Robison Family

School Starts

2010-10-04T12:02:00.001-07:00

The kiddos were so excited to start school this fall. Hailey started third and Hunter started first. He was excited to eat lunch in the cafeteria and ride the bus to and from school.

They had a great first day! While they were at school, I took the younger ones to Seven Peaks. I know, not fair!

Tate started his second year of preschool, though he is totally ready for kindergarten. And even little Bridger started preschool this year. I know, he is a little too young, but he LOVES it and feels very much an equal to his big brothers.

I think this year will be great!

Hailey the Swimmer

2010-09-03T07:38:00.000-07:00

Hailey swam all summer long. Whether for the swim team or at Seven Peaks, she swam. She had swim team practice every morning at 8. She was dedicated and improved a ton. She had several swim meets, ranging from Spanish Fork to West Jordan.
Her favorite events are the 50 and 100 meter freestyle and backstroke. She shaved 8 seconds off her 50 meter freestyle at State. Way to go Hailey!

I am a huge supporter of swimming. I love that it is a life long sport.

Potty Training Time

2010-09-03T07:24:00.000-07:00

Bridger was ready to be potty trained. He was asking about going potty in the big toilet, so we went and picked out his favorite character, Diego, underwear. He hasn't looked back to diapers (during the day) since!

And, of course, there needs to be an incentive. His favorite treat are the ring pops. He has been doing really well. There are those occasional accidents, but overall I think he has mastered it. Woohoo! One less child in diapers!

Robison Reunion: Eden

2010-09-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

Every year we take turns planning the Robison Reunion. This year was our turn. We had a hard time trying to choose a place...we've been to a lot of cool places over the years. After much researching, we choose Eden. Where is Eden? A cute little town tucked away in the Logan Canyon. We found a great home to rent. Activities included Lagoon....a huge hit with the kids...Pineview Reservior: jet-skiing and playing on the sandy beach....and just hanging out. It happened to be 4th of July weekend, so a treasure hunt and fireworks were included.

My mother in law has these super cool orange shirts for each of us to wear. They came in handy at the Lagoon...you could spot our party from a mile away. They have iron-on patches that tell the place and date of the past family reunions.

A Robison Reunion is not complete without a friendly game of kickball/or some sort of sport.

Rhett in his element....mud/dirt/digging...he is such a little boy. :)

Can't wait until next year....Cory and Marilyn's turn!

Montana

2010-07-16T09:59:00.000-07:00

We had the Adams Reunion at Seeley Lake in Montana. Each family had their own cabinette on Seeley Lake...it was beee-ut-iful. Though not the warmest weather, we all still had a great time playing on the sandy beach, riding the canoes and pedal boats, eating, and visiting. It stays light so late in Montana that the kids were in their pjs at "night", like 9pm, still playing in the sand.

There was a campfire area where we had a fire every night and ate s'mores, of course.

After Seeley Lake, we headed to Missoula where the kids, Kristen, and I stayed a few extra days. On our list of things to do: Caras Park...a very fun carousal that the kids look forward to riding on, swimming at the country club, eating at McKenzie Pizza, and just hanging out at home.

Sarah Came to Town

2010-07-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

Sarah...where do I begin?! Sarah and I met in the first grade. I had just moved to El Paso from Houston. I was sitting all alone during recess, on the big yellow tire (yes, the big yellow tire was part of our "playground"). Sarah came up and introduced herself. Since then, we have been the bestest of friends. We went through elementary, junior high, and high school togther. We were roomies at Ricks College. We got married a month apart, and have our first babies weeks apart. We have pretty much been through it all together. We were called the bobsy twins growing up. We even had twin jumpers made for our first day of school in 5th grade, or was it 6th?

Anyway, Sarah and her cute family (Greg and 3 darling boys) came to visit us for a week, and it was so fun. When we were little, we always talked about growing up and marrying twin brothers and having our kids play together... Well, we didn't marry twin brothers, but we did have our kids play together, and it was so fun to watch. What did we do for a week? Not a whole heck of a lot. Just relaxed, went on 4 wheel rides, fishing, parade, little shopping, folded laundry, V.I. visit for some pie, played Ticket to Ride, stayed up every night until 2 am, and watched our cute little hubbies become good friends. It was so fun. Can't wait to do it again...hopefully sooner than latter!

After hanging out for a week, you would think we would have gotten a decent picture of the two of us...oh well. Maybe next time... :)

The kids had a ball roasting hot dogs and marshmellows. Where is the adult supervision?

What a group! We were definantly out numbered...probably the main reason why we didn't go too far from home.

The Nygrens just happened to come to town the same time as our "big" city days was going on. We made it to the parade. Though the weather was a little cold and rainy (typical June weather in Utah), the kids had a great time watching the floats and collecting candy that was thrown their way.

Cute little Sarah and Greg...

Enjoying the parade.

Rhett and Greg took the kids fishing one evening. They had a great time getting muddy...and coming home empty handed.

Kristen came up and did our glitter toes...don't they look beautiful?! Kristen has quite the little business going. Sarah had never heard of glitter toes, until now....Now the trend will spread like wild fire! :)

We had a barbecue up at our house and everyone from El Paso who lives in the area came over. We had quite the group. It was fun to see us all together, and all the kids that came along.

