Whew!!

It has been a long, long time since I've last posted. There has been so many events that have happened over the past year.

Here's a summary:

-Vincent and I graduated from Furman last May
-I got a job as 3rd grade teacher
-We left the old cat-and-mouse infested house we were renting and moved into an apartment
-We got a cat and named her Honey Badger
-Vincent got into medical school in Greenville AND Charleston
-I left my job as a 3rd grade teacher and am now a resource teacher at a Christian school and a nanny
-Vincent and I decided that we will be moving to Charleston so he can attend MUSC
-I'm now in the midst of applying for jobs in Charleston as a teacher AND moving  my Mollie Magic business there!

Vincent and I are very excited to be moving to Charleston, SC. We most likely won't move until the end of July, so I'm still available as a babysitter and magician for all those Greenville people reading this.

I've learned a lot this year about putting all my trust and faith in God. I won't go into great detail, but God has truly shown me His Grace this year. I've learned that He redeems EVERY situation. It's neat to look back and see how everything works out for His good. He may not give me what I want, but He always gives what I need.


I am going to try to post more about my life and birthday parties!

Here's a picture of Honey Badger :)

Less than a month . . .

The countdown to graduation is on!!

Vincent and I are so excited about graduating from Furman in less than a month from now.

March was a full month for us, and for the Mollie Magic business. It's been really neat to see the business take off, and start to grow.

God has certainly blessed us with all the odd jobs He's given us to help us pay the bills. Right now, we are housesitting/dog sitting for a family I typically babysit for. He's also given me some great steady babysitting jobs, and continued to bless Vincent with his waiting job and the business!

So, the other day, Vincent was washing his face, and I noticed a reddish mark in the shape of a ring on his back. I gasped, and told him that I thought he had ring worm. He looked in the mirror, and agreed. He went on to say how it's pretty contagious so I should probably wash the sheets. I started freaking out, and running around looking at my skin to make sure I didn't have it. After he looked up what to do to get rid of it, he said it was really weird how perfect a ring it was. Typically, it's not such a perfect ring and it typically itches, as well. He also mentioned that it could be in my scalp. Oh, that really got to me. I started scratching my head, and running around screaming that it was probably in my scalp. I then tore off the sheets from our bed, and his ring flew out. Vincent, being the great detective he is, realized that he probably had slept on his wedding ring the whole night which caused an indent on his back. We started hysterically laughing, and I took the duct tape off that we had put on his skin (we didn't have bandaids) to quarantine the ringworm. I then took his wedding ring and placed it on the ring on his back . . . perfect fit. Anywho, since the sheets were all off the bed, I went ahead and washed them. :)

I'm glad I have such a smart husband. I would have been going crazy the whole week scrubbing down everything he could have come in contact with.

Speaking of my smart husband, I came home the other week from a long (but fun!) day of teaching, and he was cooking dinner! So sweet.

And with that beer butt chicken you see him making (it was delicious), I made some chicken avocado salad from the leftovers. Paired with some homemade sweet potato fries, it's one of our favorites.

Here's the recipe...

Chicken Avocado Salad:


Mix leftover chicken, one avocado (mashed up), a tiny bit of mayonnaise, 2-3 chopped green onions, cilantro, and sea salt together. 


It's super easy, and it's extremely tasty.

I put it on whole wheat pita bread, and baked some sweet potato fries (slice a few or one big sweet potato up, add cinnamon, olive oil, salt, pepper, and vanilla. Mix all together and put it in the oven for 30-40 minutes on 400.) to go along with it.

God has been teaching me a lot of patience lately. I've had to put all my trust in Him, and rely on Him for a teaching job for next year. I truly want to teach, and I'm so happy that God led me to this field. However, it's a competitive field, and I have to remind myself that God is in control everyday. I know that everything will turn out the way God intends it to. God has done an amazing job of taking care of me and Vincent while we're in college. A lot of people thought we wouldn't be able to live on our own while in college, and they were right... without God's help and His sweet sovereignty, there is no way we could have done it. But with His help, we have rocked being married our senior year!!

I haven't planned next week's meals yet, but here's what it was for us two this week:

Monday: Veggie Night- Roasted tomatoes, broccoli, sweet potatoes, Brussel sprouts
Tuesday: Chicken Avocado Salad with sweet potato fries
Wednesday: Date Night!
Thursday: Thai chicken curry with peas, onions, bell peppers
Friday: Chicken Parmesan and a BIG salad
Saturday: Veggie Burritos 

Cliches

I'm trying to blog more . . . I really am. I enjoy writing, but it just gets so crazy around the Marsh household!
Here are some things that have been happening . . .

