Worth The Wait

Okay, so it has been over 2 months since my last post. I actually keep checking my blog to see if anyone has posted for me. No such luck, so I guess the responsibility falls completely on my shoulders. In the last 2 months I have been busy to say the least. Here are a few things that have happened.

1. Found out we are moving to Ft Bliss, Texas in February. Notice the proximity of my new home to the Mexico boarder.

2. Found out I was pregnant. I told you Mike and I had fun during R&R. I waited and told Mike on the phone on our 10th Wedding Anniversary.

3. Listed our home For Sale By Owner. I spent countless hours watching "Designed to Sell" and "Stagers" and "Sell My Home." I staged our home by removing almost half of the furniture and knick-knacks. They are conveniently stored in the box trailer on the side of our house. Check out our website if you want to see photos.

4. Started and finished Potty training with Amanda. It was just time. I purposely waited until WE were done with our summer travel plans and Mike's R&R. I don't know why she is wearing her backpack in this photo, but any potty training mommies will tell you as long as they are on the toilet--who cares what they are wearing?!?!?

5. Had a HUGE birthday party for Adam and Amanda at an indoor inflatable park called, "The Jump Zone." Adam turned 7 and Amanda turned 3.


6. Had 2 dear friends come to visit--Jenny Gideon and Michelle Ocampo. We knew each other when we lived at Fort Polk, Louisiana. When they met me, Adam was just a baby. Now, SIX years later, collectively, we have a 7 year old, two 5 year olds and three 3 year olds. It was so fun. Thanks girls for making the drive! I wish I had a photo of all 3 of us, but we were too busy chasing the kiddos to snap a photo.

7. Sold our house. YUP, as of today we are OFFICIALLY under contract and by 1 December, the Mike and Robin Fisher Family will be HOMELESS. There has been a bit of a learning curve, doing it For Sale By Owner, but as of right now, it has TOTALLY been worth the savings. Nice to walk away with some money in our pocket.

We realize that all of these good things and blessings have been from God. Thanks to everyone who has kept us in their thoughts and prayers. The next couple months will be busy with Mike's return, packing up our stuff, living with good friends (Thanks again, Rick and Jenny), looking for our new home in El Paso and actually making the move. Since noone will write my blog for me (Kelli, how did you get Trisha to write your blog?!?!) I will try to be better. But don't give up on me.

More RELAXING

After we left Michigan on July 20th, we drove a few hours to Sandusky, Ohio to Cedar Point Amusement Park. Mike went to Cedar Point when he was a kid, so he wanted to take our kids. We were able to meet up with Jenny and her kids and Larry and Carla (Jenny's parents). We stayed at a hotel and let the kids swim in the pool and jump on the beds. The next morning, bright and early, we headed to the Park. Everyone had a great time. Mike and I were interested to see how Adam did at the Amusement park. You might remember Adam's first roller coaster experience last summer at Sea World, San Diego--"That was a lot scary!" Here are some photos from the day.

Amanda's favorite ride. The Kite Eating Tree insides Camp Snoopy. I loved that they had multiple kid areas throughout the park. I wish you could have seen the smile on her face. She even had her hands up in the air. She is fearless.
Adam and Mitsy tearing it up! I wonder if they know they are betrothed to each other?
Carla, Mitsy, Tyler and the Mike and Amanda. They got caught in a rain storm on the ride.
What is an amusement park without a ride on the Carousel?


This was the roller coaster Adam and Mike rode together. The Woodstock Express in "Camp Snoopy." A maximum height of 38 feet and a top speed of 25 mph. Just perfect for Adam.
This was my favorite ride--maXair. From the website:
Riders on the super-sized maXair will sit in outward-facing suspended seats and their legs will dangle freely. maXair will let loose by swinging riders back and forth in a seemingly out of control pendulum motion while spinning in a clockwise rotation and reaching a maximum speed of 70 mph. When the pendulum movement reaches its peak, riders will be 140 feet high and experience that coveted feeling of airtime.

