the Marshall Story

Jumping into January...

2012-02-03T10:27:00.000-08:00

We finally had to tell Oliver the Niners lost...

He really hoped this was going to be their year

He's still recovering from the loss

Tally loves to sing.. in her tutu... with her crown... and guitar :)

Our little engineer loves to teach me things

Whenever it's time to feed Oliver it's also time to feed her dolly

4 months old already!

Yes, chicks do love philosophers... it's why i married your daddy

Tally's attempt at a Tebow

Aricin Tebowing

Oliver getting attacked by a Zebra... just another day

Football fans

Smiles

Another month has come and gone. Not much new this month. Talia's back in tumbling which she loves, Oliver is now rolling over and giggling which is soo fun. Aricin's learning about Dinosaurs in pre-school. Aaron's busy with Valor, Impact EdVentures, and Phd work. He'll actually be heading back to Scotland for a week in early March. And I started a new bible study on Wednesdays on parenting- something i could always use help with. Our Wednesday night small group has grown from 4 couples to 7 which is Awesome and crazy- we all do dinner together at our house and the kids play and be crazy. Big news for January is we've continued in our let's be healthy movement- have gotten rid of all the teflon pots and pans and have transitioned into only stainless steel. We've also said goodbye to all canned foods and i've started buying frozen veggies as well as making my own beans and freezing them. Next two goals are to make my own healthy salad dressings, get rid of most condiments, and make the switch to natural peanut butter. Another thing we did this month was our first Detoxifying Cleanse... I'm a nerd and kept a journal of some of the experience...

PREFACE...So the reason we're doing this detox is... well we saw a documentary- ok have seen several documentaries on food/health and as a result we've tried to make changes in our diet to eat more healthy. We've also heard it's beneficial to do a detoxifying cleanse at least once a year along with colon hydrotherapy because on average we have about 10lbs of bile clogged in our colons- gross I know. In addition both of my maternal grandparents died of colon cancer- so that makes me want to have a clean colon. I saw an add in the Whole Foods Newsletter for their Cleansing Detox for $12- a 14 day box of vitamins to cleanse your system.

DAY 1...I’m soo excited to start this detoxifying journey. We started the day with our vitamins and a blueberry, raspberry, and orange smoothie. At 10 I got a massage that was awesome and then I scored a LuLu Lemon workout tank for $4 at a thrift store. Aaron took the kids to the Zoo for the morning. On our way back I was telling Aaron how I had found 14 detox smoothies online and I planned on having each of the smoothies for each of our 14 detox days for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Aaron said that doing all meals as juices or smoothies might be really hard. I said “Pssshhhh. Whatever I have great self control.” And likened it to running a race in that I didn’t want a crutch like walking during a half marathon. I told him I wanted to do this whole 14 days with smoothies. Again he said that he thought it might be hard because I hadn’t prepared my body or practiced. “Practiced” I said as I rolled my eyes at him mockingly.

3pm… I’m in the kitchen steaming beets- I’ve never bought beets in my life and the last time I remember eating them was when I was five and my grandma made them. Did I mention I’m steaming the beets to put in a smoothie? I chop off the stems and leaves and am about to throw them away when Aaron says I bet you could use that. “Seriously?” my resourceful hubby then tells me he read online you could sauté the stems with garlic and eat them. At this point I’m really hungry so I decide to try it… I sauté my Beet stems with garlic and lets just say it was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. I was so hungry for real solid food. I also made the beet, carrot, pear smoothie and have to share that it was disgusting! I was gagging trying to drink the last bits. By the time 6 rolled around I was hungry again and caved… I made a salad- so much for the smoothie only diet- I decided that since the Whole Foods Box doesn’t say anything about altering my diet that smoothies and salads will be good for the next 2 weeks.

DAY 2…For breakfast we made a almost yummy honeydew, mint, and cucumber smoothie. I think just straight honeydew would have been more satisfying. We went to church and volunteered to help out in the nursery for a meeting that was going on after the service- in return they got us subway sandwiches… Alright I know it’s not a smoothie or a salad but I was soo hungry and it tasted truly divine. From now on I’ll avoid all white flour and white sugar all animal products including eggs, milks, and meats and stick mostly to smoothies and salads. For dinner another salad.

DAY 7…I’ve been feeling pretty nautious and achy the last few mornings and I’m HANGRY- A state of anger induced by Hunger. But I should say that I’m less hungry then I was a week ago- it seems like by cutting down my portions/caloric intake I’m less hungry or fill up faster on these like a smoothie that wouldn’t have satisfied me before.

There is a hungry fat girl trapped inside that wants out! As I was shuttling Aricin to preschool and Talia to tumbling I was fantasizing about mashed potatoes-mmmmm. Forgive my Homer Simpson like fantasy. I have a confession… yesterday I had a handful of pretzels and put cheese on my beans at lunch and dinner and today after my salad for lunch… I had a heavenly spoonful of penut butter. Oh penut butter how I have missed you! Yesterday as I was making a smoothie the kids asked if they could have some I told them sure and they jumped up and down in anticipation… little did they know it was a spinach, parseley, celery, and cucumber smoothie. The looks on their faces was priceless as they took big gulps- I laughed- I laughed hard and then remembered I needed to drink my green smoothie then I gagged.

All and all week one I was way more disciplined and healthy then week two. Like i said the box didn't say you had to alter your diet- i was just trying to be uber healthy for 2 weeks and dang it was hard! I lost 5lbs in the first week and another 3 in the second week. We are now done and i do feel a little more healthy. I've stopped buying chicken nuggets for the kids and have instead switched them over to breaded mushrooms that look like chicken nuggets- i found them at Whole Foods. Yesterday was the first day of the switch with the kids- Aricin's response was "These taste funny- what was wrong with the other nuggets were they unhealthy mom?" Ha! Fun times at the Marshall Casa.

A Disney December

2012-01-05T11:25:00.000-08:00

WARNING: This post has a lot of pictures in it...

Oliver has started smiling...

Tally and Oliver watching Aricin sing and play his guitar

Dude?

Our little Rock Star loves his new guitar

Aricin and his buddy Jovie in Visalia (They're 3 months apart)

Tally and Beckham (They're 3 weeks apart)

Evangeline Apple and Oliver Finnegan or Eve and Oli

(They have the same birthday) It was soo good to hang out with the Blairs while we were in Visalia.

Grandma Julie brought them to get gold fish for the big fish tank at her house

They loved naming all the fish

3 months old already!

Our sweet boy

How many kiddos can you fit on a kiddie couch

Sword fighting with Grandpa Rick

Playing in Grandpa Rick's truck

The girls and the kiddos

Great Grandma Alicia and the kiddos

Christmas Morning at the Ramos house

The kiddos and Grandpa, I mean Santa

Tally in her snowboarding chick outfit

Hanging with the uncles

Oh Trader Joes

It's a small world after all

Aricin watching the Disneyland Parade

Tally watching the Parade

Oliver watching us

Fun with Grandma Diane and Grandpa Bob

Sticking your tongue out always helps me focus too

The Princess Castle

Disneyland!!!

Daddy teaching Aricin how to swing properly???

Peek a boo

Rock Climbing in California

Hanging out

Watch out he can climb anything

Tally and Grandpa Bob

Aricin as a Shepherd for his pre school performance

Bath time... love baby buns

Fun dry erase project i found on pinterest

The aftershocks of "No Shave November" Aaron having fun with his facial hair.

We'll call this one "the pencil stache"

More remnants of "No Shave November" this one's just scary we can call it

"The Crazy Cowboy"

Funny faces at dinner time

Ewww Gross i know!

