SURPRISE!!!

My mom has been planning to have a family reunion in Aug for months. We had told her that we couldn't come b/c of financial concerns, so although she was sad, she wasn't expecting us to come. A few weeks before the big event, however, my Dad offered to pay for us to come out as a surprise to her and a birthday gift to Cory and I. So, we got it all planned and flew out to surprise my mom. You have to understand, my mother is about the toughest person on the planet to surprise. Seriously! Her only possible rival is our sister Kristy and Cory still thinks my mom is tougher. So, we just kept thinking there would be no way to pull it off. My Dad faked having to work and came to get us at the airport. She called while we were driving up to her place and we told her we were on our way to see Cory's parents. About a hour later, we arrived. My Dad we inside and tried to act normal while we took the boys out of the car, but left them in their carseats and put them on the front porch. Then we rang the bell and ran. She opened the door, stood there shocked for about 2 seconds and then started yelling: "WHAT IN THE HECK!!?! WHAT IN THE HECK!?!?" It was awesome!

So, we were able to attend the family reunion and had a great week with my family. It was actually the first time we have all been together for more than an evening in many years, so it was really nice. We were even able to get a family picture taken. (I'll post some when I get them, but for those of you who are interested, go to pacephoto.com/dalton to see them) Some highlights below:

Noah was suddenly SUPER mommy attached. He wouldn't even sit in the pool with his cousin, Kayla! Although, he did eventually let my Grandma hold him for quite a while. Cory and I even got to go down the water slide! Thanks Grandma, you're a miracle worker!

Micah, on the other hand, was Mr. Friendly. He was having a great time.


Devin decided Kayla needed some company after Noah left, so he jumped right in.

We played on a water slide. It was quite a hit! We even got my parents to take a trip down it.

We played volleyball...actually, it was "beach" volleyball....

Part II

We had a campout...


We played with Great-Grandma...Isn't this an AWESOME playroom?


We played with Legos...well the boys and Grumpa played with legos....yes, folks, he is a Rocket Scientist.


We played with Grumpa and Grandma. They were SO fun!


And we played game until all hours of the night (okay...like 11:00, MAYBE midnight a few nights, but that felt pretty late to those of us who go to be at 9:00-10:00)

PART III

The boys both got sick while we were there. In fact, Micah had his first trip to the ER! He woke up one evening screaming at the top of his lungs. NOTHING would pacify him. That has NEVER happened before. I can always at least somewhat calm him. So after about 20-25 min, I called 911, the ambulance came and the recommended getting him to the ER. So, they drove him in, but by the time we got there (it is about 20 min from my parent's house), he has stopped crying. The Dr. said he couldn't diagnose something that wasn't still bothering him, so we left with a discharge paper that said diagnosis: crying. Yeah, rather humiliating, but I'd rather be humiliated than regret not taking him.

Then, a few days later, he came down with a 103-104 temp and wouldn't sleep/play. Cory stayed up with him all night (he was supposed to come switch with me at 3:00am, but didn't...I know he is GREAT!), and he would just lay in his arms and whimper. It was SO sad! Two days later, Noah had the same thing. This time, I stayed up with him. The only positive was how cuddly they were! It was nice to just cuddle up with them, but SO sad to see them suffer. Cory got the same thing a few days later, as did my parents. Sorry mom and dad!

We played a game while we were there that was a lot of fun. It was similar to Scum for those of you that have played that. Devin was feeling pretty on top of the world as the "King," until a few rounds later, Melissa de-throned him and took over.

Overall, a GREAT trip! Thanks for making it possible, mom and dad! We love you!

PROTECT MARRIAGE!

Cory attended a fireside here in our Stake recently about Proposition 8 here in California. For those of you unfamiliar with what is going on, California voters passed a proposition in 2000 by 61% to define marriage as between a man and a woman. However, this statue did not amend the constitution, so earlier this year, four judges overturned that vote by saying it was unconstitutional. So, we are now fighting to pass an amendment to the constitution. The text of that entire amendment is as follows: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid and recognized in California." It is the same text that passed by 61% in 2000.

