State Champs!

Blowing Tay Tay big kisses!!! Way to go Texans!
Here it is... Cowboy Stadium.

Some of Tay's fan club.

This is the jumbo tron. Amazing.

Look at the center of this pic and then slightly to the right. See that yellow dot? THAT'S A CAR! That's how big this place was. It looked like something you'd put a quarter in to ride in.

Another shot of the jumbo tron.

My beauties.

Warming up.

That's us on the right. You can see Troy's mom talking to my dad behind Titus and I. Also, Bailey and Aunt Gena

This is what happens when you wake up your 2 year old at the crack of down, put him in the car for hours, and then feed him cotton candy. :)

Aunt E and Titus.

Uncle Doug and Regan watching the warm up.

Uncle Jesse and Aunt MarissaGrandie (my mama) who is usually behind the camera.

After warm up, on the way in to the locker room, the boys lined up single file to shake hands with Coach Nelms. If you look close, Coach was going for the handshake.... but look close -Tay went in for the hug. :)

All the waiting wore out Titus. He had a little nap until I started yelling my head off in the first quarter. Joshua with his little football... hoping that somebody will play "Frow" with him.

Here they come!!!

Another shot of the magnitude of this place.

Here's my boy on the jumbo tron... as if he wasn't already big enough.

And here's a shot of the magnitude of his "backside". :D

Tay and his QB and buddy - Brady Lambert.

This is blurry, but I love this look on his face. Pure Joy. He's looking up at his Dad.

Here's that masculine warrior victory cry!

Celebration!

The boys kneeling down to listen to Coach Nelms after the game... for the last time.

About 2 weeks ago the Lord showed me in a dream that we would win this game. While it's so special and even kind of sad that this high school football career is finished for Taylor, I believe with all my heart that this is really only the beginning. Taylor, this is what the Lord says to you - For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.

And the cry of your Mama's heart is - bless him Lord.... bless him. In Jesus' name bless him.

Tunky's 1st Bday!!!

Titus' first birthday was last Saturday the 10th. Due to the fact that it's mega football season around here and Daddy had to work that day anyway, we waited until Monday and had a little family party.

Titus wanted touch the flame on his candle so bad... :0 It was a relief when Bug came and blew it out for him.

Isn't this one adorable? :D It captures his newly chipped tooth. Ahhhh, little busy boys. He just cut it a few weeks ago and now part of it's gone.

mmmm, cupcakes! Big brother wants him to share. :)

My "little" boy.

http://www.statesman.com/sports/highschool/wimberley/wimberleys-robertson-seeks-second-state-title-2030711.html

Not sure what else to say about that... except THANK YOU to the ONE who gives us every good and perfect gift from above.

ATTENTION!!! A Public Service Announcement

*****This is NOT a test***** This is a Public Service Announcement...

I just thought it would only be fair of me to inform all of you. I realize that it's December 10th and that most of you think that it's Christmas time. That's why I'm making this announcement. It's actually NOT Christmas time....

Can I get a drum roll please?

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls....... (drum roll).......................

IT IS STILL FOOTBALL SEASON!!! WoooooooooooooHoooooooooooooooo!!! The Texans won last night 21-14 in one of the greatest and bloodiest battles of all time. They played Cold Spring which has arguably one of the best defenses in the state.... last night was the most points they'd given up all year. My favorite football player in history - the one and only - big # 79 (aka "Biggun") had the fight of his life on the line. Cold Spring had a couple of defensive ends that were big and fast and fierce. Taylor handled them beautifully. And because of that, his quarterback lives today. Tay fought like a champion! :D

The game was kind of down to the wire... one of those nail biters... We were tied in the 4th quarter, with 1:49 left on the clock. By the time the clock was down to 1:14 we scored a touchdown and pulled ahead 21-14. The next minute was like an eternity... very questionable and controversial call by the refs... crazy penalties, etc... The crowd was going WILD!!! And in the end - Final score 21-14... THE TEXANS ARE GOING TO THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!!!

So, just in case y'all might've thought that next Friday we were gonna be at a Christmas party somewhere... THINK AGAIN!!! We'll be in Dallas at Cowboy Stadium to watch the Texans go up against the Argyle Eagles!!! LET'S GO BIG BLUE!!!

Rejoice With Singing

The LORD your God is with you

He is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you

He will quiet you with his love

He will rejoice over you with singing. I can't remember if I've ever posted this picture of Titus or not. Every time I look at it I laugh and then cry. He is such a beautiful gift. The verse above is from Zephaniah 3:17. I am reminded today of the LORD's crazy sweet love for me. He has pointed me to this verse and said, "Bon, you know how you feel when you see Titus' big grin, hear his belly laugh, smell his sweet little neck, feel his silky soft skin?... you know that feeling of just wanting to laugh and cry and dance and sing?... in fact sometimes you just burst forth with little songs about your love for him?... Bonnie, that's how I feel about you baby." Wow, now that's a word from the LORD.

