The Martinez Family

Been a While...

2008-11-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I haven't posted in a while but you know how busy life is with 2 little ones. Just sharing some recent family pics. Hope you enjoy!

Mountain Vacation to Kick off Fall!

2008-09-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

We headed out to Ruidoso for a couple of days to catch up on some long awaited family time. Lily drove her 1st go-cart, rode her 1st pony, and had her 1st bumper boat experience! My parents came along with us and we all had a great time. I'm already missing the mountains!

4 Weeks Old and Growing Like a Weed!

2008-07-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

My precious son is 4 weeks old today and fitting into his 0-3 month old clothes. Lily didn't do that until she was 3 months old! He is changing everyday and this morning he looked as though he gained a couple of pounds in his sleep! Wanted to share some pics for our loved ones far away!

Our New Addition...the first few days...

2008-07-19T08:02:00.000-07:00

Life has been quite busy as you can imagine. Just wanted to share some pics of our first weeks at home. Enjoy!

Elan Jay Martinez

2008-07-02T20:13:00.000-07:00

July 2, 2008
12:26 pm
6 pounds 13 ounces
20 inches

DADDY: Helpful and proud
BIG SISTER: Already willing to share lipgloss and drinks
MOMMY AND BABY BOY: Completely in love!!!

(posted by giddy "Aunt Amy." Family set to arrive home Saturday. Love to all!)

Countdown to Elan's Arrival...

2008-06-27T19:16:00.001-07:00

Well, we have exactly 4 days left until baby boy Martinez will enter the world! We are busy cleaning, resting, last minute shopping, and last minute blogging since it will probably be a while until the next post. Family will be arriving the night before the birth so we are very excited and the anticipation is killing me not to mention my back and legs and well....every other part of my body! Just wanted to post some pics of the last few days as we are cherishing our family of 3 before it becomes 4!

Father's Day and Then Some...

2008-06-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

Well, we are now in the countdown to baby! 14 more days! Just wanted to post some pics of Father's Day and the weekend the Thoennes family came down. Jay and Ben took the kids to the football game while I stayed home with Amy and watched her put together our new patio furniture. She also cleaned my house because that's what friends like her do for her big 'ol pregnant friend! This household was in a emotional whirlwind and the Thoennes family drove down here in the spur of the moment to care for us so THANK YOU our friends.....how we get along without you I'll never know.

Our Own Kick-off to Summer

2008-05-27T07:48:00.001-07:00

There was really no weekend as Jay worked on Saturday and then on Monday but we did take full advantage of Sunday! Jay and Lily tried to find a pool in our area to go to as I stayed home and took a nap. But as Lubbock wind would have it venturing to a pool did not work out. So we made our trek to the store to load up on water guns, slip-n-slide, bubbles, a giraffe pool, etc. I, of course, was the photographer as there is no slip and sliding for an 8 month pregnant momma! I loved watching Lily beg "more daddy this is so much fun can you do it again?" How could you resist! So here's some pics of our Sunday afternoon backyard water extravaganza!

Room Ready for Elan's Arrival

2008-05-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

Here's some pics of the finished nursery for those of you who are far away. 6 more weeks to go.....cannot wait for Elan to arrive!

Just Some Fun Pics of Mi Vida Loca!

2008-05-07T07:42:00.000-07:00

Not much going on around here. Just trying to finish up preparing for Elan's arrival the first of July! We just got back from Amarillo helping the Thoennes family move into their new house! It was a whirlwind and I wish time would slow down when we are with them. They have a great house with a lot of space for the kids to run and play and boy did they! Lily and Sy did not take naps and were up until midnight still playing and not wanting to leave each other. It breaks my heart to separate them because they truly love being together and seem to have their very own special relationship and language! I do not have pics of the weekend (what's wrong with me :(
These pics are from Lily's date with her daddy at the arena football game and there's one of Lily's new creative art.....putting stickers on herself and us while we watched a movie.

7 Weird Things About Me...

2008-04-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I was tagged by my friend, Karli, to do this and most of you know I usually don't participate in this sort of thing. I can't think of "weird things" about myself because I assume I am pretty normal and boring. Most people especially my husband would probably disagree...but, to me I think, "doesn't everybody do that?"

1. I cannot drink water at home out of a glass. It has to be a plastic cup! Don't know why but it tastes different. We only have 4 plastic "glasses" that are adult size so you will find me drinking out of Lily's cups most of the time. Because they're so small I make a lot of trips to the fridge.

2. This goes right along with #1 but I use several different cups a day. If a couple of hours has gone by I don't reuse the same cup. I HAVE to get a new one. Example: The glass I drink out of at dinner I cannot use the rest of the night, same goes for lunch it has to be a different cup for the afternoon...I guess this might be weird?

