Two young men

Whether we are ready for it or not, Conner reached his 21st b-day.  He allowed us to take him to the Sandbar so our buddy Joe could give him the Shark Attack experience.  He got to spin the wheel of happiness behind the bar, and we think he enjoyed it.  Proud of you, Conner!

The September post was written before Carson's 20th, so here he is with Dad and cool friend Andy Lees. No more teenagers! Both boys have jumped in to the new academic year on KU's campus.  We are happy to have them both close by.  Rock Chalk!

Grandma and the Marsh siblings plus Jen said a sad goodbye to Aunt Margie in September.  It was a beautiful service in Louisville and a nice trip for this crew.  

Two Jayhawks

No, Carson did not get a replacement for the Beemer.  This lovely vehicle has graced a few past blog entries, but not while a CNM was cleaning it.  Grandpa has been battling some health issues and the boys have been helping keep things clean and shiny.

Conner has given several family members an amazing tour of the Bowersock hydroelectric plant this summer.  His internship at the plant went so well that he is now working for them during the school year.  That was made possible by his decision to transfer to KU into their Environmental Science program.

We attended a memorial service for a family friend this month, and will have another for Aunt Margie next week.  A silver lining appeared while we were leaving the church to see the newly hung plaques for Troop 53 Eagle Scouts.  Conner's name is seventh from the top on the right side.

Carson is now a certified personal trainer to the stars.  Well, to his parents.  And a few other people in town.  He has been apprenticing with a trainer who has her own gym, and now he is beginning to train some clients of his own at the same spot. 

Smink wanted to say hi.  She and her sister enjoyed having their boys at home this summer.  She is pleased to see both of them every once in a while now that both CNMs are at KU. We are all so ready for the cool breezes of Fall!

Work and Lake

How can August be right around the corner?  Both boys have been working hard, and playing a little.  Conner was highlighted on the above post from the Bowersock power company.  The playing part came when the three CNMs heading to Harvey's Lake.

Here is the extended Marsh crew enjoying an evening bonfire by the Lake.  It was a big gathering, as always.  Almost thirty people this year, and not all were able to come.  Beautiful weather, beloved family.

Several canine family members too!  Five total.  Even one from Kansas.  This is Carson on the paddleboard with Namari.  Sweet new addition from the Michigan Marshes.

Conner endeared himself to the extended fam not only by teaching young Mychel some new fishing skills, but also doing some major landscaping tasks around the property.  

This is a great picture of Grandma and the CNMs, but as the following picture reveals, it is taken in Chicago.  The four of us chose the same flight home, with a short Chicago layover.  Mother Nature had other ideas, and sent major storms through Chicago, forcing us to miss our late evening connecting flight.  We couldn't get another flight to KC until the next evening!  

Enter Jill and Ronan, our Chi-town saviors. We stayed the night with them and had a wonderful day of touring Wrigley, eating Chicago pizza and having an all-around great Chicago day before concluding our summer vacation.  Thank you Jill and Ronan!

Summer in full swing

Both boys are home and working hard.  It is still proving difficult to get pictures of them... so we'll start this entry with a shot of the Ted Marsh family AND GRANDMA shooting down some gnarly rapids.  Grandma is rehabbing her second injury in two years and neither seems to have slowed her down much.

Hey, there is a CNM!  In his natural habitat.  Carson is balancing his time between working at a bank, becoming a personal trainer, and doing yardwork for over a dozen clients.  We are fortunate that he does ours free of charge.

There is the other one!  Conner is keeping very busy with his job at the hydroelectric plant.  We caught him on camera working a unique project:  he wanted to bowfish, but the bows were so pricey that he chose to make one himself out of aluminum! Such an engineer.

And here is the finished product.  Really amazing how he took raw materials and created a compound bow that works.  He's quick to point out the imperfections, but his family is simply amazed.

Carson has access to the cool rooftop hangout of a condo just off Mass Street.  He invited Dad to check it out one night and the sunset was so cool that a selfie was taken.  Next entry should be filled with Harvey's Lake pics.  All three CNMs are going this year and it is much anticipated.

Home for the summer!

It is Mom's birthday today!  She had a marathon day at the Phoenix Gallery because they stayed open for a big event on Mass St.  Her boys celebrated her with this lovely vase from one of her favorite sculptors and some flowers to fill it, along with some other nice b-day gifts.

The three CNMs went to Aunt Heather's lake over the Memorial Day weekend.  Conner caught some nice fish, and Carson caught a major pothole returning from the lake.  We discovered his spare was inoperable, so it turned out to be a late night adventure!

Three cheers for the super cool Sea Doo that Aunt Heather let us ride.  It was a real treat, along with the joy of lake time with family.

Ok, this picture is not from last week...it is from 30 years ago!  Uncle Ted was Carson's age and Dad was...just a bit older.  Uncle Ted turns 50 next month, so he is now pretty much as old as Dad.

Both boys are home for the summer.  The grocery bill is a bit higher, but it is nice that they are with us.  Working very hard, both of them.  Conner is creating all kinds of hydroelectric power at Bowersock, and Carson is adding loan assessment work to his existing teller duties at Great American Bank.  Hurray for summer!

 

Spring has sprung

Spring is in the air, and the boys were both home for spring break, although their breaks were at different times.  This is a pic of them outside Mema and Grandpa's house for Easter. 

Conner's primary goal for spring break was to identify a summer internship opportunity close to home. He scored a homerun when he reached out to the Bowersock power company which runs the only hydroelectric plant in Kansas.  It is two blocks from our house and situated next to one of his favorite fishing spots.  30 hours a week, paid internship in pretty much exactly the industry which holds his interest.

Carson's summer plans did not require a search or even an interview.  He will continue working for the Great American Bank--also about two blocks from our house--and will keep caring for many of our neighbors' lawns.  Both boys have astonishing work ethic and will keep very busy the next few months.

Dad got to play Grand Marshal for the Lawrence St. Patrick's Day parade.  It is most certainly not because of our Irish heritage, although their may be some of that in the family tree...we think it may be due to the success of KU-phoria, which continues to sell and hopefully make Jayhawk fans even more proud of their school.

Hopefully we will have more CNM pics in the coming months.  The whole family will be together and enjoying a very active summer.  Oh, and September will bring about the official end of the boys' teenage years.  How is that possible????

 

2024 celebrations

A quick pic of the boys during our Christmas visit to Mema and Grandpa's house.  It was nice to have the young men at home for the holidays.  The month went by quickly, and now they are back at their respective institutes of higher learning.

Carson joined his parents for a fancy ceremony where Dad got a nice award for being around a long time.  Dad had to give a speech, and Carson had lots of questions afterwards because he is taking a public speaking class this semester.

One of many examples that the boys are growing up: the extreme noise of Allen Fieldhouse doesn't bother Conner anymore.  He joined Dad for a KU bball game.  Neither boy is a serious sports fanatic, but Conner and Dad have enjoyed the success of the KC Chiefs this year!