Honesty...

So I'm writing my testimony this week. This is not something I have just chosen to do, its something that God has put upon my heart to do. And when I say put upon my heart I mean He's screaming it in my ears. I think about it constantly. I got to bed at night thinking about how I should word things, I dream about sharing it with other people and I wake up knowing that I need to sit down and work on it some more. Dont get me wrong, I totally havent been ignoring God. I have been writing on it, actually I'm about eight pages into it. But I'm finding it very emotionly draining. Sitting there confronting every sin I've made in the past two years (and theres lots of them), taking them out of that deep dark place that I keep them hidden and putting them on paper for the world to see... can you say teriffying? But God doesnt always ask us to do easy things does he? He knows whats best for us, he knows what will grow us and make us a stronger better follower of Him. And I know I have to trust that. I have to have complete and total faith in Him and his plan. "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope" He goes on to say "In those days when you pray, I will listen." Jeremiah 29: 11-12 These are the words that I have put my faith in. These are the words that remind me that no matter what happens with my story, whether I share it with lots of people or just a few he will be holding my hand they whole time. Also, above all else He wouldnt be having me write and share it if there wasnt a purpose for it, a purpose that will bring a future and hope...

New (not so great) pictures...

Who are these kids??? And what happened to my babies and toddlers??? I know I talk about how big the kids are getting in like every post. But look at these strangers! They have totally replaced the little ones I'm used to. Carolina just had a huge grown spurt so she's looks like she's 7 going on 16. George is mastering the art of golf these days. And Laney's favorite thing is to show off some of her new dance moves. What am I supposed to do with kids??? I know all about taking care of babies. You feed them, burp them, dress them up like a doll and listen to them cry. I even know how to handle a toddler. You dress them up, watch them get dirty, dress them up, watch them throw a tatrum, and play patty cake with them. BUT KIDS!!! WHAT THE HECK DO YOU DO WITH KIDS??? Theres emotions and boys and girls and feelings... Its a mess around here right now and I have a feeling its not going to get any better for the next 14 years.

New Rules

As I'm sitting in the living room watching Julie and Julia. My kids, who are supposed to be napping, are having a blast (not napping) in George's room. I have no idea what they could be up to in there. Making a huge mess of everything GB owns and utterly destroying his room, I'm sure. That's what they do these days. Make a mess... I am working on teaching them about cleaning up after they make a mess. George is not so bad at it. You can tell him to clean up his room and after just a bit of fussing and fighting it gets done. And very well I might add. He actually puts stuff in its place. Laney on the other hand would rather sleep or throw a holy fit then to clean her room. I fight with her and I fight with her but to no avail. She always seems to win. I did actually get her to clean her room last week one time, at which time she put everything away perfectly. So much to her dismay, I now know that she can do it, she just doesn't want to do it. But she can do it. There seem to be more and more battles as the kids get older. Or maybe the battles are just changing these days from toddler battles to big kid battles. Or maybe I'm just expecting more and more outta them as they get older. Or maybe I really am losing control. I would like to hope that its not that latter. But I cant help but to feel some days that I am losing my very firm grip on parenting. What happen to the good old days when the most I expected outta them was to go to sleep at nap time. Wake up in a good mood and maybe eat some dinner.... Ah dinner, that's a different post entirely.

Pictures... or lack there of!

