Reagan Library

The family visited the Reagan Library on a recent trip.  It was awesome.  Much of the library had some amazing exhibits and jarred back a lot of memories as a child with President Reagan.

Like all leaders and people, he had flaws, but my memories of him we're very favorable.  I adored this man back in the day...

Much to visit here, I highly recommend it...

Signs of freedom - this is a section of the Berlin wall.  Freedom and democracy was his mission.

Airforce One - we toured this area in and out.  It was an amazing piece of equipment and you could see the timelines and history of his travels for expanding his mission.

The family in front of vintage 80's Kawazaki motorcycle - my dad rode the exact model during his time in LAPD motors!

Great trip - Praise God for the experience.

Eleven in 2011!

Amber turned eleven!  This precious jewel is such a joy.  We love her zeal for the life that God gave her - our singer, athlete, and academic.  We are having a blast watching her grow.

Happy Birthday my dear daughter - we all love you very much!

Crazy Eight!

Seany boy turned another number this morning.  Tradition was held this morning.  Prayed over him as a family as he slept at 0630, only to awaken him with a happy birthday greeting.  Only kids could love that treatment and tradition...

Finished the morning birthday tradition with cowboy style pancakes with a candled light!

He is about to take on the day - with a new basketball, a new surfboard bag, and leash.  The man is equipped!

I thank the Lord greatly for this gift in our lives.  Thank you God for the privilege.

Bless you son and Happy 8th Birthday!

Family Stability

This photo is one of our favorites.  This is a drift on the Colorado last June during one of our family adventures.  It is my hope and prayer that the Lord always keeps these two close and reliant on one another in so manny of life's journey.  Got to treat family like paddling a kayak.  Kayaks, when operated solo are fun but can be unstable.  When 2 kayaks are together (see Ambers hand), they stay together and are far more stable.  A little lesson to think about...

Celebration of her life - Jeanette R. Martin

Jeanette R. Martin, my grandmother, and mother to my father passed from this world on November 12, 2010.

Grandma was born in Georgia in 1918 almost the same day and month of her passing in 2010.  She was one child of a large family including two brothers (Gerald and Earnest) and four sisters (Lorraine, Cora Lee, Julia, and Annie Mae).  She was the last living sibling.

Among several places her life may have taken her, I have knowledge of several that included my father in Las Vegas in 1946, Minneosota in 1952, and later her permenant residence in Vestavia Hills, Alambama (near Birmingham).  This is where I always considered their home.

She is survived by her husband of 64 years, Robert Martin, her son Jeffery Davis Martin, and daughter Kaye Hodge in addition to their grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Daugther Kay and son Jeffery

Attending grandchildren:  Donna, Deeane, Sean, and Athesia

We are blessed in the love and care the Hodge family has extended to our grandparents in these later years and thankful for them.

As we all greive at this time in her passing, let us have peace that she knew and loved the Lord.  By knowledge of her faith in Jesus Christ, we are encouraged to know that she is with the Lord and her soul is at rest.  May we all stand comforted in Gods word in which Paul reminds us "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain...having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better (Phillipians 1:21-23). 

May God bless all of you and give you peace.

Sierra Summer Vacation 2010

The mountains have always had a special place in my heart.  Especially this region that we visited in the Sierra Nevadas in the upper foothills of Plumas and Sierra Counties.  These places shaped my life as a young man, let my heart soar as I trekked into the woods day after day with my brother, sisters, mom and dad.  I'm now living the same experiences with the only change being the dad.

We did so much, experienced so much, and had a blast!

Fishing, horseback, climbing atop big mountains, and the kids really stretched themselves in ways I thought not possible for such young children. 

Check the flickr site adjacent in recent photos for more pictures!!!

