Martens 2009 year in review

For the past 11 years I have written a family Christmas letter to recap what we've been up to for the last year. Usually I enjoy looking back over the calendar and remembering things that made our year special. For some reason, this year I wasn't feelin' it.......so, no letter.

However, just in case you were thinking "Bummer, I wish she would have written that letter. I would have really enjoyed reading it........."
Wish granted.
Here is a recap of some of the high-lights...and low-lights of 2009.

In January Kate broke her arm. I know, it still makes me cringe. She had just turned 3, but handled it like a 30 year old.....so very brave. We altered a lot of shirts to go over that purple cast, and we were so thankful for the modern technology that made the cast waterproof!
February and March were filled with activities that kept us busy, but aren't exciting enough to detail for you. You're welcome.
After 20 + years of wearing contacts, I had Lasik done in April. I can honestly say it has changed my life. Totally worth the money. If you have been considering having Lasik done, but you need to hear from a satisfied customer first.....CALL ME.
May was the Martens first volunteer gig as a family. We did the Walk for the Homeless and had a blast. We got groovy tie dye t-shirts and froze our niblets off, all for a great cause. Can't wait to walk in 2010. Have your pledge money ready!
June was the annual Martens/Greiner family trip to Bennett Spring State Park. Both sets of parents, Andy's sister Missy and her husband Ben, and our family of 5, spent three days "roughing it." We stay in a cabin with my parents and Andy's family camps. Fly fishing, nature hikes, camp fires, and swimming are all part of the fun. We reserved our cabin for June 2010 when we left in June 2009. That's how fun it is.
July 7th our Jane Gracen celebrated her first birthday! Mid-July nine Martens family members(our five, plus parents, sis and bro) drove for 17 hours to get to Montrose Colorado, where four more family members were waiting for us! If you ever wondered if a one year old can hold a grudge....they can! Jane didn't look us in the eye or smile at us for at least 24 hours after we unstrapped her from her carseat. Two more family members driving out a few days later completed our posse of 15 and we became complete tourists for seven fun filled days. And yes, I would do it again.
Lordy, was August rough. We had barely been back from Colorado for a week when the horrific happened, and Andy's uncle Jim died unexpectedly. That made our time as a family out in Colorado even more special. We are still not over this loss. Tess started school and gave her first piano solo at church. I started leading a Bible Study with the junior and senior high school students at church. I may have the title as teacher, but trust me, I am learning way more than I am teaching. Oh yeah, I became a blogger this month.
In September, Tess turned 8 years old, Andy turned 33, and Kate started pre-school. I love how much Kate enjoys school, and how much she is learning without even realizing it! She gets to attend a gymnastics class every Monday after school, and is amazing. There is no fear of flinging her little body any which way the teacher asks. While other kids are still learning to sommersault, Kate is doing flips, cartwheels, bridges(a backwards bend), and jumps on a trampoline. It's funny how she looks like a Martens, but is built low to the ground with muscular little legs, like a Greiner. Kate also joined the cherub choir at church. (see video post from early December) It makes my heart almost burst with love when I hear her singing songs that I sang as a child. Father Abraham, had many sons. Many sons had Father Abraham. I am one of them and so are you...so let's all praise the Lord! Sing it with me, now!
In October, the Martens family, minus Jane, went to visit the dentist. We all came back sqeaky clean, but Andy and Tess were the only ones that got a gold star for perfect teeth. I always have procedures on a "to do" list, but this year Kate had a teeny, tiny cavity. She handled it better than most adults. Tess is still trying to lose some baby teeth, only three so far.
November, Tess had her tonsils and adenoids removed, and nasal turbinates cauterized. After some pain, there was a big gain, as she can clearly breathe through her nose for the first time in years. She also hasn't had a cold since, even though almost everyone else in the world has. oops, hope I didn't just jinx her. I turned the big 3-5 this month and feel pretty darn good about it. I've decided it's time to start caring about things.....like health and fitness....so went for a complete physical and found out my health (blood work) is better now than 7 years ago. The fitness part, not so much.
December went fast, and is coming to a end in just a few hours. On December 5th, Andy and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary at The Elms. This was a well planned TOTAL surprise to me. The girls were in on the surprise the entire time and gave nothing away. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not that my girls are such amazing secret keepers. On December 27th, Kate turned 4 years old and woke up on the 28th asking if she was still 4.
We are truly blessed, and we know it. The most important thing we can do in 2010, is continue to Praise God for His amazing grace, and teach our children to do the same.