Our family

Our family
Robertson Family

Monday, August 17, 2015

August is Family Month!

August has been a month filled with a whirlwind of traveling, family, traveling, family, and back to Arizona. 

A little over a year ago, Roger's family began preparing for a family reunion. Since we weren't sure where we would be when the reunion came around, we didn't commit to going or not going. The reunion was set for August 15-22 in the northern part of Minnesota. Since we are in Arizona, we just didn't see how we were going to be able to get there. We prayed about it, checked into the cost of airline tickets, calculated the cost of driving, prayed about it some more and decided that we weren't going to be able to go. The kids were very disappointed as most of their cousins they only see once every three years at the family reunion. I felt bad that Roger wouldn't be able to see his siblings, especially since one of his sisters he hadn't seen in ten years. However, we just didn't see how it would be possible for a family of seven to attend. Our suburban already has a lot of miles on it, plus the cost of hotels, food, and fuel; so it just didn't seem possible. 

But God had a different plan for us. One day I had a few extra minutes, so I was browsing on a few different airline websites punching in dates. I discovered that we could fly with Spirit airlines from Las Vegas to Minneapolis for about $90.00 a person! While that is a great price, there was still the fact that we would need a vehicle on the other end. After looking into vehicle rental prices, that idea went out the window! Apparently, there are no value vehicles for rent for a family of seven! I decided to briefly mention it to my friend, Gretchen, who has two minivans. She and her husband said that if we could get to Minneapolis, they would allow us to use one of their minivans during our visit. It stilled seemed out of our budget though, so we decided against purchasing the tickets. A few more days passed, and the family reunion was approaching quickly. I could tell that Roger was having mixed emotions about missing it, so I suggested that maybe he should just go for a few days by himself. He was adamant about not going by himself, but we just didn't have peace about going or not going. However, a few days later, a check arrived in the mail for Roger. It was a check from a job that he had worked at when we were first married. The check was for his employment earning investment, and it provided the money needed for plane tickets!! Now we had the money to go, but would the tickets still be cheap enough? And we have plenty of other things that need money, so maybe we should put the money towards one of those? However, God gave us peace about taking this trip to the family reunion, so we decided to go ahead and book the tickets. Because of Rogers flight schedule, I booked tickets to fly out with Wyatt, Travis, and Emma, and then Roger, Garett, and Chandler would fly out the next day. 

Our children were so excited about the upcoming trip. Since we were going to be so close to my parents, I decided to see if I could work out surprising them. My sister, Jen, told me that she thought I should tell me dad since he's been working long hours hauling corn. So I told my dad that we were coming, but we decided to try to surprise my mom. Since her birthday was August 11, I told her that her birthday present would be a little late this year. 
                        
    

On August 15, I drove to Las Vegas with the three youngest children. Our plane was supposed to leave at 12:00 am. But on the way to the airport, I received a e-mail saying that our plane was delayed. However, I was already on my way, so we arrived at the airport about four hours before the plane would be leaving. By the time we checked our bag, went through security, and found our gate number it was still only about 9:00 pm. The boys watched a movie for a bit, and I put Emma in my ergo baby carrier. Wyatt kept insisting that he wanted to stay awake until the plane came, but by abut 11:00 pm., all three children were sleeping on the floor of the airport terminal. The flight was delayed until  2:00 am., which meant a long night for this mama! I didn't feel like I could fall asleep with all our carry-ons and children sleeping on the floor, nor could I leave to use the bathroom. I was worried that waking the children would be a huge challenge, but a foreigner to Las Vegas solved that problem. Apparently, he couldn't read the "no exit" sign, and opened the door. At 1:30 am., the door alarm went off, and promptly scared all my children awake. However, that wasn't how I intended to wake them up! Anyways, we made it safely on the plane with three tired children, two backpacks, a diaper bag, and three blankets..whew! There should be an award for that feat! 

