Our Clan of Celtic Offspring

Stonehenge and Bath

2011-09-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

Well, since we still don't have any real idea of when or where we are moving we decided to make the most of our weekend and go to yet another place on our checklist, Stonehenge and Bath. We seemed to spend more time in the car than we did site-seeing, but it was still an awesome day out.

We stopped in Stonehenge first and it was awesome. It really is awe-inspiring to see such massive stonework and to wonder how in the world they did it. And to see how it is all laid out, the math and science that went into the structure is mind-blowing. To imagine that with such rudimentary tools--compared to what we have today--they were able to build (and on such a large magnitude) a structure that is 1) a perfectly geometric: a perfect circle and a perfect rectangle, perfectly overlaid, and 2) perfectly aligned with the sunrise and sunset during the summer and winter solstice. It really is amazing. We are so grateful we had the time and the means to get to see it before our time here was truly up.

Setting out on the path that goes around Stonehenge. Got our maps and our audio tour guides already to go :) Won't lie, we were disappointed that we couldn't walk among the stones.

But still, it was awesome.

Brody, Emeryss, Daeglan, Mac

Some of my favorite shots from the day.

Brody, Mac, Jere-Miah, Geoff and Emeryss.

Daeglan is there too, but he didn't want to be in the picture, so he's hidden behind Geoff.

Jere-Miah and Brody snapped a ton of their own pictures with their DSi's.

Geoff, Mac and Emeryss.

Geoff had just run his hands thru Mac's hair and made it a little fro...

Mac, as you can see, is not too happy about it.

Emeryss is studiously listening to her audio guide.

Another of my favorite shots of the day.

It was really difficult to get any without people in them.

Emeryss and her new favorite thing: the audio tour guide.

The flat stone laying on the ground is referred to as the Slaughter Stone. In medieval times, people thought that it was cursed because it turns red when it gets wet. They deduced that it must have been a sacrificial alter and that the blood of the victims sacrificed there was what made it turn red. Actually, it is full of iron just like the standing stones you can see behind it. Those stones would also turn red when it rains if they were laid down like this one.

This is the heel stone and it points the way for travelers coming from a distance. It can be seen from across the field, where there is a hill top that visitors would come up over anciently.

The travelers could then follow the heel stone until they could see Stonehenge.

One last shot with no people... well, mostly. I think there is one or two,

but you have to search for them, they don't just stand out.

We had a few people tell us not to waste our time and money going to Stonehenge. Can you believe it? That people would say this mysterious and ancient wonder of the world is for the birds?

Well, I guess they do have a point here. There were birds everywhere! Apparently, the stones are covered in over 90 different varieties of lichen and the birds just love it. Here are a few shots I got of the birds that love Stonehenge as much as we do.

After departing from Stonehenge, we took another gorgeous drive a little further Northwest to Bath. The drive made me long for Wales. It was the same sort of hill and valley landscape that we love so well. The windy roads weren't as scary as in Wales though, we weren't as high up. But it was the same sort of breath-taking experience, coming around a bend and into a new and completely different world. We knew that Bath had a strong Roman history, but we weren't expecting what we found there. It's like driving into Italy. The entire layout of the town is totally Roman. Unfortunately, my camera died shortly after arriving in Bath, so I only got two pictures of our time there :( Guess I'll have to go back again sometime!

The Roman Bath Museum. One of the few natural hot springs in the UK, this was once a large spa/resort in Roman times with several baths, an exercise area and a temple for the Goddess of the Sacred Spring, Minerva. My kids love learning about the Romans, and they were very into this, though they were put out when they discovered they couldn't actually get in the water.

The view down the street from the balcony at the Roman Bath Museum. All of Bath looks like this. The archways and columns and that fabulous white stone carved with such intricate details. It's no wonder it's been a major tourist spot for the last two thousand years.

I'm so in the mood to read some Jane Austen now! We even got to see the Pump Room. The Pump Room that was the social hot spot for many years during Austen's time and plays such a role in a few of her novels.

We love the UK and feel very blessed to have had this opportunity to live here. Wish it would never end.

p.s. I'm really going to miss the green and gray of England. I think it's beautiful.

Snowdonia National Forest, Wales

2011-09-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

One of the places we were determined to go to before leaving the UK was Wales. And we finally made it there--thanks to some tips from our friends. We stayed in Snowdonia National Forest at a Royal Navy Charity cottage. The Royal military has a few such charities that we know of. They are cottages or old barracks that they now use for their military and their families to use for R&R. Fortunately for us, they are generous enough to let their allies use it too. This trip was also extra fun because we were able to go with our great friends, the Butikofer's.

Wales is literally breath-taking. On the drive, we came around a bend in the road and suddenly we were in mountains. I'm sort of embarrassed to admit, the beauty of it actually brought tears to my eyes. I'm not sure what it is, but, for Geoff and I both, something in this country speaks to us on a deep level. The drive was gorgeous, if a little alarming. Tiny roads with no shoulder is one thing when you are driving around daily in a flat farming community, but it's another thing entirely when you are driving on winding mountain roads with sheer drop-offs a few feet away. The landscape is simply majestic. The mountains are lush and green, dappled with purple heather and dotted with rocks and sheep. Picturesque is not a sufficient word.

Here is the view from the cottage:

See what I mean?

So, of course, as soon as we had arrived, unloaded the cars and had a bite to eat, we raced out the door to climb the mountain behind the cottage. It was a bit of a challenge. The kids took right to it and were little mountain lions, which lead to my heart trying to burst out of my chest. Seriously. I just had to shut my eyes. Watching their every step was too terrifying. I keep seeing them dropping right off the mountain. And, Geoff's achilles obviously protested the climb, but he didn't let that stop him. Also Jere-Miah was very apprehensive, but he persevered and we are so proud of the giant steps he took that day. We climbed most of the way up all together, then Jere-Miah and I stopped and took a seat and enjoyed the view, while Geoff and the other kids adventured the rest of the way up. We headed back to the cottage, had homemade pizza, hot showers and enjoyed the lounge with hot chocolate and a fire before bunking down for the night. A great first day there. :)

Our kids with the Butikofer kids waiting for the adults to catch up so they could climb!

Geoff and Jere-Miah starting up the path.

Looking up. We're climbing up there?

The view from the top... well, almost the top. That's our cottage down there. Jere-Miah was such a stud. He worked so hard to get up that mountain and though it was very difficult, he never gave up... Geoff wouldn't let him anyways, even if he had wanted to :)

Day 2 in Wales we decided to just do more exploring. There are plenty of castles and manor houses and gardens to visit everywhere in the UK, but we wanted to see Wales as God created it. We went to Fairy Glen, a magical rock-climbing, hiking experience. It's part of the Conwy river and has a few literary associations. One such is in Geoff's favorite book series by Terry Brooks, the Shannara series. Legend says that the fairy come from the crevice in the rocks where the river comes through. And in the world of Shannara, the first Knight of the Word is called and endowed with power by the Lady of the Word as she descends from the mists of the falls at Fairy Glen. You can see why we had to go! And it was everything we'd dreamed it would be. You can definitely see why people associate it with magic.

Emeryss and M. Butikofer taking turns sitting on 'the throne'

at the beginning of the Fairy Glen path. It is, as you can probably tell, actually the old chimney of house that once stood there. It did make a pretty great seat though :)

Brody in heaven, completely enjoying the serenity of the river.

Geoff and J. Butikofer rock climbing to get a better view of the river...

and their mini-me's, Brody and M. Butikofer, following after.

Geoff. Finally catching his first glimpse of the Fairy Glen.

Geoff, Emeryss, Mac and Daeglan exploring the rocks and giving me a heart attack.

Brody, Master of the Universe, triumphant at Fairy Glen.

Yes, that there is the Fairy Glen. *sigh* I really want to go back!

After working up our appetites at Fairy Glen we went to the nearby village of Betws-y-Coed and had lunch. It's a bit of a touristy village, but it was fun to walk through and look in all the shops. There was also a great old church there, that I can't for the life of me remember the name of... anyway, the kids and I had a look around inside. It had beautiful stained glass windows, but unfortunately, I was low on memory space on my camera, so I didn't get pictures. They also had candles out to light--for 20p each--and a sign that posted why they lighted candles. It was actually really cool, though, again, I can't remember exactly what it said. Jere-Miah really liked it though, so I gave him 20p and he lite a candle and said a prayer. Very memorable moment.

We then headed to Swallow Falls, named so because their appearance resembles the tails of swallows. They don't quite compare to my favorite place, Mesa Falls in Idaho, but they were worth seeing, and a real treat for the kids, who have no memory of ever seeing a real waterfall before and Jere-Miah, who actually hadn't ever seen a waterfall.

Daeglan contemplating life on the stairs down to Swallow Falls.

The Marrott's--Geoff, Miranda, Jere-Miah, Emeryss, Mac, Brody and Daeglan--at the Falls.

Swallow Falls.

As you can imagine, when Day 3 came we were sad to say goodbye to Wales. And can you blame us when we were waking up to this every morning?

But, alas, it was time to start the trek home, but we decided, since we were so close we had to make a pit stop on the coast and get a glimpse of the Irish Sea first. Our stop was brief, especially since it started hailing just 2 minutes after we parked the cars and got out, but it was well spent and memorable. Just as we were heading back to the cars, a little family that had been crabbing on the pier was letting their crabs loose and we got to stop and enjoy their spoils. There were crabs everywhere! The kids loved it. Then it started to rain hard again and we sprinted to the cars and made our way home. We love you, Wales. Someday, we'll be back!

The Irish Sea.... or rather a bay area of the Irish Sea.

Jere-Miah in crabby heaven.

Mac and Daeglan (holding the crab) trying to hold them without getting pinched.

