The Marshes

Names...

2010-03-10T17:35:00.007Z

I don't think that this is the start of regular posting on this blog again (don't know how I ever found the time before...), but I did want to record somewhere something that we might forget over time if we didn't write it down...

We have two boys and I've only just realised how odd it is that we only ever call our oldest by one name, and we call our youngest by scores of nicknames and different variations. So, in the interests of being able to look back and chuckle, here goes:

Isaac
Isaac

Toby
Toby
Tobes
Toby-tobes
Toby-tobe
Toby-toes
Toby-lobes
Toba-lobe
Toba-robe
Tobles
Floba-robe
Floba-lobe
Flobba-lob
Roba-Tobes
Toby Wan Kenobi
Toblerone
Toby-toast
Toba-roba-toba-robe-tobe-tobe
Toby-trouble
Toby-sausage
Tony
Moby-Tarsh

Is that all a bit strange?

Chester Zoo

2008-08-25T08:07:00.002+01:00

A momentous day!

2008-07-12T21:28:00.002+01:00

Look - no stabilisers!

We bought Isaac a new bike today and after two laps of Canford Park with very wobbly stabilisers, we decided he'd be better off without them. I don't know why we were surprised when he then just got on his bike and rode 50 metres on his own!

We had a glass of bubbly (Lemonade) to celebrate at tea time...

We're brimming with parental pride!

La Rochelle, June 2008

2008-06-27T14:02:00.006+01:00

Just back from a 9-day holiday near La Rochelle in France. Had a brilliant time with fantastic weather every day. Went for a daily swim in the open air pool to cool down, played lots of football and boules (Isaac's version, anyway) and had many trips to the beach. Had lots and lots of ice creams and also had croissants for breakfast every day.

Great to get away from email and glad to leave my mobile at home for the duration!! We switched off and relaxed as much as is possible with two boys who very rarely switch off themselves!

Only interesting aspects were Isaac falling out of bed on the first night and hitting the bedside table (blood everywhere...) and Toby falling and knocking his front tooth loose (blood everywhere...). And, yes, it was the same tooth that Isaac has missing having knocked his clean out two years earlier!

A selection of holiday snaps available by clicking here.

Below is a brief video clip of Isaac and Toby dancing and Toby's preferred way of getting into the swimming pool (no sound).

Don't mess with mr tiger

2007-10-30T22:14:00.001Z

Isaac at a birthday party today. It lasted 3 mins before he wanted it removed!

From the BBC

2007-08-11T10:08:00.000+01:00

The weather forecast for tomorrow:

What on earth does that mean?

Bi-vocational Leadership and Camping Adventures

2007-08-06T07:27:00.000+01:00

Having previously said he wanted to be 'a hoover' when he grows up, Isaac has now decided he wants to be 'a fireman and a King'. Not sure if this arises from Daddy also having two jobs but it will be interesting to see how effectively the firefighting king can govern...

In other news...

Isaac and Daddy put a tent up on Sunday evening in the garden intending to sleep in there during the night. Isaac helped putting the tent up by handing out pegs and using 'the Hammett' (what you use to knock the pegs into the ground).

Isaac was fairly scared of sleeping out in the tent despite Mummy praying with Isaac and asking Jesus to keep him safe ("Mummy, Jesus is going to sleep in the tent next to us because there's not room in our tent").

Needless to say, after we'd read stories and settled down in our sleeping bags ("Daddy, I want to get in your sleeping bag with you"), Isaac wasn't very keen in sleeping in the tent - the batteries running out in the torch was the last straw and we trekked inside where Isaac fell fast asleep in his bed in a few seconds.

Recent photos

2007-07-17T20:20:00.000+01:00

Several photos from recent weeks, click here.

A handy tip for flying with children

2007-07-01T19:38:00.000+01:00

A tempting way to have a quieter flight - but the excess baggage weight charges would be a bit hard to swallow...

La Rochelle, France - June 2007

2007-06-28T22:19:00.000+01:00

We've just had our family holiday. The weather was mixed but a lot better than it's been in the UK by the sound of it! We had a lot of fun and did a lot of swimming, bike riding, playing on the beach, crazy golf and eating Spiderman ice creams!

It's been a slightly bumpy end. The night before we left, Deborah went down with tonsillitis and Ed caught a stomach bug and had a high temperature. We just about made it back to the airport to catch a flight home but we're still knocked out with it - now Ed has tonsillitis too! Joy!

View more photos here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=31837&l=dd2a2&id=865020645.

More dedication photos

2007-05-23T21:43:00.004+01:00

Toby's dedication service

2007-05-20T22:26:00.000+01:00

In other news...

2007-05-14T20:07:00.000+01:00

Having surprised us by starting to crawl at 6 months (much earlier than Isaac), Toby has progressed quickly on to sitting up (no practising, just decided to start doing it) and standing up. This means that nothing is safe from his grasp. He also seems pretty fearless and indestructible - whenever he falls over and bangs his head on the floor, he just laughs. One of his favourite games is chasing Isaac round the room on his hands and knees and then trying to start a pile-on. He thinks Isaac is hilarious and chuckles away, especially when Isaac plays a little bit rough him... Will he make his first birthday?

Parenting gaffe #25,476

2007-05-14T20:00:00.000+01:00

...but one of the bigger ones. And an amateur one at that.

All I needed to do was leave the words "or horn" out of "Isaac, would you like a bell or horn for your new bike..."

It's L O U D.

Just ask any of the neighbours...

Watching the world go by...

2007-05-07T20:12:00.000+01:00

Meals and wheels

2007-05-06T21:05:00.000+01:00

Far too busy to post regularly but here are a few photos showing Toby in full swing with food and Isaac riding his new bike and giving it a wash (his Grandad would be very proud).

In the garden...

2007-04-14T16:47:00.000+01:00

CSI Portishead

2007-04-09T20:47:00.000+01:00

"No matter how hard he tries, Detective Daddy can't bring himself to look up whilst Detective Toby gets on with the job and radios for back up..."

(Great photo courtesy of brother in law, Dave)

Ever tried taking a passport photo of a 6 month old?

2007-04-09T20:28:00.000+01:00

Here are our best efforts. The rules say you shouldn't have your mouth open but there wasn't any sellotape handy...

Some more relaxed shots where we encouraged a little more lounging (the cappuccino in his left hand is out of the shot)...

And here's one that definitely breaks all the rules but is probably the nicest...

Catch up

2007-04-08T21:19:00.000+01:00

Was hoping to post a lot more over the last week or two as I've been between jobs. However, here are a few photos from the last couple of weeks by way of catch up!

Toby with Grandad Thorpe...

Cousins...

Grandad Marsh with cousins Toby and Olivia...

Craft breakfast

2007-03-18T20:23:00.000Z

Ed and Isaac helped organise and set up for a Dads and Kids Craft Breakfast at Highgrove this weekend.

See more photos here: www.news.highgrove.org.uk

Back on the bike...

2007-03-10T21:00:00.000Z

For the first time this year, Isaac and Daddy went on a bike ride. "Ooh, this is hard work" comes a voice from the back of the bike as Daddy labours an extra 17kg up the hill.