3. I cannot wait for the washing machine to finish. I stand in my laundry room and dance with anticipation for it to stop so I can put the clothes in the dryer. Confession: Sometimes I manually turn the dial just before it is almost done so I can get them out. I might have a fear that my clothes are drowning and cannot breathe!

4. I go days without checking the mail. I love to let it collect so there is a huge pile for me when I finally do check it. It is like Christmas. I even like to open the bills because they are always less than what I budgeted. Don't worry the bills are paid on time (I don't wait THAT long). This does drive Jason crazy. I usually have to stop myself from going to the mail box if it has only been a couple of days. That just isn't enough time!

5. I love to sit in a HOT car. A friend of mine that I used to work with loved this too. We would go on our lunch break together and after eating we would just sit in the car, windows rolled up, and absorb the heat. I am always cold so it always felt good. But I still do it and sometimes I fall asleep. Jason knows if we get home and he takes Lily in to lay her down and I am no where to be found...I am taking a nap in the hot car!

6. I hate the process of "getting ready", hair done, make-up on, etc. I even plan my week around the days I am going to have to do the whole process. I brush my teeth and get dressed everyday (well, almost everyday:) But I pre-decide which days I actually do the entire process. I will save particular errands for those days. Yes they do fall on particular days like Monday is a whole make-up, hair, dressed up day. I really don't think that is weird?!

7. I love the smell of asphalt. I wish I could bottle it. If I see a new parking lot being laid I get so excited and will roll down the window and breathe it in. I love hot asphalt in the summer. It reminds me of summer family vacations at Six Fl ags when I was young.

Well, that's it....don't think those are weird but I will leave it up to you all to judge.....

Family of Artists.....

2008-03-18T21:50:00.000-07:00

Well, Jay and I are 2 days away from celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary and I just recently discovered my husband is quite the artist! I had some old canvases that I was letting Lily paint on for fun one day and he started playing around with the paint and the result......a few weeks later my house is filled with bottles and bottles of every color, canvases everywhere, and brushes in every nook of the house! And not just Jason but Lily and myself have been carried away by this sudden tidal wave of creativity. We are all painting as a family almost every night after dinner. I love the little surprises of life. We are having so much fun discovering new things about each other!

My Darling...

2008-03-04T14:44:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share some sweet pics of our little jewel!

News!

2008-02-20T15:11:00.000-08:00

Well, for the very small few of you who have not been called or texted by my husband........we are having a BOY! Yes, the new addition will come in July wrapped in blue. We are so excited and don't know exactly what to do with ourselves. Let the name searching begin!

ATTENTION: You Must Read This Book!

2008-01-29T10:08:00.000-08:00

This book is not a great read.......it is an EXPERIENCE. 'The Shack' you can get it at Barnes and Noble or go to theshackbook.com

Praise Jesus for Vacations!

2008-01-19T17:01:00.000-08:00

We headed out to Ruidoso, NM for a 3 day family vacation and boy did we vacation! You know you had a good time when you come home more exhausted than when you left. We did lots of shopping, eating great food (there's something about the mountains and cold temperatures that make my appetite grow, not to mention that baby in my tummy), and sledding. Lily loves the snow and she loved sledding in it once she got used to it. She cried the first several minutes until she finally exclaimed, "I'm a big girl I want to go down the big mountain." Jason and Lily had a blast while I took pictures probably bothering all the people standing around because I wanted to get every shot of her to document the day. Yes, I am THAT mom! I never imagined you could get so much pleasure from watching the people you love have such fun. It was a great 3 days and we are glad to have gone and glad to be home. Now what awaits me? Laundry, unpacking, and giving Lily a serious BATH!

Complaining and the Following Rebuke.....

2008-01-07T08:41:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm a little over 3 months into my pregnancy and have been severly dreading the next 6 months. Exactly one week ago I found myself complaining to my best friend why can't I be one of those women who relishes being pregnant. You know those women (some friends of mine) who feel wonderful when they are pregnant, they actually glow. Well, I certainly don't glow....it takes an act of congress for me to get out of my bathrobe, brush my teeth, and do anything for the day. And when I say anything, I mean anything that requires me to get up off the couch and be gone longer then it takes to visit the bathroom. Not to mention the crazy hormones that find me crying one minute and wanting to throw things through the window the next. I haven't been outwardly complaining until my friend came to town. See, she's my safe place, the friend that you don't hold back from, the one who knows you and your true feelings and pulls them out of you even when you've denied them and even tricked yourself into believing you don't feel that way. She's the friend I can't hide from. Then last night we went to dinner at another friend's house. We talked about their past and how they had lost a baby. It wasn't some drawn out or profound conversation but simple and honest. I didn't even think much about it until I was lying in bed last night and HE started reminding me that HE put life in me. Boy, did I need a perspective change. I have been so ungrateful. I know it's okay that I truly don't feel well. But, I don't want to dread the next few months. This time is a gift and I have not been making the most of what God has blessed us with. There is a new little life in me. Growing, developing, changing every miunte in me......God is doing a miracle in my body. His hands in me forming every detail. I love it. So the next 6 months? More uncomfortableness, less and less sleep, and the miracle of God working in my womb forming this precious life that I am so grateful to get to experience not once but twice so far in my lifetime. Life is a gift!