Multiply and replenish the earth?

We had a great time visiting and laughing and seeing all of our kids play together. It's so fun to be able to get together.

Coach Pitch Baseball

2010-07-12T09:25:00.000-07:00

Hunter played coach-pitch baseball this spring. It was his first time to play any baseball, and he loved it! He looked forward to his games every tuesday night. Can't wait until next spring!

Our First Pets

2010-07-05T23:04:00.000-07:00

I knew it was inevitable..the day I would give in to getting a pet. I kept putting the kids/Rhett off. And the day finally came where I gave in. Rhett was very persistant on getting a dog. I told him a dog is like having another child, so my response was "Absolutley not". So, Rhett coerced me into getting chicks. So, where do we go when we want to buy anything? KSL classifieds...one of my favorite places to shop. We found an ad for 3 chicks and 2 ducks. We didn't want the ducks, but it was a packaged deal. So, we went and picked them up. It was love at first sight for the kids.
They had the chicks and ducks named before we even got home. They loved and cuddled and played with the ducks and chicks. Tate loved his chick so much, that we decided to teach him how to fly. He threw the chick up, and it came down and landed on its head. The next thing I know, Tate comes running in telling me his chick has a headache. I went out to assess the problem, and sure enough, that poor chick had a headache, it was dead. So, we then had a lesson with the kids on "chicks don't need to be taught how to fly".

Two weeks later, the day before we had a friend come up and build a chicken coop, some animal dug under the chicken wire cage and the next morning, they were all gone. Soo sad. Hailey is still convinced that the chicks and ducks dug under the wire and were swimming in the nearby river. I like that thought a lot more than the alternative.

So, we had a nice chicken coop built, with no chicks to put in. Once again, we went to KSL classifieds, and found more chicks for sale...this time, no ducks. We bought 10 of them. And so far, one month later, I am here to report that all 10 of them are still alive and growing fast.
Below is a picture of the chicken coop, in the background. And yes, that is a snake that was found in our backyard. Aaaahhhh! At least it wasn't a rattlesnake.

Mother's Day

2010-05-23T20:22:00.001-07:00

Mother's Day is a great day to honor all the women in the world. I have so many amazing women role models in my life that I try to emulate, including my own mother.
My Mother's Day was wonderful. It started with breakfast in bed...I have to say, the breakfast is getting better with each year. When we were first married, breakfast in bed was a bowl of oatmeal. Now? ...scrambled eggs, just the way I like them, waffles, toast, and a tall glass of orange juice. Not bad....
Above are all the wondeful hand-made gifts..I love them! What's funny is that it seems like yesterday I was making the hand-made gifts at school.

Nana R. was watching some grandkids over Mother's Day weekend. So, we had them up for dinner. Nana R. is a wonderful mother and Nana. Here are all the kids ready for a 4 wheel ride...don't worry, they didn't really ride like this... :)

Rhett surprised me with an "itouch". Though I enjoy this fun little gadget, the kids have soon taken over. Maybe I shouldn't have downloaded so many kid apps. Anyway, Bridger is quite a natural with it. He, and the others, call it the "black game". I found Bridger like this the other day, playing his favorite ABC app.

Hope all you wonderful ladies had a fabulous mother's day!

This and That

2010-05-08T16:10:00.000-07:00

We went to Bozeman, Montana last weekend for our nephew's baptism. Though we didn't take any pictures there (sad to say), we did see some wildlife on our way home. The kids thought it was so cool to see a bear walking along the highway, as well as some buffalo.

Hailey had her first official swim meet with her new swim team. She swam the 25m freestyle and 25m backstroke. She did really well. I am amazed at how much she has improved over the past year.

Bronson's new love...the saucer. This saucer has been through all five kids. It has saved my sanity. :)

Bridger has been wanting to "hold Baby" a lot lately. It's really cute, though Bronson is almost as big as Bridger is...and I think their heads are the same size.

This is a typical site at our home. All three boys lined up at the bar, eating their mac and cheese before heading off to school. Their conversations usually consist of their food being healthy so they can run faster and have BIG muscles.

Rhett loves living in the mountains..mostly for the immediate access to wildlife. Across the street is a stream where Rhett loves taking the kids fishing. They caught a nice looking trout. Now I just need to learn how to cook it....

Our spring break consisted of snow (below), swimming at an indoor pool, movies, Nickel arcade, and everything else in between. I really enjoyed not having to be anywhere...just taking it easy.

Bronson found his toes...he is quite flexible.

Easter

2010-04-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

It's not Easter without the dying of eggs. Fortunately, we walked away with no spills!

Rhett and Hailey were able to go to the saturday afternoon session of General Conference. Hailey was so excited to go for her first time. She took her new scriptures, her conference packet she made at acheivement days, and was off. She said it was so neat to see the prophet in person.

The Easter Bunny left a note and some clues on where the kids baskets were hidden. He also left a video on Christ's crucifiction and recurrection... The video may have been a little too graphic...Tate is still talking about how it was not nice to crucify Jesus......

They found them! They each got their very own reverent bag filled with quiet activities to keep them occupied during the very long hour of sacrament meeting.

