7 Years Later

Happy Anniversary to Tom and Me!!!  One of the things I love, love about Tom is that he has always worked to make life exciting and to make me feel special.  As I was looking at old pictures, I came across this little gem.  When we were dating, Tom surprised me with a private tour of the West Wing of the White House.   I remember we were at the White House Security Station and I still didn't know what we were doing.  When I found out, I jumped up and down with excitement.  He was worried that the secret service might not let his crazy girl friend in so I had to calm down. 

Despite our being busier in pretty much every aspect of life now, Tom still works to make day to day life exciting and make me feel special.  A few years ago when we were unemployed Tom gave me a gift card that someone had given him as a gift.  He knew I really wanted to go shopping but we didn't have any money.  It seems small but it was such a selfless thing to do.  Now, we aren't as strapped for cash but our time has become a lot more valuable.  The other day I was having a rough go at it with the boys.  Tom had plans for the evening and needed to leave about 30 minutes after he returned home from work.  When he realized I needed a break, he put off his plans while I went on a little jog.  This morning we were both exhausted but Tom was the one to get out of bed when Mikey woke up at 6:30am.  Tom's selfless love towards me and the boys is one of the many reasons I'm grateful to be Mrs. Robins.  I LOVE TOM!

Last Night's Schedule

9:45-Go to Bed

11:45-1am- Up with Spencer

3:45-4:45- Up with Spencer

4:50- Up with Mikey who had a bad dream about Tyler stealing his apples. 

5:00- Up with Tyler who wet the bed and then back up with Spencer who still hasn't fallen back asleep. 

5-something- Tom gets up with the still awake Spencer.

6:45- Tom puts Spencer back in bed and gets ready for work. 

7:00- All kids awake. Tyler throws three fits and Mikey is mad that we made circle biscuits rather than a more fun shape. Mikey is also mad that he doesn't get a knife. 

7:35-Emily wants her mommy.  

Introducing Spencer Pete Robins

We are excited to introduce the newest addition to The Robins Nest, Spencer Pete.  He arrived on June 27 and weighed 8lbs 2oz and was 20 inches long...our biggest baby yet.  Everything went pretty well with labor and delivery.  Things got a little scary at the end when he was ready to get here and there wasn't a doctor to be found.  The nurses thought they might have to deliver him (there were about six in our room and a few running around the halls to find a doctor).  As you can imagine I was cool and calm during the confusion. :)

 

It's funny how things can be scary, stressful and painful in one moment and then completely beautiful the next.  Even though it's been a couple of weeks, I find myself running through the events in my head again and again.  I keep picturing him when I first saw him...so perfect.  I wish I could articulate the gratitude I feel for being able to be the mother to three healthy boys.  It's amazing. 

 

 Happy and Relieved Mom

 Proud Daddy

 Janie was our first visitor.  She actually drove Tom to the hospital because I was already there.  I was freaking out about having to get induced and Janie talked me down.  She came back after Spenc was born bringing food for the tired parents.  Love that girl!

 Our New Family

 Spencer Ready to Head Home

 Obviously, Aunt Meg came to see Mr. Spencer.  She has always been so wonderful to me and my family.  I'm grateful for her support.

 The boys loved meeting their new brother.  They didn't seem scared at all and have been sweet to him from day one.

 I pretty much spend my days taking pictures of or kissing this cute boy. 

 My mom took care of the big boys while we were in the hospital and then took care of us when we got home.  She's a super hero.  When we arrived home and she held Spencer, Tyler had some specific instructions for her, "Grandma, if he starts crying you need to take him to Mom."

 Tom was super dad and took the boys on all sorts of adventures while he was home from work.  Here they are at the dinosaur museum.  They LOVED it!

 Spencer loved his first bath. 

 Big Brother Love. 

They both have really done well. 

I'm smiling to think that we have three kids. 

It seems that as life has gotten crazier and harder, it has also become more full. 

Parenthood and family life is funny that way.   



Day to Day Life

The other day we were at Hobby Lobby and Tyler said he wanted to get a kid craft.  For those of you who know Tyler this is a completely new request.  He has never been into anything having to do with coloring or crafts.  I think he is missing school. 

 We settled on these "masks."  Both boys were super proud of their work and couldn't wait for Daddy to get home so they could trick him into thinking that crabs came into our house. 

 Enjoying Park Time with Mikey Roo

 The boys worked for weeks on completing a sticker chart to earn a pet fish.  Meet Ramster Arrow.  They've loved having this little guy and I've loved that we pretty much picked the lowest maintenance and cheapest pet available.