And like that 2011 was done. December was so fun. From Christmas parties to catching up with friends and family I didn't want it to end. We drove out to California this year and the kids did surprisingly Awesome and by the grace of God we didn't encounter any snow. (Big praise after last February's roll over on the black ice) We started our trip in Glendale- spending a few days with Aaron's dad and Diane. They brought us to Disneyland, the kids had a blast and liked the finding Nemo ride and small world the best. I of course doubled Aaron's score again in the Buzz Light year shooting game (He claimed a faulty gun- maybe next year hunny). We then trecked to Visalia and hung out with the fam for a couple days before heading to the coast to hang out with Aaron's brother Andy and his wife Star and their kiddos Attison and Ayla. It was great for the kids to play together and fun to hang out before we headed to Santa Barbara. In Santa Barbara we got to catch up with our friends the Bancrofts before celebrating Christmas Eve with Aaron's grandma and the family. We were also able to visit with my old roommate Zoe and her hubby Jason. It was soooo good to be back in SB and see the sun go down over the ocean. We still want to move back someday but for now really feel like Colorado is where we're supposed to be. I told Aaron if it weren't for our friends and church in Highlands Ranch i'd be tempted to want to move back. Darn you Colorado friends! But really i was reminded of how special the community we have here is. The depth, vulnerbility and intimacy in our small group is pretty amazing and I can't imagine leaving it. We were able to stay in Visalia for another week or so before we took off. Which reminds me, Visalia is like twice as big as it was when i grew up there- it's grown so much and yet still smells the same (from all the local diaries) The kids got spoiled for the 2 weeks we were out by all of their grandparents and other friends and family.

Now we're back home which feels nice. Jeremiah managed to cut his lip while we were gone and as a result stole all of our christmas money. Silly dog. I'm getting back to a somewhat normal routine with the kids, we're still trying to get over colds and Aaron has dove back into school mode teaching Spiritual Formation and the Life of Christ this semester. He's also busy trying to finish a progression paper as he's hoping to fly back to Edinburgh next month to present it to a board.

2011-12-04T06:37:00.000-08:00

The Marshall Annual Christmas Ode 2011

Hi friends, here’s a little note from us to you,

Filled with love to share what’s new.

In January we headed up to Breckenridge for some rest

We hit up the Ice Carving Festival, it really is one of the best!

In February my brother, Jon & his girlfriend visited;

we snowboarded Copper- the conditions were nice

On our way home we rolled our car on a stretch of black ice.

By the grace of God we walked away from the accident all o.k.

But I think it’s fair to conclude we won’t ever forget that day.

In March we flew out to Tennessee for a mini Talbot

(Aaron’s Grad school) reunion near the peaks

Good times with friends, we realized 3 couples were preggers

and our due dates were within weeks

In April Aricin turned 3 & celebrated with a super hero party.

He’s inquisitive; loves to learn, explore, climb, jump, play

and his sweet smile is hearty.

In May we spent a weekend in Mesa on the Western Slope

From boating to biking to hanging out with family

our time there was dope.

In June we flew out to Cali for a sweet summer

Santa Barbara vacation

After a week of the beach, the Zoo, & paddle boarding

we were ready to make it a staycation

In July Aaron spent a week on a trip with Impact edVentures

in the Bahamas

My brother, Jasun & his friend came out to help with the kids

and were more fun then Llamas.

In August Aricin started pre-school & Aaron’s brother,

Andy came out with his family to see us.

We hit up the Denver Zoo & The Aquarium

with our memberships- so fun! …the kids didn’t fuss.

In September we hit up the Colorado Springs Hot Air Balloon

Festival as my belly got big.

Oliver Finnegan came 2 ½ weeks early weighing

7lbs 6oz-he’s sweeter then a fig.

In October Talia turned 2 and kept busy in her tumbling class.

She loves to cuddle, play with her dollies, help with Oliver,

and be a sweet lass.

In November we started getting more sleep

and feeling alive again.

Life with 3 kiddos age 3 and under is nuts and great

all at the same time- kind of like the name Finnegan

Aaron’s busy as head of the Bible Department at

Valor Christian High School

He loves teaching Ethics-

showing kids how to think on their own is such a great tool.

Aaron’s also working on Impact edVentures-

a non profit he started with two of his buddies

They take people on character building trips around the globe

opening their eyes beyond normal studies.

Aaron’s also still working on his PhD in Education through

the University of Edinburgh in Scotland

We plan to return to the U.K. this summer for more research

and plan on having more fun then a band

The kids are growing so fast and we’re trying to embrace

every moment

Knowing soon they’ll be gone and we’ll just have

each other to torment

We still love life out here in Colorado; it just feels right

The weather is grand and all four seasons are quite a sight.

Looking back at this last year we feel immensely blessed

by God’s provision

As we look ahead we are excited to see what God has for us

all under his grand supervision

Life is a journey and lasts but a short while

Stumbling, we try to live beneath God’s smile.

So that’s our year so much to tell

We hope all of you are happy, healthy, and well

We wish you peace, love, joy, and blessings this holiday season

And invite you to visit anytime for any reason.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Love,

Aaron, Janay, Aricin, Talia, and Oliver

Nuances of November

2011-11-21T14:58:00.000-08:00

I love baby feet... and they grow so fast

Fun with Grandma

Made these for Aricin's preschool class

Someone gave us this book and we love it!

The fashionista

Nap time for the boys

I can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving. November has been a blur for us. Aaron just got back from California- he flew to San Francisco for a few days for a conference and my mom flew out here to help with the kiddos. We had a great time with grandma- she spoiled everyone and was a huge help! Aaron had a great time at ETS (Evangelical Theological Society) and was able to reconnect with a bunch of old friends in the city. Something new for us for November has been a cash only budget (sigh) hubby tells me this will be a good discipline. I think he's right but ugh it's soo not fun to feel restricted. It's been a challenge to make things work on our new budget but as much as I whine and complain about it, I know it's a good thing. Oliver continues to grow he's up to 10 pounds now and loves to smile back at us, which makes my heart melt. Aricin is growing up to fast and LOVES to talk pretty much all the time- we laugh he surprises us with words like Cornucopia. Tally is also blossoming and is pretty much addicted to chap stick. She's talking more and more and asserting herself to everyone around her. They both love to help out with Oliver and dote on their younger brother. Thanksgiving is in a few days and we're looking forward to spending it at home with our each other and our kiddos. There is soo much to be Thankful for- as we reflect on God's goodness and grace.

Talia turned 2 and Halloween...

2011-11-03T11:29:00.000-07:00

Our three crazy kiddos in their shirts from the party

Aricin and his best buddy Keegan

We did a Little Miss/ Mr. Men theme for Talia's party. These are the shirts/onesies we made for all the kids that came based on their personalities and the characters

Tally wearing her new baby carrier

Yee haw!

He almost dressed up as a cowboy but at the last minute decided on a Panda Bear

Oliver was a guitar and won for the 0-3 age group at the carnival we went to

Aaron and Zach at the KIDS Halloween carnival- can we say Competitive

Our kitty and Panda on Halloween

Aricin asked for a Zebra from the Balloon lady

Tally wanted an "Elelelelele..." you get the picture

It's been a busy week, Tally turned 2 and we thew a super fun Little miss/ Mr. Men party. I picked characters for each of the kids coming, found the images online, then printed them out and ironed them onto t-shirts and onesies for all the kids- it was a super fun project. Tally loved her party and all of the cupcakes and presents. The next day was Halloween and the kids were excited to put on their costumes and get more sugar. Oliver's done a great job of tolerating his busy family as he continues to sleep and hang out wherever we go. Yesterday we woke up to a foot of snow and Aaron was able to stay home as school was cancelled- Yipee for Snow Days. Today it's sunny and half of the snow has already melted but it looks like another storm is coming in a couple of days. There really is nothing like the beauty of waking up to everything outside coated in gorgeous white snow.

More of Oliver and October...

2011-10-27T07:42:00.001-07:00

Kiddie pyramid

I love feet... and this shot shows so much of their personalities

It's a potty party... someday they will hate me for this pic

Pumpkins

Aricin and Tally's room

Aaron lofted the beds- the kids love it and it created more floor space

I can't believe he's one month old already!

flipping mommy off- really?