An Easter tradition we have is to go and feed the ducks. I think the ducks were in heaven with all the bread. (Yes, that is snow on the ground...so much for a nice, "spring" Easter...)

Hailey's Baptism

2010-04-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

I still can't believe I am old enough to have a child be baptized....not that it's old...it's just that it really came fast. I felt like I had eight short years to prepare her, and now it's here. She was more than ready. Hailey has always had the desire to be good. She is such a great example to me and her brothers.

This being my first baptism of my kids, I wasn't sure what to do or expect. It went very smoothly and it was such a special day. Hailey chose "I Wonder When He Comes Again" as her opening song. I was already crying on the first verse, not a good sign. :) My dad was one of the speakers, and he gave a wonderful talk on the gift of the Holy Ghost. He has a way with speaking, and I think Hailey soaked it all in.

Rhett and Hailey sang "When I am Baptized" as the special musical number. They did such a great job. They had been practicing for a couple weeks. It was really sweet.

Hailey had a good support group come out. It was so neat.

She was so mature about everything...

A quick family shot...trying to wrestle the boys down for this picture was a chore.

Hailey had so many cousins come and support her. We are so thankful for families. This was such a special day for Hailey. I hope she will always remember this day. I feel so blessed.

A Set Back

2010-03-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

So, I have been cleaning our home all week, it seems, getting ready for Hailey's baptism this saturday. I have been dusting, organizing, mopping, cleaning, all on top of the daily chores of dishes, laundry, picking up toys....the list goes on.

While I was vacuuming downstairs this morning, Tate comes running down saying, "Bridger is making a mess with flour!". I run to the kitchen to find Bridger, with no longer red hair. He and the kitchen were covered in white flour. And, he was having the time of his life.

I took a deep breath. I tried not to get upset. I was thinking, " My kids don't do this. They know better." Hah! So, I decided to document this event with my camera. After getting these shots, he had his consequence of sitting in the sink while I cleaned up the kitchen. Then I took him outside to shake him off. You gotta admit, it does look like fun!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

Hope ya'll wore green today! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Farewell Olympics

2010-03-08T09:27:00.000-08:00

I know, the Olympics have been over for a week now, but the kids, (well.. Hunter and Tate..) are still asking if they can watch it. I think their favorite event to watch was the speed skating, or at least that was Tate's favorite. His primary teacher came up to me in the hall at church and told me that Tate told everyone that he was faster than Shani Davis. :)

Tate is always setting up hurdles (pillows) to jump over. He idolizes his Uncle Andrew that runs track at UVU. With his love for sports and a great amount of competitiveness, Tate may someday make it to the Olympics.

Claire's

2010-03-07T14:46:00.000-08:00

A few saturdays ago, I woke up, turned to Hailey, and asked her if she wanted to get her ears pierced today. (We are quite spontaneous in our home.) If we plan things out, they fall through, so we don't plan. I have always told Hailey that when she turns eight, she can choose for herself if she wants to get her ears pierced. Her 8th birthday is this week, and so that saturday morning, she leaped at the idea of getting them done. So, I called Claire's Boutique ahead of time to make sure two people were working so that she could get them peirced at the same time. So, we headed to the mall.

As we got closer, I asked Hailey if she was nervous....she wasn't. Just so excited. I asked her again once she was sitting in the chair at Claire's...she was a little. And then, as the gals were lining up the piercer guns with the marker dots on her ears, Hailey got scared, and jumped out of the chair. That was very unexpected. Then she got back on, took a deep breath, and braced herself. Once it was done, she said, "Was that all?" She has been cleaning her ears and counting down the days until she can change them out.

Laundry Anyone?

2010-03-03T09:15:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when I let my laundry slide for a day, or two. It is amazing how fast dirty clothes pile up (with five kids) when you don't stay on top of it. I even went through each piece of clothing to make sure it was dirty. My kids find it easier to throw their still clean/rewearable clothes in their laundry basket instead of folding it and putting it back in their drawer. Well, I got it done...but I may need some more Tide....

Rather than doing my laundry, I found myself snuggling with this sweet, adorable, ever-growing baby. I guess in life, there are things that can wait...like laundry...I'm glad I let my laundry slide.

January Birthdays

2010-02-09T13:19:00.001-08:00

We were able to celebrate lots of birthdays in the month of January. Hunter and Bridger are both "one year older and wiser, too"! Hunter had his party at a fun place where you can jump on big blow-up things. It was a great place for a bunch of 6 year old boys to go and expend some energy. I can't believe Hunter is already 6. He is my tender-hearted little boy. He is always striving to do what's right. He is the first one to anything that I ask. He makes friends easily and is super sweet. Happy Birthday, little man!

What?! Bridger is already 2?! Crazy how fast time goes. Bridger is lucky to share the same birthday with his aunt Kristen. I don't know if it's because they share the same birthday, but he LOVES his aunt "Dis". He would go to her over me anyday. Bridger is such a sweet, cute little red-head. He has the sweetest smile and has a spunky personality. He loves to go anything his big brothers do, and keeps up with them quite well. I can't wait to see what this next year brings!

