A Homemaker's Life for Me.

The best days of my life.

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Fri, 01 May 2015 19:36:00 +0000

The Monday after Easter I took the kids to my parents house to play and help devour the leftovers from the feast my mom had prepared one day prior. I love spending time with my mom and the kids always love going to Nenie and Pappy's house. After we finished some snacking Lily asked if I would "give her a ride" on this dolly that somehow managed to get onto my parents paddle tennis court. These days the dolly hauls grandchildren instead of furniture. Anyway, she asked me to give her a ride so while she sat on the dolly I'd push her while running wildly back and forth across the court. It was a good bit of fun for the both of us and her joyous laughter is a sound I wish I could just bottle up. While I was pushing her she gleefully exclaimed, "This is the best day of my life!" It made me laugh. Really? The BEST day? Why? "I went to the paaaark, you made me a ham sandwich for luuuuunch and now we're playing on this car thing. It's the best day of my life!"

I've been thinking about what she said for the last few weeks and I wonder if my little four year old has more of this life thing figured out than I do. I don't go to bed every night thinking that I just had the best day of my life. Don't get me wrong, I have good days. A lot of them as a matter of fact. But would I consider any of them the BEST DAY of my life. My knee jerk reaction is, not really. When I think of the best days of my life immediately my mind goes to the day I got engaged, my wedding day, the birth day of each of my children, the day Marcus and I renewed our wedding vows, the first time I realized I was pregnant, a handful of birthdays. Are momentous days the only BEST days? Certainly not. Am I finishing each day with "this is the best day ever" kind of attitude? Certainly not.

Being a stay-at-home mom can be a little bit like Groundhog Day. My days are very much in a routine. Not a strict schedule, but definitely a routine. Sometimes we shake it up and deviate from the usual, but most days we don't. If I'm being honest my main objective each day is to make sure my kids are loved, nurtured, fed, exercised, bathed and rested. On top of that I also try to complete one cycle of laundry from start to finish, make sure the dishes have been loaded and unloaded, keep the kitchen tidy-ish. If I'm feeling really optimistic I'll tackle one of the hundreds of projects on my to-do list. Some days I've just got it together, many days it seems I don't.

It's not down on any map, true place never are.
-Herman Melville

Billy Graham once said that the greatest surprise he had discovered about his life was the brevity of it, especially once he reached his later years. At this particular season of my life, time seems to be moving slowly. Some days seem longer than others and that can be really hard at times. Not because I don't love my life, because assuredly I do. But when you're a mom to three young children and a wife to a husband who works very long hours, days can get a bit weary. I get tired, my patience runs thin. Thank goodness I serve a God that loves me unconditionally and shows me His grace each day. If it were left up to me to fill up my soul with love, compassion and forgiveness each day, I would always fail.

Through the tiredness and exhaustion, I can see this gift. My season of routine, of simplicity, of unending days and messes and laundry is a gift that bears no price tag. All too soon it will be a distant memory that I'll look back upon with fondness. I see the brevity of life. My sweet four year old's words bring me back to center, God's unwavering love bring my soul humility and grace. These truly are the best days of this homemakers life.

A (p)inspiring Easter

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 02:04:00 +0000

We were lucky enough to celebrate Easter two days in a row this year. On Saturday, we drove down to Malibu to spend Easter with my husband's side of the family and it was such a gorgeous day that it made the traffic completely worth it :) I brought the hard boiled eggs to decorate along with the plastic eggs filled with candy to hunt. My sister-in-law was in charge of the food and decorations and she out did herself! When you walked into the house it immediately felt like Easter! My SIL ended up spending a lot of time on Pinterest and put together the yummiest, sweetest celebration! The kids loved EVERYTHING and in fact so did I. I left her house feeling very Pinspired ;p

Easter Egg Garland made from paint cards!

Bunny Fruit Salad

Deviled Peeps--How CUTE are these?

Bunny, Easter Egg and Flower cutout sandwiches. (chicken salad, tuna, PB&J)

Easter Spread

Homemade Frozen Pop--Greek yogurt mixed with honey. SO DELICIOUS!

The kids approved of everything, especially the Greek Yogurt pops. Aren't these just the CUTEST cousins you've ever seen?! In a few short months my new niece will join this lively bunch and I cannot wait! The rest of the afternoon was spent decorating eggs, hunting eggs, eating copious amounts of jelly beans and swimming in the "hot pool"(ie jacuzzi). It really was the best day :)

On Easter Sunday we woke up and had the kids open their baskets. Each little peep got a new swimsuit, bubbles, chalk and chocolate. Our littlest peep also got a pair of sunglasses that she's been wearing non. stop. and the cuteness is kind of killing me. Shortly after that was finished, I got the kids in their Easter best and we drove (2 blocks away!) to my parents house. My mom (as always) hosted a wonderfully delicious celebration. My mom was Pinterest before Pinterest was Pinterest, if that makes any sense. After ~~we I~~ stuffed myself with ham, deviled eggs, hot cross buns, mashed potatoes, sweet potato and carrot mash it was time to hide the eggs. My brother and I hid them all over my parents front yard. I actually had brought so many eggs that I just had to start throwing them around on the grass, because I had run out of places to hide them. Ah well, it ended up working out well for the kids I think ;)

This is the best cousin pic I could get!

Our beautiful god daughter Sophie

Our baby's first egg hunt!

Blessed.

Could you stop growing so fast sweet boy?

Little girls in their Easter bonnets.

I've never met a holiday I didn't like, but Easter truly is one of my favorites. Not just for all the amazingly fun reasons I've already listed, but for simply one; the hope and promise of eternal life. Not just for me and my peeps, but everyone. Everyone who believes in Christ. Death has been defeated, good will triumph over evil, our debt has been paid by His blood. Now that is truly something inspiring.

Happiest of Easters to you and yours. Until next time.

Spring has Sprung!

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 17:21:00 +0000

One of my favorite parts of Spring is Spring cleaning. Isn't it just the BEST feeling when you purge all the unnecessary clutter from your life? They say a cluttered life leads to a cluttered mind and a cluttered mind is absolutely the last thing I need in my life. Over the last few days I've been going through Jack and Lily's room and have already gotten rid of two large trash bags worth of clothing and toys (shhhh don't tell my kids). I also went through my bedroom and gathered another large trash bag of various items (shhhh don't tell my husband ;). I'm on a quest to live a more stream lined and organized life. It's definitely not a trait that comes easy to me. I have a hoarders heart and have a really hard time parting with things that I hold any sentimental value with, especially things of my kids. However, I gently remind myself that it's all just "stuff". Keep the irreplaceable and to heck with the rest!

I also did a bit of Spring Cleaning on my blog :) I'm loving my new look and am excited about all the new projects I have coming up. When you clear out all the junk from your life you're able to open yourself up to the good stuff in life. And for me, writing is the good stuff. It's where I'm able to me. The wife, the mom, the girl, the optimist, the dreamer. It's a place where I can lay out my thoughts and hopefully learn a little bit more about myself in the process.

After Easter I'm tackling the baby's room and the garage (dun dun dun!) and I CAN'T wait! Spring has sprung in the Martinez household!

Do you love Spring cleaning? I'll admit I didn't really ever do it until I had kids and now its my favorite thing! I try to do big purges at least twice a year.

How do you keep the clutter from taking over your house? I'm a wannabe housekeeper and am always interested in tips and tricks. Oh how I wish I could have inherited my mom's Type A genes! But practice makes progress right? :)

Begin, Again.

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 23:40:00 +0000

I've come to the sad realization that I have not blogged since September. The last four months went by at veracious speed its seems. We kept ourselves pretty busy with activities from September until late November and then once December hit I was kept busy with sick kids. When one kid seemed to be getting better, another seemed to have caught a new virus. It was a vicious cycle that kept us home (and stir crazy) for almost the entire month. I tried to make the Christmas season as fun as I could, but to be perfectly honest it just plain stunk. I will say that Christmas day was absolutely delightful and really when you put things in perspective that's the only day that you really want to get right anyway, right?

Before I can move forward I feel like I need to play catchup with the three kidlets. Four months in the lives of a 5, 3 and 1 year old is huge! The little things add up to the big things. Here's where they've been and where they are...

***

{{Jack}} This guy started Jr. Kindergarten at the beginning of September and has been loving it! I am so SO glad we decided to hold Jack. It was the right decision for him and I've seen him grow and mature in so many ways that make my heart burst with joy. He's still the sweet, sensitive boy that he's always been and yet still manages to push boundaries and challenge authority with the best of 'em. For Halloween this year he decided on being the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz and he was SO DARN CUTE. I love that he's still little and will go along with my zany dress up ideas. Once December hit he had the worst bout with asthma that we've had to date. I say "we", because you better believe that this mama was there for every single croup attack, breathing treatment, steam shower, allergy appointment, pharmacy run and so on that was thrown my way. He finally went on a liquid steroid for five days just so he could catch a breath without coughing. I've said it before and I'll say it a thousand more times, I hate asthma. There is nothing worse than having you child not be able to breath. Nothing. All that being said, we've finally got his breathing under control for now and he's been living and breathing life to the fullest. He's been begging his dad and I to put him in a sport so we're going to put him in some kind of martial art a couple times and week and see how he does. I'm excited for this new first and so is he!

