Time

I treasure time. I treasure all our different kinds of time. There is family time. Time with just the six of us. Sitting at the dinner table, riding in the car to practices, getting dressed and ready to go somewhere, movie nights, and just those few moments we can have just us. I do get stressed sometimes but I love time with just my family.

I enjoy active time. I love taking the kids to the ballpark, school functions....really anywhere they can run, play, sweat, smile, and grow into the super cool people they are!

I enjoy Mark time. I don't get as much alone time with Mark as I would like but I LOVE the time we get together. Tonight, we got to go to the grocery store JUST THE TWO OF US! Big deal, uh YES! With four children, you take what you can get!

I enjoy extended family time. I have enjoy time with aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. I love that we have family close enough to visit.

Here is the thing about time. Time is something you can not get back so enjoy it. Enjoy family time, alone time, quality time, any kind of time you can get with your family, friends, and alone. I am so thankful that I have so many people I love to share my time with.

Makings for a perfect morning.....

There are a few things you need in Oconee County to make for a perfect start to your morning.

                                              First you need an old unpainted rocking chair

      This rocking chair needs to be waiting patiently on you for when you get out of your shower.

Secondly, you need a HEARTY HEATER. What is a Hearty Heater you ask?  It is a wood burning furnace that my sister is lucky enough to have on her farm. The hot water is HOT and it is endless.

This simple looking furnace allows for the most AMAZING shower you will ever take in your entire life. For real, it is better than a 5 star resort shower. Pure bliss of hotness!

And finally, you need to go cuddle up in your unpainted rocking chair with a big cup of spiced apple cider and just take in the view.......

I have no desire to move back to Oconee County but with mornings like this one, I have to admit I was tempted. I am thankful Green Acres farm is always open to my family!

Charlie Martin

Growing up sisters play dolls, ride bikes, sing silly songs to their boyfriends on the phone, go to proms, go to college, get married, and have babies. Getting to be a part of Mac's life has been awesome. I have shared so many memories with her. One of my favorite memories has been Mac being in the delivery room for Masons birth. She was there for Kades as well but Masons was really special. I didn't have her in the room with me so that she would return the favor, I wanted her to experience my life changing with me. I knew that she was more private than I was and when she had children she wouldn't want me in there and I was totally fine with that.

Well, April 2nd 2011 Mac became a mommy! Charlie was not the easiest baby to get into this world. He was not wanting to make his entrance but four weeks early Mac's body felt differently. After three days in the hospital with blood pressure issues, Charlie was born via C section. Grandparents were the only ones in the family to go to the hospital for several reasons. First, there are ALOT of grandparents and second, with Macs blood pressure so I we all felt it was better if she was left to stay calm and healthy for her and Charlie. I will never forget getting the call Charlie had arrived. I had been waiting since Wednesday for the call and instead there were alot of "nothing new" conversations. Finally, Saturday morning Mac sent me a text and said they were doing the C section at 3:00! I was thrilled. So I am sitting at Nolans baseball game and waiting impatiently for the call. Hours go by and sometime after 6:00 my mom FINALLY called and said Charlie was here and everyone was healthy. Charlie did have to stay in NICU for a few days but he was fine. And one week to the day that Mac entered the hospital, she and her new family were headed home.

So, with more excitement that I imagined I would ever have, I set out this morning to meet my sweet nephew on his one week birthday. 83.7 miles later, I was in the driveway of Mac house. I calmly waked in the house and went straight for my sweet boy.

 I know the love of a mother and her son. I know the instant love you feel. I have seen babies, held them, and loved them instantly but nothing compares to seeing Charlie for the first time. Mac and I have shared so much. Seeing her baby for the first time was unbelievable. He is perfect. He looks just like his daddy. Those Martin jeans are STRONG!

 I held him and smothered him in kisses. I talked to him about his ten perfect fingers and ten perfect toes. I told him how his cousins couldn't wait to meet him and how they loved him already. I told him how badly I wish I could have met him sooner. I just couldn't stop talking to him and I didn't want to put him down. He is perfect!

As much as I loved holding him, I loved my time with Mac too. We went to lunch together while Gigi and Grandpa Charles kept him. We shopped a little and talked a lot. It was so fun to hear Mac talk about how she loves just watching him and it reminded me how strong she has always been hearing her tell his birth story. I think we both needed a little sister time. But we didn't waste too much time away because both of us wanted to get back to Charlie

When we got home we took Charlie and his four legged siblings for his first walk. It was fun to be outside pushing a newborn again. I have missed that peaceful time pushing a stroller. Mac got to give some attention to Sophie and Finn!

I hated for my visit to end. I wish I could have held that sweet boy forever. But with a huge storm coming towards Macs house, I had to leave. I kissed Charlies sweet head, hugged my amazing sister and headed home to my house of boys! The whole way home I got to reflect on Mac and Charlie.

