A Martin Minute

We are truly blessed to be a part of such wonderful families and have such wonderful friends. As we are in the process of wrapping up our "set-up" for in the morning I just wanted to take a minute and ponder . . . Luke 2:19 "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." I cannot wait to share the Christmas memories we make this year. Love, Jocelyn

When I was a younger we used to love getting Christmas cards in the mail & reading the Christmas letters that accompanied them. We would hear about other families & friends that we only saw every so often. So for the past few years I have not gotten it together enough to put my own family letter together - no great excuses - just couldn't get it together. This is my Christmas letter to share the joy of the season, miracles of the holidays & the love of our family! Dear Friends & Family, What a fun year we have had in the Martin house! Our blue house has been full of laughter . . . and trains & cars & crafts & homework & the list goes on. We are having a blast! SuperHubby is still working in the construction industry, but working in the pre-bid/business development side of the operation. He has secured many great jobs for his company. He has had a lot of football fun this Fall with our AU Tigers & is still waiting for a miracle with some Na...

This is what happens when you have 2 little brothers that have the same goal of winning the Heisman & playing for Auburn. Welcome to Baylor's world =)

. . . at least as done as it is going to be. The Christmas decorations that is. I love this time of year, but it took me a week to get this done & then I realized that I had forgotten the tree skirt. So I got out the tree skirt just a little bit later & voila a simple, beauitful Christmas. Okay so I just realized that the wreaths have not been put up, but SuperHubby will be home tonight to finish a honey-do list. Which he does not know he has yet, but, in my defense, it only has 2 things on it. OK - so the decorating will be done tomorrow. Anyway, had a rough parenting afternoon & watched my little girl make a mistake to which I had to punish her for, but still feelin' guilty that I did not know to stop her. Now, she is fine, no one panic, but we are having a learning experience & we are both growing. It is hard to watch them grow up & make unwise choices. I pray that God protects her when she makes another unwise choice & I will pretend that that will be a ...

WAR EAGLE! Since everyone else in blogging world is talking about the big game then I guess I will too. WE WON! We took the game back in the 2nd half. The kids & I stood by our boys the entire game. Did you know I got to watch the game with Bo Jackson? Yep, Baby insisted on being called Bo Jackson all day. Who knew I would ever say "Bo Jackson it is time to change your diaper." My sweet father-in-law took my husband off my hands for the day & took him to the game so I could watch without all his chit-chat =) We learned some lessons that day my kiddos & me: 1. do not ask Mommy what Coach Saban is saying on the sidelines b/c she will have to lie 2. if a player gets hurt (even from the other team) you always pray I love my AU team & will be watching on Saturday as they take care of the Gamecocks. ~Jocelyn

We are full of yummy food & yummy time with cousins & family! Happy Thanksgiving from the Martins!

I guess I could keep it simple. I am simply very thankful. However, it wouldn't be like me to keep it that simple. I am thankful for my hubby - he loves so unconditionally. I am thankful for my girl - she is growing up & wants to do what is right. I am thankful for W1 - he is funny & loyal. I am thankful for W2 - he loves to hold his mommy's hand & give tight hugs. I am thankful for the way I was raised & strive to not disappoint. As I watched a little TV today I saw on the news (shhh - don't think I am lazy, but I try to catch every now & than) Anyway, I saw 2 things on the news that made me cry 1. A man had been out of a job for a year - I cried because I was grateful that we had not gone through that. 2. I saw a baby that had been in the hospital his first few months of life & gets to go home for Thanksgiving - he may or may not live, but his parents are grateful for everyday. I am thankful that my children have never been that sick. I am than...

