some of our summer fun!

our new neighbors, Hannah and Elly

 Ayden said he was "Grandpa Scott with the mustache!"

 Our favorite park in Utah, Timpanogos park in the canyon! Sooo prettty

 Grecia and Hannah coloring, they sing "we're best friends" on a daily basis...usually followed by a fight declaring they aren't best friends anymore!

 We curled our hair before Shaylie's bday party!

 Now I know why my mom didn't always get my hair done for a picture! Sometimes the cute moment happens before the hair- do!



Summer Camp

We did a summer camp co-op this year with a few mom's. It was a lot of fun and work! We each did two weeks teaching our choice of whatever subject we wanted, so of course I chose earth science! I'm a little bit of a tree hugger at heart, beyond my addiction to bottled water! So we talked about the earth, how to keep it clean, and things we love about it! We kept it pretty basic. We made the helping hands logo onto t-shirts with each childs hand prints and then painted little rocks and made them into flowers! It was a crazy mess I will probably never repeat indoors with 6 kids again, but I am glad we did it!

And we're back!!!

Ok so I am determined to update this blog! I find it all too easy to take the pics on a digital camera and then say "well I got the pic, I will blog it when I have time" and the time never pops up! I realized I had to make the time myself! I was talking with my sister Kaz and we were relating to the feeling of having a tough time feeling motivated at times, and she made a good point that sometimes, when you know it will help you feel better or would be good for you, you just have to force yourself to start doing it and more often than not you will find that good feeling of motivation kick in! I feel so happy when I blog because it's like a journal and I get to express myself! SO that said....it's a tough night, and blogging is the release I need! We have had a crazy year. I guess my last blog was Ayden's bday in November of 2010! Yikes! A lot has happened since then...I will do my best to update with pics. Ayden is almost 6 and Grecia turned 3 this summer! We are done with diapers...for now! Our best friends and neighbors, the Greenlands, left us to move to the Phillipines. We are so happy for them but miss their company dearly. Whelmar was Lis's best friend here and the one thing the Lord knew she needed at just the right time. She provided so much fun and laughter and SANITY for Lis! We love them and cant wait to hang out again one day! We got to see our family this summer at a family reunion in Colorado! It was the BEST vacation ever. We also got to see Lis's fam in the spring, sadly because Grandpa Chapman passed away, but it was a very close time with the family and we all enjoyed just being together. I'm sure I will remember more big events since my last post as I update! SO here are the pics, enjoy!

Ayden's party event # 2!!!

KNUFFLE BUNNY!!! So Ayden has been reading this book "Knuffle Bunny" since he was about 3, it was a gift from Grandma Tresa, so we were thrilled to find out a theatre in our city was going to be putting on a live production of the book! Joel was able to get the tickets far in advance, so we were in the front row! It was so much fun!!! We decided Grecia wasn't old enough for this type of event, and I think it made Ayden feel even more special being the only one with mom and dad on a "date!"

 The sign right in front of the building! It really got us all excited. The fun thing was we got to walk to the theatre! It was cold, but it was in downtown Provo, only about 4 blocks from where Joel's parents live, and where Grecia stayed!

 Daddy and Ayden and the sign again!

 Ayden with his rarely serious face, and Daddy, 20 minutes before the show started!

 Mommy (a little caught off guard as she quickly took a broken mint out of her mouth for a pic!) and a semi serious pic of Ayden for once! Our little man is so cute!

After the play we were sitting so close to the stage that we quickly asked the people behind us to take a pic while Ayden stood on the stage! :)

Ayden's birthday's (yes, there were 4 events!)

So this year we decided that in working the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University program, as well as the fact that Ayden's birthday falls right after Thanksgiving and before Christmas, we couldn't (or shouldn't) afford to "splurge!" HOWEVER...the boy did NOT suffer! We are blessed with great friends and grandparents!! We held a free party at McDonald's, where we set up a cute table they had there and invited some of Ayden's closest friends: His "brother's and sister" Jacob, Kalel, and Rain and their Mom and Lis's best friend Whelmar, Marcie and her cute kiddos Shaylie, Truman, and Merilee, and Nychole and her cute boy Porter, who apparently avoided my camera! So this was party # 1!!! And Ayden really lucked out, everyone brought him a gift, and Joel and I and even Grecia were each able to give him something too! Like I said, no suffering!! :)

 So clearly you can tell how Grecia felt about the fact that it wasn't her birthday!!!

