Marshall turned three! Can you believe it?!

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Marshall! Happy Birthday to you!

I am sure that every mother feels her child is special. Every mother should. I want you to know, I know that Marshall is special. As far back as I can remember I have always wanted to be a wife and mother. I wanted to marry a wonderful man who I loved like crazy. I wanted to spend my life making big healthy babies and raising them in a home filled with love and security. The day I found out I was pregnant was on December 5, 2005 in Laie, HI -on my twenty-third birthday! I felt sick...not like you think. I had an agonizing sore throat and my eyes were disgustingly pink and gooey - yes, gooey. I woke up that morning and as a birthday present to myself I skipped class, called in sick to work and made myself an appointment at BYU-Hawaii's Health Clinic to see a doctor. At the doctor's office I was asked when the date of my last period was...calculating the math I realized I was about a week late for my period. They administered three test to me. All three came back positive. I had pink eye, strep throat and I was pregnant. A birthday that should have been tainted with misery and illness became the greatest day in my entire life! I received the best present that day. I got exactly what I wanted - to be a mother. I came home that afternoon on such a natural high. I paced around our studio apartment waiting for the second Mitch would walk through the door. I couldn't wait to share the news. When the moment finally arrived I handed him a white paper bag; in it were my prescriptions. As he took them out I said this one is for my ugly pink eye, this is for my sore throat, and without explanation he examined the bottle of prenatal pills. He read the label and said,"What are these for?" I told him I was pregnant! His reaction made the moment that much more special. His eyes lit up and a smile spread across his face! His energy encompassed the entire room. We then hugged each other and life finally felt like it started.
Now, to explain where we were exactly when our life began. We were poor, busy students, still trying to figure out what we wanted for our future. Mitch and I were both juniors in college getting ready to finish our last year at BYU-Hawaii. Mitch and I both had to pay for our own education. We worked our way through school, received pell grants and took out students loans to cover all of our bases. It was incredibly tough for us. At times it was frightening to not know if we had enough to cover all of our living expenses for the school year. We worked hard in school too. I think we were like most students. Most every student hopes that the burden of time and the obligations of financial debt they are pouring into their education will easily provide them with the keys to open all the doors of opportunities for their future. At moments you believe enough in yourself to commit to another semester and another student loan. All in hopes that it was eventually - somewhere down the road brighten your future. Realistically for us, this unplanned pregnancy added an additional stress. Even though we were so excited to welcome this baby into our family. The thought of inviting him into our still undecided future was daunting. I don't know why am telling you this in so much detail. l think I am saying all this because this is why I know that Marshall is special. Throughout my pregnancy, in quiet moments I would feel this overwhelming assurance speak to me. I can't describe it. It would bring tears to my eyes and a warmth that spread throughout my entire body. I was assured over and over again that this pregnancy happened exactly when it was suppose to happen and that the baby I was carrying was indeed special.
To this day I still feel the assurance that all things happen for a reason and that Marshall is so special. I believe he could change the world!
Marshall surprises me on a daily basis. I can't believe that he turned three! We celebrated his birthday by going bowling at Fort Belvoir with Nana & Pap Hepner, Gram and Pap, Aunt Trisha and Jenna. We then came back home to our apartment for pizza, cupcake & ice cream, games and presents! It was such a fun day! We love Marshall - He is the Life of our party!

Sometimes I Surprise Myself...

Sometimes I surprise myself. The best experiences in my life were the experiences I never planned for. These experiences made my heart jump, my mind twirl and gave my face a perma grin! Once in a while they were the experiences I fought hard to avoid. The ultimate experiences usually have been the - spur of the moment, sure- why not, let's make a memory, hope we don't die, you can't get arrested for this plans. Yesterday I made a, "I think I can...hope I don't pass out....I'm pretty sure I can't die from this" plan. I ran in my very first 5k run! Now, to some of you this is probably not a big deal. For a chubby chick like myself this was big deal. A friend of mine called this past Monday and invited me to run with her Tuesday evening in a 5k run at Bluemont Park in Arlington, VA. Hesitantly, I said I would. I know myself well enough to know that I like trying new things and I am all for challenging myself. Challenges make you a stronger, more useful person...if you live through them.

(Here is our BEFORE picture, L to R Melanie, Cheata, and Anna.)

Can see the look of fear in my eyes? Despite my anxiety of public humiliation, I really was looking forward to trying something I never thought I would ever seriously consider. Sometimes I need to do things that make me feel like I can believe in myself. Sometimes I need to surprise myself. It's fun to say, "Ta dah!"

Ta dah!!! I did it! I ran in at 35 minutes 15 seconds. Ten minutes faster then I thought I would. As you can see from our AFTER picture, I'm red in the face, and sweating like a very obese man. It was a challenge! After the first 10 minutes I thought to myself, "This is not fun, runners are crazy! I'll check this off my bucket list and never do it again." However, when I saw the half way mark I was cheering so loudly for myself that I almost wanted to shed tears out of excitement. The same way I do whenever I watch the, "Move That bus!" moment on Extreme Home Makeover. I couldn't believe myself. I was actually doing it, and I wasn't left in puff of smoke from the other runners like I had previously envisioned. Yes, I walked a couple of times until I got my second wind, then my third and fourth wind.