The kids have been somewhat anti-camera these days, which has kept me from taking as many pictures as I used to. And to be completely transparent (something I'm learning to be more and more in my life) I just havent been getting the camera out. Life has been filled with school, church, lots of bible studies and family time. Which always seems to leave me wishing I had gotten my camera out just a moment to late... But heres an update none the less. As far as school goes, the kids are loving it. They are at Acton Elementary and Acton Baptist Preschool these days and seem to really be embracing learning. Carolina is enjoying the first grade and even brought home her first "Chapter" book yesterday. Reading has come like second nature to her and its something we love to see her enjoying so much. George is loving his new school for quite a different reason, as he no longer has homework at this school. Which is something that makes him really happy. Not that I can say that I totally disagree with him, homework in kindergarden seemed like a bit much to me. He comes home everyday and tells us how much he loves riding the bus and playing outside with his friends. Laney misses her friends from Stephenville the most. She had really bonded with a couple of the other kids at Rocky Point (namely Bailey who we miss very much) and her teachers. But that hasnt stopped her from loving Acton Baptist. She has no problems saying goodbye to me on Mondays and Fridays when I drop her off and always has great artwork to bring home to hang on the fridge. As for Ben and I, we are doing great. We spend a lot of time reading our word these days and trying to live the life God has called us to live. Parenting still has is ups and downs around here, but over all we have gotten to this really fun age with the kids. They are such a blessing from our Lord and we try to appreciate that everyday. God is also blessing our marriage and bringing us closer and closer together. We are in a much better place now then I can say we have ever been in the past 10 years. Thats right! It will be 10 years this Sept! I am so excited to be reaching this milestone with Ben, one that seemed so impossible just a few short months ago. We have found a new church home at Lakeside Baptist Church here in Granbury and are making new friends everyday. We're also getting a chance to get to know some people that Ben has been working with for the past year a little bit better. It really does seem that God has a purpose for us moving to Granbury and we're enjoying our new life. I hope your all doing well and I cant wait to hear from you. Please leave a comment here or email me at: mandi4168@gmail.com! Lots of Love, Mandi "Remember, O Lord, your unfailing love and compassion, which you have shown from long ages past. Forgive the rebellious sins of my youth; look instead through the eyes of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord." Psalms 25:6-7

Small Moments

Everyday I am bombarded with things that remind me of how much older the kids are getting. Everything from: "No thanks mom, I can read it myself", "I can go outside by myself now", "Idon't need training wheels anymore", "Mom, I can get my own breakfast", "Mom, I can brush my own hair" and the list goes on and on and grows bigger everyday about the things they don'tneed me anymore for. And even though I know that's part of life, they get bigger and need me less and less it still stings every once in a while. Don't get me wrong some days I relish in the fact that I don't have to dress them anymore or change diapers or feed them. But I still look forward to those moments when they crawl up into my lap (which seems to get smaller and smaller everyday).

But then sometimes, when I least expect it, I get a glimpse at my babies just being little kids. Playing like little kids do and not trying to prove to me just how big they are what how much they can do on their own. And it gives me a moment, usually a very brief moment but a moment none the less, to see them as the little ones that they still very much are. Because even though they can accomplish so much on their own now they are still my babies and they always will be...

Well I know this doesnt even begin to compare to what our friends in the Northeast are getting hit with... But for us, its a lot! We got a huge snow and ice storm on Monday night that laid down about two inches of snow and ice. And we've been trapped ever since!!!! Yep three days of being locked in the house with three kids that are either on the computer or going crazy. We havent been to school since Monday and I'm pretty sure we wont be going back till Monday. Were supposed to get some more snow tomorrow. The movers should be here tomorrow to start our move to Granbury, so were all very excited to get that started and over with. The house we found is perfect and were all very ready to get moved in and settled in our new home. But for now we are trying to stay warm and not leaving the house!

What can happen in a year? A LOT!

What can happen in a couple of months? EVEN MORE!

Almost everything has changed for The Martin family and yet in the same breath I could say that we are very much the same... We are all very much in love with our family and very happy these days. As you can see the kids are getting bigger and bigger everyday! Carolina turned 7 right before Christmas, George will be 6 in April and Laney will be 4 in less then a week!

I am returning to my blogging and cant wait to update everyone on our day to day life again arond this wonderful crazy beautiful home...

Just an update...

Ok, ok, ok... I so know it has been FOREVER since y'all have seen anything from me. I apologize for that. Life has totally gotten away from me. But here is an update on the goings on around here...

