MonkeyTurtleMarshall

An Angel

2009-12-14T11:29:00.000-08:00

Wow. Sometimes when you least expect it you get these really great signs. I had a really nice weekend, and yesterday morning, when I went to church, I was feeling a little stressed. I have been praying about something for a really long time and it just keeps coming back up as a challenge. I felt pretty frustrated when I walked in.

All of the sudden, I saw someone I recognized. Almost two years ago, I went to the coffeehouse one night and Eric and I met a guy that was seriously struggling with a drug problem. He had nowhere to go, and was staying at The Well for a few days while he was trying to kick his habit. He was very very thin and hungry. I didn't have much money, but I had a $20 and asked him what he wanted to eat. He wanted a pizza, so I bought it for him and listened to him talk about his life and how he'd messed up and lost his daughter and how he really wanted to get clean. He said his name was Angel.

Several times since then, I have wondered about him and how he is doing. It always makes me think when I help someone, even a little, with a meal or jacket, if it makes a difference. Yesterday, I found out it had. I almost didn't recognize him because he was healthy. He had gained weight, and was with his family at church. It took me a little while to remember it was the same person. He had purchased a guitar to help him with stress & was doing so much better.

After that I was with the kids in the nursery, which always makes me feel great. They are so cute!! When I came back in, they were playing the song Eric & I danced to at our wedding, Daughters of Jerusalem. It futher strengthened my determination to hold on, don't give up, keep praying about it. It will come in God's time when He is ready.

May peace be with you this week and all through the holiday season!

Long time no blog!

2009-11-23T13:16:00.000-08:00

Hi friends & family!

I haven't blogged in a while and just wanted to do a quick update. All is well here and I am hoping to see as many of you as possible during the holiday season. I love looking around and seeing that some lights are already up. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas (as my Nana always says!). This is a picture from Saturday when we went to visit Eric's good friend Joe, his wife Heather, and their 7 month old baby, Joseph. We had a great time. Eric picked up an acoustic guitar for the first time in a while, and after hearing him play it, I, of course, believe he should own one. I got to bang around on the drums, too and loved it. I think our next house will have to have a rock studio!!!!

Marshall Family Reunion

2009-09-15T07:03:00.001-07:00

These pictures were taken at the Marshall family reunion on September 6th in Virginia. Below is Eric's cousin Burnett & Dolly, with Joan.

Eric & I won the prize for the newest married Marshalls, a photo album with a rooster on the front.

We were able to picnic outside with Laura, Scot, and Ryder!

Aunt Tori & Unkie E love Ryder & Laura

Can you see the resemblance?

It was a fun day..can't wait to do it again next year. We went to the local jockey lot and racked up on some great deals, including a pair of swarovski crystal earrings from a local artist!

Fun

2009-08-17T06:21:00.001-07:00

Doodle keeps losing weight, thankfully! He is down to 14 pounds and dropping! I feed him a half cup of Merrick's Wildnerness blend and some fruits & veggies. Since Chihuahuas originated in Mexico, they used to eat fruits and rodents for meals. I skip the rodents, but they love fruits. All but grapes and raisins. I think avacado is Jasmine's favorite. It is easy because Eric & I eat a lot of fruits & veggies so I give them a little of my leftovers. This is truly a miracle doggie. He was so heavy he couldn't walk and had thyroid disease. I take him to a vet in Kings Mountain, NC that is a holistic vet. He was a missionary in Colombia, South America for 20 years and has taught me so much about how to take care of my dogs. Doodle is a happy boy and he really tries to sing like Jasmine, but sounds more like a frog!!

Here's the princess Jasmine, looking pretty & perfect as usual. She likes to bite Doodle if I talk to him or pet him too much!

Here's a really cool thing! I told my good friend Chris (who is a great artist) that my favorite monkey was a Lion Faced Tamarin. He painted me a picture for my birthday! How sweet!

This was my birthday dinner with my good friend Catherine, Chris, and Eric. Catherine took us all to Nakato in Pineville and it was so good! She gave me the coolest card! Good friends like these are hard to find and I am so thankful for mine!

-Have a great day!