(Here's a shot of our shoes with our microchip tags. )

Let me tell you, running over that finish line was awesome! I love it when I surprise myself. Runners aren't crazy. Finishing something that you started is the greatest feeling. I know why they do it. It simply feels amazing.

June & July....

Before I divulge the details of June AND July, allow me to first broadcast my love for Virginia. This move was probably the most traumatic - if you will allow me to dramatize to all extents possible, move that the little Emerick family has ever had to make. Yet, I couldn't be any happier. I love our three bedroom apartment with air conditioning - Holla! I love living close to Washington D.C and enjoying all that it offers. I love the lightening bugs that appear at dusk and magically light the trees, bushes, and grass like twinkling Christmas lights. I love the amazing friends that we've met in our new ward. I love that we live in a city where the traffic is unpredictably annoying and yet we can pull off the street and find ourselves secluded in a wilderness park and see deer, eagles, and other naturistic creatures frolicking in their own natural habitats. I love the summer lightening storms who bring rain showers that cool the night and extend an open invitation to snuggle close to the loved ones near. It's amazing. I love, love, love, love it!

With that said.

Here are some pictures of what we have been up to for June and July:

1.) Washington D.C.

Trisha (my sister-in-law) came down from Pennsylvania to visit us for the weekend. We rode the metro into D.C. and checked out some of the sites there. My favorite monument was the WWII memorial. The memorial makes a circle and has a pillar representing each state and country that fought on our side during the war. There are also plaques with inspirational freedom quotes. In the center is a large fountain pond that everyone sits around and wades their feet. It's a really cool and beautiful memorial. There is a large plaque that reads: Here we mark the price of freedom. Behind the plaque are hundreds of golden stars represented. It's neat. We also visited the Lincoln Memorial which is just breathtaking. Then we stopped by the Obama's house.

2.) We went took a weekend and drove to Palmyra New York to visit some historical sites. Mitch's old mission president, Brother Kinghorn is currently serving a mission with his wife at the historical sites there. They were kind enough to take us out to lunch. It was fun listening to them reminisce about the mission.

We walked through the Sacred Grove.

We toured the house where Joseph Smith lived with his family. As we were leaving the house Marshall asks me, "Where's Joseph?" We'd talked up these sites the whole week prior that we forgot mention that Joseph wasn't living anymore.

And then of course we saw the Hill Cumorah Pageant. This man was all the way from Springville Utah. He played the part of a Wise Man that came to visit the Savior after his birth.

3.) Canoeing and hiking then more canoeing and hiking. On our anniversary Mitch and I found this great little marina that we now love going to every chance we get. It's so magical. It makes me smile just thinking about it. Marshall keeps his eyes peeled for the wild life. We always see cranes, geese and turtles.

It's no wonder they say, "Virginia is for Lovers!" You can't but fall in love with Virginia!

Five years and counting! Wahoo!

I've been thinking about this...I have been trying to figure out the math for the past week. If I am still 21 years old, last week I just had Marshall, and Mitch and I got married a month ago...for the life of me I can't figure out how my driver's license says that I should actually be 26, and Marshall is turning three this August and Mitch and I have been married for FIVE YEARS!
It is so cliche to say, but it seems like only yesterday Mitch and I got married. Time seems to have sped up. It's passing so quickly that I can't wrap my mind around it. The past five years of our lives together have been the most incredible adventure of my life. If my present self was somehow transported to my past self and could speak with her what would I say? What truth could I say without scaring myself out of marriage? How could I tell myself that through the up and downs I would somehow find the greatest joy I never knew was possible? What would my past self thought of my present self? If by magic I met my past self I would find her tan, blond and 30 (okay maybe 40) pounds lighter roaming the campus of BYU-Idaho. I'd take her in a loving embrace. I'd sit her down on a bench in the privacy of a tall tree. Looking into her hopeful eyes, clearly remembering the love and excitement I felt the first few months I had met Mitch. Knowing very well that it hadn't take me long to fall in love with Mitch and want to start a life with him. I think, I think I would, I'd tell her this:
Love Mitch without fear. You will cry tears of joy, sadness, pure love and even anguish. There will be laughter caused by real happiness, mischief, adoring love, and awkward embarrassment. You will feel the triumph of success and the shame of failure. You will do everything you say, "I will never do..." the sooner you get over it, the better off you will be. You have found a friend that will walk hand in hand with you and even pull you to the edge. He'll carry you places you never imagined you'd go, and you'll find yourself places you didn't want to be, and you'll be surprised that you love him more for it. By your love you'll create a life and share the encompassing challenge that parenthood brings. He will find you in your darkest corner and stand firm beside you until you'll gather the strength to stand again. You will love motherhood. Not at first, it will take you time to adjust. You will find yourself at random times during the day looking into the eyes of your child and truly believing that your purpose on earth was to bring that life into this world. You will a develop a deep resounding gratitude for Mitch as you determine the best way to raise your family together. You'll acquaint yourself with despair, pride, and envy. You won't call them friend. You will find yourself comfortably in the companionship of love, joy, and persistence. You will believe that you share a mutual dependence for each other. You'll learn the long and hard way that all things have a way of working themselves out. I won't bother telling her to not worry because, I know it's what you do best. You'll dance a dance of victory. You will find your present self much like your past self. Looking forward to a bright future with the ones you love, planning only for the best that life has to offer, and unequivocally in love with Mitch.
Before I leave my past self, I'd hug her once more and warn her about your obvious affair with fast food, and try to convince her that you'll eventually like being a brunette.
Cheers to five years! May there be many many many more adventures and experiences so we can learn to love each other more than I presently know possible!