1. School is hard.
2. Raising three kids is hard.
3. Raising three kids while going to school is harder...
4. I got my VA money all worked out, so I am actually being paid to go to school (no pressure there)
5. Laney is potty training.
6. Carolina should be able to read 25 words by the time she graduates from Kindergarden, she can now read over 70.
7. Carolina was tested and placed in the top 3% of all kindergartens in our town and has now been moved into TAG (talented and gifted) classes.
8. George likes girls.
9. Laney likes to get her own way... ALL THE TIME.
10. Ben is enjoying his job, but its getting harder.
11. We still have a house that WONT sell in WA.
12. My new major is accounting (turns out I'm a math geek)
13. We love our two dogs, turns out life is so much easier with two instead of just one.

Okay.... Well that's all I can really come up with right now and I have a huge load of reading to catch up on. Hope this helps let some of you know that we're still alive out here... just really really busy.

Homework

Homework is a new concept to me. Not that I havent had it before, I had plenty of it in high school but something most of you dont know is, I didnt finish high school. I later learned in life (around the age 24) that I have pretty severe ADD. To make matter worse the second year I was in HS they changed to what they called A-B days. So you would have two classes on one day and three classes on the other. Doesnt sound so bad right? Except that we were still there for the full 7 hour school day, which meant on one of those days the two classes where 3 HOURS long! Needless to say this did not mesh well with my then undiagnosed ADD. So first I just stopped going but continued to do all the class work and then I just stopped completely. Thats right, two months into my tenth grade year I completely quit going to school. Now at this point I feel I should mention that I didnt complete my ninth grade year either. A couple of months into that one I convinced my all to accommodating mother that I would do much better if I was home schooled, by me! Back then homeschooling wasnt the machine it has become today. There were no rules by the schools, no one to over see it... just me and a correspondence course. Yeah I dont feel the need to delve into how well that went or even lasted. I'm sure you can guess I got my first book and maybe made it a page in... But my tenth grade year some of my "better" friends convinced me to come back to school. It didnt take long to realize that it wasnt going to work again....

So now as a college student homework is a relatively new concept for me. College is something that I want to achieve at and work hard to be a great student. These days are different, I am not only now on meds for my ADD but that the school actually sees it as a learning disability and is willing to make special accommodations for me. How cool is that? Last night I sat down to try my first crack at hw and I have to say that I went better then I thought it would. I can already tell that English will not be my strong suit. There is a lot of reading and even though I love reading I'm not so great at reading stuff I dont really have any interest in reading. Math on the other hand I could spend hours doing. I'm going to Ace that class I can already tell. I love it. Once I get the basic understanding of something I go to town on it. I did 80 review questions and didnt even bat an eye at it. I think its because math always has an answer, instant gratification. But as for the rest of it... well its gonna take some dedication because I know it will only get harder from here.

I have to say I love my new found freedom and addiction. I love just being at the school. I dreaded the end of the week that on Monday I was having panic attacks about starting. I'm counting the days till the weekend is over and its back to school again. How silly is that? I have spent my whole life thinking of myself as a horrible student and it turns out I just needed to go to college... lol

One week down...

That's right people, I have one week down and only 155 more weeks to go... The first week kinda went by in a flash. I love being at school and love being around so many people. The classes haven't gotten intense yet, but I know they will. I have been blessed with a great schedule that will allow me to do a lot of my homework and studying during the day between classes. I also found a wonderful school for the kids to attend that has perfect hours!!!! So can I get a Woot Woot to that!!!! I'm taking Psych, Art Appreciation, Math and Eng and so far the art class if my fav. Who would have thunk it huh? After that horrible experience I had with the Art Institute. But this one is different, this one wants me to enjoy and better understand the art around me and as of right now it all seems very interesting to me. I'm sure there will be more struggles that I will be telling y'all all about, but as of right now I am just loving this new part of my life. I am so happy that I choose this point in my life to go to school. I was talking to one of my instructors this morning and he was talking about how much he wished he at just slowed down and appreciated college. I feel like that is what I am getting a chance to do. Yes I have three children that keep me very very busy, but I now have this whole part of my life that is all mine. Its somewhat freeing... Well that's all for now... But you know me, if the mood to write hits me it usually hits me over and over again for a couple of days. So I'm sure you will be hearing much more about school and the fam over the next couple of days. Till then, LOVE Y'ALL!!!!

