M_Squad4's Xanga

Running Away !!!

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 01:16:21 GMT

Well, tomorrow I am running away (with my family's permission of course!) Sometimes in the busyness of life...I just need to get away...by myself for more than and hour or two. I've picked somewhere that will take less than two hours to get to and has water, seafood, a place to read, good speakers that give awesome talks and thrift shopping and antiquing......it is supposed to rain...but that doesn't even matter to me......more tomorrow or when I return......Does the picture give you a hint as to where I am going?

This is a quote from a movie I saw a while back. I wrote down the quote and forget which movie it came from...anyway....here it is!

"My father used to say, "Mind the Gap." It's the distance between life as you dream it and life as it is!"

A Perfect Day at the Beach

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:01:00 GMT

We had a perfect day at the Beach. Our choice location was Indian River in DE. The kite surfers were out and they were fun to watch. We were also close to a marina and could walk down to see the boats come in. It was a great day for fishing and a lot of fishermen were catching sea bass and we even saw a beautiful flounder being reeled in! It was a little windy in the afternoon but we all decided that we would take wind over rain any day!

Lala, Abby and my sister Bev.

Yes, I proved that I still had it in me to ride the waves....even though ....little did I know within a matter of minutes I'd be eating sand with that stupid boogy board smashing me in the face! I guess it was all worth it! It had been a long time since I had jumped waves with my daughter!

Breakfast at Perkins and stopping for dinner at Bob Evans helped to break up the long drive.

A great day for making memories!

Spider Bite!

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:55:43 GMT

Someday our dog will learn not to play with Spiders. This is what happens when you try to eat one!

First the swelling...

Then the hives

This was not a fun experience as the vet put her on prednisone and it made her super hyper and hungry ALL the time!

Summer vacation has been going fast! Tomorrow we are going on a quick day trip to the beach. It's about a three hour drive...so it's a lot of driving for one day....but it should still be fun. The weather has been absolutely beautiful today. I count it as an extra special blessing!

COMING UP FOR AIR!

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 22:57:47 GMT

These pictures show the last few weeks of activity at our house. We are enjoying every minute! Summer vacation starts for me next Tuesday!

Jr/ Sr Banquet Pictures Downtown

Volleyball Tournament in Pitt

We had the early wave so we went to the zoo!

The Team

Graduation 09

Next: Getting ready to send one off on a Sr Trip to outer banks. When he gets back next week, they both leave for Guatemala for a missions trip. I can tell already that the summer is going to just fly by!

Homeschoolers: Testers Paid???

Fri, 08 May 2009 09:45:24 GMT

Just a question for my homeschooling xanga friends. I have been asked to proctor a test for an individual who is homeschooled. I'm sure this would vary from state to state...but what is the going rate for a certified teacher who is giving an achievement test? Let me know if you have any thoughts. If you would rather E-mail me...you can do that at Fmartin816 (at) comcast (dot) net.

Thanks!

The Prom/Banquet/Thoughts on Love

Fri, 01 May 2009 02:20:20 GMT

Schools around here have a tradition of the yearly prom/banquet. It is tradition to ask your girlfriend in a creative way to attend the event. Just when you think all the best ideas have been used...someone pulls a really good one! This year, balloons have been arranged in the word "Banquet" and presented at a soccer game....bathtubs/showers have been decorated to give the unsuspecting early riser a surprise....puzzles have been given etc. I thought my son had a brilliant idea when he ordered custom made soda bottle and on the back label he wrote a poem asking his girlfriend to go to the banquet. He presented this to her one evening as they were fishing (bless her heart!) and he got her a drink! She said yes ....they have been together for almost two years.

Now, many of these relationships will be just for the evening and they will fizzle and die...some may continue forever.......but this auspicious occasion brings out the romance in all of us ! I was reminded what CS Lewis wrote about Love.

To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one....not even an animal. Wrap it up carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements: lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket---safe, dark, motionless, airless---it will change!

Below is a picture of the soda bottle that Andrew gave as an invitation.

WOW! What A Game

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:22:01 GMT

Friday night was the baseball Senior parent night. It was the bottom of the last inning. The batter was up to bat with 2 strikes and we already had 2 outs. We had two runners on base and the score was 5-3. We were sure that we were going to lose when all of a sudden..... our batter hit a beautiful homerun to win the game 6-5. What a night!

27 of the Best Dollars I ever spent!

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:42:41 GMT

Today was Andrew's dermatology appointment. When the doctor announced that after four years, she was ready to discharge him as a patient...we were both so excited! We decided that it was much to early to go back to school since he didn't have any tests or large projects due we decided to take an extended lunch. Friendly's was determined as the place to go and before we knew it one and one half hours had flown by as we discussed politics, ethics, the Mennonite church etc.....yes, I'm smart enough to know that he was probably keeping the conversation going so he wouldn't have to return to school. ...but it was a wonderful time together. I am so ready for him to go to college because I can see that he is ready for this next crucial step in his life. I also enjoy relating to him on an adult level and will look forward to the times he does come home and we can continue the dialogs. Sure...Friendly's cost more than a local fast food place..but it was comfortable...the food was good and I couldn't think of a better way to spend my rainy Monday afternoon!

My soon to be 2009 graduate!

Saturday, Abby's volleyball team took first place in the gold bracket out of 21 teams...so that will be a day to remember!

Here are some pictures from Easter...as you can see...my 18 year old and 15 year old still enjoy Easter Egg hunts!

The cousins

Me and my Aunt

My parents

Another Prayer Request

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:33:15 GMT

This post is related to the one below.....Andrew was just asked to lead the worship band at Micah's memorial on Monday. He really wants to do this to honor his friend...but please pray that he can keep composed and that the worship would be meaningful for everyone there. It's not going to be an easy task for my 18 year old but I know that it's a privilege for him to be a part of the service.

Thanks!

A life...cut short

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 14:26:37 GMT

Early Tuesday morning, a friend of my son's fell asleep at the wheel while driving to another friend's house after watching a basketball game. This young man played on my son's worship team at school. It has been such a difficult week for all of us. On Wednesday it was determined that Micah would have to be taken off of life support. My son, Andrew was invited to go into Micah's room along with the other members of the worship band and play praise songs. Andrew said it was the hardest thing he has ever had to do....but he knows by responses that he has received that it blessed everyone. A couple hours later Micah passed away. For the past five years in a row, the high school my son attends has had a Senior boy pass away tragically. The school is a private school and the support that they have been giving the Seniors and all who knew him has been incredible. Please pray for Micah's family, girlfriend of two years and friends as the funeral is Monday at the high school.

Micah....we will never forget the impact you made on all of our lives....rest in the arms of Jesus.......except the word rest and Micah seem to be an oxymoron. Thursday, I told my class of 5th graders that with his entrance....heaven will never be the same! He will have everyone rocken and rollen praising Jesus!

A picture of Micah and his girlfriend.