CAMPING IN THE YARD

ACTUALLY......IT WAS MORE LIKE SLEEPING IN THE TENT IN THE YARD. I DID NOT PARTICIPATE BECAUSE MY SHOULDER WAS STILL VERY PAINFUL AND I NEEDED SOME GOOD SLEEP. BEN AND THE KIDS HAD A GREAT TIME AND EVEN THOUGH THE PICTURES AREN'T DARK IT WAS VERY DARK OUT THERE. DALLIN LOVED THE FLASHLIGHT. THE PICURES SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES ABOUT HOW HARD IT WAS TO GET THE KIDS TO POSE FOR THE PICTURES. I THINK IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS TOO DARK TO SEE ME.

FOR AUNT ANGEL

ANGEL.....THIS IS THE PICTURE YOU ASKED ME TO TAKE THAT ONE DAY WE WERE ON THE PHONE TOGETHER

DALLIN DIDN'T GET THE IDEA

COUSINS AT THE ZOO

I COULDN'T REALLY GET THEM ALL TO LOOK AT THE SAME TIME.....OH WELL

MARKERS=EVIL

I SWEAR DALLIN DID THIS WHILE I WAS OUT OF THE ROOM. I THREW THE MARKER AWAY!

A LUMP OF COAL

Ben and Mia were sitting on the couch earlier and Mia was asking Ben what she was gonna get for Christmas. He replied by saying, "I don't know, maybe a lump of coal.' Mia said, "a lump of coal?" Ben was like "yeah, a lump of coal, you burn it in a fire." Mia paused for a minute and then said, "I don't think I wanta lump of coal." Ben and I just started laughing and then Mia shouted, "dad, don't laugh at me......coal makes fires and I might get burnt.".......it was good for a laugh anyway. Maybe you had to be here.

MIA'S BIRTHDAY

SINCE WE REALLY DIDN'T GET A GOOD PICTURE OF MIA WITH HER CAKE.....WE PUT THE CANDLES BACK INTO THE HALF EATEN ONE AND TOOK A PICTURE.....THE VIDEO IS AT THE END

MIA WITH ALL HER LOOT.....I KNOW, TOO MUCH FOR A 4 YEAR OLD (IT WASN'T ALL FROM US!)

THE PURPLE CAKE MIA REQUESTED

SINCE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY HARD FOR MIA TO WAIT ALL DAY FOR HER PRESENTS, I LET HER OPEN ONE IN THE MORNING. THESE ARE THE PET SHOP DOGS SHE GOT. DALLIN LIKED THEM TOO.

ALL FRESH AFTER OUR BATH

MIA TURNED 4

MIA'S BIRTHDAY WAS ON WEDNESDAY. I CAN'T BELIEVE WE ALREADY HAVE A 4 YEAR OLD!

NASTY!!

Over the last few days I have been babysitting two little girls for a woman in our ward who just had a c-section. They had various snacks in their bag, including some pop-tarts. Apparently one of the girls didn't finish hers and she laid it aside somewhere. Dallin found it. He was sitting on the couch about to eat it. I went over to sit beside him and noticed he has some of the filling on his thumb and he was just looking at it. I told him he should lick it off. He proceeds to hold his thumb out for me to lick and gives me a big smile. I promptly licked it off. He then looked at his thumb and pushed it down towards his diaper. As I got my senses back to the taste in my mouth, I realized......HOLY CRAP, THAT'S NOT POP-TART FILLING.........IT'S POOP. Oh yuck.....oh yuck. Meanwhile, I run to the kitchen, gagging, and scrub my tongue with hot water and force myself to gag enough times I threw up. Then I drank about a gallon of water and it was all over. Yeah.....NASTY! Dallin knew exactly what he was doing. But I still love him. He's too cute not to.

All of us(the martins) that live here got together yesterday for church, and after church we got to be a special part of my dad being set apart as the stake patriarch of the Birmingham Alabama stake. Since it doesn't happen very often, we consider ourselves lucky. We missed Angel, Joseph, Lacey, Brandon and Andrew. I am sure my dad will happily serve for a long time since he is only 64.

This is the ususal scene after we eat. We all just sit around and talk and laugh.....such a good time.

