Merry Christmas!

 

Our hearts are filled with gratitude at this time of year as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  We also feel TONS of love for YOU! - our family and friends, near and far, who continually fill our thoughts and bring fond memories, still touching our lives daily.  We hope our greetings find you happy and well.  Here’s a little update:

Cami (5 in January) – Does cartwheels, handstands, and pullovers in an advanced gymnastics class now; Rides her bike without training wheels 3.7 miles around a lake!  Began soccer and basketball.

Kyle (7) – 1^st Grade;  Loves to build and fix things like his Dad.  Even rescued a very sad child in school with a broken lunchbox;  Plays soccer, basketball, baseball, Legos, Geotrax, and loves gardening.  He watched the garden grow all summer, and continues his dream to be a farmer someday.  (Cami has to be with him, too, she says, so she’s going to have a house by him and farm as well.)

Lance (9) - Fastest runner in 3^rd grade!  Plays soccer, baseball, basketball, and kickball. Loves animals, especially dogs and cats, and wants to either be a vet, or work at a pet store someday.  Sets the standard by racing to get his chores done so they can just be done and he can play!  Plays with the leopard gecko that he and Kyle bought together for their birthdays.

Evan (would be 12!) – we believe that he continues to watch over us, and as his birthdays and angel days come and go, we enjoy sharing the sweetness of his memories and continue to long for that day that we will be reunited.  We are so grateful for our Heavenly Father’s plan for us – that we can all be together again someday!

Jace (13) – 8^th Grade;  Ran first 5K, sings bass in choir at school, and also made it for show choir (yay!)  Began his own business with yard care and enjoys spending his money on hobbies, like his lizards, and sports like basketball.  Favorite hobby: Eating.  Is now taller than his mom!  Loves PE but not other classes in school like English and French.

Jenny – Coached her first soccer team this year (Lance’s).  COULD NOT have done it without Assistant Coach Jace (since she’s never played before in her life- first practice he had to correct her that it was going to be a scrimmage not a skirmish), still co-coaching  Cami’s gymnastics class; Plans to do some serious crazy dancing with Jared at that graduation party in June.

Jared -- in 4^th and last year of residency, graduating in June!  Enjoyed a hunting trip to Utah in September;  Is interviewing (with Jenny! much to her delight!).  He isn’t so sure about this serious crazy dancing.

Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!       With Love,   The Martins

Lance's Birthday

Laughing at the singing card.  It sings Happy Birthday to you and after you "blow" the candles out, you hear a crowd cheering.  It was a hit today and every night for Lance's bedtime lullaby.

 What a blast!!  Lance had another pool party.  I love those.  Not a whole lot of planning involved.  Laura Goddard made the cupcakes, and we bought the pinata, so it was a pretty easy party, besides my regular anxieties that never seem to fail.  I learned not to buy pinatas because they break after about 3 hits ;)  Still fun.  Now we're making Kyle's pinata for his party and I'm reminding myself that this is really the best way ;)  Just love this little man and am so grateful for his birth 9 years ago.



The bullfrog Kyle caught for Lance on his birthday at Castlewood

 What I love about Lance:

1. His smile. It is just CHARMING!!! And handsome, of course ;) Watch out in a few years, young ladies!
2. His energy. I want it. He is my get-it-doner. If I want something done, rather than doing it myself, I know I can just ask him to do it. Ha ha! I'm trying not to abuse this fact ;)
3. His curiousity. He loves catching frogs, crawfish, and other creepy-crawlies of the swamp, or at Castlewood ;)
4. His dedication to his work. He works hard in school and does a good job getting the grades he wants.
5. He LOVES reading!!!  I just love this.
6. Jace loves playing catch with him with the football.
7. Cami loves when he lets him come in his room.
8. Kyle loves catching frogs with him. He actually gave him a bullfrog he caught from Castlewood on Lance's birthday. (On his shoulder in photo)
9. Jared loves his energy and smile too. Actually I think he said it first and I just copied him.  AND those are my favorite things about him too! ;) 

Lance's favorites:

1. Ramen Noodles
2. Pizza
3. Orange
4. Capture the Flag
5. Kickball
6. Kicking the Football
7. Legos
8. Pumpkin icecream in the cone
9. Fast music
10. Tom and Jerry movies
11. Watching movies
12. Jumping on the trampoline
13. Pool time in the summer
14. Catching animals and put them in super small cages (Jace added the last part)
15. Phase 10
16. Dogs
17. Fun games on the computer at school

It bugs me when...