This is the card Bay picked out with Marty last night when they were in the grocery store. He took all 3 kiddos to the grocery to the grocery store while I was not feeling so great & they cut through the card aisle on their way to get somehing else. She stopped mid-aisle & said "Daddy, this card is great to get & says HOT SEX NOW." Marty said he told her to put it down & keep walking. Of course she has no idea what it means - she just loves to read all the time. Marty took the picture with his phone so I could appreciate his trip with all 3 kiddos. Thanks SuperDaddy! ~Jocelyn

Okay, since I live in SEC country & am married to Marty Martin I think that makes me a perfect person to weigh in on the AU Tigers. First, let me just tell you that I LOVE AUBURN! I love that my boy is waiting for the phone to ring & Coach Chizik tells him which room is his in the athletic dorm & which number he will be. I love that they play Bo JAckson vs. Cam Newton when they play football. I love it that they play football wherever they go (doesn't everyone say "Hut, hut 54, 28 36!" in the line at Publix??) Secondly, as much as I love Cam Newton, if Cam Newton did something he shouldn't have then he needs to be punished. Thirdly, if his dad did something he shouldn't have done then he needs to pay his dues. I feel sorry for Cam (yes, sure we are on a first name basis) I have never been disappointed in my dad & I cannot imagine how that must hurt. To put my 2nd & 3rd points together - I am quite behind in the news & will stand with AU...

What is missing in this 2nd picture? If you guessed stroller, diaper bags & wild children then you are right! SuperHubby & I went to the AU v. Ga. game WITHOUT KIDDOS. We had a blast We were young & in LOVE. He surprised me with club level seating & let me tell you I was hot stuff. I had a real salad with hot apple cobbler, brownies, etc. . . It was a beautiful day with a beautiful win. Thanks to my fabulous parents for helping with our kids. I think I will use my blog later tonight to post some opinionated comments about AU football. ~Jocelyn

BAY, CHEETAH GIRLS: 5 goals, 6 blocks, 1 broken arm, 1 ball in face WFM5, GREEN LANTERNS: 2 goals, 6 blocks They were both so great! They both cannot wait for the Spring

I know I am behind in posting - I hope to update tonight, or maybe tomorrow. Sorry. BUT, before I forget I wanted to let you know our breakfast conversation this morning. Picture this - we still have a borrowed kids picnic table in our dining room left over from a party, so the kiddos have been eating breakfast in there each morning. So as I am fixing Sissy's lunch I hear WFM5 singing Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer." CUTE!!! Well, Sissy thinks she knows the words better (they only know the chorus) - she trys to correct him, but I overhear & tell her that Bubby had it right. So of course, he has to sing it louder. So this morning we confirmed the words to a rock'n roll classic over breakfast. Who knows what tomorrow morning will hold for my ears to hear. ~Jocelyn

Well, I am not a fan of Halloween. I do not understand spending all kinds of meny to celebrate a holiday that started out as something evil. BUT, the kids do love them some trick-or-treating. Thursday morning we had Whitty's friends over for a party. Thurday night we had Bay's school carnival. Friday, the boys school had a fall festival. Then after that we helped with Bay's class party. These events while babysitting some pretty cute nieces AND with my mommy out-of-town. Then Daddy got a ticket to the game on Saturday so Mommy got to do trick-or-treating by herself. Listen, if I was offered a ticket to the game I would have left also. Now let me say that I am spoiled. I am used to having my mom & dad to call when anything is needed. They have left my sisters & I to fend for ourselves for 10 days. Seriously, we cannot wait for them to come home. So the baby is 3, the crib has come down & I am doing fine in the emotions department. I will give the final soccer s...

On the side of the blog we call him "The Baby." We always pretty much call him "The Baby," but tomorrow morning he will be 3! This is crazy! 3 years ago he came in to this world quickly & knowing him now I know he was so excited to see Bubby & Sissy. Whitty loves to be a helper, he loves AU & loves to say his new Bible verse (Psalm 23:1). He doesn't mind being "The Baby." He loves Monday mornings when he has Mommy-Whitty day, but at the same time keeps checking to see when we can pick-up Bubby from school. I am about to cry thinking of this weekend when we take down the crib. This coming spring I will sell a lot of baby toys & clothes. I do have excitement to see what God has in store for this next chapter of our life. I realized I have not been in prayer enough as to following His plan. I am working on this, He is going to do great things in our little family. So tomorrow I will be excited b/c he wants to blow out his own candles &...

