Marsden Reunion 7-16-11

4 years ago my dad and aunts decided it was time to start a family reunion for my grandparents out at Lewisville Park where we have had reunions for my grandmothers family for the last 50 years (marked this year) to celebrate the love that my grandparents had/have and celebrate the line of family they created, even though grandma is not with us I think she is there with us on these days. Normally we hold it in September but after the last three years being rained out, we moved it up to July, so there would be no rain. Thankfully the day clear up and we had a blast with good company, good food, fun entertainment (rocket shooter), the old time tradition of searching for crawdads; which was not as easy as it used to be, little bit of picking on each other, playing at the little park next to us, and just some good fun.   

Hope you have a wonderful weekend this weekend which seems to be starting out beautiful.
Here are some pictures
Enjoy! ~Shaleign


Hunting for the crawdads



The moment that led up to the hunt



My cousin's girls

Rock throwing, a new hobby

The one crawdad that was caught, or caught Richie

The rocket launcher

Patty's won

Matt and Maxwell going for a ride

My oldest brother Danny and my grandpa

Mason running from my dad his grandpa

My water logged footed boys, took all night to unwrinkled

                                                          Great times, Great memories

Bellingham 4th of July

With the three day weekend hubs, the boys and I got away; about time too.

Althought we did just go to the beach a few weekends ago Bellingham is my favorite place to visit.

Boat out on Lake Whatcom, hanging by the pool, and just fun in the sun with my brother sister in law and two of my nephews! 

                    

 

 Waiting while the boat gets docked

LAKE TIME





Jessica and me

My hubs and boys

Maxwell driving us in circles

After the boat, Hubs reads his new golf book

The morning of the 4th we went to the park to get the boys tired for the ride home, Mason was ready for the ride while walking back home, he fell asleep in my arms.

After a long drive home, Carter and I stayed up to wach the fireworks together, started in his window then we wrapped up in blanket and went out side.

Hope your 4th of July was as fun filled as ours!

Til next time- Shaleign



Are you talking to me?

As I walked into church today I had a big chip on my shoulder being mad at someone, no not my hubs but  I really didn't feel like I should be at church and I didn't wanna be there but any where but my house was good enough for me. Sitting down with my hubs, I tried to forget about that person making me mad, and about 5 mins into listening to my uncle in laws sermon I felt like that was where I HAD to be today and that he was talking directly to me; the focus today was about how Jesus asked for God to forgive the men who crucified him for they know not what they do. Praying for those who need it.

Really Uncle Chris, were you listening to my house this morning when I wanted to tell my brother off.

Chris really reached out to me unknowingly but I still didn't know why it was that I felt like it was me he was talking to. He talked about praying for others who need it and they might not know they need it, or someone who just needs a break in life (my brother), I found out that my cousin is off for 5 weeks to India to help HIV infected children and the relief aid, which is someone I need to pray for while she is there and hope she is safe. He talked about the two boys who lost both of their parents with in a month, mom to cancer then just a three weeks later their dad to a massive heart attack. Two boys, 11 and 14 I believe. The first time I heard about their lost, I cried. I would not be able to pick them out of a line up of 3 people but maybe it hit home so much because this was just before one year mark of my accident which my boys could have lost me in. I don't, it just hit me in the heart. Chris went on to talk about how we need to pray not just for those who want something but those who need a prayer.

Near the end, he asked us to say a prayer and ask God who he need me to pray for. Following instructions I did, but I also asked him to give me a peaceful feeling with the name that he wants me to pray for because I had so many names running in my mind but I did know which one he put there. My brother, my nephew, the lady from last weekend, my niece, my family and so on but I didn't have that peaceful feeling with any name in my head. Chris also kept talking about these prayer bracelets and to add Saddie (his daughter) to them or any one of the 300 people that were on their way to India. I didn't really know what the bracelet was but I knew I need to get one.

Walking out a lady came up and said do you want this (handing my a bracelet) and I said, "yes, please!" Feeling proud to have it, and not knowing how to put it on I asked for help to put it on. I asked another lady for help and I believe God wanted me to do so. When the lady saw that name she asked me if I knew the person, I replied with a no, but that's ok. She looked at me and said this is Jack Folden, the younger of the two brother who lost their parents in May. I teared up with a smile, told her thank you and found my husband who was picking up our boys.

The moment she told me who this boy was, I had the peaceful feeling that I asked for. A total stranger who just the month before lost his parents and I cried for him. This is where and who God wanted me to pray for, maybe as just a reminder that my brother might have been in a bad mood and started moving things I didn't want moved at least he was there to get on my nerves.

So, for the next week in your prayers who are you going to pray for instead of your self?

Yes, Chris was talking to me.