We then had lots of fun on the playground before having a butterfly cake at the cafe and embarking on the (downhill!) ride home.

Conversations...

2007-03-08T16:22:00.000Z

Mummy: “Isaac, Ben’s poorly”
Isaac (concerned): “Oh, what’s the matter?”
Mummy: “He’s got a bug”
Isaac (puzzled): “Has he been digging a hole?”
Mummy (also puzzled): “What?”
Isaac: “Bugs are in the ground”
Mummy: “No, he’s got a tummy bug”
Isaac: “Ben swallowed a bug, mummy? A little one?”
Mummy (deciding to give up): “Yes, a little one”
Isaac (contemplatively): “A really, really, really little one…”

A full day...

2007-03-03T21:02:00.000Z

A visit to Great Aunty Betty's house...

A quick trip into space...

On the run from the Indians...

Coffee, cake and a cuddle

2007-02-24T22:13:00.000Z

Isaac and Toby in the cafe at the farm (from mobile)

A weekend off

2007-02-24T20:27:00.000Z

It's great to have a quieter weekend this weekend. Having been involved in worship six weeks in a row, work being fairly full-on since the start of January and a church gift aid inspection this week, we're enjoying catching up on a bit of much missed family time.

Here are a few photos from today...

Toby's first taste of baby rice (the face tells the story)...

A first pair of pyjamas for Tobes...

Not sure we've mentioned it here yet...

...but we're very much in countdown mode now in advance of Ed finishing at KPMG on 23 March. At the start of April, he'll be starting work at Burton Sweet with specific involvement in the Charities unit. This is an exciting new development and a chance to concentrate on the area of expertise that provides the most interest.

However, the thing that's also exciting is that it is a 3 day a week role (Tues-Thurs). This will allow us both the chance to make more space in life for serving the church (doing things we already do plus the implementation of a few more). Part of the rationale for 3 days a week is that, for Ed, having had far too many days where he doesn't get to see the boys at all due to working hours, it's time to make the decision not to be absent as the boys are growing up. It'll be great to have them to himself one day a week as well as having the possibility of reinstating family meal times at least for most of the week.

It'll all be a big change and we're slightly nervous about it - but we have a conviction that it's the right decision...

Quotes of the day

2007-02-14T20:08:00.000Z

1. Part of a conversation at storytime this evening...

Mummy: "Isaac, what do you want to be when you grow up?"
Isaac: "A hoover"

2. A greetings card that I (along with thousands of my colleagues) received this morning from our employer:

On the front: "Happy Valentines Day"
And on the inside: "Love your client... get their hobbies and interests onto CRM (Client Relationship Management system) today"

Snow excitement

2007-02-08T22:02:00.000Z

Went to work before anyone else got up this morning. My phone rang on the way in. It was Isaac letting me know that it'd snowed. Whilst I had already noticed this, a sweet phone call like this made the disappointment of not being snowed in at home today a little easier to bear...

Our week in 4 bullet points and 2 photos

2007-01-21T20:21:00.000Z

Isaac: Lots of playing with friends; a chance to have fun with cousin Ethan and feed some ducks.

Toby: Giggles in response to 'Ka-chow!' a la Lightening McQueen; a Sunday involving 1 hour of broken sleep and approx 9 hours of wriggling / burping / crying / screaming.

Deborah: A whole week of single-handedly dealing with the above; extreme satisfaction with being ID'd when buying a bottle of wine at ASDA.

Ed: 58 hours at work; a quiet moment making up Thomas the Tank Engine stories for Isaac in a cafe in Portishead (see below - "A story with Daddy, two Emilys and two Ducks in please, Daddy...")

(Brilliant photo above courtesy of brother-in-law, Dave!)
Giggles from Toby

The birthday castle (just a bit larger than anticipated...)

2007-01-13T21:21:00.000Z

It's my party, I can bounce if I want to...

2007-01-06T19:23:00.000Z

It was Isaac's birthday party this morning in advance of his 3rd birthday tomorrow.

Much fun was had by all nineteen (yes, 19 - are we mad?) kids with a few of the parents (well, Ed anyway) looking on jealously as the kids went on the bouncy castle.

We played lots of games including musical bumps, musical statues (but really musical bumps again), musical colour coded gym mats (with more than a hint of musical bumps about it), pass the parcel (fixed but fair) and advent calendar bingo (don't ask).

This was followed by lots of clearing up and a return home to cover the living room in wrapping paper.

Face-off at the zoo

2007-01-03T00:51:00.000Z

Guess who won this staring match at the zoo earlier today...

Some photos from the Christmas break

2007-01-02T05:26:00.000Z

Here are a few photos from the Christmas period.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all!

We had a low key start to the New Year. We were watching a DVD at home, heard some fireworks outside, wondered what on earth was going on, then looked at our watches and realised. Then went to bed.

Christmas quiz

2006-12-27T23:20:00.000Z

For amusement (mainly our own), here's a little quiz for you. In keeping with the soppiness of this blog, the theme is (obviously) centered around photos of you know who and you know who.

The question is the same for each of the photos:

Is the photo of Isaac or Toby?

Answers on a postcard please... (or in a comment, if you can be bothered).

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

Merry Christmas!!

2006-12-08T22:47:00.000Z

Whether we see you every day or whether we don't see you as often as we'd like to, we do want to wish you a very Happy Christmas and hope that your New Year is filled with hope and joy! For those who haven't seen us in a little while, we've written below a little summary of the main things that we've been up to in 2006. Do get in touch with us and tell us your news. You can email us at admin(at)edmarsh(dot)co(dot)uk:

January
An eventful month including a trip to the dental hospital after Isaac knocked one of his front teeth out! We were thrilled to discover that we were expecting Marshlet number two. Ed went away for a Highgrove Men's weekend away. It was wonderful to get to know lots of other people better and spend time worshipping, playing pool and walking through railway tunnels!

February
We continue to be very involved in Highgrove Church and it's been great that Deborah has been able to devote a day a week working for Highgrove throughout this year. Ed continues to work as an accountant for KPMG which keeps him very busy!

March
We had a number of exciting family days out in March and April including a trip on a steam train! This was very exciting for Isaac whilst Deborah appreciated the chance to sit down and get off her feet (we'd forgotten how exhausting being pregnant was for her!). Deborah again ran an evening Chinese Banquet for Highgrove Toddlers mums and carers which was a great success!

April
Deborah turned 30 in April and we celebrated by having a few days away on our own in Rome. We had a lovely time and very warm weather. We had lots of meals out, did a lot of walking and sightseeing and went to the Ferrari store!! We missed Isaac but he had plenty of fun at home with Grandma and Grandad.

May
A two week family holiday in Exmouth was fairly dominated by rain but we made the best of it and had a restful time. Grandma and Grandad joined us for a week and we had plenty of ice creams, trips out and sleep! See some photos here, here and here.

June
We enjoyed the scorching weather in June with Isaac spending plenty of time in the garden. Ed was appointed Church Trustee and Treasurer which is yet another way of keeping very busy!!

Ed's mum and dad are well and continue to work in adult education (basic skills) and as Chief Exec of Mullers respectively, amongst many other things!

