Count Your Blessings

Homeschool Art

We really lucked out on finding the Art House in McKinney.  They offer homeschool art classes, and Jacob loves art, so we gave them a try.  It's not a huge program (the homeschool aspect anyway) which made it kind of nice. Sona Knox owns this old historic home in downtown McKinney and turned it into an art studio/school.  She's so fun - exactly what you think of for an art teacher - feather in her hair, tie-dye shirts, turquoise jewelry, no make-up, clay on her hands, paint on her jeans, etc.  She was so nice and loved Jacob.  He went every Tuesday afternoon for 2 hours and threw on the clay wheel, sketched and painted.  He absolutely LOVED it.  It became his favorite thing of the week, I think.  She really let him "go" and try new things.  There was other adults who were there working and they all loved his good manners and great attitude. 

 Sona with Jacob

Turns out the home that Sona bought used to be owned by Margaret Crow's grandparents (Trammel Crow's wife).  She recently came to see the house and tour the studio and invited all of Sona's students to visit her Asian Art Museum in downtown Dallas (across from the Dallas Museum of Art).  Jacob and I took a field trip down there and fell in love with this small but beautiful museum.  We had the BEST time.  I highly recommend.  We got a tour and sketch books to sketch (I'm not a sketcher, so I just held mine!), and got to practice origami.  What fun.  I love that Jacob loves art and I loved spending this time with him.  We will remember this experience with fond, fond memories.

Dallas Zoo

Now that we have a membership, you might see lots of Dallas Zoo posts. :)  The kids had a day off on Monday, April 30.  Jacob spent the day at Lance's for an Air Soft war.  So I took Caleb, his friend Jax, and Samuel to the zoo.  It was a lovely day - overcast with a breeze, and not too crowded.  All the animals were out and friendly!  It was fun...we were able to see the whole zoo this time in 4 hours...but our favorite thing was feeding those beautiful lorikeets!

Caleb's big play!

Caleb's baseball this team is a little like the Bad News Bears - but cuter.  They have a super supportive and enthusiastic coach who signed up only because no one else would.  And he's coaching his other son, and travels for work.  And several of the kids have never played before.  Caleb had yet to have a hit for the season.  He's been walking or striking out. 

But then yesterday - it was the end of the game.  Bases loaded...2 outs...and Caleb's up to bat.  I could feel that he was feeling the pressure.  And he LAUNCHED a pop fly into the outfield (which thankfully they didn't catch), and got a double with 2 RBI's.  We were so excited for him!  They ended up scoring 5 runs that inning, but still losing by 3.  Caleb didn't care though - he was on cloud 9!

Graham's Baptism

Today we got to attend the baptism for my nephew, Graham, at Preston Hollow Presbyterian.  It was a special event and we were honored guests.  Afterwards Anne hosted a lovely luncheon for the families.  It's always fun to be with the Doak family - they're always welcoming of us Robinson's.  And Graham was such a trooper - in great spirits.  He even gave a little grin when the minister was baptizing him.  So cute.

Sidenote: My brother, Mark, is on crutches because he was gouged in the foot with a piece of wood from his porch yesterday.  Deep enough for stitches, but they worry about remaining wood and infection.  Poor guy!

Saturday Night

On Saturday night, we took Jacob for a very special evening out to attend the temple for the first time.  We did baptisms for the dead.  It was great to be with him in such a sacred and special place.  And he loved it.

Afterwards, we took him to our favorite post-temple restaurant - a greek place called Ziziki's.  He was brave and got a lamb souvlaki (which he loved!).  I had the mousaka.  LOVE their food!  Maybe I'm part Greek. ;)

Then we headed to a wedding reception for one of my former YW, Celeste Roberts and her new husband, Dave...hard to believe they're old enough to get married.  But Celeste made a beautiful bride and it was a lovely reception.  What a cute and happy couple!  So fun.

EASTER 2012

Easter was a big weekend around here - beautiful weather, wonderful activities, and blessed experiences with friends and family.