Just finished a Mommy & kiddo dance party! They are always fun! You know how they play some fun hip-hop songs to get the crowd going at AU games? Well, now I know why they do not play the whole song. Oops - I don't think the kids heard. Anyway, WFM5's new favorite song is BonJovi "Livin on a Prayer." More later - I am beat for the day. ~Jocelyn

Well, what a weekend! We spent some time in good ol' Tennessee with my sweet family. My aunt, uncle & cousin had us up to their house to feed the ducks & paddle boat. My sweet grandparents put us up for a few nights & the kiddos cannot wait to go back. We were glad that cousin T came along, b/c that makes running around the yard so much more fun for Whitty. We were glad to see AL lose - I mean purely for their own good. This #1 business was causing their heads to get to big - it was not safe. We are proud of our boys for pulling out a win, although I must admit I did not watch uch of the game b/c of the great ladies I was visiting with. Thanks AU boys - it makes the season more fun for my boys. More later, Jocelyn P.S. Doesn't my baby look just like Poppa in Poppa's hat???

Well, leav e it to us to find drama at the zoo. Mommy & WFM5 set off on Wednesday to the 4 year old zoo field trip. We got there a few minutes early so we got to play with the roosters & then we started touring the zoo with his cute class. After the sea lion show we went to the kangaroos . . . & then a little later while the mommies were lookin' for change to get fish food a goose came through the fence & bit WFM5 between the nose & the eye. Yes! We can now start a goose bite count for our household. We have a funny bruise, although the swelling was easily stopped with a bag of ice. My boy was super brave! We are going to TN this weekend to recover from a goose bite & will have some cute pics from that trip I am sure. More next week, Jocelyn P.S. I believe I ordered the school shirt a little big

Getting sidelines pointers from Big Sissy. The 3 Amigos making a run for the goal! Coming out of a Cheetah Girlts huddle! Lookin' cute right before taking the ball down the field to score! BAYLOR, CHEETAH GIRLS: 4 goals, 3 blocks, 1 broken arm, 1 ball in the face WFM5, TEAM GREEN LANTERNS: 2 goals, 4 blocks

We have a few soccer stars in our family! BAYLOR, TEAM CHEETAH GIRLS: 3 goals, 2 blocks, 1 broken arm WILLIAM, TEAM GREEN LANTERNS: 2 goals, 2 blocks I will get pics soon. Love, Jocelyn P.S. When you have a hot pink cast in the 1st Grade - you are hot stuff!

So today we are to acknowledge those we call "GrandParents." So in honor of our grands we have called them & sang a song - Happy GrandParents day to You! Imagine it sounding VERY similar to Happy Bday. I was not with it enough this year to get out cards, pictures, or any sorta handheld goodie. So my gift to my kiddos grandparents is to let you stay with our kiddos next week while SuperDaddy & I go on a belated anniversary trip. What more could one ask for? We Love our Grands!

The "W Boys" have gone back to school & this Mommy is not sure what to do with a few hours to herself. Oh yeah, I can clean & do laundry. Whew, I thought I might have a few spare minutes, don't worry I don't. This just means I may get caught up on chores - well, I better not get ahead of myself. The baby said he did not want to go & even offered to take a nap. However, as soon as we got there he was ready to go & both boys had to be reminded to come back & give Mommy a hug. They have sweet teachers & are at a FABULOUS pre-school. We are looking forward to a fun school year & soccer year!

