Cousin Pics

Playing with Lincoln Logs to playing board games to playing Xbox and computer games. They played piano, guitar, singing lessons, animals, with each other and without each other, jumped on the trampoline, and so much more.

Back from vacation but still on vacation!

I know you are all scratching your heads about now to the title! Mike and I made it home from vacation yesterday! We both agreed that we had a great, relaxing, and refreshing time. Something that doesn't always happen when we go see family. There is nothing wrong with our families (well from a reasonable view of us), but sometimes there are too many of them to visit and squeezing all that family into one week can leave you exhausted and ready to come home and relax here. But that was not the case this last week.

The cousins: There are 8 cousins on the Roberson side of the family and they absolutely love playing with each other. It started out with them spending the night at Uncle Dennis's, then Uncle Evan's, one night at each others homes (saturday and they needed their rest for church on Sunday) and then they stayed the night at Grandma's. They went swimming about five different times during those four days and one of those swim times was four hours long. They played hard, giggled, did skits for us, danced, laughed, chased each other, dunked each other, taunted the adults, played board games, piano recitals, guitar lessons, and so much more. After a little while though they start to act like siblings and the tempers flare and they fight just a little. Mostly though they get along marvelously! They are loud and when they are quiet you need to go find them to see what they are up to!

The brothers: Evan, Mike, and Dennis are brothers. I've heard many stories about the growing up years, but these guys truly care for one another and are thankful for one another. They still think each of them is big enough to take the other one and sometimes during these get togethers they try. They tease and poke at each other, but the conversations this time around was more about the topic of "Wow, we are sure feeling old about now." They discuss all things and truly love each other and help each other.

The families: I have my stepfather and my brother with his wife in the area. I also have my father and my stepmother in the area (they were away on vacation). I also have a cousin and her husband and three children. Mike has his parents and both brothers in the area. I was able to see all of my family and Mike's family on this trip with the exception of my father and stepmother who are taking a very long vacation but they are sure having fun! Lots and Lots of family.

The vacation: We had a great time, slept in late, ate to our fill, and laughed and (I even cried some when someone asked me about my mom), played games, and of course the big event, blessed by seeing the nephews baptized!

However the vacation isn't entirely over just yet. You see we were able to leave our three precious children with Grandma for a few more days. They love to spend time with their cousins and usually never get to for an extended period of time. So off we left yesterday with no children in tow. I have to say I thought I would enjoy it more, but I already miss them (I know weird huh?). Don't get me wrong, I'll get tons done without them underfoot, but I love them dearly and it is really quiet in this house. I've got mountains of things to do and on that note, I'm off to do them. So I'll try to enjoy my quiet house and getting stuff accomplished around here. I know the children are truly enjoying their time with their cousins and grandparents. I'll post more pictures when I can. The one posted is of the Roberson clan after going out to eat Sunday afternoon! (Evan, Mike's older brother, isn't in the picture).

Vacation! Yahoo!

We are headed out tomorrow to go on vacation to see family. It doesn't always feel like vacation when we do this because there is so much family to see in a general area. We've been there many times before and it is where we both grew up. This time though I made it a point to at least go and see a few things while we are there! It is a vacation in the fact that I'm not constantly cleaning up my house, cooking dinners, and doing laundry. But I do clean up, cook some, and laundry has to be done somewhere in that (a mothers job never stops even on vacation!). We are looking forward to the two pools that were installed by Mike's younger brother and my older brother. The view of these two uncles from my kids perspective have heightened due to the fact they each have a pool now. We are looking forward to seeing family that we haven't seen in a while also. The cousins will be reunited and scream and hug and play and generally have a great time. There will be sleep overs, pizza, golf, swimming, and most importantly grandparents. Grandma Roberson's house will be a frenzy of activity.

Not our only reason, but most importantly, Mike will also have the opportunity to baptize his two nephews who recently accepted Christ into their heart. They both wanted Uncle Mike to do this. He was so honored that they asked him and very excited to be able to baptize them both.

The only thing I'm not excited about is the absence of a very important person who won't be there this time. My mom! I've been back once after the funeral but it was a week after her death and it was all too new. Now that time has passed I realize that this trip back is different. Different because she and I used to have such a good time together at the malls, the outlets, the resteraunts and having fun with her grandchildren. Different because going back to her house she won't be there. I miss her so very much! However, beyond a shadow of a doubt, she is where the Lord Jesus wants her to be and that is with Him! It is much better place than where we are all still! I don't wish her back but her memory invades my thoughts as I travel back to my home and I know it will get easier but it is still so hard some days. Please pray for me this next week.

I hope all of you will have a great 4th of July celebrating our nations freedom! I'll post some but not everyday! Love you all!

Giggles + Late Nights + VBS + Chocolate Chip Pancakes

= a whole amount of fun and very tired, silly children. It also = a very messy house and a very tired mommy.

VBS is still going on, but many of us are rejoicing that tonight is the last night even though it is the longest of them all. Our schedule changes during this night due to the play that happens, starring Zech Roberson and 3 other 4th, 5th, & 6th graders. He is so excited and I'm sure to snap a few pictures to show off the great talent he possesses. The kids are even rejoicing that tonight is the last night because they a little worn out. A few stragglers are hoping that VBS would last for a whole month (my son), but could you imagine? NO WAY!

