Well I converted to the new Blogger Beta today! I have done some changes to the way it looks. I am still learning how to work it but it is so much easier for somethings since I don't know alot of HTML. I hope to learn it so that I can continue to change things on my blog the way I would like it to look.

Today is Marshall's first day being 3 years old. I have been inspired by Kim at In A Shoe to write 3 things you need to know about Marshall.

1. He is the only one in the family who has an official nickname. It is "Moose"! When he was two weeks old he gained 2 lbs and 2 inches. Our midwife said, "He's just a little moose." Well it stuck. We have been calling him "moose" ever since. Although he also is called "marshmellow" by some girls at church (and sometimes his brothers), also "Marshamal" or "Marshamal Moose" and I call him "Marshy" quite often. Because of this nickname he has many different sizes of moose stuffed animals and beanies.

2. He LOVES Thomas and Friends and I do mean LOVE Thomas! He can name all the different characters just by seeing a picture of them. He loves the movies, books, engines toys, everything. He has a shirt with Thomas and this is a chore to take away from him to wash. He would wear it all day every day if he could.

3. He is very strong! He can fall and hit his head and get up and run around like nothing happened while a huge bump forms on his head. He had to have stitches on his tongue after bitting it. He was more upset and screamed more about being held down to have the stitches put in than he was about the gash in his tongue.

Happy Birthday, Marshall! You are the best Marshall I have ever had! Love Ya, Moose!

Towards the end of July we had a get together to welcome and meet the newest cousin who had just turned 6 weeks old. This is a photo of all my husbands side of the family. One of his sisters, her husband and 3 boys, his brother and new son, my husbands parents and our family. There are 10 cousins in the picture. We are only missing his other sister who lives in Ohio and her husband and there 3 kids. As you can see the only girl is our little Katie. There is one other girl she is a year older than Steven and lives in Ohio. They had a fun day that day. Burgers, hot dogs, root beers, cupcakes and playing at the playground. Of course, we were visiting friends in the hill country earlier in the day so they got to wander around out in dirt and rocks. So much fun for a bunch of boys. Then getting to play with there cousins in sand and a playground and eat. The best of days. Afterwards they went to there Oma Vera's & Gramps (my husbands parents) for swimming in there pool and more eating. What a great day they had!

So since we are starting a new school year. I thought I would ask what everyone out there uses and why. We have been using Alpha Omega since we started my oldest in 1st grade. It seemed to be the best out there from what I looked at at the time. We taught reading from a different curriculum and I never understood where the spelling was suppose to come in with the Alpha Omega so I have gotten a different spelling curriculum. So I was wondering what other people were using?

Okay I was watching the news tonight to find out...Pluto is no longer a planet. I'm not sure what Pluto is supose to be but evidently according to the power in charge of such things a planet it is not. So what now? Does that mean all of my songs, videos, books, things to hang on the wall for teaching the planets, are all wrong! I just don't understand how you decide that a planet that has been a planet for soooo long is just no long a planet. I always liked Pluto. So anyone know what it is now?

My friend Kim at Life in a Shoe tagged me for the 5 things Meme. Thanks Kim this is my first one! So here it goes:

5 Things in my Freezer

1 quart Java Chip Ice Cream

1 pint Shakes vanilla custard

1 several pkgs. of frozen vegetables

2 lbs of chicken breasts

a frozen Turkey (needs to be cooked)


5 Things in my Closet

My collection of Gone with the Wind things (dolls, signs, books, playing cards, etc)

6 piggy banks one for each child (actually 5 piggy banks and 1 jelly jar for Katie
haven't been able to find another plastic pig)

3 out of 6 memory boxes (I have a memory box for each child with there baby books, birthday cards, baptismal outfit, favorite lovey as a baby, etc)

Boxes of framed pictures from when we moved in to this house. We can't put anything on the wall as everything falls out. So all my pictures I had on the walls at our previous house are still packed away for when we move into a different place. Oh I can't wait to be able to put pictures on the walls again.

My middle school & high school year books all 7 of them and my high school memory book.


5 Things in our Suburban

Nascar bag full of swimsuits for Sunday afternoon fellowship meals at the pastor's house or for when we end up at my mother-in-laws who will want the children to go swimming even if we hadn't planned on staying.

Carseats

Diaper Bags (hopefully)

fluorescent yellow reflective safety vests (hubby uses these at his job at U.P.S. so that he is visible to people and doesn't get run over my one of the trucks. This was started there after someone got run over by one of the trucks.

Baby Travel Swing (put in suburban when Katie was only a couple of months old and just haven't taken it out yet as that would require me to find someplace in the house to put it)

5 Things in my Purse

Cell phone

keys

calculator

Tin of mints for when I am running around and haven't eaten yet to ward off hunger

Wallet


5 Things in Katie's Diaper Bag (I have two)

Size 3 diapers

Pink bonnet for when we are out in the sun

Diaper Duck - holds plastic bags for used diapers (although I have also used for wet clothes)

Receiving blanket

Toys to entertain her when we are out someplace

5 People I Tag

Kaitlynn
Amy
Deanna
Lydia

Last Thursday night, when my husband came home from work the two oldest boys went outside because Steven had left his notebook in the suburban and wanted to get it. Well only a few seconds later and Brandon came running inside saying "mama mama there is a possum next to Steven and he can't get the door to the suburban open what are we going to do". Well I went to the hallway window and looked out the window at the same time there was a noise. Brandon said, "Did you hear that it's the Possum". I looked and said, "Brandon that's not a possum it's a baby kitten" Well at that time hubby and Steven were walking up the the kitten and Steven picked it up. Steven and Brandon then left the kitten outside (at our urging) and came in the house. Well why they started asking the Daddy to keep the kitten and telling him how they would take care of the kitten and do everything for it. At the same time the kitten had managed to finally climb up the steps of our deck and was sitting right outside the door meowing a very sorrowful kitty cry. Well there Daddy cracked and told them they could keep the kitty. They brought it in and she was quickly named Dutchess. Now this kitten could probably of benefited from a little more time with her mommy. Steven quickly filled those shoes. She was loved on and held almost none stop. Well after finally eating her food out of her dish instead of Steven having to place one piece in her mouth at a time. She seemed to be doing well...or so we thought. Early this morning I found her laying on the bed next to Brandon, she looked so peaceful and happy. I went to touch her to take her to the potty to see if she needed to go, but she was stiff. She had died. We only had her for about 4 days. So just as quickly as we had a cat we just as quickly had none. The older three boys understand and are upset, but Andrew and Marshall don't quite get it. Andrew just tells me "no she is alive" and Marshall says "no she's not died." While chosing the picture for this blog Marshall just kept saying how sweet and precious. HE has been picking her up for the last two days, hugging her and saying, "she is my best friend". It has been so wonderful to see the pure joy and excitement that all of my children (including Katie) have shown because of this kitten and a little heartbreaking to watch there eyes well up with tears. (Of course the boys will all deny crying). Even hubby whom talks alot about not wanting a pet, always loves the pet and pays so much attention to them probably as much as the boys, is missing this little bit of unexpected joy.