Although I have always felt this issue to be very important, I have felt an enormous weight since Cory came home from that fireside. Maybe weight is the wrong word, but I have felt very strongly that it is urgent and imperative that we fight with all we have to get this passed.

The 1st Presidency has had a letter read in every ward in California that asks members to get as involved/donate as much as they possibly can. Since they speak for the Lord, this means that this is something God wants/expects us to do.

Some of the consequences of it not passing (that they talked about at the fireside) that frighten me the most were:
(1). Our children would be taught in schools that same sex marriage is the same as traditional marriage. They would not be able to opt out of this like sex education.
(2). Those who refuse to marry same sex couples could have their licenses to marry anyone taken away by the state. This could include bishops and temple sealers.
(3). This not being passed in California is HUGE. Eventually, other states would follow suit. Not living in California will not make you immune to these consequences.

So, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do anything you can to support this proposition. EVEN IF YOU DO NOT LIVE IN CALIFORNIA, You can go to protectmarriage.com and sign your name as a supporter, sign up to volunteer, or donate. If you do live in California and are LDS, you can also do much of this through your local ward/stake.

Last, please ponder this language from the Proclamation to the Family and see if it doesn't give you the same motivation it gave me to get involved:

"We warn that individuals who...fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets."

I personally believe that as just one individual mother in this nation, it is my responsibility to do all I can to protect the family and marriage as defined by our Father in Heaven. I want to do this not only for myself, but for my children.

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now, but thanks for listening!

B & K Marsh Family Visit

So, I didn't get quite as many posts done yesterday as I would have liked...but hey, three in one day isn't too bad, right? So, I am still playing catch up.

Cory's brother, Brandon and his wife, Kristy came to visit a little over a month ago with their three kids. I was going to post one of our fun activities each day after they left...I think I got to about day 2. Sorry. But we had a WONDERFUL time. It was so great to see them. We used to hang out weekly or more when we lived in Utah, so they have been sorely missed. We did lots of fun stuff: Seaworld, the zoo, games, swimming, late night talks, and more. The pictures don't really do it justice, but it was great.

We are home!

WARNING: THIS IS ANOTHER LONG ONE!

But hey, it's been 3 weeks, can you blame me?

Wow. We had a GREAT trip these last few weeks! The boys first airplane trip was fairly uneventful. We actually each ended up on our own empty row and were able to take the car seats. Noah could not stop looking at the little fan above the seat. He was fascinated by it. Micah just loved staring out the window.



We went straight from the airport to Cory's Brother's house in Lehi. They have two beautiful little girls (Abby, 5 & Megan, 3) and a boy, Spencer who is a few months older than the twins. It was very good of them to let all 4 of us crash their house. Cory's mom was actually there at the same time so it was a fun full house. We adore their kids and it was really great to see them.




The girls were so much fun with all three babies and it was fun to see Spencer and the twins interact.
Spencer actually celebrated his 1st birthday while we were there. He LOVED his first taste of sugar (his cake) and he and the twins loved the ball he got for his birthday. Spencer learned to say "uh-oh" while we were there, which I think is one of the cutest things a baby can say, so that was fun!



We took a trip to the park. The boys went down the slides on our laps and enjoyed just being outside. Micah had his first tough fall...he was sitting on the bottom of a slide playing with some keys. I looked away to play with Noah who was in Cory's arms and Micah face planted into the wood chips (maybe about 1 1/2 feet down). He was pretty shook up, but just fine.



Cory got to go golfing with a good friend on Friday and his brother on Saturday. He hadn't been golfing in about 1 year, so that was nice for him.
We also got to have lunch with Brady and Nicki (our good friends that had twins 3 mo after us). They are wonderful friends. Meeting up with them (especially in public) is always entertaining. Somehow, Brady and I ended up at the table with all four babies and someone leaned over and asked, "Are all four of those really yours?" Well, technically, yes, but not together....
We didn't get any pictures with them this trip, but here is one of their beautiful babies, Ella and Talmage:



We spent some time playing in the backyard and the boys got the play on the swing set. Noah loved it. Micah, well...you can probably tell from the picture that he wasn't so sure.



Same thing with the grass. The seesaw was a little better.



