Cookie time!

Nate enjoys showing Adrianna how to do new things...this was probably one of the most enjoyable for me to watch!

Dunking Nana's chocolate chip cookies into ice cold milk! YUM!!!

Gabe is a Preschool Graduate!

I often joke that Gabe leaves his good behavior on his coat hook at school, because he's such a compliant little boy when he's there. That's a trait that he gets from his Mom, according to my mother :) But seriously, he had an awesome year at Liberty and will really miss seeing his friends, Garrett, Judah, and David...at least that's who I hear about all of the time! He'll also REALLY miss Mrs. Rayl, who is an AMAZING preschool teacher. When I asked him how his day was throughout the year, he'd almost always mention her first and tell me about how she did a silly dance, or sang a certain song, or how she gives the BEST hugs! Of course, he won't miss getting up early, which is one of the reasons I'm most looking forward to summer (he's not a morning person). Thank you Mrs. Rayl, and all of the other teachers at Liberty, who helped give Gabe a great experience in his first year of school.

This little light of mine video

Password: light

Gabe is the one with orange glasses smushed in-between the kids with blue and yellow glasses.

Gabriel Joseph Martin - Preschool graduate!

We love you, Mrs. Rayl!

I cried when the class sang, "This little light of mine." I couldn't help but think about how many prayers went up for our little Gabe before he was even conceived, and also when he was just 2 weeks old and we found out he had a milk allergy...I still don't know how I didn't have dairy for an entire year! Now, that little guy isn't afraid to give a hug to someone who is sad, he tells me he loves me at least 10 times a day, and certainly doesn't know a stranger. He told a woman that he didn't know at the eye doctor the other day that Jesus was his Master! What a heart...and how bright his little light does shine! A preschool graduation seems so trivial to some, probably (especially since he'll go another year because he's not old enough for kindergarten), but it's one of the little milestones that we come to that prepares him for the next step in life. Sappy, I know...I can't help it!

One of the things that Gabe was looking forward to the most about today was that we got to have a picnic outside of his school after the graduation...the rain didn't allow that to happen! Instead, we enjoyed our lunch on the bleachers in the gym...still fun!

Life after preschool video

Password: summer

He asked to make a pallet on the floor and watch a movie while Adrianna napped. He said, "Graduation from my little school is hausting!" I think he meant 'exhausting!'

Our summer calendar is filling up and we're excited to get Big brother Nate out of school so that we get started on our many 'field trips.' I can't wait for lazy mornings on the back porch swing, afternoons at the pool, the zoo, museum, beach, park and some other surprise 'field trips' I have planned! Stay tuned!

Have a fun weekend, everyone! We will...planting our garden, cleaning out the garage (still), grilling out every meal we can and having a few marshmallow roasting bonfires!

Hilljacks!

A friend of ours refused the title, 'redneck,' this weekend and said that he prefers 'hilljack.' "It's a step above redneck," he says. Well, call us what you want, hilljacks or rednecks, but we have moved our chickens out of the garage and into a dog house (temporarily). I won't deny the truth of either title because it's worth it...we're having a BLAST watching these baby chicks grow...and who can complain? The advantage to moving out of a neighborhood and into a hay field is that you can do whatever you want, including not mowing your grass...which we haven't done yet because we don't have a mower!!! The other people on this street are lovin' us!!!

Keely has a new hobby...watching her chicken friends!

Random stuff...

Gabe's surgery was today and he did awesome! He had no anxiety at all and eagerly went with the nurse to the operating room, leaving us behind! It went quickly and after a bit of whining about wanting a popsicle AND apple juice, we were on our way. I think we made it back home before 10! He willingly took a nap this afternoon, after asking if I'd nap with him. The plan was to get up after he fell asleep, but 3 hours later, we woke up together! I guess we both needed a rest! We are so thankful for all of the prayers. They were felt, for sure! Gabe didn't even get sick from the anesthesia, like he usually does! AMEN!!!

