A Martin Minute

What was 2014 to me? It started out super easy & I thought it would stay that way.  Nothing I couldn't handle. I watched my 3rd leave the sweet little day school my children stay in through Kindergarten & then I prayed all Summer as  I worried about him at  a bigger school. I watched a friend move, but not too far, but it changed the way I worked on church stuff. Nothing was bad - just different.  CHANGES I can handle changes pretty well if I know they are coming. I knew Whitty would go to the next school (and I LOVE that school), but Whitty is my quiet one who likes smaller groups & less busyness.  How would he adjust? This consumed my prayers all Summer - he did AWESOME!  3 kids in "all day" school.  It hit me hard - what would I have done if God hadn't surprised us with Lee-Lee? To the outside world the changes seemed everyday & normal, but to me I had to do some adjusting.  My work in the small ministry changed, my days...

When you are in a family & one person is laughing then more people start to laugh. Well, the same goes with hurting - when one is hurting we all hurt. Well, when you are the mom & one of your little ones is hurting then you HURT, HURT. My sweet boy has had random stomach pains for about 2 years.  There is no pattern (we have tried to find one), there is no sign of them coming (we have tried to find one), there has not been an answer, but this momma ain't stopping until she finds one. He & I were at the specialist the other day for 2+ hours & have started all over again to find some answers. We found some answers.  They were answers that did not involve surgery & scary words.  We will fix him slowly. I thought about other mommas in some of these scary moments & how awful it must be to have a really sick child.  My child was not on death's bed, but there were mommas around me whose babies were. The fears were real for me & I...

My life right now is hectic & fun & true & tiring & this is the only time I will get to live it. You see, they grow up & they talk back & they make friends that are cooler than me. I am told there will be a day when they go off to college & I don't see their faces everyday. I am told that one day I may not hear their voices everyday. I am told that one day the house may be quiet & clean. I am told that I will look back on these moments & smile. I thought one morning that there will be a time when I do not wake them up & my voice is not the first one they hear & the last one they hear at night.  Who will remind them to pray for  . . . ? I saw a picture of a momma holding her new baby, her first baby, & thought what a beautiful moment.  I have had 4 of those moments of my own & love watching my sisters moments.  You look at the little thing & you know that you would die for that baby.  You would give a...

WFM5: We will not go to school on Monday because of Martin Luther King's birthday Me: No that is not is another Monday. WFM5: Oh, okay Whitty: I know I am supposed to know this, but who is Martin Luther King? WFM5: Oh, he is some dude who helped white people & brown people like each other & now brown people can go to the library Whitty: Why didn't they go to the library? WFM5: They were not allowed to use the same library, school or water fountains because some people did not like brown people. Whitty: Now we all go to school together. WFM5: Yes & Martin Luther King helped that Whitty: Well, just go to the library everybody **then the conversation changed I love the way their minds work & I love the conversations that go on in our minivan - they are priceless.

Christmas Letter 2014! I know y'all have been waiting by your mailboxes for my annual Christmas card. I know y'all have been dying to see how precious the Martin kiddos are this year. I know y'all are going to open your cards and think this is the most precious they have been. I know these things, but the truth is they are most precious when they are asleep!  And I am NOT going to take a picture of them asleep & risk waking them - not even for y'all. Here we are another year older & hopefully another year wiser. Here we are in our simple Southern city with 4 kids and 5 busy schedules. (Baby hasn't figured out how to have an activity yet.) Our sweet princess, Baylor, is eleven & will start middle school next year - CRAZY!  She is super smart & LOVES to read.  She is a good little helper & keeps us all in line.  She loves soccer & tried tennis this year. Basketball is a new sport this Winter. She had a friend move to AU this Summer...

Littlest Baby, Sorry I am 12 days late on your birthday post. Life is a little crazy around here & you have something to do with that. You are a BUSY baby!  You go, go, go all day long. You are such a blessing.  Even in the middle of the night (which you sometimes like to snuggle with me) you are sweet to your momma. You love M&M's & stealing my coke. You are loving all the Christmas decorations.  You are still obsessed with cars & beeps. You can see a car & tel lme who drives one like it & whether or not it is cool. You cannot say donkey very well, but it is funny when you say "Baby Jeje, darnit"  That means Mommy, Baby Jesus & a donkey."  You love the  nativities in people's yards. Your siblings & Mac are still your favorite people.  Your grandparents drive the coolest cars, but Dale's truck may beat all the other cars out for favorite "beep." My little surprise baby is one of life's greatest joys. ...

National Championship: Where am I looking? Someone asked me today (and last week) how long I had been married.  I told them, "14 years." Both times I was told that was a long time!!?? What?!?! I thought we were just getting started - WE ARE just getting started. Kids, it is sad when 14 years is a long time - it is not a long time.  This is only the beginning of a beautiful thing. Love you SuperHubby!