Announcing, Miss Abigail Joy!

Announcing, Miss Abigail Joy!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Finally back!

Yes, I'm finally back........ I think. You cannot even imagine how techno-challenged I am. I tried to get all fancy and make my page look kind of "fallish" and then, bam! I Messed up the whole blog! I've been working on this for weeks and now hopefully, I can at least write some and post some photos. We'll see...........

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Bailey's Big Birthday Bash! (#12)

Can you believe that my Bailey Jo is 12?! Oh my, where has the time gone? We had a wonderful celebration on Saturday with a house full of friends and laughter. Bailey planned this party all by herself. She was crazy about the idea of having a Hawaiian Luau by the pool, but after days and days of rain we weren't sure if it would work out. The girls did swim for a little bit though and then played games, ate cake, and watched the Hannah Montana movie. (Troy and Taylor loved this part!) The original plan was for Troy to project the movie outside on the side of the house, but because of the weather we just did it in the living room. He hung a quilt and made it into a HUGE big screen. Daddy saved the day and made it very fun!!! He also sent Bai some beautiful flowers in all of her favorite colors (blue, lime green, and orange).

Here are friends Emily, Saida, Meg, and of course Joshua all gathered around to play "spoons".

Here are all the beauties with exception of our Emily (the photographer) and another very special friend named Taylor Campbell who is actually in college at TX State. Bailey just loves her and wanted to include her. Taylor was very sweet and VERY mature to not be "too cool" to go to a younger girl's party.
You know in hindsight, we are feeling so blessed that God has provided for us in so many ways. I mean, it's been less than a year since we've moved here, and already Bailey has several very special friends. Wow! :)
I am feeling very overwhelmed at the thought that my baby is 12. It feels like yesterday that we propped her up in Taylor and Emily's 4 and 3 year old arms. Bailey has been and continues to be a great source of joy and laughter for all of us. She's also very deep spiritually, always hungry for worship and bible teaching. One of Bailey's greatest gifts is her love for animals. I marvel at her responsibility and willingness to sacrifice for our pets. She's always taking money that she's earned and spending it on toys for the dog, as well as getting up early just to spend time with them. I know that God has plans for her to some day work with animals as an adult, but all of these character traits in her also remind me of what an amazing mother she'll be. She shows that every day with how well she takes care of not just the pets, but also baby Joshua.
The bottom line is - I am so blessed to have her as my girl. She is a spectacular treasure to our whole family and I praise God for the gift of her!



Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Happy Birthday Princess Emily!

Happy Birthday Sister!!! :) Today is Emily Ann's 15th birthday! I am writing in pink in honor of her. Since this is her 15th Emily really wanted us to throw her a Quinceanera... but since we're not Latino... AND we don't have thousands to throw towards a party... well, she'll have to just settle on a QuinceanRobertson. :)
This is the birthday breakfast photo that we do every year. This year we're delighted to have Joshua added to the family birthday pics. Emily's special order was bagels with cream cheese and apple juice. (I added cantaloupe)


Emily is such a precious jewel and my heart swells as I think of how blessed I am to have her for a daughter. She is a mother's delight. As I write, I can hear her at the dining room table patiently helping Bailey with her math. Emily is such a help to me as the keeper of the home, always offering help with chores and homeschooling with a sweet and helpful attitude. She is a godly young woman and I feel amazed at her wisdom and maturity. She has many gifts and dreams. We pray often about where God will lead her. Will it be to teach underpriveleged children, serve on a foreign mission field, or write books??? (these are the interests of late) One thing is for sure though and that is that God has placed a vision in her heart to be a helper to a godly man and to raise children. I am grateful that she doesn't see marriage, motherhood or homemaking as a "lesser" career, but rather a way to bring great glory to God and advance his Kingdom. She is a very wise girl indeed.

