It is (finally) time for the last installment of the 2010 Martens 5 family blog/letter. I saved myself for last, not because I am the "best" but because I was hoping to be the easiest one to write. I knew today, specifically this evening, would be busy, and I was kind of hoping to knock this out quickly. I shouldn't have to think to hard to come up with material.....I lived this post, after all.
I can't believe this year is almost over. Time really does fly when you are having fun......and getting old(er). My life has a lot of people and things that bring me such JOY.....and there are things I wish could change. As with every year, I wish I had ate less and exercised more. 2011 has got to bring a change in my physical health and my mental attitude toward healthier eating and physical fitness. Check back on December 31, 2011 to see how well that worked out.
This year I had two health scares, one was finding cancer in my ear. What started out as a small sore that wouldn't heal, ended up with me having a basal cell cancer that had to be cut out of my outer ear. Thankfully, when I left the office I left the cancer there and have not seen it since. Other than the surgery and check ups every 6 months for a couple of years, my life didn't deviate from the norm. I am so thankful and grateful to God for that. Being considered a cancer survivor now is one more accomplishment to add to my list. In June, right before starting my new job(more on that later) I injured my back and literally could do nothing but eat pain pills and lay in bed for a week. The MRI showed two herniated discs pressing on the nerve root in my lumbar spine. Lovely news. It is shocking how much back pain can affect even the smallest things in life. While I can't say that I have done everything in my power to make my back "better" I do think that my immediate choices are either live with it or surgery. Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure.......I am way to young to feel this damn old.
After five years working for the Department of Mental Health(yes, I do qualify for state retirement benefits now!) I resigned from my job at Western Missouri Mental Health Center, and now work for Tri-County Mental Health. This is a community mental health center and I am a registered nurse for one of the psychiatrist that sees both children and adults. I am so thankful for this job. Becoming a full time worker-bee was not the initial plan when I started looking into a job change, but this job fell into my lap and I couldn't say No. There have been some pretty major adjustments to our lifestyle, and there are some nights when I still can't believe I have to go to work again the next day. Time management is still a problem for me when it comes to balancing time for work, time for my family, and then time for ME. My co-workers are my favorite part of my job, well that, and the fact that I am making a difference and saving lives! HAHAHAHA. Thankfully, there are very few true emergencies in mental health, and while saving lives may be a bit overzealous, I do think that working with the mentally ill is a total gift from God, and where I was meant to be. God is so good.
On Wednesday nights my time is spent teaching and learning with the teenagers of our church. I am a co-leader of a Bible Study and am getting to be a youth leader for some of the group special events. I attended Spiritfest this summer and was blown away by the band Tobymac and the love of our God by the youth there. A youth lock-in, a "relationships" class, and several other fun activity nights were part of my year, and I have already booked two Saturdays in January with youth activities...one of them a youth retreat and the other is a weekend long youth fest. I can't even begin to describe what a blessing this journey has been for my spiritual and mental growth. I am learning God's Word and connecting with a age group that otherwise would have remained a mystery to me for a couple more years.
What brings Sarah JOY, you ask? reading non-fiction(practically a non-existant hobby right now) watching my girls play sports, going on dates with my husband, shopping, drinking hot tea, Diet Mt Dew, refined sugar in any form, laughing, watching KU basketball, Royals baseball, spending time with my brother(rare), talking to my mom on the phone almost daily, listening to Tess practice piano, snuggling with Jane, listening to Kate "read" a book to me, watching movies, a good haircut, new shoes, leggings, home improvements, pastry/breads, bringing JOY to others through mission work, getting to listen to music while I am at work and no one cares if I sing, tanning gel, my new deck furniture, Very Hollywood perfume by Michael Kors, and anything the color red.
Thanks for reading my week long recap of The Martens 5. We are so thankful to have such amazing family and friends to share our lives with. I hope 2011 continues to be filled with God's grace and mercy.....goodness knows, I need all of the help I can get.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Brogan Tess Martens
My nine year old, going on nineteen, daughter. The oldest of my three beautiful beauties. I can't believe I am even old enough to have a 9 year old child.
Tess started third grade and is loving it. This was the first year that grades actually count for something and her report cards have been stellar. At the beginning of the year we set some expectations and so far, she is meeting them. We had her parent teacher conference and the teacher's biggest concern? That sometimes she has to remind Tess that she is NOT the teacher. I just laughed and said, "sometimes I have to remind her she's not the mother!" If this is the biggest concern, I'll take it. She excels at reading and language arts, she can do the math if she would just slow down and check her work, and she loves the science and social studies topics. We slave away at book reports every couple of weeks for a measly 10 points each, and she earned her way to a Literature Festival in March waaaaay before the deadline to complete the work. I get to be a parent chaperone to this Festival and can't wait...this is a field trip I can get excited about!
