Welcome 2013!

As 2012 comes to an end and 2013 makes it's way here, I see more and more people posting their resolutions for the new year.
To be completely honest I am not sure what resolutions to make as so often God tends to change things in my life so quickly.

A year ago today, I was at a completely different place in my life.

2012 has definitely been a year of surprises and ups and downs.
Wes and I found out we were going to be parents in May.
I was finally able to get involved with the children's ministry at church and go back to helping at AWANA each week.
God showed his wonderful way of providing as we got blessed by friends and family in both big and small ways.
Wes started doing many side jobs as a bricklayer, with hopes that he will be able to start a business sometime in the future.
Though I was unable to attend Teacher's College as originally planned this year, I was accepted and able to defer it to next September.

This list goes on and on, yet coming back to the point where I ask myself what are my goals for the upcoming year I realize that my goals may not be the traditional type of resolutions, but they are what is important to me now.

I hope to be a mother that is loving, patient and able to provide fully for my daughter.
I want her to grow up in a home where she is able to be herself and see that the God of the universe loves her with all his heart.
I hope that Wes and I will be able to continue with this wonderful marriage we have shared thus far, and not get frustrated with each other when trials come our way.
I want to be a person that my friends can rely on and trust when they need somebody to talk to.

Obviously these things will not all come naturally and probably not all at the same time.  But it's something to work towards.
God has really change my life plans this past year and I am very excited to see where this next year will bring me.

"As Seen on TV" Gift Swap

I am so blessed to have a wonderful group of girls behind me that have been like sisters for the past 10 years.  

We have grown up together and are able to comfort each other in hard times, laugh with each other over the past and grow spiritually with each other. 

As we get older however, it becomes harder and harder to find time for us all to get together.

We decided to do a annual Christmas get together so we have a time we are all able to catch up (and honestly, we have to start planning in Sept so we are able to find a date that works for all of us!)

This year is our 3rd annual gift swap/Secret Santa. 

We decided to make it a bit more fun and tried doing only "As Seen on TV" gifts. 

We ended up with:

• 2 Pairs of Forever Lazy Onesies (Basically a Snuggie made into a onesie)
• A breathalizer for your Ipod 
• A Pair of Stompie Slippers 
• 1 Direction Board Game 
• 2 Shake Weights 
• Various other smaller gifts

It was honestly such a blast as we killed ourself laughing at the gifts that were opened.

3rd Trimester Ultrasound

I've really been lacking on the whole blogging thing lately with the holidays and everything! 

It has been so nice catching up with family and friends the last few weeks and FINALLY exams are over!

It was strange leaving my family this time as I knew next time we would see them, the baby would be here.  

 

 

This morning, Wes and I went to get our third ultrasound done. 

Here are the highlights:

• Baby Marshall is still a "she" (good thing since otherwise our little boy would be dressed very girly the first year or so)
• She is in good health
• She is measuring larger than she is predicted to be (It should be 36 weeks 1 day and most measurements were 38 weeks +)

 

 

It's all getting very real!

A Christmas Prayer

After the shooting this past week, I think many people are still in shock.  

This is a prayer written by Max Lucado, that I found very fitting.  

Dear Jesus,
It’s a good thing you were born at night. This world sure seems dark. I have a good eye for silver linings. But they seem dimmer lately.

These killings, Lord.  These children, Lord.  Innocence violated.  Raw evil demonstrated.

The whole world seems on edge. Trigger-happy. Ticked off. We hear threats of chemical weapons and nuclear bombs. Are we one button-push away from annihilation?

Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas.  But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were nightshift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod’s jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty.  Dark with violence.

Herod went on a rampage, killing babies. Joseph took you and your mom into Egypt. You were an immigrant before you were a Nazarene.

Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won’t you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger.

This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.
Hopefully,
Your Children

---

© 2012 Max Lucado

Winner!

So it's time to announce the winner of the Scripture Lullaby Cd/Cd Download (Your choice). 

 

 

 

 

 

Congrats to:

LIZ H.  !

 

Contact me and I will get you in touch with the company so you can receive your prize. 

 

Thank you all for entering and don't forget you can still use the coupon code SLPROMO12 for a 15% discount.

Week 34

How far along? 34 weeks 

Maternity clothes? Only able to wear the few maternity clothes I have...   falling funny on my stomach still though

Exercising: What I can do yes.  Walks and everything seem to be very small as I get sore very easily.  

Stretch marks? Yes... I don't have the "cute baby belly" unfortunately but it will all be worth it in the end!

Sleep: Worse and Worse.   This past week I have gotten the pregnancy induced carpal tunnel.  So my hands and arms fall asleep and the muscles tighten all night.   Very hard to sleep.  

