Grandpa Retires

Grandpa has finally decided to retire.  On November 4th, he cleaned out his truck and turned in his keys.  Grandma called to see if Colby wanted to come down and say his goodbyes (to the truck), so I took him down after school.  I have always wanted to learn how to drive a truck and this seemed like my chance.  We took the truck down to the church parking lot and I got a few quick lessons, made a few trips around the parking, even backing it up a bit.  We are all so proud of dad (grandpa).  Jeremy wrote a nice tribute to him on his facebook page ;   After 40 something years of driving, my dad retired today. He and his trusty Peterbilt went to 49 states, 4.8 million miles, and saw every kind of blizzard, tornado, hurricane, flood, and wildfire, that mother nature could produce. He always supported his family (still does) and always made it home safe. You'll always be my hero Pa..10-4

It has been a great experience for many to go on trips with dad.  All of the boys have been able to go at one time or another.  They have logged a lot of miles with grandpa and they all have fond memories of the time they spent with him in the truck!  He has always been a very powerful influence on our family.  We love him dearly and hope retirement is great! 

Homecoming

 Parker asked sweet Emily Sullenger to go to Homecoming with him.  Friday night after the football game (which Emily had to perform at) a group of them went to a place in Ogden that has trampolines, foam pits, etc.  They rented out the place for 2 hours- from 10-midnight.  They had a great time.  On Saturday, they went to Tepanyaki for dinner and then to the dance at the school.  Afterwards, they went to one of the boys houses to watch a movie, Parker fell asleep. (great impression for a first date, don't you think?)  I think they had a great time.  Emily looked beautiful and Parker didn't look too bad either.   

Martin Boys 1st Annual Roadtrip

The boys and I thought it would be great to go to a NFL game and watch our favorite team play. As we discussed when we should go, the usual concerns arose. How cold will it be?  How can we all fly to New York for a weekend and justify spending that much money for such a short time?  The solution?  We decided that we could drive to Phoenix and watched the Giants and the Cardinals play. And since the game was in Phoenix, and it was 98 degrees, the cold would not be a issue. So on Saturday, the 1st of October, we went to Colby's football game, which they won, and then left home at 1:30 to start our journey to Phoenix. This was acutally a great road trip -all 11 hours. The boys never had a bad thing to say to each other and had some great conversations all the way to Phoenix. The boys excitement must have overwhelmed them since they were up and ready to go after only sleeping for about 7 hours.  Zac had a great idea of leaving 4 hours before the game so we could tailgate. Since this was our 1st NFL game we all agreed and headed out to the stadium.  Tailgating at a professional game is so much different than a high school or college game.  It's very serious business.

When we ordered our tickets we also ordered our parking pass. Parking was as close to the stadium as you could get. Our seats were on the 10 yard line and up 21 rows. Wow!  What great seats and an even  better game. The Giants won.

 Monday morning wasn't quite the same getting up as the morning before. No one was excited for the 11 hour drive home, but they were all troopers and made the best of it. What a great experience for all of us, I hope it's something that the boys will always remember.  We want to plan on going to an NFL game every year, but mom said we will just have to see. We will have a second annual event with just the boys, but we will have to see what interesting things we all come up with and agree to do. GO GIANTS!



2011 Football Season

I cannot believe another football season is almost over.  This is Colby's last season in the rec. league.  I remember when he started, they were so little.  Allen and I would watch the big kids play and wonder if Colby would ever be that old.  He is, and it has been a fast journey!  I am going to miss it.  He has had a wonderful experience with great coaches.  His team has done very well again, we are now starting the playoffs.  It would be so awesome to finish at the Mini Bowl.  

 

Our two Eagles

Parker and Colby both received their Eagle Scout award and we are so proud of them.  They have both worked very hard to accomplish this.  We held a court of honor for them on Sept. 10, 2011.  We invited a special guest to bring a live eagle.  It was an amazing presentation, so awesome to see a bird like that so close.  James Burton gave some wonderful remarks about the boys and presented them with their Eagle awards.  He is the best leader, neighbor, and friend, we are so grateful for all he has done for the boys.  Family, friends, and ward members came to support them.  It turned out great.  As parents, we are so grateful for all the good examples around our kids. 

 

Love you both!



Labor Day

We spent the Labor Day Weekend in Park City this year. We had a lot of fun. Colby and Parker rode the slide and the zip line at the Olympic Park. They loved it. We also watched some people do the aerial jumps into the pool. Of course we had to fit in some time for shopping and the skate park. It was nice to be able to get away for the weekend.

I guess summer is officially over.  Everyone is getting back into the school routine.  Parker is a junior at Davis High and Colby is in 9th grade at a brand new junior high, Centennial Junior High.  It is a beautiful, huge school that is almost text book free.  All of the students were issued a netbook computer.  They use them in class and bring them home to do all of their homework.  It is amazing.  Both boys are seemingly happy with school and their classes.  Parker is working hard at his job as a custodian at Centennial Jr.  Colby has started his last season of rec. football.  Things are always moving so quickly.  We are hoping to get a few more boating days in but everyone is so busy, don't know if it will happen.