In search of the great family pic: One more step in the right direction

I Love My Hubby! He is the best dad, hubby & friend a gal could ask for. He works tirelessly to provide for our little family & never complains. He gives time each week to our church, our house, & our family (& that's a lot of people when you count my family). He is always patient with me & my blonde moments & y'all know there are a lot of those. (Daddy you are not allowed to comment on this post.) So say a sweet prayer for my hubby that he may be given rest, shown love, and feel how special he is to us. Thank you SuperDaddy! I love you!

AU Fan Day 2010 - whoever organized this event should NEVER do it again. It was so disorganized, but we got to see cheerleaders & "dancin' girls." Football season starts in 8 days! Everyone helps Sissy sell gift wrap for the school fundraiser - we all love to help, expedially when it means we get to walk to the neighbors "all by ourselves." (i.e. Mommy stands & watches in the driveway =))

Here are the boys campin' just like Poppy! Personally I think they are ready for an overnight Dad =)

"I pray for these you have given me . . ." This verse, given to me at a Bible study about "Praying for Your Children," is in my head many times as I watch my kiddos go about daily life. What great seats SuperDaddy & I have watching them on their journeys. This morning as I got my CD player in the ktichen to work again (Thank you God) I got out a beautiful praise & worship CD by Travis Cottrell & started praising. Whitty LOVES this - he loves to dance, loves to praise, l;oves to listen to music - he started his dance, his version of praise. If you were privileged to watch him at my sisters wedding then you know what a joy this is. What a beautiful gift to a mommy on an early Thursday morning. I pray they love to praise. I pray they love God & are not afraid to show it. I pray they have a DESIRE to know & love Him more everyday. From one prayin' mommy to another - have a great day! Jocelyn

OK, so carpool stories are some of my better stories - sad or funny? We are getting back in the groove of picking sissy up from school in carpool, however today I forgot to send William to the bathroom before we got in the line. (Backup: for the full effect of this story you have to know that he wore boxers for the first time today.) He of course had to go tee-tee & of course we were in line parked in front of someone's beautiful house. So I pored old lemonade out of the sippy cup in the front seat & with our big boy boxers on we tee-teed in a cup & then pored that out. I guess this is a perk of being a boy. Bay asked what we would have done if he had to go #2?? I told her he would have to hold it. I haven't figured that one out yet. Maybe I won't ever have to. One can hope =) More later, Jocelyn

Well, we did it with as little tears as possible. Look - we miss her when she is at school of course I am going to cry. She is in the sweetest class with a great teacher. she is around the corner from her Aunt B & we know she is in a great school. First grade is going to be awesome! She was so brave & did not even worry, I just cried because I would miss her. When the boys & I got back in the car WFM5 asked me why I was crying & I said I would miss her. He said, "Mommy, we will be back in a little bit to pick her up." Of course, the boys asked about every hour if it was time to pick her up. On the second day her teacher said whe was a sweet friend to everyone. What am I going to do when Whitty starts first grade?? ~Jocelyn

Baylor & Ella on the Hoppy frog ride - one of our favorites! Brothers at the mining restaurant - our waitress paid them to eat their veggies - no lie=) We took a GREAT vacation to Branson, MO! We had a blast with Mimi, Poppa & our St. Louis family. We went to amusement parks, water parks, shows & all sorts of fun things in a great town where it seems that everyone loves God. It is so cool that at every show I went to they spread the Gospel. I love it when people say "Have a blessed day" & mean it. I hear they still pray before football games in Branson. TOO COOL! This kids loved it - thanks MiMi & Poppa for a fun trip! My secret is: (cue drum roll) my brother John is engaged! In an earlier post I mentioned his sweet girlfriend Liz & how we were gettting our house ready for her to stay so we can impress her b/c we wanted to keep her around. Well, it looked like it worked (We are good!) b/c they are getting married after they graduate in May. Watch out ...