We landed in Minneapolis about 7:00 am, and my sister in law was able to pick us up at the airport.   The kids were running on adrenaline, but they were excited about seeing the cousins at the family reunion. My brother in laws drove the minivan from Oshkosh to Minneapolis and dropped it off for us. I am very thankful that we had a vehicle to drive and one that would hold all of us! It was a rather long day, but we did arrive safely in Emily, Minnesota for the reunion. 

Roger flew into Minneapolis on Sunday, August 16, with Garett and Chandler. Thankfully, my father-in-law and brother-in-law, Mark, were willing to go and pick them up. We spent the week with all nine of Roger's siblings, spouses, and children. The lodge was right on a lake, but unfortunately, the weather was cool and rainy for a good part of the week. However, the kids still had a lot of fun visiting with their cousins. I enjoyed a run/walk with my sister -in- law, Rachel, and was able to pick her brain about homeschooling and some ideas. I also enjoyed several good discussions with my sister-in-law, Ruth, about family, spiritual needs, and our children. Roger was able to go golfing with all the guys, and he really enjoyed that. The family reunion was also a time for Roger and I to grow closer to each other and strengthen our relationship. I am very, very, thankful to be married to Roger, and the family reunion was a good opportunity to cement that again in my mind. I think a good time was had by all, and the boys are already talking about the next family reunion! We are only able to get together about every three years as the family has now grown and spread out across the U.S.A and Canada. But it's good to come together and visit as a family. 


                       
   

We dropped Roger off in Minneapolis on Friday, and then I headed to Wisconsin. We were looking forward to surprising my mom, visiting with friends, and enjoying fellowship. We stayed the night at a friends house on Friday because it was a rather late night. The boys were excited to see their friends again, and kids can immediately pick back up on their friendships with each other. I, too, have a few close friends that I can pick up right where I left off as well, and I treasure those relationships. I stayed up late talking, and then we headed to my parents house on Saturday. Since my dad knew we were coming, he came out to greet us as we pulled up beside the garage. The kids were rather noisy in their efforts to tell each other to be quiet, and I had a hard time not laughing! However, they did manage to surprise their Nana! She was delighted to see them all, and the boys were thrilled to have the property that they loved at their fingertips to roam and explore once more. 

My parent also had other visitors that afternoon. The pastor and his wife from Truth Baptist Church in Connecticut were in Wisconsin, and they stopped by for a visit. My parents had worked with Pastor Rowley for ten years before coming to Wisconsin. It was also a good visit for me because even though I was in first grade when we moved to Wisconsin, Mrs. Rowley had homeschooled all five of her children and kept them alive while doing it. :) She has the gift of teaching, so it was a special encouragement to me to ask her questions about some ideas that she tried. 

If I spent time describing each and every day I was in Wisconsin, we'd be here for a week just reading! I'll suffice it to say that it was a busy, full week. The boys were able to go fishing with Papa, I enjoyed dinner at several of my friend's homes, and managed to squeeze in as much fellowship and visiting as possible in a week. I did manage to surprise my pastor's wife on Sunday, which I didn't know if I would be able to do. I only told a handful of people about our trip to Wisconsin as I wanted to surprise my mom. However, I had also wanted to surprise Heather, the pastor's wife, and I managed to do it. Unfortunately, it also meant we were both in tears a few minutes before church started. 

My dad has been hauling sweet corn every night for the past month, so I knew he would be busy. I was happy that each of the boys was able to take a turn riding in the truck with their Papa. I know he cares deeply about their relationship with God, and he does his best to encourage them in the Lord. I'm thankful for the opportunities he takes to spend time with them. My mom listened to the boys read several times during the week, and I was thankful to have a reprieve from all thoughts of school. It was a challenge to balance out the time with my parents, try to visit my close friends, and make sure the boys had the rest and down time that they needed. I wish I had been able to have a one-on-one visit with my friend, Autumn, but time was not friendly! We had a small birthday party for Travis and Garett on Friday with a few friends. Travis turned five on Tuesday, and Garett would be nine on Sunday. It was Saturday before we could blink, time to pack up, say our good-byes, and head to the airport. 