No post...

Sorry about the lack of post guys... Just started school and plan to tell you all about my crazy day tonight! Dont miss me to much yall!!! lol

One word Wednesday...

1. Organized.... (kinda)

I have been looking forward to Not Me Monday since last tuesday when I realized I missed it!!! So here is my week of Not Me moments...

1. I did not let Laney sleep with syrup in her hair simply because I just couldnt do the bath routine that night.
2. I did not tell George to turn his underware around the correct way and then just ignore it when I realized he still hadnt done it 20 minutes later.
3. I MOST CERTIANLY DID NOT GET ANOTHER DOG!
4. I didnt tell Ben that I thought we should have another baby this week.
5. I did not drive 6 hours there and 6 hours back from my moms last weekend and then think about doing it again this weekend!
6. I did not pout this weekend because Ben had to do his drill weekend and that meant I couldnt sleep in.
7. I did not put a baby gate so my kids couldnt get out of their bedrooms till they were clean and then leave them in there for like two hours.
8. I did not buy THREE a couple of loafs of pound cake at Sam's club.
9. I did not change my cell phone number just to realized what a huge pain in the butt having a new number after so many years is.
10. I did not (even with all my pain in the a** quirks) get a big bunch of white daisies from my wonderful husband, just because... lucky girl

Is God a Mac or a PC....

I love reading Stuff Christians Like because of post like this last one... What do you think is God a Mac or a PC???

Check out the whole artical Here...

Is it ever really clean?

Cleaning.... It takes on a hold new meaning after you've had kids. Before kids cleaning was a bit of vacuuming, cleaning the shower and making sure the dishwasher got turned on every couple of days.I would spend an hour or two on the weekends getting the house back in order for the upcoming week...

But not now... Now three kids later I feel like I need to don a bio-hazard suit. In the past I have heard friends tell horror stories about cleaning their bathrooms after they moved in with their boyfriends or husbands and how gross it was. Pee on the seat, on the lid, even on the floor... But to be honest I never went thru that. Ben has always been a "clean" pee-er, never a drip outta place, never gross stuff to find dried on the floor... nothing. If anything he was more of a clean freak then I was. I mean dont get me wrong, its not like I was peeing on the floor or something. For a long time I thought it had something to do with living on a submarine and having to keep such a small area clean. I would learn in later years that most men on those subs were gross pigs and that I had lucked out. I had ended up with not so much of a neat freak, but someone who did like things in order and believed in taking good care of his belongings. Which is still very much the man I am married to now. And I know now after 10 years of being together that he would never be able to just pee on the floor and leave it there. But I digress, Now I live in a house with a four year old boy... You would think that would be enough said, but no. I had no idea how utterly gross a four year old could be. There was pee on the baseboards people! With in just a week there was so much pee on every part of the toilet that I had to take a scrub brush to it. I have never had to take a scrub brush to the OUTSIDE of any of our toilets and was a bit surprised today when a simple Clorox wipe was just not doing the job that so needed to be done. Gross, Gross, Gross is all I can say about it. And according to my friend Renee (who actually has 4 boys!) This is something that she has to do on a daily basis. And we wont even go into the Miss Peebody that takes an average of 2.3 seconds to pee on the floor, yet finds the need to do it two or three times in a row. So not only did I scrub the entire bathroom floor today, I also steam cleaned the whole rest of the house.Well at least I go to bed tonight knowing that at least for a few more hours my entire home is pee free...

New email address

Hey guys.... I was just informed that my old email address is still on my profile. So here is my new email address: mandi4168@gmail.com

Hope that clears things up and makes it easier to contact me.

Mandi

How could you ask that???