More Pain Than Having A baby!!

On Thursday, I had surgery. I have been suffering from a bumb shoulder for 15 months now. I originally hurt it after having radiation last year and I was pretty sick and my body was weak. Who would have ever thought you could hurt your shoulder pushing your daughter on a swing? That's how weak I was. It started to feel better and I didn't think much of it. Then I tried to wakeboard. Needless to say it started to hurt again. I went and saw a surgeon for it and some pain in my thumbs. I wound up having surgery on my thumbs and not much for my shoulder. Meanwhile, it got worse. Then, in February when we moved here it took about a month before I couldn't move it much anymore. I was told I had a frozen shoulder. LUCKY ME! What causes a frozen shoulder? Who the heck knows? Not even the doctors do. But, they do know that if you have diabetes and thyroid problems you are at a greater risk for getting one. That was two strikes against me. AND, radiation pretty much hashed my shoulder. I delt with the pain for a while, then decided to have surgery. I came home with this nifty little bag of pain medicine that was attached to my neck. It was great while it lasted. I was numb and pain free until Saturday morning. But, as all good things must come to an end.....so did it. Through the numbness, Ben had to stretch my arm out every hour. I think he even enjoyed it to a certain degree. I didn't mind so much either. Once I could feel my arm again, he still had to stretch me every hour, and I thnk we both decided it wasn't fun anymore. The anesthesiologist said that shoulder surgery is the second most painful surgury(thoracic surgery where they cut your ribs open is first) and she made a believer out of me. I don't cry very easilywith pain. But,I was bawling like a baby. Trust me, it was ten times worse than labor pains, and that is not just becauseI had an epidural. I've decided these stretches are a necessary evil and I have stuck with them. Despite the pain I am doing quite well. But, from now on I am going to treat my shoulders with care. I guess that means I can kiss wakeboarding good-bye......yessssss.

MIA WANTED ME TO PUT A PICTURE ON OF THE BOW I MADE FOR HER HAIR

THIS IS THE "I JUST WOKE UP FROM MY NAP" DALLIN

SPRINKLER FUN

THEY DO LOVE THEIR BLANKETS

DADDY TIME

AUNTIE RUTH TIME

DALLIN'S SMILE IS THE GREATEST!!

ANGEL....HOW DO YOU LIKE MY HAIRCUT????

OUR KIDS ARE SUCH BUTTHEADS.....J/K

Thanks Val!!

I'VE BEEN TAGGED!

My husband...

What is his name? Benjamin

How long have you been together? Over 6 years

How long did you date? We hung out for 2 months, dated for 6 months and were engaged for 4

How old is he? 28 years, 2 months and 20 days....to be exact

Who eats more? I would bet that we eat about the same, only I usually start big and get all my food on the first round and Ben usually starts small and gets like 3 servings

Who said I love you first? He said it like 5 seconds before I was gonna say it

Who is taller? Ben

Who sings better? I think even Ben would say me....but that's not sayin' much

Who is smarter? We're both smart....but, one is more naturally smart and the other one has to work at it a little more (but I'm not naming names)

Whose temper is worse? Uh....MINE!!!

Who does the laundry? Me....97% of the time(Ben is good at helping out where needed....and it depends if I'm pregnant or not)

Who does the dishes? Me....once again, 95% of the time....Ben NEVER wipes the counters off though

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me

Who pays the bills? Me

Who mows the lawn? Ben

Who cooks dinner? Me

Who drives when you are together? If we are on a long trip we are about equal....but around town, Ben

Who is more stubborn? Hands down....ME

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Ben....but only because I am never wrong :)

Whose parents do you see the most? Before February, Ben's....after February, mine

Who kissed who first? Ben kissed me first

Who asked who out? Ben initiated everything....I was in denial he liked me

Who proposed? Ben

Who is more sensitive? probably me

Who has more friends? Me....I have to force Ben to talk to people

Who has more siblings? I have 9....Ben has 4

Who wears the pants in the family? Is anybody stupid enough to answer this??

Now I tag.....Elizabeth Roggermeier, Alicia Hoyt, Jordan Pratt, Emily Murdock, Kim Crook