Cedar Point is know for its Roller Coasters--17 in all. We didn't get to ride all of them, but we did ride a few. Mike made me ride in the front car of the Magnum XL-200. YIKES!! It has only been about 9 years since the last time I rode a roller coaster.

From the website: A true legend! The Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point didn't just break world records when it opened in 1989 - it shattered them! Standing an amazing 205 feet above the Earth below and cruising at a top speed of 72 mph, this scream machine was the tallest and fastest roller coaster ever created when it debuted in 1989. As impressive as those statistics are, coaster enthusiasts will tell you the element that makes Magnum truly a coaster king is its "airtime!" That feeling of floating over each of the ride’s intense hills helps make Magnum one of the greatest coasters of all time.

That is Lake Erie in the back ground. If I hadn't had my eyes closed, I am sure I would have enjoyed the view. Here is a video clip of the ride, just so you get the picture.

The last Roller Coaster we rode on was the Gemini. To get the full affect, Mike had me ride in the VERY last car. As far as roller coasters go, if one CAN feel "safe," I prefer the tubular steel construction. The Gemini is made of wood. As we waited in line, I tried not to think about all of the humidity (it is right on Lake Erie) and the freezing cold winters that had probably weakened the timbers . Mike tells a story about when he was a boy on one of his visits to Cedar Point, it wasn't very crowded. He rode the Gemini something like 30 times in one day! From the website:
On your mark ... get set ... GO! The Gemini roller coaster at Cedar Point gives riders an opportunity for bragging rights to the fastest train, as not one, but two trains run simultaneously on parallel tracks and race for a first-place finish. Guests cheer on either the red or blue train down the mammoth first hill, around wide bends and down the famous "low beam" hill that you must experience to believe. Even those who have ridden Gemini 100 times in one day say that no two rides are ever the same.Gemini has given more rides than any other operating roller coaster at Cedar Point. Since 1978, the twin tracks have taken nearly 82 million guests on the ride of their lifetime.


By they way, we were in the blue train, and we won! I hope you aren't bored with the videos, but I thought they were cool.



I hope you don't mind that I am about 4 weeks late posting this, but when Mike was home, as you can see, there wasn't a lot of time to blog.

Ready, Set.... RELAX

I don't know who decided that if you were deployed for 15 months that it made sense to have 18 days for R&R. This is my fourth deployment and I still don't get it. But I am AMAZED at how full 4 people can pack 18 days.

A few days after Mike got home (and a little more than a week after my Cross Country trip) we got back in the car and drove 9 hours to Ann Arbor, Michigan for the annual Art Fair. As long as I have know Mike, he has talked about the Art Fair. He has always wanted to go back for the Fair, but it was never possible. This summer, it was perfect. We had a great time walking up and down the streets looking at art--pottery, water color, sculpture, crafts, jewelry, photography, anything and everything.

All of us Down Town Ann Arbor. Tons of People

Who needs a double stroller?!?

Taking a break from the heat. We went early, so it wasn't too bad. Mike said, "This isn't HOT!"

Another great thing about Ann Arbor is that Marjorie and Fred (Mike's mom and husband) still live there. Mom and Fred offered to take the kids for a night so Mike and I could go on a date. We happily accepted the offer. The next morning, Mike and I went back to the Art Fair and out to breakfast. We got to talk to several artists and we found a few pieces we liked. Here are some of the artists we liked:
Carl R Sams II
Nature photographer and children's book author. We were able to visit with him. He had some AMAZING pictures of Eagles. Since Mike is part of 101st Airborne Division--Screaming Eagles, we have developed in interest in Bald Eagles.


John Gaps III
All of Mr. Gaps photos are taken in natural light--no Photoshop AND he took all of the pictures with a camera like mine!! Every photograph I asked him about, he told me how he took it and where he was. He gave me tons of pointers and lots of encouragement to keep taking photos.
Greg Johnson and Donna Gilbert
Mike and I really wanted to bring back SOMETHING from the Art Fair. There were tons of pottery to choose from, but this one caught our eye and spoke to us. A large circular casserole dish/deep serving platter. We could almost taste the yummy lasagna we were going to make.