Here are some things said by her family:

Daddy- "One thing that a lot of people don't know is that Emily is a closet comedian. She is hilarious! She has such a wonderful sense of humor and is very quick witted. Our home is full of laughter with her constant sense of humor and quick wit. She is always lifting our spirits. I love everything about her."

Taylor- "She is smart, funny, and SILLY! She's so much fun to be around!"

Bailey - "I love that Emily and I are always gonna have such great memories together. Even though we're so different, we'll always be best friends."

Joshua- "I love it when Emily takes me to her room to play. She sings and plays with me and makes me feel soooooo special!" (Ok, I helped Joshua a little, but these things are true.)

Mama - There's so much to say... I think that for someone who is so serious about attention to detail and getting things accurate, Emily does an amazing job with laughing at herself and taking full advantage of the joy of the Lord.

As you can imagine, I could go on and on, but the school table is calling. Please feel free to comment on some of your favorite things about Emily. :)

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

It's so good to be cherished!

What a romantic man I'm married to!!! :) My precious husband has been working like a dog to glorify God and provide for our family. I cannot believe that in all of that hard work he has had the time or brain power to remember to "romance" me. He sent me flowers and took me (and Joshua - where I go, he goes) on a very special lunch date yesterday. We had a great time and even browsed through a bookstore together. I just had to share this photo of these beautiful roses he sent me. No, it wasn't my birthday, our anniversary, or anything of the sort. Just a simple - "I love you". In August we celebrate 17 years of marriage together and I'm thinking that the longer we're together, the better he gets. :) I love you so much Troy! Thanks for everything.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Ouch!

Well, I decided I better get typing while it's all fresh in my heart AND I actually have a few minutes to sit down and type. (That's the real reason I don't blog very often!)

It's Saturday morning... (the time that records on my blog is wrong - and with my techno challenged brain I'll never be able to fix it! )... It's about 8:30. I just got back from dropping off Taylor to take his SAT. I'll admit it to you now, I'm pretty weepy this morning. I cannot believe that my baby is old enough to be taking his SAT!!! I think what really causes the emotion to well up in me is that Joshua is a spitting image of his big brother. I feel like yesterday Taylor was sitting in the car seat and we had all these wonderful years of childhood ahead of us....... Then I blinked, and now, he's in the front seat with his calculator and #2 pencils talking a hundred miles an hour about hog hunting and the NBA playoffs. Dear Lord, what happened to all of those years?! Wasn't it just a second ago that he was wearing footed pajamas and sucking a paci?

Of course I feel so grateful for every minute of every day of every year with each one of my children. And I'm so excited to know that we have lots to experience yet with baby Joshua, but I'm not gonna lie... This morning my heart is near breaking. I am grieving a little bit over the end of an era. My sweet Taylor is no longer a babe. He is stepping into manhood. And quite gracefully I might add. I am so proud of him.

I know, I know! My mothering of Taylor is not over, nor will it ever be. I realize that he'll always be my son, the firstborn of my womb. Our relationship will only grow deeper and sweeter. And I can see that our relationship will be more and more like a friendship instead of teacher/disciple. For this I'm grateful. I mean, isn't this why God gives them to us? So we can pour out our lives to train, teach, nurture, correct, guide, lead, encourage, and love them?! It was never in His plan to keep them little and immature. God's plan is for us to sharpen these arrows and then send them out! I feel especially thankful today for this extra time to sharpen. I know that God has some amazing plans for this boy. He has poured out dreams into Taylor's heart. He has given him a Vision for his life... One that includes a relationship with Jesus, a wife and children, a fulfilling career, a legacy of faithfulness, ........ A destiny to influence the nations...... How exciting is that?!

But just for a moment, the tears pour down my cheeks. I look over at sweet Joshua and think,
"Wow! How quickly it all happens". Because of this awareness, I don't even mind that I woke 3 times during the night to nurse. After all, I can sleep some other day. Today I just want to hold them close and to love them with all the tenderness in my heart. I want to speak words of life over their hearts in Jesus' name.

