"Thank you"

Something really beautiful has started happening lately. I remember a while back, I read a facebook post from a friend about how her daughter asked for something with a "please" and then responded with a "Thank you, Mommy" after her need was met. I remember thinking that this little girl was so young to be saying things like that already and that this woman must be a really great mom (which, of course, she is).

Then, when a year passed, and then 18 months passed, my boys still weren't saying much at all. I've always known that boys' speech development tends to be more delayed than girls', but then I read that twins' speech development is also delayed because they have a language of their own with each other. I could see this in my boys for sure, so I wasn't really worried about their speech development too much. I was, however, concerned that they were still grunting and whining when they wanted something instead of saying "please" and that they couldn't say "thank you" to someone after they gave them a drink or a bite of their food. So, a few months ago, I really started trying to get them to say "thank you" after I handed them their drink. After we got that down, I worked on getting them to say "please" before I filled their drinks for them. I was so happy when I got them to do all of those things, and it made me feel a little better... about MYSELF as a parent, which is kind of silly.

Recently, though, something has happened that I didn't teach them. They now say "thank you" every time I do ANYTHING for them. They say it after I put them in the swing and when I take them out of the swing (if they have asked to be taken out). They say it after I wash their hands. They say it when I hand them a toy. They say it when I hug them. They say it AFTER EVERY DIAPER CHANGE. That's probably my favorite one. I absolutely love changing diapers now because I get to hear a cute little "thank youuuuuuuu" afterwards. Did I teach them to say thank you for every little thing? No. I think God knew I needed to hear it a little more often. It's not because I'm a good mom. It's because He's a good God, and He loves me a lot. Oh, and it's also because my kids are awesome.

A little pregnancy craziness for you...

A couple of weeks or so ago, I was under this cloud of morning sickness(all-day sickness, actually), exhaustion, and general moodiness. One night I burst out crying at the dinner table. This is actually a funny story now, so I'll go ahead and tell it. Joshua was starting to get stressed about whether or not he would be placed in a good school. Now, Joshua is not a worrier. When he does worry, it means the situation is BAD, and with me being sick and tired and moody, it made me stressed. He had Pandora playing while we were eating, and "our" song came on.

QUICK (or not so quick) BACK-STORY:

It's pretty cheesy, but before Joshua and I really started dating... you know, that period of time (which didn't last long for us) where you don't tell the person you like them, but you do everything possible to make yourself seem like the most perfect person on Earth so that they will fall head over heels in love with you and you will live happily ever after? Yeah, during that time... Joshua came over to my apartment and we were hanging out with the rest of our "group," and he sang a few worship songs and then played a couple of love songs. This was the first love song he sang, and my guy friend at the time informed me through Facebook messages that the song was totally intended for me. Sigh. It was sweet and cheesy and pretty much sickening for everyone around us, but I just dearly love the song because of it.

END BACK-STORY

So, the song starts playing and Joshua looks at me and suddenly a peace comes over his face. "Oh, it's the song. You know, everything is gonna be okay." My head hit the table and I started crying. I mean, heaving sobs. The boys looked confused. Joshua ran to get me tissues and tried to console me, but I think I sobbed for a good five minutes straight, but it felt more like ten.

So, I tell you this story so you can get a picture of my craziness during my first trimester. Also, because of the sickness and exhaustion, Joshua did most of the cooking and cleaning... because he's amazing that way.

For the last couple of weeks, though, I've been back to the whole mom and wife thing. I even made cookies after dinner tonight! (I know, supermom material here.) It's nice knowing that I can do my "job" again. :) I'm just so happy to be feeling better. God is good.

Contentment

It seems that I'm learning the same lesson over and over again lately. Then again, it's one of those lessons you only learn after being beaten over the head with it a few times, because life can be scary. Being married is a big responsibility, but being a parent makes those responsibilities seem more real. These responsibilities make us worry. In the last few months, we've worried about Joshua being placed at a decent school, paying bills, whether or not I could be on his insurance plan through his employer because of the pregnancy (don't worry-- that worked out:)), and even getting groceries or gas at times. It's funny how no matter how many times God answers our prayers with a much better situation than we even thought to ask for, my first reaction to any sort of adversity is worry.

I'm happy to report that these moments of panic are slowly but surely becoming moments rather than days or months. Sure, my first reaction is an increased heart rate and a feeling of utter dread, but it is now quickly followed by a reminder that He has never let us go without. I don't lie awake at night worrying. I can't say that this is something I have worked hard to achieve. Like I said, it's simply a result of month after month of seeing God do amazing things for our family. It's kind of getting hard to NOT trust Him. Am I really starting to feel thankful for the hard times? Wow, I think I am.

These verses have been running through my head for a month or so now:

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret to being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:12-13

Contentment. That is the lesson He is teaching me.

Catch up with the Marshes...

So, every once in a while you may see a post from me on Facebook that confuses you.

"Wait, they are living where?" "Wait, they have how many kids?"

Yeah, it's been a crazy couple of years. Let me explain:

Most of you probably know that when Joshua and I got married, I moved up to Norfolk, VA where he was working on his doctorate in chemistry at ODU. Almost two years later, the twins were born. They weren't exactly expected, so our 5-10 year plan changed a bit. Joshua decided to take a masters instead of the doctorate so that we could start living above a typical graduate student level income.

Joshua got a temporary job in Tennessee with one of his undergraduate professors. She was wonderful and offered him a job immediately, but he was only an adjunct faculty member and was looking for a more permanent solution. This same wonderful professor passed along an opportunity she ran across for him.