Family

2009-07-22T15:31:00.001-07:00

Better late than never! I piled into a beach house with Eric's family, there were 7 adults, 1 infant, 5 puppies, and 7 dogs!! And we survived and I still liked them afterwards. Isn't that a miracle?? :) I think after that weekend, I realized that we absolutely need more fun vacations with my sister in law and brother in law! It was lots & lots of fun. I am ready to go again!!!

Friends

2009-07-22T15:28:00.001-07:00

I was so excited to have a great weekend. Friday night a band came and played at The Well & Eric helped me to serve coffee at the coffeeshop. It was a lot of fun and the best part was that Greg & Melynda Burge came with Melynda's cousin. They took the time to come see us and to come to church with us on Sunday. They are missionaries in the Dominican Republic and Greg and I used to work together at Land Rover. It was so great to see my friends again!! Now I need donations to travel to help them!! I am collecting pennies at this point in time! :) Love!

Oh Praise Him!!!! Eric's new job

2009-07-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

What a blessing!

Yesterday we got some incredible news! Eric has found a job that he will love! It is a clean, smoke-free enviroment, with a caring, intelligent employer, a shorter commute, and a nice salary too! We are so thrilled and have been praying for this. He's spending the day detailing a boat. How fun! If you need your car detailed, here's his new work website. www.elkinsautomotive.com

This has been a long time coming and Eric is so excited to get to go to school at night and work at a shop he really likes. They are going to teach him to do all kinds of auto repair as well. Sounds like fun to me. So congrats to the Turtle!!!

Thanks, God!!!!

And if you need your car detailed, here's his new work website. www.elkinsautomotive.com

Lucky Me

2009-06-23T15:48:00.001-07:00

I haven't blogged in a while, because there hasn't been much to say! Two weekends ago, Chu and I got to take a trip to Columbia! I miss that town so much! It really felt like home and I loved getting to see my friends at Land Rover. We went to Gervais and Vine for Tapas with Kerry & Oates stopped by!! Then Chu was still hungry, so we went to a sushi restaurant...yummy Camon, and Kerry & his coach hung out for a bit. Good times, great friends!

E-rockin the bass

2009-06-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

I love this picture! I took it with my cell phone last night as Eric was practicing with his new Ernie Ball Musicman bass guitar. The sound is awesome and he keeps getting better all the time. He is giving lessons to one guy from church, and hopefully soon will be able to instruct others as well. I don't even think he realizes how talented he is at playing instruments, especially bass and drums. It is fun watching him practice and seeing that he loves his wedding/birthday present!

Imagine If

2009-06-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

I found notes in a book, as I sometimes write my thoughts. I kinda liked these thoughts, so I decided to share:

What if....

We could talk without fear of reactions?

We could listen without judgement?

We could learn without anger?

We could overcome pride?

We could erase doubts?

We could truly let God guide us?

Oh there is so much to say, but those are my random thoughts for the day!

-Peace, Monkey

Happy Birthday Jack Jack

2009-06-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, Ok, I will admit it...the cutest kid in the world isn't mine! My sister's oldest boy, Jack Jack just turned three and we went to his birthday party at La Bastide, near the mountains of Hendersonville, North Carolina. Coincidentally, it was the last night that the restaurant was open to the public (and I ordered fish instead of steak...way to go Tori!)

Like most all kids, Jack was so excited about his birthday. Especially since he loves cake so much! When C.C. and Daddy Jack brought out a big Thomas cake with his name on it, he was so excited!

Jack Jack had so much fun playing on his new Thomas train that he got for his birthday! He did not want to get off of it and his Aunt Tori pushed him over and over again and he could not stop laughing!

Thank you to all for looking at pictures! Have a great day!

Oh, Jack also has a nineteen month old little brother who wants you all to know that his birthday is in November and he wants a Thomas cake too!!! Brad loves Daddy Jack!

Memorial Day Fun

2009-05-27T20:15:00.001-07:00

I tried to post this last week but was having problems with the photo uploader...so here it goes again....

What a fun weekend! My friend Sara came to visit me from Charleston. We got to spend some time hanging out with Catherine too!

Chris displayed his patriotism by a great dye job on his beard (which is now shaved!) I went to school to be an esthetician, not a hairstylist and it shows!!

Eric did manage to hit the pool but he was missed at the lake!!

