CTR Superhero

I tried..I really tried to be on top of things this time around. Sofia came to meet me in Relief Society and promptly handed me that dreaded slip of paper, you know the one, the one that says- "Sofia has been asked to give a talk next week, blah, blah, blah." And I immediately put it on the fridge, meaning to talk to Sofia about it and have her memorize a line or two...Good intentions, yes. But you know the routine...Yeah. Did'nt happen.
So along comes Sunday morning and I again look at the slip of paper with disdain, had a quick thought and ran for a superhero cape, then went on to ripping the paper off the fridge as we ran out the door to church. Once we got there I got to work during Sacrament meeting..yes, I realize this was LESS EFFECTIVE on my part.

Well I jotted some thoughts down on the first paper I could find in the church bag- this is what it looked like. Scribbles, numbers to help me keep in sync and all. And you know what? The talk was great, Artyom came to hear her and agreed that she did wonderfully, we had pictures to keep the primary kids attention and Sofia made my day by saying, "Mom, that was the best talk ever!" Sigh. Crisis averted. And I have the talent of both Sofia's Grandma and Grandpa to thank!! I remember my Mom making up songs, little poems and cute sayings for people all the time. I even remember some of the rhyming that my Dad came up with in different cards he gave her. They were not too shabby either! SO thank you both. You helped make your granddaughter's talk, well....SUPER.

Even though you may not be able to see it, she has on her Superhero cape and a CTR shield. Here is her talk.

Superhereos are found here in our church-did you know that? It really is true

Theyre found in our Prophets who help us choose right, theyre found in each one of you!

When I choose the right, I know what to say what to do to live the narrow way

I watch what I eat, I watch how I live I always show love, and am quick to forgive.

I listen to a Prophets voice, just as if Jesus were speaking to me

The Prophet helps us find the way, to be all Heavenly Father wants us to be.

Prophets can't tell me, DO THIS! DO THAT! I always have a choice

When choosing, I must carefully listen-to my heart and the still small voice.

When I live what the prophets tell me today-it helps me tomorrow you see

Because choosing the right is what I do best, And it always begins with me.

Weve always had prophets-In old times and new, they speak the will of our God

I pray I will always listen to them, to walk the path Jesus feet trod.

So listen to the living prophets voice, and always try to do right

You will find YOUR superhero powers are found in the gospels light.

Our Family Shield

At our Primary Activity last Saturday, the kids were able to "decorate" thier own Family Shield. We put our Name on it and then the girls put all thier "pretties"on it. Just as we were about to be done, Sofia looked over and saw that Holden had put both her name and Ella's as part of THIER Family Shield. Well, of course Sofia could not be one-upped from her bestie and followed Holden's lead. The boys' names were soon on our Family's shield and all was well in the world. I was pretty touched by Holden putting the girls' names on his, and it made my heart happy to know how much those 4 little ones care for one another.

So much that Jacki and I joke about them being "bethrothed" to one another. Artyom came up to the me other night laughing and shaking his head saying, "What have you done to her?!" When he saw the puzzled look on his face, because with me-he needed to be a bit more specific. He said that Sofia was playing with Ella and when she did not obey her command- Sofia decided to use the full name...and then some. Little Miss Sofia stood there, hands on hips and exclaimed with all the adultness she could muster, "Ella Diane Martushev Brunson!"

Ella and her first Prek Field Trip

Ella had been waiting for "her turn" since big sister Sofia got to go to the Children's Museum on her field trip. She was VERY excited to have her chance and go. She went to Wheeler Farm,  a...well, farm in Sandy, UT that has animals, some pioneer style houses and such. Ella's favorite part? Making real butter! She thought that was pretty amazing. She also got to see a blacksmith work and learned a little bit more about what it was like for some of the first settlers and how they lived.

This is Ella on the bus on the way to Wheeler Farm. That is some grin on her!! I could tell how excited she was by that smile. Ella is by far our "wanderer" of the girls and I was not susprised that she tended to go her own way a few times before being brought back into the group. She did fairly well and only had to have her first and middle name (Ella Diane) said once to get her to stop before heading the opposite way of the rest of her class. Pretty stinkin cute. She is growing up so fast that it makes my heart hurt just a little bit....She is just the best cuddler and such a blessing to our family. Our Ella-Ella.

H2O-Sprinkler Style

The girls LOVE Betsy's house in the Summertime, since they basically spend the entire day in the pool. Well since the weather is still a bit up and down with the temperatures (we have had 90 then down to 60 the next day...welcome to UTAH!) the pool is yet to be "open".  So my two cutie patooties have been content to run around in thier swimming suits and get in the sprinkler. So that's exactly what they did.... Betsy sent me this pic and said "They are in heaven!" I love seeing them so happy and smiley in the warm weather!