{{ Lily}} Oh my little Lilybug. Lily had a bit of a rough start with school. She cried every time I dropped her off for the first three weeks and it completely broke my heart! Even though I dropped her off in tears when I picked her up she was always filled with smiles and laughter. She has a wonderful teacher this year who has made her feel safe and secure and that is such blessing to me. Lily loves learning and drawing. Most of the time I'll find her sitting in the living room quietly practicing how to write her name. She's so smart and very intuitive. NOTHING flies over Lily's head, ha! Marcus and I say all the time that it would not shock us if this kid becomes a doctor or a lawyer. She asks a lot of questions and wants the facts. She's deeply sensitive and compassionate, yet really keeps her emotions in check. I've seen her really blossom over these last four months. She's not as shy as she used to be and is becoming more social with peers. Jack is still her best friend and she adores her baby sister. This girl is my shadow and I rarely can go anywhere without Lily glued to my side. Some days that can be very frustrating, but I keep in mind that it won't last forever. And I have every assurance that when she's not right at my heels I will miss it terribly. She's going to be four in just a couple months and the thought of that creates a lump in my throat. My baby is turning into such a lovely, fun loving little girl.

{{Eva}} Our Evie weevie is 16 months old. Sixteen. Months. Old. Isn't that crazy? This third sweet little babe of mine is growing so much faster than my first two it seems. We celebrated her first birthday on September 20th with the theme "Sunshine and Sweet Lemonade" mainly because she is such a ray of sunshine to our family. Her laugh is amazing. And her smiles brighten my world. She's not walking yet, but takes around 3 steps at a time. In her spare time you can find her pushing her baby stroller all-- over-- the house. She's obsessed with babies (real and pretend) and completely adores her big brother and sister. She thinks Jack is hilarious and idolizes Lily. In the last few months I've really seen the girls relationship bloom into something really special. I never had a sister, but boy do I feel extremely blessed to raise these sisters. This girl is also a talker! She's talking so much earlier than my big kids and will talk (or shout) to anyone. I rarely am out in public without Evie yelling, "hi!!" to every single person she comes into contact with. Her favorite shows are "Baby Signing Time" and 'Rugrats". She's a terrific eater and will ask anyone for a bite of whatever they are eating. I just weened her from nursing a few days ago and it's been a bit emotional for mama, but it was just time. She's curious, she's silly and really she's just an all around joy. I love, love, love watching her grow.

***

And here we are. We made it through the holidays and all the busyness that comes hand in hand with that time of year. New Year's Eve was pleasant, but overall uneventful. I mean hello? We have three kids under 6. I'm still shocked I stayed awake until midnight! NYE is always a little sad for me, because in my mind Christmas is officially over. And with the way the last few weeks had been I was sad to not have savored it a bit more. With that being said however, I absolutely love New Year's Day! My mom always goes all out and has a wonderful spread of deliciously fattening food. In my reality it's really the last day I can feel guilt free about eating whatever I want--I mean it's a holiday for goodness sake! But really the reason I love New Years Day so much is that you get to begin again. I once read somewhere that January brings the first blank page of a 365 page book and I absolutely LOVE that idea. The new year brings the opportunity to dream, wish and hope for a year filled with better things. Maybe you hit the resolutions you make for yourself, maybe you don't. But the hope always for myself is that I become a better wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend than I was before. A better woman of faith. Always better tomorrow than I am today. At least that's my hope.

Until next time.

Goodbye Summertime.

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Mon, 01 Sep 2014 21:35:00 +0000

Happy Labor Day! Is anyone else in complete amazement that it's already September? This has without a doubt been the busiest summer our family has had yet. We moved into our new home at the end of July and up until basically this moment I've been unpacking, organizing and getting things settled. I've actually taken the time to turn this new house into a home and it has been such a joy and fun project for me to focus on this summer. There's still many more home projects on my horizon, but it's such a good feeling seeing things come together! :)

Our sitting area. M and I have our coffee here every morning.
Awesome tree painted by my terrific Father-in-Law.

Plate art!
I had been wanting to do this for awhile and am so happy with how it turned out.

Jack completed 3 sessions of swim lessons (that would be 6 weeks total!) this summer and is officially swimming all by himself! I mean one would hope after 6 weeks of swim lessons, right? ha! He has turned out to be a really great swimmer and absolutely loves being in the pool. His dad and I are actually thinking that swimming might be a great sport for our little guy to try in the near future! He also completed his first ever art camp and he LOVED it!! I've said it before, but this guy has a little artists heart. The camp was a week long and he created some amazing pieces of artwork. Of COURSE I am completely biased, but I think the kid has real talent.

loving the OC fair.

so proud of my swimmer!

frame worthy.

this kid loves the beach...and his sister.

Lily was completely content NOT being involved in any activities this summer. :) I mean she's three so I really don't feel like she's quite at the age where she needs to be doing something constantly...and honestly she might just turn out to be the kind of soul who doesn't like a lot of busy-ness (ahem, unlike her older sibling :) I've really seen so much more of Lily's personality develop over the course of this summer and it's really been fun to watch. She's my little introvert, but is quite hilarious actually. She has pulled every dress and pair of shoes out of my closet at least a dozen times this summer to try on and parade around the house in. When she isn't playing dress up, she can be found singing or dancing quietly by herself.

manicures for mama's birthday.

just trying on mom's clothes.

goofball.

my little lady.

Eva is on the move! About 2 weeks ago she finally figured out how to crawl and is now into everything. With her finally on the go it sort of officially feels like I now have three kids, haha. Even though this new stage can be a bit more challenging, I'm ready for it. Each new stage is such a gift and really is always short lived. Before I know it she'll be walking, climbing, running! It's so bittersweet seeing my sweet little babe slowly turning into a toddler, but I'm truly enjoying the journey of it all.

daddy's girl.

sleepy babe.

first lunch in our new home.

she's on the move!

August brought an end to Jack's summer activities (which I was completely ready for) and brought on some fun trips. I went away with a few girlfriends to Las Vegas for one night and it turned out to be exhausting and completely exhilarating. This was my first overnight trip with girlfriends since my BACHELORETTE PARTY! The fact that I can rarely get away by myself is neither shocking nor disappointing to me. I have three tiny children at home who need me and if I'm being perfectly honest, I really don't like being away from them. Yes, I need time to myself. And yes, I need time away from my children. However, finding the balance of it all is something I struggle with. Going away though for just over 24 hours felt really good. And I think I realized that getting away for a night here and there is okay--it doesn't make me a bad mom, it doesn't make them feel abandoned. The kids got to spend some one and one time with their dad which they all loved, and I got to remember what it feels like to take an hour to get ready for dinner as well as enjoy a hot meal. :) In addition to my mom's getaway we also had our annual summer family vacation. In years past we've always gone to Laguna, but this year we decided to book three nights at our most favorite place, Avila Beach. Overall, the kids had a blast and we made some awesome family memories. There's nothing better than when the five of us are together. It was the perfect way to end our summer and gear up for school starting tomorrow.

Vegas (sans) baby Vegas!

Avila Pier.

mama and coconut.

family photo.

Avila Farm.

first time touching sand.

School....starts....tomorrow. I have mixed emotions about the whole thing. I know they are both ready to go--ready to learn, ready to meet new friends, ready for this next phase. Jack will be going five days a week and Lily will only be going two. They are going to grow and learn so much, it really is so exciting! However, with school starting comes the reality that they're getting older and life is only going to get busier now that we'll be in a set routine. And that's okay, it's as it should be. I'm just focusing on all the positives of this new change, because there really are a lot of good things to focus on. But if around 830am tomorrow morning you happen to be saying a prayer, could you throw one my way? My heart needs all the prayers and good vibes I can get during the first day drop off. :)

So after today I guess it's goodbye summertime. For the first time in a really long time I'm sad to see it go. We had a full season filled with lots of swimming, beach days, new adventures and some pretty great memories were made. I'm thinking that September will be a wonderful transition into fall. School's starting, Eva will be turning one and Lord knows I'm ready to welcome some cooler weather. Oh my yes, it's going to be wonderful.

Swimming and Sunshine equals Summertime!

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 22:53:00 +0000

June gloom is gone and the warm July weather is here! Those who know me know that I am not a fan of hot weather (as in any temp over 75 degrees ;p), but for some reason July is the one and only month that I'm okay with the heat. I even kind of like it. It's a perfect excuse for swimming everyday, running through the sprinklers before dinner, eating Popsicle's on the front porch, lazy beach days in Laguna and consuming iced coffee at anytime throughout the day. It's also a month filled with one of my favorite holidays as well as my birthday and my hubby's birthday--can July get much better?! ;) However usually once August rolls around I am completely over air conditioning, hot car seats, wet bathing suits, staying inside and am full on ready for fall, ha!