Tess loves playing sports, reading books, drawing, singing, dancing, laughing, playing her DSi, watching Discovery channel(especially Mythbusters) peace signs, smiley faces, pajama pants, skinny jeans, wearing boots, funny socks, bright colors, roller skating, riding her bike, watching and playing sports with her daddy, getting mani/pedis, growing out her bangs, learning trivia and weird facts, non-fiction books, creating power point presentations on the computer, playing with friends, swimming, going to the library, animals, shopping with gift cards and learning about the Titanic.
Softball and Basketball are the two sports that make Tess happy, and us as parents, smile with pride. She played on a team this year that did really well and had fun...we couldn't have asked for better. The older Tess gets, the harder the competition gets, so we are excited(and anxious) about the thought of Tess playing "kid pitch"softball this spring. We are very lucky to have a coach that is fantastic and that we trust with our girl....not to mention that he lets Andy help coach. Andy is also going to coach Tess's basketball team this month, with games that start next weekend. This will be the first time Tess will play organized, competition basketball. Thanks to her daddy, she got her first pair of "Jordans" and can't wait to play some ball.
Tess started with a new music teacher this fall for piano and voice lessons. We really liked Tess's previous teacher, but wanted Tess to have a better foundation in the fundamentals of music. We were very lucky to be referred to a teacher here in town(such a blessing) that is good with kids, believes in teaching music theory, and challenges Tess to do her best. Voice lessons are a new treat for Tess and so far she is having a blast. Her first recital for piano and voice was in November and we were so proud of her performances. She did her very best and had FUN. Coming from parents with both instrumental and vocal music backgrounds, it will be interesting where her heart leads her. Who knows, she may find a way to do both. I just know that I love love love watching my baby perform.
Speaking of perform, Tess got to perform in her first drama club play this winter. She was an elf, had one line, got to sing and dance, and have a cast party afterwards. You would have thought she was on Broadway for all the excitement and preparation involved. At the last minute she was asked by the teacher to stand up front, use the microphone, and introduce the program before it started. Her smiles, singing, dancing, and speaking part were done with such enthusiasm, she was definately channeling her inner Martens drama queen. Tess also had a speaking part in the Christmas pageant at church and was fantastic. She and Kate sang a duet and were a hit. It was truly a "Holy" moment watching my two angels, dressed as angels, singing like angels.
Being the oldest, Tess gets to have more privileges, but also has higher expectations and gets stuck doing things that I know she would rather not do. I am so grateful that she only rolls her eyes at me maybe once a day, and sighs in disgust maybe twice, when I ask her to do something totally above and beyond the normal 9 year old stuff. It is a such blessing to have girls that love each other all of the time and like each other most of the time.
Tess has always be an amazing kid. Unfortunately we are waaaay too much alike, and I sometimes have flashbacks of myself at her age when we are butting heads. I just hope and pray that she truly understands someday what a gift she has been given. God has given her such a loving, smart, funny, and engaging personality and I can't wait to see where it, and He takes her. Until then, I'll just sit back, hold on tight, and (try to) enjoy the ride.
Tess started third grade and is loving it. This was the first year that grades actually count for something and her report cards have been stellar. At the beginning of the year we set some expectations and so far, she is meeting them. We had her parent teacher conference and the teacher's biggest concern? That sometimes she has to remind Tess that she is NOT the teacher. I just laughed and said, "sometimes I have to remind her she's not the mother!" If this is the biggest concern, I'll take it. She excels at reading and language arts, she can do the math if she would just slow down and check her work, and she loves the science and social studies topics. We slave away at book reports every couple of weeks for a measly 10 points each, and she earned her way to a Literature Festival in March waaaaay before the deadline to complete the work. I get to be a parent chaperone to this Festival and can't wait...this is a field trip I can get excited about!
Tess loves playing sports, reading books, drawing, singing, dancing, laughing, playing her DSi, watching Discovery channel(especially Mythbusters) peace signs, smiley faces, pajama pants, skinny jeans, wearing boots, funny socks, bright colors, roller skating, riding her bike, watching and playing sports with her daddy, getting mani/pedis, growing out her bangs, learning trivia and weird facts, non-fiction books, creating power point presentations on the computer, playing with friends, swimming, going to the library, animals, shopping with gift cards and learning about the Titanic.
