Merry Christmas from the Martins!
It's the Most Wonderful Time...
12.23.2014
"It's the most wonderful time...
Of the year..."
I was singing as we walked through the parking lot. I saw Annika furtively glancing around to be sure no one was near. And I laughed! My little girl is old enough to be a little embarrassed of her mother. We've all been there, I guess.
Excitement is running high in the Martin household. Today marks the first day of Christmas vacation from school. We are planning Christmas menus and wrapping gifts. (Oh, and waiting to see if Amazon actually pulls through and delivers the final gift tomorrow!) We are hanging candy canes, snowflakes, and salt dough ornaments in the widows.
We were in Target this morning and a couple stopped us to ask what size slippers a 6 year old girl would wear. They were buying gifts for a little girl they read about in the newspaper whose father had been in an accident and she was going to have no gifts. Annika tried on slippers for them and we figured out which ones a little girl might love. It was sweet and heartwarming.
I know there are many people stressed by so many things this time of year. But I see these acts of kindness and I see Jesus. I know that so much of the meaning of Christmas has been lost. But I see the joy of the children as we carry out our own little traditions and I see Jesus. I love the extra time we spend as a family. I love the secrets and the planning as the children buy gifts. (We exchange names and each buy a gift for one person.) It is such a rich, meaningful time of year when you can see Jesus in all of these things!
Tomorrow night we are planning to attend a Christmas Eve service then come home to new pajamas. We will make beds in the living room and all sleep there together. The younger ones fall asleep earlier than the rest and we visit with the older ones in the dark (And yes, I do normally end up in my bed at some point during the night...). It is one of our most cherished traditions, one that the children look forward to all year.
What are your favorite Christmas traditions?
P.S. Speaking of embarrassing, don't you pity my children that I take my big camera in to Target and take pictures of them?
Of the year..."
I was singing as we walked through the parking lot. I saw Annika furtively glancing around to be sure no one was near. And I laughed! My little girl is old enough to be a little embarrassed of her mother. We've all been there, I guess.
Excitement is running high in the Martin household. Today marks the first day of Christmas vacation from school. We are planning Christmas menus and wrapping gifts. (Oh, and waiting to see if Amazon actually pulls through and delivers the final gift tomorrow!) We are hanging candy canes, snowflakes, and salt dough ornaments in the widows.
We were in Target this morning and a couple stopped us to ask what size slippers a 6 year old girl would wear. They were buying gifts for a little girl they read about in the newspaper whose father had been in an accident and she was going to have no gifts. Annika tried on slippers for them and we figured out which ones a little girl might love. It was sweet and heartwarming.
I know there are many people stressed by so many things this time of year. But I see these acts of kindness and I see Jesus. I know that so much of the meaning of Christmas has been lost. But I see the joy of the children as we carry out our own little traditions and I see Jesus. I love the extra time we spend as a family. I love the secrets and the planning as the children buy gifts. (We exchange names and each buy a gift for one person.) It is such a rich, meaningful time of year when you can see Jesus in all of these things!
Tomorrow night we are planning to attend a Christmas Eve service then come home to new pajamas. We will make beds in the living room and all sleep there together. The younger ones fall asleep earlier than the rest and we visit with the older ones in the dark (And yes, I do normally end up in my bed at some point during the night...). It is one of our most cherished traditions, one that the children look forward to all year.
What are your favorite Christmas traditions?
P.S. Speaking of embarrassing, don't you pity my children that I take my big camera in to Target and take pictures of them?
Blogging
12.18.2014
Well, I know it may not seem like it if you only follow this blog, but I really have been busy blogging. I've been posting three times a week on the Superkids blog. And I post daily on my photography blog (except when I get behind then play catch up). And now I'm deciding that I'm going to have to have a schedule for this blog if I am going to keep up with it. Let me just say right now that I'm not an organized, stick by the schedule type of person. That's just not me. But I'm going to try because I do so love looking back through the chronicle of our lives. So I'm aiming for twice a week, Tuesday and Thursday, think I'll stick to it?
