College Trip - University of Utah

We drove to Utah to do a University of Utah campus tour, and spend New Year's Eve with family.

 The kids were a little cramped in the back of the car, but overall got along well with each other.

 My beautiful daughter, Carly, doing what comes so easily to her - smiling!

 A shopping day for the girls.

 Mother and daughter.

 A photo of the (Vogt) cousins after Spencer's Mission Farewell.

 A trip to the temple.

 Gabe relaxing in Grandma & Grandpa Vogt's hot tub.

 Excited to be at his future college!

Merry Christmas!

This is BEFORE all the unwrapping happened...

Carly is very happy with her antique (from the 70's/80's) typewriter

 Gabe requested from Santa to receive video games, and he also got a warm jacket.

Sam happily posed for just one picture -- no more.

And to all a good night!

Family Christmas Photo

True to tradition, we waited until the last minute to take our family photo for our annual Christmas card...

AND there was a lot a whining and complaining.. like usual.  Right after church, I made everyone stay in their church clothes for just a few extra minutes.  Maybe next year we will plan ahead.  Maybe.

Ukulele Sam

Sam went with his Young Men group to Brother Hartzell's home to learn about the guitar and ukulele.  He really enjoyed the activity.

Although he doesn't like to have his picture taken, I'm glad that we received this one!

Curtis Jr High Cougar Soccer

Carly decided to try out for school soccer this year, and was very happy to be on the team.

 It was wonderful to play in the beautiful high school stadium, and she looks forward to next year!

Carly is Excellent!

Carly really enjoys being in Young Women, and this was their annual event where they could display/perform some activities they did for Personal Progress.

Here's Carly with a few friends (Ava, Erica), and her Beehive Class leader, Sister Liza Grande.

Color Run!

Carly and her friends had a wonderful time at the Color Run!  This is a 5K, and they had to check in at 7:30a to do it.  Thankfully, a family friend took the girls and got lots of photos!

She came home with black powder all over her (each color turns black when it gets wet), but she had a great time!  Go Carly!

Carly - Academic Excellence!

Carly earned the President's Academic Excellence Award.  We are very proud of the effort she makes at school!

Mount Si Hike

Gabe and Sam went with their Boy Scout group this weekend for a hike on Mount Si -- in preparation for their Boy Scout High Adventure next month to Mt St Helens. 

Sam didn't quite make it -- pooped out about 1/2 mile from the top and decided he just couldn't go any further!

Good job to the leaders who kept them all safe!  (Greg Webb, Jared Woodward, Jon Williams) 

Eight mile hike (round trip) -- very proud of my boys!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

This softball season has been pretty fun -- watching Carly's skills increase and her friendship circle grow.  She enjoys a multitude of sports (soccer, softball, volleyball, running), and softball isn't the top on her list, but I enjoy watching her play.

This year she was on team "Fuego" with the Parks and Recreation team.  Because there weren't enough players in our local league, they played against the Puyallup league, which meant playing against "select" teams, against older girls, and traveling to Puyallup for every game!  Whew!

Carly played short stop, third base, outfield (she has a great arm), and was backup catcher.  We really enjoyed watching her play this year!

Sounders Match!

Daniel planned to take Carly and Gabe to a Sounders Match against the Vancouver Whitecaps.  Unfortunately, Gabe was sick and couldn't go.  So I had  got to go with them!  (Actually, I like attending these events, but with my knee issues, I was dreading the walking and the stair climbing!) 

Once we found out seats in the stadium, it wasn't long before we realized we were sitting amongst a field a Whitecap colors!  One of the ushers offered to find us alternate seats -- and they were even better than the seats we'd originally purchased.

We'd brought some Little Caesar's pizza with us, but couldn't resist having a dog (Daniel), and some popcorn (me), and we had to buy drinks in the stadium.

It was really something to be part of the roaring crowd, and I loved to hear the Sounders Band play each of the three times we scored (Yea, free haircuts at Great Clips!).  I might even want to go again!

SEAAAAAAAATLE.  SOOOOUUUUUN-DEEEERRRRRS!

Mother-Daughter Week, Oceanside CA

My mom loves the ocean.  I love BEING AT the ocean -- swimming in a pool is much more pleasurable to me, but the sound of the waves and the ocean breeze... there's nothing like it.  When it's my Mom's turn to plan our weekend together, she chooses the beach.  Every time.  She used some time share points and got us into a lovely condo right on the beach, and since it was for a week, we all wanted to be there for the whole week!  I really loved stretching our weekend together into a week long extravaganza!

Oceanside - OUR beach.

Posing on the pier.  The photographer (a random passer-by) was a little shaky -- not the clearest of all, but one of the only photos of us all together this week!

The weather was beautiful, but the water was cold and no one was in it (except for a few crazy little kids).  I was DARED to go in up to my neck -- my Mom offered $20, and Carrie threw in $1.  Worth it to me!  I totally went in!

This picture was taken just outside our condo -- we were right on the beach.  Wonderful.

Carrie and my Mom and I got to do a session at the San Diego temple -- the same temple that Daniel and I were married for Time and All Eternity (in 1994).  It was lovely to return there -- too bad Daniel couldn't be with me! 

Eating is always a big part of our weekends together, and this year was no exception.  I think we tried three or four different Mexican Restaurants.  We went here twice.  Drool.

I loved being with my sisters and Mom.  Once a year we can get together and catch up on each other's lives -- learn about each other all over again, and tell each other the little and big things from our day-to-day activities.  Usually we are doing a lot of reading and board games, but this year there was a lot of iPad activity!  I love our weekends together -- especially when they are stretched out to a week!  Can't wait for next year.

Eagle Scout Court of Honor

We were so proud to see Gabe get his Eagle Scout Award recently!  Of course it's been a long road of scouting to get to this point, with much help from leaders and friends.  On March 17, 2013 (St Patrick's Day), his Court of Honor was held, and along with four other scouts from his Troop, Gabe was awarded the Eagle Scout Award.

It was wonderful to participate in the Court of Honor with other awardees because all the Mom's got together to provide wonderful refreshments (we are LDS after all -- it wouldn't be a complete get-together if refreshments weren't served!).  Lisa Renda provided a delicious punch, Marne McEachern brought the cakes, and Melody Lundquist made a veggie tray and Cowboy Caviar with chips.  I provided some meatballs and Apple Nachos, and Julene Nhem's egg rolls were a hot commodity that night (they ran out before I could snag one).

Gabe, Spencer, James, Jonathan, Weston

We sent announcements/invitations to most of our family, Gabe's current and previous Scout Leaders, as well as to some notable people such as:
Mickey and Minnie Mouse
President and Mrs Obama
Governor of Washington
President Thomas S Monson

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It was so cool to receive congratulatory responses from the "notables" as well as the responses from family and friends.  They all went in Gabe's Eagle Scout binder, and I'm sure someday he'll look back through all the documents and have a fond memory of it.

Proud Martinez Family

Gabe's "Eagle Response" was wonderful as he expressed how much he learned in Boy Scouts, and how proud he is of his accomplishment.  I was surprised at how well he did speaking in front of the group!  (I guess he didn't inherit his mother's public speaking anxiety.)  Ed DelToro was named as Gabe's scouting mentor, and I think that was an appropriate choice.  Gabe has had many leaders during his course of scouting, but Ed was the most consistent and long-standing.  We appreciate all the work and encouragement provided by Ed during the past 5 years! CONGRATULATIONS GABE!