Let's go O's!

Friday we were walking around the brick laden paths at the Washington D.C. Zoo. On Saturday we doing the wave in the Baltimore Baseball Stadium for the Baltimore Orioles! (It still seems so peculiar to me, to be so close, to so many large and amazing cities. It's a trip - like a day trip.) Anyways...
We met up with the Emericks in Baltimore and had a great time watching the Orioles and the Atlanta Braves play. It was my first professional sporting event! I loved it! The atmosphere is energizing. The food, the music, the vendors, the crowd, the cheers are all exhilarating! I got goosebumps during The Star Spangled Banner. Marshall loves attending baseball games, probably for the same reasons I do! You can't help but love the atmosphere! He's been singing, "Take me out to the ball game..." for a couple of weeks now. He can sing the entire song by himself! He was thrilled out of his mind to attend!





Thanks Grammie and Pap Emerick. You're the best! We had a blast!

Washington D.C. Zoo!

In the center of a metropolitan city lies a majestic destination. Combining the graceful fragility of Asian foliage with the paunchiness of a Panda sitting along an Asian trail and the incongruous stripes of an African Zebra, with the colossal strength of a Gorilla. What possible place could I be speaking of? I'll tell you. The Washington D.C. Zoo! Okay, okay... so you were probably thinking that I was going to say something a little more cooler then the ZOO, right? Well, let me explain to you what an amazing adventure it is to go with a two year old! (Brace yourselves - this may only be exciting to me.)
In preperation for our adventure Marshall, Mitch and I visited the Zoo's website to look at all the pictures of the animals, a couple of times actually, really we did...I've conveniently posted the Washington D.C. Zoo's website right here: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/default.cfm

When we approached the animals pins it was exciting to see Marshall's reaction. Marshall, and even I, were in aboslute awe at animals. Seeing their actual size, life and personality was incredible. The WashingtonD.C. Zoo has some of the most beautiful lions, elephants, hippos, aligators, cheetahs, wolves, orangutans, and a anaconda that completely unhinges my fear of dark water! The panadas were amusing to watch. Two of them were plopped down on their rears, reclined back against a large rock with their huge tubby bellies sticking out completely enjoying the shade of a tree. (They reminded me a lot of a couple of fat hairy guys that I've seen. None of which I know personally.)
Marshall's favorite animal was the aligator in the reptile house. This aligator, like most reptiles freaked me out.
My favorite animal was Mama gorilla with her baby. The picture that I took of them isn't the greatest; first of all I don't have a great camra and secondly, mama gorilla was kind of hidding with her baby behind some brush. It was absolutely adorable to watch her with this little cute baby clinging to her. I loved them!
No! This is not the gorilla picture that I was talking about. Andy - I know what you were thinking! That's rude! This was supose to be a picture of Marshall and I with the cheetah, but would you believe it - he kept moving out of the shot. It really is true that they are fast creatures
Mitch could not pick a favorite animal. He enjoyed watching this elephant drink from a little spiket. The elephants are really huge and entertaining to watch. It was a great adventure and exceeded our expectations!

Hello, is English there?

Funny story. So I have FINALLY moved into our new place in Virginia. Yes, I love it, thank you for asking as I am sure you would if we were talking instead of blogging. Earlier this week I was going through the mundane, time consuming, wishing I had internet access earlier, "I hate automated phone responses," task of calling all of my "change address list" list to, you know, change our address. Well, my sweet little two year was patiently coloring all over my "change address list" list while I was making my important phone calls. Unbeknowst to me, he was listening in on all of my conversations! Dun dun dun...(I think this adds suspense.)

The seventh company that was on my list was Tmoblie. The first automated question this company asks you is, "If you would like to continue in English say,"English." If you would like to continue in Spanish say, "Spanish." I loudly and clearly enounicated, "English." THEN I was put on hold. I waited a few minutes on hold (it's not my favorite thing to do when I have other phone calls to make) and then let out a low annoyed sigh. Marshall set his pen down on his glorious scribbled piece of artwork and looked at me. He said,"What, is English not home?"

I love being a mom, I must laugh at least a hundred times a day!