Hoco 2016 and Cure by Design

What a super fun weekend we just had!  Last week was Kyle's first homecoming week at MSHS.  MSHS faculty and students make it such a special week with dress up days, a variety show, a movie night, and then of course the football game and dance.  I love that my kids will go to a school with such school spirit.

Saturday night I watched in awe as my first born enjoyed his first homecoming dance.  He went in a group made up of some great kids and he asked a sweet girl to be his date.  The kids chose Mason's farm as the spot for pictures and between their beautiful smiles, gorgeous fall weather, and a picturesque farm the pictures turned out great.

I really encouraged Kyle to go to homecoming because I want him to have four great years of high school.  I want him to be involved and make memories with great friends.  He certainly chose a pretty girl (inside and out) to be his date and I so enjoyed taking their pictures.

My heart was so full watching these kids laugh and have fun together.

My Momma heart was struggling that I actually had a child old enough to attend a high school dance.  We worked with him all week on how to treat a girl- I instructed him to treat his date in a way that is pleasing to God and how he would want someone treating his sister one day:)  

This beauty, Caroline, was also in their group.  Kyle and Caroline have grown up together and he loves her so much.  He even called me from the dance worried because she was upset for a minute because some boy was dancing with a girl.  This girl is the center of their social group and she was THE freshman rep on the homecoming court.  She looked beautiful! 

handsome guys in the hay loft on the farm.

The farm was so beautiful and gave us lots of good photo opportunities.

AFter the farm the group headed downtown to eat dinner.  We had to do some last minute pictures on the Iron St. Mall.  This picture makes me smile.

I was also THAT Mom that followed them into the restaurant for one last picture.  A few Moms and I had dinner at a nearby restaurant while they ate dinner.

Meanwhile while I was playing homecoming Mom, Mike, Dave, Hope, GG, And Pops, were at the Hotel Roanoke for the Cure by Design fashion show to benefit the American Cancer Society.  David was one of the models and it was a fabulous night!

David getting ready to rock the runway.  Blessedly one of my friends from college was also attending the gala and offered us seats at her table which allowed David to have a big cheering section!! I hate I had to miss it but having multiple children means that often you have to divide and conquer and Saturday night was one of those nights for us.  Mike said David did great and was not shy at all! HA! I was so thankful that GG and Pops were willing to be there in my place and truly cheer him on.

It is amazing to think that in our family David has finished treatment for cancer and Pops is almost finished with his chemo.  I never imagined that cancer would touch us so directly.  I am so thankful for events like this where David gets to shine and to give support  to the American Cancer Society.

This past weekend all the Robinsons (minus me) were in their finest for either Homecoming or the Cure by Design Gala.  I am so thankful for a fun homecoming weekend for Kyle with a great group of friends, and I am thankful for Dave to use his sparkle and personality to help raise crucial dollars for the American Cancer Society.

Special Spectators Day at Virginia Tech!

The Robinson Family is so proud to be a volunteers for Special Spectators.  We were introduced to this organization when David was in treatment and now we are blessed to be on the hostess side of this amazing organization that gives critically ill children a VIP experience at College football games.  The more events we volunteer and host, the more I love what this organization does.  

 Here is our group with John Laaser and Mike Burnop up in the radio booth.  Beautiful view from on top of Lane Stadium and these guys are class acts.  Earlier in the day I had a problem getting parking passes to some of our families and John Laaser asked if he could help since he was walking by and heard me talking to the Will Call lady.  He was truly worried about the two families that needed handicapped accessibility.

 We then caught the end of the Hokie walk and waited patiently for Coach Fuente!

 Coach Fuente was super sweet and welcoming to all of our Special Spectator kids.  Coaches are pretty intense and focused on game days but Coach Fuente took time with each kid.  Here is Dave shaking his hand.  He was so mad because he wanted to give him a message to "throw a hail mary" but he forgot.

 Several of our kids were currently in treatment for cancer and it was a long and hot day for those kids.  They were so excited they did not want to miss anything!!  This was the picture that was shown on the Jumbotron at the end of halftime.

 Dave practicing his skills on the practice field.

 Our group got to walk in the tunnel and low and behold Terrell Edmunds was headed on the field to warmup a little.  He was so sweet to Dave and tried to talk to Dave.  Dave went to shake his hand and he dabbed him!  Mike and I could have died from embarrassment!!!

 Daddy lifting big Dave to touch the Hokie stone.  One of our kids was in treatment and germ exposure is a big deal for a kid in active treatment.  He finally talked his mom into letting him touch the stone.  It was such a sweet moment.

