Sam, Ben and Elizabeth's Valentine's Session | Social Circle, Ga.

I was back in the new studio yesterday with my sweet little friends, Sam, Ben and their sister, Elizabeth! I love these babies and their family so much and it is always fun to get to see them all together!

Can you believe that in my 12 years as a photographer, I have never hosted Valentine’s sessions?! I have always wanted to but I never have. This year I decided to just make it happen! So glad I did because this is seriously the sweetest! Elizebeth totally ran the show over here and gave us some pretty cute poses too! We even did a milk bath session for her and she rocked it!!

We started a Podcast! | Thrive Around the Table Ep. 1

We started a podcast! As many of you know for the past 3 (almost 4) years, I have been a part of an incredible ministry called Thrive. It’s a women’s ministry that gather’s once a month to share the love of Jesus to those in our community. You do not have to attend our church to join in. In fact, you don’t have to go to any church to come! You just show up as you are! I’ve seen women show up with friends on either arm and I’ve seen women show up alone and leave with new friend’s phone numbers! It’s been an incredible journey to witness for others and an incredible journey for me personally!

This season of Thrive does look a little different. We are gathering every other month instead of every month. Also, God put it on the heart of Katelyn, one of our Thrive leaders and my good friend, to start sharing a round table discussion on pressing issues that we all face as we learn how to live in COMMUNITY! Episode One is below! The subject of community has come up at almost every single Thrive event for the past FOUR years! In fact our mission statement is straight from scripture:

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. - Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

So, what does it look like to thrive around the table? It’s messy. I mean sometimes it can be pretty but for the most part it’s messy. There is laughter and there are tears. There is overwhelm that is shared by some and there is joy and celebration when the overwhelm is OVERCOME together! No burden is felt alone and they are carried by all.

How do you find a table to Thrive around? I’d say the very best way to find a table is to invite people around your OWN table and start there. Sound intimidating??? Don’t let your head get in the way of what your soul needs! You NEED a table to belong to and scripture tells us this! Start with inviting over your neighbor, or a friend you have met at work or the friend you chatted with at the playground while your kids played. Please, please, please do not wait for the invitation to come from someone else. While, okay yes, there is a chance that could happen for you - Do not wait for it! It should truly be a priority and not looked at as a treat.

When is the next Thrive gathering? Our next Thrive gathering is Friendsgiving!! It’s one of my most favorite of the season! We will meet on Tuesday, November 15th, 2022 at 6:30pm. Please come. Even if you come alone. It’s an opportunity to show up and to create a friendship that you might not have anywhere else. It’s an opportunity to hear the Word of God and to spend time in worship and praise alongside your sisters.

The Challenge: Please don’t wait for someone to invite you over for a cup of coffee. Be the one. Even if it’s not your nature or personality to extend an invitation. We are giving you a table that you can show up to. It’s time to take the opportunity that the Lord has placed in front of you and use it for His glory by showing up and opening up the part of you that you have shut down for so long.

Now go listen to our very first podcast episode!

The Robbins Halloween | October 2022

Our sweet, sweet babies! I can’t even handle how much I love them and how much I LOVE being their mother! I love how each of them loves the Lord. I love how they (mostly) love each other (sibling rivalry yo’!). I love how thoughtful they are when it comes to making decisions: Watching them pick out their costumes and discussing pros and cons: Is this costume appropriate? Will I be too hot or too cold?

Olivia found the most beautiful medieval princess costume. It was so perfect for her! While we were trick-or-treating she kept asking for her chariot to come and pick her up. Her legs were tired! She then asked for an Uber!

Rocco was a member of the SWAT team. I love all his poses and actions during his photo shoot! What a ham!! He even tried to scale the wall to “catch the bad guys”!

RyAnne and her friend Magan decided to dress as hippies. Some quotes from her while she was in her hippie outfit, “Nature is my favorite color.” “Let’s go sit on the side of the road in our peace van, sip some tea and play the bongos.” Where do my kids get this stuff from?!