                              
   

I feel like God filled up my spiritual well while in Wisconsin, and it was a mountain top experience for myself and our children. I also knew that coming back to Arizona would be difficult, I just didn't realize how difficult it would be. 

My parents were able to take us to the airport on Saturday. I had spent the morning getting stuff out of storage, printing off our tickets, packing, and running last minute errands. It was a crazy morning! The weather was cool in Wisconsin for most of the week, so we were cold almost every day. I decided to leave most of the boys shorts in Wisconsin and get pants and sweatshirts out of storage. (I realized that I based my decision on being cold now as it is still 95 degrees in Arizona!) So, the boys will be prepared when the weather does get cooler, but they are going to be limited on summer wear! Oh well! 

God constantly reminded me of the verse in Isaiah. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee." Traveling with five small children, two suitcases, four back packs, a diaper bag, and a partridge in a pear tree...okay, scratch that one..., is a little daunting. However, we arrived early for our flight, and I put Emma in her carrier. Garett took one suitcase, I took the other, everyone picked up stuff, and off we went to the ticket counter. Because we were early, the line was short. An older gentleman was at the ticket counter, and he was very pleasant to deal with. Our bags were a few pounds over the limit, but he said not to worry about it. He asked if all five children were mine, and I said yes. He then spoke about his own children, and how his son had just recently been killed in a car accident. He challenged me to hug them close, and I told him hat I would pray for his family. He handed us our papers with tears in his eyes and reminded me to remember how blessed I am. And it's true, I am blessed. 

Off we went through security, which went off without a hitch. The people working were very pleasant and handed out stickers to the kids. We found our gate, took everyone to the potty, and the kids watched and waited for the plane. We were sitting across from a grandma and grandpa who handed out snacks to the kids. Emma made friends with everyone at the gate, and hugged all the people she didn't know, which was everyone there! We boarded the plane at 9:30pm., and the ticket agent asked if all these were my children....yes! Because the plane wasn't full, the three boys were able to sit by the window. I'm not sure what the fascination was with sitting by the window in the dark, but it made them happy. I forgot to put a pull-up on the child who usually wears on to bed, so by the time we landed, he was wet. :( The seat was dry because he had been sitting on my baby carrier, but it also meant that I couldn't use the baby carrier to carry Emma. It smelled! Somehow I managed to wake everyone up, hand them all something to carry, and drag ourselves off the plane. We made it past the security checkpoint to were Roger was waiting. At this point, I realized that Wyatt didn't have his shoes on! He said they were in his back pack, and in my hurry to get everyone up and moving off the plane, I didn't even realize that he didn't have any shoes...oh well! 

So...we are back in the Southwest. I have more to write about including our trip back, a wise decision that Roger made and a praise that came because of that decision, and my emotional journey back to Page. However, God is good all the time. Thank you for your love and prayers as we continue on our journey. 

 

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Family Visits and Red-necked Help

We've enjoyed having my sister, Jenn, here for a few days. We arrived in Page on Wednesday, August 5, in the late afternoon. Chandler hadn't been feeling well since the time that he woke up in the morning, and I knew it might be a long five hour trip for him. We made it to Saint George, Utah, for lunch at about 1:30. Chandler walked into the restaurant for lunch and promptly threw up on some poor ladies' shoes as she walked out of the bathroom! So, Chandler is trying hard not to throw up more, Emma is crying because Chandler is upset, and the three other boys are standing there with their mouths open. What a circus! Thankfully Jenn helped get Chandler into the bathroom, but he didn't need it anymore as his stomach was empty. I took the other kids to the play land, and we tried to regroup! Although Chandler wasn't feeling well, we did need to do some grocery shopping. It's quite a bit cheaper for some groceries in the bigger city, so I wanted to make sure that we picked up some needed items. We made the run to the grocery store as quick as possible and got back on the road. 

