It must be because I have only one set of grandparents remaining, but I have had an overwhelming desire to find out all I can about their lives. I have papers and books and notes about their lives but I can never remeber weeks later what I had read. When my dad presented Cole and I with an opportunity to go to Portland last week I jumped at the chance. He wanted to take his car up to his brother's car auction to sell and so his plan was that Cole and I would drive the kids over to Phoenix, drop them off, drive back home to our house and leave the next day for Oregon. We stayed the night in Woodland, CA just north of Sacramento and then drove through scary snowy mountians to Portland. We arrived on Friday night and flew back to Phoenix on Sunday. That is ummm...4 days or so without kids and 21 hours in the car with only Cole, I and some books on CD which we managed to get through with 2 of them. The drive was nice. Valentine's Day was nice. Sleeping in was nice. But, I missed my kids and was glad to be with them again. I actaully, now, have lots of family up north now. We stayed with my aunt and uncle but then we saw my grandparents, another aunt, and a cousin and her husband. I know that as teenagers we all got the "your family will one day be your best friends" and we all blew that off, but it is so true and I don't think we could put it any different to our kids today to make them trust us on that. They will just have to experience it for themselves. I did get some stories out of my grandparents. My grandpa used to dig graves as a scout ongoing project. My great-great grandmother was kidnapped in England by some gypsies for about a week. Then when she was older she married her husband on the boat to America after 11 days of courting. My grandmother makes the best lemon mereigne pie in the world (which I informed her I had never tasted and why had I never tasted it?) Anyways, I am very blessed to be from the ancestors I am. I am blessed that I am able to meet a 'cousin' everywhere I move to. And I am blessed to be such good friends with my family and extended family.

Happy Birthday Gage!

Anxiously awaiting arrival time. I know I don't look as chipper as most people, but I do not use drugs for delivery-I have natural childbirth so I am feeling the pain every 30 seconds. That' s my claim to fame

My little guy is here!

Binky goes in first thing in my house!

Proud daddy!

Proud big brother and big sister!

Blessing day

Baby brother torture

I could look at those big blue eyes all day

Lake Powell houseboat-atleat he's having fun :) ( Lake Powell houseboat time is not my fav!)

Meeting cousin Kassidy

More baby brother torture

Meeting the horsies

1st birthday clebrated in our Midvale Utah home

1st Christmas

On vacation to So Cal to visit cousin Kass

Bathing with cousin Kass (or as I like to call it-blackmail photos :))

Out to lunch with Grandma Hinton

Camping with grandpa Robinson

On the fow fuwer (four-wheeler) Gage's personal fav!

Camping in New York at Letchworth State Park




My mom only had so many days off so when Gage was approaching his due date with no action at all I decided to take matters into the hands of science and get induced. My mom arrived and the next day Cole and I went in to have our scheduled delivery :) Things were progressing normally and when Dr. Tanner came out (I delivered at an office away from his usual hospital so it was about a 15 min drive for him) to check on me he said I was at a 7 but that he would go take a nap in the next room rather than drive back to his office. He walked out and layed down, I felt the most incredible drop you could possibly feel inside your body-like a bowling ball dropping from your chest to your hips- and then I was ready. Dr. Tanner was called for and 4 minutes later Gage was born with a huge bruise covering his whole face. Apparently on his rushing himself to drop he beat himself up pretty bad. Good call for Dr. Tanner although he wouldn't have made it out to his car if he had decided to go instead. My little Gage keeps me on my toes. He is constantly getting into things, constantly making messes, and constantly talking. He started walking at 9 1/2 months to keep up with his big brother and sister (or to get away from them as you can see in the pictures he had reason to) I love him like crazy and those blue eyes will forever be mine! Happy Birthday Gage!

Gage Harley Robinson

Febrary 2, 2006

7 lb 12 oz

3:09 pm