Last Tuesday (Valentine's Day), I got a surprise visit in my classroom from a special someone. Vincent had come all the way to my school to personally deliver 2 dozen roses to me! The person at the front desk had even walked him down to the classroom so she could see my face. Unfortunately, the kids were at related arts at the time, and they were so sad that they had missed him. I know I LOVED it when I was a kid and my teacher's husband or boyfriend would come the classroom. That always meant we could do whatever we wanted while the teacher talked to him. It was great.
Anywho, even though he had to leave to go to class, it was so nice to see him. Sometimes, cliche things are called that for a reason. Us girls really do like those things even if we say we don't.

This week, Vincent and I have really struggled with finding time for each other. Our schedules just don't sync up, and I've been working on lesson plans late into the night. He decided that he  was going to start waking up with me, and that we should do Bible study together. I really enjoy being spiritually led by my husband. It meant so much to me! We've started waking up every morning at 6, and I only hit the Snooze button once on my phone :) It has been wonderful getting to spend time with the Lord and my husband first thing in the morning. I've even been getting to school earlier because I feel less groggy and much more refreshed.
Last night, I  tried to do ALL of my lesson plans for next week. That way, I can have a little more time next week in the evenings.
Speaking of lesson plans, teaching is so much fun! I didn't realize how much I liked teaching. The kids in my class are all incredibly different from each other, and so much fun! I wish I could put a picture of them on here, but I don't think that's allowed. I made a class blog for them, and I have been posting  assignments for the Civil War on them. Some of their comments are hilarious!!!

Medlin the rabbit is doing much better. He was pretty sick for a month, but with some pineapple juice and TLC, I no longer have to spray down his cage every day. Today, he discovered what many surprises there can be underneath the table. I saw him licking the floor underneath the table, and then realized he had found some food scraps! He thinks he's a dog. He's started licking me and jumping on the couch even more than usual. If anyone is thinking of getting a pet, get a rabbit... they are fairly easy to care for, inexpensive, and super soft.

I went ahead and created the dinner menu for next week, so I could grocery shop tomorrow instead of Sunday:

Sunday: Babysitting during dinner, so leftovers!
Monday: Crazy day for both of us- P-den
Tuesday: Homemade Veggie Pizza
Wednesday: Avgolemeno Soup w/ Salad and Fruit
Thursday: Hank's birthday! Mom is coming to take us out for dinner, even though poor Vincent has work
Friday: Date night maybe?
Saturday: Chicken fried rice with lots of veggies

Have a great weekend :)

Full Days

It has been an incredibly long time since I've last posted!

Vincent and I have had long, full days. It's rather sad. We basically say "Hi" and "Bye" to each other. This semester, Vincent is taking classes along with a MCAT course (which he was graciously given a scholarship for.. so proud of him!!). The MCAT course is at nights. On top of that, he also works all weekend long.

As for me, I just started doing my student-teaching in third grade. This is my first full week, and I am exhausted. Wheeww. I really enjoy it so far, but I know this semester will be hard. I've been praying for God to help me keep my time organized, and to also be more understanding towards our hectic schedules. I still want to cook as much as possible, and I am much more productive when I keep the house clean and tidy. It gets hard, though... I still have to babysit and do my super fun birthday parties to help pay the bills.
But, thank God for those jobs! Vincent and I are so blessed to have jobs. It's awesome to watch God provide.

Needless to say, Vincent and I have to make time for one another. Though it's hard to remember at times, this craziness is just a season in our lives. We've found unique, fun ways to stay connected to each other, like a traveling journal. The rules are to hide it in different places. Once you find it, you HAVE to write in it and hide it somewhere else. The only other rule is to not hide it somewhere public where someone random would find it! We just started that this week, and it's really fun. We also started doing weekly questions. This helped us sooo much this week! It can be painful, but it is worth it. Those questions helped us a lot this week in better serving each other.

Here's some pics of what's been going on...

                                                          Magical Birthday Parties

                                                      The first hat I've ever knitted!
                                            (Vincent has always wanted me to make him one)

                                                          Medlin is going on a diet

                                                               Pretty Princesses

                                                               Princess Birthdays!

And, here is what's for dinner this week (even though it's almost over):

Sunday: Superbowl at Vincent's Dad's house and me babysitting
Monday: Sweet Potato Hash
Tuesday: Lemon-herbed fish, roasted broccoli
Wednesday: Pden day
Thursday: Homemade Pizza
Friday: Early Valentine's Date (Vincent doesn't have to work!!!)
Saturday: Baked beans, cornbread, salad

No more exams!!

I am officially through with exams! I still have one more semester of college left, but, because I'm an education major, I have no exams next semester! Actually, I've been through for a week now, but it's just taken me a while to post that exciting news.

This past week has been fun relaxing with my wonderful husband, and getting to know him more. Truthfully, this is our first break since our honeymoon. As soon as we got back from our honeymoon in May, he started his Organic Chemistry courses. When that was over, we started our fall semester at Furman. Now, we finally get a nice month-long break from school :)

Vincent took me hiking as a surprise date to Table Rock after he finished his exams on Wednesday. It was harder than we had anticipated, but it was definitely worth it. The view was breathtaking! I love hiking, and getting to enjoy God's creations.