Everyone was very glad to back in Page, but no one was as glad as Chandler! We went on a short hike later in the evening, and we took Jen to see the sights of Page. It was a short ride. :)

                       
   

On Thursday we went to the dam museum, and the boys showed Aunt Jen the park and the airport. It was a warm day on Thursday, so we went swimming in the evening. The boys want to take aunt Jen to all their favorite swimming spots, so we will see how many we can squeeze in. 

Friday was a most unusual day. We haven't had a rain storm that has lasted all day since we've arrived here. However, today is rained all day long. Unfortately, there is not a whole lot to do in Page when it's raining. We had to spend the day inside, so it was a rather long day. We played games, watched "Hogan's Heroes", and did go out to get the laundry done. Jen was able to watch the children so that Roger and I could go out on a date. We had a great time going out to supper together, going on a little drive, and having uninterrupted conversations! I'm thankful that Jen was willing to watch them. 

Saturday, August 8
Today our little girl turns two! I don't know where the last two years have gone, but I'm thankful for the life and laughter Emma has brought to our lives. She is becoming fiercely independent, strong willed, and opinionated, but yet we love her so very much. I don't think that Emma was too worried about presents or cake on her birthday, but the boys wanted to make sure we would have cake! Emma gave us a birthday present by showing us that she can now climb out of the playpen with ease! 

Roger had to replace the battery in the truck. For whatever reason, the truck had to be jumped yesterday and today when we needed to use it. When we left Wisconsin, we knew that the battery level was low, but it still had some use in it. I am so, so thankful that the battery did quit in Las Vegas with five small kids and my sisters! God allowed it to start over and over again while we where out and about. And the battery quit working while we were in Page where Roger could fix it...Praise the Lord!!

We had dinner together tonight down on Antelope Marina. They have a floating  restaurant out there, and it was a special treat for us. Emma has to be carried the whole time though as the restaurant is in 400 feet of water. The houseboats are luxurious and magnificent, and it was a cool sight to see the marina full of boats.

                        

We weren't able to leave for the marina until later in the evening, so my the time we got home Emma was tired. However, the boys convinced her to eat cake and open her presents! :) 

I had two pleasant and encouraging notes in our mailbox this week. One was from friends that I haven't heard from in a long, long time. They wanted to encourage us, so they wrote a very thoughtful note and sent a gift of money. Josh and Joanna greatly encouraged my heart, and I'm working to save that money for a bike. :) I also received a newsy, encouraging note from my friend, Erica, in Wisconsin. It's always nice to hear from friends and family. And now I have some notes to write! :) 

Sunday, August 9
We left this morning around nine for Las Vegas. Roger wasn't able to come with us as he has some flights this evening. We drove through Zion National Park in Utah. It was beautiful, but very crowded this weekend! 

About three miles from the Nevada border, traffic came to a dead stop. It was 104 degrees outside, and people had put their vehicles in park to sit out the wait. Apparently, about seven miles up the road there had been a three car accident, and the highway department had shut down the highway. However, God always has a plan. After it became apparent that we wouldn't be going anywhere for a while, we turned off the truck to wait it out like everyone else. Thankfully, we had bought water at the last rest stop we had taken. As we were sitting there waiting, a guy walked up to the truck. We had all the windows down and the kids were unbuckled as we weren't even moving. He was a red-necked hillbilly from Wyoming, and he was impressed with Jennifer. :) He was also missing his two front teeth, and smoked to which the boys pointed out was bad for his health! However, I think God sent him to our truck for a reason. He said that his phone showed that if we made a u-turn at the highway crossing and went back to the exit behind us, we could go around the whole accident on an old frontage road. Guess what was about four car lengths in front of us? A u-turn intersection! Shortly after he told us this, traffic moved forward about three car lengths but there was enough room on the shoulder of the road for us to move by. A few other cars had already taken the u-turn, so we decided to do it also. We back tracked about four miles and then took the frontage road. We would have sat in traffic for hours if God had not parked us right next to that traveler from Wyoming. 