He didn't even fight bedtime much tonight, which I expected he would, considering that LONG nap this afternoon. One thing I don't understand, though...why does he sleep on the floor when he's got 2 beds in his room?

See his little head there in the middle of all of his 'babies?' Lucky Keely...she gets a bed!

Part of my Mother's Day gift was to have Miss Tammy come and clean...and I love it when she comes! I often joke that she used to work on a cruise ship because she always positions the kid's stuff animals in fun places in their room and on their bed. They're anxious to see what their 'babies' are doing after Miss Tammy leaves. Thank you Miss Tammy, for your hard work. And, thank you, Matt, for giving me that awesome gift! There is nothing more relaxing than a clean house!!!

Nate gave a presentation in music class today about his Grandpa Cowan. They only met a few times because Grandpa passed away when Nate was just 2 years old. He knows a lot about him, though, because we listen to his CD in the car and at bedtime, quite often! We are so lucky to have that. Nate asks questions about him a lot and often says, "How cool," he must have been. When the chance came for him to share something in music class, he suggested talking about his Great Grandpa Cowan. He wrote a little paper about him, shared some pictures and played a song from the CD he put together before he died.

George and Martha Cowan

*forever sweethearts*

This is the picture he took in to show his class how his Great Grandpa and Great Grandma looked when they were 'younger!'

Right after Nate got up to share, he said, "If you don't like my paper, blame my mom. She wrote it for me!"

By the way, I didn't...I just called my mother in law to find out what year he was born and where he was born.

Nate's paper said...

"George Cowan was born in 1920 in Ohio. He married Martha and they had six kids. He loved to play his guitar, Mandolin, and banjo. I don't remimber him too much becaese he died when I was two. But I get to listen to him on this C.D. he was my great grampa."

He played, "Goin' down that road feelin' bad" for his class.

"I'll play track 4," he said. "Cuz that's the only song my Daddy can play and I like Grandpa and Daddy!"

Good night, everyone!

Mother's Tea

I'm a little late on this, but I wanted to share a pretty cool thing that I got to do with Nate last week (all made possible by a pretty amazing young lady who kept the little kids - thank you, Elise).

Mrs. Ryan, who is an incredible teacher, invited all of the mother's of the children in her class to a Mother's Tea last Wednesday. Mrs. Nave, another pretty amazing lady, helped prepare the kids for this event. She taught them how to lead a lady to her seat, how to introduce an adult to others, the importance of serving others before yourself...and much much more!

My sweet little Nate introduced me to his class and teachers and then showed me to my seat (4 desks pushed together with a linen tablecloth on top). After all mothers were seated, the class recited a few poems for us (real tear jerkers) and then served us cookies and punch. Just when we thought the festivities were over, each student read a personalized note to their mother, ALOUD! There isn't a whole lot that sounds better than your son telling you how much he loves you and why he appreciates you.

When the tea was over, my cheeks hurt because I had been smiling so big and my throat hurt because I had been holding in 'the ugly cry' all afternoon! Thank you Mrs. Ryan and Mrs. Nave, for pulling this together. It was a great memory for Nate and I...and I'm certain that everyone else loved it as much as us!

Just as an add on, I showed Gabe this weekend how to pump gas. The little guy can't get enough of helping me with whatever I'm doing. He wants to help with cleaning, laundry, the yard, the trash, and even pumping gas. We talked about what the numbers meant on the pump and how to tell when it was done filling the tank. This little booger won't acknowledge that he knows any numbers or letters, but when you ask him to "stop when the numbers say $50.00," he's on it! I know that we have a kid on our hands that doesn't want anyone to think he knows too much!

Have a great week, everyone!

Rough day!