Cramming All My Blog Posts Into One!

2007-12-18T14:30:00.000-08:00

We have had quite an eventful month! Lily's birthday, Thanksgiving at my house with my entire family, Christmas program, not to mention the shopping and decorating, and on top of it all.......our little one taking up residence in my body. We are blessed and just wanted to share some pics of our crazy little life! Enjoy...and have a wonderful Christmas!

Growing Into Our New House

2007-11-24T12:24:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have not heard yet, we are expecting a new addition to our family next July. Lily is finally going to be a big sister and she is very excited. Just a few moments ago we were watching a movie and a baby was in it and she said, "hey that's MY baby sister!" It is very entertaining to hear all the cute things she says especially considering she's the one who knew I was pregnant. Two weeks ago we were at Target and she told me that I had a baby in my tummy. I kind of brushed it off thinking I was just having a "fat" day but she insisted about the baby. So, I followed her instincts (her spirit hearing from God) and she was right! Now we can start filling the new house with our expanding family. I think we are still in shock having barely lived here for 6 weeks and all we can say is God is faithful. We haven't been very faithful but it's not up to us it is all about who HE is. God is good and HIS LOVE is ever so extravagant!

Birthday Week Is Over!

2007-11-04T15:21:00.000-08:00

Well, as most of you know "birthday week" begins with Amy and ends with me. We are exactly 7 days apart so we have a perfect week of celebrating that has come to an end as of today! We spent Friday and Saturday in Amarillo and all I can say is it was way too short. We have a lot of loved ones and not a lot of time. We had my birthday dinner with my most beloved friends and it was a night you do your best to savor yet it slips away too quickly. I cannot do the night any justice by describing it in words so I will just say that if my friends party on earth like it is in Heaven then come Lord Jesus quickly! I have been extravagantly loved by Him and my friends and family are such a great picture of His LOVE! So, thank you my dear ones for receiving the fullness of His love because you sure know how to pour it out.......

Treasured Days.....

2007-10-30T07:02:00.000-07:00

Well, the weekend we have been looking forward to has come and gone. Amy's birthday was Friday and we all had fun-filled days with our families. Friday afternoon we snacked on cheese and crackers and sandwiches trying to prepare our tummies for burgers, fries, and cherry pies later that night. The Harris family went to eat with us to celebrate Amy and then back to our house to hang out and let all the kids play. Saturday morning I kept the kids while Ben took the birthday girl to breakfast and then later, Amy and I went to lunch. We discovered a great little treasure by way of an Amarillo friend, called Manna! Actually, it's Manna Bread and Wine. We had a fabulous time laughing, talking, and enjoying Heavenly food. I treasure my time with my beloved best friend and that was an experience for the books! Saturday night was Amy's actual birthday dinner as Ben (super-husband) had ordered lobster from Maine! An actual live lobster that had arrived on my doorstep the day before. Ben had taken care of that lobster doing his best to keep him alive right until it was time to eat and we all said goodbye! It was quite an experience. The title of this blog sums up this weekend and my favorite part of the entire 3 days? Sunday morning breakfast with my "family" in our pajamas just living life together (documented with the pics).
The Martinez family is beyond blessed to have the Thoennes family be such a huge part of our lives. So, to my friend who is closer than a sister....I love you and know that you are known and treasured from Lubbock, Tx!

Finally, A Real Blog Post!

2007-10-23T10:54:00.000-07:00

OK! As you well know life has been turned upside down for us so in lieu of that blogging has taken a back seat. Well, life has somewhat returned to a glimpse of what it used to be.....I finally found my camera, charged the batteries, downloaded the pics, and am so excited to show you some of our new house! So enjoy.......and I will blog more in a couple of days. Some of these pics are of the whole process from moving out of our house in Amarillo and then our new one in Lubbock. I wanted you all to feel included in our crazy chaos! Love to all..........