Things here are dare i say... starting to settle down. We are all getting more sleep and that seems to make life a little easier. Oliver continues to be a pretty easy going baby which is great because he's happy to be hanging out in his swing or bouncer but it's hitting me more and more that i need to sit and hold him because there's a good chance he might be my last baby. Tally just finished her tumbling class a couple days ago so now i think i might try to bring her to the pool once a week while Aricin's at pre-school. Another thing we've been doing while Aricin's at pre-school is running... One of the four rec-centers allows strollers on their indoor running track, so i've been trying to run 2 miles twice a week with Oliver and Tally in the double stroller... it's been fun but man am i out of shape :(

Tally turns 2 tomorrow and we are having a "Little Miss. & Mr. Men" party for her this weekend. I can't believe she's 2 already. She's talking more and more and asserting herself like crazy. I love her independent spirit but know we will probably but heads more and more as she gets older. Aaron continues to keep busy with teaching, Phd work and Impact Edventures. Yesterday he got to stay home with us for a bit as he had a late start day because of the snow. Monday it was 80+ degrees... Wednesday (Yesterday) the high was like 27 and we got about half a foot of snow... Today it's warm and sunny and all the snow is starting to melt. You gotta love Denver weather.

Oliver and October...

2011-10-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

Our Sweet boy

Drum time at the Zoo...

Love the Black Bear sleeping in the tree behind...

Tally in her tumbling class ...

Some brotherly love..

Our drive up to the mountains to see the changing leaves...

Soo tired before we left the hospital

Mr. Magoo

Our big boy... Aricin was 5.14 and Tally was 6.6

This guy was 7.6 and 2 1/2 weeks early!

Grandma and Grandpa booked their flight a month in advance and happend to make it to the hospital 2 hours before he came out.

Oliver was born on my Maternal Grandpa's (Clovis Martinet) birthday which made it extra special

If the baby would have been a girl...

Liam got booted at the last minute when we decided we liked Oliver better.

So much for planning ahead... If it were a girl her middle name would have been Ruth.

Oh how life has been busy around here... Let me start with the labor story... So i had gone to my doctor on a monday and was dilated to 4.5 cm. The next day my parents were set to fly in so like any normal person i walked like crazy and told Aaron we should go to the hospital and see where we were at. We got there at around 9pm and I was only at 5.5cm. They had me walk around for about 40minutes (I decided to jog up and down the halls) and 40minutes later i was at about 7.5cm. My doctor broke my water and i still wasn't feeling the contractions so i kept walking and cruising the halls until i was about 8.5cm then i was feeling the contractions pretty good so i returned to the hospital bed. That was at about midnight and my parents arrived. An hour later at about 1am i started to have some pretty intense contractions for about 40minutes followed by about 10-15minutes of pushing and then he was here. The experience was great and it was great to do it drug free again. My dad stayed for 5 days and my mom stayed for 10- it was great to have them out here and spoiling all of us!

Oliver is now 3 weeks old and it's been a crazy last few weeks. At his 1 week appointment he dropped from 7.6lbs to 7.2- the doctor assured us this was normal- we returned a week later and he had dropped down to 7.1- at this point the doctor recommended we start supplementing formula. I was super bummed as i was able to breast feed Aricin and Tally successfully for their first year without having to supplement. More than anything though i just wanted him to gain weight so we did it. 4 days later we returned and he had gained 9oz and was up to 7.10- good news so the doctor said we could start taking him off the formula- we did and he became constipated. we returned a week later and he had lost another 3oz. - the doctor had me nurse him and then weighed him again and he didn't gain anything- to my shock i learned i wasn't producing much milk. The doctor recommended taking the supplement Fenugreek, pumping, and supplementing formula again. Through pumping i realized i was only producing about 1/2 oz per side per feeding, so... Oliver has become a formula fed baby. I'm a little bummed that i wasn't able to provide what he needed for whatever reason but i'm happy to report that 2 days later his weight was back up to 7.10- and he did end up pooping after 4 long days (which the doctor said is normal). I was freaking out the whole time but praise God the baby finally pooped :) Sleep was rough the first week or so as he was waking up every hour and half. I saw a report on the news saying that people that miss 6 or more hours of sleep a night are the equivalent to being legally intoxicated. I joked with Aaron that i had been legally intoxicated for the last two weeks without having had anything to drink. This last week has been better- he usually has one 4-5 hour stretch and then a couple 3 hour stretches at night- so i'm starting to feel like a normal person again.

Aricin and Talia have been doing great! They both adore their little brother. I think it's been nice for them to get out of the house- Aricin to pre school twice a week and Talia to tumbling on tuesdays. We also take lots of trips to the park now that the weather is still nice. Last weekend we got our first snow- Aricin woke up so excited and wanted to build a snow man. And as for me... I'm doing well, trying to figure out how to balance 3 and make sure everyone gets enough love and attention.

September Sessions and Lessons...

2011-09-18T13:06:00.000-07:00

Down on the field at one of the last Rockies Game of the year- for the Fireworks show

Aricin and his buddies at the game

So... as we were leaving to walk to the park- i caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and realized that I looked like a 50-something PE teacher man. (With the short shorts that are a little too tight and the huge belly hanging over. I grabbed a whistle and clip board and Aricin take a picture :)

My dear friend, Katie came over last weekend and helped put in our backsplash tile while Aaron and her husband started framing out the basement project. The backsplash turned out great! Come on over and see it

Aricin likes to drive his cars over the mountain that some might call my belly :)

We went into Denver one weekend and enjoyed some time at a park. Aaron brought his long board skateboard and "Kahuna Stick." Let me explain, while we were in California this summer he fell in love with paddle boarding when we got back not having a beach he bought the Kahuna Stick so he can kind of Paddle Board but on his long board skate board. Aricin loved trying it out.

Our little rock climber

September has almost come to a close... It's already the 18th and i'm over 37 weeks pregnant. When i first found out i was pregnant I prayed that this little guy/girl would stay in longer then my last two and be bigger then my 5 and 6 pound last two. At 31 weeks when i started having contractions and they had to give me a shot to stop my Uterus i was worried at how much longer this kid would stay in but continued to pray that this kiddo would stay in. Whelp now this little one has surpassed how long Tally stayed in and in two more days will pass how long Aricin stayed in. What a huge praise and testament to answered prayer! The sheer irony is that the last few days i found my self with an anxious heart. God is good and I'm thankful this kiddo is still growing and flourishing in my womb but a big part of me desperately wants to evict this comfortable kiddo and meet him or her. I think it's amplified by the fact that my parents fly in- in two days and i know my dad will only be here for 5 days and my mom will only be here for 10 days. And so i'm reminded that life in general can't be planned perfectly (despite my desires) but instead we must trust and rely on God's provision and timing.

Food for thought...

So about a year ago we watched the movie "Food Inc."- If you haven't seen it, you should it's pretty amazing as a result it changed the way we look at where our food comes from. We learned about antibiotics, steroids, concerns about ecoli outbreaks and have since changed the way we buy and eat food. Since then we started only buying organic meat, which means since it's more expensive we eat more fish, pastas, and salads and little less chicken and beef. More recently we had family share with us a cooler full of Elk meet which is super lean and organic. Yeah for Elk :)

Another concern has been high fructose corn syrup so... I've started buying Rudi's organic whole wheat bread, it's one of the only companies i've seen that make fructose free bread. I also stopped buying the kids gummy snacks and have switched over to Cliff Bar's Fruit ropes which are great and fructose free. We also buy a lot of the organic apple sauce pouches i can throw in my purse. We've made the switch from white pasta to wheat and have switched from Kraft's Mac-n-cheese to Annie's homegrown organic Mac-n-cheese. And if that weren't enough i've made sure to avoid the "Dirty Dozen" (top 12 produce that are contaminated with pesticides)

The list is below, we try to buy these oraganic...