After a relaxing day of strolling around the Art Fair without children, we headed back to Mom's house to make a "Thank You" Dinner. Mike wanted to make stuffed Fillet Mignon for Mom and Fred. They were SOOOO good. We also made fresh pesto with the basil we bought at the farmer's market.

Cooking at Mom's house Saturday night

Sunday dinner before we headed off to Sandusky, Ohio for more "Relaxing."

Back in the USA

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Mike was supposed to arrive in Nashville at 3pm today. He called me this morning at 6:30am once he got to Atlanta, GA to let me know that he was in the USA AND that he was able to get an earlier flight. He was set to arrive in Nashville at 9:45am. YAHOO!!!

The kids and I were out the door early, so we could get a security pass to go down to the gate. (I don't know if other Airports do that, but I am glad that Nashville does). It was a little hectic getting through security, but we made it to the gate with a few minutes to spare.

Mike was flying on Delta. As a courtesy, they invite Military Members to de-plane first. So we stood at the top of the breezeway as 14 soldiers filed out. Everyone in the concourse started clapping when they saw the soldiers. I started to cry. I am so proud of Mike and what he does. It is nice to have that small public "Thank You."

Here comes the plane

Mike was the last soldier off the plane.
I could see Amanda looking intently at EVERY soldier as they walked by.

They just about knocked Mike over. Amanda kept squealing, "Daddy's Home, Daddy's Home!"

Yup, I had to put in a kissing photo

I will try to keep things updated over the next few days.
Lots of Love,
Robin, Mike, Adam and Amanda

R&R of years past

Mike gets home in less than 18 hours. I can't keep a straight thought in my head. I am so excited! The kids are so excited!

I wanted to share a few reunion photos with y'all. The photos always make me smile.

I will post current photos as soon as I get around to it.

November 2003 R&R Adam is 2 years old


Welcome Home July 2004 after being gone for 15 months Adam is almost 3 years old

R&R April 2006 Mike met us on the curb, we got stuck in traffic Adam is 4 1/2 years old, Amanda is 6 months old
Welcome Home September 2006

Garage Sales

So, those that know me, know that I love to go Garage Saling. It is how I get my shopping "buzz" for cheap. There are many reasons, why I love to Yard Sale. I love finding just the thing my family has been looking for but couldn't (or wouldn't) pay full price for.

Like the riding lawnmower I got for $100! Seriously, I felt like I had been led to that yard sale. And in the 2 years that we have owned it, I have only had about $100 worth of maintenance and repairs.

I also love Yard Sales because you can try out items for cheap. Like Dinosaur Pancake Molds. I know, was skeptical at first. I have seen the cute shape molds in stores. They are pricey!

And what if they don't work!?!? Well, a few weeks ago, I found a set of 3, brand new in a box for .50. I couldn't' resist! I tried them the next time I made pancakes and now the kids ask for Dino pancakes every morning.

Last weekend was the Neighborhood yard sale in my parent's neighborhood. I wasn't looking for anything (remember I drove the little car from Tennessee--we already looked like the Clampetts) However, we (Jacqui, Dad and I) found a HUGE set of Discovery Toys Marbleworks. I had seen it on Friday, and the woman wanted $10 for it (total bargain). When I went with Jacqui and Pop, she still had it. Pop offered her $5 and she said, "YES" Total score. Adam and Amanda spent a good hour playing with the set today. It will be a good Grandparent toy.

Well, enough ramblings about Yard Sales. I am off to dream about the next treasures I will find this weekend.

They say that catching up is hard to do...

Oh, dear friends and family. Where to start? Most of my faithful blog readers know what I have been up to, but for those of you who don't. Here is the update.

Adam got out of school May 21 at noon. I had high hopes to be on the road, driving to Denver moments after he got off the school bus. However, I had spent so much time getting ready for the trip, I was exhausted. Mike encouraged me to wait and be well rested. It wasn't like I had a deadline (except yard saling with Jacqui on Saturday morning).