 The table all set up! Cupcakes, party hats, milk, napkins, and a basket of party favors!

 All 5 candles stuffed into one cupcake!!! At least we didn't need forks, right!? :)

 Ayden tearing into his gifts! The boy wasted no time :) Jacob sitting on the right

 Ayden's new "tools" from Mom and Dad.....

 Bubble bath and blower!

 Ayden's cooler new "tools" from Sister Whelmar and the boys and Rain, (the less cool ones went to Grecia!)

 Mommy's best friend here, Sister Whelmar, Rain-Rain, Jacob, and Kalel!

Nychole (Porter must be hiding somewhere!) and Marcie holding Merilee, Truman, and Shaylie!

The Dream is alive....in the Martinez home at least!

Well Sunday seemed like the perfect afternoon to make Gingerbread cookies! Daddy was on call and unfortunately got a call right when we started, so we made some for him and let him in on the eating action when he got back! I say "the Dream is alive" because when Ayden made his cookie, which was a huge one that only got half eaten, he said "Mom, when I bake him, and then he runs away, then I will catch him, and THEN I will eat him!" Love it...and to make it all the more special, one little guy decided to try and get away, really, right before his little body hardened into the rock that are ginger snaps! Picture of proof...(Love )
ps: I have to add some justifications!! The pan: yes, I know, mom gave it to me, it looks like I need a new one! Its clean, just over used! Poor thing, Im cheap though, so theres that justification!
The Kitchen: yep, it was a hot mess! And I didnt help it by looking a mess in front of the mess that is my fridge! :) Flour in fun spots and hair everywhere! No justification for my looks, :) but I can say right after that my kitchen got a proper and thorough cleaning! Even the poor fridge top and front! :) I'm sure I will have to do it all again tomorrow :) LOVE

Rusty and Rosy School!

Well after much debate, worry, prayer, etc. we found a program we love for Ayden! It's a great state run program called UPSTART, and they use a fun computer program called Rusty and Rosy Learn with me! We love it so far. It's nothing too intense for a pre-school aged child! I have to say I love my sister's for all their good input, advice, and encouragement as I've contemplated schooling at home, or charter school, or what! And a shout out to the best father on this earth! In my biased opinion at least :) Joel would go to the ends of the earth to make sure he looked into, read about, and researched every schooling opportunity out there for Ayden, and he is only of age for Preschool!!! He is a great Father to our two children, they adore him and he them! And I kinda like him too :)
I have to say I strongly agree with the principles a TJED teaches! My sis Jen introduced us to this type of learning, A Thomas Jefferson Education. I was privileged to hear the founder Oliver DeMille speak at a conference held near their college, George Wythe, In St. George when Ayden was just a babe! My sis Jen took Mom and I and we loved it. We love the 4 basics of: home, love, work, play! If you are ever interested in more about this type of an education its very enlightening and can open your home to a whole new idea and way of doing things! Our home, every part can be a learning environment! I am no expert though, I think my sis Jen can be classified as one so write her for further enlightenment! I hope I have only shed good light on this wonderful program, and holla to any moms trying to educate your children! I support all efforts and programs that benefit our children and expand their little minds to the wonders around us! We'll see how we do with Rusty and Rosy as a small part of our education process! My lil' man Ayden is very excited about his own computer set up in his own corner of the living room! I used my Cricket cutter to make a little sign for him that he LOVED! I've put a pic of him by his computer, and a pic of us after we discussed the weather changes outside! He was inspired by his new "blogger mom" so he insisted we take pics of him in the rain and leaves, and then one of me! Yikes....to be fair, rain was in my eyes, I had just finished morning chores, and....I dont know! We had fun though, which means a lot around here! Enjoy :) Love