Tristan's 6th Birthday!

So I decided to make it easy and have a swim party for Tristan's 6th birthday party. Instead I decided to throw in Pinterest ideas. Here are just a few.

 

Jell-O Shots (alcohol-free) with Swedish fish in them

Watermelon Popsicles

 

Decorated Water Bottles

 

 

Tristan had the very best time ever. We had hot dogs and then Aunt Becky made the coolest cake EVER. And I have my next door neighboor/babysiter, Ellie Vicha to thank sooooo much. She helped me with the goody bags. She helped bring stuff to the pool. She decorated the tables. She took pictures. Seriously, there was little she DIDN'T do. Thank you ELLIE!!!!

 

 



 

My Old Kentucky Home

So we got back from Kentucky on Monday the 15th at 2:00am. Let's summarize the drives to and from Kentucky - Awful. The DVDs that we brought along would not play in the DVD player in the car. Just kept spitting them out and not reading them. Then we got out our portable DVD player that has no battery power whatsoever. So we try plugging it into the car's jack. Nope, it won't work. So here we are- 10 minutes into a 15 hour trip and we realize that we have no entertainment for the kids. Luckily, their bedtime quickly approaches. So we change them into their pjs. The problem is that the sleep they are experiencing in a car seat is awful. And so, every 30 minutes or so, 1 of the kids would wake up and be super grumpy and start crying and wouldn't stop. This went on all night.

But aside from the drive, we had the best time ever. Morgan's son, Hunter, is now my kid's favorite kid. He had all the greatest toys, a really cool bed, and a trampoline in the backyard. The boys played beautifully together. Morgan and Jake were perfect hosts and even had us out to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse for dinner one night. We had the most relaxing time ever. Also, Tristan's real birthday fell on one of the days we were there, so we headed to Chuck E. Cheese. Remind me never to go there again. But the kids loved it! I swear the kids had the most fun ever. Also got to see another old friend, Amanda Butler! YAY!! She's the best and she is definitely going to heaven for being a 7th grade teacher!

Here are some of the pictures from the trip:

 

 

 

 

Changes

So some of you may or may not have noticed but I'm not on Facebook anymore. I needed a break before all this crap happened and I never took it. I mean, I don't have the will power to not look at Facebook. So I challenged myself to deactivate my account and delete the app. I can't say it's been great but I know I needed it. Feel free to make fun of me because I always make fun of people that do this. But obviously, I have no self control.

And last week my dad had a mild stroke. He now has very little control of his left hand and left leg. He has to go to physical therapy and they're hopeful he'll gain full control back. It was very scary and I hate seeing my dad weak. It's a very weird experience to see your parents frail at all. Makes you feel like they're old even though you don't feel like they are. My dad is a very tough guy though so I know that he'll fine before long. It did make me appreciate our large, fun, obnoxious, loud, dysfuctional family more though. We are always there for each other, even in the tough times.

Onto happier subjects.......in 1 week the Martinez family will be in Kentucky!! We are staying with the Wolf family and my kids couldn't be more excited. I have a rental car reserved but Vincent and I go back and forth on taking my car with the DVD player or the rental car with no entertainment and less room. We'll see. But we are thrilled. It'll be the first time that our families have all been together.....ever. Morgan, Jake, and Hunter are amazing and I wished they lived closer! Morgan and I have known each other for 13 years now. We lived in the same dorm and just down the hall from each other. We joined the same sorority and she became my Big Sis (even though she's younger than me). We've had some great times together and I'm so glad that we're still friends. Also it doesn't hurt that they are the best hosts ever. I never leave Kentucky without having a great time.

And this summer we are traveling fools because we have 2 more trips planned. One to Galveston with the whole Masdon family and one to Stanton, MO to visit another old friend and her family. Kim and Adam Ball are traveling from Michigan to see us. We decided to meet in the middle and go camping. I found this amazing place called the Meramec Caverns, which looks really cool. So we made a plan to meet and have a Ball/Martinez Reunion. Kim and I went to UNT together 15 years ago. She went back to Michigan and I stayed in Texas. I have since been up there a couple of times but we are determined to see each now. Believe me, there will be drinking, laughter, and stories made on this trip. The Ball family is also made up of 3 boys. So there will be 6 boys, 4 adults and our 2 dogs and I'm sure the Balls will bring their dog - so be prepared for tons of pictures. Also Vincent and I haven't been camping since our honeymoon....almost 8 years ago. So, it'll be an adventure for sure.  :)

As for current state of affairs, we are good. The boys are at a new preschool and they love it. Tristan is about to finish Kindergarten and he jumped from the lowest tier of reading at the begining of the year to now being the highest tier. I couldn't be prouder. My job is amazing and although I'm busy, I love every minute of it. Vincent is doing great at his newish job too. So honestly, things are good outside of the chaos. I'm excited for the upcoming vacations and time with my family.

And to leave you with something adorable I have a video of Brayden. Every Tuesday we go to Rosa's Cafe for "Taco Tuesday". The kids love it and look forward to Tuesdays. Here is a video of Brayden saying "Taco Tuesday" - it's just too cute not to share :)