Picture of the day: Geoff's lunch!

Sherwood Forest... our Band of Merry Men.

2011-09-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the summer our family was put in for an EFMP (exceptional family member program) move back to the States. It's been a two month process and we still don't know exactly where we are going or when, but that we will be leaving beloved England before the end of September. Since we knew our time was short, we've been making the most of it and traveling!

The second weekend in August we took the kids camping in Sherwood Forest and we able to attend the annual Robin Hood Festival there. We arrived in at the Sherwood Holiday Park on Friday afternoon and the campsite was fabulous. Clean, quite, family friendly and very peaceful. Camping in the UK is definitely different from camping in the USA--the UK has a no campfire rule due to the overabundance of peat moss--but it is just as wonderful. Here's a few pictures of our campsite set-up.

We were a bit nervous about sleeping 7 of us in one tent, but it worked out great. We had fun playing with a frisbee on the open lawn, especially at night... someone super cool bought the kids a lighted frisbee for the trip. Yes, I won major cool points for that one! We also brought a few coloring books and some card games. The camping was such a nice escape from the busyness of every-day living. So great to be unplugged.

We spent all day Saturday, exploring the world of Robin Hood at the annual Robin Hood Festival in the Sherwood Forest. The festival was awesome. Characters in costume were all over the forest and were very interactive. We got to talk to them about daily life in Sherwood, we were able to hear lots of live music and see a fire thrower.

One of the first things we did after arriving at the festival was go to the open theater for a retelling of Robin Hood and His Band of Merry Men. This was an audience participation performance and Mac and Daeglan were picked from the audience to play two of the Sheriff of Nottingham's men at arms. They took well to the role, but got reprimanded a few times for trying to fight Robin Hood (or their fellow men at arms) when it was time for fighting yet. Daeglan had a short speaking part, which he stuttered through. Daeglan is awesome though, it simply doesn't phase him. He has all the confidence in the world and we hope that never changes.

Daeglan delivering his lines. Which, if I remember correctly, were something to the effect of "Let's get Robin Hood and all his Merry Men!"

Mac fighting Robin Hood. Look at that natural fighters stance!

After that show, we went to the jousting field for a bird of prey demonstration. Brody is obsessed with falconry and is begging for his own bird of prey. You can imagine his delight when the kids were invited out onto the field to be a part of the demonstration. Here's a picture of all the kids. *Note Brody is the one standing in the middle of the field. They were supposed to be pretending to be mice and be listening for the owl to fly over, then stoop down when they heard it. Brody claims everyone else was cheat and they were watching for it. He was amazed that even with his heightened sense of hearing, even he could not hear the owl coming.

After lunch we got to watch the jousting show in which Robin Hood and the Merry Men went up against the Sheriff of Nottingham and the evil Guy of Gisbourne. It was fun, if a bit cheesy. The horses were really the stars of the show. They were magnificent beasts.

On the right, Robin Hood. On the left, Will Scarlet.

We then went on a walk around the forest. Nestled in among all the amazing old trees were little camps of mediaeval peasants and tradesmen. The boys particularly enjoyed the armory. It's always the favorite. What I find amazing is how heavy the weapons and armor are and to think of men actually fighting battles in all that gear. Geoff isn't as in awe about it... maybe that's because he is used to wearing 70+ pounds of gear to work.

Brody. "Man this sucker is heavy. And I can't breath in here!"

Daeglan. "Am I supposed to be able to see?"

Mac.

As usual he didn't have much to say about it, but his face says it all :)

Jere-Miah with a mace. "This is my kind of weapon."

The last thing we got to do at the festival was archery lessons. We each got a little bit of instruction and were able to shoot five arrows each. By far one of the funnest things we have ever done as a family. So much fun, in fact, that we are hoping to buy some real practice bows and make this a family hobby when we get back Stateside.

Jere-Miah with an English longbow.

Mac

Emeryss.

She half-giggled the whole time, but she secretly really loved it

and was trying really hard to be just as good at it as the boys.

Daeglan

Brody. He soaked up every bit of instruction.

Archery is another passion for him. Basically, this trip was Brody's wishes come true!

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend and our little band of Merry Men was sad to head home. But we are so happy to have these memories to treasure for years to come.

Diligence and Obedience Bring Safety and Peace

2011-08-27T09:34:00.001-07:00

I've had a few people ask for copies of a talk that I recently gave in our ward's Sacrament meeting, so I am putting it here with the thought that maybe others will appreciate it too. Please find at the end a reference list for all sources I used in planning and preparing this talk.

Diligence and Obedience Bring Safety and Peace

Today we live in an unstable world. Due to this instability many are security obsessed. They buy the top-of-the-line locks and alarm systems for our homes and our vehicles. They buy expensive insurance policies, even for their pets. They invest their money in stocks and bonds to "keep it safe." We have large militaries and governments. We have nuclear weapons as deterrents. We band hand lotion and breast milk and nail clippers from airplanes. We even go so far as to invade others privacy in the name of security, so that we ourselves can be safe. That's not to say that any, or all, of these things are wrong or even unnecessary. The point is society today is plagues with anxiety, worry and fear.

Fear dates back to the war in Heaven. Satan used fear as a tool to persuade many to follow his plan. He plan was secure; he promised not one soul would be lost; he guaranteed all would return home to again live with our Father in Heaven. His plan took away all risk. So much so that it even took away the risk of allowing God's children their agency, lest they make mistakes. Even after the Fall of Adam and Eve, he used this tactic, pointing out their nakedness and urging them to hide themselves from the Lord. Fear, like sin, separates us from God. Fortunately, for us, Heavenly Father has provided an antidote, a cure for fear.

When planning this talk, and pondering the topic of "Diligence and Obedience bring safety and peace", my mind keep coming back to the Norwich Stake Conference last fall in which Elder Quentin L. Cook and Elder Kearney (our Regional Area Authority) spoke to us. Please know that I am going off my notes from that conference and as such, not everything will be a perfect quote. The one thing that Elder Cook said in the beginning of his talk is this: "Life isn't perfect. It will never be perfect. It will never go perfectly as planned. However, through the Gospel and Atonement of Jesus Christ we can and we SHOULD have peace." He then went on to urge us to have regular religious observances (FHE, family scripture study and prayer, family councils and devotionals) in our homes and he stated that it is in these things there lays safety and peace.

Just as Satan's oldest and most effective tool is fear, Heavenly Father's antidote has always been the blessings of safety and peace bestowed upon his faithful and obedient children. Christ said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27) Elder Cook's message of faithful, daily obedience in gospel living providing or yielding safety and peace is the same message the Lord's prophets have been delivering to God's children since the beginning.

Adam knew not why he offered sacrifices save only that the Lord God had commanded it and that in being obedient to God's commandments, he would receive the light and knowledge he needed to traverse the corrupt world that was his new home.

This same principle of faithful obedience yielding safety and peace is the very underlying theme throughout the scriptures. Adam, Noah, Moses and the children of Israel, Abraham and Isaac, Daniel, John the Baptist, Lehi, Nephi, Abinadi, Alma and his son Alma the younger, the Anti-Nephi-Lehites and their 2000 courageous sons. All were faithfully obedient to God's commands and all that was asked of them and all received safety and peace.

I would also like to share with you, from the Stake Conference I mentioned already, the analogy of the ships that Elder Kearney taught. Elder Kearney works with ships in his profession and shared with us how our diligence and our obedience can be compared to different kinds of ships. The first ship is the barge. The barge has great potential. It is large and strongly built and can carry great loads, delivering a multitude of goods to many ports. The problem with barges is that they cannot move of their own accord, they must be pulled or pushed along. The second type of ship is the sail boat. The sail boat is elegant and beautiful and can cut through the waters with great finesse. It is fast and can harness the power of the wind to out-shine other vessels. The problem with sail boats is that they rush to shore at the first time of the bad weather. Sail boats are only out when the weather is nice. The last type of boat, Elder Kearney mentioned is the rescue vessels. Rescue vessels are not pretty or beautiful, nor are they the largest ships. They are built for function over form and are usually painted an obnoxious orange that stands out like a sore thumb. However, these vessels are fully fortified to sail the waters in any type of weather. They are built to withstand raging waves and billowing winds and can fight against the threat of being capsized. Not only are they able to stay afloat in rough waters, they are usually traversing those waters in search of others to rescue. When they are out on the water, they are out with purpose.

When I think of barges, Laman and Lemuel come straight to mind. They had great potential. They were born of good parents and were taught the gospel all their lives. They were privy to the teaching of a prophet in their own home. And, they did, after all, usually end up being obedient. The problem with Laman and Lemuel was that they had to be pushed. There were in every case we read of compelled to be obedient. They were often shocked or had visits from angels to keep them on course. And once they reached the promised land and their father died and the pushing stopped, their people became lost. And so it is with all who must be pushed along, without the pushing they become a dead weight upon the water and as Mormon says, "They are led about by Satan... as a vessel is tossed about upon the waves without sail or anchor or without anything wherewith to steer her; and even as she is, so they are." (Mormon 5:17-18) "Or in other words," as we read in D&C 82 verses 9 and 10, "I give unto you directions how you may act before me, that it may turn to you for your salvation. I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." The Lord has taught us all, as he did Laman and Lemuel, how to act and what we should do, and if we are obedient, he is bound to us to bless us with safety and peace, but when we do not what he has asked us, we have no promise.