July
Deborah went away for a Highgrove Women's weekend away and we all went away to celebrate Deborah's mum's 60th birthday. Deborah's mum and dad are mostly well although have been fighting off lots of colds and coughs this year. We've enjoyed lots of visits during the year!

August
August was particularly special in that we celebrated the wedding of Ed's brother Sam and the lovely Ruth. Isaac and his cousin Ethan were paige boys and it was a wonderful day to remember. We are thrilled that Sam and Ruth have bought a house just 7 doors away from us which gives life a sort of 'Ramsey Street' feel which is fantastic!

September
Toby Samuel Marsh was born on 28 September weighing 7lb 15.5oz. All went well with Deborah recovering fairly quickly and Ed managing to stay conscious this time. It was so exciting to introduce Toby to his proud big brother, Isaac.

October
It was a great joy for Ed to be able to extend his paternity leave to a whole 8 weeks during October and November. This made a tremendous difference to family life during the early days of Toby's life. It was brilliant to be able to have tea together every night, have weekly swimming trips and for Ed to be able to help in settling Isaac into his new playgroup.

November
We were saddened by the passing of Ed's Grandad shortly after his 92nd birthday. We are, however, so thankful for Grandad's long, full and rich life and that he died peacefully in the presence of his close family.

We ran another Alpha course at Highgrove this year and it's been a privilege to be involved in the Pray for Portway Community School initiative.

December
Ed's return to work has been a shock to the system and we're looking forward to a little more time together over the Christmas period. Ed's sister Kate and husband Dave are expecting a baby on Christmas Day which could make the festive season a little different this year! It'll be an exciting time! (Update: Olivia Grace was born on 12 December! Photo here).

Lots of love

Ed, Deborah, Isaac and Toby
x x x

Catch up with our family news and photos throughout the year by logging onto www.edmarsh.co.uk.

It's another baby!

2006-12-07T22:53:00.000Z

In a bid to divert some of Isaac's over-enthusiastic cuddling and desire to experiment with pulling limbs to see how long it is before the crying starts, Deborah thought it'd be a good idea to buy Isaac a baby doll to practise being gentle on.

So, along with two KPMG colleagues, I went hunting for a baby doll yesterday lunchtime in Sainsburys. They were all pink but my colleagues, who know I have two boys, didn't seem to think that was a problem.

Isaac seems to really like it. When we asked "Is it a boy or a girl?", he looked at us as if we were stupid and said "It's a baby..."

That's the sort of steamroller logic kids seem to have!

Too good not to post somewhere...

2006-11-24T16:30:00.000Z

Thought you might like to ponder on this ..........

There are approximately two billion children (persons under 18) in the world. However, since Santa does not visit children of Muslim, Hindu, Jewish or Buddhist (except maybe in Japan) religions, this reduces the workload for Christmas night to 15% of the total, or 378 million (according to the population reference bureau). At an average (census) rate of 3.5 children per household, that comes to 108 million homes, presuming there is at least one good child in each. Santa has about 31 hours of Christmas to work with, thanks to the different time zones and the rotation of the earth, assuming east to west (which seems logical). This works out to 967.7 visits per second. This is to say that for each Christian household with a good child, Santa has around 1/1000 th of a second to park the sleigh, hop out, jump down the chimney, fill the stocking, distribute the remaining presents under the tree, eat whatever snacks have been left for him, get back up the chimney, jump into the sleigh and get onto the next house.

Assuming that each of these 108 million stops is evenly distributed around the earth (which, of course, we know to be false, but will accept for the purposes of our calculations), we are now talking about 0.78 miles per household; a total trip of 75.5 million miles, not counting bathroom stops or breaks.
This means Santa's sleigh is moving at 650 miles per second -- 3,000 times the speed of sound. For purposes of comparison, the fastest man made vehicle, the Ulysses space probe, moves at a poky 27.4 miles per second, and a conventional reindeer can run (at best) 15 miles per hour.

The payload of the sleigh adds another interesting element. Assuming that each child gets nothing more than a medium sized LEGO set (two pounds), the sleigh is carrying over 500 thousands tons, not counting Santa himself. On land, a conventional reindeer can pull no more than 300 pounds. Even granting that the "flying" reindeer can pull 10 times the normal amount, the job can't be done with eight or even nine of them---
Santa would need 360,000 of them. This increases the payload, not counting the weight of the sleigh, another 54,000 tons, or roughly seven times the weight of the Queen Elizabeth (the ship, not the monarch).

600,000 tons traveling at 650 miles per second creates enormous air resistance - this would heat up the reindeer in the same fashion as a spacecraft reentering the earth's atmosphere. The lead pair of reindeer would absorb 14.3 quintillion joules of energy per second each. In short, they would burst into flames almost instantaneously, exposing the reindeer behind them and creating deafening sonic booms in their wake. The entire reindeer team would be vaporized within 4.26 thousandths of a second, or right about the time Santa reached the fifth house on his trip.

Not that it matters, however, since Santa, as a result of accelerating from a dead stop to 650 m.p.s. in .001 seconds, would be subjected to acceleration forces of 17,000 g's. A 250 pound Santa (which seems ludicrously slim) would be pinned to the back of the sleigh by 4,315,015 pounds of force, instantly crushing his bones and organs and reducing him to a quivering blob of pink goo.

Therefore, if Santa did exist, he's dead now.

Monday night fever

2006-11-21T23:07:00.000Z

Here is Isaac practising his dancing...

The thing he goes over the room to pick up is an imaginary baby that he puts on his shoulder while he dances and then takes the baby off at the end (don't ask why - I haven't got a clue...)

(no sound)

The boys in their blue PJs...

2006-11-16T19:16:00.000Z

Little and Large

2006-11-14T21:52:00.000Z

A lazy morning in bed watching TV

The boys...

A smile for Isaac...

6 weeks and some smiles

2006-11-10T19:22:00.000Z

We've been getting a few smiles from Toby in the last few days. These are the best we've been able to capture on a camera phone - he doesn't seem to do it on request - we'll try to do a bit better with a proper camera!

Time is flying by - Toby is now 6 weeks old. He's also growing very fast and the thought that he was once inside Deborah is now quite ludicrous!

The happy reunion and sad goodbye

2006-11-02T21:15:00.000Z

After a few months at home in Korea, Isaac's best friend Han Joo came round to play this afternoon. They immediately got right back into the swing of playing together and having fun as if they'd never been apart. There was a lot of excitement as Isaac introduced Sunny and Han Joo to new baby brother Toby.

However, it's sad that this is the last time we'll see Won Seop, Sunny and Han Joo for a while as they're moving to Sheffield tomorrow. It was lovely to be able to share a meal with them all this evening. We're hoping to go and see them when we visit Deborah's family in Manchester. But there's certainly a sense of loss for both Deborah and Isaac in particular in losing such close friends.

Toby's first trip abroad...

2006-10-26T22:44:00.000+01:00

...well, to Manchester anyway.

Here are a few photos from our few days "up north" in the land of bacon barm cakes (bacon rolls), forms (park benches), toffees (sweets), toffees (chocolates), toffees (toffees) and "goan tut baaaths ont burzz" ("We're going to the swimming pool on the bus"). We've yet to buy Toby his first phrase book...