Fathers Day 2011

Although I'm posting a little late; a week, I'm finally getting a moment to myself and blogging about our trip this year.

Friday night us 4 and my in laws packed up their RV and we were off to Seaside, rain and all. Luckily the rain did not stop us from having a wonderful family trip full of fun, smiles, and one little boy who fully clothed laid down in the ocean while we were chasing wave, and playing in the sand.

Here are some pictures to show some of the moments that took my breath away and the moments that just made me smile and just remember how blessed I am.

My drummers

Lil Nascar drive in training

Carter loved it



Lazy days that makes the heart smile

Today I didn't start the day off all that happy. I had to go to a stunt certification class for work. With my coaching job I must be have a state certificate or we are not allowed to stunt and do all the cool fun things in cheer. Not knocking the class because it is important; VERY important, for coached to know what they are doing because it can easily turn into a life or death matter at any second. It's the fact that I know what I'm doing after 13 years of cheer in my life and just needed take the test and be done. But when I got there it was not as bad as I thought it would be. There were only 3 new coaches there so we were able to fly right into it and get it done.

I did learn two new things, a technique to a basket toss, and what stunts to work more on with our varsity for state competitions. Guess the couple hours were not a total wash and I did teach the other coached a few things I knew.


Here is my point to my post today, a nice lazy rest of the day with my 3 boys (1 hubs, & 2 boys) after lunch we hung out and watched a movie sort of like cars but my oldest son really wanted cars, so off to the store  boys and I went with my cousin, first to Target then to Best Buy where both of my boys had a melt down (that was not so great).

Back home, to mommy and daddy's room we went to watch Cars and relax. So all in all, a great day even if I didn't get the garden started like I had planned all week.

At the end of the movie is this song by Brad Paisley that touched my heart because just this morning while driving out to Heritage High School for the stunt class I was thinking about how my hubs and I have been together for 5 1/2 years and how I was in a bad place at the time trying to get over the passing of my grandmother a year before which hit me very hard and I was very depressed and did some stuff I will never be proud of, and let me ex boyfriend take total control of my life. But I'm in such a wonderful place now so I guess it does take a bad spot in life to get to where you need to be.

Here is to a life time of years, lazy days, hugs and kisses, and moments that make us smile.

A song that makes you think and your heart smile

What a week

Last week, in one word; FUN!

Tuesday with a trip to the Zoo with Carter's preschool class.  

To make it even better my hubs got the day off to come with us.

I just love these pics of the boys

Friday night Hubs and I were off to the Winter Hawks Championship Game with my cousin Allan

Sadly we lost and no good fights just made it worse (you have to have a good fight in hockey)

Saturday about noon, we went over to our best friends house.

I cleaned up their house for Amanda while her and my hubs went out the Clark County Amphitheater for the WSU Vancouver Graduation for Amanda's husband Shelby. While they were gone, I cleaned up her house since she couldn't do much while her hubs was home because it would have given away the surprise party for Shelby. Now normally their house is clean but they have a new born and almost 2 year old and know how that goes, so I helped her out.  Mason slept and Carter did a great job playing and even helping me sweep.

Sadly no pics of the party because after cleaning and Shelby's perfect timing arrival; Carter and I were off to his little buddies birthday party at Big Al's.

 This is an odd picture because he never uses the ramp

Carter had so much fun bowling ever since he was 18 months old he have been picking up the 8 pound ball and throwing it on his own. Big boy! Bowling is one of his fav things to do. For his third birthday we took him to Crosely Lanes for their kids cosmic bowl.

Sunday brought in the best moment of the week. The expression on Carter's face was priceless when he saw this start.....

He knew what we were going to see but he didn't understand what was in store.

This was he expression, simple shocked and mesmerized.

He didn't move much from this spot or on my hubs lap the whole hour and half.

Although last week was eventful it was not crazy busy which just topped it off. I didn't feel like I was being pulled a million direction and saw packed with great memories.

Hope you had as great a week as we did.

Mothers Day

Mothers Day was not anything too special this year. My husband lacks in the romance department (good thing i'm easy to please) but what makes it not special this year was having Carter sick. Starting Friday night Carter started not feeling well, Saturday night ran a 102.2 fever so we fought that all night, and he slept in bed with us. Husband does know how to make me happy, by take care of the boys for me Sunday morning, he let me sleep in til 11, wow, that NEVER happens and it felt so good, so that made my day. Thinking Carter was feeling better that night we went to dinner with my in laws and my mother in laws parents, sadly Carter was not feeling better and threw up at dinner. Poor guy. But I did get some beautiful heart shaped garnet earrings from my guys; the birth stone of Mason and Glendon. 

Will post pics soon.   

Hope Mothers Day treated all the moms out there good.

Next month I'll post about what I got my mom for this year for her birthday/mothers day gift.