"Wet's Go Texans!" (clap-clap, clap-clap-clap!)

The title is Joshua's theme song these days. The W sound replaces his L sounds. (Wet's vs Let's) He likes to get the lids to my pots and pans and bang them together like cymbals. Sometimes he yells, "Texans High School Band!" as he marches and bangs them all over the house. (never a dull moment here) As I'm writing this, I am reminded of a scripture - Psalm 150:5 says, "Praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals!" hmmm, out of the mouths of babes??? :D

The fun continues! The Texans beat the Devine Warhorses last night 38-12! That makes them the Region IV champs and State semi-finalists!!! Tay did really great! Of course he plays offense and they all did awesome, but I had to give a shout out to the Texan defense. They were amazing! We are so proud of all those young men... they were soldiers last night!

I am TOTALLY grateful to God for answering my prayer to hold back the thunderstorms and rain that had been predicted all week. I was kind of a nervous wreck (too bad I didn't just trust Him) and had myself kind of worked up about it - What will I do with the little babies???? Will we have to go sit in the car during the game? Will the game get called because of lightning??? And on and on. Turned out to be beautiful weather. Thank you God.

So we play this Friday night in Bastrop at 7:30 against Cold Spring. Should be a show-down... but, isn't that what we've been waiting for? Wet's go Texans (clap-clap, clap-clap-clap!)

My Climber (aka Sir Titus Hillary)

So you know - every kid has their funny little thing... All of my others did. Most recently has been Joshua's freakish athletic abilities. But baby brother behind him has his own little quirky thing... HE'S A CLIMBER. Titus loves to climb on, over, and inside anything he can! He loves the stairs, the gate blocking the stairs, my kitchen cabinets, my desk that's missing a cabinet door (hey - got it at Goodwill for 12.99, what'd you expect?)... He likes climbing into laundry baskets, inside the cubby of the entertainment center, and this morning cleared out a couple of shelves on my book shelf so that he could climb into it... But the other night wowed us all. I was doing some cooking for Thanksgiving stuff and happy to have Titus slightly away from being underneath me, so I let him play in the pantry. He was pulling cans off of the shelf and happily occupied for a few minutes. Then... it was quiet....* This is always a warning sign*. I turned around to check and this is where I found him - UP ON THE PANTRY SHELF!!! Here's the wreckage below.

He decided to search for a snack. All that climbing will make a man hungry.

Of course Bug had to get in on the fun... There were 2. And then there was...

only 1. This was a split second after Titus leaned forward and face planted into a box of saltines. :) Hahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let me tell you, we laugh a lot at our house... every single day. :D

Marriage First

I'll admit that I often read magazine articles or see articles on line (or sometimes just see the title) and kinda roll my eyes at how shallow or ridiculous they can be. But today I saw this one and thought, you know - this is right on. Now, it's without any scripture or the foundational truths of God's ideas on marriage, but for a secular article, I was impressed. It's simple. And it's right. I am always glad for this reminder, and heaven knows that I've wanted to gently remind some of my friends and loved ones... This is an easy thing to get out of whack, and yet, it's SO IMPORTANT. Hope you are blessed by this read.
http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/loving-husband-more-kids-key-good-life-181900983.html

Thanksgiving History

"Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be."

—George Washington

Best Friends

Tonight while I was cooking supper, the house was full of joyful "noise". Taylor (not so quiet, especially as he demonstrated gorilla sounds and jumping :)) came in the kitchen with a little brother in each arm and said, "Does anybody else think it's kinda funny that I weigh over 300lbs and my 2 best friends here weigh about 50lbs combined?" Ha! :D I love it. Titus and Joshua continue to believe that their big brother is some kind of super hero. Those 3 are so darn beautiful. Makes me cry with joy.

Go Texans!

Tay had another big football win last night. The Texans won 40-14 over the Gonzales Apaches. It was an interesting night for me. I didn't go to the game so I could stay home with baby Titus. He's having another round of the cold crud, with a bit of a nasty cough. I wrestled all day yesterday (nothing like feeling torn between 2 kids) with what to do and finally Troy said he thought it would be best to not take him out in the wind.