On Thursday night, my friend Julie Sivley invited us over to experience the Passover, or Seder, meal with her family.  She had a script that she used and we followed the traditions of the Jewish Passover.  It was such a fun learning experience and her 6 + my 3 kids really enjoyed it.  This was a meaningful way to start our Easter weekend.

She used a script based on this understanding:  Haggadah means “telling”. The Passover Haggadah is like a script for telling the story of the Jewish people and the Exodus. There are many different versions of the Haggadah, which is read during the Passover Dinner, or Seder.

 

Everyone's favorite part was the Dayenu which reads like this:

God did many wonderful things for us. God brought us out of Egypt, gave us the Shabbat, gave us the Torah and brought us into the Land of Israel. Any one of these would have been enough. Therefore we sing Dayenu which means “it would have been enough for us”.

If God would have ...

Brought us out of Egypt and not divided the sea for us—Dayenu

Divided the sea and not permitted us to cross on dry land—Dayenu

Permitted us to cross on dry land and not sustained us for forty years in the desert—Dayenu

Sustained us for forty years in the desert and not fed us with manna—Dayenu

Fed us with manna and not given us the Sabbath—Dayenu

Given us the Sabbath and not brought us to Mount Sinai—Dayenu

Brought us to Mount Sinai and not given us the Torah—Dayenu

Given us the Torah and not led us into the land of Israel—Dayenu

Led us into the land of Israel and not built for us the Temple—Dayenu

Built for us the Temple and not sent us prophets of truth—Dayenu

Sent us prophets of truth and not made us a holy people—Dayenu

For all these, alone and together, we say—Dayenu!

And then each of us (including the kids) said one of our blessings that would have been enough for us - Dayenu!

On Friday, me and my friend Amy Price took the kids to the Dallas Zoo.  We got a bit of a late start and the lines were looonnnggg, considering it was Good Friday.  But overall we had a great time and the kids loved it (despite only seeing half of the zoo).  I'm glad I got a membership because now we can go back often (and see the other half!).

On Saturday, Jacob and I woke up bright and early to go ride the Tour Dallas bike rally.  It started downtown and took us 30 miles through some of the prettiest parts of Dallas.  This was a big deal for us to do on our own, considering Derek is always with us to make sure our bikes work properly and will us along!  But he had other obligations and this was a good confidence boost to Jacob and I.  30 miles!  And we did it with a smile. 

While we were doing that, Derek and the other boys were attending the Annual Frisco 5th Ward 5K and Egg Hunt.  They also attended Caleb's baseball game - go Rangers!

Along with a grocery shopping and a b'day party for Caleb, we had about an hour that we spent at home that day, but Samuel had been asking and asking so I took a few moments to dye eggs with him.  And I'm glad I did - that's the stuff that kids remember.  And he loved it - just him and me, enjoying turning our white eggs into pretty pastel ones!

 

That afternoon we headed over to the Hall's for their annual Easter Egg Dive and Potluck.  So fun.  The weather was absolute perfection and the company was delightful.  Samuel especially enjoyed their new baby goats!  The Halls are such gracious hosts.  (Funny side note: I was in charge of baked beans, so I had a huge pan of them that I put in the back of the Suburban and told D to "drive slow".  He had to stop quickly at a stoplight and we had removed one of the back seats.  So the beans slid a few feet and toppled over into the middle bucket seats.  You can imagine that being one of the highlights of our married life. :) :).  We ran home, cleaned it up and then headed to the party.)

That night the Easter bunny came and thankfully, kept up with some favored traditions - new shoes and an jelly bean trail down the stairs.  Samuel had the hardest time finding his hidden basket, but Caleb was a big help (kitchen cabinets, dryer and food storage closet were the hiding places).

On Sunday, we enjoyed Derek being home since he cancelled his early morning meetings.  So he helped us get ready for church.  Our services were lovely and helped us reflect on Christ's infinite love and grace.  And later we headed to Nana's with the whole fam for a lovely dinner.  I love Easter!