The morning was great...Miss Elise came over to stay with Adri while Gabe was at school and I went to school with Nate. I finished my volunteer duties a bit early and got in a quick grocery store trip, ALONE, before picking up the two little ones. We headed to my Mom and Dad's for a lunch date. We had ham sandwiches, strawberries and tortilla chips (you'll know why I point this out in a few minutes). I packed the kids up and headed to Carmel to visit Gabe's ENT doc. He had a follow up scheduled with the doctor (or so I thought) and another hearing test. We stopped in Lapel to fill up with gas and I noticed my tire was almost completely flat (a regular thing, lately) so I filled it up and we were off again. Gabe and Adri were occupied with Yogi Bear on the DVD player and I had an uninterrupted conversation with my friend, Carmen, for about 30 minutes. It was wonderful! Just as I hung up the phone and pulled into the parking lot at Dr. Shelton's office, Gabe said, "My tummy hurts." But, it was too late to do anything about it...his lunch (yes, everything...including the chocolate milk) was all over him, his booster seat, and the van! Yuck! Adri sat quietly and never budged. She was too busy watching Yogi. I started gagging immediately! I can change dirty diapers all day...even ones that aren't contained to the diaper, but vomit...it's hard to handle! Unfortunately, I didn't have a change of clothes for Gabe, but I did have a clean pair of underwear in Adri's bag. We got him cleaned up, using almost an entire box of baby wipes (good thing I got in that shopping trip, earlier, and my bags were still in the van) and rushed him in to the doctor's office wearing only his whitey tighties! We were about 20 minutes late and I knew at this point that we wouldn't make it home in time for Nate to get off the bus, so I called the school and told them to send him a note saying that he was to get off at his cousin's house (I'm so glad we have family nearby). I checked us in and while waiting on the doc to see us, I spent the next 10 minutes or so in the bathroom with the kids, giving Gabe a 'sink bath.' I could hardly stand the smell. I didn't want the doctor to vomit from the Gabe's odor! I'd seen enough puke for one day! I did the best I could and we were out in time to hear the audiologist call Gabe's name. She confessed that his appointment must have been moved or deleted form the system but they were squeezing us in anyway because she could tell we were having a bad day! She then offered him a gown (he loved this). About 30 minutes later, after a hearing test and a visit with his doc, there was an appointment scheduled for Gabe to have permanent tubes put in next Wednesday, May 18th. His hearing loss was 40% in each ear! URRRGGG! That darn fluid! I hate it, but am so thankful that there is a procedure out there that can immediately correct the loss. Soon after the news, we were on our way home and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon outside with the baby chicks...very therapeutic! Now, the boys are helping Daddy move some dirt and Gabe is still wearing that gown! He says he's never taking it off!

How often do you see a kid wearing a hospital gown and cowboy boots? This kids is incredible!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

I realized something when I first say this picture...I LOOK OLD!!! I guess 3 kids will do that do ya, huh? Well, that, and about 5 years of going to the tanning bed! Oh well! It's worth it (the parenting part...not the tan part)!

My sweet little Nate asked Daddy to take him to the store last night so that he could buy me some roses. I LOVED the look in his eye this morning when he first saw me and he started sneaking to the garage where he had kept them overnight. When leaving for church this morning he said, "How am I supposed to be nice to you all day when we're going to church?" I responded by letting him know that getting in the van the first time I ask him would be a nice gesture! When I was putting him to bed tonight he said, "Thanks, Mom, for everything you do for me. Stuff like helping me with my homework, boiling me eggs for my after school snack, teaching me that song so that I could memorize the presidents and get a reese cup from Mrs. Ryan and reading me Magic Tree House books even if we've already read them." By far, that was the best Mother's Day present that I've ever gotten! I won't deny that I shed a tear when I left his room...or a few!

Gabe made me this cute little poem with a handprint at church this morning...also another tear jerker!

Matt got me some ferns to hang on the front porch (a tradition for the last several years - I always bring them in at the end of the summer, hoping to nurse them through the winter and re-hang them outside again...I fail every year). He also arranged for Miss Tammy (the worlds best cleaning person) to come and clean this week! I love leaving for the day and coming home to clean sheets, no dirty laundry, a footprint-less floor, and that 'clean' smell. She's awesome! Someday, when I go back to work, she'll be a regular at the Martin house!

