Bike Safety

Learned bike safety as a child. Notice the helmet, shirt, shoes, and proper bike ettiquette in looking ahead at the terrain in front of you. No school like the old School...

Seany Boy - Born Cyclist!

The dad many moons ago... Same dual front wheel bike - only built of pot metal...

The same idea - just a more hansome boy with a lighter bike! GO SEANY BOY!

Amber

Just felt like sharing one of my favorite all time photos of my dear daughter. I praise God for this jewel in my life...

Pacific Coast Trail Run - TT and Big Seany Boy

Christina signed up for her first trail run at Montana De Oro State Park. The event ran today and her running pal was a no show. Her Uncle Sean decided to run along for company and to record the event. The coarse was exactly what you can see in the background - mountain goat climbs on coastal mountains 12km and 1700 feet of vertical. Very impressive run TT!

TT running towards the second ridge below Valencia Peak.

TT showing smiles with gritty determination!

Sean and TT atop Valencia Peak at a bit more than half way. You can see the rock in the background. Gods handiwork on display!

Love to see the family enjoying Gods creation and pushing the athletic endeavors. Praise God for these special times!

Too Cool for School!

Amber and I sported our 50's theme for the recent Saint Patricks School daddy daughters dance last Saturday. She and I cut a rug for 2 hours plus with about 100 other dads and daughters. We had a fine time together.

Credits for Ambers poodle dress goes to TT and Nana!

Both of us sported chucks. Jenn did not know I could pomp my hair with 2-3 inch dew(wop!)!

So cool!

Sounds like a bromance!

After establishing a day of hooky on Monday, February 8th, this was the response to my brother for an email invitation to ride, surf, fish, and otherwise be brothers. It was ofcourse, our 42nd birthday...

Sounds like a bromance!

Dad, Sean, Rudy, Korey and yours truly set off for a man day on Monday at 7am with the car packed to the brim with food, surfboards, wetsuits, fishing gear, and road bikes. Sean came from So Cal and met us at Jalama at 8am. Wind was already up so we changed plans and drove to Refugio. There was no dissapointment in this change of plans and God really provided the setting with warm sun, surf, plenty of fish to be had, and a special treat none of us really expected...

The boys ready for a bromantic ride from Refugio up the Canyon (Rudy, me, Dad, Sean, and Korey)

The boys atop the peak above Refugio - 4200 feet from sea level in 13 miles. God blessed us with a very fitting gift in this experience for our 42nd... What a nice surprise. Seriously, you could see Shell Beach areas from atop this peak...

Korey and Sean on the descent - it was very cold until halfway. 13 mile descent was a bit hairy...

Rudy with the first barred perch on the boards! I was sporting my new wetsuit from the wifey and kids!

Yours truly with a really decent sized perch. You may not be able to tell by the pic but this lil fish was about a pound!

The Martin Boys...

Very grateful to those who made the time to enjoy this day of play. God has been so faithful in my life and has placed very precious friendships to keep me in check. It is my prayer that we all honor His name in our activity, our fun, and our birthday celebrations.

Thank you Dad, Rudy, and Korey for helping Sean and I celebrate this great day. Happy Birthday Seany Boy! God bless you all.

Seans first big boy shot!

Meant to blog this before. Seans first experience with big boy ammo. Papas mini 14 and Seans shoulder. As he squeezed two shots off, I whispered in his ears and asked what he thought - Sean replied with a deep and gutteral - Ahhhhsommmme!!!

Yep - he got that right.

Peddlin with Papa

A quick pic at the turnaround with my dad. Crisp but sunny January ride. Just enjoying the rain and the occassional breaks of sun in between.

Thankful for these times.

Amberito turns 10!

Everyone knows the Martins have a few birthdays in January. On the the 13th, our y2k gift turned 10 - Happy Birthday Amber!