In between relaxing, babysitting, and dressing like a reindeer or princess, I've been having fun organizing the house and making it more homey and inviting. It's fun trying to find inexpensive ways to make our little house more welcoming!

We enjoyed going to North Carolina on Sunday getting to see our dear friend from high school get married! I'm so happy for her, and I know she will be an amazing wife. Emily Levinson has such a strong passion for Christ in her heart! Congrats, girl :)
The ceremony was beautiful. Sadly, I didn't get to enjoy it all. I made the mistake of sitting next to my best friend, Lauren. Of course, during the vows, I got the giggles due to a Youtube video I'd seen over and over before my own wedding. Lawfully Wedded Wife
Well, Lauren also started laughing, and.... well, it was just awful. I was trying to contain my laughter and  not be loud, so it sounded like squeaking. I was pouring sweat from trying to hold it all in! I think I almost broke Vincent's hand from squeezing it so hard.

Lauren and Kristen at the yummy dessert reception

Menu for the week:

Tuesday: Breakfast- Oatmeal Pancakes and Fruit
                Lunch- Leftover Homemade Pizza
              Dinner- Lemon Herb Chicken, Sweet Potatoes, Butternut Squash, Bread


Wednesday: Breakfast-Cereal and Fruit
                    Lunch- Quesadillas
                    Dinner- go to Whole Foods w/ certificate


Thursday: Breakfast- Eggs, Biscuits, and Fruit
                 Lunch- Turkey Sandwiches
                 Dinner- Veggie Spaghetti and Salad


Friday: Breakfast- Homemade Cinnamon Rolls and Fruit
            Lunch- Turkey Sandwiches
            Dinner- Thai Chicken Curry w/ Veggies

Fall

It suddenly got cold. Vincent and I are trying to save on our electric bill, so we see who can last the longest without turning on the heat. Vincent hates the cold, so I normally win :)  I did just turn on the heat, though, so I guess I lost for tonight.

Anywho, I love fall!

                                                          Fall means Apple Picking,

(Skytop Orchards)

Pumpkin Carving,

Mine

Vincent's

                                                     Date Nights inside because it's cold outside,

Homemade muffins and Best Friends,

My best friend, Lauren, came to visit me on her Fall Break!

     Rabbits shedding and doing weird things,

                                                                   and Birthday Parties! 

So, yes I do like Fall, despite the coldness.

My weekly menu:

Sunday: Community Group (from church) dinner

Monday: Baked Salmon, brown rice, sweet potato and squash medly

Tuesday: Veggie Spaghetti, salad, bread

Wednesday: Thai Chicken w/ rice, bread

Thursday: (Vincent's Birthday!!) Breakfast- not sure yet

                 Go out for lunch in between classes

                 Dinner- chicken salad (from chicken leftover)

Friday: Burritos w/ avocado, bell peppers, onions, cilantro, beans

Saturday: Breakfast- Huevos Rancheros (w/ leftover beans)

               Dinner- Chicken Parmesan (make enough to freeze), green bean medley, bread

Menu Planning!

I love www.stumbleupon.com.
It is MAJORLY distracting, but I have found some really neat, helpful, and insightful sights on there. Basically, when you sign up (for free), you click on your interests like exercising, books, crafts, marriage, food, beauty, clothing, etc. They have quite an extensive list. After you've done that, you click stumble. It then pulls up random websites or blogs that match one of your interests. I have found some awesome recipes and fun crafts through it! I even found a new and super easy way to style my hair when I do princess magic shows (I always had a bit of trouble with making my hair look princessy).

Anywho, I've noticed that planning for meals is very popular now through the blogs I've stumbled upon. Since I got married, I've always planned for meals one week at a time. It's sometimes hard to think of unique things to cook for when it's just cooking for two! I've done a bit of research, and I haven't found many blogs at all that have menu planning for couples. It's mainly for families with three or more. Of course, this is mainly due to the fact that the bloggers who post their menus are mothers. I love to read these blogs, but where are the blogs that cater to the couples who plan their meals?

Sooo, I decided to start posting what I make each week!

Here's this coming week:

Monday: Fish Tacos w/ avocado, onions, bell peppers, homemade chipotle sauce, and fresh cilantro
Tuesday: Pan-Seared Fish drizzled with lemon, melted butter, and parsley, Roasted sweet potatoes and onions, and brown rice
Wednesday: Chicken rice bowl with onions, bell peppers, and peas (plus any more veggies I can find)
Thursday: I get to see my best friend, Lauren! Most likely, we'll be eating at the P-den (a place at Furman where I can get free food with my points)
Friday: Lasagna (from the freezer I made two weeks ago) and a BIG salad
Saturday: A BIG salad and macaroni and cheese

(Vincent works every weekend, and I have to babysit a lot on weekend nights so we try to make the weekend night meals quick and easy)

Speaking of babysitting, I must go babysit now!