I truly love this time of the year! The songs, the weather, the baking, the secrets, the traditions... I love it all. Last year I was too sick to enjoy it much, so I'm trying to plan carefully and cut out unnecessary things so that I'm well enough to do the things that are important to me and my family this year.
And speaking of this time of year, on Saturday evening our church is having a Christmas sing-a-long. Local people are welcome to come! Just ask for the address if you are interested!
My Tribe {AKA The Fab Five}
12.05.2014
Last year on my birthday I took individual photos of my crew. It was so fun that I decided to do it again this year. I think it may just become an annual occurrence. Anyway, without further ado here they are:
What Have We Been Up To?
12.02.2014
Thank you for asking.
It's been a bit rough around here. My back kind of went out. Again.
And I've spent a lot of time flat on my back on the sofa. Looking at the ceiling.
But I'm getting better.
And even though Thanksgiving was just another day around here this year we have so much to be thankful for!
We just hired a young lady to help with housework in the mornings. Today was the first day she was here and I'm already seeing that it is going to be a blessing.
And everything else just keeps rolling on from one day to the next.
It's been a bit rough around here. My back kind of went out. Again.
And I've spent a lot of time flat on my back on the sofa. Looking at the ceiling.
But I'm getting better.
And even though Thanksgiving was just another day around here this year we have so much to be thankful for!
We just hired a young lady to help with housework in the mornings. Today was the first day she was here and I'm already seeing that it is going to be a blessing.
And everything else just keeps rolling on from one day to the next.
In Honor of Preemies Everywhere
11.17.2014
Today is World Prematurity Awareness Day. I know, not something that is probaby on your radar. But it is on mine. While this blog is and has largely been focused on adoption, what many may not know is that before we adopted our girls we had two premature baby boys. Thankfully they both survived and thrived and are now ages 12 and 9.
Freeland was our first preemie. Born at 33 weeks he weighed a whopping 5 lbs. 5 oz. He did so well and was only in the NICU for 9 days. Those were 9 hard days and I glad I did not know that exactly three years later we would be back in the same NICU with...
Casper. Our little 27 weeker. He weighed 2 lbs. 11 oz. and was 13 1/2 in. long at birth. He was in the NICU for nine weeks. A week for every day that Freeland was there. Again our little fighter thrived, although he did earn himself the nickname "the king of alarms" in the NICU.
Today those days are distant memories. My boys are just like any other boys. They are healthy, happy, hearty boys. We have no on-going health concerns.
But we will never forget the days when we called in to the NICU when we couldn't be there and stood with pounding heart and a sick feeling in the pit of our stomachs as we waited to speak with the nurse. We will never forget the exhaustion. Or the terror of witnessing a "really bad alarm". We will never forget the panic of getting a phone call from the hospital at midnight.
And we will certainly never forget the nurses and doctors who cared for our boys so carefully and competently when we could not.
Freeland was our first preemie. Born at 33 weeks he weighed a whopping 5 lbs. 5 oz. He did so well and was only in the NICU for 9 days. Those were 9 hard days and I glad I did not know that exactly three years later we would be back in the same NICU with...
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| We stopped by the NICU on the way from recovery to my room to see Freeland |
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| First night home with Freeland |
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| Casper is about a week old here. You can't tell that his little arms were the size of my finger. |
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| Leaving the hospital with Casper |
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| The three boys around the time we began our fist adoption. |
But we will never forget the days when we called in to the NICU when we couldn't be there and stood with pounding heart and a sick feeling in the pit of our stomachs as we waited to speak with the nurse. We will never forget the exhaustion. Or the terror of witnessing a "really bad alarm". We will never forget the panic of getting a phone call from the hospital at midnight.
And we will certainly never forget the nurses and doctors who cared for our boys so carefully and competently when we could not.