LIFE IN LUBBOCK

2007-10-09T07:11:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a while since my last post due to my computer being in storage and my living situation. The back and forth from Amarillo to Lubbock has ended as we have finally moved into our house and life may soon contain some consistency! We are working on unpacking and realizing it may take weeks or months for our new place to feel like home but we are enjoying it nonetheless. Our new house is a dream come true and am continually taken aback at the lavishness of God. This morning was mine and Lily's first to wake up with no one else in the house even Jay as he left for work super early. I still find myself asking, "do I really live here?". Feels a bit like we are house sitting for a family who will soon return from their vacation. Well, there you have it for now. Please pray for our family as we continue to adjust to our new life! I will send pics of the house when I find my camera ( somewhere in one of these boxes :).......Love to all!

What Are You Gonna Do With a God Like This?

2007-08-14T14:47:00.000-07:00

All of you know what God is doing in our lives right now. What some of you may not know is HOW HE is doing it all. I cannot tell you all the things that have transpired in the last 2 weeks but I do want to share how faithful and gracious and good our heavenly Father is. Knowing and feeling the hand of Abba on our situation is an unexplainable experience. Here are some fun details about what God has done:
1. He spoke very plainly when He asked us to move to Lubbock ( in other words I did not have to see "GO TO LUBBOCK" spelled out in lightning bolts in the sky!
2. He prepared the hearts of our family and our friends to receive the news and even speaking to them about it personally.
3. He sold our house in 3 days ( with our asking price and actually we were offered over our asking price) and the blessings of smooth transactions is still in progress. Thank you JESUS!
4. He has poured out double portions of His grace on Lily and I as Jason is living in Lubbock and coming home one day a week.
5. He has given me the 2 greatest sets of parents. Bill and Nancy and my parents, Rex and Barbara, have babysit Lily, vacuumed my house, dusted furniture, cleaned bathtubs, and touched up paint, AND hooked the computer back up after the new carpet was laid! Thank you, Lord for blessing me with your beloveds who have laid down their lives for me and my family!
6. He has given Jason a great staff in Lubbock who are excited to get the store on track.
7. He has spoken to me that He has prepared a place for us and we are prayerfully looking at houses.

God is so good, not because we are deserving , because we are loved! So, here we go off to Lubbock forging ahead in HIS kingdom to do HIS work. We are so loved by Him and thank Him for leading us as we obey by His grace. Not by might, not by power, but by MY SPIRT says the LORD!

THE 4TH!

2007-07-10T08:15:00.001-07:00

July 4th is a BIG holiday for us. It is our Christmas in July! I cannot tell you how it became such a big deal maybe growing up in Canyon where it is an all day event. There's the pancake breakfast in the morning followed by a parade and of course the fair on the square complete with corn dogs and funnelcakes. Tradition follows us every year as we celebrate with our other family, the Hairs (Amy's parents). We have a cookout at their home in Canyon and then journey to Conner Park to enjoy fireworks. Every time is a thrill as it seems to be coming sooner and sooner each year. I love stirring the anticipation in Lily as it approaches, telling her about the fireworks, parade, and homemade ice cream! This year was no exception to all the fun, I just cannot believe it has come and gone......

Summer Fun

2007-07-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

We haven't been to the pool much this year but we did cram in several pool days in the week my sister's in-laws were out of town. They have a huge yard with trampoline and pool and lots of running room. Lily's cousin, Loni, taught her to hold her breath and go under water. To my suprise, she did it and kept doing it! She also loved going down the slide and got such a thrill that it led to my going home and "seriously" talking to Jason that we must have a pool!

One of Those Days........

2007-06-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

You know the days when everything seems to go just right? It is a beautiful day, the house is clean, you feel organized and prepared whatever might come your way. Jason has been out of town and doesn't return until tomorrow night and somehow we have made it thru the week minus any major catastrophe. God has been teaching me about His grace and I must say that when I learn to be obedient and heed His words, I find LIFE! Days like this seem to be few and far between but is it possible that I am now learning to truly flow with Him? Not that every day I will wake up to a clean and organized house and a two year old who is so pleasant to be with all day but that in the midst of those others days and today I may be full of His peace and presence. To joyfully cooperate with the Holy Spirit? This week (by anyone standards) may have been a difficult one, playing mommmy and daddy roles. But, this is my testimony......that His grace is more than enough and His peace despite what is going on around you truly does carry you through. God is relentless with His goodness towards me, this is what I have found to be true.........

Biting Off More Than I Can Chew!