Then when we got home-what was thier first question? Yep. "Can we go in the sprinklers Mom?!" Well, you can obviously see what my answer was. Round two in the H2O-Sprinkler Style!

Define flood...

The post I left yesterday covered Saturday morning and afternoon. By the evening things had taken a turn for the worse...

The girls wanted to run around in the sprinkler, so Artyom took them to the front yard where the sun was still shining somewhat. I was downstairs (luckily) and when I heard the water turn on, I IMMEDIATELY knew something was not right. I ran upstairs to tell him and he said oh its just because the pipe is right behind you. Nope. Go down and check in out. So he did and ran back up and turned off the water right away. Yep. That was when I knew we had a problem.

Turns out the pipe that goes behind the wall into the front yard broke and when the water came on, it was running down the basement wall-and directly into the carpet. If you know me well, I was NOT happy. I tried to keep it somewhat calm, but at the same time, our light went out so we couldnt see what was going on, the switch was bad and the wires were too short to pull out to make a new one. So it was off to Home Depot to just get the light working to see what we were dealing with.

Good news:

-We have wood paneling downstairs that was actually nice to just be able to pop out a section and see what was wrong. It doesnt look like it damaged any of the paneling, so for now? We get to keep it. (which is good since it will save us some money- but Ill bet the first to admit I was kinda excited at the potential of seeing it go!)

-Artyom is a Mr. Fix it and knew what needed to be done right away and has been assuring me (over and over again ) that he does NOT need help and it will all be ok....Im still not convinced.

-We got the water turned off very quickly and since I was downstairs at the time, knew what was going on...I just imagined what could have happened if we all were outside when the water was on and didnt come in for an hour or so. SHUDDER!

Bad News:

-The carpet may not be able to be saved. The carpet pad is SOAKED and the carped does not seem to be drying out enough to assess the damage. Im super bummed, and dont even want to THINK about how much it will be, but am grateful that Artyom can fix that part at least.

-We still dont know the extent of damage to the pipe. Plumbing is definitely NOT the Red Flame's expertise, so we might have to get a second opinion on that one.

-He REFUSES to let anyone else come over and help. Its very frustrating to me since he is first in line to volunteer to help someone else out (and is currently helping another family in our ward with thier basement) but wont ask for assistance (certainly not "help" ) with ours. Sigh. I hate to see him work so hard day and now night to get it fixed and extend the time to having it functional again.

There is a small door on the panel that has the water turn off and when we took off the panel, this is what we found on the floor

Check out all those toys!!! Sofia took them all out last night and did a "look over" there were some nostalgic ones in thier of He-Man, a Thundercat and some other toys that look like the have been there since the 80's. Pretty funny. One man's trash....

It has begun (finally)

The girls trying thier luck at the 3 legged race- CLASSIC!!!

Ella is a complete rule breaker and just walked up and SLAMMED the rings onto the sticks rather than tossing them.

The sun decided to come out and greet us, and perfect timing for the Primary Activity on Saturday. The girls were VERY ready to put on shorts and short sleeves and head on out. We almost froze in the morning at Maka's soccer game, but were thawed out very soon after. Here is what we did at the Primary Activity. HEADS UP-there's alot of pics on this one...

It was pretty hilarious watching BOTH girls try to figure out the hoola hoop. Ella did SO good at the carrying a marshmallow across the lawn and putting it into a bowl without dropping it. She was saying to herself-slowly, slowly, slowly, as she walked. It was awesome!

When I grow up I want to be

Sofia came home from prek quite awhile ago and told me they talked about what they wanted to be when they grew up. She told me that her answer was "a worker just like mom". Well it made me sad for a second, because I hope she will not have to work like I do, but very proud that she thought of me regarding something she wanted to aspire to.

I also thought that maybe she would change her mind or think of something else. NOPE. When we went to her parent/teacher conference, we were shown "THE WALL" where each child drew a picture of themselves and under the title "When I grow up I want to be..." Sofia very proudly showed me hers. There it was for all to see "A worker like mom."

I decided to have Artyom bring the girls to my new job and let her have a stab at being a worker. She didnt skip a beat, got right up on the chair, started typing away and even picked up the phone and had a mock conversation with someone. She was a hit with the rest of my team.