Softball and Basketball are the two sports that make Tess happy, and us as parents, smile with pride. She played on a team this year that did really well and had fun...we couldn't have asked for better. The older Tess gets, the harder the competition gets, so we are excited(and anxious) about the thought of Tess playing "kid pitch"softball this spring. We are very lucky to have a coach that is fantastic and that we trust with our girl....not to mention that he lets Andy help coach. Andy is also going to coach Tess's basketball team this month, with games that start next weekend. This will be the first time Tess will play organized, competition basketball. Thanks to her daddy, she got her first pair of "Jordans" and can't wait to play some ball.
Tess started with a new music teacher this fall for piano and voice lessons. We really liked Tess's previous teacher, but wanted Tess to have a better foundation in the fundamentals of music. We were very lucky to be referred to a teacher here in town(such a blessing) that is good with kids, believes in teaching music theory, and challenges Tess to do her best. Voice lessons are a new treat for Tess and so far she is having a blast. Her first recital for piano and voice was in November and we were so proud of her performances. She did her very best and had FUN. Coming from parents with both instrumental and vocal music backgrounds, it will be interesting where her heart leads her. Who knows, she may find a way to do both. I just know that I love love love watching my baby perform.
Speaking of perform, Tess got to perform in her first drama club play this winter. She was an elf, had one line, got to sing and dance, and have a cast party afterwards. You would have thought she was on Broadway for all the excitement and preparation involved. At the last minute she was asked by the teacher to stand up front, use the microphone, and introduce the program before it started. Her smiles, singing, dancing, and speaking part were done with such enthusiasm, she was definately channeling her inner Martens drama queen. Tess also had a speaking part in the Christmas pageant at church and was fantastic. She and Kate sang a duet and were a hit. It was truly a "Holy" moment watching my two angels, dressed as angels, singing like angels.
Being the oldest, Tess gets to have more privileges, but also has higher expectations and gets stuck doing things that I know she would rather not do. I am so grateful that she only rolls her eyes at me maybe once a day, and sighs in disgust maybe twice, when I ask her to do something totally above and beyond the normal 9 year old stuff. It is a such blessing to have girls that love each other all of the time and like each other most of the time.
Tess has always be an amazing kid. Unfortunately we are waaaay too much alike, and I sometimes have flashbacks of myself at her age when we are butting heads. I just hope and pray that she truly understands someday what a gift she has been given. God has given her such a loving, smart, funny, and engaging personality and I can't wait to see where it, and He takes her. Until then, I'll just sit back, hold on tight, and (try to) enjoy the ride.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Jane Gracen Martens
It's time to talk about our two and a half year old daughter, Jane. Where do I even begin?
2010 has been a fun and fun-ny year. We have watched our baby become a little girl. She has an ever expanding vocabulary, funny faces/expressions, emotional outbursts, sassy attitude, an endearing smile, a naughty smile and a wonderful ability to work a crowd for laughs. While we don't even question anymore that she is our last biological child to bless our lives (I am always open to loving more children into our home) it does make my heart ache as I think of Jane outgrowing the baby stages and getting more independent.
We have funny kids. This is a fact. Each one has been unique in their sense of humor and those characteristics have carried on as they have matured. What made them funny as a baby is still what makes them funny as adolescents. Jane is just a crazy fun kid. She can be a real pill to be around too.....lordy don't cross her when she is in a snit.......but typically laughter is the response she is looking for. Sometimes we still have a problem understanding what she is trying to say, to which she compensates by talking slower and louder at us....we aren't deaf Jane, just stupid!
Recently she has been on a kick of repeating movie lines and phrases that she has heard on television. The movie clip from Megamind "Olo.....It's Hello....oohh" is her trademark right now. She also loves the movies Open Season, Over the Hedge, Madagascar, Marmaduke, Despicable Me, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Toy Story 3, and anything else animated, action packed and funny. She tends to get on streaks of wanting to watch the same movie over and over and over.....
Jane loves music. She loves loves loves to dance and listen to music. While most kids her age are singing kiddie songs and learning nursery rhymes, Jane is asking to listen to "the 3-3 station!" (which is Mix 93.3...not my idea....her daddy likes that station). This Christmas our beloved 2 year received an Ipod shuffle as a gift and knew EXACTLY what it was when she opened it, stating "It's an Ipod!" and then insisting on listening to it while she opened the rest of her gifts. She is also know to spontaneously break into her version of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" ...which can be awkward in mixed company.