July 4th, 2014

Summer treats!
My grandma's cookies are good for the soul :)

Summer 2014 has already started off with a busy bang! Jack graduated from pre-school and just a few short days later he jumped {literally} right into swim lessons. He absolutely LOVES swim class! Even better than loving it, he's doing amazing. He passed Level 1 and we just started Level 2 this week and I have been wearing my "proud mom" hat daily. He is working so hard and I think we might just have a bonafide swimmer by summer's end. :) It's definitely been quite a commitment (5 days a week for the last 3 weeks!), but I'm already certain that it is well worth it.

My little fish.

In addition to swimming up a storm this summer, Jack also attended his first Vacation Bible School (VBS) ever. What a wonderful experience! I'm not even sure I can put into words how much he loved it. It was basically four nights of crafts, singing and fellowship. He still sings loudly and proudly all the songs he learned, ha! He also has been asking me all sorts of questions about Jesus, God and heaven. Some questions I'm still not quite sure how to answer appropriately for a five year old brain, but I love that he's asking. Just last night when it was just he and I in the car he was asking me his usual questions about Jesus. Then out of nowhere he simply asked, "Mama, how do I get Jesus to live in my heart all the time?" I was a bit taken aback, but I told him that all he had to do was ask. So he said a prayer in the back of my minivan and asked Jesus to live in his heart. All the time. It's a moment that will forever be captured in this mama's heart. He'll be attending his second VBS next week at the school he'll be attending in the fall and I am so eager to see how God will work in my sweet boy's life.

Even though Jack has been the focus of these many summer activities, his little sister's have been perfectly content just coming along for the ride. This is really the first summer that I've felt the need to keep my little guy busy. He's a boisterous five years old and it is essential (for my own sanity and his, ahem) that he stays active. We'll be finishing off the rest of July with more swim lessons and even his first art camp! He has such an artist's heart and I cannot wait to see what he creates. Come August things will a little bit more mellow for us, but only just a bit.

Another item to add to our busy list is... we're moving! It was sort of a last minute development, but an opportunity came our way that was too good to pass up. So now the house is sold, our entire lives are being packed up and in two shorts weeks escrows will be closed and we will be on our way. :) We're still very close to where we are now, but with a little more added room for our growing family. We are SO excited.

Goodbye house.
Thank you for some pretty incredible memories.

Well, there's the low down. M will be out of town for the next couple days so the kids and I are going to try and stay cool and even maybe venture off to the OC County Fair for a little bit of fun. And a little bit of iced cold chocolate milk of course :) I'll also be up to my ears in moving boxes. Packing up a household with three children in tow is about as fun as you can imagine, but I'm constantly reminding myself that the whole moving process will be over with soon enough. Until then if anyone needs me I'll be hiding in a box and drinking iced coffee. :)

9 Months of Sunshine.

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 16:15:00 +0000

Evidently third babies get the shaft. Not in terms of undying love and affection, but definitely in terms of blog time. My sweet third little babe officially turned 9 months old (!!!) as of June 20th and I think this is the second time I've actually dedicated an entire blog post to her--sorry sweet girl! If it's any consolation you always get my undivided attention in real life ;) In three short months we will be celebrating your first birthday and I can't help but wonder how on earth these last nine months have flown by so quickly? Time goes by just a bit faster with each new baby it seems, but I suppose there's no way around that. Just like with your siblings before you I'm savouring every moment of your tininess :) Here's the latest and greatest with our Eva Louise at {{9}} months old...

Nicknames: Evie, Baby Evie, Coconut.

Weight: 18lbs, 1oz (50th percentile)
Height: 28.5 inches (90th percentile)

Hair Color: Blondish
Eye Color: Blue

First word: Dada! You were our first baby to say "dada" first and this made your daddy sooooo happy!

Teeth: Almost 3. Your two bottom ones came in at the same time and your top front tooth is just starting to break through!

Sleep: I'd say there have been about a handful of times that you have slept 12 hours straight without waking up to eat. (Those nights have been magical, ha!) You still wake up every morning between 430 and 530 to nurse, but always go right back to sleep. Lately you've been teething so night wakings have been more frequent. You still nap twice a day and are definitely a girl that likes to sleep in her crib and in the dark.

On the move: You roll everywhere and you can sit up all by yourself. You're not terribly interested in crawling just yet and that's perfectly fine with me. :)

Favorite Food: Blueberries, Avocado, Yogurt and Chicken. You're a really good eater and are great about eating all your fruits and veggies.

Favorite Things:
Bath time! You start giggling and wildly kicking your legs when you hear the bath water running. You just figured out how to start splashing with your hands and feet and it might just be your favorite thing to do.
Baby Signing Time. The only time we let you watch TV is when we turn on your Baby Signing Time DVDs. You love the songs and can already sign "all done", "more" and "dog".
Waving. This is your newest trick and it is oh-so-cute! You wave hello and goodbye to everyone. Whenever you hear the front door open you immediately start waving (heart. melt.)
Smiling. You are without a doubt my smiliest baby. Your brother and sister were very serious around strangers (ahem, and most family members too), but not you! You give out smiles to anyone and everyone :)

I think the biggest realization I've had since having a third child is just how truly unique and individual each child really is. When I only had Jack and Lily it was easy to compare and contrast similarities and differences between the two of them. He was one way, she was another. With you Evie I see similarities you share with each of your siblings linking the three of you together, but the simple truth of it all is that you are completely different kid from the other two. Each kiddo has come into this world as their own unique person and it is so incredibly cool watching them grow into who they are going to become.

The first thought that comes to mind when I think of you Evie is sunshine; pure unadulterated sunshine. It's amazing how adding one more tiny person to our family has made life that much more beautiful. You have such a sweet and happy disposition, I have yet to see you get really angry. You've recently found your voice and can be quite loud when you need to be--for no other reason than wanting to get our attention. You adore your siblings and have no problem letting them argue over who loves you more. You're a true daddy's girl and light up every time your dad comes in the room--talk about love at first sight! :) I'm so thankful that I've been right by your side for almost every second of your life these last nine months, there is nowhere else I would rather be.

Eva Louise Month-by-Month

(9mos to 1mos)

Half of a Decade.

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 17:45:00 +0000

Dear Jack,

As of this past Tuesday, May 27th you turned five years old. {Five. Years. Old} It's still a bit mind boggling to me. Five years seems like a lifetime ago and yet at the same time I can remember the day you were born as though it were yesterday. I remember everything about that day. How you looked, how you smelled, how tiny you felt in my arms. It took 32 hours of labor and 5 hours of pushing to bring you into this world and I would do it again for you in a heartbeat. The overwhelming feeling of love I felt the first time I laid eyes on you is really indescribable. It's a love that possibly only a parent can understand. I'm certain it's because of that love that I didn't lose my mind for those times you smeared your fecal matter all over my couch and carpet when you were two, or when you drew in black permanent marker all over my newly painted walls when you were three. It's a love that knows no bounds. :)

I remember the first time you smiled, the first word you spoke ("mama") and the first time you walked. I'll never forget the first time you tried a cupcake or the first time you dipped your toes in Lake Arrowhead. The first time you put on a backpack and bravely walked into your first day of preschool or the first time you went on a "big kid" ride at Disneyland. So many fun firsts. There have also been some not so fun too. Like the first time you got stitches at one, or your first croup attack at two. Even just two short weeks ago we experienced your first (and I pray your last) febrile seizure. There have been so many more happy firsts than scary ones, but I'm just so thankful I've been by your side through them all.

Jack, you are my little tender heart. You love people and you feel things so deeply. Just the other day I had to put your sister in a time out for biting you and the thought of her being in trouble was so upsetting to you that you actually tried to explain to me (through tears!) how she really didn't bite you, but rather how her mouth simply "fell" onto your arm by accident. It was very sweet, but she still had to go in time out. And even when the time out was finished you ran right to her to kiss her and hug her and tell her everything was okay. It was one of the sweetest and equally most confusing moments I've had as a parent, haha. You love both of your sisters something fierce. All biting aside you and Lily really are the best of friends. Your bond is so incredibly beautiful and I have every assurance that as Evie grows it will be the three of you against the world. Aside from being the BEST big brother you are also a terrific friend. Your teacher told me that you are a natural leader and that you always make sure all the other kids are taken care of. A mom to one of the little boy's in your class recently pulled me aside to tell me that you had been instrumental in getting her little boy to want to come to school in the mornings. Apparently he's the baby of the family and has terrible separation anxiety, but every morning when he walks into class you always greet him and encourage him to play with you. Even when he's crying you assure him that all will be okay. His mom thanked me for raising such a kind hearted boy. The thought of this brings tears to my eyes, even now. At just barely 5 years old I can't imagine feeling more proud of you than I do at this very moment, although I'm sure as time goes on you'll prove otherwise.

