Life...

I sat here scrolling through my old, beloved blog, and I cried a little. I remembered all of the reasons why I blogged. To keep record. To never let me forget where I have been and where I am headed. Can I tell you though, that we do forget? No matter how much you tell yourself "I will  never forget this moment" you just might. I never wanted to be the mom that didn't keep record of my kids cutest moments. Which, by the way, would keep me record keeping 24-7. But, sometimes, while you are living life and too busy enjoying all of these moments, you forget to journal them for the forever and ever and the great-greats to come. Sigh.

This year has been crazy. Crazy good. Crazy exciting. Crazy busy. Crazy reality checks. Crazy girls-all three of us!
I'll start with our summer... Ice skating lessons. swim lessons, cheer, ballet, a trip to Disneyland, potty training McKynzie and...The fear that gripped my heart with the reality that school was starting within three months. We are homeschooling our kids. Sounds easy, right? Some even say admirable, comendable. I was terrified that I wouldn't be a good teacher, that she is going to grow up with "holes" gaping, scholasticly speaking. I don't know why, but for some reason when public schooled kids education isn't up to par, it is accepted and no one says anything of it. Yet if a child is home schooled, and spell a word incorrectly, the teacher is inadequate. Plus it didn't help that MY child was old enough to start school. I seemed to have thought that they were both going to stay little for life and never reach school age. I was wrong! As parents, we teach our children to be honest, don't cheat, don't steal, don't eat your boogers, and love and trust the Lord. That seemed easy, which it isn't always, and the thought of teaching my child phonics rules with a teachers guide scared the socks off of me! I had it so backwards. Anyway, I started off our school day with prayer, and silently pleading with God to give me wisdom, and the grace to go through this day, all the while crying inside that my baby was this age. I feel like once they start school, the next day they are a teenager and then we are old gray headed parents waiting on the front patio for them to come home for the holidays... A bit dramatic I realize, but still is how I felt. Anyway, I remember hating school (not sure if I really hated school or just days. Maybe even just certain subjects. ) and had a vision in my mind of her hating it as well. After every subject had been done, and we had made our way through the first day, I was elated! She learned everything she was supposed to, loved it, and loved me for teaching her! So did McKynzie! That first day boosted my faith in God, myself, and her. She is such a trooper. Here I am practicing how to teach on the girls, and they look at me with awe that I  know so much stuff. If only they knew! It is January, and school has been so rewarding for all of us. Crazy how we are all learning while teaching the girls. McKynzie loves her school, her crafts, and her "jobs". She is the official Blend Ladder holder/pointer, official white-board-wiper-offer, she says the pledge of allegiance with us, LOVES song time and circle time, and takes her schoolwork seriously. If you point to random letters and ask their names, it will always be "B", and the sound will always be "G, as in goat". Numbers names are always 2 or 3! She will complete a paper, look at it and say with excitement and awe, "It's beeeeeautiful! I dis love it!" She loves her story time too. Oh, and sitting in Ashlynnes desk. She has her own desk, which is almost identical to Ashlynnes. But, it's not Ashlynne's. And it bugs Ashlynne very much that McKynzie sits in her desk because Ashlynne loves her desk as much as McKynzie does. Character lesson for both there! Ashlynne is a perfectionist. She gets frustrated when her handwriting isn't perfect, etc. She tries very hard and all of her assignments have very impressive penmanship! She is learning so much and so fast. I am scratching my head at how drastically different our two girls, with the same genetics learn. They process learning so different. Sometimes if I think about it, it drives me crazy.

That was school... Fast forward to Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for. That sounds so cliche, but it is so true for our family. My grandma fell in October and hasn't been well since. We have visited her a couple times since and I am so grateful that she is still here. She and I are very close, and as I was thinking about it, I realized how much she and grandpa have touched my life. I have been so blessed to have their love. I am so grateful for all of the wonderful memories of her that I have.
Secondly, My in-laws spent thanksgiving in California with some of Dave's relatives. We got a phone call day after Thanksgiving that My father in law was in the intesnsive care with a blood infection and kidney failure. It was a scary couple days. He hasn't ever been hospitalized so it was scary. Especially because it was so serious. I love my father in law and the thought of something happening was sickening. Marsh's don't like to get all sappy so I won't, but I am so glad he's ok.

We have been in Massachusetts for the last twelve days. While we were there, My brother in law had a heart attack. It kind of freaked us out. First Dave, then Mark. David and Dustin are under close watch! JK. I love my brother in law too. I guess I just love everybody! He is recovering and doing well. I am so thankful that we didn't have to attend funerals. Sometimes you don't take time to be thankful for your blessings. This year we were reminded that the things you take for granted aren't always going to be around. And yes, I did give my father in law a big hug when he got back. Marsh's don't hug but I didn't care if he was a hugger or not. Besides, I have the Marsh name, not the blood! And yes, Mark will get one when I see him too. I don't think I have ever hugged Mark. They aren't a hugging family! Anyway.
Massachusetts was fun. Most of the time. It was a long time to be gone, but so nice to get back. Here are some highlights.
~McKynzie loved the turbulent moments on the plane. When the plane would tip a bit to turn, She would squeal "It's tippin! It's gonna be fun!"
~Each time we boarded the plane, she would stop right before we stepped into the plane and say "can I touch it, the airplane?"
~Ashlynne and McKynzie putting their arms up during each take off and squealing, not so softly at first, as if they were on a roller coaster, McKynzie telling the people next to us to put their arms up and get excited too!
~My children playing with the toys in the toy store like they were their own. It was  a 45 min stop in each store!
~"steak" each morning for breakfast. It was sausage, but McKynzie insisted it was Sake...!
~My girls thanking the ladies who put the breakfast out at the  hotel for breakfast. McKynzie thanking them for the "sake".
~Having my husband "home at the hotel" He got to go in between 8 and 9 each morning and got off between 2 and 3. I loved that.
~Eating lunch with an instructor and some fellow students at Dustins school. Being mortified when the instructor asked Ashlynne if she had a good time. She replied with a very honest, mortifying "No". Why do children have to be honest? At said lunch, McKynzie announced to entire table that "I just farted"! Whaaaat?!
~The ladybugs we found in the hotel room window. They were trying to escape the bone chilling cold as we were. They provide hours, and I mean hours, of entertainment for children a long way from their home, with only coloring books and a stuffed animal.
~The oranges that played a part in everything from pretending they were very large ears on my children who were pretending to be varioius species of animals. Playing kickball with them. And even trying to balance on them. Yes it happened and no they didn't explode! I guarantee there was NO pulp left in those oranges, only juice!
~The handful of change that my girls made up all sorts of games with.
~Turtles at Bass Pro. And wishing Uncle RaRa was there so we could see him.
~Watching the girls target practice at Bass Pro. Ashlynne did very well. She hit her target quite a bit and aquired like 175 points... Not bad for only 5!
~The talk with Ashlynne about boyfriends. Long story.
~Ashlynne saying on the way home how bad she had to go potty... McKynzie, who is potty-trained, advising her to just go in her pants... Priceless!
~The Canadian Geese who were late flying south for the winter. Driving around them in circles so each girl could see them well. McKynzie squealing "They're Walkin! AND Talkin'! when she heard them honk.
~Waking up to McKynzie standing beside our bed saying "Mommy, your hair is...FLUFFY!!!!" I bolted out of bed and took care of that asap. When your 2 yr old tells you your hair is fluffy, you can take that to the bank. Besides, bed hair on anyone but my girls grosses me out immensly.