1. Peaches

2. Apples

3. Sweet Bell Peppers

4. Celery

5. Nectarines

6. Strawberries

7. Cherries

8. Pears

9. Grapes (imported)

10.Spinach

11. Lettuce

12. Potatoes

And then there are the "Clean 15" (these fruits and veggies have the least amount of pesticide residue, so we keep this in mind as it doesn't matter if you buy them organic)

1. Onions

2. Sweet Corn

3. Pineapple

4. Avocado

5. Asparagus

6. Sweet Peas

7. Mangos

8. Eggplant

9. Cantaloup (domestic)

10. Kiwi

11. Cabbage

12. Watermelon

13. Sweet Potatoes

14. Grapefruit

15. Mushrooms

As if that weren't enough to try to remember... we had friends over the other day that are a gluten free family that were telling us about Gluten (it's an additive or preservative that is put into most of the foods we eat as a filler or for flavor. Part of me wants to jump on the Gluten free bandwagon but i don't think it's in the stars or the finances for us right now... In the meanwhile I'm trying to be more aware of what i do buy that has gluten or other preservatives in it. I know i must sound crazy, growing up i never gave a second thought to the things i ate, but it is kind of fun reading, exploring, and learning about what we feed our kids and what we put in our bodies.

And yes, we did switch our deodorants over to the hippie Whole Foods kinds after learning that normal deodorants leave a residue of aluminum that can cause cancer. As if that weren't enough to try to remember i just read an article on those plug in air-freshners, apparently they emit toxins that have... you guessed it cause cancer so i tossed the couple we had around the house. One last thing, i just picked up a Radon Test at Home Depot yesterday, apparently it's a silent/odorless killer that is fairly prevalent in the soil of Colorado. One house can have it and the house next door can be totally Radon free. I know i sound neurotic - Aaron likes to make fun of me but i suppose we all have our vices :)

Awesome August...

2011-09-04T12:36:00.000-07:00

Colorado Springs Hot Air Balloon Festival...

Aricin had a big fall off of our plastic play gym in our backyard landing on the cement on his face :(

Denver Aquarium...

Belly shot

Backyard fun...

32 weeks on my 32nd Birthday...

Aricin's first day of 3 year old pre-school (Tally wanted to wear her backpack too)

Aricin took this pic of me

feeding the ducks

the kids of the Valor HS bible department staff at our house for a BBQ

So Glam

the big 32

Made a magnet board for the kids out of an oil pan

Painted a free chair our neighbors were getting rid of...

(The Conch Shell Aaron dove down and got and brought back from his trip to the Bahamas.

August has come and gone. Early in the month when i was a little over 31 weeks pregnant i started having some pretty bad contractions- i went in to my doctor and they gave me a shot to stop my uterus from contracting and gave me a prescription for if it happend again. Luckily i can say i'm now 35 weeks and haven't had any major contractions- we're trying to keep this kiddo in as long as we can. In fact we have a poll going with my parents and brothers where we all picked several days and the winner gets $$. I'm a little tempted to try induce on one of the days i've picked. Aricin started pre-school about two weeks ago (only 2 days a week), he seems to be enjoying it so far and has a great teacher. Tally starts tumbling in a couple of days (for 18m-2year olds) it should be fun to do something special one on one with her this fall before baby gets here. I'm still nesting and reorganizing like crazy and am starting to feel anxious about the arrival of our new member of the family. I've also been going nuts on new craft projects i've found on Pinterest.com. We still have no idea what this kiddo is, we have a girl's name set, and are almost decided on a boys name. Aaron's back at school and is busy as he's the department chair this year for the Bible department. As much as i've enjoyed the warmth and sunshine of summer i'm enjoying getting back into a normal routine and LOVE all things fall- I can't wait for Starbucks to come out with their pumpkin spice late's! Tally is talking more and more in her little chipmunk voice. She loves to climb and explore like her brother but also loves to drag her baby dolls with her everywhere along with her phone and purse. I'm hoping to break her of her "girlyness." Aricin loves playdates with his buddies and time at the pool, we're looking at putting him in swim lessons next month. He climbs everything he can find and although is still very sweet is starting to exhibit more and more moments of non-compliant emotional 3 year old behavior. (Sigh) They both love their daddy and crawl all over him whenever he's around. For now we are all trying to enjoy this "Calm" before the storm as we know baby trey can be here any time.

July Summertime Fun

2011-08-07T12:41:00.001-07:00

Star and Andy came to visit with Attison and Ayla

Denver Aquarium

Denver Zoo

Fun at the Park...

New Belgium Brewery with Uncle Jasun and Nick..

Anheiser Busch Brewery with Uncle Jasun and Nick

Tally introducing Nick to her baby

Garden of the Gods with Uncle Jasun and Nick...

Mesa with the Buechelers...

Tally and Jonas

Aricin and Carter

5 stiches for me- compliments of some scrap metal sticking out in our basement

Super Tally

Snack time

4th of July

The crew

Father-son camping trip...

July flew by and was pretty busy. Aaron and a couple of our other guy friends brought their 3-5 year olds on a camping trip- the kids and dads all had a great time and Aricin even got to go fishing for the first time. He loved finding sticks, climbing things, and running around with his buddies. We also spent a weekend up in Mesa, Colorado visiting with my grandparents and Aunt and Uncle- we explored Grand Junction and even got to take a boat out for an afternoon on the lake. The kids loved playing with the cousins Jonas and Carter who are about their ages. 4th of July we stayed in Highlands Ranch and went to a parade and later watched fireworks with friends. We've enjoyed lots of water fun at the local pools, and fountains/ man made mini rivers at the parks here in Highlands Ranch. My brother Jasun and his friend Nick came out for a week to help me while Aaron went to the Bahamas. I kept the boys busy taking them to Boulder, Golden for the Coors Brewery, Ft. Collins for the New Belgium and Anheiser Busch Breweries, Colorado Springs for Garden of the Gods, and Downtown Denver- it was a busy week but also tons of fun. Meanwhile Aaron was in the Bahamas on a trip via Impact Edventures the company he and two buddies started about a year ago. They brought about seven highschoolers down there on a leadership development/ service trip. They spent the whole week on a sail boat, helped at an orphanage, did a ton of snorkeling, swam with barracudas and nurse sharks, collected huge Conch shells that they ate the critter out of and brought one of the shells home to me. All and all he had a blast and came home with a great tan. We missed him like crazy! The same day he got back, Jasun and Nick flew out and Star and Andy arrived. It was great to have Aaron's brother, Andy and our sis-n-law and niece and nephew out for a week. We brought them to the Denver Zoo and the Aquarium as well as lots of fun pool and park time. Aricin loved playing with Attison and Tally followed Ayla around a bit. We also dog sat an awesome yellow lab for two weeks- Jeremiah loves Molly and they did great together until Molly decided to make a great escape and dig a hole out of our yard. We ended up tracking her down and bringing her back- thank goodness! Aaron left for a 2 nighter retreat for Valor in Colorado Springs- I'm so sad the summer is done and he's back to it with school. Aricin starts pre school two days a week on August 23rd. He did a week of Vacation Bible School in July and loved it! He learned a couple new songs, did some great crafts, and made some new friends. I am 31 weeks along now and i feel like my super huge belly is dominating my body- it's getting harder to roll over at bed at night and i think i'm starting to waddle :) Aside from feeling really large, I feel great and am starting to be more and more eager about meeting this guy or girl. I'm nesting like crazy and reorganizing everything in my path and the kids love the baby too. Aricin likes to sit next to me and try to feel "baby Trey" while Tally gets jealous if Aricin touches my belly and usually yells at him "My baby." Aaron finished re-tileing the kids bathroom, putting in a new sump pump in our basement, and a six foot extension of our porch- i'll try to include pics next time- it looks great and has created a great space for us to sit and hang out in- the kids have their sand box out there and a teeter totter as well as a gate to keep them from leaving the front porch- it's great! Oh yeah and yesterday i brought the kids to the Douglas County Fair, they loved seeing all the animals- i love fairs! And now... i turn 32 in a week, Dang i'm getting old! Part of me is excited to get back into a normal routine with school starting and our small group starting up again- there's something great about a normal schedule and slowing down a bit.

