Blog Post Flashback... Kindergarten

As I was looking back over my blog posts I found this draft. I'm not sure why I never posted it, but I don't want to forget all of these emotions! 

My baby girl will start KINDERGARTEN in just SIX WEEKS!! It seems like yesterday I was waddling around school with a baby girl in my belly and now that baby girl will be skipping through those same hallways as she starts the journey of her own education. I have so many mixed emotions. First and foremost is excitement! How many elementary teachers aren't excited about their little one finally making the move to the building they are in all day? The guilt of leaving her all day every day is over (although I'm steal dealing with the guilt of leaving Luke), I get to see her smiling face as she walks to lunch with her new horse lunchbox, and I get a very special after school helper. We have already had so much fun hitting the summer sales and picking out the cutest back-to-school "fashions", as Aly would say. We have our supply list on the fridge and are just waiting for the moment when Daddy can stay home with Luke so we can really take our time to pick out just the right supplies. It's going to be great. I know that whoever her teacher is, she will love her and she will love school.

Then the momma in me kicks in. I hope she's nice to everyone. I hope they are nice to her. I hope she uses her manners and follows the rules and doesn't get hurt on the big kid playground equipment. I hope she makes friends easily and isn't too shy. I hope she doesn't drive her teacher crazy reminding her that her mom is down the hall. I hope she doesn't hear bad words or isn't told something I'm not ready to explain yet. I hope she is prepared. I hope she is happy.

Oh, how I have changed my thinking. I'm hoping this experience will make me more understanding to the parents of my own students and will ultimately make me a better teacher. It's not easy letting go of your babies, no matter how old they are. I know this is the first step in letting her go and letting her be her own person. I love the little gal she's turned out to be. She loves Jesus, her family, her friends, animals, music, art, playing outside, pretending, snuggling, singing and dancing. She's not perfect by any means, but she's just the way God intended her to be and I am so grateful  for the first five and a half years of her life and to see how it continues to unfold from here. Good luck, my little Hunt Husky!

To follow up, Aly had an amazing first year! We struggled with getting up and getting out of the house, but it was nothing a little reward system couldn't fix! She loved her teacher and made so many new friends. I was truly impressed with how much she learned and loved getting to see her walk our halls with her bubble in her mouth! Now, on to 1st grade!! 

Ours is my favorite...

May 19th, 2000 was a great day. I married a boy that I absolutely couldn't breathe without. Now, twelve years and two kids later, I still can't breathe without him. Or get the oil changed in my car, plan a vacation, fix a leaky faucet, pay a bill, make important decisions and the list goes on. But life does tend to get in the way for busy young parents who spend so much time and energy trying to make sure their children eat their vegetables and don't turn into bank robbers that we forget to acknowledge and reflect on how incredibly special and important our relationship is. 

With our 12th anniversary coming up this weekend I started thinking about our sweet love story and how I've never told it to a lot of my closest friends. We always end up telling it to complete strangers who we are forced to make conversation with at some stuffy dinner party, but only when we are asked. Every time I tell the story and see the look on the faces of the random couple who has asked the simple question of "how did you two meet?"  it reminds me of how much God has been in control of my life from the very beginning, how there has always been a plan and how special my God-given relationship with my husband truly is. So, in lieu of rambling about the latest and greatest development in the lives of Aly and Luke, today I would like to ramble about how they came to be.

It all started in Clarksville, Arkansas back in the 40's when my newlywed grandparents, Howard and Odessa, and Donny's newlywed grandparents, Harold and Sybil, met at church and became friends. My grandparents were having a hard time finding a place to live, so Harold and Sybil offered for them to live together in their house that had two living spaces, but shared a kitchen. They tell stories of making music together, watching each other argue, and enjoying having friends close by that were also newly married.

Howard and Odessa - May 18, 1946

As time went on, Harold and Sybil moved to California where they had kids and eventually grandchildren, one of them being Donny. My grandparents spent time in South America and other places in the U.S. until finally settling in Arkansas on a ranch outside the small town of Rudy. Fast forward to 1989. Harold and Sybil decided to move back to Arkansas and brought most of their family with them, including 13 year old Donny and his family. They moved about an hour and a half away from Clarksville to Rudy, not knowing my grandparents lived nearby because they had lost touch over the years.