I should take a picture of my freshly steam cleaned carpets! Eric got all the dirt and spots out on Sunday!! I felt lucky to have such a great husband that helps me clean! Sometimes I feel he cleans better than I do! It was a great weekend catching up with old friends, the only thing missing was Eric! And Bitty & Doodle got to have lots of fun too!!

The Well

2009-05-27T16:10:00.000-07:00

So Sunday I went to church without Eric, as he was so tired from working so much last week! I was blessed to enjoy such a beautiful time! Dave & Liz (who will be missed so much) played Daughters of Jerusalem during communion. That is the song Eric & I danced to at our wedding.

I also got to hold Brighton, Susannah and Ryan's little one! He was so cute in his little turtle shirt! He fell asleep in my arms. I think it shocked him when he woke up and had to figure out who the strange lady was holding him! :) Fun fun!

Night Night

2009-05-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

Hi again friends & family!

I wanted to show you my little perfect ones! Princess Jasmine

& Doodle (aka Piggy). Any guesses to what kind of dog he is? Good luck!

I have many more pics to post from this weekend, but wanted to get a little start tonight. Good night and may you sleep with the angels!

-Monkey

While You Were Crusing

2009-05-26T18:53:00.001-07:00

Dear Laura,

Just thought I would let you know that while you and Scot were out crusing...Eric & I got to spend time with Baby Ryder...nah nah nah! :) Haha! Here are some pics from our fun!!

Thought we would let everyone enjoy our cute nephew!

For all the mothers!

2009-05-20T19:26:00.001-07:00

My dad sent me this and I thought it was so funny! :) Here's to you mothers!

25 REASONS I OWE MY MOTHER

1.. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE .
'If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.'

2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
'You better pray that will come out of the carpet.'

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL .
'If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!'

4. My mother taught me LOGIC.
' Because I said so, that's why .'

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC .
'If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me.'

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
'Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident.'

7. My mother taught me IRONY
'Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about.'

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
'Shut your mouth and eat your supper.'

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM .
'Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!'

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
'You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone.'

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
'This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it.'

12.. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
'If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!'

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE .
'I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.'

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
'Stop acting like your father!'

15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
'There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do.'

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
'Just wait until we get home..'

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING .
'You are going to get it when you get home !'

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
'If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way.'

19. My mother taught me ESP.
'Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?'

20. My mother taught me HUMOR.
'When that lawn mower cuts off your foot, don't come running to me.'

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT .
'If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up.'

22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
'You're just like your father.'

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
'Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?'

24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
'When you get to be my age, you'll understand.'

25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE
'One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you.'

Some wedding pics

2009-05-18T17:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you Angela and Shannon!

2009-05-13T07:08:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed to have friends that are artists! Angela made the coolest Rasta Turtle for Eric & I! He even has his own little dreads! I love it! She makes "Whimseys" and they are awesome multi-sensory animals! You can check out her album if you would like!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=11uby8kt.1k979rgp&x=0&y=-pyilqe&localeid=en_US&cm_mmc=site_email-_-site_share-_-core-_-view_photos_button

Shannon, our other artist friend, created a spraypaint image of a photo of Eric & I! How cool is this? We love it!

Thank you both so much for your time and thoughtfulness! We love you!

Turtle & Monkey Marshall

Just Me Checking In

2009-05-07T07:16:00.001-07:00

So I read this email from a friend this morning and it filled my heart enough to want to share it!

A minister passing through his church in the middle of the day, Decided to pause by the altar and see who had come to pray.. Just then the back door opened, a man came down the aisle, The minister frowned as he saw the man hadn't shaved in a while. His shirt was kind a shabby and his coat was worn and frayed, the man knelt, he bowed his head, Then rose and walked away.
In the days that followed, each noon time came this chap, each time he knelt just for a moment, A lunch pail in his lap.

Well, the minister's suspicions grew, with robbery a main fear, He decided to stop the man and ask him, 'What are you doing here?'

The old man said, he worked down the road. Lunch was half an hour. Lunchtime was his prayer time, For finding strength and power. 'I stay only moments, see, because the factory is so far away; as I kneel here talking to the Lord, This is kinda what I say:

'I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY. SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM CHECKING IN TODAY.'

The minister feeling foolish, told Jim, that was fine. He told the man he was welcome to come and pray just anytime. Time to go, Jim smiled, said 'Thanks.' He hurried to the door.