Another trip to the farm

2006-10-20T22:13:00.000+01:00

The goats...

The camels...

The tigers...

Milking the cows... (Isaac seemed to be very proficient at this - not particularly worrying in itself until he said "cow's having a wee...")

The bottom step

2006-10-20T21:00:00.000+01:00

Isaac is used to being sent to sit on the bottom step for a couple of minutes when he's been naughty and the threat of this seems to work fairly well to deter bad behaviour.

I was doing some hoovering today (not a very regular occurrence, I'm afraid) and heard Isaac getting annoyed with Fireman Sam for not fitting into his fire engine properly.

Then Isaac came marching into the hall and put Fireman Sam on the bottom step...

He's a bright spark is Isaac - recognises the importance of loving discipline for his toys...

Scandal: Accountant grows beard...

2006-10-19T23:51:00.000+01:00

One of the great things about 8 weeks off work is the chance to experiment with facial hair (although laziness and a strong dislike for shaving have also been key contributory factors).

Under instruction from my other two-thirds on grounds that it is clearly alarming Isaac (see above photo), the aforementioned beard will be shaved off tomorrow (ouch!).

Toby is doing very well and weighed in at 9lb1 on Tuesday. We're pleased that his appetite is translating to healthy growth:

It's been a packed week with lots of good stuff going on..

It was great to go out to a Woodies worship leaders meeting on Monday night and caught up with people I definitely do not get to see often enough. Always great to hang out with like-minded and like-hearted people.

On Wednesday morning, Isaac and I went for our weekly swim and then he had a friend to play in the afternoon. Wednesday also saw the start of the next Highgrove Alpha course. Whilst we're not involved in the evenings themselves, Isaac and I will be involved in setting up and testing that the DVD player works by watching Fireman Sam on the big screen beforehand.

This morning was Highgrove Toddlers which went well - it's a great atmosphere and the mums, grandmas and child minders are really friendly. We went up to the Mall this evening for tea - nice to get out all together and Isaac had his bedtime stories sat on the floor in WHSmith while Toby had his supper.

Brotherly Love: the kissing continues...

2006-10-14T21:31:00.000+01:00

2 weeks on...

2006-10-13T23:32:00.000+01:00

The last two weeks seem to have flown by. Toby is growing fast and has an appetite that seems to match Isaac and Daddy combined! He's still pretty much of the opinion that days are for sleeping and nights are for eating - but we're starting to convince him otherwise...

Isaac has lost none of his affection for Toby and still has a regular smooch every hour or so. He was pleased to share his bath with Toby this evening and Toby seemed to enjoy it too (and will learn how to splash Isaac back fairly quickly, I expect).

Isaac has also been enjoying having Daddy around and we're starting to get into a routine of the things we'll be doing together over the next few weeks. We've been swimming a couple of times and we've had some bike rides (we've got a new child seat for Isaac for the back of Deborah's bike along with a brand new blue helmet with motor cars on).

We went to Noah's Ark Farm this morning and saw lots of animals, had a go on a tractor, had an ice lolly (yes, in October) and Isaac told me the names of some of the animals (including some I just couldn't place...).

It was Daddy's birthday on Tuesday which was a great excuse for Isaac to open yet more presents, blow out candles and eat chocolate cake.

It's been so amazing to have had all our meals cooked for us for the last ten days. A number of people from church have been part of a meal rota to ensure that cooking is one less thing for us to worry about at the moment. It's been such a blessing! The food has been fantastic (like eating in a restaurant every night - but with a toddler and a newborn in tow) and there's been plenty of it! Thanks so much to all who blessed us in this way - it has made a huge difference to us! Now Deborah and Isaac are bracing themselves for Daddy's culinary skills.

"He's my baby brother, He's mine"

2006-10-07T15:56:00.000+01:00

Isaac is usually not too bad at being possessive about his toys and other things, bar the odd skermish at playgroup.

However, Isaac has become very possessive about Toby and regularly reminds us that "He's my baby brother".

I suppose he has a valid point - after all, Toby is no-one else's baby brother...

Paternity Leave starts here!

2006-10-03T19:59:00.000+01:00

Monday represented the first proper day of paternity leave. I spent most of the weekend in the office but it was definitely worth it as now I can look forward to 8 weeks off with no likely interruptions or unfinished work hanging over me! Such a relief! (I've added a little extra leave to my 2 weeks of paternity leave to ensure we get plenty of family time and a chance for us all to adjust to being a family of four).

Here are a few photos from the last day or two:

Isaac is embracing the big brother role by suddenly starting to do more adventurous things! On the day Toby came home from hospital, Isaac said he didn't want to sleep with a nappy on in the night as he was now a big brother. And so, he hasn't! Today, he decided he was old enough to go on a big swing on his own...

Toby is doing well and has been putting back on the weight babies always lose in the first few days. He's fairly settled although loves to sleep all day and eat all night. So, Deborah's pretty tired.

We had a drive up to the Mall to play on the playground as Isaac wanted to take his baby brother in the car with him for the first time...

On Sunday morning, we walked into the living room to see Isaac lifting up his T shirt, grabbing a breast pump and trying to express milk from his belly button... He wouldn't be told that only mummies can do that sort of thing... "I can, I can, my turn, my turn...".

The goodness of God

2006-10-03T19:40:00.000+01:00

I've been meaning to post about some of the ways God helped us through the whole Toby-being-born thing and how He reminded us that He was looking after us...

During the day on Tuesday, Deborah was feeling a few twinges and my mum called to ask how she was because she had a sense something may be starting to happen. After homegroup prayed for us that evening, Deborah went in to labour at around 11pm.

We were all packed ready to go to the hospital but nothing was progressing very quickly and, at around 3am on Wednesday, the contractions started to get further apart rather than closer. Deb was feeling pretty miserable about this and a bit fed up. At this point, an email from Dave Mitchell at church came through to say he was praying for us and awaiting any news. Not sure whether he actually sent it at that time of night (update: apparently he did!), but it certainly arrived in our inbox at the right time and was a reminder to us that God was with us.

The next evening, after around 22 hours of labour, we had a call from our friends in Canada called Tom and Liz who we hadn't managed to speak to for ages. I guess they knew it was around Deborah's due date and were calling to see how we were getting on. When Tom heard Deborah was in labour, he prayed for us over the phone. Just before he finished, Deborah's waters broke.

As we made our way into hospital, I had just rung the buzzer on the maternity ward and was just about to turn my phone off when it rang. It was our church leader, Pam, who had just got in from a day out and gave us a ring to say she was praying for us. Had she phoned 30 seconds later, she wouldn't have got through.

Through all this, we really felt that God was demonstrating that he was in control and He cared enough to prompt other people to call at just the right times!

A Word for Today

2006-10-01T07:38:00.000+01:00

Sam and Ruth wrote a profound Bible verse in a 'New Baby' card for us to reflect on:

"We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed"
1 Cor 15:51

Now that just hits the nail on the head!!!

He ain't heavy, he's my brother...