Best moment this week: I loved getting the maternity photos done and see them!   It's beginning to get very real.  We also got a wonderful stroller and car seat from my parents for Christmas.    Only 3 more weeks until she is full term.  

Oh and Baby Marshall now has another wonderful little boy waiting for her-- 2 down 1 to go .  (Congrats Nate and Shauna!)

Have you told family and friends: Yep.

Miss Anything? My jogs... I used to jog 3/4 times a week for a few km at a time... now I can walk a block and I'm sore/tired....  

Movement: Yep.   Trying to get her to slow down during exams as it can be very hard to concentrate   Only a week left until exams are done though!

Food cravings: nothing weird....

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not sure if it's pregnancy sick or sick sick.  Hopefully it stops soon.  

Have you started to show yet: Yes.  I like having a baby bump.  But I don't like the comments you get from many people.  She is growing though- can't wait till she joins us!

Gender prediction: No longer a prediction. It's a girl!! 

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? in but I don't think for much longer

Wedding rings on or off? off (wearing them on my neck though)

Happy or Moody most of the time: ALL OVER.  I am sorry guys!   

Looking forward to: Seeing my ladies on Sunday and having a "As Seen on TV" Gift Exchange.  So excited!

Not loving: Carpal tunnel .... the worst. 

In Mary's Shoes

I love this time of year. 

Everybody is cheerful, people are more giving and more accepting

and I just love the thought that we get to celebrate the birth of Jesus with our friends and family. 

This Christmas is especially special for me. 

This will be my last Christmas not being a Mom.  

I have found myself thinking of things much differently in terms of things that Mary may have felt while she was expecting her baby boy.  

Just think about it.  

Here was a young girl, engaged but still with so much life in front of her. 

And the God of Creation chose her to carry his one and only son. 

Honestly, I feel blessed that God has chosen me to be a mother to a little girl very soon. 

But how amazing knowing God chose you to be the mother to the King of Kings.  

Unreal. 

Maybe it is just me, but before this year I always just thought about Mary as this pregnant woman in a stable. 

But she, just like anybody who has been pregnant before, had to wait 9 months while this baby formed in her body.  

Can you imagine, having Jesus grow in you? 

Knowing the first time he kicked you that the same human was going to save you? 

With pregnancy, I'm finding there are also concerns and worries that sometimes arise. 

The thoughts of whether or not you will be a good parent, whether or not you will raise your child in the way God intended and whether or not your child will see how much you love them are thoughts that always find a way to peak through.

What about Mary? 

She knew that this was God's son she was having and he was the only sinless man to walk the earth.  

Can you imagine how these thoughts would have been in her mind? 

I'm so glad I will be able to celebrate Christmas with this little baby inside of me, 

I'm so glad I can gain a different perspective on the Christmas Story.  

Mary was new to the parenting thing, just as I will be.  

And it is comforting knowing God still chose her.  

1 Year of Blogging

Well, as of Saturday, I have been a part of this whole blogging thing for 1 year.  

To be honest, I didn't think this blog would last this long,.

I have been able to learn so much through writing this blog, 

and I have met many wonderful people over the course of the year. 

I decided to share some of my top 10 favourite posts over the past year:

• A Letter to Our Baby Girl
• This is a letter I wrote for Peyton when she is old enough to read and understand it.  It has our wishes for her as she grows up into a young woman.  
• Fairy Tale Love
• This is a post I wrote about the mixed conceptions we have on love, and how perhaps the "fairy tale love" many little girls grew up to know isn't exactly what true love is like.  
• Too Young to Marry?
• This was a post with some of the reasons Wes and I are happy we married young.  This was actually written only a few days after finding out we were pregnant (and we had barely told anybody at this point- not even family)
• First Comes Love
• Our Baby Announcement!
• Masked Church
• A thought on being ourselves with our church family, rather than hiding everything to give ourselves the "perfect church look".
• Unexpected Blessing
• This post goes over the reasons why I don't like the term "unplanned pregnancy" and how God has a plan for every child even before they are born.
• Get Real
• This is just a few things about me you may not know. 
• God's Big Plans
• A little post on how my life has changed from what I had thought would happen to God's actual plans for me.  
• A Letter to Young Christian Women
• A letter I wrote to the young women of God.  As a camp councillor, I have seen many girls believe lies media and other people tell them.  This is just something to encourage them.
• Our Story- Part 4
• This may be a cheat- I like the whole Our Story series, but I didn't want to take up 4 of the top 10 spots ;).   This is the story from our dating years to our wedding day.  Soon I will add a couple more posts to this series.  

So there it is!  

Thanks for reading, and I hope you continue to read future posts:)

Maternity Photos

This weekend, Wes and I went to get some maternity photos done by a good friend of mine. 