Christmas Update

2010-01-03T19:37:00.000-08:00

What a fun-filled Christmas we had. We kicked it off with decorating the Christmas tree. We had lots of little helpers to help decorate.

Tah-dah! It turned out quite nice.... I just love the smell of a real Christmas trees!

It was so nice to have aunt Lauren out to help with baby Bronson. She did everything! From making meals, cleaning house, running errands, and everything else in between...

The kids have been having a lot of fun playing in the snow. And boy do we have snow! Aunt Marty and cousin Micah came to visit and she took the kids sledding and built a snowman. It was fun having them here.

Hailey had her 2nd grade Christmas program. She did such a great job with singing and memorizing her lines.

Tate also had a Christmas program. He is quite the little singer. His favorite song was "Somebody Snitched On Me". It goes well with his little personality. He even helped Mrs. Wall with remembering the lines.

We had cousins up for Christmas Eve. They did a great job acting out the nativity scene. We had a kangaroo, a bunny, and a sheep as part of our animals. Baby Bronson played a perfect role as baby Jesus.

It was so fun to watch the kids open their gifts Christmas morning. I love the excitement they have.

Hailey got her American Girl doll, Chrissa, for Christmas. She was very happy.

Tate got what he wanted, a BYU football uniform. He has not taken in off since he opened it.

Santa had the #19 put on the back of his uniform....to help remind him the age of when he gets to go on a mission. :)

Happy Turkey Day

2009-12-11T15:32:00.001-08:00

I know, Thanksgiving was a few weeks...and I am finally getting around to post our Thanksgiving picture. One might ask, "What did you do for Thanksgiving, with a 2 week old baby?". We certainly didn't travel anywhere, and I wasn't about to make a huge turkey dinner for our little family...well, not little, but made up of picky kids. Sooo...we headed over to Chuck-A-Rama. And, I'll have you know, there was a line out the door. So, we weren't the only ones that had the same idea. It was nice to not have to cook or clean....and the kids loved it! Tate still talks about the all-you-can eat ice cream!

1 Month Old...Already?!?

2009-12-11T15:14:00.000-08:00

WOW! Where does time go? I can't believe Bronson is now one month old! He is such a sweet baby. It is so fun to have him in our family.

Baby Bronson Eric

2009-11-15T15:03:00.001-08:00

Rhett and the kids had fun drawing a beautiful portrait of our baby boy on my big belly. It's a good thing our baby came out cuter.

The hospital called at 5:45 in the morning, letting me know that a room was available to be induced. I was soo excited to finally meet our new little addition...and to be done being pregnant! Here I am, ready to head out the door...

Little Baby Bronson Eric was born at 10:40 a.m. weighing in at 8 pounds exactly 20 inches long. He was my smallest baby.

Bronson had a little rough start getting here...once he figured out how to take that first breath, he was a beautiful, healthy baby.

Don't ask me why I am posting this picture...I mean, I look so glamourous in that beautiful blue robe, but I figured, this is what we looked like for 2 days in the hospital.

Tate was the first one to meet this sweet baby. He was so excited to hold him.

Hailey and Hunter ran home from the bus stop and made a mad dash right to their new baby brother. The kids were unable to come to the hospital because of the swine flu, and everything else that is going around. Hailey is such a big help.

Hunter just loves his baby brother. I didn't get a good picture of Bridger holding Bronson because Bridger wanted to hold the camera instead.

This little guy is going to be one loved, held, and spoiled baby. We are all doing great. Good thing Nana is here to help!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-02T17:17:00.001-08:00

This year, the kids all wanted to be Scooby-Doo characters for Halloween. So, Tate was Shaggy, Bridger was Scooby (he didn't want to wear the cute Scooby headband), Hailey was Daphne, and Hunter was Fred.

Rhett even dressed up as Shaggy! So, we had the Twinners. Originally, Rhett was supposed to be the Villain, but there were no masks allowed at the Halloween party, so he got to be Shaggy. I was supposed to be Velma, but I couldn't quite pull together a 9 month pregnant Velma costume....so I went as a pregnant mom of 5.

Fall Fun

2009-11-02T17:01:00.000-08:00

We took the kids on the "Halloween Cruise" down the Provo River. You ride on a 25 passenger pontoon that is pulled along a rope down the river. There are lots of carved pumpkins that light the way. A pirate attacked our boat and passed out candy. And we were told a story about the Headless Horseman. It was the cute and kids had fun.

Bridger met a new friend there. He was just his size.

We were all loaded on the boat and the kids thought it was so cool to ride on a boat in October....with pumpkins lit everywhere.

Happy 4th Birthday Tate!

2009-11-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

Look who turned 4?!? Yep, Tate! He is our big 4 year old. I can't believe how fast time flies. He wanted a motorcycle cake..so here's my attempt!

Tate was very proud of his cake. He helped me every step of the way!

We went to Pirate Island for a birthday party that night! It was a lot of fun.

Tate had his Robison cousins, his friend Kade/Severe Family, aunt Kristen and uncle Andrew, and his family there to celebrate with him. It was lots of fun!

Soccer Fun

2009-10-23T12:12:00.001-07:00

Hunter and Tate played soccer this fall....and loved it! Tate would ask for his trophy at the end of every game. It was so hard for him to wait until the end of the season...but definitely worth it! They both would keep track of how many goals they would score....they're not competitive. It was fun to watch them play and improve on their soccer skills.