June and Tan Toes...

2011-06-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

WARNING: I've uploaded a crazy amount of pictures...

strike a pose

Tally got her face painted in Lake Arrowhead by her cousin, Rachel.

Aricin got Lightning McQueen painted on his face

Lake Arrowhead with cousins Anna and Emie

First Carousel ride in Lake Arrowhead

Lake Arrowhead

feeding the ducks

Aricin and his buddy Seth in Santa Barbara

Jason and Zoe let us stay with them for a week in Santa Barbara

Aaron went Paddleboarding

Tally practicing her running form at Westmont

The Westmont fountain

Westmont bookstore find

Beach time...

lunch with Great Grandma Marshall

surfing down the hill at the zoo

Tally sliding down the hill at the zoo

And this is where we got married at the Santa Barbara Zoo... 7 years ago

Aricin feeding Betty Lou the Giraffe at the Zoo

Duncan the Dinosaur

Tally in a Dinosaur foot print

Whale bones at the Natural History Museum

Ring around the Rosies at the Santa Barbara Mission

Playtime at the park

24 weeks preggers pic

7th anniversary dinner at Longboards

Cousins Attison and Aricin

Cousins Ayla and Talia

Aaron with his dad and brother (The Marshall Boys)

Ramos Family pic... note the fake baby my mom's holding- just in case she opts to use the pic as a Christmas card when baby #3 will already be here :)

Spa surfing with Uncle Jasun and Uncle Jon

In-N-Out... it's what a hamburger is all about

Slide races with Grandpa

Playing with Grandpa Marshall

Twins day with Uncle Parker

Newport Beach

Backyard campout with daddy

Summer Backyard fun

trampoline tricks

Aaron's birthday sticker... in honor of our last car's "roll"

Papaya-shrimp yumminess

Caprese Salad

pre-haircut hair

we made sponge balls for water fun

June was soo fun. I don't even know where to begin... We went to our first concert at Red Rocks- an amazing venue where we saw Dispatch a pretty awesome band. We've been enjoying lots of evening walks (one of my favorite things) and i've been trying lots of new recipes (also one of my favorite things). The kids have seen lots of pool and sprinkler time and we've just been trying to enjoy as much outside time as we can. It's funny i think we appreciate being outside so much more because of the snow and cold that we got this spring. Aaron's been busy doing research for his PhD and has also demo'd the basement and is planning on renovating it sometime soon. I've been nesting and reorganizing everything i can get my hands on. Tally's vocabulary is growing and i love hearing her sweet girly voice say new words. Aricin is potty trained and loves helping us with everything from cooking to house projects.

We had an awesome time in California. We flew into Orange County and went straight to Newport Beach with our In-N-Out burgers. We stayed the night in Irvine with the Parkers and then drove up to Pasadena and spent some time with Aaron's dad and Diane. We stayed 2 nights with my Aunt and Uncle in Thousand Oaks and got to hang out with my parents and brothers which was awesome. We spent fathers day with Aaron's dad and his brother, Andy and his wife, Star and kiddos Attison and Ayla. It was so good to see family. We then headed over to Santa Barbara where we went Longboards on the pier for dinner on our 7th anniversary. We stayed with my old roommate Zoe and her husband Jason and appreciated their hospitality. In the week we were there we spent a lot of time at the beach, went to the zoo, the mission, state st., Westmont, we did it all and enjoyed great meals with friends. A small part of my heart will always remain in Santa Barbara- oh how i love that city. Aaron got to do some Paddle boarding (thank you Kevin and Amber) and Aricin got to feed Betty Lou the giraffe. I got to sneak out and go shopping with Zoe and Tally got to see turtles at the park. Our trip was awesome, refreshing, relaxing, and very much a vacation. We spent our last night up in Lake Arrowhead visiting my grandparents and aunt and uncle. Aaron got to do some Kayaking around the lake before we left. It's funny as good as it was to be in California it was also really good to be back home. As much as I whine about the winter cold and spring snow I think i do love it here and love the seasons.

May 2011

2011-06-01T11:56:00.001-07:00

We spent mothers day weekend in Mesa with family

Aricin and Uncle Rondo

Ahhhh Tally

Playing with the cousins

Tally, Carter, Aricin, and Jonas

Aricin and Carter

We spent a weekend up at Breckenridge with our small group.

The guys had an intense game of tether ball.

Uncle Bri reading to Aricin and Carly

Bath time for all the kiddos at Breck

fun times with friends

We threw a surprise birthday party for my friend, Jen

(she's a huge Michael Jackson fan)

Valor had a family bowling night. Aricin got to bowl with his buddy Caleb

Tally at our first Rockies game of the year

Aricin at the Rockies game

(21 weeks)

Our latest BIG news is that we aren't going to Edinburgh this summer. Aaron's advisor told him he could do the same research here in colorado and Pete (his advisor) will be spending all of july in Lakewood, Colorado (10 minutes from here) with his wife and in-laws. As a result Pete told Aaron he could meet with him while he's out here and count it as their would be meetings in Edinburgh this summer. Horray! Aaron's stoked because it's going to save us a lot of money. I was initially bummed but have come to the realization that being as pregnant as i am- it's probably a good thing to just stay put, besides we would have been on the 5th floor of a building that doesn't have elevators and that would have been rough carrying the stroller and kids up and down throughout the day. The good news is we will be returning to Edi in January as Aaron will need to present his research before a progression board, this trip will probably just be me, aaron, and the baby. We'll also return to the UK next summer so that he can do more research and writing and we're hoping to be able to stay a little longer to catch some of the olympics. Another note in regards to Aaron's research and writing... A paper he co-wrote last summer has been accepted at a conference in London, Aaron isn't able to travel to speak on it but his partner will go. And two of the chapters Aaron collaborated on last summer have been published in books- kind of exciting!

We had our big ultrasound a couple weeks ago and opted to not find out the sex of the baby. Whew it was hard for me, but i'm anxiously looking forward to finding out what this kiddo is. It's currently measuring 1-2 weeks early which would put my due dates sometime between the end of September and early October- which means baby will probably arrive in early septemberish. We've nicknamed the baby "trey" rather then calling the baby "it." All and all we are thankful that everything looks healthy thus far and are praying the last half of the this pregnancy will also be stress free. Tally loves to rub my belly and say "baby" and give it kisses. Aricin keeps telling us he doesn't want a baby because they cry. Poor guy i think he's a little nervous for what changes will take place.

More big news is that Aaron is done with his tutoring company, his partner bought him out. He's stoked because it's one less thing for him to stress about and we're considering using some of the money to renovate the basement. We are also planning on taking a trip to Cali from June 16th to June 25th. We will spend most of our time in Santa Barbara on the beach and a couple days in the LA area. I'm soo looking forward to the beach and i think Aaron is too. One other random snippet, i just brought our dog, Jeremiah in for his annual physical and... he now weighs 112 pounds. I realized that's a lot, but i was a little surprised when they marked him as "Obese." I felt a little defensive like i'm failing as a puppy parent. Needless to say we've been taking more walks with our awesome jogging stroller (thanks Rick for the Christmas present) over to the dog park. One last thing, Aaron is getting more and more excited about a company he started with two buddies (Impact Edventures) they are launching a Uganda trip this summer that his partners are leading and he's leading a week long sailing trip to the Bahamas. The trips are experientially driven focusing on developing leadership skills and making an "impact" in the areas they visit through service projects. I'm a little jealous that he'll be spending a week (July 22nd-29th) on boat in the Bahamas but am excited that my parents are going to fly out and help with the kids.