One NEW 7 year old! 2 birthday parties! ALL happened in 1 day! So it is okay to call me Super-Mommy, I do. I still cannot believe our Bay is 7, but truth is she is & she already acts older. We had a wedding birthday party in the morning & all the family & cute cousins came over for pizza & cupcakes that evening. She received a DS - for those of you that are as clueless as I am it is a handheld video game machine. It is amazing that she opened the box & started playing. It is beyond me how kiddos know all this IT stuff. Her friends were so cute dressed as her bridesmaids & flower girls & we had us a beautiful wedding. Thanks to our Moppy who helped decorate & sweet JoJo who made a beautiful wedding cake (2 tiers)!

Well, each time a kiddo has a birthday I take the time to realize the time to realize that I am one year closer to movin' to Auburn - following them all to college. No, in all seriousness, I take a minute to think about that child & our journey together. Bay is an amazing little girl. She has always been smart and everyday get more & more curious. She is silly & her "giggle box" gets turned over easy. She really wants to do what is right & gets frustrated when she messes up. She loves Jesus & it was so sweet to see her come to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ at a young age. I cannot believe that my first baby is going to be 7 tomorrow. I am not worried about getting older, I am excited for her & excited to see about what God has in store for her. She has an exciting journey ahead of her. Bay is beautiful inside & out & a joy to be around. She loves her family. She watches out for her brothers & they look up to her, she adores ...

We are on vacation having tons of fun! Cute pics to show & secrets to tell when I return . . . NO I am not pregnant. Love, Jocelyn

First time to watch the fireworks! They are meant to be watched in your PJs. Fun at the lake! 4th of July before church Lemonade stands - are new favorite pastime!

A little blurry, but it gives you the best idea of the size of our family! My niece little Maggie taking a break at the first party of the weekend. Bay & her Poppy Sisters are so fun! His last Father-Daughter dance. Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Daniel T Whitaker! Thanks for letting us be a part of your beautiful weekend - we had a blast! We loved the parties, the flowers, & especially the people. Oh, the wonderful people! Everyone came to see the blessed event & we enjoyed having all our sweet family in town. Bay & WFM5 were the perfect flower girl & ring bearer. Whitty was a dancin' fool at the reception. I will try to learn how to put a video on a post so y'all can see how cool he is. FYI: Marty was home past 130 or 2 Friday & Saturday night. More later, Jocelyn

I could not sleep this morning so I thought I would go in to the living rooom & watch TV to avoid waking SuperHubby. Well, my TV guide channel took a toll on my intellect & self-esteem, it looked something like this . . . "ABS FAST!" - if I move too fast I may tee-tee in my pants "Look Good Naked" - I have had 3 kiddos, but do not stretch marks does that count? "Gone in 60 Seconds" - no comment needed, if it worked we would all look like my sister B - perfect "Lose 30 lbs. in 6 weeks" - by the time 6 weeks rolls around school will have started so my schedule will have changed I watched a few minutes of "The Baby Diaries" about a mom who waas struggling having a 2nd child b/c her husband does not help 100% of the time - SERIOUSLY, lady if he helped 100% of the time he could not work & then you could not afford your hair color, gym membership & probably your boobies. Okay maybe I should ot pass judgement, but if they were...

Happy Anniversary to us! We are celebrating 10 years of marriage today. 10 years, 3 kids, 2 houses, 2 doggies, 1 station wagon . . . it sounds like perfection. Well, we are not perfect, but I think we are getting pretty close. Thank you SuperDaddy for the last 10 years. We have had some fun. Thank you for the 3 sweet kiddos and being the best Dad. Thank you for putting up with all my quirks - they are so cute I love you & cannot wait to for our aniversary get-away. I cannot imagine our journey any other way. Love, Me

Our sweet Aunt Patsy, I left you out of the birthday post. I am so terribly sorry. We are about to go shopping & get you a birthday goodie & I stopped because I had forgotten to put you in the post last night. Midnight & blonde hair are not a good mix. We love our Aunt Patsy & one of the reasons we love her so much is because she loves our babies so much. She is loving & kind & loves God & her family. Well, to Aunt Patsy, the HOOTERS is just down the road. Love, the Martins Mommy

