DeuceBeanLiliBugFessZooSmidgeLee

2010-07-31T05:29:00.020-05:00

Hello everyone! Here are more of the pictures from our trip to Israel in April!

This is the "Jesus Boat". It is a fisherman's boat found in the Sea of Galilee when the water level went way down. It is from the time of the disciples! Peter's maybe?!

This picture is taken in front of the "Gideon Spring", the place where Gideon had his army drink water to decide who should stay and who should go!

These are the ruins that were found of the ancient city of Beth Shean.

Pastor Bill standing between some pillars on the main Promenade of the city.

Standing on top of Mount Scopus to get our first view of the city of Jerusalem! It was amazing to actually be standing there!

We arrived in Jerusalem on Friday night, which is the Sabbath, or Shabat. These are the Shabat elevators. They went continuously up and down, stopping at each floor so that the Orthodox Jews would not have to push the buttons. We were told to make sure to avoid these and we made it until the last hour of the next day before one of us made the mistake of trying to push a button and it began to sound an alarm! We jumped out of it and into a regular one and made our get away! I'm sure we were caught on camera somewhere, though! :)

My first ever camel ride! It was weird and fun! :)

From the top of the Mount of Olives, making our way down into the Old City.

Stopping for a quick picture on the way!

Continuing our descent into the Old City by a path that may have been the one that Jesus took when He rode the donkey into the city with crowds shouting Hosanna!

The Eastern Gates, or Beautiful Gates. These are the gates that Jesus will walk through into the city at His second coming! The Muslims sealed them, thinking that would keep Messiah out! HA! :)

The Garden of Gethsemane.

A 3000 year old olive tree in the Garden of Gethsemane. This would have been there when Jesus was there and also at the time of Solomon!

Our guide says that these were most likely the type of thorns that were used to make the crown of thorns that Jesus was forced to wear. Quite a bit more vicious looking than you imagined, right?

Our guide also told us of the custom of putting prisoners in solitary confinement by lowering them by ropes into a pit through a hole in the floor such as this one. Jesus would have been lowered into one just like this!

Our group waiting for our turn at the next stop on our tour. It was a perfect time to rest! We have Pastor Bob Yandian, Loretta Yandian, Donna Tredway, Glenna Slaight, me, Pastor Bill Novak, Kathryn Benish and Jerry Benish.

The rest of our group! Dr. Paul Stanton, Peggy Woods, Gary Woods, Karen Carmichael, Dr. Don Tredway, Gwen Olin and Pastor Yandian again! It was a great group of people to spend a week with! Thank You, Jesus!

We were able to see a model of the Old City of Jerusalem, including the Temple on the Temple Mount.

A closer view of the Temple!

This is a panel on the outside of what currently takes up space on the Temple Mount. It is on the front of the mosque referred to as the Dome of the Rock. Our guide said that this panel next to the front door represents who resides here! Do YOU see what WE saw? Demonic!

We visited the Temple Institute where they are making the furniture and utensils needed for the rebuilding of the Temple. They have everything made except the Ark of the Covenant! Come quickly Lord Jesus!

Men praying at the main part of the Western Wall!

We were able to go underground at the site of the Western Wall to see these amazing foundation stones from the original Temple Mount. These are huge stones in one piece starting where Dr. Paul is way over to the right and ending...

...where Tony is at the left! Massive!

The beautiful ladies of our tour group! Front right is Dr. Karyl Stanton who was taking the previous picture where I named all of the people!

Our entire group, except for Karyl taking the picture again. On the left is our tour guide, Tony Gafni. We were at the bottom of Masada.

This is the top of Masada.

You can see the areas that the Roman army used to stage the siege.

Pastor Bill standing by an Acacia tree.

Here I am sitting ON the water of the Dead Sea! It was impossible NOT to float!

Pastor Bill floating ON the water of the Dead or Salt Sea!

More of our fun group sitting ON the water!

In the lobby of our hotel in Jerusalem.

Pastor Bill in the lobby taking a knee, just for Kristine and Nick! ;)

The view from my balcony of a neat looking expansion bridge in Jerusalem.

Me on the bus on our way to another interesting place in Jerusalem!

Pastor Bill was sitting on the sun side of the bus!

We had such a fun group to tour with! :)

My roommate, Karen, singing worship to the Lord in one of the churches in Jerusalem. Her voice was beautiful and the echoes were amazing!

Outside of a fine art store on the Cardo in the Old City.

One of the beautiful paintings for sale there!

This was a parade of Jewish young people from all over the world who came to celebrate the Israeli Independence Day!

More of the parade!

And still more!

There were three people beating these drums and then this man blew the Shofar. It was fantastic to experience!

On our way again!

The Place of the Skull!

Waiting our turn to see what is thought to be the empty tomb where they laid the body of Jesus!

The inside of the tomb.

Hallelujah! He is Risen! AMEN!

The outside of the entry to the tomb.

Pastor Bill and I with Pastor Bob Yandian and his wife, Loretta!

A closeup of the Place of the Skull, or Golgotha.

Our last looks at the city of Jerusalem...

...until we return!

We had an amazing and life changing trip! The flight was the very best flight I have ever been on, and it was almost 12 hours in the air from Atlanta. This was AFTER our flight from Minneapolis! Thank You, Jesus! If you are interested in seeing Israel, let me know as soon as possible. We are considering a tour in May 2011, but we need a minimum number of people to be able to go! Would love to take you there!

Have a wonderful rest of your summer!

Shalom in Him,

Robin

2010-07-15T18:37:00.013-05:00

Hello everyone!

Here are some of the pictures I took in Israel. There are so many that I will have to make a couple of posts to get them all in! We had a wonderful trip! We only had 15 people in our group, so we were able to get into places easier and we had more time for in depth questions with our Tour Guide! It was truly a life-changing trip. One that I intend to make again! Here are the first pics:

The first morning in Tel Aviv. We arrived the night before in time for dinner and a walk along the waterfront. Very fun! We were welcomed to Israel by a group of young people singing and dancing!

Ready to go! Let's get this tour started!

The Mediterranean Sea.

Another view of the Sea.

The Joppa Church that marks the supposed spot where Jonah ran to when he was told to go to Nineveh.