The minister knelt at the altar, he'd never done it before. His cold heart melted, warmed with love, and met with Jesus there. As the tears flowed, in his heart, he repeated old Jim's prayer:

'I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY. SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME CHECKING IN TODAY.'

Past noon one day, the minister noticed that old Jim hadn't come. As more days passed without Jim, he began to worry some. At the factory, he asked about him, learning he was ill. The hospital staff was worried, But he'd given them a thrill.

The week that Jim was with them, Brought changes in the ward.. His smiles, a joy contagious. Changed people, were his reward. The head nurse couldn't understand why Jim was so glad, when no flowers, calls or cards came, Not a visitor he had.

The minister stayed by his bed, He voiced the nurse's concern: No friends came to show they cared. He had nowhere to turn. Looking surprised, ol d Jim spoke up and with a winsome smile; 'the nurse is wrong, she couldn't know, that in here all the while everyday at noon He's here, a dear friend of mine , you see, He sits right down, takes my hand, Leans over and says to me:

'I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, JIM, HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND THIS FRIENDSHIP, AND I TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN. I ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY, I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH DAY, AND SO JIM, THIS IS JESUS CHECKING IN TODAY.'

Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart. May God hold you in the palm of His hand and Angels watch over you.

Yes, I do love God. He is my source of existence and Savior. He keeps me functioning each and everyday. Without Him, I will be nothing Without him, I am nothing but with Him 'I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.' Phil 4:13 This is too good not to share - So this is me, Just Checking In

Fun weekend

2009-05-03T18:11:00.000-07:00

Hello again friends, family, and followers. First I want to thank you all for taking the time to read what I write and look at my pictures. I am really enjoying blogging. I have been an amateur photographer for many years now and it is nice to have an avenue to post some of my pictures and to write a little to go along with it! :)

We had such a wonderful weekend! Chu & Tommy got back into town from Ohio (FINALLY) and it was fun to reunite with them, eat habachi and laugh! Relaxing was definitely on the menu this weekend and I caught up on some much needed sleep! Saturday night, we went to see our friends play at Sk net cafe in Charlotte. Their band is called Roll Status and it is surf-rock kinda music. Eric's good friend Joe is the lead singer and he and his wife just had a baby! Branden is on the drums. Eric used to play bass with them.

I caught this shot from the bar. The countertops were made of these stones under glass and somehow I caught the light exactly right! I really like this shot!!!

A funny thing happened while we were out. We ran into a guy that I met the day I met Eric. He was actually sitting between Eric & me on the couch when we were watching the Super Bowl.

Today was really fun as well! We woke up and went to church at The Well in Pineville. We really love our church and truly enjoy spending time with the people that gather there. It was our Pastor's 40th Birthday and we had a good time with him. We stayed after church for Eric to practice songs for next week, and they asked me to play conga drums. I am not at all shy EXCEPT when it comes to performing or playing music in front of people!! I can't believe it but I am going to play with them next week. WOW! I wish I could turn off all the lights or turn around backwards and play so that I won't see people watching me. I know that this will be a good experience for me, but I am pretty nervous!!! If you want to read about our church, check out the website www.the-well.org

The photos below are from inside our church, and of Eric & the band playing music! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. May God bless you this week and may you share loving kindness with the world! Peace be with you!

Five Things

2009-05-03T15:52:00.000-07:00

A few amazing women that I know like to write out five things that they are thankful for. I think it is my turn today!

