Spring Break...Safford Style

This year for spring break we decided to escape the cold mountain air and head down to Safford to visit Randy, Cynthia, and their girls in the desert where it is warmer! We headed out Wednesday and came home Saturday. We had a blast!! I ADORE their girls and love hanging out with Cynthia every chance I get! We ate a lot of food, played outside, visited with my amazing Aunt Kathy and went on a crazy Mountain drive that made me sick, but was still a lot of fun. One of the nights Cynthia's awesome parents came over and babysat while us adults got to go to the movie of our choice (Brandon and Randy when to Alice in Wonderland while Cynthia and I wen to Bounty Hunter). I enjoyed torturing Cynthia by making her run with me every morning. Friday morning we ended up doing 5 miles at a pace that was a record for me...there is just something about running by a federal prison that makes ya run a little faster:)!!

THANKS RANDY AND CYTHIA for letting us come your way and hang out for a few days. We hope you know how much we love and adore you guys!!!!

Up on the Mountain...Cousins are the best!

(Eva, Caden, Porter, Zach, Tristen, Morgon, Macie, Amelia, Brylee, Tessa, Michael, and Paul)

We are a Happy Family!!!

My baby girl just chillen!

LOVE this picture...I LOVE that my boys adore their daddy!!!!

Before and After...

Read the last post first. Ive tried for hours to blog from my laptop and I haven't quite figured it out...sorry they are out of order!!

Their Headboard BEFORE

Their Headboard AFTER

I forgot to take BEFORE bathroom pics, so here are some AFTERS...

Bathroom Pic #1

Bathroom Pic #2

Before and After...

Before last week this was just(not really 'just') my sister-in-law Melanie...

After this past week she has become one of my Hero's (eventhough I have always thought she walked on water)

Before last week she had TWO Kidneys

After last Wednesday she now only has ONE!! (She donated it to her best friend's husband)

Before last week her Master BedRoom looked like this...

And After a week full of late nights, lots of help, lots of donations and LOTS of love it now looks like this...

As a surprise to Melanie we decided to redo her bedroom and bathroom while she was down having surgery...I think she liked them:) BIG thanks to EVERYONE who helped me with this and donated their time and money.

Melz...I hope you know how much I love and appreciate you. I am so glad you are part of our forever family.

Please Say It Isn't So...

My first born child turned 8 last week!!! I can't believe that he is old enough to get baptized...which he did last Monday the 15th. We had to have his baptism the day after his birthday due to my parents being gone, and since they had a part on the program they kind of needed to be there:) I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around the fact that it has been 8 years since he was in my belly, 8 years since I was anticipating his arrival, and 8 years since this little blond hair, blue eyed, boy changed my life forever. Here are just a few reasons why we love our Porter 'John' Wayne Martineau...

#1...His awesome laugh!

#2...His corky sense of humor...He's SUCH a tease!!

#3...His tender heart.

#4...His ridiculously long eye lashes!

#5...He's a straight 'A' student

#6...He LOVES to work with his dad!

#7...His love for learning!

#8...He accepts everyone!

Porter...We hope you know how much we love you! We are SOOOO grateful that our Heavenly Father trusted us enough to allow us to be your earthly parents. Thanks for making us laugh everyday!!! We will love you forever!!!

Porter and his Dad

Porter and I

Porter and Grandma Maude

Porter and Grandma & Grandpa Tenney

Porters Baptismal Program

Conducting: Bishop Uncle Tim Slade
Pianist: Aunt Melanie Tenney
Chorister: Aunt Jamilyn Slade

Opening Song: I Hope They Call Me On A Mission
Opening Prayer: Grandpa Tenney
Talk on Baptism: Grandma Tenney

Baptism of Porter by his Dad

Special Number: Cousin Carly Mallory
“I Know That My Savior Loves Me”
Talk on Holy Ghost: Mom
Confirmation of Porter by his Dad

Closing Song: When I Am Baptized
Closing Prayer: Cousin Trey Tenney

Porter's Birthday Party

Since Porter's birthday fell on a Sunday, we just had the Slade's over for Cake and Icecream. He definitely got spoiled!!!

Blow Porter Blow!!

Porter loves the XBox!!

Porter with his new Scriptures!!!

For Porter's birthday we told him he could invite 5 friends to go out to eat and go bowling with. He picked Denin Porter, Rhett McLaws, cousin Trey, cousin Nate, and his brother Michael. He picked to go to Payson and eat at Chili's. We had a BLAST...these boys were a ton of fun and were very well behaved. We had a BLAST bowling and laughed a LOT!

