Robertson Family Reunion 2014

Cox Family Lake Powell Trip

Caribbean Cruise 2014

On our 10th anniversary I was one week away from delivering Lily. We had always wanted to do something fun and memorable for our 10 yr anniversary but since we had to stay in town and close to the hospital (and I was feeling miserable) we elected to celebrate by going to dinner. 

My parents watched the kids and we made our way through town looking for a restaurant that sounded appealing. We drove by all our favorites but everything looked so disgusting to me. Finally I said, “honestly, the only thing that sounds good to me is a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger”. So our 10th Anniversary celebration consisted of driving though Wendy’s.

BJ promised that sometime when we could get away we would do something really memorable for our 10 year celebration. Two years later, on my birthday, BJ surprised me by booking a 7-day Caribbean cruise!It has been  amazing!

I’m writing this as I sit on the balcony of our room, overlooking the beautiful azure waters of the Caribbean. The breeze is warm and slightly humid and the wake of the boat makes gentle waves on the otherwise calm water. Occasionally a flying fish hovers across the water just below. They look like little hummingbirds. In fact, I spent about half of the day wondering how little birds could be out here so far from land before I heard someone talking about the flying fish. They’re incredible and seem to be quite common here in the middle of the ocean.

We sailed on the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas out of Galveston, TX and stopped at Roatan, Honduras, Belize City, Belize, and Cozumel, Mexico. Our captain is Norwegian and BJ and I laugh to ourselves every time he speaks to the passengers. Twice a day he reports the weather, our location, and a few other incidentals. He tries to joke but his accent is so thick and his inflection so jarring, we always laugh whether or not he’s joking. He always reports the miles we have sailed in nautical miles and standard miles. Standard miles he pronounces as “Staugee miles”. Think German-Japanese accent and you’re about there. Norwegian must be a strange language.

Over these 7 days I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be hungry, except for the day in Belize when we went an entire 5 hrs without eating and I nearly passed out. With so much food around us all the time and of every variety it makes me wonder how I have a difficult time figuring out what to make for dinner every night at home.

The food has been delicious! Prime Rib, Lobster, Steak, and Shrimp are just a few of the dinners we’ve enjoying. We have a table to ourselves so every night is like date night at a fancy restaurant. Being able to look at one another and converse over a gourmet dinner that I neither prepare nor clean up is a luxury. The fact that we don’t have any little people climbing on our laps, eating off our plates, crying about the food, or asking for their food to be cut up and fed to them is icing on the cake.    

I think it’s really the little things that have made this such a great trip. 

Just outside Belize City, Belize at some ancient Mayan ruins. Atop the main temple.

At dinner

Over these 7 days I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be hungry, except for the day in Belize when we went an entire 5 hrs without eating and I nearly passed out. With so much food around us all the time and of every variety it makes me wonder how I have a difficult time figuring out what to make for dinner every night at home.

The food has been delicious! Prime Rib, Lobster, Steak, and Shrimp are just a few of the dinners we’ve enjoying. We have a table to ourselves so every night is like date night at a fancy restaurant. Being able to look at one another and converse over a gourmet dinner that I neither prepare nor clean up is a luxury. The fact that we don’t have any little people climbing on our laps, eating off our plates, crying about the food, or asking for their food to be cut up and fed to them is icing on the cake.    

I think it’s really the little things that have made this such a great trip. 

We enjoyed the ports, especially Cozumel, but it has been the freedom to do whatever we’d like that has been the real vacation. My legs haven’t hurt all week! If they started to bother me, I could lay down and look our over the ocean. We went to the gym nearly everyday and didn’t worry about who would watch the kids. We’ve slept in as late as we’d like with no one to come in at 6:30AM to wake us up. In general, it has been so relaxing and refreshing.

Though I’ve loved all the ease and the comforts this trip has also made me realize what a wonderful life we do have. The constancy of parenting sometimes gets me down and wears me out. Too often I get frustrated and wish I could just relax but, the truth is, the life I have is the greatest! I have missed our kids so much. We have pictures of them on our screens and I just can’t look at them or I start to cry. Being away has reminded me that they are my purpose in life. It is all the care, the exhaustion, the tedium, the frustration but also all the laughter, the sweetness, the interest of being consumed by McKay, Benson, and Lily that give purpose and beauty to my life. As I meet people on the ship I am sadded to learn that so many of them aren’t interested in family. They go from distraction to distraction filling their time with themselves. I don’t understand it and I’m grateful I don’t. It seems a terribly empty life; always chasing after happiness but never finding it. I’m grateful to have had this time away to realize that I wouldn’t give up my life, not for a lifetime of cruises.

I guess we all have our “Dorothy” moments where, after walking the yellow brick road awhile, we realize happiness is in Kasas afterall. She’s right, “There’s no place like home.” I can’t wait to hold my babies again and resolve to approach the days with better perspective. To not let frustration get the better of me. To not rush through the tasks of caring for little ones but enjoy the moments within that care. It’s those moments I’ve missed so much this week.

In front of our ship at our final port, Cozumel

Wild Child

Someone said to me when Lily was an infant, "Oh, you named her Lily?! Every Lily I've ever known has been a Spitfire!"

