Scouting Broadcast

That scouting broadcast was amazing, wasn't it? I decided to grab a couple of screen shots of an awesome young scouter we all know and love:

Love it! Way to go, Raymond IV!

August heroes

Note: This was actually submitted last year, but for purposes of organization I saved it to post this year.

My first memory of Rachael is really as a twelve-year-old, and now I'm old enough to have my own twelve-year-old (wow!)  But Rachael has always been a sweetheart and ready with love and compassion.  She is quick to laugh at everyone's jokes, even when they are not very funny (mine:). Her undying support makes me feel like I can do no wrong.  Yet as soft- and big-hearted as she is, she has great reserves of strength and power.  I love hearing about her birthing stories and how she uses them as a reference for accomplishing hard things.  I love going running with her and can't wait to cheer for her marathon!  Though I started out knowing her as a young girl, she has become quite an awe-inspiring woman.  Happy Birthday this month, Rachael!

And I've only been in the family three days longer than Darrin.  He's felt like a peer and a friend from day one.  I admire his diligence and kindness, and was really touched by his testimony at this last reunion of prayer and the Atonement.  But my favorite memories are watching he and Angela cutting a rug with their swing dancing!  Most girls can only dream of a husband who will take them dancing (even me, and I married a dancer! :)  Happy Birthday Darrin!  You're awesome!

--Julie

3 Marches and a December

I've got some time to make up, so let me backpedal and start with Mike.... Michael Maughan! A Christmas gift for the whole world! :) We first met Mike while he and April were dating down at BYU. She was soon giddy in love, and still is! We had the incredible good fortune to live next door to them for their first couple(?) years while they finished up school. It was neat to see him help fix up that house for April, first the basement and then the upstairs. Susan loved running over to visit them, and they would often babysit the girls in order to send us out on a date (a gift they probably only now realize how much we appreciated!). They were also invaluable at helping me pull together party details. Mike has a talent for exactness and precision that I can only dream of, but definitely admire. He has a profound sense of honor, yet also a side that is playful, and he is particularly good at entertaining children. It is so inspiring to see the beautiful family he and April are creating together. Happy belated birthday, Mike!

Nathan. For almost all of his single life, Nathan was Raymond's only brother, one of the most meaningful relationships I think he has. Raymond loved everything about about him--his happy nature, his rolling laugh when he would bounce him on the mattress, his competitive eating and waterskiing, his creative adventures, his drive and ambition. Ray especially loved it when Nathan grew up and came to school and they would lift at the gym together and performed in Fiddler on the Roof. Then that must have been weird for Nathan... he left on his mission and came home to three new siblings--a new brother, a brother-in-law, and a sister-in-law! But he was nice about it (what could he do?). We also got to live next door to Nathan for a while which was fun, and exhausting, for those months that we had to pray so vigorously for him to marry Amy! But what a match made in heaven! And what caring and thoughtful parents to (almost) five very lucky children! They are great friends, and we truly look up to them. I am especially grateful to Nathan for being someone Ray can call and talk about things man-to-man (and to Amy for giving up the husband time!); he sometimes needs a man's perspective and it's a role I just can't play.  Thanks, Nathan.

Charity! I heard all kinds of stories about you before I even met you! Ray told so many "Charity stories," you were a Dancers' Company legend. But to meet you in your little three-year-old person was all the better. Curly hair, painted fingernails, and the vocabulary of a college student. You could hold up an adult conversation with the best of them (I still remember you giving a review of the latest movie while we were hanging out in the hot tub, just like you were a miniature Siskel and Ebert.). And you still have that precocious quality! I love to talk to you and hear about your experiences and plans. You have grown up to be a lovely person, and I appreciate your example, to me and to my girls who are trying to grow up to be like you. They watch the way you talk, act, dress, do your hair, anything Charity. So thanks for making it a worthwhile endeavor! I love you, my friend!

And Dave, let me be the first to sing your praise! It was so fun to watch Rachael try to figure out just what she was looking for in a husband, and to hear about this neat guy out on his mission, that both she and Mom were guessing was it! And you were! I truly admire your dedication and loyalty to your wife and children. You are always there with a watchful eye, protecting them and providing for their every need. I just know you will be ever faithful and true. But as seriously as you take these important roles, there is still a side of you that is willing to dress up in a wig with a mullet and play an air guitar. Totally radical, dude!