This opportunity took us from Johnson City, TN to Louisville, KY. For the last year, Joshua has been student teaching through a program called GSKYTeach (Graduate Southern Kentucky Teach). This program is through Western Kentucky University. Basically, he was a graduate student again! This time, it took him one year to earn a master's degree in education. The deal with this program is that they pay you to student teach and take classes for a year, and when you are finished, you are asked to teach in Jefferson County Public Schools for at least 3 years. He is now certified to teach science at the high school level. What was nice about this program is that he is guaranteed a job for the next three years. He got a contract with JCPS this summer, so he knew he would have a job either way, but he still hadn't been placed into a school.

It's been a frustrating summer watching all of his other friends from the program getting jobs. I know how hard he worked this year, and I've witnessed what a great teacher he is. He rarely came home before the kids went to bed during the week. He poured hours into lesson plans and grading. It was hard to see him work so hard and then not even get a call until late in the summer. His interviews would seem to go well, but he still wasn't getting any call-backs. I knew that God's timing was perfect and that He had a school picked out just for Joshua, but it was still pretty stressful.

Turns out, on the day school actually started, Joshua was offered a job at Ballard High School, which is actually a very high-performing school in the district. I'm excited for him to be there. The administration seems to appreciate the faculty and the students and parents have said NOTHING negative on all the reviews I have found online. I also like the area, so when we do decide to buy a house, I know we'll be able to find something nice nearby.

I know Joshua is frustrated now because he has to jump right into school without being able to set up him classroom and I know lesson planning will make him crazy. He'll catch up, though, and I know he is thankful to be at a great school, no matter how long it took to get there. God is good all the time!

Oh, and the kids thing... we're workin' on a 3rd now in case you missed that. I know, I'm going to have 3 kids under 2.5 years old. I know, I'm crazy. Again, He's got it under control.

We started our day off very much like yesterday, cuddling and playing with our little Marshwiggles.




























After the boys napped, we got them in their swimming trunks and headed to the pool for a cookout at our friend's apartment complex. Usually, Canaan loves the pool and Micah kind of whines while clinging to me the majority of the time. This time, though, they both enjoyed it. They have their own sunglasses, but they would rather wear mine.

An insignificant but long overdue blog post.

I was told by a friend today that I needed to post more, and it gave me the itch to write. I suppose the problem I have with posting frequently is that most of my days are the same. They are all significant to me, of course. There is usually a new word that one of the boys will pick up or something funny they will do that they have never done before. There are adventures to new parks and exploring a city that I still feel very little connection with even after living here for almost a year now. All of this seems very significant to me, but it's hard to take those events and turn them into something worth reading for someone who isn't head over heals in love with my boys like I am. Then again, who isn't head over heals in love with Micah and Canaan? :)

However, my dear friend Michelle told me that I could "write about whatever and it would be good." She is very sweet.

So, I'll go ahead and tell you about our day.

We started off pretty lazy, lying around the house with the boys. I made a doctor's appointment for Micah because he was getting a rash much like his brother who has strep throat. We took Canaan to an immediate care center near our home over the weekend because of a high fever and a rash and general fussiness. I had no idea that strep throat can cause a rash, but apparently it can. I figured that after a low fever and a similar rash, Micah also had strep throat, so I took him to the doctor this afternoon. His strep test came back negative, thankfully, but the doctor thought his rash looked like impetigo. I felt stupid for not knowing what it was while I was in the doctors office and pretended to know. As soon as I got in the car, I looked it up on my phone. It sounds a lot grosser than what Micah appears to have, but I was just told to put Neosporin on his rash and he gave him a prescription for an antibiotic in case it gets infected or he does end up getting strep from his brother. I think my doctor is a little antibiotic happy, but I guess if he thought it was necessary, I should give it to him. I'm not one of those people who thinks they are smarter than the doctor who went to school for a billion years.

After dropping off his prescription, we met Joshua and Canaan at a frozen yogurt bar. This was their second time eating frozen yogurt, and they were just as pleased as the first time. When we pulled into the parking lot, Micah saw Joshua's car and said, "Daddy!" I didn't realize he actually recognized his car until this afternoon.

After yogurt, we went to an indoor playground because Joshua and I weren't willing to brave the heat at the park today. That turned out to be a disaster. It's a cool place with bouncy houses and all kinds of little things to climb on and slide down and even a ball pit. I haven't seen a ball pit in FOREVER. The problems started when Canaan found a car to ride around in and then decided that it was HIS. Even after he moved on from it, if he saw another child playing in it, he automatically wanted it back. This brought on a LOT of tears. Micah tried to get in and Canaan bit his arm... hard. As in, he has bruises shaped like tiny little teeth on his arm now. Micah also fell down and reopened a scab on his nose and that looked lovely. Both babies left screaming and crying. It's one of those moments when you pass the other moms and try to not make eye contact because you don't want to see either the pity or the judgment. You just hold their hands, and walk steadily but quickly to the car while they whine and scream and pretend that you are the most patient person in the world and that their screaming isn't even phasing you. Thankfully, this doesn't happen much. It was getting a little late in the day for them to be out and the whole place was just a bit overwhelming for them, I think.

They cheered up quite a bit when we got them home and gave them some dinner and got them ready for bed. They both went quite willingly. I love them so much, and I love spending time with them, but one of the best moments in the day is when they lie down in their beds, hug their stuffed animals and reach for you to put their blankets over them and they say, "Nigh, nigh!" Makes my heart melt every. time.