Yep! Seriously. She is cute as a button and crazier than my two boys combined. Mostly McKay and Benson just end up standing on the sidelines with their mouths hanging open as they watch her in action. Or they start screaming, "Mom, mom look at what Lily's doing now!!"

She had a particularly impressive two weeks prior to her 2nd birthday. It all began with the stunt pictured below. I had unbuckled her and brought her into the house while I carried in loads of groceries. About two trips into the unloading I entered the house and let out a scream! There was Lily, literally SWINGING from the CHANDELIER and laughing in delight! Her tiny hands were clinging to it and she was swinging like a little monkey above the kitchen table. Apparently she'd climbed onto the table in order to reach the light. By the time I grabbed my camera she'd partially let go but you can still get the idea!

A few days later I was cleaning the kitchen and turned around just in time to see her finish unscrewing the lid to the white-out. As I went running toward her saying, "No Lily, Stop!", she stabbed the tip of it right into the middle of her forehead and rubbed it all over her forehead and eyes. 

In case you are wondering, NOTHING gets white-out off of skin, except peeling it off. Lily's first eyebrow wax ensued. 

About the time we got the last of the White-Out off, Lily and I were in the bathroom while I was getting ready for the day. As usual she was going through the bathroom drawers and came upon an old container of nail polish. Once again, I looked over just in time to see her open the lid and poke it straight between her eyes and then rub it into her eyes. 

Did we learn nothing from the White-Out?

Luckily we think Lily still has her eyesight. I consider this no small miracle.

During the same week she also found, opened, and ate Rolaids, Advil, and NyQuil. Scared me to death. And really, I'm not as inattentive as I sound. She's just that mischievous and that good at opening child-proof containers.

A few days after all of this we were driving along when McKay started shouting from the back seat, "Mom, mom, look at Lily!!" 

I looked in the rear-view mirror just in time to see her rear end disappearing over the back of her carseat as she dove head first into the back seat. She had somehow wiggled her way out of her toddler carseat, with all it's buckles and harnesses! I still don't know exactly how she does it but she can escape and does so whenever she feels she's had enough!

The other day she dressed herself in McKay's clothes, as seen below. She was so proud of herself but I laughed and laughed because of the inscription on the shirt. "I call the shots." That's Lily! Youngest in the family but this little cutie gets an idea in her head and goes for it! She keeps me on my toes!  

Happy birthday Lily!

Happy Birthday to our darling girl! Lily had a fun birthday, surrounded by people she loves. We had Lily's favorite breakfast, pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream, followed by a little party at the swimming pool. Lily LOVES to go swimming! She calls it "sim". 

The Swift and Lawrence cousins met us for a fun swimming party and lunch at the pool. We sang "Happy Birthday" to her and she looked both happy and a little embarrassed. It was so cute. :)

For dinner we went to Pizza Factory where Lily had a special cheese pizza shaped like a 2. Nana also made these amazing Elmo cupcakes! She's incredible!

Elmo (Lily's favorite character) cupcakes made by Nana

Here they are outside the restaurant. Lily and McKay have a really special relationship. She adores him and he adores her right back. We're still working on the Lily-Benson situation :)

The Boys loved those cupcakes too!

Here's our birthday girl on Nana's lap. I think it's her favorite place to be.

Sunday!?!

This is a picture from yesterday (Saturday) but the looks on their faces match the stories below.

This morning BJ and I were getting ready for church. McKay woke up and came downstairs. He said groggily, "Is today Sunday?" 

"Yes", I replied.

"Is it a church day or a General Conference day?" He asked.

"It's a church day!" I said enthusiastically.

McKay looked at me for a moment then said, "Nope, not goin'!", turned on is heal and left the bathroom.

A minute later he reentered and whined, "Mom, I don't want to go to church!" 

I began yet another speech on why we go to church and how important it is to Heavenly Father. After a few sentences he looked as me and said in exasperation, "But Mom, I've been going to church for YEARS!"

We went anyway.

After church my sister-in-law, Kyla, asked Benson during family dinner, "So Benson, what's your favorite part of church?"

He immediately shouted out, "LEAVING!...And the treats they give you for after church."

McKay's First Day of First Grade

Well, I guess it's true. People always said when McKay was 3 months old and 2 years old and 4 years old, "Enjoy this time because it will be gone before you know it". I used to roll my eyes (to myself of course) but it's true! My baby is 6 whole years old and he's gone to school all day!

Luckily, McKay absolutely LOVES First Grade. He loves his teacher, his new friends, recess, the pirate activities they do every day (apparently his teacher loves pirates..so cute!), and eating lunch at school. 

Seeing him skip out the door every day and coming home tired but happy every day this week has made it a fun week!

McKay at his First Grade desk

Posing with Wi-Fi his school's mascot

Sweet Benson and McKay

Benson really misses his brother. They are best buddies and playmates so McKay's absence leaves a big hole in Benson's day. However, this week he's had more attention from Mom and has had playdates with friends, so I think he'll be okay too.

As for me, I just miss my boy. It sounds silly, but I feel like he's gone all the time and I miss him. I miss his interesting comments and hearing the way he thinks. I miss his creative play. I miss his sense of humor and his companionship. It's really a tough thing to let go as a parent. Tough...

But, I'm so happy to see that he is thriving in his new environment and happy for the joy it brings him. Way to go, my Big Mckay!