In addition to your sweetness you have a fiery determination. You are incredibly strong willed and at times have a blatant disregard for the rules. You question everything and try to explain your way out of anything! While these traits can at times make parenting a bit challenging for your dad and I, we have every belief that these traits will come in very handy as you continue to grow :) You're one of the funniest people I know. You love telling jokes and have a great sense of humor. I love your laugh, it's contagious. You have a beautiful imagination and an artist's heart. I love watching you draw and paint and I always love hearing the stories you dream up before bed time. I pray that you always, always dream big.

Being five is a big deal. To me, it has finally made me see that you're making that transition into a big boy. You're becoming more confident and independent. You can do everything by yourself, or so you always tell me. Words like "totally awesome" and "cool" are becoming a regular part of your vocabulary and hearing the word "poop" makes you bust up laughing. HOWEVER...you're still little. Little enough to still want to snuggle with me or hold my hand when we're out in public. Little enough to still ask me to "wrap you like a burrito and hold you like a baby" after bath time. And your voice! Oh Jack, your voice is still little. You may look like a seven year old, but you sound little and sweet and so, so innocent. You still refer to me as "mama" which makes my heart burst. I'm savoring every moment of your tininess and also embracing all the many fun adventures that will come over this next half decade and beyond.

Happy 5th Birthday my love. You have made these last five years the greatest adventure for your dad and I. We have so many hopes and dreams for you, but have great confidence that God's plan for your life is so much greater than anything we could ever imagine for you.

I love you, I love you, I love you. Times infinity.
Mama

Palm Desert and The Princess Potty.

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Sat, 26 Apr 2014 16:10:00 +0000

A couple weeks ago decided last minute to spend a few nights in Palm Desert, a favorite vacation spot for our family. We were only there for less than 48 hours, but it's incredible how just a little time away from our usual routine put a pep back in every one's step. We spent most of our time in the pool or playing outside on the grass. Everyone took looong afternoon naps (including mom and dad) and soaked up the beautiful weather we were graced with. Memories were made, quality time was in abundance. Our little Evie finally started rolling too which was just so exciting for all of us! I always love it when daddy gets to be there for the milestones. And as any mom knows, watching your baby hit each new milestone NEVER gets old--no matter how many babies you've had! Being away made us realize that we need to do quick trips like that much more often. With Marcus's long work days it can make planning a trip seemingly impossible, but with anything in life where there's a will there's a way. We've actually planned another mini-vacation to San Fran in the very near future and we are all SO excited.

Watching our littles play outside. Oh how I love this man.

Sibling love.

Having fun with daddy.

Swimming all day, everyday.

In the midst of our mini getaway Lily started potty training. This was a very big deal in our house and something I was dreading. Mainly because she was sooooo resistant. She was perfectly fine wearing a diaper and feeling like she was still a baby. Anytime I asked her if she was ready for big girl underwear she'd ever so sweetly say, "No bank you."However, days after her third birthday I decided to bite the bullet and have us both jump in feet first. The first day was a bit rough. That morning she wailed and sobbed for about an hour saying that she only wanted to have the treats that came with the potty training without having to u s e the potty. I mean I understood her three year old logic. There have been times in my own life when I've wanted the reward without having to do the work too. I kept my sanity intact fairly well and kept reminding her that she could have the treats as soooon as she started using the big girl potty. Once she realized I wasn't backing down the crying stopped and the potty training began. The first day wasn't terrible. She had maybe three or four accidents and was really making an effort to remember to use the potty. By day two the girl had-it-down. Zero accidents, going #1 and #2 ON the potty with no problems whatsoever. Pulling her underwear up and down like a pro.

Planking in her big girl panties. No big deal.

Now that it's been about 3 weeks I feel confident saying I finally have TWO kids potty trained. Woo hoo! I'm SO proud of my Lilybug. I knew she could do it! We both made it to the other side of potty training...I still can't believe it, ha.

So that I might live.

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Sat, 19 Apr 2014 17:14:00 +0000

Happy Easter weekend :) Easter is always a wonderful time to spend with family and dear friends, all while consuming some delicious food (ham and deviled eggs anyone?) as well as copious amounts of chocolate and jelly beans. The egg hunts, painting eggs, the Easter Bunny. Little girls wearing beautiful dresses and bonnets, little boys in their Sunday best. It's a perfect time to get that family photo you never usually find the time for. The weather is almost always perfect {gotta love So Cal} and even though Spring officially started about a month ago, Easter just naturally feels like the official kickoff to spring time.

But we know Easter is more than the fluff. Jesus; the Son of God, the Prince of Peace, died so that I might live. That I might escape death. I found a quote from an unknown author that says, "For when He was on the cross, I was on His mind." The thought of that is incredibly powerful and emotional. That's a love I cannot even fathom. How precious I am to Him. Me. A sinner who is so undeserving. How precious we all are, even those who might not believe.

On Good Friday I gently explained to the kids what the day was all about. We read a very age appropriate story and then after I outlined a cross on some sketch paper and told them to paint it however they wanted. They both really enjoyed it and now I have some forever artwork to cherish from my two favorite artists.

"God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by His power."
1 Corinthians 6:14

Jack, Easter 2014

Lily, Easter 2014

While Easter is a time for reflection it is also a time for celebration. I celebrate, because He is risen. His body is no longer on this earth. He suffered on earth and now rejoices in heaven. Thanks be to God! Because of Him I will fully enjoy this Easter Sunday. I will soak up being with my loved ones. I will dye eggs. I will eat copious amounts of chocolate. I will praise His name. I will live.

Springing into Spring.

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 21:21:00 +0000

Well that went by rather quickly. The first quarter of 2014 is over and just what do I have to show for it? Actually a lot in real life, in blog life however...not so much. The truth is I'm tired. My body is tired, my mind is tired. A lot of people's needs need to be met before my own and truly I'm okay with that. I know that this is just a season of life, one that I'm sure will go by much too fast. My sweet third born will be {s e v e n} months old on Easter Sunday which is a bit mind boggling. She's rolling, she's scooting, she's teething, but MOST importantly she's sleeping! The sleep thing has been a game changer in my mental well being, ha! She sleeps from about 630pm until 5:30am. Wakes up to nurse, and then is back to sleep until 730 or 8am. My Lily is newly three and had the happiest birthday. She loves sleeping in her bottom bunk, loves her ballet classes and as of about 15 minutes ago is officially potty trained (more on that later!). My Jack is thriving in Pre-K. He's a natural leader, kind and empathetic to his fellow students and loves doing homework. M and I made the tough decision to hold him back from Kindergarten next year, but it's a decision I feel more confident about with each passing day. It was a tough decision at first, because we know that in many many aspects he is totally ready to go. In the end though we decided to give him that bonus year, the gift of time. The gift of no intense homework (yes, Kinder has changed), not having to go to school
e v e r y d a y. The gift of being little for just a bit longer.

Bunk beds and big kids.

Lily is three.

It's official: I drive a minivan.

Look who's eating

Happy babes.

I've been feeling very inspired lately, almost like my soul is going through a bit of a rebirth or something. Decluttering, decorating my house and attempting some DIY projects are in the works. And when I find myself in the midst of some quiet time I'm putting my phone down and picking up a book. One of my best friends recently told me she's already read 11 books this year! ELEVEN! I can't even remember the last time I finished ONE book. My husband often says that we pick and choose the things we make time for and I really couldn't agree more. I suppose now I'm choosing to make time for things that inspire me, that nourish my soul. The quiet moments that are few and far between I want to fill with more praying and reading, painting and blogging. Quality over quantity. Perhaps this rebirth is inspired by this Easter season that's upon us or perhaps its because it's officially Spring. Either way I feel God is leading me on a journey. And more than ever I'm ready to be led.

A Year in Review

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 19:56:00 +0000

As 2013 comes to a close I can't help, but be a bit amazed at just how quickly this year has flown by. Was it just a year ago that Marcus and I were still on cloud 9 from having our best Christmas ever? That we only had two little ones around our Christmas tree? Amazing. The end of another year is really a time to reflect and remember. Was I kind enough? Did I love my neighbor enough? Did I grow as a wife, mother, sister, and friend? I know where I struggled, where I asked for grace. I also know that I savored. I savored so many moments with the ones I love. Even though I tried to blog as much as I could this year, here's a b r i e f recap of my 2013 highlights:

January:
I found out I was pregnant with Eva! It was a great way to kick off the year :)

February:
My little Lily got glasses. It was emotional and eye-opening (for both of us!), but I love knowing she can finally see the world through her tiny purple glasses.

March:
Lily turned TWO! And had the cutest Tangled party that you ever did see.

April:
We found out baby number three was a GIRL!

May:
Jack turned FOUR! He still is my favorite super hero.

June:
My baby brother turned 21.

July:
Marcus turned 30! Our trip to Avila Beach was one of the most memorable days of not just 2013, but of my life.

August:
Our family vacation in Laguna. It was our last trip as a family of four and we created some wonderful memories :)

September:
Eva was born! One of the best days of my life.

October:
M and I celebrated 6 years of marriage. He surprised me with a wonderful dinner at The Beachcomber!

