Catching Up...

Seriously... it's been since October?? How can that be? Let's just go with it's been crazy.

Some highlights and happenings of the last two months:

My faithful 1999 Nissan Altima, despite all of the abuse piled on to it, turned over 100,000 miles - in the intersection of 21st South and 7th East to be exact - in November . Knock on wood, but other than routine maintenance and new tires, the only part I've had to replace is the alternator. Now if it can just keep that up for a couple more years...

I got to spend a morning with my cute boys and the Love Bug really wanted to take pictures to send to Grandma Betty and Grandpa Al because they are so far away (first it cracks me up that he actually calls them that and second I am really grateful not to be in Saskatoon right now - last Sunday when I talked to them it was 48 below!! I am too much of a wimp for that!) and for Aunt Debby and Aunt Sara. I sure love those two rascals!

In November I also got to make a quick weekend trip for Princess K's 8th birthday - and got to hang out with Maryland Robinson crew ....

Princess K the birthday girl

Diva K (it was a toss up who got to be Princess and who got to be Diva... )

And Bear... who was my bunk bed buddy for the weekend!

And last but definately not least... a mobile Crabby A!!!!

Friday the 13th festivities included duck pin bowling - my first time!! Check out the ball that Diva's holding... the pins are short and fat pins and it was a riot!

Look at these cheesy grins - are we related or what??!!

After bowling was eating (always a favorite activity!), and then some quality game time spent at the local Chuck E. Cheese (not as cool as I remember it being when I was little!)

Before heading back to the homestead, Deb, Diva, Bear and I made a stop at Target to to get Deb a new Christmas tree (since only half of hers made it down in Bogota... half a tree isn't such a useful thing!) and well... there was no room in her trunk because she stocks up when she's in

the States on stuff that she can't get in Colombia or that's too expensive down there. So Bear and Diva K got to ride in Buster's car with a Christmas Tree in a box on their laps... it was pretty funny to listen to the box shifting and the giggles!

Saturday morning started off with some boxing... those girls don't pull their punches!!

Watch out!! Bear's out for the count... KO for the Princess??!!

And Saturday afternoon was Princess's baptism. It's so hard to believe she's 8!! You know how you have moments where you are just really grateful?? This was one of moments... I was so very grateful to be there - grateful for the sweet girl she is, grateful for her really amazing parents and her crazy/funny/lovable siblings, grateful for a brother who is an honorable priesthood holder, grateful for the good family that I am lucky enough to be a part of...

Love, love, love the Maryland crew!!

Bear cracks me up... He checked himself out in the mirror and his comment was "I look like a Dad!!" and that was a really good thing for him!! Although he did tell a lady in Target she was creepy... apparently Aunt Rosann taught him that one when she called Chuck E. Cheese creepy... oooops!

And one more Maryland picture... Poor Crabby A was having a rough night, and when her Mom rescued her from her crib, well the sad face and snot bubble was just priceless!!

I got to go the BYU-Utah game with Kirk, Luci and Ben - and it was AWESOME... I wasn't sure that the Cougars would pull out it... prove me wrong! It was crazy...

Even though "A Christmas Story" is all over cable during Christmas I've only seen the part where the kid talks to Santa and then gets booted down the slide. A couple of years ago I

started noticing all these crazy leg lamps that started appearing in windows after Thanksgiving and I just didn't get it. They're kind of tacky, why would someone put that in their window instead of a Christmas tree? Well, last week I finally saw the play at Pioneer Theatre Company, and I now get it! I must say that I'm somewhat relieved that there's a reason for these lamps, because I was having a hard time figuring them out!!

And last but not least, I got to go to The Nutcracker ballet this week with my dear friend Krysta. I've been hooked on the ballet ever since seeing one in Ukraine when Mom and Dad were serving their 1st mission there. Kirk and Marc talked about the ballet after serving their missions in Russia. And now I just really love going to the ballet. Kirk claims the best version he's ever seen of The Nutcracker was in St. Petersburg... maybe I'll get to see it there one day, but I really enjoyed Ballet West's version this year.

With everything that's been going on, my Christmas cards have not happened this year... maybe Valentines Day cards instead? But Happy Christmas to all... Love, Peace and Joy.