July Heroes - by Julie

Happy birthday yesterday, Andrew John! It was fun to think of you having biscuits and chocolate gravy with all those youth! Wish we could have gotten in on that! So fun. My first memory of you was wondering how such a little body could have such big eyes?! I still wonder! You made it into the family just six weeks before I did and you looked so handsome at our wedding in your little tuxedo! I feel privileged to have witnessed your growing up years (not usual for a sister-in-law). It was incredible how everyone gathered around you and loved you and hung on your every word and chuckle. And you are incredible in how you have loved us back. You are so good-natured and fun to have around. I knew you would do a great job on stage in Nauvoo, but knew you would be even more amazing off-stage, reaching out and making everyone feel included. That is how you have always been with us. And we couldn't ask for a better uncle--you've made life so fun for each of my children--from Susan, who thinks you are her best friend, down to Joseph, who thinks you are the ultimate party! I will forever appreciate how you have helped care for them at every get together we've ever had. You are a giant and I've always looked up to you; and now we all do--quite literally!

Sarah, happy birthday today! Sixteen years ago, Ray was so excited for me to meet you, and you were just as charming and pretty and soft as he had described. One of the things that struck me the most was the music in your voice; I still love to hear you speak or sing, especially to your children. And your dancing had (has!) the same ease and musicality. You were magical with children, first as a sister and aunt to DJ and Susan, and now with your own children. You are so clear and focused on the preeminence of your role as a mother, and make it your greatest priority, above all other distractions. I am sure your children will ever see you as the queen you are.

And Tim, I think we first met you out on Glendale--you were on a boat with Rand and rescued us when our boat quit and we were stranded. You were a blast to watch waterski (still are)--cruising back and forth across the wake with such energy and abandon. You are tireless in using your energy to take care of everyone around you, ever ready with a joke or kind word or act of service. Ray and I can't think of a more important calling than being a seminary teacher and we can't think of anyone who would be better at it. I think Sarah said it best when she said of you, "He's good because he really cares."

July is a month to celebrate heroes! Thanks to each of you for being heroes in our family!

Love, Julie

From Julie

Note from Rachael: Julie emailed this directly to me, which totally works. To email directly to the blog, you really do just exactly the same as for an email. Just email your post to rareeallred1.robinsonshavingfun@blogger.com. And having just had a baby at the end of March, I'd say Julie had a very valid excuse for not getting this to me until now, don'tcha think? :)

Please forgive my silence on this in April; it's been a busy month here.  And thanks for the reminder, Andrew.  I didn't want to miss my chance to share some things about some of my favorite people....

My first memory of April was when Ray and I were dating.  The details are a little sketchy, but I think he brought April, Rachael, and Sarah with him on a Sunday and we all went to church together with my family (?).  The thing I remember is that they were every bit as pretty as Ray had described them, plus soft and kind and witty.  My mom used them as a confirming witness that this match was meant to be--I can still remember the intensity of her expression when telling me what nice girls she thought they were.  Surely a family with girls of this caliber must be worth marrying into, maybe some of their greatness would one day be manifest in Raymond! :)  April has been a loyal sister/friend from the start... Living next door to her and Mike was a true tender mercy of the Lord.  She has taken care of me from day one and there are too many kind deeds to list, but a sampling could include helping me pull off Susan's green egg and ham birthday party, babysitting while Ray and I went on dates (now she knows what a gift that was!), driving me to the hospital when I was in labor and couldn't reach Raymond, a four-tiered, four-colored sherbet birthday cake, enlightening conversations, a sympathetic hug as I bemoan my lack of homemaking/mothering skill, Princess Academy cross-stitching instruction... Like I said, too many to list.  But I will love her forever!  And will aspire to be more like her in service, learning, boldness, loyalty, and care.

My first memory of Amy is seeing her perform with incredible expressivity and depth.  I then got to have her in my technique class and daily witness her connectivity, artistry, openness, and core strength.  Of course, to know her is to fall in love with her.  But my greatest memory of that class was watching her and Nathan glide across the floor side by side doing Graham triplets--their synergy was astonishing!  They were just meant to dance through life together!  Their courtship and wedding was a delightful ride for everyone in the family.  And now what a gift to see how Amy uses her artistry in creating her home and family.  With her talents, she could have excelled in whatever arena she chose--art, dance, fashion, calligraphy, history, comedy, music, design, photography, teaching, social work--but she is deeply devoted to the Lord and has consecrated her talents to blessing the lives of her husband and children.  She creates magic for them daily.  And that magic extends to all of us.  She is full of love and understanding--never failing in expressions of love and testimony that touch and sustain me.  She is truly a kindred spirit.

