Dakota ~ The "Rockin" Chic!

Today we went for a hike to a Labyrinth. The kids found a really amazing rock with pieces of clear, sparkly rock around it. They each broke some of the rock off and brought it home for their rock collections.
Dakota decided that she wanted to smooth out and polish her rock. Here she is with a Dremel enjoying the way it filed down the soft stone just the way she wanted it to. She then washed her rock, dried it, and added it to her treasured collection.

Our New Yummy Gadget

Check out the cool new gadget that has made it to the Martin Home! A cookie press!

I am so amazed with how fun this thing is! Devin and Dakota and I enjoy making cookies together during Ivy's nap. There are so many different shapes it can make too. I love our cookie baking time together. There is nothing like freshly baked cookies and milk! We make several dozen cookies and they never last more than two days! The kids bring Joe out a big plate of cookies and milk and he gets a much deserved break from a busy day of toy making. Ivy loves waking up from her nap to the smell of warm sugar cookies. She nurses on my lap and keeps popping off to have bites of her cookie.

I will always treasure these amazing days together. I'm so grateful for my sweet children and their love for life.

Superkids!

Devin and Dakota started a Superkids Club recently. The decided that they wanted to help people and animals who are in trouble. Dakota is "SuperChic" and Devin is the "Black Panther".

They are both very interested in learning all about Super Heros in history. We have watched The Fantastic 4, Spiderman and many other Super hero movies recently. This interest has taken us down many interesting pathways to learning about so much! When the kids have an interest it is often contagious to all of us.

Exploring Henna

I recently received a Mendhi Kit in the mail that I have been anxiously waiting for. I have enjoyed Henna Art for over a year now. I offer adorning the Mom-To-be at Blessingway's that I host. Henna is one of my many passions in life which brings me so much Joy!

Devin, Dakota & Ivy enjoyed learning more about Henna/Mendhi the other night. I was sharing with the kids that the tradition of applying mendhi goes back thousands of years to religious and bridal rituals in India, Africa and the Middle East. Mendhi is of great significance in Hindu weddings. Traditional belief is that the darker the stain and the longer it remains on the bride’s hands and feet the deeper the grooms love for her. According to more recent traditions the grooms name will be hidden in the design of the bride’s hands. The wedding night cannot commence until he finds it.

We had such a fun night together exploring this passion of mine together as a family.

The Martin's First RV Trip

WOW! We did it! Our first RV trip together! It was so amazing and even better than we knew it could be! Everyone is napping and adjusting to being back home.
We went to an RV resort in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. The drive there and back was really cool. It was so great being able to use the bathroom anytime and not have to pull over to find somwhere to go. We ate Popsicles straight from our freezer as we cruised, and the kids played Lego Star Wars II on the PlayStation as we drove also! It was just so cool!
Our camping site was really perfect right near a river. There were 3 pools, mini golf and an arcade. Devin played his first game of pool with some new guy friends he made. It was truly the best time our family has ever had together! We hit the beach last night before coming home and the kids went on a few rides. Joe won teddy bears for the kids as souvenirs.
Devin, Dakota and Ivy absolutely loved every minute of the trip! We are so grateful for our RV!

Our 1st RV Trip!

Our Visiting Creatures

The kids are so interested in different creatures. This summer we have accumulated so many new little animals to research and enjoy. We have snails which we are learning all about. A toad that Joe created an amazing home for. Tadpoles that we are watching turn more and more into frogs everyday. Dakota recently added a tree frog to the mix! We of course, will only enjoy these animals for a short time before releasing them back into their natural habitats. Right now we are all enjoying learning so much about them. We spend time online researching the correct habitat for each animal and the right food to feed them. Every night Joe catches all the flies on the porch to feed the toad and we all watch him gulp the flies down. Joe is the official toad feeder. ;)
Our craft table has made a great place to keep our guests. What better way to learn about so many different types of creatures!

Unschoolers Rockin the Beach!

Yesterday was just fabulous!!We met another Unschooling Family, The George's, at Rye Beach. We became friends last year at the Northeast Unschooling Conference in May of 2006. They live about 3 hours south of us. Devin and their daughter Sabra talk all the time on the phone and have nurtured a friendship for 14 months now. Devin, Sabra, Dakota, Devon, Malcolm & Ivy were able to hang out for the whole day playing in the waves, climbing on the rocks and burying eachother in the sand... It was truly an amazing day!

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Your Wish Is My Command.............

