The Lion King

Before watching the Arizona Cardinals play an excellent football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Hayden and I, together with Grammy (Daddy was going to join us but had a contract flight over the weekend), went to see The Lion King production in Tempe. A few years ago, this show came on tour, and Chris and I had the opportunity to see it then. When I heard it was coming back, I was very excited about another possible chance to see it onstage. It ended up that Jan surprised us with tickets after Christmas, and I can't even tell you how glad I am she did. This show is simply amazing and is hard to describe in words ... the costumes, the music, the backdrops - everything about it is simply wonderful and if you ever have the chance to see it, I highly recommend it. Hayden was simply mesmerized by all of it and did such a great job sitting still, only getting antsy towards the very end. He loved watching Timon and Pumba, as well as "Czar" as he kept calling Scar .... Jan brought binoculars for him to use, though it ended up we had such wonderful seats, he really didn't need them. He now loves listening to the soundtrack, and remembers parts of the show when he hears certain songs from it. What a wonderful memory to create with my son and mother-in-law - so thank you, Grammy, for the great treat and time together!

Welcoming in 2010!!!!!

In keeping with tradition of staying home to welcome in the new year, we were joined by friends Jen, Ellie, Lia (poor Bill was home sick!) and Heather, Lance, Tatum, and Carter for some yummy appetizers, sweet treats, and delicious drinks. The kids had a blast playing and running freely through the house while the rest of us just enjoyed spending time catching up and sharing stories of the holidays. Just before Jen had to take her girls home for bed, we hooked up the borrowed Wii from Tatum and Carter and watched Ellie bowl a few rounds with Tatum and a little bit of help from Auntie Melly. Lots of fun, laughter, and cheers were had and the games continued on through the evening. As the night wore on, our little Monkey conked out about ten while his big brother managed to stay awake to ring in the new year. Though Kate had to work, she was home just after midnight and was able to share a bit in welcoming the new decade.

As I look back to all the new year celebrations I've had, the ones I hold most dear are those shared with my family and our family's friends. It has always been one of those nights that my parents, brothers, sister, and I shared together at home with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents stopping in to eat, drink, and celebrate too. I love starting my own traditions with my family and being able to share it with some of our best friends makes it that much better.

It's amazing to think we're on the brink of a new decade and in just a few months Chris and I will be celebrating our 10th anniversary. It seems like not so long ago I was in the midst of planning my wedding while now I am trying to figure out how to plan our anniversarty trip to Hawaii. Whatever happens though in this new decade, I can only hope the years are as good, or maybe even better, than the last ten. This I know for sure, God will continue to bless us as He always has!

Wait ... January is over?

You'll have to forgive me in my complete lapse in keeping our blog updated. January kept us busy, as usual, and brought along it with it a challenge, one that wasn't entirely unexpected but nonetheless unfortunate. To keep our focus on the positive side, and to make this as simple as possible (for me!), I will recap the happier moments from our first month of 2009 ...
As the new year began, we enjoyed a visit with Mark, Gema, Samuel and Lillian and relished in the time we had with them. It was a wonderful few days spent together, and the boys absolutely loved having their little cousin, Sammy, toddle around after them, trying desperately to keep up. Of course I loved having "my little Lily" to snuggle and cuddle with and am looking forward to this summer, hopefully, when we get to be all together as a family again!

Soon after our visit with the northern Robbs ended, my longtime friend from home, whom I have known since our freshman year of high school, came to spend a few days with us. Annette and I have been friends since our Social Science class, and have grown up and welcomed adulthood together. She is such a special person, one whom I can't imagine my life without and I am truly thankful that God has blessed me with her friendship ... through all these years, we have managed to stay close and have made many wonderful memories that we still laugh about today. I look forward to the years to come, and all the new memories we have yet to make. No matter the distance, Annette and I are always able to pick up where we left off, and for that I am so grateful. We had a wonderful few days together during her visit, and best of all, she got to experience my crazy life with Chris on the road and two busy boys to keep up with. I am so glad she was able to come and visit, and I know that our next visit will be just as special. I love ya, Net! To continue with our theme of welcoming visitors, near the end of the month, another of my dearest friends, Jessica, came to stay with us. Many of you whom have been here to visit may remember our friends, the Aplands, who lived just down the street from us and had two boys while they lived here, Ian and Nicholas, who are the same ages as Hayden and Noah. We became fast friends with them on Halloween 2004, right before the older boys turned one. Our friendship with Jess and Schuyler became more like family and we spent a lot of time together, creating wonderful memories and watching our big boys get bigger and our little babies roll around together in their first few months. Jessica and I bonded instantly, and with both our families in different states, we became "sisters" and came to rely upon each other for everything. In June 2007, Jess, Schuyler, and the boys moved back to Ohio to be closer to family, and soon after found out they were expecting baby #3 - little Colin was born last March and will soon be turning one. Even though it's been almost two years since they've left us, our friendship hasn't changed ... the only difference is that I don't see her as often as I used to, which at times is still very sad for me, but I know she is only a phone call away. A few weekends ago, Jess came to stay with us for a few days, brought Colin along, and it was like old times - we had a great weekend spending time together and hanging out with some of her other close friends she had while she lived here. The boys had a great time entertaining Colin, and for a few days after they left, Noah kept asking where Colin was. Jessica is so much more than my friend, she is a "sister" of my heart and I know we will always be part of each other's lives. I don't know when our paths will cross again, though I do hope it will be soon. Until then, I know our friendship will keep us close, regardless of the miles between us. I love you Jesse, and Collie-bear too!