So, I waited until Friday morning to start my LLLLOOOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGG trek across the United States.

My dear friend, Melissa lives in St Louis, MO. That is a good 5 1/2 hours from home, so I figured that would be a great place for a lunch break. We had a delightful time with Melissa and her kids. Then we got in the car. As we were driving out of her neighborhood, we had the windows rolled down. I kept hearing a rythmic clicking sound coming from the back passenger tire. When I stopped to get gas, I checked my tires. Sure enough, I had a screw in the back passenger tire. I called my mom and opened my FAVORITE atlas--the Wal Mart atlas. It has every WalMart in the United States listed. I know, it is a shameless advertising ploy. BUT it works. You know, when Mike and I were looking at getting tires, I said, "I think we should get them from Walmart. With all of the driving I do, there is always a Walmart in the next town." There was a WalMart just 4 miles up the freeway. They repaired my tire for FREE (I had the road hazzard warrenty) and I was on my way in about an hour.

The rest of the trip was un eventful. We stayed in Kansas City at a nice hotel that had a pool. My kids couldn't get enough. Since we were the only ones in the pool, I let them get all of their energy out. The pool was only 5 feet deep and the hot tub shared a wall. Adam and Amanda loved going from the hot tub to the pool and back.

We were about halfway through Kansas, when Adam shared the most important truth of the trip, "MOM, Kansas is SOOO long!" It is folks. Adam also asked, "Mom, how many states have we been through?" I started to count, "We started in Tennessee, then Kentucky, then Illinois, then Missouri. We are in Kansas right now and we will be in Colorado in a few hours." Yes. SIX states and by the time this trip is over, we will count Utah, Idaho and Wyoming.

To their credit the kids did awesome. Thank goodness for DVD players, Leapsters and Lots of coloring books.

Memorial Day Weekend was GREAT. We went out to Daniel's Park. Memorial Day and Daniel's Park is special for many reasons. When we were kids, Mom and Dad would wake us up at some unearthly hour to drive out there and make breakfast on a campstove. All of us kids grumbled and complained, but we loved it. We would eat breakfast and then spend the morning climbing and hiking around. I don't remember there being so many rock cliffs. Mom, Pop, Jacqui, Kraig, Andrew and Josh were all there. It was great to share it with my kids. Thanks Kraig for the YUMMY french toast.

Memorial Day and Daniel's Park is also special because Mike proposed to me 10 years ago on Memorial Day weekend. He wanted to propose to me out at Daniel's Park, but I got lost because they had changed the road since my mission and then it started to rain. Mike proposed on my parent's front porch, but that is a story for another time.

Every year, my college girlfriends (the Half Way House) meet up. Every year is different based on needs and where we are in our life, but this year, 4 of the 5 of us met in Salt Lake City without husbands, without children. I have a whole bunch of stuff to say, but I really have to say thanks to Jacqui who watched my kids for 4 DAYS so I could have a perfect, relaxing vacation. It was so nice to hang out with friends, eat lots of good food, go to a few nice resturants that DIDN'T have kid's menus or a playplace.

Jacqui assured me everytime I called that the children were absolute angels and that she had everything undercontrol. I believe that she had everything undercontrol...not too sure about the angels part.

Since I have been back, Jacqui and I have hung out with each other every day. I hope she hasn't experienced a loss of friends because I keep hogging her time. I also hope that her husband isn't too bugged that I am there almost every waking hour of the day. I have gotten to see Brenny a few times, too. Maybe I need to go up to Greely and pester Brenda for a few days.

Jacqui and I have been working on projects. Again, things I am subjecting her, too. She has 2 sewing machines, so we have made turbie towels and speed cleaning aprons. I will post more about that later. We spent the day in her kitchen, she might do a post about it, so I won't steal her thunder.

I am REALLY looking forward to seeing Cory in a few weeks and spend a few days with her. What projects will we do?

Well, this is super long post. I will be better, I promise.

Lots of Love,

Robin