Harold and Sybil - This picture taken by my papa when they all lived together.

Donny and his family were looking for a church and had heard good things about the boy's program at Faith Assembly of God in Fort Smith. (This happens to be the same church where my parents met and got married.) When they visited, Donny's mom was surprised to discover that Howard and Odessa, the couple she always heard her parents talk about when she was growing up, were members of that church. Donny quickly became friends with my older brother, Jeremy, but was not interested in his ten year old sister at the time, of course.

As the years went by, Donny and Jeremy spent a lot of time together going on camp outs, rolling kayaks in our swimming pool, double dating and making plans to live together in a boathouse on the river, which thankfully never came to fruition. Donny even introduced Jeremy to his cousin, who is now my sister-in-law. (Confused yet?)

Donny, Jeremy and Donny's brother Anthony

Donny always thought of me as Jeremy's little sister. I'll never forget comments like, "Robyn, you're old enough to drive?!" However, that all changed in December of 1998. I was 19 years old and apparently old enough to be noticed. Donny needed a date for a single's party with the church he was attending at the time and decided he would ask me. (Whose idea it actually was is controversial, but he says it was his.) I reluctantly said yes and when I contemplated backing out my brother reassured me I should go if for no other reason than it was a free meal. It seemed like a good enough reason for me. A girl's gotta eat, right?

We had a good time, but sparks didn't necessarily fly for me until the next week when he showed up in my church gym on a Wednesday night with a matching tie and vest and asked me to go out. I had plans that night, but he was persistent and kept asking and I just kept saying yes. After a couple of weeks of getting to know each other as more than the "little sister" and the "brother's friend", something just clicked and we haven't been able to spend much time apart since.

Donny proposed to me at a combined birthday party for him and my brother, which was orchestrated as a way to get both families in one place so everyone could witness the popping of the question. For years after we got together, every time our grandparents were in the same room one of them would say, "Who would have thought so many years ago our grandchildren would be married?" God knew and He carefully planned everything to happen just the way it did.

We have such wonderful examples to follow in the way that our grandparents have lived their lives and loved each other. I love listening to my grandmother tell about how my Papa would come to their house after church while they were dating, but her dad wouldn't let him ride in the car. He had to ride beside the car on his horse! She reminisces about how his shirt used to blow in the wind while he was riding that horse and how she thought he was the most handsome man alive as she watched him out the car window. I will also never forget the time we were in the hospital before Sybil went into surgery and as they wheeled her back Harold yelled out, "Take good care of her! That's my sweetheart you've got there!" I know our kids and grandkids will also love hearing the stories about the kind of love they came from and I hope to set another good example for what they can have in life if they seek God's will and love with their whole hearts. It's not always perfect, but it's perfect for us and that's all that matters.

Howard, Odessa, Sybil and Harold at our Wedding

I am so thankful each and every day that I get to share my life with someone who God specifically chose for me. I saw a sweet quote on Pinterest once that I love so much. "Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite." It is definitely my favorite. Happy anniversary, Boy. I love you!

A Spring of New Beginnings

I don't ever remember a prettier spring in my lifetime. The trees and flowers have bloomed like I've never seen before and I've found myself enjoying my surroundings and trying my best to appreciate the fleeting beauty of it all, very much like I do every fall. The consistently perfect weather has allowed us to spend a good part of each day outside swinging, popping bubbles, drawing with sidewalk chalk, picking flowers, digging in the dirt and just enjoying hearing the birds singing.



After six months of uncertainty about where we were going to live and how we were going to make our living, we are in a good place. A peaceful place. Much like our backyard this spring where the weather is warm and the birds are chirping. It's familiar and safe, and the perfect place for our family during this season of our lives. Sometimes you need big things to happen in life to make you appreciate the details that you have never given much attention to before. I appreciate my spacious, homey house that we became a family in, as 1970's as it might be. I appreciate my job, my church, my family, my friends, and even my grocery store.

My sweet sister, Sara

Precious Cousins

Bonding with my beautiful new niece, Selah

Even though we have decided to stay and end our pursuit of a far away adventure for now, I somehow feel like this spring is a new beginning for our family. Donny is happy with what he is doing and has so much more time for our family. The stress is gone from his face and I finally have my husband back. I am going back to work and taking with me a strong new perspective and the kind of excitement I had in the beginning of my career just thinking about a fresh start. Aly will start kindergarten in the fall, and Luke learns something new every single day that is giving us small glimpses of the little boy he is becoming.