As everyone likely knows already, the celebration started at 6am, a prayer for the day, and sang happy birthday to wake her (they will likely grow out of enjoying this...). Then pancakes abound. Nana and papa joined us and presented Amber with her first BB Gun (pink daisey red rider). She also recieved a desired cash gift from her parents and TT and Korey.

Importantly, this was Ambers 10th birthday and it was important to demonstrate a right of passage and celebration. 4 years earlier, after denying earings to my daughter, her mother and I were delighted to present the opportunity. She now has beautifully pierced ears!

Ambers pierced ears!!! Light blue to match her beautiful eyes.

We ended the day with a family dinner with the Carrols, nana, papa and the rest of the fam. We did some dancing and horsing around the rest of the night and stayed up late on a school night!

The kids getting funky with TT in tow!

Amber - your name is so fitting. You are truly a jewel to us all. We thank and praise God continually for the gift of you sweetheart. Happy Birthday Amberito!

The Mustangs - Go Amber!

Amber has skills on the court and leadership! What a blast to watch...

Seven!

Seany boy is again turning another corner in age - lucky 7!

We really had a blast in the last week with Sean and his birthday celebration. It started in Friday morning at 500 am when Jenn and I woke to take on the day. We had some coffee, grabbed a few of his gifts, and had Amber join us in getting ready for our tradition for birthdays in this house...

Amber, Jenn, and I went into Seans room and prayed for Gods blessing on his birthday. Next we woke him by signing happy birthday. What came next was even extra special. I asked Sean if he wanted to accept Jesus into his heart and he smiled and said "yes!" We then, together, repeated a prayer which gave Sean the opportunity to profess Christ as his savior and his family had the delight to witness it. He did it with confidence and humility...

As we all went downstairs we did our usual and prepared pancakes as part of the tradition. And yes, place a candle upon the stake of hotcakes and again sang his birthday out.

Gifts we presented from everyone and very special ones: his own tackle box for fishing, his first knife, and a red rider bb gun presented from the grandparents!

Sean unwrapped the BB Gun!

Ready to bust out a few shots!

We are so grateful to God for the precious gifts in our children. God bless you little man. We love you dearly and Happy Birthday!

Merry Christmas 2009

From the mouth of babes!

I have been lazing this morning. Partly because I caught a cold, and because we are prepping for Christmas Eve. You cannot help to begin to inventory your life on days like this. Trust you know what I mean...

I was looking for something in my top dresser when I stumbled on a note that my daughter and a young girl were passing back and forth during an airline flight a number of years ago. I kept it for many reasons but let me tell you what happened first.


This is the first page of the note:

Amber: What to do anything else? The replies -IDK. I believe this means I don't know.

Amber: You're the first friend I found at the airport! The girl replies A=Me2. I am getting the impression she must have been taught to text at a young age...

Amber: Your very nice!! The girl replies - Thanks


The next page of the note continues:

Amber: Do you know Jesus? The girl replies - Yes, I go 2 Church every Sunday.

Amber: This is my favorite Bible verse. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not die but have eternal life! John 3:16.

The girl replies - thats soo cool.

I love this episode in life. I love the fact that my children are not terrified nor cautious in telling the world of our savior... I love this note and will read it on occasion for encouragement in my parenting of these great kids.

Praise God for these little precious gifts.

Sean Michael or Sean Robert?

Smokes! Grumpy,bed head,smacking, cereal eating, morning person Sean Martin. Is this my brother or my son?

Seany boy weekend indulgence - Lucky Charms!

Thanksgiving 2009

It's Sunday evening and I feel compelled to record Thanksgiving 2009. This is a family blog of course and that is good reason enough to record. I believe it goes deep and beyond the normal reasons to blog and share. God's word (presented in Pastor Tim's sermon today) reminds us - give thanks in all circumstances. For this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus. This reason, combined with some great family time, makes me want to share and give thanks...

Thank you Lord for your grace and mercy. Thank you for Jesus Christ and the delivery of the promise and your love to the world!

In every thank you below - it is thanks to God.

Thank you for the gift of marriage, family, children and parents. Thank you for the joy of children and their fun with the cousins this weekend!