Rhett's Big Kill

2009-10-04T21:24:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year! Rhett had taken a day off of work to go hunting with some buddies. After hunting from dawn till dusk, he came home empty handed. A day before muzzle loader season ended, Rhett and Hailey drove up the canyon to look at a job to repair. On their way home, Rhett spotted three bucks by the road. Like a boy on Christmas morning, he ran home, grabbed his gun, and went to ask the neighbor for permission to hunt his land. He got the go ahead, and shot the buck 25 yards behind the neighbor's shop. His trophy buck is a 4 points on the left and 5 points on the right with one of those being a drop tine. Way to go honey! Now we have meat for the winter! :) (Hailey got to witness it all firsthand, and reported that it was "Funny". )

A First

2009-09-30T11:37:00.001-07:00

There are first times for everything. For me, I canned peaches for the first time. My sister, Kristen, came over and we experienced this "first" together. I had envisioned an all day process, with a huge mess in the end. I was pleasantly surprised on how quickly it went and how non-messy it really was. And, it is quite the self-esteem booster of feeling like we accomplished something....domestic! A week later, I still have the bottled peaches on my counter...just as a reminder of what we did! :)

Sooo, looks like we can go ahead and can peaches next year! Anyone is invited over for some peach cobbler! (The kids were quite helpful....Hunter was the peeling pro!)

Our Mountain Retreat

2009-09-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

Soo, we miraculously sold our home in S.F. and the new buyers wanted us out in 2 weeks. Needless to say, the month of August was crazy for us. Aside from transfering schools, packing, unpacking...We frantically searched for a home to rent until we start building in two years. We stumbled across a home up a canyon on 50 acres. Rhett was able to use his magic and get a sweeeet deal...he has a little trade work he gets to do. It is quite the drive to get here, but it is so beautiful and peaceful...especially with the colors that are starting to change. So, here we are, finally feeling settled with school started, most of the boxes unpacked, and the internet working. :)

A picture of the front of our "Mountain Retreat".

This is what we see when we look out our kitchen window in the mornings and evenings. The kids love scaring them away...Rhett gets upset when they do. :)

As you can tell, the boys are in heaven. So much room to roam. They are serioulsy outside for hours riding the four wheeler, "hunting" for animals, playing soccer, capturing bugs, and everything else boys do.

This is a picture of the back of the home. The kids love the hill to run down. We plan on getting a slip-and-slide going here soon. Visitors are always welcome!!

Feels Good to Be Back

2009-09-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

We are back! ...and it feels soo good! We have officially been in our new home for a month now, and we just got the internet two days ago. Yeah, it was the longest month, ever, to go without the internet! I don't recommend it. I tried several different internet companies out there...and none of them could get service up here in the mountains. Finally, on the third try, I found one! And it was a glorious day.

Soo, the kids started up school. Hailey is a big 2nd grader, Hunter a kindergartener, and Tate is in his 1st year of preschool. They are all loving it! Yeah! So far, the transition of schools..and everything else..has gone smoothly.

Tate loves to greet Hailey and Hunter when they get off the bus. Up the driveway they go!

Hailey and Hunter LOVE riding the bus...and I LOVE the bus.

Tate on his 1st day of school. He was so excited to go to the same preschool that Hailey and Hunter went to.

Hunter on his 1st day of kindergarten. He was a little disappointed that he couldn't take a lunch...next year!

Hailey on her 1st day of 2nd grade..new school...new friends...and she is doing great!

Roughin' It

2009-08-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

We went camping for a night up Mapleton Canyon. One night is perfect for our little, young family. The kids love being outdoors. Their favorite part is being able to sleep in a tent. Sooo cool...
Our breakfast: Cold cereal. The perfect breakfast for our kids. They would prefer this over eggs, pancakes, and sausage anyday. As for Rhett and I?...cereal works fine.

Mmmm....

Lots of little helpers willing and able and ready to help start up the fire.

Rhett's favorite part of camping is putting the tent up....Right.

The second best thing about camping, is playing in the fire....and blowing bubbles.

Summer Time Fun

2009-08-04T20:19:00.000-07:00

Just hangin' out around the home....

We scored at a moving sale with this fun 4 wheeler..the kids love it! I told myself that I would never own one of these...because the kids would fight over it. They surprisingly have done very well.

Gotta love their one true love of the summer...popsicles!

I think Rhett has more fun than the boys in the sandbox.

Hunter is all decked out.

We also scored, at that same moving sale, with Rhett's first bullet bike. It is quite the sight to see him riding on this minibike. All the neighbors know when Rhett's riding..it is soo loud.

IT''S A.....

2009-07-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

Well, we went in for our ultrsound today... with the intention of not finding out the gender. But...it soon became very obvious what was inside my belly. I really don't think the ultrsound guy could have performed an adequate ultrasound without showing us the gender...it was that obvious...and, lets just say, very open....yep...it's a BOY! We are excited for another little boy to arrive in November. Hailey was quite devastated about not having a sister, but I think it was good for her to find out now so she can cope with it all. :) ....it's rought being the only girl. :)
So, we are open for any suggestions on boy names'...