 Our hot mess of a family!!!!!  It was a beautiful but hot day in lane stadium!

 Hope and some of our Special Spectator kids running on the field.

 Dave wanted to chase Luis, who was the photographer for the day.  He was a great guy who connected well with our kids and I am sure he got some amazing pictures.

 Dave apologized to Terrell Edmunds for dabbing on him and he was sweet enough to pose for this picture.  Dave asked him to pass on a message to the Coach to please throw a hail mary!

 The special fans were treated to a great tailgate and the Hokie bird even visited!

 The game was Military Appreciation Day and there was a flyover during the National Anthem.  It was amazing!

The game was a lopsided win but the Special Spectators had a wonderful day at Lane Stadium.  For a few hours on a Saturday they could foget about hospitalizations, doctor appointments, chemo, port accesses, and more time in the hospital and just focus on being a kid cheering on the Hokies and being treated like a VIP!  Virgnia Tech rolled out the red carpet for these amazing kids and families and I am just so thankful that we as a family could be there to host them and to see this experience through their eyes.  If you ever feel led to donate to a wonderful cause, check out www.specialspectators.org and also check out the photos from other gameday experiences.  This organization is near and dear to our heart and we are honored and blessed to be volunteers.

A New Season

I have sincerely been a blog slacker but it has been because we have been busy but in a good way.  We are in a new season of life around the Robinson household and it has been crazy but wonderful.  We are all adjusting to Mike's new job and therefore our new family lifestyle.  It is awesome. We are seeing so much more of Mike and he is so less stressed.  Life is good. He still is close with many of his coworkers from his previous job which makes him happy because he certainly loves those Smyth County School people-they truly are great people.

The boys are in a new season of life-Kyle is  settled into high school life and Dave is now a middle schooler.  This was hard on a Momma's heart to help both of her sons start over in a new school. Both orientations were on the same night and only an hour apart and after several hours in hot and crowded schools this Mommas was done.  Thankfully both boys have adjusted well and we are cruising through the school year.  Kyle has a tough fall semester including Algebra II and Honors English.  He is having to study which is a beautiful thing. Dave has a great team of teachers around him and he is working so hard and we are so proud of him. Little Miss is rocking second grade.

The weekend after school started this youth leader was blessed to get to assist in the baptisms of SEVEN of our youth.  After a busy summer at church including Nurture program, Mission trip, VBS, and confirmation class seven youth went forward with baptism at Hungry Mother Lake.  It was beautiful and this youth leader was overjoyed and humbled to get to be apart of something so special.  I love youth ministry.

We celebrated Mike's birthday in late August and he was a happy clam to celebrate his special day helping coach some boys he adores.  It was a dramatic day of basketball and here we are at Lover's Leap overlook on his special day.  Our kids one day will hopefully appreciate the fact that their Daddy chose them over a job and that they are the apples of his eye.

This gal started back to work at church in preschool.  I am a blessed woman because I love what I do at church -both in youth ministry and at preschool.  At preschool I have amazing coworkers and we may not get paid the big bucks but we certainly laugh a lot and we know we are blessed to teach little hearts about Jesus.  So far our year has been great and I love that at open house one of our returners wanted to take a selfie with me!!!! Be still my heart.....

Back to school also means VT football which is something I adore to do with my boys and my Dad.  We made it to the first home game and Dave was so excited!!  We also got to watch the Battle at Bristol on a big screen at a youth event but we will not talk about the actual football game.  Poor Hokies, that was not their night.

Dave has grown up so much right before our eyes.  He is such a hard worker and wants to please his teachers.  As always, God continues to place the right folks in Dave's life and we are so thankful.

This past month we have worked hard to get ready for Mike's Mom and Bob to come visit us.  It was obvious we have had a busy and crazy summer when we started preparing for company.  We hosted them for a week on their way to a wedding in Charlottesville.  I felt terrible for most of their visit with a bad cold because I realized today when they left I only had only taken ONE picture the entire week they were here.  I must have been really sick to have failed on the photo ops.  

I was also blessed to get to be the speaker at a women's event locally last weekend.  It always takes me by surprise when I am asked to speak at women's conferences because it blows my mind that God could and would use this hot mess for his glory.  Several years ago I told God that my life was His to use for his kingdom which often involves me speaking to groups.  That is not my confort zone at all, but if that is how God will use me then so be it.  I just pray I represent Him well. 

That is the update for now.  I will be better at blogging I promise. :)