It's Christmas - again!

Our kids are so very fortunate! They are able to extend the Christmas season - due to the fact that they get Christmas in two different houses! This year, they were at their dad's for Christmas, so we celebrated a delayed Christmas with them when they returned on Sunday evening! As with any kids, they were so excited and anxious. They kept asking "When are we having Christmas at home?" I think they were hoping to have it before they went to their dad's, but with the weather how it was here, we decided to wait until after (secretly hoping that the roads would not permit us to travel so the kids would then be home for Christmas). And by the looks on Tommy's and Ryan's faces, they weren't very disappointed this year....

Tyler and Wendy were equally as pleased (maybe they were just happy to be back at home)!

He's off to be a missionary....

Two weeks ago, we had the privilege (?) of taking Steve to the MTC. What an experience! The only thing I could think about was I don't know how my parents did that five times over! I also thought of my oldest brother and how fortunate for him that he only had to go through it once (he did take my parents to the MTC, but I would like to think that was completely different)! I think I was so overwhelmed, because I have only had Steve in my house for three and a half years, and it was hard enough; I can't imagine how difficult it is when you raise them from the beginning!

We were able to get one last photo of all the kids before heading to the airport..

Steve's friends went to the airport with us to say goodbye. What a crazy bunch of kids! And since our flight was delayed, they were able to stick around and keep Steve entertained (Monique and I would have just irritated him).

Wednesday morning, you could see the anxiety setting in. It's interesting how much somebody's eyes can actually reveal! Steve really wasn't saying very much, but his eyes spoke volumes - nervousness, excitement, apprehension. Another small blessing - Steve was able to meet up with his friend Adam that was going to BYU! Again, less time for Monique and I to totally irritate him!

And after a very quick and emotion filled hour, we said our goodbyes. We are anxious to hear of Steve's new "adventures" and of the growth and changes that will take place in his life.

Het beste Steve! We love you!

Christmas Decorating help....

Monique has been decorating for Christmas the last couple of days. The excitement is filling the air at the Robinson-Sticht house! It's amazing how many kids offer to help when they see the Christmas stuff brought out! And, just like every year, the kids are told not to touch 'Monique's' tree (she does one tree with Delft's Blue ornaments from Holland). Last night, there was one helper that just wouldn't listen. He was bound and determined to help.......

Scooter must have put in a lot of hard work - he looks exhausted!

We're just wondering how long the tree will actually stay standing (no, this is not Monique's tree! That cat would no longer be living if it was).

Student of the Quarter....

Well, somehow, Wendy has once again managed to buffalo a few of her teachers at school. For some reason, they are under the impression that she is an incredible student and nominated her to be a "Student of the Quarter" at jr. high. We received a letter in the mail a couple of weeks ago advising us of this. We were to "honor" Wendy by going to a breakfast at her school at 6:30 A.M. - (yes, in the wee dark hours of the morning)!

Congratulations Wendy! Job well done! We are proud of you!

Happy Birthday Tommy!!

Today was Tommy's 13th birthday! As always, the day started bright and early with the ever so incredible Sticht Family Robinson Choir bursting into his room singing the Happy Birthday Song!! That should have been birthday present enough! But, like any other 13 year old (I'm assuming this is the case, anyway) he wanted more! No, not more singing, but actual presents! Tommy is our 'poky little puppy' - he usually doesn't get in too big of a hurry to do anything. This includes reading birthday cards in the early hours of the morning! This drives the older kids crazy (okay, it drives me a little crazy too). Finally, onto the presents - a book (why would we give him a book?), AXE body spray (which was sprayed on heavy enough to be enjoyed by everyone at school) and instead of a Tickle Me Elmo, or even a Barbie, he thought he needed an air soft pellet gun (egad, we actually caved in and got one for him). The day could not have started better (all because of the serenading)! But wait! He then got to go to school, to wrestling practice, and then a scout campout! And since it was his birthday, I didn't even harp on him about homework (that can wait until tomorrow)!

Tommy, you're a great kid! You are very concerned about how other people are doing, or will handle certain situations. I admire how thoughtful you are towards others. I appreciate your sense of adventure and willingness to try things, even if they tend to be scary at first, or foods that nobody else in their right minds would eat!

Yes, this was some sort of gross looking sushi (sashimi or whatever) that Tommy thought he needed to try. His comment, "it's not too bad"!

Happy Birthday Tommy! We love you!

(Mikki, the paint splotches in the background of the first photo - just think of them as shadow puppets!)

Veteran's Day, Camping and Tow Trucks.....

Ah Veteran's Day in the Pacific Northwest! What a beautiful time of year - moderate temperatures, rain, rain, and rain. Did I mention that we just had a "pineapple express"? (The "Pineapple Express" is when we have a weather system that has its origins from the Hawaiian tropics. These tend to be the wettest-type of storms we get around here -- bringing between 1-2" of rain per day for Seattle and much more near the mountains -- as it has an abundance of warm, tropical moisture.)

With weather like this, why not go camping? Especially since there was no school on Veteran's Day! This is the plan that Steve and a few of his friends came up with. No worries, as they have done this numerous times without reason to be concerned. Have fun and be careful, along with my usual advice "remember who you are and wear clean underwear"!

And fun they did have! Mission accomplished! Now to get home. Hey! Where's my car? Didn't we leave the car right over there?

The car got towed (and the reason is unclear - there were no private property signs or no parking signs) and it was slightly more than 50 bucks to get the car back. We are still questioning if the car was worth that much. It's a '94 Dodge Neon, afterall!

Costume Dilemma Solved.....

Friday afternoon, we were able to solve our Halloween Costume Dilemma! Monique came up with quite a few ideas (mine were a little too suggestive and quickly shot down by Monique). Some friends of ours, that were going to the same party, wanted us to dress up like them and go as hippies. This was something that we both agreed on (some what). We went looking for "hippie" stuff Friday, and we must have been shopping in the wrong stores (not to mention the wrong era), as we could not find "hippie" things! Now on to plan "M" at this point....what to dress up as. Wandering through the aisles of the Dollar Store, Monique had a brilliant idea! Now, how to implement the idea. As they say, two heads are better than one - we were able to figure out how to pull this idea off. We were able to get everything that we wanted for both costumes for less than $13!! Once home, the assembly took about an hour for both. The kids thought we looked like dorks, and gave the impression that no way would they be caught wearing something like this. We went as 'showers'!

We received several compliments on our costumes (positive compliments, no less)! I believe that the kids are still traumatized by this. But hey, we can't all go as 'Power Rangers' as Steve and Jon did (and these were a lot more comfortable)!

P.S. Yes, Mikki, there is a reindeer and an amaryllis plant in the background. And yes, they have both been around as long as the snowmen in photos from previous posts. You can't say that we aren't planning ahead on holiday decorating!