So July has to be the busiest month - I mean seriously how many people are born in this month? Okay so I am about to cheat & roll a BUNCH of birthday post in to 1. Sorry, I love you all but we will also blame this on getting ready for the wedding. SuperT - my fabulous nephew. I hope you always stay this cool & I am going to force you to always be Whitty's friend. I love you! My sweet Shelby, can y'all believe one of my flower girls will be 16 in a few hours. You are beautiful inside & out. My cousin Ann - everytime I see you I love you more. You are so cool My friend Mandy - I miss you - have a fun bday & come visit soon. Nanny (my grandmother) & MaMaw Murphree (Marty's grandmother) - fabulous greaet-grandmothers are you both. I realized tonight that both of you are beautiful, strong Southern women who have lost children and husbands and have stayed strong. 1 of those is a tragedy enough on its own, but both & to be as strong as you are is insp...

A "Happy Birthday!" to my Uncle Bill. Yes, I am a day late, but the fabulous singing my kids did on your voicemail tonight should make up for that. I am so sorry that VBS falls close to your Bday & you don't always get a card - just the kids singing on the phone. If you do not know my Uncle Bill he is AWESOME! My kids love him & I think they think that Uncle Bill is coming to see them in a few weeks instead of coming for Maggie's wedding. So for all of you coming with Uncle Bill watch out they will probably come out of the gates running to him. Yes, they love everyone, but there is something special about Bill. So Happy Bday & we cannot wait to see you. I will make up for the lateness of this by letting you spend more time with the kiddos in a few weeks - yes, you should be excited about this. So, the zoo, our sweet Auntie Kim came to Bham with her niece & nephew today & we took the kids to the zoo. We love the zoo! They have a train, an Auburn tig...

I mentioned in an earlier post that we took SuperDaddy to lunch, dinner & a movie for FAther's Day. But a perk of having a blog is that I get to say a lot of things about a lot of people - including SuperDaddy & our other daddies. SuperDaddy is also known as SuperHubby. He works hard all day everyday & supports our little family. He is supportive of this crazy mommy & loves his kiddos more than anything in this world. Now if you are talking about SuperDaddy then you need to mention his daddy - Poppa. We love our Poppa at this house. He is always doing things for my precious kiddos and always lets us visit and fixes some mean homemade ice cream. My kiddos love their Poppa and can only wait for him to get back to town so we can celebrate Father's Day with him. We also have us a Poppy. My daddy loves being a grandfather! (all 7 times) He loves his babies & making sure they are at his house at least once a week. Many times daddy calls to invite everyone ...

He thinks he is as big as everybody else. Sweet girls doin' a BFF cheer Boys lovin' the ball machine We have been busy little bees at this house. Here are a few shots of our try at bowling. The extra little girl is a sweet friend of Bay's who is too cute for words. The kids LOVED it! We may become bowlin' fools. We have finished VBS & had a lot of fun! Mommy is exhausted, but thrilled with how it all went. Yesterday was Father's Day so we celebrated SuperDaddy & all his awesomeness by taking him to lunch, dinner & ToyStory 3. We all loved this movie. On the way home from the movies last night we passed our Bay's sweet friend's house & we all said "hey Emily!" I joked around & said "Whitty, Emily has a little sister that is cute & is 3 years old." Whitty said "Whoa awesome . . ." We all laughed the rest of the way home. More later, Jocelyn

I have found the long-lost camera =) I love having a camera! . . . Wait I put it in the diaper bag, now where did I put the diaper bag? Okay, it is 11PM - I will post pics tomorrow.