I love how their brains WORK! It’s fascinating to observe.

Our homeschool lesson on Halloween, Monday, October 31, 2022, was all Halloween themed. We first watched a video on the history of Halloween and this lead us to some very cool discussions! Their biggest concern and question: Is this pleasing to God?! From there we discussed plants that we harvest and learned the difference between a vegetable and a fruit. We dissected a pumpkin, harvested the seeds and roasted them and ate them too! And, then we carved out the pumpkin and gave it a sweet face to greet our trick-or-treaters!

I am SO not that mom that makes messes with my kids. Eek! I’m so not in to gooey stuff, doughy stuff, painty stuff. My kids beg me all the time to do fun projects that include all this. . .stuff. I finally caved and got a carving kit and let the kids pick out ONE pumpkin. I can only handle so much gooey at a time. ;) They had the best time!

To back track a smidge. . .the Saturday before Halloween we went to the Friendship Festival. It’s my absolute fave festival! We go for the food and friends! We found my great niece there, HattieMae, along with her momma and daddy, Jason and Shanna. Isn’t she the cutest?

Also, because I couldn’t resist documenting it, I have included our Halloween decor! It was so much fun decorating our new home for the first time! And, now, bring on Christmas!!!!

The Robbins Mini Fall Festival 2022 | Social Circle, Ga.

On Saturday, I asked Trey, my husband, if he would mind if I hosted a Mini Fall Festival in our backyard the upcoming week. . .and, he said he didn’t mind! So by Tuesday, we were in full planning mode and by Friday we were in our backyard having a blast with loads of our friends and their sweet children!

I am so very proud of our babes for all of their help with making our backyard magical for our friends! RyAnne prepared caramel apple dip and pumpkin spice cream cheese iced cookies. Rocco and RyAnne made sure we had plenty of firewood and Olivia and Rocco cleaned up the backyard. RyAnne helped me design and set up the photo booth. She did get pretty stressed when she realized how long her treats were taking to finish. Although everything was done well before everyone arrived, she was in a tizzy. Deep breaths, a little pep talk and after she finished making her last dish, finished loading the dish washer and cleaning up the countertops, she turned and asked me, “Momma, how would you like the house straightened up before everyone arrives?” Oh my sweet baby girl!!! The teamwork I got to see our babes put forth the day of our festival - they served their family and friends really well!

All week long the kids have been telling Trey and I how excited they were for our fall festival. And I have been too! Since I was a little girl I have dreamed of filling our home/backyard with dear friends and enjoying all things fall!

My friend, Jessica, came over and helped me set up tables and decor while our kids played in the yard. And, my friend Carmen, brought over all the yard games. God painted the trees with shades of yellow and orange and gave us the most glorious fall weather! It was such perfection and yet so simple too.

So, the thing I was the most excited about, was the donuts on a rope! I was seriously so excited for our littles to get to play this! They all loved it and it was so adorable to see their littles faces when they realized just how funny it was! Some of them were literally running circles around their donut while trying to take a bite. This got them giggling!!

Putting on a Mini Fall Festival may seem like a duanting task. But, don’t let the name of the event fool you! This was a beautiful group effort! I served hot dogs, apple cider and made a s’mores tray. We built a fire and asked all our friends to bring a side dish. We borrowed yard games and asked friends to help us. We got our children involved. Several of our friends stayed after the event was over and helped us clean up the yard and bring in dishes. We didn’t do any of this on our own. That is what made this so special!

In Genesis 2:18, it reads, “The Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone...” God created us to live in community. And, Jesus showed us how! He shows us in Luke how when we widen the invitation, the house will be full!! My backyard was FULL and so is my heart!!

Y’all friendship hasn’t always come easy for me. I’ve always looked at the ladies that have known each other since middle school and are now grown with children, still doing life together and thought, “I want that SO bad!” I’ve always thought I wouldn’t get to experience that because I moved too much when I was young, never staying in one place long enough to have those types of friendships and that it was too late for me to get to establish that in my life now that I’m in my late 30’s. That is a LIE.