Shall we talk of sail boats now? Will we be like sail boats and expect to only sail in good weather? Does having the Lord bound to us mean that will we only sail on calm seas and bright beautiful days if we are obedient? No. In fact, quite the opposite seems to be true.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, "If we are serious in our discipleship, Jesus will eventually request each of us to do those very things which are the most difficult. Thus, sometimes the best people have the worst experiences because they are the most ready to learn." Is it any surprise then, that when Elder Maxwell found out he had leukemia, the illness that took his life, he simply shook his head and said, "I should have seen it coming." Brothers and Sisters, while we are promised safety and peace that does not mean that life will be perfect. Remember what Elder Cook said, "Life is not perfect. It never will be. It will never go perfectly." But also that we could have peace, through the gospel and the atonement of Jesus Christ.

We can look to the Prophet Joseph Smith for greater understanding of this. The Lord taught Joseph in Doctrine and Covenants section 6 verse 13: "If thou wilt do good, yea, and hold out faithful to the end, thou shalt be saved in the kingdom of God, which is the greatest of all the gifts of God; for there is no gift greater than the gift of salvation." And when the storms raged against the Prophet Joseph and the Saints and Joseph cried out, "O God, where art thou?" the Lord gently reminded Joseph in verses 7 and 8 of section 121, "My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high, thou shalt triumph over all thy foes."

Job, who lost everything in the storms of life, whose friends and neighbors cursed him and left him, would not question God, and never doubted, never feared. Brothers and Sisters, do not let the storms of life push you back to shore. For as a wise man once said, "A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are made for." That is not what we are made for. We are made to be in the water, to be ever pressing forward. As the scriptures teach us, "men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness." (D&C 58:27) And just as a sail boat is unprepared to weather the storms, we cannot take unprepared vessels out on the waters.

Rescue boats are prepared and ready to weather any storm. And by faithful obedience we will be too. In a talk by Elder R. Conrad Shultz, entitled 'Faith Obedience' we are told a story about Elder Shultz and his family being out on a boat one day and being caught in a sneaker wave. These waves, as they are so named, come upon the waters without warning and can be catastrophic. Fortunately, for Elder Shultz family, all were wearing life jackets and even though it did throw one person over board, they were all safe. However, Elder Shultz later learned that 5 people died along the coast that day, for being caught unaware and unprepared. Looking back, those that lost loved ones, were probably dumbfounded, thinking, but we didn't know, the sea was calm and serene, there was no need for precaution.

Elder Shultz, then warns us that that Satan would have us believe that it is blind obedience when we are following the Lord's commands even when we do not understand them or see a need for them. He then quotes President Boyd K. Packer, who said: "Latter-day Saints are not obedient because they are compelled to be obedient. They are obedient because they know certain spiritual truths and have decided, as an expression of their own individual agency, to obey the commandments of God... We are not obedient because we are blind, we are obedient because we can see."

There is no need to understand or have a rational explanation for every commandment. After all, we do not have perfect, unfailing vision, nor do we have the ability to accurately predict the weather of life 100% of the time. But if we have faith and trust in Heavenly Father, we will know that we are promised safety and peace when we obey. Just as Alma urged his people not to be like unto the Israelites who would not look to the brass serpent and be saved because the way was too easy and they didn't understand, we too must not be slothful because of the easiness of the way or become complacent when the sea is calm.

Elder Shultz went on to say, "It brings us back to obedience. It will always be so. It's part of the plan of eternal happiness. I know of no doctrine that is more critical to our well-being in this life and the next. All scriptures teach obedience, and no apostle or prophet has ever lived who has not taught the principle of obedience. Sometimes it is necessary to be obedient even when we do not understand the reason for the law. It takes faith to be obedient. The Prophet Joseph Smith, in teaching obedience, said that whatever God requires is right, though we many not know the reason until much later."

An early Christian reformer once said, "The learning of truth so that we many do what is right is the whole summing up of the existence of man." And I firmly believe that is true. We, in the church, know the truth and must do what is right, that is what we are made for.

We must also remember that while a rescue vessel is fortified and protected on the water, it is not their only aim to simply float along on their own. Their purpose is to be out in the waters, searching for others to rescue, to bring others safely in to harbor. President Monson has often called us to the ministry of rescuing others. Serving other also helps us to further fortify our own vessels.

As King Benjamin taught his people, "I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2:17) And Christ himself said, if ye do it unto the least of these, ye do it unto me. (parable of the Good Samaritan, Matthew 25)

Service can also give us a new perspective. By helping others through their storms, we learn of our own strengths and weaknesses and we also see our storms in a new light. Not only this, but service truly ensures our own safety, for as Christ said, "whosoever will lose his lives for my sake, the same shall save it." (Luke 9:24)

In closing, I would like to draw your attention to Hebrews chapter 11 where we are taught in verse 6 that rewards are given to those that are diligent and then reminded in verses 39 and 40 that without suffering we cannot be made perfect (JST). Brothers and Sisters, please remember that as the hymn says, "Keep the commandments, in this there is safety and peace." May you feel the Lord's arms wrap around you as you are obedient to His commands. "Therefore," as Peter says, "Beloved seeing that you look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless." (2 Peter 3:14)

I leave you with my testimony that I know that this principle of safety and peace being bestowed upon God's obedient and diligent children is true. I know that Heavenly Father provided a way for us to have safety and peace and that, that way is through is Son, Jesus Christ. I know that Jesus is our Savior and that he truly atoned for each of us. And I know that by obedience to His laws, we can live with Him and our Father in Heaven again. I know that the Lord is aware of us, especially in times of trial and that He enfolds us in the arms of his safety so that we may not be swept away when the storm rages against us.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Reference List:

Faith Obedience by Elder R. Conrad Shultz

Spiritually Anchored in Unsettling Times (book) by Bruce C. Hafen

Ships Are Safe in the Harbor by Elder Claudio R. M. Costa (podcast of BYU Devotionals as found on iTunes)

Act in All Diligence by Henry B. Eyring

Steadfast and Immovable by Silvia H. Allred

What Latter-day Saint Women Do Best: Stand Strong and Immovable by Julie B. Beck

Steadfast and Immovable, Always Abounding in Good Works by David A. Bednar

Book of Mormon Roundtable Discussions by the BYU Ancient Scripture Department as found on iTunes (particularly the discussion "Alma Counsels Helaman", and the discussion "The Lord Will Deliver His People")

Journal Notes of Miranda Marrott from Fall 2010 Norwich Stake Conference, talks given by Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and by Elder Kearney of the Quorum of the Seventy.

Marrott's Believe It or Not

2010-08-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

As per our usual crazy life, something has gone wrong. Most anyone who would read our blog already knows, but I feel it deserve a spot in our bit of living history here on the world wide web. It was a fairly usual day here at 12 Normandy Close: kids were jumping and screaming on the trampoline and I was in the kitchen listening to an audio book and cooking dinner. Geoff was at football practice with his squadron. The phone rings. I frantically look for it while trying to also wash my hands clean of floury mess. I answer just at the moment I'm sure the caller has probably hung up.

"Hello," I huff out.

"Hi, is your mom there?" haha. I get that a lot... and yes, it does get old.

"This is the mother," I say as patiently as I can while stirring dinner.

"Oh, sorry. Hi, Mrs. Marrott? This is Sgt Smith from the law enforcement desk. I'm in your husband's squadron."

My heart squeezes a little, you know that intuitive thump it gives you when it's trying to tell you something important. But I calm myself, thinking she probably just needs help with a bake sale or a meal for a new mother or a moving family. Just business. But then why call from the LE desk?

She continues. "Your husband is fine, ma'am. I just wanted to inform you that he's been taken to the hospital. Nothing major, but he couldn't walk."

"Ok," I squeak out, "So he's at the hospital now?" I know she just said he was, but I just needed a confirmation. But what I'm really thinking is, what happened and do I really want to know how he ended up there?

"Yes, ma'am."

"Was he in an accident?"

"No, ma'am. Well, yes, ma'am. I mean, he got hurt playing football."

Huge sigh of relief. Sports injury, I can handle this.

"Alright then. Thank you."

I try and stay calm because I know the kids will flip out when I tell them where Geoff is and why I need them to immediately get shoes on and get in the car. My attempt at calm isn't successful and I'm soon yelling, "Get your shoes. You can't find them? Well why not! Forget your shoes, you can go barefoot. Just get in the car."

Ok, I wasn't really yelling and it wasn't like it started that way, but after 5 minutes and they still weren't in the car, I started to get impatient.

I call the Cranney's and ask my dear friend Camille to watch the kids while I go to the ER to check on my hubby.

The phone rings just as we are about to walk out the door.

"Hello," I try not to huff this time.

"Hi Miranda?"

"Yes." I realize now that it probably came out condescending and/or belligerent.

"Oh, hi. Um, this is Audrey (or maybe it was Amber). I'm not just some strange lady calling. I work with your husband. I just took him to the ER. He asked me to call you and make sure you knew where he was and tell you he's ok, but he needs you."

There went my heart again.

"Thank you, Audrey/Amber, for taking care of him. I'm on my way. Thanks."

Now, I was swatting my kids out the door. My hubby needed me. My kids are even more anxious knowing they can't go with me and they will have to wait to find out how Dad is. Brody is in tears, pulling his hair. Daeglan is saying "Mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, Maaaaaooommm," trying to get my attention so he can ask for the 19th time if he can come with me and then why can't he come with me. Mac is looking at Brody and Daeglan and trying to decide if he should be freaking out too. He finally decides to shed a few tears too, until he hears he gets to play at the Cranney's then he's fine. Emeryss is only worried about packing her backpack with her new dollies so she can show them all to Camille.

We get in the car, finally, and take a few deep breaths. We have a prayer and we're off.

I drop off the kiddos and rush to the ER, reminding myself that driving 80 down a 2-way road barely big enough for one car will get me to the ER, but not in the way I want to get there.