2006-09-29T23:31:00.000+01:00

We were delighted that Deborah and Toby were able to come home just after lunch yesterday. This meant an exciting introduction to Isaac at home. Here are a few photos from yesterday and today:

Isaac carefully holding his little brother whilst also managing to say cheese for the camera...

Isaac saying thank you to Toby for his new Jeep...

Needing no encouragement to be affectionate...

Toby at the hospital just before home time...

Getting ready to come home...

(Photos of more introductions to family to follow)

Introducing...

2006-09-28T09:40:00.000+01:00

Toby Samuel Marsh, who was born at 00:55 on Thursday 28 September. He weighed in at 7lb 15oz.

Deborah and Toby are both well although Deborah is understandably exhausted and feeling very knocked about. Isaac is looking forward to meeting his new baby brother a little later on today.

Here are a few photos from Toby's first couple of hours in the world:

Why Toby Samuel?

Toby - this name means 'God is good'. This is the front-page-headline of our lives. The name Toby acts as a reminder to keep this truth in mind in the bad times as well as the good;

Samuel - This is a wonderful name. In the Bible, Samuel was someone who listened to God's directions and acted on them. By choosing this name, we are also carrying on the tradition of stealing names for our children from Ed's brother, Samuel Peter Isaac Marsh!

This is cool...

2006-09-23T20:21:00.000+01:00

Advert for the Alpha course:

Becks and Keira

2006-09-23T17:48:00.000+01:00

With a link courtesy of Tom and Liz (happy anniversary, guys!), here are the celebrities we apparently most look like. Outcome could have been a lot worse (although the two old guys on the right are obviously the result of some software error or other...):

Wedding blog

2006-09-15T13:14:00.000+01:00

There are loads of great photos on Sam and Ruth's wedding blog.

A week away

2006-09-03T00:03:00.000+01:00

We have just spent a week away in Manchester staying with Deborah's mum and dad. Ed had a training course in Preston which is always a good excuse to go and stay where we get all our meals cooked for us, clothes washed, free baby sitting and a lie in. It was really great to see everyone again as Easter was the last time we went up. Ed had the whole week off (except the two day course) and we really felt we relaxed. We did a lot of reading and caught up on sleep - much needed as Baby Day gets closer!

Isaac had a fantastic time away and was spoiled with lots of time, attention, sweets and playground trips. Here's a little of what we got up to...

We visited to Chester Zoo (our Bristol Zoo membership gets us in free) and saw lots that we don't normally get the chance to see including elephants, giraffes, camels and tigers. We took a trip on the monorail which was an excellent chance to see everything from a bird's eye view! For all you Bristol Zoo members, it's well worth a visit if you find yourself up that way!
We did lots of going to playgrounds (inbetween rain showers!). Here are Isaac and Grandad trying to figure out who is the heaviest...
More fun in the playground...
We managed to convince Isaac he looked dapper in a knitted cardigan...
Isaac's first trip to Blackpool... Isaac, Mummy and Grandma took the tram from one end of the promenade to the Pleasure Beach while Grandad and Daddy were cheapskates and walked the couple of miles instead. (I think Mummy is the one who should win the title of 'northern smoothie')
We went on a few rides on the Pleasure Beach including this 'Alice in Wonderland' ride, a log flume and a steam train. We weren't able to stay to see the first night of the illuminations. We're up again in a week or so (Ed's got another course!) so we might go then.

The joys of working

2006-08-23T12:32:00.000+01:00

One of the good things about working for a large multinational slick machine is the regular opportunity to laugh at all the information/warning/risk management messages that we receive.

Along with my entire office of 400 or so employees, I received the following email today:

Urgent - “Innocent” fruit smoothies
Please be aware that these drinks do not contain any artificial preservatives and if left on a desk, away from refrigeration, for any length of time eg overnight, there is the potential for the acidity to build up resulting in a small explosion.

I mean, really...

The Wedding

2006-08-16T20:23:00.000+01:00

We had an extremely exciting weekend as it was Sam and Ruth's wedding on Saturday. It was a wonderful day that we'll remember for a very long time:

Isaac was a very handsome paige boy:

The happy couple:

The fire engine was brought along to impress the bridesmaids...

What we didn't manage to get a photo of: (but rather hoping someone else did...)

The wonderful photographers Sue and Martin working very hard to get each member of the Marsh side of the family in the just the right place for a family shot only for Isaac to run off down the path at full speed, chased by Sue in heels, finally stopping just as his rather loose 'posh' trousers fall to his ankles...

Grandma's 'posh' 60th

2006-07-30T21:12:00.000+01:00

It was Grandma's 60th birthday this weekend so we've been looking forward to a weekend away with them to celebrate.

However, before we left on Saturday, we had some important business to attend to. Isaac is a paige boy at Uncle Sam and Auntie Ruth's wedding in a couple of weeks' time and so we went for a fitting. Isaac's been calling it his 'posh suit'... Unfortunately, he was finding it a little bit difficult to get used to and spent most of the time saying 'don't like posh suit, take off, too tight'. So it'll be plenty of practising wearing shirts in the next couple of weeks then!

Then it was Mummy's turn and we went down to Broadmead to buy her a 'posh dress'. Daddy will probably just wear his work suit (but may clean his shoes - if you're lucky).

After lunch, we travelled up to the Forest of Arden to stay at a 'posh golfing hotel'. We had a great time in the swimming pool, playing football, reading stories in the bar and raking the bunkers...

The boys take time out

2006-07-26T21:10:00.000+01:00

Another busy week at work was followed by a full weekend with my brother's stag day on Saturday (canoeing down the Severn!), Deborah leading the service at Highgrove on Sunday morning and me playing at Woodlands for the Worship special in the evening. As Isaac and I hadn't seen much of each other, we took some time out on Sunday morning and went to the Lake Grounds in Portishead.

We spoiled ourselves a bit by having ice cream and chips. We played on the beach for a bit (not quite sandy enough!), played football and played on the playground with all the big children.

Unfortunately, it meant missing church but it was good to have some alone time together.

Wow, it's been hot!

2006-07-21T23:28:00.000+01:00

Wow, it's been hot!
Originally uploaded by edmarsh1977.

What do you need to take with you outdoors in a heat wave? Why, a spiderman umbrella of course!

This week

2006-07-14T23:33:00.000+01:00

Daddy's been at work way too much this week, so Mummy took lots of photos to keep him up to date on all the fun:

Hula!
Catching up on a bit of Stevie Wonder
Helping Mummy with the ironing
"Why not?"

Big feet

2006-07-08T21:18:00.000+01:00

I feel a little clarification is necessary on the first photo in the previous post:

Isaac really is growing up rapidly at the moment but, for the avoidance of doubt, those are my shoes in the background, not his...

Missing Mummy

2006-07-01T21:15:00.000+01:00

Mummy's away on a Women's weekend away this weekend (Isaac and I have been calling it 'Chicks in Chepstow' - well, mainly me, really). So Isaac and I have had a bit of a boys' weekend:
Ready for a warm day out
Breakfast in McDonalds (it was Mummy's suggestion, honest...)
Meeting Granny for a swim in the open air in Portishead
We're both missing Mummy a lot with Isaac putting his chin on his chest every hour or so and mumbling "Ma back"...