As the month came to an end, I was fortunate enough to attend a baby shower for my friend, Nicole, who is about ready to welcome her third baby girl any day now. Nicole and I met while teaching at Sheely Farms Elementary. Nicole joined the school during my second year teaching there, she in Kindergarten and I in second grade. We bonded instantly, and were friends all through the school year ... Nicole welcomed her first baby girl, Joleigh, at the end of that school year and decided she was going to stay at home and be a mommy. Through the years that followed, Nicole and I kept in touch via e-mail, sending pictures of our kids and exchanging hellos now and then. At the same time I was expecting Noah, I found out from Nicole that she was expecting her second baby, another little girl. Noah and Noelle are five days apart, and it was during our pregnancies that we started to reconnect. We met for lunch a few times, she came and helped me celebrate my baby shower for Noah, and we stayed in closer contact this time around, especially because of having our babies so close in age. At a few different times through the beginning of our friendship, Nicole invited me to attend with her the church she belongs to. I had been wanting to find a church to go to, but hadn't actively pursued it any farther than a thought in my head. Sometime at the end of last summer, I asked Nicole about going to a service at her church as I had finally felt the calling to get reconnected with my faith and with God. And so began the blossoming of a beautiful friendship ... Nicole has been put into my life for purpose, and I truly thank God for her. She is a beautiful person, inside and out, and I am so thankful that 4 1/2 years she came into my life. There have been some trying moments for our family in the last few weeks, and Nicole has been there to listen and help me put some things into perspective. I have loved spending more time with her, growing closer to her and during our play dates, watching our children play together. I feel privileged that I have been such a part of this third pregnancy, and I am so glad I got to be at her baby shower last weekend to help her welcome, very soon, her newest addition. Nicole, thank you for everything you are to me - I love ya!So there you have it .... a month of friends, and how lucky am I that these are just a few of my "circle of friends?" I realize this post is more about me, than it is about the boys or Chris, but hey ... as I tell Hayden and Noah, you get what you get and you don't throw a fit! :) Just to let you know though, the boys, along with Chris, are doing well. Noah continues to add more words to his vocabulary and has become such the little mimic of his big brother. Thankfully, most of what comes out of his mouth is all sweet, so we haven't had to worry just yet. Our goal for the little monkey this year, hopefully within the next few months, is to start potty-training (yeah for us!) as well as work on recognition of letters, numbers, colors, etc. As for Hayden, he continues to soak up everything he learns like a little sponge, one example is his retelling of how Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity ... this child never ceases to amaze us! He is writing his first and last name well, and starting to read basic words in preparation for Kindergarten later this year (already? Where did the last five years go?) As for Chris, we are enjoying more time with him than we've had in the last several months. Due to this shaky economy, and some other unfortunate circumstances, the charter company he was flying for took quite a hit and had to "furlough" some pilots, including him. We are making do, taking this time to reevaluate what is most important to us, and hopefully looking forward to another opporunity to present itself to Chris sometime very soon. Thank you to all of you who have rallied behind us, offered us your love and support ... we are, and will be, just fine and I can't tell you how blessed we are to have such supportive people in our lives. This situation, though a challenge, has truly taught us the meaning of friendship and has strengthened our belief that everything happens for a reason. So, please stay tuned for more updates, done in a more timely fashion (I promise!) on the Robb family as 2009 continues to bless us! Love to you all ...