I get there and clap my hands that there are parking spaces right by the door. I all but run inside. I find my friends and Geoff's coworkers the CC's (Cirincione's). The husband, Dom, is G's supervisor and has been there with him and talking to the doctors. I got up to the desk and tell them I am there to be with my husband. I'm told to find a chair and wait as the doctor is with my husband at the moment so I will have to wait to see him! I literally wanted to rip the attendants throat out.

I sit and wait.

The CC's fill me in. Geoff was running down the field and stumbled. Everyone thought his cleats had smacked together. He cried out in pain, swore up a storm and could not get up. It's suspected it's his achilles.

They call Sgt CC back to be with my husband and consult with the doctors!!! I was simply speechless. Hello, Wife here! You know, the one that will be caring for him while he heals! Unbelievable.

Luckily, CC speaks up and says, "His wife is here and I think she should be with her husband more than I need to be with him." Or something extra amazing along those lines. The attendant nearly rolls his eyes as he calls me back.

My love is face down on the bed, looking very much in pain. My heart thumps again.

Geoff fills us in about his examine in which they discovered that not only does he not have control of his foot, he also has no reflex which means the achilles is very badly damaged.

The tech comes in, shoots G up with some narcotic cocktail and then the doc comes in to tell us we have to see the surgeon in the morning. For tonight all they can do is wrap it up and send him home with some pain pills. Geoff winces and tries not to complain as the tech who obviously hasn't wrapped very many tore achilles tries to wrap up his foot. It takes forever. The tech wrap and unwraps his foot about 10 times. I was about to suggest that I do it myself when the doctor comes back and walks the kid through it.

I sleep on the couch with Geoff that night.

I call the surgeon first thing in the morning to schedule an appointment as per his discharge instructions from the ER.

The receptionist informs me that we cannot request an appointment with the surgeon, that the surgeon reads the reports from the ER and then decides who needs an appointment and they call us. Really?

We wait for them to call.

They don't but Geoff's supervisors do, wanting to know what's going on and if he'll be back to work the next day. Geoff's office calls again about 2 hours later.

I call the surgeon's office again. Read to her our discharge papers that clearly state we are to call and schedule an appointment and reiterate that ER doc had contact with the surgeon about Geoff the night before. She assures me he must not need an appointment because if he did the docs would have told her by now and she'd have already called us. I state our case again, adding that his supervisors need to know what's going on and demanding she ask the surgeon about it while I wait on hold.

She puts me on hold.

2 seconds pass.

She picks up and begins to apologize profusely. "Yes, he does need to be seen today. Can you be here in an hour?"

I scramble to rally the troops again, find another sitter and get us all out the door.

The surgeon suggests surgery, though they can't get him in for a week because they only have one anesthesiologists. And now here we are 4 days after the surgery and Geoff is finally feeling some relief... and I am exhausted and still sleeping on the couch with him.

Geoff was nervous about having surgery, never having had surgery before. Before they took him back the anesthesiologist gave him a shot of something to relax him. It was hilarious. Geoff kept saying, "Wow, I've never been high before. This is weird." He was loopy most of the day, when he was awake, mostly he just slept once I got him home.

The surgery went well. In the surgeon's words Geoff's achilles was "hanging on by a wisp." They had to go up into his calf and extract his achilles, but it did reattach well. The prognosis is good for a full recovery. However, it will be a long process. Long as in 6-7 months before he'll be able to begin running again. He can't drive for 2 or 3 months and will be on crutches for 2-3 more weeks (which is about a month total), which leaves me playing chauffeur.

So we are moving on base. Our prayers have been answered so quickly. We applied for housing (mostly to save money and get out of debt) the day before his injury and thought it'd probably be a few months before we'd actually get to move. They called us the day after his accident, which was 2 days later and completely unheard of, and gave us a choice of 5 houses. We'll be moving in about 3 weeks. Not great timing since I'm left to do much of the pre-moving work on my own, but such a blessing that we'll be so close to the doctors and his work during the months of his recovery. We've already had lots of help and support from friends in our wards and Geoff's squadron, so I'm sure we'll make it through this month and the next 6 just fine.

Things are busy and crazy... so basically normal for us :) The only difference is that this time, believe it or not, the craziness is centered on Geoff and not me or the kids. And believe it or not, this was our longest non-ER visit/hospital stay/surgery stint we'd had since I got pregnant with the twins... it had been a whole 7 months!

News Flash

2010-05-16T11:48:00.000-07:00

Miranda graduated from College!!! I now have a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology. It feels so good to be done.

Updating our many adventures in 2010, so far :)

2010-05-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

I was going to start with, "It's been a long time since I've written on here" and then had a bad flash back to writing in my diary when I was 10. So, we'll skip that intro.

So far 2010 is proving to be a most memorable, busy and altering year we've had in some time.

Just after Christmas break, the kids and I got to go home to Indiana for my grandmother's 80th birthday. It was a great, though short, trip.

Grandma Waters, Daeglan, Mac and Uncle Morgan

The trip started on Wednesday, or it was supposed to, when we got up at 3 am to get to the terminal on base and hopefully catch a military hop to Kansas where I had a friend waiting for us. We were turned away, the flight had been rescheduled, please come back at 7:30. We came back, waited for nearly 2 hours and then were told the flight was full. I'm not gonna lie, I walked out of the air terminal in tears. I had to go home and call my dear friend, Traci, I wasn't coming to Kansas.

The next day we tried again and were successful. It took nearly all day for check in and then

sitting and waiting for them to ready the plane, but eventually, we boarded a C17 (click here for a look at the C17) and were on our way to Delaware. Yes. I said Delaware. The flight was.... an experience. C17's are cargo planes and this one was loaded with jet engines, 2 huge jet engines. See?

We sat in jump seats that folded down from the sides of the plane. We enjoyed our in flight meal of ham sandwiches, snickers and pop. We drank lots of bottled water. We broke the toilet.... seriously, my kids broke the toilet. Ever fly on an overseas flight with a broken toilet?

Good thing the crew was so nice. The pilot took the kids up the cockpit and let them fly the plane. It was a great treat for all of us, especially for me since he keep them entertained for a whole half hour. Here's a picture of the boys lounging on the floor of the plane, another great benefit of fly military flights :)

After nine hours of flying and spending the final two hours calming my sensory overloaded child from the noise of the plane (cargo planes are very loud), we finally landed. We got a taxi to the hotel. All was good. Until we found out that our hotel room was actually about 2 blocks from where we had checked in.... and I had already sent the taxi away. So we loaded our luggage on the bell hop trolley and walked in the dark to our room. My kids cried the whole way.

"Daddy should be here, he'd protect us." "Mom, you should have never made us come." "Someone is going to jump out from those bushes and kidnap me." Finally, we made it to our room!

The rest of our trip, actually followed this crazy, unpredictable pattern. The rental car company charged me $800 for my $150 car rental, making it so that I couldn't use my card to get gas when we stopped two hours after taking off for Indiana. Driving on the right side of the road kepy me on edge all day and I did, in fact, turn into the wrong lane (only once!) when getting off the highway for dinner... it was dark, leave me alone. Our time in Indiana was too short, but we got to see all the grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles and cousins we'd been longing to see.

On Monday, we left Indiana for Texas with Mackenzie and Emma. The drive was long, but actually went well... oh wait, I was sick and throwing up for some of it... well, it went mostly well. While in Dallas, we got to go to the Dallas Aquarium, a Butterfly house, Chuck E Cheese, Applebee's and Old Navy! It was a great American fix.

The cousins, minus Sophie Jane, at the Dallas Aquarium

Leaving was bitter sweet; the kids and I were more than ready to be home and with Geoff, but it was hard to say goodbye to family and our dear America. We took a rental car up to Kansas and got on the first flight we tried this time, thank goodness. This time we were on a KC135, a refueler. (click here for a look at the KC135)

This flight was... even more interesting. We broke the toilet, again. Yes, we did. This time before take off. It took them 3 hours to fix, during which we sat patiently on the plane. The kids stayed awake the whole flight, finally giving it up at hour 9. Unlike the flight on the C17, there was no room to stretch or lay out, so it was a bit trickier keeping them happy. And, believe it or not, this plane was louder. Good thing I had gone to Walmart and bought Brody a nice set of hunter earmuffs to block out the noise. The boys got to go into the belly of the plane and see all the refueling equipment... again a nice treat, keeping my kids entertained for a half hour. Air Force flight crews, you rock. So we were finally all asleep and someone wakes me to tell me we are emergency landing in Ireland. Ireland? Yes, our navigation system went out hours ago and we are flying with a hand compass!!! Thanks for not telling me hours ago. YIKES. We landed fine. But since most of the flight was U.S. military flying on military orders, next to no one had passports. Me and the kids had ours, but not one other person did. We sat on the plane, on the tarmac for 4 hours while the U.S. and Irish governments decided what to do with us. After 18 hours of being on the plane--which of course, by that point we had eaten all our food hours ago and were thus starving--we finally descended the steps and got straight on a bus. They took us to a nice hotel, that I paid $240 to stay in. We ordered room service for the first time and slept all day, 13 hours solid.

Our room in Ireland

Our Irish room service. Yes, those are elf-sized bottles of 7up. Not Tolken elves, Santa elves.

We made it home, and in one piece the next morning and ran into daddy's arms. And I am tired now just remembering this trip. I'm not sure we'll do it again.