 I've been in full nesting mode.  Since being pregnant, I've painted the hall, bathroom and all three bedrooms.  A couple weeks ago, I finished up Baby Spencer's room.  My friend helped me make that bed skirt...by "helped" I mean I watched while she made it.  It matches the curtains.  Isn't it cute?

 Ty and Mikey have built in bookcases in their room.  I still need to fill them up with sporty stuff but I did these letters the other day.  I'm happy with the way the rooms are all turning out.  I need to post a before and after of our master bedroom because it was the biggest pain to do and looks the best.  Even though I'm ready for this baby to be born, I love how being pregnant forces you to complete projects.  I wish I would have tackled our kitchen but alas, I've run out of time. 

Random Blast from the Past

In my nesting frenzy, I threw away a bunch of old frames.  However, I couldn't get rid of the pictures before I took a walk down memory lane.  Do you ever think, "If my husband knew me when...he might not have asked me out on that first date."?  That's how I feel about a few of these pictures but history must be documented.

 Broadway or Broken Arrow??? Mandy and I were in Broken Arrow Highschool's Production of "Bye, Bye Birdie."  We stole the show...as extras.  Mandy can both sing and dance...me...not so much.  Luckily, I got a part anyway.

Remember the time when my roommates and I would wear matching clothes and take pictures?  This picture was taken 13 years ago...13 years....seriously when did I get so old? 

Oh the glory days of King Henry.  I have so many great memories with these people.  This one in particular was my birthday.  It's funny to think that all these people are grown ups.  It's also funny to think that we all made fun of people who had cell phones.

I spent a few months one summer teaching English and learning Spanish in  Guadalajara, Mexico.  I had a really awesome roommate whom, unfortunately, I don't keep in touch with now. 

Jana and I were both English Majors so when we roomed together we had lots of profound thoughts to share from the books we read.  She made this multi-picture frame for me kinda as a joke.  Seeing it makes me smile.  Jana was one of the most amazing, down to earth, non dramatic, geniune roommates ever.

I think Kara was my first roommate to get married.  Again, when did we get so old?

Garrett and I graduated from BYU at the same time.  Being is school with my brothers was one of the best things that could have ever happened for us.  I loved the way we all took care of each other and how our friendships grew over those years.  I miss being around them all the time but am glad we built such a strong foundation during our single years.  I love seeing the best in my brothers as they have become husbands and dads.

Cheesy Sibling Pose-Tom always makes fun of these family pictures because we all look so fake.  Luckily, we don't have to worry about remembering this one because I'm pretty sure it's going to be up in my parents' house until the end of time. 

The weirdest thing about looking at all these pictures is thinking that someday my boys will have some of the same experiences and someday they will tease me about having old, cheesy pictures up in my house too. 

Best and Worst

Sometimes at dinner we talk about the best and worst of the day.  As with so many other things, I stole the idea from Erica.  Last week my amazing mother volunteered to hang out with the boys for a couple of days while I got things done around here. 

 Here are a couple of pictures my mom sent...splash park and Cherry Berry.  They also rode on the lawn mower with Grandpa, went to the Children's Museum, had a sleep over in the living room (more on that below), read a bunch of stories with Grandpa, etc.  My parents seriously know how to entertain and love on these little guys.  After they got home, I asked them about their "best" and Tyler named a bunch of things then said, "There were no worsts....only bests."  Mikey agreed.  I love it. 

Because everyone has been talking about tornadoes around here, Tyler has started to get a little nervous.  On Thursday night, my mom heard the tornado sirens going off by her house and took a quick look outside.  She told me she saw some "swirling" so she quickly woke the boys up and they all took cover under the stairs.  The electricity went out and still my mom kept her cool.  She knew Ty had been a little freaked out about tornadoes so she calmly told them both that there were really strong winds outside which blew out the electricity and there was nothing to be worried about.  Tyler said, "At least it's not a tornado!"  After all was clear, she made beds for them in the living room and they had a "sleepover" downstairs.  It turns out that the tornado went right over my parents neighborhood...blowing a few shingles off of their house but nothing too damaging.  The next morning the boys said it was great to be able to sleep on the floor downstairs.  I'm glad my mom was able to stay calm and, not only keep my boys safe, but also make them feel safe.  Nice job Mom!

Finally, my mom suggested that I talk with Tyler about tornadoes and tell him that there really was a tornado by my parents house so he'd know not to be scared of them.  I did and he's fine now. Again...score for Mom.  What would I do without her?  

Drawn to Perfection

Tyler drew this picture for my mom on Mother's Day.  When she asked about the line between the two lines at the bottom, Tyler matter of factly said, "It's his penis."  Later that day, I was changing Mikey's diaper and he said, "I LOVE my penis."  Oh dear...what are the teenage years going to be like?