We played games both nights after the kids went to bed. Brandon and Kristy are our favorite people to play games with...we just have such a great time. We also ate REALLY good food. Kristy is a good cook and she made some amazing stuff while we were there.

We then went on up to my parent's place near Logan. It was so nice to see them. They hadn't seen the boys since Christmas, so we had lots of fun tricks to show them. My Dad took the whole week off work. We went to the park again. Micah did a little better on the swing this time, and they got to play with Aunt Christa, Grandma and "Grumpa."



My parents watched the boys one night so Cory and I could go on a date. It was great. We rode bikes along the Logan river. It was nice to be out and active and baby free for a few hours!



All my Dad's sibling's came into town for a few days. He has two sister's and two brothers. He is especially close to his brothers. They haven't been together in years, so it was quite the event. They all surprised my their mom (my Grandma). She was thrilled. I wished I'd caught her face on camera, but unfortunately, I missed it. Anyway, we had a full house for a few days. Without even being asked, Cory and my Dad spent hours helping my mom get the house clean/ready. I have such a great husband!



We played Starfarers a bunch, snacked a ton (there is always tons of food at my parents house), caught a few movies in the theater room, help Devin and Melissa clean/move into their new place, helped Devin with some Honeymoon planning, went to lunch with family, watched video of my sister's trip to Ecuador, made some mother's/father's day gifts and ate more good food (my mom is also a great cook and always plans wonderful meals when we come home).

And some wedding day photos:



My brother is truly one of the most amazing people I know. He is one of my heroes and deserves the best. I knew it would be tough for him to find someone worthy of him, but he did it! Isn't she beautiful? The best part is that it isn't just skin deep. She is incredibly selfless and gracious. We are so lucky to have her as a part of our family. The entire wedding day was beautiful. The weather in Logan was touch and go all week, but beautiful the day of the wedding. The wedding Breakfast was really nice...great food again. Lots of people with lots of great things to say about the couple. The sealing was....well...perfect....touching...awesome. The reception was fun...especially with Devin and Melissa...they are both such fun people. The boys did awesome. Actually, they did awesome the entire trip. Their whole schedule got really messed up so many times, but they were pretty happy and easygoing. Much easier than our Christmas trip. Thanks Micah and Noah!

Mother's Day was great! I didn't make any meals or clean anything. My Dad and Cory took care of it all. Cory gave me a card telling me that I needed to buy a nice dress and plan on a nice date soon. Also, Noah said "Mama!!" He is really into imitating lately. So, Cory decided to see if he could get him to imitate him saying "Mama." He did it. I'm still not sure he knows what he is saying, but he says it all the time now. But how fun that he said it on Mother's Day!

So, we flew home to San Diego on Monday the 12th, spent 3 hours at home (to repack and let the boys nap) and then left again for Thousand Oaks. While there, we went shopping and got me an awesome dress at Ross. And then Wed morning Cory told me I had to be ready by 4:00 and that I needed to look nice and pretty. He said we would be gone until at least midnight and that the boys were spending the night with his mom (thanks Lori!). Crazy! I had no idea what to expect. I asked if we were eating, he said "no." I asked if we were going to see "Wicked," he said "What's Wicked?" I asked how far away we were going and he said I had to stop asking questions. So we end up on Hollywood Blvd. and I see all these sign for "Wicked." I started squealing and asked if we were really going to see it....we were! It was AWESOME! We got our tickets for more than 1/2 off. It was just amazing! I loved it.



We were in Thousand Oaks until Thursday and then we drove to Pismo Beach for a mini family reunion with my family. We hung out at the beach, played games, read books, played catch, went swimming in the ocean (well Cory did), and ate more good food. The boys loved playing with their Aunts Christa and Melissa, walking on the beach with Grandma and Grumpa, getting crazy messy with their biter biscuits, playing on the pool table, and dancing with uncle Devin. We also got to visit the ward I grew up in and show Cory my old house/school etc. It was great fun.


We got home late Sunday night and spent all day yesterday stocking our kitchen, doing laundry, running the boys to a Dr appt, picking up their meds etc. The day after a vacation is always insanely busy!

So, that's it! We slept at four different places, visited tons of family and friend and loved it all. What a great trip!