More adventure updates to come :)

Brody's Big Day

2009-10-24T02:17:00.000-07:00

On September 6th, 2009 our little man (or rather our growing man) was baptized. It was a truly wonderful day. Brody was a bit nervous to be the center of attention and to be dunked, but he was calm and very attentive the whole day, just soaking it all in. My mother got to be here and she gave a talk about baptism. Geoff baptized Brody and as a wife and mother it was a great moment to witness. Mac, Daeglan and Emeryss were so excited for Brody, they all cheered and clapped when came up out of the water (which if you are not LDS, you have to understand is a bit taboo, it's usually one of those really reverent quiet moments where you could here a pin drop). It was really cute though, to hear Daeglan shout, "Way to go, Brody. Well done!" I love the way my kids love and support each other. Our wonderful Bishop, Bishop Wilkins gave a talk about the Holy Ghost and then Geoff along with other men in our ward, laid his hands on Brody's head to give him the gift of the Holy Ghost and confirm him as a member of Christ's church. Again an emotional and spiritual moment. And then Brody was welcomed as the newest member of the Thetford, England ward by our great Primary President, Sister Olson. He got a poster and his Faith in God booklet from the Primary which he thought was cool.

Geoff and I are so pleased with Brody and the consistent good choices that me makes. He is such a deep thinker, he constantly amazes us with his deep understand of gospel truths. He is a great brother (while not perfect, none of us are) and loves to teach his siblings new things and explain the world to them. And he has a great testimony and is quick to pray which is a great example and reminder to me to rely on Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. We feel truly blessed to be Brody's parents and get to share such moments as his baptism with him.

Tick, Tock and Sheep

2009-09-28T12:52:00.001-07:00

I just have to share what I am experiencing right this moment....

My house is so quiet I can hear all my clocks ticking... and then there is Emeryss, up in her bed counting her heart out (and I'm wondering, who taught her to count sheep?) 1, 2, 3, 47, 52, 47, 59, 47, 98, 5, 6, 76, 29, 18, 20. Ready or not. 1, 2, 3.... and it all starts over again. Yes, we played hide and seek for family night, how ever did you guess? I love listening to her, she is soooo darling! And she counts so well, she must take after Geoff :)

It's been a long time...

2009-09-23T07:42:00.001-07:00

Well, that's an understatement!

I'll be posting some updates soon. But to give a quick filler-inner...

Geoff got home on July 9th and we are all soooo happy to be together as a family again, 7 months is a long time! Since then we've just been living and going with the flow. We took a family trip to Legoland and Windsor the end of July, Emeryss and I went to Germany in August and in September school started back up and Brody was baptized. So there is much to update everyone on and there are lots of pictures!

I'm trying to get back in an organized mode, so bear with me...
until then...

Create

2009-03-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

The Month of LOVE

2009-02-06T01:35:00.001-08:00

I've been thinking a lot about Valentine's Day this year. It's not something we do big in our marriage, but it is remembered and it is fun! Now, I remember when I was younger getting Valentine's from my parents and grandparents and of course, my classmates. And of course, I loved it all. It was a fun day, but what about the rest of the year? Did any of those feelings of love linger? Some did, but it's not like the Christmas spirit that starts in October and lasts halfway through January. This is Valentine's day and most people starting thinking it somewhere between February 1st and 13th and then it's over February 15th.

So, I've found myself wondering this year, what's the point? To put more money in someone else's pockets by buying a hundred little cards for my kids to send out and receive tenfold that will all be recycled? To add inches to my waist by all that incredible chocolate? To do something special for the one I love that I could/should do for him any other day of the year, if I were so inclined? What is it really all about? And do I really need to buy into the commercialism of it? (wow do I sound cynical, sorry)

And then I got this scripture and quote in an email today:

Jacob 3:7 (Book of Mormon)

"Behold, their husbands love their wives, and their wives love their husbands; and their husbands and their wives love their children."

Spencer W. Kimball
"The love of which the Lord speaks is not only physical attraction, but also faith, confidence, understanding, and partnership. It is devotion and companionship, parenthood, common ideals and standards. It is cleanliness of life and sacrifice and unselfishness.

"This kind of love never tires nor wanes. It lives on through sickness and sorrow, through prosperity and privation, through accomplishment and disappointment, through time and eternity. . . . For your love to ripen so gloriously, there must be an increase of confidence and understanding, a frequent and sincere expression of appreciation of each other. There must be a forgetting of self and a constant concern for the other. There must be a focusing of interests and hopes and objectives into a single channel" (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 248).

Now that is the type of love worth celebrating.

So in reality, everyday could/should be Valentine's Day. Everyday we should be celebrating and showing the love we have for our family. We should be listening to, doing for and sacrificing for one another every moment of our lives. And yes, there are occasions when it is great (and sometimes needed) to give a little something more, a little something special and maybe that occasion is Valentine's Day and maybe it isn't. However, I think if we truly loved one another as Christ would have us love one another, we wouldn't need chocolate hearts, small cardboard cards, or stuffed animals to let people know we love them or for other's to feel that we love them.

So I end with this scripture and challenge each of us (that includes me) to take it to heart and truly pray for charity, pray to know how to love those around us, pray to have the strength to love those around us, pray to be open to receive love from those around us.

Moroni 7: 45-48 (Book of Mormon)

45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—
47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

May you all partake of charity, the pure love of Christ, the pure love of your spouses, the pure love of your children during this month of LOVE and throughout your life.

What kids will do...

2009-01-17T06:47:00.000-08:00

...To each OTHER!!!

This is what happens when I am busy cleaning one room and think the kids are finally getting along and playing so good together; appreciating the quiet! HA! All I can say is, thank goodness for washable markers.

Kitchen

2008-12-27T14:42:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of the kitchen. Now everyone knows why I love this house!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2008-12-25T14:47:00.000-08:00

Even when our fearless leader is 3386.5 miles away.

Our Christmas has been quiet and peaceful and just enjoyable. The kids have been sick, but still happy. We got to talk with G on the web cam today and it was definitely the highlight!!

Christmas eve was fun and laid back. The kids and I went to the BXtra (a.k.a. the toy store) with some money from various grandparents (Thanks Marrott's and Grandma Waters) and left with full arms. We went out for lunch and then made our rounds to the post office and bank while watching Christmas movies in the car (gotta love the in-car DVD players, we are so spoiled!). Then we set out delivering Christmas CD's we had made (in lieu of baked goods) to our friends. We came home, had homemade pizza and made gingerbread (don't tell the kids, but they were actually graham crackers) houses and went to bed.

It was great! Don't get me wrong, I love celebrating, we usually do a Christmas Eve party at our house, but it was so nice to have nothing on the agenda and to just relax.

*In order by Artist: Daeglan, Mac, Emeryss, and Brody

I have to tell ya a little about the 'gingerbread' houses though. After making them with my kids, I am convinced that you can tell a lot about someone by their gingerbread house. For example, Mac's house was simple, almost plain and he didn't get frustrated once while making it. Then there is Daeglan's house, or rather houses. He made a total of 3. The first one fell down and he refused to rebuild so it's in the trash; the 2nd was "ugly" and it also went into the rubbish bin; 3rd times a charm though! Emeryss made a "Princess Castle" which she decorated with half-eaten candy and Brody's was a church for the gingerbread man and woman to get married in (guess we haven't taught him enough about the temple, just kidding!).

Christmas Day was almost as laid back, but surely just as fun... ok, it was actually really fun! Hello, Santa came!

Before the Storm.

In The Thick of It!

The Aftermath!!!

We, again, relaxed and just enjoyed the gifts. We played and had good food and our favorite part was talking with all our family! Thanks for loving us! Despite all the flying wrapping paper and fighting over toys and poor, sick tears, we remembered our Savior. He is the reason we have hope, peace, love, and joy in our lives today.

It is our testimony that Christ was born in Bethleham, suffered in Gethsemane, died on the cross in Calgary and took up His body again in the tomb. Our family knows that Christ lives and loves us. We know that if it were not for His atoning sacrifice we could have no hope of returning to our Heavenly Father. We know that He knows us and is aware of our needs and watches out for us when things get hard. We testify that our Father in Heaven hears and answers our prayers and that He has sent us prophets to guide us in these latter days. We know that Joseph Smith was called as God's prophet and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. And we know that Thomas S. Monson is the Lord's prophet on the earth today. We know these things by the power and gift of the Holy Ghost as it witnesses to us the truth of all things. And we share them with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Like I said, It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Our new home... finally!

2008-12-25T12:07:00.000-08:00

So, it's been a while in coming but here are a few pictures of the new house. I know, there is more that you have yet to see... but for now, this will have to suffice.

Here is the entry way and hall

From the front door-ish, really this is from the office door.

From the living room.

Here is a few shots of the living room. The curtains are the ones that where up when we moved... I plan to buy new ones soon. I love, love, love the fireplace, but don't know what I'm going to put up there when I put my Christmas decorations away!

Here is a picture of the office which is just to the right of the front door.

And here is our dining room. Yes, we actually have a dining room... in which we can all comfortably sit around the table and eat!

So there you have it. Most of the downstairs of the house. I had some great pictures of the kitchen that somehow got erased and now it's a mess so taking a replacement picture today is out of the question. I'll post one soon.

Christmastime is Here!

2008-12-17T07:02:00.000-08:00

It was Christmas Program/Play day at school today and it was so fun. I have to give props to the teachers and staff at the Little Norman School and the Norman Primary School for all the effort and work they put into the programs. It was fantastic to have school programs that were focused on the true meaning and principles behind Christmas.

First, I got to enjoy Emeryss's program with no distractions. It was so cute. It was the Nativity Story and the kids were so cute. Emeryss was an angel and so pretty (thanks to my mom for making her angel dress!). I didn't have a halo for her, but she was a perfect with her pink headband and pink, feathery wings!

Next it was Mac and Daeglan's class play that was also about the Nativity. All the songs were set to nursery rhyme tunes. Mac and Daeg were shepherds and since their teacher had them take off their shoes, socks and pants to make their costumes more realistic, and boys do not know how to sit in a dress... it was interesting. The world (or at least everyone at the Great Hall of the Norman School) got to see Daeglan's spiderman underwear... his baggy spiderman underwear! Neither boy could sit still, nor did they sing much, but their costumes were a hit and they made the crowd laugh a time or two by shooting their fingers at the three Wise Men, wrestling with each other and singing opera style when they did sing! I love my boys!!!

