Where has the time gone?

Life has picked up full speed. Fall is here, the leaves are changing and the Marsh family is living the mini-van dream. From piano lessons to soccer practice, kids church night and other events, the time seems to fly. In the middle of the flying time though, we still seem to find time to laugh and love and make some memories along the way.

The Harvest Festival at school as a great success. The planning and organizing of the event took a big chunk of time but I'm loving being a part of the PTSA and in the mix at the girl's school.

 

Haley and her little friend Lily has some fun dinking around with wax mustaches. Do you remeber those things from when we were kids? There's a little ledge you put inside your mouth and bite to keep it in place. You can technically "eat it" but what in the world is it made of? (Wow I sound old.)

We carved pumpkins tonight and made toasted pumpkin seeds. I'd have more pictures but my hands got slimy. The re-cap - Dad's old shirts, big mess, lots of seeds, more mess, hands and clothes covered with lots and lots of messes ending up with nice looking pumpkins and a giant mess!! 

The girls are looking forward to Trick or Treating in our new neighborhood. Haley is dressing up as a ballerina and Hannah is dressing up as Taylor Swift. Pictures I promise.

As I hear the washer and dryer running and smell inner pumpkins in my home, I smile a sleepy smile and say a quick prayer of thanks for our busy but full lives. God is good.

Sons of Jude

Review for the Sons of Jude!

 Brandt Dodson has begun a good crime series based in Chicago.  I really enjoyed his detail of the Chicago area and ability to paint a strong picture.  I thought the character development was slow in the beginning, but I came to buy-in by the middle of the book.  It had some good twists and solid page-turning parts.  Overall, I would recommend this book to those who enjoy crime/mystery/thriller. Guest Blogger and avid mystery reader: Travis Marsh

To enter to win a free copy of this exciting book, sign your name in the comments section and the winner will be notified.

 

 

300

This is officially the 300th post of "The Years are Short."

It's hard to believe that this fun adventure of sharing life experiences has accumulated up to 300 posts. I have delayed writing this entry as it felt so monumental. I was racking my brains for some clever witty rambles or some super great give away or some mind blowing revelations. The mounting pressure was a bit unnecessary. What I eventually realized, the true intent of this blog was to share with our friends, our family and document for ourselves what life is like here at the Marsh household. The name was inspired from a wise MOPS speaker who years ago said, "In the midst of parenting, the days are long. Dishes, laundry, wiping noses, cooking, cleaning - it never ends and drags out forever. When you look back, however, the YEARS ARE SHORT."

The first entry, December 2010, I had a busy 4 year old and a new kindergartener. Now, I have a reading, writing, growing almost 7 year old and a mature and ever amazing almost 9 1/2 year old. Sometimes, the days were very long. (and if I'm honest, sometimes they still are) by my, the years are short.

So, instead of an overly planned, extremely witty, bells and whistles 300th post, I'll pretend like it's another day in the life of the Marsh family.

Saturday - Haley had soccer pictures and played her second game. We don't care if the kids win or score a million points. We care if they are good sports, good teammates and play the best they can. (Haley did get the last assist of the game resulting in a goal however, if anyone at home is counting?!) After the big kid game, one of our favorite little buddies played his first game in history. It was pretty fantastic.

After soccer, we met Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Ryan, Aunt Bonnie, cousins Juniper and Moses and went to THE FARM; one of the best ever fall experiences around. We watched a pig show, a duck race, pet baby kitties, rode a tractor, picked honey-crisp apples, ate fresh corn on the cob, picked pumpkins and had a great day in the sun as a family.

Sunday - Had a great church service about the Sabbath - literally means STOP and REST. Our true rest is only found in Jesus. This will be my focus for the week. It was also my favorite little sister's birthday. I won't disclose Missy's age yet . . . let's just say she's crouching in on 30! She's been one of my favorite people in the world since she was born. I wish we lived closer and could spend more time together but texting and Elf quotes will have to do for now. Thanks for the way you make me laugh and the way you have always loved on your nieces.

Monday - Today. I spent a long time in the PTSA rooms cleaning and organizing areas that haven't been touched in many years. It was so rewarding to take crazy closets, drawers and areas and turn them into usable storage with easy to find systems. (plus throwing tons of stuff away in the garbage made me pretty happy too.)

This afternoon the piano that Marilyn has had since she started playing at age five got delivered to our house.

It will get hours upon hours of love. And the sentimental quality is to much. Gerry's mom (granny oregon) created her own needle point design for the piano bench from a piece of music that Grandpa Gerry wrote. Incredible.

So that concludes post number 300. Maybe you've read all 300 (or if not, you should go back through the archives and start at the beginning!!) And, although I abandoned the idea of a drum roll and major revelation, I decided that I must do a give-a-way in gratitude for following our family, posting lots of fun and meaningful comments, and helping to remind us in the middle of the long days, the years truly are quite short.

Enter you name (and maybe add your favorite Marsh family adventure?) in the comments section and you will be entered to win your own "Honey" journal; a place to write notes and encouragements and memories to your honey.