Hailey's First Swim Meet

2009-06-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

Hailey had her very first swim meet on saturday. She was a little nervous when she first heard the news about a swim meet, but once she was there she had a good experience. She swam the 25m freestyle and backstroke...and did a great job.

Hailey getting ready for her race.

The lineup...

Hunter and Tate were way into the racing aspect of it all. They are a little competitive and can't wait to be on the swim team and race people.

Hailey and her friend Meg getting ready for their next event.

Hailey did an awesome job swimming backstroke. Way to go Hailey!

Aloha

2009-06-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

Rhett and I always said we would go to Hawaii for our 10 year anniversary...and we did it! We celebrated our anniversary a month early, due to the our baby's arrival in November. We had an amazing time. It was incredible. I really don't know what else to say but that if you haven't experienced Hawaii...you need to go! There are so many pictures that we took, and none of them due justice to what we saw. But here is a little snippit into our week in Maui.

Every night at Black Rock, a native does a ritual dance and dives off the rock.

A trail we hiked on the road to Hana.

A sunset photo op.

One of the many waterfalls we saw...and enjoyed.

Can't go to Hawaii without eating an Hawaiian shaved ice. -Lahaina

On our way out to Molokini Crater for some amazing snorkeling.

Some delicious local favs...banana bread, coconut (dipped in sugar), and mangos.

A quick pic at Blowhole.

Rhett's beach creation.

My beach creation....

Of course, we had to get a pic of some stonework in Lahaina.

Our jeep we rented. We sure felt young and carefree again!

A picture looking out of our hotel.

The pool area where we spent some time. We stayed at the Sheraton Maui...beautiful.

A rainbow out our room balcony.

From hiking to exotic waterfalls, driving the road to Hana, swimming with huge sea turtles, eating at every restaurant imaginable (I guess there is a reason why Rhett and I gained 10 pounds in week..), laying by the pool, stolling along the beach, driving around the entire island of Maui in a red Jeep, eating "real" Hawaiian shaved ice, to just having time alone was just a snipit of what we experienced.

A huge big thank you to Mom, Lauren & Evan, Kristen & Andrew....we couldn't have gone on this trip without you watching the kiddos!

Hiking

2009-06-17T16:35:00.001-07:00

We hit a few trails this Memorial weekend. The kids had a great time. We purchased our first baby backpack carrier. (Yeah, now that we have four kids, we thought we'ld try exploring a little.) They were a lot of fun. We hiked one trail up Pleasant Grove Canyon and another trail up Payson Canyon.

At the end of the trail, you get a souvenier. And what else is better than a rock to carry all they way back with you.

The kids thought crossing the bridges was the greatest part of the hike...aside from the waterfalls at the end.

Bridger enjoyed his hike on Rhett's back.

Trying out the backpack for the first time.

Wrappin' It Up

2009-06-17T15:46:00.000-07:00

Now that we are a few weeks into summer, I figured it was about time to add a few updates on the end of school. Lots of fun events took place. And it is nice to have a break in our busy schedule...love summer!
Hailey had her 1st grade program. All the first graders sang fun songs, performed a dance, and put together a slide show highlighting major events in the year. It was fun to see and Hailey had a wonderful 1st grade year.

Hunter was able to play spring soccer and loved it. He is quite the little athlete. Though he was one of the smallest (and youngest) on the team, he still had a great season.

Hailey started piano lessons this spring. She had a wonderful teacher. She was able to play in her first piano recital. her pieces were Can-Can and Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam.

I promised Hailey all year that I would eat lunch with her at school. It didn't happen until the very last day of school. Hey, I was holding out for that pizza! Better late than never, eh? She made lots of fun friends this year.

Hailey also was involved in gymnastics this year. She had a great time learning how to become flexible.

Hunter finished up his second year of preschool and is ready for kindergarten! He can't wait to go to school with Hailey. He had a wonderful teacher, same as Hailey's, and Tate will start up with her this fall for the 2 year program.

Easter Egg Fun

2009-04-20T16:59:00.000-07:00

The kids love "diving" (as Hunter would call it) Easter eggs. We had to wake Tate up to join in on the fun...hence the tired look. They only managed to knock over two bowls of colored water... Needless to say, it was fun. And, they were very protective of "their" eggs that they designed. Due to inclement weather, the Easter egg hunt was moved from outside to downstairs.

Fun Poses

2009-04-08T12:41:00.001-07:00

Picture Time..again! I figured since all of the kids have had a birthday (within the past 6 months), it was time to get them done. Mostly for Bridger, since he turned the Big One! Anyway, they turned out cute; and the kids did surprisingly well. A gal named Shanna Leroy took them and she did a great job!

A Visit to the Zoo

2009-03-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

The kids were out of school last friday, so we, and the Severe's, headed to the Utah Hogle Zoo. The weather was perfect, the company was great, and the kids had a wonderful time.

Okay, with the train ride, carousel, and flavored ice cream cones...what kid wouldn't love the zoo? Oh, and of course, the animals!

It was fun to see the kids get excited about "wildlife". They are all observing a huge tortoise...Tate was wanting to jump the fence and ride it.

