new website

I'm so excited to share with you that we are in the process of launching a brand new family website.  I've been searching for a way to combine all of our blogs in one place...and finally found the answer.  I have spent the afternoon creating the page & will be continuing to add to it and update regularly.

Click on the link below to go check out our new page!! 

http://eph210lifeonpurpose.weebly.com/  

$0 Balance

For the last several months, I've been praying that God would, in some way, pay Quintin's medical bills.  I just wanted that monthly reminder of my loss to be gone!!  I want to grieve and process with out the worry of debt.  Selfish!? Not one bit.  It's been almost 7 months and we will be making payments for a while yet. We are actually still waiting on bills from CHOP, and one another transport company.  And, let me just say, I'm not sharing this information with you in an attempt to gain your pity, or anything else for that matter.  I am hoping that you will see just how awesome our God is!!  That He does care, and He will see our needs and supply for them.  

All of the bills we received so far, have either been paid off or set up on payment plans.  However, we still had an ambulance transport bill for Quin, in the amount of $4600.  I received a notice stating that the insurance company had denied it and would not be paying.  I expected that.  I know that a lot of insurance companies don't cover ambulance fees.  I know I did the wrong thing, but I put the bill aside and did nothing about it for 3 months.  Bad...I know!!  But I allowed my grief to control that decision.  I just didn't want to face it!  Anyway, yesterday, while making some other phone calls, I decided to call the transport company, out of curiosity.  I needed to know how much we owed them.  After about 5 minutes talking to the billing manager, and 2 or 3 minutes on hold...she came back on the phone and said, "Mrs. Martin, I'm not sure what happened...but it looks like you have a $0 balance.  You owe us nothing!".   I was completely dumb-founded.  I had not expected that, and I had no idea what to say in response.  Considering the ONLY communication I had with them had said that it had been denied by the insurance, I expected to have to pay the full balance.  Somehow, someway...God paid my bill!! I'm not sure what happened, it doesn't really matter...but He did it!

My prayer was answered and then some!!  As I was typing this, the idea of a $0 balance reminded me of another way our debt has been paid, in full...on the CROSS!  

blessings: WK 1

Today: I am thankful for family!!  (And friends that I can call family!!)

How many people can you fit around an iPad!?  Our family's "facetime party" with Ryan and his family, who are currently living in Texas!  It was a huge blessing to get to see them!

2012 in Review

New Year's is typically a time of reflection, remembrance, and renewed commitment.  So, I thought I would take a few minutes to do all of those things.  2012 has been an interesting year for the Martin family.  So, to rewind...here is our 'list'

*January - We spent a day in Wilmington Delaware, preparing breakfast for the guest families.  It

                 was a great day, just the 5 of us...giving back in memory of Todd Heston.
                 We also celebrated Kadenn's 9th birthday!!

*February - We told the girls and the rest of our families that we would soon be a family of 6...
                   We also celebrated Kylei's 11th birthday!!

*March - Dustin & I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary!  I won't say it has been an easy 12 

               years, but it was definitely fun!!  I am so blessed to be able to spend the next 12+ years     

              together!

*April - We found out this month that we were have a GIRL...and also celebrated my birthday :)
             Dustin had a week of vacation from UPS, which we spent visiting the Baltimore 

             Aquarium, and Lakemont Park.

*June - School ended & summer vacation began...

*July - On the 19th (My Grandmother's birthday) We celebrated the arrival of Quintin Riley.

           She was born at the Chambersburg Hospital.  We spent 5 days with her between York

           Hospital and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.  

           She was diagnosed with a rare Mitochondrial disorder and we gave her back to Jesus on     

           the 24th.  I know I haven't shared too much about this, here on our blog. But, in time, I

           will.

*August - Paisley turned 2 years old & the big girls went back to school.  Kylei is officially in 

               middle school.  This has proved to be an exciting challenge for the ENTIRE family!!

