Relay for Life

My friend Misty was the head leader for the Relay for Life group in our moms group, I was not affected by anyone in my family or friends with cancer until about 4 days before the race....  it is my sisters friend Crystal and I have had the privilege to do her a hair a few times :)))  my family and I wanted to join all the racers and survivors that evening.  I was able to light a luminary in honor of Crystal before he evening began.  Brian was the team mascot I would say and dressed up as a girl and walked the track to collect money- there wasn't very many givers or he wasn't strutting his stuff and showing enough leg or not flirting enough to collect lots of money..... he did an awesome job, it was just a few hours before the race when I was at a meet up and Misty said she needed a guy to dress up as a girl with a tool belt on.... I said Brian will, but let me make sure he doesn't mind :))))) My kids even helped support the cancer walk and walked around the track lots!!!!

Jayden and Ean

Kilee and Persaus

Brian walking the track

The 580 girls

Persaus walking with daddy

me and my man

Brian and Jacob the Lawton Dads :0)

The 580 Girls

all the luminaries going around the whole track

I french braided Christina's hair for her

Crystal who is my sisters friend and was undergoing surgery that had turned into some complications while I was at this race..... as all the luminaries were being lit with flame less candles the wind picked up and a storm was rolling in.... I was texting my sister as she was telling me Crystal was in ICU..... that the storm was coming to let us know she is a fighter and will come through and come off life support!!!! she is home and her spirits are high!!!  I have text Crystal bible verses and I pray for Crystals healing and strength!!!!

the lights are out and all you can see are all the luminaries as each and every persons name was called out!!!!  after all the names were announced we had to pack up as the race was suppose to go until 7am the next morning but the storm was with lots of lightning and nobody wanted to take chances :)))

MY plans......

Now that I am home I plan on getting involved with our Church and doing a lot of volunteering :))))  most likely I will start in children's ministry.  I do bake cake pops once a month for our Cafe which is so fun because I am featured in the program :))) it makes me famous ha ha!!!!  I am doing a lot of hair out here which has been nice and shhhh don't tell Brian but I have been putting away all the cash I make from hair out here to do who knows what with ha ha!!!!!  I would like to volunteer at our hospitals in the NICU holding and loving on those little babies that need all the LOVE.  I am also talking about joining the volunteer fire department out here in Elgin.  I have some wood work that I want to build as Brian says I'm crazy cause he knows nothing about wood..... I told him "youtube" ha ha!!!!! I am going to build a hutch for my dining area and a small entertainment center for the family room.  And when I have those down I am going to build a kitchen table like the picnic style one in the pottery barn store with the benches... LOVE IT.  I started today clipping all my coupons as I am going to become an extreme couponing chick :-0 I already use coupons ALL the time but I am going to go kinda crazzzzy ha ha!!!!!  I will be updating my blog A LOT.... these blogs are my scrapbook and I print out a hard back book and make a dedication page to my kids in each book every 4 months..... I will write A LOT more in detail so my kids can go back to that memory in DETAIL so it's fun for me to write and fun for the kiddos future!!!!!!   I will be canning A LOT starting this weekend.  first I am going to make ketchup which is a recipe I got from Brian's cousin this last weekend who has inspired me in SOOOO many ways to have a garden and can!!!!! I just picked out a bread and butter recipe that I will try next :))))  When we moved in almost a year ago I made something different every night for dinner for the first few months... well now that I am NOT traveling I have NO excuses and will start.... well I already did :))) we had homemade pizza tonight for dinner a recipe given to my mother in law by my sister in law..... it was fun, easy, and like 5 or 6 ingredients for the dough.  I asked Brian and the kids every time it's a new recipe if they want it to go in the Martinez cook book, one day I will make a blog of all the recipes I make and publish into a book for my kids.... but for now it's all in a file folder!!!!  My to do list goes on for miles and I will post more of what I have in my planner or posts of the stuff I have not mentioned yet.... stay tuned.... it's gonna be and adventure............ I LOVE ADVENTURES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  AND SOME FUN NEWS IN A COUPLE MONTHS!!!!!!

SUMMER

WOW what an amazing adventure we went on this summer...... and we still have a few weeks left.  A few days after my last post and Jayden was home from his first EVER Church camp with our NEW HOME Church her in Lawton Oklahoma :)  the kids and I went to California on a road trip to spend a couple weeks, both kids were signed up for Vacation Bible School, they LOVED it :) okay to be honest Jayden didn't wan to go the first day..... but we said if he didn't like it the next he could leave..... well my mother in law said he saw a friend and had a blast the rest of the day- THANK YOU JESUS!!! and I worked and then came home for about 10 days to.  We wanted to be home for the 4th of July with all the fireworks.... when we got home they had announced a burn ban and NO fireworks were aloud :( oh well me made the best of it and also had soooo much fun with Brian as we missed him like CRAZY.  We spent most of our days on the lake and the water park 1 day and meet ups with friends.  Then we packed up to go on another road trip to work and Jayden had another Church camp to go on. 
The 10 days I was home a lot of things happened..... It was VERY UPSETTING for me to say the least and still think daily about what went wrong with me and my best friend.......  I am praying that time will heal :))))  also Brian and I decided with Persaus starting school this year and only being half days that it would be best for me to stop traveling to California to work..... WOW was this the HARDEST decision I have EVER made. To say good bye to almost 9 years with most of my clients was heart breaking.  I guess I didn't see how much those amazing women impacted my life in sooo many ways till I had to say good bye.  I am writing letters to each one of them to let them know how much I appreciate them and what they have done for me in my life, not only allowing me to make there hair beautiful, and the amount of money they have spent, but the love and friendship they have given me.  I thank God for how much they have blessed me :)))))
I took Persaus to Disneyland while Jayden was at Camp, that was a lot of fun we spent most of our time in with the princess.  I think it was a little overwhelming for her but we did not go all over the park so that helped..... now that I am a road tripping mommy and can do it alone if Brian cannot take time off in the near future the kids and I will be going to Florida to Disney WORLD!!!!   I would rather go on the cruise..... we will have to see.... I think I should put a picture of the Disney cruise ship on my dream board :)))  On our trip back to Cali from Okville Brian's co-workers wife and 2 kids went with us as they are from San Diego and she was able to take her girls to see family again.  We planned on getting together during our stay out there but we were so busy with family we didn't get too.  We were back home a couple weeks later only for like 4 days and we packed up as a WHOLE family and went on another road trip with mimi and papa Martinez to Missouri for a family reunion and to visit friends..... so exciting that after 14 years with Brian I was finally introduced to most everyone, and the kids too!!!! and Brian got to get away from Okville and be with us :))))  We are home now and have NO road trip plans set in stone except me alone going to Missouri to a Christian conference Joyce Meyers!!!!!! I am soooo beyond excited to see her live :)))) well now I work on ALL the posts  with pictures to tell our WHOLE summer vacation so far.................................