So Titus and I stayed home and my friend told me about a wonderful thing... -THE GAME WAS ANNOUNCED LIVE on the radio/online. I can remember when I was a kid listening to the Dallas Cowboys' games on the radio with my Dad, but I'm not sure that I really cared all that much. Last night was a whole different story. Let's just say that I'm glad no one could see or hear me. I turned into a bit of a lunatic. I was whooping and hollering and dancing all around the kitchen. Titus thought it was great. :) One time when we scored just before half time (an amazing play, only 11 seconds left on the clock) I splattered soapy dish water all over the kitchen! :) Now, I do hope to be at the next game in person, but I was impressed with this radio thing. Not bad.

Speaking of the next game... How exciting is this?! Football during Thanksgiving week!!! Woohoo! How fun! Tay is out of school this week, with exception of practice each day. Yes, even on Thanksgiving morning. We are so grateful for this wonderful gift, that no one even minds that the traditions are being shifted a little.

At the moment Titus and Joshua are having sword fights with plastic golf clubs and it's getting a little out of hand... I better run!

I AM A MOTHER AND I HAVE A PURPOSE!

I am not languishing. I am not floundering. I am not deceived.
I have a vision. I know who I am and who God created me to be.
I know my purpose. I have direction. I know God's mandate for my life.
I am walking in the perfect will of God.

I know it's not easy. I know it's hard. But I've counted the cost. My goal is set. How could my career be easy when I am impacting this nation for God?
Also the generations to come! And eternity!
How can it be easy when I am destroying the plans of the devil?

Such is the power of my God-ordained career,
the highest calling ever given to women-motherhood!

I have embraced my calling. I am not intimidated by antagonists.
I will not be moved. My heart is fixed.

I may be hidden in my home, but look out world! I am sharpening and polishing my arrows. I am getting them ready to shoot forth and destroy the works of the enemy. In the power and anointing of God I am advancing His kingdom!

By Nancy Campbell

I appreciate my husband!

Yes, I sure do appreciate my hubby! He has always worked hard to take care of us. He has always sought to provide a way for me to be at home with our children. When others have encouraged me to go get a job, my husband has said - no way - and has gone to extreme measures to pick up an extra job to make ends meet. Of course I am thankful for all the non-financial things that he does for our family - and that's a very long list. But today, I just want to say that I'm proud of Troy for his commitment to provide financially.

1 Timothy 5:8 says, "Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." (italics mine)

Now, it should go without saying that I don't think this scripture is referring to all those that are struggling and without work during these tough economic times. But, I do think the verse's major focus is that the man recognizes his responsibility and does his very best to provide for his family's needs.

Troy has always been so faithful in this area. Always. Even when were so very young and he was a full time student, he never shirked his responsibility to work. Never. In fact, he had to humble himself to do a few jobs that payed little and were not very glamorous... But - HE DID THEM ANYWAY.

On a related note, he has always GIVEN (he gives of himself wonderfully, but again I am referring to money) very generously. This is a beautiful trait that he learned from his precious Mama. I KNOW that God has met our needs in some very lean times simply because he honored Troy's generosity to others. Heaven applauds and blesses those who give. I am thankful that this reward for Troy spills over onto all of our family.

Lord, thank you for providing for us. Troy, I thank you too. I am so proud to be your wife.

Football Playoff Update

Whew! :0 It was a little stressful for my liking... The Texans beat the Ducks last night in double overtime... 38-31. It was a bumpy game... felt like we never really got in the groove. But thank God (and I do mean that literally) we were victorious. Taylor had a monster game. He seems to be getting more confident each week. I am praying each day for God's blessing, favor, power and strength to be given to him. I pray before each game that he will supernaturally become stronger than he is, more athletic than he is, and even mentally sharper than he actually is. Of course I'm always asking God to help him be sportsmanlike and to be a godly example on the field with all that he says and does. May Jesus be glorified in Taylor's football career. My verse that I always pray for and encourage Tay with is 1 Peter 5:6 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time".

Turkey vs Santa

So the battle rages on in our house - Ha! Don't you love this?! At our house Troy's favorite holiday is Christmas... he loves every single thing about it. Especially the 3 or 4 weeks leading up to it. I, on the other hand, love Thanksgiving. My philosophy is that Thanksgiving is all the good stuff from both holidays - food, family, friends, food, football, food ;), etc... but without all the shopping, money crunching, praying they like the gift you got 'em, etc... Sooo, that settles it. I win! Thanksgiving is better. :D

Actually, (shhh, don't tell Troy!) I'm super excited about Christmas this year! I can hardly wait for the decorating, baking, shopping, music and Christmas movies. It's such a great time for memory making with our children. I love when we read each night of the Advent calendar and talk about God sending the Messiah in the form of a tiny babe... I LOVE IT! Maybe I'm really looking forward to this year since over the last 3 years we've had a few other things going on... like moving across the world! Like having 2 new babies! Like going to the 6-man state championship game! Okay, I'm actually praying that we still go to the state championship football game. But this year it feels like there's so much more joy and memories to be made around our house... After all, it's a brand new thing for our youngest sons and the last Christmas for Taylor as a kid in our home. (tears)

So, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season - both Thanksgiving AND Christmas!