Checking out the World

If you didn't truly believe how much my children love the garbage cans, this picture tells it all. Today we looked out from our kitchen window, only to find the boys standing on top of them, peaking out on the world from the back side of our yard wall. When he realized we noticed him, Hayden immediately jumped down without trouble and Noah turned around and was sort of just balancing on top of the recycling can - I sort of stood frozen from inside, praying he wouldn't rock the can off balance and fall as Chris quickly went out to help him down. Without incident, he landed back on steady ground and I can only imagine what is in store for us as he, and his brother, get older and ultimately more adventurous.

Pictures - 2008

Awesome Christmas

Christmas morning brought out the giggles and excitement for two little boys of mine. Awaking around 5:00 am, Noah was bright-eyed and ready for the day to begin. Snuggling in bed with both boys (in a twin size bed I might add ... what a sight we made), while trying to coax Noah back to sleep for a bit longer, I was able to stretch our sleep until about 7:15. Popping up and ready to open presents, Hayden jumped out of bed and ran into the living room to peek at the tree with his little brother following close behind. As I chased after them, whispering to keep the noise down while we waited for Grandma, Aunt Katie, and Grandpa to wake up too, all that could be heard was the pittering of feet and the giggles and cries "this is so awesome" from Hayden and a repeated "ya, awesome" from Noah. Moments like these are enough to melt your heart, and make me realize it's the little things in life that we must hold on to and remember.
Once the house was awake, we descended on our stockings first to see what treats were held inside and then moved on to the presents under the tree. It was a wonderful morning spent together with my boys, my sister, and my parents and I only wish that Chris would've been with us to join in the fun of it all.
The day continued to be wonderful and memories were made to share for us all. Later in the afternoon, we drove out to my aunt's home in Modesto and joined my dad's side of the family for games on the Wii, yummy food, a gift exchange, and of course, more yummy food! I love Christmas and it's not because we get to open presents or because we get things but because of the time I get to share with my family. It's the quality of time that has become most important to me, spending time together, being thankful to God, and sharing in the blessing of Jesus' birth not just at Christmas time but throughout the year ahead. I am so very thankful I had this time to be with my family and though part of my heart was with Chris in Arizona, it was a holiday I will remember fondly and cherish.

Christmas Eve

Peeking inside the box

What could it be?
Hanging out with cousins on Christmas Eve

A happy mommy with two tired boys

For Christmas Eve, the boys and I drove out to my brother's house to spend the evening with his family. With my mom and sister both at work, my dad, younger brother and his girlfriend, and my grandparents joined together with my sister-in-law's family for a wonderful start of the holiday. Not going with any sort of traditional meal, we opted for a nacho bar, enjoying all the yummy and not-so-healthy toppings for our tortilla chips together with a Christmas Eve margarita. After a few rounds of chips n' cheese, and a heated bowling game on the Wii (which I might add I played a fabulous game and beat my brother big time!), we settled in front of the tree for round one of present opening. Hayden and Noah opened just one present from their cousins ... and then had a blast helping clean up all the wrapping paper and you guessed it, throwing it away in the garbage. If you're looking for a clean-up crew for your next gathering, I have two little boys who do a fine job of picking up .... if only that energy could transfer over to cleaning up at home.

So as to not wear them out before our Christmas celebration tomorrow, we headed back to Grandma and Grandpa's house to get ready for bed and to get cookies ready for Santa's visit. Tonight I really missed having Chris around to help and felt his absence, as I wished he could have been with us to not only join the family, but also to join with me in preparing for the morning with the boys. So after a very frazzled bath time and a near mommy meltdown, with lots of help from Grandma and Aunt Katie, the boys settled in to bed and I frantically wrapped a few presents and prepared stockings before heading off to church for a Christmas Eve service with my mom and sister.

It has been a long time since I've been to church on Christmas and I am so glad I went, even though it was near midnight. The service opened with the choir singing Christmas carols, and the joyous sound of the music really touched me and brought out the spirit of the holiday. Soon after is what really made this service worth staying up for .... my sister's church sponsors a group of orphaned children from Uganda, and they travel the country singing in different churches. The group, "Children of the World," is made up of a dozen or so children ranging in age from maybe six to twelve, who have all been brought to the Lord through different church ministries. One of the little boys came up to the stage, introduced himself as well as the rest of his group, and they all began to sing together. It was amazing to see these children, whom are orphaned and have no "traditional" family to speak of outside to the church families they stay with during their visits, singing in front of a crowded sanctuary of people with the purest joy in their voices. I sat their listening to them sing, tears streaming down my face as I sat their reflecting and thinking about my two little boys sleeping back at my mom's and my husband back in Arizona, and just grabbed on to my mom and sister's hands and felt so grateful to God for all the blessings I've been given in my life. If there was ever a moment to bring the Christmas spirit into my heart, this evening was it and is one that I will forever cherish and remember.