Just 18 hours to go!

Monkey business

2006-06-24T17:07:00.000+01:00

Some lovely friends of ours gave Isaac this fancy new climbing frame and slide. After a couple of hours of sweat and toil, Daddy managed to get it up and operational. Climbing and swinging has been the feature of the day today!

KPMG Community Day

2006-06-23T21:21:00.000+01:00

One of the best things about working for a big global firm like KPMG is that they have the money to spend on doing the sort of things I did today. Instead of spending a normal Friday sitting in the office making rich people richer, 200 or so people from my office spent today out in local communities taking on specific projects such as painting, litter picking and decorating.

I was part of a team up at 'The Park' in Knowle West planting around 400 trees around the perimeter of the very large playing fields.

The local contact there was instructing us about what we needed to do and told us all that a group of young people would be coming in a few weeks to continue some of the work we were starting. These people, she said, were from 'Love Bristol' and up to 1,000 were "actually going to be paying money to come and do all this sort of stuff!". She seemed pretty amazed by it all...

I enjoyed the day a lot and also felt encouraged about my tree-planting abilities. I usually feel very inadequate in the green-fingers/DIY department but spending a day with other accountants far more uncomfortable with it all than me made me feel like an expert!

The boys have haircuts...

2006-06-18T19:57:00.000+01:00

The result...

A trip to the seaside (with some sunshine this time)

2006-06-17T15:34:00.000+01:00

We went to Weston-super-mare this morning in the warm sunshine. We went on the pier and made the mistake of telling Isaac that the sea was beneath the planks...

We then went on the mini dodgems where Isaac drove Daddy round and round in circles with the obligatory veer towards Mummy every few laps.

Then for a paddle (and a bit more) in the sea - very refreshing and a bit warmer than at Exmouth a few weeks ago!

On the way back in the car, we saw a junk yard with a sign outside saying 'End of life vehicle centre'. I'm sure people do things like that just to keep people smiling...

Boys will be boys!

2006-06-09T21:50:00.000+01:00

What a hot day!

2006-06-03T21:14:00.000+01:00

It's pants at the zoo

2006-06-03T13:28:00.000+01:00

This morning, we went for a visit to the zoo. Nothing out of the ordinary in that, except that it was sunny and it was Isaac's first big trip out in his Thomas the Tank Engine pants rather than a nappy (or 'diaper' for our Canadian readers). It might be hard for some of you to understand this, but it was a proud moment for us.

This whole week has been a potty training week and Isaac has done very well - much better than we were dreading! I'll spare you details of a few minor accidents along the way, but it's going well so far! It's really helped that it was half term this week as Deborah could stay in with Isaac rather than out every day doing the normal weekly stuff.

I've had a week to forget at work and a number of issues this week have meant that it's back to work with a crash rather than a bump after a relaxing holiday. Never mind, I might be able to retire in just 40 years time...

A trip to Bicton Gardens

2006-05-23T13:38:00.000+01:00

We went to Bicton Gardens for a day out and managed to avoid the rain for most of the day. There was lots to do and very beautiful gardens to walk around. There were indoor play areas, outdoor playgrounds, a train, a maze, some ducklings and much more!

Here's a few photos:

We're swimming in the rain...

2006-05-21T23:11:00.000+01:00

We're swimming in the rain...
Originally uploaded by edmarsh1977.

We're still enjoying our long holiday in exmouth, despite awful weather. We've been swimming twice which was fun as they supplied complimentary watering cans for daddy-soaking! We went to torquay this eve for tea and then frantic running around in the wacky warehouse. The photo is of daddy and isaac showing how hungry they were waiting for their tea!

Holiday adventures!

2006-05-17T21:52:00.000+01:00

Whee!
It's all smiles, but...
...look at Daddy's face now!
Mummy really wanted to go on a horse but there's nothing like a red car
Bob the Builder skills being refined
Look out Fernando Alonso! (shortly after this photo, mummy had to dive out the way following a spontaneous veer to the right)
A relaxing ride on the land train

Postcard from sunny (sort of...) Devon

2006-05-14T23:06:00.000+01:00

We're in Exmouth on holiday and having a lot of fun! Today, we visited a huge playground with every sort of ride on toy and slide/swing/wendy house imaginable!

We made it onto the beach! OK, we had long sleeves and Mummy wore two coats but the sand was at its optimum for sandcastles so we had to act fast! Today, Isaac and Daddy went paddling - it was C O L D !

On our first day here, we had fish and chips on the promenade. Here is Isaac ensuring Mummy and Daddy know which way we need to go to get an ice cream.

Getting into training for the really big slide coming next...

This slide was slightly quicker than Mummy had banked on (you can tell by her hair getting left behind). Isaac and Daddy provided some valuable advice on aerodynamics but we knew the odds of convincing Mummy to go head first were slim.

Give me a kiss, mummy!

2006-05-12T20:37:00.000+01:00

Test post
Originally uploaded by edmarsh1977.

This is me trying out the fancy mobile phone photo posting things we can do now that we've joined the Flickr world!

Roman Holiday

2006-05-03T22:16:00.000+01:00

We've been away to Rome for a few days to celebrate Deborah's 30th Birthday. For those who are interested (and for our own record of the weekend), here are just a few photos (we took almost 230 of them!) of our trip.

The Colosseum was particularly spectacular and was only 10 mins walk from our hotel. On Tuesday, we also had the chance to go inside and see what's left of it. It's truly mind-boggling how old the ruins are in Rome!

We had plenty of warm weather and it was great to be out in short sleeves enjoying the sunshine and warmth. We caught the sun quite a bit too (although not demonstrated by the below photo, I hasten to add).

Here is Deb sat outside the Pantheon (You can't actually see the Pantheon as it was way too big to try and get into the frame so I've given you another pretty sight instead)

The Trevi Fountain - it was quite a feat to take this photo without accidentally getting someone else in it. It was unbearably crowded with tourists (although I suppose we were tourists too!)

Monday was also a public holiday in Italy and so the city was not only full of foreign tourists but loads of Italian visitors as well. There was also a special youth festival going on so the place was full of teens and twentysomethings - we were certainly feeling our age for the first time in a while! Everywhere was a lot less busy on Tuesday and Wednesday. Here is the view from the top of the Spanish Steps on Monday afternoon.

This is the lobby and breakfast room of our hotel

On Tuesday, we walked around the Roman Forum, Palatine Gardens and the Colosseum. It was really strange trying to picture what it must have been like around the time this was all built and to realise how long ago it was. I expect Paul would have walked along some of the streets we walked along. Also made me want to watch Gladiator again!

Takeout Pizza for lunch!

Deborah on the Spanish Steps in her new birthday cardigan and with a rapidly growing bump!

We stumbled across this suspicious incident. Deb tells me that Bulgari is famous for diamonds (I wouldn't have a clue). The Italian police seemed quite worked up about it and it seems too much of a coincidence that a van with a big pointy thing on the back would be doing a careless 3-point turn on a busy street outside a diamond shop... Mmmm...