Thank you God for your comfort and encouragement, especially during the times of doubt, anxiety, and life distractions. Living the dream...

Thank you for friendships.

Thank you for my great career, my employer, and the dear friendship I have received in this journey.

Thank you for my sister Donna and John for treating us all a Thanksgiving meal.

Thank you for my brother Sean and his wife Debbie for housing us last weekend and the joy we had visiting them.

Thanks to my brother Sean and Mike for punishing me on some great mtb trails on Wed evening.

Thanks to all those on the ride on Thanksgiving day: John, Scotty, Scott, Sean, Donna, and wifey. Awesome morning of riding and preppy for calorie intake!

Thanks to God for my brothers new career and the friendships he has made over the years.

Thanks to Richard, Sister Cheryl, and daughter Shawna for being with us on Thanksgiving. Praise God for their new travel experiences and visiting our nations capitol.

Thanks for all the food, resources, and bounty the Lord provided and the meal we shared at Thanksgiving. Our cups overflowed!

Thanks for the rest and relaxation and the moment to forget the craziness of life even if for a moment of rest by your hand!

Thanks for the new house for the Easter family!

Thanks for the new home for TT and Korey and their trust in you!

Thanks for my father and his wisdom in life and our friendship. Thanks to my mom for her undying love and attention to her children (even if they are grown up)...

Thank you God for your eternal encouragement, faithfulness, and love. Our prayer is to remember always, give thanks to you!

I love the way today's worship service ended - God commands our thanks because who He is and because what He has done in Jesus Christ. This is the gospel at it's core!!! I give thanks for the transforming power of this gift.

God Bless you all and hope you had a fine Thanksgiving celebration!

Grey Sharks

This is our Under 8 boys soccer team. Korey and I elected to coach and instruct this season for Seany boy's soccer team.

It has been a blast so far and lots of fun. Blessings to the players and their families.

From left to right: Coach Korey, Joseph "Joey" Bradbury, Christian "pele" lucierio, Matthew "bull dog" Ferraggario, Bryce "thunderfoot" Tencati, David "speedy" Garcia, Andrew "the defender" Pasquini, Seany "boy" Martin, and yours truly.

An American Hero - Gerald Edward Roebuck

A dear uncle to my father, and hero to our country, passed from this world yesterday. Gerald Edward Roebuck died on October 19, 2009. He is survived by many including his wife Marguerite of 64 years, two sons, and many grandkids/great grandkids.

My father often spoke of his uncle who had a profound impact on his life at a young age and I am delighted and privileged to write this brief piece of history of this man who lived a life of dedication to our country. Perhaps, we can take a moment and praise our Lord that we are blessed in the gift of men and women who are willing to sacrifice their own comforts and lives for our freedoms.

In the brief words of my father, we are sharing his service in the military:

Gerald Roebuck enlisted in the US Navy before the attack of Pearl Harbor and the start of WWII. He was assigned as a Pharmacist Mate with the newly formed Marine Raiders. He served with the 1st Marine Raider Battalion under Colonel "Red" Mike Edson which was part of the 1st Marine Division. In August 1942, this division assaulted Tulagi (Japanese HQ near Guadalcanal) and after this mission the battalion joined the division for operations against Japan on Guadalcanal. Following the battles in Guadalcanal, Gerald was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism at bloody ridge while aiding wounded Marines, exposing himself to enemy fire. Gerald was wounded but continued evacuating and aiding Marines in the open, while completely surrounded by Japanese forces, until a second wound rendered him unable to stand. Following the battle, he was awarded the Navy Cross by Admiral "Bull" Halsey.

A photo of Marine Raiders landing on Tulagi in 1942.

Following WWII, Gerald served in almost every division of the military. He later re-enlisted in the newly formed US Air Force and retired as a Master Sargent. Following his military journey, he served the public in the Health Department in Montgomery Alabama. Gerald died at the age of 86.

