Today is the last day you'll ever be....

On the eve of your birthday, you can always expect a call around 7pm (that's Carla's bed time). When you pick up the phone and say "hello" you are sure to hear a sweet voice saying;
"Tonight is the last night you will be X years old."
Yes, its Carla, just calling to remind you how precious life is and celebrate, with you, the last night of being that age in your life. That call always reminds me that every moment should be cherished and that I should stop, turn around, look back on my life and honor my growth. That call always makes me feel so loved, its bringing tears to my eye just writing about it.
Carla is one of the most amazing women I know. I've learned a lot from her and obviously, so has my husband :) She birthed and raised my Husband to be a very kind, gentle, good strong man. She has taught me about grace and supported/pushed me in focusing on accomplishing my dreams (as she has all her kids). She is an amazing grandparent even though our children love to make 6:30am secret phone calls. She gives them all the love in the world.
Her birthday was January 20th, and our family all gathered together to honor her... and PARTY!!
To celebrate her life/birthday, I wanted to have a beautiful portrait of her for my grandchildren and the fallowing generations to have. One that I felt embodied her beauty, grace, kindness and strength.
This is the one I chose:

Who better to take it than my best friend, Anna Harris. Anna came over the night of Carla's party and got some great pictures:) Here are some fun pictures of the rest of the night!

 Mom, Daughter and a Baby

 Mom and Daughters

 Best Aunty and Beloved Niece

 Mother and Aunty

Carla and her Little Ladies

 Travis serenading us.

 Our Family

TTFN: Ta ta for now!

Sunday At The River

 Mt. Pisgah Arboretum is our go to spot for family fun. Its a beautiful place with large oak trees (Eric's favorite tree), camas flower savannas, a mellow river, a crick and trails to boot. Here are some pictures of past summer visits.

Mothers Day 2009 (Elijah is not born yet)

 

Spring 2010 

Beloved Friends

Summer 2010 (Baillie was at Aunty Kathy's)

 Emma and Daddy in the River

 The year Emma broke her arm. Sad, but cute in her cast!

Winter 2012 (Sunday at the River)

 "Don't throw rocks at your sister Elijah!!!"

 We had some flooding recently here in Lane County. I really liked what it did to the shore of the river. So I tried my hand at nature photography... Its a work in progress ;)

 Water Nymph w/ a pink Costco jacket.... hmmm?

We love being outside together as a family. We packed a lunch and had a great time skipping rocks and hiking around the river. This got our mind buzzing with ideas for our summer camping trips! We're SO excited for summer and its not even spring! 

We feel so luck to live in a place with so much natural beauty around us and that we can share it with our children. Eric and I hope the kids will grow thankful for the beauty God has blessed us with and a deep love for the Earth and all God's creatures.

Until next time!

XOXO ~The Robinsons Jr.

Ethan and Christine's Engagement Party

Our very close family friend, Ethan Holub gave us reason to celebrate when he announced his engagement to the wonderful Miss Christine Bourke. Here are some pictures of the festivities.  Congratulations you two!
Click on a photo to go to the gallery :)