The things that make Jane smile are as follows: pickles, apple juice, Scooby Doo fruit snacks, chocolate, her pah, her cee, dancing(also known in our house as shaking your booty), singing (Twinkle Twinkle, Row Row Row your Boat, and Rock Chalk Jayhawk) watching movies and cartoons, coloring, playing with Play Dough, Barbies, stuffed animals, pushing her babies in strollers, playing kitchen, taking baths, playing outside, nuggling (snuggling), wrestling with her daddy, wearing boots, trying to be like her big sisters, and being with her Grandpa Loren/Grandpa Ken.
Finding a a new toy for Jane is always a challenge, as there are very few things on the market that we haven't already had in a similar color/style/version/category. She is surrounded by toys that are for older girls, so she can't help but be bored by typical 2 year old toys and seek out toys/objects intended for an older child....do you know another 2 year old that has an actual Ipod? She's a smart kid, and she is a naughty kid......so you can guess what kind of parent teacher conferences we are going to have. Let's just say she doesn't just look like a Martens.
Jane's nicknames are Janey, Jingle Jane, Stink, Sissy, Baby Jane, BJ, and Boo. When we introduce her she points to herself to make sure others clearly understand that she is Jane. We love to play the "Boy or Girl?" game. We ask her if someone is a boy or girl...and she is usually spot on. If we try to trick her, she is quick to let us know. Once I asked her if her daddy was a boy, and she said NO. When I questioned her answer she said, "he's a Silly Boy!"
I don't know what else to say about our beautiful baby Jane......yet I don't think I could ever run out of funny stories and loving memories of things she has done to make us laugh, cry, smile, or want to pull our hair out in frustration. She has the most beautiful smile that is without a doubt from her Grandpa Loren. Jane is a built solid, physically strong, insanely active child who doesn't like to slow down for anyone or anything, unless it is her idea first. She can be fickle with her hugs and kisses, but when she wants to give some love, it is without a doubt some of the most heavenly moments I have experienced. This daughter actually chooses me over her daddy(most of the time) and I get to experience the JOY of hearing the "Mommy, you're home!" squeals of delight when I come home from work......music to my ears.
By the Grace of God we were given a third beautiful daughter to love....We are so blessed. Her middle name is Gracen as a constant reminder to us, and more importantly to HER, that we are so thankful we were chosen to be her parents.
2010 has been a fun and fun-ny year. We have watched our baby become a little girl. She has an ever expanding vocabulary, funny faces/expressions, emotional outbursts, sassy attitude, an endearing smile, a naughty smile and a wonderful ability to work a crowd for laughs. While we don't even question anymore that she is our last biological child to bless our lives (I am always open to loving more children into our home) it does make my heart ache as I think of Jane outgrowing the baby stages and getting more independent.
We have funny kids. This is a fact. Each one has been unique in their sense of humor and those characteristics have carried on as they have matured. What made them funny as a baby is still what makes them funny as adolescents. Jane is just a crazy fun kid. She can be a real pill to be around too.....lordy don't cross her when she is in a snit.......but typically laughter is the response she is looking for. Sometimes we still have a problem understanding what she is trying to say, to which she compensates by talking slower and louder at us....we aren't deaf Jane, just stupid!
Recently she has been on a kick of repeating movie lines and phrases that she has heard on television. The movie clip from Megamind "Olo.....It's Hello....oohh" is her trademark right now. She also loves the movies Open Season, Over the Hedge, Madagascar, Marmaduke, Despicable Me, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Toy Story 3, and anything else animated, action packed and funny. She tends to get on streaks of wanting to watch the same movie over and over and over.....
Jane loves music. She loves loves loves to dance and listen to music. While most kids her age are singing kiddie songs and learning nursery rhymes, Jane is asking to listen to "the 3-3 station!" (which is Mix 93.3...not my idea....her daddy likes that station). This Christmas our beloved 2 year received an Ipod shuffle as a gift and knew EXACTLY what it was when she opened it, stating "It's an Ipod!" and then insisting on listening to it while she opened the rest of her gifts. She is also know to spontaneously break into her version of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" ...which can be awkward in mixed company.
