it’s friday night, and i feel alright

guess what we did last friday???

 

we went on a DATE!

can you believe it?
don’t we look so excited in this picture?
don’t you think mr. robinson is thinking, “wow i’m so excited to document this night?”
don’t you love how we can make our foreheads have lots of rolls like that?

i hope you said yes to all of the above!

one of my dear friends, Scott James John Metts, offered to watch E-rock so we could get out of the house for some much needed alone time

it was wonderful!

we saw Source Code
{kind of hated it}
ate lots of popcorn
and got ice cream from the ever so wonderful BYU Creamery on 9th

and scrounged around for cash before we left because we’re
cheeeeeaaaaappppppppp!!!
and that fact just made us feel more awesome

since Scott is a known hater of {all bodily fluids} he brought his lovely lady friend along as designated diaper changer
but really she is more awesome than that and E-rock [and i] absolutely adored her.

yay for new friends!
and date nights!
and babies that don’t poop their diapers in front of your friends so they’ll want to babysit again!

thank you Scott and Lacey!!
we are very very grateful
:)

love, true love

wanna see a mushy picture of me and adam in our younger years??
{and debate whether adam was about to touch my butt or not?}

go here!

and check out the new blog i wrote on the StrongerMarriage blog about how marriage preparation courses can be very beneficial to couples.

and then tell me how much you love it!
because i’m vain and want to hear you say it out loud
:)

if you don’t love it, you can tell me that too

marry above yourself

my dad always says how he married above himself when he married my mom.

he always raves about my mom’s talents and strengths and how impressed he is with her. he tells me about the lessons he has learned from my mom and how she has made him a better person just by being her.

recently he told me: “I have to tell you, dearest daughter, that I definitely married way above myself! In the past year and half I have seen your Mom with totally different eyes; she is incredibly multi-talented, incredibly patient, and so willing to give of her time and talents.”

I have thought a lot about that phrase “marry above yourself”

and I completely agree with it.

I also believe I “married above myself”

at the end of this last semester, me and Adam’s plans for the future started to feel like they were unraveling. regardless of our hard work, preparation and long-last dreaming, we were not seeing the results we have long awaited.

now, faith has always been difficult for me. I know the Lord will provide. I know things will work out for the best. and yet the fact that I don’t know exactly how it will work out gives me great anxiety.

I’m a planner/list-maker/goal-setter/high-flyin’ dreamer. I like to know what’s going to happen before it happens.

this is why I read through books so fast. and why I lost all hope in finishing  The Work and the Glory books from start to finish. I cannot stand the anticipation of what is to come and instead want to get to the solution as fast as I can.

I’m impatient see?

but not Adam.
no.

Adam comes to me with solutions. Adam pushes forward and doesn’t lose hope.

Adam is a man of great faith.

I know he has his own doubts and worries that he doesn’t want me to see. he tries to stay strong for me. and I love that about him.

but he also will always truly believe everything will be alright.

unlike me. I wear my emotions on my sleeve, lock myself in the bathroom, cry out and curse God for everything that goes wrong in my life.

Adam tells me to look for the blessings. he speaks calmly and rationally and immediately has an “in-case of emergency back-up plan” readily available.

he doesn’t look back but continues to look forward.

forward with faith.

yes, I truly married above myself when I married Adam. and I am reminded quite frequently of how getting married to him was the best decision I have ever made.

Elijah Rock, shout, SHOUT!

perfect representation of my day

little fishie

i took the E-fish swimming for the first time the other day.

he LOVED it!!

he kept trying to wiggle out of my arms and swim on his own

little did he know that if i let go of him he’d die
sooooooooo i kept him tight in my grasp

____________________________________________________________

Dear Gigi,
i can’t wait for our swim lessons this summer
it will be the best thing to happen to me since i discovered fruit snacks and string cheese
can we have fruit snacks afterwards?
love, your Elijah

sir squirms-a-lot: post-edit

E-basher is a mover.

we know this.
we have discussed this already.
so “old news” i get it.

but seriously, he’s a mover.