Brody's program was the last on the docket today. His class did a musical play all about believing in the magic of Christmas. It was partially written by the class and everyone did a great job. I don't have any pictures of his program because I used up all my memory stick on videos (that reminds me... I need a larger memory stick). But here is a clip of his part in the play. You can hear Brody's voice over the others and pick out his false British accent (I don't think he did it on purpose, he just sang the songs as he learned them, which happened to be with British pronunciations). And if you pay attention you can tell that he still mispronounces the word remember! It's too cute.

All in all, it was a great day! Fun was had by all and the plumber finally showed up and fixed my leaking pipes (which I assure you was very exciting as it's been a long time in coming). After dinner I took the kids out for some well deserved ice cream for working so hard and doing so well on their programs. (Well, maybe Mac and Daeglan didn't exactly deserve it for their great effort, but their performances did entertain so...)

Merry Christmas!

Gone Baby Gone

2008-12-15T04:40:00.000-08:00

We saw Geoff off at 4:30 this morning. There were a few tears and sleeping kids in the car, but it is almost a relief to have the goodbye behind us... means we get to look forward to the reunion. Me and the kids sleep until about noon today and are having one down day missing Daddy and then it's back to life and being strong.

Just a reminder that G's bday is the 18th, maybe we should see how many emails we can get to him that day!

As I drove home this morning after dropping Geoff off, my mind turned to the Savior. It is because of His great sacrifice, the Atonement, that I am able to have hope and peace that I will be with my husband again and that come what may, I can love it; I can be happy and find joy amongst my trials.

Merry Christmas to all!

oh, and I promise to post pictures soon... well at least before the new year!

Official

2008-12-08T05:13:00.000-08:00

We just found out this morning...

Geoff's officially leaving early in the morning on Dec 15th for his deployment.

Please keep him in your prayers. It will be a long 6-8 months without him, but we are proud of him and the service he provides for our country. When we get a post office box number for him we will let you know. Until then...

Playing Catch up and Spreading Cheer

2008-11-24T01:18:00.000-08:00

So we are moved and loving the new house. We woke up to snow yesterday and it made us all feel a little more at home. The kids are getting adjusted to the new school and love all the room to play they have at our new abode (both inside and outside). *Pictures of the new house to come, I promise!*

Since Geoff is leaving mid-December for UAE we decided to go ahead and put our Christmas tree up yesterday. We had a Christmas movie marathon and decorated the house. It was so much fun. By far Christmas is our favorite time of year. We also watched Finding Faith in Christ yesterday and my sensitive kiddos cried and cried to see what happened to the Savior. (For those of you how aren't familiar with it, it's the story of Christ through the perspective of Thomas, the doubter. It is not graphic, but does depict Christ's Crucifixion.) Brody said, "Mom, why would you make me watch that, I feel so miserable. How could anyone treat Jesus like that?" And so I cried too. Though it is hard to watch I feel it is important to remind ourselves just exactly what the Savior went through for us. It was a great opportunity to really talk with the kids about the Atonement and the Crucifixion and what that means for us.

So Happy Holidays! Remember to Keep Christ in Christmas! And try THIS out, it's so much fun!

This is Halloween...

2008-11-02T02:58:00.001-08:00

This is Halloween... Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, Halloween.....

Well, one holiday down. Only finals, a move, a school change, Thanksgiving, G's deployment and Christmas to go... oh yeah, and New Year's. Not to mention Guy Fox day and Boxing Day! No sweat, right?

I told you about the window decor we put up for Halloween this year and here it is....

*I'm not sure who added the hearts up there.*

This year I broke down and bought the $3 carving kits for the pumpkins. We had a fun FHE carving pumpkins. With two kids with severe gag reflexes it was... hilarious. Brody and Emeryss both started gagging as soon as the first top was off. The smell alone was enough to get them going, but then to see the gooey, oozy, stringy guts of the pumpkins being torn out... Well, for those of you who know Brody, you know what I mean and yes, Emeryss is almost as bad. Oh, so much fun! And as you can imagine, G and I did most of the work.

Geoff hard at work.

Daeglan's Spider-Pumpkin Brody's creation--Red Serpent of Death... I don't know ask him.

Emeryss's Happy Princess Pumpkin

Mac's call to Batman!

And my ode to Bella and Edward!

I know... it's a sad obsession.

And what Halloween would be complete without costumes?

The kids in all their glory. Hulk Mac, Pirate Daeglan, Faerie Princess Emeryss and Dino/Godzilla Brody.

Here are some of the cutest pix of the night. Wish I had more, but it was crazy hectic doing Trunk or Treat/dinner at the church and house-to-house Trick or Treating around base housing all without daddy. You'd think I'd have the hang of things by now, but an extra set of hands can go a long way with four little monsters!

The Joys of the Season

2008-10-11T13:58:00.001-07:00

We've really enjoyed this last week (minus daddy being away). It's finally truly Fall, my personal favorite season. This week we made a Halloween scene for our front window (something Nana always does and we decided to make it a tradition for us too). The other day we journeyed around the village on the walking path collecting fallen autumn leaves. Also, we've been going through all our costumes deciding what to be (so great that they want to use costumes we already have!)

Here's Emeryss in her Fairy Princess costume I found at the thrift store for a grand total of $2.00. This picture was just too cute not to post it!

And today we got to go to the Pumpkin Patch. It was an experience! The kids loved tromping through the fields and looking at all the pumpkins. There was a maize maze that we went through; we weren't aware that a haunted shack was in the middle that we had to go through to get out, but the kids did well considering it was their first time through a haunted anything. There was some crying and laughing (I'm a bad mother, I laugh when my kids cry).

We also got to see a magic show and get balloon animals and eat fresh, hot homemade donuts!

*in case you can't tell from the pictures, Brody got a skeleton, Daeglan got a spider and Mac got a bat. Emeryss decided she didn't want an ugly balloon.

And of course, the kids all got to pick a pumpkin. We already had some bigger ones at home so they each got to pick a small one.

It was just fun to be out and enjoy the weather and this beautiful country we're living in. Do you ever just have a joyful day? Today was mine. It was great to just enjoy my children, God's beautiful world and anticipating my love coming home. I hope that each of you can find joy in your everyday living. Life truly is so much better when you can appreciate the little joys the surround you.

The Name of the Game...

2008-10-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

... is 6th folder, 6th frame.

Go to your 6th folder and then choose the 6th frame/photo.

Here's mine:

Marrott's o' plenty

Daeglan, Seth, Ada, Cannon, Brody, Genevieve, Camilla, Ondine, Emma, MacEwen, Gabrielle, Marguerite, Emeryss

Tag, you're it: Melissa

While the Cat's Away...

2008-10-05T07:55:00.001-07:00

The mice will play!

Our first day with Daddy gone and this is what I found my little mice doing.

It's Totally Retro!

2008-10-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, so everyone should do this. It's too much fun!

YearbookYourself.com

Here is me and Geoff in 1968. No wonder it was love at first sight!

All Hale Queen Ryssie!

2008-10-02T17:57:00.000-07:00

So there was a little shop there at the Castle (of course) and we decided to let the kids all pick something. Boys will be boys... they all chose swords, really cool hand carved swords. And girls will be girls... Emeryss chose a princess hat. This is what happened...

With no prompt to do so, I assure you, the boys kneel at Queen Emeryss's feet simultaneously and Brody says, "My Queen, what is our mission to fulfill for you today?"

Emeryss says, "Go and slay the Dragon."

And of course, they did.

Feeling The LOVE!

2008-10-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

What more can I say? Except maybe where this is... An ancient tree at Castle Rising. My ancient I mean, the stone below it said it was planted in 1662... we think, it was hard to read, it too was ancient... the original dedicative stone for the tree... Crazy cool history. Really, how cool is it that we live in ENGLAND!

In order of appearance: Back to front: Daeglan, MacEwen, Broderick, Emeryss

Feeling Very Official!

2008-10-02T17:31:00.000-07:00

It's official, we are residence of the UK. So what after 6 months makes it more official now?

Black Panther now has official UK plates and a Road Tax Disc (last photo can barely see in lower left of windshield). And yes, my kids named our car Blank Panther.

I wish I may, I wish I might....

2008-10-02T17:02:00.000-07:00

So no day off is complete without making a wish. And we were so lucky to find the not just one, but two wells at Castle Rising.

However, we opted for the outdoor well for wishing.

I thought this was incredibly cute and I'm hoping you will too! I've added translations for those of you that don't yet speak Marrott-nese.

"I wish I had a pony."

"I wish I had two bionicles."

"I wish I had a batman soup (that's suit)."

** I've been trying for 3 days to get Brody's Wishing video to upload and for some reason it won't. So, regrettably his wish is not on here. But, here is a quote from his video:

"I wish that drugs and bad words didn't exist and that I had a real omnitrix and shape shifting powers."-- Brody Marrott

For those that don't know, an omnitrix is from the show Ben Ten and gives the wearer the ability to shift into lots of different aliens, what kid wouldn't want that!

Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Marrott Style!

2008-10-02T15:27:00.000-07:00

So Geoff is about to leave for Germany for training and we decided to let the kids play hooky so we could have a day together.

This is where we ventured to....

Castle Rising

Built in 1138 and presented to the Crown in 1300-ish, it is one of the largest Keeps in the country and it was AMAZING!!!

Ok, so check this out....