1. I have to keep saying things over and over again
2. When I get pulled away from fun things I'm doing to do chores

What he wants to remember about his birthday:  "That it was really fun having the party at the pool cuz I love to swim!!!"

Happy Birthday Lance!!!  Just love ya!

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

3 Flips for you with all my love~!  (I just found out today that I could do that still!)  Thank you for putting me through all those years of gymnastics!

Also, here are a few more notes from all of us.

What I love about Grampa Gilland:

Kyle:  I like that we got to go to his house.  I played the with marble track.

Cami: He's been nice to me.  I liked playing with the marble track, too.

Lance:  Grampa Gilland has been a good Grampa.  He's been nice to me.  He's been a good example to me and my family.  I liked playing with Zoe.  I liked playing with the marble track, too.  I remember going to the hotel with them and I got SOOOOOO stuffed.   And I ate a whole bunch of food!  It was fun going to the hotel with them.

Jace:  What I love most about Grampa Gilland is eating his food and cooking with him. It tastes really good.

Jenny:  What I love most about Dad is the amount of love that he has for me.  What a great feeling!  I'm so grateful to have a father that cares so much for me. 

Jared:  What I love most about Jim is the love he shows for my family, and the efforts he puts forth to help us be healthy.

April Fool's!

OOOOOH Yum!  Cupcakes for Dinner!  Anyone that comes into my kitchen on April Fool's is one brave cookie... or cupcake!  Hehe.   I found this great recipe here and it was actually pretty yummy!  I thought.  The kids (except Jace) ended up really disappointed.  Ha!  I think I had the most fun with this than anyone ;)

So I was pretty proud of myself for being so sneaky and putting on a movie for the kids to keep them occupied when they got home.  While I was spooning meatloaf into cupcakes and shaping it.
  It was hard not to smile really big when unsuspecting Jace came to me about something he was excited about as I walked with him a little more away from the kitchen.
  I had told them all what day it was this morning before they left for school (fair, right?), but I guess they completely forgot.   The photos are pretty much before they tasted it.  I couldn't get the video to upload their reaction.  Oh well, it's kinda sad anyway.  They got the real thing for dessert though, so I'm not all mean!  I think they'll appreciate it more when they look back on it as a pleasant memory.

Jared was a good sport about it, even though today was his first day back to working days, and his sleep clock is way off.  He was too exhausted to eat.... kinda spoiled my fun, but way to go, cheesin' for the photo anyway!

Cami's 4th Birthday Princess Party

Beautiful Princesses

Happy Birthday, Dear Cami!  My friend, Laura, is a professional cake decorator.  She did awesome!  And it's all made from scratch.  Yum!

Just Chillin' (After the party, Kylie went home and while told her mom that her favorite part of the party was when they went in her room and "just chilled".)

Love this one of Cami's good friend, Saydee, looking at her.  Cami loves these girls.

Turning on their glowing tiaras

Winner of the poison apple game!  Look at that wedding dress.

Pin the slipper on Cinderella



Jace's attempt

Ballroom Dancing

Kyle's smile for the ladies

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo!

Kylie explaining to Cami about her gift she picked out for her.



Cami and Kylie in her "party hair".  Her hair is naturally spiral curly beautiful, and her mom, who is a professional hair stylist, straightens it for special occasions, like this ;)

Please be done taking this picture, mom!  We're checking out my presents!

Funny Ilse

It ain't easy bein' a princess.