So here is Sofia in her "office debut" and loving it. I plan on getting her a "work basket" for her birthday this year, filled with post its, a play phone (old school style) our old keyboard and she can use her mini barbie laptop thingy to make her own littl office of her very own. My girl-the business woman in training.

Whats in a name

Well apparantly a whole lotta cuteness when it comes to Ella. She has been spell-saying her name for quite some time now and writing it with some help. Betsy got to see her talent at work when they were making chalk pictures on the driveway the other day. I know if she knew how to, she would have put Diane as well...I caught her in the act of doing something "Ella like" and exclaimed "Ella Martushev!" oh yeah-used the FULL name. Well she didnt skip a beat before saying, "Mama, its not Ella Martushev, it's Ella DIANE Martushev!" I love being corrected by a 3 year old. Especially one as sweet as mine...

Family Night in the Jungle

Well, Jungle Jims that is. I LOVE the great daily deals you can get online and it has enabled us to do a lot more with the girls for a fraction of the price. So it was off to Jungle Jims with our family, and just for added entertainment, we had Jacki, Tim and thier two boys, Holden and Beckett along as well.

The smell of the place left something to be desired, as it smelled like the carpets had just been cleaned-kinda like a wet dirty carpet splashed with chemicals smell....yuck. The kids did not seem to notice however, so it was off to ride the rides. The girls had a fabulous time.

A head to hang your hat on...

Betsy had all three girls (2 of ours and another that she tends) on a trip to Target and the girls decided they needed "Fashion!" The Kentucky Derby Babes got NOTHIN on these three...

Im Lucky and I know it!

I am just in the last little while getting better at snaping some pics on my phone. And with the east that I can just hit a button and it goes right to my email?! Well let's just say I may have more pics on my blog than ever before...and hopefully not so outdated! This was a hat that Sofia BEGGED me to buy...her attempts fell on deaf ears however and she was subdued into normalcy with having a picture taken and a promise that I would "put in on www.martushev.com" as she put it for Grandpa to see. So this one's for you Dad!

I was feeling lucky and saw these from St. Patricks Day. The frame Betsy did as a susprise when I came home from work one afternoon. The girls were SO excited to show me as they had painted the frame themselves. A pair of cutie pa tooties I have...So what about you-Are you feeling lucky?

Lucky? Why yes...yes I am.

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny

This was a first for us. We went to California Pizza Kitchen (very early on a Saturday) to have breakfast with the Easter Bunny. As we were walking to the door, Sofia saw the Easter Bunny and stopped dead in her tracks-about yanking my arm from it's socket...She is NOT a fan of the real life sized things....But we were able to drag her in, and once she met her (the Easter Bunny) she was thrilled.

This was when the Bunny was just to her right... see her eyes tracking her? HAHAHA. It was hilarious. I could not get her to look at me for anything! Ella on the other hand, was of course all about the hugs, high fives and blowing kisses from the get-go. That girl is pretty much fearless which can be good and also very bad at times.

We had egg and cheese pizzas (I had a vegetarian one- YUM!) and had a great time with the Bunny. We were bummed that Artyom was with the scouts on a canned food drive, but we are expecting him to come with us next year!!

Easter 2012

We, the Martushev's are pretty darn lucky to have the extended family that we do here in Utah. Ever since Paul, Liane and kids moved back to Oregon - we have been starving for some attention from family and our girls, want thier COUSINS! Aunt Nannette and Uncle Dave, "Nana and Papou" had us over once again for Easter and we had a great time.

We ate, played and had the annual Easter Egg Eggstravaganza (where we basically see who's egg we can crack by hitting it! Good times.

I made some cute outfits for the girls for the event and it got me motivated once again to make some clothes for the girls this Summer. Summer tops and skirts are so easy-peasy to make and I have some material that needs to be used up!

This Easter was so fun to spend with the girls. Sofia had alot of questions about the resurrection of the Saviour and we had a few wonderful opportunites to explain to her what that meant and all he did for us. It was pretty special.

I hope everyone had the same wonderful holiday with family, friends and others keeping the spirit of why we celebrate this special time. I am so grateful for all the Lord did and continuously does for me and mine...I know he sees me, knows me and loves me. That alone gets me through some of those times where you just feel like throwing in the towel and moving on.

Happy Easter everyone. I hope it was wonderful.

