Yarn Chandeliers

A couple of weeks ago, I found a really cool project on a blog I follow. It's called Hostess with the Mostess. If you like to see cute ideas for parties and crafty ideas, head on over. The idea I found was for yarn chandeliers. I thought these would be really cute for Emma's room. I decided to get pink, black, and white yarn this weekend to try them out. They actually turned out pretty cute. I plan on making several more and we are going to hang them from her ceiling.

In progress

Finished product

My view most days...

Bella's first vet visit

Randall and I took Bella to the vet for the first time on Thursday...she did a great job. We are using a fairly new vet in town, Dr. Towns, and he was wonderful. We didn't experience that "rush-in, rush-out" that you do many places. Bella weighed 3 1/2 pounds and was looking good. She did have a few worms, so they gave her a pill for that, but other than that, everything looked great!


One of Bella's favorite places to sleep!!

Free 8X10 Canvas

I don't often post things I find on here, but this offer is too good not to pass on. If you will go to www.canvaspeople.com, you can get a free 8X10 canvas (you can choose your picture), and all you have to pay is shipping. I just ordered mine and got a $50 picture for $14.95. I am so excited. Here is the picture I am ordering. It was taken when Mac was in the NICU...it's his hand and Emma's hand.

The most important decision ever made...

On January 2, our family had left Hays and was heading to Lowe's. All of the sudden, Emma told us that if she died, she would go to hell. She had been mentioning things since last summer that lead us believe that she was close to the age of accountability, but this told us for certain. We questioned her a little bit, felt like she was ready, and she wanted to give her life to Christ. She and Randall prayed in the back of our van in the Lowe's parking lot. She was so excited. These are a few pictures of her baptistm on January 8 by Brother James Hays.

Christmas at Gramps and Grammy's House

Mac with his shotgun from Gramps.


Emma with her pearl necklace from Gramps.

Christmas was held a little late with the Summerhills this year. Randy came home from his deployment to Iraq the middle of December, and they didn't get to Arkansas until after Christmas. It was great seeing them all again! Miya even let Uncle Randall hold her!! That was a shocker. We took the kids skating at Thrills on Wheels one day and they had a great time. Several days Mikayla came over to our house and played.


Randy and Irene opening presents.


Mikayla with her Hays jacket from the Martins.


Gramps and Grammy with their flag from the Summerhills. This flag flew over the place where Randy was stationed in Iraq on Veteran's Day.


Grammy with her Barton Bears sweatshirt (another design from Tees to Please) from the Martins.


Emma and Miya


Gramps with his movie Cowboys and Aliens from the Martins.

Christmas Morning and Santa

The kids patiently waiting to get to open their gifts from Santa...I just love how he coordinates the wrapping paper.


Mac and his blocks


Mac and his TV (yes, they both got one just alike!!) He couldn't wait to get to watch TV channels in his room. We were in the process of switching from Dish to DirecTV. He walked up to Rick Elliott (the man who was installing our Direct) at church on Sunday and told him he was ready for some TV channels in his room!!


Mac and his DVD player for his room.


Emma and the Diary of A Wimpy Kid Movie. She had read the book and wanted the movie. She probably watched it 10 times over Christmas Vacation.


Emma with her new TV for her room. She also got a DVD player to go with it.


Emma with her scooter...both kids got one from Santa. Emma's is a Razor and Mac's is a Radio Flyer (with 3 wheels)

Christmas with the Martins

We actually did our family Christmas present opening on the morning of Christmas Eve. We have noticed in the past that as much as we do with our families, Mac and Emma tend to get overwhelmed, so we try to spread it out. They were very excited about what they got from us this year. We always try to make sure the children know the real meaning of Christmas and we make a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas Eve. However, this year I got stuck making it myself (Emma and Mac were too busy playing with Bella). It is a family tradition that I absolutely love. We always get up Christmas morning and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and then eat the cake for breakfast. Not the most nutritional thing, but my children can tell you why we have Christmas, and their answer doesn't include getting and opening presents!!


Mac and his camo snuggie (youth size)


Emma and her Searcy Lions sweatshirt. If you have any type of shirt you want, look up my friends on Facebook...Tees to Please. Amy and Kellie can make just about anything you want them to. The shirts are good quality and hold up well...I have several!!


Emma and her peace sign snuggie (also youth size)


Emma and her new Bible. Her other one was coming apart. This one has some great study habits in it.