(M's sweet FB post)

November:
My dad turned 60! and Eva Louise was baptized.

(Jack at Pappy's party.)

(yum, yum.)

December:
This whole month has been so magical, but the highlight most definitely was Christmas morning at our house.

(princesses and ruby slippers! oh my.)

(comfort and joy)

(baby's 1st Christmas)

(We're on the nice list!)

As the year comes to a close I'm looking forward to setting new goals and making fresh starts. Who doesn't like a good fresh start, right? I definitely have some resolutions and some big plans for 2014, but as with all plans I p l a n to take them in stride. Sometimes just sitting back and watching God's plan unfold in your life can be pretty exhilarating. Really my prayer for myself and the ones I love most is for good health, less stress and a deeper relationship with Christ. I can't really think of anything more important or necessary as I head into 2014. Cheers to you and yours.

Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart.

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 18:13:00 +0000

Happy, Happy Thanksgiving! First and foremost I am so thankful that I have a moment to write down all that I'm thankful for on this most wonderful day. Since having my third little babe I've discovered:

1. your alone time diminishes less and less with each child you have

{and}

2. once you have a third child you will HAVE to do at least one load of laundry everyday of your life for the next 18 years. The things you learn, right? And I wouldn't have it any other way.

I have so much to be thankful. We all do, don't we? I mean it's so easy to let the despair, heart ache and stresses of the world sadden my heart. It's easy to focus on all that I don't have and what others seemingly have. It's so easy to wish that I had more material things, to long for the newest, the fanciest, the shiniest. It's so easy to let jealousy trickle into my heart. To focus on my many inadequacies and short comings. It's just. so. easy sometimes.

Thank goodness I serve a God who has overcome this world.

I serve a God who loves, protects and provides for me. Everyday.

So today I give thanks with a most grateful heart. I have a husband who loves and inspires me--I'm so grateful that even after 11.5 years we still dream big. I have three beautiful, healthy children who are teaching me more about life here inside my little home than I could learn anywhere else. I have a mom who continues to be my mentor, counselor and best friend--the older I get the more I realize I need her. I have a family that would drop whatever they're doing to help this girl out--they've shown me this time and time again. I have some incredible friends who bless me more often than I deserve. I am healthy. I have not just a house, but a home. I have the love of Christ rooted so deeply in my heart, I shall want for nothing.

Today and everyday, I will remember to hold these truths in my heart. Happy Day, Happy Life, Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.

All About Eva.

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 21:35:00 +0000

Five weeks ago today our lives changed in the most beautiful of ways. Eva Louise Martinez was born at 9:03am on September 20th, weighing in at 8lbs, 20 inches long--my biggest newborn!

Meeting Eva. One of the happiest moments of my life.

I was admitted to St. Jude around 11pm the night before she was born. I had been having contractions on and off all day, but nothing was staying consistent. I was nervous that since this was my third baby things might go a little bit faster than I was ready for so I figured it was better to get checked out. We arrived at the hospital around 9pm and the nurses decided to monitor me before officially admitting me. Like it had happened throughout the entire day contractions were regularly coming and going, but not as close together as the nurses would have liked. They were getting ready to send me home when all of a sudden Evie's heart rate dropped low; dangerously low I later found out. After that brief scare the doctor decided to admit me and things rolled right along. After that my contractions became about 7 minutes apart (consistently!) and they were intense. Shortly after midnight I received the epidural (God bless whoever invented that) and then...we waited. I couldn't get much sleep, but I was comfortable enough considering the circumstances ;)

Once it was time to push the epidural had worn off. This was a MAJOR BUMMER! However, the silver lining was that I only had to push for 3 minutes. Thank the Lord! She came out screaming and honestly hasn't made so much as a peep ever since. When I first laid eyes on her I instantly fell in love. There is no greater joy than seeing your baby for the first time! And it is as equally wonderful and elating with each baby I've had. Babies are miracles. They are prefect gifts from God. Simple as that. We spent one night at the hospital and then were ready to get back home to our big kids and start life as a family of five.

Jack is such a proud big brother.

2 days old.

And then there were 3.

The kids have adjusted pretty well to our new family member. Jack is seriously the best big brother ever! He is so in love with his new sister and is always willing to help me with whatever I need to do for the baby. I'm so thankful for his loving, tender heart. God knew exactly what he was doing when he made Jack our first born. And I have been very pleasantly surprised by how terrific Lily has been. Considering the fact that she's 2 1/2 and loved being the baby of the family I had prepared myself for her to have more of an adjustment to our new dynamic :) Wouldn't you know? She's been awesome! She's constantly asking to hold her "baby seester" and always showers her with smiles, kisses and hugs. Multiple times a day she'll tell me, "I love my baby seester, mama!" It makes my heart melt like you wouldn't believe. I'm looking forward to seeing how each of their relationships bloom with one another in the years to come. Having siblings is such a gift and my hope and prayer is that these three will grow and stay the best of friends.

Sisters.

So. How is life with three? Honestly, it's been a pretty smooth transition. Jumping from 1 to 2 kids was more difficult for me than jumping from 2 to 3. There have been a few days that have been a bit challenging and overwhelming thus far and I'm sure there will be more to come. Luckily I have a wonderful and supportive family that steps in when they know I need it. Having my sister-in-law run to my house from 7 houses down was such a blessing when I had a crying newborn and asthmatic 2 year old last week! (Thanks again Ash :) And there isn't even anything I can write on this blog to do justice with just how amazing my mom is. She knows what I need before I even know. And my in-laws are always willing and ready to help with whatever I ask for. I'm constantly blessed by so many who love our family so much.

Dream baby.

Even though Eva's only been in our home for 5 short weeks, it feels like she's been in my heart forever. I can't imagine a more perfect addition to our family. Every time I look at her I see so much of Jack and Lily. Some have said she's the spitting image of her dad, while others have said she's a carbon copy of me. It's fun to see her changing features and the ways in which she looks like so many of the people we love most! One thing is for sure--she is 100% Eva. She's got her own look, she's got her own personality and we are just loving watching her grow.

Waiting. {Hitting the 38 and 39 week check point!}

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 22:37:00 +0000

You know the hardest part about having your first two babies arrive before their due date? Expecting your third to do the same. Baby number three isn't even late, but it feels like she is to me. She still has six more days until her expected debut and I feel myself getting antsier and antsier everyday wondering when she will come. I'm trying my best to relax and enjoy however much time is left on this pregnancy journey, but instead I'm filling my time up with tons of busy work around the house. I was up at 7am yesterday scrubbing the inside of my refrigerator! My husband officially thinks I'm nuts. I'm really going to make an effort this week to take a deep breath and just be in the moment. In fact, starting tonight I'm going to kick my feet up and begin watching season three of The Walking Dead once the kiddos are asleep :)

38 weeks.

39 weeks.

At my checkup last week the doctor told me I'm 80% effaced and 1 cm dilated--that's progress! I asked if he had a guess on when he thought she'd be coming and he said it was a 50/50 chance she'd arrive within this next week. I told him that wasn't a guess, ha! I realize he doesn't have a crystal ball and that this little girl is going to come when she's good and ready--I just hope it's sooner rather than later ;)

So if anyone needs me I'll be here. Waiting. ;)

Nesting and Resting

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 23:11:00 +0000

With my due date set anywhere between September 18th and 22nd, I'm literally at the point where I'm able to count down the days until I meet this baby girl. Yesterday I finished packing my hospital bag and installed the infant seat in my car--I can't believe I'm so close to the end of this pregnancy! This has been without a doubt my fastest pregnancy yet. Yes, keeping up with a 4 year old and a 2 1/2 year old definitely keep me busy, but I actually thought the last month or two of this pregnancy would drag. Mainly because, I'm not a huge fan of hot weather so I was sure these last few weeks would seem like forever!! And I'm glad to say they haven't! :) Here's a little evolution of the belly the third time around...

6 weeks pregnant.
Can you believe I thought I looked fat? Oye.

12 weeks.

16 weeks.

20 weeks.

24 weeks.

28 weeks.

32 weeks.

36 Weeks.

Today at my appointment the doctor checked my cervix and I am 50% effaced and baby's head is low--I'm making progress!! My doctor doesn't think I'll go into labor over this next week and I am completely fine with that. Mainly because I have a facial appt., hair appt. and nail appt. all scheduled within this next week and I reeeeally don't want to miss them, haha! I mean a girl's gotta look put together when she's pushing out a baby right? ;) {I kid, I kid} I'm having contractions everyday and am excited to see if I make anymore progress by next weeks check up.

Even though the kids and I are spending much of our time in doors, we've still had some fun things going on. First and foremost, Jack started pre-school yesterday! He started at a new school which is always a little bit nerve wracking, but when I picked him up he was smiling from ear to ear with his art project in hand. He has two teachers {Miss Robin and Miss Mary} and both seem really lovely. Miss Robin said that by the end of this year each child should be able to write their first and last name and be able to do simple addition on their own. I guess we'll have to see! I'm still not sure if Jack will be making the leap to kindergarten next year or the following year, but either way I'm just so excited to see what this year has in store for him.