One of my greatest dreams in life has been to own a Motor home. Every since I was a little girl, I have dreamed of travelling the country. It seemed like it was so far away before we could ever afford an RV. I continued to focus on my dream after discovering the Law Of Attraction. Joe and I would lay on the couch and imagine what it would be like to step into our very own RV. We closed our eyes and felt owning one. I would tell him that I can picture putting our dishes in the RV's cabinets. We visited RV stores and walked into many of them observing the features we liked and what the kids liked.

Devin and Dakota also shared our dream. They began to visualize and discuss that someday we will take our very own Motor home to Disney World and all over the country. Our entire family shared the same dream and focus for years.

One day, Joe went to eBay and noticed how may RV's were on there for sale at amazing prices. We looked for several weeks. One night, we saw the perfect RV for us. We waited until there were 2 minutes left on the auction and bid. We won and jumped up and down and hugged eachother screaming in Joy!!

Joe picks our new Motorhome next week from Virginia.

Introducing............ Our Dream Come TRUE!

Sister Love!

Dakota and Ivy are best little friends! They want to do everything the other one does. Today I put Dakota's hair in pony-tails, and Ivy wanted them too. The kids had a nice picnic in the fort above our swing set. We played in the sprinkler, picked strawberries and enjoyed the company of some friends that came over for a visit. My dear friend Rachel surprised me and came over and made me lunch! It was so sweet! She made black bean, garlic and kale burritos with salsa and sour cream. Right now the kids are watching a movie we rented. It has been a nice relaxing day.

I just love our life!

Devin's Beach Party

It was a rainy day. I was getting eggs at my in-laws house and Joe was in the shop working. When I got back Devin said he had a surprise for us.

He came out with the cutest sight! He had made a Teddy Graham Beach Party! It was so adorable!

Dakota's a Winner!!

The other day we went to the video store to rent movies and video games. There is a huge gumball machine there. The kids always get a gumball when we go. This day, Dakota saw a strange sight coming down the spiral gumball machine. A black gumball!

When she took it out she asked Joe what it said and he said "Winner". She was thrilled! She got a free movie rental! She rented "Drake and Josh go to Hollywood". She is so interested in anything to do with Hollywood since we were there for 4 days during the Dr. Phil taping adventure. She loves Hollywood!! She loves to recognise the places we visited like the Walk of Stars.

I'm so happy for her getting the winning gumball!!

Ivy & Daddy

Dakota wanted to snap a few pictures yesterday. Here is one she took of Joe and Ivy.

Madison Boulder

Yesterday I took Devin, Dakota, Ivy and Devin's best friend, Liam to the Madison Boulder. Madison Boulder is the largest known erratic in New England, and among the largest in the world. Madison Boulder is a huge granite rock measuring 83 feet in length, 23 feet in height above the ground, and 37 feet in width. It weighs upwards of 5,000 tons! A part of this roughly rectangular block is buried, probably to a depth of ten to twelve feet. I love to bring people there for the first time. When we pulled up Liam gasped and whispered, "Wow!"

It is the most breathtaking thing here in the small town of Madison, NH!

Canadian Visitors

About 3 years ago I had a phone call from a couple in Canada. They were interested in taking a natural childbirth class over the phone. I went back and forth for days as to whether I could give a class over the phone, never seeing the couple face to face. They were pleasantly persistent promising the would do whatever it takes to take a class from me.

Well, the class phone sessions went great! We talked every Sunday for 12 weeks. I mailed them a workbook that we worked with during class. They read everything and exercised. They took it so seriously. They were truly the most dedicated students I ever had! We got to know all about eachother and developed a great relationship.

Unfortunately at the time of their due date, their baby was breech. They tried everything possible to get the baby to turn. They had a Cesarean. Despite my disappointment for them, they said it was very positive because of all they learned.

Well, much to my surprise, they called me 3 months after their baby was born to share they were pregnant again!! A month or so before their due date I did another phone class with them. This time it was a VBAC class. While in labor I talked to them up until the moment they needed to leave for the hospital. They had the birth of their dreams with only 3 hours of labor.

My whole relationship with this couple was amazing and a real growing experience for me.

They emailed me last week to share that they wanted to meet me. They drove 7 hours from Canada with their little girls Clara and Katie. We had a celebratory barbecue with our families together. Meeting them after the 3 years since that first call to me asking me about phone classes seemed like a world away. It was amazing and moving. It was a really awesome day.

Here is a picture of Jason, Lora, Clara and Katie with myself, Dakota and Ivy.