So, while I head off to find a box of tissue, is there anyone out there who can relate? I'd love for you to leave a comment on these thoughts. Man, this arrow sharpening can sometimes pierce your heart!

Love to all,
Bon

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Livin' The Good Life! (A long one)

Here is Joshua's beautiful skin. (just had to show you!)
Joshua and his friend Jocelyn. (yes, she is SO pretty!)



Ok, new subject. Have you read Same Kind of Different As Me? If not, go buy a copy today... now... hurry, go! This is one of the best books I've ever read. My friend Rissa loaned it to me. In 2 days I devoured the book and then turned around and read it aloud to my children. It's one of those life-changing books. Read it and then share it with friends. Here are photos of the authors, Denver Moore and Ron Hall. We recently heard them in Center Point. They are heroes of faith and I pray God's richest blessing over them and their ministry. They truly are reaching the world with the love of Jesus.
Hearing these guys speak and meeting them was one of the highlights of my life! I have met a few famous people, but no one that I respect more than them. It was amazing!!!

Taylor, Joshua, and Denver sharing a laugh. Denver was really tickled with Joshua and immediately asked me if this was "the Joshua of the battle of Jericho". Of course I said yes! :)



Ok, now just a few random photos of the fun things in life! Daddy and Joshua wearing hats together.
Uncle Jesse came for a weekend visit and shared some very special memories.
This is my uncle Gary (my mom's older brother). He really enjoys Joshua. I think it's so cool that even though Gary cannot really see Joshua, he still enjoys his soft skin, little noises, and lots of hugs and love.
Here's silly big sister Emily. She was helping me in the kitchen and decided that Joshua might like to taste lettuce. I think we're gonna stick to food that doesn't require teeth! He did like to suck the water off of it though.
Here's my parents on Mother's Day. The next day was Daddy's birthday. We had a nice supper and visit with them that afternoon.

The day before Mother's Day we went to see Nana and shared some special moments with her and Gran Ann. Joshua delighted us all, especially Nana, with his cooing and talking. He put on a show and I think it really blessed Nana. She just kept saying, "Are you Nana's boy?!"


Ok, another subject. This is Bailey Jo and Gary. Gary is our duck. Gary was an Easter gift that I thought would only be with us for a couple of weeks. Turns out, they have to grow a lot before they can go live in a pond or river. (We've learned a lot since then - the hard way) Anyway, a while back Gary was getting kinda messy, so we decided - no matter how painful it was, that it was time for Gary to go find a new home. Bailey and Troy were headed out with Gary in Bailey's arms. I told Tay and Em to be extra sweet to Bai because she was sending Gary away and was sad about it. About an hour later I hear the door open and then all the sudden the "patter, patter, patter" of Gary's feet on the hardwood floors. I looked at Taylor and said, "Why do I hear duck feet in my kitchen?" They tried to deliver Gary to a new home, but Gary was having none of it. When they walked him down to the river, Gary actually beat them back to the car! :) Well, a long story made shorter, Gary's gonna be with us for a while 'til he can grow a little and we can find him a nice home.
In the meantime, my dad has decided that he should start a campaign for Gary called "Save the Duck". He sometimes leaves messages on our phone saying that he's collecting for the Save the Duck Foundation and wonders if we'd like to make a donation. :) You know, it really is funny! :)

So, this brings me to my conclusion. I'm sorry this was so long, but just had to share. Troy and I have recently adopted the slogan - "Livin' The Good Life". No matter how little sleep we get, how stressful things can be, or how tight money can sometimes be....... WE ARE LIVING THE GOOD LIFE!!! We have a relationship with Jesus, he works in our lives daily, we have each other, and these beautiful, precious children, a wonderful extended family, amazing friends, all the material things we need and more, and on, and on, and on.......... I really think if Jesus were here in the flesh today, he would say that that's exactly what he meant when said, "I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly". All praise, glory, and thanksgiving goes to the One who gives every good and perfect gift from above.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Cinco De Mayo with friends!