May flew by. We kept busy and were out of town quiet a bit. We love going to Mesa, Colorado. It's on the western slope and is known as Colorado's wine country. There are lots of peach orchards and vineyards and life just seems a bit slower. We enjoyed a relaxing weekend filled with bike rides along the Colorado and good times with family. We also spent a weekend up in Breckenridge with our small group. Through a valor connection we were allowed to stay at a pretty amazing cabin. It doesn't seem right using the word "cabin" when it's soo much nicer then any house i've ever stayed in. From the bar with it's Breckenridge Brewery tap and keg to the hot rock heater for the massage table and sharper image massage chair, to the hot tub, to the flat screen tv's everywhere- the place was pretty awesome and we enjoyed that it was walking distance to starbucks. It snowed a little while we were there- the snow just won't quit this year! All and all it was good times with our good friends. Our small group has grown to feel more like family then friends, we love them dearly. Last week we threw a surprise birthday party for my good friend, Jen who's a Michael Jackson fan- i had so much fun planning and prepping and things turned out pretty well.

Our Adventures in April...

2011-05-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

Our first Easter Egg Hunt

(In the living room thanks to the snow)

And a sugar rush soon followed

Tally quickly became addicted to Jelly Beans

Searching for the eggs...

Day at the pool

Tally loves the slide

Our friend Kirsten came out to visit...

Aricin had just the costume for her :)

We went to a pre season Colorado State Football game in Boulder

check out the actual Buffalo they have run the field

We had so much fun with Grandma and Grandpa when they came out

We enrolled Aricin in soccer

which was more like him putting cones on his head or resting in the soccer net

Tally girl

The Coors Brewery Tour in Golden

Library computer time with Grandpa

The snow melted... time for some backyard fun

Aricin is our little dare devil at the park

Feeding the ducks

Spaghetti kisses...

Tally and her purse

Watch out lady with a baby

Aricin held her hand because she was afraid to cross the bridge

One of Aricin's favorite TV's show's is Super Why. My mom surprised us and made Super Why costumes for both Aricin and my dad- it was pretty Awesome!

Believe it or not it was 80 the day before... Colorado Weather is just crazy!

April has come and gone and now... I have a 3 year old that is very much a 3 year old. I thought the 2's were supposed to be terrible. 3's have been a challenge thus far but also very fun to watch Aricin become more and more articulate and thoughtful. Tally is 18 months old as of a few days ago and loves to do whatever her brother is doing. She's just started climbing more and more which makes me nervous. We enrolled Aricin in soccer which was silly because he liked putting the cones on his head and doing his own thing more then doing what everyone else was doing- oh well maybe next year. My parents came out to visit for a week of fun, we can't wait to see them again! Our friend Kirsten also flew out for a few days and it was so good to visit with her. Aaron's been busy with work and I've been busy chasing the kids and trying new recipes- which is soo fun for me!

This winter and now spring has been rough- we've gotten a crazy amount of snow. I think the mountains (Breck/Vail) have gotten something like 550 inches total this year- how crazy is that! We haven't gotten nearly that much because all of our snow melts within a few days. But this spring snow is killing me- my toes want to be free and happy in flip flops right now not bundled up in Uggs :) Good news is this week is supposed to be nice so you better believe me and the kids will be at the parks everyday! We tried to take a trip to Mesa, Colorado a few days ago. We left Highlands Ranch and it was 72 an hour into our drive in Georgetown we hit some pretty good snow and signs that said they had closed the Vail pass due to accidents and snow- so we turned around and stayed in town for the weekend. We've learned there's something very real about respecting the weather especially in the mountains especially after our roll in the pilot.

I'm starting to get more and more excited for Scotland. It looks like we'll probably leave in about a month- we haven't gotten our tickets yet and this will be a much shorter trip (around 4-6 weeks instead of 12 weeks). We're also looking for a flat. So much to be done between now and then. We'll keep you posted.

By the way, we've decided to not find out the sex of the baby. Aaron's thrilled and i'm still biting my tongue and fighting all of my innate desires to have control over the matter. We figure we'll be stoked either way and we have clothes for either one- so here we go!

Aricin's 3rd Birthday and A Superhero Party

2011-04-03T12:30:00.001-07:00

The sign on the bathroom of course

Oreo Truffles... Mmmmmm

The capes we made for the boys

The capes we made for the girls

The Vaporize a Villain game...

They each got a can of silly string and had to shoot it at the pics of the bad guys-

the kids loved it!

Can you find the Kryptonite.... We hung glow sticks on a string in the garage and they had to go in and find the kryptonite- they were totally into it!

Aricin and Tally in their capes and masks

Sarah and Paul Ragan

John and Sarah Kirchner

Bethany and Zack Brooks

Micah and Caleb Gautier

Jake Christy

Shane Christy

Hagan Trotter

James and Carly Kettler

Singing Happy Birthday

I can't believe my baby is 3. Aricin as brought so much joy into our world. He is curious and loves to explore everything. He loves adventure and can always be found climbing or jumping off of anything he can find. He loves sports and was so excited to get a soccer ball and tennis racquet for his birthday. And he has the sweetest spirit and heart- i love to watch how he loves on people and genuinely cares about others. I can't imagine our world without him.

We decided to throw a Superhero party and had a blast making 20 capes for Aricin and all of his friends. The kids got to find Kryptonite or glow sticks in our dark garage and got to vaporize a villain by spraying silly string at pics of bad guys. All and all it was a fun day and we were blessed with great weather- the high was 85 and now... less then 24 hours later it's snowing- colorado weather is crazy!

March Madness Marshall style...

2011-03-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

For spring break we flew out to Te-Te-Tennessee for a mini reunion with good friends that Aaron went to Talbot (Biola's seminary where he got his MA) with. It had been almost 3 years since we had seen these guys and so sweet to catch up. Jeff and Angela (the couple on the far right in the pic below) moved to Tennessee so that Jeff could start work on his PhD in Political Philosophy. He and Aaron had soo much fun picking each other's brains with PhD and Philosophy talk. I had such a good time catching up with Angela and Tena. This last time we all saw each other we were all having babies (Aricin is 3 days younger then Jackson and 3 months older then Michael). An added bonus was that we all spilled that all three couples are pregnant again and due within about 3 weeks of each other. So so fun!

Marshalls, Shapiros, and Cervantez families

Jackson, Aricin, Michael, Abby, and Tally

Cheers!

3 little monkeys jumping on a bed

All tuckered out

They brought us into the Smokey Mountain National Forest and we got to explore

I love this shot! Super dad!

Our girl is always eating...

Aricin striking a pose

The kiddos

Enjoying nature- Aaron wishes we got outdoors more

The Shapiros

Cervantez Family

Bath time for the boys

Tally girl...

St. Patty's day Rainbow Jello fun

Dress up time...

She's a climber like her brother...

March has been so fun. We shared with friends and family that we are expecting baby #3 (we're about 13 weeks now) and are due October 8th. Aaron's tutoring company- Eudaimonia ES, Inc. is growing which is exciting and he also has his hand in another company, Impact edVentures, a tripping company which will be launching this summer with a trip to Uganda and two trips to the Bahamas both of which Aaron will be on. He also just found out that he's going to have the opportunity to develop a Humanities track at Valor- something he's wanted to see come about for a while and he also found out he's been chosen to be the Department Chair next year for Bible.

As for me, I've been busy working on my next novel of which I'm about a week away from being finished and ready to start submitting to my critique group of four other writer gals i've been working with for the last two years. And the kids... (Sigh) Can i just say i so love the ages and stages that they are at right now. Tally isn't talking a ton, she kind of has her own Chubakah like language that she seems to understand and sing in often. She loves to do whatever her brother is doing, loves to put on bracelets, drag her dolls around, and give out hugs and kisses to all of us. She is such a happy girl. Aricin is turning into a true boy. He talks all the time and is super curious. When he hears Aaron turn the shower on in the morning he jogs down the hall into our room and asks if he can come into my bed for "cuddles". Then he tells me that he loves me, it is so sweet! This morning i got weepy thinking that these moments are here but for a season and too soon he's going to be in school, in junior high, and then in high school. Yikes! it's probably just the pregnancy hormones but i'm getting teary again just thinking about it. I so appreciate his big heart and how he loves to help me with projects and loves to teach his sister. I'm thankful for this season and that i'm able to hang out with them and treasure these times. Aricin has just started praying and it's so sweet to hear the things he's thankful for. Tally's started putting her hands together before dinner when she watches us pray and it's also so sweet to watch her try to mimick us. It will be interesting to see how kiddo #3 fits into the mix. Aricin has just started telling me that he has a baby boy in his belly named Jackson. Kids are too funny. Lately i've been planning and prepping for his 3rd birthday party. I've just finished making 20 super hero capes and masks for his Super Hero party- it should be lots of fun, I'll post the pics and details soon.