Encouraging Word

Today I got to hear a teaching on this verse... it SO comforts and inspires me...

John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

In light of some around me that are suffering and going through really painful things, this verse gives me so much hope. HE IS OUR OVER COMER!!! Praise Jesus!

Here are some pics of fun moments over the recent weeks. Here's Em decorating cupcakes with Joshua. He was eager to eat up all the "mess ups". :)

Bug at the spa. ;) I guess it was a hard day at the office.

This was the pep rally where the boys and girls swapped... Funny thing was that most of the boys fit in the girl's skirts, but Tay had to pin 2 to each other. *NOTE* Boys should never wear girls' clothes... especially linemen.

This was the sweetest blessing... from Jesus and Troy. It was just one of those days... and then arrives these beautiful roses and with this note that I'll keep forever. It's so good to be loved.

Emily captured this of my littles... Are they so beautiful or what?! They are such a gift that I cry with thanksgiving and gratitude.

On Earth As It Is In Heaven!!!

Tonight everyone was out and about except for the babies and I.

We played football in the front yard (as is the daily custom during football season. It will change to basketball when football is over) then we came in and Bug helped me scramble some eggs, and we sat down to eat. As we were getting settled at the table I was singing Chris Tomlin's song "Sing, Sing, Sing" (this is Bug's favorite song besides Happy Birthday). Anyway, we were singing and I was kinda praying aloud... thanking God for the beauty of these precious boys. I said, "Lord, bless these boys in Jesus' name! Make them strong and healthy, help them to know you and to love you with their whole heart (my prayer every day) and Holy Spirit, fill them with your joy!" As I said "fill them with your joy" I placed my hands on their heads. Immediately they BOTH burst with giggles! Wow!!! Of course then we were all filled with the joy of the Lord. Laughter poured forth!

So for just a moment Heaven invaded our dining room... And it was SO GOOD. Thank you Father. Praise you Jesus. Come Holy Spirit, come.

We're Not In Church! (Shhhh!)

Funny moment this morning that I just had to share! :)

Lately little Joshua has struggled sitting still and quiet during church, probably not an uncommon problem for most 2 year olds. But we're committed to trying to train him to learn to sit in the assembly with us, so a solution has to be found. We do snacks, books, etc... but he usually gets wiggly and wants to talk ... a little too loudly. This has resulted in him getting taken out and sometimes being disciplined. This isn't fun for any of us, so.... back to the hunt for a solution.

Well, being an old has-been athlete, I'm convinced that just about anything can be improved if you practice. If you shoot hundreds of free throws, you'll rarely miss. If you serve the volleyball hundreds of times, you'll rarely serve in the net. If you go over hundreds of hurdles, you will eventually glide over them faster. You get the idea. Sooooooooooooo, I'm thinking if you practice sitting in church, you'll learn to do so without wiggling and talking. Maybe.

Anyway, today was our second "sit in church" practice. And we're starting with baby steps. I gather the children and we all line up on the couch. I set the timer for 10 minutes and we have to sit still and quietly. We can look at books, eat gold fish, whatever, but no wiggling and no talking.

About 6 minutes into it, Joshua begins to get fidgety and tries to talk. Emily gently, but firmly leans down to him and whispers, "no-no Baby. We can't talk in church." Then Joshua looked up at her and in a VERY LOUD whisper says, "EM-WAY, WE AREN'T IN CHURCH!"

Then of course we were all struggling to be quiet and not erupt with giggles! :) Guess we better keep practicing.

Good On Ya All Blacks!

Sunday afternoon we got to watch the New Zealand rugby team - The All Blacks- clinch the World Cup! How special for them to win the World Cup on their home field. It was a great game. The Kiwi team beat France by 1 point, so we sat on the edge of our seat the whole game. It brought back lots of great NZ memories... one of a time we actually watched a live game in Eden Park (against France then also). It didn't mist or sprinkle on us... it POURED for over an hour... so much so that it was absurd that we had on rain ponchos. I didn't have any photos because the rain ruined my camera! We were soaked to the bone and freezing. There was a huge group of us and it was SO FUN! I will never forget how nice it was to get in our van, turn the heater on, and pick up take away food on the way home. Aaaaahhhhh. Good times. The girls in their All Blacks t-shirts, waving our NZ flag! Now if only we'd had some Tim-Tams...

