The Life of the Marty Party: February 2009

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Seeing It In Person...

...finally!!! After hearing about it over the phone and seeing it only in pictures and trying to imagine what it must be like to be here...
Our first time at the Cafe! Indescribable! Just being in there...the smells...the sounds...the warm colors just completely envelop you. It is so cute...even cuter in person than in the pictures! I wish all of you could come to Krakow and see it...come in and have a latte and a brownie. These brownies and cookies that "we" make are better than anything I've ever tasted before. Every day we eat them and talk about it...it's so funny...how we all stand around and discuss the texture and tastes and the different ingredients and whether or not it's fresh....

This is our "mission statement" in Polish. It's on the wall at the cafe so all our customers know they are truly getting "more than a cookie" they are giving back. This says that a portion of every purchase is donated to non-profit programs that address the physical and spiritual needs of disadvantaged children.

The kids LOVE to go to the "cookie shop"! They get to help Gramma make the cookies...she's such a sweet gramma (pun fully intended) always giving them handfuls of m&m's or letting them put the dough on the cookie sheet...I wish you could see her in that kitchen...she's like Betty Crocker herself!

Quenton loves his new job...he's really enjoying working with his dad...they make a great team! Some days they work from home and they get me in on some of the creative stuff like planning and designing the kiosk or the menu. It's so much work but it's just so much fun too!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Home Sweet Home

Q carrying me over the threshold

We were so excited to see our new home when we arrived in Krakow!
For the first few months or so we are living in a fully furnished one bedroom apartment. We live in a big three level house with Q's parents, brother, sister and her husband and two kids. His sister and her family live in the apartment on the third floor...his parents and brother live on the 2nd floor...and we have the apartment on the ground level! We are having such a blast all living together...separately!
At our place the three kids are all packed into the one bedroom and we've used half of the living room as our master bedroom. It's so perfectly comfy and cozy. There's a fireplace in our bedroom/living room so we've really enjoyed that. I always tell Q "you're so good at building fires."
I must say when we got here my mother-in-law had our place all ready for us and made it just so perfectly warm and inviting. Our stuff is on it's way and I'm eager to get it, but we've been completely comfortable even without it.

Briar's bed on the left Truman's bed on the right

Eden's bed

Our bedroom with a fireplace

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Our Valentine's 2009

Q and I had a babysitter for the kids and we had reservations at a special restaurant in "Old Towne" in Krakow. The food was amazing. Q had the salmon and I had the steak. As we were dining, a young Polish woman came by selling long stemmed roses, of course he bought me one...and gave it to me with a kiss. While we were waiting for our dessert, we exchanged our Valentine's. Q gave me the most beautiful card ever--and the words inside even more beautiful...as usual, he had me in tears with his sweet message
...old buildings, twinkle lights, cobblestone streets and a big open square...Krakow is so picturesque and romantic. We had a wonderful Valentine's evening there celebrating our love and everything we have to be thankful for. Happy Valentine's Day to my Forever Sweetheart!
I love you, Quenton

And, Happy Valentine's Day to all of my family, friends and faithful readers.
love you

Monday, February 9, 2009

A Sweet Reunion

When we arrived in Krakow, Poland, it was a family reunion! We hadn't seen Quenton's parents for a whole year, and it had been a year and a half since we saw his sister and her family (Jessica, Steve, Rose and James) and his brother (Justin--who couldn't be at the airport because he was sick).
Needless to say, there were many hugs and happy tears!

They see us for the first time through the doors!

Eden and Rose (2 yrs.)...we hadn't seen Rose since she was 6 months old!!!

Briar and Rose getting reacquainted

Me and my mother-in-law

Meeting baby James (9 mos.) for the first time EVER!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

One Way Ticket To Krakow!

Briar was such a big helper, and so cute pulling her own carry-on bag!!!

On January 27th we flew out of Chicago O'Hare ONE WAY on a direct flight to Krakow, Poland...I repeat, ONE AIRPLANE...NO CONNECTIONS! We were so happy to just "get here" in a little over 8 hours! It was such a great flight. We left Chicago a little after 10:00pm, so the kids slept through almost the entire thing. We had 3 seats in the middle section, that's where Briar sat between Q and me, and Eden and Truman were in the two seats on the side.
About half-way through the chicken and rice dinner that we were so kindly served by the flight attendants, Truman got my attention across the aisle and said with a smile, motioning toward his food, "this is so nice!"
It's been awhile since he's flown overseas...I'd say he was pleasantly surprised!

Briar's latest craze is "tickle my backie with the corner" and Q's seems to be refusing to smile for the camera...I think he's growing weary of me taking so many pictures all the time!

A HUGE Accomplishment!

We are finally here after a long journey that started when we left Lancaster on November 17th. We had such a good time with family and friends in Minnesota and Wisconsin for the past 2 plus months when we were in "Limbo". I spent hours and hours packing our stuff into 7 huge duffle bags, three rubbermaid containers, and 7 carry-on bags...and that was after we loaded the Ford Explorer with boxes, rugs, my computer, non-perishable food items, toys, all of our summer clothes and shoes...and then stuffed it with 13 garbage bags filled with pillows, bedding, towels and clothes until there were no more spaces or pockets of air in the vehicle. (Except for the driver's seat of course)
Thank you to my mom for giving up her living room for over a week so I would have enough space to tackle this project.
Thank you to Calvary Baptist Church in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin (the church I went to growing up)for letting us borrow the 15 passenger van so that my parents could come

with our whole family to Chicago with all of our baggage and all in one vehicle. Thanks Mom and Dad for coming along to say goodbye and to drive the van back to SP!

saying goodbye to my mom and dad in Chicago

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Happy February

My favorite month!Pink and hearts, romance, love songs, chocolate, and my birthday!
Can't wait for Valentine's Day! I love love! How fun to have a whole day to celebrate it! I love shopping in February and seeing all the new, fun stuff for Spring! Everything is brighter and sweeter!!!
We are settled in Krakow, Poland now. We have so much to look forward to!
Lots of love and hugs from the Martys!