February Fun and our new ride...

2011-03-09T11:46:00.001-08:00

After the death of our much loved Honda Pilot we went on the search for a replacement... and this is what we got.

It's a not new but I love it!

Tally learning how to express her emotions with the emotions stick

Today's word was Hysterical

Tally's bracelets

Sand fun

Jon and Courtney with the kids

Should i drill or vacuum?

Awww.... Jon and Courtney

The snow man

Oh February... February was crazy to say the least. It started with a fun visit from Jon and Courtney where we rolled and totaled our Honda Pilot in the mountains. As a result i spent the entire month putting around in our Chevy Impala rental car. We were all sick most of february. I battled a sinus infection- bad cough- and currently back in the sinus infection stage. Aricin is also on meds for a sinus infection and Tally currently has a double ear infection. Aaron has some how managed to avoid all of us and our germs. Oh yeah and we (aricin and I) got pink eye a few weeks ago. Fun times. The good news is as of two days ago we have another car. Truth be told i had my eyes on another expensive Honda Pilot but my somewhat wise and savy husband talked me into the idea of buying a cheap car that we could pay cash for and not have to worry about a car payment- especially since we've been and will continue to spend 3 months out of the year in Scotland. Having said that the search for our next car was ugly- we looked at a lot of cars i hated and finally came across some Range Rovers and Land Rover Discovery's that i fell in love with. We know they can sometimes be lemons (Certains years and makes) and that if you take it to a dealer they can be uber expensive but we have a mechanic that works primarily on British Motors so we're ready. I'm super pumped that it has a heated windshield (no scraping ice off baby) I'm also stoked it has two moon roofs, heated seats, and two jump seats in the back that fold down from the walls if we should need them. It sits super high which is fun for me and is rated one of the safest cars around (earning it a gold star from me) - in case we should roll again. There are also buttons inside for incase we take it bouldering up a mountain or need to cross a river. It's way more hard core then we are and i'm sure we will never used most of the buttons inside. Aaron's excited to take it camping and i kind of am too. If these things can keep Lions out while on safari then i can camp in it.

The kids are growing so fast and are at such fun stages. Tally loves to follow Aricin around and do whatever he's doing. She's very dramatic but also likes to laugh, clap, and dance. Aricin surprises us everyday with words like disgusting and gorgeous. He cracks us up and is so fun to have around. We are looking forward to taking off to Te-Te-Tennessee in about 10 days on a mini reunion with some of our friends from when Aaron was in Seminary in southern california. It should be fun to catch up and hang out with old friends.

HUGE PRAISE...

2011-02-09T05:55:00.000-08:00

We had a bit of a crazy weekend. My younger brother Jon and his girlfriend, Courtney flew in from San Diego on friday. Friday we brought them to the New Belgium Brewery to check out where Fat Tire Beer is made- they got a bunch of samples and had a lot of fun.

On Saturday we got a babysitter and headed up to Copper mountain Ski Resort. I Skiied and everyone else boarded. Did i mention it took 4 hours to get there (It usually takes under 2) but there was a bit of a blizzard going on. Copper got almost a foot of snow on Saturday and despite having wind chills of about -4 the conditions were great, lots of powder. On our way home, about 10 minutes after leaving Copper we hit some black ice. We skidded for about 250 yards before skidding sideways off the road in between the two lanes of traffic where we rolled and came to a stop upside down. We were all hanging by our seat belts when the car stopped moving. Aaron stayed calm the whole time and I freaked out pretty quick when i realized we couldn't open either of the front doors because they were smashed from the roof which was below us, i started to feel a little claustrophobic. My brother Jon opened his door and we all crawled out unharmed- no scratches, no bruises.

God had his hand on us is pretty much how you can sum it up. Everyone we talked to from the Firemen, to the highway patrol, to the tow truck all said we were incredibly lucky. The Firemen told us that where we crashed is a super common place for accidents because of the snow pack and black ice, the tow truck driver had already seen one fatality that day, and the high way patrol said our tires were pretty bald which didn't help things. All and all we feel completely blessed to still be alive and pretty content to stay in Denver and out of the mountains for a bit. The highway patrol said our car was totaled- we're still waiting on the official word from our insurance. We're currently driving a tiny 4 door rental car provided by our insurance and starting to look for another car, I've got my eyes on another Honda Pilot based on how safe it kept us. Although ultimately God was the one that kept us safe.

January 2011

2011-01-31T10:16:00.000-08:00

Sledding in Breckenridge...

The Ice Carving Festival (Our 3rd time coming)

We threw a Moustache themed baby shower for friends of ours...

Name that Milk Moustache Game...

We brought this back from California, we had it in our old house

Aricin fell asleep during dinner time

I recovered our ottoman with super fun fabric i found

Tally and the Komodo Dragon

At the Zoo...

January was fun. We went to the zoo with friends, threw a fun Moustache themed baby shower for friends, and spent a weekend up in Breckenridge. Breck has become one of our favorite mountain spots - every year we make it up there for the ice carving festival. This year we stayed the weekend up there and brought the kids sledding. Aricin loved sledding and kept giving us the play by play- "I went so fast, then it jumped, and i went sooo high! Let's do it again." Both kids have been fighting colds, fevers, runny noses, and coughs. They seem to be getting better however i think i've gotten their germs as i'm starting to feel crummy. It's snowing right now and the high tomorrow is supposed to be -4 (yes the high) Aaron's hoping for a snow day and i've gone grocery shopping so we don't plan on leaving the house for the next couple of days. All and all things here are going good, I have a work out swap going on with a fellow mommy (Every tuesday we watch each others kids while we take turns going to the gym). Aaron's been busy teaching Spiritual Formation and Apologetics and his hands in a couple of business ideas he's working on. And... we've started only eating organic meat as a result of watching the documentary Food Inc. Oh yeah and we've switched our deodorants to non-alumnium ones (no we're not totally hippies just trying to make small changes).

So... I've been thinking a lot about Highlands Ranch, where we live. It's 12 miles south of Denver and has earned a reputation as being one of the best planned communities in the country. It was started in 1981 by developers from Mission Viejo, CA and It totally has a California feel to it. It was recognized by Forbes as one of the top places to move in the nation and In 2010, Business Week named it one of the best places to raise kids. Needless to say with all of it's parks, trails, rec centers, and amenities it feels quite perfect and safe. We basically live in a little bubble out here which is nice (especially having lived in a Grand Turino like neighborhood where our house got ransacked and broken into 10 times by Asian gang members). So safe is nice. But is it good? I mean on the surface it is, I love it here, but do i really want my kids to grow up in a community that's 90% upper to middle class white people? I'm glad we travel every summer to Edinburgh because the kids get to see how other people do life. I guess i've just been wondering how "Good for us" the easy comfortable life is. After all the bible says it is when we go through challenges and suffering that we are given the opportunity to grow and be stretched. Now, i'm not asking God for challenges or suffering I guess i've just been thinking about how good it is to really have it good? I want my kids to grow up sensitive to other cultures and loving people and i hope we can give that to them.

December Fun with Friends and Family...

2011-01-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

We got a christmas tree this year- our first one in 4 years.

We haven't gotten one in a while since we go back to Cali for Christmas every year.

Found this pic and had to sneak it in

Bubble Fun...

Christmas party for the girls...

