Chinatown

We headed off to New York City right away this morning. Our destination?  Chinatown.  The sights and smells and sounds are simply amazing.

 

We went to a Dim Sum restaurant for lunch.  We needed to wait a bit for a table to be available.  While sitting there waiting, a lady sat down beside us and started visiting a bit with the girls.  She asked them if they like Chinese food and I told her that Eliana has only been home from China since February.  She told me she has a friend who travels to China to help children in orphanages.  Ends up her friend is none other than Pat Marcus and I was able to tell her that Eliana was one of the children Pat met in China!  It was such a fun and special meeting!  What are the chances of something like that happening in a huge city?!

Inside the restaurant. 

A small shop.

 

A park

Also in the park.

"Bubble tea"  or Boba.  Yum!

Fire Prevention Demonstration

Yesterday was a long day for Casper as he counted down the hours until we could go to the local Fire Prevention Demonstration.  He wished he could magically make the hours go faster.  Finally it was time to go!  I don't think anyone was disappointed.

My crew!

Waiting to go in to the "smoke house".

Pink fire hats, lollipops, coloring books, pencils...

Guest Post by Casper ( Age 7 )

On our shopping trip we went to Salvation Army.  We went to the toy section and found a toy camera.  Mommy said on Amazon it costs $40.00.  But ours cost $1.50.  We wouldn't have gotten a toy camera for $40, at least I don't think so.

I really like it but sometimes the pictures are blurry.  I try to stand really still and look around at the trees and stuff and find something that would be nice and then take my picture.  Mommy says maybe I'll be a photographer when I grow up because I like it so much.

Sometimes Eliana cries because she wants the camera.  That is very irritating when I'm trying to take a nice picture.

Here are some pictures that I took.

I hope you will enjoy my pictures very much and like this blog post.  I think now it is time for me to go and play.

~Casper

Tell Me, What Do You Do?

What do you do when the day was too much?  When you are too tired and your list is too long?  What do you do when the children are whiny?  When the bigs won't help and the littles won't play?  What do you do on that kind of day?

Me? I call an impromptu picnic out in the front yard!  Spread out the blanket and break out the chairs!  Grab the burritos from the oven and head out the door! 

And hope that somewhere between the eating and laughing at the dog and cats and watching the chickens scratch the stress will melt away. And then try again tomorrow. Every day can't be sunshine and roses, right?

Tell me, what do you do when you've had a "bad day"?

Because We Want To Remember... (with way too many pictures!)

Keith and his five brothers were raised on a farm in Lancaster County.  It is a lovely place and holds so many memories for the Martin family!  The plans are to sell the farm by auction next month.

On Saturday we were all together, knowing that the times for having family days at the "home place" are numbered. These are pictures from our day.  

The first several pictures we are all looking through some things that Mother wanted us to go through and take whatever we wanted. 

Curtis' "rock collection"...

An old skillet anyone?

Isn't this trunk amazing!?



Jasmine enjoys her watermelon!

We had a soft ice cream machine for the day.



Dodge ball!

The men visiting...

I had to include this one, as I walked up Casper told his cousin,
"She is going to take pictures of us for her blog!"

The oldest grandchild (now married) reading to her little cousins.

Grandma and Gabrielle.

The ladies visiting...

this day is a gift


you will never have this day with your children again.

 

tomorrow, they'll be a little older than they were today.

 

 

this day is a gift,

 

breathe and notice;

smell and touch them

study their faces, and little feet

and pay attention.

relish the charms of the present.

enjoy today, mama.

it will be over before you know it.

-jen hatmaker

 

 

Puppy Love

 

Puppy love has smitten the Martin household.  This cute little fellow joined the crew on Wednesday.

We all think he is pretty handsome and a very fun little play mate!

He really tried to get "Goata" riled up, but she refused to take him seriously much to his disgust and our amusement!

So what do you think of the newest crew member? I'm sure you will be hearing more about him over time.  We are house training right now.  And trying to get Eliana to like him:)  The boys and Annika love him!  We still aren't settled on a name.  He came to us as Dodger.  We may keep it, but the family is divided on the issue currently, so we shall see...  What do you think?  Any suggestions?

Just Another Good Reason We Don't Have A Television

We don't own a television.  There are a number of reasons we have chosen this for our family.  But one of the more fun reasons is that children are actually quite good at entertaining themselves.

Such as when they discover that individual size chip bags turned inside out are really slippery and fit perfectly on little feet!

Notice Annika's feet in the background:)

Eliana didn't bother turning hers inside out.

Can you slip on your hands too?  You can!!

Another favorite activity is writing on the blackboard wall!

Fun! Fun! Fun!

Turning chip bags.  The inside is definitely more slippery!

They amused themselves for quite a while on a rainy Saturday afternoon by running up the hall and sliding across the living room.  Another bonus?  Their mother laughed most of the time they were sliding!