Sushi Making

 For Christmas Riley got a sushi kit from Tyler and Jessie and we decided to try it out. So here it is...

 So the recipe that we found said you needed to fan the rice after it was cooked, so we fanned it!

 We did a simple roll, basically a California roll. (carrots, cucumber, avocado, cream cheese, crab)

 The first roll!

 And the second roll!

 It wasn't too bad for our first time making them.  But let's just say it is worth buying them. ;)

And this is why, what a mess! Sushi making is messy. So next time we may just go to the Ninja. :) It was fun though. Riley and I are a good chef team.

Pictures to Share!

Olivia LOVES Grandma's. I am telling you if you look like you might be a Grandma she will like you. She loved spending time with Grandma D at Thanksgiving.

I just had to show you all that my child is awesome. :)

We love the Neilsens! What an amazing family we are blessed to know. Love them so much.

Just another day at our house. Olivia carries that stool around everywhere, just incase she's not tall enough.

We got a fresh tree this year. Riley really wanted a fresh tree, so Tayce picked us a tree and I put it up!

Happy birthday to our angel friend Kassie. It was her 9th birthday and we had a little celebration in memory of her and her sweet spirit. She has helped so many and we are grateful for her and her family.

Olivia and Jacob are buddies. Jacob comes over once in awhile and they are super cute together.

And there it is. Our Snow College tree. Riley has chosen to go to Snow and so we did a Snow tree for his "last" Christmas. :)

30 Before 30: Go to a New Place...

TROPIC

Well, this is a make up post. On November 15th my little family and I got to go and participate in a Pancreatic Cancer walk in memory of Susan Hansen (Ashley Pollock's Mother). 

Going was to support a wonderful friend, but as we got there I realized that it fulfilled November = Love for sure and it also fulfilled one of my 30 before 30 goals! Go to a new place! 

So all together it was awesome! 

So, even though it is December now, this was meant for November and so it will still be dedicated to Susan Hansen, a woman I never got the privilege of meeting, but I know of her goodness. I can see her goodness in her daughter every time I am with her. I know of the love Ashley has for her mother and only a terrific mother comes from that kind of love. To Susan and Ashley thank you for being woman of Christ and woman I can look up to. I love you both and I am excited for the day I get to give your sweet mother a hug and thank her in person for such an amazing friend. I love you Ash!

Good Friends

Make up post. :)

November = Love because of good friends. I have a lot of good friends who have done such amazing things this November. ( I apologize if I have missed a post) I am so grateful for them and for their love and support, it means the world to me that my sweet babies (children) are remembered and because of them there is good in the world.

This November = Love post is dedicated to the Fisher family. They put together blessing bags in memory of Graydin and Alice. What a wonderful text to receive during the week of their birthdays. It was such a heavenly hug to see the pictures below.
Christie was the one who reached out to me after Graydin died. I wouldn't talk to anyone about it and was trying to just get back to life. She told me her story and let Gibson (her son) be apart of my life. Thank you Christie for reaching out to a broken soul and being one of the people that walked with me on my long journey. Love you my friend and grateful for you support and love towards my children and I.

November 30th

Happy Birthday Charles Graydin

This may seem crazy to some, but I have been dreading this birthday for Graydin. I know that 6 isn't anything special, but for some reason having his birthday on Sunday, which is the day of the week he was actually born on seemed to bring back so many memories. So, it seemed as if I went through his day like a robot. Making sure I could get through the last day of the month. I feel awful about it really. 

Thankfully we got to spend time with family that day. And I really love the primary children I get to be around, they sure did make my day better. The whole CTR 5 class just makes me smile. All the 6 year old children in my neighborhood make me happy. I think about them playing with Graydin and them being in the same class at school and it makes me smile. It also makes me feel a little bit older that I should have a 6 year old running around my house. 