Such a big boy!

Sissy was excited for him!

This is his first year going two days a week and I'm actually excited for the change. It's always hard to see your baby leave you (if only for a few hours!), but having him gone is giving me some quality time with Lily before the baby comes AND is able to give me some time to work on projects around the house. My nesting brain has been on overload lately, so I want to get any last minute to-do items checked off so I can spend some much needed time resting!! And even more than resting I really want to just spend quality time with my two little ones. A new baby coming into the mix is going to be an adjustment for everyone and I just want to take the time to be really present with both of them right now. Even happy adjustments take some getting used too! :) These next few weeks will be spent snuggling together, watching movies, coloring together, reading books, eating lots of popsicles on the front porch and running through the sprinklers.

Being super pregnant also equals being super tired. And I just am praying daily for patience to be the best mom and wife that I can be right now. To be present, to be loving and above all else to savor these wonderful beings God has blessed me with.

Baby # 3 Update {36 Weeks!}

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 20:36:00 +0000

I can't believe we are just a couple days shy of September! Is it just me or did this summer fly by? We are now just weeks away from meeting the newest member of our family and I couldn't be more thrilled. Overall, I'm feeling really good and can't complain about anything. The heat finally is settling in here in SO CAL and I have a feeling it's here to stay for awhile--thank GOODNESS for air conditioning! Here's the low-down on the 36 week checkup. If I can get my act together I'll try to update again in a couple weeks ;)

Bump Progression: 36 Weeks

How far along? 36 Weeks, 6 days

Size of the baby: About 5 pounds 2 ounces. (The ultrasound tech thinks the baby will weigh around 7lbs!)

Weight Gain: Still on track! At my checkup today I hadn't gained anything in the last 2 weeks which was completely shocking! I'm sure I'll make up for it this next week ;)

Maternity Clothes: Yessssss! Dresses and flip fops are my friends :)

Stretch Marks: Nope. (woo hoo!)

Sleep: What's that? ;) I can sleep for 2 to 3 hour stretches at this point before I have to go to the bathroom or shift positions--it can always be worse right? Very thankful for any sleep I am getting right now, because I know it's going to change soon enough.

Exercise: I'm afraid it's just too darn hard on my lower back and pelvis at this point. However, my kids make certain that I am constantly moving throughout the day.

Best Moment of this Week: I had my last ultrasound this morning and the four of us got to see baby Eva up close! She looks so stinking cute! We all can't wait to meet her!

Miss Anything: Cooler weather :)

Movement: Yes! She likes to roll around a lot, but isn't too much of a kicker--this makes mommy very happy.

Food Cravings: Not really. Although it has been in the 90's all week and ice cream has been sounding tasty EVERYDAY!

Anything making you queasy or sick? No, thank goodness.

Gender: Girl

Have you started to show yet: Um, most definitely.

Labor Signs: No, but about 2 weeks a good I started regularly feeling contractions everyday. Some days are more frequent than others, but either way I can tell my body is definitely getting ready for this baby to make her way out.

Belly Button In or Out: Oh, it's out and proud :)

Wedding Ring On or Off: I'm still wearing my engagement ring, but now that the heat is settling in I'm wearing it less and less.

Happy or Moody Most of the Time: Incredibly happy :)

Looking forward to: Jack starts pre-school again in a week and both he and I are excited for him to go back! It still makes me a little bit sad knowing he'll be gone two mornings a week, but it will also be nice to get back into a normal routine. We also are going to go to Laguna one last time this weekend which will make the kids SO happy! And truly I am just SO looking forward to meeting this baby! Just about 3 weeks to go! :)

{Pause}

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 22:19:00 +0000

Back to reality :) Our family just enjoyed our last vacation as a family of four. We had planned this trip back in June, nothing fancy just good old fashioned hanging out by the ocean mixed in with lots of relaxing. No schedules, no planning ahead...just living in the moment and soaking up precious time with our two kids.

And that's exactly what we did :)

Laguna is one of our most favorite destinations and we are so incredibly fortunate that Marcus' parents have a house there for us to stay at whenever we are able. And while I love where I live I now completely understand when people say, "life is better at the beach."It sure felt that way. Or maybe life is just better when you're on vacation, ha! Either way, for six days our family was able to hit {pause}. No work for Marcus, no work for me. No set schedules for Jack and Lily (which I'm paying for a little bit now! ;) Just lots and lots of lounging and eating yummy food and beach time.

This is how we spent our mornings...

Jack found his first shell.

sandy hands.

digging for treasure.

I know, rough right? ;) Everyday we took the kids to the beach in the morning and again in the afternoon. They couldn't get enough! And I got so much enjoyment out of watching the excitement on their faces as the waves chased them, or as they played in the sand. I definitely said many, many prayers of thanks for my two precious kids. My heart could not be more full.

the BEST big brother.

sand and smiles :)

so much play time with daddy!

I also said many prayers of thanks for my wonderful husband. You know, I really don't think I can possibly love that man anymore than when I see him playing with our children. He is without a doubt the kids most favorite person to play with! It's just such a blessing when the four of us get uninterrupted time with each other--I always savor those moments.

Since Marcus couldn't come to the beach right away, I was lucky enough to have my mom stay with the kids and I for the first couple nights. She was such a great help to me and it is always wonderful when the kids and I can get some quality time with her. And she always makes sure we're well fed! She was kind enough to stock our fridge with all the essentials and made sure that we were finally able to go to the Shake Shack! Oh. My. Goodness. It was completely worth the wait! I already told Marcus that we have to go there one more time with the kids before the baby comes! :)

sooo delicious!

he loved his shake, too ;)

While it was sad to say good-bye to Laguna, it does feel darn pretty great to be home. My 9 month pregnant body definitely missed my temperpedic mattress! And with less than 30 days(!!) of this pregnancy left I definitely have some projects I want to get completed before the little miss arrives. So yes it's back to reality, but thankfully it's a reality that I completely love.

Baby #3 Update {32 Weeks--the home stretch!}

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 18:22:00 +0000

It's time for another baby update! Even in the midst of this summer heat this pregnancy is flying by pretty quickly. We had such a busy July that I'm really looking forward to a mellow August. :) Here's the scoop at 32 weeks...

{32 weeks preggo}

How far along? 32 Weeks, 5 days.

Size of the baby: About 4 pounds

Weight Gain: Still on track, but I have felt tremendous growth in my belly in the last couple weeks! My shirts are finally feeling a bit snug.

Maternity Clothes: Thank GOODNESS for maternity clothes. All I want to wear are sundresses at this point!

Stretch Marks: Nope. (woo hoo!)

Sleep: Eh, not so great. I wake up at least twice a night to go to the bathroom and this is the first week where I've really started feeling uncomfortable. I have to wake up every couple hours to shift to a different "cozy" position, ha!

Exercise: I'm still trying to walk a few times a week, but about 3 weeks ago I pulled my lower back out which has made it very difficult to do anything ;P

Best Moment of this Week: Going on a quick birthday getaway with my mom! A little pampering goes a loooooong way when you're 8 months pregnant :)

Miss Anything: My body, haha. I'm not talking about looking cute in clothes--I really don't care about that right now! But I really miss being able to do whatever I want. If I stand too long, my back hurts. If I sit too long, my back hurts. I can't pick up my kids, because my back hurts. It's a bit frustrating! However, I'm really trying to stay positive--I know 8 weeks isn't that much longer. RIGHT?? ;)

Movement: Oh yes! All day everyday!

Food Cravings: Still apples! And really at this point I can only eat one moderately large meal a day--I'm feeling pretty squished!

Anything making you queasy or sick? No, thank goodness.

Gender: Girl

Have you started to show yet: Most definitely!

Labor Signs: No, but I have started feeling Braxton Hicks on and off.

Belly Button In or Out: In, but not for too much longer.

Wedding Ring On or Off: Engagement ring on, wedding bands off :)

Happy or Moody Most of the Time: Happy, but not for too much longer--just kidding!!

Looking forward to: August is a VERY mellow month for us. We really have nothing booked and I'm very much looking forward to that! We are planning on staying at M's parents beach house for a week towards the middle of the month, but other than that we'll be home. We also decided that we want to try and do one fun family outing with kids every weekend through August as well. Gotta soak up these last few weeks being a family of four! :)

The Big {Three-Oh!} and Oh-no.

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 04:31:00 +0000

July has come and just about gone and I am FINALLY able to sit and write. I love July. My lack of writing is not due to my lack of love for this month. Those who know me know that I am not a huge fan of summer time, but there is something so refreshingly summery about July that I just want to bottle it up. BBQ's, cool summer nights, beach days, running through the sprinklers, Popsicles and no school for Jack all equal *bliss* for my heart. Another reason I love July is that it's my birthday and the hubby's birthday. And who doesn't love celebrating their birthday, I ask? :)

This year was a big birthday for Marcus. The big 3-0! I knew I wanted to do something special for him, but getting M to make a firm decision as to what he wanted to do was a bit tougher. Luckily he's a pretty easy guy to please so we soon settled on Laguna for the backdrop to his birthday weekend. Fortunately for us M's parents have a beach house in Laguna so we were so fortunate to take advantage of a place to stay! (Thanks again Ama and Papa!) The weekend was extremely relaxing. Lazy beach days, surrounded by lots of family and close friends. Delicious food and cold beers were a daily occurrence {don't worry--no beer drinking for this mama ;)} and my wonderful mother-in-law ended the weekend with a delicious Cuban brunch.