he is constantly running around
getting into trouble
destroying things
wiggling wiggling wiggling

just today while we were at the store adam said,
“elijah, can’t you just stay still for 10 minutes?!”

no. he can’t.

but when he was just a wee babe he used to LOVE being held and snuggled
in fact that was the only way he would sleep.

so imagine my surprise when Sunday night comes and he absolutely refuses to be put down in his crib

he was obviously exhausted and would easily fall asleep on my lap and in my arms
but every time i went to lay him down he screamed as if he was being tortured

[dear kind neighbors: i’m sure you want to tar and feather us. and are probably praying we move. but unfortunately we are not moving anytime soon and our kid is psycho. please be patient with us. we love you. and will bring you cookies. please don’t come over and murder us in our sleep. we would be ever grateful. love, the {only} ones with a kid ]

so i would pick him up again and try all over
and he would immediately pass out and do the all too knowing “i’m totally unconscious and have no control over my body anymore” twitch

and still, when i laid him down his eyes would shoot open and start screaming.

this went on til about… oh…… 4:30am!!!

i finally gave up and laid down with him on the couch and fell asleep with him.
which reminded me of his sweet newborn days when he would snuggle up to my chest and fall asleep in my arms, just loving his mama

then after about an hour i woke up and tried to lay him down again
he again screamed like H3CK

so i decided to have him sleep in our bed even though i thought it was a total long shot that he’d actually go to sleep (he love love loves to play on our bed)

but he did!!
and he would move over close to me and cuddle during the night.
and eventually he totally pushed me off the bed….
and i woke up so exhausted i couldn’t think properly
[i’m pretty sure it was the worst night in the last 7 months]

but at the same time i kind of loved it.

i loved that he wanted me so badly he couldn’t sleep without me
i loved that he would just relax in my arms and let me kiss him
i loved that he needed me and wanted me to love him
i loved remembering the feelings i had when he was just a tiny newborn in my arms
[though now he’s about 5 times bigger]

the next day was pretty rough
and i may have lost my patience more than i wanted to

but by the time we went to bed, i started really missing that little E-rascal of mine and wished he was in my arms again cuddling with me all night

funny how babies do that to us huh??
be crazy one minute and have us wrapped around their little, chubby fingers the next
those little goofballs…..

 

post-edit: i wrote this post about a week ago. a few days later, E-rider had some crazy nights and would seriously not go to sleep. ever. i decided i might actually value my sleep more than cuddling. cause then i am happy during the day. and not exhausted. and i’m more likely to want to play with him more. but he’s still cute. i’m just really tired….

homophones are hard

[all the grandkids]

my brother and his son were in town for my niece’s baptism the other weekend.

and just so you know, camden is pretty much one of cutest kids ever
and he has the most adorable little voice.
[all the grandkids are cute!]

too bad he struggles with homophones

scene: our apartment, dallin racing blue, purple and green cars with the little boys
dallin: oh! blue won!
camden: and the purple one and the green one….
[again]
dallin: look, the purple won!
camden: and it’s the blue one and the green one…..
other family member i can’t remember which: i don’t think he understand the difference between won and one….

HAHA!
me and adam are still laughing about that one.

well he’s only 2
give him a break…..

what is a healthy marriage?

did you know there is a new post on the Stronger Marriage blog?

no??

go take a look here.

and please leave any thoughts/questions/comments you may have.

enjoy!

a little too late

i just finished my LAST CLASS EVER!!!

and i realized should have gotten married and had a baby 5 years ago when i first got to BYU

since i’ve started my little family 2 years ago (i still can’t believe its been 2 years!!)
i have rocked the straight A’s

too bad it’s now over and bad grades from freshman year seem to really affect your GPA til the bitter end…

[but at least freshman year was a blast!]

i finally got a good groove going and it ends

ah well… at least in my ♥ i know i’m super smart

to my baby daddy

of course i can’t forget the father of my child:

             

                   

 

adam is such a cute little daddy. and he really is the best! he’s such a good dad that on father’s day when he’s supposed to be sitting back and relaxing, he’s still doing everything he can to help with E-jaws. makes it easy for me…  

now i could go on and on and on about how awesome adam is. in fact i was going to make another list because a. i love lists, b. so i can brag with a better visual and c. i love lists! but i don’t want to bore you with more lists of how adam rocks and gross you out with our love…
so we’ll leave it at this:

happy father’s day, papa adam!!
you are the best daddy to our little boy and our future babes.

oh papa

to our wonderful fathers:

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!