Hunter was amused with this peacock, as you can see. Last time we went to the zoo he yells out, "My daddy would love to shoot those pheasants!". I quickly told him, "Not so loud". The comment you get when you have a dad that enjoys hunting.

The kids were really excited to see the giraffes...especially after recently watching Madagascar 2. Funny how animals take on a whole new outlook once they are portrayed in Disney movies. I heard one mom say, "Look, it's Rafiki!".

A New Love

2009-03-19T20:53:00.001-07:00

Mmmmm....

Mmmmm.....

GOOD!! Now that the weather is 60 degrees, it's time to break out the popsicles. Bridger had his first popsicle today and LOVED it! He couldn't get enough of it. He ate every last bite...and then pointed to the freezer for more. I know what this little guy is going to be eating a lot of this summer....

Happy 7th Birthday Hailey

2009-03-12T08:27:00.001-07:00

Here is a glimpse of Ms. Hailey's 7th Birthday....
Hailey's excitement and anticipation for her birthday started at 3am. She fell back asleep for a few hours until 6:30, when Rhett woke her up and took her to Albertson's for some birthday balloons. (A family tradition we started that the kids look forward to.)

Then it was time for our traditional Birthday Pancakes...it's really just another excuse to blow out candles.

Hailey was then ready to head off to school for some more fun. She had me bring Creamie bars for her classmates (her most favorite treat)...yummy!

After a busy day of school, afterschool activity, and piano lessons..she came home to her beautifully decorated birthday cake. Alright, so when I asked her what she thought it was, she responded a candlestick. I can see where she got that idea. It's suppose to be a tube of lipstick...I tried!

When one asks a now 7 year old what they would like for their birthday dinner, you may hear this response.."Ramen Noodles!". Well, that's the response we received...and that is what we had. Nothing but the best!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAILEY! My, where does time go? Hailey is just a sweet, beautiful little girl and we are so blessed to have her in our family.

Valentine Fun

2009-02-18T11:54:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! The kids woke up to balloons, candy, and tickets...the boys got Monster Jam Truck tickets and Hailey got an ice skating ticket.

We had a great time at Seven Peaks Arena. Hailey is quite the little ice skater. She has been wanting to go all winter, so she was thrilled to finally be able to go.

And the boys have not stopped talking about the Monster Truck show! They had a great time watching Backwards Bob doing his tricks and the trucks flying through the air.

Tooth #3

2009-01-27T16:23:00.001-08:00

Yesterday morning I went to Hailey's class to help out. She was wiggling her front tooth non-stop. She had me try to pull it out..after a few hard yanks, nothing happened. It was very loose, and it just sort of hung there. Anyway, that afternoon she walked in the door from school and "WALA", her tooth was out! She was so excited. I asked her if she pulled it out. She said, "No, my teacher did." I'll I have to say is, what a teacher! :)

Hunter Turns 5

2009-01-27T16:06:00.000-08:00

Hunter turned 5 last week. He had been counting down the day for two weeks...we were all excited the day finally arrived. He woke up to his birthday pancakes...just another excuse to light and blow out candles. Then he headed off to school. He wanted to bring donuts to share with his class; which went right along with the letter of the week 'd' .

He was very surprised when we returned home from school and saw a new bike sitting in the kitchen.

He didn't want a birthday party...he just wanted to go bowling. So, we picked up his cousin Keigan and went bowling. We had a great time...Happy Birthday Hunter!

Bridger Turns One

2009-01-19T09:47:00.000-08:00

Bridger loved his Birthday cookie he received at the Pizza Factory. He also loved the pasta!

Bridger and aunt Kristen share the same birthday. After a matinee, we ate lunch at the Pizza Factory. Yum Yum..

Bridger was trying out his birthday cake...I really don't know why he has a fork in his hand...he never uses a fork.

He did NOT like the cake! So funny! Most one year olds, like my others, attack their cake that is set in front on them...not Bridger. He spit it out.

The family singing Happy Birthday to Bridger. I think he was more into the candle than the cake.

We thought a snowman cake would be appropriate for a January birthday. Hailey came up with the idea.

Bridger's First Steps

2009-01-13T21:48:00.000-08:00

Well, here is little Bridger taking his first steps. He started taking them about a week ago and has been improving daily. He gets so excited when he stands up in the middle of the room. And he is quite persistent when he falls, he gets right back up. He turns one on saturday...where does time go?

Our First Piano

2009-01-10T11:38:00.001-08:00

We have been wanting a piano for a long time; have been looking for a long time; and now it's here! We found a great deal on KSL classifieds (my new favorite site). Rhett picked it up late thursday night and Hailey was so excited to see it that she woke up at 6 a.m. friday to check it out. All the kids are loving it. Even little Bridger likes playing on it. Now I just need a piano teacher...

A Ray of Sun

2009-01-09T18:41:00.001-08:00

The sun came out today, and it was glorious! It has been snowing so much lately that I had forgotten what the sun felt like. The boys were excited to get their snow clothes on and play outside..I was exstatic to send them outside. They got their bikes out and jumped on the tramp..so fun!