Journal Jar Post

Q: Describe your first "home" as a young couple

A: Yes, there is a reason the "" are found around the word home...for most young couples, the first home is actually an apartment, and Artyom and I were not exception to the rule. I remember looking for a place to live and going to basement apartments, duplex units, etc. We finally found our place through a friend that recommeneded the complex and we ended up in the ward and area where we were meant to be.
It was a VERY small apartment- @ 900 square feet and at times seemed a bit cramped. There was nowhere to go when you needed some alone time and more than once, I put myself in the bathroom for a good minute or two so I could pull myself together. Apartment #69 that overlooked the backyard of the complex. We have a family picture with Ella as a newborn outside under the tree that we loved so much. We had some great memories there. The first year of marriage, the first vacations we took as a family, the first arguments of who left the toilet seat up, or who forogt to put the load of laundry from the washer to the dryer, we brought our first 2 girls home there, Sofia was potty trained in that first home with her mini pink potty and lots of crabby patties for bribes. It was the girls fist home as well-and although Ella was only there a few short months, it still was her first home where she spent a day in her "tanning bed" when she came home with jaundice.
I remember taking pictures of the place before we left, so I would not ever forget where the Martushev's became a family unit. It was our home, it was our beginning. I don't think you ever forget your starting point. We are still so close to the complex that from time to time we go and see it. Sofia remembers swinging on the swing in the playground, and not much else. But she loves to hear the story about when we took her home for the first time.

JJ Post- Pets

Q: Did you ever have any pets growing up? What were they?

A: The short answer to this question would be yep. And then to name the very few that were in mine and my 5 brothers lives as we grew. But that would be entirely too boring and do significant INjustice to the awesome pets that we had. SO here goes my ode to the Pederson Pets we had.

Pooch-The first pet that I can honestly say I remember was Pooch. I cant remember when he strolled into our yard, or what it was about him that made Dad let us keep him, but he was in a word- awesome. The cutest dog ever and so friendly. Black and white and some kind of mutt mix, he was so great with us kids and we adored him. I do remember that he did NOT like anyone in uniform. Sticking with the stereotype, he hated the mailman, and even though he loved my Dad, if he came home in uniform- he would growl and bark. We chalked it up to someone in his past that was not very nice to him.
Pooch was such a part of the family, that when my Dad let us know that he had been shot by some heartless kid in the neighborhood, we were pretty devastated. We took him to the vet, and were told that if we could keep him still, he might make it. Well we tried, but the next day he was gone. I still dont know for sure if he went to die on his own somewhere (which was what we were told) or if my Dad had to take care of him without us knowing (one of the many unfortunate duties of a parent sometimes). Either way, it was a great dog, and with him came SO many great memories.

Hardcastle-This turtle was a stud. He made his way from hot Oklahoma, where I found him and almost stepped on the poor guy, to wet Oregon. My Dad actually named him, and he was just awesome. He loved blackberries and just trekked slowly around the house. What a rockstar. I cannot even remember how long we had him, but there was a time when we figured we may want to give him up to a pet store that might be able to take care of him as he "aged". Then one day my brother (who shall not be named-although he KNOWS who he is...) took him outside and forgot to bring him back in...Hardcastle, the turtle, ran away. I know! Tragic. I bawled. I was so upset. But I was comforted by my Mom telling me that he went to the gutter and is happily living out the rest of his days among other friends... Thanks Mom.

Chester-This was not even my pet, but a part of the family. If Russ has'nt already, he needs to really write a story about this guy. It started with a very sweet lady in our ward, who brought over an egg that was hatching and Russ, the youngest one in our family, was holding the egg as it hatched in his hands. I was there, and to be honest? It was pretty stinkin cool. He named him Hardcastle after a book that my Grandpa Demars read to us, "Chester, I love you". He was the cutest little duckling! I remember him just peeping all night long the first few weeks we had him. Holy cow it was annoying! It was the most amazing thing to watch. This duck would quack at the bus each morning as Russ got on. Then the bus would drive away and Chester would make his rounds to the neighbors houses. They loved him as much as we did. He would be fed by a few close friends, and then make his way back to our house standing guard, if you will. This duck would chase cats out of our yard- I'm completely serious! He was fearless! Then when Russ got home from school, he was right there in the yard, quacking away, waiting for him. It was the cutest thing ever.
I still remember my Dad getting a bit sad when he had to sit us all down that Sunday morning to let us know that Chester had been hit by a car and died. I remember just bawling (along with everyone else in the family) and feeling that heartwrenching sadness for a pet for the first time. That duck, that duck was a part of our family and it was so hard to see him go. If I ever had the chance, I would do just about anything to have my kids have that kind of experience like Russ and the rest of us had with Chester.

Although it seems like the Pederson pets met mostly early and undesireable demises, we still loved them and would not have missed those experiences for the world. They were a part of my childhood and a pretty darn good childhood it was.