Q and I have been married for 16 years. We've been through so much together from traveling the world and living overseas to the births of each of our 4 children and everything in between. Our marriage is stronger than ever and for that we are very grateful. We do not take it for granted and we're always working on staying close and improving our relationship. Marriage definitely has it's ups and downs just like every part of life, but we've chosen to relish the good and to learn from the bad and grow through it. In 1996, we started our life together in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where Q was an associate pastor for 5 1/2 years. Our life changed forever in 1999 when we had our first baby...a girl. In 2001 we had a boy.
In 2003, Q began working for HOPE International. We moved our little family of four to Kiev, Ukraine for the first 15 months and then transferred to Lancaster, PA where the HOPE headquarters is located. We lived in Lancaster for 4 years. During that time we happily welcomed our sweet baby #3, another girl.
Then, in January 2009, Q resigned from his position with HOPE and we moved our family overseas to Krakow, Poland to join Q's parents and siblings in a family business. The business was called "More Than A Cookie". We baked and sold gourmet cookies and brownies, ice cream, and specialty coffee drinks. Our passion has always been to further the Kingdom and support ministries close to our hearts so the idea was to give a portion of every purchase to support children's ministry.
In December 2009, we moved back to the states yet again. This time to the home we know and love *Minnesota*. [We have since sold the rights to our family business in Europe]. It has been a great experience to reconnect with family and friends after being gone for 6 1/2 years. I was able to start up my cleaning business again and I still love it. Q is back with HOPE International working as the development representative doing fundraising work here in the twin cities and Chicago as well. We feel so blessed to be part of such a great organization.
In May 2010, We bought a house on a lake...which is so fitting for Minnesota...and we have really enjoyed getting settled into our life here. Have you heard the saying "new house new baby"? Well, we found out baby #4 was on the way only 4 months after we moved in!*SURPRISE*
We evened the score with another boy and our party of five became six last May. We know each one of them is a special gift from God and we are enjoying this incredible journey of parenting together. It's not always easy but we can't imagine our life without any of them. We feel so blessed.

Eden is 12 years old. She is a beautiful, sweet, fun and very creative girl. Eden enjoys sewing, drawing, painting and any kind of art project. She is also very talented in singing. She's played fall soccer for the past 2 seasons and this year her team even won the championship. It has been such a joy to watch her grow into a young lady {preteen}...it could not be more true "the years go by so fast" we have enjoyed every stage so far. What a great big sister and help to Mommy and Daddy she is! She is very responsible and is always watching out for her little brothers and sister.

Truman is 10. He loves sports. His most favorite is football...any version...He plays on a city league team, he plays on the Playstation, he plays with his friends at school and with just himself in the backyard while narrating the play by play (this version is especially fun to watch out my kitchen window) and then of course there's his favorite NFL team, the Vikings, he loves to watch on Sundays...he even collects football cards. He also plays on the traveling basketball team and he is very good. He was on the track team in the spring and he won several blue ribbons in that as well. He's just one of those athletic kinda guys.
He also really loves fishing! His biggest catch was on a guys' weekend with Daddy when he caught a 24 inch Northern.
Although Math is his favorite subject in school, like his sisters, he is also very good in art and he even has his own little creative side.
He has such a great sense of humor. He's always making all of us laugh. He is a total entertainer. But, he is also one of the most thoughtful, sweet and sensitive boys you'll ever meet. We love this about our Truman. Most of all he is so happy to finally have a brother! It's been so fun to watch him with Jude.

Briar is 5. She started Kindergarten this year and so far she loves it. She goes for half days. In the morning she rides to school with Truman and then she comes home on the bus at noon. I love getting her dressed in the morning and doing her hair in fun braids or piggy tails, buns or curly buns. I want to take a picture of her every day because she is so stinkin' cute! Briar also played soccer for the first time this fall. She did a great job. She's not terribly aggressive or anything but it was still really fun to watch her.
She is such a fun little girly girl! She loves to play kitchen, babies, Barbies, Polly Pockets, dress-up, make-up...I guess "girly girl" would suffice! She even has her own little sense of humor. I wish I could video tape every moment right now because she is so adorable and she says the cutest things in her sweet tiny voice.
Briar is my best helper in the kitchen. I love that she doesn't just get bored with it half way through and quit. She always helps until everything is completely done.
She has been loving her new role as "big sister". She is definitely Mommy's little helper. Briar always helps me with bathtime for Jude and she loves to change his diapers and even burp him. I have loved watching her with him. It is truly precious. Every day when she gets off the bus she runs to give Jude a big hug and kiss!

Jude Blaser Marty baby number 4. Arrived on May 21st at 10:27am via C-section.
Weight: 7 lbs 6 oz
Length: 21 inches.
We didn't know we would ever have a 4th baby, yet here we are...completely in love with this little boy. He has completed our family. We are all crazy about him.
Jude is such a perfect "baby of the family". He is so laid back. He is very patient...it's like he knows there are 3 siblings to compete with for our time and he's totally okay with it. He's such a little love nugget speaking of which he already has so many nick names including but not limited to:
Ju.d.ju
juju.b
jude dude
lovey love
the man
the one
total munch
munchabunch
love munch
kicky bubbles
honey love