Easter 2012

I am so encouraged by God's promises. He has shown us in so many ways that He does have a plan. I have learned lessons about fear, trust, sacrifice, and thankfulness that I will hopefully never forget. I have read a lot of devotions, but this is by far the best one I have gotten my hands on in a long time. I started reading it at exactly the right time and it made a difference in the way I looked at and reacted to the difficult situation we were going through. I am thankful for this storm and I am even more thankful that it has passed! We just have to keep in mind that no matter how tough the season of life we are dealing with is, a new beginning is just around the corner.

Valentine's Day 2012

Aly and I love holidays in a ridiculous way. Even though I came from a family of nine kids where going out to eat or on a vacation were out of the question, my mom always made an effort to make every holiday special. I guess that's why I still always look forward to them. Valentine's Day was one of my favorite days of the school year when I was teaching and I was feeling a little left out this year since I'm staying at home, so we decided it would be fun to have our own little Valentine's Day breakfast party at home. We drug out old craft items and party supplies, threw together some super easy finger foods, hung up some construction paper decorations, invited a few friends who aren't in school on a Tuesday morning and had ourselves a party!


A big thank you to my friends who got up early and brought their kiddos in their jammies. I also have to say thank you to my sweet husband who helped clean up, took care of Luke, and served the coffee! We loved having an excuse to spend time with good friends, while consuming large amounts of sugar of course. This will be a Valentine's Day we won't soon forget!

Jesus Walks on the Water

This week hasn't been easy. It also hasn't by any stretch of the imagination been the hardest week of my life or anything, but it hasn't been easy. My husband quit his job and is currently in employment limbo. He's been out of town fulfilling duties from his previous job and he's been homesick, miserable, and not feeling his perky, positive self. Aly has missed him so badly that I never know when she is going to suffer from a random meltdown, which is the reason a brand new Jasmine doll is sitting on my refrigerator just waiting to be played with by a brave little girl who continues to go to bed sweetly. My goal during this stressful week has been to just stay busy. We had special activities planned for every day of the ten days Daddy was going to be gone.

Enter cold and flu season.

Aly and Luke have been sick all week with fever and coughing, so we've been stuck indoors. I finally had to take Luke to the doctor and endure a hideous chest x-ray, during which I cried much more than he did, but we had a positive outcome and for that I am very thankful. But, with the stress of short-term single parenting, miserably sick and bored children, and the unemployed status of both the adults in the house, I could really start to feel sorry for myself. Until I remember not only other things I've been through in my life that have been far worse, but also things I have watched other people go through that couldn't even possibly compare. I am a whiny baby. Then I feel guilty for being a whiny baby, which adds to the negativity and really isn't helpful at all. We've all been there.

Enter Jesus.

I have been of follower of Jesus Christ as long as I can remember. I was so blessed to be born into a family that taught me to love him from day one. That's my salvation testimony and I'm pretty proud of it. So why, oh why am I so surprised when he shows up? There is a danger in knowing Jesus your whole life and that is that you get really comfortable. You take Him for granted. You say your prayers without thinking about the fact that the Creator of the universe is truly listening. Sometimes is takes stressful times to be reminded that we are not alone. That has definitely happened for me lately.

During the last two or three weeks, just about the time all the talk about my husband doing something else started getting serious, the story of Jesus walking on the water has made its appearance in my life over and over again. You probably know the story (Matthew 14:22-33), but in a paraphrasing nutshell, Jesus sent his disciples in a boat by themselves and then went to join them later by walking on the water. They were scared when they saw him because they thought he was a ghost, but he told them not to be afraid. Peter said, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water." So he did and Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water. But then he got scared by the wind and started to sink. He cried out, "Lord save me!" Jesus reached out his hand, caught him and said, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" I've heard this story since I was little, but never gave it much thought. Until it started showing up over and over:

1. The lesson in the 1st and 2nd grade girls class I help teach on Wednesday nights was this story. It was all about how you don't have to be afraid as long as you make Jesus your focus, but as soon as you lose focus of him and start trying to do things on your own, you sink!

