What a Year!

Oh my gosh! 2008 was a crazy year at the Martin household. Here are a few of the things that went on this year:

January:
Faith turned 5
Joe got hired full time at Kansas City Steak Company (What a blessing)
Ashley started her last semester of Nursing school leaving her 2 week old baby at home.
Emma got left with Grandma while mommy was away for the first time.

February:
Levi turned 3
Joe turned 26

March:
Joe had a mini stroke which he now has to take Aspirin and Lisinopril to control.

April:
Levi had an appendectomy
Emma decided to go on a bottle strike and wouldn't take a bottle for 8 hours while I was at school. I felt awful about this.

May:
Ashley gruaduated (YAY!!!!)

June:
Faith started summer school.

July:
Ashley turned 25
We went from Missouri to Arizona to Idaho and back to Missouri in two weeks. Talk about a hugs circle.

August:
Faith started Kindergarten
Levi started preschool

Sep-Nov:
School, Work and Play

December:
Emma turned 1 (I can't believe how the year flew)

Of course these are just some of the events that occured this year and we always have our daily hustle and bustle of getting everyone ready and out the door. Laundry has also become quite an event with 5 people in the house. We are loving it though, I don't know what we will do when life settles down. I'm sure we have a while before that happens anyway.

Look for lots of craziness from us in 2009

Let me know if you can think of anything I missed!

One year ago today.......

We welcomed Emma Brianne Martin into our family weighing in at 7lb 5oz and 20 inches long. Last year on Christmas Eve we were at my parents for dinner when the contractions just would not go away. My mom kept telling me she could hear me breathing through contractions but I insisted I was fine. Well when the tears came Joe decided to take me to the hospital. It wasn't til 8:15AM on Christmas morning though that Emma would make her big arrival. We could not have asked for a happier baby. She has been happy from day one and still people comment everywhere we go on the happiness that surrounds her.

Emma you have brought so much joy to our lives. I can't believe you are already one. You are so smart and beautiful I just can't imagine life without you.

A few things about Emma:

1. She loves to be held to go to sleep. 2. She likes junk food already. 3. She just cut her 4th tooth. 4. Her hair is strawberry blonde. 5. She still has blue eyes. 6. She watches every step Faith and Levi make. 7. She crawls really fast. 8. She can walk some but still resorts to crawling if she wants to go fast. 9. She can go up and down the stairs. 10. She points to whatever she wants. 10. She says mama, dada, up, and more. 11. She shakes her head no, quite well I might add. 12. She gets really excited when Joe or I walk into the room.

Theres so much more but I can't stay here all night.

Happy 1st Birthday Emma I love you so much!!!!

Merry Christmas!

First off I want to say how truly blessed we have been this year. We have had some rough moments but are so very grateful for the people we have in our lives. I sometimes don't know how we get to be so lucky. I feel nothing but gratitude for those around.


Last night the kids put cookies and milk out for Santa and would you believe he even left crumbs this morning. That Santa, what are we going to do. Emma spotted the crumbs first thing this morning ans ate them up.

Emma got some fun in with daddy before the opening started. Faith and Levi both donning guitars. Maybe we'll have some musically talented kids.

Levi was so happy he wasn't sure what to do at first.

Faith said this was the best Christmas ever. What more can you ask for than that as a parent.

We got Emma to popen a couple things and then shw got distracted by what she had already opened and just wanted to play.

We had so much fun with our family today. I can't tell you how much I love having great family memories. Don't get me wrong sometimes I think I am going to go crazy but it is all worth it.

Merry Christmas to everyone. I hope your Christmas was as love filled as ours.

Can't we all just get along?

YES! Sometimes we can. Occasionally I found all 3 children keeping themselves busy and not getting into trouble. These moments are cherished.

Sisterly love

Emma loves Faith so much. Today I found her like this. Emma was tired so she went and laid on Faith while she was watching TV. She zonked out.

It was so sweet. I asked Faith if she wanted me to move Emma and she said no I'll just hold her. It was so sweet.

Faith's new haircut

My baby is growing up. She chose her own hair cut today. I made her call her dad and she said, "Please daddy I want my hair short." So out we came from the hair place with her new shoulder length hair. I have to say I love it but she looks so old.

Faith's Christmas Party and Mrs. Durbin's last day

Faith had a Christmas/Pajama party at school today. All of the kids wore pajamas and watched the Polar Express. The teachers even joined in on the fun.

At the party they got to make reindeer ornaments. They were very cute only the noses weren't staying on very well with regular glue.

They enjoyed snacks and then got a visit from Santa himself.

Last they had to say goodbye to their wonderful teacher Mrs. Durbin. She recently got married this year and her husband got transferred to Washington D.C. We wish her well but will miss her very much. She has been such a help to Faith and Faith loves her dearly. I couldn't have asked for a better teacher to care for my daughter during her first school experience.It was very sad when it was time to say goodbye. Faith cried and Mrs. Durbin was doing her best to stay composed. You can tell she will miss these kids dearly.One last goodbye. Thank you for being so great to Faith. We hope to see you soon when you make it back to Kansas City.

Look I can point and see myself!

Emma has learned to point recently and now it is her favorite thing to do. She found out today that she can see herself in the oven. She may not know it is her but she likes to laugh and smile at herself.

Everyone has to have one of these pictures and yummy my first real apple!

I apologize Emma but everyone has to have one compromising picture in their lifetime.Just like the other two kids Emma apparently loves apples. I tried a few times to take the apple away so I could cut it up for her but she wouldn't let go of the death grip she had on it.

I'm just glad it's an apple and not a sucker or something.

What a Ham!

We love Levi so much. He can always make us smile. Every time we say look this way he just looks at you with the biggest grin.

You can't help but not stay mad at this face for too long. We love you Levi you brighten up our day.