

As for David and I we are watching our babies grow. I marvel at them some days the small things they do or say. Watching them grow before my eyes. I often at night when the house is quiet and my kids are sleeping wonder what life holds for them. I laugh as James and Lilli tease and torment each other and then sit in awe as small moments of endearment are shown or said. I watch James as he takes step to independence and they often lean into boundary testing but I realized it is all part of growing up. I see Lilli and her boldness she is so bright and funny yet so wild and pure fire. She is so determined to be stronger and brighter then James. I already see her as the one who will say,"I can do it bigger and better then you." And sweet Dakota learn and taking in this big world with his bright eyes that took in the world the moment he was born. His eyes always alert and so afraid he is going to miss something but at the end of the day he is ready to sit on his Daddy's lap and play "stick out your tongue". Then when it's time to wind down put his head on my chest and fall asleep.

Christmas 2007

Most of us have seen the pictures in any major magazine.

The perfect Christmas setting. The perfectly lit tree that has the prefect balance, color coordinating ornaments and trim. The halls are decked with ribbons and evergreens. The outdoor lights are dancing.

The wall is cramped with cards from family and friends. The candles are twinkling and all the same height. No run over wax or blackened glass globes.

The kitchen table is set with a center piece that matches the tree. The place settings are so perfect the Queen of England would feel right at home.

The whole family is wearing matching outfits and sitting in front of the fireplace, where a warm glowing fire is burning. The family pets are sitting calmly an at peace with each other. The family picture is perfect as well. Everyone is smiling with no squinting.....

You get the perfect picture. But as any of us that have kids and or pets it come with a price. Stress.

I was talking with my "other mother" and she made me think about the "perfect" Christmas.

This Christmas I was happy with my Christmas.

Grant it that my neurotic dog can't stand to have me more then five feet from her or she freaks out.

Grant it that my youngest son is teething and has a cold as well as myself and James and Lilli. So instead of pine needles and apple cider the house smelled like menthol vapor rub. boxes with holiday scenes decorated our tables. And we all looked like Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. And visions from cold medicine danced in my head.

Grant it that Dad and Mom suffer from lack of sleep because Dakota missed his bed. Chewing on my and anyone else's shirt and anyone else he could get his hands on and stick in his mouth.

Grant it none of us got the chance (or remembered) to take the annual family picture.

My Christmas was perfect. Santa Claus came to find homemade sweet rolls and milk. The tree was bursting with gifts. The kids opened so many gifts they forgot what came from who.

Nani was given the very large ham bone and found a place to hide from the noise.

The smell of menthol and the magic of teething gel keep Dakota happy long enough to get a picture in his Christmas outfit ( before his diaper exploded and needed a sink bath).

My kids were happy, loved on, kissed on, well feed, over stimulated to the point of hyper. Yet I would not have it any other way.

Give me my picture perfect Christmas any day. I hate to know just how miserable those kids were all prim and proper. How long it took to get the tree just right.

So in years to come I can put the picture of David sitting by the filled stockings and eating a homemade sweet roll.

Happy New Year to all.

Technorati Tags: Christmas,Life Lessons,Family

He is here! Dakota Louis Marshall

Dakota Louis Marshall is here. He was born Friday August 17, 2007 at 2254 (10:54 PM) at National Navel Medical Center. He weighted 7 lbs and 7 oz and was 21 inches.

Kindergarten Class Picture

 

Last Day of School

Well today was James' last day of Kindergarten and he now a First Grader.

Kindergarten Graduation

 
 

James is on his way to First Grade! James was so much of a ham. He keep waving and smiling at us he was so proud of himself. He sang so big.
James got his kindergarten certificate, 100 word certificate, and got a trophy 100 words. His very first trophy!
My pictures did not turn out good at all the lady in front of us keep getting in front of the camera.
Megan is going to send me some of the pictures she took so as soon as I get them I will post them.

He is growing up.

It is so hard to believe that James is going to Graduate Kindergarten on Monday. The time has gone by so fast. I talked to his teacher about how he will do in 1st grade and she said he is ready. His math and reading skills are above K levels. I just hope he continues far into the future.

Week 29

So it has begun! I am in my third trimester. Less then ten weeks to go and our family of four will be a family of five.

So far all is well I am going to start on my birth plan this next week.

other then insomnia my pregnancy is been good. I get really tired here of late but getting two to three hours of sleep can do that to a person.

I so ready (not for ten more weeks) to meet our little one. Lilli tried to take a lady's baby home the other day. And she pushed the Doppler monitor at the doctor so she could hear the baby's heart beat. She getting ready in small steps.

I don't think I want to do this again and any way we are calling it quits are this one.

A busy four day weekend.

My dear hubby had a four day weekend and return to work this morning. I like those four day weekend.

Well did not go out to do anything. We stayed home. David and I did some much need house work. We got most of the boxes from our move last year gone through and organized. (That was a PCS nightmare and a huge lesson. but more on that later.) I went and pulled Lilli's winter clothes off her hanger and out of her drawers to make room for her summer stuff. I have not packed them as of yet. I still need to separate the stuff that will be too small for her and the stuff that will still fit her. I had James take all his long sleeve shirts except his "Button Shirts" off hangers. I have to go and separate his pants and other stuff in his drawers this week. I took all the baby stuff out of the "too little for Lilli" tote to make room for the her smaller stuff.

I then went thorough her toys and took out all the baby toys and broken stuff. I got tired of trying to keep her toys organized. I had a system. All her "food" toys on one container. All her big Lego blocks in a box. And then all her other stuff in a tote. Well she is and never well be like James. James keep his stuff separated. She on the other hand just put it all in one box (or should I say mixed up in several boxes). So David said dump it all in one tote she can dig for what she wants. So all her toys are in a huge tote. Her big toys and the noise toys I put on her shelf her Papa make for her. That way when she throws them in her tote they don't make some horrid noise at two in the morning.

James was missing a school media book (why they don't call it a library book is beyond me) so we took all his books off the shelves and found "a media" book but not the one they said he is missing. Man does that child have books. We organized his shelves so that his books don't keep fall off his shelf. I gave him a ruler to stick where he took the last boo so he can remember how to keep his book shelf neat. I did not have the strength to go through his toy tote yet.

Then I vacuumed and then shampooed the carpets in James and Lilli's room. man was James' carpet dirty. I swear he is soo boy. I can't tell you how many stiff, stinky and dirty socks I find from his room. He will wear a pair for a week or more. I keep telling him to "Change your Socks." them he will say I don't have any clean ones "Hum look in your drawer" They like to hide under the underwear. I don't now if it is by accident or well you if you have a boy you know. I keep wondering what the funny smell was in his room. I clean his carpet twice and Lilli's once and her was much cleaner the one time then his was the second time. Boys got to love them.