ROCCO TURNS FOUR | TIFTON, GA

Our sweet baby boy, Rocco Koi, is FOUR!!! Why is time flying by so fast??? This boy sure does keep us on our toes! A few days ago, I was sitting at our neightbor’s kitchen table and just happened to glance out of her window into my driveway, only to see Rocco walking by in his underwear! OMG! We live on a very busy road and we don’t let him go outside by himself. Also, we don’t want him outside in his underwear!! I bolted out of her house, ran across the street and scooped him up. “Rocco, why are you outside without us???” “I wanted you, momma.” And, my heart melted! He has no fear! He will do whatever it takes to find Trey or me. (P.S. He wasn’t home alone!! Trey was home but didn’t hear him open the door.) He also jumps off of EVERY. SURFACE. CONSTANTLY. I’m guessing this is a boy thing because neither of our girls did this. lol Also, before he jumps off, he will stand tall on whatever surface he’s on and say, “Hey momma, picture me!”

Currently his favorite saying is, “by ga’ way”. He will say things like, “That is my car, by ga’ way.” Or, “I love you, by ga’ way!” It’s so cute how he will add that to his sentences. His independence is growing and this makes me sad because my sweet baby boy doesn’t want me to hold him and love on him as much. He literally pushes me away and will say, “Okay, gat’s enough.” It makes me laugh and want to cry all at the same time!

Our night time routine has been the same since he was born and he still loves it! Every night I cradle that big boy in my arms and sing The Blessing followed by You Are My Sunshine. If I don’t, he will ask me to sing to him. He now knows all the words and sings with me.

While we were traveling, we celebrated his birthday in Tifton, Ga. on Tuesday, June 29th. We went to a bakery, Mi-Lady Bakery, and picked up some sweet treats and then headed to a coffee shop, Expresso 41, to celebrate and have lunch! We all got their famous burger, which was seriously the absolute BEST burgers we have ever eaten and also had to get a coffee - best coffee too!!! After we all feasted and enjoyed, we got out the treats and sang happy birthday to our fave boy! The coffee shop barista heard us singing to him and brought him a fun iced hot chocolate! We hung out at the coffee shop for two hours enjoying having a “living room” and then did some site-seeing in downtown Tifton. It’s such a beautiful town!

After that we headed back home and the girl’s gave Rocco the gifts they found him at The Zone Collectables & More, a vintage toy store. We didn’t have any wrapping paper, so the girl’s asked Rocco to close his eyes and then they would place their gift on the table in front of him and ask him to open his eyes. He peeked MANY times because he was just too excited and giggled like crazy. So cute!! The girl’s got him vintage MatchBox Cars - you know, the kind you aren’t supposed to removed from their original packaging! That didn’t last, nor were we about to explain that to him. He ripped open those packages so fast and immediately drove his new cars all over the table. He loved them!! They also got him baseball trading cards from 1987. He ripped them open and the girls started reading out the names of the players to him. In each pack of cards there was a piece of chewing gum. . . from 1987!!! Of course the kids all had to try it. EWWW! It was a powdery mess that got spit out pretty quickly but, hey, they had to try it!!

The first couple of photos of Rocco and I are from the night before he turned four. I wanted to squeeze our three year old baby boy and hold on to this moment forever. We love you so much Rocco Koi!!

Happy Father's Day!!!

Happy Father’s Day Mr. Robbins!

This morning I woke up early to make him his fave breakfast - corned beef hash! We were still at the beach in Ft. Myers, Fl but it’s a travel day for us. I was so upset when I realized I booked our trip this way. I didn’t want him to have to travel which includes, packing up our home and then driving to our next stop. But, he didn’t mind because that’s how awesome he is!

While breakfast was on the griddle finishing up the kids set up their gifts they all got him on our picnic table and had him come out to see them all! As he read their cards, I could see him tearing up. Oh, I love this man so much and I really love the way he loves our babies!!

Each of our babies put so much thought and creative efforts into their daddy’s gifts. Olivia and RyAnne were SO excited to give their daddy his gifts. Rocco was too but he is still young and doesn’t quite understand yet. But, our girls, they get it, and were so stoked! I loved their excitement to celebrate him and make him the perfect gifts. Makes my heart so happy!!

Trey, you are the absolute best daddy there is! God blessed us with you and we get to experience your loving heart everyday! I love how silly you are with our babes! I think you totally shock them with how funny you are - we all love this about you!! Thank you for going on this insane parenting-journey with me! I love you so much and even though we are traveling, I sure hope today was a special day for you!!

In loving memory of my Lulu girl

“You my sweet girl, Lulu? I love you, baby.” This is what she went to bed to and woke up to hearing me say, in her ear, every single day and night. I was her support human and she was my support dog. We needed each other. 

It’s been a hard week watching her decline so quickly but I’m so thankful for this time that we have had to just take it slow and take each other in. I know she has felt so loved and as comfortable as I can make her. Lots of blankets and a heating pad. She loves to be hot - just like me. We even took a nap together on Tuesday. I have prayed over her and sang to her many times, over and over.