*September-October - were spent on the soccer field, as usual!The girls were both invited to    

                                 participate in some club soccer games/clinics.  This has been a fun 

                                 experience getting to play soccer at a completely new level.

                                  We also took Dustin second vacation week and went to Corolla Beach in

                                  the Outerbanks of North Carolina.  

                                   

*November - Happy Thanksgiving

*December - Dustin worked at the Gettysburg UPS center as a Driver & Driver Helper.  This was 

                    a requirement for a promotion he has applied for.  We are "patiently" waiting God's 

                    timing for the promotion to take place.

                    We also celebrated Todd's 4th birthday on December 5th.  Very bittersweet!!

Blessings and Best wishes for the New Year!! Happy 2013...

Not just another day...

It is currently 7:53am.  On this day, at this moment, 4 years ago...I was on my way to the Harrisburg Hospital to give birth to our first & only son, Todd Heston.  As you all know, he was born with a congenital heart disease called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.  This disease would, typically, require open heart surgery in a 3 stage procedure over the course of 5 years.  For Todd, unfortunately, that wasn't the case.  He would require a heart transplant...and so the story goes.  

Today we remember him, on what would be his 4th birthday.  The last 3 years we released balloons in memory of him.  Today, we carry on as if it is just another day.  From the outside, that may appear true...but inside my heart aches as much as the day we said good-bye. 

"It's not the date of birth or date of death that matter, it's how you live the days in between" - Kylei Martin

Such wise words, spoken by such a young girl.  Kylei said she heard something similar said at school this week.  She said it made her think of Todd and Quin.  She said how important those days were with both her baby brother and sister, and how they meant much more than any other.
Her words got me thinking back to the 24 days we spent in Delaware, with Todd.  Four years later, but it still feels like yesterday.  I learned so much about myself, my husband, my faith...I was able to dig deep and find faith and strength I didn't know I had.  I found my God to be truer than true and much bigger than I ever imagined.
Kylei is right...those days in between are much more important than the beginning and the end.  It's full of purpose, whether you can see it or not.  From July 20th 2008, while in still in the womb, when Todd's heart condition was first diagnosed...we prayed that his life, no matter how long or short, would have purpose.  I believe it has, even when I see no evidence.  

If you get nothing more out of this, please get this one thing...live your life on purpose.  How will YOU live your "days in between"?

Today, we remember Todd and the date of his birth...but more importantly we remember and cherish the 24 days we had with him.  

Happy 4th birthday, Todd Heston Martin!! 

30 Day Challenge

I know this post is completely irrelevant to anything else I've EVER posted...but I figured, why not try something new!! :)

Yesterday was Day 1 of my newest 30 Day Challenge...yes, that's right, I started the 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michaels!  If you followed me on Facebook, you would know that I started running while we were on vacation.  I hate running...but yet, found it to be very relaxing to run.  Maybe it was the beach environment that had me motivated, I don't know.  But, either way, I decided it was time to do something to get in better shape.  So, since I'm a fair-weather runner & it's cold here now, I decided to find some indoor exercise regimen.

I bought this DVD several years ago & couldn't keep up at all.  My knees ached so bad, I gave up!  

My niece (my new accountability partner) and I started to work our way through the program again.  Day 1 is complete & I felt great!  Surprisingly, I was able to do the entire workout.  I woke up this morning...pain free!! My legs felt a bit like jell-o when I first got out of bed.  So, we'll see how Day 2 goes!? :/
Check back...eventually, I'll post my exercise goals, etc.  (Hopefully!!) ...Plus, if you don't see anything from me in a while...there is a good chance that Jillian got the best of me!! 

So, that's my "new" thing that I'm working on...what "new" things are YOU doing!?

Faith

I had several other things I wanted to blog about...but just can't seem to get the words to come together.  So, instead...I'll share this.  His plan is perfect, and far greater than we can see or comprehend. Stand firm in your faith in Him!