The things that make Jane smile are as follows: pickles, apple juice, Scooby Doo fruit snacks, chocolate, her pah, her cee, dancing(also known in our house as shaking your booty), singing (Twinkle Twinkle, Row Row Row your Boat, and Rock Chalk Jayhawk) watching movies and cartoons, coloring, playing with Play Dough, Barbies, stuffed animals, pushing her babies in strollers, playing kitchen, taking baths, playing outside, nuggling (snuggling), wrestling with her daddy, wearing boots, trying to be like her big sisters, and being with her Grandpa Loren/Grandpa Ken.
Finding a a new toy for Jane is always a challenge, as there are very few things on the market that we haven't already had in a similar color/style/version/category. She is surrounded by toys that are for older girls, so she can't help but be bored by typical 2 year old toys and seek out toys/objects intended for an older child....do you know another 2 year old that has an actual Ipod? She's a smart kid, and she is a naughty kid......so you can guess what kind of parent teacher conferences we are going to have. Let's just say she doesn't just look like a Martens.
Jane's nicknames are Janey, Jingle Jane, Stink, Sissy, Baby Jane, BJ, and Boo. When we introduce her she points to herself to make sure others clearly understand that she is Jane. We love to play the "Boy or Girl?" game. We ask her if someone is a boy or girl...and she is usually spot on. If we try to trick her, she is quick to let us know. Once I asked her if her daddy was a boy, and she said NO. When I questioned her answer she said, "he's a Silly Boy!"
I don't know what else to say about our beautiful baby Jane......yet I don't think I could ever run out of funny stories and loving memories of things she has done to make us laugh, cry, smile, or want to pull our hair out in frustration. She has the most beautiful smile that is without a doubt from her Grandpa Loren. Jane is a built solid, physically strong, insanely active child who doesn't like to slow down for anyone or anything, unless it is her idea first. She can be fickle with her hugs and kisses, but when she wants to give some love, it is without a doubt some of the most heavenly moments I have experienced. This daughter actually chooses me over her daddy(most of the time) and I get to experience the JOY of hearing the "Mommy, you're home!" squeals of delight when I come home from work......music to my ears.
By the Grace of God we were given a third beautiful daughter to love....We are so blessed. Her middle name is Gracen as a constant reminder to us, and more importantly to HER, that we are so thankful we were chosen to be her parents.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Andrew Paul Martens
It's time for a post about the boy in the house. I don't know why he isn't a topic more often.....I am sorry about that. He really is a pretty great guy.
Andy is still working for Kearney Fire Protection district as a paramedic/firefighter. He is enjoying having senority on his shift, and occasionally gets to "work up" and be in charge of his shift if his captain is gone. The thought of him being in charge makes me giggle, because I don't think of either of us as being old enough or mature enough to be in charge of anyone! The department has EMT classes each spring and fall which Andy enjoys teaching. I love that he is confident enough in his knowledge and skills to teach students how to take care of others. One of the things that first attracted me to Andy was his patient care skills...especially with the little old ladies. Lordy, they just eat him up. He is really good at making the patient feel at ease, and I think they can sense that he genuinely cares about them. It never ceases to amaze me how he can save lives, but can't remember to pull the clothes out of the dryer before they get all wrinkled.
2011 is the target year for Andy to finally get his license to become a golf instructor. This has been a dream of his since I've known him, and I am so excited for this to become a reality. Andy loves to play golf and loves to teach others how to play.....so why not figure out a way to make money while doing both! Still to be determined is which golf school location he will attend, but the plan is to take a week, travel to a warm and touristy destination and sit by the pool while he learns/plays golf. He already has one student lined up for this spring....he's hoping to be paid in free rounds of golf.
A major life change happened this July when Andy became the primary caregiver during the day when I started working full-time. With some sadness, he resigned his position with Quik Trip and now comes home from the fire station every third day to laundry, dirty bathrooms, and driving little girls to school and extra cirricular activities. Secretly, I think he thought it was going to be a cake walk...and is learning that being home is not all it's cracked up to be. While he will be the first to admit that we don't have all the kinks worked out, I will be the first to admit that it is going better than expected. We had some rough times at first, but have gotten into a groove that is starting to make sense. I am so grateful and thankful that we are on the same team.
Here is a paragraph of things Andy likes(keeping the same pattern from Kate's post yesterday): KU basketball, Royals baseball, playing Fantasy Football, golfing, playing basketball, coaching Tess's basketball team, coaching Kate's softball team, wrestling with the girls, playing the Wii, listening to music, singing to the music, completing my honey-do lists, playing with his girls, and taking me out on a date night every once in a great while.