I don't think we've ever had a fiesta for Cinco De Mayo before, but this year it just seemed appropriate. I think it might be because the whole time we were in NZ we so missed the Latin culture. We love the food, the people, the food, the language, and did I mention the food? So, I guess there's no time like Cinco De Mayo to have friends over to eat some TexMex! We invited our new friends the Lowry family. They are SO fun to be with and their children are precious! We ate lots of terrific food. Here's what my children made:
  • Bailey - 7 layered dip
  • Taylor - salsa, homemade tortillas, and grilled chicken (wow! He's becoming a real chef)
  • Emily - layered icecream dessert
They all helped with chores and getting things ready. They even stuffed a pinata with candy! I am very proud of all their work, their sweet attitudes, and their help with all of the little children. It was a very fun night!!!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Sweet Dreams

Sweet dreams little Prince!Last night right after Joshua's bath, lotion massage, clean diaper, soft pajamas and a tummy full of milk, this is what he looked like. I couldn't capture with the camera the grin just before this, but it was oh, so sweet. Only seconds later, he drifted off. Life couldn't be better!

Troy and I just stood at the edge of his bed and looked at him... and maybe cried a little at God's goodness. I may not have ever mentioned this on the blog before, but Joshua is a miraculous answer to prayer. And I know now, better than ever, that God can do more than we ask or imagine. In all the begging I did for this precious babe, I never imagined that he could be this delightful. Wow, God is good! Another thought - As Troy and I were gazing at Joshua, totally in love with him, God spoke to my heart and said, "This is how I feel about you". To be honest, this is almost more than my mind can comprehend, but I know it's true. It's true about you too. Chew on that today. :)

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

What a fun night out! Last Saturday we got to go to the Medina Children's Home benefit dinner in San Antonio. It was a very special night honoring the ministry of MCH. We of course enjoyed getting dressed up, eating a fabulous meal, enjoying friends, meeting new ones, and my favorite part was getting to hear the speaker, Chief Justice Wallace B. Jefferson of the Texas Supreme Court. He is a very inspirational speaker with much wisdom to impart to all of us. I'm thankful for his service to this great state.


Here is Taylor (16) and Emily (14). I think they both look like they're in their twenties! Yikes!



Troy and I enjoying a "date".
Here's the family... without Bailey of course. She had to stay behind in Wimberley because she had a softball game. We certainly missed her presence.

Notice Joshua isn't dressed up. He got to skip out on the dinner and stay in a room with Grandie. This was better for all of us. (him, me, and especially Grandie) :) I'll admit that even though he was just down the hall, it was very weird being away from him. It was the first time we've ever been "apart".
A special thanks to my parents for helping us out. We couldn't have managed such a fun night if Mom hadn't helped with Joshua and Dad hadn't helped with Bailey. Hurray for Grandparents!




Monday, April 27, 2009

Thunder and Giggles

What a wonderful day! You know there was a time, not too long ago, when I lived in the beautiful country of New Zealand, that I was not so fond of rain. It seemed like it never stopped raining there. But, on this day, I feel so grateful for the rain. For one thing we all need some rain here in the Hill Country. What made today's rainfall so special was just enjoying it with all my little chickens. We pushed the pause button on their school work for about an hour and all gathered in the living room so that I could read aloud to them. Emily made everyone cups of hot chocolate and I read a couple of chapters of The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers as the thunder rolled and a cool breeze blew through the house.

