not liking this growing up thing...

I have always said that this blog was more my journal, and somewhere that I could write and share my thoughts so one day EK and TY could read it. So EK will probably kill me when she gets older and reads this entry, and Ty may too with some of the entries about him, but I hope they read it one day and see how much fun we had and how loved they are... With that said, we have hit another milestone in the Robinson house hold...and well I am not sure I should be posting about this but it is too cute too not...she is only 8 so it still qualifies as cute right?!?! Well, we just bought EK her first real set of "big girl" undergarments...I have noticed in a couple of her shirts and things for school that she needed something, so we tried the undershirt approach and that worked for a little while but here lately she has needed more...so tonight was the night. She was soo cute picking out what she liked and trying them on, and it was bittersweet to me. I have always wanted a girl to do fun stuff with like shop (even though I am not a shopper?) get nails done together, go to lunch dates, just have fun being girls together. Tonight was one of those nights that was fun to watch her get excited and act so grown up, but it made it me sad because she is growing up. Tonight we are experiencing some really big storms and under a tornado watch, she hates storms!! so when we got home and her bath had been taken she curled up in my lap...not beside me and laying in my lap but IN my lap, and we just cuddled, and talked and she tried on my hoop earrings and it was just a sweet moment. I love that my kids are growing up, but there is a big part of me that wishes they were still babies and needed me more...but I will take any of those special moments like tonight I can get.

once in a lifetime..

I truly believe that you only get GREAT, AWESOME, and FANTASTIC say anything to, always have your back, they love you and yours just like they are family and sometimes even more, they know all your secrets and still love you because of them. I have a group of friends and we don't get to see each other very often sometimes only once a year, but we are close friends..we go on a girls trip every year, and we have a ball...we always try and go to a beach some where, and do nothing but relax by the pool and beach, and just be us...Kari, Tammy, Stephanie and Angie, not mom's, not wives, just us..it does us all so much good. Last summer we went to Tybee Island in Georgia and had a blast! We did some fun and out of the ordinary stuff...we went on a ghost tour in a hearse...we swam with dolphins...we chilled and watched movies...went to nice restaurants...and overall just had a great time. It is that time of year where I get antsy and am ready to go tomorrow on our trip, we haven't even planned this year yet and I am ready to pack and leave ASAP. I miss my girls, I miss what we use to have before some moved and our lives started going in different directions. I love to go catch up with them and to pick up where we left off never missing a beat... Now don't get me wrong I have lots of friends, lots of people I appreciate, lots of people that I associate with...BUT no one will ever replace the type of friendship I have with these girls!!! This picture is from last summers trip...from left to right...Stephanie, Me,Tammy, and Angie...and we were missing Destiny last year but hoping she can make it this summer! Love my girls.....

why must everyone be so rude?!?!

I have noticed that the past few weeks, there are no nice people left in this world. I am talking about everyday people and everyday actions....what happened to holding doors open for those behind you, or saying hello, or even acknowledging that someone has spoken to you, shoot I would take a smile at this point. Manners people, manners!!! it is not that hard to understand!! sorry no real post today other then to say... Please remember your manners, you never know how much your encounters with someone no matter how small or short will mean to someone else's day....

ode to laundry...

Oh how I hate thee, I despise you and your piles of dirty, stinky self.. I keep piling you up and avoiding your being but it's time I try and fight back and I say try because... It never seems to be enough, no matter how much I do, when I turn around and think I have you beat... Always more, and more and more... where do you come from?? Socks, underwear, jeans, jerseys, towels, wash cloths, sheets, and shirts will it ever end??? No it won't but I have a small secret as much as I hate thee, I also secretly love thee!!!! Because with out all the chaos that makes that laundry, my life would be boring, and I am thankful for the little boy and his stinky socks and jerseys, and even thankful for the little girl that no matter whats spills something on her shirt everyday at school, and for the hubby that loves his jeans and t-shirts!! dirty laundry equals fun,chaos,messy, smelly...and it's all mine!!!

FIGURE ME OUT...