2007-06-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I have done it again. Thinking I can do it all and then in the midst crying out to God, "why did I start this?" I am mainly speaking about home improvement projects, all of the sudden thinking our home needs some serious changes. Then, in the midst of all the chaos realizing (by way of the Holy Spirit) maybe I'm the one that needs the changes and I am just taking it out on my house! Could this be the truth? I am in the cycle of needing to accomplish. Am I alone out here? Feeling like the Lord has shown and given me so much, I'm feeling stuck. Like He has spoken really wonderful things and I got so excited when we were on the lauching pad but now that we are in "orbit" going around in circles, I'm thinking, "let's go back where everything is fresh and exciting!

This is where submitting comes in handy, to let Him complete the work in me that He has begun......oh, the edurance........GRACE, GRACE, and more GRACE. Thank Him for His wonderful and sufficient grace. Flowing in His grace and not against it. Did someone just turn on the light? To let myself go and flow in the current of His spirit. All is accomplished (even home improvements) by the Spirit of the Lord. Anyway, He is the ultimate designer/decorator.......have you taken a look at the earth lately?

2007-06-14T13:20:00.001-07:00

Refreshing Rain

2007-06-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

Well, let me start off by saying that the Lord is so faithful and knows what I need before I do. I have not been spending time in His presence lately. Just busy, preoccupied, and most of all lazy. I just didn't feel like putting the time in. I felt I didn't not have time to sit and be still and receive. Being impatient, my cry to God was "I don't have time to dwell can You just give me a quick shot." But then today came and my dear friend and I were on the phone gabbing away as usual and she said "let's go spend time with the Lord instead of talking about it." GREAT IDEA(inspired by HIM of course). So I grabbed my Bible and retreated to my patio before naptime was over. Immediately it began to sprinkle and then came a soft rain. REFRESHMENT! The Lord set the whole thing up. I think HE was waiting with anticipation all day for that very moment. He began to talk about how He loves to LAVISH on me. He has been waiting to refresh me and breathe Life into me and He needed me to settle down, be still and receive. He is not obsessed with the last few days and weeks. He is obsessed with LIFE - and HIS PRESENCE brings life! HE is the LIVING WATER. Come and drink! Take HIM in! He desires to breathe life into your spirit. HE is BEAUTIFUL...............

The Way to Spend Sunday Afternoon

2007-06-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

After church, we made our way to Jeff and Saundra's Lake Tanglewood retreat to have lunch and lots of fun. Sy & Lily enjoyed the watermelon as you can see and then we headed down to the water for some fishing and lots of laughs. The kids loved touching the fish and Lily tried to kiss a few of them. She really has no inhibitions........much like her Daddy. I am still wondering what traits of mine she has! There was lots of adventure that day including Lily's shoes getting lost in the lake. Have no fear, Daddy to the rescue. I had a blast watching Jason(waist deep in the water) trying to feel around for those shoes. Almost ready to give up(after 20 minutes) he finds them right under the ladder he used to climb down into the water. Oh the relief that I wouldn't have to go trekking thru the mall for replacement sandals!! Now that's the way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

2007-06-09T17:57:00.000-07:00

Lake Days!

2007-06-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

Well, Jason got me to do it.........Go camping! I am not much of a wilderness girl (my idea of "roughing it" being the Holiday Inn. Nevertheless, here we are at the lake. Some of these pics are Jason's birthday when the Thoennes family was with us. That day on our way out we stopped to use the restrooms and discovered our flat tire. Thank the Lord that Ben was with us and helped J change that tire! We arrived home safe to hot showers and good nights rest. The other pics are of Memorial weekend when we ventured out to sleep in a tent and commune with all sorts of insects. We did have a lot of fun watching Lily play in the dirt and the lake without the consequences of a bath at night. Jason did all the cooking (he is quite the chef) and me?....well, I laid around on the lawn chair enjoying watching my daughter get filthy right after every time I cleaned her up.

2007-06-09T17:32:00.000-07:00

2007-06-09T16:46:00.001-07:00

My 1st Blog!

2007-06-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

I got this idea from my best friend and decided to try it out. I really have no idea what I am doing so bare with me as I try and figure it out! We have had a crazy last few months as we have entered the "terrible twos" as I have heard others say. Lily just turned 2 and a half and we are really experiencing her personality. She has the fire for life to match her fiery red hair. She is so busy and always looking to the next thing even before she finishes the present thing(a trait she definitely got from her Daddy). She is praying every night, asking Jesus to help her to pee-pee in the potty and not her panties. Potty training went really well but we still have the occasional accident(like today at the mall in the middle of center court). Not a little drip but a full on puddle right out in the middle of the mall on a Saturday afternoon!

Life continues almost as if it was the next episode of some sit-com.......please stay tuned.