Because of the traffic delay, and the trip through the park, we didn't arrive at the hotel until about 5:30pm. The boys were delighted to be out of the car, and Emma was happy to get out of her car seat. Jenn and I were glad to have some space from five small children! We spent the evening swimming, and it was an early bedtime for all. My sister, Jen, took the shuttle to the airport since her flight left pretty early. I took the kids for an early morning swim, but we were on the road by nine. It was a long day of traveling, with a few shopping stops in Saint George for a few needed items. 

We are looking for a bike for me, so we stopped at a few pawn shops on the way home. We didn't find a bike for me, but we did find a bike for Wyatt. The chain has been impossible to keep on, and the wheel bearings are a recipe for disaster. He's had several bad accidents when the chain has fallen off and he's flipped over the top. It was becoming painful to watch! There was a very nice boys bike at the pawn shop and it was in our price range...cheap! :)

We arrived in Page around 3:30, and we were all glad to be home. We unloaded the truck, took a walk to the park, gave everyone baths, and went to bed. I'm thankful for the Lord's safety in all the traveling we did in two days. It's about 600 miles round trip to Las Vegas. I'm glad to be back in Page. 

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 

We've been busy the last few days as we are getting back into our school routine, Roger has been flying, and we are enjoying a few days of lower temperatures. Roger's flight hours have picked up some, but he still needs a lot of hours before the job ends in November. We are praying about what direction God would want us to go, the right job, peace of mind, and wisdom. 

Thank you all for your prayers. 

Saturday, August 1, 2015

No More Mold! (And a trip to Las Vegas)

Friday, July 31
Praise the Lord for brand new days! (Of course, I do sometimes ruin my brand-new day within a few minutes of getting out of bed!) 

Since all the kids slept in the living room last night due to our mold issue, everyone was up early. Roger had to be at the airport for a flight by eight, but by then we had all eaten breakfast, done our morning chores, played at the park, and organized the trailer! Did I mention that the kids were up early? 

After Roger left for his flight, I started the boys on another day of homeschooling adventures. Travis has a desire to learn to read, but I just find myself out of energy by the time I finish with the other boys. Somehow, I need to work on meeting his needs as well...somehow. 

We knew that the people were coming to look at the carpet this afternoon, but we weren't sure of the time. However, by around noon, it was apparent that five small children and one tired mama needed a nap! We organized the kids so that no one was sleeping in the "mushroom" room as the boys call it. Two were on the couch, Emma was in the pack n play in our room (in the closet), and two boys were in our bed. We had just managed to get everyone settled down, when guess what happened next? Oh yes, the carpet cleaner people arrived. (It should be a requirement to ask if small children live in the household before coming over in the afternoons! This mama likes quiet time.) 

Because Roger had fixed the leak yesterday, and the carpet had been able to dry out, the suggestion was given that the carpets be cleaned. We were anticipating that to be an option. The company seems to think that will be a satisfactory solution to the mold since it hasn't been there long, and the water issue is resolved.  So we moved around furniture and stuff while they unloaded their cleaning supplies. When Roger mentioned that the swamp cooler had also leaked unto the living room carpet, they offered to clean all the high traffic areas and the "mushroom" room. We are praying that it is a problem that never returns! However, the carpets do look a lot better, and it does smell much cleaner in here. We will spray down the walls and closets with another layer of the bleach and water solution, but the boys should be back in their room tomorrow night. 

Roger also had an evening flight, so I was unable to find time to fit in the trip to the laundromat. Doing laundry has never been a favorite household chore of mine, but it does give me a sense of satisfaction to know that we have clean clothes and bedding for another week. This week is a bit more overwhelming since everything that came close to being in contact with the mold needs to be washed. My sister, Jen, is coming to visit for a few days next week. She's highly allergic to mold, so I want to be especially clean for her. So far Chandler's eyes have not improved, but I'm hoping and praying that we will see much improvement this next week. 