Then, the icing on the cake... a couple of hours later, I discovered that Joshua can giggle out loud! It is one of the most delightful things in life to hear a baby laugh for the first time. He was grinning so big it looked like it hurt and the giggle was sort of an awkward sound at first. It didn't take but about 30 seconds for all the big kids to come running. We just stood around the bed looking at the little prince, laughing 'til we cried. You can't pay for that kind of entertainment! :)

So, like I said, I'm thankful for this rainy day and all the blessings God poured down on me. It's the little things in life... thunder, a good book, hot chocolate, baby giggles, and the privilege to be with my precious children... Thank you God for the blessings you rain down on me every day!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Hiking with my boys!

Today I had the most wonderful blessing of going hiking with my boys. We went to a place here in Wimberley called Prayer Mountain. It's really just a hill, but it had the most beautiful panoramic views of the Wimberley Valley.


Here's the stairs going up. I definitely felt the burn only a few minutes into it, especially with Joshua and his 16+ pounds strapped onto me. Tay offered to carry him, but I figured it might burn more calories if I carried him. We took a couple of little breaks. :)


Beautiful Hill Country and 2 strapping young lads! Joshua doesn't look all that happy with the sun in his face. :)
Remember that scene in Lion King when Mufasa presents Simba to the whole Kingdom?


Today was one of those treasured times that God spoke to my heart once again about just how blessed I am. He reminded me that being a mother of sons is indeed one of life's sweetest blessings. I will unashamedly ask the Father for more awareness of these tender moments each day and to help me to remember to speak life over these young men. May they always know how deeply they are loved by Jesus and may they love Him wholeheartedly, surrendering their whole lives to Him. May God grant me wisdom to be the Mama that they need. Yes... I am so blessed!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Easter Weekend

Oh Happy Day!!! My precious baby brother (Jesse) finally proposed to the most amazing girl (Marissa) and she said "YES"!!! Hurray! What a wonderful thing to do during the Easter weekend!


















Sweet Joshua and Jesse











Joshua working the abs. He invited Taylor to join him.




Bailey and Grandie (my mama) by the beautiful Frio River at HEB camp. It's Bailey Jo and Debbie Jo. :)

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

God is no fool!

I realize for most of you this day is April Fool's day and no doubt there are many jokes and pranks being played. I hope it's a great day and you have fun. For our family though, this is so much more than April Fool's Day... It's Troy's birthday! :)

Let me assure you God is no fool. As far as I'm concerned, the day Troy was born was one of God's most brilliant and glorious days. I know for a fact that God danced the day Troy was born. And on this day 37 years later, our children and I dance too! We could not be more in love with him!

Troy, you are the love of my life, my best friend, the most humble and diligent godly man, the sweetest daddy, the provider and protector of our home, an amazing leader and friend, brother, son, grandson, uncle, and minister. I praise God because you are fearfully and wonderfully made; what he's done is wonderful. I know this full well. (my version of Psalm 139:14) Happy Birthday Troy!!! I love you!

Monday, March 30, 2009

Precious Things

These are just some pictures of some of the most precious things in my life. One of the wonderful things (there are too many to count) about God adding Joshua to our family has been watching the older children fall in love with him. Each one of them are totally smitten with him - and no doubt, he with them.This picture makes me cry every time I look at it! This is the first time Joshua and Nana met. Nana is Troy's beautiful grandmother. Something about Joshua's skin - only weeks old and Nana's skin 98 years old...well, like I said - it makes me cry!










Big sister Bailey and Joshua taking a nap together.












Joshua in his outfit from our friends Jana, Colt, and Makenna. So funny!















Emily and Joshua posing for the camera.











Big brother Taylor loving on Joshua.


And the other new little boy in our family. "Auckland" He's Bailey's baby boy and even though he's a lot of work, we all love him!

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Finally!

Hi All! Well, I've finally got something going on a blog. I know that I'm way behind and if it hadn't been for Emily my techno-challenged brain never could've gotten this far. It may take me a while to figure all of this out, so please be patient with me. My main purpose for this is to just share what's going on in our family and tell about the "praiseworthy deeds of the LORD". Hopefully I'll figure out how to get some photos posted. I'd love to hear from you if you have a minute!