So when I into the Navy I had to give custody of my oldest son to my mom. My mom is really young, She is only 50 this year and she was only 36 when she became a grandmother. Anyways, So people used to ask her all the time if Trevor (my 13yr old son) was her son. She would politely reply no and hope that was the end of the convo. But of course it never was. People always felt it was their right to ask "So wheres his mom at?" Which was always followed by a barrage of really super nosy questions. So after about a year of having this whole intrusive convo, my mom got really tired of it. So one day shes just standing in line at the grocery store and the woman behind her asked the dreaded question. My mom whipped around (and in my moms usual sarcastic mode) and looked straight in the womans eyes and answered "His mother died in a tragic whaling accident..." The woman's eyes got huge and she wouldnt stop telling her how sorry she was. My mom got her stuff and walked out very happy with herself. Now you have to understand that my mom NEVER tells stories about something bad happening to somebody. She has this real feeling that if you do tell a story about something to happen to someone it might really happen! So when I told her I couldnt believe she said that. She told me "Well its not like its ever really going to happen. Your not planning on whaling anytime soon are you?" How funny is that? I love my mom....

One word Wednesday...

1. Pee

(everywhere... I forgot about this part of having a puppy)

A new Martin...

Well we've done it... We've gone out (actually she came to us) and got ourselves a brand new Martin. She's about 6 inches talk with about 1 inch legs and she is the cutest little thing you've ever seen!!! Thats right, we got another dog. Partly in hopes that having a friend will help settle Bella down and partly because corgies are the cutest things I have ever seen. OH and the kids love her too!

Awwww a New Year...

Well its 2010 y'all and a whole new year for crazy stuff to happen to the Martin family. We started our new year out in a very young and super hip way... I went to bed at 8:30pm and Ben stayed up to watch Band of Brothers (for the millionth time!). I know what your thinking, how in the world do you top that kinda night of excitement? Well sorry folks but you just dont... lol

But it wasnt all sh**s and giggles, I mean it wasnt all craziness and partying around here. Since the kiddos didnt have to be back to school until Tuesday, I decided that it would be a great chance to head down and visit my mom. She only lives about 5 hours away, but thats if your traveling normal speed... not driving with three kids speed. So it actually took us more like 7 hours after all the stopping and the breaks and the pulling over to beat them and stuff like that. It was a pretty routine drive down there, McDonalds for lunch, stopping at the "cleanest" looking bathroom I could find and the answering the all time favorite travel question: "Are we there yet?" like four million times. But in the end it was all so worth it. The kids got to spend some super quality time with Mom and Aunt Amber, who they absolutely love seeing. They also got brand new scooters, but those are nothing compared to the Bounce house and gigiball that they also got for Christmas from both sets of grandparents. Thats right, you heard me right... The kids got their very own full size bounce house for the backyard. How crazy is that? Those kinda things are for birthday parties and amusement parks. But now we are the proud owners of one huge bounce house and one huge inflated ball (that the kids can actually get inside of) in our very large backyard. Which when you think about it is actually very very cool. I wish we had gotten something so completely cool when we were kids. We were never the ones to get the one thing in the neighborhood that no other kids had! The other cool part is that since the grandparents decided to buy such big gifts this year, we didnt end up with lots of small toys all over the house. Which was a very nice change for this year.

I cant want to take pics of the kids using both of their new super toys to share with all of you.

So after what was actually a pretty relaxing weekend spent at my moms ( I pretty much dont have to do anything down there... can you imagine. they totally do everything that has to do with the kids!!!! can you say AWESOME). We all crawled back in the car to drive and drive and drive back home. The trip home when a bit quicker then the trip down and I discovered that you can rent RedBox movies anywhere and return them ANYWHERE! Is that not the most awesome tid bit of info you've gotten all year? I rented two movies and there was piece and quite for the final 200 miles of the drive...

Well thats how our 2010 has gotten off to a rip roaring start... But at least the kids are back in school, right!!!!