Saturday, August 1
Because the boys slept in the living room again, they were up with the sun this morning! Roger and I had plenty to do today as we are leaving in the morning for Las Vegas. Before you wonder what in the world we are doing taking our family to Las Vegas, let me remind you that it is the one of the closest bigger airports. And my sisters are coming to visit!! 

Travis and I did the laundry this afternoon. We had eighteen loads of laundry! We are very thankful for the washers that can wash six loads at a time! :) On one wall at the laundromat there are twelve dryers in a row, we used all twelve of them to dry the clothes, and I am thankful that the laundromat was not busy! I am also determined to not complain about a few loads of laundry that might get stacked up when I get a washer and dryer again someday. :) Anyways, we have less money, but everything is clean. Blankets, sheets, pillows, clothes, we washed it all. Praise the Lord that we have finished job! 
                     
    

Roger spent the morning checking over the truck, cleaning out the swamp cooler (that was a nasty job full of very, dirty water), and washing and vacuuming out the truck. While I don't always enjoy the tasks that I must do, I am very, very thankful that I don't have to deal with smelly swamp cooler water. :) The boys went along to help vacuum and wash the truck, and they were delighted to find some Legos in the trash can. They also found .46 around the vacuum cleaners, so they had a successful afternoon. :) 

The house is cleaned, the vehicle ready for tomorrow, and the bags are packed. We've never been to Las Vegas, and it's not on my bucket list of things to do, but I am very, very excited to see my sisters from few days! 

Sunday, August 2
We left Page this morning about 7:30. The gps said that it would take about 4.5 hours to get to Las Vegas, but those gps devices do not account for five small people riding along in your vehicle! My sister, Hannah, arrived in Las Vegas at 12:30, but we were not there. :) We arrived about a half an hour late, but we made it. It was a rather long, boring, trip across the desert. Las Vegas is literally in the middle of a desert with nothing around it. I am so thankful that God provided the opportunity for my sisters to visit for a few days. Hannah was only able to stay until Wednesday, so we found a groupon for a family friendly hotel for a few days. The hotel was one of the few in Vegas that doesn't have a casino with it, so it most people that stay there are families like ours. The hotel offered three swimming pools, and we were very thankful for that. As one blogger put it "most of Vegas and kids go together like milk and Pepsi". The city doesn't offer very many free or cheap activities for families, however, we found a park with a splash pad, took a field trip to Target (we don't have one of those close to us) and spent time visiting with my sisters.
                          
   

On Wednesday morning, we dropped Hannah off at the airport and headed back to Page. Since Jenn is able to stay until Monday, we are bringing her back with us for a few days. The boys are very excited to show Aunt Jenn their favorite swimming spots, the hiking trails, the dam, and where they live! We are looking forward to several fun days together. Roger and I will get to go on a date one evening since we have someone to watch our kids, so that's the part I'm looking forward to! :) 

Family is so important, and I'm thankful for cheap flights into Las Vegas. I'm also very,  very thankful that I don't have to live there! I'm sure if a person could live on the out skirts of Vegas it might not seem as bad, however, there is a reason that people compare it to the modern day Sodom and Gomorrah. Yet Christ died for all those people that live in Las Vegas also. There seems to be a spirit of darkness that comes upon the city at night and for me that was an oppressing feeling. I'm perfectly content to go to Las Vegas to pick someone up from the airport or to drop someone off, but it's definitely not a place that I'd chose to visit...especially not with my young family. But going there made me more aware of working to protect my children, train them to love God, and stay committed to their spouse. Roger and I came away for a renewed sense of awareness for things we need to work on with our children. All the time, God is good. 

So we are back in Page for a few days. I'm looking forward to a great visit with my sister, and can't wait to see my little sister again whenever that might be!