I believe I have a new favorite holiday - National Free Doughnut Day! I LOVE Krispy Kreme! Of course when I told my kiddies this they laughed & then Bay got serious & said that her favorite holiday was still Christmas b/c it is about God. I really do love God more than anything, but I have to tell you it was one good doughnut=) ~Jocelyn

Sweet Bay has been out with the stomach bug. (Don't let Whitt hear you say "stomach bug" because then he goes & looks for a bug.) We have signs that she may be on the mend. We are going to be stuck in the house for a few days & that is hard for this VBS Director to do . . . I knew VBS was going way too well. We are praying hard that no one else gets whatever she has. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! We are missing our cousins that have all left town to go on vacation, but we will be back with them all next week. I have yet to find my camera & obviously have not been out to get the disposable one developed. We had a good Memorial Day at Mamaw's lake house. She is always so sweet to share her space with our wild crew. We have VBS June 14 - 18 & then cannot wait for July when we get to see SOOO much of our family thanks to sweet Aunt Maggie for getting married so our TN family comes to visit. We will see our Martin amily cousins A LOT in July when we travel togeth...

I think I done a complete 180 in thinking. You see, back in the day when I was a wee one of about 5 or 6 my parents, following the advice of James Dobson, decided not to let us watch "The Smurfs" on TV. So I have not been his biggest fan to say it nicely, I thought maybe he was a little much for me. WELL, today I was excited to receive the newest Dobson book in the mail. I am a fan, "Bringing Up Girls" is just waiting for me to have a few moments to read it & figure it all out. OK in all seriousness it will not give me a complete map a raising a little me, BUT it will give me some darn good insights & helpful hints with God's Word to back it up. We will see how I do. Y'all can bring this up in 20 years when she gets married. ~Jocelyn

I came across someone's blog titled "The Company She Keeps." It turns out it was about a girl, her husband & their group of friends, but when I first saw the title I thought of a mommy & her kiddos as the company she keeps. What does the company I keep say about me? Well, when they dress themselves - I may seem a little "off my rocker." When they tee-tee in front of the tree in carpool line (instead of behind it) - I may seem a little too lax. When they sit on the floor in the grocery store - I may seem gross. When they kiss & hug each other (& won't stop) until they fall over - I may seem a little too happy. BUT, really I am just a mommy who loves the company I keep. When they dance with perfect stage presence at their recital - I seem like the proudest mommy. When they have their last day of school & I cry everytime every year - I seem like a loving mommy. When they wear matching outfits - I seem like a together mommy. SO, I guess if I ...

So . . . yesterday we went to a farm. Not a full running farm, more of a "get-away, great place to have a party farm." So they had tons of people from our church at the farm & they had out little chicks, four-wheelers, fishing, roasted pig & of course a greased pig contest=) Every good party has one, right? Well I am going to show a pic of Bay that I found on a friend of mines blog www.heath-kelly.blogspot.com & that is Bay in the middle trying to catch the pig. It did eventually run through her legs, but she was not the final winner. We will try again another day=) Yes, of course they wanted to take home a "chickie", but this mean mommy was not about to raise a chicken along with 3 rugrats. We stopped to see our JoJo on the way home & then came home ate dinner & went to bed early= GREAT day! We have the boys last day of school on Wednesday, a birthday party & ballet recital on Thursday. I am sure I will have a good post after all of ...

Well . . . confession time . . . I put the kids to bed at 6:15 tonight. It needed to be done. We had a fun day at a farm today, only took about 30 minutes of nap, Whitty has a boo-boo & there's not a clock upstairs for Bay to double-check me. So I am going to get ready for church, maybe take a walk & relax. Good Evening, Jocelyn

Bay is growing up too fast, after all she is 6 & 3/4 (don't forget the last part). She had "May Day Play Day" at her school today (kinda' like what we called field day) & I think Mommy had a lot of fun as well, but I am too tired to tell. I tried to teach a group of first graders how to play kickball - don't laugh I really like that game - I think they may have gotten the idea at least that you take turns kicking & going after the ball. I am pretty sure they did NOT get the idea of running the bases & stopping the play. We will try that another day. Although if I got 12 first graders to take turns at least for a few minutes that that could be success. WFM5 is on his first "go home from school playdate" he was so excited he wanted to leave for school in his pj's at 730 this morning. School doesn't start until 9 so he has a while to wait. I am so glad he has sweet friends. Whitty, well he just hangs around with the best of us....

