Brandon finishes the bike and off on the run in his first triathlon this season in Lubbock. He placed third in his age group!
It is going by all too fast! The kids are growing up minute by minute, Brandon is off racing or at least training every spare second he has, and I, well, I just try to keep everything running smoothly! More to come~tiffani
I had to back track a bit to few happening before the big snow. February flew by with so many things going on. I turned 30--not excited but it happens to all of us! My sweet husband threw me a party including literally 30 of my closest friends and family with the help of my best friend--too fun! The weather was pretty great--nice enough to go to the zoo after school and not blow away. The gym had a Pirate themed Pool party that confirmed my kids love of the water! We had a nice quiet Valentine's evening at home with the kids--we went to dinner the night before without them--because I was getting over the fun flu, only to catch strep the next week. Landon enjoyed his Valentine's party at school, especially since all of us were there. And we finally got Gracie to change her pretty earrings! Aunt Whitney and Uncle Ross gave her some really pretty cross earrings and a matching necklace for Christmas, but she was scared to change them out. Even though we are in our pjs, we had to take a picture--thanks Ross and Whitney, we love you and miss you bunches--you are my motivation for continuing this blogging thing--along with the rest of our family and friends if anyone still reads it! Winter's over and Spring has sprung, and the wind will not stop. Stay tuned--baseball, easter bunnies, and elephants to come!
Check back for a few pictures of our recent blizzard--brr, it was cold yesterday!
The snow came just as fast as it melted! At 7pm, Thursday night when our schools got cancelled it was 70 degrees! I wondered then if we were really going to get the snow they expected us to get. We did, but it was so cold and the wind was blowing so hard the kids could not play in it! Brandon went to work as usual and the kids and I stayed home. We played games, watched movies, and took a nap--the perfect snow day minus the playing in it--it was just too windy!! Most of their friends played in it Saturday morning before it all melted away, but not my poor kids. We got up and got ready for a wedding in Lubbock that we had to go to. The roads were clear and off we went, by the time we returned the snow was no more!
Christmas this year was very different for our families. The kids did their typical pre-Christmas stuff, like decorating Gingerbread houses with Bo, seeing Santa at Santa Brunch, Christmas programs and parties, all in one month--busy, busy! Though this year, not only were we not at home for Christmas, our family was not all together for Christmas. Whitney, Brandon's sister, and her husband Ross, moved to Turkey, the country Turkey, last fall for a grand adventure and a job, too, so we were not together this year. Instead of spending the holidays at home, the Robertson side spent a long weekend at the cabin for Christmas. Brandon and I and the kids stayed home for Thanksgiving and had an early Christmas, the day after Gracie's birthday, with my family. The next day, we loaded up all the Christmas stuff and headed to Angel Fire. It was a storybook Christmas complete with snow, skiing, sledding, food, and yes, Santa found us there, too! Though it is the end of March, I promised Whitney that I would be updating my blog with all the pictures, so here goes. Sorry that it took so long. Also, check back ever so often for more.
I love planning my kids' birthday parties. Landon's birthday is close to Halloween so the last two years we have done a Halloween themed party. Last year when he turned 5 we had a costume party complete with dry ice in the punch, decorating pumpkins and mummy wrapping games. This year we headed out to Maxwell's Pumpkin Farm to wonder through the corn maze, ride the cow train, slide down the giant mountain slide, and so much more. The kids--and a few dads--all had a blast! I made a wonderful pumpkin cake that turned out great--I even impressed myself! Upon the birthday boy's request, I made him a birthday balloon! I used to make them for his friends and they have a great time popping the balloon to find what's inside. The place I used to buy the balloons at has closed, and the new party place across the street has bad balloons. I cannot get the balloon stuffed without it popping on me while I stuff it, so my son probably got the last one I will ever make, unless Gracie can convince me otherwise or I find another place to buy balloons.
A special thanks to Aunt Whitney (Wene) for taking all the wonderful pictures of Landon's party!
Landon,
Wow have you grown up this year! It seems like yesterday you were crawling around getting it to trouble and now you are running around but still getting into your share of trouble. You started kindergarten this year, you love playing sports, and hanging out with your friends. Most of all, you love watching Texas Tech with your dad--you really lived it up this football season! Dad and I love you and as Dad has told me several times, "You are a pretty cool kid!" Before we can blink twice you will be off on your own, and I will be remembering your loud drums banging up stairs and the pirates "Going Band from Raiderland" Costume or whatever other costume you found to wear as you ran through the house. Praying for you always~Mom
Now for Miss Gracie's 3rd Birthday Party. Her birthday is just a few days before Christmas so she typically just has a family party on her real birthday, then we have another friend party after the first of the year! She has been really into Tinkerbell this year--she was even Tinkerbell for Halloween, which I made a great costume--so her family party was all about Tinkerbell. However, her friend birthday party will be a Fancy Nancy birthday party, including a special guest to entertain us all. I am waiting until it gets a little warmer to have a fancy little picnic tea party for a few of her friends. I made special cupcakes with huge icing flowers on top. I even found a cute little Tinkerbell doll, the perfect size to stick in Gracie's cupcake. The sugar cookies had "3" on them and after a family dinner featuring Bo's special spaghetti--requested by the birthday girl--and opening presents, Gracie blew out the candles and enjoyed her cupcake.