2. The following Sunday, Aly's five year old class heard the same story. Aly never tells me about the stories she hears in her class, but that day she shared the entire story with me, beginning to end.

3. I was talking to a dear friend on the phone about our situation and she brought up the story in reference to stepping out by faith.

4. I was in a small group setting at a teacher in-service and the teacher who was presenting started out by telling the story in reference to getting out of your comfort zone.

5. Aly had been watching a DVD and I switched it back to TV. It was on some random channel that we rarely watch and the first thing I heard out of this man's mouth was the story of Peter in the boat. It was like he was speaking directly to me!

That last one just happened today. That's when I felt like I just needed to get all of this down, whether I'm the only person who ever reads it or not. I wanted to yell out, "OK! I GET IT! I'M PETER!!!"

We are in the middle of waves and wind. We are anxious and scared and excited about where God is going to lead our family. I've been worried about my sick kids and my heart sick husband, but I've got to keep walking on that water. There's a moment or two every day where I feel like I'm sinking. I threw Aly's kazoo in the trash for blowing it in my face after I asked her not to, Luke keeps crying for no reason and I don't know how to help him, Donny calls and gives me more bad news...sink, sink, sink... Then I get a text message from a friend, a phone call from my mom, a hug from Aly, or a kiss from Luke and I'm reminded that Jesus is there.

Some people might say all of this is by coincidence, but I know better. I have seen miracles happen with my own eyes that can't possibly be explained. I have woken up in the middle of the night with the strongest urge to pray for the safety of my kids and then had Aly tell me the next morning, "Mom, I had a dream last night there were angels all around my bed." God is real. He loves us individually and more than we can comprehend. Our prayers aren't released into the void. When we pray faithfully, our prayers are heard and action is taken.

I will not be afraid. I will step out by faith, keep my eyes on Jesus, and go where he leads me. I don't feel capable or worthy of walking on the water, but I can and I am ready.

Because I, your God, have a firm grip on you and I'm not letting go. I'm telling you, 'Don't panic. I'm right here to help you.'
~Isaiah 41:13 (MSG)

This was it. This was the year, and probably the only year ever, that I was a stay-at-home mom during the busy Christmas season. I didn't have to cram every memorable activity into four Saturdays, so we were going to have as much fun as we possibly could and make some memories! I didn't want us to miss one Christmas movie, one cup of hot chocolate, one sugar cookie, or one chance to sit on Santa's lap. I think we were very successful, but luckily we have some time to recover. Making memories can be hard work!

During this Christmas season, my baby boy finally starting walking for real. It's been a long, hard road for this top heavy boy, but he's an official walker.


My big girl turned five! This blows my mind!! We had an awesome day that started with a bedroom filled with balloons, a pancake breakfast, lunch at Cracker Barrel so the birthday girl could have some dumplins, a trip to the movie theater to see "Puss in Boots", and ended with dinner at Shogun where she got on a chair and danced to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" while the whole restaurant clapped. It was a perfect day.


This has been the year of Pinterest. Every mom's dream come true and worst nightmare. Dream come true because it gives you the most amazing ideas and recipes. Worst nightmare because it is physically impossible to actually follow through with all of those amazing ideas, even though you strangely feel pressured to do so. However, Pinterest did give us our first annual North Pole Breakfast and for that, I am eternally grateful. My sister-in-law, Kristi, and I joined forces and gave the kids a fun way to welcome back our Elf on the Shelf.



They woke up to their surprise and it took a little while to sink in. They were a little overwhelmed!







After the North Pole Breakfast, our Elf's name was changed from last year's "Mr. Elf" to "Chippy" from the Elf on the Shelf movie. Chippy showed up all through the season bringing surprises and a little mischief into our home. This was my favorite...


Then came lots of decorating...


Taking a break from decorating...



Aly's preschool program at church and Luke and Daddy in the baby parade




The lights on the square



The Polar Express!









Christmas with my family in a beautiful cabin in Eureka Springs


Lots of cookie decorating

And eating!

Christmas fun with friends



Christmas with Donny's family


Donny's nanny showing off her present


Cookies for Santa


Looks like they made the nice list!





Christmas breakfast made by Daddy



Christmas 2011 was one to remember! We are so thankful for our many blessings!