Well this Mother's Day is one for the books. So, I had breakfast while in a cold bubble bath, while the kids ate their breakfast on the bathroom floor. Yes, I am not a fan of bubble baths, I was naked, I really wanted a french toast bagel from Panera & the bathroom was cold b/c they had the door open. It is a much longer story . . .but you get the basic idea. It is the thought that counts & they were very thoughtful=) I had lunch with my in-laws, took a nap that everyone enjoyed interuppting & had dinner at my parents. I then turned into a lazy bum. Needless to say I went this morning to get a frnech toast bagel from Panera. The kids were great! They are the reason I got to celebrate Mother's Day with so much love. My sweet nephew Nate left me a cute Mother's Day message - Thanks Nate the Great! Who could ask for anything more? Love, Jocelyn

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, actually it is in less than an hour. I am a little worried b/c when I asked SuperDaddy if I could go to Panera on the way to church for a "French Toast" bagel he said that the kids had other plans for me. . . I should be afraid - very afraid. What can 3 kiddos do for breakfast & have me out the door to church by about 730AM? Whatever it is it will be cute - that is a given with my kids! Mother's Day makes me think & be reflective (now you should be afraid - very afraid). I have plenty of wonderful women I can look to for guidance on this path of motherhood - TONS! I mean I grew up with 3 grandmothers & at one point had 3 great-grandmothers alive. My mother-in-law is great! I also have aunts, sweet friends & plenty of people that I can call at the drop of a hat - so I should be able to write everything they say down & raise my kids without a hitch - WRONG . . . every kid/family is differently. They give plenty of w...

So if you look back a little less than a month ago I wrote about going to the races with the kiddos. Well, I mentioned I may not go back unless absolutely necessary . . .Jump to yesterday when I went through William's school bag & they had made a picture of their favorite thing to do with their Mommy. Well naturally my son said his was going to the racetracks. God has a great sense of humor & uses my kiddos to remind me of that daily. I guess I may be going to the racetracks again one day. I think I will frame it tomorrow so I will remember this funny mommy moment. His Child, Jocelyn

3 sweet napping boys 2 sound machines humming 1 exhausted Mommy/Aunt Jaja All this took only 30 minutes & may only last 1 hour, but it is worth it . . . They are too cute when they are sleeping =)

As a mother I learn new things every day. Today I learned never to ask a 2 year old why his hand is stuck in his shoe. 1. It was never really stuck. 2. His answer will only be "just cuz." I hope you learned something a little more useful today. Jocelyn

About an hour ago we were at the beauty salon. We are growing up way to fast & have asked for our first "real" haircut. This was not just a little trim - this was the real deal. She decided all this on her own & I made her think about it for 2 weeks before I made the appointment. She LOVES it! (Why do kids do the goofiest smiles in pictures that I take?) Speaking of the hair salon, "Miss Silla" as the kids call her, always does a wonderful job! But the shampoo salesman was making a pitch while I was there with all 3 kids & he kept talking & doing his gig even when the toy cars ran in to his feet, even when we were moving all over the salon. He even kept talking as we were all saying good-bye & we could still hear him as we were getting in the car. He is determined. He does not shut up. I know that Miss Silla did not hear all he said, but he had a way of selling his products from all over the world. We definetely got a geography lesson....

Watch out world - I am 2 & a half ! I am showing you my muscles so you will know how cool I am! I told Mommy I would not put on my PJ shirt until later - she is unsure of when later is though. In the meantime I am certainly cute. Love, little Whitty