I took the pictures so they are not as grand as Aunt Whitney's but it works!
Miss Gracie,
You have grown up too! Carrying around all your "stisters" and lip gloss! I feel like you almost skipped being a baby and are all grown up now in the blink of an eye. You sure can tell a wild story, and at times, that temper of yours takes over the sweet girl inside. We deal with it and that precious girl returns. You love your big brother and he loves you, even though he is just figuring out how to push your buttons. Daddy and I love you more and more each day. I know you can not stay little forever, but when you are up and gone one day all too soon, I will always long for the days when you pranced around the house in your high-heal dress-up shoes, or cuddled with me on the couch to watch morning cartoons. Praying for you always~Mom
Happy Birthday kids, I love you both more than you will ever know! Mommy
Wow! What a game, what a season! I have been a Red Raider Fan since I met Brandon in 1996. We travelled to Lubbock several times each season to watch football and basketball games while we were at ACU in 1997 and 1998. Then after three semesters at ACU, Christmas break we packed up our dorms and permanently moved to Lubbock for 4 and a half years. Since graduation, we have only missed a few Tech home football games and Brandon wishes that number was none. I even made a road game this season--Tech v. Nevada game. Brandon went to the A&M and OU games, too. Then, both of our families made the trip to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl. My Aunt and Uncle from Baton Rouge even joined us for the Raider Power fun, wore Red and Black, and Got Their Guns Up! The game was not great and our biggest fan (Brandon) got the stomach bug at the game--but we were making memories and the kids had a blast.
Landon lived it up this season. Brandon took him to an ESPN College Gameday taping when they came to Tech for the Texas game and as you can see in the video above, they dared the field after the win against Texas. He met several reporters, players and even took home a pair of Player's gloves. Yes, the reports are right, I did cry after this exciting game. The emotions still get to me. This was a season that any Tech fan dreamed of and even though it could have been better--the Robertsons had a blast! Thanks Coach Leach and all the Red Raider Football players, staff and coaches for an incredible season.
Brandon and I just spent the last 12 days travelling with his parents around Nevada and California. His sister came up to keep the kids--thanks a million, Whit! Twelve days is a long time to be away, especially from the kids. Mike and Becky gave us this trip for Christmas last year.
We left Friday morning flying into Reno for the Nevada v. Texas Tech football game on Saturday. It was HOT! I have been to both Austin and College Station for Tech games and this was definitely comparable. Before the game Saturday morning, Brandon and Mike rode their bikes from Reno to a little historical town, Virginia City, NV, where the western show, Bonanza was filmed years ago. Becky and I hung out at the hotel, worked out in the fitness center, and ate breakfast while the guys were gone. We did the Tech game, not a great game but it was interesting. We headed to San Franscisco via a trip through Napa Valley for lunch and a wine tasting. I could have spent the whole day or maybe two there. They had little shops including a few antique stores, neat restaurants and the fields of grapes were beautiful. San Franscisco was a busy town. We spent Sunday night through Thursday morning at the beautiful Park 55 Hotel in downtown seeing it all on foot. We went through Union Square, Chinatown, Little Italy, Fisherman's Wharf, Golden Gate Bridge and Park, Market Street, rode a Trolly car, Peir 29 and Alcatraz--anything and just about everything San Francisco has to offer, we saw. We bought the kids all kinds of souveniers. The weather was cool but comfortable most of the time; I enjoyed seeing someplace I had never been before. Thursday morning, we headed back to Reno to pick up Mike and Brandon's bicycles before the MS 150 ride Saturday morning. We spent the rest of the weekend at the Northstar Resort near Lake Tahoe. Mike and Brandon rode the bike ride Saturday and Sunday, then we headed to Virginia City, NV to sightsee. It was a neat town with plenty to do and see in a day, too bad we only had a few hours. We packed up and headed back Tuesday afternoon, so ready to see our kids!
This slide show took several tries and though it does not have the Tech v. Nevada game pics--enjoy, we did!
Landon at Game Day
Gracie and Cinderella
Brandon finishes the bike and off on the run in his first triathlon this season in Lubbock. He placed third in his age group!