Mac loves being a mom. She is a natural. The way she looks at her little boy makes my heart smile. She is so tender and gentle with him. She talks in third person to him even though she swore she would never do that. Charlie is precious. He is a squeaky little bird! Mac thinks he makes noises because she talked during her pregnancy so much ( she is a teacher!). He has a calm temper and loves to sleep. They are still figuring each other out and it was awesome to watch just for the day. I think of all my memories with Mac, today is now one of my favorites.

UGA baby!

I am SO THRILLED that Courtney got accepted to the University of Georgia. I am a huge Corey Smith fan. I think this song is just awesome and I thought of it the second I got the call from CJ! She has a big decision ahead, Clemson or UGA. Both schools are great and they both will be lucky to have her.

I dont have a picture of her with her acceptance letter so this will have to do!( it is her first ticket!)

I will never forget CJ moving me into my dorm freshman year at Columbia College. She was way to small to be in all that mess but she wanted to be there. She was adorable helping unpack but I have one memory that stands out. As my family was driving away, Courtney popped her head out of the back of the Suburban and waved good bye to me. She was adorable with her blonde hair and sweet smile wishing me well as I started a new chapter of my life.

Courtney, I know either school you choose, you will be successful! I love you and can't wait to see all the amazing things you do in this next phase of life!

They make me melt

Mason has loved his big brother Nolan from the second they laid eyes on each other. Mason wants to be just like Nolan. When he crawled, he crawled after Nolan. When he toddled, he toddled after Nolan. And when he learned to walk, he was always on Nolans heels. One thing Mason said from the moment he could talk was that he wanted to play baseball just like Nolan. This year playing tball there is something about Mason that just stands out. First, he is the ONLY 4 year old that wears a cup on the field. Why does a 4 year old wear a cup, because he 12 year old brother does. Mason knows how to hold the bat just right, because Nolan showed him how. Mason wears a blue armband, because Mark got one for everyone and Nolan has always shared his armbands. Mason carries his own batbag because Nolan never asks us to carry his.

 Nolan is awesome and he melts my heart. He has laid the foundation for Mason to grow into an amazing young man like his big brother. I can never thank Nolan enough for being the kind of brother Mason can look up to. Mason melts my heart with his love of everything. He is so thankful of everything and excited about everything. I give credit to Nolan for so much of that. These two boys have such a special bond and I feel lucky to get the chance to watch it grow.

She is all grown up.....Almost!

I am so lucky to have so many siblings. I love them all and have different realationships with each of them. Courtney is the second to last sister. I was so happy to have her visit yesterday.

My sweet CJ. Wow, I don't even know how to explain her to everyone. I will never forget the day she was born, she won't either becuase I remind her every year on her birthday. I had on black shorts and a black and white shirt. She was the cutest conehead you ever did see! She cried when you put her down, maybe becuase being 15, I never wanted to put her down.

She followed me everywhere when she was little. Her third birthday I dressed up like Barney and scared the snot out of her and all her friends. When I took the costume off and rejoined her party, she told me all about how cool it was Barney was there....yet she screamed and ran for the hills.

When dates would come over, she would want to go. I dated the same guy for a good while and when we broke up the first boy I brought over, Courtney said,  "You  aren't Buddy!" She was so fun to have to get ready with and dress up with!

When Kaelyn was born, she was a great big sister and she loved having a sister closer to her age. It has been fun to watch them grow up together and become such good friends. I hate I am not closer to them but I love that they have each other.

Seeing Courtney on her field trips to Columbia has been a treat for the boys and myself! She is always so fun to catch up with and watch her preform. I love her cheerleading and chorus events. I love seeing her as the awesome young lady she has become, not just a little tiny sister.

It makes me feel so old thinking she was just three when she came to move me into college my freshman year. She is now a senior in high school. Next year I will have a three year old when she moves into college. I hope she stays secure in who she is. I hope she had learned from our mistakes and she conquers everything college throws at her. I hope she meets friends that challenge her and love her. I hope she finds what she wants to do and falls in love with her life as a strong woman. I hope she visits and remembers how loved she is. I hope she never forgets the day she was born. That her big sister loved holding her, playing with her, watching her grow, and having her as a friend too.

 More than anything I hope she knows that it has killed me not to be able to be at every event for her. I think the Internet was invented so I could have pictures, emails, and videos of their preformances. I have watched from a far her become the strong indepent woman she is. I have loved the late night phone calls, silly conversations, great Wii dance offs, picture opportunities,first tickets, college applications, and everything else she has been so wonderful to let me be apart of. I can't believe my little CJ is almost all grown up. She will forever be that tiny baby I loved from the second she was born.  I can't wait to see her conquer the world. I love you Court.

Support

My children never sit still. Sometimes, very few and far between, I will catch them sitting still watching each other and supporting each other. It makes my heart smile.

As you can see, we REALLY do live at the ballpark. I love how each of the kiddos support each other. It makes for great days at our new home away from home.