This morning, we came across the Ferrari store. Here's Michael Schumacher's F2004 Ferrari (and me drooling). The Ferrari store had every bit of branded merchandise you could ever expect to find including Ferrari branded baby seats, trikes and scalextric sets. At 60 euros (£40) for a baseball cap, we resisted the temptation to buy anything. They were selling a steering wheel from the F2004 for 6,000 euros and part of the exhaust for 9,000 euros!

We missed Isaac a lot while we were away although were comforted by the fact that he would have hated it in Rome. Lots of boring buildings and very few toy shops. He was as good as gold for Grandma and Grandad and is very proud of his new Italia football shirt.

Well done for reading this far!

The big three O...

2006-04-28T20:22:00.000+01:00

It's Deborah's 30th birthday tomorrow and we're looking forward to having quite a bit of family time together this weekend. It's been a really busy week for both of us this week and I've had far too many late nights at work missing storytimes and bedtimes. So it was a relief to finish today and look forward to a week off work. To celebrate Deborah's 30th, we'll be jetting off on holiday for a couple of days and Deborah's mum and dad are coming down to look after Isaac.

As if to emphasise that I've been at work too much this week, Deborah asked Isaac "Who's coming to stay tomorrow?"

Isaac's reply?

"Daddy!"

Latest from the BBC:
(The weather in Bristol)
(The weather in Rome)

Don't mess with Mr Cool

2006-04-23T20:50:00.000+01:00

Bedtime stories (21st century style)

2006-04-23T20:12:00.000+01:00

Yet more Easter fun (yes, more!)

2006-04-17T19:44:00.000+01:00

We went to a birthday party this morning which involved a lot of running around, climbing and going down slides followed by lots of food and a tension-charged game of pass the parcel. This afternoon, we went to Ashton Court where the miniature railway was being run today. This proved very popular with Isaac, who had three rides. The 'crash' he kept calling for didn't materialise, unfortunately. However, we did get to ride on a train called 'Sir Isaac' which almost made up for this...

This was followed by an energetic game of footie in Ashton Court where Isaac and Daddy ran rings around mummy proving that our world cup preparation is right on schedule.

We watched the Chronicles of Narnia for the first time yesterday. We hadn't gotten around to seeing it until now but it was particularly poignant for Easter weekend.

And so back to work...

More Easter Fun!

2006-04-16T07:52:00.000+01:00

A trip to Avon Valley Railway, Bitton.

Easter fun!

2006-04-14T15:33:00.000+01:00

This morning, we went to Animal Farm Adventure Park near Burnham-on-Sea as we had two free tickets to use. There was a lot to do and we had a lot of fun...

Daddy and Isaac on the slides:
A go on a trampoline:
A ride with Thomas:
Farmer Isaac and his tractor:
Rabbit stroking:

Our weekend

2006-04-09T20:29:00.000+01:00

It's been a fairly busy week and weekend in the Marsh household. At the end of this week, we had our fireplace and back boiler removed and a new all-singing-all-dancing new combi boiler installed along with a couple of new radiators. Isaac enjoyed having the 'builders' in and gave the guy who was doing the work a "Bye, man" and a wave when he left on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, we made another trip to IKEA (this time in Birmingham!) where we were meeting Deb's mum and dad halfway between our homes to purchase a new car (their 'old' one - but actually a very fancy and new Megane). Here's Isaac trying out the beds in IKEA...

On Sunday, we went to church in the morning where Deborah led the service and Ed led some worship with the kids. Here's Isaac devouring his lunch afterwards while mummy and daddy talked to everyone else:

On Sunday afternoon, we went round to Gran and Grandad's where Isaac spent about an hour helping Grandad with the weeding (in sunshine and hailstones!) then relaxed in front of a bit of Thomas. Just before we left, Isaac was excited to receive an 'Easter tractor' from Gran and Grandad.

Now, this is what I call shopping!

2006-03-28T23:54:00.000+01:00

A trip to IKEA - Tues 28 March

A quiet Mothering Sunday

2006-03-26T21:44:00.000+01:00

We didn't really do an awful lot today but that makes quite a nice change for a Sunday! Mummy had her fourth card from Isaac (and the only one not made at some toddler group during the week). It's our seventh wedding anniversary tomorrow and Ed's taken a few days off work so we can have a few days with Deb's mum and dad in Manchester (and, of course, get free babysitters so we can go out to dinner!).

It's great to see Grandma and Grandad again and for Isaac to spend his first night in a bigger big boys bed for the first time in Manchester. This is made all the more fun by a new 'Finding Nemo' duvet cover and pillow case...

Ed spent today going car shopping with Deb's dad and getting to sit in lots of fancy new cars - unfortunately no test drives!

The photo is of Isaac working on his photographic skills...

Houston, we have a problem...

2006-03-24T21:37:00.000Z

Captain Isaac Marsh and Captain Han-Joo 'T' Chang are piloting their space shuttle ('Dino 13') towards the earth's atmosphere at 3 million miles an hour. Captain Chang makes precise adjustments on his control panel to adjust the shuttle's trajectory to avoid the risk of burning up on re-entry... But then Captain Marsh's face turns grim as he spots a hole in the right wing...

Number two...

2006-03-18T21:15:00.000Z

We were thrilled to discover last month that we're expecting a baby at the end of September. We went for a dating scan this week to confirm the expected due date. We saw a strong heartbeat and lots of wriggling which was amazing (I wasn't sure I'd be so captivated the second time but it was incredible).

At the moment, we're also considering the possibility of Ed taking an extended break from work from around September time. This will probably be a combination of holiday, paternity leave and 6 weeks unpaid leave to give around two and a half months off. This will give us some much needed breathing space to get used to being a bigger family and a chance to get out of the rat race for a bit.

All aboard!

2006-03-04T21:34:00.000Z

Isaac getting his props together for a few rounds of row, row, row your boat...

Whrrrr...

2006-03-02T21:59:00.000Z

Here is Isaac's new Fireman Sam helicopter. Since Sunday, it has been pretty much everywhere with us. Here we are on one of Ed's days off at the zoo flying around the cafeteria surveying what biscuits are available from great height.

A big boy's bed

2006-02-25T14:13:00.000Z

Ed's got a couple of days off work so we're taking the chance to introduce Isaac to the possibility of graduating from his cot into a big boy's bed. Both Isaac and Daddy got their toolboxes out (Daddy's with considerably more dust on than Isaac's!) and got to work. He's had one sleep in it so far as if nothing's changed. We're sure it's too good to be true!

Ready, Steady, Bake!

2006-02-11T22:33:00.000Z

A hard day at the office...

2006-02-11T12:38:00.000Z

Isaac's been wondering why daddy's been spending such a long time at work the last couple of weeks. So, we all went into daddy's office to do some colouring, spin round and round on a desk chair, go up and down in the lifts and drink hot chocolate from the machine. With all this excitement to look forward to every day, it's a wonder how daddy ever gets any proper work done!

Watch out Vorderman!

2006-01-27T21:31:00.000Z

Isaac is learning lots of new words and talks quite a lot now - but
mostly in words of one syllable. A lot of guess work involved in
conversations with Isaac!