Randall and his big gift...tickets to go see Zac Brown Band in Little Rock in March...he was shocked. Grammy got Gramps tickets, too, so we are all going together!!


Mac and his puzzle mat...he is loving puzzles and can easily do 100 pieces.


Mac and his Arkansas Razorback outfit.

Looking at Christmas lights

One of our favorite places to go look at Christmas lights is Harding University. They hang millions of blue lights from trees and around. We get out and walk through the winter wonderland and have a great time!

Meet Bella- the newest member of the Martin Family

Mac and Emma got a new "sister" for Christmas. Randall and I had been talking for a while about possibly getting a new dog for Christmas since our German Shepherd, Zowie, died unexpectedly in August. At first, I was dead set against getting an inside dog, but Randall took me to our local pet shop, and I changed my mind. We started doing research on some of the best types of inside dogs (we didn't want a shedder!!) and decided to go with a short haired minature dachshund. Finding a female that was short haired was near impossible. Then Randall made a call to a lady who had placed an ad in the newspaper for chiweeinies. The pictures that she sent said it all. She only had one female left to sell, and we went on a Monday night to a home right outside of Sheridan and put a down payment on her. It was all we could do to contain our excitement for the next 2 weeks without letting the kids know. On Friday, December 23, I had the kids sit in front of the fireplace with a present a piece. They started opening them as soon as I heard Randall open the garage door coming home from work. Each child opened a can of dog food, and of course, didn't know why. They both said yuck and threw the cans across the room. Randall then told them he knew who would like that food. When he told them Bella, they asked who Bella was. Randall pulled her out from underneath his jacket. I literally thought Emma was going to cry. She was so excited. They have come to love her very much, and so have Randall and I. I don't think we could've come up with much better of a present for them from us!!

Love this quote!!

This quote was pasted on Facebook by a friend of mine. This is painted in the hallway of one of our local elementary schools, and how true it is.

"Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression."
Dr. Haim Ginott

A Child's Ten Commandments to Parents

I acutally got this from a friend's blog, Crazy Working Mom. Head on over and check out her posts if you haven't before. I loved this, and I always have to remind myself of several of these, so I thought I would post them for you to read.

1. My hands are small; please don't expect perfection when I make a bed, draw a picture, or throw a ball. My legs are short; please slow down so that I can keep up with you.

2. My eyes have not seen the world as yours have; please let me explore safely; don't restrict me unnecessarily.

3. Housework will always be there. I'm only little such a little time--please take time to explain things to me about this wonderful world, and do so willingly.

4. My feelings are tender; please be sensitive to my needs. DOn't nag me all day long. (You wouldn't want to be nagged for your inquisitiveness.) Treat me as you would like to be treated.

5. I am a special gift from god; please treasure me as God intended you to, holding me accountable for my actions, giving me guidelines to live by, and disciplining me in a loving manner.

6. I need your encouragement and your praise, to grow. Please go easy on the criticism. Remember you can criticize the things I do without criticizing me. (I changed this one a little!)

7. Please give me the freedom to make decisions concerning myself. Permit me to fail so that I can learn from my mistakes. Then someday I'll be prepared to make the kind of decisions life requires of me.

8. Please don't do things over me. Somehow that makes me feel that my efforts didn't measure up. I know it's hard, but please don't compare me to my brother or my sister.

9. Please don't be afraid to leave for a weekend together. Kids need vacations from parents, just as parents need vacations from kids. Besides, it's a great way to show us that your marriage is very special.

10. Please take me to Sunday School and church reguarly, setting a good example for me to follow.

~ Dr. Kevin Leman

Going to try to become regular blogger again!

Yes, I have been a very bad blogger! I think I am going to try to start back again. Many things led to the decline in my blogging, but I don't want to go into too much. The good news is that while I am down for the next 2 weeks, I am going to try to backtrack to Christmas 2011 to catch up, mainly because of our new family member we gained at Christmas.

First off, let me tell you why I am down for the next 2 weeks. On Friday, January 13, I was working in my classroom after school. While walking across the back of my classroom, my right ankle gave out and I fell to the ground. Long story short, I broke the bottom of my fibula. I had surgery on Wednesday, January 18. Now I am doing lots of sitting.

Now just a tad bit on our new family member. Emma and Mac got a chi weenie for Christmas. Her daddy is a chihuahua and her mom is a daschund. Her name is Bella. I will add more information and pictures of her later.