Family News

Christmas 2007

What the heck are the Robison’s up to these days? We know that’s what you’re thinking. It’s on everyone’s minds. We seem to have dropped off the edge of the planet at some point last year, and the truth is, well, we sort of did…if you can call Central Eastern Europe the edge of the planet.

We’ve been in Poland for a year now, can you believe it? Boy, time sure does fly when you‘re having…what was I about to say? I forget, oh well.

So, here’s the scoop because we know you’re all DYING to know. We’ll start with the kids because their lives are much more fun to talk about than our own.

Jonah (10 ½) is in 5th grade and is having a stellar school year. He’s made lots of new friends at this new school and is finding his niche in music! Jonah sings in the Boy’s Choir at school and is also playing the Jazz Baritone for the 5th grade band. In fact, just a few week’s ago he gave a beautiful solo performance at the Elementary Winter Concert. We are so proud. And there’s more exciting news from Jonah…he just landed the lead role in this year’s school musical, Fiddler on the Roof! Yep, he’s Tevye! He‘s got the whole family walking around the house singing “If I Were a Rich Man.” Go, Jonah! The performance will be in March if anyone is interested in seeing it! Jonah also continues to pour his soul into the piano, and gets together with his new best friend (from Finland) every week for some competitive tennis.

Ethan (8) is in 2nd grade this year. He’s had no problem making friends at the school here and has started his own recess-time basketball club! Yes, Ethan has decided that he wants to be a professional basketball player when he grows up. Just so long as his college tuition is paid for, we have no problems with that lofty goal! Ethan is also loving the piano this year and puts together mini-recitals for each of his friends who stop by the house (which is just about every afternoon). He also landed a role in the Elementary School Musical…our little heart-breaker will be playing “Mendel,” the rabbi’s son. Apparently, he’s the one that all the girls in the village want to marry. Perfect.

Marin (nearly 6) is our little Kindergartener this year. We have all-day Kindergarten here in Warsaw, which she absolutely loves! Even after the bell rings at 3:30 to go home, Marin is very happy to stay in her classroom for an extra ½ hour of arts and crafts time. She is such a girl…always drawing… smiley faces, princesses, ballerinas, flower-filled gardens. A stark contrast to what you will find on the boy’s artwork these days. But, there’s a flip-side to Marin. She’s also decided that she really likes sports, which means that skirts are no good for wearing to school anymore…it’s jeans-only these days! (Whew! We never thought we’d get her out of the daily skirt routine.) Marin loves to boss Lorin around and pretend to be her mom. She also aspires to marry Troy Bolton from High School Musical someday. Nothing wrong with aiming high!

Lorin (3) is the heart and soul of this family! She’s strong as an ox, noisy, messy, bossy, destructive, nocturnal, highly imaginative, and non-stop fun! What would our family be like without our high-spirited angel named Lorin? She’s a chatter-box, a busy-body, and a home-body. We all ride our bikes to school together every morning, and Lorin is always anxious to ride straight back home again to catch the morning’s first episode of Scooby-Doo. She’s obsessed with the Mystery Gang. In fact, the first thing she did when she opened her Scooby-Doo action figures set from Santa Claus this year was bring Freddy and Daphne together for a kiss! She’s got them all figured out.

Wade (28...again) continues to play the part of “busy corporate banker,” and has most recently starred in his own production of “Dude, where’s my husband?” Ok, so seriously, Wade does work very hard (actually, he makes being a stay-at-home mom sound like a lot of fun!)and we really do cherish the time we have together with him on the weekends. Wade and I completed another 10k this past summer (really, he did it to keep me company. He barely broke out in a sweat.) He still knows how to cut it up on a wakeboard, and can put most other mogul skiers to shame. And, just to brag about how well-rounded my spouse has become, a few weeks ago he was chosen to perform a solo of Silent Night in front of an audience of about 300 Citibankers. They were floored! Too bad he’s about 20 years too late for High School Musical. Wade is in Idaho this week with the rest of his family to attend his Grandpa Edd’s funeral. He was a good man and will truly be missed (I mean Grandpa, not Wade.)

Bev (30-something)…hmmm…what can I honestly say about myself that will impress you the most? I have no idea. Life is good, but it’s also pretty boring. What can I say? I’m a mom. I hang out with a 3-year old all day arguing over why ice cream is not an appropriate breakfast food, why swimsuits are not appropriate winter-time play-wear, and why it's not ok to pour every bottle of shampoo down the drain at once. Aside from the daily Lorin routine, I am also volunteering as a member of the PTO Board at the American School this year, and as a room-mom for 2 grades. Photography is still my passion (after my family), and I’ve officially started up the business again here in Poland. So, the next time you’re in Warsaw, stop by for a portrait session and I’ll throw in a free 8x10! Oh, and if you are by any chance a member of the Berg clan from Sweden, I recently made a trip over to the island of Sturko (where we came from) and found our family ancestry dating back a few hundred years! Get out your geneology charts people and give me call. We’ve got work to do!

Our family has so much to be grateful for this year. We have witnessed so many miracles, both small and large, and have been so blessed to have you as family and friends in our lives. This is our favorite time of year…a time when we can celebrate the birth of our greatest example and friend, and a time to look forward to another year with our loved ones. We pray that all is well with you and yours and look forward to hearing from you soon! May your New Year be full of peace and prosperity! Your friends, The Robisons.