Although I have very few direct memories of my fathers mothers family and her siblings, I sincerely appreciate my dads testimony and fondness of his uncle and his sincere appreciation of this family hero. I praise God for Uncle Gerald's service to our country and pray for peace and comfort to his surviving family. May God rest your soul Uncle Gerald and blessings to your family.

Contrasting Landscape

Citrus groves in the Borrego landscape. Lush meets the barren landscape...

Happy 50th Tamara!

In 1959 there were some considerable introductions to the world. The BIC pall point pen introduced in the US, Barbie was introduced world wide, Alaska entered US statehood, and many other important events seem to hit the US headlines. But these little pieces of US history simply meant nothing to our family. One of the best decades of our country was coming to an end and our family enjoyed one last piece of blessing from the 1950's. Tamara was born to the world... God really blessed us all with her and we are grateful that she is in our lives. Tamara, meaning spice and in some cases palm tree, is a very fitting name because the beautiful and tasteful ways she has impacted all our lives.

This past weekend, all the siblings and children drove to Borrego Springs to celebrate her 5oth birthday and the weekend did not dissapoint. Her husband Brad and her introduced us to their new ranch home in which they are responsible for - a very profound and old organic citrus grove tucked in the upper valleys above Borrego in the San Diego County side just above the imperial valley. The desert oasis setting was stunningly beautiful and the ranch in which they reside has been there since 1940. They gave us tours and it was a blast.

The birthday day was spent at a SPA poolside with everyone having a blast poolside watching the kids and cousins go for it in the pool. The balance of the adults spent time fellowshipping and enjoying Tamara's company in this hot desert and 100 degree plus setting.

The evening was spent getting ready for dinner and a drive into the town of Barrego. To all of our surprise, we were greeted with a WWII armed forces carrier truck and we enjoyed a music filled tour of the Barrego Springs area as family together in the back of an elevated truck body with comfortable seats. The warm breeze, music, laughter, and smiles from everyone was an amazing experience and we all seemed to enjoy the unique aspect of our evening. It was something you could not have planned from an area outside of Borrego - Big thanks to Brad for this evening. We landed at a restaurant that hosted the Hollywood elite in the 50's. The building was a modern type of architecture built in a very desolate desert setting complete with pool, suites, restaurant and bar. Christina and Vanessa (Tam's daughters) set up the pool deck with memorabilia, cheeses, wines, and other enjoyments to make the birthday celebration all the better. The evening was filled with cheer, fellowship, sharing, tons of laughter, and overall a family appreciation and celebration. In this case, Tamara was center stage.

What a great time and we are all indeed grateful for Gods hand in all of our lives and the faithfulness in keeping us all together in our life journey. We will continue to make our family fellowship an important one.

Papa and his grand kids and great grand kids...

The beautiful girls: Jenn, Debbie, Cheryl, Shawna, Donna, TT, Tamara, Diane (the mom and grandma), and Amber. Have no idea why Vanessa is not in the pic?

The Gents: Korey, Jeff, Seany boy, Richard, Kenyon, Jeff (dad and granpa), Sean, Kevin, and Brad. John was missing and left to Taiwan on business. He was missed.

All aboard miss birthday girl!

Brad and Tamara at Dinner. Thanks to Brad, Christina, and Vanessa for putting on such a memorable evening...

Gods Finger Print

People often ask me why I have a passion for the outdoors and fishing for that matter. I can answer the question in so many ways for sure. But this picture says alot... Fishing, and the outdoors, is just a moment to reflect on the creator! Yes the creator and not the creation. I love to think that these beautiful moments don't even come close to the real Glory of the Lord and that being in His presence will be simply unimaginable beauty and pure joy.

I love fishing and the outdoors because I get a moment to give the Lord praise and enjoy what He created for our joy. There is so much more to this point so I will not try to explain but only give you a glimpse.

Welcome to the night time in the Aleutians in Alaska near Cold Harbor. The picture credit goes to my fishing pal Bob Silva. More to follow on that trip.