Last night when we came home we let the kids put on a movie of Abbie's choice in order to divert her attention from being homesick before bed. Well I think it worked because they giggled and giggled some more and it was 10:30 before the movie was turned off and the sleepy eyes were closed and off to dream land they went.

This morning all of us dragged ourselves out of bed at a very late time. Somewhere between 8:30 and 9:30 all of the children were awake and started playing right off the bat. I asked one of them if they were hungry and chocolate chip pancakes were ordered from all four. Although one of them and myself didn't eat any because our stomachs don't feel all that well. There is a stomach bug going around and I sure hope we don't end up with it here.

We are to have a day of cleaning and movie time this afternoon and hopefully we will be fully ready for VBS tonight (clean up happens after the last kids leave).

VBS in action

This week is Vacation Bible School at our church and it runs from 6:00 to 8:30 every night. So everyone at my house, since it is now Thursday, is very tired. They seem to all be having a great time and enjoying all that they are learning and crafting and singing. Zech is in the play at the end of the week and has been practicing for many weeks now. Isabella and Abbie were able to hold the flags for the beginning day when we said our pledges. Sarah has graduated up to being a helper this year instead of participating. She is helping out in preschool music. She has stated that there are many helpers in that class and they all need to be there because the preschoolers are a handful. More pictures to follow on Friday!

Bicycling!

Okay, funny story and a spoof on me and how out of shape I really am.

I thought it would be fun to ride bikes with the kids around the neighborhood, down to the lake (only about 2 miles from the house), and to the stadium. I usually end up walking (not that that isn't rigorous exercise) but my children end up having to stop for me to catch up and that makes riding bikes for them no fun.

So I saw an add in the Target weekly advertisements that a certain bike was on sale. So I hemmed and hawed over talking it over with my husband because I knew he would look at me as if I'm crazy. I'm mentioned this a few times since our kids have been born, but his look is because I'm not athletic, outdoors, bike riding type! And he knows it. But I muster up the courage to talk with him about it and the speech I would give him. He amazed me as he always does and said "Sure, I'd like to see this." Okay, amaze might be too strong of a word, he was poking fun at me, but agreed anyhow. (Secret to our marriage beside God being in the center is that we always talk over how our money is spent, even on little stuff.)

Off I go on Saturday to purchase my bike. I was so proud of myself. I got it home, rode over to the neighbors driveway and back and then put it up! Yes, I didn't go then, but in my favor it was 101 degrees outside and I didn't think that would chalk up to a great first experience. So I decided to wait till this week.

Opportunity led itself to Tuesday morning and after my morning devotionals, breakfast, and getting the kids ready we set out on my new found adventure. We all brought water bottles, which were put in a backpack on my back! I pumped and pumped and re aired all the tires on all the bikes. (I have an extra kid remember.) And off we went. We started down my street the other way out of the neighborhood (not the quick way). I knew I was in trouble by the time I got to the end of just MY street. My legs were already shaking, tired, sore, and I was very unsure of myself. We went in and out of every col-de-sac which required me to make turns that were deceptive and tricky but I did it. We came to the end of the neighborhood and decided we wanted to venture on into the next neighborhood. We had a water break first and then we rode. I was always behind except when we crossed over the street that led from my neighborhood to the next. We bicycled up two blocks and then my legs said, "What are you doing? This is insane," and they started to rebel. But I pushed on and on and we wound up at our entrance after doing a three block circumference (up three blocks, over three blocks, down three blocks and over again three blocks) and took another water break. All the kids and myself voted to go straight home, no col-de-sacs, no frills, no stops, no nothing, just straight home. And that's what we did, we made it! I made my first bike trip since well lets just say a very long time. My gluteous maximus hurt, my legs and all the muscles associated with them (some I didn't know I had) were shaking like a leaf on a strong fall day. I felt like everything was out of joint, but a smile was on my face. Why? You ask? Because I hadn't crashed the whole way! I was so afraid I'd end up in the hospital! But I didn't, I made it and then as I was putting up my bike and reached for the back gate it happened! The crash! The bike fell on me and literally scratched a deep scratch all the way down my leg and left a bruise to match. But hey, I didn't do it while I was riding my bike!

Gods Angels

I come from the generation where a television show called "Charlie's Angels" was popular. These three women were secret agents for a man named "Charlie" and had to go around the world doing secret agent things. They had their guns and their kung-fu moves and nothing could deter them or get in their way. They always find their way out of a "fix" they were in.

Well I have three girls in my house right now. My neice has come to spend some time with us and yesterday as they were exploring all the wonderful things to do, I came across this opportunity for a photo shoot. They had their weapons and they were defending their own imaginative world from the "bad guys". Their beautiful, their powerful, their trained, and they have their weapons. I call them "God's Angels". The three are on a mission from God to tell the world about Him! They will use force if they have to to tell their mission to anyone who will hear! Godspeed Angels!