A Review of the Roberts' Year 2013

It’s Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas!
The snow is forecasted to pile up on the ground and has sparked some Christmas spirit in our household. We completed our busy Friday by hosting Winter Parties at school and watching Olivia perform at the half-time shows for tumbling troupe. This morning we sent Paul and Connor off to K.C. to watch the Chiefs vs. Colts game, while Olivia and I do Christmas cards, wrap presents, last minute shopping, bake and decorate cookies, and get in church and a movie this weekend.

This is just a mere snap-shot of our day(s)!

The Social Life . . .

 

 

 

 

Paul and I believe we are officially in the throes of parenthood. We have reached the stage where the kids’ social lives are busier than ours! We have also reached a milestone:  celebrating ten years of marriage craziness bliss!  Since the kids are older, we enjoy uninterrupted conversations and going on frequent dates!

Connor

 

 

 

 

 

Connor has kept busy his 5^th grade year with football and basketball.  Paul coached him and his baseball team this summer. He just started trumpet and chorus and has refined his trumpeting sound immensely since first practice! Connor traveled to Ames earlier this spring to attend ITEC conference for T. A. G. When he’s not having sleepovers with his friends, he is joining them on Xbox live playing Mine Craft games. This blows my mind that they are able to converse and play with one another in their own living rooms! No more tying up the telephone lines = genius! Connor continues to make us laugh with his funny quips. He also keeps us informed with amazing facts about space, history, science, etc. the boy never stops thinking!

 

Olivia

 

 

 

 

Olivia is in first grade this year and already had her new friends picked out on the day of school orientation. Socializing is a priority for Liv, even though you wouldn’t guess this since she is our quiet and shy one.


She started Daisy Girl Scouts this year and if you like those scrumptious cookies, she’ll be selling them in the spring! She also chose tumbling instead of ballet/tap this year and is a member of the Curie Tumbling Troupe. She’ll be performing at half-times in the surrounding Des Moines area High Schools and at Grand View College. Liv loves on us by writing us little post-it notes, drawing us doodles, and making us some crafty pieces of art. She also has a witty sense of humor and keeps us on our toes with her succinct remarks!

 

 

Paul was hard to keep track of this year. He has made his rounds in working in all three Unity Point hospitals; focusing his work in the Critical Care, Emergency, and Blank Children’s Emergency departments. He has settled back at Methodist West E. D. A big high-light for him was being able to do a fly along with Life Flight this summer. He was in his glory! He is also in his glory when he’s strumming on his guitar or brewing beer. He had a debut with some buddies at Java Joe’s this fall; not too shabby for just starting in January!

I have found a great balance in working part-time at Iowa Lutheran Hospital, helping with first grade math, volunteering with P. T. O., and teaching 7^th grade Faith Formation class. I have been expanding my reading list this past year and have finished a few crochet projects. Most important, I enjoy being the family historian/photographer/activities coordinator/manager, etc.

We have been very blessed this year with good health, good friends, and always a loving family. Here’s wishing you great blessings to you this Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Love,
The Roberts
Paul/Jana
Connor/Olivia

Growing Pains

Growing Pains: hers or mine?

 Who is this lanky, little girl in my home? Where did my baby O go?

 

I realize that as my babies grow up, the further and further away from my lap they go. This is a small lesson for mommas like me to “let go”. Thankfully, these “letting go” moments happen as small moments that gradually grow into grand ones. I’m glad that my girl isn’t giving up on her paci, starting first grade, moving into a dorm and walking down the aisle all in one year, this Momma would be white knuckling her little girl!

These are the moments that I am squeezing onto:

· when my little girl randomly sneaks her slim hands into my palms

· lying in her bed and reading chapter books

· attempting to calm her worrying little mind and convincing her that Library will be better next time and that she doesn’t need a cold lunch everyday just to sit with her friends

· going on “girls only” walks

· praying for our family and friends while lying in her bed and settling down for the night

· when she says that she loves me more than the universe and forever put together

· brushing her fine, snarly hair even though it sounds as if I’m torturing her

· her love notes or finding her doodles of hearts, stars, rainbows, unicorns, and peace signs

· loving on her pets, friends, family, and other living creatures with all of her heart (with the exception of spiders!)

· singing word for word the Teen Beach Movie songs

· twirling in her dresses and admiring herself in the mirror

 cousin picture

 Hello Kitty cake

 

 

My birthday wish for my little girl is that she is full of confidence and will have faith in herself. That she continues to set expectations for herself but not too high where she gets so frustrated and knocked down. I hope that miss O can be a great friend to everyone and continues to love others with her heart of gold. She is a great joy to our hearts and home! Here’s to seven beautiful years and many, many more!

