Martin family picture?

 

It's pretty hard to get a really great picture of the whole Martin crew.  Why?  It's past 10pm, there are 8 kids 9 years old and under, we are inside, the camera is on a piano bench, Ted isn't next to his wife Amber so their heads look strangely huge and tiny and the Martins are a crazy bunch.  But what is great about these pictures is this is exactly what was happening at our house a few days after Christmas.  The whole family was in one place for one day and it was wonderful.  And that, my friends, is a picture worth having. 

Snow...

MLK Day brought enough snow for play and sledding, if your hill is steep enough. Garrett had no desire to wear a jacket or pants or socks.  He did live through it all just fine and didn't even care, kids don't seem to get cold.  He would tell me, "I don't need jacket, I be fine."

Snow. Again.

Day 2 of snow only brought a 2-hour delay at school but since we couldn't get down the driveway it was a snow day for us.  Sierra and Mason were up and out the door playing at 6:47am, really I checked the clock since I was still in bed.  They built the cutest snowman during their early morning play as a surprise for Allie.

Some friends walked over and there was sledding, hot chocolate, a snow fort and lots of wet clothes.  The snow was beautiful but crazy warm temperatures and rain came during the late afternoon and night and hasn't let up.  Now there is serious flooding all over the place.

So goodbye snow, we enjoyed our time with you and hope to see you next year.

Double Digits...

Sierra is 10!  She got to celebrate a few times with family and friends.

Her favorite gifts?  A beaded bookmark from Grandma C and new boots.

What she loves at 10:
grasshopper pie
tacos, chili, stew
nothing pink or girly
writing, reading and piano playing
being outside
being with friends
boots of all colors and styles
bike rides with Dad
baking
scary stories
oil pastels
crafts and sewing

25th...

The real birthday..

Allie was born 3 days after Christmas.  She has spirit, she has ideas, she loves anything pink.  We celebrated with a birthday breakfast and here is what she wanted:

pumpkin pancakes with chocolate chips and whipping cream
cinnamon rolls
apple cider
chocolate milk
bacon sandwiches
cantaloupe

Just your normal birthday breakfast right?

Allie is such a good big sister and she and Garrett are best buddies.  She loves to create with paint, crayons or markers and still loves all of her dolls.  She loves to give kisses and squeezes.  She is our baby girl and her candle says 6, how did that happen?

A new house for the girls...

When my brother came to visit he brought (and built) a special delivery, all the way from California.  A new house for the chickens.  Now if we could just get them all to sleep in it, some of them don't seem to know what it's for.

We rode...

On Christmas Eve the weather was sunny, we got the bikes out and headed up the hill with friends.  It won't be long before the kids can join us on this ride.  Maybe it will be the beginnings of a new Christmas tradition.