    

dad patterson has always been a great example to me of love and support. he’s always there to lift us up and is quick to help others. he’s honestly the best example of service i have ever met. without hesitating he will give his money, time and love to whoever needs it most. i hope someday i could be as attuned to the needs of others as he is. i’m so grateful to him for teaching me how to love others and treat everyone as our brothers and sisters. i owe a lot to him and my mom and for that i am eternally thankful!

papa robinson is pretty much the most amazing man i have ever met. from the first time i met him when me and adam were still dating, i instantly felt loved and accepted by him. he’s always treated me as if i were his real daughter not just an in-law. i’m especially grateful for his great example to adam and for raising such an awesome son. i see many honorable qualities in adam that i know he got from his dad. and i know the reason adam is who he is today is because of such wonderful parents!

 

happy father’s day dad-dad-daddios!!!

we love you

quarter of a century

it’s this cool guy’s birthday today!!
[adam not eli. eli had his day.]

can you believe he’s 25?!?!?!?!

so old…..

in honor of him being 25, i’m going to do what most bloggers do when they write about people’s birthdays and give you 25 reasons why i love him so so much

{if i can think of that many}
HA! kidding. of course i can.

1. he is very patient with me and with E-rock. and believe me when i say i do not make that easy. but he is amazing and loves me all the same.

2. he is such a good little daddy. he loves his son so much! i love watching them play together and how excited little E gets when adam comes home. of course i don’t always like how much adam “rough plays” with him but the E-gator loves it ergo i love it.

3. very musically talented. that was on my checklist of “qualities my future husband needs to have” and he excels at it.

4. hard worker. i am notoriously lazy so i am grateful adam is there to motivate and inspire me.

5. he’s very easy going. [which i’m pretty sure i’m not] he doesn’t get stressed too much and can easily see the good in all situations.

6. doesn’t let things affect him. he knows how to stay happy and move on. it’s impressive and is honestly a huge blessing for me since i am the opposite. [opposites attract!]

7. very understanding of my emotions {most of the time}. sometimes he doesn’t get it right… and i kind of let him know [see: patience #1]. but he is always willing to try again and listen to my concerns.

8. which brings me to: he is always willing to try harder and be better. its another inspiring quality i wish/hope to have {someday}. when something is wrong, he will try and fix it and isn’t a “igiveupidontwanttotrythisisstupid” kind of guy.

9. his family comes first. all the decisions he makes {and discusses with me} are made with the thought of “what would be best for my family.” i am grateful he is always thinking of us and how he can be the best provider/father/husband/son

10. lets me sleep in and take naps {which i do quite often} while he takes care of cowboy-E

11. constantly thinking of others. he tries to put other’s thoughts/opinions/feelings above his own. even if he doesn’t agree with said thoughts/opinions/feelings, he still wants other people to feel comfortable and loved.

12. that goes along with: has great compassion towards others. Jesus said love everyone. and adam does. he is nice to everybody and tries to help whenever possible. it is not always easy for him but he would still never turn someone down if they really needed help.

13. he always gives me very good advice and is very supportive. i can {always} turn to him when i need help.

14. his smile makes my heart melt. that is the first thing i noticed about him and made me want to be with him. lovelovelovelovelove it!

15. he knows exactly what i’m thinking and feeling without ever saying a word. it’s eerie. and makes it hard to ever keep anything secret. i hate it. but i love it.

16. if i’m having a bad day, he will do whatever he can to make me feel better. even if its just getting out of the house for a little bit, he’ll make it happen.

17. hilarious. he always knows how to get me to laugh. another item off my future husband checklist.

18. so very clean. he knows how to clean and keep things clean. props to his mama!! it is indeed a blessing.

19. respects and honors the priesthood. nuff said. he rocks.