It. Was. To Die For!!

Celebrating daddy's birthday in Laguna!

Since M's actual birthday was on a Monday I had decided months prior to take him away on a surprise getaway! I knew we would only be able to getaway for one night so I wanted to choose somewhere special. It didn't take long for me to settle on Avila Beach. Avila Beach holds a very special place in our hearts for many reasons and it is one of our most favorite places on earth! That's right--on earth! I didn't tell him where we were going until the night before we were supposed to leave and he was beyond excited!!

We left around 5am to beat the morning traffic and make it to Solvang for breakfast. We arrived at Paula's Pancakes bright and early and the birthday boy ordered pancakes for the first time ever! I know, right? Such a do-gooder.

Birthday breakfast.

Mmmm....pancakes...

After breakfast we hopped on the road and made a bee-line for Avila. We ended up getting to our hotel at 9am and were pleasantly surprised that they let us check in early! We spent the day eating wonderful food and going to all our favorite places in the area. It was so relaxing and wonderful. I don't even think I could try to put into words how much we enjoyed ourselves. I'll let some of the photos do a bit of the talking.

M enjoying banana ice cream--for the 2nd time in one day!

Dinner at our favorite restaurant Custom House.

BubbleGum Alley, SLO. Yuck!!

The perfect end, to the perfect day.
Avila Beach, CA.
July 15th, 2013.

Even though this was only a 24 hour getaway, it was perfect and just what we both needed. There's no one I love spending time with more than my husband and I know we both will remember his 30th birthday trip until the end of our days.

Once we arrived home it was back to the grind--taking care of Mbody and of course our Mbabies! My birthday is just 5 short days after my hubby's and I knew I wanted my day to be mellow and fun. I had decided that I wanted to go to the Shake Shack in Crystal Cove for lunch on my actual birthday. I'd never been and it just looked fun! The kids were so excited to go and we were going to be joined by our families to make the day that much better. Later in the day I had planned on getting a facial and then I was going to end the day with dinner at Kentro, one of my favorite places! It wasn't going to be a terribly exciting day, but I was very much looking forward to it none-the-less. :)

Well, none of that happened. As fate would have it, both my babes woke up with a bug in the wee morning hours of my birthday. On and off all day they battled high fevers with a few spurts of vomiting mixed in. Everything I had planned had to be canceled and my facial {that I had so been looking forward to} ended up calling me to cancel due to the esthetician getting sick. I'm not gonna lie, I was bummed. And I cried. Darn those pregnancy hormones, ha! But I believe with every cloud comes a silver lining. I was still able to get a quick lunch with my family on my birthday and one of my best friends ended up dropping off dinner and cupcakes. Even though my day didn't end up looking quite like I had wanted, I still found myself so blessed and so thankful for all the good in my life. Amazing family, great friends--I think 31 is going to be pretty wonderful.

On my actual birthday with my loves.

Breathing treatments are no fun.

My kids stayed sick for the next few days after my birthday, but luckily were better just in time for me to go on a quick night getaway with my mom. We hadn't gone on a girls trip since I was engaged (!!) and it was so needed for this tired mama. If Marcus is the number one person that I love to spend time with, then my mom definitely is a close second. We rarely get kid-free time with each other and this trip was such a wonderful way to celebrate my birthday. We ate AMAZING food and were pampered with manicures, pedicures, shopping and facials. I COULD NOT have had a better time. Thanks a million mom. You never fail in making me feel like the most special person on earth.

Once I was home M's side of the family wanted to celebrate my birthday too since they knew I had been on nursing duty with the kids all week. They brought over delicious Mexican food and an ice cream cake that was soooo yummy! Jack was SO happy that I was finally able to blow out candles! After I made my wishes he said, "NOW it's your birthday mama!". You are so right, my sweet boy.

We each made a wish :)

Truly, I ended up having several days of birthday celebrating. I am so blessed and thankful to have so many people that love me, I could not ask for more. Now that July is coming to a close I'm gearing up for a very mellow August and just 7 weeks left of this pregnancy!! I'm starting to feel a bit squished, but am trying my best to savor these last few weeks. I cannot wait to hold my precious girl in my arms, but I also want to spend as much time with the two sweet kids that I get to hold right now. I'm looking forward to a month filled with relaxing beach days and hopefully many blessings.

Until next time.

Baby #3 Update {28 Weeks}

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 02:50:00 +0000

It's time for another baby update :) I can't believe it's already been 8 weeks since my last post on baby #3! Times really flies when you're chasing after children day in and day out. As of last week I'm officially in my 3rd trimester!! How exciting is that?! This pregnancy is flying by, but now that the summer heat has officially started in SoCal I have a feeling it might feel like a loooong summer. Anyone who knows me knows that anything over 75 degrees is too warm for my liking, but I am determined to have a really good attitude about the heat during these last 12 weeks of pregnancy. I have some fun activities planned with the kids and we're taking a week long trip to the beach around the middle of August which I'm praying will be filled with wonderfully cool weather! And thank GOODNESS my hubby is 100% on board with me running the AC as often as I need it--I just love that man. Here's the scoop at 28 weeks...

Jack wanted to join me in my belly shot. Isn't he the cutest?
{28 weeks pregnant}

How far along? 28 Weeks

Size of the baby: About 2 1/4 pounds

Weight Gain: Still on track, but definitely feeling growth in my belly (and everywhere else for that matter ;)

Maternity Clothes: Oh yes. Stretchy pants and sun dresses are my friends, haha ;)

Stretch Marks: Nope. (woo hoo!)

Sleep: Still sleeping comfortably for the most part. This little girl is a mover and a shaker though! She's still tiny enough to not have her kicks pack that much of a punch...yet.

Exercise: Aside from chasing after the kids, I started walking 1-2 miles everyday. It makes me feel really good and has helped with maintaining energy.

Best Moment of this Week: Officially making it to my 3rd trimester. I'm feeling in the home stretch of this pregnancy. 90 days (or less!) left!

Miss Anything: Yes...cooler weather. Being in your third trimester during a heat wave is not awesome.

Movement: Oh yes! All day everyday!

Food Cravings: Apples! I can't get enough.

Anything making you queasy or sick? No, thank goodness.

Gender: Girl

Have you started to show yet: Yep! She's growing every week!

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button In or Out: In

Wedding Ring On or Off: On

Happy or Moody Most of the Time: Happy! I still have a lot of energy and am pretty comfortable for the most part. :)

Looking forward to: The 4th of July and Marcus' 30th birthday! We actually don't have any set plans for the fourth, but I'm sure lots of family time, bbq and ice cream will be involved :) Oh, and of course fireworks! M's birthday is the middle of July and I'm taking him to a surprise location for the day and night. Quality time, relaxing with no kids--yes please! :)

Growing on Up.

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 01:06:00 +0000

Summer has officially arrived! Last week was Jack's last day of school and was met with some bittersweet emotions from myself. I was a little surprised by how emotional his last few days at school were for me! His teacher made a scrapbook for me of all of the things Jack saw and learned this year, accompanied with darling photos of my little guy. She also gave me a DVD slide show of photos of Jack throughout the year...starting with his first day of school all the way to his last. Cue the tears! I could not stop crying. I know part of this is due to the overflow of pregnancy hormones circulating through my system right now, but I also think it was more than that. Seeing picture after picture of my sweet boy just made me realize how fast time really flies with your children. I kept envisioning that way down the road I'll come across this DVD and scrapbook and remember this very moment. Remember when he seemed so big, but was really still so small. Remember his sweet little innocent voice. Remember how certain I was that he would still be sneaking into our bed at night until he left for collage. Remember how much I savored my time with him at this stage.

Jack's first and last day of school.

He had such a great first year! I saw such tremendous growth from him and really saw him blossom into such a inquisitive, well-mannered and thoughtful four year old. He improved on everything I was hoping he would and I couldn't be more proud. Next year he'll be doing two days a week instead of one and I just know he is ready for it! Hope I'm ready for it too ;)

Source: Uploaded by user via Lisa on Pinterest

In addition to Jack being done with preschool for the year, Lily is officially...sleeping in a big girl bed! It's been about 2 weeks now and she is doing incredible! She has only gotten out of bed once and all it took to get her back was me telling her I would turn her bed back into a crib. She hasn't gotten up since ;) I'm so thankful that "the big girl bed" has been such an easy transition for Lily considering that it was not an easy one for her older brother. We still struggle with him staying in his own bed at night! I do realize however that every child has their own strengths and struggles. Even though Jack still struggles with his "big boy bed", he was an absolute dream to potty train. Lily and I are going to tackle potty training this summer so I'll definitely keep updated on how that pans out :)

Lily in her big girl bed.
Age: 2 years, 3 months.