Few notables:

• Sleeping in a Walmart parking lot (really!).
• Grabbing coffee in Nevada City before the run up the 49.
• Fishing in Downieville at the same ol trustworthy spot and landing almost 10 fish or more within the first 30 minutes!  Seany really hooked them up.
• Watching Amber pan for gold and getting a nugget (really!)
• Sleeping along the river.
• Listening to bears wrestle outside the tent, sleeping horribly, but loving every minute of it.
• Climbing atop the Sierra Buttes with the kiddos.
• Flyfishing with the kids just before dinner at Packer Lake.
• Taking my kids to the same ice cream joint I visited at their same age.
• Quality time with the wifey!
• Meeting strangers everyday and hanging out in campground settings.
• Swimming at the pond.
• Driving to Tahoe and Mammoth the last few days.
• Fishing, fishing, and more fishing!
• Riding horseback with the family.
• Road time and seeing the world!

Thanks be to God for these amazing times and to enjoy His glory in the mountain landscape!

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffery and Diane Martin 50th Wedding Anniversary

Image credit:  my sister Cheryl (good job!)

We are very grateful to God for the blessing of their marriage and commitment to us all.  Even through all the storms of life, careers, life changes, and circumstances, their commitment to marriage has set an example for so many. 

Congratulations and many blessings to you both.  We love you guys and appreciate the time we get to spend together!

May God continue to bless you both and this family.

Cannel Plunge 2010

Before playing the video, hit the expand video button for full screen...

This is video of Sean's organized 2010 Cannel Plunge Ride in Kernvillle, CA.  See other posts for the survival ride on the same course in 2008.

Good job Sean and the rest of your crew!

Watch it all the way through with the music and still photos...

This Video Fires Me Up!

My Pastor recently posted this video.  It fires me up and speaks volumes...!

Does it grab you as well?

Guide Fishing - Mammoth Lakes

Never thought I would take on a guide with fishing - but you can teach an ol' dog new tricks.  I'm sold...  Next to the real deal, Brad McFall.  Kind of nice getting to use equipment that I would not ordinarily possess such as a $700 9 foot Sage rod with perfect line and gear.  Kind of sweet really...

In action on the Owens near Mammoth Lakes...

Check his blog out - see the adjacent blog interests on this page...

Da bruddas

If John were not an Otis, you would think he was a blood brother.  Guess it is enough we are brothers in Christ...  He sure looks like one of the brothers for sure.  We appreciate this road warrior and miss him.  We are joyed with his new endeavors in the bike industry and can't wait to hear the stories of his trip in Euro world this month...

God bless you Johnny boy!

Family Photo

My bro forwarded this picture - very cool.  Couple years back for the mom's b-day celebration.  The fam from left to right:  Sean, Debbie, John, Donna, Shawna, Dad, Mom, Richard, Cheryl, Vanessa, Tamara, Brad, Christina, Korey, Jenn, Kevin, and yours truly...

Uncle Richard!

Uncle Richard is the real deal!  The kids flock to him.  He is selfless in his care and fun with the children and they love him.  Day at the beach with the fam...

God bless you Richard - we appreciate you bro...!

Junior Lifeguards - Avila Beach

Amber's hard work in early summer paid off.  She trained for the swim test, and passed it exceptionally.  Her reward was 5 weeks of junior life guard participation in Avila Beach. 

For approximately 5weeks this summer Amber woke early and participated in beach fun, fitness, and beach guard training.  Her mornings were filled with fun activities, a one mile beach run, and various other lifeguard based activities.  Her participation and enjoyment made her father and uncle very proud and she is the fourth lifeguard in our family following in the footsteps of her Uncle Sean, Aunt Donna, and her father...

She competed in many regional lifeguard competitions and I had the joy to watch her in action in Santa Barbara.  She had a blast with 250 of her buddies and nearly 2000 other competitors on the beach and I praise God for the instructors and staff that made it safe, fun, and learning for the kiddos!

Warm up in Carpenteria.  Amber in the center!

More warm ups and showing a little strain!

Amber in action ready for the long swim in SB!  Amber learned the trick for swim starts from her dad - the inside edge. 

What a blast for a ten year old.  I hope these experiences and fitness instruction sets a early desire for the outdoors and adventure.  I thank God for His creation of our oceans and these wonderful and powerful playgrounds and landscapes.  Amber - your family is very proud of you and your dedication to JG this summer and look forward to more together!