It's Time

2009-01-09T18:22:00.000-08:00

Alright, now that we are settled into the New Year, I figured I'ld do a quick update on Christmas. We stayed here for Christmas Eve. The Severe Family invited us over for some Christmas Eve fun. We had the kids act out the Christmas story..and it was quite entertaining.

After opening our gifts Christmas morning, we loaded up the car and attempted the drive to Montana. The snow storm was so bad through American Fork, that we pulled off the freeway, decided to bag the Montana trip, and headed to the movie theatre; where we watched the Tale of Despereaux..way cute. After the movie, the storm had let up, so decided to drive to Montana. I know, we like to life spontaneously. The roads were a bit scary through the Malad Pass; but with Rhett's great driving skills, we made it in one piece.

Montana was a lot of fun. It's just great to be around family. Ryan, Julie and James were there, as well as Kristen and Andrew. We missed Aaron, Kira, Emma and Lauren and Evan! One of the highlights while we were there was swimming at Currents Indoor Pool.

Oh Christmas Tree

2008-12-10T20:37:00.001-08:00

After!

During...

Before...

I'ld like to say we loaded the family up and drove into the mountains, searching for the perfect Christmas tree....but, we did find a great local tree lot and picked out a good-looking tree. I love the smell of a real Christmas tree. It's a smell that brings back wonderful childhood memories of Christmas. The kids had a great time decorating it. I had to do a little reshifting of ornaments once they were in bed...most ornaments ended up in one spot on the tree.

Elves make a visit

2008-12-10T20:31:00.001-08:00

The other night, there was a knock at the door. On our doorstep was a Christmas bag and a note that said, "To the Robison kids. From, Santa's Elves." Inside were four pairs of Christmas pj's. The kids were so excited; and they thought they heard Santa's sleigh fly off.

The kids are at such a fun age where Christmas really comes alive and their excitement is contagious. It's fun to get their Christmas pj's early in December so they can enjoy them all month.

Peek-a-Boo

2008-12-10T20:25:00.000-08:00

Bridger has discovered the game of peek-a-boo. He loves putting a blanket, or in this case, a hat over his head and pulling it up. He loves the reaction he receives from the audience. He recently learned how to cover his eyes with his hands; though sometimes covers his ears instead.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-10T20:11:00.000-08:00

The new game Papa got.

Papa got a new game the boys are into.

The boy table...lets eat!
The girl table...ready to eat!

We went to Idaho this year for Thanksgiving and spent it with the Robison family. The kids love going there and spending time with their cousins. When we get together, there are a lot of little kids...13 under the age of 9. They loved going on four wheeler rides, catching bunnies, shooting guns, and everything else you can do on a farm. We also celebrated Christmas while we were there since it is the Robison's off year.

Family Pictures

2008-11-17T12:30:00.000-08:00

If there is one thing I am horrible at, it would be family pictures. It stresses me out...so we don't do it very often. What to wear? Where to take them? Will all the kids (and Rhett) look in the same direction at the same time when the picture is snapped? No.

Anyway, thank you Andrew and Kristen for taking our pictures. You guys did great and are awesome!

snow...ALREADY?

2008-11-05T14:33:00.000-08:00

Yep, we woke up this morning to snow! The kids were so excited; they
could hardly wait to get their snow clothes on! They take building
snowmen quite seriously. No one is allowed to walk on the grass..it might
ruin the snow. I even saw Tate taking snow from the neighbors yard and
bringing it over.

Trick-or-Treat

2008-11-03T12:13:00.000-08:00

This past week, Hunter had a field trip to Pumpkin Land in Orem. He got
to pick out a pumpkin and he decorated it at school the following day. Tate and Bridger got to join in on the fun.

The kids had a great time carving pumpkins. They each designed their own jack-o-lantern face.

I helped out at Hailey's class Halloween party. It forced me to step out of
my "box" and dress up...which I haven't done in years!

(Peter Pan Theme: Tinkerbell, Lost Boy, Captain Hook, Peter Pan)

I also figured that if I'm dressing up, Rhett has to, too! He was a good
sport. The kids wanted him to be the crocodile from Peter Pan, but settled with Mr. Smead. (The costume was a little easier to put together.) The
kids had a great time trick-or-treating...and got way too much candy.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

OCTOBER SUMMARY

2008-10-30T20:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I just thought I'ld quickly summarize the month of October...before we move on to the next month. The Adams came down for Conference
weekend...everyone was in attendance (except Little Laur and Evan...we
missed you!). We had a pre-birthday party for Alison (who turned the
BIG 30) and Tate (now 3).

Yep, I am now 30. I have to admit, I did have a hard time with the idea of 30, but have now decided it's just a number..and there are worse
alternatives! Tate had a wonderful time turning 3 and was so excited to
have blue cupcakes!

Rhett had two kills this hunting season. He drew out for muzzle loader in
Utah, and killed a two point up AF canyon. Then continued on up to
Idaho where he killed a four point whitetail.

Gone and Done It

2008-10-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

Well, we did it! We joined the world of Blog! Hopefully we can keep it up to date! I say "we", but lets be honest, Rhett doesn't do the computer thing; let alone blog thing, SOOO, hopefully I, Alison, can try/pretend to be computer literate and get this blog goin'!