A Christmas card in January

And..... we have the lone family photo from 2014.... that was actually sent in January.  Here is part of my lesson learned part 2.  When you don't have a picture, you can't send out a good Christmas card.  Dang.  I love sending out Christmas cards and have my entire married life (that would be 23 years of wedded bliss).

Luckily Caitlin Moulton came home from college for Christmas and is a new budding photographer.  She took some pics of the boys and the favorite was this.  I send out Happy New Year cards to many great friends!  So, it did work out BUT I like Christmas cards so we will be getting our pictures done via Wendy next month.  Yea!

My boys are cute!  They sure are changing.

#boymom #happy

I learned my lesson.....

This is my family photo from 2013.  It was done by my friend Wendy from Bluelily.  I didn't schedule any time for family photos in 2014 and BOY DO I REGRET THAT!!!!  So, I learned my lesson the hard way with no real family pics from 2014.  Boo hoo.

Eric was gone on this day and I do have fabulous pics that I will someday post.  She is amazing and I will do this no matter what the schedule until they are all gone.

I love this pic.  I love my insane boys.  I love Wendy. (O:

This is priceless.

First day of school 2014

Coleman, 15 years, Sophomore at PHS

Tate, 13 years, last year at Lakelands Park Middle School

Gabriel, 11 years and a fine 5th grade patrol at Darnestown Elementary School

Gabe and Finny in school together at last!  Gabe was sick the first day of school so this is HIS first day of school (hence the different clothing for Finny)

Daddy getting in on the pics action.  What a handsome man!  The boys sure love their Daddy!! 

Last year in Elementary School.  I think he is really glad!  (O:

Phineas's first year at DES.  6 years and a very ready 1st grader

Daddy and Grandma!!  Now that is a good first day of school pic!  So fun to have our Grandparents here visiting!

Grandpa John and Grandma Karen!  Sure is special to have them see Finn off to his new school!  We sure love them!

Choice Chance Change

Things are changing....  I am really unhappy and even frantic about many of the changes.  Will we?  Will we?????????

California dreaming.  Sounds interesting.  

First day of school 2015

 Coleman darling, 16 years and enjoying his Junior year at Poolesville High School

Tate, "aka" Vladamir" is 14 years old and on a new journey as a Freshman at Quince Orchard High School

Gabe is an awesome 12 year old and also starting a new path at Lakelands Park Middle School

Somehow Finny turned 7 years old and is a rockstar 2nd grader at Darnestown Elementary School

Four schools.  Four awesome, cute and darling boys.  Four paper piles (the kind of paper I detest).  Four great adventures.  

We are blessed.  

My darling Tate.... with short hair!!

This is a test.  It is only a test.  Lol!  This pic is from the summer of 2013.  Tate went to soccer camp at BYU and he was required to cut his beautiful, long locks.  I was sad and then elated.  Look at that darling face!  What a difference it made in his countenance as well!  He still maintains short-ish hair and his amazing parents love it.

Now.... let's see if this posts correctly and we are off to a good start.

That will do.  (temple voice)

Reluctance

As I was cleaning out my emails today (Finn is home sick).... I found a blog invite to a friend.  I think about my blog and the importance of it and what we are missing by my lack of participation and negligence.  I don't know why I stopped.....Perhaps I got too far behind and anxious of the catch up.  Maybe I 'blogged" for the wrong reasons.  Blogs have certainly changed and no one really reads other family blogs unless there is some commercial or educational gain from reading it.  Life is too busy and quite frankly, I don't care that much to read about other people's birthday cakes, vacations and sports games etc.....  I spend way too much time on the dumb computer anyways.  I can't read others blogs unless it has a real purpose in my life.  Sad but true.

So, here I am.... Life is still good.  My boys have grown up so much in the last few undocumented years.  I love them so much and am so proud of them.  However, I am scared to come back.  What must I learn?  I don't even see the right format in the above menu.  Crap!  How can I fit it into my life without getting too caught up in events and not focusing on the here and now.  I think the thing that is always in the back of my mind is that I  do miss this.  I miss documenting our lives.  I miss seeing the fun memories and the changing faces of my children on the screen.  I need this now.

I also need a place that is mine.  I need to vent.  I need to share.  I need to create a journal of our family in this crazy technological world that documents everything but keeps nothing.  I have thousands of pictures and if my computer crashed or my house burned down, I would have virtually nothing.  Nothing.  That is sad.  But.... if I kept up on my blog, I can access it anywhere and therefore my record and efforts and not lost.

And with that... I will try.  I will relearn blogger and make friends with the changes.  I will make efforts to take more pics add videos (that I never learned years ago) and begin the forgotten journey of the Martinis family blog.  Who cares if no one reads it...?  I will do what I always wanted to do and get the freaking thing published.  Make it into a book.  We looooove books and I am a happy paper addict.  I love paper.  Thank you Great-Grandpa Tate and Grandma Baker.  I feel empowered with paper and this will be the top of my paper mountain.

I will be more committed.  I will try.  We will be friends again.  My physical friends are all moving away so this will fill my life in a way that I will need for a while.  Life is changing.  I am sad about all the changes, but will find ways to better my life and substitute goals for missing friendships.

Life is good.  (I say that in a whisper!)

PS.  Today is 9/11.  14 years ago they blew up the Trade Towers and the Pentagon.  Very sad memories indeed.....Our President is the worst in perhaps history and our country is spiraling out of control.  But that is for another day... maybe.  I will not forget.