St Mary's Lake Hike

Today we decided to get out of the house and do something "fun". We hiked around the St. Mary's Lake in our area. The trail is 7.5 miles long and very scenic. The kids were true sports about it and each one completed the loop. It took almost four hours but we made it as a family. The kids survived on water & Wheat thins!




The kids pose for a picture before the hike. They did not look this happy after the hike. No photo was taken since all the kids wanted to do was get into the car and rest.




Keean & Ireland sharing a drink of water.




Aedan & Harrison rest at the 6.5 mile marker. Both were great troopers and led the way around the lake.




Monique & Ireland smile near the lake.

Kenny G - Eat Your Heart Out!

Harrison decided that piano and violin were not enough for him, so he decided to join the band this year and learn the saxophone. I am actually surprised at how good he sounds. I was prepared for the worst but he is really picking it up quick. He has been practicing each day ( a lot better than last year on the violin) and he hopes to make the advance band soon.

Anyone Interested in a Movie?

Home Theater Makeover:
When we purchased our home, all the basement was completely finished. One of the big selling features was a pre-wired theater room. It was not a big plus for Mom & Dad (we would have preferred storage) but the kids thought it was great since they saw what a real theater room can be from our good neighbors in Springboro. Over the past year it has been a temporary bedroom, guest room, storage area, and kids playroom.
Living in Leonardtown, the closets theater is 15 miles away and it is barely a place you want to take your family too. After paying $75 for the family to see a movie last year, I decided to fix up the Theater Room this fall. It might be a small investment at first, but for all the movies the kids like to watch, it will pay for itself in the long run. And it didn't hurt that it was just in time for football season as well. :)



Before! I actually cleaned it a lot for this picture.



During! Ireland decided she wanted to help paint. All four kids helped with a wall.



After!


We installed a 110inch projector screen along with a HD projector.
I actually had to return one screen (120in) because it was 2 inches too big for the wall. The website failed to account for the frame in the actual physical dimensions. We painted the walks dark brown and the ceiling gray. I added a few platforms for the love seat and chair. It turned out great and the kids love it. The kids now want Movie Night each day!

Weekend Warriors!

It seems like the weekends are now just as busy at the Marsh household as the weekdays. This weekend started the beginning of many weekend adventures to come of Scouts & Soccer. Aedan had his first scout campout at the Stake 11year old campout which was located at the Navy Recreation Center. He went with three other scouts from our ward. I asked him if he wanted me to come for the first campout but I was kindly rejected and told to stay at home. Good thing since Harrison had his first soccer game of the season & I am now the coach.




Aedan prepped and ready to go at the front step. He was eager to go, but had to wait for his ride since he did not want his parents to take him. He returned home late Saturday tired but happy. He earned his Tot n Chip badge along with the majority of the Swimming Merit Badge.



Harrison & Coach Jamie. Harrison played a great game Saturday for his return to soccer after taking a year off due to the move to Maryland. He had several great passes that almost led to a few goals. He was very tired after the game and realized he needs to get off the couch now and run more.

Rain-gutter Regatta

Tonight Cub Scout Pack 1846 held its annual rain gutter regatta. Harrison has been brainstorming ideas for his boat for weeks. Finally on Labor day, we put his plans into motion. He wanted a white short ship and named it The Ghost. Harrison's final design turned out pretty good.


Harrison with "The Ghost"



Harrison did very well in the competition. He won his first four races before they restarted the event due to computer / operator error. After the restart, Harrison just ran out of air. He ended with an overall record of 8-3. He was upset in the end when he did not place in the top three, but we are real proud of him for all of his efforts. He already wants to start working on next year's boat. :)

Virginia Beach Half Marathon

Today Monique & I completed the Virginia Beach Half Marathon. (My first and probably last.) Back in January when I was not completely paying attention, I agreed to run a half marathon with Monique. Monique took me up on the offer and signed us up. It seemed so far away but the event arrived. In April I started my exercise program in order to run the race. It has been a long process but I lost 58 pounds and made it to the finish line.



Monique & I before the race. We had to get up at 4am in order to catch the bus to the start line. The pre race snacks needed help. The bananas were very hot due to being left in a truck over night. Nothing like a warm banana to get your body going!



Over 18,000 people ran the race. The weather was very humid and hot but we did have cloud cover. :). The course was pretty flat with 14 bands playing along the course. I am glad I had my iPhone for music.



Monique & I after the race with another warm banana. Monique completed the race in 2 hours 10 minutes. I finished in 2 hours 26 minutes. I was just glad I made it to the finish line and got my metal! Now the key question will be how do I feel tomorrow morning?