All Blacks are #1! :)

Woohoo... World Champs!

The Tale Of The Hungry Giant, by Taylor Robertson

The Tale of the Hungry Giant

Oh how I love food,
It always puts me in a good mood....

One of my favorites is chicken fried steak,
Oh how I'd love to eat it as soon as I wake!

I really like icecream in a bowl,
I swear its nourishment for the soul!

Top some vanilla with carmel and whipped cream,
This is becoming a food lovers dream!

Take some chocolate milk and put it in a glass,
Oh I promise I'll drink it up fast!

Banana pudding is so very good,
I would swim in it if i could.

Some rare food is fried alligator,
Just cook it right up with a baked tator.

Another good one to eat is fried catfish,
This makes quite the dish.

Just dip it in tartor sauce as you eat,
You'll be so happy you'll wanna tap your feet!

Chocolate chip cookies are really yum,
If you don't eat them you're really dumb.

Sour patch kids are so sweet,
This is a candy that's hard to beat.

You can eat American, Chinese, Mexican or French,
Just bring it to me I'll eat it in a cinch.

I haven't even started on venision or wild meat,
Those would be one of my favorites to eat.

I also like sushi, that's raw fish,
This is a meal for which I'd wish.

I eat in the mornings, evening and at noon,
But the one thing I wouldn't eat is wild racoon.

I love me some tacos from the place of Mima,
They're so good they make me yell, "ye-haw!"

Another good one is a big fat steak,
I'm talking grilled, not baked.

I also like bread the kind that is white,
For that stuff I'd be willing to fight!

I do enjoy a rack of lamb,
Or perhaps I'll have a side of ham.

The best food comes from my mom,
When it comes to cooking, she's the bomb!

I like to eat pasta on a plate,
This is good to order on a date.

Parmasean cheese sprinkled on top,
When eating this you can't get me to stop.

One night I had a dream
I was swimming in a pool of icecream.

I climbed out of the pool and what did I see?
A large cheese pizza looking at me.

I looked around to see a buffet
With all kinds of food made that day.

I woke up and thought this might be
The best thing that's ever happend to me.

I'd give anything for a donut,
This will go right to my gut.

I also love a good enchilada,
It's better than the Lion King, hakuna matata!

With my Mexican food I like ice tea,
But the best kind of food is the kind that's free!

I once ate an omlette with sausage and cheese,
I ate it up and said ''more please''.

If you wanna know how I got so big and tall,
It's cause I'd fill my plate and eat it all!

I really like pancakes with syrup on top,
Eat too much and you surely will pop.

Fruit and veggies aren't for me,
And drinking too much water will make me pee.

Some people say food will kill thee
I just say "food, will you marry me?"

Writing this poem was quite tough,
But just like food I couldn't get enough!

Taylor entered a contest for English class and WON with this poem. The prize was a free lunch! Ha! :D

That's My Boy!

Here are the 7 of us celebrating a big win after Tay's game. It's a rare moment to get Joshua to be still for a photo when there's a football field to play on. (Only being in Taylor's arms could've pulled him away from playing) And it was almost as difficult to pull Tay free from all the congratulators to capture this moment. :) So I haven't blogged much lately about my big boy. That's certainly not because there's not lots going on with him... It's just that I worry about coming across a little TOO proud... ya know? :) He's now 6'7" and 303 lbs - a force to be reckoned with!

Here he is standing with his quarterback (#19). I can't tell you how much I love that Taylor not only really likes this guy... he is his faithful protector on the field. Nobody is going to sack our QB without a fight from Tay. He is like a soldier, always on guard, fighting to protect his fellow soldier.

Another shot of my "little" boy. :) I am so proud of the man that Taylor is. I LOVE that he loves his baby brothers... I love that he cares so deeply for his little sisters. I am so grateful that he's so respectful to me. I get weepy thinking about how much he loves his Daddy... I haven't even mentioned his tenderness towards his grandparents, aunts and uncles, and his cousins. He is a faithful friend. A hardworker. A defender of the weak. He is passionate and driven. He knows when to get serious and push through... and he knows how to throw his head back and laugh loud and hard. :) He handles pressure with massive amounts of grace and dignity. He has high goals and dreams and is full of faith that God will see him through to those dreams. I am asking God for favor and abundant blessing on Tay... and loving watching God answer that prayer. I am sooo proud of the man he is. But can I just say for a second - I'm darn proud of the football player he is?! I'm so proud to wear a jersey every Friday night with his name and number on it... declaring to anyone and everyone that will listen - "THAT'S MY BOY!" :)