Adventures in Marriage

team  It's Bizness Time - the ultimate team - 3rd place

Jenn and I had the pleasure to recently celebrate our 13th year of marriage in participating in this years Central Coast Adventure Challenge sprint course at Lopez Lake. Korey and TT joined in the fun and it did not dissapoint and we planned to complete the course together in unison - it was aweseome the wifey did amazingly well...! 

The course consisted of kayaking, mild orienteering to each check points with map navigation, mountain biking, and a run/mountain climb complete with ropes and some minor team tests... 

A little test of teamwork, balance, thinking - the old(er) guard and the new guard.

Team It's Bizness Time with the Faciliators - along with the kiddos and nanna/papa.

Great time of fellowship, suffering, team work, and pure gutteral fun.  So proud of the wifey in her efforts.  Life and marriage is an adventure and this day was a blessing.  I praise God for our marriage "oneness" and His amazing and mysterious gift.  Looking forward to more marriage and adventure together!

Thank you Korey and TT for your friendship in all of this.  Let these experiences illustrate some of the realities of marriages - challenging, tough, messy, exhilirating, joyful, and utlimately a great gift...  Thanks for the grandparents and kiddos for giving us this moment of fun as well...

Lake Mead - A Desert Paradise

The Lake Mead recreational area has not changed...  Other than the lower water level, it is still beautiful and enormous!  This was the return day of our kayak trip and we drove the shoreline to explore at various areas.

Black Canyon Adventure

The crew (Brendan, Jenn, Amber, Seany, Mom, Dad, Tim(our guide), and yours truly adventure kayaked the big horn tour up the Colorado River and the Black Canyon just below Hoover Dam. It had all the elements of our kind of trip. Adventure, challenge, good food, exercise, family, fellowship, beauty, and even some occasional rest. This trip did not disappoint and suggest you see for yourself.

CLICK THE RECENT PHOTOS VIA FLIKR TO THE RIGHT TO SEE SOME OF THE GREAT PHOTOS OF THE TRIP!!!

Desert and River Adventure Part I - Hoover Dam

All I can say is what a fantastic time it was...

Adventurous, challenging, peaceful, spiritual, timely, and even sparked some youth memories.  Mom, Dad, Jenn, Amber, Sean, Brendan, and yours truly took a desert and river adventure this past week and totally enjoyed the experience.  More to follow in detail, but lets start with some breathtaking photos the day before our adventure began.

The crew...

The landscape...

Standing atop a very amazing story - Hoover Dam.  The new bypass bridge in the pictures foreground is no less impressive really and the pictures simply do it no justice.  It stands a towering 1000 feet above the water and the scale is simply amazing.

More to follow...

Jeffery Davis Martin - 70 x 70

We had the pleasure to spend the day riding with the cycling guru of the family.  Dad (JD) spent the afternoon peddling 70 miles through Ventura and Santa Barbara as a celebration ride on behalf of his 70th Birthday.  Very cool.  The boys had the delightful and memorable opportunity to share in the fun which included:  Sean, Korey, Rudy, Mike, and yours truly.  Dad rode strong, smart, and showed that he is not just some normal dad at 70.

Heading south near East Beach. 

Up the coast and yours truly drafting dad.  Illustration of both me and Seans life...

Mike and dad popping a climb near SB...

Great finish and a great meal in the end.  We got to gorge on burgers and shakes after earning every penny that day.  Appreciate my dads commitment to fitness and cycling and paving the way for our family activities.  Dad - your effort that day was a joy to watch and we appreciate the fellowship together.  Sean and I both thank the other men who helped make the day a memorable event and thanks to Korey, Rudy, and Michael for making the ride.  But especially thanks to Dad for training and making this day an important event in his life.  We all love you dad and praise God for you. 

Jeffery Davis Martin 7.0 (circa 1940)-Part I

Cannot quite describe May 8, 2010 and the absolute celebration for my dad who was born Mary 8, 1940. More to follow on that amazing celebration complete with pictures and the fun stories.

But the video for dad is a must watch. Grab some popcorn and enjoy a life story in pictures. Thank you father God for this great man, father, husband, and friend.

More to follow...