Family Time

 After over a year and a half, the Martin Crew finally got to hug up on Papa!!!!

We all agree that we have faired well through COVID, but it has not been easy to be away from family.  Luckily, the boys picked up their relationship with Papa without any hesitation.

Alexander and my dad were always very close, and though Niko was still an infant the last time he saw Papa face-to-face, video chats have played a big role in keeping Papa as a major part of our lives.

It was the perfect plan, because my dad planned his visit to coincide with Ryan and Mary's Vegas trip.  This was extra special because we were supposed to do this combined visit last March, but my dad decided to wait to visit because things had begun to get worrisome with the virus.  It's over a year later, but we made it happen and we made some great memories!!

With heat continuing to push 110 degrees, we spent most of our time in the water

As usual, Alexander wanted to capture all of Aunt Mary's attention!

Niko took to Aunt Mary as soon as we picked them up from the airport!

The boys definitely filled their cups with Papa snuggles, even when he tried to catch a quick snooze

We got to have a night out, meeting Ryan and Mary and their friend Liz at Sushi Samba

Papa got Niko the classic fishing game, Baby Shark style (it sings the song on repeat) and the boys love it!

He also got us a manual pole saw which led to some overdue tree trimming

It was surprisingly fun and rewarding, but I was sore the next day!

I hope visits like this become a tradition.  We absolutely loved spending time all together.

I'm a boy mom now, but these two were the original men in my life and I couldn't have been more blessed!

Father's Day

 We were thrilled to spend Father's Day with three generations of Martin men

The boys were so excited to see their Grandpa

The weather was hot, but we so enjoyed getting to know Gabriela and spending time all together

Nikolai couldn't get enough of Grandpa!  He immediately started calling him Bapah and searched for him anytime Grandpa went out of sight

We spent most of the visit in the pool to beat the heat

Niko is getting so adventurous in the water!

We are so blessed by the daddy of our family

Hot Vegas Summer

We are breaking records with our temperatures but managing to make great memories!

Fun with Jan

Jan gave us a night out!

We are all learning to play Pokémon 

First Waterpark day!

Florida Fun

 

With closing quickly approaching for our Sudduth home, the Martin Crew made the trip to Fort Walton Beach to have a proper send off and hug up on some of our favorite people

We went directly from the airport to Tijuana Flats with Leaha and Stella and Alyssa, Kiera, and Elena

Kiera was worried she might not recognize Potatoes without his glasses, but I had let him take a break from them, so the two long time besties had no problem getting reacquainted!

Our two littles got along also.  I kept laughing at how close in size they were, despite Niko being only half Elena's age!

Alyssa looks amazing with her little baby bump for girl number three!

I was physically and mentally worn out from a solo parenting travel day that began at 4am

We spent most of our trip enjoying Ferry Park

We fed the turtles every day, and even got to see two alligator snapping turtles up close and personal

Ferry was the perfect spot to get to see lots of friends and have all the kiddos play

The only problem was being there without Zoey....the squirrels didn't even run from us!

When we weren't at Ferry, we enjoyed Leaha's backyard

It felt so right to be with my bestie!

Niko loved the sandbox so much, I ended up getting one for him today!

Stella wasn't quite sure what to think of the boys being in her home, but she found her place in mothering Niko, and snuggling Alexander

Our neighborhood is every bit as wonderful as I remember

Paula playing bumble bee with the babies after they went for a dip at the yacht club

We got to meet the buyers and I am so happy to see another young family build their memories in this house and surrounded by the amazing people of Sudduth

There wasn't enough time to spend with our friends, but we tried to make the most of our short trip

The boys were all smiles to get hugs and kisses from Reluca!

It felt so good to see our Florida friends.  Especially the Teegardens, who we haven't seen for exactly FOUR YEARS!!

Niko took to Elena immediately, running up for hugs within minutes of meeting her.  he must have known she was critical in my life when I was a brand new mom!

We got to explore lots of our favorite places and 

We even got to go on a classic dinosaur hunt near Props

Leaha and I braved the beach with the kids.  It wasn't easy keeping up with both my boys, as Alexander wanted to play in the waves, and Niko wanted only the sand, but Alexander and I made a game of five waves, high five to keep him close by but still able to splash and play.

Niko wouldn't move from Leaha's side when we first got down to the beach

We even got to see some of our besties from Las Vegas!

Daniel joined us for as long as work would allow, but I juggled both flights solo with the boys.  It was exhausting but I was very proud of how well they did!

Alexander worked hard to entertain his brother, especially during our extended layover in Dallas on the way home

We landed after midnight and yet both boys were troopers

This trip ran me through every emotion, from indifference and wishing I hadn't made the trip, to sorrow and wishing I could stay forever, to finally being ready to say goodbye to the house forever, and to the area for now.  It was really great to know I still have a strong community and that our family still has a place in this wonderful area.