Back in the saddle.....

I guess it's been quite awhile since I've done this but I decided to give it another go. I should probally give the 2 people who will read this an update on what's been going on with the Martinez Family this last year. So here it goes.........

Ivan:

He has had a very busy year full of surgeries and job changes. This Friday will be Ivan's 3rd surgery this year. So far he has had surgery on his left femur, hardware removal on his right femur, and now foot surgery. For those of you who don't know, Ivan has HME (google it..Hereditary Multiple Exostosis). He is in constant pain and discomfort, but you would never know it. He is a great example of how to deal with challenges by looking to God for peace and joy. He uses all that he deals with to now minister to those who are dealing with the same challenges in life. Speaking of which, Ivan is no longer working with the youth at our church. He has moved on to other ministries. He has such a gift for hospitality and relating with people and he is able to use that gift to its fullest extent. He is so happy with his new ministries and LOVES talking to people all day long, it's really what he's best at...trust me :) We still stay in close contact with alot of the kids in the high school and love them dearly.

Lauren:

Well last October I started working from home part time, I was working about 25 hours a week in my room on the computer. I did this until March and then decided that I could not sit in my room for one more minute or I would go bonkers. The Lord blessed me with a great job at an Optometrist office doing their billing. I split my time between Hemet and Redlands. I love getting out of the house a few days a week. I am really busy taking care of the kids, doing all the mom stuff. I have come to a place where my kids are getting older, we are out of the baby stage, and I am enjoying my kids company. They make me laugh constantly, and make me wanna pull my ears off of my head constantly but that's ok, I still love them. Life is busy, I love it that way.

Ally:

She is in 3rd grade this year. She is changing so much, I just wanna freeze her at this time and not let her grow up anymore. I see the pre-teen stage coming up really quickly and it scares the daylights out of me. If you knew me as a teenager you would know why I say that. Ally is so much like me that's it's like looking in a mirror sometimes. I have had several instances of deja vu. CREEPY!!!! She loves talking and more talking and more talking and more talking. She is a great helper, she gets along with her brother and sister so well.

Benny:

Big stuff Benny started Kindergarten this year. He was stoked to be at the same school as Ally. He was not so stoked to see that in Kindergarten there are no toys in the classroom. He misses his preschool where all they did was play and do crafts all day. He is adjusting to the "work" well. He has grown up so much this last year. He is such a sweet boy. He has his daddy's heart...he wants to please and loves to hug and cuddle. He loves all things pertaining to Star Wars or Spiderman or Batman. He can be found most days running through the house with a gun shooting his sisters. That just brings him such joy :)

Bailey:

Oh my Bailey, what can I say........she is our most challenging child for sure. She has such a crazy personality, I just sit back in awe of her most of the time. For example: last night at the fair we were watching the monster truck show and when she looked over and saw the pure joy in her big brothers face she decided it was the perfect time to clench her fist and punch him in the face. Do you get the picture???? I often look at her and wonder who's child is this??? Bailey started preschool this year. She goes to school 3 days a week while I'm at work. She loves it, she loves her teachers and her new friends. Bailey comes home to rule her roost. She 100% believes she is the boss of this house and everyday we battle for that position. God is the perfect designer, He knew that Bailey would need that fight and fire. Last December we found out that Bailey has the same bone disease as Ivan. She already has several tumors growing and will need surgery next year. She has a long road ahead of her but I have no doubt that she will be able to handle it.

So that's us in a nutshell....there have been so many joys for us and some challenges but with God we count it all joy.

Disneyland

We finally broke down this year and got Disneyland passes. We have been talking about it for a few years but never really did it.  We got them for Ally's birthday and she was thrilled, of course.  This was Benny and Bailey's first time at Disneyland and they both loved it.  We had a great day with the whole family.  

Sisterly Love

One of our rainy days last week Ally decided to set up a tea party for her and Bailey. Bailey just thought that she was such big stuff sitting up on that stool with Ally. It's so sweet to see the two of them play together. Bailey just adores her older sister and will do whatever Ally wants her to which just makes Ally thrilled. She loves being the boss :) It's times like these that I cherish and hope that the love between them now lasts through the teenage years ;)

Sorry it's been so long!

Sorry I know it's been a long time since I have posted anything. So here's just a little update on what has been going on with us for the last 6 weeks. The second week of January Ivan left on a missions trip to Chile. He was gone for a little over 2 weeks. We missed him so much but we knew that the Lord was using him and blessing him in a mighty way. He loved it there and can't wait to go back next year Lord willing. Here are some pics of him in Chile.




Ivan has to show his Mexican pride :)




We just been staying busy with kids in school and church functions. I have been busy getting ready for the Women's Retreat in April and I am teaching Bible study also.

Looking back at our 2008

This year has been full of changes for us as a family and full of blessings. As I look back on the year I am so thankful for all that God has done in us, through us, and for us.