Our fantastic Tour Guide, Tony Gafni, and Pastor Bill Novak.

Our wonderful tour group sitting in the remains of Herod's Theater.

The opening on the right is an entryway to the Theater. The one on the left is known as the "Barfatorium". It was for after they stuffed themselves with food and means exactly how it sounds! YUCK!!!

Remains of Herod's winter palace and other ruins from Bible times.

Remains of the Aqueduct that carried water to the rest of Israel.

"Moses" holding up the Aqueduct! :)

Collecting Mediterranean seashells for my grandchildren!

See, they're really pretty!

Mingling with the group on top of Mount Carmel where Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal.

View of the Valley of Megiddo from the top of Mount Carmel.

Another view of the Valley where the Battle of Armageddon will take place!

The very center of the world!

Pastor Bill standing by a statue commemorating Elijah's victory!

A real Manger from Bible times.

Going way, way down to see an ancient cistern.

Morning at our hotel in Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberias).

A view of the hills around the Sea of Galilee.

The Sea of Galilee from the mountaintop spot where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount!

Pastor Bill by our tour bus!

Gwen Olin, Loretta Yandian, Pastor Bob Yandian and Jerry Benish. Some of our new friends from the trip!

An ancient olive press.

An ancient olive crush.

Outside of a rebuilt synagogue from New Testament times.

Pastor Bill outside of the synagogue.

Another look at the synagogue at Capernaum, the hometown of Jesus during His ministry.

Believed to be the ruins of the house of Peter, which was a very short distance from the synagogue in Capernaum.

On a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.

Another view of the hills surrounding the Sea!

View from the Golan Heights, a very strategic spot that Israel NEEDS to keep in their possession!

The Sea of Galilee is 13 miles long and 8 miles wide. The next three pics cover the entire lake.

The middle.

The other end!

Site of the Jordan River baptisms.

Out Baptismal group!

Pastor Bill being "Moses" in the 'Green River"!

I'll try to get the next group of pics up in a few days! Thank you for looking! We are planning a return trip next Spring that we will be leading. If yo uare intersted, let me know as soon as possible!

Have a most-blessed weekend!

Shalom in Him,

Robin

2010-06-15T14:54:00.010-05:00

Hello everyone!

I thought I would post the pics from Bean and Bug's Dance Recital and Smidge's 2nd birthday party and THEN post my Israel pics! Here they are:

Smidge with her hair in tiny ponies!

Bug and Bean helping Smidge with her new bike. She was more interested in her cheese crackers! :)

All set for a bike ride!

Daddy pushed and Bug rode while Grandma and Grandpa walked along.

Nature loving Grandpa walked along. These were some pretty blue wildflowers. The color doesn't quite show up in the pictures, but they were pretty!

Bug would ride ahead and then come back and ride around while we kept pace with Smidge!

She STILL won't let go of her cheese crackers! :)

A seagull flying over the Lake.

There are so many beautiful spots by the Lake!

Another view of the seagull above the trees!

Crabapple blossoms. See the bee?!

Another type of crabapple blossoms!

Bug waiting for us to catch up again! She was very patient!

The cheese crackers bit the dust and became bird food! NOT on purpose! The dandelion is NOT the substitute she was looking for! :)

Lily of the Valley!

Eating a tiny cookie from her Birthday Bag!

Playing with the "Car Keys" toy that we found for her.

"Happy Birthday Smidge"! Bean is helping her get close enough to blow out the candles!

Bug enjoying the DQ cake!

Smidge enjoying the DQ cake!

Do you think she liked it? :)

Smidge patiently waiting for the dancers to start dancing!

More crackers for the birthday girl! She deserved a treat, she was excellent during the long recital!

Bug and Bean in their costumes with roses Daddy bought for them. Bean was helping to sell them before the program.

Bean and Bug let Smidge share a flower and a picture!

Bean with her rose!

Bug with her rose!

Bug and Bean in the backyard.

Bug with her journal that she wants Grandma to write in and bring back!

Sisters in the backyard! Cute! :)

We had a very fun time! Smidge's actual birthday is today, but we couldn't be there, so we celebrated early. I will be spending 3 days with the girls next week while Daddy works and Mommy goes to school. She is studying to become an RN and is working really hard!

The next pictures I post WILL be from our April trip to Israel! There are a LOT of pictures, so I may have to use a few posts to do it. It was a life-changing trip and I plan to go again and take others back to see this truly amazing land! This IS the God-ordained land for the nation of Israel, I don't care what ANYBODY says about it! God's Word is the FINAL AUTHORITY!!! AMEN!

Shalom in Him!

Robin

2010-06-02T17:31:00.011-05:00

Hello everyone!

I thought I would get caught up on the family pictures before I post those from our Israel trip. These are a few early Spring pics, Deuce's Piano Recital, Zoo's birthday and Deuce, Lili and Fess from their Irish Dance Recital.

I made Easter/Spring dresses for all 6 girls. These are the dresses for Bean, Smidge and Bug.

These are for Deuce, Lili and Fess.

Lili, Fess and Deuce modeling for me.

Zoo didn't want to be left out! He posed with Deuce, Fess and Lili.

Here he is by himself! He fell and scraped the skin under his nose. All boy! :)

Fess wanted to have her picture alone by the tree!

The girls thought this would be a cute picture. They were right!

Fess in her new swim suit!

Deuce just chilling on the lawn!

Lili writing a story.

Deuce and Lee. He's her little buddy!

So grown up! This is Deuce getting ready for her Piano Recital.

Pretty freckles, just like Mommy!

The music students of the three sisters that give lessons in piano, violin, viola and flute.

We wanted one of her alone!

And you know who wanted one, too! Such a handsome little man! :)

Zoo's birthday party. He's reading his new Adventure Bible.

Modeling his new shades!

Trying out his big boy bike inside.

Getting a little help from Fess!

Lili in her Jerusalem shirt and Lee wearing his Israeli Defense Forces shirt and new shades!

Fess wearing her new outfit. The top says: Being cute is what I do best!

Trying out the new bike outside now!

Lee with Mommy holding his new easy grip ball.

A close up of Deuce outside.

Now that's a new expression!

There's a smile!

Fess wearing her favorite present from Israel - a hotel shower cap! They were really a hit! :)

Deuce is such a good big sister. She helps Mommy with Lee a lot!

Fess posing with her Jerusalem purse and shower cap!

She likes to pose for the camera. She thought of this pose!

Another one on the swing.

Zoo practicing his casting with his new fishing pole.

Getting a few pointers from Deuce.

And a hug from Fess.

Pretty Lili smiling for me!

Zoo's birthday cake with toy airplanes on it. He's 3!

All the essentials: Shower cap - check: New outfit - check: Fishing pole - check: Winter coat?! That is just not right! It got pretty chilly that evening!

Lili and Fess practicing their casting while wearing the oh-so-fashionable shower caps!

Deuce with her hair done by Mommy for her Dance Recital.

Lili after Mommy fixed her hair.

Fess, Lili and Deuce in their Irish Dance Recital outfits.

Another view. Aren't they pretty! :)

Fess was watching the big girls rehearse. Wearing her pretty pink coat because it was a little chilly in there!

Fess and her class with their teacher, Janelle.

The entire group which included all of the different classes and age groups.

We have had a very busy Spring so far! I went to Israel in April and have pictures to share from that. We will be watching Bean and Bug in their Dance Recital this Sunday and celebrating Smidge's 2nd birthday, too. I will share those pictures before I put the Israel pictures up so that I can stay current with the grandchildren!

I hope you are enjoying the warm weather as much as I am! God is Good - ALL the time! AMEN!

Shalom in Him,

Robin

2010-04-08T10:35:00.007-05:00

Hello everyone! Here are pictures from our two trips to see T.L. and J.A. and the girls! The first trip was for me to spend time with the girls while Grandpa helped them get their house ready to sell. Would anyone like to live 1 1/2 blocks from Lake Superior in a nice small town just 20 minutes from Duluth? The second trip was for Bug's 7th birthday party! We had a really fun day with lunch, shopping, treats and gifts! We made ice cream for dessert and it was GOOD! Here are pics form both trips:

I brought brand new crayons and my coloring books from home. Always a treat to have new crayons! :)

We are coloring in their new eating area in the newly remodeled kitchen. I didn't realize that the little pantry that was there took up so much space!

Even Smidge got in on the coloring!

Bean took pictures of everyone with her Christmas camera!

Bean and I were watching Bug play on her Christmas laptop!

Holding Smidge and playing with Barbies!

This was a first for me! Smidge spent a lot of time on my lap!

Bug trying to figure something out!

Here is Bean playing on Bug's laptop!

Smidge playing peek-a-boo!

Bean playing on the Wii, Bug on her laptop and grandma watching while Daddy did some work!

Shhhh! Don't tell Grandpa's boss, but Bug wanted to eat lunch at Erberts and Gerberts! It wasn't as good as Subway, though! ;)

A second sooner and this would have been a perfect picture!

Now you get to see the newest missing tooth! She's still our lovely brown-eyed girl! :)

Just so you would know that BUG thought the food was fantastic! :)

Smidge in the new dress that Grandma made for her!

There's a smile!

Bug in her new dress!

Bean and Bug modeling their new dresses!

Bean HIDING from the picture

Smidge liked her "eyes"! That's what she called her sun glasses!

Bean helping Bug read her card from us.

Opening presents!

Bean modeling her new "shades"!

Smidge wondered how to put these things on!

We are so blessed to have the 8 healthy, happy grandchildren! I will be traveling to Israel next Monday and coming back on April 21. I KNOW I'll have plenty of pictures to post then! Then the next birthday celebration will be for T and Zoo the end of April! Enjoy the Spring weather, whenever it comes back! :)

Shalom in Him!

Robin

2010-04-01T10:13:00.008-05:00

Hello everyone!

Here are the pictures from Deuce's 9th birthday weekend. We booked a King Suite in a hotel with a swimming pool, water slide, children's pool and children's play area. We had all 5 of the older granddaughters over night for a party. It was very fun again! Here are some pics. We find we don't take as many now that the kids are getting older because they always want us to play instead! FUN! :)

Zoo checking out the kids' water slide!

Smidge getting used to the water.

Zoo and Smidge liked this pool quite a bit!

Bug getting ready to go down the water slide!

Lili waiting her turn to go down the slide!

Deuce and Bean picking each other up under water!

Bean and Deuce at the top of the water slide!

Smidge trying to decide if she wanted to slide or not.

Fess had a great time and even tried the water slide this time!

Smidge finally trying the slide! She did go down the big slide once with daddy, but didn't like it.

Lee taking it all in!

Grandma taking Zoo down the slide!

What Lee REALLY thought about it all! :D

Bean and Zoo enjoying the little water falls.

Deuce REALLY enjoying her birthday! She LOVES spending time with her cousins! ALL of them!

Bean, Fess, Lili and Bug eating apples and snacks while watching a movie!

Deuce, Bean, Fess and Lili! We should have taken one with all of them in it!

Grandpa enjoying his treats and the movie!

The big flat screen TV in our room. They're watching FLIPPER with Elijah Wood and Paul Hogan.

Back at home the next day to open presents!

Deuce was excited to get a new Bible, but more excited to get the tabs to put in so she can find things quicker! Now that's a real student of the Word! :)

Deuce opening her new Life of Faith "Emily" doll while Bean, Lili and Fess watch.

I think that's an excited look! :) We bought it a year ago and kept it for her birthday. She noticed it was gone from the store, but didn't know that WE bought it! :D

Zoo and Bug resting and watching!

We had such a good time that this will probably be a new family tradition! I hope Deuce always wants to do that! It was great fun!

I'll have more pictures in a few days from Bug's 7th birthday party! Enjoy all the great weather we're having!

Shalom in Him,

Robin

2010-02-27T19:15:00.007-06:00

Hello everyone!

Here are the pictures from Fenori's birthday and another visit with the grandchildren:

Here is her favorite: Oreo Blizzard Cake! YUMMY!!! Notice the little hands just waiting for their cake! :)

Fenori holding her cake with Zoo watching her.

Deuce demonstrating her Irish dance moves in time to some great Irish music!

Lili was dancing, too.

Getting ready to start!

Fess getting ready to show her dance steps, too!

Yes, his sisters did this to him! But he LOVES to dance with them!

Lee is getting so big!

And he chews on everything! Teeth must be coming soon!

Who could resist that smile? :)

Or this one, either?!

Zoo playing with his train set.

Lili having fun, too!

What a comfy place for Fess to sit!

Deuce really helps her mommy a lot with Lee!

We had a great time for Fenori's birthday, but didn't take a lot of pictures. She and T went out to eat for lunch and Grandpa and I stayed with the kids. A great time was had by all! :)

I have some fun pictures from our February hotel birthday celebration that I will post in a few days.

Have a wonderful last days of February keeping the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible first place in your life!

Shalom in Him,

Robin

2010-02-01T15:40:00.011-06:00

Hello everyone,

Here are the last of my pictures from 2009 and some from January 2 at Greg's sister's home:

Fess is listening while Lili and Deuce read the Christmas story from Luke chapter 2 on Christmas morning.

Zoo is watching while Fess opens one of her presents.

My camera was still set on the "Night" setting, so many of our pictures didn't turn out. I still thought this was a good one of Deuce, though!

A new hat for the baby! We'll call him "Lee" for blog purposes! ;)

Zoo with his new Cars jammies!

He likes to pose for the camera! Almost always adds a little head tilt! :)

He's peeking at me from the stairway!

I think the camera flash took Lee by surprise!

Fess in her new Princess jammies.

They were all watching Polar Express in 3D with the requisite glasses!

Lili, Zoo, Fess, Lee and Deuce all in their new Christmas jammies.

Another one, just because they're all so cute!

Zoo playing with his train set that Mommy and Daddy gave him for Christmas!

I think he likes it a lot! He's still wearing the clothes he wore when we had our family pictures taken in the morning. Isn't he cute?! :)

Deuce and Bean playing with the Wii that Bean's family brought with them. That was their Christmas present to each other in their family!

Everyone gathered at Greg's sister's home for Christmas with them in the evening. That's always a very fun time!

Cousin Kyle, J.A. with Smidge, Uncle Steve, Cousin Drew and his wife Elizabeth, Me, Zoo, Fess and Lili.

Me, T.L., T with Lee, Aunt Leslie behind them, Fess, Zoo, Lili, Bug with Smidge on her lap, Bean and Deuce.

Aunt Leslie's yummy Christmas tree towers made with star shaped cookies is every one's very favorite treat! Especially for the little ones!

J.A. sharing a cookie with Smidge. Fess thinking about another one and Fenori feeding Lee.

The girls always sit together at their own special table!

Smidge really likes her new baby cousin!

Leslie making sure everything was just right. She's a wonderful hostess!

Smidge having fun with Daddy and Zoo thinking what to eat next!

Smidge taking care of Lee!

She thought he looked a little hungry! :)

The girls playing follow the leader or something similar!

Zoo liked being able to join in the fun!

Kyle is wearing a present from the girls - that's not his USUAL wardrobe accessory! :)

Zoo playing with a little Tonka car set that Uncle Steve and Aunt Leslie gave him.

Fess modeling the very cute hat and mittens she received!

All of the kids got hats and mittens from Uncle Steve and Aunt Leslie. Isn't this adorable?!

Back at T and Fenori's Smidge was wearing her new sleeper! What a great smile!

Smidge playing with Fess's new doll. It was taller than her!

We always have a very fun time at the Flater home for Christmas! The cousins love getting together and catching up with each other. It's a great time to see Drew and Elizabeth who live in California. We shouldn't wait for a whole year to do this, but everyone gets busy and time flies! :)

I will have to start with 2010 pictures soon before that gets away from me! Lots of exciting things happening this year! Stay tuned! :)

Don't forget to keep God first place in your life, then you will always have more than enough love, time and energy for everyone else important in your life! Have a very blessed 2010!

Shalom in Him,

Robin

2010-01-20T15:47:00.009-06:00

Hello everyone,

Here are the pictures from Deuce, Lili and Fess at their Christmas pageant. Then I have pictures form Bean and Bug's Christmas program and our Christmas with them.

Deuce was a lady, Lili was a court joke teller and Fess was an angel!

Deuce had a solo song to sing and she did a beautiful job!

Deuce and Lili singing with the rest of the kids.

Singing again!

Here is Fess being an angel for the Manger scene!

Lili, Fess and Zoo thought the pony was fun!

Zoo riding by himself!

Fess wanted a turn!

Lili, Fess and Zoo again!

Smidge in her car seat on the way to school for her sisters' program.

Bean is the third from the left in the front with the long dress on.

See if you can spot Bug! She's directly behind a boy with blond hair!

You can see her looking for us in this picture! :)

Smidge eating crackers during the program.

Bug with her pretty dress on.

Bean and Smidge with their pretty dresses on!

Bean wearing her pretty Christmas earrings.

Smidge opening her gifts.

Bean and Bug getting ready to open theirs.

Mommy helping Smidge with her little rocking pony.

Bean and Bug checking out their gifts.

Bean getting ready to take a picture of Smidge with her new camera.

I LOVE this picture! Wouldn't you like to know what she's thinking here? :)

Daddy helping Smidge with her pony.

Smidge trying to put on Mommy's new shirt.

Bean and Bug with some of the treats from their Christmas stockings.

Smidge feeding her pony a cookie! :D

Bug posing by the tree.

Bean, Bug and Smidge posing for Mommy's camera.

Now they're looking my way!

Our only brown-eyed grandchild!

Bean checking out the pony!

We went to see this display of Christmas lights. Most of the pics here didn't turn out because of the lights. :(

I took a picture of Bean taking a picture of me!

Bug and Bean by one of the many, many pretty light displays.

Me with Bean and Grandpa Jim holding Smidge.

We had so much fun this Christmas season! We traveled a lot, saw a lot of programs, shared a lot of good food and fun gifts and spent some great family time! I have one more group of Christmas pictures to share, then it's on to Fenori's birthday pics!

I pray that you all have a very blessed rest of January and a wonderful 2010, as you remember to put God first place in all that you do!

Shalom in Him,

Robin

2010-01-11T16:49:00.008-06:00

Hello everyone,

Here are some more pics from the Fall.

Smidge sharing her favorite book with Zoo over Thanksgiving.

She really likes the pictures of owls that are in the book.

Cute cousins!

Bug, Bean and Smidge decorating Christmas cookies. :)

Their yummy creations!

Fess hugging her brother who is being tickled by her hair! :D

Zoo loves his baby brother!

Lili, Fess, Zoo and baby brother. I think Deuce was playing the piano for

us.

Our food from Wolfgang Puck's Express Restaurant in Mall of America.

MY food from there. Butternut Squash Soup -- wonderful! :)

Greg and Pastor Bill Novak by the Christmas decorations at the MOA.

Greg and me - now that's one big ornament! :)

Pastor Bill and me at MOA.

Greg took in some of the special Christmas music at the mall.

Zoo getting ready to listen to Deuce at her piano recital.

Deuce playing"Angels We Have Heard On High".

Another picture of Deuce playing.

Deuce played as well as anyone there, and better than most! We were very proud of her! :)

Wide-eyed baby boy!

Cutie Fess eating her pizza!

Zoo loves the camera!

Lili with some pretty earrings in!

Deuce wearing her pretty new sweater.

Ready for bed, but looking very wide awake!

We didn't take very many pictures at Thanksgiving. Everyone was home here with us and there just wasn't a lot of time for cameras! We had too much fun playing games with all of the kids! I have more that we took over Christmas and will post them soon. We've already celebrated Fenori's birthday, so I'd better get caught up! :)

I hope you're enjoying 2010 and planning on following His leading to make this the very best year of your life so far! I know I am!

Shalom in Him!

Robin

2010-01-05T16:26:00.008-06:00

Hello everyone!

I'm finally getting the pics up for Lili's 7th birthday party from the end of September! I had better pick up the pace! I still have Thanksgiving and Christmas and we'll start another round of birthdays in January! Here we go:

Zoo and his "little" brother! :)

Now that's REAL brotherly love! :)

Lili wanted to go to the apple orchards for her birthday. That day was SO cold! It WAS fun, though!

A close up of Lili - she's having fun!

Deuce not so much, but just because she was so cold in her light jacket!

Zoo wearing his Brewers jacket and cap - should have been wearing Packers stuff for this weather! :)

Sharing treats from the orchard bakery. Notice Grandma in her 2009 World Champion New York Yankees jacket!!! :D

Zoo with his treat.

Lili with her favorite - apple fritter.

Do you think she'd meditating on being 7?

Fess enjoying a chocolate & coconut treat. YUM!!!

Baby brother in his usual position! :)

Zoo in his car seat in the van.

Fess holding the buzzer while we waited for our food to be ready. We were all watching to see her jump when it went off. Is that mean? :)

Our table and food - didn't you just want to see that! :)

This was Lili's choice for her birthday lunch - especially the pickle!

Deuce LOVES the soup!

Fess just loves being with everyone having fun!

Opening presents later in the day.

Lili loves horses!

She also loves Barbies!

Lili reading the card we made for her with a lot of pictures from baby pics and up.

Her special Birthday Barbie.

Modeling her new outfit.

Her bib present was one she had to share with her sisters.

They ALL loved the Barbie House - even Zoo!

Exploring everything! :)

I think it was a big hit!

Zoo loved the bathtub!

Lots of features to try out.

Then Zoo discovered his favorite toy of the day - the BIG box to hide in! :)

Playing with the Barbie House in their bedroom.

It was a really fun day with a lot of different things going on! Lili was happy to share her gift with her sisters, especially after Mommy gave her some time to herself to play with it. She played for a few minutes and then wanted her sisters to join her!

Will be posting in a couple of days to try to catch up! More grandchildren means many, many more pictures! I LOVE it! Thank You, Lord, for all of my precious children and grandchildren! What wonderful blessings they are!

Shalom in Him,

Robin

2009-12-14T12:34:00.008-06:00

Hello everyone!

It's been a long time since I posted pictures here! I've put some on facebook, but not here. These are pics from Fess' 4th birthday party. She really wanted to go bowling, so we did:

Watching her ball go all the way down the lane!

Deuce enjoys bowling, too!

Zoo REALLY wanted to bowl, but the ball was too heavy, so we helped him!

Lili waiting her turn!

Zoo liked eating the snacks almost as much as he liked bowling!

Fess was pretty excited and had a great time!

Now that looks like a girl who is enjoying being 4!

And THIS is how much the baby likes bowling! :D

Getting their shoes on so we can go eat!

Fess picked her favorite spot to eat.

Pretty Lili was having fun, too!

Zoo LOVED the shake!

Deuce was enjoying everything, too!

Present time! It was a beautiful day for an outdoor party!

Do you think she REALLY liked this toy?:)

Zoo couldn't wait to dig into his little bag of goodies, too.

Fess really liked her "water baby" doll. So real feeling!

All the girls were interested to see what THIS was!

Looking at the stickers that came in her color book.

Zoo liking the looks of those treats!

Digging all the way to the bottom of the bag! :)

Deuce taking her turn to see what was in her goody bag!

She liked her book, too!

Finally time for Lili to open hers!

Did you guess that pink is her favorite color? :)

Some sweet treats for her, too!

Fess with her new purple glasses!

The baby had his eyes open! So good to see him awake!

A closer pic - so cute and small! (You should see him now!)

Another close up with eyes open!

Fess had a GREAT time on her birthday, and it's not over yet!

Zoo liked his books with wheels!

He's getting to be such a big boy! :)

Tried to get a full length picture of him, but the kids think it looks like he's falling! Funny!

Here he is just chillin'!

Bath time!

Here he is, up close and personal! :)

We had a great time! Birthdays are usually pretty fun in our family! The next birthday was Lili's on September 30. I'll have those pics next, but I won't say when! :) SOON!

I hope you are enjoying every moment of this Christmas season! It's flying by so fast and we'll be in 2010 before you know it! Please take the time to enjoy your friends, family and relatives and to remember WHO we celebrate! Act more like HIM and EVERYONE in your life will be well pleased! :D

Shalom in Him!

Robin

2009-10-20T17:02:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone,

I will be playing catch up for a while here! I have pictures to share from August, September and October. We had celebrations, birthdays and just some fun times. I am starting out with a trip that we took with our pastor and his wife, who are also our very good friends, to celebrate the great news that they are grandparents of a new baby girl to be born in March 2010! Here are the pics:

We went to eat at a new place in Eau Claire called Camilles. Here is a sampling of our food! (We just LOVE taking pictures of our food!:D)

Greg and Roxy were both taking pictures while Pastor and I waited patiently to eat!

The very happy and excited new grandparents, Roxy and Bill Novak!

We stopped at T and Fenori's so the Novaks could see our newest grandbaby!

Fenori is looking really great for having just had a baby a couple weeks before!

Grandparent practice!

Roxy LOVES holding the babies! She can't wait for her new baby granddaughter to be born in March!

Fess had gone for a swim just before we got there and her hair was still wet!

Deuce still had wet hair, too.

Lili looking pretty with her wet hair, too!

Grandma and the girls! (Lili and Fess)

Zoo loves his trike and he can ride it really well now!

Deuce showing her tree climbing skills!

Having a serious discussion with Deuce while Grandpa was listening in with Fenori, Fess and Lili nearby. Pastor was taking all of these pictures and he really did a great job!

What an action shot! Notice how high in the air Deuce is!

Another great action shot with Deuce's hair flying!

Fess had the flying hair going on, too!

Deuce posing for the camera here!

Lili showing her acrobatic skills!

We had a lot of fun celebrating and we couldn't even tell everyone yet because it was still a surprise. Everyone knows now, though, and we're all praying for a healthy, happy baby girl for Kristine and Brian in March. Pastor and Roxy are SO ready to be grandparents and have had a lot of practice with our grandkids! Thank You, Jesus!

Have a great week and I will try to post more in a few days!

Shalom in Him!

Robin

2009-10-10T11:31:00.009-05:00

Hello everyone! It's been awhile! I wanted to post these pictures that we took when we went to visit in Minnesota for T.L.'s birthday but I couldn't figure out how to get stills from some of the video I took. I got some great video of the girls, Bean and Bug, swimming in Lake Superior! It was VERY cold, but they were very brave! Well, adventurous anyway! I will try to get that done and post them later. In the meantime, here are some from that day:

Bean and Bug were showing us their backpacks that were all ready for school.

Bug's frog notebook!

J.A. had given T.L. a special kind of corn snake for his birthday!

You can see it a little better here. ("I don't like spiders and snakes...." That's MY song! :))

Bean and Smidge having fun!

Bean and Smidge playing with the baby seat.

Grandma coloring with Bean and Bug.

The girls kept getting phone calls from their friends wanting to know if they could walk to school together, etc. They were pretty excited to go!

We went to the beach by J.A.'s parents home. The water was cold but it was beautiful!

J.A.'s injured ankle! She had sprained it pretty bad and had to have it wrapped.

T.L. and Grandpa kayaking on the lake.

The sun was very warm and it felt good just to bask!

Heading out again in the kayaks. J.A.'s parents let us borrow them for the day!

Smidge having a great time in the sand!

Yes, she DID get wet in the frigid water!

And here's the proof!

She and Bean BOTH went in and under the water to swim for short spurts, just to say they could! I was impressed!

Returning from the short trip on the lake!

Then it was MY turn! T.L. was SO patient teaching me how to maneuver a kayak! It was GREAT fun!

Dr. Grandma (J.A.'s mom!) checking out the injured ankle while Bean buries herself in the sand!

T.L. was pleased with his gifts and VERY pleased with this one! We gave him a new Packers shirt!

We had a great time, as usual! We can't wait to see everyone again soon. We plan to have a family photo taken again next weekend. It's been 2 1/2 years since the last one. Smidge and the new baby weren't even here yet, so it is definitely time to do it again! Will share those when we get them!

I hope you're all staying positive in the midst of all the negative things that have been happening! Remember that what you hear on the news is very rarely, IF EVER, the truth! Remember John 17:17: Sanctify them by thy word; thy WORD is Truth!

Have a wonderful and blessed week!

Shalom in Him!

Robin

2009-08-27T10:32:00.013-05:00

Hello everyone,

Here are the rest of the pictures that we took over the weekend when T and Fenori's new baby was born!

He looked a little red, but very healthy!

All the kids just hovered over him, checking him out!

Zoo, Deuce, Lili, Fess, Daddy, Mommy and baby!

Fess couldn't wait to hold him!

Does she look happy or what?!

Lili taking her turn!

And she was happy about that, too!

Deuce, the REALLY big sister, at 8 1/2!

Zoo even got to hold him, with a little help from Mommy!

He was VERY excited to see his little brother!

"See my little brother"!

Fess got to feed him first!

These next pictures were from the next day when we went back for our own little "Birthday" party!

Admiring their baby brother again.

They were all just fascinated with him!

Zoo eating his cupcake that Grandpa had bought for the party.

Deuce thought the cupcakes were great!

So did Fess!

Lili finishing up her milk - cupcakes make you thirsty, you know!

Even Mommy got to have a cupcake! Chocolate, of course!

All those cupcakes made baby brother hungry!

Pretty Mommy!

More checking him out!

Deuce at home with baby brother.

Zoo was happy to have Mommy, Daddy and baby brother home.

Peek!

In his car seat!

On his Packers blanket, wearing a sleeper that Zoo wore when he came home from the hospital!

Fess posing for my camera again!

Zoo smiling for me!

Lili holding her brother!

Fess holding her brother.

Zoo holding his brother.

Fess and Zoo with the baby.

Grandpa holding him for the first time!

Grandpa looking happy about holding him! (He was really tired from all the trips!)

Lili happy to have everyone home again!

Here he is!

Deuce holding him at home!

We caught him with one eye opened!

Check out the shirt!

In little boy blue!

Deuce and Lili holding him together with Mommy looking on.

They LOVE their new baby brother!

It was a great weekend and couldn't really have been planned any better! Fenori had 10 minutes of labor at the hospital and there he was! We have been blessed with 8 beautiful grandchildren! Thank You, Father, for every one!

Enjoy the last days of summer!

Shalom in Him!

Robin

2009-08-17T17:03:00.012-05:00

Hello everyone!

We were really surprised to get a call from Fenori at 4:50 am on Friday, August 7th! She was scheduled to have labor induced on Monday the 10th, when her doctor was returning from vacation! But God had other plans! We rushed to their house to stay with Deuce, Lili, Fess and Zoo while they went to the hospital. The only problem was that we live 55 minutes away from them! We sped (safely! :)) to their house, stopped the car in the driveway, threw our bags on the grass and loaded them in. They took off to the hospital that is about 20 minutes away. She had called for the doctor on call at 2:30am and hadn't yet received a return call. They were finally checked in to the hospital at 7:08 and the baby was born at 7:18! No doctor present! Three nurses were there and the doctor showed up (from home!) after the baby was born! Fenori delivered an 8lb. 7oz. baby boy! He is beautiful and we are still waiting for a nickname! Then I will have to change the name of this blog again! Yay! Here are SOME of the pictures:

Fess, Lili, Deuce and Zoo waiting for Grandpa to park the van before we went to the 3rd floor to see their new baby brother! They were wearing their "Big Sister" and "Big Brother" shirts for the very special occasion!

Here he is! He was a little red at first!

Already wearing the green and gold!

Fess getting a chance to hold her new brother!

Now it's Lili's turn!

A close up of Deuce with her brother.

Grandma getting her spare camera ready for the kids to use. It was a great diversion for them when they weren't the ones holding the baby!

This is still the labor/delivery room. They hadn't been moved yet.

Daddy watching here!

Zoo was snitching food from Mommy's tray! Hospital food - yum?

Fess thinks her baby brother is just the best!

Deuce agrees with her!

And Lili, too!

Mommy snitching food off her own tray!

Daddy pretty happy that they actually MADE it in time!

Look at how grown up Deuce looks!

Lili is thrilled to be holding her baby brother!

Fess was NOT happy that she had to wait for another turn to hold him!

A full length picture - in all of his rosy glory! Or should I say "ruddy"? You know, like King David!

Here he is again!

Daddy trying to fit his Packer hat on for the picture!

The one the hospital gave fit just a little better!

A very happy Lili! Isn't she cute!

A very happy Deuce! She couldn't stop smiling!

An adorable Fess just loved to touch him!

Zoo LOVED taking pictures! We can't figure out what most of them are, but he had a great time!

The ones where Mommy helped turned out great!

Fess thinks this is the greatest thing!

See, the smile to prove it!

Does she look proud of herself or what?!

Talking to her brother!

Can you believe that she just gave birth to an 8lb 7oz baby boy?!

Lili getting another turn and just amazed at him!

Fess chilling while Deuce holds the baby.

We went for pizza after we left the hospital because everyone was VERY hungry by then!

Fess enjoying her pizza!

Zoo had a great time eating pizza!

We stayed for two more days until they came home from the hospital, so I have many more pictures to share in a few days!

We now have 8 grandchildren and feel very blessed! They are all so beautiful, smart, creative and unique! I can't wait to see how this little one develops! But we won't hurry things! Enjoying EVERY minute of being Grandma!

I hope YOU are enjoying all the people God has blessed your life with! Friends, family and relatives! Very precious in the eyes of God! Thank Him for them often!

Shalom in Him!

Robin

2009-08-04T17:13:00.007-05:00

Bean trying out the new bike she got for her 8th birthday!

She did a great job for her first time on a new and bigger bike!

Bean was a little chilly at our picnic lunch because it was so windy that day!

Here she is with her hood off - so pretty!

A great smile from the birthday girl!

Grandpa and I borrowed bikes so we could take Bean on a bike ride.

Grandpa and Bean getting ready for the ride!

Grandma and Bean. We had fun!

Grandpa and Bean enjoying an ice cream treat after the bike ride. She worked really hard on the hills!

Smidge playing by the gate at home.

Opening some of the little gifts at home.

Mommy helping Smidge try the candy in her party bag.

That tasted like some more Mommy!

And then a drink after all that chocolate!

Very cute little sister at the party!

Bean trying out her new colors while Smidge looks deep in thought!

Here is Bug at the party! She has a great smile here! We usually have a hard time getting her eyes, but this time we didn't!

Smidge enjoying something!

Bug trying her new colors, too!

Smidge checking out her new cups!

What a great smile Smidge has here! So cute!

Smidge sharing some of Daddy's Blizzard! YUM!

Smidge getting her new jammies on for bed.

Off to be for Smidge! Isn't she cute in her new jammies?! :)

We had a very fun time with Bean on the bike ride for her birthday this year. The trail that J.A. recommended was along the water and through the woods. It was really fun and Bean did such a good job of making it up the hills! Grandpa took the lead and I brought up the rear. We'd really enjoy going again some time! J.A. made us some Ratatouille for dinner (YUM!) and we had DQ treats for dessert. (Another YUM!) Very fun time!

Next up on our busy summer schedule is T and Fenori's new baby boy, expected delivery on August 10th! Will have some fun pictures of that!

I hope you take advantage of every sunny day this summer, they've been in short supply lately! Every body needs sunshine, just ask Dr. Bob! Have a very blessed week!

Shalom in Him!

Robin

2009-07-27T17:31:00.010-05:00

Hello everyone,

Here are the pictures from my trip to Irvine Park with Fenori and the kids!

Zoo and Fess eating their Subway sandwiches for lunch! Thank you, Grandpa!

Deuce must have been really concentrating on something here! Fess looks happy, though!

She still looks a little intense!

A nice smile from Lili!

AND one from Mommy, too!

Lili and Fess getting ready to go down the slide together!

Lili waiting to go down the slide with Zoo.

And they made it!

Fess and Zoo trying it this time!

Now going down by himself! Yay!

Deuce DID promise to be right behind him, though!

Zoo's new Brewers cap - so cute!

Feeding grass to the bunnies!

Still feeding grass to the bunnies!

Deuce, Lili, Zoo and Fess really liked the bunnie pens.

Fess sitting on the baby bear!

Zoo sitting on the baby bear!

Deuce and Lili sitting on the bear cub statues.

Fess again on the baby bear!

Fess and Zoo wanted to sit on the same ones their sisters sat on.

And now with smiles!

Deuce and Lili trying a bigger one!

Deuce and Lili back at home in their own pool.

Fess having fun in the pool!

More pool fun!

Some underwater tricks!

Some more underwater tricks!

Fess still having fun in the pool!

Handstands in the pool!

Deuce in her pretty blue beach towel!

Daddy throwing Deuce up to make her splash!

Another fun toss!

We really had a good time and can't wait to do it again! Lots going on, though, for the rest of the summer. T and Fenori are expecting their 5th child (a boy) any day now! We have weddings and babies and trips to take! Next up will be the pictures from Bean's birthday on Saturday! We had a great time, even though it was too short!

I hope you all are enjoying the summer! Don't let it get away from you! Enjoy every moment and keep thanking Him for who He is and all He's done in your life! Amen!

Shalom in Him!

Robin

2009-07-13T15:52:00.009-05:00

Hello everyone! Here are some picture we took when Deuce, Lili, Fess and Zoo spent a couple of days with us the end of June.

Getting used to the water in our pool. It's a lot smaller than their pool, but felt very good on the hot days!

Smile for the camera!

Lili, Deuce and Fess with Zoo hiding behind Fess. And Grandpa, of course!

Fess playing with the blocks in the play room.

Zoo wanted Grandma to play with him!

These two play together very well most of the time!

Such a cute smile from Fess!

Lili sitting on the counter playing Princess Checkers.

Deuce still in her jammies. She must be deciding what to wear!

Even Zoo wanted to wear Grandma's shoes this time. Oh-oh, don't let Daddy see this! :)

Fess liked the red ones!

Deuce looking WAY to grown up in those shoes! She's talking to Mommy on my cell phone.

I was surprised how well Zoo could walk in these!

Deuce eating her Subway pizza!

Fess eating her apple first.

Lili REALLY liked the pizza!

Zoo wanted to share HIS pizza with Grandma!

Grandpa setting up the little tent we got for fun!

Fess, Deuce and Lili enjoying afternoon "Tea" with hot chocolate and little cookies! Zoo was napping.

I think that Lili liked the cookies better than the chocolate!

Deuce letting her chocolate cool down a little.

Fess likes having fun with the big girls instead of taking a nap today!

And there's the silly smile for this trip!

Now a little chocolate face!

Lili, Zoo, Deuce and Fess dressed to match for church. They were singing "God Bless America" and Daddy was preaching the sermon. So cute!

Here's Deuce looking so grown up again!

Fess having something to say!

Lili looking cute, as usual!

Zoo in blue - what a little man!

This is Deuce getting her things ready to put in the van.

The side view of her curly ponytail. She really IS only 8!

Lili and Fess getting ready to head over to their other Grandpa and Grandma's.

What a little cutie!

We CAN'T forget the "B"! (That's Zoo's blanket that I made for him when he was a baby!)

We had a great time watching movies, going for walks, playing and swimming! I got to visit with Fenori on Sunday afternoon while Zoo and Fess took naps and Deuce, Lili and T went to a baseball game.

My next photos will be of a trip I made to their house so we could take the kids to the park and have a picnic! Then we are off to T.L. and J.A.'s to celebrate Bean's 8th birthday. I will have LOTS of pictures to share from that trip! A very busy summer planned! I LOVE summer!

I hope you're enjoying YOUR summer! Remember to keep a grateful, thankful heart for all of YOUR many blessings! God LOVES that!

Shalom in Him!

Robin

2009-07-01T12:05:00.009-05:00

Hello everyone,

Here are some pictures we took during the June 21 SWC wedding celebration for Kristine and Brian Weber. They were married May 19, 2009 in Santorini, Greece. The church family appreciated being able to see them both and give their congratulations and blessing in person! We had a lot of fun, food and fellowship on a beautiful, sunny afternoon after our Sunday morning Worship Service. Here are some of the pics:

Arriving at the Novak home are Synjon Trott, Bonnie Baker, Nicole and Paul Trott with Syrus.

The Jiskra family, Kyle,, Kellie with Aaron and Mike holding Jesse.

Pastor Bill Novak with Jerry Davis.

Pastor with Brett Baker.

More SWC family members arriving: Byron (Junior) Trott with granddaughter, Sanaa, Dylan and Brady Trott with Lynda Shimko and Rock Selvig back on the street.

Ken Wangerin, Brett Baker and Jerry Davis fellowshipping while Roxy, Nick and Brian get things set up.

The pretty Baker girls in their matching outfits: Tabatha, Bonnie and Faith. So pretty!

The Baker girls with Dad and husband, Tony.

The entire Baker family: Tyler, Brett and Tony in the back. Andrew, Tabatha and Bonnie with faith in the front.

There was a lot of good food and the lines moved very well.

More food line!

Synjon Trott with Brady Trott.

Kyle caught mid-bite and still managed a smile!

Ken and Carol Wangerin with Brett Baker.

Charlotte and Jerry Davis.

Pastor ready for some fun, food and fellowship!

Brian and Kristine visiting with some of their guests: Greg Swoverland, some of the Bakers and Kristine's brother, Nick.

Rock Selvig trying to avoid the camera!

Kellie Jiskra with Jesse.

Sanaa Trott looking very cute!

Some of the SWC family enjoying the sunshine with their food!

More of the outdoor tables.

Diana Sanderson and Dean made the trip from South Dakota to be here.

A close-up of baby Dean next to his Grandma, Linda Bates.

Cars, cars and more cars!

And more cars...

...and more cars!

Rock Selvig, Pastor and Frank Filosi enjoying the food and fellowship!

Andrew, Asa and Faith posing for my camera!

Brian and Kristine were also joined by friends, Katelyn and Brooke with some of their children.

Brian and Kristine with baby Kara Trott.

Virginia Button with great-granddaughter, Sanaa Trott.

June 21 was also Father's Day! here's a great picture of Pastor Bill Novak with his son, Nick, and daughter, Kristine Weber.

We had a great Sunday service and everyone had a wonderful time at the wedding celebration! We are all very happy to welcome Brian into the SWC family! We're very happy for the two of them and pray God's richest and best for their marriage and family, now and forever! AMEN!!!

Shalom in Him!

Robin