... the moat on this thing was deeper than any plumber's crack I've ever seen!!! Seriously, I don't know if you can truly appreciate it from the pictures, but imagine yourself fully dressed in 15th century armor, carrying a sword and shield trying to climb 40 feet up a 75 degree angle. That's if, you made it through the water! Oh, and did I mention, it's a double moat. That's right, not one but two moats! This place is nie impregnable.

Ok, here's a few more pix...

A really cool tiled fireplace (glassed over to protect the tile). The tiles were all individually stamped with the coat of arms and various other pictures and symbols.

G with Daeglan and Emeryss sitting on an old chapel wall. M with the four mini-geomir's sitting on the back side of the castle.

View from the Gate Wall. We got to pretend we were archers defending the Keep!

Here is the triple barricaded entry.

Going up! Going Down.

The innerds. Ok, so if you look closely (on the right) you can see the kids in the little doorway across the way. And (left) this is from the basement looking up, all floors and obviously ceiling gone.

Gorgeous original wood-work. I want to live here!!!

Just for Geoff

2008-10-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

Since everyone gets to hear about the kids all the time and since it's usually from my perspective (ok it's always from my perspective), so you get to hear about/from me too, I thought it'd be nice to let you know some things about our fearless leader...

Geoffrey Lorenzo Marrott

Husband Tag:

1. Where did you first meet? FHE @ Ricks (not BYU-I, Ricks), so cliche, I know.

2. How long did you date before you got married? 3 months from 1st date to wedding day!

3. How long have you been married? at the moment, 8 years, 3 months, 22 days, and roughly 10 hours!!

4. What does he do that surprises you? quote scriptures and prophets with no problem or even any effort

5. What is your favorite feature of his? his eyes

6. What is your favorite quality of his? his passion for what's right and true!

7. Does he have a nickname for you? Leigh

8. What is his favorite color? blue

9. What is his favorite food? fish and chips

10. What is his favorite sport? Football (you know the world sport aka soccer and then there's American Football)

11. When and where was your first kiss? After our second date outside the Huntington House, then I came in and jumped on the couch with Melissa!

12. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? We love to watch movies, go out to eat and explore the world (or at least we think we like to explore the world) and we love to be with our kids and just talk to each other about our future plans.

13. Do you have any children? Yes, we have four little rascals and I love that I can look at them and see Geoff!

14. Does he have a hidden talent? He is the best story teller, I've heard all his mission stories uncountable times, and I would listen to them a thousand times a thousand more. His stories are just captivating, just ask someone who has listened to him. He can tell a story about tying his shoes and your enthralled.

15. How old is he? 31 going on 13 somedays

16. Who said "I love you" first? I think he did... Wow, guess I need to research that in my journal. Whoever it was the other followed right behind, so... does it really matter? I guess most would say it does, but...

17. What is his favorite type of music? BAGPIPES

18. How did you know he was The One? I just guessed and got lucky... JK. Lots of reasons: we want the same things from life, he's protective and yet allows me to fall sometimes so that I can get stronger by picking myself up, I love his sense of humor although I am usually at the butt of every joke (Love the line in PS I Love You when the mom's says that's the way a man shows you are with him!), but really his conviction for the Gospel and Truth had me at Hello!

19. Do you think he will read this? Doubt it, not of his own accord anyway. He would if I ask him to, but not sure I would.

20. I tag: Every woman who reads this.

Geoffrey's Deployment

2008-09-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

It's official. Geoff is deploying in December to UAE, the United Arab Emirates. He has to report there Christmas Day, so he will probably leave the UK on or around December 21st. The deployment is tasked for 6 months. We will miss him terribly while he is gone (I'm not sure how I will fair, but I know the Lord will be with us).

Here is a site I found with lots of info about UAE:

http://www.emirates.org/about.html

And if you are into Where in the World is Carmen San Diego aka Where in the World is Geoffrey Lorenzo Marrott, here ya go.

Please pray for him and all our troops as well as the troops from other countries fighting for freedom and basic human rights. I recognize there are many against this war, but these troops are out there risking their lives in service of their countries which boils down to each of us. Whether we are for or against this war we should support the troops and pray for them and their families.

Moving Again!

2008-09-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, so now that we are settled, we are moving again. Not countries, merely houses, but it is another move. We are excited and nervous. It will be another transition to get the kids through, but after careful thought and prayer we have decided it is ideal for our family.

The new house is in the small village of Northwold. It has four bdrms (all with closets!), 2 1/2 baths, an office, big kitchen w/separate dining room, fireplace in living rm, 2 car garage, huge HUGE lawn, a gardener and a window washer all included in the rent. The local primary (elementary) school and the nursery school (preschool) share a parking lot and are just at the end of our street. So, the kids may well come back to America with British accents.

We are so excited. This house is going to offer us the experiences we wanted when we first moved here, but were unable to find. Heavenly Father sure is mindful of us and I truly feel that this house is a sign of His hands in our lives. It is an answer to prayer.

November 1st is our big moving day (tentatively)! Which is right before Geoff deploys, but hopefully things will all work out.

Quotes of the Week Vol 3

2008-09-07T09:11:00.000-07:00

Ready for this? Warning: You may want to relieve your bladder before reading, giggling uncontrollably is a possible side effect.

1. The kids had a half-day Friday and thus came home to eat lunch. Daeglan did not understand the change in routine and cried all the way home on the bus, telling the bus driver: Take me back. Why are you starving me? I need my lunch!

2. On learning of our new house and another move, Brody was reluctant, mostly about the school change. He said to me: Mom, how can I go to a British school? I'm American, I don't speak English.

3. The other day driving in the car Emeryss gets it in her head we are going the wrong way. She insisted that we were not headed for home. I assured her we were. The following is how our conversation proceeded from there.

Ryss: We are not!

Me: We are too.

Ryss: We are three, we are four, Mom. We are not two, we are not going home!

4. For some reason we got on the topic of babies and Mac wanted to know whose tummy everyone was in. After talking about how I was in Grammie's tummy and Geoff was in Nana's our conversation had this interesting development.

Mac: Mom, was I in your tummy when I was a baby?

Me: Yes, you were in there with Daeglan.

Mac: Then you threw up.

Me: What?

Mac: I was in your tummy and then you threw up?

Me: What?

Mac: You threw up and then there I was, a cute, new baby.

Quotes of the Week, vol.2

2008-08-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

Here we go:

1. Mac's tooth was loose and he was fiddling with it; "Look mom, my tooth is a door to my mouth, it opens and closes!"

2. When our snails escaped Mac said, "Oh man, they ran away. I guess they didn't like us." To this Brody nonchalantly responds, "They don't wear shoes, Mac. They can't run."

3. Daeglan's new favorite phrase, "Da** It!" I promise he didn't learn that from me! Well, he might have, but.... I know it's not funny for a five year old to swear, but if you could only hear him with his little speech impediment and all.

*Ok, so I started feeling bad about this one. He may or may not have picked it up from me or Geoff. We really don't swear, but things sometimes slip out before the brain can react and close your mouth for you. Anyway, we are trying to correct this problem. And he doesn't yell it out, usually just mutters it under his breath so it is barely audible. Anyway, maybe I should have just deleted this all together. Great! Now I have guilt. (gotta love the dinosaur on Toy Story)

4. Emeryss explaining why she cut off all her hair, "It was sticky, Mom. I had to get it off."

Life's Fun Little Surprises

2008-08-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

So life is busy, what else can one say? I feel like I'm chasing the hands on the clock trying to catch up, but no matter how fast I am, they are faster. Meantime, I am falling farther and farther behind. The next time those hands lap me, I'm jumping on!!!

Now, that I have that off my chest....

Anyway, school has started *screams of joy* for Brody at least. The twins start on Tuesday and are so excited. Their teachers came to the house this week to meet them, it was fun to see their (the boys) reactions: a little shy, a little excited.

Ok, so since time flies and I don't get on here often enough to give you every detail of our life, thought I'd share a few of the surprises we've experienced lately.

Came down stairs to the following last week.

*The best part was she was just letting Brody lead with no objections. Just let him spin her, twirl her, dip her, drop her. It was so cute.*

My baby, Mac, lost his first tooth!

*Being that Brody has already lost 5 teeth and had one pulled and Daeglan already knocked out his front two, it wasn't very momentous to the kids. But this being Mac's first tooth and the twin's first natural tooth loss, it was a big moment for me!*

We got to experience some great beauties in nature!

*there is a rainbow in the above picture, can't see it very well at this size, but it's there.*

*We also had pet snails for about a day, but they all escaped in my kitchen and I still haven't found one of them! We found them up at Weeting Castle last weekend when we went for picnic. They were stuck all over the trees. We brought four home, but after the little escaping incident we let them loose.*

And my biggest most recent surprise...

Emeryss butchered her hair!!!

I had to fix it somehow! Here is what I came up with.

She now has a cute pixie cut. You can still see the bald patch,

but it's not as drastic!

And thus we see, life is full of fun surprises!

Quotes of the week!

2008-08-09T04:01:00.001-07:00

Ok, so my kids say some of the funniest things I have ever heard and I thought, why not share!

So I am going to try and do a Quotes of the Week, just to prove just how crazy this clan is.

There are too many things to choose from this week, so this first one might include some past quotes that aren't quite as recent. But as this is my blog, I can do what I want....

1. Brody (about a year ago)- "Mom, when I grow up will I have a chest like yours, cause I really want to?"

2. Mac (under heavy sedation for stitches last winter)- crying and crying he says, "My brain is too small, I can't move my arms." to my friend Traci who was with us and laughing hysterically at him "Naughty, Naughty, Naughty." May not sound that funny, but trust me it was. His lazy eye was so crossed, his lisp was even worse and he couldn't hold his head up. Nothing like a drunk 4 year old. he was like that drunk mouse on Alice in Wonderland.