Oreo Truffles.... Mmmmmm

Sweet Sushi

Aaron made this bed for Aricin- they love it

We picked up this super slide on Craigslist and it's been great in the basement for snowy days when we can't go to the park.

Aricin's first trip to Disneyland- Toon Town

Tena and the kids

Tally got to go to her cousin, Leilah's Fairy party

Marshall Family

Running from Uncle Jasun

Tally got her first Cabbage Patch doll (Demaris- according to her Birth Certificate)

The guys got toy air planes and had fun playing with them...

Christmas at Great Grandma Ramos's house

Aricin and Leilah

Fun with Grandpa Rick

The sisters

Annual pull up workout with Uncle Jasun

Tally and Uncle Jasun

Tally and Joelle

Courtney, Jon, and us

The Martinet Cousins

The Marshall Cousins

Wine Tasting...

with Tracy and Scott...

best double date ever!

Aricin and Luke

Maddie and Carrie

Tally getting her jump on

Scary smile

Tally teaching uncle Jon the secrets of the Rubiks cube

Aricin and Uncle Jon

Aricin and Kirsten

Aricin and Jovie

Beckham and Tally

Watch out- Lady with a baby

Aricin and Lachlan

Grandpa stealing Tally's milk

Grandma and a pouty Aricin

Always a Fiesta at the Ramos house

December was Awesome!!!

We drove out to California for the first time (we usually fly) and it wasn't soo bad. There and back we stopped in Mesa, Colorado and stayed with family. It's about 3.5 hours from our house to Mesa and then another 12 hours to Pasadena. On the way back it was a 14 hour day from Visalia to Mesa. Aaron was a champ and we didn't hit any bad weather, only saw a few deer, a little snow, and a little ice around the Colorado mountain resorts. Aricin watched DVD after DVD, Tally slept most of the time and Aaron and I talked and talked which was great.

We stayed a few nights in Pasadena with Aaron's dad and Diane. We had a great time with them and they took us to Disneyland which was awesome. It unfortunately rained the whole day but we were able to go on all our favorite rides. It was awesome to watch it through the eyes of the kids. Tally danced during small world. Aricin was glued to the port hole during the Finding Nemo submarine and I once again tripled Aaron's score in Buzz Lightyear's astroblasters- i still won't tell my secrets and please don't tell him the tricks if you know them, i take great pleasure in being able to beat him in something. We spent most of our time in Visalia with my family, which was great- the kids got super spoiled by Grammie and Grandpa. My old college roommate, Tena drove down and got sushi with us- it was sooo good to just talk and go shopping with her- i miss my college girls. We spent Christmas Eve in Santa Barbara. Ahhhh Santa Barbara, the sun was out and it was so good to be near the ocean. We stopped by Jason and Zoe's house and got to meet their puppy, Duke. We also got to spend some good time with the Marshalls at Great Grandma Marshall's house. Christmas Day was busy at my parents house then off to Great Grandma Ramos's house in Terra Bella then off to Grandpa Rick's house in Porterville. It was soo good to see family we only get to see once a year. The day after Christmas we headed to the coast and met up with Jen and Kirst at Firestone (The best place to eat in San Luis Obispo) before heading to Avila Beach for Christmas with the Martinet Family. Again so sweet to see family and catch up. We spent the next few days with Aaron's brother, Andy and our sister-n-law, Star. Their kiddos are close to the same ages as ours and it was fun to watch the kids play. Aaron and i snuck away one day to go Wine tasting with friends (Tracy and Scott) drove down from San Jose. Yeah for a date!

The first vineyard we visited was Rotta, i really liked the Zinfandel Rose and the Muscat Canelli- yes i like sweet wines. Next we went to Veris (previous JanKris Vineyard) we had actually looked at this one 7 years ago as a possible venue for our wedding. Veris was my favorite and it happens to be the most photographed vineyard in SLO County, sitting on the top of a hill, it's views are gorgous! What made Veris stand out to me was their sparkling wines - Almond, Raspberry, and Peach. They seriously tasted like italian soda-dangerously yummy! We then stopped at Castoro- my favorite there was the grape juice. Scott bought a bottle. Lastly we went to Peachy Canyon. The only vineyard that charged was Rotta ($3). Super fun day with super fun company- Tracy and Scott are awesome and did i mention we finished the day at In-N-Out. Before heading back to Visalia we loaded up at Trader Joes with a couple of cases of wine and a few of our favorite Trader Joes things- since we don't have any in Colorado.

All and all our time in California was grand. It was soo good to see and catch up with friends and family that we only get to see once a year. It's tough because Aaron and I both feel like we are exactly where we're supposed to be right now. We didn't choose Colorado, Colorado chose us. God opened doors and brought us here and we feel like this is where he wants us- this is where he's using us for now. I think we hold onto that losely, knowing that at any time he can open/close doors to move us somewhere else. So for now we love it here, the hardest thing is being away from family. I'm excited that my brother, Jon and his girlfriend Courtney are flying out next month to visit. I hope that we will get to see my other brother, Jasun and my parents sometime soon.

Marshall Family Ode 2010- a recap of the year...

2010-12-11T10:30:00.000-08:00

Hi friends, here’s a little note from us to you,

Filled with love to fill you in on all that’s new.

In January we visited Mesa spending time with people we love.

We got to try snowshoeing too; kids bundled and the sun shining above.

In February Aricin kept busy with tumbling, art, & music classes.

And we finally hit the slopes at A-Basin with Jon - yeah for ski passes!

The Breckenridge ice carving festival is a tradition we just can’t miss.

We also threw a Mardi Gras Party with Gumbo & Beignet’s- pure bliss.

During spring we met grandparents in Mazatlan to relax and renew,

An “If you give a mouse a cookie” party meant Aricin was now two.

In late May we moved into our 500 square foot Edinburgh Flat

Surrounded by cobblestone, castles, bagpipers, & plaid scottish hats.

We loved making new friends & exploring the city- rain or shine,

Aaron studied hard and enjoyed their cask ales to their wine.

It was refreshing to embrace the history and national pride they represent.

While Aaron enjoyed scotch, Janay reveled at the Scottish accent

Aaron’s days were spent reading about moral and experiential education

While Janay walked the town and frequented play-groups during our “vacation.”

We checked out Glasgow, Oban, Inverness, Aberdeen, and St. Andrews Beach

Our time was fun and full of challenge - God taught us no dreams are out of reach

We didnt’ catch a glimpse of the Loch Ness Monster (at least not yet)

I think Aricin half hoped we’d take home a furry highland cow as a pet

Janay was interviewed on TV while buying tickets for the “Tattoo” - what a show!

August’s festival offered show after show - apparently summer’s a great time to go.

A weekend in London felt like a whirlwind tour of all major sites

Hyde Park was a hit with the kids - Neverland, fountains, ice cream and kites.

Briefly we visited Wimbledon to see Scotland’s Murray vs. Nadal in a final match

All in all our summer in the UK was amazing despite a short rainy patch

We got back and Janay jumped into a season of coaching high school volleyball

Aaron’s teaching ethics and has started a tutoring company - its been a busy fall

We saw the Hot Air Balloon Festival, the Dodgers, and the Denver Zoo

And flew to Santa Barbara for a Wedding, good times - saw the beach too!

In October Talia turned one; she’s standing, climbing, laughing, and such a joy.

Aricin loves zip lines, reading, talking about anything & being a boy

The kids are growing fast - and we’re trying to embrace every moment

Knowing soon they’ll be gone & we’ll just have each other to torment.

We still love life out here in Colorado - it just feels right

The weather is grand and all four seasons are quite a sight

Looking back at this year we feel immensely blessed

We see the work of our Lord and know he’s never at rest

Life is a journey and lasts but a short while

Stumbling, we try to live beneath God’s smile

So that’s our year so much to tell

We hope all of you are happy, healthy, and well

We wish you peace, love, joy and blessings this holiday season

And invite you to visit anytime for any reason

Merry Christmas

Love Aaron, Janay, Aricin, and Talia