I love my man and am pretty proud of this life we have created for ourselves. It's not perfect, but we love each other, love having time together and can appreciate the need for time apart. I think God knew he would be the perfect dad to girls, and the perfect partner for this control freak wife. He was the perfect choice for the City Manager job of my Crazytown life.
I can't wait to see what 2011 has in store for us.
Love, THE Mayor
Andy is still working for Kearney Fire Protection district as a paramedic/firefighter. He is enjoying having senority on his shift, and occasionally gets to "work up" and be in charge of his shift if his captain is gone. The thought of him being in charge makes me giggle, because I don't think of either of us as being old enough or mature enough to be in charge of anyone! The department has EMT classes each spring and fall which Andy enjoys teaching. I love that he is confident enough in his knowledge and skills to teach students how to take care of others. One of the things that first attracted me to Andy was his patient care skills...especially with the little old ladies. Lordy, they just eat him up. He is really good at making the patient feel at ease, and I think they can sense that he genuinely cares about them. It never ceases to amaze me how he can save lives, but can't remember to pull the clothes out of the dryer before they get all wrinkled.
2011 is the target year for Andy to finally get his license to become a golf instructor. This has been a dream of his since I've known him, and I am so excited for this to become a reality. Andy loves to play golf and loves to teach others how to play.....so why not figure out a way to make money while doing both! Still to be determined is which golf school location he will attend, but the plan is to take a week, travel to a warm and touristy destination and sit by the pool while he learns/plays golf. He already has one student lined up for this spring....he's hoping to be paid in free rounds of golf.
A major life change happened this July when Andy became the primary caregiver during the day when I started working full-time. With some sadness, he resigned his position with Quik Trip and now comes home from the fire station every third day to laundry, dirty bathrooms, and driving little girls to school and extra cirricular activities. Secretly, I think he thought it was going to be a cake walk...and is learning that being home is not all it's cracked up to be. While he will be the first to admit that we don't have all the kinks worked out, I will be the first to admit that it is going better than expected. We had some rough times at first, but have gotten into a groove that is starting to make sense. I am so grateful and thankful that we are on the same team.
Here is a paragraph of things Andy likes(keeping the same pattern from Kate's post yesterday): KU basketball, Royals baseball, playing Fantasy Football, golfing, playing basketball, coaching Tess's basketball team, coaching Kate's softball team, wrestling with the girls, playing the Wii, listening to music, singing to the music, completing my honey-do lists, playing with his girls, and taking me out on a date night every once in a great while.
I love my man and am pretty proud of this life we have created for ourselves. It's not perfect, but we love each other, love having time together and can appreciate the need for time apart. I think God knew he would be the perfect dad to girls, and the perfect partner for this control freak wife. He was the perfect choice for the City Manager job of my Crazytown life.
I can't wait to see what 2011 has in store for us.
Love, THE Mayor
Monday, December 27, 2010
Kate Sinclaire Martens
Today Kate is known as "Kate, the birthday girl.......the now 5 year old birthday girl!"
Our daughter has been waiting for this day the entire year, and started asking "how many days until my birthday?" in June. With this birthday she feels confident that her dreams to learn how to tie her shoes, learn the mystery of reading, and finally get to go to Kindergarten will all finally come true.
Kate continues to take gymnastic classes every Monday afternoon. She is always the teacher's example of how to do a certain skill, and she loves loves loves her tumbling. Cartwheels, round offs, forward rolls, backward rolls, and headstands are her favorites. We even bought her a tumbling mat for her birthday so she would have something to practice on besides our dirty builder grade carpet. Her teacher loves to tell us how talented and what natural ability she has...too bad her parents are cheap, lazy, and non-commital.
Andy was Kate's blast ball(4 year olds Tball) coach this summer. Kate loved her practices as much as the "games" and took each at bat very seriously. We are so excited to have another girl loving to play softball, but not excited about how complicated it gets trying to cheer on two girls at two different ball fields.
At church, Kate sings in the kids choir and attends Sunday School. She and Tess take great pride in getting perfect attendance recognition each month and I am so proud that Kate got to start her Sunday School attendance pin this year. Not many kids her age make it the required amount of Sundays per year to be recognized. Kate is also our pray-er. We can always count on Kate to remind us "we forgot to say the pray" at dinner times, and LOVE to give her the honor of saying the prayer. Sometimes the prayer is one sentence, sometimes we thank Jesus for the food, our family, stuffed animals, bubbles, and the Royals.