Friend Spa Party

Our Big Hoorah to Summer!

Good bye summer, we'll miss you!
See ya next year.

We treated ourselves to Jester Park today to end the summer.  It was a beautiful day for a picnic and an adventure at the playscape.  We were blessed with some great treasures!  We got to see the Elk taking a bath, pretty prairie flowers, and Bison grazing.  Enjoy our pictures . . .

Yield: School Season Begins!

A New School Year Begins . . . .

and our summer routine ends. . .

 

 

Gone are the days of staying up late at night and sleeping in and waking up by our internal alarm clocks.  Here are the days of cool mornings and sultry afternoons, buzzing cicadas. and that thing called school.  We come to the end of summer and we need to give a big salute to Grandma's swimming pool, picnics, park adventures, cave adventures, Okiboji vacation, fishing, violin lessons, guitar lessons, bike rides, and baseball season.  We've kept busy and made many memories.

 

Olivia's favorite memory:  Tubing with cousin Jackie in Okiboji

Connor's favorite memory:  His birthday sleepover with friends



 

 

 

This past week, we had open house at school.  A time for the kids to see their friends again, meet their teachers, see who is in their class for the year, and get acquainted with their new classrooms.  It's also nice to chat it up with other parents.

 

Olivia is going to be a first grader this year.  She has Mrs. Alexander just like Connor did and we absolutely LOVE her!  She is so passionate about learning AND the kids!  Olivia was excited to meet the classroom pets: Carmel the Guinea Pig and Burp & Chirp the two new red-bellied frogs.  Mrs. Alexander also has fish and other fantastic nature items to discover.

 Looking like such a big girl at her very own desk.

  (If her desk looks like her room we are in t-r-o-u-b-l-e!)

I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and trust that she'll keep it tidy!  Olivia has homework for her first day of school, but it's a fun activity and she's already completed it:  draw a picture of your favorite summer memory and cut out 10-12 words that you know from a magazine.

 Here's Mrs. Alexander with Olivia. 

 

Connor gave Mrs. Alexander a hug and if she didn't have her heels on, he would see her eye to eye!  I told Mrs. Alexander that Olivia is quieter than Connor and this brought up memories of when Connor would come to school singing Bon Jovi songs!

Olivia has already eyed some new potential friends in her classroom, she's always thinking about her social life!


Connor will be in Fifth Grade this year and has Mrs. Enderton.  He got to choose who he was going to sit with, we'll see how long that will last without him getting told to be quiet and listen!  I suppose he gets that freedom, now that he's a big-wig of the elementary school.

Connor with Mrs. Enderton

We'll have to see how much he grows this year and if he'll surpass her by the end of the year!  He's been filling out and I'm anticipating him to shoot up a few inches!

 

Connor has been busy with football practice (4x a week) and will be playing full-on tackle.  (God willing he won't get hurt, he's already had one concussion in his childhood).

 

Here are the days of a more rigid schedule, homework, social activities, and taxiing around the kids from here to there and everywhere!  We say hello to that autumn season that is just around the corner.  Cooler weather, sweatshirts, jeans, and crunchy fall leaves underfoot.

 

 

 

 



Vacation Bliss

 I'll give you one clue:  this picture above and you should know where we spent our vacation.  Okoboji!  Where the infamous nutty bars and banana bars are located.

 

 

 We had a Mehmen Reunion and everyone was able to make it: goofballs and all!

 

 

 A main attraction at Boji.

 

 

 Beach babes busy making sand castles.

 

 

 Tootsies!

 

 

 More Tootsies!

 

 

 Gwen was all hops and skips on her Birthday!

 

 

 Tubing was number one on both of the kids' favorite things to do.

 Someone is tired and sitting on Aunt Paula's lap.

 

 

 Arrgh Maties!

 

 

 Mom and Dad soaking all the bliss in.

 

 

 Goofy Golfing crew!

 

 

 Look Mom, I'm a puppy pirate!

 

 

 Two red heads need to stick together!

 

 

 Grandkids with the Grandparents.

 

 

 From Oldest to youngest. . .

 

 

 Only if I were a fly on the dock and listen to these girls' conversation.  Oh dear, just think in 10 more years???!!?

 

 

 Jacob chillaxin' on the boat.

 

 

 Uncle Bryan giving us the stink eye!

 

 

 Some glow stick wonder around the campfire.

 

 

 The Hole in One club.....

 

 

 Jackie and John enjoying some cuddle time.

 

 

 The late night crew, staying up until 1:00 in am every night!

 

 

 

There's more pictures to view but these were some of my favorites . . .