 

Conference Weekend

We love when General Conference (our bi-annual worldwide Church conference) comes around.  4 sessions of inspirational and instructional talks by Church leaders to US.  We love getting to cuddle up, and watch/listen.  Unfortunately, cuddling up for the Saturday sessions is sometimes a challenge with sports and family obligations.  And this time was no exception (thankful for DVR!).

But on Sunday we kept our favorite two Conference traditions alive and I have proof:

1.  Audra has been coming over for years on Conference Sunday for brunch.  And I've never documented it, until now.  It's a long-standing tradition, and we're always glad to spend that time with her.  She stays and watches the Sun morning session with us too.

2.  We always attend the Saturday afternoon session with the Hicken's and Dalebout's.  This year, it was strange to not have the Hickens with us - it felt like people were missing.  But we always have a good time with the Dalebouts - and this time was no exception.  It was nice to know we can still do this without the H's, despite the fact that we don't like to have to.  :)

Derek and Jacob attended the Priesthood Session together on Sat night and enjoyed a burger together afterwards.  They also ran an errand to the store for me and brought me these...what sweeties I have!

Reid is ONE!

I can't believe it's been a year since sweet Reid entered the world.  What a blessing he is to our whole family!  He makes me smile from ear to ear whenever I'm with him.  And he lights up the room.  His b'day party was such a sweet and fun celebration of who he is.

 

His mom and dad (who am I kidding...it was all mom!) threw a "Wild Rumpus" based on the book Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.  There were cookies, cakes, banners, yummy food, drinks and presents.  It was held in a lovely pavilion at a park in their town, with a pond/lake nearby (my boys spent the entire party feeding ducks and fishing!).  We loved being there to celebrate Reid-er.  We're big fans of this little guy (oh, and his awesome parents too of course)!

Now we look forward to celebrating Graham's 1st in July!

Date Night Surprise

Now that Jacob is of babysitting age, Derek and I find ourselves sneaking off to a movie or dinner every now and then.  The reviews of how things have gone here at home have been less than stellar, but no one is injured or bloodied in the process, so I was feeling like the reward was worth it. :)

Last Friday night we left Jacob with some very specific instructions (dishes in the dishwasher, lights out, everyone in bed by 8:30/9), and we headed to dinner at a friends and then went to see "Hunger Games".  Usually when we come home from a date, all the lights are on, the kitchen is a mess, and the dog is frollicking outside in the yard, in the dark.  But they are usually all in bed (all except Jacob) - once again, reward outweighs the clean up effort!

Imagine our complete surprise when we came home a little after 11 pm and found the following...

1.  All children tucked in bed, asleep.
2. The kitchen spotless (not a dish in sight)
3. The table wiped down
4. The living room, piano room and dining room all spotless (and much of what was in the dining room was my own fault!)
5. Our bed made with a note and chocolate kisses on our pillows.

Apparently, Jacob and Caleb worked hard for an hour and a half in an effort to surprise us.  And boy, were we surprised!  I had to pick my jaw up off the floor.  Such a sweet and thoughtful gesture.  You better believe they were praised up and down for their efforts and generosity the next morning.  It was a proud parental moment that I hope to remember always.  What precious boys we have!!

Robot Remains

Caleb and Jax were so excited to sign up for their school Variety Show last fall.  Jax's mom, Tami, and I have spent quite a bit of time together because of their sweet friendship and we were happy to oblige.  Tami and I have a good time together!  The kids knew they wanted to do a Jabbawockeez routine (a dance crew that one a reality TV contest).  And so they picked a song/routine, and Tami choreographed it to their level.  They had lots of Friday playdates/practices.  I put together their costumes (to match the ones from the real routine).  And Derek did the mask for us (with light up eyes and everything) out of a piece of dry wall.  Our two families sat on the front row and had a good time cheering on our dancers.  What cute boys!  It was fun.  And now they want to make their Jabbawockeez effort a yearly tradition.  :)

Here's the video:

 

Caleb and Jax - "Robot Remains" from Meredith Smith on Vimeo.