And Rachael, your prompt for May is great, but with Angela's birthday this week, I must instead include some thoughts of her.... My first memories of Angela come from the summer we both fell in love and got married, even within days of each other!  It was so fun to share that special summer with her, even dressing together in our wedding dresses for our joint open houses in Jerome and Boise.  Angela is a special person, pure of heart, without guile.  She has always loved and accepted me as a sister, and I have never felt a hint of judgement or ill will.  She seems incapable of it.  She loves as the Savior loves, and I feel rather in awe of her.

April, Amy, and Angela have each deeply blessed my life through their sisterhood and friendship.  Rachael, thanks for the chance to reflect on them and their gifts to me.
--Julie

Christmas fun

Well, we had a great Christmas!

Two things

Two unrelated things:

1.) Nauvoo! Some of you have talked about applying for cast or
volunteer staff positions for the 2010 Nauvoo Pageant and we couldn't
be more excited! Applications are happening now; you can apply at: http://www.nauvoopageant.org/

In the past we have had family stay at our condo, and having received
special permission to do so. But with Ray now serving as the director
we don't feel comfortable asking special privileges that others are
not allowed. The good news is we now have a motor home we would love
to share with any of our beloved family members. Please let us know
if you are interested in using this option and when, so we can
accommodate as many as possible. We love our family and love Nauvoo,
and love when the they all come together!

2.) A new arrival! I don't know how many of you know about this, but
Kevin and Emily have been trying to adopt a baby for over a year now.
A couple weeks ago they were blessed with a newborn baby boy through
LDS Family Services. He was born a healthy little 7 lb. 4 oz. baby;
his birth mother was Polish and his father African American. He is a
handsome, and already well-loved little boy. We are thrilled their
family has been blessed in this way, grateful for the mother's choice
to give life and a chance at a happy home, and impressed with the way
the Wilsons have consecrated their hearts and home throughout the
adoption process. We pray the adoption process will continue to go
smoothly (a six-month-long process, at best). Thought you might want
to know, so you can share in their joy....

Post-Conference Glow

This last month we had the unusual opportunity of being visited by our two grandpas. After Dad drove from Preston to Salt Lake, flew on an airplane for four hours, and drove from Detroit to our house another hour, we all loaded up in the motor home and kept driving--poor guy! But we wanted to drive our dads around our beautiful state, since this visit was in the fall rather than the colds of January. We camped overnight at Traverse City and visited Sleeping Bear Dunes on Lake Michigan the next day. But the real purpose for the visit was, of course, to ordain Ray as a high priest. The ordination gave me cause to ponder the significance of the Priesthood many of you carry, and the grand charge you have been given to act in the name of God. I am so grateful for the way Ray honors his priesthood. He reflects Christlike love and devotion to God and his family in all he does, esp in the little things, like saying good-bye to each of us individually as he leaves each day or finding opportunity to lead the family in meaningful discussions around the dinner table. It is his worthiness and goodness that will bless the lives of our ward members as he serves in this new calling.

Like you, we so enjoyed General Conference this last weekend. Ray ended up at the church on Saturday, but Sunday was a party with Emily, Gabe, Cora, and Esther joining us for a feast--both spiritual and edible! The First Presidency's focus on love as the center of all we do couldn't be more important or timely. And Elder Holland's testimony of the Book of Mormon--wow! It's such a miracle that we can get the reception we do, hearing the Word right in our home during the conference and immediately thereafter! It's amazing to see how it's developed just in the short time we've lived out here in Michigan. It becomes more and more accessible. Awesome.

The kids have had many joys lately--Raymond's bday celebration on the road, wearing cowboy boots 24/7 since, and some new (to us) bunk beds from our old bishop. We have been trying to enjoy the warm weather, for we know it won't last forever....

We love you all and hope you have had a great week!
Love, The Robinsons

I have a new blog

Hi--I'm starting a blog as I try to keep making sense out of my dissertation research.  It's pretty interesting, so this is my first attempt to make some of it available.  My goal is to post something 5 times per week (if I make a posting, that means I've also done some work on my dissertation--this is largely a practical consideration).