So Warren and I are going out on a double date tonight with good friends of ours and well I can not wait...

It is not going to be our typical date we are going to the Melting Pot..yummy yummy but it is what we are doing after dinner that we have never done before, may never do again, but sounds fun and different so we are a go...

The other couple asked us to go and thought it would be fun and maybe something different then the normal date so we jumped at the oppurtunity and away we go...

So what fun would it be if I told you what it was so you are going to have to figure it out...Good Luck...

I know it is easy but I couldn't find anything creative to describe it...so no judging hahah its my first atempt at a riddle and to be cool like Kellie and Natalie :) you girls always rock these!!!

EPIC PARENTAL FAIL...

My girl.. Sweet, kind, beautiful...*and many more wonderful words to describe her inserted here! I feel like she has been on the back burner lately and it is making me sad...I think we need a mother daugther day asap!!! She is so laid back and go with the flow that I think sometimes we take it for granted... I am officially the worst mother in the world, the kiddos school decided to not do Valentine's Party and called it a heart health friends day...fun, great, wonderful..however, I somehow missed a note saying that their class was still going to exchange Valentine's//I know right??? anywho she didn't have any to pass out, but do you think she complained? do you think I even heard about it when she got in the car? NO, I found them in her room yesterday while doing laundry, when I asked her about it she said no biggie mom I know you have been busy and lots on your mind lately! talk about feeling like a turd in the punch bowl!! sorry was that too gross?? anywho I felt horrible!! I still feel horrible, not sure how I missed that note but I did, and I have told her we will make it up and I will make cupcakes or brownies something she can share with the class to make it up, in the next few days! So, my quiet, don't make a fuss, laid back girl needs some attention right now and I am gonna make sure she gets some...all I can say is sorry EK your momma had one epic parental fail!! and I will do better!

GREEN EYED MONSTER....

GREEN EYED MONSTER...

that is what I am.....

I got my good purse stolen a few months back and I haven't been able to get a new one or rather find a new one that I like....

Then the other day my sister walks into my parents house with THIS.....so now I am the

GREEN EYED MONSTER....soo jealous!! and must have this purse!!! or one even more fab then this one!!!

Day of Love....

Valentines Day..a day of love.... 5 yrs ago on Feb. 14, my heart was broken, along with many others. Valentine's day will never be the same to me. I had a great day, and was cooking supper for Warren and the kiddos, when the phone rang. I answered it and what I heard next stopped me in my tracks. I remember thinking, this was not funny, this was a mistake, I also remember thinking I am going to fall down, my legs turned to jello. I remember turning off the stove and listening, no moving, no crying just listening. I then told the caller, I didn't believe them, I would find out the truth, and call them back. I immediately called Rusty (our youth minister) and he answered and all he could say was "Kari I can't talk and I am so sorry, so sorry" and then click he had hung up on me. I put the phone back up, walked back into the kitchen turned the stove back on and started cooking again. I remember getting the kids plates ready and not making them come to the table, but letting them have a picnic on the floor in the living room. That is when I saw Warren pull in the driveway, he was early, and he was in a hurry. He ran to me, hugged me, and told me he was sorry. He then asked what I knew, and all I knew was that there had been an accident, a bad accident. The phone started to ring, my cell started to ring, people started to come by. I went with my sister in law to the youth activity center at our church where people had already started to gather, to pray, to sing, to cry, to remember. That is when it hit me, that is where I realized I had to be strong, I was there to comfort them, I was there to pray with them. But I still couldn't believe it. That is where I heard the story and found out that one of my precious teens that I had worked with, prayed with, took on trips, helped with boy advice, and had a great time with had been killed, and another one that I also loved that played volleyball for me was fighting for her life at Vanderbilt. Mary Helen McMeen, beautiful, smart, fun, only child, loved by all that knew her, was taken from us on Valentine's day 5 yrs ago. She had been following some other basketball players to a teammates house to eat dinner before the big game that night, it was a huge caravan. When she was broad sided by a truck, and killed instantly. The accident happened in front of most of the team, cheerleaders, and even some parents, the teens that were there have never forgotten what they saw, nor will they ever. She was soo loved, and still is. I treated her like my own, we were very close. I have worked with the teens for 10 or so years, and have gotten close to alot of them, but Mary Helen was different. I can not explain it, she was just special, and because of that I would of done almost anything for her. One summer she could not go on the week long mission trip, so I took a day off of work, and me and her and EK along with my sil, and headed to spend the day with the youth group...she was soo thankful and surprised I would do that for her. Not a day goes by that I don't think of her. I want my Emily Klair to have all the qualities she possessed. Her parents are heroes in my eyes, and I want to tell them how much I look up to them. I want them to know that I still talk about her, think about her and always will. I have lost grandparents, and close friends before, but this was different. This effected me differently, there are no words to describe how this changed me. So yes Valentine's day is a day of love, but too me it is also a day to spend with those I love and remember those I have loved and lost... Mary Helen you will never be forgotten Thank you for the love you showed to me and everyone around you. We miss you everyday!!!!