Well, mister Graydin is an amazing son. He is my strength and my rock in life. Anyone who doesn't think you can be close to someone who has passed on should just meet Graydin. He is my gaurdian angel and I am so grateful for him in my life. I am so grateful that I get to be the mom of such an amazing boy. What an honor. 

Happy birthday sweet boy! I hope your day was filled with love and parties. I hope that you and Kassie and Alice had 6 days of parties! I love you and you are forever mine my sweet boy. 

Love, Mom 

Happy 4th Birthday Alice Jolene

This November = Love post is dedicated to my Alice, the one who gave me the strength to remember her and her brother and to do something for others. Thank you sweet girl for helping me to be a better person.

 Happy birthday my sweet Alice, I miss you every moment of my life. I think about you every day and hope for the day that you are in my arms again. I wait for the day to see your beautiful eyes, hear your voice and know that you can never be taken away from me again. I love you.

 As the hustle and bustle of the Holidays begin, I am reminded that as much as I try and as much as I convince myself everything is okay I still don't love this holiday.

It is amazing that the pain and memories of something 4 years ago can awake you in the midst of your sleep, that you can wake up with puffy eyes, like you have been crying for 4 years and the feelings and pains are permeating my body like they were yesterday.

Today Thanksgiving shares the birthday of my sweet Alice Jolene Robinson. Today Thanksgiving is the hardest day of the year, the day that no matter how hard I try and put a face on for the world that face just doesn't hide the grief, pain and sorrow my heart feels everyday of the year.

Today I feel exposed, today I feel vulnerable, today I allow myself to show the way my heart feels everyday of the year. Today I just feel like my brain and heart are having a constant tug-of-war and I am not in control.

 Today I think about my sweet girl while most are thinking about turkey's and potatoes. Today I remember that she is mine, that she is real and that even if the world forgets about her I do not.

 Today I look at Olivia and wonder how different or the same they would be. I look at Olivia and love her for telling me "It's my best friends Alice's birthday." I look at Olivia and hope that I can do whatever possible to get us all back to be together again.

 Today I pray and thank my Heavenly Father for my Savior and His sacrifice for me and for my family. I thank them for eternal families and for the love they have for me and for my family. Today I am grateful for the pain, because the pain is the reminder that I hold the entire year that she is real, that I am her mom and Tay is her dad and Olivia is her sister and that Graydin is her brother and one day we will be together again. Someday the pain will be gone and the joy will be so full and so true and so bright that I won't even remember all these sad days, I will just remember the happy ones.

Families Can Be Forever

And it is my goal to work my very hardest for that to come true!

I love you Alice, I miss you and I hope you and so many other loved ones are celebrating your birthday the way your mama and Grandma Nae would. 

Banana Bread and November = Love

It is always nice to make your own treats and even better when you share those treats with others. For November = Love at least once in the month we like to give treats to others. For some reason we had a large amount of bananas getting mighty ripe at my house, so banana bread was made. After 18 baby loaves were made we were able to go together and deliver them to families we Home Teach and Visit Teach and others. It was fun to go out with Riley (and Tayce) and share our love with others.

Share your gratitude with others this week. You can do this by using your words, writing a note, sharing treats or doing an act of service or kindness to others.

Stephy

November = Love wouldn't have been if it wasn't for Stephanie. She is my hero and my friend. She has taught me more than she knows and has loved me more than I deserve. She always remembers me and my love for Dr. Pepper this month. I would like to dedicate this November = Love post to my dear friend Stephanie.

Stephanie is the kind of person you want your kids to grow up like. She is the type of mom you want to be like. She is the type of person that when you see her you know she has the light of Christ in her. She is not flamboyant about what she does and truthfully she is shaking her fist at this post for me writing it. But, it is from my heart and from my children who love her. 

Stephanie has given more families the strength to love and remember their angel babies than I can remember. She gave me the strength to do so and because of that love I hope she knows that I am eternally grateful to her, to her sweet Kassie, to her beautiful Tasha and Haylee and her wonderful husband. 

We love! (Love the Robinson's all 5 of us)