There's the latest on my babes. They're growing on a bit too quickly for my liking, but as always I'm savoring the journey along the way. I found the above quote on Pinterest and it rang very true for me in regard to my children. Perhaps this is true for life in general as well. I know one day when they're all up and out of the house I'll remember how quickly these years at home flew by with them. I won't really remember their struggles, but only their strengths. I won't remember the nights Marcus and I slept without Jack sneaking into our room, only the nights that he snuggled close to us. The things that I'm struggling with now, really won't have been struggles at all. Because I realize that my children aren't the only ones growing up, I still am too. We're all growing and learning. And with lots of hope and prayer, we'll all turn into who God intends us to be.

A T[ea] for Baby E[va] + A Memorable {Batman} BBQ

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 05:35:00 +0000

My oh my, it's already June! May was a very busy month in our household and seemed to flyby. We had lots of play dates, OB doctor visits, close friends visiting from out of town, gymnastics for Jack, two weddings, a 30th birthday party for a dear friend of mine and many MANY Disneyland days. Two very special days that need special mention however, were a tea for baby Eva and Jack's 4th birthday celebration.

My mom and sister-in-law threw me a tea to celebrate baby Eva's September arrival. It was a small and intimate setting at my Mom's house with ten close family members from mine and Marcus' sides of the family in attendance. My mom and Ashley completely outdid themselves! They made everything from scratch and everything tasted AMAZING. Homemade scones with clotted cream and jam, cookies, mini cupcakes, tea sandwiches, sugared fruit, mini yogurt parfaits--and I know I'm forgetting more! I had an absolutely wonderful time surrounded by women I love so much. I feel so blessed that baby Eva is already so loved by so many.

Beverage Bar: Lemonade, Iced Tea and Sassy Water

Delicious sweets!

So many good things.

Just a spot of tea.

Me with the lovely hostesses.

And a few Cinderella treats for baby Eva...Lily might be jealous :)

Seriously? Homemade everything!

I couldn't have asked for a better and more relaxing day! Mom and Ash--Thank you SO SO much for taking the time to throw me a tea to celebrate baby number 3! I had such a fun time and am so grateful to you both for making me feel so special. Baby Eva is so blessed.

The next special day that we celebrated in May was Jack's 4th birthday. Jack's birthday fell on Memorial Day this year so we decided to celebrate with a good old fashioned BBQ! We had hot dogs (per the birthday boy's request!) with all the fixin's including a chili cheese bar, sliced water melon, broccoli slaw and an assortment of chips. In lieu of cake, Jack wanted cake balls AND cupcakes and I was happy with how they both turned out. Everything turned out tasting delicious and I'm so grateful to the family members who helped bring side dishes and extra sweets for everyone to enjoy! It turned out to be a warm day, but that didn't stop Jack and his little buddies from jumping in the Batman bounce house non-stop or playing on his new trampoline AND swing set.

Overall, I was so happy with how the party turned out. Marcus and I were also very appreciative of everyone that came out to celebrate our little man, especially on a holiday. When everyone was singing "Happy Birthday" to Jack I couldn't help, but get a little choked up. Yes, I can probably blame most of that on hormones, but I also think that its just plain 'ole emotional celebrating the fact that your baby is growing up. I can't believe my baby Jack is now my big boy Jack. These four years have gone by in a blink and I have no doubt the next four will as well. What also makes Jack's birthday particularly emotional for me is not only do I celebrate the day he was born, but also the day the Marcus and I decided to start our marriage over again. May 26th, 2010 (technically the day before Jack's first birthday) was the day we decided that we were going to be a family again. Every year when we're singing to our sweet boy together as a family, I can't help but say a heartfelt thank you to God for this wonderful life that I've been blessed with. To see Jack smiling happily with both parents by his side, along with now our sweet Lily and in a few months time baby Eva... I'm just so grateful for this wonderful life. Everyday truly feels like my birthday.

birthday wishes.

Our little Super Girl.

Happy Birthday Jack Jack.

That was our May! Now that it's June summer is just around the corner and we have some fun family events planned. This month shouldn't be quite as busy as the last and that is just fine with me :) In a few days we will be celebrating my baby brother's 21st birthday(!!!) and we have lots of fun things planned for him. Towards the middle of the month we're spending Father's Day weekend in Malibu and are very much looking forward to a mini-vacay filled with sand and sunshine. Jack also has just 3 more days of preschool in the midst of these things and I can't wait to recap his first year here on the blog. Summer's a'coming and you better believe we'll be soaking up lots of fun with our family of four.

4 Cheers for Jack!

Forever Changed

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Fri, 31 May 2013 20:24:00 +0000

Mother's Day came and went this year. We had a lovely (and busy!) day spent with both sides of our family, as well as some dear friends that were visiting from out of town. The day started with a fantastic breakfast at my brother and sister-in-laws house. All the Daily ladies brought a dish to contribute and the table was overflowing with every good thing you could imagine! Shortly after that we moseyed on over to the Martinez house where we had a delicious lunch and a fun time spent with family. I made a cream cheese strawberry shortcake for the first time and it turned out really yummy! Later that evening our very dear friends Chad, Shayna and Ryan came over for dinner and a much too short visit. We picked up Thai food for dinner and ate outside in our backyard. The kids played and we all enjoyed the warm Spring evening and of course each others company. Overall, it was a wonderful Mother's Day. Even though there is always a little bit of hustle and bustle on any holiday, the reason Mother's Day is especially precious to me is because of these two...

My first Mother's Day Tea at Jack's school!

Lily wearing her Ariel jammies, holding her Ariel doll and watching...The Little Mermaid!

Words can never really describe how incredibly thankful I am to be their mom. Both of these littles have taught be so much about life and about love. People often say that they don't remember what life was like before children and I'd have to disagree. I perfectly remember what it was like to sleep in until 9 in the morning and even what it was like to be "crazy" and go see a movie after 9pm. But the thing is, once you become a mom every "freedom" you got to enjoy before having a baby really doesn't matter anymore. Once you gaze upon your new baby's face for the first time your life is forever changed. It's a moment that takes your breath away and I cannot wait to experience that moment again for the 3rd time in just a few short months.

Jack and Lily (and Eva too!),
I'm so thankful that God chose me to be your mama. You are my heart and soul, and I will love you forever and ever and ever.
xoxo,
Mom

Baby # 3 Update {20 Weeks}

noreply@blogger.com (The Homemaker.) — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:31:00 +0000

20 Week Bump!

I can't believe I am already half way done with this pregnancy! Time seems to fly by faster and faster with each pregnancy and I know baby girl will be here before we know it! I thought it might be fun to do a little questionnaire for this particular baby update--I always enjoy reading them on other blogs :)

How far along? 20 Weeks

Weight Gain: Oh, yes! Really, I'm right on track for weight gain. For my first two pregnancies I had a really hard time embracing my ever changing (and expanding!) waistline. This time around I feel so incredibly relaxed about the whole thing. Pregnancy really is a beautiful time and it's so brief. It's felt really good to just sit back and enjoy the changes that are happening to my body.

Maternity Clothes: Definitely. Honestly, I had to start wearing stretchy pants by week 10! Haha--my uterus pretty much was like, "Ohhhh right, yeah I've done this before." ;)

Stretch Marks: (Knock on wood) Not yet! I didn't get any stretch marks with Lily either. I think my body did all it's stretching the first time around :)

Sleep: This baby has not caused me any sleepless nights as of yet. My almost 4 year old on the other hand...that's another post for another day ;)

Exercise: Chasing after 2 kids every day counts right?!

Best Moment of this Week: Having my 20 week ultrasound and seeing this precious girl up close! We decided to take Jack with us to the appointment and I'm so glad we did. He loved seeing the baby move around and was so fascinated by the whole thing!

Miss Anything: Not yet...but ask me again in another few months :)

Movement: I feel little kicks from time to time which is fun. She's about the size of a tomato so the kicks don't really pack to much of a punch...yet.

Food Cravings: Red bell peppers and sour jelly beans. Not at the same time :P

Anything making you queasy or sick? Every once in awhile the smell of cooked meat will get to me and any lotions or perfumes that have a strong fragrance are a no go for me.

Gender: Girl

Have you started to show yet: Yes! I noticed a big jump from 12 to 16 weeks. She just keeps growing and growing every week and I love it!

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button In or Out: In

Wedding Ring On or Off: On

Happy or Moody Most of the Time: I will say that my least favorite part about the whole pregnancy experience are the hormonal changes. Normally I'm a pretty easy going gal, but when I'm pregnant I'm just a bit more...spicy! However, with all that being said I would say I'm happy most of the time. :)

Looking forward to: A family trip to Carlsbad at the end of May and in July I'm whisking the hubby away for his birthday...I'm not telling him where we're going until the day before we leave! :)