1. Being married to my best friend

2. Waking up to doggies wagging their tails.

3. Playing conga drums in front of people even though I am embarassed at my lack of talent!

4. Thai food...yummy!

5. Being surrounded by such caring and loving family and friends!

Key West Underwater

2009-04-29T16:34:00.000-07:00

Here we go again! Eric & I had a fantastic time snuba diving in Key West! We really wanted to see what Scuba diving was like. Snuba was cool because there was a guide that took us and we were able to dive about 20 feet and have a mouthpiece and a belt. We were connected to the boat, but it didn't feel like it to me. I was really scared because I haven't spent much time in deep water. Eric, of course, being a turtle, had no problem. The boat was small and I experienced a little seasickness (probably from sitting sideways), but I just tried to breathe and bear it. As soon as I was in the water, the motion-sickness passed and I felt great. It was so amazing to be in the water. I surprised myself at how much I liked it. Honestly, it was a magical feeling. It was beautiful, and once I got over how tight the goggles were, and having a strange thing pressing in my mouth, and the sound of the bubbles, I absolutely loved it. I really think that was the most exciting thing I have ever experienced. The peace that came over me was indescribable. We were under water for almost an hour and we loved it. We both are really excited to get our scuba diving license so that we can do more exploring. I really surprised myself with how much I loved being under the sea!! Maybe I am the little mermaid afterall! (Especially since I got to marry Prince Eric! :) I love you all! Just wanted to post some pics for you to see!! -Cheers!! -Monkey

P.S. Try as I may, I cannot get the layout right on this one! Sorry about the mess, but hope you enjoy the pictures!

....it was lost

2009-04-27T06:58:00.000-07:00

Hello again,

I just wanted to write about something that happened on Saturday night that was pretty amazing and has me reflecting quite a bit. I drag my little camera with me about everywhere. Saturday night, we went to a birthday party on an island at the lake. It was night time. There was a campfire, a guitar, etc. You all know where the restroom is on an island, right?? The woods. So as we are trying to leave, I feel empty! I have lost my camera. I start thinking, it has to be in the woods. It is completely dark at this point in time, and in the woods, you really can't see the ground. I began to pray for God to please lead me to it. That camera is very special to me and the memory card has so much on it that I did not want to lose!

I began walking through the woods, just asking God to lead me. I didn't see the camera. I moved to another tree by the water and was moving my feet around on the ground hoping to hit it. Finally, I saw it! I was so relieved and it really got me thinking. At times when I cannot see, God is my light and my vision. It is really hard to put into words how I felt about this experience, but in darkness, I saw the light! And thanks to this, I was able to rescue my pictures.

The photo below is of the birthday boy juggling fire....

Here we go Again!

2009-04-25T11:49:00.001-07:00

I thought I would write a little about our honeymoon! :) We had such a great time. Wedding pics will be up when I get the photo cd! After spending a night at the beautiful Main Street Inn in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, we flew to Miami for an evening and then boarded Royal Carribean's Majesty of the Seas for a trip to Nassau, Coco Cay, and Key West. Unfortunately, due to a storm, Coco Cay did not happen! :(

Here's the lowdown on Nassau....

We were so excited getting off the ship to see the beautiful clear water. I think now more than ever Eric and I both know that we will one day live beside the water. It brings such a feeling of peace to the soul! We immediately began to explore the island and saw gorgeous walkways such as the one below.

The night before, Eric had a dream that seemed to be a warning about our safety that day. We had been walking down a long road in Nassau. It was a cloudy, cool, and somewhat windy morning, and fairly gloomy out. We were concerned that our adventure for the day would even be canceled. As we were walking, the buildings began to look a little different. There were some closed down, windows boarding up, etc. One man across the road mumbled something to Eric and I heard him say something, but I wasn't sure what he was talking about as I couldn't decipher his thick Caribbean accent. Eric said, Tori, he just looked at me and said, "only the strong survive past here." The next intersection was Victoria Avenue. We took that as our cue to head back the other direction. I didn't want to find out if his warning dream was going to come true!!

After spending a few hours of the morning strolling the streets of Nassau, Eric and I hopped on a boat to Paradise Island, the Island of Atlantis.

Truly, the people that constructed Atlantis spared no expense in designing a magnificent playground for kids of all ages! Everything was decorated in ways that we had never seen! Even the chairs were ornate. Huge glass chandeliers were hanging in the halls and they had a giant casino!

Our tour guide led us through the halls of the mega-hotel through hallways of Prada and Fendi stores, a magnificent garden filled with beautiful flowers....

We finally arrived at Dolphin Cay for our adventure!! I wish we had pictures, however, the only one I have is this....