20. he talks in his sleep and it is awesome. it makes for very interesting nights. 

21. the best/most hilarious/grooviest dancer i have ever seen. have you seen him dance? you should. it will blow your mind. makes my day every day when he decides to bust out his moves.

22. frugal-frugal-frugal. {usually.} i very much appreciate it even if sometimes i don’t like it.

23. he lets me dress him when i hate his shirts that say “player” and “Bruce Lee is my Homeboy.” this sounds like a negative but it’s not since he kindly accepts my opinion and then lets me pick out his clothes. i appreciate that he doesn’t resist :)

24. which also leads me to… he actually does have good style [minus said shirts above] and is a great shopping buddy. though he can only last an hour or so, my best outfits are ones that he’s picked out. he has a talent for these things. i am impressed by it and welcome it with open arms.

25. he just loves me!! and i love him. he makes me feel so important/worthy/beautiful/awesome/incredible/on-top-of-the-world
i know i can accomplish anything with him by my side. i honestly couldn’t ask for anyone better for me than him.

 

i actually have a ton more that i could say about him.
{once i got going, it was hard to stop!}
but to sum up:

i love you adam benjamin robinson

and i’m so glad to be celebrating your 25th year of life with you today!

 

:::was this long? it was long. sorrrrrryyyyyy

Rhi’s Designs

my sister Rhiannon has always been amazingly crafty!!
like seriously.
and i’ve always been tremendously jealous of her creativity and style.

since i was little i’ve tried to imitate what she did and be just like her but i always feel short.

i’m pretty sure the full dose of craftiness did not pass on to me.

but she is kind enough to share her craftiness with the world
and started her own little shop

RHI’S DESIGNS

true story:  a friend was wearing one of my sister’s necklaces when she met Tim Gunn and he said, “That necklace is great. I love the colors!”

so you know it’s good, right??

check it out!!

you can also “LIKE” her on Facebook

                                                          

Cleaving To Your Spouse

new Stronger Marriage Blog post

check it out here!

how was the transition to marriage for you?

was it hard to create boundaries?

what advice would you add?

tell me here!

single mothers, I applaud you

[look at that kid stuff his face! he’s so chubbbbbbby…]

adam has been sick in bed all day.
and it was my very last day of class today {forever} maybe
thankfully, adam doped up on dayquil and i was able to go to my class

but when i came home, adam crawled back into bed and i was left alone to with the little monster

and monster he was
[when do kids start talking instead of screaming?!? i feel like it will never happen….]

every time adam is sick or out of town or even just at school alllll day,
i find myself saying  over and over
"i don’t think i could ever make it as a single mother"

seriously.
how do you guys do it?
how do you stay positive?
how do you stay happy and loving all day?
is that even possible?
i feel like it’s not possible for me sometimes….

so how do you do it?

my hats are off to you
you are my heroes

to all the single mothers and other mothers who are home all day while their husbands are away
i look up to you in so many ways

fun fun think about fun you know what it is

i know everyone kind of hates this song

         

 but the E-rocker likes it a lot

more like he loves it

observe:

 

its gotten to the point where we play this song at least once a day. 
and he’s happy as a little chubby, monstrous clam

this kid loves to groove to this song.
[and i may or may not know all the words….don’t judge either of us]

so don’t tell him it’s lame
cause he thinks it’s the best thing since baby rattles

:::p.s. want to see an even funnier version???
please enjoy!

oh haaiiiiiiii

            

              

oh hai!

i apologize for the lack of posts lately
my last class has turned out to be way more insane than anticipated
plus the craziness of little E-rock…. whew

but i only have two days left and my final and then
i’m done foreeevvveeeeeeeerrrrrrr!!!
(maybe)

i have so much to share though about
how i’ve been
what i’ve been doing
what i want to do
how i’ve coped
and what i’ve learned

really. i feel like i’ve learned so much.
and i really want to share it in the hopes that others can feel better too.

and of course i have crazy stories of the E-gator too.
cause he’s absolutely nuts.

but for now i hope you enjoy these pictures because they are
pretty ♥ warming