3. Daeglan (says it almost daily)- "Mom, when I grow up I want to be a pirate. I want to cut off my hand and my foot so I can have a hook and a peg leg."

4. Emeryss (favorite phrases)- says as she shakes her head and puts a hand over one eye "I tan't beleaf dis." When she loves being a girl, "Dirl Power! I'm Super Dirl!"

5. Brody (yesterday waking up from surgery and really wanting to go home)- "Come on Mom, what's more important my teeth or my family?" (back story, I use this phrase, "what's more important your toys or your family?" when they are fighting, haha)

Snettisham Beach

2008-08-09T03:17:00.000-07:00

Hope your not all tired of beach pix, but we aren't so...

Here of some of our day at Snettisham beach last week.

My baby is 3, aka no longer a baby of any sort!

2008-07-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

So our little princess turned 3 today. Again, sighing I say, "I can't believe how fast time goes by." Makes you realize how precious every moment is.

A family that recently moved gave us a Barbie Jeep and hello birthday. She loved it. She also got lots of princess flair (slippers, bracelets and a light up ring).

We had a family water fight to end the celebrations. All in all another great bday.

Ok, so for some reason I can't get the video to load, oh well. Pictures are great too.

*I'm so sad my camera died on the twinners' bday. Their bday post is pathetic compared to Brody and Ryss's. Oh, well, we can't do everything perfect all the time!

Princess

2008-07-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

We have big news........ Today for the first time in Marrott history.......

Emeryss let me do her hair!!!

It was a big day for us.

Flight Fun

2008-07-18T14:12:00.000-07:00

Geoff's flight had a BBQ today. The kids had a fabulous time playing around and I got some great shots of them. For your viewing pleasure...

Another Birthday...

2008-07-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

Oh, my baby turned 7 today. It seems like every year birthdays tear at my heart strings a little more. It's sometimes hard to watch the kids get older. Today just brought a rush of memories for me. I've replayed in my mind my pregnancy, labor and delivery and several more memorable Brody moments. I did the same of the twins recent birthday, but somehow it's been more emotional for me today. Maybe cause Brody is the oldest. My first mini–me. He is such an amazing boy. He has unfaltering faith in the Savior. He prays often and is never ashamed to ask his Father in Heaven for help. He said today while we sat and ate cake, "Mom you know what this means?... I can get baptized next year!" What can I say, he a great kid and we love that he is a member of our family. He is a great big brother!

I'd Like to Bear My Testimony

2008-07-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

To heed the counsel of the apostles, I would like to share my testimony with everyone I know and everyone I don't. Let me first begin by saying that there are times in my life when I have taken for granted the things that I know. There have been times when life's challenges and circumstances have, unfortunately, bogged me down or made me 'too busy' to stop and daily ponder the things I know. However, I have never doubted, nor ever will what I know to be true.

I know I have a Heavenly Father. I know that I am truly His daughter. I know that as a earthy father loves and is aware of his children, my Heavenly Father loves and is aware of me only on a much grander scale. I know that He hears me when I pray to Him. I know He answers me. I know that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to this earth to intercede in my behave. Christ came willingly as a most beloved Brother to sacrifice Himself for all of God's children. I know that Jesus Christ is my personal Savior. He lived and died for me, so that I may have the opportunity to return to live again with my Father in Heaven. I know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ can I receive not only salvation, but also exaltation. I know that by and through this miraculous ordinance, I can be made pure, made whole and eventually made perfect. I have felt the power of the Atonement in my life, not only when I have needed the divine gift of forgiveness, but also when I have needed the divine gift of comfort, peace and healing.

I know that there was an apostasy and a falling away from truth after Christ's death and the death of the Apostles. And I know that Christ called for a restoration of all things. I know that this Restoration of Christ's gospel in it's fullness was revealed to Joseph Smith in 1820 in a grove of trees. I know that the Father and the Son standing side by side appeared to Joseph Smith as he prayed for guidance. I know that Joseph Smith was divinely appointed to translate the Book of Mormon. I know the Book of Mormon to be the word of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. I know that God intends for us to have a living prophet and modern revelation.

I have a testimony of the doctrines of the restored gospel. I have a testimony of tithing, temple ordinances, the priesthood and eternal families. I know that the power of God has been given to man once again. And I know that only with proper authority can man act in God's name. The power of the Priesthood as given to Peter, James and John was given to Joseph Smith and is on the earth today. With the Priesthood, sacred ordinances such as baptism, the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and temple ordinances can be performed for both the living and the dead.

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's church upon the earth today. Christ is it's Head. He guides and directs and leads through a living Prophet, Thomas S. Monson and the Quorum of the 12 Apostles. And I know that Jesus Christ will come to the earth again to reign as Lord and King.

I know these things because I have studied, I have prayed, I have asked in faith with sincere intent, having faith in Christ, and the Holy Ghost has confirmed to me the truthfulness of these things. And I leave them with you, in the name of the Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Testimonies

2008-07-10T04:20:00.000-07:00

In this months Ensign, Elder Ballard admonished us to use the internet to share the gospel. The Marrott's are trying to take this to heart. We have decided to share our testimonies with you.

*Honestly, we weren't coaxing them, only helping them to remember what they had previously decided they wanted to share.*

Havin' Fun!

2008-07-01T15:11:00.000-07:00

So after working hard to clean the house, I decided the kids needed some good old fashion fun. We pumped up the volume and danced the night away. It was so much fun. Here are some clips of the kids lettin' it loose and rockin' out. I have to say, Brody's got rhythm, he takes after his mama:)

Crazy Marrott Update

2008-07-01T14:50:00.001-07:00

June brought birthdays, our anniversary and lots of crazy Marrott Fun!

Geoff and I celebrated 8 years of bliss (?) on June 9th. We would never had imagined that our first 8 years together would have brought 4 amazing children with their accompanying trips to the ER and a move overseas. It's been a crazy roller coaster filled with screams, but for the most part, life has been fantastic!

I still can't believe that my little babies, MacEwen and Daeglan, are five years old now. There's something about 5 that is such a big step. They had a great birthday. They got to decorate their own cake and we had a blast of a silly string war as a family that ended it with, well tears and laughter.

I should really stop being surprised with how time flies, but again, I can't believe I just turned 28. Reality check, I'm almost 30! Oh well. My birthday was quite eventful though. Mac gave me the most unexpected present, a trip to the ER. (Not the first time I've spent my birthday at a hospital, but a first at a British hospital and it was interesting.) After throwing himself over the stair banister and giving himself a concussion, he is still running, climbing and jumping. I'm not sure he learned his lesson! Though he gave us quite a scare, he is doing fine now. The doctor just says that we have to try and keep him contained for a few weeks. We'll do our best.

The Wash, Hunstanton, UK, North Beach

2008-06-17T04:39:00.000-07:00

Here are some more adventuresome pix.

Dover Castle

2008-06-17T04:17:00.000-07:00

Here are some pix from Dover Castle.

Adventures

2008-06-17T03:01:00.000-07:00

The past few months have been crazy adjusting to a new house, new school, new ward, new country. But things are going well. We are finally getting everyone's allergies and asthma under control. We have had a few adventures so far. We have been to Great Yarmouth and Hunstanton to see the North Sea. W

have also been to Dover to see the Castle and look out across the Channel to France (it was really too foggy that day to see anything, but it was fun trying).

And we have been to a few little

places around here exploring ruins and the local culture.

Geoff is deploying in November to Qatar and will be gone for 6 months. We a

re all

nervous, but sure the time will pass quickly.

The kids are glad it's summer and look forward their birthdays and to finding more places to play. We are enjoying having playgroups and library story times and other activities to fill our days. Mac and Daeglan are excited for kindergarten in the fall. And Brody is

excited that they will be all going to school together. Poor Emeryss. We are trying to find a preschool program for her too.

Well, that's life for now. On to adventuring.

We Made It!

2008-05-24T04:31:00.001-07:00

Well, we made it. On Sunday, March 24th we landed in London and it's been crazy times. We came with a broken arm and a broken foot, add to that asthma problems and a few more accidents of crazy boys and we spent our first few weeks here at the hospital.

We moved into our new house on April 18th and are just now getting truly settled. Though we purged before we came, we are still finding stuff to get rid of. I never realized we had so much crap. The kids love having a fenced in backyard and are constantly in and out. The love having a driveway big enough to enjoy their bikes and are finally admitting to themselves that this is their home. Mac keeps asking when our house is coming. I guess since everything else came on a boat or plane he figures our house should be coming soon too.

Geoff is working days with the Delta flight and is enjoying a more relaxed and laid back atmosphere. He will be deploying in November and is looking forward to taking his turn and doing his duty.

All in all, things are coming together and this summer we look forward to exploring this part of the world.

A New Year, new adventures/experiences!

2008-01-13T12:14:00.001-08:00

Well, we have kicked off 2008 as busy as we left 2007. We are getting things ready for our move to England, trying to keep up with school, Geoff's gone for training and we have had one visit from family and are awaiting another.

Last Sunday, Geoff left for Texas for his level 7 training (no idea what that means). Two days later we picked up my Grandma Bell and my Aunt Glenna (my dad's family) from the bus depot. We had such fun with them. It was great for the kids to spend enough time with them to

really get to know them. We took a drive out to Vedawoo yesterday and it was beautiful. We dropped them off this morning and we were sad to see them go.

Geoff will be home next Sunday. My mom and Aunt Sandy are coming to see us the first week of February and the second/third week of February we are going to Idaho to see the Marrott's. Then the first week of March we will be leaving

Cheyenne, driving across the country and setting out for England.

We are so excited for the move. However, time is going so fast and before we know it well be there. It seems impossible that we will get there, we still have so much to do.

Here are some pix of our year so far.