Here is a paragraph of things Kate loves: macaroni, pasta without sauce, stuffed animals, playing Wii, snakes, Barbies, Littlest Pet Shop animals, action packed animated movies, dancing and listening to music, funny books, the colors purple and pink, wearing boots, shirts that have patterns/sparkles/cute sayings on them, taking baths, painting her nails, getting dirty, being girlie. I love how she has always been great at playing alone, and is learning the art of playing with more than one friend at a time. She thinks she looks like Rapunzel from the new Disney movie "Tangled" and is pretty sure she wants to grow her that long. She is our blonde haired-blue eyed beauty. She is our emotional, quick tempered, slow to say sorry, loving, courageous, but sometimes shy, outgoing girl who hates the spotlight....except when she wants to be the center of attention, and then she is all about the drama. My favorite Kateism is one morning we were getting ready to go run some errands, and she asked how much longer till we were leaving. I told her the amount of time, and she said "okay, I better get to dancing....." and left to go get her groove on until we left.
Kate started Pre-K preschool class this year. She LOVES school, and is disappointed on Tuesday and Thursday morning when we tell her she has to stay home. Her teachers are enjoying the "unique differences" between Tess and Kate. I think that is a polite way of saying what we already know.....Tess was a go with the flow kind of girl, and Kate makes you work hard for the money. Kate came home from preschool one day and said her day was "not good." When I asked what happened she said "I was bored. They just didn't have enough for me to do today!"
Lordy how I love this girl. I worry she gets lost in the shuffle as the middle child. It is so hard not to lose track of how amazing and wonderful she is, but also hard to not over compensate for losing track in the first place.........
She turned 5 today and it seems like just yesterday that we were announcing to the world that Kate Sinclaire Martens had been born. I am hating how fast she is growing up, but so interested and excited (and scared and worried and anxious) to see what God has planned for her life.
Happy 5th Birthday Kate. This post has way more than just five things I LOVE about you!
Our daughter has been waiting for this day the entire year, and started asking "how many days until my birthday?" in June. With this birthday she feels confident that her dreams to learn how to tie her shoes, learn the mystery of reading, and finally get to go to Kindergarten will all finally come true.
Kate continues to take gymnastic classes every Monday afternoon. She is always the teacher's example of how to do a certain skill, and she loves loves loves her tumbling. Cartwheels, round offs, forward rolls, backward rolls, and headstands are her favorites. We even bought her a tumbling mat for her birthday so she would have something to practice on besides our dirty builder grade carpet. Her teacher loves to tell us how talented and what natural ability she has...too bad her parents are cheap, lazy, and non-commital.
Andy was Kate's blast ball(4 year olds Tball) coach this summer. Kate loved her practices as much as the "games" and took each at bat very seriously. We are so excited to have another girl loving to play softball, but not excited about how complicated it gets trying to cheer on two girls at two different ball fields.
At church, Kate sings in the kids choir and attends Sunday School. She and Tess take great pride in getting perfect attendance recognition each month and I am so proud that Kate got to start her Sunday School attendance pin this year. Not many kids her age make it the required amount of Sundays per year to be recognized. Kate is also our pray-er. We can always count on Kate to remind us "we forgot to say the pray" at dinner times, and LOVE to give her the honor of saying the prayer. Sometimes the prayer is one sentence, sometimes we thank Jesus for the food, our family, stuffed animals, bubbles, and the Royals.
Here is a paragraph of things Kate loves: macaroni, pasta without sauce, stuffed animals, playing Wii, snakes, Barbies, Littlest Pet Shop animals, action packed animated movies, dancing and listening to music, funny books, the colors purple and pink, wearing boots, shirts that have patterns/sparkles/cute sayings on them, taking baths, painting her nails, getting dirty, being girlie. I love how she has always been great at playing alone, and is learning the art of playing with more than one friend at a time. She thinks she looks like Rapunzel from the new Disney movie "Tangled" and is pretty sure she wants to grow her that long. She is our blonde haired-blue eyed beauty. She is our emotional, quick tempered, slow to say sorry, loving, courageous, but sometimes shy, outgoing girl who hates the spotlight....except when she wants to be the center of attention, and then she is all about the drama. My favorite Kateism is one morning we were getting ready to go run some errands, and she asked how much longer till we were leaving. I told her the amount of time, and she said "okay, I better get to dancing....." and left to go get her groove on until we left.
