Photo Story

Last week we made a quick trip to Nashville to visit with Chad's Grandmother (Gigi). We were very worried about her health however her strong spirit seems to be shining through even in the toughest times. Please keep Gigi's health in your prayers.
Traveling with Summer means you have to take a long breaks when you stop. So what better place to eat lunch than Cracker Barrel. Summer was enjoying the fresh air in a children's rocking chair on the front porch with Gramma.

Gramma made the best investment by buying Summer a baby doll with stroller at Cracker Barrel. We named the baby, Gigi, for obvious reasons and Summer pushed her around the nursing home. She made friends with ALL of the residents. I don't know who enjoyed it more, Summer, the residents or me watching her with pride!Gigi moved to an assisted part of the campus and therefore we were honored to receive some of the items out of her condo. One being this artwork (set of 3). I knew just the place for it to go. The wall above our couch has been bare and it needed just the right piece that wouldn't clash with the other items in the room.However, I thought I could make the artwork a little more modern by painting the frame. Plus, I love a craft project! I gave Summer her very own paint brush and container full of imaginary paint (water) so that she could stay busy and not want my brush. It actually worked! She was having a good time painting her dolls until she got distracted by that toy in the bottom of the bin...She was screaming but since I saw she wasn't in immediate danger I had to run and get the camera first. In case you can't tell, her feet are off the ground and she is stuck on the edge of the bin.

Once this drama was over we finally finished our project.

The final reveal...I am thrilled. Not only does it remind us of Gigi each time we see them but they really look good in our living room.

By the way, Summer is now eating with a fork!AND...if she climbs up onto my desk one more time and bangs on my laptop she just might get a spanking!Seriously folks, she is at war with me this week. I can't tell you how many times she climbed up in this chair even with me standing there telling her not to. I.WILL.WIN! Unfortunately, she got her mother's same determination.

Raising a Super Star

Our Martin Family has been out of the loop for the past week or so but we are back and you will hear more from us in the coming days.
In the meantime, I created this movie of Summer playing. So often she doesn't let her glowing personality shine when she is meeting people for the first time or trying to talk to family and friends on the phone. So here is a glimpse of what she is like when it is just Mommy and Daddy around.

Cousins

We got to meet our newest cousin yesterday, Baby Rae! She was absolutely beautiful and so precious. I forgot how quiet infants are. Congratulations to first time parents, Jimmy and Lauren! We met in this awesome park in Brevard and the kids got to play around.Summer got to play with her other cousins for the first time, Livy and Morgan. Morgan is only 3 months older than Summer so they were practically the same size. They hugged when they first met!

Summer now understands that I am taking a picture and that I want her to smile. Whether she actually smiles or not is still up to her discretion.

Here are some other things that Summer has recently started to do:

• pull her own diapers out of the drawer under her crib (call me silly but I didn't even think she knew where they were?!)
• go to her room and lay on her changing pad when she has a dirty diaper (she HAS pooped on the potty twice already...when I noticed it was about to come out during bathtime...oops, I feel my Dad reading this saying "Jaaaan, you didn't have to go into that much detail")
• pretend to squirt the lotion bottle on my legs and rub them (I can't wait until she can give me a pedicure!)
• Hug Sampson (all the time). She even hugged a child manequin today in the store-too cute!
• She pulls at the rug in her room to straighten it (because I do this all the time-I don't know why it moves so much!).
• I say the name of objects all the time and she responds with "Bah." She is trying but it gets lost in translation.
• She can carry Lucy's dog bowl of food from the laundry room all the way to the back porch and set it down without spilling any!

With Daddy away this week Sampson has been the man of the house. I wonder how he is doing with all of these girls around...uh oh, that picture wasn't supposed to slip out...there goes his manhood!

Josh Wilson - Before The Morning (Slideshow With Lyrics)

NOTE:Turns out this link will ask you to watch it on YouTube. You might have to disable your pop up blocker for YouTube to open. Let me know if you have problems viewing.

I had a different post I was going to publish but I feel that God wants to use me to share this song with you. The first time I heard it I tried to google the lyrics but got them wrong and ended up with a computer virus. This afternoon I heard it on the radio and wrote down the artist and song, Josh Wilson "Before the Morning." I encourage you to find a christian radio station and listen to it. I love music and a positive song can lift my spirits right out of a pitiful mood.