I know that I'm not a perfect Mom. I sometimes lose my patience and may raise my voice occasionally, but I love being a Mother to my amazing kids! Hopefully, they'll forgive me for the mistakes I make and never doubt how much I love them!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mother's in my life.

Grocery bill and prayer request

I've had a lot of people tell me that they love my blog, but it is missing money saving shopping tips and recipes. Honestly, I don't have any money saving shopping secrets, other than take a list and stick to it! Well, and another great tip would be to take as few kids, or none, with you to the grocery store! And, none of the recipes are totally mine. They've been shared with me by friends and a recipe box that I inherited when my great grandma, 'Gram,' passed away. I also get some of them online. If you're interested in our menu for the next few weeks, read on.

Friday was my bi-monthly shopping trip and I must brag on myself just a bit...I spent $150! This included dinners for 8 nights, lunch and breakfast for about 2 weeks, a new pair of shoes for Nate ($20) and diapers and wipes ($30).

Breakfast and lunch will be things like hard boiled eggs, yogurt, peanut butter sandwiches or toast, oatmeal and homemade cereal bars (hidden spinach inside), leftovers (that's almost everyday for Matt), ham or turkey sandwiches, fruit and chicken nuggets (yes, we do eat a lot of chicken nuggets).

Some of the dinners include (many of these recipes are large enough to put some leftovers in the freezer for a later time)...

1. Turkey Bacon wrapped BBQ chicken, broccoli and pineapple

2. Italian Chicken, baked sweet potato fries, and salad

3. Pizza pockets (filled with the kids choice of toppings and a few veggies they don't know about), and spinach & cheese bread sticks

4. Southwest roll ups, corn, chips and salsa

5. Ham and beans, salad and zucchini cornbread muffins

6. Pizza and salad (again...filled with the kids choice of toppings and a few things they don't know about)

7. Chicken and noodles (lots of hidden veggies) - Because this makes such a large amount, we'll be having it for dinner two nights! It's a good dinner for the nights when Nate has swimming practice because the kids and I either eat early, at 5:00 when Matt's not home yet and before practice, or after 7:00 when we get home from practice and we're too tired to make anything.

8. Ham and egg casserole (lots of hidden veggies that are magically invisible), homemade waffles, and fruit - This will probably be a Saturday dinner or Sunday lunch.

Because there are always a few times a week that we're busy after school and I don't have a lot of time to put something together or we leave right after dinner and after Matt gets home, there will be a few times over the next few weeks that we'll probably have something quick, like ham sandwiches or something I've already packed away in the freezer. I make a casserole or a large pot of soup or stew and there is just enough leftover for one or two people, I drop it in the freezer in individual containers. On nights when I don't feel like making a meal, the kids can each pick something that they want and everyone's happy (mom didn't have to cook and the kids think they were in charge of dinner)! This also keeps from falling into the bad habit of having cereal or something else that's not a great choice for dinner.

I won't lie...we'll probably have 'Papaw John's Pizza (Papa John's)' sometime, too!

I really enjoy being able to stay home with my kids and love that it gives me the opportunity to help friends out when they need it. Little Miss Natalee spent some time with us on Thursday and we had a good time...two 1 year olds are A LOT of work, but so much fun! Gabe added in some excitement during the day, too! He told me, "One good thing about Natalee coming to see us is that when her and Adri take a nap, you want to take one, too, on the couch with me!"

Matt and I had a last minute date night on Friday (thanks to my mom). Saturday morning, my newest 'old' item for the house was delivered (thanks to Jason, for helping Matt). I think, no...I KNOW, that Matt is wondering why I want to bring all of this 'junk' into our house, but I don't see junk...I see treasures! But I relented...no more antique furniture for a while!

It's back to the grind again tomorrow! Miss Elise is coming in the morning instead of the afternoon because Adri has an appointment at 1 to get the stint removed from her eye. I'm sure it will be more traumatic for me than her because I have no doubt that she'll panic when they strap her down and that will be hard to watch! Apparently, they don't sedate her at all...only give her numbing drops for her eye! Prayers are appreciated!!!

Have a great week!