A Special Story
11.14.2014
I wrote about her here, just after meeting her. You can see how much I already loved her, how much her story touched my heart from the very first moment of meeting her. We knew that the time to find her a family was short, but we felt confident that someone would see how special she is. We felt confident that her family would find her.
That was a year and a half ago. Many people have heard her story, seen her video, and been touched by her in so many ways. More than one family expressed interest in making her their daughter.
I saw her again in June of this year. Again I was impressed by her grace and maturity. But this time I was a little more concerned. The time for her family to step forward was getting shorter. We all spoke again about how outstanding she is and how we could not allow her to turn 14 without a family.
After we got home, the story took several twists and turns which need not be detailed here. Suffice it to say, we found ourselves with three months until she would no longer be able to be adopted with no family committed to her. We were heartsick and heartbroken!
I called my friend, Kelly, to ask her about the most effective way to advocate and how to expedite the adoption in the event that a family stepped forward. I knew already of Kelly's love for her. I knew she would help me if anyone could.
That ended up being some of the most effective advocacy I've ever done. After thinking and praying about it Kelly and her husband, Eli, decided that she was the perfect fit for their family. They are experienced adoptive parents and have already adopted a teen from China. But more importantly, they found their hearts drawn to her and realized they were ready to do whatever it took to make her their daughter.
When we were in Texas recently our family was able to meet Eli and Kelly and their family in person. And guess what? We loved them as much as we thought we would (which was a lot). We have so many things in common! Our lives are pretty much centered around Jesus, family, and doing what we can for children who need families. Does it get any better than that?
But think with me for a moment about needing to fund an adoption that you weren't really planning for in three short months! Eli and Kelly are willing to sell everything they can and do whatever it takes to get their daughter, whom they are naming Anastasia, home. Here is where we all can help. If you can donate even a small amount it will make a difference. They expect to travel in about three weeks and they still need about $8,000 to be fully funded.
There are a couple of ways you can donate. You can give through PayPal to kellypillar@gmail.com ("send money to family and friends" and write only "Anastasia" in the comments) or send your tax-deductible check to The Well, PO Box 34, Moody, TX 76557.
That was a year and a half ago. Many people have heard her story, seen her video, and been touched by her in so many ways. More than one family expressed interest in making her their daughter.
I saw her again in June of this year. Again I was impressed by her grace and maturity. But this time I was a little more concerned. The time for her family to step forward was getting shorter. We all spoke again about how outstanding she is and how we could not allow her to turn 14 without a family.
After we got home, the story took several twists and turns which need not be detailed here. Suffice it to say, we found ourselves with three months until she would no longer be able to be adopted with no family committed to her. We were heartsick and heartbroken!
I called my friend, Kelly, to ask her about the most effective way to advocate and how to expedite the adoption in the event that a family stepped forward. I knew already of Kelly's love for her. I knew she would help me if anyone could.
That ended up being some of the most effective advocacy I've ever done. After thinking and praying about it Kelly and her husband, Eli, decided that she was the perfect fit for their family. They are experienced adoptive parents and have already adopted a teen from China. But more importantly, they found their hearts drawn to her and realized they were ready to do whatever it took to make her their daughter.
When we were in Texas recently our family was able to meet Eli and Kelly and their family in person. And guess what? We loved them as much as we thought we would (which was a lot). We have so many things in common! Our lives are pretty much centered around Jesus, family, and doing what we can for children who need families. Does it get any better than that?
But think with me for a moment about needing to fund an adoption that you weren't really planning for in three short months! Eli and Kelly are willing to sell everything they can and do whatever it takes to get their daughter, whom they are naming Anastasia, home. Here is where we all can help. If you can donate even a small amount it will make a difference. They expect to travel in about three weeks and they still need about $8,000 to be fully funded.
There are a couple of ways you can donate. You can give through PayPal to kellypillar@gmail.com ("send money to family and friends" and write only "Anastasia" in the comments) or send your tax-deductible check to The Well, PO Box 34, Moody, TX 76557.
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