Dinking

What is the definition of dinking? Sometimes it's wasting time. Sometimes it's moving slow. Sometimes it's getting a hold of my camera . . .

Enough said.

A Bit to Much

It is very difficult for me to be critical of someone's autobiography. It's a piece of them . . . an intimate sharing of themselves. My job however, as a blogging reviewer for Kregal publishing is to honestly share my impression of each book sent to me.

I just finished reading "Rough Road to Freedom" by Neil T. Anderson. He documents his life from humble beginnings to becoming a pastor, professor and eventually pivotal part of creating Freedom in Christ ministry. In my opinion, Mr. Anderson shares way to many details of his life including word for word conversations and descriptions of members of his old congregations. I appreciated the effort he put into learning about himself and growing as a person but would feel very uncomfortable if I was a previous attender of one of his churches and was mentioned, not by name, but by obvious description.

I also felt, although it became a key factor in his life, he dove down deep into the darker side of Christianity. Now I know I have to be very careful here in my statements as it is not my intention to turn this blog into a spiritual debate and to me, there is no reason to focus on the non-salvation issues. To quote Beth Moore, "there are a lot of ribs out there but lets focus on the spine we all share." I know, because scripture talks very clearly at times, that there is a battle between good and evil going on. I personally feel, however, that when you spend a long time preaching, practicing or writing about the darker side, it gives more power to that issue. In my opinion, instead of constantly concentrating on bringing the evil out of people we should think instead about bringing the light into people. Jesus said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." John 9:5 and He calls us to be examples of Him after He left;  “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16

In conclusion, it is not my place to judge where someone's heart is or intentions lie. I would not be so bold as to say Pastor/Professor Neil Anderson has not reached many people in many positive ways. I am saying, for me and my understanding of God's grace and mercy, "this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine."

If you would like to win this book to determine what you think for yourself, put your name in the comments section or send me an email.

                                                                                                                                    

Monday Night Football Daybook (or Nightbook?)

Outside my window...

Dark . . . lots of dark. One of those finally-fall-dark-nights.

I am thankful for..

A great bank. My debit card number was stolen today. Someone decided they would stay at a hotel and purchase $472 through walmart.com. Thanks to my amazing bank's fraud protection, the charges were stopped and after a quick visit to my local branch, I was given a new debit card number. Now, hopefully said debit thief will be caught buying their whatever they bought on my card. 

I am thinking about...

The football game. Our pastor loves the Greenbay Packers and is currently sitting at the game in yellow and green. We are home cheering in blue and green. We'll see if we're still welcome to church this Sunday!

From the kitchen...

Garlic Jim's gluten free pizza. Yummy stuff. Thanks Scott for coming over to hang out with us and thinking of our kids so considerately.

I am creating...

A blog post. I can only take on one little thing at a time right now. We're in a very interesting phase of life as a family - "circling the wagons" a friend so accurately labeled. Part of being successful during this time is to focus on today and not worry about tomorrow.

I am reading...

"Feathers from my Nest" by Beth Moore. This has become part of my morning routines. Reading a chapter makes me laugh, cry and realize what a journey motherhood it. 

"Beneath the Night Tree" by Nicole Baart. Pretty fluffy, easy to get involved in and blow through while thinking of nothing. Read half last night in a warm bath with a glass of red wine . . . pure bliss.
 

I am praying for...

Peace and strength.

I am hearing...

Football plays and responses from the couch crowd.

Around the house...

An empty laundry room. I know it doesn't last more than a day but I'm gonna revel in it. I might just go sit in there tonight to read my book and enjoy that bliss . . .

One of my favorite things...

Coffee . . . it's not a new favorite but it doesn't stop bringing me joy. It's very motivating to wake up when I know a quick push of the button on my Kuerig machine, a splash of caramel macchiato creamer, and I'm set with a warm cup of happiness in my hands.

A few plans for the rest of the week...

The first general PTSA meeting. It's exciting to begin the year for real now. I'm looking forward to working together with the parents and staff of our elementary school creating the best environment for our kiddos to learn and have incredible opportunities for growth and family fun.

A Picture I am sharing with you...

I spent some time last week with a sweet mentor learning the ins and outs of canning from a seasoned expert. I have officially caught the bug and can't wait for next year to can everything in sight!

Have a great week . . . and pray you find some bliss this week . . . maybe it's a bath with wine, maybe it's sitting in the middle of an empty laundry room, maybe it's savoring a cup of coffee . . . whatever it is, revel in it . . . God is good.

A Star is Born

Haley started soccer this week - her first ever organized sports team. She couldn't have been more excited and in fact, wore her practice outfit to school just so she could tell all her friends she was in soccer!! (It was hard to enforce the fact that you are not allowed to wear cleats to school!!) We are not the kind of parents that think our children are the most amazing perfect people in the world (although I think they're pretty close . . . hee hee hee) but who knows? Maybe a new star was born today. (Can we hope for the beginning of a scholarship?) She loved every second and can't wait to go back.

And of course the cheering section was pretty darn adorable . . .

We're lucky enough to be on the team with our favorite family in the world. We all can't wait for the next practice. And Haley is already planning her moves for the first game. Go Haley Go!!