Please visit it--I've included an option to follow the blog, and with your comments and suggestions, I hope it grows into something that will be useful to you and many others.  Click on the title of this post, or click here.

Thanks, Raymond

November 4th--Election Day!

This last month we finally got a family pet....

A couple of doves made their nest on a shelf on our porch,
incorporating our trailer ratchet straps. Susan laid out an apple to
eat and some water to drink.

Let's see how this works....

Hello all! Can't believe it's May already....

Ray got a new bike recently (since his was stolen years ago) and then
he gave me bike helmets for my birthday and took us on a family bike
ride. We realized there that Tia and Susan had outgrown their bikes
(they grow so fast!). We were excited the next weekend to find a bike
at a garage sale just Susan's size, which meant she could give hers to
Tia. So Tia started riding without training wheels--not easy when you
live on a rocky driveway and a dirt road. But she has picked it up
quickly and we had a great time riding around at the church parking
lot by the temple yesterday while Ray did a session (despite my church
shoe blisters). We are finding Tia to be a pretty determined little
thing when she has a goal she wants to accomplish. Her latest goal
was conquering the monkey bars at school, and after doing pull-ups "to
get more muscles" and practicing swinging her legs for the reach,
she's got them down.

Susan still loves her glasses! She and Tia are doing so well in
school. Susan's reading comprehension is off the charts. She is doing
a report right now on the giant panda for her culminating event about
Asia.

Raymond seems to have grown up a lot lately, and is as active as
ever. He is most frequently found running downhill at full speed with
a big grin. Since he gains momentum by throwing all his weight
forward, he is constantly taking nose dives when his legs don't keep
up. But he has such a strong arch he still has a record for never
splitting his chin! He's a blast. One of our favorite moments each
week is when we announce him at Family Home Evening, and he does his
little victory dance.

Boyd's favorite past time of late is throwing. Since we live on a
cement slab and things are breaking, we hope this phase passes soon.
We also hope he grows out of the biting phase before he goes to
nursery. His brother hopes he does even sooner. Despite his biting
in frustration, he is a softie and we all delight in his morning hugs.

This last month the girls had a day off school and we took a tour of
the Ford Rouge Factory. It was really interesting to visit an actual
factory and see how trucks are made. But we did have to snicker at
their attempts to pose themselves as ecoconscious--planting grass on
their roof while they produce gas-guzzling trucks underneath. I wish
Henry Ford was still alive--I get the sense he was an innovative and
dynamic leader who would swiftly make changes to his huge factory,
making cars and trucks that run on alternative forms of energy. With
the sun out and gas nearing $4/gallon, we are wishing for a solar-
powered car!

Ray's schedule has been packed lately with all those culminating end-
of-the-year events--concerts, faculty meetings, graduation. As his
things will now start to slow a little, ours at home will escalate.
The girls' Dream Girls show is coming up in a few weeks, and the ward
Relief Society retreat that I have been planning is the following
weekend. Hopefully the Lord will help see it all through.

I loved Elder Bednar's conference talk about praying in faith--with
the intent to act. It has come to mind so often as I have prayed for
certain blessings for our family or ward members, and it has inspired
me to pray and then get up and go to work. Elder Bednar specifically
talked about praying and acting in faith with regards to missionary
work. So we have been praying to that end and have felt to act
accordingly. Some of you have met Mike and Dawn Lewkowicz. They are
our good neighbors and we would love for them to experience the joy of
the gospel. We have had some good discussions and they came to
Susan's baptism, but we still had not invited them to visit with the
missionaries. Well, the missionaries asked to come to dinner
tomorrow, so we took the plunge and invited them too. We were so
excited when they said they would come. Keep them in your prayers
tonight. We are praying they will have a desire to learn more.

What a privilege it was to fast with you yesterday, Wilsons. Thank
you for asking. It helps shrink the miles and draw our hearts
together. We send our love and prayers your way.

We love you all and wish you a great month of May!
Love to all--
Julie

And thanks to Ray for the camera....

Teach a man to fish...

Well, after living among thousands of lakes, and lots of begging from various constituents, we finally got around to going fishing.  We thought we'd skewer a few worms and minnows, probably hook a child or two, not catch any fish, and soon be over the enthusiasm.

Wow.

Everyone caught a fish!  For an hour one family home evening, we fished with the Anderson family, and just reeled them in...my main job was taking the fish off the hooks and re-loading the bait.