I struggle with seeing the big picture and the realization that the current challenges that feel so heavy will go away and leave me so much stronger for having endured them. I know that probably every.single.person reading this right now has something heavy on their heart today. And I hope the words of this song will be an encouragment to you; "Cause the pain that you've been feeling, it can't compare to the joy that's coming!"

Galations 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Weekend Review

Summer with her Grammy & Papa (very close to nap time)."Why can't I ride like this?" says Martin...Yes there is a bow in Summer's hair. I am going to try and sneak them back in and see if she won't rip them (and a chunk of hair) out.Summer is sad as she tells her Papa and Grammy bye byeMan and his new best friend!
Dad and Sandie came to visit this weekend and we had a great time together. Summer absolutely loved spending time with them and didn't ONCE ask for mama or dada...I kinda liked it!

School Days

Although Summer doesn't go to school she still LOVES to carry her backpack around.
She loves to sit in her big girl chair.
Here she is telling me something important.
Before too long she will actually be able to open this door.
As cute as she is...we are not immune to a meltdown.

I'm Back

Hi! My name is Jana and I am addicted to technology. I almost died when my computer was out of commission for a week. My blackberry was my saving grace!
This is Summer's new smile!Without documenting my events on this blog I simply cannot remember anything...so here goes my attempt at recapping what we have been up to since we last spoke (or I last typed, whatever).
GIRL'S NIGHT
I got together with my right hand girls and we had a spend the night party! Leslie, Nicole, Stella and I caught up on life over a few skinny girl margaritas, Nicole's de-licious okra stew with grilled piminto cheese & bacon sandwich, brownies and cake! YUM

Happy Birthday Chad! Yesterday was Chad's birthday and we had a very relaxing weekend in Hayesville and spent a lot of time with Grandad. As of this weekend, Summer has become extremely affectionate. She will give hugs and kisses freely; human, dog or plastic doll. Summer's love was the highlight of daddy's birthday. (Don't all 34 year olds celebrate with an Elmo Birthday hat?)
Happy Birthday Kiersten! Chad and his sister have birthdays 2 days apart (just like me and Bud). We celebrated with her at a wonderful dinner followed by singing and dessert!

Sampson is undergoing acupuncture for his seizures now as it seems that the medicine alone isn't solving the problem. If you look close, in this photo you will see some needles in his back. We were told he had over 20 in his head at one point. The drugs have been causing him to seem drunk and therefore not be able to walk without assistance. Trust me, you don't want a 150 lb Great Dane that can't walk on his own. Therefore, we have started this alternative treatment. He is a great candidate for accupuncture as he is a very chill dog and will allow you to do just about anything to him (I cleaned the plaque off his teeth last night with tweezers).

Lucy has had her own set of issues which isn't typical for her. She first had worms (eye roll, big sigh) and I didn't realize they were worms at first, looked like rice, and I picked them off her hair with my hand (face squench-gross). Then she got fleas. BOTH of these parasites we treat for on a regular basis with high quality drugs so I don't know why she got them but she seems to be free and clear now.

Summer, Summer, Summer...she is becoming the most friendly, expressive little girl!Just yesterday we were in Walmart and she couldn't stop talking. I had a lady come up to me and tell me how friendly she was and that Summer had waived to her everytime we passed in the aisle. She will break into laughter anytime Chad and I laugh. And after she says something I will start laughing and then she thinks she is so funny and laughs too! She hugs Sampson all the time and then grabs his collar and tries to get him to move...good luck on that one.
She is eating great and has taken to, garbanzo beans, bell peppers, cucumbers and raisins.
She still naps twice a day for 2 hours each. Chad blacked out her windows and it has made a world of difference in how quick she falls asleep.
She is still wearing size 12 months clothes so I guess she is still petite.

Now for my update: I have finally reached my goal of losing 20 lbs! I was 2 pounds away for about a month but I was able to kick them loose. I have mentioned it before but in the past 4 months I have developed a passion for running. I truly enjoy the feeling, the sweating and the results. I have set my sights on a new goal which is to run the Charleston 1/2 marathon on January 15th. I will be running with a friend, Nicole Hendrick and her sister, who ran one in the spring. Surprisingly, a lot of the girls I have met in Asheville via church and Junior League are runners and I am planning on training with them. A group from church are running a 1/2 in December and I will hop on their training program that begins after Labor Day.
http://riverfrontracefestival.com/

Check back in a week

Hey Friends,
My computer is sick. I am taking it to the doctor and hopefully it will come back better than ever!
I'll talk to you next week.
Jana