This was her first maternity shoot and I must say I think she did a wonderful job!   

Check her website out:

Sam McBride Photography

So here's a few from the shoot.  

Enjoy!

Now... which one for Christmas Cards?

Week 33

This week has been full of lots of exciting moments! 

We had our first baby shower over the weekend, and we have slowly but surely been getting more and more ready for this baby to arrive.  

My classes are finished, so now it's just onward towards exams and then I get to rest until the baby arrives!  

Baby Girl has been moving around all the time, it honestly looks like she's trying to claw her way out of my stomach sometimes. 

Altogether, this pregnancy has been good to me, but I have found these past few weeks have gotten harder and harder.  

Though I had no symptoms at all in first trimester, the morning sickness and other symptoms are now hitting me.  

I cannot wait until Christmas rolls around, and this girl decides to join us-- 7 more weeks! 

Getting Ready

This past week has been very exciting as we are realizing how close we are to having our baby girl in our arms. 

We had a baby shower this weekend, and it was so great to have friends and family join us in celebrating our baby girl.  

We are so blessed to have such amazing support behind us.  

Afterwards, we used some of the money we got to buy the bedding we had registered for (get this though- we found the same set on Kijiji for way less and for the entire set rather than just the bedding!)

We decided to go for a Jungle Animal theme, as we hope to have children in the future as well and we wanted a set that was gender neutral and we both love this set!   

The picture of the Giraffe above is a lovely piece I won earlier in the summer before we knew if it was a girl or a boy, and Wes helped me pick it out so I am very excited we were able to place it in a spot that Baby Girl will see it.  

Here are some pictures of the crib set up!

What Goes In & A GIVEAWAY!

Have you ever heard the expression "What goes in must come out"?

I think this is even more true when considering the type of music we listen to. 

All to often, I find myself listening to a song for it's "catchy beat"

rather than the meanings behind the lyrics that I am putting in my brain.

I think for a child, this concept is even more prominant. 

Think about it...

How often do children catch onto those "bad words" they hear from the world around them?

This is why I am so excited that I am able to offer a giveaway to my readers today!

Scripture Lullabies

provides a way to teach your children the Word of God just by listening to this soothing music.

{I have used this music for children I have babysat and they all loved it

- and to be honest-

I usually keep it on a bit longer as I love listening to these songs as well}

On top of this wonderful music, One out of every Ten CD's sold is donated to Pregnancy Resource Centres around the country. 

Bringing the Word of God not only to your children,

but to the families who use these resources. 

Scripture Lullabies is offering:

Your choice of Volume I or Volume II of Hidden In My Heart to one winner.  Winner can choose if they want physical CDs or digital downloads of the CDs.

How to Enter (Please leave a seperate comment for each entry to count):

1.  Comment on this blog and say why you would love to win.

2.  Like Scripture Lullabies on Facebook.

3.  Follow Scripture Lullabies on Twitter.

4.  Sign up for their newsletter either on Facebook or their website.

5.  Like Meet the Marshall's on Facebook.

6.  Follow Meet the Marshall's blog via Google or email. 

7.  Share this giveaway and leave a comment saying how you did so!

Okay 7 ways to enter-- the more you enter, the better chances you have of winning!  

The winner will be announced on Friday December 14/2012. 

And don't worry- if you are not chosen, you can still use the coupon code SLPROMO12 for a 15% discount.



My First Christmas with Jesus

Sometimes the holidays can be hard as many of us have friends and family who are no longer able to be with us for the holidays.  

Here is a lovely poem by {Unknown Author}.  

Please take the time to read it.  

My First Christmas With Jesus

I see the countless Christmas trees
around the world below 
With tiny lights, like Heaven's stars,
reflecting on the snow. 
The sight is so spectacular,
please wipe away the tear
For I am spending Christmas with
Jesus Christ this year. 

I hear the many Christmas songs
that people hold so dear
But the sounds of music can't compare
with the Christmas choir up here. 
I have no words to tell you,
the joy their voices bring,
For it is beyond description,
to hear the angels sing. 

I know how much you miss me,
I see the pain inside your heart.
But I am not so far away,
We really aren't apart. 
So be happy for me, dear ones,
You know I hold you dear.
And be glad I'm spending Christmas
with Jesus Christ this year. 

I sent you each a special gift,
from my heavenly home above.
I sent you each a memory
of my undying love. 
After all, love is a gift more precious
than pure gold.

It was always most important
in the stories Jesus told. 
Please love and keep each other,
as my Father said to do.
For I can't count the blessing or love
He has for each of you. 

So have a Merry Christmas and
wipe away that tear.
Remember, I am spending Christmas with
Jesus Christ this year.