My favorite verse this year has been Lamentations 3:22-25

"Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed. Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, Therefore I hope in Him! The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks him."


This passage has ministered to me and to Ivan so much throughout this year as we were tested in our faith and tested in our patience.


Ivan:
He has had a great year. Though there are always times of testing and times of stress he always comes out loving God more and wanting to serve Him better. Ivan had the opportunity to go to Israel last February for a week. He did a Pastor's Tour with a bunch of other Calvary Chapel Pastors from all over the country. He loved it! He came home and said that it was like seeing the Bible in color. Now he had a visual for all the places and events he studies. In August Ivan's brother Jessie came home from Minnesota and once again joined Ivan in ministry at our church. Nothing makes Ivan happier than to serve along side his baby brother.

Lauren:
I learned so much this year about who God is to me. I was tested this year in my faith and with my obedience to trust in Him. I wanted to move so badly, we were living in a 2bdrm mobile home with no yard for the kids to play in, and not in the greatest neighborhood. Our neighbors would sit outside and do drugs in broad daylight! So I was couped up with kids in the house constantly! I prayed that the Lord would somehow provide a way for us to move somewhere safer, and bigger. I knew that the Lord just wanted me to give that desire to Him and let Him take care of it. Being the control freak that I am it was very hard for me to just sit back and do NOTHING but pray. In August we were told that we were going to get to move into a house. This house was perfect.......it had everything we needed and wanted......God is so good! We moved in November and finally feel settled in. I also started serving more in ministry this year as the kids are getting a little bit older. I taught a study at our Women's Retreat in April and I also started teaching at our Women's Bible Study on Tuesdays. The Lord has done a great work in me and I can't wait to see what's next for 2009.

Allyson:
She is my little helper. She helps me so much with the two little ones and with a happy heart most of the time :) Ally went through some major changes this year and we all know Ally has a hard time with change. She started 1st grade this year which for her meant going to school a full day. It was hard on her at first but she acclamated pretty quickly. Soon we found out we were moving to a different part of town and she would be switching from private to public school. Through all of the change for her she still has that big smile on her face, although she is missing some teeth now :)

Benny:
Oh my little Benny! I'm told that I spoil him rotten but he is my little boy and the poor middle child. I guess being a middle child myself I try to give him a little grace :) Benny has grown up so much this year. Back in May we had him tested for his speech. It became apparent to us that he was not developing his speech the way he should. They told us to enroll him in preschool as soon as we could so that he could get speech therapy. The preschool did not have any openings until October. He started school in October and he has progressed so much in the few short months he has been there. Now it's not just mommy that can understand him when he talks and Ally is doing much less interpreting these days :)

Bailey:
Bailey did all the huge milestones that occur the first year. She got her teeth, she started eating solid food, she learned to crawl, and walk. She has developed quite the little personality too. She is my little spit-fire. She is not afraid to get or take what she wants when she wants it. She maybe smaller than the other two but she can hold her own. She has such an adorable laugh that in just infectious. She loves her older sister and will sit and play polly pockets all day with her. She loves to wrestle with her brother and be rough. I can't wait to see how she grows this year.

Well I hope all of you had a great 2008 and Ihope that you grow closer in your walk with the Lord in 2009. We love each and every one of you.

Benny and Daddy

Ivan and Benny have such an awesome relationship. They both are so affectionate and so they just hang all over each other. Benny has had a fascination with wrestling since he first laid eyes on the movie Nacho Libre. There was something about it that just caught his attention and he can't watch it enough. He has the lines memorized, he has the wrestling moves memorized. He is so cute re-enacting each scene that he loves. Ivan and Benny wrestle on the nights that Ivan is home and Benny just loves it. The funny thing is that he doesn't always want to be the one that's winning, he loves it when Ivan puts the moves on him. I thought I would share some pictures of Benny wrestling with daddy.






And this is what we have to do after Benny wrestles with Daddy. It's asthma season :)

Christmas Eve 2008

Christmas Eve is spent with Ivan's family. We spend most of the day making tamales, which, I have to say are the best tamales! Then we go to church for Christmas Eve service. We come back to the house and fill our tummy's with all kinds of good food. We hang out til around 11pm and when the kids can't possibly wait any longer we all pile in the living room to open presents. It's tight and cramped but we wouldn't have it any other way. We love it and the kids love it.


Here are all the grandkids and great grandkids with Ivan's dad. From the left top is Joshua, Jailynn(his little girl), Grandpa, Jose Jr, Layla(Jose's daughter), Nivia, Israel (Nivia's son), Jessica, Bailey. Bottom from the left is Allyson, Benjamin, and Lysette. Whew! that's alot of kids.

The Martinez family: Lionel, Nena, Dad, Alfonso, Ivan, and Jessie