It was a lie I told myself and it may be a lie that you have told yourself too. It’s not too late! But, also, let me just warn you. . .it’s work. Friendship is work. Beautiful work - but still, it’s a team effort that not one person can do on their own. You will have to make sacrifices and you will have to go out of your way even at the most inconvenient times. This is what Jesus did over and over with His never ending, never giving up love He has for us.

The Lord has truly answered my prayers! He had a greater plan for me than I did. He is showing me what it means to live in community. To allow others to show up for me in my times of need and to do the same for them in their times of need.

Before we went to bed, I asked Olivia what her favorite part of the Mini Fall Festival was, with a huge smile on her face she replied, “Having all my friends over and the campfire!” It’s like my sweet girl has read all the books I’ve been reading!! Find Your People and Get Out of Your Head by Jenny Allen or Just Open the Door by Jen Schmidt, or the video study Table Talks with Bianca Olthoff!

So, is this a new tradition? Should I go ahead and put The Robbins Mini Fall Festival on the books for next year??? I’m down if you are Mr. Robbins! ;)

P.S. Check out that last photo of my sweet Rocco Koi trying to chomp his donut!!! He cracks me up!!!

The Robbins Easter | Social Circle, Ga.

I couldn’t help but use the photo above for the cover! lol I mean life can’t always be so serious, right?! What a happy day Easter was! We started our morning off with a naked Rocco. . .In the mornings he hops out of his bed and gets in bed with us. He woke me up to tell me he needed help going potty. I helped him with his jammies and sent him on his way to the restroom. I went to the kitchen to make coffee WITH my fave almond milk creamer. EVERY single store I go to has been out. I mentioned this to my neighbor and she spots one, grabs it for me and makes my morning super fabulous!! I need caffeine y’all! Anywho, while I’m making a cup of coffee, I see Rocco standing on a step ladder her moved over to the fireplace so he could take a peek at his easter basket. I grabbed my camera and started snapping away. I then noticed Rocco never put his undies back on!! All of my original photos of him seeing his basket for the first time were of him naked. Oh my goodness, life with a boy!!! I ran and got his clothes and had him “rediscover” his basket! As you can see by his face in the next photo, he didn’t love this!

Our next stop was the early service at Church at the Grove. My amazing Thrive aesthetics team came together and decorated for Easter service. I found this beautiful wisteria on Amazon! It wasn’t very expensive and made such a fabulous impact!! It looks super cool in the auditorium with the stage lights! While we were walking into the foyer at church our sweet friends, the Bergman’s, surprised us!! It was so great getting to worship with them and here God’s message together on this special day!

Just before lunch, Karli, my niece, and I spoke to our family about how Jesus was a servant up until He died. He washed His disciples feet the day before His death, He prayed for the men beating Him before His crucifixion and prayed with the men hanging on the crosses beside Him. He NEVER stopped serving. We then wrote a prayer for someone else on a butterfly cutout and taped it above our fireplace in the dining room. No photos of this. It was such a beautiful moment with our family! When I walked into the dining room this morning and saw all those butterflies filled with their prayers, it made my heart so happy to pray over each prayer request! We started this earlier this week with our children. Before they would go to school we would ask them to write a prayer for someone else. We are working on teaching them how to have a relationship with Jesus. :) They have been so receptive and it’s been so beautiful hearing them talk to Jesus!

We were so thankful for such beautiful weather. Trey and I had just finished our outdoor table the day before and couldn’t wait to have a meal together around it! Do you notice that plume of smoke behind everyone at the table??? There was a fire at an abandoned mill building just behind our house. That was a little nerve wracking - it was very close! As far as we know, no one was hurt.

All the babies had so much fun gathering up eggs and then I asked RyAnne to take a few photos of her daddy and I. I love these folks so much!! I’m so thankful that we were able to spend almost every meal together yesterday!

I hope that you had a wonderful Easter with your family in remembrance of our Savior!!