In a matter of just two days she declined so quickly but fought hard for three days. Her kidneys were no longer functioning and on Wednesday, April 28th, 2021 she met her Creator and found rest! After 15 years on this earth, most of that time spent in my arms, she is home.

God lead me to the passage in Genesis where He gave us humans authority over the animals on the land, the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky. He wants us to respect His creations. I believe we upheld this by the way we respected and cared for her. This has brought me so much peace. And, when I start to hyperventilate-cry, I remind myself of the suffering she was enduring here on earth and start to praise God she is with Him, no longer in pain. 

I will miss our morning routine: walking into the pantry to make my coffee and seeing her big, round, glossy eyes peering out from under her covers at me and then she would breath hard and make her silly sounds. Coming home and hearing her tiny toe nails tapping on the hardwood floors as fast as they can get her to me and with her little tail wagging! Her stare! Oh man, if you ever asked her if she wanted a bath, she would give you the death stare and only, slightly look at you, as if, “I know you’re talking to me but if I don’t totally look at you this conversation doesn’t really exist!!” Her intense sneezes that would knock her head into the floor. We would giggle and feel bad for her all at the same time. Those big ol’ precious bat ears! Her super soft fur. Her crooked smile and snaggle teeth that would pop out one side of her mouth. I loved how she always wanted me to hold her.

My spunky, sweet, Lulu, my tiny best friend, I miss your nose kisses, puppy breath and warm noggin (where I kissed you) so much. 

RyAnne, I love you | Social Circle, Ga.

It’s becoming more and more rare that this girl allows me to take her photo. This particular day I didn’t ask! lol Plus, I was paying her to be my assistant for my spring mini sessions and needed to test my settings. She was the target! And, a very pretty one!! She is so gorgeous!

I posted her birthday party photographs over the weekend. She just turned eleven and I’m still pretty much in shock. However, the eleven year old attitude and all the back-talk feel VERY REAL right about now. Her and I must be a lot alike because we butt heads. Eek! Here lately it’s become more frequently that we disagree or argue. It mostly has to do with the back-talk that I receive from her. How do I make this STOP??? I could really use some advice and your prayers. I love her so much and desperately want to have a beautiful relationship with her. I understand the relationship may not happen until later in life but, cultivating the foundation for it is so important to me, for us!

I’m determined to gain her respect and to learn to respect her too. She is growing up so fast and I don’t want to miss an opportunity with her!

Happy ELEVENTH Birthday RyAnne!!! | Social Circle, Ga.

Yesterday, we had RyAnne’s friends over to celebrate her ELEVENTH birthday!!!

Once all of her guests arrived, RyAnne requested to do presents first! She loved all her gifts! Trey and I allowed her to open our gifts to her as soon as she woke up that morning. She got five pair of blue light glasses and she let her friends all borrow a pair. After the nacho bar, we all headed into the Escape Room of Rosie McGowan.

I’ve hated this room of our house. lol Well, the room itself is pretty great but all that stuff!!! Ugh! So, it’s pretty funny that it ended up being one of the main focuses of her party!! This room is filled with boxes that we haven’t opened yet. So, for the story line I just incorporated it and made it work!

Once all the girls got into the Escape Room, I had Trey stand by the door and told him ahead of time to slam the door and lock it once I got to the good part! The story went like this. . .

Welcome to the front room of Mrs. Rosie McGowan’s home. She was a really old lady and didn’t have a great memory. She sent RyAnne an invitation two days ago to come over because she had a gift for her. RyAnne knocked on her door but, no one answered. She knocked louder and she never came to the door. RyAnne knew Mrs. Rosie very well so she felt comfortable letting herself in to her home. As she opened the door she said, “Mrs. Rosie? Are you home?? Mrs. Rosie?!?” She never answered so RyAnne made her way through the house. She noticed the front room door was opened. She walked through the door into the room and before she knew it the door slammed shut and she heard the lock spin over! She ran to the door but there was no knob. She remembered Mrs. Rosie mentioning to her that her memory wasn’t good and that she was always afraid she would get stuck in that room. So, she decided to hide two keys, the code to the door and four clues in that room - just in case!! Now it was up to RyAnne and her friends to find the clues or find the keys to get themselves out in 60 minutes or less!!!

Well, these girls impressed us and made their way out in 24 minutes!!! Well, sorta impressed us. RyAnne found the key within the first ten minutes of being in the escape room. HOWEVER, she didn’t put the key in the lock all the way and couldn’t get it to work. OMG! Trey and I were in the room with them and allowed them to figure out most of this stuff on their own. We didn’t want to intervene too much but just to encourage them and keep them focused. They figured out the numbers to the code from the clues but needed to figure out the order. We would have them do challenges for clues. One of the challenges was for RyAnne to do one really good push up. She did it!!! For that, we gave her a hint at the first number in the four digit code.

I gave them note cards and pencils so they could write down the different variations they came up with so they weren’t doing the same ones over again. RyAnne put the numbers together and ran to the door and BAM the lock spun over and her and her friends ran out!! They escaped!!! The prize was homemade, Oreo ice cream cake (It was SO good!!) and the Happy Birthday song!

Happy, happy birthday RyAnne!!! We love you so much!!