This week, however, he counted to five... He was counting chocolate
buttons at the time (quite an incentive) but, as clear as anything,
counted them out in from of Deborah. As a dad (and accountant), this
makes me very proud. I've been spending the week trying to get him to
say 'point' so that we have at least the theoretical possibility of him
reciting Pi to 4 decimal places. Deb's not impressed!

Update: Yesterday, he counted to ten! We're gonna have to encourage
two syllable words to get much further than that!

Teeth and Train tunnels...

2006-01-25T21:30:00.000Z

Long time, no post...

Since we last posted here, life's been very busy and certainly not uneventful. Here are a few headlines...

On my first day back at work after the New Year, Isaac fell over at a friend's house and managed to knock one of his front teeth out. Not a lot of fun - but not sure who was the most traumatised, Isaac or Deborah. I rushed to the Dental Hospital from work and then went back to work afterwards with blood on my shirt looking like I'd just come back from roughing someone up... Isaac recovered well although looks considerably more roguish than before!

A few days later was Isaac's 2nd birthday. He had a lot of fun with several of his little friends round for a party. They all got the hang of 'pass the parcel' very well - maybe musical bumps will need to wait until next year... Isaac managed to blow out all his candles in one go and had two bowls of jelly and ice cream. Needless to say, he didn't get to sleep until late that night!

Last weekend, I went on the Highgrove Men's Weekend away in Chepstow. We had a lot of fun, played lots of sport and had a chance to chat and reflect on stuff. I was leading worship and a guy called Steve from 'Pip and Jay' spoke. The Saturday turned out to be glorious weather. Somebody therefore thought it'd be a great idea to have a walk through an disused railway tunnel in the dark! So, we walked one mile to the other side, ate lunch, and then walked the mile back! We got plenty of chance to be in the sunshine though with a trip to Chepstow castle in the afternoon...

See the photos here!.

Christmas fun!

2005-12-31T20:34:00.000Z

Christmas with the Marshes has been exciting this year. Isaac has really got into the swing of things. As you can see above, he made a very handsome king for the nativity service at Highgrove.

Present opening is now second nature - every sight he gets of a present is accompanied by a loud 'me' (new word) and a pat on his chest. And there's a lot of that going on with three rounds in Bristol, two in Manchester and Isaac's birthday in early January.

As expected, the Freman Sam fire engine was the biggest hit and was useful in doing several laps of the church on christmas morning! Fireman Sam himself now goes pretty much everywhere - including helping Isaac with his Weetabix on Christmas morning. (Mobile post)

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

2005-12-06T20:21:00.000Z

We just wanted to take the opportunity to say a very Happy Christmas to you and that we hope you have a restful and peaceful time over this period. We've included a little summary of our year saying a little of what we've been up to in 2005 and what we're looking forward to in 2006. Do email us (info(AT)edmarsh.co.uk) - we'd love to hear your news.

January
At the start of the New Year, we celebrated Isaac’s first birthday. He had a very exciting day culminating with his first taste of chocolate cake – the first day of a fondness that has continued throughout the year! The next day, he had a party at church where he was joined by six little friends to play with toys and eat jelly and ice cream.

February
A popular activity throughout the year has been visits to Bristol Zoo. Isaac and Deborah go about once a week and Ed joins them when he can on Saturdays, Sundays and days off! The zoo is a lot of fun and offers Isaac the opportunity to learn and refine new animal impressions. Penguins and Gorillas have proved the most popular impressions!

March
Deborah helps to run a Mums and Toddlers group at church and we had our first big social evening event with a Chinese banquet for all the mums. The company was lovely and the food fantastic. The meal was made even more authentic (although slower) by everyone using chopsticks.

April
Isaac had been experimenting with walking since the start of the year but he was really starting to motor by April. Tentative waddling soon turned into trotting which soon turned into running. And that’s when the fun really began…

May
Ed and Deborah had a great time away on their own in the Lake District to celebrate Deb’s birthday. Isaac also had a lovely holiday at Grandma and Grandad’s house in Manchester at the same time although Grandma and Grandad did need a holiday afterwards themselves!

June
We were joined by both sets of grandparents at different points for our annual holiday in Exmouth. We had great weather and spent most of the time on the beach building sandcastles (and knocking them down!). In this photo, Isaac is leading Deb for yet another visit to the sea shore to collect shells and try to convince her to go all the way in for a swim.

July
Ed continues to work for KPMG and officially qualified as a Chartered Accountant in the year. Whilst it’s been great to have an exam-free year, there is a lot more responsibility now at work and longer hours. However, the work has been satisfying with interesting clients and assignments.

August
We celebrated Ed’s Grandpa’s 90th Birthday with a family meal out in Portishead. Isaac had great fun, especially because his cousin Ethan was there to run around with. As you can tell from this photo and the one below, it was hard to get them to stay still even for a moment!

September
We had a rather ill summer with Ed’s little swimming pool accident and Deborah’s tonsillitis (click here for the full story!). So our holiday in the South of France was very welcome. We had a fantastic time with Kate, Dave and Ethan (Ed’s sister and family), despite the torrential thunderstorms for the first few days. The weather then became glorious and we had many happy days on the beach and in the sea. We also visited St Tropez and Monte Carlo – Ed was particularly excited to have the chance to drive around the famous Grand Prix street circuit!

October
Deborah was made redundant in September and, even though it was a shock at first, it has allowed her to give some time to church – something we had been longing to do for quite some time. Isaac continues to spend one day a week with Ed’s mum to free Deborah up to do this which is a real blessing to us and a lot of fun for Isaac. Ed's Mum and Dad continue to lead very full but also very fruitful lives - they have also been so generous to us with their time and energy.

November
In November, our church (Highgrove Church) started running an Alpha Course for six Tuesday evenings. This has been a really exciting opportunity for people in the church but also about 15 guests to find out more about the Christian faith and have a chance to ask questions and explore further the big questions in life. The meals have been fantastic too!

December
Deborah’s Grandma also celebrated her 90th birthday and we took the opportunity for a long weekend in Manchester to attend her party. Deb’s Mum and Dad are – on the whole – keeping well and are both now fully retired and enjoying it. We've really valued their willingness to jump in the car and drive 3 hours to come look after Deb and Isaac when Deb's been very poorly a couple of times this year.

Looking ahead to 2006

We’re really excited about Sam (Ed’s brother) and Ruth getting married in August 2006. It’s been fantastic having Sam live nearby and them both coming to Highgrove Church during the year.

Deb celebrates her 30th birthday in April (although she may try to delete this sentence!)

Deb's Mum celebrates her 60th birthday in July!

Our friends Stew and Sarah are expecting their second child in the New Year!

Have a fantastic start to the New Year.

Lots of love

Ed, Deborah and Isaac x x x

http://edmarsh.blogspot.com/ - our blogsite for news and photos throughout the year.

The boys up to mischief...

2005-11-21T20:41:00.000Z

Mummy is very poorly at the moment with very bad tonsilitus again. She's starting to get a little better today but has been completely out of action all weekend with a lot of pain and sickness. This has left Daddy and Isaac to get up to all sorts of boys stuff:

Attempting to topple Santa in Homebase:

Scoffing a take-out Pizza:

Surfing the net (firemansam.co.uk, of course!):

Pretending to be choo-choo-train tunnels: