The New Mike!

Mike has lost 35 pounds so far. He rides the exercise bike 40 minutes a day and watches what he eats. He only has 20 more pounds to go! YEAH MIKEY!

5 Things to Be Happy About in July

1. Road trips with family and friends
2. Air Conditioning
3. Hot Pink Nail Polish on my toes
4. Chacos and the Zorro tans they create
5. Kenny Chesney Concert! (with free tix)
   

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!

Family

For the 4th of July weekend, Mike and I went over (on the 3rd) to Firth to see my Dad's side of the family. It was fun seeing everyone and catching up.

My cousin's little girl was attached to my Grandma Farrar

My niece Danielle is gorgeous. We drove over with her, her brother Gregg, and her mom-my sister Cathi. Gregg and Mike rode together following the girls.

Danielle was so good with all my cousin's kids.

On the way home, Cathi, Danielle, Gregg, Mike and I stopped at Massacre Rocks to camp for the night. Camping in the dessert was not near as nice as camping in the mountains and I don't think we will be camping there again. Mike did enjoy a little more fishing. It was cool seeing the Pelicans that nest there. It was extremely humid while we were there. All in all, it was a fun weekend. We went home that morning and went to dinner with Mike's mom for the 4th of July.

It is hard to believe that the year is more than half over. I am still excited for the adventures we have coming up this summer. I have the Kenny Chesney concert, a day trip to Lagoon, a Yellowstone Trip, rafting, camping, 3 Island Crossing, and a trip down to St George. It is going to be a busy summer but I think it will be a BLAST!

Stanley Lake Camping Trip

I have tried doing this post a few times but there have been issues with blogger uploading the photos. So I will try again!

Stanley Lake in the morning

The last weekend in June Mike and I headed up to Stanley for a camping trip. We have not really been able to go camping for the last 3 years since Mike has either had to work or have classes on Saturday so this was a nice treat. Stanley Lake was beautiful. The Sawtooths above the lake were so majestic. Stanley is a special place for me. Many of the family camping trips during my childhood were at Stanley Lake.

Mike enjoyed a lot of fishing, even though the fish weren't biting. He was pretty bummed when the very next Tuesday they dumped 7000 fish into the lake.

I enjoyed taking photos that are a little different than I have taken before. Here are a few of my favorites.

We had a great time. We were pretty surprised how many people don't do "real" camping anymore. So many trailers with generators and plasma TVs and everything in them....CRAZY!

We hope to be able to get the entire family together next year for a reunion camping trip up in Stanley.

The CMT Awards

This week, my friend Sarah and I went to Nashville for the CMT Music Awards. We had a BLAST! We arrived Monday around 3 pm. After checking into the hotel and getting a little relaxation in we headed to Historic Broadway.

Then we ate at the Hard Rock Cafe! That was fun.

We went to the pool that night and got to see Shawn Johnson in the fitness area (although we were not sure it was her at that point). The next morning we ate at the hotel (next to Terry Fator (I hope that name is right)) for breakfast the next morning and then rode in the elevator with Shawn Johnson. We then went to the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum.

Afterwards we walked a little more of Broadway, and then, exhausted from the heat and humidity came back to the hotel to rest and luckily we got there before the big thunderstorm and rain came in. Then we got ready and headed to the show.

The show was AWESOME! Sugarland performed with the B52s and Taylor Swift performed with Def Leopard. Yes, I made it on TV for a few seconds as well!

Wednesday, after a small problem with the rental car (that ended up scoring us the car for free) we went to Pancake Pantry to eat....YUMMY! and then to the GORGEOUS Opryland Hotel. (3 indoor gardens)

Unfortunately, after that, it was time to go to the hotel to catch the shuttle and go to the airport to go home. It was a lot of fun and I am so grateful I had the opportunity to go.

If you want to see more photos, check out my face book. I will be adding them all on there and already have TONS of the Awards show.

5 Days and Counting.....

I am very excited. My trip to Nashville is next week! WOOHOO! My friend, Sarah, flies in on Sunday the 14th. We leave early Monday morning to go to Nashville and don't come back until LATE Wednesday evening. We found out we are going to be right in front of the stage in the "Mosh Pit" (is there such a thing at a country concert?). We also received free passes to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. We get to stay at a super nice hotel as well!
Bill Engvall is hosting...I LOVE HIM! He is hilarious! Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Toby Keith and more for the performers. It is going to be the concert of a lifetime. There are more Performers than categories for the awards.
Everyone go to CMT.COM to vote for your picks. This is the only fan-voted awards show in country music so go vote TODAY!
Of course I will be taking TONS of pictures and will post all about it when I get back.

A Gospel Sharing Home

Mike and I know the importance of a Gospel Sharing home. These types of homes influenced Mike coming back to church. So we have tried to make ours a Gospel-sharing home. Often times though I feel like we are failing, due to the lack of acceptance by our friends and family. Then today, two things happened that made me realize we are doing what we should. The first is that my mother-in-law knocked on our door today at 10:45 dressed and ready to go to church. She only went to Sacrament but it is a start.

The second is that when we went to church, this quote was on the front of the ward bulletin. It is by Elder M Russell Ballard:

"A Gospel-sharing home is not defined by whether or
not people join the church as a result of our contact with them. Our opportunity
and responsibility are to care, to share, to testify, to invite, and then to
allow individuals to decide for themselves."

This quote touched me very much and let me know I was doing everything I needed to do. I pray that we all will take the time to share with those that come into our home. We just need to remember that everyone has their free-agency and that we can only do so much. The rest is up to the Spirit and the person.

5 Things To Be Happy About

I really like to read some of the tidbits in the Redbook magazine. Especially their 5 things to be happy about right now. So I thought I would make my own list.

1. The smell of neighborhood BBQs filling the air
2. Summer Thunderstorms
3. S'mores, both traditional and frozen ones (ask me if you want to know how to make them)
4. Camping trips at the last minute
5. Recognizing the sound of the ice cream truck, even though you won't be running out to find it.

Rach & Curtis

Our friends Rachael & Curtis are expecting their first baby in a month, so today, we spent some time at the park taking some pictures.

I have not done any editing on these so be kind.

I have to admit, it took a little bit of convincing to get Rachael to do the maternity pictures. When we first discussed doing them, she was about 5 months pregnant, and was thinking it was a good time because she was really starting to show. I told her we should wait until she was "huge and miserable" to make sure she really would have some great belly shots. Lately, she has felt just gigantic. I had to remind her that this is when I had told her would be the best time. She now says she is glad she did them, even though she really didn't want to before hand.

And of course, we had to do a few funny ones....

The Belly Contest

This is why pregnant women do not play hide and seek:

It was a lot of fun and I am very excited for Rachael and Curtis. When it comes to starting a family, we have had some interesting timing of experiences with them. I can't wait to meet their new little boy.

My First Blog Award

I am touched & excited to have been given my first Blog Award.This one is from my cousin Michelle and it is the "Let's Be Friends" blog award.

The Let's be Friends Award is given to blogs that are exceedingly charming. These kind of bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. The hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers.




I have to admit, I had a hard time choosing. All of you are very uplifting on your blogs. But, after a long, hard process, I narrowed it down to these people.

• Monae at Backstage Center (I love her uplifting thoughts and getting to experience her life in the theater
• Terrie n Cory at The Bolander Family (The stories and pictures just bring a smile to my face)
• Cousin Audra at Little Black Bears
• Cousin Audra at LATTER DAY LADY (I know, I picked her two times but I love bother her blogs)
• Kristen at KRF Photography
• Katie at Katie & Tyler (Congrats on the little one due in November)
• Steph and Kev ( I love reading about their little ones)- UNFORTUNATELY, this one is blocked so I can't link it for you, or at least not so you can read it
• And FINALLY, Terrilyn at the Houdek Household. She has been an inspiration to me. I don't even know if she knows I read her blog or not.

Hopefully, some of these guys will give out the award as well, so we can get to read new blogs, new stories and be uplifted even more. Sorry it took me so long to pass on the award. I have just been so busy lately.

Oh My Goodness!

So all week I have been trying to win Kenny Chesney tickets before they went on sale. All I had to do was be the 15th kisser (caller, but since the station is kizn 92 they call it kisser). Well, Thursday, I called at lunch time and was caller one and then...YES! I was caller 15! I was way excited. I barely paid much attention to the fact that this also qualified me for a trip to Nashville to go to the CMT Music Awards and also, if I didn't win that trip, a trip to Chicago to see Kenny Chesney again there.
Today, I was listening to the radio, they said they were going to announce the grand prize winner at 8:50 in the morning. I was running a few minutes late to work, so when my phone rang at 8:27 from a number I didn't recognize, I thought it was a co-worker using her house phone to call me and tell me she was running late. This is kind of how the call went:
"Hello?"
"Rebecca....what are you doing right now?"
"Driving to work" (A little hesitation in my voice)
Then I hear the husband/male dj "Well, I hope you don't drive off the road because you just won a trip for two to the CMT Music Awards!"
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?"

So that is kind of how it went. They took my info and told me I would be receiving a call from the promotions guy to get all the info on my guest and give me the details.

I am very excited. Mike is not able to miss work so my friend Sarah is going to come with me. I am very excited. I am going to work my butt of to lose 5 pounds or so by then.

My heart is elsewhere today....

Today, I must admit, even though the sun is shining and it is nice and warm here in Boise, my heart is else where. Today I would rather be:

Getting hugged by this sweet spirit

Listening to a story told by this little lady

Listening to this handsome young man's knock knock jokes

Hearing the gleeful squeals of this small comedian

And carrying this little princess in my arms

I know I should be grateful for all I have, it is just so hard, when these precious ones, and their wonderful parents, are so far away.

Happy Clean Up Your Room Day!

So you may be asking what? Happy Clean Up Your Room Day? Yes, Sunday, May 10th is clean up your room day!(This post may be a little scatter brained....just warning you)

About 3 years ago I was in search of a book that was about an LDS couple going through what Mike and I were going through with infertility. The only one I found was fiction, but a good story as the author really tapped in to what a Mother's Day Sacrament is like for someone like me. More on that in a minute, but basically, the husband found obscure holidays to celebrate instead. Like May 8th in the book was No Socks Day (this is accurate too). So that is what I have done for the last few years. Looked up different holidays.
Let me explain a little bit. Mike and I are still getting to know people in our ward. It doesn't help that there is another set of Robins (spelled Robbins) in our same apartment complex that are also relatively new. So when people meet us, or re-meet us, the first question is do we have kids...answer...no or not yet depending on what tone they used when asking.
Next question...How long have you been married.... going on 8 years.
You can see them trying not to show what they are thinking....
and then the so your husband must be in school.
I answer yes (after all he is) but you can tell that they ASSUME that is why we don't have kids yet.
I remember 2 years ago, Mother's Day Sacrament. Nice talks. I specifically told my husband not to urge me to stand up when they handed out flowers. People don't understand how it feels. First they ask all the MOTHERS to stand, then they realize it...oops....and these words came out of the Bishop or his counselor's mouth (I don't remember which)..."and all the wanna-be moms"
OUCH! I still didn't stand. I think he must have realized how it sounded because he then said, all the mother's in training. I still didn't stand. Then, as the flowers were passed out they had the congregation sing some song like Teach Me to Walk, that was my breaking point. I was done. I was in tears. A young woman who was helping pass out the flowers gave one to me and said "he said mother's in training."
Last year, I was able to miss the pain that is mother's day because I was trying to become a mother...(this is PG people, don't worry). Mike and I were going through the IVF process for the first time and this was the day they retrieved my eggs. So instead of going through the same embarrassment of getting a sympathy flower, I was trying to make it so that it would be the most memorable mother's day ever. We found out Memorial Day weekend we were pregnant, however, we did miscarry....
So this year....Happy Clean Up Your Room Day! I won't say how I am going to handle the church thing...because really, it is not the way I think it should be handled, but I have found that finding something else to celebrate has helped me out.
Being LDS and married for over 7 years with no kids makes you feel like the kid who came to school in his underwear on those old TV sitcoms....You stand out, you are strange, there is something wrong with you. I am becoming more comfortable in this role, but Mother's Day is still something I can not get through. So to all the mothers out there, enjoy your day, remember each child is a blessing, and have a great Clean Up Your Room Day!

Theater Photography

So my nephew Gregg played the male lead in Antigone (a completely different role from the role of Jesus in Godspell) for his final production at Meridian High school. The play was produced under public domain so I was able to photograph the entire performance! YEAH! I was able to experience all the challenges of theater photography (mostly the lighting).

Gregg did a great job. Here are some photos:

Good Job to the entire cast! Gregg- Congrats on your upcoming graduation and good luck in all you do.