Denin, Rhett, Trey, Porter, Nate, and Michael

Brandon and I with our birthday boy

Porter and his funky bowling!

Nate was hilarious to watch. He came in 2nd our 1st game with 108 points. Everytime he bowled he would put his hands on his hips, start walking backwards, and would say...'get a strike, get a strike!' He made us laugh!!!

Better Late Than NeVeR!!!

So I'm only almost a month late with this post...but better late then never, right?!!

My mom turned the big 65 on the 21st of February!!

I have been blessed with amazing earthly mother!

I have yet to find anyone that serves as much as she does!

My mom has a special connection with our Heavenly Father and I know that on more than one occasion her prayers have been answered on my behalf!

She is the kind of grandma that every kid needs and deserves!

Mom...I am so grateful that my Heavenly Father sent me to be your daughter. I know we had a few rocky years back in the day, but I am sure glad I grew out of that aweful stage. We may not look a thing alike but I am like you in SOOOO many ways, good ways, yet I still have a lot to work on to be more like you!! I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER!!!!

Mom and I on her 65th Bday!

Mom and her girls

Mom and Jami (Her #1 Daughter, wink wink;)

On The Road Again...

This past weekend we went to Utah to Brandon's brother Dallas' wedding. We left EARLY Thursday morning and got to Ogden around 4:00 in the afternoon and returned home yesterday evening around 5:00. The kids were amazingly good in the car and for the most part were well behaved while we were there. All of Brandon's family, except for his brother-in-law Rich, were there and it was great to spend time with all of them!!

The Highlights of the Trip...

#1...Having a lady pay for our dinner at Ihop.

I have to tell the story...We decided to take our kids to Ihop Thursday night when we got there. While on our way in a lady asked, 'are all these kids yours?' and of course I replied, 'sure are!'. She said, 'wow you poor thing!', and I said, 'well I didn't birth them all!' Anyway, we talked for a few minutes while we waited for them to seat us, where I proceeded to tell her our story. She was very kind and told us that she admired what we did. Well, as they usually do when we take our children out to eat, they sat us in the very far corner so we wouldn't bother anybody and that was the last we saw of this nice lady that I had talked to. When the waiter brought us our bill he informed us that a very nice lady had picked up our bill for the night. I knew that it was this lady. Both Brandon and I were very overwhelmed. I hope the lady knows in her heart how very grateful we were for her kindness!!! It couldn't have been cheap!!

#2...eating Michelle's cake! We've have missed it more than she knows:)

#3...Paul asking Uncle Russ to wipe his butt!!

#4...Eating Dinner with our favorite guy, Mitchell Herzog

#5...Going to our favorite store ever...Smith & Edwards!

#6...And of course last but not least...spending time with family!!

Dallas, Chelsea, and Marlee

Their wedding cake Michelle made...I love it!


Brandon and his siblings

(Michelle, Ginger, Brandon, Dusty, Dallas, Penny, Caleb, & Cayce)

The kids and their spouses with Mom & Dad Martineau and Grandma & Grandpa Martineau

Our family with Brandon's grandparents

Mark, Michell, Emily, Aiden, and Liam

Dusty, Russ, Cody, & Kobe

Caleb and Morgon

Brandon & Penny

Aunt Cayce and Mallori

Me & Mark

Mallori and Grandma Martineau

Big Congrats to Dallas & Chelsea!!!

Can't Sleep...Mad as Hell!!!!

So here it is before 5:00am and I can't Sleep! You would think I would be zonked after going to bed just 3 short hours ago, yet my mind won't shut off! I have always been one to not care what others think about me, say about, or say to me, BUT when it comes to speaking untruthful things about those I love, such as my Father and especially my Husband, I am not one to handle it well.

I don't know how my mom has done it all these years with people hating my father and slandering him and what he stands for.

I got a taste of this last night after Brandon brought home this horrible letter that a man from our local fire department put together totally hammering Brandon. It was FULL of LIES and untruthful statements that accused Brandon of things he has NEVER done!! He also got told by another lady, after trying to defend himself, "Why don't you just get the hell out of here you idiot!"...yeah lovely adult like citizen from Heber/Overgaard isn't she?!!!

So, I have spent most of the night thinking, tossing, turning, and fighting feelings of hate, anger, sadness for my husband, then feelings of gratitude when I realized that ANY person in ALL of history that has ever taken a stand for things that are righteous has gotten ridiculed, persecuted, and was hated!! So I guess it comes with the territory and I should be grateful for having a husband that wants to get invovled and will NOT waver from that which he knows is right!!

The hard part for me is learning where to place these feelings and how to get through it!