Kate started Pre-K preschool class this year. She LOVES school, and is disappointed on Tuesday and Thursday morning when we tell her she has to stay home. Her teachers are enjoying the "unique differences" between Tess and Kate. I think that is a polite way of saying what we already know.....Tess was a go with the flow kind of girl, and Kate makes you work hard for the money. Kate came home from preschool one day and said her day was "not good." When I asked what happened she said "I was bored. They just didn't have enough for me to do today!"
Lordy how I love this girl. I worry she gets lost in the shuffle as the middle child. It is so hard not to lose track of how amazing and wonderful she is, but also hard to not over compensate for losing track in the first place.........
She turned 5 today and it seems like just yesterday that we were announcing to the world that Kate Sinclaire Martens had been born. I am hating how fast she is growing up, but so interested and excited (and scared and worried and anxious) to see what God has planned for her life.
Happy 5th Birthday Kate. This post has way more than just five things I LOVE about you!
Christmas 2010
It looks like Christmas threw up at my house. Every where I look....it's a mess. And not just a pair of shoes here, and a bowl of Goldfish crackers there.....it's take a step and trip, turn around and take a step, trip. I seriously am starting to feel the walls closing in on me, because I can't see the floor.
I complain because we are blessed, and for that, I am thankful. :) We had six Christmas celebrations and a five year olds birthday in a span of 4 days. We would leave in the morning to a house is mild disarray, then come home at night and pile the new gifts on top of the existing mess. Now I go back to work tomorrow and leave my husband with three kids and a house that looks like a tornado hit. I guess it can't get worse, can it?
I didn't post anything the week before Christmas, so am feeling a bit guilty as we end this year. I also neglected, once again, to do a Christmas letter to summarize our year. Maybe this last week of 2010 will be my chance to post each day with one of The Martens 5 as the subject!
If reading about each one of us doesn't entertain/amuse/interest you...then just check back in on Crazytown next year!
Merry Christmas to all our beloved family and friends, and the Lord's continued blessing and grace on your New Year.
I complain because we are blessed, and for that, I am thankful. :) We had six Christmas celebrations and a five year olds birthday in a span of 4 days. We would leave in the morning to a house is mild disarray, then come home at night and pile the new gifts on top of the existing mess. Now I go back to work tomorrow and leave my husband with three kids and a house that looks like a tornado hit. I guess it can't get worse, can it?
I didn't post anything the week before Christmas, so am feeling a bit guilty as we end this year. I also neglected, once again, to do a Christmas letter to summarize our year. Maybe this last week of 2010 will be my chance to post each day with one of The Martens 5 as the subject!
If reading about each one of us doesn't entertain/amuse/interest you...then just check back in on Crazytown next year!
Merry Christmas to all our beloved family and friends, and the Lord's continued blessing and grace on your New Year.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Kvetching
I am tired.
I miss time with my husband.
I miss time with my kids.
I have a ton of present wrapping to do.
It is cold.
I can't say no to all the Christmas snacks.
I won't have a night home with the Martens 5 again until after Christmas.
I haven't watched my shows on the DVR in weeks.
I haven't read a book in weeks.
I haven't cooked a "real" meal in I can't remember...
I have had a movie from Netflix since before Thanksgiving
I am tired.
I am happy.
I miss time with my husband.
I miss time with my kids.
I have a ton of present wrapping to do.
It is cold.
I can't say no to all the Christmas snacks.
I won't have a night home with the Martens 5 again until after Christmas.
I haven't watched my shows on the DVR in weeks.
I haven't read a book in weeks.
I haven't cooked a "real" meal in I can't remember...
I have had a movie from Netflix since before Thanksgiving
I am tired.
I am happy.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Happy Anniversary to US!
Twelve years and three kids later, we still know how to party! Because Andy works today, our actual anniversary date, we decided to celebrate last night. Andy has a head cold, we didn't bother to ask anyone to babysit, and a night home together is rare.....so we bought some wine, some sparkling white grape juice, made tacos and enjoyed a dinner together......not one person spilled a drop from their fancy stemware!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Kate's Preschool Christmas Program 2010
Kate's Preschool program was Friday night. The entire program didn't last 15 minutes, but she wanted a holiday dress and "fancy" hair......so I came home a little early from work, plugged in the curling iron and made my little girl fancy! All the girls had on holiday type dressy outfits, and when they would see each other they would say "You look so pretty! Do you like my dress? We look fabulous!" while they would pose and spin around. Cute stuff.
Singing and dancing
School friends
Singing and dancing
School friendsKate, Grace, Alexis, and Lauren
Two Christmas programs down, 3 more to go.........Yeah Christmas time!
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