"Sand"man...

We had "fun with sand" day at school the other day...

I had lots of fun ideas, but after getting to school and getting the sand poured into the bowl I decided to just let loose and let the kiddos play with it, we made a huge mess but had the best time! WE pretended we were at the beach, we dug around in it, pretended it had buried treasure in it, we poured it back and forth into cups, and we buried our hands in it...fun was had by all.

Since it is still winter we decided to make "sand"men....and they turned out so cute...I forgot to get a finished picture of them but you can still see how cute they turned out...we painted with the color of their choice mixed with a little Elmer's glue...then we took the sand and poured, patted and smoothed over the picture...

Everyone loved sand day....especially the teacher!!!!

Getting back to me....

Warren and I after our hot date tonight...

ok not really a hot date, just a benefit dinner for the private school here in town where I coach volleyball.

We never get our picture taken together, I am always behind the camera taking the pics and well we never take the time to get in a pic together, so tonight while we were still decent, I had Tyler take our picture....not too bad if I do say so myself!

Tomorrow is a big day...Warren is in a benefit fashion show for HEART HEALTH at the hospital where he works, from what I understand they have a pink dress (yes I said dress) all picked out waiting on him. I have to go do his make-up, and doll him all up around 11 tomorrow! You better believe that there will be pictures to post of that...I still can not believe he said he would do it. Not sure pink is his color, but we shall see tomorrow.

I feel like I am coming out of my depression a little bit at a time. I do a very good job at hiding it for the most part, but my family and close friends have been helping me and encouraging me to get out more, and for the first time tonight I felt more like myself. This shoulder surgery and the pain I am in daily, and the health scare with Tyler and now the diagnoses has kinda thrown me for a loop. I have been hiding out in my house and not really doing anything. For those of you that know me, know that I am very out going, loud and love being around people, but for the past few months I have only done what I have to do, and avoid or cancel things just to stay home and veg on the couch. I have struggled with this before but not for a long time...I am glad to say tonight felt good, like the old Kari is still in here...laughing and cutting up, wanting to dress up and be with friends tonight was a great feeling. I am hoping this is the start of me coming out of this awful funk I have been in. My family deserves better then what I have been able to give them lately.

*the top pic is one Tyler wanted to take bc he said I looked so pretty tonight more like the mom before shoulder surgery...bless his heart!!!! he told me I had to put it on my blog..so I did bc he was such a sweetheart about it...

sunny days are here again...

I love the snow, I love the memories we make in the snow, I love having snow days......BUT

I am getting over it!

I am ready for warm weather, flip flops (which I wore today even though it was snowing..I know I am dork but whatcha going to do?? Love them!)

I am ready to go to the beach, sun, sand, and cool blue water!!

I am ready to play outside with the kids throwing the softball with EK, or kicking the soccer ball with Ty...

I am ready for my windows to be open at the house, to trim the bushes and plant flowers, ready for sunny days to be here again!!

For all my northern friends I know I have no room to complain when we get 1 1/2 inches of snow and it shuts down the whole town, and we only get snow once in a blue moon, although this winter has been different...so I apologize to you for complaining!