Fall In Maine

I spent the 2nd weekend in October hanging with Sara in Maine... talk about a perfect time to visit with the fall colors in full strength! We spent one day hiking and driving through Acadia National Park

This one just cracks me up - I find it very amusing that it's named Sand Beach (although I totally get that most of the coast isn't sandy beaches, but still...)

And I still can't figure out why some pictures don't rotate no matter what I do...

And we also spent part of a day going to lighthouses. First up Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse. It's actually almost a mile out on a breakwater:

Next up: Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. I was totally fascinated by the rocks here.

I'm getting pretty good at self/group portraits!!

The weekend also included a trip to the LL Bean store - holy cow!!

Thanks Sara Lu for an awesome weekend - love ya sis!!

A sure sign of fall....

As I was shaving my legs in the kitchen sink yesterday (yup - you read that right... let's just say that there's been delays in replacing my sewer line and anything but the shortest of showers with the drain barely open are O-U-T... wouldn't necessarily recommend the kitchen sink shaving method...too many nicks and getting down off the counter when you've only partially rinsed off the soap is a little tricky!) I was thinking that it really is fall - but how do you know when fall really arrives? For me there's a couple of things - first the State Fair. My friend Lisa and I went this week where I experienced my first funnel cake (I'm a fan in case you were wondering!). A few pictures from the fair:

Good to know that manure isn't garbage...

my favorite shirt there said: "lots of ANDS, lots of IFS and whole lot of BUTTS" - so a few here to share!

The younger generation of farmers were showing their pigs while we were there - I totally want a pig like this one so I can name it Neopolitan (now there's a good reason to have a pig, huh?)

It was a real hoot to watch these kids trying to show their pigs - or in true "Salsa-fashion" - perhaps the pigs were showing the kids?!

Another sure sign of fall - the first home BYU football game - unfortunately this was the highlight of Saturday's game - the band before the kick-off, that is unless you happen to be a Florida State fan... one can only hope that wasn't a sign of things to come!

I also look forward the leaves changing (hasn't started yet!)... I'm sure there's other sure signs of fall, but I haven't encountered them yet this year!!

Family, Soccer, Birthdays, Etc...

OK... big weekend - Deb and Sara both flew in and Kirk and Luci and the boys also came up. Kirk left us Saturday morning to go to the BYU-Oklahoma football game (way to go Cougs!!), while us girls and J-man went to the World Cup qualifying game at Rio Tinto Stadium - the US men's soccer team vs. El Salvador - it was AWESOME!!!

J-man with aunt Deb - he now has a new nickname - LoveBug (I'm sure he'll love that one later!)

LoveBug with aunties Deb and Sara

So close to the action... so AWESOME (in case you couldn't guess, I had a great time...)

Luci, grumpy LoveBug, me, Sara and Deb

Kind of a blurry picture of Z-boy, who was saying "Cheese" for this picture. Z-boy also has a new nickname - 40%, a reference to the 40% of 18 month olds who are bigger than him according to his doctor at his 18 month checkup... that's pretty hard to believe...

On Sunday we had all of our Robinson aunts and cousins Carolyn, April and April's kids over.

who knew Mr. Potato Head was so cool?

Kirk and Deb with Carol and Doris

The four Aunties - Doris, Alice, Carol and Marge

And the four siblings... Kirk was a good sport to put up with all the estrogen!

LoveBug showing us how to get down!

And Happy Birthday Kirk... count all 32 candles on that cake!! Highly recommend Maggie Moo's ice cream cakes - this one was de-lish-us!

Kirk, Sara and Deb checking out Sara's matches... signed up yet Deb?!! Yeah, me neither...

Monday we went to SugarHouse park for a picnic and playground time - can I just say that I LOVE the fall - we had just absolutely gorgeous weather this weekend, but the nights are cool enough to sleep... LOVE it LOVE it LOVE it...

Brotherly love??

LoveBug decided that we should go miniature golfing - so we went to the place we had gone over Easter weekend, and well... that obviously didn't work out so well for us!!

Finally made it to a very busy course and hey!! LoveBug - the ball is going the wrong way!!

The only draw back to the weekend?? the flooded basement... love the big old trees that line the streets of my neighborhood, but not looking forward to paying for a new sewer line... eek. Thanks for coming everyone - it was a FANTASTIC weekend!