If you zoom in, you can see a dolphin peeking his head out near the left corner. I am so exited that I got to experience my dream! Swimming with dolphins. This was really such a fun adventure! We were laughing and having so much fun, even though it was a pretty chilly day. We were suited up in wetsuits and with a group of five others. The first thing they did was have me take pictures with a dolphin. I was squatting down and he laid in my lap like a 300 pound puppy! It was so funny! I was rubbing his side and he was turning a little because he liked it! I couldn't believe it was happening. It was so much fun! Then they asked Eric to come around and take a picture with me and the dolphin didn't want another man getting near his woman!! :) Haha. They asked me to kiss the dolphin, which I, of course did, and Eric shook his head no when they asked him to kiss the dolphin. At that point, the dolphin spat water in Eric's face. It was so funny!!! The next adventure was with these really cool underwater motors. I can't think of what they are called, but you hold on to them and they pull you so you can dive further into the lagoons. The dolphins swim with you. The instructors kept telling Eric not to run away! I think they all knew he was really a sea turtle and didn't want to be in a line!!! Finally we did the dolphin push. That was soooo incredible. You lay on a boogie board and lock your legs and the dolphin pushes in the middle of your foot and you go up to 40mph across the lagoon until they stop! It was such a rush!!! When we went to buy pictures, the people would not sell individuals, you had to buy the entire package for $159. I felt it was overpriced, so I just took the memory!

Atlantis was really fantastic! They had beautiful beaches and a huge aquarium! This is the manatee they show on TV when they are advertising Atlantis, and he swam right towards us! That day was so exciting!

When we were leaving, it was very very important for us to visit the sea turtle habitat. They were so cute! We saw some climb over each other and two even kissed! It was really beautiful. They had their own beach where they could hang out and lay eggs.

I do not believe that I have ever met anyone that loves Turtles as much as my husband does!

After riding back to the island we still had some time to explore, 'yeah mon'...so we decided to take the horse carriage ride. The driver was a young guy in college and said he would give us the "special tour." So we are riding deeper and deeper into the island, of course having to be back at the boat in an hour! We pass the high school and start getting into a neighborhood that is quite impoverished. People are outside on their porches, you can tell that it isn't the kind of neighborhood you would want to be left alone in after dark. In the height of it, the driver stops and says, whoops we have a flat tire! I won't even tell you what I was thinking, but Eric, of course as usual stayed cool and just jumped out. The funny thing was a flat tire to the carriage driver was a piece of rubber that had slipped off the rail. What a relief!!!! It is comic at this point but I was scared! We finally got back to the ship and were laughing about the situation!

More honeymooon posts to come later! Love you all! Cheers- Monkey....

Love, Love, Love

2009-04-24T20:07:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a day! Today was really fantasic. I had a wonderful day at work, have a weekend off and am looking forward to my grandmother and her brother and sister coming to visit and watch Eric play bass at church on Sunday! Eric had the day off and I came home to quite a surprise! I got off work a little early and went to the grocery store. When I came home, I found.....

....beautiful pink rose petals coming up the stairs!!! Princess Jasmine could not wait to show me what her daddy had done!

Even the bed was covered in beautiful rose petals, and the house was clean and smelled so fresh!

The funny thing is, most guys pull out all the romance to try to get a woman to fall in love with them. Not in this relationship!! Eric did not buy me roses until we got married! I even asked him to and he would not do it! I wanted them so badly and I am so glad now that he waited. It really made it special to wait until we got married to have all the special times! This is a picture of the first roses he ever bought me in Miami, FL on April 5th, 2009!! Night one of the honeymoon!

Wedding cuties

2009-04-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to put up some pictures of Eric's family and my new family!

Today's the Day - Turtle Monkey

2009-04-21T18:09:00.000-07:00

Today turned out to be a really great day! The weather was beautiful, I got to have lunch with Eric, and even had a minute to relax after a nice day at the office. Life is really good about now (despite the fact I have A LOT of thank you letters to write!). I woke up this morning with a phone call that Joe & Heather Radler had just given birth to a son, Joe Radler, Jr. and he was 18 inches long and 7 pounds, 7 ounces. To top it off, it is the two year anniversary of my sister(in-law) and brother-in-law, and I got to talk to her this morning. I love her like a sister, so it is easy to forget to put the in-law part after that! She has an amazing blog that she updates regularly and posts great pictures to keep us updated on her family, so I figured I would follow suit and start one. Today seemed like a great day to begin. So here I am! I am going to attempt to post a picture, just for fun, and hopefully my future blogs will have more rhyme or reason...or at least more rhyme! Love!!

Princess Jasmine & Eric & Tori Marshall