I am very blessed and for the past few summers have gotten to go to the beach on an average of 4 times each summer, sometimes with my family, sometimes with some great friends for a girls trip, and sometimes with some great teenagers!! I could live at the beach!! The pictures are from various trips in the last few summers...

Top picture is from this Oct fall break..me and my girl EK

2nd picture is EK and my niece Hallie

3rd picture is me and my good friend Tammy swimming with the dolphins in the wild..we were at Tybee Island in Georgia and the dolphins would swim right up to us..it was wild!! 4th picture is of my beautiful family...love that picture one of my favs foresure

5th picture is me and EK again working on our tans!! oh how I miss my tan right now!!

Bring on the sunny days, please and the sooner the better!!!

I will hopefully be going to the beach this spring break with the tennis team again...they get their tails worked off at a tennis camp and I get my tan on while they are there...then fun times at night being a chaperone to a great group of kids!!

really?!?!

SO this weekend my family got a lesson in what is put on their blogs is free domain for anyone to use. My blog nor my sister's blog is very big and it is mainly for us to journal and write something we both love to do. Well, I introduced you to my precious nephew last week, what I failed to tell you all was that he was in the hospital again having a new shunt put in. He is doing great, and really is a precious little guy! Anywho, if you read my sister's blog you can follow his amazing journey... This weekend my sister gets a call from a friend and the friend reads her a story from their newspaper...and get this....she is reading my sister's words! from her blog!! The writer told my nephew's story, and how amazing he is, quoted my sister's blog, and for the most part the story was on target...BUT it could of been so much better!! Andrea would of invited this person over, let her met Anderson, share her feelings and frustrations, give God the glory, and show off how well Anderson really is doing...but no the reporter did none of that...did not even inform Andie that she was writing the story, just took her words and quotes because she could and wrote a story. I understand anything we write can be taken from us and no one has to even tell us but in all my life I can not and would not ever think of doing such a thing!! My sister has talked with the author of the story and she has forgiven her, because well she is nice like that!! So anywho, just had one of those moments this weekend that makes you go really???? who does that??? and just wanted to share it with you!!

Date night...

So since we have kinda had a rough couple of months and things just were out of the ordinary..we have yet to celebrate our 14 yr anniversary back in Dec. Tonight is date night...not sure where we are going and what we are doing but we do know the kiddos will be spending the night at the grandparents house tonight, and we will be out on the town!! I can not wait, I get to dress up for my man, put on make-up do my hair, and I get him all to myself! Not sure when the last time this happened was??? Have I mentioned I love date night?? bc guess what I DO!!!

Zumba

Well, I have found it!! I have heard about it, seen it, and now I have done it (you know like more then once...can't really tell if you like something if you only try it once or twice..) I don't get all the steps right, and pretty sure that I look like a fool most of the time, but I love it!! I don't care what I look like doing it, as long as it works my butt off..no I mean it I want this butt gone!!! I am still not suppose to be lifting anything with this shoulder of mine...and I am pretty sure I have mentioned this once or twice or maybe a hundred bizillion times...I AM DONE!!!! I want my life back, I am sick of pain, sick of not sleeping in bed, sick of needing help for personal things such as putting your bra on...I AM DONE!!! ok I feel better now, sorry just had to get that off my chest again this week :) Zumba is great and it is an exercise I am really enjoying doing...I don't dread going, I don't have to drag my butt there..have I mentioned I want said butt gone? yes? oh ok just making sure you know! This week as been a long week and I am thankful it is almost over, hope to get some great post finished up this weekend...and some great videos to download!!!

Writer's block..

So I have writer's block.. I have to write a speech for Tyler, and I have writer's block..I don't get writer's block. I just wrote a puppet script for 4 teams for church...no writer's block then...BUT now... nothing, nada, zero, do you hear birds chirping because I do!!! So any help from you wonderful people would be great.... The topic is "if you love me, keep my commandments.." John 14:15 Please and Thank you!!